The Rumorist, Lahore (2025)

19/09/2025

Pakistan and Iran are moving closer to finalizing a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) while also activating border markets to expand bilateral trade, aiming for a $10 billion target. During Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan’s recent visit to Tehran, both sides held extensive discussions on boosting trade volumes, upgrading infrastructure, and exploring barter trade mechanisms.

Currently, trade between the two countries stands at $3 billion, with Pakistan exporting rice, meat, and other goods to Iran. Officials also stressed the importance of enhancing connectivity and strengthening people-to-people exchanges. The Joint Economic Commission is expected to convene soon to address trade barriers, encourage private sector participation, and unlock new growth opportunities in the Pakistan-Iran economic corridor.

17/09/2025

Amazon announced on Wednesday that it will invest over $1 billion to raise wages and reduce health care expenses for its U.S.-based fulfillment and transportation employees. The move underscores the tech giant’s efforts to improve employee benefits and address rising living costs while strengthening its workforce retention strategy.

This investment comes as Amazon continues to face competition in the labor market and growing scrutiny over working conditions. By lowering health care costs and increasing pay, the company aims to ease financial pressures on employees and reinforce its position as a leading employer in the U.S. logistics and e-commerce sector.

12/09/2025

Microsoft (MSFT.O) has avoided a major EU antitrust fine by offering cheaper Office packages without Teams, the company’s chat and video app.

The concession follows a 2020 complaint from Slack (owned by Salesforce), which argued that bundling Teams with Office unfairly squeezed out competitors. The European Commission had been investigating whether Microsoft’s practices violated EU competition rules.

The move comes as EU regulators ramp up scrutiny of Big Tech dominance, sparking transatlantic friction with Washington.

03/09/2025

Facing a shrinking supply of U.S. dollars due to sanctions and reduced oil revenues, Venezuela’s government is increasingly permitting the use of dollar-pegged cryptocurrencies such as Tether (USDT) in private-sector currency exchanges, sources told Reuters.

The shift comes as Washington’s restrictions on Venezuelan oil exports limit hard currency inflows, even after Chevron received a restricted license to export oil without paying the government. To keep trade and local production moving, businesses can now exchange bolivars for USDT through select banks, provided they hold government-approved digital wallets.

Once received, companies can either resell the crypto or use it to pay suppliers at home and abroad. According to local research firm Ecoanalitica, Venezuela’s private sector bought around $119 million in crypto in July alone.

Meanwhile, the central bank injected $2 billion into currency markets in Jan–July, about 14% less than last year. Analysts warn that tighter U.S. restrictions on oil payments could shrink available dollars further, pushing Venezuela deeper into reliance on digital currencies.

01/09/2025

Eric Trump appeared in Tokyo on Monday to support Japanese bitcoin treasury firm Metaplanet (3350.T) as it voted on a major capital-raising plan. The move underscores the Trump family’s growing involvement in international crypto ventures.

Trump, who became an adviser to Metaplanet in March, attended the company’s extraordinary shareholders’ meeting in Shibuya, following his recent appearance at the Bitcoin Asia conference in Hong Kong.

Shareholders approved a plan to issue up to 550 million new shares overseas, raising 130.3 billion yen ($884 million). The bulk of the funds will go toward purchasing additional bitcoin, expanding Metaplanet’s $2B holdings.

Neither Metaplanet nor Eric Trump’s representatives commented on his direct role in the meeting.

01/09/2025

Some of the World Liberty Financial ($WLFI) tokens tied to the Trump family’s cryptocurrency venture began trading Monday, according to the company. The tokens, part of a broader “decentralized finance” platform launched last year, were previously non-tradable and only granted voting rights on business decisions.

Following a July investor vote, $WLFI tokens are now listed on major exchanges including Binance, OKX, and Bybit, last priced at $0.3115 (CoinGecko). Early investors may sell up to 20% of their holdings.

Since launch, the Trump family has reportedly made around $500 million from the project, based on company terms, blockchain analysis, and disclosed deals. Trading could expand the token’s appeal, adding speculative value and generating fees for exchanges.

However, the venture has drawn criticism from lawmakers and ethics experts, who warn of potential conflicts of interest as Trump shapes U.S. crypto regulations. The White House maintains that his assets are held in a trust managed by his children.

