News Update

  Shares of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd listed in Hong Kong fell on Monday by over 7% to HK$212.20 ($27.37) after the company raised its share repurchase programme to $10 billion from $6 billion. "This Share Repurchase Program will be effective for a two-year period through the end of 2022," Alibaba said in a statement late on Sunday. PAKISTANI CODERS SHINE AT JAVASCRIPT SPEED CODING CHALLENGE China’s market regulator launched an antitrust investigation into Alibaba last week, part of an accelerating crackdown on anticompetitive behavior in China’s booming internet space. The probe is part of an accelerating crackdown on monopolistic behavior in China’s booming internet space, and the latest setback for Ma, the 56-year-old former school teacher who founded Alibaba and became China’s most famous entrepreneur. In a strongly worded editorial, the ruling Communist Party’s People’s Daily said that if “monopoly is tolerated, and companies are allowed to expand in a disorderly and bar

  A federal judge in Florida on Tuesday dismissed Apple’s copyright infringement claims against a Florida startup whose software helps security researchers find vulnerabilities in Apple products including the iPhone. US District Judge Rodney Smith ruled in favor of Corellium LLC, saying its software emulating the iOS operating system that runs on the iPhone and iPad amounted to “fair use” because it was “transformative” and helped developers find security flaws. Apple accused Corellium of essentially replicating iOS to create “virtual” iOS-operated devices, whose “sole function” was to run unauthorized copies of the system on non-Apple hardware. ADOBE'S CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER PREDICTS 8 TECH TRENDS OF 2021 But the Fort Lauderdale-based judge said Corellium “adds something new to iOS” by letting users see and halt running processes, take live snapshots, and conduct other operations. “Corellium’s profit motivation does not undermine its fair use defense, particularly considering the p

  JAKARTA: Indonesian researchers have invented a tool to detect Covid-19 infection through a patient's breath. The tool, called GeNose C19, had received a distribution permit from Indonesia’s Health Ministry on December 24, and will soon be mass-produced, said Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro. "We are going to boost the device for being publicly used so that economic activities could run smoothly, while also preventing potential transmission of the virus, Bambang asserted in a virtual news conference Monday. A research team at Gadjah Mada University has been developing the GeNose C19 for over the past nine months, the minister added. PTA ISSUES NOTICES TO GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA OVER SACRILEGIOUS CONTENT Minister Bambang said this tool would only be used for rapid detection purposes, adding that the diagnosis of a case would remain to be confirmed through PCR test results. So far, the detection of Covid-19 has depended on rapid antibody and antigen tests import

  Player’s Unknown Battleground (PUBG Mobile) is planning to launch Urdu voice packs for Pakistani users, the popular game anounced on social media.   Voice packs make it easier to navigate the game allowing players in different geographical regions to comprehend the game better and enjoy a better gaming experience, as with the newly introduced Urdu voice packs. Players also have a chance to win a free voice pack by visiting the PUBG store and completing a mission with their friends. PFIZER CEO SOLD $5.6 MILLION IN STOCK ON DAY OF VACCINE ANNOUNCEMENT PUBG has become extremely popular in Pakistan hence it does not come as a surprise tha the gaming company has been taking steps to further expand its popularity. In August, PUBG celebrated Pakistan’s 74th Independence Day by hosting a special event for local players. The Fabulous Journey Event incorporated a competitive gaming session in which players finished missions and received rewards as they moved ahead in the game. GOOGLE CURTAILS

  WASHINGTON: The chief executive of United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint rocket venture between Boeing Co and Lockheed Martin Corp, said it expects to receive two new rocket engines from billionaire Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin by next summer. ULA, the Pentagon’s top launch contractor for national security satellites, had initially expected the shipment in 2020 for a debut flight in early 2021, but this was delayed by development hurdles. WHATSAPP WILL STOP WORKING ON SOME IPHONES, ANDROID PHONES IN 2021 The installation of Blue Origin’s reusable BE-4 engines into ULA’s next-generation Vulcan rocket will keep it on track for the has won a slate of key US defense missions through 2027. “That is now our expectation, that Peregrine will go to space in the 4th quarter of 2021,” Bruno told reporters during a call on debut launch of a moon lander dubbed Peregrine at the end of 2021, ULA Chief Executive Tory Bruno said. The Vulcan rocket Thursday. ALIBABA UNIT DEVELOPS FACIAL RECOGNITION TECH TO

  Careem, announced it will reduce its restaurant commission fee to 5% after government enforced closure of indoor dining as the second wave of Covid-19 hit Pakistan. Careem food delivery service is reducing its commission fees to support restaurants by passing down these commissions in form of discounts to customers encouraging them to place orders. When the first lockdown was imposed, the restaurant industry faced severe economic hardship as dine-in was completely shut down. However, not much has changed, restaurants continue to struggle as now new SOPs require reduced timing with a complete ban on in-door dining. STUDY REVEALS WHERE THE NEXT PANDEMIC COULD EMERGE Elaborating on the development, Zeeshan Hasib Baig, CEO & Country General Manager, Careem Pakistan said: “At Careem, we always work to best assist our partners, customers, and captains during these uncertain times. Being a key player in the industry, it is our duty to act as the supporting force behind our communities a

  Indonesia and South Korean firm LG Group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a $9.8 billion electric vehicle battery investment deal, the head of Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board said on Wednesday. The deal was signed on December 18 and would also see LG collaborate with other companies, including Hyundai, the board’s head, Bahlil Lahadalia, told a news conference, adding that the deal includes investments across the EV supply chain. ADOBE'S CHIEF PRODUCT OFFICER PREDICTS 8 TECH TRENDS OF 2021 Bahlil said the agreement “makes Indonesia the first country in the world to integrate the electric battery industry from mining to (producing) electric car lithium batteries.” South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group announced it- will introduce an electric vehicle-only platform early next year that will use its own battery technology to cut production time and costs. PTA ISSUES NOTICES TO GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA OVER SACRILEGIOUS CONTENT The plan underscores efforts by the worl

