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Pakistan’s bond with South Asian nations is weakening despite shared cultural heritage and historical ties. The enduring India-Pakistan rivalry has also affected Pakistan’s relations with other South Asian countries, especially in areas like economic connectivity and people-to-people exchanges. One of the few positive connections remaining is the popularity of Pakistani TV dramas, which, thanks to social media and YouTube, continue to attract audiences across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. It remains to be seen how long the drama industry alone can sustain this cultural bridge amid escalating regional tensions. With no resolution in sight for the India-Pakistan conflict, Pakistan risks further isolating itself from South Asia. Pakistan’s regional connectivity remains limited, with flights only to Colombo and no links to other South Asian capitals. Meanwhile, Pakistan is fostering ties with Central Asia, where better flight connectivity signals economic opportunities. The Middle East is a key labour market and a cornerstone of its foreign relations. Pakistan maintains strong economic and political ties with the region despite the Gulf states’ growing alignment with India due to its rising global influence. For Pakistan’s elite and intelligentsia, the West is the West and always remains the primary focus, and no serious efforts have been made to explore alternatives or shift this orientation. The West dominates the global knowledge economy, reinforcing its appeal. However, China is emerging as a significant neighbour, with growing people-to-people exchanges and an increasing number of Pakistani students pursuing education there, alongside expanding trade relations. The extent of China’s influence on Pakistan’s sociocultural and political landscape still needs to be explored. How this influence shapes Pakistan’s middle- and lower-income classes, engaging with China through education and trade, remains to be seen. The impact of these evolving ties could bring significant transformations to the country’s socioeconomic fabric. However, disconnecting from South Asia would not be a simple path for Pakistan, as deep civilisational and cultural roots are not easily severed. Pakistanis living abroad often find themselves naturally associating with South Asians despite political tensions. Shared cultural elements, such as movies, dramas, music, and cricket, continue to forge bonds that are difficult to break. South Asia’s rich culinary heritage, while rapidly evolving through fusion, still captivates taste buds across the region and beyond. The region’s linguistic and ethnic diversity, while a source of political friction, also serves as a unique communication channel. It helps South Asians express shared experiences and contrasting narratives, in ways that reflect the region’s unity and complexity. It is often argued that Pakistan is distancing itself from its South Asian origins due to ideological and political motivations, with religious identity serving as a critical factor in aligning more closely with the Middle East and Central Asia. However, this rationale does not hold in the case of Pakistan’s relations with China or the West. If faith were the defining factor, it is worth noting that South Asia itself is home to a larger population of Muslims, particularly in India, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, than many of the regions Pakistan seeks to align with. These South Asian nations and their Muslim communities maintain stronger people-to-people ties and cultural integration – ties that Pakistan increasingly lacks due to limited communication and interaction. This disconnect has fostered misperceptions about Pakistan in the region. Despite this, there remains a deep affection for Pakistani culture, sustained by shared traditions and the continued popularity of its dramas, music, and cricket. These cultural elements act as bridges, preserving a sense of connection between Pakistan and its South Asian neighbours, even amidst political and ideological divides. Pakistan’s strained relations with India drive its detachment from South Asia. India’s strategy of exerting diplomatic and political pressure on Pakistan to isolate it regionally has compelled Pakistan to seek alternatives beyond South Asia. Geographically, Pakistan shares no borders with its western South Asian neighbours apart from India, and when tensions escalate between the two nations, they inevitably impact Pakistan’s relations with other South Asian countries. From Pakistan’s perspective, diplomatic and political engagement with South Asia, excluding India, yields limited returns compared to its investments in the Middle East and, more recently, in Central Asia. The Middle East remains a cornerstone of Pakistan’s foreign policy due to economic ties and labour market opportunities, while Central Asia offers new avenues for trade and connectivity. This strategic shift reflects Pakistan’s prioritisation of regions where it perceives more significant economic and political dividends, even as its links to South Asia continue to erode under the weight of unresolved conflicts with India. There is a prevailing perception in Pakistan that western South Asia is heavily influenced by India, leaving limited scope for fostering meaningful political and economic relationships with countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The political landscape of South Asia is complex and often influenced by regime changes, which can significantly alter the dynamics of regional engagement. A recent example is Bangladesh, where the exit of Sheikh Hasina’s government poses challenges for India while presenting an opportunity for Pakistan to rebuild and strengthen its ties with Bangladesh. Such shifts highlight the fluidity of regional politics and the potential for Pakistan to recalibrate its relationships despite India’s overarching influence in the region. Pakistan should prioritise South Asia in its core external policies for the future and avoid falling into India’s trap of curtailing its regional ties. India’s arrogance and irrational approach towards Pakistan are evident on the global stage. A recent example is its controversial decision not to send its cricket team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy – a move widely criticised within the South Asian region. Pakistan’s leadership acknowledges the need to ease tensions with India and has consistently expressed a willingness to resume dialogue. However, India has yet to reciprocate these efforts. Pakistan, along with other South Asian nations, could collectively pressure India to reconsider its stance towards its neighbours and adopt a more constructive approach, but for this purpose, Pakistan would have to take up the tasks that the Pakistani dramas have taken up. The writer is a security analyst. This article was first published on Dawn.com .Athabasca Oil Announces 2025 Budget Focused on Cash Flow Per Share Growth and Directing 100% of Free Cash Flow to Shareholder Returnsblackjack vs baccarat 。

The price of bitcoin soared past the long-awaited $100,000 benchmark for the first time ever late Wednesday evening. By Thursday afternoon, the flagship cryptocurrency pulled back from the milestone. It was recently higher by 0.28% at $99,140.00, according to Coin Metrics, trading at the lows of Thursday’s trading following some profit taking by investors. On Wednesday night, it rose as high as $103,844.05. The move came after President-elect Donald Trump announced plans to nominate Paul Atkins as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The appointment could fulfill Trump’s most important campaign promise to the crypto industry: to replace Gary Gensler, who has become something of a villain in crypto for the agency’s regulation-by-enforcement approach to the industry under his leadership. Trump congratulated bitcoiners in a Truth Social post Thursday morning, saying “you’re welcome” for his part in helping send bitcoin to $100,000 and that “together, we will make America great again.” It’s a day of celebration for longtime bitcoin investors, who have held on for dear life, or “HODL’d” through several of the cryptocurrency’s boom-and-bust cycles, during which government and financial institutions remained dismissive — and even hostile — toward the asset class. That’s largely because of the cryptocurrency’s anti-establishment roots. The original idea for bitcoin was proposed at the height of the 2008 financial crisis: a “peer-to-peer version of electronic cash would allow online payments to be sent directly from one party to another without going through a financial institution,” its founder, Satoshi Nakamoto, wrote in the Bitcoin Whitepaper . In recent years, however, the industry has demonstrated the value of bitcoin to much of the institutional investing world. BlackRock , Fidelity, Invesco and others launched the first spot bitcoin ETFs at the beginning of this year — bitcoin’s “IPO” moment — and the growing demand for them by institutions has helped drive the price higher. In November, Rick Wurster, the incoming CEO of Charles Schwab , said the firm is preparing to enter spot crypto trading , pending regulatory changes expected in the next Trump administration. On Wednesday, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said bitcoin is “just like gold, only it’s virtual, it’s digital,” speaking at the DealBook conference . He further clarified that “people are not using it as a form of payment, or as a store of value” and that “it’s not a competitor for the dollar, it’s really a competitor for gold.” “We’re witnessing a paradigm shift. After four years of political purgatory, bitcoin and the entire digital asset ecosystem are on the brink of entering the financial mainstream,” Mike Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital, told CNBC. Bitcoin had been widely expected to reach the landmark $100,000 level since the U.S. presidential election. However, excited investors sent bitcoin closer to this mark much sooner than initially anticipated; it rose as high as $99,849.99 on Nov. 22. There is much hope that Trump will deliver on several pro-crypto initiatives in the year ahead — including the establishment of a national strategic bitcoin reserve or stockpile, no taxes on crypto transactions and opening up the crypto public equity markets with more IPOs. “Over the long term, I’m bullish,” Novogratz added. “It won’t be a straight line up, and investors should always consider taking gains off the table. But, with a pro-crypto administration about to take charge in the U.S., it’ll be hard for the rest of the world not to take notice.” Bitcoin is now up more than 133% in 2024 and 42% since the election.

