JERUSALEM: Israel has invited tenders for more than 2,500 new settler homes in annexed east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank, a watchdog said on Wednesday, hours before Joe Biden’s swearing-in as US president. On Sunday, Israel approved 780 new settler homes in the West Bank ahead of a March general election in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected …

ISLAMABAD: During the regional finals of Huawei’s Middle East ICT Competition 2020, two Pakistani teams won, acquiring first and second positions. “This year marked the fifth iteration of the Huawei ICT Competition, which included the practice competition and newly included innovation track of the competition … the innovation competition came to a close yesterday with Pakistan teams from Ghulam Ishaq …

KARACHI: K-Electric Chief Executive Officer Moonis Alvi on Wednesday said that the absence of a valid Gas Supply Agreement (GSA) with Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and an expired Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the National Transmission and Despatch Company (NTDC) were aggravating the uncertainty around city’s power supply. Replying to queries during a press conference, he said that though …

ISLAMABAD: In a major development on Wednesday, the district health department gave approval to store the Covid-19 vaccine to be acquired from Chinese state-owned company Sinopharm in the warehouse of the Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) located at the National Institute of Health (NIH) and other facilities. On the other hand, 137 more positive cases were reported from the federal …

KARACHI: Just a day after the National Accountability Bureau filed a reference against the Sindh chief minister for alleged “misuse of authority”, the province’s ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday called it an attack on the elected provincial government while the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf demanded inclusion of CM’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL). The reaction from the …

ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Com­mittee on State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) on Wednesday decided to remove Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC) from the list of the SOEs whose privatisation has been proposed. The decision was taken at the request of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The information secretary told a meeting of the committee that PTVC was undergoing massive restructuring to make it …

QUETTA: A sepoy of the Frontier Corps was sentenced to death on Wednesday over killing of a Karachi University student in August last year. Turbat’s District and Sessions Judge Rafiq Langove pronounced the judgement after completing hearing of the case in the presence of the accused. Hayat Mirza Baloch was killed in the Absar area of Turbat city of Kech …

LAHORE: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has closed 20-year old last two inquiries against the Chaudhrys of Gujrat for want of evidence. The NAB told the Lahore High Court on Wednesday that two last inquiries pending for 20 years against PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, MNA Moonis Elahi and their family members had been …

as ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Wednesday emphasised before the Supreme Court hearing a presidential reference that open or traceable vote in the upcoming Senate elections would strengthen parliamentary democracy in the country. “It is highly desirable that voting for the Senate should be through open or traceable vote rather than through secret ballot so as to strengthen …

• Seeks open scrutiny of all parties in funds collection • Says 3G/4G internet services to become operational in merged districts today SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for an open trial in the foreign funding case and challenged the leadership of all opposition parties who have been criticising the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) for ‘illegal funds collection’ …