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  • NA-43: JUI Moves Supreme Court Against PTI Election Victory

    Peshawar/Islamabad — Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan challenging Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) victory in constituency NA-43, escalating a legal battle over the disputed seat.PTI leader Asad Mehmood strongly rejected the move, asserting that ballot papers are the true and original proof of the public mandate. He demanded that…

  • When a journalist uses AI to interview a dead child, isn’t it time to ask what the boundaries should be? | Gaby Hinsliff

    The virtual world can bring a kind of friendship and a kind of connection, even to the grieving. But it can also facilitate exploitation of very human needs Joaquin Oliver was 17 years old when he was shot in the hallway of his high school. An older teenager, expelled some months previously, had opened fire…

  • China wants US to relax AI chip-export controls for trade deal: report

    China wants the United States to ease export controls on chips critical for artificial intelligence as part of a trade deal before a possible summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

    Chinese officials have told experts in Washington that Beijing wants the Trump administration to relax export restrictions on high-bandwidth memory chips, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed people familiar with the matter.

    The White House, State Department, and China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the report.

    HBM chips, which help perform data-intensive AI tasks quickly, are closely watched by investors due to their use alongside AI graphic processors, particularly Nvidia’s NVDA.O.

    The FT said China is concerned because the US HBM controls hamper the ability of Chinese companies such as Huawei to develop their own AI chips.

    Successive US administrations have curbed exports of advanced chips to China, looking to stymie Beijing’s AI and defence development.

    While this has impacted US firms’ ability to fully address booming demand from China, one of the world’s largest semiconductor markets, it still remains an important revenue driver for American chipmakers.

  • A cooler costa: the summer glories of northern Spain’s Costa Trasmiera

    Find the Med a bit too hot to handle? Then head for the more temperate Cantabrian coast and its fantastic beaches, superb seafood and relaxed vibes

    While we all know that “costa” is simply the Spanish word for “coast”, for most of us it has a much wider meaning, evoking all sorts of images, both positive and negative. It may be beaches, fun, cold beers and tapas at a chiringuito (beach bar) with your feet in the sand. Perhaps you’re thinking of childhood holidays in a thrillingly huge hotel, where you happily stuffed yourself with ice-cream and chips for a fortnight. More recent memories might revolve around showy beach clubs with exorbitant prices. If you’ve been to the costas of eastern or southern Spain in the past few years, however, you may have reluctantly concluded that your favourite resorts are now a bit too hot for comfort.

    This year, there has been a lot of buzz about “la España fresca”, or cool Spain, but, in reality, Spaniards have been thronging the northern coast in summer for decades, decamping to Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque Country. This is particularly true for residents of Madrid and other cities in central Spain that are stifling in July and August.

    Continue reading…

  • PAA rejects rumours of Islamabad airport being closed for 8 days

    Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Sunday dismissed “incorrect and misleading” media reports about an eight-day closure of Islamabad International Airport, clarifying the exact date and time of the planned shutdown.

    A statement issued by PAA Spokesperson Saifullah Khan said, “According to the NOTAMs issued, due to air activities ahead of Independence Day on August 14, arrival and departure flights will be suspended for only two hours on specific days and times.”

    From Aug 6-9 and Aug 11-14, the airport will be shut from 11am-1pm PST.

    On Aug 9 and 11, the airport will also be shut from 8-10pm.

    “Apart from these brief interruptions, all flights at the airport will continue as usual,” the statement said, advising passengers to contact their airline for the latest information on their schedule.

    The government has said that this year’s Independence Day would be celebrated under the banner of “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) — the period of conflict with India in May — to demonstrate the nation’s resilience, progress and pride.

    While discussing the activities of the scheduled celebrations, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal stressed that every sector and official in charge should ensure that all universities and schools observe the day in the same format. The same was advised for provincial celebrations and celebrations abroad in collaboration with the Overseas Ministry.

    During the four-day conflict between Pakistan and India, flight disruptions left hundreds of passengers stranded at the country’s major airports, including Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and Sialkot airports.

    The Ministry of Defence informed the National Assembly on Friday that the PAA lost Rs4.1 billion from April 24 to June 30 due to the closure.

    PAA also issued a schedule for temporary runway closure at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International airport owing to bird activity. The closure will be in effect daily from 5am to 8am, starting July 1 until September 15.