Pakistan

A US jury on Monday ruled against Elon Musk in his lawsuit against OpenAI, finding the artificial intelligence company not liable to the world’s richest person for having allegedly strayed from its original mission to benefit humanity. In a unanimous verdict, the jury in Oakland, California federal court said Musk had brought his case too late. The jury deliberated less than two hours. The trial had widely been seen as a critical moment for the future of OpenAI and artificial intelligence generally, both in how it should be used and who should benefit from it. Following the verdict, Musk’s lawyer said he reserved the right to appeal, but the judge suggested he may have an uphill battle because whether the statute of limitations ran out before Musk sued was a factual issue. “There’s a substantial amount of evidence to support the jury’s finding, which is why I was prepared to dismiss on the spot,” US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said. In his 2024 lawsuit, Musk accused OpenAI, its Chief Executive Sam A...

Pakistan on Monday strongly condemned drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed solidarity with the kingdom, a statement from the Foreign Office (FO) said. In a post on X, Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry reported that three drones were intercepted and destroyed on Monday morning, having originated from Iraqi airspace. The United Arab Emirates condemned the incident earlier today, while Iraq said it is investigating the incident. In its statement, the FO condemned in the strongest possible terms the drone attacks carried out against Riyadh, noting: “Such attacks constitute a serious violation of the kingdom’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and appear to be an attempt to further undermine regional peace and stability.” It added that the government and the people of Pakistan stand in solidarity with the Saudi government and people, reaffirming their “full and unwavering support for the kingdom’s security, peace and prosperity.” The incident occurred after strikes on the Barakah nuclear plant in the UAE...

ISLAMABAD: Opposition lawmakers on Monday staged a protest on the National Assembly floor, demanding proper medical care for incarcerated PTI founder and former prime minister Imran Khan. During today’s session, PTI members did not point out a lack of quorum as the session commenced, which was chaired by Deputy Speaker Ghulam Mustafa Shah. As soon as the session progressed, the leader of the opposition in the lower house, Mehmood Khan Achakzai, stood at his seat and said that the deadline had expired and the government was not providing the required medical care to the former prime minister. “We had given the government time until Monday to mend its ways in this regard and had announced that we would not be part of the proceedings,” he said, adding that the opposition would also boycott the budget session. However, as he spoke, his voice was cut off and his speech was not broadcast on any official channel. PTI lawmakers also gathered around the Speaker’s seat and raised slogans in favour of their leaders. The...

Minister for Defence Production Muhammad Raza Hayat Harraj, on Monday, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Monday said that India would be “relegated to history” and its geography “changed” if it attempted any future misadventure against Pakistan. In an interview on the Geo News programme ‘Capital Talk’, Asif said, “As a nation, India thinks that its esteem has been damaged.” The defence minister was referring to last year’s confrontation with India, beginning with the April 22 Pahalgam attack and the subsequent military conflict — which resulted in a resounding victory for Pakistan — until the ceasefire on May 10. Reflecting on last year’s standoff with India, Asif said that Pakistan’s armed forces had given India a “devastating” response. “If India attempts any misadventure against Pakistan, it would be relegated to history and its geography would be changed,” the defence minister asserted. The defence minister also criticised the recent remarks made by Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, in which he said that Pakistan had “to decide whether they want to be part of geograp...

Iran’s top security body announced on Monday the formation of a new body to manage the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has effectively closed and wants to charge ships to traverse. On its official X account, the Supreme National Security Council shared a post for the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) saying it would provide “real-time updates on the #Hormuz_Strait operations and latest developments”. The account of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy shared the same post. It was not immediately clear what the new body would do but earlier this month Iranian English-speaking broadcaster Press TV said it constituted a “system to exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz” and that ships passing through the strait were sent “regulations” from the email info@pgsa.ir. Iran has largely blocked shipping through the vital strait since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8. Iran’s grip over the waterway has rattled global markets and ...

National Disaster Management Authority has issued a countrywide warning over a severe heatwave expected to continue from May 19 to 26, with temperatures likely to rise above 42°C in multiple regions of Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday reviewed the proposed Rs1.51 trillion Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for fiscal year 2026–27, with an emphasis on fully utilising development funds, especially by sectors that were performing satisfactorily. According to an official from the Planning Division, it was an initial meeting on the PSDP ahead of the forthcoming federal budget, and further meetings will also be held on the matter. The PSDP will be finalised in an upcoming meeting on the Annual Development Programme (ADP). The official told Dawn that the prime minister has directed that more funds be allocated to ministries and divisions performing well, while funding for those lagging behind be reduced. According to an official press release, PM Shehbaz emphasised that public money should be invested in development projects that ensure tangible results. The premier reviewed the current fiscal year’s development budget and proposed projects under the upcoming PSDP for the next fiscal year...

By the time health officials confirmed new Ebola infections in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last week, the total number of suspected cases meant the outbreak was already one of the largest on record. A series of challenges and missteps delayed detection, two Congolese officials familiar with the response told Reuters, allowing the disease to spread undetected into rebel-held territory in the east and across the border to the capital of Uganda. Local funeral practices helped the virus spread before any alarm was raised, diagnostic tests in a local laboratory were calibrated for the wrong strain of Ebola, and samples sent to Kinshasa were not stored or shipped properly, the officials said. Experts say the resulting delays risk hobbling efforts to contain the outbreak, which the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the weekend declared a public health emergency of international concern. “It’s just a scattered mess right now. I don’t think we have anything close to a real idea of how many cases there are,” ...

LAHORE: Punjab’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued a weather alert forecasting dust-thunderstorms and rain in several districts of the province from Monday night to Saturday. According to a PDMA advisory issued on Monday, a westerly weather system is expected to affect the upper parts of the country from the night of May 18 and is likely to persist till May 23. The authority predicted rain, windstorms and isolated hailstorms in Murree, Galiyat, Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Khushab, Bhakkar, Layyah, Sargodha, Mianwali, Faisalabad, Jhang, Lahore, Sheikhupura, Okara, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot and Narowal with occasional gaps during the forecast period. PDMA Director General Umar Javed said that alerts had been issued to all commissioners and deputy commissioners across the province to ensure a timely response to any untoward situation. The advisory warned that strong winds and lightning could damage vulnerable structures, including electricity poles, billboa...

SBP data shows trade shortfall hits $324m in April, widening gap to 47% MoM

Projects Pakistan's real GDP growth at 3.2% in fiscal year 2027

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Sindh assigned Rs200b provincial target; Punjab, K-P, Balochistan to contribute rest

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Power Division says timely LNG imports rescue consumers; thin tariff cut likely

Cumulative 10?month IT receipts reach $3.81b as sector eyes $10b annual target

Industrial sector asks OGRA to reject SSGC's revenue requirement petition

Trading reflects risk-off sentiment; pressure builds on banking, energy sectors

Envoy invites Pakistani investors to business forum in Sept 2026