Author: i2wtc
ISLAMABAD: For the first time, the federal government has challenged the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) judgement which had upheld the validity of legislation enacted by the Balochistan Assembly, empowering the provincial government to levy excise duty on minerals to fund labour welfare in the mining sector. The federal government through law ministry has filed a review petition against December 11, 2025 judgement which was authored by FCC judge Justice Aamer Farooq. The decision settled a constitutional challenge to amendments introduced through the Balochistan Finance Act, 2020, affirming the province’s legislative competence to impose the levy and reinforcing the post 18th…
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan. Photo: File ISLAMABAD: The PTI has decided to organise a major power show in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa later this month after postponing its planned April 9 rally in Rawalpindi. The decision follows a meeting between Imran Khan’s lawyer, Barrister Salman Safdar, and the PTI founder at Adiala Jail on April 8, the first substantive interaction after nearly three months. During the session, Imran Khan directed the party to postpone the Rawalpindi gathering in view of the sensitive US-Iran talks taking place in Islamabad, emphasizing the need to support Pakistan’s diplomatic peace efforts. While addressing a news conference…
The Trump administration is increasingly on a collision course with the European Union over Big Tech fines.Google, Apple and Meta are contesting fines from the EU over violations of the bloc’s antitrust and competition laws, which total over 6 billion euros, or $7 billion, since the start of 2024.They’re an increasing bone of contention, as both companies and the White House say the fines reflect the bloc’s hostility to innovation, while the EU tells CNBC that its tough line is getting companies to make decisions that benefit consumers.Six fines have been imposed since 2024:March 2024: Apple fined €1.84 billion under…
PM, CDF discuss mediation efforts, Capital under unprecedented security lockdown, dialogue being closely monitoredUS imposed new sanctions on Iran . PHOTO: ANADOLU ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is set to host what could prove to be one of the most consequential diplomatic engagements in recent history, as senior leaders from the United States and Iran arrive in Islamabad for high-stakes negotiations following a devastating six-week war that has left thousands dead and pushed the global economy to the brink of recession. Just three days after a fragile and hard-won ceasefire, the talks, scheduled for Friday, aim to determine whether the tenuous truce can…
Kevin Warsh, Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution and lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, speaks during the Sohn Investment Conference in New York City, U.S., May 8, 2017. Brendan McDermid | ReutersAn expected nomination hearing for Federal Reserve chair candidate Kevin Warsh has been delayed, a person familiar with the matter told CNBC on Thursday evening.Warsh had been set to appear before the Senate Banking Committee on April 16. That won’t happen, but the hearing is still expected soon, the person said, requesting anonymity as the details have not been made public by the committee.The committee’s…
DPM appreciates Saudi Arabia’s continued support for Pakistan’s efforts towards achieving lasting peaceDeputy Prime Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar discussed current situation of region with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin. PHOTO: RADIO PAKISTAN Pakistan and Saudi Arabia expressed deep concern over ceasefire violations in Lebanon on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA). The concern was raised during a telephone conversation between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the statement said. Dar appreciated Saudi Arabia’s continued support for Pakistan’s efforts towards achieving lasting peace. Both leaders stressed the…
A mechanical hand is on display at the Robot Mall, world’s first embodied intelligent robot 4S store, on August 13, 2025 in Beijing, China. Vcg | Visual China Group | Getty ImagesBEIJING — Alibaba Cloud is investing in a new type of artificial intelligence designed to better replicate the real world using a different approach from chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT.The shift recognizes the limits of “large language models” trained primarily on text. Instead, developers are starting to focus more on “world models” built on videos and real-life physical scenarios.To jump on the trend, Alibaba led a 2 billion yuan…
Interior minister meets US Charge d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie Baker, discusses arrangements for high-level talksInterior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and US Charge d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie Baker. SCREENGRAB Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assured US Charge d’Affaires to Pakistan Natalie Baker on Thursday of foolproof security ahead of the arrival of high-level foreign delegations in Islamabad on Friday for the US-Iran ceasefire talks. The meeting came a day after Pakistan brokered a US‑Iran two‑week ceasefire. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Iran and the US, along with their allies, had agreed to an immediate ceasefire ‘everywhere, including Lebanon,’ effective immediately. He invited…
Both leaders express satisfaction over de-escalation achieved so far, underscore importance of maintaining ceasefireField Marshal Asim Munir calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday. Photo: PMO Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir on Thursday reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to providing complete support to Iran and the United States in reaching a peace agreement following their earlier two-week ceasefire. Earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister announced that Iran and the US, along with their allies, had agreed to an immediate ceasefire “everywhere, including…
A US Postal Service (USPS) post office is near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 5, 2025.Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty ImagesThe U.S. Postal Service, citing what it called a “severe financial crisis,” on Thursday announced a proposed set of price hikes across its mail products, which would include a four-cent increase on First-Class Mail Forever stamps.The increases, if approved, would lead to a first-class stamp costing 82 cents, effective July 12.The agency’s proposal to the Postal Regulatory Commission would increase costs to mail letters and postcards by 4.8% if approved. The proposal…