Author: i2wtc

A Long March-4B carrier rocket carrying the Yaogan-47 remote sensing satellite blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Dec. 9, 2025.The satellite was lifted off at 11:41 a.m. (Beijing Time) and has entered the preset orbit successfully. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)JIUQUAN, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — China launched a Long March-4B carrier rocket on Tuesday to place a new satellite, Yaogan-47, into space.The remote sensing satellite was lifted off at 11:41 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, and has entered the preset orbit successfully.It will be primarily used in national land…

Government poised to do away with fixed return, run gas firms on a commercial basis ISLAMABAD: With the imminent entry of private-sector investors in the gas market, the government will restructure public utilities by ending the fixed asset return formula to run them on a commercial basis. The government has already increased the allocation of gas from 10% to 35% to the private sector from the new gas fields. So far, only two state-owned gas utilities have been functioning, but the entry of private-sector suppliers will spark competition in the gas market. The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) has…

ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) board on Monday approved a $1.3 billion loan by granting waivers against missing a few core conditions and securing a fresh commitment from Pakistan to introduce new tax measures to offset the impact of a huge revenue shortfall. In order to win the IMF board meeting date, the Pakistani authorities had agreed to fulfil two prior actions, a guarantee to issue an order to restructure an undercapitalised bank and publish the Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment report – the latter hit on its political capital. The global lender approved nearly $1.1 billion under the…

Signage for Tata Electronics Pvt Ltd. at the company’s factory in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, India, on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesTata Electronics has lined up American chip designer Intel as a prospective customer as the division of Mumbai-based conglomerate Tata Group works to expand India’s domestic electronics and semiconductor supply chain. Under a Memorandum of Understanding, the companies will explore the manufacturing and packaging of Intel products for local markets at Tata Electronics’ upcoming plants.Intel and Tata also plan to assess ways to rapidly scale tailored artificial intelligence PC solutions for consumers and businesses in India. In a…

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb has taken the oath as a permanent judge of the Supreme Court. The oath was administered by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Yahya Afridi, and the ceremony was held at the Supreme Court. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, who is already working as an acting SC judge, was proposed to be appointed as a permanent judge at SC by the Judicial Commission on December 2. Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Sarfraz Dogar, Justices Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, Babar Sattar, Tariq Jahangiri, Sardar Ejaz Ishaq, and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz also attended the ceremony. Justice K.K. Agha…

Expresses dismay that two of K-P Service Tribunal’s decisions are based on citations that do not existSC orders reinstatement of 36 teachers, citing tribunal’s use of ‘hallucinating’ AI The Supreme Court has ordered the immediate reinstatement of 36 Secondary School Teachers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, while expressing concern that the provincial Service Tribunal may have relied on “hallucinating” AI to produce fake legal citations. The ruling, delivered by a bench composed of Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, overturned a consolidated judgment dated July 14, 2025, by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Service Tribunal (KP-ST), which…

In this photo illustration, the ICEBlock app is displayed on an Apple iPhone on October 02, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.Justin Sullivan | Getty ImagesThe developer of ICEBlock, an app used to track local sightings of ICE agents and other law enforcement authorities, sued the U.S. government on Monday for allegedly infringing his free speech rights.After Apple removed the app from its store in October, creator Joshua Aaron criticized the Trump administration for pressuring the iPhone maker to ban ICEBlock over fears it could be used to harm U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.Attorneys for Aaron wrote in the complaint that U.S.…

Visit marks 75 years of ties; Subianto to hold talks with PM Shehbaz, President Zardari, CDF Field Marshal Munir Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto landed in Islamabad on Monday for a two-day official visit on the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Indonesian president is accompanied by a delegation comprising key ministers and senior officials. His visit carries added significance as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Indonesia. President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari, along with Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, welcomed President @prabowo of Indonesia on his arrival in Islamabad…

A drone view shows a sign for Paramount in front of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, California, December 8, 2025. Daniel Cole | Reuters Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, following Netflix’s announcement last week that it had reached a deal to buy the HBO owner.The company is “here to finish what we started,” CEO David Ellison told CNBC, upping the ante with a $30-per-share, all-cash offer compared to Netflix’s $27.75-per-share, cash-and-stock offer for WBD’s streaming and studio assets.Investors were certainly pleased, sending Paramount shares 9% higher and WBD’s stock up 4.4%.Another…

A drone view shows the Morelos Dam, which diverts Colorado River water to the Mexicali Valley, as the Mexican government announced an immediate water delivery to Texas farmers to help address a shortfall under a treaty that has strained U.S.-Mexico relations and prompted tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump, in Los Algodones, Mexico, April 10, 2025. Victor Medina | ReutersPresident Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose an additional 5% tariff on Mexico if it doesn’t immediately provide additional water to help U.S. farmers, accusing the country of violating a treaty that outlines water sharing between the neighbors.Under the treaty, Mexico must send…