PARIS: Europe is giving US-led calls for a boycott of Huawei 5G telecoms equipment a mixed reception, with some governments untroubled by spy suspicions against the Chinese giant, but others backing a ban. In the latest setback for the company, Huawei said Saturday it had fired an employee in Poland who was arrested there a day earlier on suspicion of …

SHANGHAI: China’s plans for tax cuts targeting smaller companies will help to support employment and economic stability, and will expand the country’s tax base over the long term, Premier Li Keqiang was quoted as saying on Saturday. “Implementing tax cuts for small and micro enterprises is mainly to support employment,” Li said in comments posted on the Chinese government’s website. …

ABU DHABI: The United States is not looking to grant more waivers for Iranian oil imports after the reimposition of US sanctions, the US special representative for Iran said on Saturday, underlining Washington’s push to choke off Tehran’s income. “We are not looking to grant any waivers or exemptions to the import of Iranian crude,” Brian Hook told a industry …

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has appointed Sardar Tanvir Ilyas Khan as chairman Punjab Board of Investment and Trade. Former provincial minister Sardar Tanvir Ilyas has been instrumental in bringing investments worth more than $10 billion in the country during the past decade. “Foreign investment was the need of the hour to support the economy of country and boost exports,” Mr …

KARACHI: Islamic banks accelerated their credit to private sector as it grew by almost three times during 1HFY19 over same period last year. The State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) latest report shows the credit to private sector by Islamic banks rose to Rs77.086 billion during July-December FY19, surging by 190 per cent, as against Rs26.56bn in corresponding half of last …

KARACHI: Dispelling the impression that the up­­coming mini-budget be­ing announced on Janu­ary 23 would be loaded with new taxes, federal Minister for Finance, Revenue and Economic Affairs Asad Umar has said that it will focus on ease of doing business and other measures to facilitate trade and industrialisation. The minister was addressing members of the business community during his visit …

KARACHI: Ashfaq Hussain Shah’s words were a refreshing change. For long the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has spoken about financial restraints, its utter dependancy on funds from global football body FIFA or the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for football development in the country. In his first news conference since taking over the PFF reins, the country’s newly-elected football chief vowed …

LAHORE: While chairman of Prime Minister’s Task Force on Sports Ehsan Mani has reportedly presented a report to PM Imran Khan suggesting different proposals on promoting sports, Pakistan Olympic Association president retired Lt Gen Arif Hasan has disclosed that the Task Force had not made any contact with the POA to seek its proposals. Talking to reporters after chairing the …

JOHANNESBURG: Duanne Olivier took his third five-wicket haul of the series before Pakistan’s bowlers fought back on the second day of the third and final Test against South Africa here at the Wanderers on Saturday. Olivier grabbed took five wickets for 51 as South Africa gained a first innings lead of 77. But the hosts were unable to forge a …

THE more I watch the Pakistan batsmen on this tour the more I continue to get convinced that the way they handle pace and bounce of the pitch in this country they give me, and all of us, the impression that they are no less than sitting ducks against extreme pace and bounce. This has been seem time and again …