Author: i2wtc
Committee suggests avoiding blanket protection, conducting sector-specific analysis of potential damage ISLAMABAD: A steering committee has decided to compile product- and sector-wise data on imports, prices and domestic production to take a decision on tariff rationalisation. The committee has also decided to analyse the impact of tariff rationalisation under the National Tariff Policy and propose targeted, temporary measures – where justified. In a recent meeting, the committee noted that tariff rationalisation was a gradual process and its impact varied across sectors. Therefore, blanket protection measures should be avoided. Instead, sector-specific analysis should be undertaken to assess the extent of injury,…
Following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the removal of its leader, Nicolas Maduro, AI-generated videos purporting to show Venezuelan citizens celebrating in the streets have gone viral on social media.These artificial intelligence clips, depicting rejoicing crowds, have amassed millions of views across major platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X. One of the earliest and most widely shared clips on X was posted by an account named “Wall Street Apes,” which has over 1 million followers on the platform. The post depicts a series of Venezuelan citizens crying tears of joy and thanking the U.S. and President Donald Trump…
ISLAMABAD: Salaried individuals paid Rs266 billion in income tax during the first half of the current fiscal year, contributing nearly one rupee out of every Rs10 collected in income taxes across the country. Tax contributions by salaried persons, in both the public and private sectors, remained more than double the taxes paid by the real estate sector during the same period, according to provisional figures compiled by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for the JulyDecember period. The statistics showed that salaried persons paid a little over Rs266 billion in income taxes, higher by Rs23 billion, or 9%, compared to…
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) signage on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.Michael Nagle| Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSemiconductor stocks rallied to start the year, led by the world’s biggest memory chip firms that are getting a boost from continued artificial intelligence-related demand. South Korea’s SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, the world’s two biggest memory makers, are up 11.5% and 15.9% respectively year-to-date. Micron is 9% higher this year. Memory is a core component of the type of chips required to train and run AI models such as those…
Highly anticipated public listings of SpaceX, OpenAI and Anthropic are expected this year, but questions remain over whether investors are willing to pay such hefty price tags in line with their valuations. Elon Musk’s SpaceX notched an $800 billion valuation in a secondary share sale in December, according to a letter to shareholders sent by the company’s finance chief, which was reviewed by Reuters. It was widely rumored that the space technology company had plans to go public in 2026 and Musk confirmed the reports last month . OpenAI, which completed its own secondary share sale valuing it at $500…
Joint communique of 7th Strategic Dialogue issued, two sides reaffirm zero tolerance for terrorism, vow developmentDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the seventh round of the Pakistan–China Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue in Beijing. Photo: X ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Monday delivered a strong and coordinated message to the Afghan Taliban, calling for “visible and verifiable actions” to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist organisations operating from Afghan soil and to ensure that Afghanistan is not used for terrorism against any other country. The message was conveyed…
This photo taken on Jan. 6, 2026 shows NIO’s 1 millionth vehicle at the NIO Second Advanced Manufacturing Base in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province. Chinese electric carmaker NIO saw its 1 millionth vehicle roll off the production line in Hefei on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)This photo taken on Jan. 6, 2026 shows NIO’s 1 millionth vehicle at the NIO Second Advanced Manufacturing Base in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province. Chinese electric carmaker NIO saw its 1 millionth vehicle roll off the production line in Hefei on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)This photo taken on Jan. 6, 2026 shows NIO’s 1 millionth vehicle…
Warns new FCC, expanded immunity and rushed passage threaten rule of law and fair trial rightsNational Assembly. Photo: File Amnesty International has said that Pakistan’s 27th Constitutional Amendment was part of a “concerted and sustained attack on the independence of the judiciary, right to fair trial and the rule of law”, urging authorities to conduct an urgent review of the legislation. In a detailed public statement issued on Tuesday, Amnesty said the amendment posed a “grave threat” to judicial independence by creating a Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) that “lacks independence, erodes judges’ security of tenure and insulates the president and…
Sui Wenjing(L) and Han Cong in action during the pairs short program at the 2025 Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, on Oct. 24, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)Chinese athletes are sharpening their final preparations for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, aiming to build on the momentum of Beijing 2022 while confronting the scale of the challenges that lie ahead.by sportswriters Zhang Han, Liu Yang and Lu XingjiBEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) — With one month to go until the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Winter Games, China is fine-tuning its plans, hoping to build on the…
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi. Photo: X ISLAMABAD: As Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) steps up its street movement, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi on Monday appealed to the legal community to take a stand for constitutional supremacy and judicial independence, warning that silence today would haunt future generations. Addressing lawyers at an event organised by the Islamabad Bar Association, the K-P chief minister framed the current political moment as a test for the judiciary and its defenders. His remarks came days after concluding a contentious three-day visit to Lahore and ahead of his announced visit to Karachi as part of…