Haroon Akhtar Khan pledges to double financing for small and medium enterprises

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea hosted a reception in Islamabad to celebrate National Day and Armed Forces Day. Since 2011, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) has partnered with UN-Habitat to assist displaced and conflict-affected communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

These joint efforts provided support to residents in Swat, Peshawar, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mardan, and Swabi. The programme restored community facilities, schools, roads, and water supply systems.

Hamid Mumtaz Khan said, "The partnership between KOICA and UN-Habitat demonstrated Korea’s commitment to supporting the people of Pakistan during a critical period. The positive impact of those interventions remains visible today, and communities continue to benefit from the facilities, services, and opportunities created through that support." Barrister Aqeel Malik extended felicitations to the people and government of the Republic of Korea.

Malik also emphasised the need to bolster bilateral ties through trade, investment, institutional collaboration, and economic cooperation.

Punjab police have deployed mobile police stations and licensing units to every district in the province. These units feature modernised, air-conditioned vehicles equipped with computer systems.

Citizens can use the stations to register FIRs, obtain character certificates, and complete driving tests, including learner permits and sign tests. Separate and secure environments are available for women, elderly people, and students.

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Female police officers provide full guidance to the public at these locations. Officials state that the move makes police and traffic facilities faster and more dignified for the public.

The National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) issued a critical cybersecurity warning regarding two software vulnerabilities in the PHP runtime. Identified as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, these flaws received a severity score of 9.2 out of 10.

Security researchers demonstrated that attackers could exploit these systems without logging in or obtaining user permission. Early malicious activity has already been reported involving websites running WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, and Magento.

The National CERT directed organisations to identify affected PHP versions and apply official security updates immediately. Officials warned against relying solely on website or plugin updates, noting that official upstream security fixes are not expected for PHP 8.1 and older releases.

Organisations are urged to report any suspected exploitation through the official incident reporting portal.

Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation officials disposed of 660 out of 712 cases regarding the approval of residential and commercial building maps. Work continues on the 52 remaining cases, with 14 currently at the completion stage.

Authorities rejected 21 applications while 17 others remain pending due to specific objections. Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Captain (R) Nadeem Nasir chaired a meeting on Thursday, 22 October 2026, to review these matters.

Nasir instructed officials to gather data on all commercial building maps approved over the previous three years. The Deputy Commissioner ordered the immediate transfer of any staff members facing complaints and demanded swift action against field workers.

Road-cutting charges must be recovered from the specific departments responsible for damaging infrastructure. Officials were further directed to ensure that all ongoing development projects reach completion by April.

Atif Aslam shared a first look at the official music video for his track Safar Main Hu. The singer posted a mountain-themed poster on Instagram to promote the upcoming release.

Safar Main Hu is featured on the album Subah Aye Na, which serves as Aslam's fourth studio project. This collection represents the first full-length release from the artist in 18 years, following his 2008 album Meri Kahani.

Eight tracks comprise the new album, including Subah Aye Na, Ishq, Let's Have Some Fun, Sunn Sajna, Hun Ishq Main, Chaar Yaar, Sachey Wadey, and Safar Main Hu. Aslam described the creative process as a return to basics and stated he wants to release albums more regularly.

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the southwestern region of Tibet in China at approximately 10:33pm on 22 October. The China Earthquake Networks Centre reported the seismic activity, which occurred at a depth of 10km.

Located in a sparsely populated, high-altitude county in Nagqu, the epicentre sat about 400km from the capital of Lhasa. The average elevation within 5km of the quake's centre is roughly 4,864 metres.

At least 2 people sustained injuries in a village near the epicentre, while some nearby houses showed cracks. Local fire and rescue teams have mobilised to reach the affected region following a string of smaller tremors measuring between magnitude 3 and 4.

This event is the strongest to hit China since 1 January 2024. In 2010, a magnitude 7.1 tremor struck Yushu in the neighbouring Qinghai province, killing at least 2,698 people and leaving nearly 300 missing.

NBC has commissioned a full 18-episode season of the action thriller series Line of Fire. The show emerged as one of the breakout hits of the fall season.

