Author: i2wtc

ublic-sector gas utilities are operating with a guaranteed rate of return – a formula that should be revised to run them on a commercial basis. Photo: file ISLAMABAD: Was the launch of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government about a decade ago a blunder? This question arises when we look at the current situation. Pakistan and Qatar have recently reached an understanding to divert 24 LNG cargoes, meant for Pakistan in 2026, to other destinations. The government claims it will save Rs1,000 billion. The same stories had been heard in 2015 when the PML-N…

A Wall Street sign is viewed in front of the New York Stock Exchange.Eduardo Munoz | AFP | Getty ImagesThis 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. Secret SantaThe three major indexes are coming off back-to-back winning weeks, with the S&P 500 on Friday rising closer to records it set earlier this year. Stocks’ advances came as investors geared up for the last Federal Reserve policy meeting of the year, which is set to kick off tomorrow. Here’s what to know:The delayed…

As talk of an AI-fueled bubble continues, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio broke down how he would play the market if he were still running the asset management firm. Speaking to CNBC on Monday, Dalio said that he would play the AI game but bet more on companies using the technology rather than hyperscalers: the mega-cap firms such as Amazon , Microsoft , Google and Meta , though Dalio didn’t name names. “The greatest impact is going to come from the users,” he told Dan Murphy on CNBC’s “Access Middle East.” “So those who have the platforms for enabling or…

A drone photo taken on Dec. 8, 2025 shows a winter view in Zunhua City, north China’s Hebei Province. (Photo by Liu Mancang/Xinhua)An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 7, 2025 shows whooper swans in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. (Photo by Li Xinjun/Xinhua)An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 7, 2025 shows the winter scenery of a wetland park in Yangzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Qi Liguang/Xinhua)An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 8, 2025 shows a flock of birds at a wetland park in east China’s Jiangsu Province. (Photo by Zhou Shegen/Xinhua)An aerial drone photo…

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. SCREENGRAB PESHAWAR: Under the chairmanship of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi, a formal ceremony was held at K-P House, Islamabad, to transfer 49 per cent of the shares of the Miran Block to a consortium led by the Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL). The event marked a major milestone in the province’s energy sector, signaling the start of a new era in oil and gas exploration and development. Addressing the ceremony, Chief Minister Afridi stated that the initiative would create local employment opportunities and boost business and industrial growth in the province.…

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana and music composer Palash Muchhal called off their wedding on Sunday, almost a month after pictures of their proposal went viral on the internet. Initially, the couple unexpectedly postponed their November 24 wedding and later announced that they were calling it quits. Ending days of speculation that had been brewing since the postponement, Mandhana, who rarely addresses her personal life publicly, confirmed the development through an Instagram story. “Over the past few weeks, there has been plenty of speculation around my life, and I feel it is important for me to speak out at this time,”…

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar. Photo: File ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has refused to recognise Barrister Gohar Ali Khan as the chairperson of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The polls supervisory body, in response to Gohar’s earlier letter, stated that on November 13 he had requested the acknowledgement of independent senators’ affiliation with the PTI. The commission said the PTI intra-party elections case is still pending, and the party has obtained a stay order from the Lahore High Court (LHC). According to the ECP, he cannot be recognised as PTI chairperson and holds no legal authority in this regard. On…

Says Islamabad believes in co-existence, dialogue; May conflict demonstrated military’s professionalism ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has categorically rejected and condemned “the highly inflammatory, baseless and irresponsible comments” recently made by Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar about the Pakistan Armed Forces. In a press statement issued on Sunday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said Pakistan is a responsible state and its all institutions, including armed forces, are a pillar of national security, dedicated to safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.” The FO spokesperson was responding to Jaishankar, who, while addressing a summit in New Delhi on December 6, said…

Arshad Nadeem was the man of the hour on Monday morning when he allowed the audience to be part of history as they witnessed him launch his javelin to claim gold at the National Games. It was not lost on the 28-year-old that the crowd of a few hundred was delighted by his very presence at the PNS Karsaz ground, his throws the cherry on the top as they got to see an Olympic champion in action before their very own eyes. A robust lineup of track and field events crescendoed with the start of the men’s javelin, headlined by…

(L/R) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump stand for a family photo with other European leaders in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty ImagesTensions are mounting once again between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the White House leader accused Ukraine’s head of state of not even reading the U.S.’ peace proposals yet.”I’m a little bit disappointed that President Zelenskyy hasn’t yet read the proposal, that was as of a few hours ago,” Trump told reporters on Sunday night. “His…