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  • Chinese AI DeepSeek Surpasses ChatGPT in App Store Rankings

    Chinese AI DeepSeek Surpasses ChatGPT in App Store Rankings

    On Monday, the artificial intelligence (AI) assistant of Chinese startup DeepSeek overtook its popular rival ChatGPT to become the top-rated free app on Apple’s App Store in the United States.

    Since its January 10 launch, US users have become interested in DeepSeek-V3. According to its developers, it “takes place on the leaderboard among open-source models and competes against the world’s most advanced closed-source models.”

    The benchmark reflects how DeepSeek has left a deep impression in Silicon Valley. It challenges the widely held views that the United States has a premier position in AI and that Washington’s export controls against China would have some gating effect on advanced chip and AI capabilities. 

     

    Innovation in the Face of Limitations

    Given the limitations placed on electronic exports from the United States, DeepSeek’s success is even more impressive. This is because DeepSeek makes it feasible for a nation like China to produce high-power chips like Nvidia’s H100. Nevertheless, DeepSeek trained its models using older chips from Nvidia’s A100 stockpile, which had been purchased alongside lower-capacity H800 chips prior to the sanctions.

    DeepSeek engineers have been looking for ways to optimize their training exercises to use less memory and processing power, circumventing those hardware limitations. Their focus on efficiency has allowed them to compete on performance against systems built with far more significant resources.

    “The US export control has essentially cornered Chinese companies into tremendous resourcefulness,” said Matt Sheehan. He is an AI researcher at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “It has incentivized innovation.”

     

    Global Recognition of Deepseek

    Microsoft’s CEO spoke positively about DeepSeek’s accomplishments at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “It is impressive how well they have built a compute-efficient, open-source model. Developments like DeepSeek’s should be taken very seriously,” he expounded. This model solves problems step-by-step using a “chain of thought” reasoning technique similar to ChatGPT. By focusing on getting it right rather than providing every logical step, time is saved, and quality is maintained. Dimitris Papailiopoulos praised the model for its simplicity. DeepSeek was very focused on R1’s actual core performance.

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  • Punjab Govt cracks down on theatres, lifetime ban on cards for ‘vulgarity’

    Punjab Govt cracks down on theatres, lifetime ban on cards for ‘vulgarity’

    The Punjab government has decided to impose a lifetime ban on actors, especially female dancers, involved in promoting “vulgarity, immorality, and indecency” during performances. It will also cancel the licenses of theatres where such performances are staged. 

    The government has been considering strict action for a long time, especially against women dancers, on complaints of vulgar performances in theatres in the main cities of the province.


    “We have decided to impose a lifetime ban on the actors in promoting vulgarity and indecency in theatres in the province. All theatres have also been instructed to comply with the rules. Violations will lead to show-cause notices followed by fines and eventually license cancellations,” Punjab’s Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari said in a meeting with theatre owners on Saturday.


    She expressed her displeasure at the owners’ complicity in allowing vulgarity in their theatres.


    The government plans to introduce new laws to support theatres producing family-oriented plays. Bokhari also directed the Punjab Arts Council to obtain undertakings from all theatre owners that they would not allow “obscene or immoral” performances at their theatres anymore.


    “Under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, no permission will be given for vulgarity and indecency in theatres. Theatres in Punjab should produce dramas that are family-friendly and attract families,” Bokhari added.


    She suggested that theatre plays should focus on social themes to guide and inspire the public.


    “Punjab’s theatres were once renowned globally for their unique identity and quality. The government is planning new legislation for theatres soon. It will fully support the theatre owners if they produce family-oriented plays,” she said.


    A couple of months ago, the Punjab government, under Maryam Nawaz, launched an anti-obscenity drive forming a seven-member advisory committee to make commercial theatre plays “civilized and family-friendly.”

  • Ghulam Sarwar to be investigated for triggering PIA downfall

    Ghulam Sarwar to be investigated for triggering PIA downfall

    The Federal Government has been deliberating on initiating an inquiry against former Federal Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan for his infamous remarks on the fake licenses of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) pilots. His comments reportedly cost the national flag carrier a four-year ban in Europe and financial woes.

    On June 24, 2020, the then aviation minister, while speaking in the National Assembly, alleged that out of 860 pilots, 262 had manipulated their professional exam results by impersonation.

    “They [262 PIA pilots] were issued fake degrees and fake licenses. Pilots lack flying experience,” Sarwar alleged, adding that the pilots were recruited on the basis of patronage.

    The minister also blamed the pilots’ “overconfidence and lack of focus” for the PIA’s Karachi crash.

    “The pilots were discussing corona throughout the flight. They were not focused. They talked about corona […] their families were affected. When the control tower asked him to decrease the plane’s height, the pilot said, ‘I’ll manage’. There was overconfidence,” he added.

