KARACHI: The new set of office-bearers of the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation who returned unopposed formally took over for the next term of four years (2020-2024) on Tuesday. Election Commissioner Ayub Bawany announced the names of 12 members of the committee at the annual general body meeting held at a local hotel. Strangely, only 20 members out of 258 …

TOKYO: The coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Olympics will cost at least 1.64 trillion yen ($15.9 billion), organisers said on Tuesday, unveiling a final budget swollen by the unprecedented postponement and a raft of pandemic measures. The extra costs — up 294 billion yen ($2.8 billion) from figures released a year ago — come as officials work to build enthusiasm for the first …

NAPIER: New Zealand have retained spinner Mitchell Santner in their Test squad to face Pakistan in their two-match series despite Ajaz Patel’s return to fitness, head coach Gary Stead said on Tuesday. Santner was last month brought into the Test squad that played West Indies to replace Patel and played in the Twe­nty20 Internationals against the Caribbean side as well …

KARACHI: Northern’s dream of reaching their second straight Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final was badly shattered on Tuesday when the lowly-ranked Balochistan walloped last season’s runners-up by an innings and five runs here at the UBL Sports Complex. The penultimate-round fixture was over shortly after lunch on the third day as Northern’s second innings lasted just 45 overs during which they mustered …

Pakistan sustained another injury setback when all-rounder Shadab Khan was ruled out for the first Test match against New Zealand due to a thigh injury. Shadab suffered the injury after Pakistan beat New Zealand by four wickets in the third and final Twenty20 at Napier on Tuesday. “Shadab will now undergo MRI scans in Tauranga on Thursday, following which a further update …

WASHINGTON: US lawmakers have approved a $900 billion relief package for the world’s biggest economy that will provide a long-sought boost for millions of Americans and businesses battered by the coronavirus pandemic. Overwhelming approval in the Senate and House of Representatives on Monday cleared the way for the legislation to be sent to President Donald Trump to be signed into …

PAMPORE (India-held Kashmir): On sweeping fields once blanketed in lush purple, a thin and bedraggled crop of flowers is all farmers in India-held Kashmir’s saffron-growing region Pampore have to show for this year’s harvest. Dry conditions blamed on climate change have seen yields of the world’s most expensive spice halved in the past two decades, threatening the future of a …

KARACHI: Stocks re­­mained subdued for the ­second day of the week as the global markets were ­rattled over the second and more contagious strain of coronavirus. International oil prices plunged as demand was feared to decline on revision of the pandemic impact on world economies. After an initial gain that took the KSE-100 index to intra-day high by 145 points, …

ISLAMABAD: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) is set to raise $500 million international commercial loans through Eurobonds to meet foreign financing needs of Diamer-Bhasha and Mohamand dams. The Economic Coordina­tion Committee (ECC) of the cabinet, which meets later this week, is expected to formally approve the launch of the Wapda bonds abroad besides taking a decision on the …

ISLAMABAD: The British American Tobacco (BAT) has decided to move its shared services operations from Malaysia to Pakistan, Commerce Adviser Razak Dawood announced in a consultative meeting on services exports on Tuesday. The adviser informed the meeting, held at the Ministry of Commerce, that BAT’s decision was an indication that Pakistan was now being considered as a cost effective location …