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  • Expert Picks: LIV Golf Indianapolis

    Expert Picks: LIV Golf Indianapolis

    The 13th event of the LIV Golf season gets started this week at LIV Golf Indianapolis, where the race for the season-long Individual Championship concludes. Serving as the host course is The Club at Chatham Hills.

    RELATED: Team Power Rankings | Fantasy Preview | Play Fantasy

    Here is who our experts like this week.

    JASON CROOK, SENIOR DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER

    INDIVIDUAL

    Jon Rahm – It pays to be consistent and that will ring true (pun intended) for Jon Rahm this week in Indianapolis. Rahm has three runner-up finishes on the season and his worst finish of the season was a T11, allowing him to settle into second-place in the season-long standings. Considering the guy in first, Joaquin Niemann, has been essentially win-or-bust this year, I’ll take Rahm to win the tournament and take home back-to-back individual titles.

    TEAM

    Legion XIII – Rahm will be joined by his Legion XIII teammates on the podium come Sunday at The Club at Chatham Hills, and not just because they’re happy for him. Rahm’s consistency has trickled down his roster this season, with four wins and their worst finish being a 6th in Virginia. They’ll make it five wins this week and comfortably take the No. 1 overall seed heading into the Team Championship next week in Michigan.

    MIKE MCALLISTER, DIRECTOR, EDITORIAL

    INDIVIDUAL

    Jon Rahm – At last year’s regular-season finale in Chicago, Jon Rahm won and Joaquin Niemann tied for second. I can see a repeat of that outcome, with one small twist — Niemann finishes solo second, which would allow him to dethrone Rahm for the season-long Individual Championship and win by less than 3 points. It’s been an incredible two-year duel between them. Can’t wait to see how it plays out this week.

    TEAM

    Fireballs GC – Sergio Garcia knows how to win on Pete Dye courses; Abraham Ancer has an excellent track record on them too. Josele Ballester’s hitting his stride and David Puig wants to stay inside the Lock Zone. With all those factors mixed in, give me the Fireballs this week.

    BRYAN MULLEN, DIGITAL PRODUCER

    INDIVIDUAL

    Carlos Ortiz – The Torque GC star has been trending nicely, and his fourth-place finish at LIV Golf Chicago last week included a stellar 6-under 66 in Round 2, which tied for the lowest round of the week. While the Individual Championship is out of reach, Ortiz, who is ninth in the standings, loves a big stage on which to finish strong (remember his T4 at the U.S. Open at Oakmont?).

    TEAM

    Torque GC – Let’s not overthink this. Five podium finishes in 2025 and a runner-up after a playoff at LIV Golf Chicago has this team firing on all cylinders. Plus, Mito Pereira will be dialed in after a T13 in Chicago as he tries to avoid relegation after this week.

    MATT VINCENZI, SENIOR WRITER

    INDIVIDUAL

    Abraham Ancer – Last week at LIV Golf Chicago, Abraham Ancer led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. Ancer has had some fantastic results at Pete Dye tracks throughout his career with strong finishes at the 2021 PGA Championship (T8, Kiawah Island), Harbour Town (2nd at 2020 RBC Heritage), PGA West Stadium Course (2nd at 2020 American Express), 4th at TPC River Highlands (2021 Travelers Championship) and TPC Sawgrass (T12 at the 2019 Players Championship).

    TEAM

    Fireballs GC – Fireballs GC has been trending with finishes of 2nd, T4 and T3 in their past three starts. Last week, Josele Ballester announced his presence in the world of golf with a T2 finish, leading the field Strokes Gained: Off the Tee (+1.87 per round). Captain Sergio Garcia was dialed with his approach shots on Sunday and should carry that momentum into this week. Abraham Ancer has a fantastic history on Pete Dye tracks and I expect him to contend on the individual side.