It represents the network's most successful delayed-viewing lift in more than three years. Peter Krause stars in the production alongside Hope Davis, Kat Cunning, Tommy O’Brien, Taylor Bloom, and Charlie Barnett.

Joshua Safran serves as the creator and writer while also executive producing the series. Jenna Bush Hager and Ben Spector also hold executive producer roles on the show.

Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, produces the series. Viewers can watch Line of Fire on Mondays at 10 p.m., with the next day's streaming available on Peacock.

Tesla is manufacturing humanoid robots to develop a new line of autonomous machines. The company is currently determining how to make these robots reliable, durable, and useful for its future customers.

Susan Li stated during Meta’s third quarter earnings call that "Everyone is just going to have to adapt." Li noted that every company has suddenly become an AI company.

Compute is now considered an asset in the current technological landscape. Claims have also emerged that cars are flying and that pay package incentives are in play for Elon Musk.

Rockstar Games will release Grand Theft Auto VI on 19 November 2026. Sony is selling refurbished digital consoles for $499, a price point that saves customers $100 compared to buying a new unit.

These pre-owned systems come equipped with a 1TB SSD and a one-year warranty. In contrast, new PlayStation 5 disc editions sold in retail stores feature 1TB of internal storage, while the digital versions provide 825GB.

Hardware enthusiasts can also expand storage using PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSDs that include heatsinks. Refurbished DualSense controllers are available for $40 less than their standard retail price.

Specific models include a white controller for $18 and a sterling silver version for $23, both of which carry a one-year warranty.

Global PC shipments fell 21 percent year-over-year during the third quarter of 2026. Smartphone shipments reached a 14-year low during the same period.

This decline follows a period where PC shipments grew for more than two consecutive years until the second quarter of 2026. Prices for chips from Qualcomm, AMD, and Intel, alongside SSDs and RAM, have increased over recent months.

To counter these price hikes, some companies are bringing back older technology such as 4GB GPUs and DDR4 RAM. Minsoo Kang advised to "prioritize configurations that can better absorb component inflation."

The third quarter of 2025 saw inventory adjustments due to tariffs and purchases made before the Windows 10 support deadline. David Naranjo stated, "With global shipments expected to plunge 27% in Q4 2026 and remain broadly flat in 2027, stabilization should not be mistaken for recovery."

Sylvester Stallone faced public criticism for attempting to produce a film featuring a "half human, half AI" character. Stallone stated, "AI is here to stay."

The actor previously proposed a project where he would portray a young Rambo using artificial intelligence and de-aging visual effects. Noah Centineo will instead star as the lead in a new "John Rambo" origin story currently under development.

Stallone is not involved in the production of this specific prequel.

Terrifier 3 grossed more than $90 million globally despite a production budget of just $2 million. Damien Leone wrote and directed the entire trilogy.

David Howard Thornton portrays Art the Clown in the series. Lauren LaVera appears as Sienna Shaw, a character who first joins the narrative in the second chapter.

The previous installment, Terrifier 2, earned $16.8 million worldwide on a $250,000 budget.

A modder successfully jailbroken the Nintendo Switch 2 and demonstrated the console running a custom version of Mario Kart World. This modified racing title includes characters such as Steve from Minecraft, Peter Griffin, the red Angry Bird, and Cinnamoroll.

Sammy Hajhamid, known as "pepsipu", stated that OpenAI’s Codex assisted in creating the "ns2jb" jailbreak. The exploit functions as a tethered, software-only jailbreak that requires the console to be powered on via a specific game.

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Running the exploit necessitates the game SmileBASIC 4, though another modder claimed the title is "not strictly needed". Users on the Switch 2 hacks subreddit are currently discussing the implications of this security breach.

Bianna Golodryga plans to leave CNN, where she has worked since 2017. The journalist is currently in discussions to join two different news organisations simultaneously.

Christiane Amanpour announced she will exit the network next year after a career spanning nearly 40 years at ABC News and the Skydance news giant. One person familiar with the matter said CNN is cutting back on the hours it once devoted to the veteran international anchor.

