Aleena Zara Malik

<p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;' id="isPasted">That pink salt in your kitchen has a story, and most people get the geography wrong.<p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'> This episode of Debunkistan traces the real origin of the world&rsquo;s most famous pink salt, why it&rsquo;s often mislabeled, and how history shaped the confusion.<p style='margin: 0.75rem 0px 0px; font-family: "Atlassian Sans", ui-sans-serif, -apple-system, "system-ui", "Segoe UI", Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; line-height: 2; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.005em; color: rgb(41, 42, 46); font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;'>

Debunkistan

The Pink Salt Myth | Debunkistan

Luxury and fast fashion brands regularly borrow from South Asian dress, silhouettes, textiles, and accessories that carry centuries of cultural history. Yet these designs are often presented as new, European, or trend-driven, with little acknowledgement of the cultures that created them. This episode of Debunkistan examines how cultural appropriation operates in the global fashion industry, why South Asian heritage is frequently rebranded rather than recognized, and how profit is prioritized over context. At a time when fashion claims to be global, the question remains: who gets credit, and who gets forgotten?

Runway theft | Debunkistan

Global media often frames conspiracy theories in Pakistan as cultural or even biological, while treating the same beliefs in Western societies as political or social phenomena. In this episode of Debunkistan, we challenge that double standard. Using data from the US, UK, and Europe, this episode breaks down why conspiracy thinking is a human response to uncertainty, mistrust, and broken information systems, not a national DNA marker.

Conspiracy Is Not a National Trait | Debunkistan

In this episode of Debunkistan, we unpack the tired global narrative that paints Pakistan (and South Asia, for that matter) as one big, homogenous blur. From Karachi&#39;s vibrant truck art to Wakhi poetry in Gilgit, and from Pashto rap to couture fashion weeks, Pakistan&#39;s diversity is evident in its over 70 distinct cultures, languages, and lifestyles.

Unpacking the tired global narrative that paints Pakistan (and South Asia, for that matter) as one big, homogenous blur.

The Monolith Myth

Culture

Pakistan’s music scene has gone global, from Arooj Aftab’s Grammy wins to Taurees Habib’s historic achievement. Artists like Meesha Shafi, Ali Sethi, and Xulfi continue pushing boundaries, solidifying Pakistan’s influence in global music culture

Grammy beyond borders: Pakistani artists redefine global music

ISLAMABAD: &ldquo;This is the ultimate dishonour to the women of India,&rdquo; Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra lashed out against the government in her post on X after media reports stated that women journalists were excluded from the Taliban minister&rsquo;s Delhi press conference on his request.&nbsp;Moitra&rsquo;s remarks that the government enabled gender discrimination on Indian soil coincided with a wave of anger on the internet against keeping women journalists away from the press conference. On Friday, October 10, 2025, a press interaction was held in New Delhi, reportedly at the Afghan Embassy, following bilateral talks between visiting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi and External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;In her video posted on the social media platform X, Mahua Moitra termed the government officials as &ldquo;a shameful bunch of spineless hypocrites.&rdquo; &nbsp; &nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 560px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 560px; height: 560px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976727137265803594&lang=en&maxWidth=560px&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=abdb2d0a42b5d866a3e7af687aa8489d87491526&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Expressing disdain, another X user, Nayanima Basu, said: &ldquo;Right under the Indian government&#39;s nose, in the heart of the capital city, the Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi holds a press conference, intentionally excluding any female journalists. How can this be allowed? Who approved such an outrageous disregard for representation?&rdquo; &nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 735px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976609063732437424&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=abdb2d0a42b5d866a3e7af687aa8489d87491526&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Despite the Ministry of External Affairs&#39; clarification that the press interaction was managed by the Afghan side, MP Moitra blamed the Indian government. Moitra said the government not only yielded to the Taliban&rsquo;s discriminatory policy against women but also &ldquo;dishonoured every single Indian woman by allowing a Taliban minister to exclude women journalists.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp;Agreeing with another user on X, a prominent Indian journalist, Suhasini Haider, said: &ldquo;Quite right, Uma, our expectations are not from the Taliban [government], which has enacted laws to erase women from public life, but from our own government in particular that they would protest such discrimination even if they felt powerless to stop it.&rdquo;&nbsp; &nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 530px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976715779295920619&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=abdb2d0a42b5d866a3e7af687aa8489d87491526&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> &nbsp;Expressing disappointment on another post on X, Anjali Modi stated: &ldquo;Our expectations are also from our male colleagues to stand up for what is right, rather than endorsing the Taliban&#39;s ideological sexism by attending a male-only press conference!&rdquo; &nbsp; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 656px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976720991276695710&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=abdb2d0a42b5d866a3e7af687aa8489d87491526&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Mahua Moitra said on the one hand, the government ran campaigns like &#39;Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao&#39; (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter), and on the other hosts an official who would not sit with women. She also criticized male journalists, who attended the press conference, for their &quot;silence,&quot; noting they failed to protest or walk out in solidarity with their female colleagues.&quot;&nbsp;

