Author: Horshid Shirazi

London (20/5 – 20)One academic was asked about the internet eating their young. This triggered a heated debate about the use of the internet the freedom in presents, the dangers of unfettered go for it all to the public, the rise of the left, the response by the right, and AI, or Artificial Intelligence. The seriousness of the debate can be seen at the UK sponsored conference on AI at Bletchley Park. Following this was the adaptation of the European law on Artificial Intelligence. 28 countries at the summit, including the United States, China, and the European Union, have issued…

The tranquility in India’s $3.7 trillion stock market is set to be broken as the world’s most populous nation heads to polls in about six months, according to Morgan Stanley.  While the Wall Street bank expects stocks to rise leading to the vote in keeping with recent history, any outcome outside of investors’ expectations could spark a slump of as much as 30% in India’s equity benchmarks. A “credible seat-sharing arrangement” within the opposition alliance led by Indian National Congress, called I.N.D.I.A, will “polarizes the general elections and reduce the predictability of the outcome in May,” strategist including Ridham Desai wrote in a note…

QUETTA: The Medical Superintendent of Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta, Dr Kamana Gichki, has said that 20 kits of apheresis mega platelets had been provided to the Director of the Regional Blood Centre (RBC), Quetta on the instructions of the Balochistan Health Secretary in view of the implementation of the Congo virus emergency at the Balochistan Health Department. Talking to journalists on the occasion, he said that apheresis separates the blood extracted from the body of the patient or donor into its various components with the help of kits, containing plasma, platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. Random…

ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera justified last week’s 18 percent electricity tariff hike citing that it would have been a small increase if not for a more than requested tariff cut by the regulator. He also warned of a long drought in 2024 which means inevitable tariff hikes. The Minister’s statement comes as people have started to grumble over the latest tariff hike. The government increased the tariff 66 percent in February this year but reduced it by 14 percent in July. The state-owned Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) raised the tariff by over 50 percent in August…

Bhutan’s snow leopard population increased by 39.5% since 2016, according to a new survey implemented by the Royal Government of Bhutan’s Department of Forests and Park Services with support from WWF-Bhutan and partners. Findings from over 10,000 camera trap images confirmed the presence of 134 snow leopards in the country, an impressive jump from the baseline of 96 snow leopards in 2016.The nation’s National Snow Leopard Survey 2022-2023 shows promising evidence that Bhutan’s conservation efforts positively impact snow leopard populations and that their habitat in the alpine mountain ecosystem is healthy. The survey involved 310 camera traps across 2.2 million acres of the big…

Lahore has become the latest megacity to shut down as pollution chokes swathes of South Asia, where nearly 50 million people have been breathing toxic air for nearly a week. Pakistan’s second most populous city – of more than 13 million people – has shut schools and closed public parks, malls and offices after the air quality index (AQI) this week spiked to more than 400, according to IQAir. That number is considered “hazardous” by the Swiss air tracking company. Authorities in Pakistan’s Punjab province have imposed an “environmental and health emergency” in three cities – Gujranwala and Hafizabad in…

Pakistan, with an inflation rate of 31.4 per cent year-on-year in September, is among the worst affected countries battling surging prices. In August, Pakistan’s inflation rate was 27.4 per cent. Even as all eyes are on Pakistan Muslim League-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, who is slated to return to the country on October 21, analysts said that he may not be able to do much to revive the economy. His daughter and PML-N senior Vice President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz though repeatedly said that it is only her father who could save the country from high inflation. “People are pinning…

India’s Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Madan Mohan Sethi highlighted the cordial and friendly relationship between India and Vietnam, emphasizing their historical ties through civilization that spans over 2,000 years. “More than 400 Indian companies, small and big have invested in Vietnam for a cumulative value of more than USD 1 billion,” he said. He mentioned that both countries have collaborated in various areas, including trade, defense, and strategic cooperation. He noted the increasing number of Indian tourists visiting Vietnam, with over 400,000 Indian tourists estimated to have visited the country in recent times. “As far as…

MANILA, Philippines — The United States renewed a warning Monday that it would defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack under a 1951 treaty, after Chinese ships blocked and collided with two Filipino vessels off a contested shoal in the South China Sea. Philippine diplomats summoned a Chinese Embassy official in Manila on Monday for a strongly worded protest following Sunday’s collisions off Second Thomas Shoal. No injuries were reported but the encounters damaged a Philippine coast guard ship and a wooden-hulled supply boat operated by navy personnel, officials said. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called an emergency meeting with the defense secretary and…

Washington: The US has imposed sanctions on three China-based companies for supplying missile-applicable items and technology for Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme, the US State Department said. In the designation, the US State Department said on Friday that the sanctions were being imposed as part of the global nonproliferation regime. “Today, we are designating three entities pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. These three entities, based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC), have worked to supply missile – applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme,” the State Department…