Author: i2wtc

Listen to article Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, on Friday condemned Israeli airstrikes on Iran during an emergency session of the UN Security Council, calling them a blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law. Addressing a session on the war, he urged members to issue a categorical rejection and an unconditional and unequivocal condemnation of the attacks and to take meaningful action to halt the aggression. He praised Secretary-General António Guterres’s earlier appeal for a ceasefire, declaring Pakistan’s full support for diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. Also Read: UN chief urges parties to ‘give…

A motorcycle is seen near a building of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company, in Hsinchu, Taiwan, on April 16, 2025. Daniel Ceng | Anadolu | Getty ImagesSemiconductor stocks declined Friday following a report that the U.S. is weighing measures that would terminate waivers allowing some chipmakers to send American technology to China.Commerce Department official Jeffrey Kessler told Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Taiwan Semiconductor this week that he wanted to cancel their waivers, which would allow them to send U.S. chipmaking tech to their factories in China, The…

Listen to article Leaders, diplomats, parliamentarians, students and scholars gathered at the Pakistan-China Dialogue hosted by Pakistan-China Institute (PCI) under ‘Friends of Silk Road’ auspices, focused on ‘Strengthening Mutual Understanding Between Pakistan and China and Building a Community with a Shared Future for Neighbouring Countries.’ Speakers celebrated the enduring ‘Iron Brothers’ partnership, championed a multipolar order based on the UN Charter, and highlighted President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as a catalyst for peace, prosperity and regional connectivity. https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/zfSzIXPG-NMw9Nckz.html The Dialogue was organised by Pakistan-China Institute together with a visiting high-level 5-man delegation from the Communist Party of China’s International…

Omar Marques | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesEther ETFs have finally come to life this year after some started to fear they may be becoming zombie funds.Collectively, the funds tracking the price of spot ether are on pace for their sixth consecutive week of inflows and eight positive week in the last nine, according to SoSoValue.The second largest cryptocurrency has become more attractive to institutions in recent weeks largely due to recent regulatory momentum in the U.S. around stablecoins – many of which run on the Ethereum network – the successful IPO of Circle, the issuer of the second-largest stablecoin; and…

Listen to article More than a dozen people, including women and children, were injured when a speeding bus overturned near the Razzaqabad Police Training Centre in the Shah Latif area on Friday, following a reckless attempt to overtake a water tanker on the National Highway, Express News reported. According to rescue officials, the incident occurred when the water tanker persistently honked and pressured the bus from behind in an apparent attempt to pass. In response, the bus driver accelerated but lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road and struck a footpath. The impact threw several passengers from their seats,…

Meta approached artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI about a potential takeover bid before ultimately investing $14.3 billion into Scale AI, CNBC confirmed on Friday.The two companies did not finalize a deal, according to two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because of the confidential nature of the negotiations.One person familiar with the talks said it was “mutually dissolved,” while another person familiar with the matter said Perplexity walked away from a potential deal.Bloomberg earlier reported the talks between Meta and Perplexity. Perplexity declined to comment. Meta did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.Meta’s…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, during which both sides discussed a wide range of regional and global issues in what was described as a cordial and friendly atmosphere. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the PM underscored that the escalating Iran-Israel crisis could only be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. Prime Minister speaks with the U.S. Secretary of StatePrime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, this evening.During their warm and cordial conversation, the…

Meta and EssilorLuxottica on Friday unveiled a new line of Oakley smart glasses that include the social media company’s artificial intelligence assistant. The Oakley Meta HSTN, as the glasses are known, is the latest product borne from a multiyear partnership between the two companies. The HSTN smart glasses – which are pronounced how-stun – are pitched toward athletes and have a starting price of $399. The glasses represent Meta and Luxottica’s first expansion of their smart glasses beyond the Ray-Ban brand.The companies released their first set of smart glasses in 2021, and they found a surprise success in the second generation of…

A person walks past the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 21, 2025.Kevin Lamarque | ReutersThe Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request from two toy companies to expedite their challenge to President Donald Trump’s tariffs.The ruling from the nation’s high court means that the Trump administration now has the standard 30-day window to file its response to the challenge.Two small family-owned companies, Learning Resources and hand2mind, argued that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not give Trump the authority to implement his tariffs on products from China.Read more CNBC politics coverageThe companies on Tuesday asked the…

Market volatility and geopolitical tensions haven’t slowed demand for private jets, although the travel patterns of the wealthy are changing, according to the president of NetJets. The summer travel season is shaping up to be another strong year for NetJets, with wealthy Americans traveling both within the U.S. and Europe, NetJets President Patrick Gallagher told CNBC. “In terms of what we see in future demand, there’s really been no signs of slowdown, even in this period of market volatility and uncertainty and tariff concerns,” Gallagher said. “We watch all the leading indicators very closely: How much are our existing customers…