PARIS: Kylian Mbappe has said he will still be a Paris St Germain player next season despite regular speculation over his future, as the France superstar also admitted he hopes to play for his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Asked where he saw himself playing next season in an interview on Wednesday evening, Mbappe respon­ded: “At Paris Saint-Ger­main. I …

RIYADH: Cristiano Rona­ldo’s Saudi club Al-Nassr fired coach Rudi Garcia on Thursday after less than a year in charge following media reports of dressing room tensions and just days before a crucial game against champions Al-Hilal. Garcia, the former AS Roma and Olympique de Marseille coach, criticised the players after they drew 0-0 with lowly Al Feiha last Sunday in …

Oil prices edged lower on Friday after the West’s energy watchdog warned that output cuts announced by OPEC+ producers could exacerbate an oil supply deficit and hurt consumers. Brent crude futures were down 10 cents, or 0.12 per cent, to $85.99 per barrel at 0900 GMT. West Texas Intermediate crude futures (WTI) slipped 9 cents, or 0.11pc, to $82.07 a …

KARACHI: The central bank’s foreign exchange reserves have further declined by $170 million to hardly stay at $4bn, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said on Thursday. It said the reserves declined due to debt payments, which are key hurdles to the external front of the economy. Despite a steep fall in the current account deficit, the government is unable …

ISLAMABAD: Under criticism over a proposed fuel subsidy scheme ahead of elections, the government on Thursday approved a subsidised electric bike and rickshaw scheme through Prime Minister’s Youth Programme at an initial estimated cost of about Rs7.5 billion. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet that also approved about Rs15bn loan …

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday hurriedly passed a second tax amendment ordinance bill of 2022 without waiting for the report of a parliamentary committee. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar tabled the bill titled “Tax Laws (Second Amendment) Bill 2022” in the lower house through a supplementary agenda, followed by another motion seeking relaxation of rules to put to vote the …

LAHORE: While New Zealand stand depleted at the hands of the ongoing Indian Premier League, Pakistan are spoilt for choice. Ahead of the first clash of their five-match T20 International series against the Black Caps — set to be played here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday — hosts Pakistan welcome back their top-notch players including captain Babar Azam and …

US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that investigators were closing in on the source of the leak of highly classified US intelligence documents, in what is believed to be the most serious security breach in a decade. The Department of Justice opened a formal criminal probe last week after the matter was referred by the Pentagon, which is assessing the damage done by …

NEW DELHI: An Indian farmer whose extraordinary bond with a large bird made him a social media star has asked for his feathered friend to be set free after it was captured by wildlife authorities. Mohammad Arif rescued the injured Sarus — a crimson-necked wetlands crane that can grow up to 1.8 metres in height — and nursed it back …

DOHA: Qatar and Bahrain announced late on Wednesday that they had agreed to end a long-running diplomatic feud and re-establish relations. Bahrain in 2017 joined Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in imposing a diplomatic blockade on Qatar. The countries’ rivalry goes back even further, however, and Bahrain is the last to renew ties. Agreement on the reconciliation …