Golodryga began her television news career in 2001 and previously served as a bureau producer for CNBC at the New York Stock Exchange. During a two-year period, she co-anchored "CBS This Morning" alongside Norah O’Donnell, John Dickerson, and Gayle King while also working as a contributor.

Additionally, she co-anchored the weekend edition of "Good Morning America".

The Federal Communications Commission blocked two gadgets because they contain foreign surveillance chips. Brendan Carr’s FCC granted itself a new authority on 13 October to prohibit devices containing any computer chip manufactured by companies on its national security threat list.

The specific surveillance chip identified in the hardware is a HiVision Hi3516CV610 UHD Smart Vision SoC. HiVision operates as a subsidiary of Huawei, which remains on the FCC’s Covered List.

New powers also allow the commission to retroactively ban gadgets and block modular radio transmitters.

A coalition of Hollywood talent agencies and independent producers has endorsed a proposed United States tax incentive for film and television production. The alliance, which announced its existence last week, includes independent production houses Blumhouse, Imagine Entertainment, and MRC.

Members of the group will advocate for specific adjustments to ensure the tax credit remains more favorable for independent entities. Introduced in Congress in September, the federal tax credit bill features a 5% bonus for independent productions.

Under the current proposal, an independent producer is defined as any company that is not publicly traded. Agents and producers also campaigned for legislation requiring streaming platforms to purchase 50% of their original content from independent production firms.

This proposed legislation would also impose time limits on exclusivity windows for such content. The coalition plans to pursue its specific legislation through a separate path during the next Congress.

The Directors Guild of America’s Women’s Steering Committee has revealed its seventh group of mentors and mentees for the WSC Squad Mentorship Program. Launched in 2021, the initiative provides a nine-month curriculum designed to support professional development.

Shaz Bennett, Jade Jenise-Dixon, Valerie Weiss, and co-chair Liz Ryan lead the committee. Pairings for this cycle include Lucia Aniello with Carmen Angelica and Abe Sylvia with Shaz Bennett.

Kat Candler will work with Sabrina Doyle, while Shannon Murphy joins Claire Fowler. Gandja Monteiro is matched with Saray Guidetti, and Mike Flanagan is paired with Anna Halberg.

Boots Riley will mentor Tiffany Johnson, and Geeta V. Patel is paired with Manjari Makijani. Karyn Kusama is paired with Kate Sullivan, while Jake Schreier works with Alissa Torvinen.

Lesli Linka Glatter is matched with Mallory Thompson, and Laura Belsey is paired with Kristin Windell.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced the provision of laptops for students holding positions during the 89th convocation of Kinnaird College for Women. The Chief Minister also pledged five buses for the institution and plans to facilitate women's access to electric bikes through easy instalments.

Safety features including panic buttons and CCTV cameras have been installed on the electric buses. Bishop Alexander John Malik opened the ceremony, where Sharif presented gold medals and degrees to BS and MPhil students in leadership roles.

Sharif noted that 22 universities lacked vice chancellors at the time she took office. Addressing the audience, Sharif said, "When a boy works hard, people say he wants to get ahead. When a girl works hard, they say she is only concerned about herself."

She described the achievements of the graduates as "a complete story of success."

The National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) rescued a 13-year-old girl in Karachi who was linked to a suspected dark web network. Intelligence shared by an international agency prompted the intervention, providing IP addresses used from 13 different countries.

A Karachi team from the NCCIA investigated a Pakistani IP address and discovered the person associated with it was a victim. The network allegedly instructed the girl to poison a cat, which she did, resulting in the animal's death.

The group also ordered the minor to seriously harm herself. Parents of the girl were unaware of her involvement until investigators contacted them.

Over the previous six months, the family noticed changes in the daughter's behaviour. Investigators are currently working to trace the accounts used to contact the girl.

The NCCIA is examining whether other children in Pakistan were targeted by the network. No arrests have been announced at this time.

Tom Hanks will lead the cast of the play This World of Tomorrow on Broadway. The production marks the first time the actor appears on the Broadway stage in 14 years.

Hanks last performed in a Broadway production in 2013, appearing in Nora Ephron’s Lucky Guy. That previous role earned the actor a Tony Award nomination.

