Infinity Social Updates

Pakistan’s commerce minister and a Bangladeshi government adviser met in Dhaka on Friday to discuss the enhancement of bilateral trade and the strengthening of economic ties between the two countries. Ever since a popular uprising in Bangladesh that saw Hasina’s government toppled in August of last year, with the deposed premier fleeing to her old ally India, there has been a thaw in ties between the Islamabad and Dhaka, with trade and bilateral relations seeing a marked improvement. A press release by the Ministry of Commerce said that Pakistan’s Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, who reached Dhaka on August 21 for an official visit, met with Bangladesh’s Adviser for Commerce Sheikh Bashir Uddin. During the interaction, both sides “held in-depth discussions in Dhaka today to advance economic cooperation, mutual investments and strengthen bilateral trade ties”. It added that Pakistan’s high commissioner to Bangladesh, Imran Haider, was also present during the meeting. “The tw...

A Lahore man accused of “sextortion” of a minor via social media platform Snapchat was handed over to police for a five-day physical remand, the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency (NCCIA) said on Thursday. As per the court order given by a district and sessions court in Lahore, it was notified that the accused should be handed over to the police for a five-day investigation. According to NCCIA’s application for the remand, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com , the accused was arrested after NCCIA received a tip-off from an international organisation. He was booked for sharing pornographic material via the social media application Snapchat and engaging in “sextortion” of a minor. Upon arrest, NCCIA confiscated the phone of the accused and found pornographic material on the phone, in its “screenshot” and “screen-recording” folders. During the initial interrogation conducted by the NCCIA, the accused confessed to the crimes. Subsequently, a first information report ...

A clash broke out between police and protesters in the early hours of Thursday, leaving several injured, protest organisers claimed, as traders continued to block routes in Gilgit-Baltistan’s Sost Valley. Last month, Pak-China Tajeer Etihad Action Committee launched a protest against the suspension of border trade via the Khunjerab Pass, blaming the federal government’s inaction over unresolved tax-related issues, which have inflicted heavy losses on importers and exporters over the year. One of the organisers, Muhammad Ismail, claimed that the police had launched a crackdown against peaceful protesters, stating: “Police resorted to tear gas and aerial firing to disperse protesters from the venue.” Speaking to reporters, Hunza Superintendent of Police Nabeel Ahmed said that there was no plan to launch a crackdown on the sit-in. “Police were deployed only to arrest a suspect who is allegedly extorting traders at the customs and immigration area upon their return from China,” he sa...

Meta Platforms has paused hiring in its artificial intelligence division after bringing on more than 50 researchers and engineers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The move comes amid growing global concerns that investment in AI is moving too fast . In July, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg had pledged hundreds of billions for AI data centres in a “superintelligence push”. The social media giant is among the large tech companies that have struck high-profile deals and doled out multi-million-dollar pay packages in recent months to fast-track work on machines that could outthink humans on many tasks. “The hiring freeze, which went into effect last week and coincides with a broader restructuring of the group, also prohibits current employees from moving across teams inside the division,” according to the WSJ report. “The duration of the freeze wasn’t communicated internally.” “All that’s happening here is some basic organisational planning: creating a solid structure for ou...

India and China agreed on Tuesday to resume direct flights and step up trade and investment flows as the neighbours rebuild ties damaged by a 2020 border clash . The Asian giants are cautiously strengthening ties against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy, staging a series of high-level bilateral visits . The two countries would resume direct flights and boost trade and investment, including reopening border trade at three designated points, and facilitate in visas, the Indian foreign ministry said. Direct flights have been suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. No date was given for their resumption. The latest statements came at the end of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to New Delhi for the 24th round of talks with Indian National Security (NSA) Adviser Ajit Doval to resolve their decades old border dispute. The border talks covered issues related to pulling back troops both countries have amassed on their Himalayan...

Senior journalist and former caretaker information minister Murtaza Solangi has been appointed spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, he confirmed on Wednesday. A former director general of Radio Pakistan, Solangi served as the caretaker minister for information and broadcasting from August 2023 to March 2024. “Mr Murtaza Solangi is appointed as Spokesperson of the President of Pakistan on honorary/pro bono basis with immediate effect until further orders,” said a notification by the president’s secretary, Muhammad Shakeel Malik yesterday. “A little personal news,” Solangi wrote on X today. “I have been appointed the Spokesperson of the President of Pakistan. I will assume my new responsibilities starting tomorrow. Thank you.” During his tenure at Radio Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, Solangi oversaw a workforce spanning 64 broadcasting units and over 3,000 individuals. He also forged partnerships with international news organisations, including Voice of America, China Radio...

South Africa’s Aiden Markram hit 82 before left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj tore through Australia’s new-look batting order as the Proteas claimed the One-Day International series opener by 98 runs in Cairns on Tuesday. Sent in to bat, Markram — opening for the first time in ODIs since 2021 — crunched nine boundaries in his 81-ball knock to power South Africa to a formidable 296-8. Skipper Temba Bavuma (65) and Matthew Breetzke (57) also helped set the tone for the three-match ODI series. In reply, openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head flattened South Africa’s pacemen as Australia raced to 60-0 after seven overs. But the match flipped after the introduction of spin, with Maharaj conjuring rampant turn, and he picked up four wickets in his first 15 balls. He finished with career-best figures of 5-33 from 10 overs as Australia were dismissed for 198 in the 41st over. It was a strong bounce back from South Africa after their 2-1 defeat in the Twenty20 series between the teams...