Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been told to enhance his batting against spin and boost his overall strike rate to be considered for Twenty20 Internationals, according to coach Mike Hesson. Babar is a key player for Pakistan in other formats but has not played a T20 International since the tour of South Africa late last year. The 30-year-old was not included in the Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup next month, as the team management has placed its faith in emerging players like Sahibzada Farhan. “There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
OpenAI has rolled out an update to its latest AI model, GPT-5, making it “warmer and friendlier” after some users complained it felt too blunt compared to earlier versions. The highly anticipated GPT-5 launched earlier this year, but CEO Sam Altman admitted the rollout was “a little more bumpy than we’d hoped for.” Many users voiced a preference for GPT-4o, calling its tone more approachable. In response, OpenAI says it has made subtle adjustments to GPT-5’s personality, aiming to make interactions feel smoother and more natural. What’s Changing in GPT-5 According to the company, the update adds small conversational touches…
Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn has defended his company’s controversial “AI-first” strategy, stating that the backlash earlier this year was a result of a misunderstanding rather than any actual plan to replace human employees. Von Ahn faced significant criticism after he told investors that Duolingo would become an “AI-first company.” Many people assumed this move was driven by a desire for profit or would lead to widespread layoffs of human staff. “In reality, internally this was not controversial,” von Ahn told The New York Times. “Externally, as a publicly traded company, some people assume that it’s just for profit. Or…
Scorching heat on Sunday hampered efforts to contain 20 major wildfires across Spain, leading the government to deploy an additional 500 troops from the military emergency unit to support firefighting operations. In the northwestern region of Galicia, several fires have merged to form one large blaze, forcing the closure of key highways and rail services to the area. Southern Europe is currently facing one of its most severe wildfire seasons in two decades, with Spain being one of the hardest-hit countries. In the last week alone, fires there have resulted in three fatalities and burned more than 115,000 hectares, while…
Iran will continue its discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the coming days, but any further progress depends on the lifting of sanctions, said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei on Monday. During his weekly press briefing, Baghaei reiterated that Tehran is ready to take steps to assure the world about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. However, he made it clear this would only happen if what he called “oppressive sanctions” are removed. “Our relationship with the Agency is direct,” he said, noting that IAEA deputies had visited Tehran last week and that Iran’s envoy in…
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar recently met with UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary Hamish Falconer in London, where they both reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the relationship between Pakistan and the UK, officials stated Monday. According to a Foreign Office press release, the meeting involved a review of recent positive developments in their bilateral ties, and both sides agreed to further expand their mutually beneficial partnership. The two leaders also discussed several regional and global issues of shared concern. Falconer currently serves as the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Middle East, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro has stated that India’s purchases of Russian crude oil are providing funds for Russia’s war in Ukraine and must cease. In an opinion piece published in the Financial Times, Navarro wrote that New Delhi is “now cozying up to both Russia and China.” He added, “If India wants to be treated as a strategic partner of the U.S., it needs to start acting like one.” Previously, India’s Foreign Ministry has argued that the country is being unfairly targeted for buying Russian oil while the United States and the European Union also continue to purchase…
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has issued a forceful condemnation of the Israeli prime minister’s trip to the unauthorized “Ofra” settlement in the occupied West Bank, labeling it a provocative act accompanied by discriminatory remarks. As per the OIC, the Israeli official reiterated his pledge to maintain settlements, retain authority over the so-called “Land of Israel,” and obstruct the creation of a Palestinian state. In a formal statement, the OIC stated that the visit represents a significant escalation of Israel’s blatant contraventions of international law and various United Nations resolutions, specifically UN Security Council Resolution 2334 and the International…
The size of Pakistan’s mutual fund sector has surged nearly sevenfold over the past six years, with assets under management (AUM) rising from Rs578 billion in 2019 to Rs3.93 trillion by June 2025. This growth has been fueled by robust performance in both conventional and Shariah-based funds, according to the latest figures from the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). According to The News, conventional funds grew 5.2 times to Rs2.206 trillion during this period, while Shariah-compliant funds saw a more significant increase of 6.7 times to Rs1.726 trillion. Shariah-compliant products now constitute 44% of the industry, up from…
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that his government is working to digitize the economy and transition all transactions to a cashless and digital system. He made these remarks while chairing a review meeting on the digital economy in the federal capital on Sunday. The Prime Minister expressed his satisfaction with the progress made toward a cashless economy. He instructed all chief secretaries to fully cooperate with the federal government in expanding the Raast system to the district level. During the meeting, officials were briefed on the steps taken to promote a cashless economy. They were told that digital identifications will…
