Author: EchoAsiaNews

OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman has told employees that ChatGPT has returned to more than 10% monthly growth, reversing earlier signs of a slowdown, CNBC reported on Sunday. According to the report, Altman said the surge follows the rollout of new features and improvements across OpenAI’s consumer and enterprise products. Reuters could not independently verify the remarks, and OpenAI declined to comment. ChatGPT currently has over 800 million weekly active users, CNBC reported, underscoring its position as one of the most widely used artificial intelligence platforms globally. The renewed growth comes as competition in the generative AI market intensifies. Alphabet’s…

Iranian authorities have arrested several prominent reformist politicians, accusing them of attempting to undermine the country’s political and social order and alleging links with the United States and Israel, state-affiliated media reported on Sunday. The arrests come amid heightened regional tensions and what officials describe as growing external military threats. According to Iran’s judiciary and security sources, the detainees are accused of engaging in activities aimed at weakening national unity and exploiting domestic unrest. Authorities claim the individuals coordinated statements and actions that aligned with the interests of foreign adversaries, seeking to destabilize the political system at a sensitive time…

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday that recognising Tehran’s right to enrich uranium is essential for progress in nuclear negotiations with the United States, and that Iran is open to confidence-building measures while preserving that right. Speaking after indirect talks held in Oman on Friday aimed at reviving diplomatic engagement, Araqchi said Iran will never accept “zero enrichment” and wants talks to focus on arrangements that allow enrichment within its territory while building trust that Tehran’s nuclear activities are peaceful. The five rounds of U.S.–Iran nuclear discussions last year stalled primarily because of disagreements over uranium enrichment, with…

Taiwan on Monday rejected calls to relocate 40 % of its semiconductor production capacity to the United States, saying such a large-scale move would be “impossible,” according to comments by Vice Premier Cheng Li-chiun. In an interview broadcast late Sunday on Taiwanese television, Cheng, Taiwan’s top tariff negotiator, said she made it clear to US officials that the island’s decades-built semiconductor ecosystem cannot simply be shifted overseas. “I have made it very clear to the United States that this is impossible,” she told the broadcaster. Cheng stressed that Taiwan’s core chipmaking capacity will continue to grow domestically, even as Taiwanese…

Iranian women’s rights activist and Narges Mohammadi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been handed a fresh prison sentence of seven-and-a-half years, a group supporting her said on Sunday. Mohammadi, 53, had been on a week-long hunger strike that ended on Sunday, according to a statement by the Narges Foundation. The group said she informed her lawyer, Mostafa Nili, during a brief phone call from prison that she received the verdict on Saturday. Iran’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The sentencing comes amid a renewed crackdown by Iranian authorities following nearly three weeks of anti-government…

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to attend the first leaders’ meeting of the US-initiated Gaza Board of Peace in Washington on February 19, sources familiar with the matter said. The development follows an invitation extended by US President Donald Trump to Pakistan to join the Gaza Board of Peace, an offer confirmed by the Foreign Office (FO) on January 18, 2026. However, sources said a final decision on the prime minister’s participation in the high-level meeting — to be chaired by the US president at the Donald J. Trump Institute for Peace — will be taken in the coming…

Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s defence minister, arrived in Riyadh this week to represent Islamabad at the World Defense Show, a major five-day international defence exhibition expected to host more than 700 defence and security exhibitors from around the globe. The event, organized by the Kingdom’s General Authority for Military Industries and running from February 8–12, aims to showcase cutting-edge military hardware, live demonstrations, and opportunities for industry collaboration. Pakistan’s state media, citing Pakistan Television News (PTV), reported that Asif arrived on an official invitation from the Saudi government and was welcomed by senior Saudi officials and Pakistan’s ambassador to Riyadh, Ahmed…

Beijing on Sunday condemned a deadly suicide bombing and shooting at a Shi’ite mosque in Islamabad, describing the incident as “deeply shocking” and pledging support for Pakistan’s efforts to safeguard national security and stability. The statement from the Chinese foreign ministry came after one of the worst militant attacks in the capital in years. The attack occurred on Friday afternoon at the Khadija Tul Kubra Imambargah, a Shi’ite mosque in the Tarlai Kalan area, as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers. Witnesses said the attacker opened fire at the mosque’s gates before detonating a suicide vest, killing at least 31 people…

Pakistan’s participation in its scheduled February 15 T20 World Cup match against India remains in focus, but the situation is evolving as sources suggest ongoing dialogue with cricket authorities. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has denied claims that it directly approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) to reopen talks about playing the match, dismissing such reports as inaccurate and spread by foreign media. PCB spokesperson Amir Mir stated that Indian media narratives about discussions with the ICC were “fiction” and emphasized that patience would clarify how and who initiated any communications. The national cricket team had earlier announced it would…

Barrister Gohar Ali, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has strongly rejected remarks made by Information Minister Atta Tarar, in which he linked the party to the recent surge in terrorist incidents. Gohar described the statement as irresponsible and divisive, especially at a time when the nation is mourning victims of terrorism. The controversy began after Atta Tarar made the remarks during a press conference in Lahore alongside religious scholars, held to express solidarity following the deadly suicide attack at an Islamabad imambargah. Referring to former prime minister Imran Khan’s past proposal to resettle Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters, Tarar suggested that…