Author: Saima Altaf
A January 2022 ruling by the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal kept six internationally adopted children in the succession of the late billionaire Oswaldo Cisneros, overturning a decision that had excluded them. But the ruling did not end a bitter dispute between his widow and his three daughters over a fortune Venezuelan government sources say tax authorities valued at more than $10 billion. The legal question was exequátur, the procedure by which certain foreign judgments are formally recognised in Venezuela. The six children were adopted in Romania and Colombia by Cisneros and his widow, Mireya Blavia de Cisneros, with…
ISLAMABAD: United States Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker has praised Pakistan for hosting its first international women’s tennis tournament at the W15 level, describing the event as a historic milestone for women’s sports and an important opportunity to strengthen international relations through sports diplomacy. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Junaid Family Foundation (JFF) Women’s W15 Futures Tournament in Islamabad on Saturday, Baker congratulated the organisers for bringing together 30 female players from 17 countries and territories to compete in Pakistan. “I was especially pleased to learn that this is the first women’s tournament at this level ever held in…
CLEVELAND, OHIO: The Junaid Family Foundation (JFF) has announced its sponsorship of the World Tennis (WT) Women’s $15,000 Futures Tournament, scheduled to take place from October 12 to 17 in Islamabad. The tournament will be the first-ever WT women’s event hosted in Pakistan. Organised by the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), the tournament is expected to attract around 40 international players, who will compete alongside Pakistan’s emerging female tennis talent. The announcement has been widely welcomed across Pakistan. A spokesman for the foundation said that empowering women through sports was part of JFF’s broader mission. He added that the sponsorship reflected…
Mireya Blavia de Cisneros and Digitel have questions to answer over the non-payment of personal taxes and liabilities, a senior Venezuelan government official alleged, as authorities scrutinise one of the country’s largest telecommunications operators and the wider empire around it, including real estate, over alleged failures to meet investment commitments and alleged bribery. “It is a scandal that Cisneros interests made no investment for years,” the official said. “They only looted and plundered without investing anything, while making wild excuses.” Digitel is among the most important businesses associated with the Cisneros family. Tycoon Oswaldo Cisneros built a major position in…
Pakistan’s viral tea seller-turned-entrepreneur Arshad Khan’s Café Chaiwala brand has embarked on a major expansion in Britain, opening a new branch in Sutton, South London, with plans for four more outlets within weeks as the brand increases its footprint across the UK. The global expansion of the viral brand Arshad Khan’s Café Chaiwala is being led by British-Pakistani businessman Asif Khalique, who previously launched the brand’s successful Tooting branch with his brother Yousuf Khalique around three years ago. Asif Khalique, the UK master franchise holder and director of Café Chaiwala Sutton Limited, was joined by a large number of local…
A payments startup cofounded by a Pakistani-born entrepreneur has emerged from stealth with a $20 million seed round, with Lahore among its six offices and South Asia at the top of its target list. Mustafa Dar was born in Pakistan and lived in Saudi Arabia before his family moved to Los Angeles when he was five. He grew up watching his parents try to send money home — the same experience described by his cofounder Nabeel Alamgir, born in Bangladesh, raised in Kuwait, and a New Yorker since his teens. That shared frustration is the origin story of Fin.com, which…
Through comprehensive operational and logistical support provided by the Pakistan Sports Board, rising swimmers and Aitchison College students Muhammad Dayyan Kashif and Muhammad Mohtashim Kashif successfully competed at the Singapore Open Short Course Swimming Championship from August 28 to 30, 2026. Muhammad Dayyan Kashif delivered an impressive performance on the international stage, qualifying for the finals in three separate events and securing top-six finishes in two, highlighting the impact of structured institutional support on young athletic talent.
