Tech and Telecom

India won the toss and decided to bat first at the Kensington Oval in Barbados during their first Super 8s clash in Group 1 of the T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant gave India a good start as they both scored 20-odd runs but India was in a bit of trouble as they lost 4 wickets on 90 runs. Suryakumar Yadav smashed a sumptuous half-century off 28 balls with 3 sixes and 5 fours. Hardik Pandya helped him out at the other end as he scored 32 runs off 24 balls in their 60 partnership. Fazalhaq Farooqi and…

Federal Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb presided over a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on State-Owned Enterprises (CCoSOEs) at the Finance Division today. The committee considered the summaries presented by different Ministries/Divisions for the categorization of their relevant State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) as strategic/ essential or otherwise. The Cabinet Division presented summaries related to the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Printing Corporation of Pakistan (PCP). The cabinet committee directed the Cabinet Division to initiate the process for winding up of PTDC by clearing the ongoing litigations etc. The committee also directed that PCP’s Board be reconstituted in line with…

In the highly awaited clash of Euro 2024 in Group B, Spain vs Italy, at the Veltinz Arena which is Schalke football club’s home ground will take place tonight. The excitement for UEFA Euros 2024 is building up, and football enthusiasts in Pakistan are eager to join in on the action. With Europe’s top national teams competing, it’s essential to know how you can catch all the matches live from the comfort of your home. The mega-event will be played all over Germany with top football nations including France, England, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Croatia and plenty of others taking part.…

The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has voiced serious concerns regarding the “regressive and punitive” tax and customs-related measures proposed in the Finance Bill 2024 which it said pose an existential threat to Pakistan’s textile industry. In a statement, APTMA said that the textile sector contributes over 50 percent of total export earnings and employs 40 percent of the industrial labor force. The proposed measures will destroy this vital sector, causing irreparable harm to Pakistan’s economic stability and export capacity. Withdrawal of Zero-Rating on Local Inputs for Export Manufacturing The withdrawal of zero-rating on local inputs for exports (through…

Google for Education and Pakistan’s Ministry of Federal Education today announced a strategic collaboration to bring digital transformation to millions of students in the country. The partnership will improve access to education and support the development of a digital ecosystem for learning – for Pakistan’s tens of millions of students. Google, through its Google for Education’s country partner, Tech Valley, will work with the Pakistani government to: Establish a local assembly of over 500,000 Chromebooks by 2026 Provide access to digital tools and resources for students and teachers Train teachers on how to use technology effectively in the classroom Develop…

After a brief but dramatic disagreement with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman last November, Ilya Sutskever, the organization’s former chief scientist, is embarking on a new venture. Sutskever almost forced Altman out of his AI startup back then. Now he has joined forces with OpenAI colleague Daniel Levy and Daniel Gross, a previous AI leader at Apple, to launch Safe Superintelligence Inc (SSI). This name clearly reflects the company’s core objective: developing safe and beneficial artificial intelligence. The newly formed company, Safe Superintelligence Inc. (SSI), isn’t mincing words about its mission. “SSI is our mission, our name, and our entire product…

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain Thursday directed that a third-party audit be conducted to determine the cost of production of fertilizer companies, in order to ensure transparency and fair pricing in the industry. The minister made these remarks while chairing a Fertilizer Review Committee meeting which was also attended by Federal Secretary Industries and Production Dr Muhammad Fakhre Alam Irfan. The meeting reviewed the stock availability, demand, and prices of urea in the country. The minister said that there is no shortage of urea fertilizer in the country and an uninterrupted supply of gas to fertilizer…

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been ordered to create a structured penalty table for non-filers and to revisit its policy of punishing telecom companies when non-filers are being forced to pay 75 percent direct tax on mobile recharge. Senator Salim Mandviwala chaired a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue today, where tax proposals affecting the telecom sector were in full focus. A representative from the telecom industry highlighted that the sector represents the largest investment in the country. He pointed out that non-filers face a 75 percent tax on mobile load, drastically reducing the…

Y58 5G has joined the ranks of Vivo’s latest Y series phones. As always, one of the highlights of these phones is their battery, and it’s no different with the Y58 5G, which is now available in India and should reach other regions soon. Design and Display The screen may be an LCD, but it has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate on top of its 6.72-inch 1080p panel for fluid animations. The fingerprint sensor should be on the side atop the power button since LCD panels cannot have optical fingerprint sensors underneath the screen due to their thick and stacked…

The excitement for UEFA Euros 2024 is building up, and football enthusiasts in Pakistan are eager to join in on the action. With Europe’s top national teams competing, it’s essential to know how you can catch all the matches live from the comfort of your home. England vs Denmark at Deutsche Bank Park at 9 pm Pakistan Standard Time will be looking to seal their place in the round of 16. Denmark has great talent in their ranks with the likes of Eriksen, Damsgaard, Christensen, Hojlund, Hojbjerg, and Schmeichel. England has a plethora of world-class talent including Foden, Bellingham, Kane,…