India

Outrage erupted after women journalists were banned from a Taliban minister’s Delhi press conference. Critics, including MP Mahua Moitra, accused the Indian government of enabling gender discrimination and failing to protest the exclusion.

Taliban minister’s Delhi presser sparks outrage as women journalists barred

ISLAMABAD: The Spring/Summer 2026 season wasn&#39;t just another fashion month; it was an industry-wide power shuffle. Economic slowdown, corporate ambition, and the hunger for reinvention collided, forcing a creative reset across Paris, Milan, and beyond.&nbsp;Nearly a dozen major houses unveiled new creative directors, each tasked with the impossible: not merely designing clothes, but re-engineering what luxury means and how it sells.&nbsp;The Big Three: Where Luxury&rsquo;s Future Took Shape<h4 style="margin: 12pt 0in 2pt; line-height: 2; font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;">Chanel: Matthieu Blazy&rsquo;s Ethereal Reinvention</h4>Matthieu Blazy&rsquo;s move from Bottega Veneta to Chanel was the most-watched debut of SS26, and he delivered.&nbsp;His collection drifted between earth and air: lighter tweeds, feathered appliqu&eacute;s, and sheers that made the grand feel human again.&nbsp;Blazy didn&rsquo;t mimic Lagerfeld; he modernized his storytelling. The result was a Chanel reimagined: classic yet fluid, archival yet utterly alive.<h4 style="margin: 12pt 0in 2pt; line-height: 2; font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;">Dior: Jonathan Anderson&rsquo;s Intellectual Reclamation</h4>At Dior, Jonathan Anderson became the first since Christian Dior himself to lead both men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s lines and it showed.&nbsp;His debut was less about shock, more about sharpness: cropped Bar jackets, modernized New Look silhouettes, and a rigorous dialogue between eras.&nbsp;It was a collection that asked not &ldquo;What would Dior do?&rdquo; but &ldquo;What would Dior mean now?&rdquo;; a precise fusion of intellect and instinct.<h4 style="margin: 12pt 0in 2pt; line-height: 2; font-size: 16px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;">Balenciaga, Gucci &amp; Valentino: The Great Creative Exchange</h4>The season&rsquo;s true drama was the designer swap heard across continents, instantly rebalancing fashion&#39;s equation.&nbsp;Alessandro Michele brought a controlled excess to Valentino; lush embroidery and maximalist color clashes, yet rendered with surprising restraint. Pierpaolo Piccioli traded his Valentino romanticism fo<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; float: none; display: inline !important;" id="isPasted">r&nbsp;Balenciaga&rsquo;s&nbsp;emotional rebirth, replacing dystopia with pure volume.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Demna, the former provocateur, arrived at Gucci to re-ignite its cultural pulse with irony and intensity. Their moves signaled a clear shift: emotion over gimmick, story over shock.<h3 style="margin: 14pt 0in 4pt; line-height: 2; font-size: 19px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(67, 67, 67); font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;">New Codes, Sharpened Voices</h3><h3 style="margin: 14pt 0in 4pt; line-height: 2; font-size: 19px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(67, 67, 67); font-weight: normal; text-align: justify;">Beyond the marquee houses, others reshaped quiet luxury and modern sensuality through subtle reinvention:</h3><ul style="list-style-type: circle;"><li style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify; line-height: 2;">Jil Sander (Simone Bellotti): Minimalism with a bite; architectural tailoring, clean yet intellectual.</li><li style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify; line-height: 2;">Maison Margiela&nbsp;(Glenn Martens): Deconstruction meets decadence; a collision of lace, metal, and Flemish surrealism.</li><li style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify; line-height: 2;">Versace&nbsp;(Dario Vitale): A glorious rejection of restraint; &rsquo;80s glamour meets Miami heat reborn.</li><li style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify; line-height: 2;">Celine&nbsp;(Michael Rider): Bridging Philo&rsquo;s calm and Slimane&rsquo;s chaos; preppy tailoring and statement shine.</li><li style="font-size: 18px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify; line-height: 2;">Bottega Veneta (Louise Trotter): Quiet luxury rendered tactile; craft turned into movement.</li></ul>Each collection whispered a version of modern luxury that was less about excess and more about essence.The Bottom Line: Reinvention, RewiredThis season wasn&rsquo;t about shock or nostalgia; it was about recalibration. Designers wrestled with the question haunting every house: What does relevance look like when everything&rsquo;s already been done?The answer, it seems, is craftsmanship: elevated, edited, and above all, emotional. It&#39;s luxury that feels like&nbsp;skin, not status.In the end, SS26 wasn&rsquo;t defined by who screamed the loudest; it was defined by who listened.

