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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.”

Leadership is a delicate balance of vision, courage, and discipline. As George Washington said, “True leadership is not just about having a vision; it’s about possessing the will and discipline to turn that vision into reality.” Without discipline, even the grandest vision can fall short. Real success requires relentless dedication, clear goals, and the courage to forge a new path.

Fasih Ur Rehman, the 27-year-old CEO of Green Entertainment, exemplifies this leadership style. As a rising star in Pakistan’s media landscape, Fasih has applied his engineering background to his media ventures, blending seemingly unrelated fields to achieve a remarkable impact.

Fasih’s story begins far from the spotlight of media. Born into a family with deep roots in construction and real estate, his early career trajectory seemed set. However, during his time at Oregon State University, where he pursued a degree in construction engineering, a deep-seated interest in media quietly brewed. Exposure to global perspectives and diverse thought leaders broadened his understanding of leadership and innovation, and he became fascinated by the media’s power to influence public opinion and inspire societal change.

Fasih’s leadership qualities were honed through various experiences, including his role as a state-level soccer player and Treasurer of the Pakistan Student Association at OSU. These roles taught him the value of discipline, teamwork, and strategic thinking—attributes that would later prove invaluable in his professional journey. He believed that building a media platform, much like construction, required a strong foundation and an unyielding focus on quality and execution.

Green Entertainment was born out of Fasih’s desire to fill a glaring gap in Pakistan’s media industry. He envisioned a platform that would not only entertain but also challenge societal norms, educate viewers, and promote positive change. Launched in July 2023, Green Entertainment quickly carved out a niche for itself with fresh, bold content that tackled important topics such as women’s empowerment, mental health, and the struggles of minorities in Pakistan.

Despite speculation, Green Entertainment is not backed by the ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations). The channel is solely founded and operated by Fasih ur Rehman, whose vision for the platform is entirely his own. This independence has allowed him to pursue an unfiltered approach to content creation, free from external influences. For Fasih, Green Entertainment is a platform for societal growth and empowerment, providing a space for emerging talent and sparking important conversations.

Fasih envisions Green Entertainment as more than just a local media leader. He aims to position the platform on the global stage, showcasing Pakistan’s rich cultural tapestry to international audiences. By doing so, he hopes to elevate societal values and contribute to a broader dialogue about media’s role in shaping public consciousness.

In Fasih ur Rehman, Pakistan has found a leader who bridges the gap between tradition and innovation. His journey from construction engineer to media mogul is a testament to the transformative power of vision, discipline, and courage. Green Entertainment is just the beginning—a platform for societal change, a tool for empowerment, and a powerful reminder of the media’s potential to inspire. Fasih’s story underscores a universal truth: leadership is not defined by the industry you’re in, but by the impact you strive to create.

The privatisation commission said that the auction for Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will take place on October 1.

Six bidders have already been qualified, including Fly Jinnah, a YB Holdings-led consortium, Air Blue Limited, a Pak Ethanol-led consortium, Arif Habib Corporation, and Blue World City.

PIA has been dealing with a crippling debt load, which is estimated at around Rs800 billion ($2.9 billion). The government has intervened with multiple loans to support the airline’s daily operations, but the financial pressure has persisted.

Earlier, the government targeted completing the PIA privatisation by August 14. However, delays surfaced as bidders requested updated financial data, including audited accounts, aircraft lease agreements, and details about the airline’s suspended routes.

It is worth noting that PIA flights to Europe have been grounded for nearly four years, after safety concerns that arose after a plane crashed in Karachi in 2020, which claimed 97 lives and prompted a European Union Aviation Safety Agency ban.

According to Express News, the decision to privatise the airline is part of a bigger plan supported by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has been urging Pakistan to divest its loss-making state-owned enterprises if wants to stabilise the struggling economy.

Discussions are ongoing about restoring PIA’s European routes, with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar recently stressing that resolving the issue remains a “top priority” following a five-day visit to London.

Actress Ayeza Khan in one of her public appearances in London, shared that she has started appreciating her husband more after ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho.’

The drama serial ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’, aired on ARY Digital in 2019, was a blockbuster and was written by the controversial Khalil ur Rehman. It was not only appreciated but also criticized for portraying the lead character as a greedy, gold-digger woman.

Ayeza Khan played the role of the lead character who was running after money while actor Humayun Saeed portrayed her impoverished husband.

Recently, Khan expressed her feelings during a fund-raising event for Palestine in the UK and said, “the role of ‘Mehwish’ in the drama serial ‘Mere Paas Tum Ho’ made me respect my husband Danish Taimoor more than ever and taught me to appreciate him more.”

She added, “During my career I believe in working in dramas that have a good message and lesson for the audience.”

She further said, “Whenever I choose a project, I also consider whether I can learn something from the story or the character.”

Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy after defeating host China 5-1.

In the ongoing tournament in China, Pakistan put the hosts under pressure from the start. While no team scored in the first quarter, Abdul Rahman gave Pakistan the lead in the eighth minute of the second quarter.

