» Lula open to mediate between US, Venezuela to ‘avoid armed conflict’
18/12/25 23:27 from Business Recorder - Latest News
BRASÍLIA: Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Thursday he was willing to mediate between the United States and Venezuela to “avoid armed conflict.” Lula, one of Latin America’s most influential leaders, told reporters that...
» No plan finalised: FO contradicts report on army chief’s US visit
18/12/25 20:36 from Business Recorder - Latest News
Pakistan on Thursday contradicted a media report suggesting that the visit of Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir to the United States had been finalised, saying there was no confirmed plan for such a...
» Trump Media announces merger with fusion power company
18/12/25 20:20 from Business Recorder - Latest News
WASHINGTON: Trump Media & Technology Group, the struggling company that owns the US president’s Truth Social platform, announced Thursday a $6 billion merger with fusion power company TAE Technologies, in an unexpected pivot into ene...
» US stocks rise after benign inflation data
18/12/25 20:12 from Business Recorder - Latest News
NEW YORK: Wall Street stocks climbed early Thursday following a benign US inflation report while strong Micron earnings lifted artificial intelligence shares. The consumer price index climbed 2.7 percent from a year ago in November, nota...
» Germany to take in more than 500 stranded Afghans from Pakistan
18/12/25 22:25 from Business Recorder - Latest News
BERLIN: The German government said on Thursday it would take in 535 Afghans who had been promised refuge in Germany but have been stuck in limbo in Pakistan. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the RND media network Berlin wanted t...
» Protests in Bangladesh as India cites security concerns
18/12/25 19:45 from Business Recorder - Latest News
DHAKA: Bangladesh police on Thursday stopped protesters from marching towards an Indian diplomatic mission, a day after India’s foreign ministry conveyed its concerns over the “deteriorating” security environment in the country. Ties bet...
» Bank of England cuts interest rate after UK inflation slides
18/12/25 19:40 from Business Recorder - Latest News
LONDON: The Bank of England cut its key interest rate to 3.75 percent on Thursday after UK inflation eased faster than expected and as the economy weakens. “We’ve passed the recent peak in inflation and it has continued to fall, so we ha...
» Historic Afghan cinema torn down for a mall
18/12/25 19:36 from Business Recorder - Latest News
KABUL: A renowned Kabul cinema that for decades attracted the city’s film fans is being demolished to make way for a shopping mall, AFP journalists saw Thursday. Built in the 1960s, the Ariana was pillaged and destroyed in Afghanistan’s ...
» Pakistan’s central bank reserves hit 3.9-year high on IMF inflow
18/12/25 22:44 from Business Recorder - Latest News
The foreign exchange reserves held by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) surged by $1.3 billion in a single week to reach a 3.9-year high, buoyed by the recent loan tranche disbursed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), data from the ...
» Most Gulf stock markets rise as oil prices hold steady
18/12/25 19:04 from Business Recorder - Latest News
Most Gulf stock markets ended higher on Thursday, with Saudi Arabia rebounding from a two-year low, as steady oil prices created a more positive mood. Oil — a key catalyst for Gulf financial markets — held firm after reports Washington w...
» Saudi Arabia proposes to host WTO meeting in 2028
18/12/25 18:58 from Business Recorder - Latest News
GENEVA: Saudi Arabia has proposed to host a major meeting of the World Trade Organization in 2028, a WTO document showed. The request was on the agenda of a WTO meeting being held in Geneva on December 16-17, and 22 countries welcomed th...
» Gas sector reforms: Pakistan govt, World Bank discuss roadmap
18/12/25 18:28 from Business Recorder - Latest News
The Pakistan government and the World Bank on Thursday discussed a proposed roadmap for gas sector reforms, with a focus on long-term sustainability, efficiency improvements, and structural changes, the Petroleum Ministry said. The discu...
» Beauty retailer Douglas tempers growth forecasts for 2026 and beyond
18/12/25 18:22 from Business Recorder - Latest News
Beauty retailer Douglas cut its sales guidance for 2026 and beyond on Thursday, as a cautious sentiment among shoppers weighs on its core markets in the western and central parts of Europe. The German group expects sales of 4.65 billion ...
» Zara turns to AI to generate fashion imagery using real-life models
18/12/25 18:17 from Business Recorder - Latest News
LONDON: Zara has become the latest fast-fashion retailer to use AI to help create new images of real models in different outfits, speeding up the production process as part of an industry shift that could have a major impact on fashion p...
» CM Murad meets ABAD delegation, vows zero tolerance for land grabbing, extortion
18/12/25 18:04 from Business Recorder - Latest News
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday met a delegation of the Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), led by Hassan Bakshi, and reiterated that his government would not tolerate land grabbing or extortion in any for...
» Chennai Petroleum Corp to raise capacity at key Manali refinery, exec says
18/12/25 17:14 from Business Recorder - Latest News
NEW DELHI: India’s Chennai Petroleum Corp (CPCL) plans to expand its south India-based Manali refinery’s capacity to 280,000 barrels per day from 210,000 bpd and enter fuel retailing as part of a growth strategy, a top executive said on ...
» IndiGo faces India antitrust scrutiny after mass flight cancellations
18/12/25 17:09 from Business Recorder - Latest News
NEW DELHI: India’s competition regulator said on Thursday it was reviewing allegations of antitrust violations by budget airline IndiGo following recent flight disruptions that hit air travel nationwide. The airline, which controls more ...
» India bonds rise after RBI completes planned debt purchases
18/12/25 17:04 from Business Recorder - Latest News
MUMBAI: Indian government bonds ended higher on Thursday after the central bank’s completed its planned 1.45 trillion-rupee ($16 billion) liquidity infusion, prompting traders to add positions. The benchmark 10-year yield ended at 6.5738...
» IT stocks drag Sri Lanka shares lower
18/12/25 17:02 from Business Recorder - Latest News
Sri Lankan shares closed a tad lower on Thursday, weighed by losses in information technology stocks. The CSE All Share index inched down 0.17% to 22,292.57. Office Equipment and Colombo Dockyard were the top two percentage losers on the...
» Copper steady as traders trim positions, eye US data
18/12/25 16:57 from Business Recorder - Latest News
Copper struggled for direction on Thursday as traders reduced exposure ahead of the upcoming Christmas holiday and waited for a U.S. inflation report that could provide clarity on the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy trajectory. Benchma...