Kelli O’Hara will join Hanks in the upcoming production. O’Hara previously performed with Hanks during the show’s Off Broadway run at the Shed last year.

Brian Anthony Moreland described Hanks as "one of the great storytellers of our time" and called the collaboration an "incredible privilege."

Amazon and Best Buy are selling the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K at a 50 percent discount. The streaming device now costs $29.99.

Powering the unit via a TV's USB port eliminates the need for a dedicated power connection. Technical specifications for the hardware include support for 4K resolution at 60fps and HDR10 Plus.

Connectivity features for the stick comprise Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. The package includes a remote featuring an asymmetrical design.

Users cannot side-load applications onto the device. Earlier this year, Amazon released an update for the Fire TV OS that introduced a redesigned user interface.

This software revision also improved the mobile app and integrated Alexa Plus more closely.

Delta 2.0 launched on the EU App Store to provide optimized performance for Apple’s iPhone Duo. The new version includes a library of Sega Genesis games and features animated controller skins that mimic the aesthetic of classic hardware.

Users can now access custom Pokémon DLC experiences developed by the Pokémon ROM hacking community without the use of AI tools. These DLC additions provide compatibility for every mainline Pokémon title released for the Game Boy Advance.

The interface is built around Liquid Glass support and allows for split-view multitasking with other applications. Folding the iPhone Duo places emulated DS games into sleep mode, while the software supports Epilogue’s GB/SN Operator gadgets.

Riley Testut stated that the app supports "every pose in both portrait and landscape" orientations. Additional features in the update include Custom Filters and global support for in-app purchases.

Electronic Arts (EA) closed the studio BioWare on 21 October. The publisher also cancelled a new Mass Effect title that the studio was developing.

A trailer for the cancelled project appeared on Reddit on 22 October. The footage reportedly uses pre-production assets and in-engine content.

The video concludes with the title Mass Effect: Universe. IGN stated it has verified that the trailer is legitimate.

Jason Schreier described the clip as a real trailer of the Mass Effect game that BioWare was developing up until its closure yesterday. Amazon is reportedly continuing work on a Mass Effect television series for Prime Video.

The Browser Company will discontinue the Arc browser on 22 December 2026. New user accounts for the platform will be blocked starting 22 October 2026.

On 23 November 2026, the company will disable AI features like Browse for Me on Android and iOS devices. Users will lose the ability to sync tabs or sign in to the service on that same date.

The browser will become inaccessible on Windows and macOS on 22 December 2026. Atlassian purchased The Browser Company for $610 million last year.

The company is now concentrating its efforts on Dia. Arc accounts will be deactivated on 22 December 2026, and Arc Search for Android will be pulled from the Google Play store.

The next Xbox console is expected to retail for between $1,200 and $1,800 when it launches in 2028. Phil Spencer stated, "We’re not going to grow the market with $1,000 consoles."

Asha Sharma noted, "We’ve reached a point where it will be hard to imagine that mass audiences can afford thousands of dollars to spend." Matthew Ball argued that the entire company would change its practices to ensure the hardware remains affordable.

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Actor Michael Gray died from natural causes in Palm Desert at the age of 75. Born in Chicago on 2 September 1951, Gray was raised in Miami Beach, Florida.

He moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting studies at the Pasadena Playhouse. Gray starred in the television series Shazam! during the 1970s, which received a DVD remaster in 2012.

His later career included appearances in several episodes of the FX series Archer and the AMC production Comic Book Men. The actor also made a short cameo in the 2023 film Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

He married Stacy Benon Gray in 1994. Gray is survived by his wife, Stacy Benon Gray, his son-in-law Lee Barker, and step-children Ryan Cooper and Laurel Cooper.

Nestlé Pakistan recorded net sales of PKR 160 billion for the period ending 30 September 2026. Sales figures for the company increased by 6.3 percent during this timeframe.

Gross profit for the firm climbed by 8.1 percent, while operating profit saw an improvement of 5.9 percent. A 3.1 percent rise in net profit after tax was also reported by the company.

