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It took me an hour to write book with AI. Is that a good thing?

It took me about an hour to produce a 50-page-long children’s book. All it required was a handful of prompts to ChatGPT. The task was simple: Write a children’s story about a journalist living in the age of artificial intelligence, set at The Korea Herald , with a main character named Jane. Here’s what I got. Both the book cover image and the title were created by ChatGPT. And here are a few pages from the book: Readers can decide for themselves if the result is convincing enough to pass as something written by a human. But this experiment shows just how quickly a book can be made with AI, something South Korea’s publishing industry is trying to cope with, for better or worse. Publishing in the AI era Some say AI’s rise in publishing represents a change far greater than e-publishing, even akin to the advent of movable type. Already, the industry is seeing a surge in published titles, as AI dramatically speeds up the production process. Last year, the National Library of...
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What facilities does PTI founder Imran Khan have access to in prison?

Advocate Salman Safdar formally submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday a seven-page report regarding incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan’s living conditions at Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, amid concern from his party over his treatment. The PTI lawyer, who was appointed amicus curaie to visit Adiala jail, told the media after submitting the report that he met the PTI founder and visited his cell. At the time, he refused to divulge details of the report to the media. A copy of the report, available with Dawn, detailed the conditions of Imran’s confinement, including the facilities provided during his incarceration. Daily routine and diet According to the report, Imran’s daily routine varies between summer and winter. “He takes breakfast at around 9:45am, followed by recitation of the Holy Qur’an from approximately 11:30am for about an hour,” the report said, adding that breakfast consisted of coffee, porridge and a few dates. “He then undertakes physical exercise using t...

Why playing India is the smartest decision PCB has made in months

In international cricket, principle is often loud, emotional and instantly gratifying. Strategy, on the other hand, is quieter, slower, and frequently misunderstood. Pakistan’s decision to eventually agree to play India on February 15 falls squarely in the latter category, and despite the initial optics, it is the right call. The dramatic boycott call did what it needed to do early on. It created noise, unsettled the International Cricket Council (ICC), and earned Pakistan something it has been desperately short of in recent years: an ally . Bangladesh’s open friction with the ICC and India over security, scheduling and governance issues suddenly aligned its interests with Pakistan’s. A meeting between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials taking place in Lahore on Feb 8, 2026. — Screengrab via PCB video The alignment may be situational for now, but in a cricketing ecosystem where Pakistan often finds itself isolated, even a tempora...

PM Shehbaz takes notice of new Nepra rules for solar consumers, directs Power Division to file review appeal

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday took notice of the recent changes made by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) regarding solar consumers and directed the Power Division to file a review appeal against it. The power regulator on Monday changed the terms of contracts for all existing and future net-metered solar consumers — known as prosumers — to contain rising solar energy penetration and protect an expensive and inefficient state-owned power network. The notification effectively terminated the existing net-metering regime and replaced it with net-billing for all. A statement from the PM Office (PMO) issued today said the premier had taken “immediate notice” of the matter. The development follows outcry from senators across the political spectrum, including the ruling ally, the PPP, and the opposition, the PTI, in opposition to the NEPRA move. The PMO quoted the prime minister as directing the Power Division to immediately file a rev...

REGION: A RESURGENT JAMAAT IN BANGLADESH

Ramesh Chandra, 44, from Gopalganj district in Bangladesh’s southwest, 127 kilometres from the capital Dhaka, has been making sculptures for over two decades. He is a voter in the Gopalganj-3 constituency, from where former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was elected for eight consecutive terms. Chandra has long supported Hasina’s Awami League. But this time, the situation is different. Following the mass student-led uprising on August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina fled to India. On May 10, 2025, the interim government, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, banned the political activities of the Awami League and all its affiliates, under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in Bangladesh, a domestic judicial body founded by Hasina in 2010, is currently prosecuting Awami League leaders for “genocide” and “crimes against humanity”, related to the 2024 movement. Ironically, the same tribunal sentenced Hasina to death for ordering a crackdown on the 2024 p...

SHC directs Sindh govt to withdraw MPO detention orders against PTI workers

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday directed authorities to withdraw orders issued under the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance for the detention of PTI workers in Karachi and parts of Sindh last week. The order came in response to a petition filed against the detention. A day earlier, it emerged that the provincial government had decided to release nearly 300 PTI workers. Government sources told Dawn that the “documentary process” had already begun. “So it may take some time, and by Tuesday evening, we may see the workers being released from prison,” said a source. During today’s hearing, the SHC directed the Sindh government to withdraw the MPO orders, warning that “if the orders are not withdrawn, the court will issue orders against the authorities”. The defence counsel, Barrister Ali Tahir, informed the court that “over 187 families were being affected by illegal detention orders”. He alleged that the “police had illegally raided the homes of party workers”, and...

Around a million children missed during year’s first nationwide polio campaign; 53,000 refusals reported

Around a million children were missed and 53,000 refusals were reported during the year’s first nationwide polio campaign . The largest share of refusals, i.e. 58 per cent, was reported from Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi. The campaign concluded on February 5 in most cities, while the campaign ran till February 8 in Sindh. During the campaign, polio drops were administered to more than 44.3 million children, marking a significant milestone in Pakistan’s continued efforts to eradicate polio. While the data shows that the polio programme achieved overall household coverage of 98pc, with 2pc children missed, the number of missed children is still huge and worrisome given Pakistan’s population. Overall, 0.95m children were reported as missed during the campaign. A large proportion of these (0.67m) were missed because children were not available at home at the time of vaccination. During the campaign, 2.5 million guest children were vaccinated, likely covering a substantial share of...