NewsBytes

US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy discussed air defence weapons and escalating Russian strikes on Ukraine, according to an Axios report. Their call comes a day after Trump said he had a disappointing conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia pummelled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war across the capital, hours after Trump's conversation with Putin. Zelenskiy called the attack "deliberately massive and cynical." A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap.

A study has shown that neurons or nerve cells continue to form well into late adulthood in the brain's hippocampus, which manages memory -- a finding that presents compelling new evidence about the human brain's adaptability. Neurogenesis -- a process whereby new neurons are created -- is said to continue throughout one's life, even as the rate is considered to slow down with age. However, researchers from Karonlinska Institutet in Sweden said the extent and significance of neurogenesis is still debated with no clear evidence of cells that precede new neurons -- or 'neural progenitor cells' -- actually existing and dividing in adults. The team used carbon dating methods to analyse DNA from brain tissue, which made it possible to determine when the cells were formed. Tissue samples of people aged 0 to 78 were obtained from international biobanks, they said.

Tech giant Microsoft has announced to shut down its limited operations in Pakistan as part of its global strategy to reduce workforce, which various stakeholders termed on Friday as a “troubling sign” for the country's economy. Microsoft, while closing its office in Pakistan on Thursday after 25 years, cited global restructuring and a shift to a cloud-based, partner-led model. The move came as the tech giant cut roughly 9,100 jobs worldwide (or about 4 per cent of its workforce) in its largest layoff round since 2023. Jawwad Rehman, former founding Country Manager of Microsoft Pakistan, urged the government and IT minister to engage with the tech giants with a bold KPI (Key Performance Indicators) driven plan. He said the exit reflected the current business climate. “Even global giants like Microsoft find it unsustainable to stay,” he posted on LinkedIn.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency said on Friday it will investigate Air India Express's failure to change engine parts on an Airbus plane in a timely manner and forging of records to show compliance. It will investigate the matter with engine maker CFM International and the Indian watchdog, it said. Reuters had reported that India's aviation watchdog had reprimanded the budget carrier in March for the violations pertaining to an Airbus A320.