Author: EchoAsiaNews

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal departed Islamabad on Monday to represent Pakistan at the oath‑taking ceremony of Bangladesh’s newly elected Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in Dhaka on February 17. The planning ministry confirmed that Iqbal will attend the high‑profile event in place of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who is currently on an official foreign visit and unable to participate in the ceremony. During his visit, Iqbal is also scheduled to hold meetings with senior Bangladeshi officials to discuss ways to further strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in political, economic and trade sectors, according to ministry sources.…

Samsung’s privacy display technology is confirmed as a headline innovation for the upcoming Galaxy S26 Ultra flagship. Leaks from official software (One UI 8.5) and indirect confirmations from Samsung’s own materials show a new Privacy Display feature built into the phone’s OLED panel that significantly reduces screen visibility for side‑viewing angles, helping protect sensitive information like messages, passwords and other private content from people nearby. The functionality relies on a combination of hardware and software, including Samsung Display’s Flex Magic Pixel technology, and can be toggled manually or automatically based on context. The Galaxy S26 Ultra’s “Privacy Display” is positioned…

British singer‑songwriter Harry Styles has been officially appointed curator of the 2026 Meltdown Festival, organisers at the Southbank Centre announced Monday. The festival, one of the world’s longest‑running artist‑curated music events, will take place from June 11 to June 21 at London’s Southbank Centre as part of the venue’s 75th anniversary celebrations. Styles, 32, follows a prestigious lineage of past curators including David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Chaka Khan and Patti Smith, tasked with selecting performers and shaping the line‑up for the multi‑day event. In a statement, the Grammy‑winning artist said he was “deeply honoured” to curate Meltdown, adding that his…

The United Arab Emirates and Afghanistan are preparing for a pivotal Group D encounter in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday, with both teams desperate to keep their tournament hopes alive. The UAE arrive off their first win of the competition, a narrow victory over Canada, but remain under pressure to address weaknesses in their middle order, particularly against spin bowling. Afghanistan, led by captain Rashid Khan, suffered a heart-breaking loss in their previous outing that went to two Super Overs, leaving them still without a victory in the group. With South Africa…

The U.S. Department of Defense is considering severing its relationship with artificial intelligence company Anthropic amid a dispute over how its AI systems can be used by the military, according to Axios, citing a senior U.S. administration official. The Pentagon has been pushing four major AI developers, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and xAI, to allow their tools to be used for “all lawful purposes,” including weapons development, intelligence gathering and battlefield operations. Anthropic has resisted agreeing to such broad terms, prompting frustration within U.S. defence circles after months of negotiations. An Anthropic spokesperson said the company has not discussed specific military…

Nvidia’s Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang will not be travelling to India next week for the India AI Impact Summit, the company said on Saturday, citing “unforeseen circumstances.” The announcement was made ahead of the event, which is scheduled to be inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modiand is expected to draw global technology leaders and political figures to New Delhi. Huang had been listed as one of the principal speakers at the summit and was scheduled to address the media in New Delhi ahead of the event. His absence comes as a surprise given his prominence in the artificial…

Turkey has dispatched its deep-sea drilling vessel, Fatih, to Somalia, marking the ship’s first overseas mission, Reuters reported on Thursday. The deployment signals Ankara’s expanding maritime ambitions and growing cooperation with East African partners. The drilling ship, which has previously operated in the Black Sea and Mediterranean, was sent at the request of the Somali government to explore potential hydrocarbon resources off Somalia’s coast. Turkey’s energy ministry said the mission underscores bilateral ties and shared economic interests between Ankara and Mogadishu. Somalia has faced decades of instability and security challenges, but the government has sought to bolster foreign investment in…

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that any nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran must go beyond merely pausing Tehran’s uranium enrichment and should require the dismantling of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, Reuters reported. He made the remarks at the annual Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem. Netanyahu told U.S. President Donald Trump that enriched nuclear material must be removed from Iran, and that facilities and equipment enabling enrichment should be taken apart, not simply shut down temporarily. His comments come as diplomats prepare for a second round of talks in Geneva aimed…

Syrian government forces have taken control of the al-Shaddadi military base in northeastern Syria following the withdrawal of U.S. troops, Damascus announced on Sunday. The handover of the base in Hasakah countryside was carried out in coordination with the United States, according to Syria’s Ministry of Defence. The U.S. military had maintained a presence at al-Shaddadi since 2016 as part of the coalition against the Islamic State group (ISIL), operating alongside Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The withdrawal comes amid a broader shift in Syria’s conflict dynamics and an ongoing ceasefire arrangement with Kurdish forces. The takeover of al-Shaddadi follows…

Israeli forces have carried out multiple airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 11 Palestinians, Palestinian health officials said, in the latest escalation despite an ongoing ceasefire agreement. The Israeli military asserted the strikes were a response to alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas, accusing the group of emerging from a tunnel across the so-called “Yellow Line” boundary. Gaza medics reported that a strike on a tent encampment housing displaced families killed several civilians in Khan Younis and northern Gaza. The violence underscores the fragility of the current truce, first brokered in October 2024 and supported by the United States…