    The minister then repeated these claims in two press conferences held over the next few days.

    “A total of 28 pilots with fake licenses have already been identified. Departmental inquiries were completed against them a year ago. Nine out of these 28 pilots confessed to having fake degrees before the inquiry committee. The federal cabinet will revoke their licences in its upcoming meeting. Five licensing department officials involved in the scam have also been suspended (from service). In the past few years, 648 PIA employees have been fired because of fake degrees,” Sarwar said.

    According to media reports, the law ministry has been instructed to brief the cabinet in an upcoming meeting on legal options regarding Sarwar’s controversial remarks on PIA’s pilots.

    Sarwar made these allegations a month after the PIA plane crashed into a residential area near Model Colony in Karachi’s Malir neighbourhood.

    On May 22, 2020, the tragic crash of PIA flight PK-8303 in Karachi killed around 97 people on board.

    The preliminary investigation report prepared by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Board stated that the cause of the crash was not a malfunction in the plane but a result of negligence of the pilots and air traffic controllers.

    However, days after Sarwar’s remarks, PIA was banned from flying to the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US).

    Following the lifting of the ban by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in November 2024, PIA once again took to the skies of Europe on January 10 after the four-year ban.

  • Afghanistan women’s cricket team returns to action after three years

    Afghanistan women’s cricket team returns to action after three years

    The Afghanistan women’s cricket team will be back in action on Thursday at Junction Oval in Melbourne after a three-year break.

    The team will play a T20 exhibition match against the Cricket Without Borders XI just before the day-and-night Women’s Ashes Test between Australia and England at the MCG.

    This is the first time since the Taliban took over that the Afghan women’s team has reunited as a group after leaving their country. Half of the players are based in Canberra, while the rest are refugees in Melbourne.

    Before the match in Melbourne, Nahida Khan and Feroza Amiri spoke to the media and said, “This is really important for us, especially for Afghan women, as this is a historic moment for all Afghan women.”

    They added, “We have high hopes for this match as it could open doors for Afghan women in education, sports, and their future. We don’t want this to be our first and last match; we want more matches.”

    The players also mentioned they were representing millions of Afghan women who are deprived of their rights in Afghanistan. “It’s very special for us to come together again after three years,” they said.

    Currently, Australia does not play bilateral matches against Afghanistan, only facing them in ICC events. However, next month, both teams will be in the same group for the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the UAE.

    Cricket Australia’s CEO, Nick Hockley, described the exhibition match as the first step toward the Afghanistan Women’s Team playing international cricket again and a ray of hope for the team.

  • Pasoori hits 1 billion streams on YouTube

    Pasoori hits 1 billion streams on YouTube

    Agg lavan majboori nu, aan jaan di pasoori nu. These powerful lyrics from Coke Studio’s mega hit Pasoori have now set a new record, crossing a billion streams worldwide.

    Coke Studio’s producer, music maestro Xulfi who has been a driving force behind Coke Studio’ success shared the exciting news on his Instagram. He posted a picture holding a frame celebrating the one billion streams and wrote a heartfelt caption expressing his gratitude and pride.

    Xulfi reflected on the incredible journey of bringing Pakistan music to the global stage “When we embarked on this mission of creating global hits from Pakistan through Coke Studio, it was before we started working on the songs. We know and believe in our country’s potential. And we know that our music and art community is getting stronger.”

    Xulfi also thanked the global audience for their love and support, expressing deep gratitude for making this achievement possible.

    “This and literally everything happens because of you, the listeners, the audience. Audiences from all over the world ♥ Shukriya for showing how much love you’ve for art and artists. Shukriya for listening and supporting with all your heart,” he said.

    Xulfi’s words of appreciation didn’t stop there he congratulated the team behind the Pasoori song, including lead singer Ali Sehti, Shae Gill and Abdullah Siddiqui. He also thanked the visual storytellers, Kamal Kay and Hashim Ali, whose worked helped bring Pasoori to life with stunning visuals.

    “Congratulations to everyone who’s been a part of Pasoori

    @giraffemusicpk @sherrykhattak @zparwez

    ✨♥

    @coke_studio

    @youtube

    @youtubemusic,” Xulfi concluded.

    Earlier, if there’s one thing you need to see on the internet, it’s Coke Studio’s season 14’s song ‘Pasoori’. The song has over 113 million views on YouTube since its release three months ago and is playing on the radio everywhere, from the United Arab Emirates to Canada. All seem fully captivated by song sung by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill.

    Before we dwell on the magical journey of the Punjabi lyrical composition, let’s first understand what the word ‘pasoori’ means.

     

    ‘Pasoori’ is a Punjabi word loosely translated in two ways in Urdu as ‘kashmakash‘and ‘jaldbazi/teezi’ meaning difficulty/conflict and impatience/hasty.