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  • Six planets are hanging out in early morning skies this month. Here's how to spot them – Seattle Post-Intelligencer

    1. Six planets are hanging out in early morning skies this month. Here’s how to spot them  Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    2. Perseid meteor shower 2025: Best times and locations for viewing  ABC News
    3. Perseid meteor shower peaks over Washington state tonight. See best time to watch  Kitsap Sun
    4. The Last Planet Parade of 2025 Is Coming. Here’s How to See It.  VICE
    5. Six-Planet ‘Parade’ On Friday: When And Where To See It  Forbes

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  • Cornell researchers create first microwave neural network on a chip

    Cornell researchers create first microwave neural network on a chip

    Cornell University researchers have developed a low-power microchip they call a “microwave brain,” the first processor to compute on both ultrafast data signals and wireless communication signals by harnessing the physics of microwaves.

    Detailed August 11 in the journal Nature Electronics, the processor is the first, true microwave neural network and is fully integrated on a silicon microchip. It performs real-time frequency domain computation for tasks like radio signal decoding, radar target tracking and digital data processing, all while consuming less than 200 milliwatts of power.

    “Because it’s able to distort in a programmable way across a wide band of frequencies instantaneously, it can be repurposed for several computing tasks,” said lead author Bal Govind, a doctoral student who conducted the research with Maxwell Anderson, also a doctoral student. “It bypasses a large number of signal processing steps that digital computers normally have to do.”

    That capability is enabled by the chip’s design as a neural network, a computer system modeled on the brain, using interconnected modes produced in tunable waveguides. This allows it to recognize patterns and learn from data. But unlike traditional neural networks that rely on digital operations and step-by-step instructions timed by a clock, this network uses analog, nonlinear behavior in the microwave regime, allowing it to handle data streams in the tens of gigahertz – much faster than most digital chips.

    “Bal threw away a lot of conventional circuit design to achieve this,” said Alyssa Apsel, professor of engineering, who was co-senior author with Peter McMahon, associate professor of applied and engineering physics. “Instead of trying to mimic the structure of digital neural networks exactly, he created something that looks more like a controlled mush of frequency behaviors that can ultimately give you high-performance computation.”

    The chip can perform both low-level logic functions and complex tasks like identifying bit sequences or counting binary values in high-speed data. It achieved at or above 88% accuracy on multiple classification tasks involving wireless signal types, comparable to digital neural networks but with a fraction of the power and size.

    In traditional digital systems, as tasks get more complex, you need more circuitry, more power and more error correction to maintain accuracy. But with our probabilistic approach, we’re able to maintain high accuracy on both simple and complex computations, without that added overhead.”


    Bal Govind, lead author

    The chip’s extreme sensitivity to inputs makes it well-suited for hardware security applications like sensing anomalies in wireless communications across multiple bands of microwave frequencies, according to the researchers.

    “We also think that if we reduce the power consumption more, we can deploy it to applications like edge computing,” Apsel said, “You could deploy it on a smartwatch or a cellphone and build native models on your smart device instead of having to depend on a cloud server for everything.”

    Though the chip is still experimental, the researchers are optimistic about its scalability. They are experimenting with ways to improve its accuracy and integrate it into existing microwave and digital processing platforms.

    The work emerged from an exploratory effort within a larger project supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility, which is funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    Govind, B., et al. (2025). An integrated microwave neural network for broadband computation and communication. Nature Electronics. doi.org/10.1038/s41928-025-01422-1

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  • Immunotherapy and T-Cell–Directed Therapy Expand Treatment Approaches in Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Immunotherapy and T-Cell–Directed Therapy Expand Treatment Approaches in Small Cell Lung Cancer

    Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains an aggressive subtype with historically limited therapeutic options, though recent advances have expanded the treatment armamentarium. The integration of immunotherapy into first-line regimens and the development of novel agents for relapsed/refractory disease have begun to alter clinical practice, with ongoing research focused on further improving outcomes across disease stages, according to Sonam Puri, MD.

    In a presentation at a recent State of the Science Summit on lung cancer, Puri reviewed the current state of therapy for SCLC, highlighting the recent approval of the T-cell engager tarlatamab-dlle (Imdelltra) in this setting. She also discussed emerging treatment strategies on the horizon, underscoring their potential to further refine and expand options for patients.

