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Gold Touches Historic Rs388,100 Mark – SUCH TV

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Gold Touches Historic Rs388,100 Mark – SUCH TV



Gold prices in Pakistan continued to climb on Tuesday, extending a record-breaking rally in line with global trends as investors turned to the safe-haven asset.

According to the All Pakistan Sarafa Gems and Jewellers Association (APSGJA), the price of gold per tola surged Rs4,100 to reach an all-time high of Rs388,100.

Similarly, the rate of 10-gram gold rose Rs3,514, hitting a new peak at Rs332,733.

On Monday, the precious metal had already reached a record high of Rs384,000 per tola after gaining Rs6,100 in a single day.

Internationally, gold prices continued their record-setting rally as mounting expectations of a September US interest rate cut pressured the dollar and Treasury yields.

While investors awaited key US inflation data later in the week.

Spot gold was up 0.7% at $3,661.09 per ounce, as of 0933 am ET (1333 GMT), after hitting a record high of $3,666.38 earlier in the session.

US gold futures for December delivery rose 0.7% to $3,701.40.

Market analysts say persistent global uncertainty and policy expectations are likely to keep safe-haven demand for gold elevated in the near term.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani rupee extended its upward streak against the US dollar, posting a slight appreciation in the inter-bank market.

The currency closed at 281.61, inching up one paisa from the previous day’s close at 281.62.

It marked the rupee’s 23rd straight session of gains against the greenback.

The rupee has depreciated 1.09% in the calendar year to date and appreciated 0.76% in the fiscal year to date, noted Ismail Iqbal Securities.

In global trade, the US dollar slipped to a nearly seven-week low as investors anticipated data revisions that may reveal a weaker job market.

Strengthening expectations of deeper interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve.

Furthermore, Pakistan’s central government debt increased to Rs77.9 trillion by the end of June 2025, up 2.4% month-on-month (Rs1.84 trillion).

Compared with Rs76 trillion in May 2025, according to the State Bank of Pakista) data quoted by Arif Habib Limited.

On a yearly basis, the debt stock grew 13% from Rs68.9 trillion in June 2024.

The government’s domestic debt rose to Rs54.5 trillion, marking a 15.5% year-on-year increase.

Within this, the long-term debt stood at Rs45.7 trillion, led by a sharp 26.1% jump in federal government bonds to Rs41.4 trillion.

The overall permanent debt was Rs42.2 trillion, while the unfunded debt increased 7.9% to Rs3 trillion. Prize bonds edged up to Rs407 billion.

Short-term debt, however, declined 14.5% year-on-year to Rs8.8 trillion. Naya Pakistan Certificates also contracted by 26.3% to Rs62 billion.

Meanwhile, the external debt reached Rs23.4 trillion, reflecting a 7.6% increase from Rs21.8 trillion a year earlier and 3.7% higher than May 2025.

Analysts caution that Pakistan’s heavy reliance on domestic borrowing through government bonds.

Coupled with rising external obligations, underscores the fiscal challenge of managing a mounting debt stock amid constrained revenues.



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Joni Lamb, Whose Christian TV Station Went Global, Dies at 65

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Joni Lamb, Whose Christian TV Station Went Global, Dies at 65


Joni Lamb, the president of Daystar Television Network, a televangelism broadcaster she founded with her husband, Marcus Lamb, turning their family into stars of Christian entertainment, died on Thursday. She was 65.

In an announcement posted on Daystar’s website, the company described the cause as “serious health matters” exacerbated by a recent back injury. It did not say where she died.

On a trip to Jerusalem in 1983, shortly after the couple married, Mr. Lamb visited the Mount of Olives and felt God telling him to move to Montgomery, Ala., and start a Christian TV station. He and Ms. Lamb poured their energy and modest finances into the effort and began appearing on the air two years later.

By the time they founded Daystar — in Texas in 1997 — they were experienced entrepreneurs and performers. After just a few years, they owned 24 stations around the country. By 2010, they had become the second-largest Christian broadcaster, after Trinity Broadcasting Network, and were reaching more than 200 countries, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Compared with other televangelists, the Lambs “are younger and come across as more ordinary folks,” David Clark, the president of a rival Christian broadcaster, told The Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 2001. “They come across as being sincere.”

Mr. Clark added: “Marc is sharp, and his wife, Joni, is a big asset.”

The Lambs frequently appeared on their own network in a talk show format, discussing the pleasures and challenges of domestic life in a Christian idiom. Ms. Lamb, who liked to break into song, was Daystar’s leading talk show host, over the decades moderating shows like “Taking a Break With Joni” and “Joni Table Talk.” She would often be surrounded by other female regulars, putting questions to a male guest who had wisdom to impart.

The prominent pastor Jentezen Franklin visited earlier this year, for example, to discuss his new book, “The Power of Short Prayers.” The conversation slipped easily into evangelism.

“For someone watching right now: You’ve been listening; God’s opened your heart,” Ms. Lamb said. “In fact, your heart’s already been opened for some time, as you’ve been looking, searching, and you tried everything else. Always say, ‘Why don’t you try Jesus?’ A simple prayer: That will change your life for eternity.”

During the episode she was flanked, as she often was, by her two daughters, Rachel Lamb Brown and Rebecca Lamb Weiss, and referred to her husband by his first name, as if the viewers at home were family friends.

