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  • Pakistan to sell JF-17 aircrafts to Azerbaijan

    Pakistan to sell JF-17 aircrafts to Azerbaijan

    Pakistan has signed a contract with Azerbaijan on Thursday to sell sophisticated JF-17 block three fighter jets, although prices and quantity of jets are unknown as of yet.

    According to a Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) press release, the deal was part of Pakistan’s effort to enhance and boost defence cooperation with friendly countries and strengthen the air power capabilities of Azerbaijan.

    ISPR added, “JF-17 Thunder Block-III is an AESA Radar and Long Range BVR equipped 4.5 generation Multi-Role fighter aircraft which is capable of undertaking a wide array of combat missions providing contemporary airpower employment options thus strengthening the National Security Paradigm of Azerbaijan.”

    The aircraft is co-produced by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and developed jointly with China.

    Pakistan is a key supporter of Turkiye, which supports Azerbaijan in its standoff with Armenia when clashes erupted between the two South Caucasus countries last year, resuming decades-old hostilities.

  • Texas to inaugurate world’s first 3D-printed hotel

    Texas to inaugurate world’s first 3D-printed hotel

    El Cosmico, a unique hotel and campground in the Texan desert town of Marfa, is building the world’s first 3D-printed hotel.

    Using cutting-edge technology, this project will feature 43 new hotel units and 18 residential homes on 60 acres. They have partnered led by Austin-based 3D-printing company ICON and arhirects from the Barke Ingels Group.

    A rendering of a 3D-printed residence at El Cosmico hotel and campground in Marfa, Texas, U.S., in this undated handout image. ICON/Handout via REUTERS

    The initial units of the hotel will feature 3.7 meter high walls, a three-bedroom residence and a single-room hotel.

    El Cosmico’s owner, Liz Lambert, highlighted the design and its flexibilty, saying, “Most hotels are contained within four walls and a lot of times you are building the same unit over and over and over again.”

    He said. “I’ve never been able to build with such little constraint and such fluidity … just the curves, and the domes, and the parabolas. It’s a crazy way to build.”

    ICON print technician John McDonald monitors the Vulcan 3D printer as it lays down the walls for a 3D-printed hotel and residence in Marfa, Texas, U.S., September 10, 2024. REUTERS/Evan Garcia/File Photo

    ICON’s CEO, Jason Ballard, explained saying this process requires continuous adjustments according to weather conditions, ensuring the material’s strength and durability.

    Experts like Milad Bazli warned that this technology opens new doors for innovative construction, but it could impact skilled labour jobs in remote areas.

    The construction of El Cosmico is set to be completed by 2026, with a price range between $200 and $450 per night.

  • Saudi Women’s Premier League starts today

    Saudi Women’s Football Premier League will start from today, with three matches scheduled on the first day.

    A total of 10 teams are participating in the League, and more than 90 matches will be played during 18 rounds.

    More than 200 women players are participating in this season from 20 countries.

    The Saudi Arabian Football Federation also launched a marketing campaign in this regard last week, urging fans to come to the stadium to watch the matches and support their teams.

    Saudi Arabia, once conservative, is now promoting women’s sports. The Women’s Premier League shows the country’s effort to support women in football and create more opportunities for them.

  • Meta unveils star-studded AI assistants

    Meta unveils star-studded AI assistants

    Meta launched AI chatbots voiced by Hollywood celebrities like John Cena and Judi Dench on Wednesday, betting that its billions of users are eager to embrace artificial intelligence.

    “I think that voice has the potential to be one of, if not the most frequent ways, that we all interact with AI,” said Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg at the company’s annual product presentation event. “It is just a lot better,” he said.

    The deployment comes months after OpenAI previewed its own ChatGPT voice feature, which drew controversy for its similarity to actress Scarlett Johansson’s voice.

    Meta has obtained permission from the stars featured in its new voice tool, which will be available on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. However, Meta AI won’t be accessible in Europe due to concerns about compliance with EU data protection laws and potential fines.

    Meta’s AI relies on content and data from its platforms’ legions of users, a practice that involves numerous obligations and safeguards in Europe.

    400 million users

    Like ChatGPT or Google’s Gemini, Meta AI is an AI assistant that answers questions, creates images, writes messages and even provides companionship.

    This new version builds on the initial release unveiled a year ago. Meta reports that over 400 million people already consult Meta AI at least once a month, and the company aims to make it “the most widely used AI assistant by the end of the year.” Critics, however, point out that many users stumble into MetaAI inadvertently, as it has replaced the search function on apps such as WhatsApp.