    Puri serves as the Clinical Research Medical Director at the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida.

    OncLive: Historically, chemotherapy has been the standard of care for SCLC. How have durvalumab and tarlatamab reshaped this treatment paradigm?

    Puri: Both immune checkpoint inhibitors and, now, T-cell engager therapy have changed the treatment landscape in the timeframe they were introduced. Immunotherapy is now part of first-line treatment for SCLC, and the two phase 3 studies that incorporated immunotherapy into practice included IMpower133 [NCT02763579], evaluating atezolizumab [Tecentriq], and CASPIAN [NCT03043872], evaluating durvalumab [Imfinzi] with first-line chemotherapy for extensive-stage SCLC [ES-SCLC]. In both studies, the addition of immunotherapy led to a significant improvement in overall survival in treatment-naive, ES disease.

    Building on that, we’ve seen that regimens benefiting ES-SCLC are also likely to benefit patients in earlier stages treated with curative intent. Due to high relapse rates, there remains significant mortality even in earlier stages. Recently, the phase 3 ADRIATIC trial [NCT03703297] demonstrated that durvalumab as consolidation therapy after concurrent chemoradiation for limited-stage SCLC led to meaningful improvement in outcomes and survival.

    Tarlatamab represents a paradigm shift for relapsed/refractory SCLC. Historically, this setting had minimal effective options and poor durability of response. Tarlatamab, a DLL3-targeted T-cell engager, functions as a form of targeted immunotherapy and has demonstrated promising and durable responses.

    What are the next areas of research or emerging approaches in SCLC?

    It’s an exciting time to be a SCLC researcher. We’re moving toward more personalized treatments, novel targets, and innovative approaches. Antibody-drug conjugates have shown promising activity, both in preclinical and early clinical settings. Beyond DLL3, we’re investigating other targets such as CEACAM6. Radiopharmaceuticals are also in development, targeting receptors such as DLL3 and SSTR. More sophisticated T-cell engagement strategies, including trispecific T-cell activators, and [strategies for] engaging other immune cells to enhance tumor targeting are on the horizon.

    How have the phase 2 PHAROS (NCT03915951) and phase 3 CROWN (NCT03052608) trials advanced the understanding of oncogenic drivers in NSCLC, and what key insights have they provided?

    The targeted therapy field for NSCLC remains a leader in personalized oncology, with new targets and improved targeted agents continually emerging.

    PHAROS was a phase 2 study evaluating encorafenib [Braftovi] plus binimetinib [Mektovi] in both treatment-naive and previously treated patients with BRAF V600E–mutated NSCLC. This combination, already established in melanoma, demonstrated favorable safety and efficacy, and is now a preferred regimen for this molecular subset.

    CROWN was a phase 3 trial comparing first-line lorlatinib [Lorbrena], a later-generation ALK inhibitor, with crizotinib [Xalkori], an earlier-generation ALK inhibitor, in advanced ALK-positive NSCLC. Lorlatinib demonstrated superior efficacy, including enhanced intracranial activity, establishing it as a preferred first-line treatment for ALK-positive disease.

    What strategies can be implemented to accelerate and improve the early detection of lung cancer?

    Regardless of advances in the treatment of advanced disease, the greatest opportunity to improve survival in lung cancer lies in early detection, as most patients are diagnosed at a late stage. Strategies to address this span the patient care continuum.

    Increasing patient awareness of lung cancer screening criteria, as well as expanding these criteria to capture a broader range of at-risk populations, is essential. Improving access to screening through mobile units, [such as] the mobile screening program at Moffitt Cancer Center, can help reach underserved areas.

    Establishing dedicated lung nodule clinics and implementing nodule tracking programs can reduce the risk of missed follow-up for incidentally detected nodules. Incorporating biomarkers and radiomics offers the potential to better stratify nodule risk, minimize unnecessary observation, and more accurately identify nodules that require biopsy. Additionally, advancing biopsy techniques to make them less invasive while improving tissue quality for molecular testing will further support earlier and more precise diagnosis.

