PARIS: World number one Iga Swiatek was the only top 10 seed left standing at the French Open on Saturday after racking up her 31st straight win as third seed Paula Badosa and seventh-ranked Aryna Sabalenka crashed out in the third round. Swiatek, the 2020 champion, dropped serve three times against 95th-ranked Danka Kovinic of Montenegro before sealing a 6-3, …

KARACHI: After dominating in two lopsided games to secure the series, Pakistan women took it to the last ball to complete their Twenty20 International series whitewash over Sri Lanka here at the Southend Club on Saturday. The home side was expected to execute a fairly smooth chase of 108 runs — a total turning out to be competitive despite a …

LAHORE: Amid rising political uncertainty in the country, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started preparations to hold the One-day International series against the West Indies next month in Multan after receiving verbal instructions from the Punjab government to shift the series from Rawalpindi, the original venue, well-informed sources have told Dawn. The three-match series is scheduled to be held …

Vinicius Junior scored the only goal of the game as Real Madrid beat Liverpool 1-0 in Saturday’s Champions League final in Paris to become kings of Europe for a record-extending 14th time after a night marred by problems outside the ground that led to the kick-off being delayed by over half-an-hour. Brazilian winger Vinicius turned in Fede Valverde’s low cross …

KARACHI: Uncertainty for foreign investors remained high in May as the outflows from domestic bonds reached over $99 million against an inflow of just $15m in the treasury bills (T-bills). The returns on T-bills and Pakistan Investment Bonds (PIBs) are highly attractive for investors, but the country is paying a heavy price for the political crisis and carrying a flood …

ISLAMABAD: The government is taking all possible measures to counter the downside risks associated with the economy, which has been facing challenges in sustaining growth achieved during the previous fiscal year, the finance ministry said in a report on Saturday. The challenges include accelerating inflation, high external deficits, exchange rate depreciation, declining foreign exchange reserves and mounting uncertainty. Although economic growth remained …

ISLAMABAD: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) will invest the equivalent of $25 million in Pakistani rupees in one of the country’s top fashion retailers to create jobs, promote gender equality and support the crucial textile sector post-pandemic. This investment is part of a broader effort by the IFC to support the development of Pakistan’s private sector, which is key to …

ISLAMABAD: Pre-empting shortage and rising prices, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Saturday decided to import two million tonnes of wheat on a government-to-government (G2G) basis, while 1m tonnes through an international tendering process under the existing arrangement. The ECC meeting presided over by Finance Minister Miftah Ismail also approved supplementary grants of nearly Rs123 billion including …

REUTERS: The Iranian army has given some details of an underground base for its military drones, state media reported on Saturday. State TV said 100 drones were being kept in the heart of the Zagros mountains, including Ababil-5, which it said were fitted with Qaem-9 missiles, an Iranian-made version of air-to-surface US Hellfire. “No doubt the drones of Islamic Republic …

TOKYO: Fusako Shige­nobu, the 76-year-old female founder of the once-feared Japanese Red Army, wal­ked free from prison on Saturday after completing a 20-year sentence for a 1974 embassy siege. Shigenobu was one of the world’s most notorious wom­en during the 1970s and 1980s, when her radical leftist group carried out armed attacks worldwide in support of the Palestinian cause. She …