Entertainment
Pakistan shifting away from aid to trade with GCC countries: FinMin
- Inflation drops to single-digit from 38% peak.
- Primary surpluses and reserves strengthen external buffers.
- Ratings agencies upgrade Pakistan’s outlook this year.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has that said Pakistan is shifting away from aid-based support towards trade and investment-led engagement, with a focus on deeper economic partnerships with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
In an interview with CNN Business Arabia, Aurangzeb said the strategic shift, which he said has been clearly articulated by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, reflects Pakistan’s renewed economic confidence and reform momentum, aimed at long-term economic sustainability.
He said Pakistan has remained on a comprehensive macroeconomic stabilisation programme over the past 18 months, delivering what he described as “tangible and measurable” results. Inflation, which he said had peaked at an unprecedented 38%, has declined to single-digit levels.
Aurangzeb also pointed to primary surpluses, a current account deficit “well within” targeted limits, a stabilised exchange rate and foreign exchange reserves improving to around 2.5 months of import cover, which he said reflected strengthening external buffers.
The finance czar cited two external validations of Pakistan’s improving outlook. He said all three international credit rating agencies have upgraded Pakistan’s ratings and outlook this year, and that Pakistan has completed the second review under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Extended Fund Facility (EFF), with the IMF Executive Board granting its approval earlier this week, developments he said signalled growing international confidence in Pakistan’s economic management and reform trajectory.
The finance minister said macroeconomic stabilisation has been achieved through a coordinated approach combining disciplined monetary and fiscal policies with an ambitious structural reform agenda. He said reforms are being pursued across taxation, energy, state-owned enterprises, public financial management and privatisation to consolidate stability and lay the foundations for sustainable growth.
On taxation, the finance minister said Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio has improved from 8.8% at the start of the reform programme to 10.3% in the last fiscal year, with a clear path towards 11%.
He said the government’s objective is to reach a level of tax collection that ensures fiscal sustainability over the medium to long term by widening the tax base and bringing previously undertaxed but economically significant sectors, including real estate, agriculture, and wholesale and retail trade, into the formal net.
He said the plan also includes deepening compliance by reducing leakages through production monitoring systems and AI-enabled technologies, alongside reforms in people, processes and technology to transform tax administration.
In the energy sector, Aurangzeb highlighted efforts to improve governance in distribution companies, bring in private-sector expertise, advance privatisation and reduce circular debt, which he said has long constrained the power sector. He said rationalising the tariff regime is essential to make energy more competitive for industry, supporting industrial revival and economic growth.
The senator acknowledged the longstanding support of GCC countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, noting their role in supporting Pakistan through financing, funding and cooperation at international financial institutions such as the IMF. He said the relationship is now evolving towards a new phase centred on trade expansion and investment flows.
He said remittances continue to play a vital role in supporting the current account, with inflows reaching about $38 billion last year and projected to rise to $41–42 billion this year, with more than half originating from GCC countries.
Looking ahead, Aurangzeb said Pakistan is engaging GCC partners to attract investment in priority sectors including energy, oil and gas, minerals and mining, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. He also expressed optimism about progress on a Free Trade Agreement with the GCC, saying discussions are at an advanced stage.
Reiterating the government’s direction, the finance minister said Pakistan’s future lies in fostering trade and investment partnerships rather than reliance on aid, arguing that foreign direct investment into productive sectors would support higher GDP growth, generate employment and deliver shared economic benefits for Pakistan and its partners.
He said the government is fully mobilised to translate the vision into reality.
Entertainment
Blood found inside home of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, source says
A little bit of blood was found inside the Arizona home of “Today” show co-host Savannah Guthrie’s mother, Nancy Guthrie, whose disappearance is being investigated as a crime, a law enforcement source familiar with the case told CBS News.
It is unclear whose blood it is, but it is being tested. Investigators and analysts combed through Guthrie’s Tucson, Arizona, home in search of clues to the 84-year-old’s disappearance. During a news conference Tuesday, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said the house was turned back over to the family Monday.
When asked about the blood, Nanos said evidence collected from the home was still being processed and that none of it pointed toward a suspect so far.
“I’m not saying there’s blood inside that house or outside that house,” Nanos told reporters. He said he couldn’t provide details about what was collected from the home.
Investigators believe Guthrie was abducted from her home in the middle of the night over the weekend, Nanos told CBS News. Nanos told reporters Tuesday the search was ongoing.
“We don’t know where she is,” the sheriff said.
Nanos said it wasn’t clear how many people took Guthrie. “It could be one, it could’ve been more, I don’t know,” he said.
Asked if the perpetrators may have taken a security camera from the front of the home, he said investigators were looking into that.
