On Thursday, shares at the Pakistan Stock Exchange’s benchmark index gained around 800 points in intraday trading. According to the PSX website, the KSE-100 index was trading at 112,285.17 after gaining 797.81 points, or appreciating by 0.72%, at 11:39 AM. There was notable buying interest in sectors with significant index weight, such as automobile assemblers, cement, chemicals, commercial banks, oil and gas exploration firms, OMCs, power generation, and refineries. Key stocks like HUBCO, NRL, PSO, SHEL, SNGP, OGDC, PPL, POL, MARI, MCB, and MEBL saw positive trading activity, according to Business Recorder. On Wednesday, the KSE-100 index mostly traded in…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
The inflation rate in Pakistan has dropped to 4.1% in December 2024, marking the lowest level in 80 months, since April 2018. This sharp decline follows the inflation rate for the first half of the financial year 2025, which was recorded at 7.2%, a significant drop from 28.8% during the same period last year, as announced by the Finance Ministry today. The ministry attributed the decline in inflation to several factors, including exchange rate stability, strict financial discipline, and improvements in supply chains. Additionally, the government’s crackdown on illegal foreign exchange companies, smuggling, and hoarding played a key role in…
The 2025 National Privacy Conference was organized on Wednesday to address critical issues surrounding voter data privacy and the state of data protection legislation in Pakistan. The event was hosted by the Digital Rights Foundation (DRF) to jointly mark global Data Protection Day and launch its latest research paper on voter data privacy in Pakistan. Policymakers, academics, digital rights experts, civil society organizations, political party representatives, and other key stakeholders gathered to discuss the urgency of adequate data protection laws and regulatory infrastructure. This was deemed particularly important in a country that is eager to digitize its economy yet remains…
Apple has officially released iOS 18.3, bringing a set of refinements and fixes to iPhones worldwide. While it may not introduce groundbreaking Apple Intelligence updates like its predecessor, this version still delivers key improvements, particularly for users of Apple’s growing Visual Intelligence features. Here’s what’s new in iOS 18.3: Visual Intelligence Upgrades Apple’s Visual Intelligence tools continue to evolve, bringing two new features exclusive to iPhone 16 users: Instant Event Detection: Your iPhone can now extract dates and times from images and prompt you to add them directly to your Calendar—no more manual entry. Smarter Nature ID: The update expands…
New York-based cybersecurity firm Wiz reported that it had discovered a trove of sensitive data from the Chinese artificial intelligence startup DeepSeek that was inadvertently exposed to the open internet. In a blog post published Wednesday, Wiz stated that scans of DeepSeek’s infrastructure revealed that the company had left over a million lines of data unsecured online. This data included digital software keys and chat logs that appeared to capture prompts sent from users to the company’s free AI assistant. Wiz’s Chief Technology Officer stated that DeepSeek quickly secured the exposed data after being alerted by his firm. “They took…
Meta Platforms announced on Wednesday that it has agreed to pay about $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over the suspension of his accounts following the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack. Trump filed lawsuits in July 2021 against Twitter, now known as X, Facebook, and Alphabet’s Google, as well as their CEOs, alleging that they unlawfully silenced conservative viewpoints. Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were suspended after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol following a speech in which he repeated false claims about election fraud regarding his defeat. Out of the settlement amount, $22…
Former Australian captain Aaron Finch on Wednesday praised Steve Smith for amassing over 10,000 runs in Test cricket. According to details, Finch acknowledged Smith’s batting prowess, who achieved this feat during the opening day of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Finch said: “Congratulations, Steve Smith, on 10,000 outstanding Test runs!” Finch extolled Smith’s efforts for becoming the fourth Australian batter to reach the milestone, saying, “One of the all-time greats!” Prior to Smith, Ricky Ponting, Allan Border, and Mark Waugh had achieved the milestone of scoring 10,000 runs in the red-ball format. Moreover, Smith…
Pakistan’s World Snooker Champion Muhammad Asif has requested Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif to release the remaining portion of his prize money for his historic victory in the 2024 IBSF World Snooker Championship. The champion cueist, who claimed the World Snooker title for the third time in a thrilling final, expressed gratitude for the Rs 2.5 million awarded to him for his triumph in the SAARC Snooker Championship but is still awaiting the promised funds for his World Snooker Championship win. In a meeting with the Prime Minister, Asif acknowledged the reward for the SAARC Championship victory but pleaded for the…
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 may begin without the usual opening ceremony or captains’ press conference, following a revised arrival schedule for participating teams. This year, the England and Australia cricket teams will arrive in Pakistan closer to the tournament’s start. Sources within the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed that teams, including England and Australia, will reach Pakistan after their respective tours. England is scheduled to conclude its tour of India by February 12, while Australia will finish its series in Sri Lanka on February 14. As a result, both teams have withdrawn from the warm-up matches, which is consistent…
The Pakistan Army has inaugurated the Quaid-e-Azam Football Tournament in Kotli, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), with participation from teams across all AJK districts. The tournament will run until February 5th. The opening ceremony saw diverse attendance, including military officers, civil society representatives, members of the business community, schoolchildren, and various community leaders. The event featured a trophy unveiling and a ceremonial release of birds. Teams from throughout AJK’s districts are taking part in the competition, which aims to provide a platform for regional athletes to showcase their sporting abilities. The tournament structure ensures representation from all districts within the…