27/08/2025

ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant and owner of TikTok, is launching a new employee share buyback program that values the company at more than $330 billion, sources told Reuters. Employees will be offered $200.41 per share, up 5.5% from the $189.90 price set in its last buyback six months ago, which had valued the firm at around $315 billion.

In Q1, ByteDance reported revenue exceeding $43 billion, surpassing Meta’s $42.3 billion and making it the world’s largest social media company by sales. Both firms saw over 20% revenue growth in Q2, fueled by strong advertising demand.

Unlike peers such as SpaceX and OpenAI, which rely on outside investors for buyback funding, ByteDance consistently uses its own balance sheet—highlighting its strong cash flow and margins. The biannual buybacks allow employees of the private company to cash out without waiting for an IPO.

27/08/2025

Amazon announced it will extend its corporate pay structure and benefits to Whole Foods’ U.S. corporate staff, fully integrating the grocery chain’s workforce by December 2026. Employees will retain their in-store discount perks until then, along with new perks like a 10% discount on Amazon merchandise and access to Amazon’s employee deals portal.

The move aims to unify Amazon’s grocery units—including Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, and Amazon Go—under one corporate framework to streamline collaboration. Whole Foods corporate staff will review updated titles, salaries, and benefits over the next month.

Amazon, which acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017, is doubling down on groceries with a $4 billion investment in expanding delivery infrastructure across the U.S., targeting small towns and rural areas. The expansion is designed to bolster competition against Walmart, Kroger, and Instacart.

26/08/2025

All eyes will be on Nvidia’s China business when the AI chipmaker reports earnings on Wednesday. The company struck a controversial deal with the Trump administration, agreeing to pay 15% of its China sales to secure export licenses. But Beijing has urged firms to curb purchases, citing security concerns, complicating demand.

Reports suggest Nvidia has asked suppliers to pause production of its China-specific H20 chips, even as it develops a more powerful replacement. China contributed 13% of Nvidia’s revenue last year, but analysts say sales from H20 chips were unlikely to appear in Q2 due to regulatory delays and Beijing’s resistance.

Despite trade headwinds, Nvidia is expected to post a 53% revenue surge to $46 billion for the July quarter—though well below the triple-digit growth it enjoyed in earlier cycles. U.S.-China tariff talks and export curbs remain key to Nvidia’s outlook.

26/08/2025

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI has filed a federal lawsuit in Texas against Apple and OpenAI, accusing them of conspiring to block competition in artificial intelligence. The suit alleges the companies struck exclusive deals that unfairly boosted ChatGPT while sidelining rivals like Grok.

Apple recently integrated ChatGPT into iOS and macOS, a move xAI claims prevents fair visibility for its Grok chatbot on the App Store. The complaint seeks billions in damages. Musk echoed the claims on X, noting Grok’s strong reviews yet absence from Apple’s featured lists.

OpenAI dismissed the case as part of Musk’s “ongoing pattern of harassment.” Apple has not commented. Antitrust experts say Apple’s dominant role in the smartphone market could make xAI’s claims legally significant.

25/08/2025

Intel has cautioned that the U.S. government’s new 9.9% equity stake could create risks for its global business. The chipmaker said in a securities filing that Washington’s investment—arising from the conversion of $11 billion in grants—might harm overseas sales and complicate access to future subsidies.

While Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan welcomed the U.S. as a shareholder, the filing raised concerns that other governments may restrict support or treat Intel differently due to U.S. ownership. With 76% of revenue coming from outside the U.S.—including 29% from China—the risk of regulatory and geopolitical pushback looms large.

The shares will be issued at a discount, diluting existing investors, while fulfilling obligations under the CHIPS Act. The deal underscores the Trump administration’s unusual intervention in corporate strategy at a critical moment for the semiconductor industry.

24/07/2025

The federal government has decided to bypass the open bidding process for outsourcing operations at , opting instead for a direct government-to-government (G2G) deal with the . Officials say the move aims to speed up implementation and better align with the country’s broader economic reforms. The Ministries of Finance, Defence, and the Division have been tasked with drafting the agreement, which will be shared with UAE authorities after cabinet and approval.

This airport handover is part of a larger push to privatize several state-owned enterprises this financial year, including , IESCO, FESCO, GEPCO, First Women Bank, and the House Building Finance Corporation. Final decisions will depend on feedback from both local and international stakeholders in the months ahead.

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