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LOS ANGELES — OpenAI’s controversial text-to-video artificial intelligence tool Sora sent shock waves through the entertainment industry when the company unveiled it earlier this year. The technology promised to revolutionize filmmaking by automatically creating short movies based on written commands. For example, users could type in descriptions, such as “a stylish woman walks down a Tokyo street,” and Sora would provide up to 60-second videos based on that information. Workers feared that it was a prelude to a future in which AI displaced jobs throughout Hollywood. But until now, Sora has been available only to people participating in research, testing and previews for artists. On Monday, Sora faces its next big test as OpenAI, best known for the ChatGPT text bot, makes it available to the broader public. In the U.S., consumers can use Sora with a ChatGPT Plus subscription, which costs $20 a month. It can generate up to 50 videos of up to 20 seconds long. Customers can get more Sora usage, higher resolution and longer videos with a ChatGPT Pro subscription. OpenAI executives say Sora will lead to new possibilities for artists and creatives. “We really believe that Sora can open doors for people to explore and share their creativity visually, especially without extensive resources or training,” said Souki Mansoor, Sora artist program lead for OpenAI, in an interview. “As we know, filmmaking is very expensive.” The tool will be accessible for people 18 or older where ChatGPT is available, except for in the United Kingdom, Switzerland and countries in the European Economic Area. OpenAI said it is working on enabling Sora in those locations. The company is also preparing a free version of Sora. AI is a major source of tension in the entertainment industry. It was a key issue in last year’s strikes by actors and writers, who sought protections from the rising tech as part of their contract negotiations. Many have also raised concerns about how AI models are trained and whether intellectual property rights holders and artists are being compensated fairly, or at all, for content digested by the powerful technology. Entertainment companies meanwhile have been exploring partnerships with AI startups as a way to save money. Mansoor said that OpenAI is sensitive to the concerns raised by creatives about potential job losses, but is optimistic about the opportunities. “Sora is designed as a creative collaborator, so the hope is that it helps artists bring very ambitious projects to life without expensive resources,” Mansoor said. “We think that this is raising the bar for what’s possible in video creation.” Sora’s proponents say it could help artists test bold ideas without as many budget constraints. Alexia Adana, a New York-based creative director and visual artist, made the case that it could enable more stories from people, including underrepresented creators, who lack financial resources or equipment. “We’re in this age where you can create anything and you can learn anything, and it’s either free or very low cost,” said Adana, who had early access to Sora. “This is such an exciting time for people who wouldn’t normally have the resources to demonstrate their vision.” Adana used Sora to create a film concept called “Bloomchild,” which depicted a child made of soil and dirt who blooms and struggles to fit in. She said it was influenced by her own experiences as a person from Jamaica who grew up in the suburbs of Connecticut. “I’m able to use a tool to come up with a full-on trailer,” Adana said. “I would have never been able to do that before.” Indie pop artist Washed Out used Sora to create a music video. The director said the tool allowed him to show scenes from multiple places at a fraction of the cost of shooting on location. Meanwhile, a video that explained the origins of Toys R Us was made 80% with Sora, said Nik Kleverov, chief creative officer of Native Foreign, a Culver City-based creative agency and production company. OpenAI said Sora will have safety measures in place to prevent abuses of the tool, such as child nudity. Rohan Sahai, Sora’s engineering lead, said OpenAI has done “a lot of safety work to better understand how we prevent misuse” since Sora was first announced in February. Some artists are angry with how OpenAI has gone about testing and developing Sora. Last month, a group of artists posted concerns in an online letter about how many creators, in their view, are being used to test and promote the technology without adequate compensation. The open letter has received more than 1,170 signatures, including from London artist Jake Elwes. “While hundreds contribute for free, a select few will be chosen through a competition to have their Sora-created films screened — offering minimal compensation which pales in comparison to the substantial PR and marketing value OpenAI receives,” the artists wrote. Mansoor said that the group’s comments had no influence on the timing of Sora’s launch. She said that the company focused on giving early access to artists who would be most disrupted by tools like Sora and give them the option of helping shape the tool’s development. “There was no obligation to even use the tool, much less give feedback,” she said. Mansoor said she came from the creative industry, spending more than a decade in independent filmmaking. “I came to OpenAI to create the kinds of experiences that I wish I had coming up in the industry,” she said. Kleverov said the concerns raised by the letter didn’t reflect the views of early testers. “The AI world is already so small and then within the world, those of us who are playing with Sora — it’s such a supportive space,” he said. Walter Woodman, a director and co-founder of Toronto and L.A. production company Shy Kids, said once people experience Sora, “then everyone will see that it is not a magic bullet.” Shy Kids has used Sora to work on short films including “My Love.” Many creators who have used AI tools say it takes time to get the hang of the tools and that the technology has important limitations. “Sora can help, much like a camera, editing equipment, or great performance,” Woodman said in an email. “But without great storytelling and storytellers, it will be just a tool on the shelf. However, those with talent are in for a creative awakening.” ©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com . Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

