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PTA warns against irresponsible social media use amid 'sensitive national situation' The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) urged citizens on Saturday to exercise responsibility while using social media and digital platforms in view of the prevailing sensitive national situation. The PTA’s instruction came amid “false” reports circulated by Afghan Taliban officials and amplified by Indian media, claiming that Afghan forces had shot down a Pakistani fighter jet in Nangarhar and captured its pilot. Pakistani security forces have launched “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” carrying out coordinated air and ground strikes against Afghan Taliban positions in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia and Nangarhar, as well as several other locations, following what officials described as unprovoked cross-border aggression. In a statement posted on X, the authority advised the public not to share, disseminate, forward or upload any unverified, inflammatory or misleading information that could direct...

Trump directs US agencies to toss Anthropic's AI as Pentagon calls startup a supply risk US President Donald Trump said on Friday he is directing the government to stop work with Anthropic, and the Pentagon said it would declare the start-up a supply-chain risk, dealing a major blow to the artificial intelligence lab after a showdown over technology guardrails. Trump added there would be a six-month phase-out for the Department of Defence and other agencies that use the company’s products. If Anthropic does not help with the transition, Trump said, he would use “the full power of the presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow”. The actions mark an extraordinary rebuke by the United States against one of the premier companies that has kept it in the lead on national security-critical AI, threatening to give Anthropic pariah status that Washington until now had reserved for hostile suppliers. Alphabet’s Google and Amazon are among Anthropic...

Paramount to acquire Warner Bros after Netflix walks away Paramount Skydance, run by pro-Trump technology heir David Ellison, was poised to take control of Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday after Netflix said it would not raise its takeover offer, ending one of the biggest media bidding wars in a generation. The deal puts a constellation of media properties — from CNN to Nickelodeon to HBO — under the control of the family led by Oracle tycoon and White House ally Larry Ellison. Netflix said it was "declining to match" Paramount's latest offer after the Warner Bros. board declared it a "Superior Proposal" under the terms of its existing merger agreement with Netflix. "The transaction we negotiated would have created shareholder value with a clear path to regulatory approval," Netflix said in a statement. "However, we've always been disciplined, and at the price required to match Paramount Skydance's latest offer, the deal is no longer f...

OpenAI's $110 billion funding round draws investment from Amazon, Nvidia, SoftBank OpenAI said on Friday it is raising $110 billion in a blockbuster funding round that would value the ChatGPT maker at $840b, in a deal that signals the feverish pace of investment in artificial intelligence. The funding round includes a $30b investment from SoftBank, $30b from Nvidia and $50b from Amazon, and comes ahead of the AI startup's expected mega-IPO later this year. Big Tech companies and large tech investors such as SoftBank are racing to forge partnerships with OpenAI, which is spending heavily on data centres, betting that closer ties with the company would give them a competitive edge in the AI race. Amazon will start with an initial $15b investment, followed by another $35b in the coming months when certain conditions are met. Read More: OpenAI faces questions over safety protocols Along with the investment, OpenAI and Amazon have also struck a deal in which O...

Poland plans social-media ban for children under 15 Poland plans to introduce new legislation to ban social media for children under 15 years of age and will hold platforms responsible for age verification, Education Minister Barbara Nowacka told Bloomberg News in an interview published on Friday. The ruling Civic Coalition will present the draft outline on Friday, with fines planned for platforms that remain accessible to younger users, Nowacka said, adding that the law could take effect by early 2027. "We see the mental health of children and young people, we see a decline in their intellectual competence," said Nowacka, adding that the size of penalties that companies would have to pay is still under discussion. Several European governments, including Denmark, Greece, France, Spain and Britain, have explored similar restrictions amid claims that social-media services are harmful or addictive for minors. The British government said in January it was considering restrictio...

Senate panel backs Virtual Assets Bill 2025 to regulate digital currency The Senate on Wednesday took a significant step towards regulating the country’s digital finance landscape by approving the Virtual Assets Bill 2025. The Standing Committee on the Cabinet Secretariat unanimously endorsed the legislation to bring virtual assets and cryptocurrencies into a formal legal framework after years of unregulated activity. Under the bill, a regulatory authority will be established to licence and supervise virtual asset service providers, including cryptocurrency exchanges and digital wallets, with a focus on improving investor protection and market transparency. Read: Govt forms authority to regulate virtual assets Section 6 of the bill calls for the establishment of the Pakistan Virtual Asset Regulatory Authority, an autonomous body which is empowered to license, supervise and regulate virtual asset service providers in Pakistan. According to the bill, the authority would be empowere...

