Author: i2wtc

In this Club Check-in, CNBC’s Paulina Likos and Zev Fima break down big tech’s massive artificial intelligence spending spree — debating whether these billion-dollar bets will drive long-term cost savings or weigh on near-term returns.Mega-cap tech companies are shelling out billions of dollars to build out AI infrastructure. The big question we’re asking is whether all this heavy spending will eventually pay off in efficiency or if Wall Street is right to worry about how much they’re burning through in the short term.Concerns about AI-stock valuations seeped into the market this week and slammed stocks.Many major tech companies —including the…

ISLAMABAD: The government has deferred approval of a budget exceeding Rs5.4 billion for payments to foreign consultants hired to prepare policies and investment-grade documents aimed at attracting foreign investment from Gulf countries. Approval for the funds, mainly for American consultancy firm AT Kearney and any other new foreign consultancy hiring, has been sought through a development scheme. The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), headed by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, this week postponed approval of the “enhancement of capacity of federal government entities in preparation of policy, programmes and projects” by foreign consultants. The funding is proposed from the Public Sector…

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi attends the Grand Peace Jirga along with tribal elders in Peshawar on Saturday. Photo: X PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government will hold a peace jirga on November 12 to address the deteriorating security situation in the province, with the federal government accepting its invitation to participate. Announcing the jirga at a press conference with local Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders in Peshawar on Thursday, K-P Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati reiterated that no new military operation would be permitted in the province. Flanked by Special Assistant to the Chief Minister on Information Shafi Jan, PTI’s K-P…

Almost a year into the second Trump administration, public sector leaders and cybersecurity experts say budget cuts and gutting of federal agencies are weakening critical lines of government communication to help companies prepare and respond to cyberattacks, even as AI threats are rising.The most recent assessment of cybersecurity, based on the goals set forward by the bipartisan U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, found that the U.S. was slipping in its progress toward 82 goals to create a strong cyber defense. “We were surprised and disappointed,” said Ret. Admiral Mark Montgomery, the executive director of Cybersolarium.org. The goals include things like reducing…

Police officers walk past the Supreme Court of Pakistan building, in Islamabad, Pakistan April 6, 2022. REUTERS ISLAMABAD: As the federal government is likely to table the 27th Constitution Amendment Bill in parliament today (Friday), all eyes are on the Supreme Court judges and their response to the proposed creation of the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), which would serve as the country’s apex court. The Supreme Court is likely to be converted into an appellate court through the 27th constitutional amendment. It is learnt that the government is considering allocating the premises of the Federal Shariat Court (FSC) to either…

Courtesy: Archer AviationArcher Aviation’s stock plummeted 12% after a share sale overshadowed a narrower-than-expected third-quarter loss.The company posted a net loss $129.9 million, narrower than the FactSet estimate of a $178.6 million loss.However, Archer disclosed a $650 million stock offering for 81.25 million shares to support its $126 million acquisition of Hawthorne Airport in Los Angeles as a hub for air taxi operations there. Archer was chosen as the official air taxi provider for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.The move would dilute the value of the stock for existing shareholders. The weighted average for Archer shares outstanding has grown…

An EBT sign is displayed on the window of a grocery store on Oct. 30, 2025 in the Flatbush neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough in New York City.Michael M. Santiago | Getty ImagesThe Trump administration asked a federal appeals court to issue an emergency block on a judge’s order that it pay 42 million Americans their full SNAP benefits for November by Friday.The administration requested that the 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals allow it to pay 65 percent of the food stamp benefits this month from a contingency fund, as the administration had proposed earlier this week.The request came…

Travelers wait in line at a security checkpoint at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Illinois on November 7 2025. Kamil Krzaczynski | Afp | Getty ImagesU.S. airlines started cancelling hundreds of flights on Friday, hours after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered the cuts amid the more-than-monthlong government shutdown.The cuts were ordered as air traffic controllers have missed their paychecks due to the government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history. Air traffic control staffing shortages have been disrupting flights at several major U.S. airports, vexing travelers and airline executives alike.The sudden flight cuts this week forced airlines to scramble with…

The commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony of the Fujian, China’s first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults, is held at a naval port in Sanya City, south China’s Hainan Province, on Nov. 5, 2025. The Fujian was launched in June 2022 and named after Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang)The commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony of the Fujian, China’s first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults, is held at a naval port in Sanya City, south China’s Hainan Province, on Nov. 5, 2025. The Fujian was launched in June 2022 and named after Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Li Gang)The commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony of the Fujian,…

Cross-border commerce worth billions stalled as Pak-Afghan trade remains suspendedTorkham border. Photo: file KHYBER: The Torkham border crossing, one of Pakistan’s busiest trade gateways with Afghanistan, remained closed for commercial traffic for the 26th consecutive day on Wednesday, disrupting bilateral trade and leaving thousands of cargo vehicles stranded on both sides. According to Customs officials, the continued closure has caused long lines of cargo trucks stretching across several kilometres, with import, export and transit consignments stuck at multiple points. Authorities said that under normal circumstances, Pakistan exports cement, pharmaceuticals, textiles and fresh fruits and vegetables to Afghanistan, while importing coal,…