Entertainment

The Spring/Summer 2026 season saw major designer changes at top fashion houses like Chanel, Dior, and Gucci. It marked a shift toward emotional storytelling, refined craftsmanship, and redefining luxury with meaning rather than excess.

The Great SS26 Reshuffle: Luxury's Creative Reset

Every morning, 240 million Pakistanis allegedly wake up plotting global mayhem, at least, that&rsquo;s the story international headlines and Hollywood love to tell.&nbsp;But the truth is far different. Over 200,000 Pakistanis have been victims of terrorism, according to global monitors, not &ldquo;exporters&rdquo; of it.&nbsp;Meanwhile, FBI data reveals that 80% of US terrorist attacks since the 1970s have been carried out by non-Muslims. Yet, somehow, Pakistan still gets cast as the villain.&nbsp;In this episode of Debunkistan, Aleena Zara Malik of Pakistan TV Digital takes aim at the &ldquo;terrorist nation&rdquo; stereotype with a sharp mix of sarcasm, stats, and some well-placed truth bombs. Because the only thing Pakistan is really exporting here&hellip; is facts.

Aleena Zara Malik debunks Pakistan's "terrorist nation" stereotype with sarcasm, stats, and truth bombs.

The only bombs we’re dropping are truth bombs

NEW YORK: Paramount Skydance announced Thursday it will acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in a deal valuing the combined company at $110 billion, after beating Netflix in a bruising bidding war.&nbsp;The agreement ends a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/paramount-poised-to-acquire-warner-bros-after-netflix-walks-away" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">five-month bidding saga</a>&nbsp;and creates an entertainment behemoth whose impact on a struggling media landscape &mdash; and connections to Donald Trump&#39;s White House &mdash; will be closely scrutinized.&nbsp;The merged entity will include CNN, HBO and Nickelodeon as well as some of Hollywood&#39;s most valuable franchises, including Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, Mission Impossible and SpongeBob SquarePants.&nbsp;Under the terms of the agreement,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/paramount-counters-netflix-with-hostile-bid-for-warner-bros" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paramount</a>will pay $31.00 per share in cash for all outstanding Warner Bros. Discovery shares, implying an equity value of $81 billion &mdash; and $110 billion when including the debt Paramount will take on.&nbsp;The transaction has been unanimously approved by both companies&#39; boards and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, the companies said.&nbsp;&quot;Our pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery has been guided by a clear purpose: to honor the legacy of two iconic companies while accelerating our vision of building a next-generation media and entertainment company,&quot; said Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison.&nbsp;The deal closes a saga that ended Thursday when Netflix walked away, unwilling to match Paramount&#39;s latest offer.&nbsp;Questions now pivot to the Ellison family, which will control a constellation of media properties spanning the globe.&nbsp;Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison and largely financed his son&#39;s takeover of Paramount and his subsequent bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.&nbsp;Larry Ellison is also a longtime ally of President Trump. Both Paramount and Netflix have sought to curry favor with the White House, with Paramount winning out.&nbsp;The Paramount offer includes financing from three Middle Eastern sovereign wealth funds -- those of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Abu Dhabi -- which could attract regulatory scrutiny.&nbsp;Paramount has also offered a $7 billion regulatory termination fee should the deal fail to close on regulatory grounds, and has covered the $2.8 billion breakup fee Warner Bros. owed Netflix when it walked away from their agreement.

The Paramount sign is seen outside the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California, on December 9, 2025. (Photo: AF/File)

The agreement ends a five-month bidding saga and creates an entertainment behemoth whose impact on a struggling media landscape — and connections to Donald Trump's White House — will be closely scrutinized.