In the third quarter, Pakistan continued their strong performance. Nadeem Ahmed doubled the lead with a goal in the 11th minute. Although Pakistan was awarded a penalty stroke, captain Imad Butt missed the opportunity.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Hanan Shahid scored on a penalty corner, extending Pakistan’s lead to 3-0. China’s Cheng Hung later scored on a penalty corner, making it 3-1.

Four minutes before the match ended, Pakistan added two more goals to secure a 5-1 victory over China and advance to the semi-finals.

This victory marks Pakistan’s second success in the tournament. They will next face traditional rivals India on Saturday, with India remaining unbeaten so far.

A video of Pakistan’s cricket team batsman Muhammad Rizwan is going viral on social media. In the video, which was made in Faisalabad where Rizwan currently is, he urges fans, who have come to watch the practice session, to say their prayers after they leave.

The complete audio of the video is unclear but Rizwan seems to be telling his fans about if people who are bad, specifically mentioning chors change, then the country can progress. At the end of the video he tells his fans to say their prayers.

When the video went viral on social media, users criticised it. One user wrote that Rizwan should focus on playing as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) doesn’t give him money to preach.

Another user criticised Muhammad Rizwan and wrote that he acts well.

In the meantime, some users praise him.

Rizwan is the caption of the Wolves team at the Champions ODI Cup in Faisalabad. The tournament, which will be played from September 12 to 29 at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, will feature 150 of the country’s best cricketers.

This event will include five teams: the Stallions, Wolves, Lions, Dolphins, and Panthers.

Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo was asked to choose between his long-time teammate and French sensation Kylian Mbappe and French footballer Karim Benzema.

All three footballers have played for Real Madrid, while Karim and Ronaldo have been on the team for nine years.

On his YouTube channel, when asked to choose between the two, Ronaldo picked Mbappe over Benzema.

Ronlado’s choice has sparked debate among fans of both stars.

Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) plans to block all unregistered Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in Pakistan, ARY has reported.

The matter of VPNs was discussed during a Senate committee meeting on Information Technology (IT) and Telecom, chaired by Senator Palwasha Khan.

Chairman PTA Hafeezur Rehman stated, “We’re receiving complaints against social media apps including TikTok (95 percent), Meta (65 percent), and X (formerly Twitter) (22 percent ).

Senator Humayun Mohmand questioned whether using a VPN as an assembly member would go against the rules.

Chairman PTA responded, “We are working to manage internet restrictions like Dubai and China.”

“More than 20,500 individuals have registered their VPNs with PTA, and a campaign is underway to collect more registrations. Unregisted VPNs will be blocked later,” he warned.

PTA has launched a one-window operation to whitelist IP addresses and register VPNs. You can register your VPN on the official website of the PTA Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB).

The internet slowed down in Pakistan in July, and many digital businesses and freelancers faced issues and financial loss.

According to a report, Pakistan’s IT industry lost over $300 million due to internet disruption.

Fiverr, one of the most popular platforms for freelancers, also listed Pakistanis as ‘Unavailable’ for a few days.

Bollywood’s famous rapper, Honey Singh, has revealed learning about Islamic teachings.

“Most of the information about me on the internet is false, but I deliberately did not correct it because I was waiting for the right time,” he said while discussing his personal life during a recent interview with Indian media.

“My story is very interesting. I used to play tabla at home. When my father admitted me to a school in Indian Punjab, I played tabla there as well. At the age of 12, I forgot the tabla and my religion and became an atheist. I learned about Hinduism from my spiritual guru and Sikhism from my upbringing at home. But after becoming an atheist, I decided not to believe in religion, yet kept learning about it,” he added.

“I shifted to Mohali in 2007. At that time, I was neither famous nor had any work—I was just a music producer. But during that time, I got an opportunity to learn about Islam from scholars and mystics. Despite learning about Islam, I still considered myself an atheist.”

“I took information about Islam from these scholars. When I used to sit with these religious figures, there was a different atmosphere. I was just an ordinary boy who asked tough questions to the scholars, but they always gave me answers to every question,” he said.

He then revealed that after gaining fame in 2011, “Instead of being grateful to the Almighty, I got involved with demonic forces. After that, both my life and mind deteriorated. In 2018, following an illness, I left atheism and became a believer.”

After former cricketer Shahid Afridi, former batsman Muhammad Yousuf became a grandfather.

He shared a photo with the newborn on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), captioning it, “Life is better when you have children.” Her daughter got married in March 2022.

Apart from this, ex-Pakistan cricketer Mushtaq Ahmed’s daughter’s wedding pictures and videos influence social media. The marriage ceremony was very private, and close relatives and a few friends were invited.

Waqar Younis and his family also participated, and their pictures came out.

The photographer shared the wedding photos, on which many social media users commented and congratulated the parents, including the couple, on the daughter’s marriage.

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A post shared by Osman Pervaiz Mughal (@opmshoots)

Former captain Sarfraz Ahmed’s wife, Khush Bakhat, and actor Moammar Rana’s wife, Mehnaz Muammar, were among those who made these comments.

Mushtaq was a prominent World Cup-winning national team spinner in 1992.