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SoftBank is marching ahead on its ambitions to build out a major AI operation in its home market of Japan, on its own steam and in strategic partnership with others like OpenAI. On Friday, the tech company confirmed it would pay $676 million for factory previously used by Sharp to build LCD panels to convert it into an artificial intelligence data center. SoftBank’s purchase and sale agreement with Sharp includes both the land and buildings of the Sharp Sakai Plant in Osaka, for a price of 100 billion yen ($676 million). This was a necessary early step for SoftBank since…

ZestyAI, an artificial intelligence-driven predictive analytics company, has announced a new partnership with digital insurance company Lemonade to optimise underwriting for key catastrophe perils across the U.S.The partnership will allow Lemonade to enhance its underwriting capabilities by integrating ZestyAI’s platform, which provides precise and transparent property risk assessments.By leveraging ZestyAI’s advanced AI models, Lemonade can improve its ability to mitigate catastrophe risks and strengthen regulatory compliance with approvals in key states.ZestyAI specialises in predictive analytics for the insurance and real estate sectors. Its platform utilises AI models to analyse climatology, geography, and individual property characteristics, such as roof condition and…

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Quintonil is not your typical Mexican restaurant.Clients book tables months in advance to celebrate special occasions. The World’s 50 Best list ranked it as the most acclaimed venue in the country in 2024 — and No. 7 worldwide. But once in a while something unexpected happens: food brings guests to tears.“We have hosted people who have wept over a tamale,” said chef Jorge Vallejo, who founded Quintonil in Mexico City in March 2012.He intentionally chose traditional street food for the menu — insects and other pre-Hispanic delicacies included. Priced at 4,950 pesos ($250 US) per person,…

As US President Donald Trump sat in the Oval Office on February 28 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for an explosive meeting that would reveal deep fissures between Washington and Kyiv, he was also asked by a reporter about another world leader: Vladimir Putin. In the very setting in which he joined forces with Vice President JD Vance to berate Zelenskyy for not being grateful to the US for its military and financial aid, and for not backing his attempts at diplomacy with Moscow, Trump had more sympathetic words for the Russian president. “Let me tell you, Putin went through…

Officials say US military’s Southern Command exploring multiple options, from working with Panama to military action.The Pentagon is reportedly exploring military options for the Panama Canal to ensure ongoing US access to the strategically important waterway, following a request from the White House. The Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that a US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a document, described as an interim national security guidance by the new Trump administration, called on US forces to look at military options to safeguard access to the Panama Canal. Responding to reports of possible US military action, Panama’s…

Outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede says ‘disrespect’ for Greenland must stop as US president again says he wants Arctic island.Greenland’s outgoing Prime Minister Mute Egede has called for a stronger rejection by local politicians of United States President Donald Trump’s promise to take over the strategically-located island, warning that “enough is enough”. “This time we need to toughen our rejection of Trump. People cannot continue to disrespect us,” Egede wrote on Facebook after Trump reiterated on Thursday his desire to annex the autonomous Danish territory. “The American president has once again evoked the idea of annexing us. I absolutely cannot…

Benchmark S&P 500 falls 1.39 percent, dragging index more than 10 percent below its February peak.The United States’ stock market has taken another tumble following US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose steep tariffs on wine and other alcoholic products from the European Union. The benchmark S&P 500 fell 1.39 percent on Thursday, dragging the index into a correction – Wall Street lingo for a decline of 10 percent or more from the peak. Corrections are not unusual in the US stock market, which has consistently recovered from losses over its history, though they can be unsettling for investors in…

‘LUMINARA’, the PSL’s 10th edition’s trophy.—courtesy PCB LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is hoping to expand from six to eight teams after the 2025 season, PSL CEO Salman Naseer said on Thursday. First staged in 2016 in the United Arab Emirates due to security concerns, the PSL is now hosted in Pakistan, where it aims to strengthen its commercial appeal and competitiveness. The planned expansion comes at a key commercial juncture for the PSL, with media and sponsorship rights going up for sale. PSL 2026 will also embrace new cities with Peshawar set to host its first exhibition game,…

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has withdrawn its decision to slash match fees for players participating in the National T20 Cup, which begins on Friday at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The PCB had recently reduced match fees from Rs 40,000 to Rs 10,000 without any official announcement, drawing discontent from domestic cricketers. However, on Thursday, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi intervened, rejecting the decision and directing the board’s domestic cricket department to reassess the matter. While the PCB has yet to officially disclose the revised amount, sources indicate it has been set at Rs 30,000 per match — Rs 10,000…

TURIN: Pakistan’s special athletes made a historic splash at the Special Olympics World Winter Games clinching two gold medals in cross-country skiing and snowshoeing events. Muneeb Ur Rehman led the charge, winning Pakistan’s first gold medal in the men’s 50-meter cross-country skiing event. Moazzam Iqbal followed suit, securing another gold medal in the 800m snowshoeing race. Rovina Qurban added to Pakistan’s medal tally, claiming the silver medal in the women’s 50-meter cross-country skiing event. Muneeb, who hails from Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was overjoyed with his victory. “This is my first time participating in the World Winter Games, and I’ve been…