KPITB Seamlessly Automating Citizen Centric Service Delivery:
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Technology Board is rapidly automating public service delivery across all departments. Under the Vision 2030 of reform. perform. transform. The KPITB aims to go cashless. Recently, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet has approved Pakistan’s first public Digital Payments and FinTech Strategy.The FinTech Strategy includes the digitization of departments, the eradication of cash-based transactions, and ensuring a cashless KP by 2030. Under these efforts, the KPITB has fully automated the arms license section of the KP Home Department. Citizens are paying through “Paymir” – the KP’s digital payment gateway- and applying online through the Dastak platform- Unified Public Service Delivery Platform, without any hassle. The payments collected through Paymir from this one section only, in a matter of a few months, have reached Rs. 2 billion, and 175,000 licenses have been issued so far.
Govt Warns Against Cyber Attacks From Weak Email Settings:
The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (National CERT) has issued a critical advisory alerting public, private, and government organizations to the growing threat of cyberattacks stemming from email misconfigurations. The advisory warns of rising cases of phishing, business email compromise (BEC), and domain spoofing, which are being exploited globally and have implications for Pakistan’s national security, economy, and public trust.
Smart Forum & KKAWF Launch ‘Clear Minds’ AI App to Tackle Drug Addiction in Pakistan:
Amid a growing drug addiction crisis in Pakistan, a groundbreaking digital initiative was unveiled today in Islamabad on World Drug Day. The launch of Clear Minds, a mobile AI-powered platform developed by Smart Forum in collaboration with the Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation (KKAWF), marks a transformative step in how drug prevention and support programs will operate across the country.According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Pakistan had an estimated 6.7 million drug users in 2024, with nearly 2 million classified as addicts, placing the country among those with the highest addiction rates globally. This alarming figure highlights the urgent need for scalable, accessible, and sustainable solutions to tackle substance abuse. Traditional approaches, often limited by infrastructure, stigma, and lack of resources, have failed to reach the majority of those affected.
Ad Hashtags Are Now Officially Banned on X:
Elon Musk announced today that hashtags will no longer be a thing in ads on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. The change will take effect on Friday and applies exclusively to paid content. Regular posts will remain unaffected.In a separate post, Musk referred to hashtags as an “esthetic nightmare,” emphasizing that their removal is intended to improve the appearance of promotional content. Musk has had a long-standing criticism of hashtags, which he had previously described as “ugly” and outdated.
Trump’s Gold T1 Smartphone Just Got a Major Reality Check:
The Trump Organization’s wireless venture, Trump Mobile, appears to have walked back its key marketing claim that its T1 Phone 8002 would be made in the USA. Shortly after launch, the company’s website prominently featured a banner declaring the device was manufactured domestically. That claim has since been removed everywhere on the website.In place of the original claim, the Trump Mobile website now features broader, non-specific patriotic slogans. The new tagline, “Premium Performance. Proudly American,” is accompanied by statements that the phone is “designed with American values in mind” and that “American hands” are involved in its creation. However, none of these phrases confirms that the phone is made, assembled, or even designed in the United States.
WhatsApp’s AI Chats Summaries Officially Launched, Will Reach Pakistan Soon:
WhatsApp has officially rolled out a new feature called Message Summaries, designed to help users quickly review unread messages using artificial intelligence. The tool uses Meta AI to generate concise summaries of chats, making it easy to catch up on those hundreds of group chat messages you don’t wanna go through.When tapping on the unread message count in any chat, WhatsApp displays a bullet-point summary of the messages. These summaries are generated locally using Meta’s Private Processing technology, which is designed to maintain user privacy. According to WhatsApp, neither Meta nor WhatsApp can read the original messages or the AI-generated summaries, and other participants in the conversation do not have access to your summaries either.
Vivo X Fold 5 Officially Has the Biggest Battery and Best Waterproofing on a Foldable:
Vivo has introduced the X Fold 5, its latest foldable smartphone that brings the best-in-class durability and battery size, and even has a slimmer profile over its predecessor. The device was unveiled in China and, following the trend set by the X Fold 3 Pro, may become available in more markets soon. The Vivo X Fold5 retains the same display sizes as its predecessor, featuring a 6.53-inch external screen and an 8.03-inch inner foldable panel. The Titanium edition measures 9.2mm when folded and 4.3mm when unfolded, weighing 217 grams. This also makes it the thinnest book-style foldable yet. The hinge mechanism, made of high-strength steel and carbon fiber, balances rigidity with reduced weight.