    Punjabi speakers casually use this word as “Enu bari pasoori pai hoi ay [This person is facing some difficult situation or this person is very impatient]”

    Majestic words written by Ali Sethi and Fazal Abbas, definitely have taken everyone on a listening spree. ‘Pasoori’ turns all angst into art, with its lyrics signifying the need to celebrate artistic self-expression.

  • Ahmed Shehzad lashes out at Pakistan’s poor batting against West Indies

    Ahmed Shehzad lashes out at Pakistan’s poor batting against West Indies

    Test cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has expressed severe disappointment over Pakistan’s poor batting performance and serious mistakes in the second Test match against West Indies in Multan. 

    While talking about the Test against the West Indies on his YouTube channel, the 33-year-old cricketer said, “Even West Indian players, whose names are not well-known, were playing well and scoring centuries on Pakistan’s home ground.”

    “Players like Shan Masood, Babar Azam, and Kamran Ghulam repeated their mistakes and got out once again. It was the pitch’s fault for their poor performance,” he said.

    Ahmed Shehzad further stated, “The team needs to accept that they are not capable of playing Test cricket at the moment, and this format may not suit them. If the players can’t perform well even on home ground with a pitch suited to their advantage, it might be better to stop playing Test matches altogether.”

    West Indies won the second and final Test of the two-match series, defeating Pakistan on their home ground after 35 years by 120 runs on the third day to level the series 1-1.

  • The Deportation Dispute Between the United States and Colombia: Trade Sanctions and Diplomatic Agreement

    The Deportation Dispute Between the United States and Colombia: Trade Sanctions and Diplomatic Agreement

    In recent days, an important diplomatic dispute has been resolved between the US and Colombia. US President Donald Trump was threatened Colombia with the imposition of a 25 percent emergency levy. The reason for this was Colombia’s refusal to accept migrants deported by US military planes. After this conflict, Colombia accepted all deported Colombian citizens without delay by accepting American terms. Following the agreement, the United States has suspended all tariffs and sanctions on Colombia.

     

    The President of Colombia Gustavo Pietro initially opposed deportation by US military aircraft and called this action “inhuman”. He also offered a Colombian Presidential Aircraft for the dignified return of deported citizens. However due to America’s restrictions and threats of duties Colombia accepted the US terms.

     

    After the agreement between the United States and Colombia white house delayed 25 percent tariffs and other restrictions From Colombia. However, Visa restrictions and Strict customs checks will remain until deportation flights are successfully resumed.

     

    This conflict started when the US sent two military flights with 160 deported Colombians, which Colombia refused to accept. In response to this, Donald Trump announced 25 percent emergency tariffs on all goods that are imported from Colombia. He also imposed visa restrictions on Colombian authorities.

     

    During this conflict, Colombian President Gustavo Pietro emphasized the honourable return of the deported citizens and opposed deportation by US military aircraft. He also offered a Colombian Presidential Aircraft so that the return of deported citizens could be ensured.

     

    After this agreement between the United States and Colombia, improvements are expected In diplomatic relations between both countries. This agreement also highlighted the stress that is found in immigration policies between America and Latin American countries. Before this same conflicts also emerged with Brazil and Mexico.

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    Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Morillo confirmed that the deported Colombian nationals will be accepted and high-level meetings will also be held with America in future.

     

    This conflict and the solution to the conflict can profound effect on relationships with Latin American countries and the strict immigration policies of the United States. In addition, this matter also marked a question on the process of deportation by US military aircraft.

  • ‘Marwat saved Imran Khan’s life in assassination attempt,’ reveals PTI leader

    ‘Marwat saved Imran Khan’s life in assassination attempt,’ reveals PTI leader

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shandana Gulzar told a reporter on January 26 that Sher Afzal Marwat, currently in trouble with the party, is a true leader of the people.

    Imran Khan prohibited Sher Afzal Marwat from visiting him in Adiala Jail on January 23.

    The News reported that the maverick leader attempted to visit the party founder at Adiala Jail but was denied entry. Officials cited explicit instructions from Imran Khan who clarified that Marwat was not his legal counsel and should not be granted access.

    Marwat has dismissed reports of Imran Khan’s refusal to meet him, calling it an “attack on my character by electronic and social media.”

    “Marwat is a public leader and he’s that PTI leader who came out for Khan when nobody was there for him. I’ll tell you one thing: A plan was made to kill Imran Khan in the Judicial Complex on March 18, 2023. That plan was foiled at that time by Sher Afzal Khan Marwat,” alleged Shandana Gulzar defending the maverick’s role in the party.

