UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General António Guterres established an independent body on Monday to scrutinise allegations regarding neutrality of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). Guterres, in consultation with UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini, has assigned the leadership of this crucial review to Catherine Colonna, a former foreign affairs minister of France. The panel will collaborate …

GAZA STRIP: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for another Middle East crisis tour, hoping to secure a new truce as Gaza saw no let-up in fighting. On his fifth trip to the region, Blinken landed in Riyadh and was later expected to visit Israel and mediators Egypt and Qatar. Ahead of the trip …

At least seven people died and 75 were injured on Tuesday in a giant explosion at a firework factory in India, officials said. Video images on Indian broadcasters showed a tower of flame reaching high into the sky after the explosion at the firecracker plant, with hospital officials reporting seven dead, dozens of ambulances sent, and army helicopters called in …

QUETTA: All is set for holding peaceful and transparent elections on 67 national and provincial assembly seats in Balochistan, scheduled for February 8, with a total of 5.37 million male and female voters expected to exercise their voting rights. Provincial Election Commissioner, Muhammad Fareed Afridi, mentioned this during a press conference on Monday, alongside Joint Election Commissioner Abdul Qayyum Shinwari, …

ISLAMABAD: The manifesto presented by Mian Aslam, a Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) candidate for both NA-46 and 47 Islamabad, has stated that the most serious issue to be faced by residents of Islamabad in near future will be water shortage and drying groundwater. Among the mainstream competitors vying for the three seats in the federal capital, Mian Aslam of is the only …

PTI founder Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi on Tuesday approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the notification declaring her Banigala residence a sub-jail and pleaded that she be moved to Adiala Jail. Imran and Bushra Bibi were sentenced to 14 years in jail in the Toshakhana reference last week on charges of retaining expensive jewellery after paying a nominal price. Two …

TAXILA: Mehwish Bibi visited 200 houses in Taxila’s Hassan Colony on Monday alone, distributing pamphlets, handbills and voters’ lists among residents of the area. Mehwish is not the only one canvassing for candidates. She is part of a 35-member team hired by a politician who is vying for a seat in the National Assembly. Several political leaders are relying on …

KARACHI: The Altaf Hussain-led Muttahida Qaumi Movement, commonly called MQM-London, has announced names of its ‘Wafa Parast’ independent candidates on 80 national and provincial assembly seats in Sindh, including two in Punjab. The decision, which was announced in a video briefing by London-based convener Mustafa Azizabadi on Sunday night, may have a somewhat negative impact on the prospects of the …

GILGIT: The Awami Action Committee (ACC), an alliance of political parties and traders’ unions, on Monday postponed its month-long protest sit-in and demonstrations for three weeks, following assurances from the Gilgit-Baltistan government to address their demands within this time frame. The AAC’s demands include restoring subsidised wheat prices to the 2022 level, suspending the GB Revenue Act 2023, withdrawing various …

ISLAMABAD: Another attempt by accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir to go on leave has hit a snag, as his application has been withheld for the time being. The judge, who recently convicted former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana case, filed for a Leave Preparatory to Retirement (LPR). His fourth term as the accountability court judge …