Zong Extends Free Minutes and SMS to Support Flood-Affected Communities:
Zong, Pakistan’s leading technology innovation company, has announced 30 free Zong on-net minutes and 30 free all-network SMS for subscribers in flood-affected regions. The complimentary minutes, valid for three days, will enable residents to stay connected with family, emergency responders, and relief agencies during this critical time.The initiative covers severely impacted districts including Bagh, Bajaur Agency, Buner, Kotli, Muzaffarabad, and Swat, where heavy rains and flash floods have disrupted lives, damaged homes, and hampered essential communication channels.
NADRA App Lets the Dead Cancel Their Own ID — Complete with ‘Liveness Check’:
The National Database and Registration Authority’s (NADRA) mobile app has a confusing feature that appears to allow deceased individuals to cancel their own identity cards, somehow.Under the app’s “Cancel Identity Due to Death” feature, users are presented with two options: one for relatives of the deceased, and another labeled “Myself.” Selecting the latter option bizarrely takes the applicant through a facial recognition “liveness check,” a process designed to confirm that the person is physically alive and matches the official record.
KP Floods: Jazz Extends Free Calls to All Networks:
Jazz has extended its free calling facility in flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to include all networks.This expansion builds on the earlier initiative of providing free on-net, PTCL, and 911 calls, ensuring that residents can remain connected without restrictions during this crisis.
PTA Announces Latest Update on Network Restoration Amid Flood Damages:
In this hour of national need, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA), in collaboration with Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs), stands with the people affected by the devastating floods.As part of the relief measures, CMOs are offering free on-net voice calls (same network) to subscribers in flood-affected areas.
PTA and Telcos Working to Restore Services in Flood-Hit Areas:
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) is closely monitoring the telecom situation in flood-affected areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.Flash floods have damaged several cellular and fixed-line sites, resulting in service disruptions.
Jazz Offers Free On-Net and PTCL Calls in KP; Supports Flood Response as Government’s 911 Helpline Goes Live:
Jazz, Pakistan’s leading digital operator, has announced free on-net and PTCL calls for all subscribers in flood-hit areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The initiative aims to help affected residents stay connected with loved ones, emergency responders, and relief agencies during one of the most challenging times for the province.Heavy rains and flash floods have devastated districts including Buner, Swat, Shangla, Dir, and Chitral, damaging roads, homes, and essential infrastructure. By removing call charges, Jazz is enabling communities to focus on recovery without worrying about affordability.
Huawei’s Latest Budget Tablets Are Here with High End Features for Under $500:
Huawei has introduced two new additions to its MatePad series, the MatePad Air 12 and MatePad 11.5 S, both featuring high refresh rate displays, slim designs, and running on HarmonyOS 5.The MatePad Air 12 is equipped with a 12-inch IPS LCD panel offering a 2800 × 1840 pixel resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. Huawei also offers an optional PaperMatte version of the display, which includes nano-etching to reduce glare and light interference by up to 99%. The display supports 1,000 nits of peak brightness and full DCI-P3 color gamut coverage.
Ufone 4G Comes to People’s Aid as Cloudbursts, Flooding Wreak Havoc in KP:
Ufone 4G has stepped forward to support communities affected by sudden cloudbursts and flash floods that devastated multiple cities and towns across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). In a tragic reminder of the growing impacts of climate change, the disaster has claimed more than 200 lives and caused widespread destruction of public and private infrastructure.Recognizing the urgency of search and rescue operations, Ufone 4G has provided free minutes to its users in the worst-hit districts of Bajaur, Buner, Battagram, and Batal (Mansehra) to help them connect with emergency services, mobilize local resources, and remain in touch with their loved ones.
The Coach360 Amplifies Stories of Young Female Footballers in Karachi:
TheCoach360 founded by Muhammad Burhan Mirza, is on a mission to empower the youth with its purpose driven initiatives. The recent ones being SONY x TheCoach360 Masterclass and the newly launched Goal Diggers series on Myco featuring Karachi United’s Women’s team players and their journeys.Backing this inspiring initiative is TheCoach360, the coaching and mentorship platform which serves as the official sponsor for KUWFC. TheCoach360’s support goes beyond financing: it includes leadership training, sports gear, and team-building exercises aimed at fostering unity and confidence among players.