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Sumedha Lakmal Introduction Willdan Group, Inc. ( NASDAQ: WLDN ) stock has performed tremendously over the last year, which may have been considered an AI-adjacent play for many, driving up the company’s shares by over 100% YTD. I wanted to take a look at the Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.NASSAU, Bahamas — Scottie Scheffler brought a new putting grip to the Hero World Challenge and felt enough improvement to be satisfied with the result, a 5-under 67 that left him three shots behind Cameron Young on Thursday. Young was playing for the first time since the BMW Championship more than three months ago and found great success on and around the greens of Albany Golf Club, chipping beautifully and holing four birdie putts from 15 feet or longer for his 64. He led by two shots over Justin Thomas in his first competition since his daughter was born a few weeks ago. Thomas ran off four straight birdies late in his round and was a fraction of an inch away with a fifth. The big surprise was Scheffler, the No. 1 player in golf who looked as good as he has all year in compiling eight victories, including an Olympic gold medal. His iron play has no equal. His putting at times has kept him from winning more or winning bigger. He decided to try to a "saw" putting grip from about 20 feet or closer — the putter rests between his right thumb and his fingers, with his left index finger pointed down the shaft. "I'm always looking for ways to improve," Scheffler said. Scheffler last year began working with renowned putting instructor Phil Kenyon, and he says Kenyon mentioned the alternative putting grip back then. "But it was really our first time working together and it's something that's different than what I've done in the past," Scheffler said. "This year I had thought about it from time to time, and it was something that we had just said let's table that for the end of the season, take a look at it. "Figured this is a good week to try stuff." He opened with a wedge to 2 feet and he missed a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-5 third. But he holed a birdie from about the same distance at the next par 5, No. 6, and holed a sliding 6-footer on the ninth to save par. His longest putt was his last hole, from 12 feet for a closing birdie. "I really enjoyed the way it felt," he said. "I felt like I'm seeing some improvements in my stroke." Young, regarded as the best active player without a PGA Tour victory, is treating this holiday tournament as the start of a new season. He worked on getting stronger and got back to the basics in his powerful golf swing. And on this day, he was dialed in with his short game. He only struggled to save par twice and kept piling up birdies in his bogey-free round on an ideal day in the Bahamas. "The wind wasn't blowing much so it was relatively stress-free," Young said. Patrick Cantlay, along with Scheffler playing for the first time since the Presidents Cup, also was at 67 with Ludvig Aberg, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala. Thomas also took this occasion to do a little experimenting against a 20-man field. He has using a 46-inch driver at home — a little more than an inch longer than his regular driver — in a bid to gain more speed. On a day with little wind, on a golf course with some room off the tee, he decided to put it in play. "Just with it being a little bit longer, I just kind of have to get the club out in front of me and get on top of it a little bit more," Thomas said. "I drove the hell out of it on the back, so that was nice to try something different and have it go a little bit better on the back." Thomas said the longer driver gives him 2 or 3 mph in ball speed and 10 extra yards in the air. "It's very specific for courses, but gave it a try," he said. Conditions were easy enough that only four players in field failed to break par, with Jason Day bringing up the rear with a 75. Get local news delivered to your inbox!WASHINGTON — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday because of a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive. Government regulators cleared American flights to get airborne about an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a national ground stop for the airline. The order, which prevented planes from taking off, was issued at the airline's request. The airline said in an email that the problem was caused by trouble with vendor technology that maintains its flight operating system. An American Airlines employee wearing looks toward quiet check-in counters Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Dennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association, a union representing American Airlines pilots, said the airline told pilots at 7 a.m. Eastern that there was an outage affecting the system known as FOS. It handles different types of airline operations, including dispatch, flight planning, passenger boarding, as well as an airplane's weight and balance data, he said. Some components of FOS have gone down in the past, but a systemwide outage is rare, Tajer said. Flights