At least eight people were killed and 31 wounded Saturday when a barrage of rockets struck densely populated parts of Kabul, officials said, marking the latest attack in an ongoing wave of violence sweeping the Afghan capital. The rockets slammed into various parts of central and north Kabul — including near the heavily fortified Green Zone that houses embassies and …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has recorded fresh 2,843 COVID-19 cases and 42 deaths due to the virus in the last 24 hours. In the past 24 hours, 42 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 7,603. 1,389 patients have recovered from the virus during the last 24 hours. According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), with …

Karachi: Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi will lead Pakistani-owned franchise ‘Galle Gladiators’ in Lanka Premier League, scheduled to be played in Sri Lanka from November 26 to December 17.  Afridi has replaced Sarfaraz Ahmed as the franchise’s captain after the wicket-keeper batsman traveled with the national team to New Zealand to play Tests and T20Is. Afridi will leave for Sri …

LOUISVILLE: A fundraising campaign has been launched in an effort to raise enough money to renovate and reopen a museum at Muhammad Ali’s childhood home in Louisville, Kentucky. The nonprofit Muhammad Ali Childhood Home Museum is trying to raise $5.8 million that would be used to build a welcome center and for improving the grounds, creating community programmes as well …

MELBOURNE: Glenn Maxwell’s break from cricket a year ago to deal with mental health issues proved timely in helping him build the tools to handle the stresses of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Australia batsman said on Friday. Maxwell withdrew from cricket early in the last home summer before returning in the Big Bash League in January and has played his …

KARACHI: Asad Shafiq regained top form in the best possible way just days after being axed for the New Zealand tour by scoring a superlative century as Sindh thwarted leaders Southern Punjab in their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy clash here at the National Stadium on Friday. Elsewhere, bowlers were on song as no less than 14 wickets fell in the match between …

LAHORE: Having received an assurance from the Pakistan Cricket Board for a long-term captaincy of the national team, newly appointed Test captain Babar Azam on Friday said the upcoming tour of New Zealand would be challenging but added his squad was full of confidence and would give good results. “There is no pressure of the PCB on me that I …

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) on Friday wrote a letter to the Ministry of Industries warning that the country’s sugar mills could face closure as they face serious shortages of raw material. In a letter titled “Non-Availability of Sugarcane aimed at High Prices Demanded by Farmers,” addressed to Minister of Industries & Production Hammad Azhar, the association said …

zz • Delhi claims to have thwarted JeM plot • FO observes Islamabad’s dossier has unnerved Indian design • Beijing says anti-CPEC attempts will fail ISLAMABAD: China on Friday rushed to shield Pakistan from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fresh allegations by recalling “positive contributions” made by Islamabad against global terrorism. “China appreciates the positive contribution by Pakistan to the international …

KARACHI: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Friday announced five regulatory relaxations to incentivise banks for financing low-cost and affordable housing. The central bank, which has already taken a series of measures to promote housing, has made it possible for the people having no formal income data to borrow for low-cost housing. According to SBP, the definition of low …