Author: i2wtc

Shoppers walk through Manhattan on Nov. 7, 2025, in New York City.Spencer Platt | Getty ImagesHigh-income consumers are trading down, Gen Z is spending less, and low-income shoppers are still struggling, according to many consumer companies that shared their latest quarterly results in recent weeks.Those trends may not bode well for the big-box and mall retailers that have yet to report their earnings. That is, unless the strength of their brands — or high-income consumers who see their products as a good deal — help them transcend the gloomier consumer climate.While the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow tracker is projecting 4% U.S.…

Astronaut Chen Dong, commander of the three-member Shenzhou-20 crew, is out of the Shenzhou-21 spaceship’s return capsule after it touched down on Earth at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Nov. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Zhipeng)JIUQUAN, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) — By 5:21 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Friday, the three members of the Shenzhou-20 crew — Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie — had all left the Shenzhou-21 return capsule. They had spent 204 days in orbit and are all in good health, the China Manned Space Agency said.Chen Dong, commander of the crew, was the…

Pakistan has not suspended the Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement, but it was not processing goods clearance due to the closure of borders to avoid congestion at Chaman and Torkham borders, said senior officials of the Pakistan Customs. Photo: Reuters ISLAMABAD: The government has foiled an attempt to import Afghan-origin fresh fruits through Iran to circumvent the suspension of bilateral trade, as over 5,500 Afghan transit containers are stranded in Pakistan due to the closure of international borders. The growing number of Afghanistan-bound cargo stuck in Pakistan despite the closure of international borders after recent skirmishes highlights Kabul’s dependence on Pakistan,…

Both judges wrote a letter to CJP Afridi, requesting him to convene full court meeting before resigning Attorney-General for Pakistan, Khalid Jawed Khan arrives to attend a hearing outside the Supreme Court building in Islamabad on April 7, 2022. PHOTO: AFP ISLAMABAD: Some key legal experts have described the resignations of Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Athar Minallah — who were known for their progressive interpretation of the Constitution and their advocacy for fundamental rights and civil liberties — as a great national loss. “The Supreme Court has been destroyed with connivance from within. The nation and the…

Key PointsAlibaba plans to use “tokenization” of payments for cross-border transactions in its business-to-business arm.Kuo Zhang, president of Alibaba.com told CNBC the company would work with JPMorgan, which has its own tokenization technology.The cross-border e-commerce unit also launched new AI features to help connect suppliers and buyers on its global platform.Alibaba ‘s cross-border e-commerce unit on Friday announced a new artificial intelligence subscription service aimed at boosting the division’s revenue. Kuo Zhang, president of Alibaba.com, told CNBC the division is also looking to use stablecoin-like technology to facilitate global payments, in a move that underscores how major tech and banking…

Vendors watch helplessly as their livelihoods went up in flames, leaving behind smoke engulfing the Lighthouse area as a massive fire tore through a bustling flea market, reducing 70 makeshift stalls and countless goods to ashes. Photo: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS KARACHI: At least 70 makeshift stalls were reduced to ashes when a massive fire swept through a flea market along a stormwater drain near Lady Dufferin Hospital in the Lighthouse area on Thursday. No casualties were reported, though the damage to property was significant. The fire erupted suddenly among the temporary vendor setups, within the jurisdiction of Kharadar police station. The…

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi lauded the Green Shirts for their spirited performance throughout the series. Photo: AFP ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to deploy army and paramilitary forces to protect Sri Lanka’s cricket team after a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad raised security concerns during their ongoing tour, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said on Thursday. “And now, Pakistan Army, Rangers and Islamabad police together are managing their security, and we are providing them the same kind of protocol and security as they are our state guests,” Naqvi, who is also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, said while…

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on Nov. 13, 2025 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty Images U.S. markets had their worst day since Oct. 10. That marks a sharp reversal for the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which shed 1.65% to settle at 47,457.22, a day after it closed above 48,000 for the first time. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 lost 1.66% and the Nasdaq Composite tumbled 2.29%.The slump in stocks can partly be traced to a turnaround in sentiment regarding artificial intelligence. Tech behemoths such as Nvidia, Broadcom and Oracle slumped, with…

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua of the Kingdom of Thailand and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana in Beijing, capital of China, Nov. 14, 2025. Xi met with King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) — Chinese President Xi Jinping met with visiting King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua of the Kingdom of Thailand here on Friday, calling for joint efforts to further advance the building of…

President Asif Ali Zardari. Photo: PID President Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday signed the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill into law, following its approval by both houses of parliament. With the President’s assent, the bill has now formally become part of the Constitution of Pakistan, a presidential news release said. The assent came hours after the Senate approved the bill for the amendment after voting on it for a second time amid the opposition’s protest. The Senate revised the 27th Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2025, earlier passed by the National Assembly, by omitting five clauses and relisting and amending three out of…