were delayed across American's major hubs, with only 37% leaving on time, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Out of the 3,901 domestic and international American Airlines flights scheduled for Tuesday, 19 were canceled. Cirium noted that the vast majority of flights departed within two hours of their scheduled departure time. A similar percentage — 36% — arrived at their destinations as scheduled. Meanwhile, the flight-tracking site FlightAware reported that 4,058 flights entering or leaving the U.S., or serving domestic destinations, were delayed, with 76 flights canceled. The site had not posted any American Airlines flights on Tuesday morning, but showed in the afternoon that 961 American flights were delayed. Cirium said Dallas-Fort Worth, New York's Kennedy Airport and Charlotte, North Carolina, saw the greatest number of delays. Washington, Chicago and Miami experienced considerably fewer delays. Travelers wait in line for security checks Tuesday at the Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles. Amid the travel problems, significant rain and snow were expected in the Pacific Northwest at least into Christmas Day. Showers and thunderstorms developed in the South. Freezing rain was reported in the Mid-Atlantic region near Baltimore and Washington, and snow fell in New York. Because the holiday travel period lasts weeks, airports and airlines typically have smaller peak days than they do during the rush around Thanksgiving, but the grind of one hectic day followed by another takes a toll on flight crews. Any hiccups — a winter storm or a computer outage — can snowball into massive disruptions. That is how Southwest Airlines stranded 2 million travelers in December 2022, and Delta Air Lines suffered a smaller but significant meltdown after a worldwide technology outage in July caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations even more disruptive than during slower periods. That is especially true for smaller budget airlines that have fewer flights and fewer options for rebooking passengers. Only the largest airlines, including American, Delta and United, have "interline agreements" that let them put stranded customers on another carrier's flights. An American Airlines employee wearing a Santa Claus hat walks through the American terminal Tuesday at Miami International Airport in Miami. This will be the first holiday season since a Transportation Department rule took effect that requires airlines to give customers an automatic cash refund for a canceled or significantly delayed flight. Most air travelers were already eligible for refunds, but they often had to request them. Passengers still can ask to get rebooked, which is often a better option than a refund during peak travel periods. Finding a last-minute flight on another airline tends to be expensive. An American spokesperson said Tuesday was not a peak travel day for the airline — with about 2,000 fewer flights than the busiest days — so the airline had somewhat of a buffer to manage the delays. The groundings happened as millions of travelers were expected to fly over the next 10 days. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. Airlines expect to have their busiest days on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. American Airlines employees check in travelers Tuesday in the American terminal at Miami International Airport in Miami. Many flights during the holidays are sold out, which makes cancellations more disruptive than during slower periods. Even with just a brief outage, the cancellations have a cascading effect that can take days to clear up. About 90% of Americans traveling far from home over the holidays will be in cars, according to AAA. "Airline travel is just really high right now, but most people do drive to their destinations, and that is true for every holiday," AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz said. Gasoline prices are similar to last year. The nationwide average Thursday was $3.04 a gallon, down from $3.13 a year ago, according to AAA. Charging an electric vehicle averages just under 35 cents per per kilowatt hour, but varies by state. Transportation-data firm INRIX says travel times on the nation's highways could be up to 30% longer than normal over the holidays, with Sunday expected to see the heaviest traffic. "It's not the destination, it's the journey," said American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Ralph clearly was not among the travellers on one of more than 350 cancelled or 1,400 delayed flights after a worldwide tech outage caused by an update to Crowdstrike's "Falcon Sensor" software in July of 2023. U.S. airlines carried nearly 863 million travellers in 2023, with Canadian carriers accounting for another 150 million, many of whom experienced lost luggage, flight delays, cancellations, or were bumped off their flights. It's unclear how many of them were compensated for these inconveniences. Suffice it to say, posting a crabby rant on social media might temporarily soothe anger, but it won't put wasted money back in pockets. Money.ca shares what to know in order to be compensated