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ANKARA: Prosecutors ordered the detention of 29 more people in a probe into betting in professional Turkish soccer with a former Galatasaray executive among those detained, broadcaster NTV and other media said on Friday. Citing a statement from the prosecutor’s office NTV said 24 of the 29 suspects were detained, including former Galatasaray executive Erden Timur. Timur and Galatasaray were not immediately available for comment. Four others were sill being sought, while another suspect was already in jail, the statement added. NTV said 14 of the suspects were players in Turkish leagues, without naming them, while six were being sought for betting on a Super…

Steve Smith returns to action in the Boxing Day Test against England as Australia opted to include four fast bowlers in their 12-man squad, with spinner Todd Murphy, who was brought into the fold to replace Nathan Lyon, not finding a spot. Fast bowler Jhye Richardson, who has not played in the longest format since 2021, has been brought back after fine domestic form on his return from shoulder surgery. Brendan Doggett who played in the first two Tests, and Michael Neser, who was part of the pink-ball encounter, have also been included with Australia going for an all-pace attack.…

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel took aim at U.S. President Donald Trump as he warned Thursday about the rise of fascism in an address to U.K. viewers dubbed “The Alternative Christmas Message.” The message, aired on Channel 4 on Christmas day, reflected on the impact from the second term in office for Trump, who Kimmel said acts like he’s a king. “From a fascism perspective, this has been a really great year,” he said. “Tyranny is booming over here.” The channel began a tradition of airing an alternative Christmas message in 1993, as a counterpart to the British monarch’s annual…

The four-day International Urdu Conference commenced on Friday at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, marking the beginning of one of the country’s most prominent literary gatherings. The opening ceremony was attended by Governor Sindh Kamran Tessori, along with writers, poets, students, and members of the public. The inaugural session of the 18th International Urdu Conference began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the national anthem. A special showreel highlighting the journey and significance of the International Urdu Conference was also screened. Participants from various walks of life, including students and literature enthusiasts, attended the event in…

Thirty-one years have passed since the death of renowned Urdu poet Parveen Shakir, whose literary legacy continues to inspire readers across generations. Widely celebrated for her poetry collection Khushbu, Parveen Shakir remains one of the most influential voices in modern Urdu literature. Parveen Shakir passed away on December 24, 1994, in a tragic traffic accident in Islamabad. At the time of her death, she was only 42 years old, leaving behind a rich poetic legacy despite her short life. An alumnus of the University of Karachi, Parveen Shakir earned degrees in English literature and linguistics. In 1982, she cleared the…

BEIJING : China on Friday launched three venture capital funds to invest in “hard technology” areas, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The capital contribution plans for the funds have been finalised, each with more than 50 billion yuan ($7.14 billion), according to the report. The funds will primarily invest in early-stage startups and the targets should be valued at less than 500 million yuan, an official said on Friday, adding that no single investment would amount to more than 50 million yuan. The funds’ expected targets include firms focused on integrated circuits, quantum technology, biomedicine, brain-computer interfaces, aerospace and other key…

The Chinese government would like to see companies reach solutions that comply with Chinese laws and regulations and balance the interests of all parties, a commerce ministry spokesperson said on Thursday when asked about the hand-over of TikTok’s US operations. TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, last week signed binding agreements to hand control of the short video app’s U.S. operations to a group of investors, including Oracle, in a big step toward avoiding a U.S. ban and ending years of uncertainty. “It is hoped that the U.S. side will work with China in the same direction, earnestly fulfill its corresponding commitments,…

Nvidia (NVDA.O) has agreed to license chip technology from startup Groq and hire away its CEO, a veteran of Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google, Groq said in a blog post on Wednesday. The deal follows a familiar pattern in recent years where the world’s biggest technology firms pay large sums in deals with promising startups to take their technology and talent but stop short of formally acquiring the target. Groq specializes in what is known as inference, where artificial intelligence models that have already been trained respond to requests from users. While Nvidia dominates the market for training AI…

LAHORE : The outgoing year proved to be a landmark year for Pakistan in space research and exploration. The country made significant strides in satellite launches, astronaut programmes, and lunar exploration, marking a new chapter in its scientific achievements. Satellite success Pakistan’s national space agency, SUPARCO, successfully launched three major satellites this year. In January, the first satellite, an electro-optical platform, was sent into orbit from China. July saw the launch of another remote-sensing satellite from a Chinese launch centre, significantly enhancing Pakistan’s terrestrial observation capabilities. October brought another historic achievement, with SUPARCO deploying Pakistan’s first hyperspectral satellite, increasing the…

ISLAMABAD : State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudhry confirmed on Friday that the government has written to the UK government regarding “inciteful” statements and content circulating on social media involving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The minister highlighted a video circulating online that has raised concerns. The letter urges the UK to take action against individuals involved in inciting terrorism, violence, and instability in Pakistan from British soil. The Pakistani government has specifically raised concerns about social media accounts linked to PTI, which are spreading videos calling for the assassination of Pakistan’s army chief. The letter emphasised that such content is…