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To commemorate the anniversary of Marka-e-Haq, top civic and military leaders assemble at Pakistan Monument.

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At a special ceremony on Sunday, Pakistan’s senior military and civil leaders convened at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad to commemorate the first anniversary of the nation’s declared triumph in “Marka-e-Haq,” the state’s euphemism for the recent conflict with India.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Defense Forces and Chief of Army Staff, were present at the event. Senior political figures, federal ministers, international ambassadors, and senior civil and military officials were also present, along with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Baber Sidhu.

Yousaf Raza Gilani, the chairman of the Senate, Ayaz Sadiq, the speaker of the National Assembly, and others from all backgrounds attended the memorial service at one of Islamabad’s most notable national landmarks.

The confrontation between Pakistan and India, which started with the Pahalgam attack on April 22 and ended with the truce declared on May 10 following Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, has been referred to by the state as “Marka-e-Haq,” or the “Battle of Truth,” according to official accounts.

The national anthem was played after the Holy Quran was recited to start the ceremony. Attendees applauded as the three armed forces’ well-prepared contingents performed a ceremonial march past the monument.

As attendees remembered what officials characterized as a pivotal period in Pakistan’s recent history, patriotic songs were also played, creating an emotionally charged environment.

A military aircraft fly-past was also planned as part of the commemoration. However, organizers subsequently acknowledged that bad weather in the federal capital was the reason for the cancellation.

The Pakistan Monument was surrounded by large screens and ceremonial lights, and the area was decorated with national flags and symbolic exhibits that reflected the role of the armed services during the fight.

While images from the ceremony emphasized the involvement of all three armed forces, state media coverage featured senior leadership mingling with visitors and military members during the occasion.

Throughout the ceremony, security measures in and around the Pakistan Monument were strict, with law enforcement officers keeping an eye on the roads leading to the location. The events were attended by a sizable number of invited guests, authorities, and media representatives.

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Global corporate bond markets reshaped by AI debt sales

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  • Big Tech bond offerings from Europe to Japan and Switzerland show smaller markets, traditionally dwarfed by the U.S., can flex their muscles in the $40 trillion corporate debt sector.

Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL.O) is already one of the largest outstanding borrowers in the sterling and Swiss franc corporate bond markets, while Amazon (AMZN.O) raised 14.5 billion euros ($16.88 billion) in March from an eight-part deal, the biggest ever in the euro corporate bond market, LSEG said.

The debt issuance by so-called “hyperscalers”, or Big Tech, outside the United States is part of a campaign to diversify funding early as they plan to finance trillions of dollars of investment in AI infrastructure, mainly data centres, in the years ahead, bankers say.

Companies can also hedge their currency risk on global assets by issuing debt in foreign currencies, benefiting from relatively cheaper borrowing costs in regions like Europe.

Alphabet broke records across markets, with its yen, Canadian dollar, Swiss franc and sterling deals all breaking borrowing marks in respective currencies.”If you fast forward 12 months looking at the pace of investment of these companies, some of these companies are going to be already among the biggest issuers globally in any currency,” said Giulio Baratta, co-head of investment-grade finance at BNP Paribas.

Meanwhile, Alphabet and Amazon have helped increase borrowing by non-financial U.S. corporations in Europe to above 60 billion euros ($69.85 billion) this year, another record.

DEBT SALES RECORD

Morgan Stanley forecasts euro debt issuance from the hyperscalers to hit roughly 50 billion euros in borrowing this year, a move that could help the U.S. edge past France as the largest provider of overall corporate debt in the euro zone.”A lot of these markets, including euro, have evolved and now provide a lot more depth and opportunity for larger capital raising than was historically the case,” said John Servidea, global co-head of investment grade finance at JPMorgan, which guided recent offers for the two hyperscalers.

Hyperscalers sold a record amount of international non-financial corporate bonds this year in markets such as the Swiss franc and yen, LSEG tracked.

The capacity for U.S. companies beyond the hyperscalers to raise considerable amounts of money in such markets has not gone overlooked, Servidea added.“They’re definitely looking at other markets more seriously than they would have done before.”

On a broader basis, currencies such as the Australian dollar and Hong Kong dollar have also seen an increase in borrowing as global corporations diversify their funding sources.

Meanwhile, amid international tensions and policy uncertainty, investors are turning to diversification away from the U.S. currency.

BUILDING UP EXPOSURE TO AI

Hyperscalers’ non-dollar issuance has doubled to 30% of their total bond funding this year, Bank of America said.

“It means that Big Tech can go longer periods between taps of the U.S. market and borrow at rates that are in some cases cheaper than the U.S. dollar market, or at least similar,” Servidea said in an email.

Heavy borrowing can weigh heavily on a borrower’s bonds, and experts see indicators of hyperscalers underperforming the U.S. corporate bond market. If you visit it less often, that can assist to lessen the hit.

BNP Paribas, which also arranged ​deals for Alphabet and Amazon, said the companies were mainly holding the cash in the currency they are raising rather than converting ​them back to dollars.

As for investors, they are seeking to gain exposure to the AI theme in the international bond markets where technology brands had a limited presence before.

Nicolas Forest, chief investment officer at Candriam, is one example who is buying into the euro offers from hyperscalers to increase exposure to the IT industry in the European bond market.

By the end of April, one round of issuance had seen Alphabet replace the UK’s Prudential as the fourth-largest borrower in ⁠ICE BofA’s pound corporate bond index and the sixth-largest in Swiss francs.

As tech issuance increases, corporate bond markets outside the U.S. will be more exposed to tech trends, for better or worse.“If there are problems with (AI), it will probably create more volatility,” said David Zahn, head of European fixed income at Franklin Templeton.

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PM briefed on health programs by Mustafa Kamal

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Federal Minister for National Health Services Syed Mustafa Kamal met on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday and apprised him of the ongoing and forthcoming developments in the health sector.

During the meeting they discussed subjects related to the ministry.

The prime minister also complimented the ministry’s work for continuous changes in health sector and its efforts for eradication of polio, hepatitis and other fatal diseases.

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A prayer ceremony kicks off Momina Iqbal’s wedding celebrations.

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Pakistani actress Momina Iqbal has officially began her wedding celebrations with a traditional prayer ritual, videos from the event are trending on social media.

According to the data, the wedding celebrations of the actress, who has been in the spotlight due to controversies recently, have started with her fiancé Hamza.

The celebrations began with a “Dua-e-Khair” (prayer for blessings) ritual, attended by close family members, relatives and friends.

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