Nanos was asked if a ransom demand had been made for Guthrie. “We’re following all leads,” the sheriff said. He also said, “That’s all I can tell you. We’ve got hundreds of leads.”
Nanos said investigators hadn’t determined whether Guthrie was targeted or if the abduction was random. “We’re going to assume both sides of that,” he said.
Jon Edwards, the assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s office in Tucson, said the bureau was working with the sheriff’s department and providing support, including obtaining information from cell towers. He renewed a call for people to contact authorities if they saw anything in Guthrie’s Catalina Foothills neighborhood Saturday night or Sunday morning.
“We are looking at this from every angle, but we need your help,” Edwards said.
The sheriff has dismissed the possibility that Guthrie, who lives alone, may have wandered away from her home because he said she doesn’t have any cognitive issues and her mobility is limited.
Authorities have been searching for Guthrie since Sunday. She was last seen at her home Saturday night, but no one knew she was missing until she didn’t show up for church the next morning, Nanos said.
Guthrie takes daily medication, adding additional urgency to the search. Asked if investigators were looking for someone who was still alive, Nanos said, “We hope we are.”
Savannah Guthrie asked people on social media Monday to pray for her mother.
“Thank you for lifting your prayers with ours for our beloved mom, our dearest Nancy, a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant,” she said on Instagram. “Raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. we need you.”
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
An official told CBS News that 88-Crime, an Arizona-based, non-profit program that works with law enforcement to help solve crimes, is offering a reward of up to $2,500 for “information leading to the arrest of the person or persons involved in the disappearance.”
Nancy Guthrie’s family has asked residents near her home to review their security footage from over the weekend, especially between the hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Sunday. When CBS News asked Nanos about the time frame, he said the department is starting with a narrow window and will expand outward.
“Keep looking. You never know what you’ll see,” Nanos told CBS News. “Maybe it’s just a pair of headlights. But if you see something that just doesn’t seem right in that neighborhood, please let us know. We can come and download all your digital evidence and take a look at it ourselves.”
Entertainment
Did Lewis Hamilton have eyes for Kendall Jenner before Kim came along?
Lewis Hamilton’s love life is back in the headlines as new details have resurfaced about his past connections with the Kardashians.
The F1 star, 41, reportedly sparked romance rumors with model Kendall Jenner years before his reported love speculations with Kim Kardashian.
Lewis and Kim reportedly had a very romantic stay at the 85-acre estate which is known for hosting the rich and famous.
The mother of four reportedly flew in from Los Angeles on her private jet, meanwhile Lewis arrived by helicopter.

However, back in the time when Kendall and Lewis’ romance rumours all over the internet, the 30-year-old star was seen wearing his gold chain during the Monaco Grand Prix but the F1 star denied anything romantic, saying they were just friends.
Though the racing driver has always said that his friendship with the super model was good and they were just friends, but fans continued to wonder if they were more than friends before Kim entered.
With Lewis now reportedly dating Kim, the focus has shifted now but the old rumors remain a talking point for celebrity watchers around the world.
Entertainment
Palace releases video as Princess Kate steps out in Wales after Edward’s brave stand
The Princess of Wales arrived in west Wales to tour the family-run business as part of her ongoing efforts to champion British textile producers and independent enterprises.
The Princess, 44, put on a stylish display as she visited Melin Tregwynt, a woollen mill weaving traditional Welsh designs in a remote wooded valley on the Pembrokeshire coast.
During her trip to the far west of the country on Tuesday, February 3, Catherine saw a woollen mill, which creates unique blankets and other products using longstanding practices.
Kensington Palace released Princess Kate’s video from the site, sharing details of the future queen’s engagements.
The visits are part of Princess Kate’s ongoing immersion in the textile and fashion industry as she highlights the heritage skills and modern work techniques that go into creating beautiful, original garments.
Her day out also includes visiting a brand once backed by sister-in-law Meghan Markle. Hiut Denim, a premium jeans manufacturer based in Cardigan that was propelled to international attention after being worn by the Duchess of Sussex.
The Welsh brand holds a notable place in recent royal fashion history, having been thrust into the global spotlight in 2018 when Harry’s wife chose Hiut’s high-waisted Dina skinny jeans for an official visit to Cardiff alongside Prince Harry.
She kicked off the day at Melin Tregwynt, about 260 miles west of London, which dates from 1841 and is still employing over 40 local people who create woollen blankets, scarves and cushions that are sold across the world.
She was taken around by the mill’s director, Louise Clarke, and shown how the mill is preserving traditional craft skills by drawing on generations of expertise among its staff to mentor and inspire the latest young apprentices.
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