Daily News Pakistan

More than 40 construction workers were missing after an avalanche in India’s Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on Friday following heavy snowfall, officials said. The avalanche hit a construction camp in the Chamoli district, burying the workers under snow and debris. Rescue teams dug for hours through heavy snow, Ridhim Agarwal of the state disaster relief force said in a statement, adding: “So far, 15 workers are safe while 42 are missing.” As soon as the weather conditions improve, high-altitude rescue teams will be deployed by helicopter to the scene, she added. Deepam Seth, the state’s top police officer, said the bad weather was hampering the rescue operations. “It has been snowing with strong winds … The roads are completely blocked. We have deployed snow cutters to open the road,” he told broadcaster NDTV. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said he was “saddened” by the incident and was monitoring the rescue operations. Avalanches and landslides are common in ...

Meta plans to add an artificial intelligence app to its stable of stand-alone offerings including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, according to a report Thursday by CNBC. Meta is battling rivals including Amazon, OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft when it comes to models for powering AI, and has been incrementally weaving the technology into its platforms since launching its own AI chatbot in 2023. An independent app devoted to AI would fit into Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg's stated vision of having the most used AI assistant in the world. CNBC cited people familiar with the matter as saying Meta plans to debut a standalone AI app by the middle of this year. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman fired off a post on X, formerly Twitter, with a link to the CNBC story, writing: "OK, fine maybe we'll do a social app." Meta is also planning to test a paid subscription tier for its AI platform, in a revenue generating tactic used by ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, according to the report. Meta dec...

Russian and US diplomats met in Turkey on Thursday for talks to resolve disputes over their respective embassies in Washington and Moscow, a first test of their ability to reset wider relations and work towards ending the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin last year described relations as “below zero” under the administration of Joe Biden, who backed Ukraine with aid and weapons and imposed waves of sanctions on Russia to punish it for its invasion in 2022. But his successor, President Donald Trump, has upended that policy and moved swiftly since taking office last month to open talks with Moscow, pledging to fulfil his repeated promise to bring a quick end to the war. The talks in Istanbul follow a phone call between Trump and President Vladimir Putin on February 12 and a high-level diplomatic meeting in Saudi Arabia six days later. The Russian team arrived in a black Mercedes van for the meeting at the gated residence of the US consul general in Istanbul. Russian state TV said the ta...

The UK government’s decision to cut its overseas aid budget has raised serious concerns about its ability to meet climate finance commitments made to developing nations. Experts warn that the move could significantly impact vulnerable countries struggling with climate change and environmental crises. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a reduction in the UK’s aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income. This decision comes as the UK aims to increase its defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. The cuts are part of a broader shift in priorities, with Starmer set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss European defense responsibilities. The UK’s climate finance initiatives are funded through its overseas aid budget, which had already been reduced from 0.7% to 0.5% before COP26 in 2021. This latest cut raises doubts about the UK’s ability to fulfill its promise of increasing climate finance to developing nations, a pledge reaffirmed at COP29. The ...

Morocco announced on Wednesday it would buy up to 168 trains from Spain's CAF, South Korea's Hyundai and France's Alstom for $2.9 billion as part of preparations for the 2030 FIFA World Cup it is co-hosting with Spain and Portugal. The National Railway Office (ONCF) said in a statement that it had awarded the contracts for the "new train acquisition programme, with a total cost of 29 billion dirhams, as part of the development plan for 2030". They include 18 high-speed trains from Alstom, sealing a deal first mentioned during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Rabat in October. Morocco already has one 350-kilometre (220-mile) high-speed railway line between the coastal cities of Tangier and Casablanca, and is planning a second that will extend 400 kilometres (250 miles) from Kenitra on the coast to Marrakesh in the interior. The first line, built by Alstom, has been in operation since 2018. The contract with Spain's CAF is for 30 intercity ...

Hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli jails arrive at the European hospital in Gaza as Israel releases the remaining 642 Palestinian detainees scheduled to be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire deal with Hamas. Emotional scenes in the occupied West Bank as dozens of Palestinian prisoners who had been serving life and long sentences reunite with their families. Israel deports 97 others to Egypt. Twelve buses right now have arrived to the European hospital in the city of Khan Younis, Southern Gaza. They are carrying at least 600 Palestinian detainees that have been transported to the Gaza Strip by the Red Cross. The Palestinian detainees will undergo a medical check in order to be reunited with their loved ones. Those Palestinian detainees are coming out from the busses and we can see signs of exhaustion, signs of the misery and the suffering that they have been enduring in the Israeli detention centres. The Red Cross is facilitating the reunion of those Palestinian det...

Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private company to put a robot on the Moon, although the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side. Now, the Houston-based firm is gearing up for a second attempt, determined to achieve a perfect touchdown. Intuitive Machines' hexagonal-shaped lander, Athena, is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during a window that opens at 7:02pm (0002 GMT) Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to an official spaceflight advisory. If all goes well, it will touch down around March 6 at a spot called the Mons Mouton plateau, a site closer to the lunar south pole than any previously targeted. Athena carries scientific instruments, including a drill to search for ice beneath the surface and a unique hopping drone named Grace after a famous computer scientist, Grace Hopper. It is designed to traverse the Moon's rugged inclines, boulders, and craters — a valuable capability to support futur...

