KARACHI: Renowned sports patrons Omar Saeed and Dr Farhan Essa were elected as patron and president of Karachi Softball Association, respectively in the recently held elections for the next four-year term. All the other office-bearers including Murad Hussain (senior vice-president), Ali Ratada and Mohammad Abbas Merchant, (vice-presidents), Faraz Aijaz (general secretary), Shiraz Asif (joint secretary), Usama bin Shujah (secretary finance), …

LONDON: England stars such as Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler have been told their international commitments will have to take precedence in the event of a fresh fixture clash with a delayed finish to this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL). The ill-fated 2021 edition of the Twenty20 event was suspended last week due to the devastating coronavirus outbreak …

TOKYO: The Tokyo Olympic torch relay is being pulled off the streets in Hiroshima prefecture as coronavirus (Covid-19) cases rise in Japan barely 10 weeks before the opening ceremony. Hiroshima Governor Hidehiko Yuzaki said that a ceremony next week without the relay is likely to still take place. This is at least the sixth change to the relay from rerouting …

KARACHI: Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq paid glowing tribute to his charges following Pakistan’s victorious tour of southern Africa, while claiming that the critics are boiling their own blood by being critical of his stature. Addressing the tour-ending virtual media conference in Harare on eve of the Pakistan’s departure for Lahore on Tuesday, the 46-year-old Misbah admitted winning six series on the …

LONDON: Marylebone Cri­cket Club (MCC) said late on Monday it would discuss research that suggests cricket bats made from bamboo could provide a cheaper alternative to the traditional willow. The Cambridge University study said its prototype bamboo bat was cheaper to produce, more sustainable and stronger than willow blades and could grow the game worldwide. The article, published in the …

LAHORE: The PTI government is targeting disbursement of Rs60 billion through commercial banks as clean, collateral-free loans among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) over the next three years, says a senior official of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda). “The SMEs, mostly small businesses, will be eligible to obtain bank loans up to Rs10 million on the basis …

KARACHI: With Eidul Fitr only a couple of days away, poultry retail prices hit the highest-ever rate of up to Rs350-360 per kg for live bird, Rs520-640 for meat (with and without giblets) and Rs800 per kg for boneless, showing a jump of Rs100-150 per kg in the last one week. Poultry sector people say that massive price hike was …

KARACHI: The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Tuesday urged the Sindh government to allow small traders and shopkeepers in the city to open businesses ahead of Eidul Fitr from iftar to sehri so that they could recoup some of the losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Urging the provincial government to minimise the hardships faced by distres­sed …

ISLAMABAD: As many as 1,083 projects worth Rs340 billion have been registered with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) along with another 292 tentative projects with an indicative investment of Rs43bn under the prime minister’s package for the construction industry. About 3,851 buyers had shown interest in purchasing properties by availing tax incentives for the construction sector till May 6. …