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US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat from New York, speaks during a news conference calling on the Trump administration to release further information on the Jeffrey Epstein case, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on July 30, 2025. Oliver Contreras | AFP | Getty ImagesA group of Senate Democrats on Wednesday cited an obscure law to ask the Justice Department to hand over criminal investigative files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by Aug. 15.The request is the latest salvo in an effort by Democrats and some Republicans in…

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) announced on Tuesday that it will keep the policy interest rate steady at 11%, citing steady inflation and signs of economic improvement. SBP Governor Jameel Ahmed said inflation currently stands at 7.2%, with a slight rise observed in May and June. The average inflation rate for the last fiscal year was 4.5%. Food inflation and core inflation both saw reductions last year, although core inflation is expected to rise again in the coming months. Exports have increased modestly, growing by 4%, while remittances rose by $8 billion last fiscal year, supporting the country’s external…

As Robinhood investors await second-quarter earnings, expectations are sky-high.The online broker, known for popularizing stock and crypto trading with young investors, has seen its shares surge 177% this year, outpacing all other U.S. tech companies valued at $5 or more, excluding those that went public in 2025. The next best performer is Palantir, up 107%.Robinhood’s pop this year follows a 192% rally in 2024. The company’s market cap now sits at $91 billion, putting it slightly behind Coinbase, one of its top rivals in the market for buying crypto.Still, Robinhood was left out of the S&P 500 in the latest…

Athletes will be eligible to compete in the female category for world ranking competitions such as the World Championships only if they clear a one-time gene test in a bid to protect the integrity of women’s sport, World Athletics said on Wednesday. The once-in-a-lifetime test for the SRY gene, which helps in determining biological sex, can be conducted via a cheek swab or blood test. The testing protocol will be overseen by member federations, and the new regulations come into effect on September 1, ahead of the September 13-21 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. “It is really important in a…

ScreenX is the world’s first multi-projection cinema with an immersive 270 degree field of view.CJ 4DPLEXSinging witches and blue aliens are set to hit the big screen before the end of the year and bring in droves of moviegoers. Cinemark is preparing for the high demand by adding more unique premium screens to its U.S.- and Latin America-based locations.On Wednesday, the third-largest U.S. cinema chain announced it’s adding 20 new ScreenX theaters to its portfolio, expanding its partnership with the South Korea-based CJ 4DPlex. Eighteen of those screens will be built in the U.S.The expansion marks ScreenX’s first foray into…

Palo Alto Networks will take over Israeli identity security provider CyberArk in a deal valued at roughly $25 billion.The California-based cybersecurity company will pay shareholders $45 apiece for 2.2005 shares of CyberArk, representing a 26% premium to its share price Friday. The deal is expected to close during Palo Alto Networks’ fiscal year 2026.Shares of Palo Alto fell 7% Wednesday, building on a 5% loss from Tuesday. CyberArk’s stock dipped about 1%.Palo Alto CEO and chairman Nikesh Arora said in an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” on Wednesday that the company is entering the identity market as it…

U.S. President Donald Trump listens as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC.Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump said Wednesday that India will pay a tariff of 25% beginning Aug. 1, in addition to a “penalty” for what he views as unfair trade policies and for India’s purchase of military equipment and energy from Russia.The 25% tariff rate is modestly lower than what he imposed on India on “Liberation Day,” when he announced a 26% rate…

Customers enter a Starbucks coffee shop in New York, US, on Monday, July 28, 2025. Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesWall Street is seeing early signs that Starbucks’ turnaround is taking hold, despite a quarterly earnings miss and another quarter of shrinking same-store sales.”The focus for Starbucks’ third fiscal quarter was less on the results (which were below Street expectations) and more on proof points on the pace of the potential recovery ahead,” William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia wrote in a note to clients Wednesday.The company reported weaker-than-expected earnings for its fiscal third quarter on Tuesday evening. Its…

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg published a letter outlining his vision for “personal superintelligence” Wednesday, giving investors a glimpse into his artificial intelligence strategy ahead of Meta’s second-quarter earnings report.The company has shelled out billions of dollars hiring top AI researchers and engineers in recent weeks, and Wall Street will be listening for what Zuckerberg has to say about the spending spree.Zuckerberg did not outline specific products or applications that Meta plans to build in his letter, but he said he views superintelligence as a tool for “personal empowerment” over automation and efficiency.”This is distinct from others in the industry who…

Listen to article ISLAMABAD: In a renewed bid for regional peace, Pakistan on Tuesday extended an olive branch to India, offering to resume comprehensive talks to resolve all outstanding disputes between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, including the decades-old Kashmir issue. Speaking at a news conference in New York, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also serves as the country’s foreign minister, reiterated Pakistan’s willingness for “composite dialogue,” emphasizing that any future engagement must go beyond the issue of terrorism. “Pakistan has itself been one of the biggest victims of terrorism,” Dar said, adding that the offer was made in good faith and…