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  • Locket App Launches Weekly ‘Photo Dump’ Feature to Woo Gen Alpha

    Locket App Launches Weekly ‘Photo Dump’ Feature to Woo Gen Alpha

    An upstart social media platform is coming for the Instagram “photo dump.”

    Locket first captured the attention of Gen Z users in 2022 as an alternative to platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. It pitches a more…

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  • Ballad of a Small Player film review — Colin Farrell is distressingly watchable as a sinking con artist

    Ballad of a Small Player film review — Colin Farrell is distressingly watchable as a sinking con artist

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    Lord Doyle is a raffish expat with a lurid wardrobe, a yellow “good luck” glove and a wan, entirely dubious English accent. You’d…

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  • Big Kiss, Bye-Bye — a work of extraordinary subtlety from Claire-Louise Bennett

    Big Kiss, Bye-Bye — a work of extraordinary subtlety from Claire-Louise Bennett

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    Midway through Claire-Louise Bennett’s Big Kiss, Bye-Bye, the protagonist struggles in vain to explain to her lover why…

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  • The $100mn cool of Comme des Garçons Play

    The $100mn cool of Comme des Garçons Play

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    The Comme des Garçons Play symbol has always been mysterious. Are those two eyes in a single heart a gesture of romance, or a query?…

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  • Review | Jennifer Lopez has style but no sting in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ – The Washington Post

    1. Review | Jennifer Lopez has style but no sting in ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’  The Washington Post
    2. Jennifer Lopez Details ‘Most Challenging Thing’ About Latest Film Role  iHeart
    3. Behind The Web: Bill Condon on Revisiting “Kiss of the Spider…

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  • Chinese scientists use AI protein language model to uncover secrets of evolution

    Chinese scientists use AI protein language model to uncover secrets of evolution


    A team of Chinese researchers have identified how different species independently evolve similar traits, revealing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in advancing evolutionary biology, according to
    Xinhua News Agency, a…

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  • Ice hockey – The greatest rivalries in Olympic ice hockey history

    Ice hockey – The greatest rivalries in Olympic ice hockey history

    Canada vs USA: A century-old Olympic men’s ice hockey rivalry

    Nothing quite matches a Canada–USA showdown.

    Canada considers hockey its national game, part of its cultural DNA. The United States, with its enormous talent pool and as the home of…

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  • Pakistani Startups Raise $15.2 Million in Q3 2025

    Pakistani Startups Raise $15.2 Million in Q3 2025

    Pakistan’s startup ecosystem continued to attract investor interest during the third quarter of 2025, securing $15.2 million across six disclosed deals

    The amount is a steep drop from $58 million in Q2, according to a new report by Invest2Innovate (i2i). The quarter’s biggest raise came from Trukkr, which bagged $10 million in a mixed equity and debt round.

    It was followed by BusCaro’s $2 million hybrid deal, Myco’s $1.5 million Web3 raise, Metric’s $1.3 million fintech seed round, and ScholarBee’s $350,000 convertible note. Smaller but notable funding came from Pakhtun Wardrobe, which raised $31,000 in equity.

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    Additionally, three startups from the i2i Scale accelerator secured undisclosed funding rounds, bringing the total to nine deals, making it the busiest quarter since late 2024.

    Unlike past quarters dominated by single mega deals, Q3 reflected greater diversity in both sectors and deal sizes. Activity spanned logistics, mobility, fintech, Web3, edtech, fashion, and digital health, signaling a maturing ecosystem. Logistics led with Trukkr’s raise, followed by mobility and fintech.

    A key trend this quarter was the rise of hybrid financing models. Out of six disclosed deals, four — Trukkr, BusCaro, Myco, and ScholarBee — combined equity, debt, or convertible notes. Only Metric and Pakhtun Wardrobe closed traditional equity rounds.

    This marks a significant shift from earlier quarters, where pure equity deals dominated. Founders are now opting for more flexible funding structures that minimize dilution, while investors are testing models that balance protection and long-term upside — an indicator of a maturing investment landscape.

    Q3 also sustained the positive momentum for women-led or co-founded startups. Following MedIQ’s $6 million raise in Q2, the trend highlights growing gender diversity, even if deal sizes remain smaller than male-led ventures.

    Investor participation was balanced in volume but uneven in value. Local investors — including Accelerate Prosperity, Salt Ventures, i2i Ventures, and several angel investors — backed early-stage rounds like BusCaro, ScholarBee, and Pakhtun Wardrobe.

    In contrast, international investors such as Yango Ventures (UAE), Daman Investments (UAE), Cartography Capital (US), 500 Global (US), A-Typical Ventures (Qatar), Plus VC (Abu Dhabi), and Tim Draper (US) dominated larger deals, accounting for most of the disclosed capital.

    While global confidence in Pakistani founders remains strong, analysts say building deeper local growth capital is essential for long-term sustainability.

    The report concludes that six startups made up nearly all disclosed funding this quarter, showcasing the country’s ability to produce investable ventures across multiple sectors.

    However, it also points to a persistent gap — the ecosystem needs more mid-sized rounds to bridge the space between small seed tickets and large Series A investments.

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  • James Webb telescope may have spotted controversial ‘dark stars’ in the far universe

    James Webb telescope may have spotted controversial ‘dark stars’ in the far universe

    The second most distant object ever spotted by the James Webb telescope may be a ‘dark star’ powered by dark matter rather than nuclear fusion.

    By looking at the wavelengths of light picked up by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers…

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  • Information minister alleges PTI-nominated KP CM ‘sympathiser’ of terrorists

    Information minister alleges PTI-nominated KP CM ‘sympathiser’ of terrorists

    Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar (left) and PM’s Coordinator on Information for KP Ikhtiar Wali Khan address a press conference in…

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