Paramount acquires Warner Bros. in $110B  mega-merger

WASHINGTON: Iran agreed in talks with the United States never to stockpile enriched uranium, mediator Oman&#39;s top diplomat said Friday, in what he called a breakthrough that he hoped would prevent war.&nbsp;Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, whose country brokered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/iran-urges-us-to-drop-excessive-demands-to-reach-deal" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">talks between the United States and Iran</a>&nbsp;in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved &quot;amicably and comprehensively&quot; within three months.&nbsp;&quot;If the ultimate objective is to ensure forever that Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, I think we have cracked that problem through these negotiations by agreeing on a very important breakthrough that has never been achieved any time before,&quot; Albusaidi told the CBS News program &quot;Face the Nation.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;I think if we can capture that and build on it, I think a deal is within our reach,&quot; he said.&nbsp;The minister added that Iran would not be able to stockpile enriched uranium and that there would be verification.&nbsp;He said Iran would also degrade its current stockpiles to &quot;the lowest level possible&quot; so that it is &quot;converted into fuel, and that fuel will be irreversible.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;This is something completely new. It really makes the enrichment argument less relevant, because now we are talking about zero stockpiling,&quot; said Albusaidi, who met earlier Friday with US Vice President JD Vance.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-not-thrilled-with-iran-but-undecided-on-attack" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">President Donald Trump&#39;s administration</a>&nbsp;accuses Tehran of intending to build a nuclear weapon. But &quot;if you cannot stockpile material that is enriched, then there is no way you can actually create a bomb,&quot; Albusaidi told CBS.&nbsp;In a 2015 agreement negotiated by former president Barack Obama, Iran agreed to keep enrichment only to a low level that is well below weapons grade.&nbsp;Trump ripped up the deal in his first term and imposed sanctions, and in recent weeks has deployed the US military in the region to levels not seen in years.&nbsp;Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted that any deal cover not just the nuclear program but also Iran&#39;s missiles.&nbsp;Asked about the missile issue, Albusaidi said: &quot;I believe Iran is open to discussing everything.&quot;

A handout picture provided by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on February 26, 2026, shows Iranian diplomats and a delegation during the Iran-US talks in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photo: AFP/File)

Middle East

Its foreign minister says talks between the United States and Iran in Geneva on Thursday, said he believed all issues in a deal could be resolved 'amicably and comprehensively' within three months.


Iran agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium: mediator Oman

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The United States has expressed support for Pakistan&rsquo;s right to defend itself against Taliban attacks, as US President Donald Trump publicly praised Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership amid escalating hostilities with Afghanistan. Speaking about Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership, Trump said, &ldquo;Well, I would, but I get along with Pakistan, as you know, very well, very very well.&rdquo; &ldquo;You have a great&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-briefed-at-military-headquarters-as-pakistan-inflicts-heavy-taliban-losses" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">prime minister [Shehbaz Sharif], you have a great general</a>&nbsp;[Field Marshal Asim Munir] there, you have a great leader,&rdquo; he added.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 321px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2027488449171730683&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F4471%2F&sessionId=18939436600dbe61445e0575651a7687a21e6f5f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2027488449171730683"></iframe></div></div>&ldquo;But I think two of the people that I truly respect a lot, and I think that Pakistan is doing terrifically well.&rdquo; His remarks came as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-says-297-taliban-fighters-killed-in-afghanistan-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan conducted its most extensive military strikes</a>&nbsp;inside Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, targeting multiple locations, including Kabul and Kandahar, declaring a state of &ldquo;war&rdquo; following unprovoked cross-border attacks. Washington&rsquo;s position was formally conveyed by Allison Hooker, the US under secretary of state for political affairs, who said the United States &ldquo;expressed support for Pakistan&rsquo;s right to defend itself against Taliban attacks&rdquo; after talks with a Pakistani counterpart. Pakistani officials say the strikes were a defensive response to sustained aggression from Afghan soil and aimed at degrading Taliban military capabilities used to threaten Pakistan&rsquo;s security. International reactions, however, were mixed. The European Union urged restraint, with foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas calling on both sides to de-escalate and return to dialogue amid a sharp rise in violence. &ldquo;The EU reiterates that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack other countries and calls on the Afghan de facto authorities to take effective action against all terrorist groups operating in or from Afghanistan,&rdquo; Kallas said in a statement. Concern over the situation was echoed by the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, while Britain, Norway and Azerbaijan also called for immediate de-escalation. Diplomatic efforts were launched by China, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to help ease tensions, as Pakistan maintains that its actions fall within its sovereign right to self-defense against cross-border attacks.