AI robot monk unveiled in Japan Japanese researchers have unveiled a robot monk powered by AI that they say can dispense spiritual advice and maybe one day ease shortages of its human counterparts. Trained on even the most esoteric Buddhist scriptures, the University of Kyoto says the machine can answer sensitive questions that people may feel hesitant to share with other humans. In addition, "Buddharoid", as the diminutive two-legged humanoid is known, can offer a sense of presence at religious sanctuaries in addition to voice communications. "In the future, it is conceivable that they may assist with or replace some of the religious rituals traditionally performed by human monks," the university said in a statement on Wednesday. The robot is the latest offering from Seiji Kumagai, a professor at the university's Institute for the Future of Human Society. Read: US AI giants accuse Chinese rivals of mass data theft Using AI models from OpenAI and others, he ha...

Paramount gives higher offer for Warner Bros Discovery in a play to block Netflix Paramount Skydance (PSKY.O) submitted a higher offer for Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O), a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday, ratcheting up efforts to derail the HBO Max owner's deal with Netflix. The bidding war for one of Hollywood's most coveted assets, including the "Harry Potter" and "Game of Thrones" franchises, has raised the stakes for dominance in the streaming-led market. Paramount's new bid, which improves its initial offer of $108.4 billion, or $30 per share, for the whole company, seeks to address Warner Bros' concerns about the certainty of its financing, the source said. Reuters could not immediately determine how the bid was revised. Warner Bros and Paramount declined to comment, while Netflix could not immediately be reached. Warner Bros' chosen suitor, Netflix, which offered to buy the studios and streaming assets for $27.75 p...

Meta executive called Facebook Messenger encryption plan ‘irresponsible’, court filing shows Meta executives proceeded with a plan to encrypt the messaging services connected to its Facebook and Instagram apps despite internal warnings that it would hinder the social media giant’s ability to flag child-exploitation cases to law enforcement, according to internal company documents filed in a New Mexico state court case. “We are about to do a bad thing as a company. This is so irresponsible,” wrote Monika Bickert, Meta’s head of content policy, in one internal chat exchange dated March 2019, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s public announcement of the plan was being prepared. The filing, which was made public on Friday but not previously reported, contains emails, messages and briefing documents obtained in discovery for a lawsuit brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez that shed new light on what the company assessed the impact of the plan would be and how senior policy and safety e...

NASA chief rules out March launch of moon mission over technical issues NASA chief Jared Isaacman on Saturday ruled out a March launch for Artemis 2, the first crewed flyby mission to the Moon in more than 50 years, citing technical issues. Workers detected a problem with helium flow to the massive SLS rocket that will "take the March launch window out of consideration", Issacman said in a post on X. After overnight data showed an interruption in helium flow in the SLS interim cryogenic propulsion stage, teams are troubleshooting and preparing for a likely rollback of Artemis II to the VAB at @NASAKennedy. This will almost assuredly impact the March launch window. @NASA will… — NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) February 21, 2026 "I understand people are disappointed by this development. That disappointment is felt most by the team at NASA, who have been working tirelessly to prepare for this great endeavour," Isaacman said. "During the 1960s, whe...

WhatsApp adds option to share past group messages with newcomers Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has begun rolling out a long-awaited update that allows new group chat members to see recent conversation history sent before they joined the group. The Group Message History feature gives group admins and existing members the option to share between 25 and up to 100 recent messages with someone who has just been added. Previously, newcomers could only see messages sent after they joined, often leading to confusion in active group chats. Read: HEC makes AI course mandatory for all degree programmes from 2026 According to WhatsApp’s official announcement on its blog, the history is not shared automatically, and must be manually selected when adding the person to the group. Shared messages appear visually distinct from regular chat, include sender names and timestamps, and all participants are notified when such history is sent. Admins also have the ability to disable the feature ent...

Could insight from cats lead to breast cancer cures? Owning a cat offers many health benefits, including reduced stress and emotional support, and new research suggests our feline friends might also offer clues to better treat certain cancers. That's according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Science, which investigated cancers in cats and found significant parallels with how the disease plays out in humans. Previous studies had highlighted similar links between dogs and humans, but little research focused on cats, said co-author Louise van der Weyden, a scientist at the British Wellcome Sanger Institute. Cats, just like dogs, provide "a great model for us," she told AFP, because they share an environment with humans that includes similar pollution, such as second-hand smoke. "They develop other illnesses that we do when you get cancer," Van der Weyden told AFP, explaining that cancer can be accompanied by ailments like diabetes or heart diseas...