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  • Prime Minister’s Media Coordinator Badar Shahbaz honored with Tamgha-i-Imtiaz

    Prime Minister’s Media Coordinator Badar Shahbaz honored with Tamgha-i-Imtiaz

    The Prime Minister’s Media Coordinator, Badar Shahbaz, has been honored with the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in recognition of his outstanding services in the field of media during the “Maarka-e-Haq” (Battle for Truth).
     
    He was lauded for his pivotal role in effectively highlighting the national stance both domestically and internationally by providing timely and accurate information.
     
    Badar Shahbaz successfully countered opposing propaganda by presenting Pakistan’s narrative through various media channels. His professional acumen and strategic media management proved to be a milestone in promoting the country’s dignity. He became the voice of a nation facing an adversary that relied on misinformation, fake news, and false propaganda.
     
    This award acknowledges Badar Shahbaz’s exceptional contributions, which have been instrumental in upholding the country’s position during challenging times.


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  • European markets on Thurs Aug 14

    European markets on Thurs Aug 14

    Klarna boosts revenue to $1m per employee using AI

    Buy-now-pay-later firm Klarna reported AI-driven sales growth for the second quarter, enabling the company to generate revenues of $1 million per employee.

    The Swedish company said it had 20% like-for-like sales growth in the second quarter, with total revenues coming in at $823 million for the period.

    The firm also saw adjusted operating profits of $29 million, up significantly from the first quarter’s $3 million.

    “AI adoption continues to deliver significant, tangible results. As a result of this strategy, average revenue per employee reached $1.0m, up 46% [year on year in the second quarter],” the company said in its quarterly report.

    Klarna has aggressively leveraged AI to boost productivity performance. It has shed two in five jobs over the past two years as a result. “This shift reflects the growing impact of AI and automation in eliminating manual, time-consuming work across Klarna,” the company had said in its first-quarter results.

    — Ganesh Rao

    Euro zone industrial output shrinks more than expected

    A general view of production lines at the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant on June 4, 2025 in Rastatt, Germany.

    Florian Wiegand | Getty Images News | Getty Images

    Industrial output in the euro zone saw a month-on-month decline of 1.3% in June, preliminary data from statistics agency Eurostat showed on Thursday.

    Economists polled by Reuters had been expecting a decline of 1%.

    The decline, which marked a sharp downturn from the 1.1% monthly uptick in output seen in May, was driven by a slowdown in multiple countries, including Germany, and a fall in consumer goods production.

    On a monthly basis, German industrial production was down by 2.3%, Eurostat’s data showed.

    “Looking ahead, we think industrial production and overall economic activity will grow at only a slow pace in the second half of the year and beyond,” Andrew Kenningham, chief Europe economist at Capital Economics, said in a note following the data release.

    “There should be some boost from looser fiscal policy in Germany, but it will not be huge and nor is it likely to last very long.”

    — Chloe Taylor

    European shares open higher

    We’re half an hour into Thursday’s session, and the pan-European Stoxx 600 has so far gained 0.2%, with most sectors in positive territory.

    The German DAX and France’s CAC 40 are both around 0.3% higher, while London’s FTSE 100 is down by 0.2%.

    — Chloe Taylor

    Carlsberg’s second-quarter sales miss expectations on soft volumes

    Brent Lewin| Bloomberg | Getty Images

    Danish brewer Carlsberg on Thursday reported slightly weaker-than-expected second-quarter sales on weaker volumes, but nevertheless raised its 2025 guidance towards the upper end.

    The world’s third-largest brewer posted revenues of 25.7 billion Danish kroner ($4 billion) in the three months to June 30, just shy of the 26.4 forecast by analysts in an LSEG poll.

    Reported operating profit in the first half of the year meanwhile came in at 7.23 billion Danish kroner, also below the 7.35 billion Danish kroner forecast. Organic volume growth over the period dipped 1.7%, including from the company’s recently exited San Miguel brand.

