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Punjab moves to cut stamp duty on property transactions from 3% to 1%
The Punjab government on Thursday issued the Stamp (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, reducing stamp duty on immovable property transactions from 3% to 1% across the province following approval from Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan. According to a notification published in the Punjab Gazette, stated that ordinance sought to amend the Stamp Act 1899 to address disparities between urban and rural tax rates and streamline property transfer regulations. "Under the revised framework, stamp dut...
Gold, silver prices move up in Pakistan tracking global trends
Gold and Silver prices rose on Thursday in Pakistan, supported by a weaker dollar and lower US ‌Treasury yields, as investors grew optimistic about a potential end to the Middle East war, which has stoked fears of higher inflation. Spot gold rose 0.9% to $4,830.82 per ounce by 0455 GMT. US gold futures for June delivery gained 0.6% to $4,853.40. Following international market trends, gold and silver prices in Pakistan recorded further increases, with the price of 24-carat gold per tola r...
Major UK delivery company plunges into administration after angry reviews online
Major UK delivery company plunges into administration after angry reviews onlineThe business has been focused on providing a emission-free delivery service to help retailers to give same-hour, same-day or next-day delivery to customers, but has received mixed reviews onlineNewsTannur Anders UK & World News Reporter03:32, 16 Apr 2026Updated 03:34, 16 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesPackage delivery (file image)(Image: Getty)Delivery services business Quiver Delivery LTD has been appointed liquidators af...
Abbott to pay $70M over infant formula risks
Abbott to pay M over infant formula risks
China's economy grows faster than expected despite Iran war
China's economy grows faster than expected despite Iran warJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleOsmond ChiaBusiness reporterGetty ImagesChina's economy grew faster than expected in the first three months of the year, even as countries around the world feel the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran.Gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 5% in the period, compared to a year earlier, according to official data. Economists had expected the figure to come it at around 4.8%.That came des...
Oil price today: Crude dips to $90 amid hopes of Middle East de escalation
Oil prices eased as hopes for de-escalation in US-Iran tensions emerged, with Iran suggesting passage through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz if an agreement is reached. Despite optimism for diplomatic progress, the US warned of increased economic pressure if Iran remains defiant, while waivers for Iranian oil purchases will not be extended.
HSBC’s George Sees Prolonged Energy Market Volatility
Patrick George, Global Head of Markets and Securities Services at HSBC, says disruptions from the Iran conflict will continue to put pressure on energy markets. However, he says the financial sector is well equipped to navigate the uncertainty, while gold as an asset class for diversification is likely to trend higher. (Source: Bloomberg)
China records 5% GDP growth in first quarter, on track for annual target
China’s economy grew 5 per cent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, putting Beijing on track to meet its annual growth target even as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to cloud the global economic outlook. The closely watched gross domestic product growth figure, released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Thursday, beat the 4.86 per cent forecast by economists polled by financial data provider Wind. It marked an acceleration from the 4.5 per cent recorded in the last three....
Dubai gold sales get a boost from jewellers’ discounts for residents
Gold jewellers in Dubai and across the UAE have decreased making charges to boost sales, as their dependence on residents grows amid a drop in tourist demand.In addition, gold jewellers are pinning hopes on the Akshaya Tritiya festival, which will be marked on April 19, to boost sales this week.On Wedenesday evening, 24K, 22K and 21K gold were trading at Dh578.0, Dh535.25 and Dh513.25 per gram, respectively.Jewellers have reduced making charges to zero on some ornaments, especially ahead of Aksh...
Allbirds shares soar after pivot from footwear to AI
Allbirds shares soar after pivot from footwear to AIJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleOsmond ChiaBusiness reporterAllbirdsShares in shoe brand Allbirds, once seen on the feet of famous people like actor Ben Affleck and former US President Barack Obama, soared on Wednesday after it announced plans to pivot from footwear to artificial intelligence (AI).The San Francisco-based firm said it has struck a $50m (£37m) deal to become an "AI compute infrastructure" business and change...
Fire at Australian refinery fuels petrol shortage fears amid global oil crisis
A fire at one of Australia’s two operating oil refineries could hit petrol production more than diesel and aviation fuel, authorities said on Thursday, as emergency crews worked overnight to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters were battling flames as tall as 60 metres (200 feet) at Viva Energy’s motor petrol production unit at its Geelong refinery in Victoria state, which processes crude into high-octane petrol. No injuries have been reported from the fire, which emergency crews were alerted to....
US-sanctioned supertankers enter Gulf despite blockade
A second US-sanctioned supertanker has entered the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed, despite ‌a US blockade on vessels visiting Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the US and Iran failed to reach a deal. The US Central Command said on X that 10 vessels have been turned around and no ships have broken through since the start of the blockade on Monday. Still,...
For agri growth in volatile world, look beyond farm gate
India’s agriculture economy is valued at around $600 billion and could cross $1 trillion over the next decade if value-added processing and market linkages scale
Australia Unemployment Holds at 4.3% Even as Full-Time Jobs Jump
Australian unemployment held steady in March as hiring persisted in the face of shockwaves from the US-Israeli war on Iran, which has driven up fuel prices and given another leg up to inflationary pressures.
Would more drastic measures help Philippines bring down fuel prices?
With fuel prices in the Philippines among the world’s hardest hit by the Iran war, consumer groups are urging the government to take bolder action, including tighter control over pump prices. Economists say the more realistic options are tax relief, targeted subsidies and transport support rather than direct price controls. Sharon Garin, secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Energy, said on a radio programme on Sunday that the country might no longer see diesel at 60 pesos (US$1) per litre...
By voicing their needs, Chinese women are normalising them
I heard an audible gasp in the audience, just as a gynaecologist on the movie screen tries to shove a speculum – a hollow cylinder used to open up a woman’s cervix – into the lower body of the protagonist. The film’s main character, a 25-year-old woman named Xu Ke, grimaces in pain. “Relax,” the gynaecologist says, but her tone and hand movements are anything but relaxing. After a sudden shove, Xu feels the pain, wriggles off the examination table and falls to the floor. The scene from the drama...
Special Parliament session from today, delimitation bill, women's quota in focus
Special Parliament session from today delimitation bill womens quota in focus
Oil price eases, WTI trades in the low $90s, Hormuz risk keeps the market on a hair trigger
Oil prices slipped Thursday in Asian trading, but the pullback looked more like a pause than a fundamental shift in direction. Brent eased toward the $95 level, WTI traded around $90.63 at 9:38 am in Tokyo (April 16,2026), and Murban was flat at $100.85 as traders weighed fragile cease-fire hopes, a still-tense Strait of Hormuz and the possibility of another round of US-Iran talks.The move came even as the broader setup remained tight, while the warring parties have agreed to give diplomacy anot...
K-P faces extended power cuts as demand outstrips supply: PESCO
The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO) on Thursday said parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) were facing additional electricity outages due to a significant supply-demand gap, with three to four hours of load management being imposed beyond the schedule. According to a spokesperson, “Forced load management is being implemented in the PESCO region due to a generation shortfall.” He added that the measure aimed to protect consumers from higher electricity bills linked to costly fu...
US will not extend temporary sanctions waiver on sale of Russian & Iranian oil
India Business News: The United States will not extend a temporary waiver that allowed the sale of Russian oil and Iranian oil already at sea, Treasury Secretary Scott Bes.