Author: i2wtc

Rural women in suburbs of Hyderabad. Photo: Express ISLAMABAD: The World Bank on Wednesday softened its position on the poverty reduction claim for Pakistan and said that only certain segments of the poor saw an improvement while other classes, particularly the rural poor, did not see any improvement in their living standards. In a detailed note in response to contradictions pointed out in the two published reports by the media, the World Bank said that its simulation models of poverty numbers were only “useful (for) directional insights but do not carry the statistical precision”. While explaining the position, the local…

A Chipotle logo is displayed on a sign at a shop on June 1, 2025 in Washington, DC.Kevin Carter | Getty ImagesShares of Chipotle Mexican Grill tumbled as much as 19% in morning trading on Thursday after the company cut its full-year same-store sales forecast for the third straight quarter.Including Thursday’s move, the stock has fallen 45% this year, dragging its market value down to roughly $43 billion. At least five Wall Street analysts have cut their price targets for the stock after the report, anticipating investors’ displeasure with the burrito chain’s shrinking traffic and gloomy outlook.”It’s difficult to call…

Key PointsDynamix Corporation III has raised an upsized $175 million in an initial public offering, people familiar with the matter told CNBC.The SPAC may also opt to issue additional shares, raising a total of $201.25 million that will be used to acquire a company in the AI, energy or digital asset class sector.Dynamix III’s launch comes as the SPAC market cautiously emerges from a sharp downturn in new deals.A Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition company focused on energy, digital assets and AI has raised an upsized $175 million in an initial public offering. Dynamix Corporation III may also opt to issue…

Minister brands Kabul regime a proxy of India; Questions legitimacy of Taliban government ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Khawaja Asif delivered Pakistan’s sternest warning yet to the Taliban regime on Wednesday, declaring that Islamabad would not hesitate to strike “deep into Afghanistan” if Kabul failed to rein in militants using its soil for attacks across the border. The warning, the sharpest yet since the collapse of the Istanbul peace talks, marks a decisive hardening of Islamabad’s stance after weeks of what officials described as patience stretched thin. The last-ditch efforts, brokered by Turkiye and Qatar, buckled under Afghan evasions and obstinate refusal…

It wasn’t a traditional pitch meeting. There were no slides, no product demo. There wasn’t even a clear explanation of what the founders were trying to build. But for investor Oren Zeev’s decision-making process, none of that was necessary. “I just liked them, I just wanted to be close to them,” said Zeev. “So I wrote a small check – a ‘relationship investment,’ I called it.”The year was 2013, and Zeev, a former general partner with the venture capital arm of Apax Partners (which now operates primarily as a private equity firm), was working as a de facto angel investor. He…

The U.S. Capitol building, weeks into the continuing U.S. government shutdown, in Washington on Oct. 27, 2025. Kylie Cooper | ReutersBusinesses that contract with the federal government lost $12 billion in the first four weeks of the government shutdown, according to a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce released Thursday.The report, which the Chamber is sending to members of Congress, shows that 65,500 small businesses across the United States are losing around $3 billion per week from the shutdown.Companies affected by the shutdown include providers of high-tech machinery, office supplies, and landscaping services, according to the report, which was…

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Mohsin Naqvi held a meeting with Iranian President Dr Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Wednesday, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations and promoting regional stability. During the meeting, both leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, including security cooperation and the evolving situation in the region. Minister Naqvi briefed President Pezeshkian on developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, emphasizing Pakistan’s commitment to peace and dialogue. President Pezeshkian expressed Iran’s willingness to play a “brotherly role” in helping ease tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, highlighting Tehran’s interest in fostering regional harmony. Conveying Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif’s message of…

Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg attends the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024. Nathan Howard | ReutersMeta Platforms’ stock dropped more than 10% Thursday as skepticism about the payoff from its aggressive artificial intelligence spending plans overshadowed strong results.The social media giant lifted its 2025 capital expenditures guidance as it races against competitors to build out advanced AI tools. Meta now expects capex to range between $70 billion and $72 billion, versus prior guidance of $66 billion to $72 billion.CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended the company’s ambitious spending plans during…

Brian Roberts, Chairman and CEO of Comcast, attends the annual Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho on July 9th, 2025. David A. Grogan | CNBCComcast reported earnings Thursday, and it could shed light on how executives view regulators’ attitude toward a potential NBCUniversal-Warner Bros. Discovery merger.Warner Bros. Discovery, the owner of TNT Sports, CNN, HBO, Warner Bros. studio and other media assets, officially put itself up for sale after “receiving interest from multiple parties,” WBD CEO David Zaslav said in a statement last week. CNBC reported Comcast is among the interested parties.Several pundits and analysts…

Alphabet stock jumped 4% Thursday after the company reported third-quarter financial results that beat across the board and increased its capital expenditures for the year.The Google parent company bumped its spending expectations on artificial intelligence infrastructure to $91-$93 billion from $85 billion the prior quarter, noting continued strong cloud demand.CEO Sundar Pichai said the company had a $155 billion backlog for Google Cloud at the end of the quarter.”Looking out to 2026, we expect a significant increase in CapEx,” Chief Financial Officer Anat Ashkenazi told investors on the earnings call Wednesday.Deutsche Bank said in a note that there was “virtually no…