    CEO Jacob Aarup-Andersen cited a “spending pause” among consumers that he said was weighing on volume growth. “The volumes do not flow in the way they did a couple of years ago,” he told CNBC’s “Squawk Box Europe.”

    The company nevertheless raised its full-year profit guidance to growth of between 3% to 5% — up from 1% to 5% previously — and flagged strength in its premium and alcohol-free brews.

    — Karen Gilchrist

    Hopes of a sharp U.K. rebound ‘likely to be dashed,’ economist says

    The Millennium Bridge during a heat wave on Aug. 12, 2025, in London.

    Ben Montgomery | Getty Images

    Month on month, the U.K. economy grew 0.4% in June after a 0.1% contraction in May, today’s preliminary data showed.

    George Brown, a senior economist at Schroders, said the slowdown reflected a drop in manufacturing following tariff frontloading in the first quarter.

    “This drag should ease in the third quarter, even against a tougher global trade backdrop,” he said.

    “Still, hopes of a sharp rebound are likely to be dashed. The labour market has softened, and capacity constraints mean even tepid growth is generating inflation pressures.”

    — Chloe Taylor, Holly Ellyatt

    UK economy grows by better-than-expected 0.3% in second quarter

    A waiter prepares a restaurant terrace ahead of opening in London, UK, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. U.K. employment plunged by the most in five years and wage growth slowed more than forecast.

    Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

    The U.K. economy expanded by a better-than-expected 0.3% in the second quarter, according to preliminary estimates from the U.K.’s Office for National Statistics out on Thursday.

    Economists polled by Reuters had expected the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to expand by a tepid 0.1% over the period, up from bumper growth of 0.7% in the first quarter.

    Month-on-month, the economy grew 0.4% in June after a 0.1% contraction in May, failing to shake off the impact of U.S. tariffs and business uncertainty.

    — Holly Ellyatt

    How Putin could try to outmaneuver Trump when they meet

    FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin talk during the family photo session at the APEC Summit in Danang, Vietnam November 11, 2017.

    Jorge Silva | Reuters

    Russian President Vladimir Putin’s standing in the West may be pretty low, but he’s a skilled and seasoned statesman who shouldn’t be underestimated, analysts say — and he’s likely to be looking to outmaneuver his less experienced U.S. counterpart when the leaders meet in Alaska on Friday.

    Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump are meeting to try to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, but close followers of Moscow’s leadership are skeptical that any lasting resolution will be reached at the summit.

    Read more from CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt here.

    Here are the opening calls

    The City of London financial district at sunrise.

    Alexander Spatari | Moment | Getty Images

    Good morning from London, and welcome to CNBC’s live blog covering all the action and business news in European financial markets on Thursday.

    Futures data from IG suggests a generally positive open for European indexes, with London’s FTSE 100 seen opening 0.15% higher, France’s CAC 40 and Germany’s DAX are seen opening around the flatline, and Italy’s FTSE MIB slightly higher.

    The pullback in sentiment among European bourses comes ahead of the latest indicator of the state of health of major regional economies, with gross domestic product readings from the U.K. and European Union on Thursday.

    European markets had ended the day higher on Wednesday, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 index rising 0.55% after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rallied to new records yesterday. Investors are gearing up for more inflation data to assess the state of the U.S. economy.

    The producer price index, due Thursday, will be significant factors in the direction interest rates take at the Federal Reserve’s next meeting in September.

    — Holly Ellyatt

    What to keep an eye on Thursday

    An aerial drone view shows the Reichstag (upper left corner) in Berlin, Germany, on February 22, 2025.

    Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

    Earnings are set to come from Adyen, Swiss Re, Hapag-Lloyd, RWE, Talanx, CVC Capital Partners, Aviva, Antofagasta and Carlsberg on Thursday.

    On the data front, U.K. second-quarter preliminary gross domestic product figures are released at 7 a.m. London time, followed by the latest French inflation figures shortly after and the EU employment and GDP data at 10 a.m. London time.

