Tuesday, September 1st, 2026
Shaza meets Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology
ISLAMABAD, Sep 01: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication, Shaza Fatima Khawaja on Tuesday held a meeting with Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha in Riyadh. During the meeting on the sidelines of LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, the two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity. Shaza Fatima briefed her Saudi counterpart on Pakistan’s rapidly growing IT sector and start-up ecosystem, a news release said. The two sides held detailed discussions on opportunities for B2B partnerships, technology exports and investment between the twoRead More
Melting glaciers fuel fears of sudden floods
ISLAMABAD, Sep 01: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on Tuesday issued alerts for possible glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), flash floods and landslides in Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir, while warning of heavy to torrential rainfall in Potohar and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Sept 2 to 5 due to ongoing monsoon rains, rising temperatures and accelerated glacier melt. The alert was issued by the NDMA’s National Emergencies Operations Centre (NEOC), which warned that rising temperatures and continued monsoon rainfall had increased the risk of glacial lakes bursting andRead More
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia agree to strengthen cooperation in AI, data governance
ISLAMABAD, Sep 01: Federal Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja and President of Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi on Tuesday agreed to continue discussions to further strengthen cooperation between the two brotherly countries in artificial intelligence, data governance and emerging technologies. During a meeting on the sidelines of LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, Shaza Fatima briefed the SDAIA president on Pakistan’s ongoing initiatives to advance the country’s national artificial intelligence and data governance agenda, said a news release. She reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitmentRead More
Bank of America VP killed in Times Square stabbing
WASHINGTON: A Bank of America vice president, Erin Piacenti, was killed in a stabbing at Times Square on Monday. “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague. She was a valued teammate who will be greatly missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones,” the US banking giant said in an emailed statement to Reuters. Piacenti — a vice president of business selection and conflicts at the bank — died at the hospital from the stabbing injuries, according toRead More
Qatar urges US, Iran to resume talks after flare-up
DOHA, SEP 1: Mediator Qatar on Tuesday urged the United States and Iran to return to negotiations after they renewed tit-for-tat attacks. On Sunday, the US carried out strikes on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran quickly retaliating by attacking US military targets in the Middle East. After six months of war, the foes remain at an impasse, with Iran disrupting traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz with its blockade and the US persisting with a counter-blockade of Iranian ports. “We have said from dayRead More
Bessent says US likely to announce Iran bank sanctions this week
WASHINGTON, SEP 1: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday the United States is likely to announce sanctions on a bank this week as part of its economic campaign against Iran. “We are probably going to announce a bank sanction this week, and we will announce one the week after. We are speaking to our allies here, who have all come forward, and we have had a great show of support,” Bessent said. Speaking at an event on the sidelines of the US-hosted Group of 20 finance leaders inRead More