Indian PM Modi's AI unity pose turns awkward for OpenAI's Altman and Anthropic's Amodei When Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi nudged speakers at the India AI summit to join andraise their hands ‌in a symbolic show of unity, most executives obliged except Sam Altman ‌of OpenAI and Dario Amodei of ⁠Anthropic. The ​two, who are locked in ​one of Silicon ‌Valley's fiercest commercial rivalries, were standing ​side by side as the 13 corporate leaders joined Modi on stage, but they kept their raised fists ⁠conspicuously apart. Altman appeared visibly uncomfortable, looking away as the others, including ‌Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, went along with Modi's nudge and joined hands. Modi's AI unity pose turns awkward for Altman and Amodei https://t.co/HYAkNFhQfA https://t.co/HYAkNFhQfA — Reuters (@Reuters) February 19, 2026 The episode, captured on camera and widely shared across social media, drew ⁠amused and pointed reactions online, ⁠with many users describing ​it...

India AI summit stumbles as Bill Gates pulls out, chaos mounts Bill Gates pulled out of India's AI Impact Summit hours before his scheduled keynote address on Thursday, dealing another blow to a flagship event already marred by organisational lapses, a robot row and delegate complaints over traffic disruptions. Gates' absence, followed by another high-profile cancellation by Nvidia's Jensen Huang, adds to a difficult opening for a summit billed as the first major artificial intelligence forum in the Global South, where India has sought to position itself as a leading voice in worldwide AI governance. The Gates Foundation said the billionaire will not deliver his address "to ensure the focus remains on the AI Summit's key priorities". Only days ago, the foundation had dismissed rumours of his absence and insisted he was on track to attend. Gates' cancellation comes after the U.S. Department of Justice released emails last month that included communication...

Meta's Zuckerberg denies at LA trial that Instagram targets kids Meta Platforms META.O CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday repeatedly said during a landmark trial over youth social media addiction that the Facebook and Instagram operator does not allow kids under 13 on its platforms, despite being confronted with evidence suggesting they were a key demographic. Mark Lanier, a lawyer for the woman suing Instagram and Google's YouTube for harming her mental health when she was a child, pressed Zuckerberg over his statement to Congress in 2024 that users under 13 are not allowed on the platform. Lanier confronted Zuckerberg with internal Meta documents. The case involves a California woman who started using Instagram and YouTube as a child. She alleges the companies sought to profit by hooking kids on their services despite knowing social media could harm their mental health. She alleges the apps fueled her depression and suicidal thoughts and is seeking to hold the companies liabl...

PTA announces 5G spectrum auction on March 10 Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Hafeezur Rehman on Wednesday said that the much-anticipated 5G spectrum auction would be held on March 10 with plans to roll out services initially in federal and provincial capitals, expanding to other cities in the coming years. "Improved connectivity is critical to achieving the Digital Pakistan vision," Rehman said during a media briefing. He also pointed out that the government had eliminated the right-of-way fee, which had previously delayed fibre-optic infrastructure projects. "This initiative, supported by the Ministry of IT & Telecom, ensures faster execution of infrastructure projects," he added. Islamabad (18 February 2026): Media briefing on the Spectrum Auction for Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) / 5G in Pakistan, was held today at PTA Headquarters, Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/CT81CNsmdM — PTA (@PTAofficialpk) February 18, 2026 The PTA chairman ...

India tells university to leave AI summit after presenting Chinese robot as its own amid uproar An Indian university has been asked to vacate its stall at the country's flagship AI summit after a staff member was caught presenting a commercially available robotic dog made in China as its own creation, two government sources said. "You need to meet Orion. This has been developed by the Centre of Excellence at Galgotias University," Neha Singh, a professor of communications, told state-run broadcaster DD News this week in remarks that have since gone viral. But social media users quickly identified the robot as the Unitree Go2, sold by China's Unitree Robotics for about $2,800 and widely used in research and education globally. The silver mechanical dog appeared at a booth run by the private Galgotias University. The episode has drawn sharp criticism and has cast an uncomfortable spotlight on India's artificial intelligence ambitions. The embarrassment was amplifi...

India tells global tech platforms to follow constitution after tougher content rules India's information minister said on Tuesday that big tech platforms such as Google's YouTube, Meta, X and Netflix must operate within the country's constitutional framework, a week after New Delhi tightened its content-takedown rules. His comments came on the sidelines of an artificial intelligence summit in Delhi, where top executives from global AI giants will join several world leaders in this week. "It's very important for the multinationals to understand the cultural context of the country in which they are operating," Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a briefing at the India AI Impact Summit. Read More: India's AI Summit opening in New Delhi marred by long queues, confusion Last week, India said social media companies will have to remove unlawful content within three hours of being notified, tightening an earlier 36-hour timeline, in what could be a compliance challeng...

