Category: 3. Business

  • Gold rates hit record high in Pakistan – December 12, 2025

    Gold rates hit record high in Pakistan – December 12, 2025

    KARACHI: Gold rates in Pakistan surged to an all-time high on Friday, December 12, 2025, in line with a sharp increase in the international market, according to data released by the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA).

    The rate of 24-karat gold per tola rise by Rs10,700, reaching Rs454,262, up from Rs443,562 a day earlier.

    Similarly, the price of 10 grams of 24-karat gold increased by Rs9,174 to Rs389,456, while 10 grams of 22-karat gold climbed by Rs8,410 to Rs357,014.

    In the global market, gold prices jumped by $107, reaching $4,319.

    Silver prices

    Silver prices also saw an upward trend. The price of per tola silver increased by Rs232, reaching Rs6,684, while 10 grams of silver rose by Rs199 to Rs5,730. International silver prices increased by $2.32 to $64.12.

    Gold trends

    The expanding availability of digital financial tools—including gold-backed Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs), mobile investment apps, and fintech innovations—has widened access to global gold markets.

    These developments are enabling retail investors, especially in the Gulf region, to participate in a market that was once dominated by institutional players.

    Recent fluctuations in gold prices reflect continued global demand and increased investor caution amid persistent economic and geopolitical uncertainties.

    Investment Trends in Pakistan

    In Pakistan, where the rupee remains under pressure and economic uncertainty persists, gold continues to serve as a preferred investment option. Beyond its value as a commodity, it is widely regarded as a dependable store of wealth and a hedge against inflation.

    As volatility in financial markets intensifies, tangible assets like gold are increasingly viewed as safe-haven investments, reinforcing their importance in both traditional and modern investment strategies.

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  • Japan Stocks Rise at Close with Nikkei 225 Gaining 1.44% on Friday

    Japan Stocks Rise at Close with Nikkei 225 Gaining 1.44% on Friday

    TLDR

    • Nikkei 225 rose 1.44% as Sumitomo Metal Mining saw a 9.13% gain.
    • Tokyo stocks saw more winners than losers, with 2,656 stocks advancing.
    • Crude oil prices increased, while gold futures remained mostly flat.
    • Panasonic and Toray Industries hit 5-year and 3-year highs, respectively.

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    Japan’s stock market ended higher on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 rising by 1.44%. Gains in key sectors such as Real Estate, Banking, and Textile led the upward movement. The Japanese market extended its positive performance, signaling investor confidence across various sectors. While stocks rose overall, specific companies stood out, showing significant gains.

    Strong Performance from Key Sectors

    At the close of trade, the Nikkei 225 gained 1.44%, reflecting a positive day for Japanese stocks. Among the standout sectors, Real Estate and Banking played a significant role in driving the market higher. This uptick in key sectors is seen as a reflection of stable economic conditions and strong corporate earnings across Japan.

    One of the day’s biggest gainers was Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd., which rose by 9.13%. This surge in its stock price brought it to its highest level in three years, signaling strong investor sentiment. Other notable performers included Panasonic Corp, which climbed 6.91% to hit a five-year high, and Toray Industries, which rose 5.87%. The positive movement across these stocks reflects an optimistic outlook for these companies in the market.

    Declining Stocks and Market Dynamics

    Despite the overall positive movement, there were a few stocks that experienced declines. Tokyo Electron Ltd. was among the worst performers, falling 3.37%. This drop came after disappointing earnings reports from major tech companies in the U.S., which affected investor sentiment towards tech stocks globally. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and Ebara Corp. also saw declines, with losses of 2.96% and 2.38%, respectively.

    However, the overall trend on the Tokyo Stock Exchange remained positive. A total of 2,656 stocks advanced, while only 932 declined. This shows that the broader market sentiment was favorable, with a larger number of stocks outperforming the lagging ones. Even with a few underperformers, the market managed to end the day on a high note.



    Impact on Commodities and Currency Markets

    In commodities trading, crude oil prices saw modest gains. Crude oil for January delivery rose by 0.56% to $57.92 per barrel. Meanwhile, Brent oil for February delivery also increased, rising by 0.49% to reach $61.58 per barrel. On the other hand, gold futures for February delivery remained largely unchanged, falling by just 0.00% to $4,312.90 per troy ounce.

    Currency markets showed slight movement as well. The USD/JPY exchange rate was up by 0.03%, reaching 155.66, while EUR/JPY rose marginally by 0.01% to 182.70. These small fluctuations reflect a generally stable trading environment in the currency markets.

    Market Outlook and Conclusion

    As Japan’s stock market continues to show strength, investors are hopeful that this momentum will carry into the future. The Nikkei 225’s performance, bolstered by strong gains from key stocks, suggests continued investor optimism.

    Even though certain stocks faced declines, the overall market sentiment remains positive. Looking ahead, analysts are watching for any developments that could impact market performance, including the ongoing situation with global commodity prices and currency fluctuations.

    With the Nikkei 225 up 1.44% and key sectors continuing to perform well, Japan’s stock market appears set to maintain its positive trajectory in the coming weeks.