Nestlé Pakistan maintains a cautious outlook for the remainder of 2026. Simultaneously, the government adjusted fuel prices, raising diesel by Rs1.64 per litre and cutting petrol by Rs1.60 per litre.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a travel advisory for Pakistani pilgrims travelling by air to Iran and Iraq. The notice specifically highlights air travel between Najaf, Mashhad, and Tehran.

Pilgrims are urged to verify all bookings in advance to prevent travel disruptions and avoid relying on unconfirmed reservations. Travelers should maintain alternative arrangements and carry extra money to cover accommodation or land transport if flights are cancelled.

Registered pilgrimage group organisers were instructed by the ministry not to depend on unconfirmed flights within Iran. Organisers must also notify every member of their respective groups regarding the new advisory.

The government also adjusted fuel prices, raising diesel by Rs1.64 while cutting petrol by Rs1.60 per litre.

The Punjab government is establishing a year-round air-quality management framework supported by a $300 million loan from the World Bank. Running from 2025 to 2030, the Punjab Clean Air Program (PCAP) targets a 35 percent reduction in PM2.5 exposure over the next decade.

Lahore and parts of Punjab are currently preparing for a period of deteriorating air quality. The Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department (EPCCD) reports that the province currently operates 59 air-quality monitoring stations.

Officials intend to increase the number of monitoring stations to 100. A Lahore Air Improvement Framework, estimated at Rs4.35 billion, includes plans for 8,500 cameras and 120,000 electric two- and three-wheelers.

The plan also involves 7,273 Super Seeders, though the target figure is 10,000 Super Seeders. During the 2025–26 smog season, Bangkok saw a 15 percent reduction in average PM2.5 levels compared to the previous season.

The year 2027 faces the highest risk of severe climate impacts as El Niño typically exerts its strongest influence one year after formation. Droughts, heatwaves, and escalating food costs might represent only the initial consequences of these environmental shifts.

The Asian Development Bank published a blog outlining five specific measures to safeguard communities against these threats. Governments now have a window of opportunity to take proactive steps to mitigate the damage.

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Irfan Davudov called for increased business-to-business cooperation between Azerbaijan and Pakistan during a speech on 22 October. The speaker identified oil and gas exploration, construction, telecommunications, and logistics as primary sectors for bilateral partnership.

Davudov highlighted that approximately 4,000 companies currently operate within Azerbaijan. He emphasised the necessity of establishing stronger private-sector linkages, sector-specific engagement, and structured B2B meetings.

Mohammad Zikria Akbar Zia, President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), stated the chamber is prepared to connect entrepreneurs and facilitate business delegations for joint ventures. Zia also noted that regional peace and stability, especially in Afghanistan, are vital for improving economic connectivity and trade routes.

Zafar Bakhtawari, President of the ICCI, described Pakistan, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye as brotherly nations united by solidarity and enduring ties of friendship. The government increased the price of diesel by Rs1.64 while reducing petrol prices by Rs1.60 per litre.

The National Biosafety Committee (NBC) met to evaluate applications regarding biosafety standards for agricultural products. During the session, the committee examined several overdue cases concerning technologies for Genetically Modified (GM) corn.

Earlier this year, the government gave its approval to the National Agricultural Biotechnology Policy. CropLofe Pakistan stated that reviewing and approving these pending GM corn licenses represents a significant achievement for the country's agricultural biotechnology.

Genetically modified corn has been used for commercial farming and cultivation across the globe for over two decades. Diesel prices rose by Rs1.64 while the government reduced petrol prices by Rs1.60 per litre.

The Pakistan Chemicals & Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) has requested the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to lower the current policy rate. Saleem Mukati, Chairman of the PCDMA, called on Governor Jameel Ahmed to consider a reduction in the interest rate.

A Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting is expected to take place on 26 October. Lowering the policy rate would accelerate economic activity and alleviate the shortage of capital.

Mukati stated that the current high policy rate represents a serious hurdle for business circles. The Chairman argued that bringing the policy rate down to single digits would have a positive impact on the national economy.

Mukati claimed that raising interest rates merely in the name of controlling inflation would not prove effective. He further asserted that raising interest rates would turn out to be a failed measure.