WUF13 in Baku highlights public-private cooperation on sustainable urban development
The World Urban Forum 13 (WUF13) in Baku has placed a strong emphasis on strengthening cooperation between the pub...
Pakistan is positioning itself as a major tech hub, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announcing a $700 million IT investment and urging global investors to capitalize on the country's digital growth.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reaffirmed Pakistan’s goal of becoming a global leader in technology, as he announced that the country is ready to leverage its digital infrastructure and vast talent pool to attract international investment. Speaking at the inaugural Digital Foreign Direct Investment (DFDI) conference in Islamabad, Sharif invited global investors to explore the growing opportunities in Pakistan’s IT sector.
The DFDI conference, the first of its kind in Pakistan, saw the participation of delegates from 45 countries and more than 75 foreign investors, including CEOs of over 50 global companies. Sharif highlighted the government's efforts in creating an enabling environment for IT investment, citing the establishment of IT parks, incubation centers, and a research and development ecosystem across federal and provincial levels.
“We are not just waiting for the future, we are shaping it,” said Sharif, emphasizing the country’s readiness to lead the global digital economy.
With over 60% of Pakistan’s population under 30, Sharif stressed that the country's youth are its most valuable asset. To further enhance skills, Huawei has partnered with the government to train 200,000 young Pakistanis in digital skills through a joint development program.
“Pakistan’s youth – over 100 million strong – is our greatest digital asset,” said Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of IT and Telecommunication, who also spoke at the conference. “Under the prime minister’s supervision, we have trained over 300,000 young professionals this year alone.”
Pakistan’s IT exports are on track to surpass $4 billion this year, marking a significant milestone in the country’s digital transformation. With the country’s expanding broadband network, 65% smartphone penetration, and increasing foreign remittances, Sharif believes the digital economy is poised for rapid growth.
“We’re not just building a digital economy; we’re creating a digital Pakistan,” the prime minister said, inviting global investors to join the country's journey toward a tech-driven future.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
Azerbaijan and Georgia have agreed to resume daily passenger train services on the Baku-Tbilisi-Baku route from 26 May, 2026, marking a major step in restoring regional rail connectivity after services were suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Day four of the World Urban Forum (WUF) in Baku brings a packed agenda on sustainable cities and the global housing crisis, with sessions on green housing, smart cities, public spaces and urban rights taking place on Wednesday (20 May) at Baku Olympic Stadium in Azerbaijan.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya warned on Tuesday (19 May) that Moscow could retaliate against Baltic states if Ukraine launches military drones from that region. Latvia, the United States and Ukraine responded strongly during a UN Security Council meeting.
Russia is considering the possibility of joint projects with the United States and China, Kirill Dmitriev, Head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, (Russia's sovereign wealth fund), was quoted as saying by state media on Wednesday.
Anxiety over artificial intelligence is hardening among young workers as executives promote faster adoption and companies point to automation in fresh job cuts.
Hackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to detect software vulnerabilities, reducing the time organisations have to respond to cyber threats, Verizon said in its annual data breach report.
China has launched the world’s first experiment to study how artificial human embryos develop in space, marking a major step in understanding whether humans could one day reproduce beyond Earth.
Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada has said that the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to “jump straight to the result” risks undermining the purpose of art, which he believes should be rooted in self-expression and a deeper understanding of the world.
The Spanish government has issued a defiant message to Silicon Valley, confirming it will push ahead with stringent new legislation designed to make social networks and Artificial Intelligence (AI) demonstrably safer.
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