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House for Texas in Washington, DC, on February 27, 2026. (Photo: AFP)

Americas

Praises the Pakistan leadership, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir; says he believes Pakistan is 'doing terrifically well.'

US backs Pakistan’s self-defense as Trump praises leadership amid Afghan conflict

Muhammad Ibrahim

ISLAMABAD: Recent security developments have reinforced Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing assessment that Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the Afghan Taliban operate as a mutually reinforcing nexus, where pressure on one group is met with retaliation by the other. The pattern was again visible this week after Pakistan launched <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-says-297-taliban-fighters-killed-in-afghanistan-strikes" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Operation Ghazab lil Haq</a>&nbsp;in response to unprovoked cross-border attacks. As <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/why-pakistan-struck-afghanistan" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistan struck Afghan Taliban targets</a> inside Afghanistan, TTP elements attempted to escalate violence inside Pakistan, including failed drone attacks in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Pakistan&rsquo;s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed that TTP-linked terrorists attempted to launch drones in Abbottabad, Swabi and Nowshera, but said Pakistan&rsquo;s anti-drone systems intercepted all of them, preventing any loss of life. &ldquo;These <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-responds-afghan-border-fire" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">incidents have again exposed direct linkages</a> between the Afghan Taliban regime and terrorism in Pakistan,&rdquo; Tarar said in a statement. Terrorist groups&#39; messaging, released the same day, removed any remaining ambiguity. A TTP faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, publicly issued directives to its terrorist operatives across Pakistan to escalate attacks on security forces, portraying the violence as retaliation for Pakistan&rsquo;s military action against Afghan Taliban targets. The message openly described attacks inside Pakistan as an act of &ldquo;solidarity&rdquo; with the Afghan Taliban. An earlier internal directive attributed to TTP leadership went further, declaring that the &ldquo;Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan stands with our mujahideen&rdquo; and ordering commanders to escalate attacks while amplifying propaganda through media channels. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-briefed-at-military-headquarters-as-pakistan-inflicts-heavy-taliban-losses" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pakistani officials</a> say this coordinated messaging reflects an operational reality that has persisted since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021: Afghan soil has increasingly been used as a safe haven for groups targeting Pakistan. Islamabad maintains that the return of the Taliban to power removed constraints on terrorist networks, enabling training, planning and cross-border attacks with impunity. Security sources argue the sequence is now predictable. When Pakistan confronts terrorist infrastructure inside Afghanistan, TTP cells activate inside Pakistan. When TTP strikes Pakistani targets, protection and facilitation trace back across the border. Pakistan says repeated diplomatic engagements have failed to alter this behavior and that the Afghan Taliban regime has neither acknowledged nor acted against the presence of anti-Pakistan terrorist groups on its territory. As military operations and militant reprisals continue in parallel, Pakistani authorities say the distinction between the Afghan Taliban and TTP is no longer theoretical but operational. A shared ecosystem in which an attack on one triggers a response from the other.

Blogs

Pakistan says recent drone attempts, militant directives, and retaliatory strikes demonstrate a coordinated operational pattern, where pressure on the Afghan Taliban consistently triggers Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan attacks inside Pakistan, reinforcing concerns over cross-border safe havens.