    Since ChatGPT’s breakthrough, major tech companies have been rapidly developing AI applications capable of producing high-quality content from simple queries.

    Competition is fierce, with Google and Microsoft having a head start in productivity features, and Apple entering the market with AI-capable iPhones. However, these models require substantial technical infrastructure, energy, and skilled engineers, significantly impacting company resources.

    Meta believes its enhanced assistant sounds more natural, can interact verbally, and analyze images. Like other chatbots, it can suggest recipes from food photos or edit images based on simple user requests.

    Despite concerns about heavy spending on AI and virtual reality, Meta’s profits have soared, with its share price up 60 per cent since the beginning of the year. The company’s success rides on strong advertising results.

    But the social media giant’s heavy spending on AI and virtual reality technology has always been a concern for investors and observers. “When I think about AI, Meta is not necessarily the first brand that comes to mind,” Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi said.

    “And their biggest hurdle is going to be privacy and trust: a lot of consumers will have issues with trusting that the data is not being used for other reasons.”

  • Pakistan can no longer afford non-filers: Finance Minister

    Pakistan can no longer afford non-filers: Finance Minister

    Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has confirmed that the government is preparing to eliminate the category of non-filers, aiming to reduce the burden on those who actively file taxes.

    “It’s time to remove the non-filers category,” he stated in an interview with Voice of America during his visit to New York, USA.

    “Pakistan is probably the only country in the world with this concept. Either you are a filer, or you’re simply not paying taxes,” Aurangzeb explained. “The government is set to abolish this category.”

    He further added, “The government cannot afford this anymore.”

    This announcement follows remarks by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood, who said that the government had decided to do away with the non-filers category.

    For the 2023 tax year, 6 million returns have already been filed, and the government expects more following strict measures introduced against non-filers.

  • Is the viral video of Justice Qazi Faez Isa at Crusteez Donuts old?

    Is the viral video of Justice Qazi Faez Isa at Crusteez Donuts old?

    As Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa comes close ro retirement on October 25, 2024, a video has begun circulating on social media, showing an employee of Crusteez Donuts filming the top judge without his consent at Blue Area Islamabad.

     

    The person recording can be heard being rude to Qazi Faez Isa.

     

     

    The video was reportedly shot in August, after the Mubarak Sani case ruling, but it appeared on social media yesterday after the first tweet by journalist Ehtesham Ali Abbasi, a BOL NEWS-associated crime reporter.

     

    He allegedly claimed that the boy who shot the video, along with his family, had been kidnapped after the incident.

     

    He further alleged that on Isa’s order, many branches of this particular bakery were sealed, which is a false claim.

     

     

    A number of visitors can be seen in a video enjoying donuts at the shop.

     

     

     

    However, on September 11, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Islamabad sealed a Crusteez Donut branch after larvae was found at the premises.

     

     

    Journalist Waseem Abbasi clarified, “This branch was never sealed. The owner confirmed it, and the other branch was sealed only because of Dengue larvae.”

     

    Another journalist, Ali Hamza of The News, declared that the video was old.

     

    On X (formerly Twitter), he said, “The video is from last month after Mubarak Sani case judgement.”

     

     

    Senior journalist Mansoor Ali Khan stated on his YouTube channel that when the incident occurred, some journalists mentioned that a well-known figure had been misbehaved with but did not disclose his name.

     

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Chaudhary Fawad Hussain tweeted, “He (video maker) belongs to an extremist group and has a license to humiliate even CJP and evade Law; this is the State we have built in 76 years… sad, very sad.”

     

    He further wrote, “CJP was embarrassed by an extremist while he was with his wife, I have hundreds of reasons to disagree with CJP, but I must condemn such extremism.

     

    The propagation of such disinformation raises serious concerns about extremism in a country where the incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan is not even safe in public and can be labelled a non-Muslim simply because of his verdict on minority rights.

     

    Meanwhile, Crusteez Donut clarified that the employee’s actions do not reflect company values.

     

  • ‘The Glassworker’ makes history as Pakistan’s first animated film submission for Oscars 2025

    ‘The Glassworker’ makes history as Pakistan’s first animated film submission for Oscars 2025

     

    Pakistan’s first hand-drawn 2D animated film has been selected as the official entry for the Oscars – Academy Awards – in the Best International Feature Film category.