Meta’s AI Rules Allowed Bots to Have NSFW Chats with Kids:
An internal Meta Platforms policy document has revealed that the company’s AI chatbots were allowed to engage in questionable interactions, including romantic or suggestive conversations with children, generating false medical claims, and producing racially discriminatory content.The 200-plus-page document, titled GenAI: Content Risk Standards, was reviewed by Reuters and outlines what behaviors Meta considers acceptable for its generative AI assistant, Meta AI, and other chatbots on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. It was approved by Meta’s legal, public policy, and engineering teams, including the company’s chief ethicist.
Synergy Group Records 15 Wins at Dragons Of Pakistan 2025 Awards:
Synergy Group, Pakistan’s largest integrated marketing communications conglomerate, has once again demonstrated its creative leadership at the prestigious Dragons of Pakistan 2025 Awards, securing a total of 15 accolades across multiple categories. The Group’s subsidiaries, Synchronize Media, Synite Digital and Synergy Advertising, were recognized for award-winning campaigns developed for leading national and international brands.Synergy Advertising won two Metal Dragons for the LPG Blue: Jiyo Naye Andaaz Se campaign, along with seven Black Dragons recognizing work for Pakistan State Oil, Yango Pakistan, and Hyundai Nishat Motor Pakistan. For Synchronize Media, the agency earned two Black Dragons for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Pakistan and one for the State Bank of Pakistan.
Onic Celebrates Two Years of Redefining Pakistan’s Digital Telecom Experience:
Onic proudly marks its second anniversary, celebrating two years of transforming Pakistan’s telecommunications landscape through a fully digital, end-to-end customer experience. As the country’s first fully digital telecom brand, Onic empowers users with complete control over their mobile journey, free from the limitations of traditional telecom. Built for digital natives, the brand champions freedom, flexibility, and transparency, fostering a loyal community that views Onic as a partner in their connected lifestyle.
VW introduces monthly subscription to increase car power:
German car making giant Volkswagen (VW) has introduced a subscription for UK customers wanting to increase the power of some of its electric cars. Those who buy an eligible car in its ID.3 range can choose to pay extra if they want to unlock the full power of the engine inside the vehicle. VW says the “optional power upgrade” will cost £16.50 per month or £165 annually – or people can choose to pay £649 for a lifetime subscription. The firm said it was “offering customers choice” with the feature.
Should Europe wean itself off US tech?:
Imagine if US President Donald Trump could flip a switch and turn off Europe’s internet. It may sound far-fetched, crazy even. But it’s a scenario that has been seriously discussed in tech industry and policy circles in recent months, as tensions with Washington have escalated, and concerns about the EU’s reliance on American technology have come to the fore. At the root of these concerns is the fact just three US giants – Google, Microsoft and Amazon – provide 70% of Europe’s cloud-computing infrastructure, the scaffolding on which many online services depend.
Hospital trust showcases use of AI:
A hospital trust has been explaining how its use of artificial intelligence (AI) is improving patients’ experience from paperwork to surgery. One system that listens to doctor-patient conversations and generates a summary had improved clinic letter turnaround times from up to a week to one to two days, The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust said. New Cross Hospital also has two Da Vinci Xi robots working every week on cases in urology, colorectal, cardiothoracic and gynaecology surgery. Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle, who visited, said he was impressed with how the trust was exploring the use of AI to speed up administration.
‘I’m blind – AI glasses allow me to work again’:
A man who has returned to work a year after being registered blind says new AI glasses have been “life-changing”. Andy Evans, 57, who lives in Larkhall near Bath, became unemployed after leaving his job working nights at a Morrison’s supermarket due to his sight loss. However, he says he now has a “much better quality of life” since buying the glasses, which have a camera in their frame and tiny speakers in the arms. Mr Evans, who uses a white cane, said he can order food in a restaurant again and find out “what obstacles are in the path in front of me” by asking his glasses.
