Author: i2wtc

Sargodha AQI 344, Faisalabad 296, Multan 287, Gujranwala 274, Kasur 257, Sheikhupura 245School children walk across a railway track engulfed in dense smog in Lahore. Photo: AFP Air pollution levels across Punjab have once again reached alarming heights, with Lahore topping the list of the world’s most polluted cities on Wednesday. According to global air monitoring agency IQAir, the city’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was recorded at 403 in the morning — a level deemed “hazardous” to human health. In comparison, India’s capital, New Delhi, registered an AQI of 235. Data from the Punjab Environment Department revealed that air…

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Meta Platforms Inc., wears a pair of Meta Ray-Ban Display AI glasses during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025.David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesMeta continues to sink money into the metaverse, anchored by virtual reality and augmented reality technologies.The company reported third-quarter earnings on Wednesday and said that the Reality Labs division recorded an operating loss of $4.4 billion while generating $470 million in sales during the period. Wall Street was expecting Reality Labs to post an operating loss of $5.1 billion on $316…

A customer carries a Chipotle bag in San Francisco, California, US, on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesChipotle Mexican Grill on Wednesday reported quarterly revenue that fell short of expectations and cut its same-store sales forecast for the third straight quarter.Chipotle is expecting its full-year same-store sales to shrink by a low-single digit percentage in fiscal 2025. That’s a big change from February, when the burrito chain was projecting same-store sales would grow by a low- to mid-single digit percentage.CEO Scott Boatwright said the company is seeing “consistent macroeconomic pressures.” Traffic fell by 0.8%, the third straight…

Bill McDermott, chief executive officer of ServiceNow Inc., during the Allen & Co. Media and Technology Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, US, on Thursday, July 10, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesServiceNow reported third-quarter results on Wednesday that blew past Wall Street’s estimates, with the company also approving a five-for-one stock split.Shares rose 4%. Here’s how the company did versus LSEG estimates.Earnings per share: $4.82 adjusted vs. $4.27 expectedRevenue: $3.41 billion vs. $3.35 billion expectedThird-quarter subscription revenues, which account for the bulk of the enterprise software company’s sales, totalled $3.3 billion and surpassed a $3.26 billion estimate…

Meta AI logo is seen in this illustration taken May 20, 2024. PHOTO:REUTERS Jam Kamal Khan, Minister for Commerce, appreciated Meta’s collaboration in strengthening Pakistan’s digital economy. He stated that Pakistan is among South Asia’s fastest-growing digital economies, noting that over 75,000 IT graduates enter the market annually. Kamal noted that exports of IT and IT-enabled services had risen by 18% to reach $3.8 billion, while in the first quarter of the current fiscal year alone, IT exports grew by 21% to $1.06 billion. He said the National E-Commerce Policy 2.0 is being finalised, targeting a $20 billion market by…

The American multinational chain Starbucks Coffee store and logo seen displayed. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesStarbucks is expected to report its quarterly earnings after the bell on Wednesday.Here’s what Wall Street analysts surveyed by LSEG are expecting the company to report for its fiscal fourth quarter:Earnings per share: 56 centsRevenue: $9.35 billionMore than a year into CEO Brian Niccol’s tenure, the coffee giant is expected to post its seventh straight quarter of same-store sales declines. Wall Street is projecting that the company will report that same-store sales fell 0.3%, mostly due to weaker demand in North America.Facing tougher…

Incident occurs on Lyari Expressway as DIG Traffic’s vehicle exits Garden Interchange Karachi’s newly implemented faceless e-ticketing system has issued a fine to a vehicle belonging to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Traffic Police, Pir Muhammad Shah, for violating traffic rules. The fine was issued for the driver not wearing a seatbelt while driving, amounting to Rs10,000. The incident occurred on the Lyari Expressway as the DIG Traffic’s vehicle exited at the Garden Interchange. While the driver was behind the wheel, the DIG was not in the vehicle at the time. His squad was en route to pick him…

Alphabet is set to report third-quarter earnings after the bell Wednesday.Here’s what analysts are expecting according to LSEG consensus:Revenue: $99.89 billionEarnings per share: $2.33 adj.Wall Street is also watching several other numbers in the report:YouTube advertising revenue: $10.01 billion, according to StreetAccountGoogle Cloud revenue: $14.74 billion, according to StreetAccountTraffic acquisition costs (TAC): $14.82 billion, according to StreetAccountAs Alphabet reports its latest results, Wall Street expects the search giant to show 13% year-over-year revenue growth.The company’s stock price soared 38% in the third quarter, its best quarterly performance in two decades. It’s continued to rally, climbing 11% so far in October, topping off a quarter…

The shutdown of the U.S. federal government could cost the economy up to $14 billion, depending on how long it lasts, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday.The shutdown, now in its fourth week, will result in the loss of at least $7 billion of gross domestic product by the end of 2026 as a result of furloughed federal employees working fewer weeks, the CBO said.And the cost will grow the longer the shutdown drags on, CBO Director Phillip Swagel told U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, in a letter.A six-week shutdown will cost the economy $11 billion, and…

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wears the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, as he delivers a speech presenting the new line of smart glasses, during the Meta Connect event at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., Sept. 17, 2025. Carlos Barria | ReutersMeta is slated to report third-quarter earnings on Wednesday after the bell and investors will be watching for any indication that it will increase spending on artificial intelligence.Here’s what analysts polled by LSEG are expecting:Earnings per share: $6.69Revenue: $49.4 billionMeta has spent the year investing heavily in AI, and it conducted a massive overhaul of the organization leading…