Author: i2wtc

Sharif reiterates Islamabad agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire at Afghanistan’s requestPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: File Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan is prepared to hold talks with Afghanistan, but only on “legitimate and mutually respectful conditions.” Addressing a meeting of the federal cabinet on Thursday, the prime minister said Pakistan had made repeated efforts to convince Afghan authorities that the millions of Afghans living across the border were “our brothers and sisters” and that both countries shared deep historical, cultural, and religious ties. “Pakistan and Afghanistan share a long common border. Despite our limited resources, we have…

Oracle CEO Clay Magouyrk, center, speaks on a media tour of the Stargate data center in Abilene, Texas, on Sept. 23, 2025. Stargate is a collaboration of OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, with promotional support from President Donald Trump, to build data centers and other infrastructure for artificial intelligence throughout the US.Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesOracle shares ended Thursday trading up 3% as it called for more business in core categories and confirmed a cloud-computing deal with social media company Meta.The maker of database software sees $20 billion in artificial intelligence-powered database and AI data platform revenue in the…

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday filed a lawsuit over the Trump administration imposing a $100,000 fee to the H-1B worker visas.Last month President Donald Trump announced plans that would see U.S. companies to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B visas — which allows companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in skilled occupations in various fields, including technology and engineering — in an attempt to rework the program.In a release regarding the lawsuit on Thursday, the Chamber called the new fee unlawful since it “overrides provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that govern the H-1B program, including the…

PM says Pakistan has “retaliated” after losing patience with Afghanistan over militant attacksPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang in Beijing. Photo: APP China supports countries in exercising restraint and realising a full and lasting ceasefire, its foreign ministry said on Thursday, when asked about Pakistan and Afghanistan agreeing to a 48-hour ceasefire.China stands ready to continue to play a constructive role for continued improvement in the two countries’ relations, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry, told a regular press briefing. Both neighbouring countries engaged in ground fighting and Pakistan launched airstrikes across…

Meta Ray-Ban Gen 2 AI glasses during the Meta Connect event in Menlo Park, California, US, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesEssilorLuxottica said a healthy amount of its revenue growth in the third quarter was due to its partnership with Meta, primarily from its Ray-Ban brand, to develop and sell smart glasses.”Clearly there is a lift coming from Ray-Ban Meta wearables as a product category,” CFO Stefano Grassi said on the company’s third-quarter earnings call.The European eyewear company said sales in in the quarter grew 11.7% year-over-year to 6.9 billion euros (about $8…

Several offices, mosques sealed in Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Islamabad over use of pulpits to incite hate or violencePolice, TLP workers clash paralyzes life in Lahore on Friday. Screengrab from Express footage The Punjab government and the Islamabad Capital Territory administration launched a crackdown against Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan, sealing several of its offices, mosques, and seminaries amid heightened tensions ahead of the group’s planned protests. The coordinated operation follows days of violence and comes just before the TLP’s scheduled countrywide demonstrations on Friday. Officials said the crackdown aims to curb unrest and prevent the misuse of religious platforms to incite violence and…

Former National Security Adviser John Bolton speaks to reporters after speaking in a panel hosted by the National Council of Resistance of Iran – U.S. Representative Office (NCRI-US) at the Willard InterContinental Hotel on Aug. 17, 2022 in Washington, DC.Anna Moneymaker | Getty ImagesFederal prosecutors in Maryland are expected to ask a grand jury there on Thursday to indict John Bolton, a former national security advisor to President Donald Trump, according to multiple media reports.If he is indicted, Bolton would be the third high-profile Trump foe in recent weeks to be criminally charged.Grand juries in Virginia separately indicted former FBI…

CEO of United Airline Scott Kirby speaks during the Semafor 2025 World Economy Summit at Conrad Washington on April 24, 2025 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong | Getty ImagesUnited Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said the federal government shutdown could hurt bookings if it continues.Despite the funding impasse, essential federal employees including Transportation Security Administration officers and air traffic controllers are required to work without pay. The shutdown started Oct. 1 as Congress failed to pass a funding bill.Speaking on an earnings call on Thursday, Kirby said the shutdown so far hasn’t impacted the carrier’s business.”I think that at least for…

Every weekday the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer holds a “Morning Meeting” livestream at 10:20 a.m. ET. Here’s a recap of Thursday’s key moments. 1. The U.S. stock market pushed modestly higher Thursday, buoyed by a strong revenue forecast from Taiwan Semi , which shifted Wall Street’s focus from escalating trade tensions with China. President Donald Trump threatened the world’s second-largest economy Tuesday with a cooking oil trade ban . This follows Trump’s threat last Friday of an extra 100% traffic on China — in retaliation for China putting export restrictions on rare earths, which are key elements in…

Thomas Fuller | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesSpotify announced Thursday that it will be partnering with Sony Music Group, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, as well as independent licensing agency Merlin and digital music company Believe, to create “responsible” artificial intelligence products.Although the company did not confirm any specific AI tools in development, Spotify said in a release that it is making “significant investments in AI research and product development,” including a new AI research lab and product team.”AI is the most consequential technology shift since the smartphone, and it’s already reshaping how music is created and experienced,” co-president Gustav…