Transworld Home and Zindigi Partner to Revolutionize Digital Payments with Exclusive Cashback Rewards:
Transworld Home, a leading internet service provider, has joined forces with Zindigi, Pakistan’s fastest growing digital banking initiative of JS Bank, to introduce a cashback reward program for customers across Pakistan. This strategic partnership, aims to enhance user experience through innovation , promote the adoption of digital payments, and reward loyal customers with added value.The collaboration signifies a shared commitment from both organizations to bringing digital convenience and customer value to the forefront.The MoU was formally signed by Atif Ishaque, Chief Business Officer at Zindigi, and Asif Inam, Deputy Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer at Transworld, in the presence of Noman Azhar, Co-Founder and Chief Officer at Zindigi; Saad Muzaffar Waraich, President of Transworld Home; and Malik Haris Anwar, Head of Business & Partnerships – Central Region. Senior representatives and dignitaries from both organizations also attended the signing ceremony.
This Device Can Turn Your Dreams Into AI Movies by Just Speaking:
AI-generated videos often tend to be trippy, with objects and environments morphing and shifting constantly into bizarre realities, quite similar to dreams. That is exactly what the Dream Recorder AI device is capitalizing on with the promise to bring your dreams to life with trippy AI videos.Dream Recorder is made by a Dutch design and innovation studio called Modem Works, which specializes in open-source projects. Modem Work’s projects often bring together conceptual art and hardware, and their latest device can visualize your dreams by speaking your dream recollection into it. Dream Recorder is able to understand any language and does not need specific descriptions to work properly.
PM Approves Search Committee for Appointments to Pakistan Digital Authority:
The Prime Minister has approved the formation of a Search and Selection Committee for the appointment of the Chairperson and two Members of the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) under the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, 2025.The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication (MoITT) has issued a formal notification confirming the committee’s composition and mandate.According to the notification, Federal Minister for IT and Telecom Shaza Fatima has been appointed as the convener of the committee.
Senate Panel Demands Answers on Logic Behind Free Public WiFi, Crypto Council:
The Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology and Telecommunication has sought a detailed briefing from the Ministry of IT and Telecom (MoITT) regarding the provision of public WiFi services in Islamabad, including any plans to expand the facility to the Metro Bus Service.The committee, chaired by Senator Palwasha Mohammad Zai Khan, will hold its meeting on June 30, 2025, at the Old PIPS Hall, Parliament Lodges.The committee has also summoned the Secretary, MoITT and the Ministry of Finance to explain the Ministry’s role in the new government-announced council intended to regulate cryptocurrency. The senators are expected to scrutinize the Ministry’s input in shaping the council’s structure, policy direction, and its alignment with national digital finance strategies.
Modern Games Are Running Better on SteamOS Than Windows 11:
Modern video games are showing better performance on Valve’s free SteamOS compared to Microsoft’s Windows 11, reports Ars Technica. This was tested on the Lenovo Legion Go S handheld, which showed better frame rates on games while running Steam OS version 3.7.Unlike the Steam Deck, which does not officially support Windows, the Legion Go S is the first gaming handheld that is designed to work seamlessly with both Windows and SteamOS. This made it easy for the Ars team to test the two operating systems head to head.
Can AI speak the language Japan tried to kill?:
More than a century after colonisation, the Ainu language almost vanished. Now machines are listening to hours of old recordings and learning to give it a new voice. The cassette player would catch the reels, pulling magnetic tape through its mechanism. At first, just a slight hiss of static – and then the voice of her ancestors would flood the room. Maya Sekine’s bedtime stories were special. Chosen by her father, these colourful tales came to her through old tapes featuring folk tales told in Ainu, the language spoken by her family’s Indigenous forebears. They lived in the northern island regions of what is now Japan starting as early as the 12th Century before they were colonised by the state. As a child, Sekine’s favourite story was about a singing Hokkaido wolf. The narrative had a melodic quality to it, with a refrain oscillating between sung Ainu phrases and barking vocalisations. But at school, none of Sekine’s friends understood Ainu. And while her mother and grandparents knew some phrases in the language, they mainly spoke Japanese. Other adults couldn’t speak it at all. She realised that her family’s language, and culture, were dying.
‘Made in the USA’ reference disappears from Trump phone listing:
Days after the Trump Organization announced plans to launch a US-made smartphone, a reference to its American production has vanished from its website. A “Made in the USA” tagline featured in promotional material for the Trump T1 phone when it launched on 16 June, was no longer displayed on its site as of Wednesday, reporters found. But the Trump Mobile organisation says the phone will still be made in America. “Speculation to the contrary is simply inaccurate,” a spokesperson told the Media.”We’re excited to launch the phones later this year, but in the meantime, anyone can switch to Trump Mobile now with their current phones,” they added – directing people to the provider’s website to find out more.