    — Holly Ellyatt

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  • Civil and military leadership, martyrs of Marka-i-Haq honoured with Independence Day awards – Pakistan

    Civil and military leadership, martyrs of Marka-i-Haq honoured with Independence Day awards – Pakistan

    Military and civilian leadership, as well as the martyrs of “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth), were presented with national honours as part of celebrations to mark Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day on Thursday.

    In July, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said this year’s Independence Day would be marked as “Marka-i-Haq”. The term is used by the state to name the conflict with India from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos with a ceasefire on May 10.

    In an earlier message today, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari said the day served as a reminder of courage, unity, and sacrifices that led to the creation of Pakistan and paid homage to the founding father Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the workers of the Pakistan Movement for their struggle and sacrifices.

    The awards, including both wartime and peacetime honours, were conferred by President Zardari and PM Shehbaz during a ceremony at the Presidency in Islamabad. Awards were conferred upon senior military and civilian officials, members of the PM’s war cabinet, as well as the delegation that presented Pakistan’s case to the world in the wake of the military confrontation with India.

    According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), eight Sitara-i-Jurat (Star of Courage), five Tamgha-i-Jurat (Medal of Courage), 24 Sitara-i-Basalat (Star of Valour), 45 Tamgha-i-Basalat (Medal of Valour), 146 Imtiazi Asnad (mentioned in the Dispatches of senior commanders), 259 COAS Commendation Cards and one Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military) (Medal of Excellence) were awarded to both officers and enlisted men.

    Field Marshal Asim Munir was presented with the Hilal-i-Jurat (Crescent of Courage), Pakistan’s second-highest wartime gallantry medal.

    “During a difficult time, he was engaged in a battle with India from April 22 till May 10, leading the war effort,” according to the citation. “In light of your unquestionable courage, military prowess, firm belief and unshakeable patriotism, the president awards you the Hilal-i-Jurat.”

    Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir receives the Hilal-i-Jurat from President Asif Ali Zardari at a ceremony at the Presidency on August 14. — DawnNewsTV

    Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu received the Hilal-i-Jurat for his command during the air battle on the night of May 6-7 and Marka-i-Haq.

    “You brought the air force’s motto, ‘second to none’ to reality,” the citation read.

    Naval Chief Admiral Naveed Ashraf was awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for “making Pakistan’s naval defence a reality and forcing the Indian Navy to withdraw.

    “For your service in Pakistan’s naval defence, you are awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz.”

    Meanwhile, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, was also awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (military) for “performing the role of an adviser on military affairs during the difficult days of Marka-i-Haq”.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz — Pakistan’s highest civilian honour — for “exposing India’s one-sided diplomatic attacks on the international stage and presenting Pakistan’s stance to the world to ensure regional peace”.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is presented the Nishan-i-Imtiaz by President Asif Ali Zardari during a ceremony at the Presidency on August 14. — DawnNewsTV

    According to state broadcaster PTV News, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was also awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for his “exceptional leadership and strategic contributions during the recent India-Pakistan war and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos”.

    The broadcaster also reported that Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar was awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for “effectively and successfully presenting the national narrative on an international level during the recent Pakistan-India tensions.

    “During the tense situation between Pakistan and India, Attaullah Tarar ensured complete coordination in the dissemination of information by civil and military institutions, successfully countering India’s propaganda and powerfully highlighting Pakistan’s stance on international forums,” PTV News wrote in a post on X.

    Similarly, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar was awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for “using legal means to serve the nation and challenge the illegal suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, as well as the illegal killing of Pakistanis”, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi was presented the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for “ensuring national unity and keeping the peace in the face of intense attacks on civilians”.

    Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was presented the Nishan-i-Imtiaz for leading the delegation that travelled to New York, London and Brussels to present Pakistan’s stance at international fora.

    The delegation members — Dr Musadik Malik, Senator Sherry Rehman, Khurram Dastigir, Senator Sherry Rehman, Hina Rabbani Khar, Senator Faisal Subzwari, Tehmina Janua and Jalil Abbas Jilani — were all awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence).