In 2021, Mr. Lamb died, at 64, of Covid-19, after having frequently suggested that people should pray instead of getting vaccinated. Ms. Lamb announced his death on air.

The travails of the Lamb family were often incorporated into the station’s programming. In 2010, Mr. Lamb admitted on live TV to an extramarital affair and described an attempt to extort millions of dollars in blackmail.

“Christian TV took a soap opera turn,” The Dallas Morning News wrote of the episode.

In 2020, Daystar returned a $3.9 million Paycheck Protection Program loan after the CBS program “Inside Edition” investigated the company’s purchase of a Gulfstream jet used by the Lamb family for beach and golf trips.

Four years later, a panel of Ms. Lamb’s talk show regulars questioned her on air about an accusation by her son, Jonathan, that there had been a coverup of a family member’s sexual molestation of his infant daughter. Ms. Lamb denied that any abuse had occurred, and after an investigation, no charges were filed.

Joni Lynn Trammell was born on July 19, 1960, in Greenville, S.C., where she grew up. Her father, Billy Frank Trammell, worked for a local refrigeration and heating company and would evangelize with friends he made playing basketball. Her mother, Sandra (Hudson) Trammell, competed in the Miss Greenville beauty pageant.

The Lambs met at a Greenville church in 1980, when Mr. Lamb, a traveling Pentecostal preacher, was visiting. They married in 1982.

Their early investments in TV stations came fortuitously, at a time of deregulation that The Star-Telegram would describe as “market bottom.” They later made money buying and selling small broadcast towers, and selling airtime to ministries and churches.

In 2023, Ms. Lamb married Doug Weiss, a sex therapist who became a co-host on Daystar. He survives her; other survivors include her three children and several grandchildren.

On air earlier this year, Ms. Lamb told viewers that the Christian faith guaranteed a posthumous reward.

“When you pray that prayer, and you receive Jesus, he forgives your sins,” she said. “When you die, you’re going to heaven.”



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US consumer price inflation hits 3.8% in April, highest in nearly 3 years as Iran war fuels energy costs – The Times of India

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US consumer price inflation hits 3.8% in April, highest in nearly 3 years as Iran war fuels energy costs – The Times of India


US inflation rose in April to 3.8 per cent as surging fuel costs amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict drove up consumer prices, hitting a three-year high complicating the Federal Reserve’s path on interest rates.Data released by the Labor Department on Tuesday showed the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.6 per cent in April after a 0.9 per cent jump in March, the biggest monthly rise since June 2022. On an annual basis, inflation accelerated to 3.8 per cent, marking the highest year-on-year increase, since May 2023.Petrol prices in the US are now more than 28 per cent higher than a year ago, according to official data. AAA estimates show average gasoline prices have crossed $4.50 per gallon, roughly 44 per cent above year-ago levels, squeezing household budgets and raising concerns about broader economic fallout.The spike in energy prices follows the escalation of hostilities between the US, Israel and Iran earlier this year. Markets were rattled after Tehran blocked access through the Strait of Hormuz — a critical global energy route that handles nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.Core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, remained relatively contained. Core CPI rose 0.4 per cent month-on-month and 2.8 per cent annually, suggesting that higher fuel costs have not yet fully spread across the wider economy.Food prices also edged higher in April. Grocery costs rose 0.7 per cent from March, led by increases in meat prices after a slight decline in the previous month.The latest inflation reading adds to uncertainty for the Federal Reserve, which had earlier been expected to begin cutting interest rates in 2026. Policymakers are now signalling caution amid fears that prolonged geopolitical tensions and elevated oil prices could trigger another wave of inflation.US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised the Fed for not lowering borrowing costs faster to support economic growth. Attention is now turning to Kevin Warsh, Trump’s nominee to succeed outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whose Senate confirmation is expected this week.Higher fuel costs are also beginning to weigh on corporate America. Appliance maker Whirlpool Corporation said last week that quarterly revenue fell nearly 10 per cent, warning that the war-driven economic slowdown had severely dented consumer confidence.



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EBay rejects £41.4 billion GameStop takeover offer

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EBay rejects £41.4 billion GameStop takeover offer



EBay has turned down a 56 billion US dollar (£41.4 billion) takeover move from GameStop, labelling the proposal as “neither credible or attractive”.

GameStop boss Ryan Cohen launched an unsolicited offer of 125 dollars (£92.40) per share – half in cash and half in GameStop stock – to eBay shareholders last week.

However, the online marketplace’s board confirmed on Tuesday that it had now rejected the move.

In a letter, eBay chairman Paul Pressler said it reviewed the offer but believes that eBay is a “strong, resilient business”.

He added: “We have sharpened our strategic focus, strengthened execution, enhanced our marketplace and seller experience, and consistently returned capital to shareholders.

“With its differentiated global marketplace and a clear strategy, eBay’s board is confident that the company, under its current management team, is well-positioned to continue to drive sustainable growth, execute with discipline, and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.”

GameStop, which runs around 1,600 shops around the US, said it started accumulating eBay shares earlier this year and currently has a 5% stake.

Mr Cohen had previously indicated he would take his proposal directly to eBay shareholders if the company’s board rejected the deal.



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