TTP–Taliban nexus exposed as attacks and retaliation mirror each other

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said Friday that <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pakistan-army-kills-274-afghan-taliban-affiliates-as-operation-ghazab-lil-haq-continues" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">297 Afghan Taliban fighters were killed</a> and more than 450 injured in retaliatory military strikes across Afghanistan, as Information Minister Attaullah Tarar denounced the Kabul administration as an &ldquo;illegitimate regime&rdquo; following unprovoked attacks along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. In a post on social media platform X, Tarar said the action was carried out under Operation Ghazb lil Haq and involved precision air and ground strikes on 29 locations inside Afghanistan. The information minister said 89 Taliban check posts were destroyed, 18 captured, and 135 tanks and armed vehicles eliminated during the operation.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 471px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2027449317087408548&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=485de7e742b2156c528f877ea42b0a2dc7039429&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2027449317087408548">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Earlier, while addressing a press briefing, Tarar said <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pm-sharif-briefed-at-military-headquarters-as-pakistan-inflicts-heavy-taliban-losses" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">unprovoked firing by the Afghan Taliban regime</a> along the Pakistan&ndash;Afghanistan border was being and will continue to be responded to strongly and effectively. He described Pakistan&rsquo;s response as &ldquo;immediate and decisive,&rdquo; adding that Taliban fighters fled several positions, leaving behind weapons and bodies. The minister said the latest fighting further exposed what he called a direct&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/why-pakistan-struck-afghanistan" style="color:#0073e6;">nexus between the Afghan Taliban regime and terrorist networks</a>&nbsp;targeting Pakistan. &ldquo;Afghan soil is being used for training, facilitation, and launching attacks that kill our civilians and security personnel,&rdquo; he said, referring to recent assaults on religious sites, judicial facilities, and Pakistani military officers. Tarar also launched a broad attack on the Taliban&rsquo;s governance, calling it &ldquo;a system based on repression and the perversion of religion.&rdquo; He quoted the government&rsquo;s position, saying, &ldquo;The activities of the Afghan Taliban regime and Fitna al-Khawarij against Pakistan are unacceptable.&rdquo; He accused the Kabul authorities of ruling without legitimacy, denying fundamental rights and enforcing discriminatory laws against women, children, and minorities. &ldquo;This regime has nothing to do with Islam,&rdquo; Tarar said. &ldquo;It has imposed oppression on its own people and exported terrorism across the border.&rdquo; Tarar said Pakistan&rsquo;s armed forces remain on full alert and prepared to respond to any further aggression. &ldquo;Pakistan knows very well how to defend itself,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Our response will remain strong, effective, and in defense of our sovereignty.&rdquo;

Security

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar slams the Afghan Taliban regime as illegitimate and repressive, says cross-border attacks trigger decisive military action, confirms heavy Taliban losses and vows zero tolerance while defending sovereignty, citizens and security.

Pakistan says 297 Taliban fighters killed in Afghanistan strikes

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Friday he was frustrated by Iran&#39;s position in talks but added he had not yet decided whether to carry out a threatened attack.&nbsp;A day after the United States and Iran held talks in Geneva, Trump said that the cleric-run state was &quot;not willing to give us what we have to have.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We haven&#39;t made a final decision,&quot; he told reporters when asked about the use of force.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re not exactly happy with the way they negotiated. They cannot have nuclear weapons, and we&#39;re not thrilled with the way they&#39;re negotiating,&quot; Trump said.&nbsp;&quot;We want no nuclear weapons by Iran and they&#39;re not saying those golden words.&quot;&nbsp;Iran has said repeatedly that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons and US intelligence has found no evidence that it has made a decision to do so.&nbsp;But the United States and Israel, which carried out a major bombing campaign in Iran in June, are skeptical of the statements by Iran, which backs Palestinian militants Hamas.&nbsp;Asked if an attack would trigger all-out war in the Middle East, Trump said, &quot;I guess you could always say there&#39;s always a risk.&nbsp;&quot;You know when there&#39;s war, there&#39;s a risk in anything, both good and bad.&quot;&nbsp;Trump was circumspect on whether a US attack would bring down the Islamic republic, a sworn enemy of the United States and Israel.&nbsp;Authorities last month killed thousands of people as they crushed mass protests in the biggest threat to the ruling clerics since the 1979 Islamic revolution toppled the pro-Western shah.&nbsp;&quot;Nobody knows. There might be and there might not be,&quot; Trump said of regime change.&nbsp;Trump in his first term ripped up a nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama in which Iran agreed to strict limits on uranium enrichment.

US President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Iran after Geneva talks, saying no final decision on military action has been made. He demanded Iran abandon nuclear ambitions, while US and Israeli skepticism persists amid regional tensions.

Trump 'not thrilled' with Iran but undecided on attack

ISTANBUL: Flights from Istanbul airport to Tehran were cancelled on Friday night amid a mounting US military buildup around Iran.&nbsp;Istanbul airport said flights by Turkish Airlines and two Iranian companies to the Iranian capital had been cancelled.&nbsp;Four flights to Tehran scheduled for Saturday were also cancelled, though six others remained on the schedule. A Turkish Airlines flight to the northern Iranian city of Tabriz, due to leave early Saturday, was called off.&nbsp;Turkish authorities made no comment on events in Iran on Friday, declining to join the litany of nations advising their citizens against travel to the Islamic republic.&nbsp;Turkey has a 550 kilometer (340 mile) frontier with Iran that has three crossing points.

