Author: i2wtc

2023 Prius Prime on display, April 6, 2023.Scott Mlyn | CNBCToyota Motor on Tuesday announced plans to invest $912 million in U.S. manufacturing plants in five Southern states as part of a previously announced plan for the company to invest up to $10 billion domestically by 2030.The investments announced Tuesday are broadly meant to support increasing production of hybrid vehicles, which Toyota leads with a more than 51% market share through the third quarter of this year, according to Motor Intelligence data. Most of the investments are expected to be completed by 2027.The largest investment announced Tuesday is $453 million…

Judson Althoff, CEO of Microsoft’s commercial business and then mresident of Microsoft North America, speaks during We Day at KeyArena in Seattle on April 23, 2015.Mat Hayward | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty ImagesMicrosoft made it easier for corporate workers to make AI agents that go off and do work. Now it’s demonstrating a tool that IT specialists can use to see and manage those agents.The software, named Agent 365, provides a list of artificial intelligence agents inside companies’ systems, even if they’re from other companies, Microsoft announced Tuesday. The company will present the product to business leaders and information…

MUZAFFARABAD: Faisal Mumtaz Rathore of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was elected the 16th Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Monday after Chaudhry Anwarul Haq was removed through a no-confidence motion in the state’s Legislative Assembly. The PPP secured victory for its candidate with the support of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Rathore received 36 votes in the 53-member assembly, where only 44 legislators were present. The AJKLA session began at 3pm with Speaker Chaudhry Latif Akbar presiding. On a motion by Law Minister Abdul Waheed, the rules were suspended to allow PPP lawmaker Qasim Majeed to…

US President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled special fast-track visas for people with tickets to the 2026 World Cup — but his administration warned it was no guarantee of entry to the United States. The US has promised a seamless experience for next year’s tournament despite concerns that Trump’s border crackdown could hurt fans. “For those who intend to join us for the World Cup, I strongly encourage you to apply right away,” Trump said as he announced the scheme in the Oval Office with Gianni Infantino, the boss of global soccer body FIFA. Infantino — who has repeatedly appeared…

Methodiq brand advertisement. Courtesy: MethodiqIl Makiage parent company Oddity is branching out into medical-grade skin care with its new brand Methodiq, as the online retailer looks to compete with Hims and help to address what it called a “broken medical care system.” Methodiq, which has been in the works for four years and launched on Tuesday, is a telehealth platform that will offer 28 new products, including creams, supplements and cosmetics, that address acne, hyperpigmentation and eczema. The lineup is a mix of prescription and over-the-counter items that range in price from about $29 to around $59. Methodiq combines Oddity’s investments into…

* China’s Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) has entered a one-month countdown to launching island-wide special customs operations.* Hainan FTP’s strategic position and policy flexibility have made it significant to the country’s long-term plan to advance its opening-up at the institutional level.* The anticipated policy certainty, especially in terms of tariffs, market access and tax incentives, enhances the FTP’s growing appeal as both an investment destination and a springboard into China’s broader market.HAIKOU, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) — China’s Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) has entered a one-month countdown to launching island-wide special customs operations, a major milestone in the opening-up…

Different sectors owe government gas infrastructure development cess worth over Rs450b ISLAMABAD: The gas infrastructure development cess (GIDC) dispute is once again being debated in government circles as the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has urged fertiliser companies to pay the levy. The government has to receive over Rs450 billion from different sectors on account of GIDC, imposed to build mega pipeline projects. The Supreme Court had directed all sectors to pay the cess in instalments during the tenure of the previous Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government. Fertiliser manufacturers had collected billions of rupees in GIDC from farmers but did not deposit…

Stocks on display at the Nasdaq on Sept. 10, 2025. Danielle DeVries | CNBCThis is CNBC’s Morning Squawk newsletter. Subscribe here to receive future editions in your inbox.Here are five key things investors need to know to start the trading day:1. Bets are offThe stock market dropped yesterday, with technology stocks once again leading the charge lower. Wall Street appears to be taking risk off the table ahead of earnings reports from well-known companies and economic data coming later this week.Here’s the full rundown:The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 each recorded their third straight day of losses. Monday’s declines also…

Pakistan’s search for a first international victory since 2023 goes on after Nolberto Solano’s men were handed a 5-0 thrashing by Syria in their penultimate qualifier for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup at the Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on Tuesday. Having drawn their last two matches against Afghanistan, Pakistan were looking to trump the odds against the side that had already secured top spot in Group ‘E’ and a spot at the continental showpiece in Saudi Arabia. In they end, they were comfortably beaten by a Syrian team, missing several regulars, as Mohammad Al-Hallaq scored a brace; his goals coming…

Epstein abuse survivor Lisa Phillips speaks during a news conference with lawmakers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Heather Diehl | Getty ImagesThe House on Tuesday is expected to vote to order the Department of Justice to release all of its files on notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, two days after President Donald Trump abruptly dropped his opposition to the bipartisan bill.The measure is set to come up during the chamber’s first vote series of the day around 2 p.m. ET, NBC News reported.”Almost everybody” will vote to pass…