    Director and writer of The Glass worker Usman Riaz shared the news on his Instagram.

    “We are proud to announce that The Glassworker has been selected as Pakistan’s submission for the International Feature Film category at the 2025 Oscars. This marks the first time a 2D hand-drawn animated film from Pakistan has been chosen for this prestigious honor” the caption read.

    “The Glassworker represents a decade of passion and perseverance. I am deeply humbled by the selection and hope this story resonates with audiences everywhere, showcasing the talent and creativity Pakistan has to offer”, Riaz added.

    The film was released on July 26, 2024 in Pakistan.

    It is directed by Usman Riaz and Mairam Riaz Paracha and produced by Geo Films.

     

    View this post on Instagram

    A post shared by Usman Riaz (@usmanoriaz)

     

  • 48 cocaine capsules found in African man’s stomach at Multan airport

    48 cocaine capsules found in African man’s stomach at Multan airport

    An Angolan national was arrested at Multan Airport in an attempt to quash cocaine smuggling. The foreigner had arrived from Muscat. He allegedly swallowed dozens of cocaine capsules and was arrested by the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).

    Express News reported that the alleged smuggler was carrying 48 capsules filled with cocaine in his stomach.

    The total weight of the recovered capsules was 624 grams, said the ANF spokesperson.

    The arrest was made as part of an operation against drug smuggling.

    The spokesperson stated that foreign nationals, particularly from African countries, have been involved in drug smuggling activities in Pakistan. Most of the foreigners arrested in connection with smuggling cases this year have been from African nations.

    The arrested foreign national has been charged under the Anti-Narcotics Act, and an investigation is going on to uncover more details about the smuggling operations.

    This is not the first time ANF has arrested a foreign national. A Nigerian man was found with 38 cocaine-filled capsules hidden in his stomach last month, at Lahore airport.

    Express Tribune reports that this year, authorities have already conducted seven operations, arresting eight Nigerian individuals, and recovered 11,420 kilograms of drugs.

  • Hareem Shah joins British politics: Find out which party she supports

    Hareem Shah joins British politics: Find out which party she supports

    Social media star Hareem Shah has announced that she is going to take part in UK politics so that she can become a member of the British Parliament later on. Hareem shared that she joined a major UK political group after being invited to do so by one of its leaders.

    Now, while talking to representatives of Geo News, Hareem Shah said, “I have formally entered British politics and campaigned for the Liberal Democrats in the recent election.”

    She said, “I have started working for the Liberal Democrats in Britain, for this I am grateful to them for considering me worthy and making me a part of their party. I will try to live up to the expectations of the Liberal Democrats. May I fulfill and play my best role while living in this country.”

    “Sitting in the British Parliament and doing something for the political party with the status of being a Pakistani is a great achievement for me. Some of my other friends are also working in this party. Besides, many Pakistanis are also working for this party.”

    She further added, “I liked UK in terms of education after which I also got admission here based on merit and now I am continuing my studies here in LLB.”

    She said that she had obtained a Masters from Pakistan and is also a Hafiz-e- Quran. “Now I am doing LLB from UK and for this all my fees are paid by the British government, along with accommodation, gym expenses and even college. The British government also pays for the transport costs.”

    Hareem left Pakistan more than a year ago and hasn’t been back since. She now lives in London permanently.

  • What is Laiba Khan looking for in her future husband?

    What is Laiba Khan looking for in her future husband?

    Actress Laiba Khan looks for one main quality in a life partner.

    During her recent appearance as a guest on ‘Mazaq Raat’, hosted by Imran Ashraf, she talked about what it is she seeks in a life partner.

    Ayesha Shakoor asked, “You mentioned that you want to settle down quickly, what kind of life partner do you desire?”
    Laiba replied, “I want someone who respects me, someone who ensures that I am respected in his home. I want him to support me and understand me emotionally.”

    Then Imran Ashraf said, “The girl who had no interest in acting and had never dreamed of becoming a superstar… has acting caught her interest now?”

    “I can leave this industry,” Khan mused. “When I entered it, my family told me that once you taste fame, money, and recognition, you won’t be able to leave it.”

    She stated that when she joined the field, she had a plan to dedicate a certain number of years to the industry. “I initially planned to give it five years, and now I’m in my fifth year. I don’t know what lies ahead, but I have no idea what to expect,” the actress added.

    Currently, Laiba Khan is starring in Kaffara, written by Shafia Khan and directed by Muhammad Iftikhar Iffi.