for the three most common air travel headaches. Bags elected to go on a vacay without you? Check off the following: If you expect a large payout, think again. Tariffs (air carrier contracts) limit the compensation amounts for "loss of, damage to, or the delay in delivery of baggage or other personal property." In the case of Air Canada, the maximum payout is $1,500 per passenger in the currency of the country where the baggage was processed. To raise that limit, purchase a Declaration of Higher Value for each leg of the trip. The charge is $0.50 for each $100, in which case the payout limit is $2,500. For Delta Air Lines, passengers are entitled to up to $3,800 in baggage compensation, though how much you'll receive depends on your flight. Delta will pay up to $2,080 for delayed, lost, and damaged baggage for international travellers, almost half of what U.S. domestic passengers can claim. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. Different air carriers and jurisdictions have their own compensation policies when flights are delayed or cancelled. For example, under European Union rules, passengers may receive up to 600 Euros, even when travelling on a non-EU carrier. Similarly, the DOT states that travellers are entitled to a refund "if the airline cancelled a flight, regardless of the reason, and the consumer chooses not to travel." However, US rules regarding delays are complicated. Some air carriers, such as Air Canada, do not guarantee their flight schedules. They're also not liable for cancellations or changes due to "force majeure" such as weather conditions or labour disruptions. If the delay is overnight, only out-of-town passengers will be offered hotel accommodation. Nevertheless, many airlines do offer some compensation for the inconvenience. If your flight is marked delayed for more than 30 minutes, approach the gate agent and politely request food and hotel vouchers to be used within the airport or nearby. In terms of cash compensation, what you'll get can differ significantly based on things like departure location, time, carrier, and ticket class. The DOT offers a helpful delay and cancellations dashboard designed to keep travellers informed about their compensation rights. The dashboard is particularly helpful because, as the DOT states on its website, "whether you are entitled to a refund depends on a lot of factors—such as the length of the delay, the length of the flight, and your particular circumstances." The Canadian Transportation Agency is proposing air passenger protection regulations that guarantee financial compensation to travellers experiencing flight delays and cancellations, with the level of compensation varying depending on the situation and how much control the air carrier had. The proposed regulations include the following: The airline is obligated to complete the passenger's itinerary. If the new ticket is for a lower class of service, the air carrier would have to refund the cost difference; if the booking is in a higher class of service, passengers cannot be charged extra. If the passenger declines the ticket, the airline must give a full refund, in addition to the prescribed compensation. For overnight delays, the air carrier needs to provide hotel accommodation and transportation free-of-charge. Again, if you are unsatisfied, the Canadian Transportation Agency or Department of Transportation may advocate on your behalf. Passengers get bumped because airlines overbook. When this happens, the air carrier must compensate you. For international flights in the US, the rate is 200% of your one-way fare to your final destination, with a $675 maximum. If the airline does not make travel arrangements for you, the payout is 400% of your one-way fare to a maximum of $1,350. To qualify, you must check-in by the stated deadline, which on international flights can be up to 3 hours ahead. Keep in mind that if you accept the cash, you are no longer entitled to any further compensation, nor are you guaranteed to be rebooked on a direct flight or similar type of seat. Don't be too quick to give up your boarding pass. Negotiate for the best compensation deal that would include cash, food and hotel vouchers, flight upgrade, lounge passes, as well as mileage points. But avoid being too greedy—if the gate attendant is requesting volunteers and you wait too long, you'll miss the offer. According to Air Canada's tariff, if a passenger is involuntarily bumped, they'll receive $200, in cash or bank draft, for up to a two-hour delay; $400 for a 2-6 hours delay; and $800 if the delay is over six hours. (Air Canada was forced to raise its payouts in 2013 due to passenger complaints.) The new rules would raise the payout significantly: $900 for up to six hours; $1,800 for 6-9; and $2,400 for more than nine hours, all to be paid within 48 hours. Statistically speaking, Delta Airlines is the carrier most likely to bump. A few years ago, Delta raised its payout maximum to $9,950, while United Airlines tops out at $10,000. This story was produced by Money.ca and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. Get local news delivered to your inbox!