News

US adds Tencent, CATL to list of Chinese firms allegedly aiding Beijing’s military

The US Defence Department said on Monday it has added Chinese tech giants including gaming and social media leader Tencent Holdings and battery maker CATL to a list of firms it says work with China’s military. The list also included chip maker Changxin Memory Technologies, Quectel Wireless, drone maker Autel Robotics, and China’s largest shipping company COSCO Shipping Holdings, according to a

Yellen raises ‘serious concern’ to China after US Treasury cyberattack

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen raised concerns on Monday to Beijing about “malicious cyber activity” by Chinese state-sponsored actors, days after her department reported such a breach. The incident, which the US Treasury Department disclosed last week, happened in December and resulted in access to some of its workstations and unclassified documents. In a virtual meeting with Chinese Vi

Economic Coordi­nation Committee bans ozone-harming materials

The Economic Coordi­nation Committee (ECC) of the cabinet decided on Monday to immediately ban ozone-depleting insulation and foaming materials — polyol blended with hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) — due to climate concerns. The committee also approved supplementary grants totalling Rs10 billion. The meeting of the ECC, presided over by Finance Minister Muhammad Aura­ng­zeb, also repeated i

Shares at PSX gain 100 points amid mixed economic indicators

Bulls continued to dominate the trade floor on Thursday at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) as shares increased by more than 100 points amid mixed economic indicators. The benchmark KSE-100 index increased by 234.14 points, or 0.2pc, to stand at 117,242.22 points from the previous close of 117,008.08 points at 3:19pm. Finally, the index closed at 117,119.65, up by 111.57 or 0.1pc, from the

Year of stabilisation

The year 2024 ended more or less the same way it began, with Pakistan struggling to stay on course to stabilise its economy from the debilitating instability of the previous three years. The spectre of default retreated, inflation subsided after a ferocious three-year run starting from May 2021, the exchange rate found its moorings and the country went from one IMF programme to another with barely