US added a strong 227,000 jobs in November in bounce-back from October slowdown WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s job market rebounded in November, adding 227,000 workers in a solid recovery from the previous month, when the effects of strikes and hurricanes had sharply diminished employers’ payrolls. Last month’s hiring growth was up considerably from a meager gain of 36,000 jobs in October. The government also revised up its estimate of job growth in September and October by a combined 56,000. Friday’s report also showed that the unemployment rate ticked up from 4.1% in October to a still-low 4.2%. The November data provided the latest evidence that the U.S. job market remains durable even though it has lost significant momentum from the 2021-2023 hiring boom, when the economy was rebounding from the pandemic recession. TikTok's future uncertain after appeals court rejects its bid to overturn possible US ban A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok in a few short months, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the law - which requires TikTok to break ties with its China-based parent company ByteDance or be banned by mid-January - is constitutional, rebuffing TikTok’s challenge that the statute ran afoul of the First Amendment and unfairly targeted the platform. TikTok and ByteDance — another plaintiff in the lawsuit — are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court. Stock market today: Wall Street drifts around its records after a solid jobs report NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting around their records after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Friday and was just above its all-time high set on Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 108 points, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.7%. Expectations rose among traders that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates again at its next meeting in two weeks after the jobs report showed stronger hiring than expected but also an uptick in the unemployment rate. Killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO spotlights complex challenge companies face in protecting top brass NEW YORK (AP) — In an era when online anger and social tensions are increasingly directed at the businesses consumers count on, Meta last year spent $24.4 million to surround CEO Mark Zuckerberg with security. But the fatal shooting this week of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson while walking alone on a New York City sidewalk has put a spotlight on the widely varied approaches companies take to protect their leaders against threats. And experts say the task of evaluating threats against executives and taking action to protect them is getting more difficult. One of the primary worries are loners whose rantings online are fed by others who are like-minded. It’s up to corporate security analysts to decide what represents a real threat. Gunman's steps after killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO gives police new clues in hunt for the killer NEW YORK (AP) — Police hunting the gunman who killed the head of the largest U.S. health insurer are piecing together new surveillance video from across New York City and evidence left behind by the shooter. Three days after the ambush, the gunman’s whereabouts and identity are still unknown, as is the reason for the killing. A law enforcement official says police have obtained surveillance images of the suspect on the subway system and visiting local establishments. The official who was not authorized to discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Words on ammo in CEO shooting echo common phrase on insurer tactics: Delay, deny, defend A message left at the scene of an insurance executive’s fatal shooting echoes a phrase commonly used to describe insurer tactics to avoid paying claims. The words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were written on the ammunition used to kill UnitedHealthcare's CEO. That's according to two officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday. The words are similar to the phrase “delay, deny, defend.” That's how attorneys describe insurers denying services and payment, and the title of a 2010 book critical of the industry. Police haven’t officially commented on the words. But Thompson’s shooting and the messages on the ammunition have sparked outrage on social media and elsewhere, reflecting frustration Americans have over the cost and complexity of getting care. Michigan Democrats move to protect reproductive health data before GOP takes control of House LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Democrats in Michigan are pressing to pass reproductive health care legislation before the party loses its majority with the new legislative session next year. A bill to protect digital reproductive health data including data logged on menstrual cycle tracking apps is a Democratic priority as lawmakers meet this month. Democratic women and supporters of the legislation say they are acting with new urgency before President-elect Donald Trump takes office because they don't believe his campaign promise to leave abortion to the states. The rush is also a reaction to Republicans taking control of the state House in January. Democrats kept control of the state Senate in the November election. Japan's Nippon Steel sets sights on a growing overseas market in its bid to acquire US Steel KASHIMA, Japan (AP) — The signs at Nippon Steel read: “The world through steel,” underlining why Japan’s top steelmaker is pursuing its $15 billion bid to acquire U.S. Steel. Japan's domestic market isn't growing, so Nippon Steel has its eyes on India, Southeast Asia and the United States, where populations are still growing. Nippon Steel gave reporters a tour of one of its plants in Japan on Friday. The bid for U.S. Steet is opposed by President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden and American steelworkers. If the deal goes through, U.S. Steel will keep its name and