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  • Hauwa Otori ’08 spreads the stories of under-resourced entrepreneurs

    Hauwa Otori ’08 spreads the stories of under-resourced entrepreneurs

    The newest episode of a podcast hosted by Entrepreneurship at Cornell, Startup Cornell, features Hauwa Otori ‘08, creator of the Founders International Network and host of the Building Black podcast, which shares stories about the experiences of under-resourced entrepreneurs from around the globe.

    Otori has a degree in communications from Cornell and a law degree from American University. She is also an independent producer for Fast Company, KCRW and Marketplace and her writing has appeared in Elle and Forbes.

    The Startup Cornell podcast features interviews with Cornell entrepreneurs, who tell their stories of successes and failures and offer actionable advice for building and growing a business. It’s available on the Entrepreneurship at Cornell website, as well as Apple podcasts, Spotify and Soundcloud.

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  • China’s grain barn province reports record-high bumper harvest-Xinhua

    China’s grain barn province reports record-high bumper harvest-Xinhua

    Farmers spread newly harvested corns to air in Suihua City, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, Oct. 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Xie Jianfei)

    HARBIN, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) — Heilongjiang Province, a major grain producer in northeast China, saw its 22nd bumper harvest with a record-breaking grain output reaching 82 million tonnes this year, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Friday.

    After surpassing 80 million tonnes in total grain production in 2024, Heilongjiang has once again topped the record this year, marking its 16th straight year as the top grain-producing region in China, according to the provincial agriculture and rural affairs department.

    To ensure consecutive high yields, the province has applied over 176,000 high-performance seeding machines and continued to promote scientific farming methods, including soil testing formula fertilization technology, dense planting techniques and integrated water and fertilizer irrigation projects.

    China has achieved another year of bumper grain harvest in 2025, with total output hitting a record high of 714.88 million tonnes, an increase of 1.2 percent year on year, according to the NBS. 

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  • OpenAI launches GPT‑5.2 AI model with enhanced capabilities

    OpenAI launches GPT‑5.2 AI model with enhanced capabilities

    OpenAI has grown rapidly to more than 800 million people using its services weekly since its 2022 launch. PHOTO: REUTERS

    OpenAI on Thursday launched its GPT-5.2 artificial intelligence model, after CEO Sam Altman reportedly issued an internal “code red” in early December pausing non‑core projects and redirecting teams to accelerate development in response to Google’s Gemini 3.

    GPT-5.2 comes with improvements in general intelligence, coding and long-context understanding, the company said in a statement.

    The new model is expected to bring even more economic value for users, as it is better at creating spreadsheets, building presentations and handling complex multi-step projects, OpenAI said.

    Alphabet’s Google launched the latest version of its Gemini in November, highlighting Gemini 3’s lead position on several popular industry leaderboards that measure AI model performance.

    “Gemini 3 has had less of an impact on our metrics than we feared,” Altman said in an interview with CNBC on Thursday, alongside Disney’s CEO Bob Iger.

    Google did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

    Disney said on Thursday it is investing $1 billion in OpenAI and will let the startup use characters from Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in its Sora AI video generator.

    Microsoft-backed OpenAI said that it currently has no plans to drop GPT‑5.1, GPT‑5, or GPT‑4.1 from its application programming interface.

    GPT-5.2 Instant, Thinking, and Pro will begin rolling out in ChatGPT on Thursday, beginning with paid plans.

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  • How AI Prompting Is Shaping the Future of Work

    How AI Prompting Is Shaping the Future of Work

    Sandvik hosted its first ever Promptathon in December, with the goal of helping employees master the art of asking better questions.

    Unlike a traditional hackathon focused on writing code, the event centered on crafting prompts, questions and instructions given to AI systems to tackle real business challenges. “Initiatives like the Sandvik Promptathon show how we’re advancing our strategic objectives and shaping the industry’s future. I’m impressed by the achievements it delivered,” explained Stefan Widing, CEO and President of Sandvik.

    For two hours, teams across the world dove into Microsoft Copilot to tackle real business challenges—from boosting profitability and efficiency to reimagining how people work and collaborate. Ideas were judged on how well they support long-term strategy, the tangible value they create, their originality, and how easily they can be scaled across the organization.

    The four-ingredient formula for better prompting

    The event opened with a masterclass led by Usman Afzal, Solution Architect and Productivity Coach at Microsoft, who shared practical tips for getting more out of Copilot while building scenarios for the Promptathon.

    (Not every prompt needs all four ingredients, Afzal explained, but including the relevant ones dramatically improves the outcome and keeps AI grounded in real business needs.)

    Celebrating the winners

    The winners of the first Promptathon was a team from Brazil (including Flávio Lopes, Gabriel Pereira, Gabriela Sousa, Gustavo Cunha, Leonardo Ferreira, and Matheus Oliveira) (, with their concept “Sandvik Game Master,” in the category Empower High Performing Teams.

    Their idea reimagines onboarding and training as an engaging, gamified journey that fosters learning, psychological safety, and collaboration. Complex processes are transformed into accessible “worlds,” helping people build competence faster while reinforcing a safety-first culture.

