Author: admin

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has rolled out major visa reforms, introducing new categories for artificial intelligence (AI) specialists, tourists, and event visitors, while also extending humanitarian support to refugees and widows without the need for sponsors. The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) unveiled four new entry visa types. AI Specialists: Single or multiple entry permits available, with applications requiring a letter from a recognized technology entity. Entertainment: Temporary visas for foreigners participating in entertainment projects. Events: Issued for attendance at festivals, exhibitions, conferences, and seminars, with host entities required to provide details of…

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected that Pakistan’s economy will gradually improve, forecasting GDP growth of 3% in 2025-26. The latest Asian Development Outlook report highlights progress in reforms under the IMF program but also cautions about persistent inflation, structural bottlenecks, and risks from natural disasters. According to the ADB, Pakistan’s government has set a more ambitious growth target of 4.2% for the current year. However, recurrent floods and natural disasters are likely to hinder momentum by disrupting supply chains and damaging agricultural land and infrastructure. The ADB expects gradual improvement in foreign exchange reserves and investment inflows, adding that medium-term…

If you’ve ever wondered whether a YouTube Premium subscription is worth the monthly fee, the platform has just sweetened the deal with five new features now rolling out to more users worldwide. According to an update on the official YouTube Help forum (via 9to5Google), these upgrades were previously limited to experiments or specific devices but are now expanding across Android, iOS, web, smart TVs, and consoles. Faster playback: 4x speed option Premium users can now crank up playback speed to 4x, double the maximum 2x speed available to regular users. This feature is live on Android, iOS, and the web.…

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, inaugurated the “Ambassador’s Kitchen” in Xi’an during the Euro-Asia Economic Forum 2025, showcasing Pakistan’s cuisine, hospitality, and exports such as mangoes, basmati rice, and pink salt as tools of cultural diplomacy. The initiative, launched in Shaanxi province, aims to strengthen cultural and economic ties, echoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s 2024 visit that deepened cooperation with the region. Hashmi highlighted food as a bridge for people-to-people connectivity and linked the effort to CPEC Phase-II goals in agriculture, food processing, and trade diversification. Held in Xi’an, the historic starting point of the Silk Road,…

ISLAMABAD : China and Pakistan have expanded cooperation in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector during the China-Pakistan International TVET-Industrial Cooperation and Exchange Seminar in Beijing. Over 50 participants, including senior Pakistani officials and Chinese institutions, attended the event. Five Chinese universities joined the China Pakistan TVET-Industrial Centre of Excellence (CPTICE), while five MoUs were signed in sectors such as EVs, agriculture, intelligent manufacturing, and infrastructure. Additionally, 11 Chinese institutions became part of the Pakistan-China International Industrial-Academic Integration Alliance (CPIA), and eight experts were inducted into its expert bank. A Teacher Training Platform was also launched to…

Members of the Pakistan cricket team, including captain Salman Ali Agha, Faheem Ashraf, and Hassan Ali, returned home on Monday following their loss to India in the Asia Cup 2025 final. The team’s flight touched down in Lahore as fans continue to digest another painful defeat at the hands of their arch-rivals. India once again got the better of Pakistan in the Asia Cup final, securing their third consecutive title win. In a nail-biting encounter, India chased down the target in the final over, winning by five wickets. Spinner Kuldeep Yadav starred with the ball, grabbing 4 wickets for 30…

Pakistan has endorsed US President Donald Trump’s new peace initiative for Gaza and the wider Middle East, calling it a “rare opportunity” for consensus while warning that Israel’s controversial E-1 settlement plan poses a direct threat to the two-state solution. At a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on the Middle East, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad welcomed Trump’s diplomatic engagement with eight OIC and Arab states. He said Pakistan would “actively participate in the consultative process” aimed at finding a sustainable resolution, stressing that the initiative must alleviate Palestinian suffering and be rooted in UN resolutions. “We…

Chinese AI developer DeepSeek has released its “experimental” latest model, which it said was more efficient to train and better at processing long sequences of text than previous iterations of its large language models. The Hangzhou-based company called DeepSeek-V3.2-Exp an “intermediate step toward our next-generation architecture” in a post on developer forum Hugging Face. That architecture will likely be DeepSeek’s most important product release since V3 and R1 shocked Silicon Valley and tech investors outside China. The V3.2-Exp model includes a mechanism called DeepSeek Sparse Attention, which the Chinese firm says can cut computing costs and boost some types of…

OpenAI is rolling out parental controls for ChatGPT on the web and mobile on Monday, following a lawsuit by the parents of a teen who died by suicide after the artificial intelligence startup’s chatbot allegedly coached him on methods of self-harm. The controls let parents and teenagers opt in for stronger safeguards by linking their accounts, where one party sends an invitation and parental controls activate only if the other accepts, the company said. US regulators are increasingly scrutinizing AI companies over the potential negative impacts of chatbots. In August, Reuters had reported how Meta’s AI rules allowed flirty conversations…

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a joint press conference at the White House on Monday, unveiling a 21-principle peace plan aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza. Trump hailed the plan as “historic” and “one of the greatest days ever in civilisation,” while Netanyahu voiced full support, calling it a roadmap to lasting security for Israel and peace in the Middle East. Trump declares peace deal ‘beyond very close’ Opening the conference, Trump said he was working closely with Netanyahu to secure “peace in the Middle East,” describing the moment as potentially…