its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, but become subsidiary of Nippon Steel. China's ban on key high-tech materials could have broad impact on industries, economy BANGKOK (AP) — China has banned exports of key materials used for a wide range of products, including smartphones, electric vehicles, radar systems and CT scanners, swiping back at Washington after it expanded export controls to include dozens of Chinese companies that make equipment used to produce computer chips. Both sides say the controls are justified by national security concerns. Analysts say they could have a much wider impact on manufacturing in many industries and supply chains, depending on the ability of each side to compensate for loss of access to strategically important materials, equipment and components. Here's why this could be a tipping point in trade conflict between the two biggest economies. The EU makes an urgent TikTok inquiry on Russia's role in Romanian election turmoil LONDON (AP) — The European Union has sent TikTok an urgent request for more information about Romanian intelligence files suggesting that Moscow coordinated influencers on its platform to promote an election candidate who became the surprise front-runner in the nation’s presidential election. The vote resulted in far-right populist Calin Georgescu coming from out of nowhere to take top spot in the first round of voting. But the election was thrown into turmoil after the country’s top court annulled results from the first round of voting. European Commission officials said Friday that they asked the video sharing platform to comment on the files and to provide information on actions that it’s taking in response. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.President Pruden to lead as new President to fight for the dreams of Métis

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More than 60 high school students in Los Angeles County learned to use technology to make business plans in an after-school program, which ended last week with the Young Innovators Accelerator Pitch Competition. The after-school program took place at six across Los Angeles County. The centers are run by nonprofits in under-resourced neighborhoods with funding from the Best Buy Foundation, the Annenberg Foundation and the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation (GLAEF), the philanthropic arm of the Los Angeles County Office of Education. The Teen Tech Centers aim to give area students a chance to play with the latest technology — and gain job skills in the process, according to Sam Gelinas, vice president of programs, strategy and development at GLAEF. The Young Innovators Accelerator Pitch Competition, now in its second year, furthers the focus on job skills, he said. “The process of developing a budget, developing all the assets, all of that stuff, they’re building some of those soft business skills, and then also some of the tech skills like actually designing a deck and those kinds of things,” Gelinas said. Curriculum and training for the program were provided by the Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator and Fellowship, a nonprofit based out of California State University, Los Angeles, Gelinas said. “The trainers were young and dynamic and sort of met students where they were and walked them through the elements of entrepreneurship,” he said. On top of learning to use technology to build a business plan, many of the students came up with services that center on tech. For example, the winning idea at last week’s competition was an artificial intelligence-driven ed-tech tool, pitched by 14-year-old Gabriel Cardenas. Called ByteAi, the tool would use AI to transform complex classroom subjects into “bite-sized” lessons, without telling students any answers, according to Cardenas, a freshman at the California Academy of Math and Science in Long Beach. “My teacher would give me an assignment, and it was really hard for me to completely understand what I really needed to learn,” Cardenas said. “With this, you could ask the AI to break it down and make it more understandable, and it would give you key highlights, quizzes and games.” Among the six business plans that made it to the competition last week, three others were also based on tech: a peer-to-peer mental health social app, an interchangeable lens camera with smart connectivity and auto focus, and an app to help people find healthy food options. Cardenas took home first place and $1,400 for ByteAi, while Tristen Trudgeon won second place and $1,000 for BeSeen, the mental health app. Third place and $600 went to a team of seven students for their pitch to create a community market where homeless people could work. Three other semi-finalists each received $150. Gelinas said he hopes the Young Innovators Accelerator Pitch Competition will continue to be an annual event. Funding for the program came from GLAEF, the Best Buy Foundation, Annenberg Tech and the Calley Foundation, he said.East Tennessee State University football coach Tre Lamb is getting nice reward for the Bucs’ improved performance. The coach and the university agreed to a contract extension through 2028 with a $275,000 per year base pay with incentives for Southern Conference championships, FCS playoff berths and Coach of the Year awards. His original contract in 2023 was for four years with $225,000 per year base pay. Heading into Saturday’s game with VMI where freshman Baylor Hayes is scheduled to make his first start, the Bucs are 6-5 after back-to-back 3-8 campaigns the previous two years. Lamb, who was hired as the Bucs coach Nov. 27, 2023, stated in a press release and phone interview the move shows a commitment to the program from both ETSU administration and himself. “We have had a quick turnaround to success and competitiveness in the Southern Conference in 11 short months,” Lamb said in a press release. “We have a vision of building a perennial playoff team and winning big games in our program. The belief from within our program is very strong to deliver championships to Johnson City and Northeast Tennessee.” Lamb said it was important to get the deal done quickly and the news out to recruits with the early signing period December 4-6. Lamb had been mentioned as a candidate for potential