Meta admits wrongly suspending Facebook Groups but denies wider problem:
Meta says it is “fixing” a problem which has led to Facebook Groups being wrongly suspended – but denied there is a wider issue on its platforms. In online forums, Group administrators say they have received automated messages stating, incorrectly, that they had violated policies so their Groups had been deleted. Some Instagram users have complained of similar problems with their own accounts, with many blaming Meta’s artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Meta has acknowledged a “technical error” with Facebook Groups, but says it has not seen evidence of a significant increase in incorrect enforcement of its rules on its platforms more widely.
Why a green pigeon’s TikTok fame is worrying the RSPCA:
A fluorescent green pigeon seen wandering around a town centre has left visitors baffled and prompted concerns from the RSPCA about the impact online trends can have on wildlife. More than four million people have watched videos about the bird on social media. But what is the story behind it?After the images taken in Northampton began to surface online, some questioned whether they had been created by artificial intelligence or enhanced in some way.
But the team at Media Verify said there was no evidence of digital manipulation. There are at least six different videos of the bird on TikTok, with further photos on Facebook. In all the clips, the bird is in an area in front of All Saints Church, which is where Media reporter Ollie Conopo captured his own videos and pictures of it. One person in the area suggested it had been coming to the town centre for about a week. Birdwatch Magazine optics editor Mike Alibone said: “There is no wild pigeon in the world that looks like this. “It certainly looks as if it has been dyed and the green colouring is too artificial.” While some diets can influence a bird’s colouring, such as flamingos turning pink from eating shrimp, Mr Alibone dismissed that theory in this case. “I don’t believe that an unusual diet is responsible for having such a dramatic effect on the plumage,” he said. A spokesperson from the RSPCA said they suspected the pigeon’s feathers had been painted or dyed.
Murray wants to shield kids from ‘damaging’ social media:
Sir Andy Murray says he is trying to keep his children away from “damaging” social media platforms as he backed calls for more action to prevent abuse of sport stars. His appeal comes after British tennis player Katie Boulter spoke to Media Sport about the scale of unsavoury and hurtful comments she has received online, including death threats. Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray, who retired from professional tennis in August 2024, said the prevalence of social media abuse “hasn’t really changed”, despite athletes speaking out on the subject for many years. The 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon champion added that by the end of his career he paid no attention to “hostility” he received online, but he found it “difficult” when starting out as a professional. “I think it’s positive any time anyone can speak out about it. It’s great that [Katie] talked about it,” Murray, 38, told Media Sport. “Athletes across all sports have been discussing this for a long time, but it hasn’t really changed. Hopefully something can get done soon.”
Supercell boss: ‘We need to take bigger risks’:
For someone pushing his company to break new ground, Ilkka Paananen appears relaxed. Not wearing shoes, like everyone else in the office – it’s a Finnish thing I’m told – he tells me the mobile gaming industry needs shaking up. “We need to take bigger risks,” says Mr Paananen the chief executive of Finland’s Supercell – a giant in the world of mobile games.
“We have to create new kinds of game experiences,” he says. The company already has some of the most successful mobile games ever released; last year Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars generated more than a billion dollars between them. Nonetheless, over the past couple of years Mr Paananen has “significantly” increased investment in new games, hired more staff and set up new game studios.
How China made electric vehicles mainstream:
“I drive an electric vehicle because I am poor,” says Lu Yunfeng, a private hire driver, who is at a charging station on the outskirts of Guangzhou in the south of China. Standing nearby, Sun Jingguo agrees. “The cost of driving a petrol car is too expensive. I save money driving an electric vehicle,” he says. “Also, it protects the environment,” he adds, leaning against his white Beijing U7 model. It’s the kind of conversation climate campaigners dream of hearing. In many countries, electric vehicles (EVs) are considered luxury purchases. But here in China – where almost half of all cars sold last year were electric – it’s a banal reality. At the beginning of the century, China’s leadership laid out plans to dominate the technologies of the future. Once a nation of bicycles China is now the world’s leader in EVs.
Musk’s X sues New York state over social media hate speech law:
Elon Musk’s X has challenged a New York state law that requires social media companies to disclose how they monitor hate speech, extremism, and other contentious content. In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, the social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, argues that the law forces companies to disclose “highly sensitive and controversial speech” that is protected under the constitution’s First Amendment. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is in charge of enforcing this law, is the named defendant in X’s lawsuit. Social media sites have become the main source of news for Americans, with majority consuming it on networks like X, according to a new research from the Reuters Institute.