    I would say that this is a bold, human-centered innovation that empowers teams and drives Sandvik forward

    “I would say that this is a bold, human-centered innovation that empowers teams and drives Sandvik forward,” said Stefan Widing as he congratulated the winners.

    As AI tools become standard workplace technology, the ability to communicate effectively with them becomes as fundamental as any other professional skill. By investing in prompt literacy, employees are equipped to maximize the potential of these tools and enhance productivity while maintaining the human judgment and expertise.

    The question is no longer whether AI will transform how we work, but how quickly we can learn to work alongside it effectively.

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  • Pakistan grants preliminary approval to Binance and HTX crypto exchanges – Investing.com

    1. Pakistan grants preliminary approval to Binance and HTX crypto exchanges  Investing.com
    2. Binance and Pakistan Partner to Advance Digital-Asset Innovation and Regulatory Development  Binance
    3. Pakistan enters digital-finance, crypto era  The Express Tribune
    4. Pakistan to allow Binance to explore ‘tokenisation’ of up to $2bn of assets  Dawn
    5. Homecoming  The Nation (Pakistan )

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  • UBS shares hit 17-year high on hopes of watered down capital reforms

    UBS shares hit 17-year high on hopes of watered down capital reforms

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    UBS shares have climbed to their highest level in more than 17 years, buoyed by growing investor optimism that Swiss lawmakers will reach a compromise on proposals to impose tougher capital rules on the bank.

    The stock has been sensitive for months to debate over the Swiss government’s June 2025 banking reform package, which could require UBS to hold up to $26bn in extra capital.

    The bank has been particularly opposed to the proposal to force it to back its foreign subsidiaries with an extra $23bn in capital.

    Investor sentiment has been boosted by local press reports of a compromise being proposed by multiple political parties. The multi-party proposal suggests broader political momentum behind a more moderate overhaul of the capital regime.

    A group of senior legislators proposed softening the extra capital burden for UBS by allowing it to use additional tier one (AT1) debt — a cheaper form of capital — rather than equity to cover up to half of the capitalisation of its foreign subsidiaries.

    Politicians in the FDP party told Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung that they had “constructive conversations” with finance minister Karin Keller-Sutter, who is a member of the party.

    UBS shares climbed more than 4 per cent in morning trading in Zurich, pushing the stock to SFr35.17, its highest level since February 2008 before receding slightly.

    The Federal Council — the country’s government — is not expected to make a decision on the new capital rules until a formal consultation period on the reforms ends on January 9.

    Politicians and lobbyists, including representatives from the FDP and People’s party, have been discussing a compromise solution for months, the Financial Times reported in October.

    The latest proposal is that Switzerland should keep very strong capital rules for UBS but that these should be no harsher than necessary and should not be so strict that the bank becomes uncompetitive internationally, according to a copy of the plan seen by the FT.

    It recommends aligning several technical rules with those in the EU, UK and the US.

    The proposal also envisages UBS capping the size of its investment bank at 30 per cent of its risk-weighted assets. The investment bank already has a self-imposed limit of 25 per cent of UBS’s risk-weighted assets, and the Swiss lender has indicated that it would be willing to make a cap permanent.

    UBS said the new proposal “goes in a more constructive direction than the extreme approach proposed by the Federal Council”. It added: “However, Switzerland already has the most stringent capital requirement regime in the world.”

    The bank said it would “advocate for a strengthening of the regulatory framework with targeted, proportionate and internationally aligned measures”.

    However, some people close to UBS still believe the fresh proposals do not do enough to address the bank’s concerns.

    “The signals are more positive than they have been but this is still not going to solve the problem. The proposal still does not address the fact we will be less competitive,” said one person familiar with UBS’s thinking.

    The Swiss bank has held discussions about moving its headquarters to the US if the rules are not watered down, the FT reported last month.

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  • The Port of Rotterdam joins Global Maritime Forum as an Associate Partner

    The Port of Rotterdam joins Global Maritime Forum as an Associate Partner

    COPENHAGEN, 12 DECEMBER 2025 – The Global Maritime Forum is pleased to welcome The Port of Rotterdam as an Associate Partner. 

    The Port of Rotterdam Authority manages, operates, and develops the port and industrial area of Rotterdam, ensuring safe and smooth shipping operations while driving sustainable development and innovation. With approximately 1,400 employees and a turnover of €882 million, the Port Authority plays a central role in strengthening Rotterdam’s position as a leading European logistics hub and world-class industrial complex. 

    “Decarbonisation and sustainability are core priorities for the Global Maritime Forum, and collaboration with partners who combine operational expertise with a strong commitment to innovation and resilience is essential,” said Christian Jacob Hansen, Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement at the Global Maritime Forum. “The Port of Rotterdam brings immeasurable insight and experience to our initiatives, and we look forward to working together to accelerate industry-wide progress.” 

    Berte Simons, Chief Operating Officer of the Port of Rotterdam Authority, added: “We are proud to formalise our partnership with the Global Maritime Forum after years of productive collaboration. The Global Maritime Forum brings together an incredible network of expertise and strategic insight and combines this with a practical, action-oriented approach that accelerates progress. This makes them an invaluable partner on our shared journey toward maritime decarbonisation and industry action.” 

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