BEIJING: China's Chang'e-5 probe retrieved about 1,731 grams of samples from the moon. It has been much anticipated just how these would be used for research. Researchers have set up special storage facilities, constructed laboratories for sample processing and analysis, and developed detailed operating procedures to ensure that lunar samples are not contaminated as far as possible and that the research results are reliable. The samples will be first analyzed non-destructively, said Xiao Long, a researcher at the China University of Geosciences. He told the Science and Technology Daily that this analysis could indicate the condition of the samples. PTA ISSUES NOTICES TO GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA OVER SACRILEGIOUS CONTENT A method for non-destructive analysis is to obtain the samples' element composition and content information. Researchers do this by analysing the wavelength and intensity of the characteristic fluorescence X-rays generated by different sample elements, said Zhao Yu

  WASHINGTON: The US government on Monday appealed a federal judge’s order that blocked the Commerce Department from imposing restrictions on Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok that would have effectively barred its use in the United States. President Donald Trump’s administration has cited national security concerns in its targeting of TikTok, arguing that the personal data of US users could be obtained by China’s government. TikTok, which has over 100 million users in the United States, denies the allegation. PTA ISSUES NOTICES TO GOOGLE, WIKIPEDIA OVER SACRILEGIOUS CONTENT In a December 7 ruling, US District Court Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued an order that prevented the Commerce Department from barring data hosting within the United States for TikTok, content delivery services, and other technical transactions that Bytedance said would have prevented TikTok’s US use. The Justice Department said it was appealing Nichols’ order to the US Court of Appeals for the D

  LAHORE: The country’s top graft buster has expanded its investigation into the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case to include former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s younger daughter Asma Nawaz in view of an unaccounted for increase in her assets. According to sources, Asma Nawaz came on the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) radar after it was noticed that she received profit from the business enterprise even during the times when the Chaudhry Sugar Mills was facing losses. They said Asma received Rs1.128 million as profit from the mills in 2001. Interestingly, in that year the mills had faced a loss of Rs131.1million. They said the tax returns filed by Asma are also dubious. They said her assets continued to grow despite her having no sources of income. Asma Nawaz had total assets worth Rs1.47 million in 1992. Her assets, however, grew to 31.5million in 1993. According to NAB, former premier Nawaz Sharif had directly received millions of rupees from the Chaudhry Sugar Mills between June 26,

  Pakistani veteran star Bushra Ansari is adored by fans globally. The actor, whose fruitful career spans over three decades, has given some of the most memorable performances over the course of her acting journey. Ansari is also someone, who doesn't shy away from speaking her mind. While she prefers to keep her personal life rather separate from her professional front, in January this year, the  Udaari  star spoke about her marriage and divorce for the first time. In conversation with Ahsan Khan on a local TV channel, Ansari had revealed that she had gotten divorced five years ago and never shared the matter with her fans and why she still refrained from sharing her struggles. "The problem with being a celebrity is that like all our success, our problems become larger than life as well. So much that they become the success or failures of those who idealise us," she had said. Ansari added that she did not want to reveal her problems because her fans might be disheartened.

  ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday retained the seat of Islamabad mayor, defeating the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the by-polls, according to unofficial results. Pir Adil Shah Gillani, the PML-N candidate, defeated Malik Sajid Mahmood of the PTI for the coveted post. Gillani bagged 43 votes, while Mahmood could only secure 26 votes in the 73-member electoral college. Independent candidate Azhar Mahmood was unable to get any vote. Mahmood also did not cast his vote. The 73-member electoral-college also includes 50 UC chairmen and three deputy mayors. The victory coincides with an ongoing protest movement launched by an 11-party opposition alliance – Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – to oust the government of Prime Minister Imran Khan.   The new mayor will serve only for two months as the current local councils are going to complete their five-year terms by the end of February next year. After being declared victorious, Gillani maintained that

  ISLAMABAD: Pakistani students have emerged as champions of the Huawei ICT Competition Middle East 2020, winning top two coveted spots. The team of three Pakistani students – Kalim Ullah (MS IT SEECS-NUST), Maria Aftab (MS IT, SEECS-NUST) and Asadullah (Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro) – won first place in the competition in the Middle East category of the tech contest and qualified for the final global competition. More than 15,000 students and 440 universities from all over the world participated in the event held virtually this year.   The final leg included 13 teams from 27 universities in which the Pakistan’s team emerged victorious, winning prizes that include $20,000 prize money, Huawei MateBook laptops, smartphones and also a chance to join Huawei Pakistan. The winning students are from National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) and Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Jamshoro. The victory has enthused the team to secure a posit

  Scott Belsky ,  the chief product officer of Adobe and founder of Behance, Adobe's social media platform shares insight into tech trends that will be shaping 2021. The notion of "decentralized" is spreading to unexpected places. This year, Bitcoin gains surpassed 220%, buoyed by demand from larger investors attracted to its potential for a quick profit and perceived inflation-hedging qualities. Therefore, Belsky predicts that cryptocurrency will now be incorporated into businesses in the coming year for example the team at Braintrust is using blockchain to create a user-controlled talent network. Instead of charging fees or per centage of the participant’s income, the company gains value alongside other participants via tokens that become more valuable as the network grows. Behold the era of "eduployment:" The process of identifying a trade, getting an education, and getting a job (or starting a company) will become fully integrated. This year the world faced