Asia

Flights from Istanbul Airport to Tehran were cancelled Friday night amid rising US military tensions around Iran. Turkish Airlines and Iranian carriers halted services, affecting several Saturday flights, while Turkey issued no travel warning despite the situation.

Istanbul flights to Tehran cancelled Friday night: airport

CAPE CANAVERAL: NASA on Friday said it would revise its Artemis lunar program that has suffered multiple delays in recent years, in a bid to ensure Americans can return to the Moon&#39;s surface by 2028.&nbsp;The US space agency will add missions between this spring&#39;s Artemis 2 and the ultimate lunar landing, a strategic revision that NASA administrator Jared Isaacman told a briefing would allow for improved launch &quot;muscle memory.&quot;&nbsp;That means Artemis 3, which was meant to send astronauts to the Moon&#39;s surface, will now have the alternate goal of &quot;rendezvous in low-Earth orbit&quot; of at least one lunar lander.&nbsp;The next phase, Artemis 4, will aim for a lunar landing in early 2028. Isaacman said he hoped that mission could be followed relatively quickly by a second Moon landing within the year.&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re not necessarily committing to launching two missions in 2028,&quot; he said, &quot;but we want to have the opportunity to be able to do that.&quot;&nbsp;The NASA chief said speeding up the cadence of Artemis launches would allow for building more institutional knowledge in the model of the Apollo program, which originally put Americans on the Moon.&nbsp;&quot;Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, through the shuttle program -- I don&#39;t think it would surprise many of the folks in the room that our average launch cadence was closer to three months throughout all those programs, not three years,&quot; he said. &quot;We need to start getting back to basics and moving in this direction.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;Launching every three years, your skills atrophy, you lose muscle memory.&quot;&nbsp;Space raceThe revised architecture announcement comes in the wake of repeated delays to the Artemis 2 mission, which now will not launch before April.&nbsp;It is meant to see the first flyby of the Moon in more than half a century.&nbsp;Earlier this week, the US space agency rolled back its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft off the launchpad to investigate its problems and make necessary repairs.&nbsp;President Donald Trump announced he wanted Americans to once again set foot on the lunar surface in his first term.&nbsp;The US space agency now hopes to put humans back on the Moon as China forges ahead with its own effort, which is targeting 2030 at the latest for a first crewed mission.&nbsp;China&#39;s uncrewed Chang&#39;e 7 mission is expected to be launched in 2026 for an exploration of the Moon&#39;s south pole, and testing of its crewed spacecraft Mengzhou is also set to go ahead this year.&nbsp;Queried on the so-called &quot;space race,&quot; Isaacman said Friday that &quot;I think competition is good.&quot;&nbsp;&quot;We&#39;re here talking to you about what is a common-sense approach to achieve the objective, whether we had a great rival in the running or not.&quot;

Artificial Intelligence

NASA will revise its Artemis program after delays, adding missions before a planned 2028 lunar landing. Artemis 3 will test lunar lander rendezvous in low-Earth orbit, while Artemis 4 targets Moon landing as China advances its space ambitions.

NASA announces overhaul of Artemis lunar program amid technical delays

COLOMBO: Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks smashed 44 off 16 balls to take England to a thrilling four-wicket T20 World Cup win in Colombo that denied New Zealand a guaranteed place in the semi-finals but kept Pakistan&#39;s slender hopes alive.&nbsp;New Zealand would have joined England in the knockouts with a win in their final Super Eights match and they scored 159-6 after opting to bat.&nbsp;England lost wickets early and looked like they would be squeezed out at 117-6, needing 43 from the last three overs.&nbsp;But Ahmed and Jacks took 22 off the 18th over from Glenn Phillips to turn the match on its head.&nbsp;Ahmed blasted 19 off seven balls in his first T20 World Cup match alongside Jacks, who made an unbeaten 32 off 18, to see England to 161-6 with three balls to spare.&nbsp;England will move on to a semi-final in Mumbai on Thursday against either India or the West Indies, who clash on Sunday to decide the final semi-final berth.&nbsp;New Zealand now have to wait on the outcome of Saturday&#39;s clash between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Kandy to know if they have qualified for a semi-final in Kolkata against South Africa.&nbsp;Pakistan have an inferior run rate so need to win by 65 runs or inside 13 overs to overtake the Kiwis and deny them a place in the final four. If Pakistan qualify then the semi-final would be played in Colombo.&nbsp;England used five spinners to bowl 16 of the 20 overs on a turning track. The 2010 and 2022 champions had never bowled so many overs of spin before in a T20 international.&nbsp;Jacks returned the best figures with 2-23, while Adil Rashid picked up 2-28 and is now England&#39;s leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 11.&nbsp;Rashid was complemented by fellow wrist spinner Ahmed, who was called up in place of Jamie Overton, and took a wicket with his first ball before finishing with 2-28 from three overs.&nbsp;Glenn Phillips top scored with 39 off 28 including four fours and a six while opener Tim Seifert scored 35.&nbsp;Liam Dawson (1-32) and Jacob Bethell (0-13) were the other spinners employed by England.