Fakes prompt Welsh brand to pull products from TikTok Shop:
An entrepreneur has pulled her haircare products off e-commerce platform TikTok Shop, after several accounts listed fakes on the site. Lucie Macleod, 25, who grew up in Pembrokeshire, is the owner and founder of haircare company Hair Syrup and said she was making “millions of pounds” through the platform but had to ditch it due to knock-offs. City of London Trading Standards – the regional team with the power to investigate TikTok – said it had “serious concerns about TikTok Shop regarding the sale of a range of unsafe products advertised on this platform”.
AI answers humans through 1974 message machine:
Historians at a museum have connected a 50-year-old telex machine to modern day artificial intelligence (AI), creating “a conversation spanning decades”. Telex was a message transfer service where text would be typed into one machine and printed out on the recipient’s. However, users of the machine at Amberley Museum, in West Sussex, will not get a response from another human, instead it will be ChatGPT answering their questions. The museum said visitors had been testing out the new machine, which was built “thanks to the ingenuity” of volunteer David Waters.
‘How I conquered Spotify with my weird podcast’:
“I don’t think there’s really a blueprint for how it should feel when something like that happens, but it was probably one of the most surreal moments of my life.”
YouTuber, turned TikToker, turned podcaster Chyaz Samuel has always loved strange-but-true stories, ever since she was a child. Following the pandemic, the freelance presenter decided to put that passion to good use and, from her spare room in her south Cheshire home, created the Things Are About to Get Weird podcast in 2022. Since then, the 71 episodes combined have been downloaded more than a million times and it also had a stint at the top of Spotify’s true crime chart and broke into the top 10 of all UK podcasts.
Instagram’s new ‘Map’ is a digital ghost town:
Some 170 million people got access to Instagram’s new location-sharing feature, so why is the Map so empty? In the app’s loneliest corners, Meta and its users may be fighting a quiet battle. On Saturday, I pulled up my phone settings and did something I haven’t considered in almost a decade, a move so brazen I’ve spent my whole career telling people to avoid it. I gave Instagram access to my location. Millions of Americans were greeted by a pop-up last week inviting them to try the new “Instagram Map”. The feature lets users share their exact, real-time location with each other. If you want, you can blast your whereabouts to every single one of your mutual followers. For many, however, the app’s history makes it an unsettling place for this kind of intimacy.
Will AI make language dubbing easy for film and TV?:
Finding international films that might appeal to the US market is an important part of the work of XYZ Films.
Maxime Cottray is the chief operating officer at the Los Angeles-based independent studio. He says the US market has always been tough for foreign language films. “It’s been limited to coastal New York viewers through art house films,” he says. It’s partly a language problem. “America is not a culture which has grown up with subtitles or dubbing like Europe has,” he points out. But that language hurdle might be easier to clear with a new AI-driven dubbing system.
UK’s Turing AI Institute responds to staff anger about defence focus:
The heads of the UK’s national institute for artificial intelligence (AI) have acknowledged recent months have been “challenging” for staff as the charity undergoes “substantial” change. It comes after staff raised “serious and escalating concerns” in a whistleblowing complaint this week submitted to the Charity Commission. They warned that the body – which receives £100m from the government – is at risk of collapse after Technology Secretary Peter Kyle instructed it to prioritise defence, and threatened to pull its funding if it did not.
Data centres to be expanded across UK as concerns mount:
The number of data centres in the UK is set to increase by almost a fifth, according to figures shared with Media Data centres are giant warehouses full of powerful computers used to run digital services from movie streaming to online banking – there are currently an estimated 477 of them in the UK. Construction researchers Barbour ABI have analysed planning documents and say that number is set to jump by almost 100, as the growth in artificial intelligence (AI) increases the need for processing power. The majority are due to be built in the next five years. However, there are concerns about the huge amount of energy and water the new data centres will consume.
Watch robot athletes compete in world’s first humanoid games:
The first World Humanoid Robot Games are underway in Beijing, China, with participants from 16 countries including the US, Germany and Japan. Robots athletes will attempt to compete across a range of events including athletics, football, dance and martial arts. Organisers say the purpose of the event is to trial and refine current robotics. They say sports are a way to test a robot’s decision-making, motor skills and controllers that could be later applied in real-life settings like factories and homes. It’s all part of China’s push to become a global leader in humanoid robotics. The government has a national plan to build a world-class humanoid industry by 2027.