    “For presenting Pakistan’s stance across the world against India’s one-sided narrative, the members of the diplomatic delegation are awarded the Hilal-i-Imtiaz,” the citation stated.

    Rehman posted a photograph of herself with the award on X, writing, “Deeply grateful to [President Zardari] and [PM Shehbaz] for honouring me with my second civilian award today.

    “Already have been humbled with the highest Nishan-i Imtiaz earlier in service to my motherland, Pakistan,” she wrote.

    Awards were also conferred to personnel martyred during Marka-i-Haq by PM Shehbaz. Those personnel awarded honours posthumously were:

    • Squadron Leader Usman Yousaf (Shaheed) — Tamgha-i-Basalat
    • Senior Technician Najeeb Sultan (Shaheed) — Imtiazi Sanad
    • Senior Tech Muhammad Ayaz
    • Chief Technician Muhammad Aurangzeb (Shaheed) — Imtiazi Sanad
    • Corporal Technician Farooq (Shaheed) — Imtiazi Sanad
    • Senior Technician Mubashir (Shaheed) — Imtiazi Sanad
    • Havaldar Muhammad Naveed (Shaheed) — Tamgha-i-Basalat
    • Naik Waqar Khalid (Shaheed) — Tamgha-i-Basalat
    • Naik Abdul Rehman — Tamgha-i-Jurat
    • Lance Naik Dilawar Khan (Shaheed) — Tamgha-i-Basalat
    • Lance Naik Ikramullah (Shaheed) — Tamgha-i-Jurat
    • Sepoy Nisar Ali (Shaheed) — Sitara-i-Basalat
    • Sepoy Adeel Akbar (Shaheed) — Tamgha-i-Jurat

    Meanwhile, Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik, ISPR Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Operations Vice Admiral Raja Rab Nawaz, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Operations Air Vice Marshal Aurangzeb Ahmed and Director General Military Intelligence Maj Gen Wajid Aziz were among those awarded the Sitara-i-Basalat.

    Inter-Services Intelligence Director General Lt Gen Muhammad Asim Malik receives the Hilal-i-Imtiaz from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a ceremony at the Presidency on August 14. — DawnNewsTV

    The military confrontation between India and Pakistan came in May as the former, without evidence, linked the Pahalgam attack to Islamabad, which strongly denied the allegations.

    On the night of May 6-7, New Delhi launched a series of air strikes on Pakistan, killing at least 40 civilians. Both sides then exchanged missiles, which stretched over the week, before a US-brokered ceasefire had both sides agree to stop the hostilities.

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  • Bitcoin touches record, ether almost makes new high before rolling over

    Bitcoin touches record, ether almost makes new high before rolling over

    Ether and bitcoin.

    Yuriko Nakao | Getty Images

    Bitcoin hit a new record late Wednesday as ether climbed even closer to its all-time high.

    The flagship cryptocurrency rose as high as $124,496, surpassing its July record of 123,193.63, according to Coin Metrics. Ether rose to $4,791.19 overnight, edging closer to its 2021 record of $4,866.01.

    Both coins took a hit Thursday, however, after July’s wholesale inflation data came in much hotter than expected. Bitcoin was lower by 3% at $118,481.00 while ether fell 2% to $4,629.20.

    Stock Chart IconStock chart icon

    Bitcoin hit a new record overnight, surpassing its July all-time high

    The initial gains were sparked by Tuesday’s cooler-than-expected July inflation report, which had lifted investor optimism for rate cuts from the Federal Reserve at the end of its September policy meeting. The coins rallied with the stock market for two days. On Wednesday, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also scaled new records.

    For the week, bitcoin is on pace for a nearly 2% gain, while ether has rallied more than 14%. Ether flipped bitcoin as the crypto market leader in June, gaining 85% since then thanks to heavy institutional buying, tightening supply and adoption from corporate accumulators – all under the backdrop of a friendlier regulatory environment for the crypto industry. Jake Kennis, analyst at Nansen, said the rally likely has more room to run given the flows remain strong.

