Fifa denies report of Infantino seeking Trump’s support
Fifa has dismissed a report claiming that President Gianni Infantino sought backing from US President Donald Trump after failing to sell off World Cup hosting rights.
Monday, August 31, 2026
News in Brief
Short updates, all on one page — read straight down like a newspaper.
Assistant sub-inspector accused of sexually assaulting mentally disabled girl in Lahore police station
An assistant sub-inspector has been accused of allegedly sexually assaulting a mentally disabled girl inside a Lahore police station. The victim's family claims she was brought from home and is now under investigation.
Onsemi highlights AI data center growth in earnings call
Onsemi discussed its expanding AI data center business and pricing strategies during its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, addressing investor questions on capacity utilization and cost management.
Thai baht weakens against US dollar
The Thai baht weakened by 0.13% to 33.42 per US dollar at 0210 GMT, after trading in a range of 33.385 to 33.470.
Taiwan classifies semiconductors, AI as high-energy industries
Taiwan's government has begun to classify the semiconductor and AI industries as high-energy consumption sectors, focusing on improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impact.
Children play in rainwater pond on IGP Road
Children are jumping and bathing in a pond formed by accumulated rainwater along IGP Road.
Factorial Energy and SK On to Assess Solid-State Battery Manufacturing
Factorial Energy and SK On have agreed to study the feasibility of adapting existing battery plants for solid-state cells, potentially impacting global next-generation battery production.
Greek wildfires devastate Porto Germeno
Porto Germeno is facing severe damage from wildfires, with at least five fatalities reported as firefighters continue their efforts into the second week of major fires.
PCB names Michael Smith as batting coach
The Pakistan Cricket Board has appointed former South African cricketer Michael Smith as the national men's team’s batting coach ahead of upcoming England Tests.
Pakistan, Iran commit to $10 billion trade target
Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan and Iranian counterpart Mohammad Atabak reaffirmed their commitment to boost bilateral trade between Pakistan and Iran to $10 billion at the 10th Joint Trade Committee meeting in Islamabad on August 4, 2026.
Father demands probe into son’s death
Mir Raza Ali’s father has urged an investigation into his son’s death, alleging omissions in the medical report. The young businessman went missing on July 28.
Questions alleged omissions from medical report.
Mir Raza Ali's father
Tesla CEO Musk adopts cautious tone on driverless vehicles
Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has adopted a more cautious approach in discussing the company's Robotaxi ambitions, following recent market expectations and quarterly results.
Two children die in electrocution incidents
A 15-month-old infant and a nine-year-old boy fell victim to separate electrocution incidents on Tuesday, with the former losing her life and the latter sustaining burn injuries.
China tightens chip design protection
China has revised its regulations on integrated circuit layout designs, introducing stricter registration requirements and stronger enforcement measures to bolster domestic semiconductor innovation amid US technology restrictions.
Intel China supports MiniMax H3
Intel China has completed day-0 adaptation for the latest multimodal generative model, MiniMax H3, from Chinese AI startup MiniMax, following support for DeepSeek.
Amazon’s AI investment drags on cash flow
Amazon’s second-quarter 2026 results exceeded market expectations, but the company’s growing investments in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure led to negative trailing 12-month free cash flow for the first time since 2023.
Alibaba launches Qwen3.8-Max in AI price war
Alibaba Group has unveiled Qwen3.8-Max, its largest and most capable artificial intelligence model, as DeepSeek's V4-Flash further intensifies competition over the cost of running advanced AI systems.
PM Shehbaz orders review of ministries’ performance
PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on April 27, 2026. The PM directed federal ministries and divisions to submit reports for a performance review covering 32 ministries.
Team Group profits soar over 200 times
Memory module manufacturer Team Group reported record profits in the first half of 2026, with earnings surging more than 200-fold due to high demand and ongoing DRAM supply shortages.
Kinsus increases spending amid tight IC substrate supply
Kinsus has announced plans to boost its capital expenditure, reflecting ongoing supply constraints in the global IC substrate market driven by high demand from AI and CPU/GPU/ASIC customers.
White House finalizes AI testing framework
The White House has finalized a voluntary framework for evaluating advanced AI models but has not disclosed the document, testing metrics or the start date for companies to use it.
MediaTek advances SerDes 448G for cloud AI interconnects
MediaTek has made significant progress on its SerDes 448G technology, which is crucial for high-speed data transmission in cloud and artificial intelligence applications.
Taiwan and Japan to deepen semiconductor collaboration
Taiwan's former Minister of Economic Affairs Jyh-huei Kuo has stated that cooperation between Taiwan and Japan in semiconductors will extend beyond supply-chain partnerships, focusing on joint technological innovation and talent development.
Cooperation between Taiwan and Japan in semiconductors will go beyond supply-chain partnerships towards joint technological innovation and talent development.
Jyh-huei Kuo, Taiwan's former Minister of Economic Affairs
FAA approves Boeing 737 MAX 7
US regulators have certified Boeing's smallest 737 MAX jet, eight years after its maiden flight, paving the way for deliveries following safety reforms post-crashes.
Taiwan launches startup incubation center for space industry
Taiwan's Taiwan Space Agency (TASA) has launched its TASA iSPARK startup incubation center to accelerate commercialization of space technologies and strengthen the country's space industry ecosystem.
CXMT listing raises concerns over DRAM market
China's CXMT, after going public, has sparked worries about its potential impact on the global DRAM market and competition.
Semiconductor industry faces material cost and FOUP shortages
Topco Scientific Co. senior CEO Dennis Chen warns that rising material costs and wafer front-opening unified pod (FOUP) shortages threaten semiconductor supply chains in 2026.
Higher upstream costs are flowing through the industry, while shortages in wafer front-opening unified pods (FOUPs) are adding another layer of strain as manufacturers expand capacity and compete for inventory.
Dennis Chen, Senior CEO, Topco Scientific Co.
Chinese automakers boost in-house chip development
Chinese automakers are accelerating their in-house chip development to enhance supply chain self-reliance and support expansion into artificial intelligence technologies.
China tightens EV battery reuse rules
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has abolished clauses related to the cascade utilization of used power batteries from new-energy vehicles, marking a significant shift in regulatory practices.
Sandisk and SK Hynix release HBF spec for AI memory
Sandisk and SK Hynix have published a technical specification for high-bandwidth flash, aimed at advancing the standard for artificial intelligence infrastructure.