ISLAMABAD/LONDON: Leading British-Pakistani consultant urologist Dr Muhammad Shabi Ahmed, credited as one of the pioneers of a minimally invasive kidney stone removal procedure in the United Kingdom, has been awarded Pakistan’s Medal of Excellence (Tamgha-i-Imtiaz) for outstanding public services in the UK and Pakistan spanning nearly three decades. The award was conferred on Dr Ahmed by President Asif Ali Zardari as part of Pakistan’s national civil awards, with the official Presidency record confirming him among the recipients of the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz. Dr Ahmed is a Consultant Urologist in Birmingham UK and a Professor of Urology. He serves as a Visiting/Honorary Professor…
LONDON: British-Pakistani entrepreneur and educationist Bilal Sheikh has paid tribute to Pakistan’s founder Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, saying his vision, political struggle and leadership gave the Muslims of the subcontinent a separate homeland that is today home to around 250 million people. He was speaking at the art exhibition by Mont Rose Foundation, titled “Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah: A Legacy Beyond Time,” to celebrate the enduring legacy of Pakistan’s founding father at the prestigious National Liberal Club on Whitehall Place in central London. The event featured Pakistan’s newly appointed High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Tipu Usman, along with artist…
As Pakistan’s Solar Market Matures, Trinasolar Highlights the Next Step: Integrating Battery Storage with Existing Industrial Solar Pakistan has built one of the world’s fastest growing distributed solar markets. According to recent research by Ember and Renewables First, it is estimated that Pakistan has approximately 38GW of distributed solar capacity across residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors. As this installed solar base grows, the next challenge is making that energy more flexible and available when businesses need it most. Trina Storage, Trinasolar’s global battery energy storage business, says Pakistan’s expanding solar base is increasing interest in solar-plus-storage, particularly for utility-scale and microgrids for commercial & industrial (C&I). A Renewables First report estimates that Pakistan imported 4.6 GWh of BESS in 2025, representing 220% year-on-year growth. Rather than replacing existing solar assets, well-designed solar-plus-storage systems can help businesses optimize renewable energy use, improve operational flexibility and support more resilient energy management strategies, depending on each site’s design and operating requirements. However, adding BESS to an existing solar installation is not a simple plug-and-play exercise. Projects require careful assessment of the site’s electrical architecture, inverter configuration, demand profile, equipment compatibility, energy management system, safety requirements and commercial objectives. For many retrofit projects, an AC-coupled approach provides a practical solution by allowing battery storage to operate alongside an existing PV system through its own Power Conversion System (PCS), helping retain much of the original solar infrastructure. Compatibility must still be assessed at system level, including electrical interfaces, communications, controls and compliance with the applicable IEC and UL standards. Designed for utility-scale and C&I applications, Trina Storage’s Elementa Series is compatible and is designed for integration within solar-plus-storage systems using Trina or third-party equipment, with compatibility assessed according to the project architecture. Beyond supplying technology, Trinasolar can work with customers and EPC partners to assess system compatibility, determine the most suitable BESS configuration and develop an operating strategy aligned with each site’s technical and commercial requirements. Trinasolar’s energy storage expertise builds on its long-established presence in Pakistan’s solar market, where the company has supplied more than 500MW of 700W+ modules across commercial, industrial and residential applications and recently introduced the Vertex N G3 760W series. Globally, Trina Storage, established in 2015, has achieved BloombergNEF Tier 1 Energy Storage Manufacturer status for 10 consecutive quarters and is expected to surpass 30 GWh of cumulative shipments by the first half of 2026. Its latest 6.25MWh Elementa 3 platform combines advanced battery technology, intelligent thermal management and integrated safety features for large-scale energy storage applications. “Pakistan has already built a strong solar foundation. The next phase is to consider how battery storage can be integrated with those assets to make renewable electricity available across a wider range of operating conditions. That requires careful assessment of the existing equipment, the site’s load profile and the role the battery is expected to perform. Trinasolar’s PV experience and Trina Storage’s global BESS capabilities give us a useful perspective across both sides of that system,” said Edison Zhou, Head of Pakistan, Trinasolar.