    “Bitcoin hitting a fresh all time high and ETH being on the verge of doing so means we’ve moved from speculative mania to a phase where institutional adoption, real-world integration, and global liquidity are driving price discovery,” said Ben Kurland, CEO at crypto research and trading platform DYOR.

    “The fact that both assets are on the verge of breaking records in tandem signals broad market conviction, not just a single-asset rally,” he added. “Momentum this strong rarely burns out instantly, but it also tends to draw in latecomers who can fuel volatility. Right now the story is less about euphoria and more about validation. Crypto is graduating from ‘alternative’ to ‘essential’ in the global portfolio mix.”

    Don’t miss these cryptocurrency insights from CNBC Pro:

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  • Taliban to shower Kabul with flowers from helicopters for their takeover anniversary

    Taliban to shower Kabul with flowers from helicopters for their takeover anniversary

    ISLAMABAD — The Taliban will shower Kabul with flowers from helicopters to mark the fourth anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan, an official said Thursday.

    The Taliban seized control of the country on August 15, 2021, weeks before the U.S. and NATO withdrew their forces after a costly, two-decade war.

    Defense Ministry helicopters will perform “beautiful aerial displays” above the Afghan capital on Friday to “shower the city” with colorful flowers, according to a note from Habib Ghofran, the spokesman for the Information and Culture Ministry. There will be sports performances from Afghan athletes from the afternoon until the early evening, said Ghofran.

    The festivities come as Afghanistan struggles with a massive influx of refugees from neighboring countries, a faltering economy and cuts in foreign funding, especially from the U.S. Almost 10 million people face acute food insecurity and one in three children is stunted.

    Black and white Taliban flags were displayed across Kabul on Thursday.

    Ahsan Ullah Khan, from northern Sar-e-Pul province, encouraged the Afghan diaspora to return so they could see how peaceful the country was and how happy people were.

    But Kabul resident, Zafar Momand, said Afghans needed more than peace.

    “Along with peace we need employment and education opportunities. If these problems are solved then Afghanistan is the best country to live,” Momand said. “Women are also an important part of society. They should also have education and work opportunities.”

    Females are barred from education beyond sixth grade, many jobs and most public spaces. It was not immediately clear if women would be present at or permitted to attend Friday’s festivities.

    Last year’s takeover anniversary celebrations were held at Bagram Airfield, once the center of America’s war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks.

    Women were barred from that event, including female journalists from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.

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  • Sinéad O’Connor biopic in the works produced by company behind Slow Horses | Film

    Sinéad O’Connor biopic in the works produced by company behind Slow Horses | Film

    A biopic of Sinéad O’Connor is in the works, with its backers including the company involved in Nothing Compares, the acclaimed 2022 documentary about the singer.

    According to Variety, the film will be directed by Josephine Decker, who made a much-liked biopic of horror writer Shirley Jackson, starring Elisabeth Moss, in 2020. The script will be by Stacey Gregg, who has credits on TV series Mary and George, Little Birds and The Letter for the King.

    Production companies behind the project include See-Saw Films, whose past output includes The King’s Speech, Shame, The Power of the Dog and Slow Horses, alongside Nine Daughters (God’s Creatures, Lady Macbeth) and ie:entertainment, which acted as executive producer on Nothing Compares.

    O’Connor died in 2023, aged 56, after a string of hit records including the huge-selling Nothing Compares 2 U in 1990, and a tumultuous life marked with outspoken protest and controversy. In 1992 she ripped up a picture of the pope on US TV; in 1999 she was ordained as a priest by an independent Catholic group, and in 2018 she converted to Islam.

    According to Variety, the film will follow O’Connor’s early years in the music industry, “tell[ing] the story of how one young woman from Dublin took on the world, examining how her global fame may have been built on her talent, but her name became synonymous with her efforts to draw attention to the crimes committed by the Catholic church and the Irish state”.

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