News from The Thursday Times' news desk.
Shehbaz Sharif is set to meet Donald Trump with Muslim leaders at the UNGA to push for action on Gaza and Kashmir and to project Pakistan as a key regional voice in global diplomacy.
Apple has unveiled the iPhone 17 Pro, featuring a new thermal cooling system, a triple 48MP camera array and the longest battery life ever on an iPhone, while promising professional-grade video tools and performance unmatched in a smartphone.
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz has led the province’s largest-ever flood relief operation, deploying the army, activating the administration, and personally inspecting rescue efforts across affected districts.
OpenAI has launched GPT-5 for all 800 million ChatGPT users claiming major improvements in coding, creativity and reduced sycophancy yet CEO Sam Altman says true AGI is still missing critical capabilities like continuous learning.
Pakistan launches PRSS-II, a remote sensing satellite designed to boost disaster response, water and crop monitoring, and environmental observation while advancing the country’s self-reliance in space-based technology and climate governance.
Pakistan announces separate immigration counters for foreign passengers at all international airports in a bid to boost tourism, streamline entry, and attract global investors as part of a wider soft power strategy.
France will formally recognise the State of Palestine this September in a major diplomatic pivot. Macron’s plan includes ceasefire demands, Gaza aid, and pressure on Hamas to disarm.
Pakistan’s suffers from inefficient industrial processes, rising costs, and heavy fossil fuel dependence; the World Bank warns that without integrated reforms in energy efficiency and decarbonisation supported by financing and policy clarity, Pakistan’s economic and climate goals are at risk.
Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Saudi Arabia for a high-level meeting with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman on Eid-ul-Adha to reportedly discuss trade, investment, and regional stability.
“Pakistan is still willing to cooperate with India against terrorism, because we cannot leave the fate of over 1.5 billion people in the hands of non-state actors who could push two nuclear powers into war," said the former Foreign Minister of Pakistan at a press conference in the UN.