coaching vacancies. “It’s really important for retaining players. You hear coaching rumors all the time, so it’s big for those guys as well as recruits, transfers and high school players,” Lamb said. “We’ve got six defensive high school commitments and recruiting season is upon us. It’s big for those young men and their families.” Lamb also talked about building momentum. The Bucs are looking to become just the 11th team in program history to win at least seven games in a season. ETSU has been ranked as high as No. 21 in the STATS Perform FCS Top 25 Poll. “It was the right time to solidify what we’re doing,” Lamb said. “I’m appreciative to (ETSU President) Dr. (Brian) Noland, (athletic director) Doc (Richard) Sander and the administration for getting it done. You see it across the country. Texas State’s coach signed a deal yesterday. It’s a good move by the administration to be proactive before jobs come open the next few weeks.” Sander said in a statement that he was excited about the progress made by Lamb and his coaching staff in his first year. Adding the administration strongly believes in Lamb and the future is exceptionally bright under his leadership. Prior to ETSU, Lamb spent four seasons as head coach at Gardner-Webb where he led the Runnin’ Bulldogs to back-to-back conference championships and FCS playoff appearances. He explained a long-term commitment to ETSU was about more than football. “Family had a lot to do with it. We have two little girls and my oldest one has moved three times,” Lamb said. “My wife and I really love Johnson City. We need to be planted and grow where our feet are.” He emphasized the potential he sees at ETSU. He also mentioned working with the other coaches within the athletic department. “We want to build this thing into a championship contender. I thought we were 3-4 big plays away from being 9-2 or 10-1,” Lamb said. “We learned a lot about the Southern Conference and I like the stability of it. I like all our coaches across the sports landscape at ETSU. We’ve got a lot of good head coaches and staff. Any time you have the trajectory moving up, you have to make sure you don’t take it for granted.”

Boston College holds on down stretch to top Fairleigh DickinsonBy REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The picture of who will be in charge of executing President-elect Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration and border policies has come into sharper focus after he announced his picks to head Customs and Border Protection and also the agency tasked with deporting immigrants in the country illegally. Trump said late Thursday he was tapping Rodney Scott, a former Border Patrol chief who’s been a vocal supporter of tougher enforcement measures, for CBP commissioner. As acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Trump said he’d nominate Caleb Vitello, a career ICE official with more than 23 years in the agency who most recently has been the assistant director for firearms and tactical programs. They will work with an immigration leadership team that includes South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as head of the Department of Homeland Security ; former acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement head Tom Homan as border czar ; and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff. Customs and Border Protection, with its roughly 60,000 employees, falls under the Department of Homeland Security. It includes the Border Patrol, which Scott led during Trump’s first term, and is essentially responsible for protecting the country’s borders while facilitating trade and travel. Scott comes to the job firmly from the Border Patrol side of the house. He became an agent in 1992 and spent much of his career in San Diego. When he joined the agency, San Diego was by far the busiest corridor for illegal crossings. Traffic plummeted after the government dramatically increased enforcement there, but critics note the effort pushed people to remote parts of California and Arizona. San Diego was also where wall construction began in the 1990s, which shaped Scott’s belief that barriers work. He was named San Diego sector chief in 2017. When he was appointed head of the border agency in January 2020, he enthusiastically embraced Trump’s policies. “He’s well known. He does know these issues and obviously is trusted by the administration,” said Gil Kerlikowske, the CBP commissioner under the Obama administration. Kerlikowske took issue with some of Scott’s past actions, including his refusal to fall in line with a Biden administration directive to stop using terms like “illegal alien” in favor of descriptions like “migrant,” and his decision as San Diego sector chief to fire tear gas into Mexico to disperse protesters. “You don’t launch projectiles into a foreign country,” Kerlikowske said. At the time Scott defended the agents’ decisions , saying they were being assaulted by “a hail of rocks.” While much of the focus of Trump’s administration may be on illegal immigration and security along the U.S.-Mexico border, Kerlikowske also stressed the importance of other parts of Customs and Border Protection’s mission. The agency is responsible for securing trade and international travel at airports, ports and land crossings around the country. Whoever runs the agency has to make sure that billions of dollars worth of trade and millions of passengers move swiftly and safely into and out of the country. And if Trump makes good on promises to ratchet up tariffs on Mexico, China and Canada, CBP will play an integral role in enforcing them. “There’s a huge amount of other responsibility on trade, on tourism, on cyber that take a significant amount of time and have a huge impact on the economy if it’s not done right,” Kerlikowske said. After being forced out under the Biden administration, Scott has been a vocal supporter of Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda. He has appeared frequently on Fox News and testified in Congress. He’s also a senior fellow at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In a 2023 interview with The Associated Press, he advocated for a return to Trump-era immigration policies and more pressure on Mexico to enforce immigration on its side of the border.

