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Oil imports show paltry growth

The oil import bill posted a paltry growth of over 1 per cent in the first half of the current fiscal year from a year ago, showed data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Monday. The data analysis suggests that all the groups, including petroleum goods, consumer durables and raw materials, witnessed a growth in imports in July-December 2024-25 over the same period last year.

Textile exports rise 9.6pc in 1HFY25

The textile and clothing exports grew 9.67 per cent in the first half of 2024-25, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday. The textile exports maintained a bullish trend with robust growth of 13pc in August, 17.92pc in September, 13.11pc in October, 10.81 pc in November and 5.55pc in December, respectively. However, exports contracted 3.09pc in July -- the first mont

Tech billionaires take centre stage at president’s inauguration

US tech multibillionaires — including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos — were given prime positions at Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday, in an unprecedented demonstration of their power and influence in the White House. The tech tycoons, whose companies are among the world’s most valuable, have spent the ten weeks since the election courting favour with Trump, marking a dramatic

Repatriation of profit surges 114pc

The outflow of profit and dividends on foreign investments surged 114 per cent during the first half of the current fiscal year. The profit repatriation was primarily restricted in FY24 to contain the country’s fast-depleting foreign exchange reserves. Foreign investors widely criticised the government policy, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), among other harsh conditions, asked Pakist

Trump plans pro-crypto orders within days

President-elect Donald Trump is planning to use his executive powers to reduce the regulatory burden faced by cryptocurrency companies and promote digital asset adoption in his first few days in office, according to three people briefed on the plan. Trump, who courted crypto cash on the campaign trail with promises to be a "crypto president," is expected to sign an executive order creating a cr