India's AI Summit opening in New Delhi marred by long queues, confusion India's AI Impact Summit, an event meant to showcase the country's technology ambitions, faced a wave of online criticism on its opening day on Monday as attendees reported long queues, overcrowding and organisational lapses at the New Delhi venue. Several delegates told Reuters unclear instructions had left many scrambling to reclaim possessions after the exhibition building was suddenly cleared ahead of security sweeps for high-level arrivals. Some speakers due on Tuesday panels were still awaiting confirmation of sessions and agendas. Attendees said poor signage and limited seating added to confusion at the summit, where about 250,000 people are expected, and some sessions could not accommodate all those seeking entry. India's IT ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Developing nations positioning for AI boom For Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, the disarr...

Spain to probe X, Meta, TikTok over AI-generated child sexual abuse material The Spanish government has ordered prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta META.O and TikTok for allegedly spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday. The announcement comes as European regulators are cracking down on big tech companies, alleging the prevalence of abusive practices on online platforms ranging from anti-competitive behaviour in digital advertising to deliberate design of addictive features on social media. The three companies named by Sanchez did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment. "These platforms are undermining the mental health, dignity, and rights of our children," Sanchez wrote on his X account. "The state cannot allow this. The impunity of these giants must end." He said the government would ask prosecutors to "investigate the crimes that X, Meta, and TikTok may be comm...

China's humanoid robots take centre stage for Lunar New Year showtime China's most-watched TV show, the annual CCTV Spring Festival gala, on Monday showcased the country's cutting-edge industrial policy and Beijing's push to dominate humanoid robots and the future of manufacturing. Four rising humanoid robot startups - Unitree Robotics, Galbot, Noetix and MagicLab - demonstrated their products at the gala, a televised event and touchstone for China comparable to the Super Bowl for the United States. The programme's first three sketches prominently featured humanoid robots, including a lengthy martial arts demonstration where over a dozen Unitree humanoids performed sophisticated fight sequences, waving swords, poles and nunchucks in close proximity to human children performers. The fight sequences included a technically ambitious one that imitated the wobbly moves and backward falls of China's "drunken boxing" martial arts style, showing innovations ...

X down for thousands of international users, internet monitors report Social media platform X was down for thousands of users in the United States and Britain on Monday, according to Downdetector.com. There were more than 23,210 reports of issues with X as of 8:24am ET (1324 GMT), according to Downdetector, which tracks outages by collating status reports from a number of sources. The monitor also showed a peak of 254 reports in Pakistan at 6:47pm. Global internet observatory NetBlocks said: "X (formerly Twitter) is currently experiencing international outages; incident not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering." https://ift.tt/EMFqUBj X did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what caused the outage. The actual number of affected users may differ from what’s shown on Downdetector because these reports are user-submitted.

UK considers fast ban on social media for teens, regulations to AI chatbots Britain could bring in an Australian-style ban on social media for children under 16 as early as this year and close a loophole that left some AI chatbots outside safety rules, as part of government efforts to respond more quickly to digital risks. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government last month launched a consultation on a social media ban for children under 16 and is now working to change legislation so it could bring in any changes within months of the consultation concluding. "What we did with Grok over-sexualised images, we must do with all AI chatbots," Starmer said. Spain, Greece and Slovenia have also said they are working on bans after Australia became the first country in the world to block access to under-16s. Scrutiny has since intensified further after Elon Musk's flagship AI chatbot Grok was found to be generating nonconsensual sexualised images. Global pressure grows on so...

US pushes AI funding, fisheries tech at APEC amid China rivalry The Trump administration is promoting artificial intelligence exports and maritime surveillance technology at Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in southern China this week, as Washington seeks to counter Beijing’s technological and maritime influence. Casey Mace, the US senior official to APEC, said the Trump administration had launched a $20 million fund to support the adoption of American AI technologies by partner economies in the region, part of a broader effort to strengthen US leadership in emerging technologies. The initiatives come ahead of President Donald Trump’s expected visit to China in April and China’s hosting of APEC’s annual leaders’ summit in Shenzhen in November, events likely to spotlight intensifying US-China competition over technology and economic influence across the Asia-Pacific. China is looking to narrow the technological gap with the US in advancing artificial intelligence-rela...

India plans AI 'data city' on staggering scale As India races to narrow the artificial intelligence gap with the United States and China, it is planning a vast new "data city" to power digital growth on a staggering scale, the man spearheading the project says. "The AI revolution is here, no second thoughts about it," said Nara Lokesh, information technology minister for Andhra Pradesh state, which is positioning the city of Visakhapatnam as a cornerstone of India's AI push. "And as a nation... we have taken a stand that we've got to embrace it," he told AFP ahead of an international AI summit next week in New Delhi. Lokesh boasts the state has secured investment agreements of $175 billion involving 760 projects, including a $15 billion investment by Google for its largest AI infrastructure hub outside the United States. And a joint venture between India's Reliance Industries, Canada's Brookfield and US firm Digital Realty is inve...