Cricket

England beat New Zealand by four wickets in Colombo after Rehan Ahmed and Will Jacks powered a late chase of 160. England reached 161-6, keeping Pakistan’s semi-final hopes alive while New Zealand await Sri Lanka-Pakistan result.

Ahmed, Jacks blast England to thrilling win over New Zealand

SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI announced Friday a massive $110 billion funding round valuing the ChatGPT maker at $730 billion, with SoftBank, Nvidia and Amazon each making multi-billion-dollar commitments as the artificial intelligence company races to meet surging global demand.&nbsp;The investment round -- one of the largest in Silicon Valley history -- includes $30 billion from Japanese conglomerate SoftBank, $30 billion from chip giant Nvidia, and up to $50 billion from Amazon, with additional investors expected to join as the round progresses.&nbsp;Alongside the capital injection, OpenAI announced strategic partnerships with both Amazon, the world&#39;s biggest cloud company through its AWS division, and Nvidia, whose AI chips remain unparalleled in their capacity for AI training.&nbsp;&quot;SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon are long-term partners who share our ambition to turn real scientific progress into systems that deliver meaningful benefits for people at global scale,&quot; OpenAI said in a statement.&nbsp;The eye-watering level of funding reflects the soaring costs of computing power and comes amid lingering questions about whether OpenAI and other AI companies can generate sufficient revenue to cover those costs.&nbsp;The Amazon investment will begin with $15 billion, followed by another $35 billion in the coming months when certain conditions are met, the companies said.&nbsp;According to reports, these include OpenAI going public or achieving artificial general intelligence, a sometimes ill-defined standard of AI capability that more closely matches human-level ability.&nbsp;OpenAI and Amazon also struck a deal in which the ChatGPT maker will use two gigawatts of computing capacity powered by Amazon&#39;s in-house Trainium chips.&nbsp;Amazon&#39;s cloud computing rival Microsoft, which did not participate in the funding round, remains a major shareholder of OpenAI and a strategic partner.&nbsp;In the announcement, OpenAI cited a series of user metrics pointing to a breakneck pace of AI adoption.&nbsp;Even if short of its previous forecasts, ChatGPT now counts more than 900 million weekly active users and over 50 million paying consumer subscribers, with January and February on track to be the platform&#39;s biggest-ever months for new subscriptions, the company said.&nbsp;It added that more than nine million businesses pay to use ChatGPT for workplace tasks, while its Codex software development tool has seen weekly users more than triple since the start of the year to 1.6 million.&nbsp;The figures are intended to reassure more skeptical investors who have questioned OpenAI&#39;s ability to secure revenue, with user growth for its flagship ChatGPT slowing.&nbsp;The company this month began rolling out advertising for its non-premium users in a bid to bring in more revenue.&nbsp;According to The Information tech news, OpenAI now predicts that it will burn more than twice as much cash through 2030 than previously predicted, spending $665 billion on the costs of running and training its AI.&nbsp;Competition has ramped up too.&nbsp;Arch-rival Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, continues to gain ground and grab headlines for its well-regarded Claude AI models.&nbsp;Anthropic earlier this year secured a $30 billion funding round.&nbsp;Google&#39;s AI model Gemini has also emerged as a potent competitor, with Elon Musk&#39;s xAI also attracting investment and users.

OpenAI announces a $110 billion funding round valuing it at $730 billion, with major backing from SoftBank, Nvidia, and Amazon, as it expands partnerships, scales computing capacity, and accelerates growth amid rising costs and intensifying AI competition.

Articles by Aleena Zara Malik