    Gulzar also claimed: “After that event, Maryam Nawaz and her cronies assigned the task of killing Sher Afzal Marwat. They couldn’t digest this development. Many people were happy on March 18, 2023, that [God forbid] something might happen to Imran Khan. Sher Afzal Marwat’s family is in the police and army; we all have families in these institutions. When he went there he saw no judge nor the normal staff present. He got the information and he quickly informed Khan to get out of there.”

    Marwat is often known for sparring with fellow PTI leaders while being issued show cause notices multiple times by the PTI, with the most recent one issued on January 13.

    The party leader was directed to respond to allegations of issuing statements against party policy and the party’s secretary-general Salman Akram Raja in the most recent show cause notice.

    Sher Afzal Marwat submitted his written response on January 25 alleging that Salman Akram Raja had made derogatory remarks against him during a TV programme on January 10 and repeated the accusations on January 12.

    Marwat said that an MPA from Punjab had misled the party’s founder about him, accusing him of disrespecting the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi. Without being given a chance to explain himself, Marwat claimed he was unfairly removed from the party at that time.

    He has also accused Shahbaz Gill and his associates of making a targeted campaign against him. Marwat highlighted that the PTI founding chairman’s decision to remove Shahbaz Gill from party committees was not implemented. Instead, a narrative was built suggesting that Imran Khan had praised Gill.

  • ‘I was very uncomfortable’; Mathira slams Chahat Fateh Ali Khan for sharing unapproved video

    ‘I was very uncomfortable’; Mathira slams Chahat Fateh Ali Khan for sharing unapproved video

    Famous television host Mathira has expressed her anger over an inappropriate video shared by social media personality Chahat Fateh Ali Khan.

    A few days ago, Khan appeared on Mathira’s show and later shared a video clip from the program on his Instagram, which quickly went viral.

    In the video, Chahat Fateh is seen forcefully attempting to hug Mathira and shake her hand.

    It is evident that the host is uncomfortable with his actions and tries to distance herself from him.

    Reacting strongly to the video on her show, Mathira asserted that it was recorded from an inappropriate angle without her consent and shared on social media without her permission.

    “Whenever a guest comes to our show, I respect them and treat them with love and kindness, but making a video in this way was a very bad move. Being bold does not mean that anyone will see and hug me,”  Mathira responded during her show, addressing the inappropriate video.

    “I was feeling very uncomfortable. This video was not made with our cameras, but by Chahat Fateh without permission. My team and I did not know that this video was made. The show’s cameras are somewhere else, while this video was made from another place, which is not allowed,” she explained.

    “As a woman, all this was painful because I do not do all these things to hug people,” she remarked.

    Mathira also revealed that, despite posting the video without permission, he neither took it down when asked nor apologised.

    The host further warned her viewers not to hug her or try to shake her hand if they see her in public.

    Mathira concluded by explaining that she was ready to leave the set, with her car parked outside when Chahat Fateh Ali Khan recorded the video. She left the set immediately afterwards.

  • Price of Shah Rukh Khan’s wristwatch breaks internet

    Price of Shah Rukh Khan’s wristwatch breaks internet

    At the IFFA press conference in Mumbai, Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan didn’t just steal the spotlight with the stardom, but his stunning watch had everyone talking too. 

    While the timepiece may look simple at first, its jaw-dropping price tag will leave you speechless.

    As per Indian reports, the watch Shah Rukh Khan wore belong to Audemars Pguest, a Swiss brand known for its extravagance. This isn’t just a luxury accessory, it’s rare, incredibly so.

    The watch is valued at approximately Indian Rupees 7,684,825 in Pakistan rupees its, 28 Lakh only. Additionally, shipping charges to India were over INR 13,000.

    What makes this watch even more special is that it’s crafted from 18-carat gold, and only 250 such watches exist worldwide, one of which Shah Rukh Khan proudly owns.

    Earlier, Shah Rukh Khan, the King of Bollywood, is set to return to the UAE as the host of the prestigious International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, which will take place on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi this year.

    Since the awards’ inception in 2000, Shah Rukh Khan has hosted the ceremony, won several awards, and been a star performer. There is thus a huge slice of the history of these awards that is shaped by his association with it.

    Among the several IIFA awards won by Khan, this actor won Best Actor for films like ‘Devdas’ in 2003, ‘Veer-Zaara’ in 2005, and ‘My Name is Khan’ in 2011. The performances of this genius at IIFA Awards are still fresh in the memory of fans worldwide, be it his dance to ‘Veer-Zaara’ songs in the year 2005 or a medley of hits in the year 2013.

    It’s going to be a huge celebration of Indian films IIFA Awards 2024 with Shah Rukh Khan as the host, bringing together fans and stars worldwide.
    Recently, Shah Rukh Khan was awarded the prestigious Pardo alla Carriera, a Career Leopard at the 77th Locarno Film Festival.