Intuitive Machines made history last year as the first private company to put a robot on the Moon, although the triumph was marred by the lander tipping onto its side. Now, the Houston-based firm is gearing up for a second attempt, determined to achieve a perfect touchdown. Intuitive Machines' hexagonal-shaped lander, Athena, is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket during a window that opens at 7:02pm (0002 GMT) Wednesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, according to an official spaceflight advisory. If all goes well, it will touch down around March 6 at a spot called the Mons Mouton plateau, a site closer to the lunar south pole than any previously targeted. Athena carries scientific instruments, including a drill to search for ice beneath the surface and a unique hopping drone named Grace after a famous computer scientist, Grace Hopper. It is designed to traverse the Moon's rugged inclines, boulders, and craters — a valuable capability to support futur...

The Palestinian group Hamas said Tuesday that its delegation concluded a visit to the Egyptian capital Cairo, where it reached an agreement to resolve a delay in releasing Palestinian prisoners who were supposed to be freed last Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement. In a statement, Hamas said its delegation, led by senior official Khalil al-Hayya, met with Egyptian officials to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement as well as preparations for the next phase of negotiations. The group emphasized the need for full and precise adherence to all terms of the deal. Hamas added that a solution has been reached ensuring that the release of Palestinian prisoners would occur simultaneously with the handover of Israeli remains, as previously agreed to under the first phase of the deal, along with additional Palestinian women and children detainees. An Israeli official confirmed late Tuesday that an understanding had been reached with Hamas to resol...

Bangladesh's army chief on Tuesday blamed infighting for deteriorating law and order, warning that the gains of the student-led revolution that toppled the government last August were at risk. The South Asian nation has been struggling to stem a surge in violent crime, with the security forces arresting thousands this month targeting gangs allegedly connected to the party of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina. "If you can't move beyond your differences and continue meddling and fighting among yourselves, the independence and integrity of the country will be at risk — I warn you," said General Waker-Uz-Zaman, without singling out any group by name. "Since stakeholders are busy accusing each other, miscreants find the situation favourable. They believe they can get away with anything," he said at an army memorial event. Bangladesh has been riven by a surge of crime, as well as protests this month where crowds smashed buildings connected to Hasina's ...

A company based in China's Shandong province caught the attention of government officials after it threatened to fire its single and divorced employees if they remained single by the end of September. According to a report in South China Morning Post, Shandong Shuntian Chemical Group Co. Ltd., issued a notice to its 1,200-odd employees, emphasising that they work well and establish families. The notice required single employees aged 28-58, including those divorced, to get married and settle down by the end of September this year. Those who do not by the end of March need to write a self-criticism letter. If they do not get married by the end of June, the company will conduct an "evaluation" of them. If they are still single by the end of September, they will be fired. The company said the move was intended to promote the spirit and cultural values of "diligence, kindness, loyalty, filial piety, and righteousness". As the news went viral, Chinese social medi...

The Israeli army is setting up a base in the Jenin camp as it prepares for a long-term deployment in the occupied West Bank. “Jenin is a repeat of what happened in Jabalia,” said Basheer Matahen, spokesperson for the Jenin municipality, referring to the refugee camp in northern Gaza that was leveled by the Israeli army. “The camp has become uninhabitable.” He said at least 12 bulldozers were at work demolishing houses and infrastructure in the camp, once a crowded township that housed descendants of Palestinians who fled their homes or were driven out in the 1948 war in what Palestinians call the ‘Nakba’ or catastrophe at the start of the state of Israel. Army engineering teams could be seen making preparations for a long-term stay, bringing water tanks and generators to a special area of almost one acre in size Matahen said. Israeli forces raided the Palestinian village of Kafil Haris as troops pushed further south in the occupied West Bank, Wafa news agency reported. Israeli t...

The United Nations Security Council has adopted a US-drafted resolution marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, taking a neutral stance on the war as President Donald Trump pushes for a diplomatic solution. The short resolution reflects Trump's upending of US policy on Ukraine after taking office last month and his more conciliatory stance towards Russia. In contrast, former president Joe Biden's administration led efforts at the United Nations to support Ukraine throughout the war. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia acknowledged "constructive changes" in the US position on the conflict. He told the council the resolution was "not an ideal one," but "a starting point for future efforts towards peaceful settlement." The 15-member UN Security Council had been deadlocked throughout the war and unable to take any action because Russia holds a veto. But the 193-member General Assembly has repeatedly supported Ukrain...

In just a spate of few weeks, 3 Indian-origin candidates have been knocked out of the leadership race in Canada’s Liberal Party, both at the national and at the provincial level. Indian-origin candidates Ruby Dhalla, Chandra Arya, and Viresh Bansal, disqualified from Canada's Liberal Party leadership race to become next Canadian PM. Canada's Liberal party, charged Indian origin candidates of anti-Sikh sentiments, homophobia, and supporting foreign interference of India. While it has fuelled speculations of the exclusion of Indian heritage people in the leadership race, including comments from the candidates themselves, the Liberal Party would point out that these disqualifications adhered to established rules. Canada's Liberal party, charged Indian origin candidates of anti-Sikh sentiments, homophobia, and supporting foreign interference of India. Two candidates at the national level, Ruby Dhalla and Chandra Arya, were knocked out of the race, while Viresh Bansal w...