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Trump asks Supreme Court to delay TikTok ban so he can weigh in after he takes officeA flood of investors in the spot Bitcoin ETFs push the BTC price to a remarkable high of $100,000. As BTC price turns bullish, altcoins also witness a surge in their momentum with Shiba Inu (SHIB) and DTX Exchange (DTX) set to lead the rally. Shiba Inu (SHIB) sustains its bullish momentum despite some recent drops and reclaims back its previous highs while DTX Exchange’s distinct set of features makes it a DeFi king raising almost $10 million in the presale phase. The impressive trajectory of both Shiba Inu (SHIB) and DTX Exchange (DTX) compels market experts to believe that they are ready to soar higher than the BTC rally! Bitcoin Price Nears $100,000 As Inflows Boost Spot Bitcoin ETFs Bitcoin came within striking distance of the historic $100,000 mark on reaching $99,654 on November 22. However, the BTC price has since shown signs of hesitation, struggling to push past this milestone. BTC’s price experienced a brief dip last week to around $92,500. But it’s once again hovering around $96,000, with eyes set on the elusive $100,000 target. This recent upward momentum has been fueled by a surge in investor interest in spot Bitcoin ETFs, following notable outflows on November 25 and 26. According to ETF Tracker Farside, spot Bitcoin ETFs saw significant inflows on November 27 and 29, totaling $103 million and $320 million, respectively. BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) led the charge, attracting $137 million, while Fidelity’s Wise Bitcoin Origin Fund (FBTC) followed with $106 million. This renewed enthusiasm for spot Bitcoin ETFs is helping to drive Bitcoin’s price push toward the six-figure milestone. Shiba Inu (SHIB) Finally Breaches $0.000032, Sustains Bullish Momentum After Drop to $0.000026 The Shiba Inu (SHIB) news reveals that the crypto market is now showing signs of a patchy recovery push following a short period of bearish pressure. As Bitcoin (BTC) collapsed from the $99,800 peak on Nov. 22, altcoins like Shiba Inu (SHIB) suffered. Specifically, Shina Inu (SHIB) slumped to a low of $0.000023 on Nov. 26 amid a 6% drop in three days but eventually recovered. It rode on this rebound campaign to record a 15% spike on Dec. 1 but suddenly crashed by over 7% in the days that followed to retest the $0.000026 low. However, it appears Shiba Inu (SHIB) is now leveraging the ongoing market push to eye greater heights as the BTC price hits $100,000. The meme coin witnessed a massive 14.82% price rally yesterday, soaring to a peak of $0.000033 before facing a pullback that has spilled into this morning. Market data confirms that despite the previous occasional drops, Shiba Inu (SHIB) has maintained a bullish momentum since early November. The weekly chart indicates that Shiba Inu broke above a 7-week falling wedge when it spiked 54% in the first week of November. Thus, Shiba Inu (SHIB) is set to soar in this bull run. DTX Exchange’s Presale Mania Blazes As Stage 6 Nears $10 Million Target DTX Exchange (DTX) is fast approaching launch as it concludes phase five of its presale and continues stage 6. Those who bought into it early are enjoying a 200% return as the token price moved to $0.12. With $9.5 million already raised, this is a project to add to your wallet even now. DTX Exchange will facilitate trading over 120,000 financial assets, like commodities, stocks, crypto coins, etc. What is exciting is that the exchange will support direct trading between crypto and real-world assets. Investors eager to support this project are now buying its native token, DTX. This DeFi coin is now worth just $0.12. However, once the presale concludes, this price will jump to $1, a 700% surge. The hybrid platform integrates the best features of both centralized and decentralized exchanges. It includes smart contracts, distributed liquidity pools, and an on-chain order book, striving to connect conventional financial systems with the rapidly expanding crypto market. DTX’s revenue sharing program, known as the VIP rebate program, will allow investors to earn up to 3% of exchange revenue from various sources like trading fees. The VIP rebate program’s staking feature adds an advantage for investors. With it, investors can earn up to 33% APY, among the industry’s highest. These features help investors generate passive income and appreciate the price of assets. Thus, the emerging platform is set to soar just like BTC in this bull