Author: i2wtc

The Qualcomm Incorporated logo is being displayed at their pavilion during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, on February 28, 2024. Joan Cros | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesQualcomm wants to get closer to robot makers.The company said Tuesday that it’s acquiring Arduino, an electronics maker whose inexpensive programmable circuit boards and computers are common in hardware startups and robotics labs for prototyping.Qualcomm didn’t announce a price for the transaction, but said the Italy-based company would become an independent subsidiary.The deal gives Qualcomm direct access to the tinkerers, hobbyists and companies at the lowest levels of the robotics industry. Arduino…

ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan grapples with a widening trade deficit, rising unemployment, and an exodus of multinational firms, experts are urging the government to adopt a more aggressive protectionist approach – similar to US President Donald Trump’s “America First” strategy – to safeguard domestic manufacturing. Trump’s economic policy, which relied heavily on import tariffs and punitive measures against American companies outsourcing production, was cited by analysts Shahbaz Rana and Kamran Yousaf in Express News show “The Review” as a model worth emulating. “We want to build, create and grow more products in our country using American labour, American goods and American…

A sold sign is posted in front of a home for sale on Aug. 27, 2025 in San Francisco, California.Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesA version of this article first appeared in the CNBC Property Play newsletter with Diana Olick. Property Play covers new and evolving opportunities for the real estate investor, from individuals to venture capitalists, private equity funds, family offices, institutional investors and large public companies. Sign up to receive future editions, straight to your inbox.Real estate investors, both individual and institutional, bought one-third of all single-family residential properties sold in the second quarter of 2025. That is an increase from…

* According to Gaza-based authorities, over 90 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure has been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed — the vast majority of them being civilians, women and children — and 169,000 more wounded.* According to official Israeli figures, thousands of Israelis have been killed since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began. Dozens of hostages taken by Hamas during its initial assault remain in captivity, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s early promise to bring every one of them home.* “The people of Gaza are not seeking a military or political victory,” said Ismail…

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) judge Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan has expressed serious reservations about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in judicial proceedings, warning that “robot judges will always remain subservient to their programmers”. In a letter addressed to Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar – a copy of which was also circulated among all IHC judges – Justice Ejaz raised fundamental concerns over the implications of AI-assisted justice, arguing that such systems lack the capacity for moral reasoning and independence. “The opponents of artificial intelligence technology believe it to be a programmable system,” he wrote. “Therefore, robot judges will always…

Rivian made a name for itself when it unveiled one of the first electric pickup trucks, the R1T, in 2018. It followed that up with an SUV built off the same platform, the R1S, and has since built a passionate fan base around a brand that celebrates adventure and the outdoors.Now it’s preparing for its next chapter with the R2, a smaller spin on the R1S SUV, and the R3, a rally-inspired hatchback.”A lot of people were surprised on R3″ Rivian Chief Design Officer Jeff Hammoud told CNBC. “It’s not something that I think a lot of people would have…

ISLAMABAD: Representatives from Pakistan, China, Russia, and Iran met in Moscow on Monday to coordinate their positions ahead of the seventh round of the Moscow Format consultations on Afghanistan, scheduled to begin on Tuesday (today). The meeting brought together special envoys from the four regional powers for detailed discussions on the situation in Afghanistan, particularly the ongoing security challenges and the threat of terrorism. According to a statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the four-party meeting focused on preparations for Tuesday’s session, including drafting the final communique of the format. Sources said that the participants also discussed their joint…

A joint Pakistan-China agricultural venture has cultivated dragon fruit on formerly barren coastal terrain near Karachi and is bringing the produce into Pakistani markets. The undertaking began four years ago when Tiantian Farm, a Chinese enterprise, partnered with another Chinese firm and three local Pakistani collaborators. Their goal was to convert 48 hectares of saline and alkaline land, just three kilometres from the sea, into productive farmland using Chinese land rehabilitation techniques. What was once deemed unsuited for agriculture is now supporting high-grade dragon fruit cultivation. Today, the farm is actively cultivating on 20 hectares, with a plan to increase the…

An eight-judge Constitutional Bench (CB) of the Supreme Court (SC) took up on Tuesday a cluster of pleas challenging the 26th Constitutional Amendment – legislation that rewired judicial authority, curtailed tenure norms, and sparked fierce debate over the independence of judiciary. The bench indicated it would first address the petitions calling for the formation of a full court, before turning to requests seeking live streaming of the proceedings. Tehreek-i-Tahaffuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan Chairperson Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar was represented by counsel Shahid Jameel, who filed an appeal for the constitution of a full court. Mr Jameel told the court: “Objections were raised on…

PUTRAJAYA: Pakistan and Malaysia on Monday renewed their long-standing friendship with a flurry of high-level engagements, culminating in the signing of six significant accords to bolster cooperation across trade, education, Halal certification, anti-corruption, and tourism. The signing of the six memoranda of understanding (MoUs) during the visit by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif marks a decisive step toward a deeper strategic partnership rooted in shared economic goals and Islamic solidarity. Prime Minister Shehbaz, currently on a three-day official visit to Malaysia at the invitation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Perdana Putra Complex, complete with…