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A highly respected advocate of women’s education and empowerment, Her Excellency takes pride in industry-aligned programs and global engagements that advance women’s leadershipEducation is a known catalyst for change. And while trailblazers have carved out the path for more women to break into leadership — whether in academia, business, or beyond — creating real opportunities requires institutions and environments that support and nurture future leaders.One such champion of this vision is Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi. Currently, she sits as the chairperson of the board of trustees and president of the American University of Sharjah (AUS) while…

As China’s political elite gather for the country’s annual legislative sessions in March, we examine the broader forces likely to influence policies for the coming year – and how decision-makers will respond to the unpredictable second term of US President Donald Trump. In the sixth part of a series, Frank Chen reports on China’s first privately owned high-speed railways and how they reflect the wider challenges facing the private sector.When the first bullet train roared along a new high-speed rail line in eastern China’s Zhejiang province in September, the project’s investors were ecstatic.The 350km/h railway would not only slash travel…

Rupee’s Performance Against US Dollar Since 15 Jan 2025 The Pakistani rupee recorded marginal decline against the US dollar, depreciating 0.05% in the inter-bank market on Friday. At close, the rupee settled at 279.97, a loss of Re0.15 against the greenback. On Thursday, the rupee had closed at 279.82. Internationally, the US dollar wallowed near a four-month low on Friday as ever-shifting tariff policies fanned uncertainty and increased concern about growth prospects for the world’s largest economy, leaving investors grasping for jobs data due later in the day. Another reprieve of levies aimed at Mexico and Canada announced by US…

Buying rally continued at the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX), with the benchmark KSE-100 Index closing the final session of the week with a gain of nearly 700 points. The bourse maintained a positive trend throughout the trading session, with the benchmark index hitting an intra-day high of 114,721.58. At close, the KSE-100 Index settled at 114,398.69 level, an increase of 685.52 points or 0.6%. Buying was observed in key sectors including commercial banks, fertilizer, oil and gas exploration companies, OMCs, power generation and refinery. Index-heavy stocks including ARL, NRL, HUBCO, PSO, SNGPL, POL, PPL, HBL, MCB and NBP traded in…

In line with market expectations, shares of Barkat Frisian Agro Limited (BFAGRO) surged by the maximum allowed 10% in its debut public trade, hitting the upper limit of Rs20.02 per share at the opening of the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) at 9:17am today (Friday, March 7). BFAGRO’s share price opened at Rs20.02, marking an increase of Rs1.82 or 10%, compared to its Initial Public Offering (IPO) price of Rs18.2 per share. The stock recorded trade in 10,642 shares at the cap price this morning with the benchmark KSE-100 Index gaining 867 points to hover at 114,580 points at 9:31am. BFAGRO…

Non-oil trade between the UAE and the Central African Republic reached over AED925 million in 2024The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and the Central African Republic is set to boost bilateral trade to over AED3.67 billion ($1 billion) over the next five to seven years, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, said.He noted that non-oil trade between the UAE and the Central African Republic continues to grow, reaching over AED925 million in 2024, highlighting the rapid expansion of trade exchanges between the two countries.The CEPA reflects the leadership’s commitment to enhancing…

Trump’s tariff plans have caused the stock market to sink and alarmed U.S. consumersUS President Donald Trump on Thursday delayed 25 percent tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada for a month, bringing reprieve to companies and consumers after blowback on financial markets.Trump’s tariff plans have caused the stock market to sink and alarmed U.S. consumers.Trump has insisted that the tariffs could be resolved by fixing the trade deficit. He emphasized while speaking in the Oval Office that he still plans to impose “reciprocal” tariffs starting on April 2.Read: China, Canada strike back at Trump’s tariffs:…

China’s export growth slowed in the first two months of 2025 compared to the end of 2024, a slackening observed after a late-year rush to front-load shipments ahead of additional tariffs from the United States that have since been enacted.Exports rose by 2.3 per cent from a year earlier to US$539.94 billion in the combined figures for January and February, according to customs data released on Friday.This represented a significant drop from the 10.7 per cent recorded in December and the 7.1 per cent seen over the same period in 2024.Zhiwei Zhang, president and chief economist at Pinpoint Asset Management,…

A general view of the container terminal in Qianwan of Qingdao Port, a port in Shandong Province, China, March 17, 2023. CFOTO | Future Publishing | Getty ImagesChina’s exports growth slowed more than expected at the start of the year, data from the customs authority showed Friday, as higher U.S. tariffs partly offset momentum in the country’s rare bright spot.Exports in the January to February period rose 2.3% in U.S. dollar terms from a year earlier, significantly undershooting expectations of a 5% increase in a Reuters poll.That marked the slowest growth since April last year when exports increased by just 1.5%…

Broadcom shares were rewarded Thursday evening after the chipmaker delivered the kind of quarterly beats and strong guidance needed to ease investor fears about a potential slowdown in artificial intelligence semiconductor spending. Revenue in Broadcom’s fiscal 2025 first quarter increased 25% year over year to $14.92 billion, beating the consensus forecast of $14.61 billion, according to estimates compiled by LSEG. Adjusted earnings per share increased 45% from the year-ago period to $1.60, which exceeded the $1.49 expected, LSEG data showed. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew 41% year over year to $10.08 billion in the quarter,…