run. Key Takeaways The spot Bitcoin ETFs see a surge in investors, which drives the price of BTC to an all-time high of $100,000. Altcoins see a spike in momentum as the BTC price becomes positive, with Shiba Inu (SHIB) and DTX Exchange (DTX) expected to spearhead the rally. While DTX Exchange's unique set of characteristics makes it invincible, raising about $10 million in the presale phase, Shiba Inu (SHIB) maintains its bullish momentum and reclaims new highs. Learn more: Buy Presale Visit DTX Website Join The DTX Community Join our WhatsApp Channel to get the latest news, exclusives and videos on WhatsApp _____________ Disclaimer: Analytics Insight does not provide financial advice or guidance. Also note that the cryptocurrencies mentioned/listed on the website could potentially be scams, i.e. designed to induce you to invest financial resources that may be lost forever and not be recoverable once investments are made. You are responsible for conducting your own research (DYOR) before making any investments. Read more here.

Sindh govt extending best support to Rescue 1122, KMC fire dept: Nasir The Sindh government has been extending the best possible support to Rescue 1122 and the KMC’s Fire Department to protect lives and assets whenever fire emergencies threaten Karachi's high-rises and industries. Sindh Minister for Planning & Development and Energy Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah stated this while speaking as the chief guest at the 14th Fire Safety & Security Convention-2024 organised by the National Forum for Environment and Health (NFEH). He stated that the provincial government has been meeting the needs of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the Rescue 1122 service. This effort ensures that both agencies have access to the latest firefighting and rescue equipment and machinery, helping to minimize losses during fire emergencies, he added. He said the provincial government was fully cognisant of its obligations in this regard but it was equally important that concerned businessmen and industrialists should also show responsibility to preempt fire emergencies. Shah said the industries and multi-storey commercial buildings in Karachi should have adequate safety arrangements against fire incidents. These safety measures should have been taken given the recurring fire emergencies in Karachi, causing massive loss of lives and precious properties, he said. The planning and development minister proposed the formation of a task force to implement fire safety laws by industries and businesses in Karachi. He said the proposed task force should comprise representatives of the government, relevant civic agencies, industrialists and businessmen to discuss and finalise the strategy to ensure compliance with the fire safety laws by the private sector. Ahmed Azeem Alvi, president of the SITE Association of Industry, suggested that the curriculum for school education and vocational training in Pakistan should include fire safety as a compulsory subject to ensure that the younger generation is trained to deal with fire emergencies. He said the government should incentivise small businesses and industries to adopt the fire safety protocols to protect their workforce and assets. Alvi suggested that the relevant government agencies and representatives of the businesses and industries should enhance their coordination to prevent fire emergencies in urban areas. Junaid Naqi, president of the Korangi Association of Trade & Industry, said that fire safety laws should be taught to school-going children in Pakistan like Japanese students compulsorily are trained to deal with earthquake disasters. He urged the industries to adopt safety laws and the latest technology to prevent the loss of precious lives of labourers due to fire emergencies. Rehana Yasmeen, Rescue Commander at Sindh Emergency Rescue Service, said the Rescue 1122 service since its launching in Sindh had attended to over 700,000 cases of medical emergencies and 22,000 road traffic accidents to save precious lives in distress. She said that soon motorcycle-based rescue service would be launched in Karachi given that emergency assistance couldn’t timely reach densely populated areas where congested roads and streets didn’t allow the operation of the regular vehicles used by the first responders. She told the audience that 79 female rescuers had so far been hired by Rescue 1122 service to lower the gender disparity in the provision of services by emergency relief organisations.