TOKYO: One of Japan’s sporting heroes and a member of the local Olympic committee said on Friday her nation had been “cornered” into pressing ahead with the 2020 Games despite public opposition during the coronavirus pandemic. The comments by Japanese Olympics Committee board member Kaori Yamaguchi, a judo medallist, added to rancour around Japan where the Games were postponed last …

PARIS: The early departure of seeded players in the women’s tournament continued at the French Open as third-seeded Aryna Sabalenka was upset by Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Friday in the third round of the clay-court Grand Slam. The women’s side at Roland Garros is now without its top three seeds after Sabalenka lost 6-4, 2-6, 6-0. Sabalenka had been the highest …

ISLAMABAD: The Asia Pacific Group (APG) on Money Laundering has improved Pakistan’s rating on 21 of the 40 technical recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) against money laundering and terror financing, but retained it on ‘Enhanced Follow-up’ for sufficient outstanding requirements. The second Follow-Up Report (FUR) on Mutual Evaluation of Pakistan released by the APG — a regional …

The Cannes Film Festival returns this year for its 74th edition, running from July 6 to 17 after the Covid-19 pandemic deprived the world’s leading film festival of its 2020 edition. A slew of past Palme d’Or winners and arthouse favourites are set to return to Cannes as organisers announced the official selections for the competition on Thursday. Among the …

Supermodel and reality TV star Kim Kardashian is moving past her divorce with rapper and ex-husband Kanye West. An insider spilled the beans to People magazine about the beauty mogul, months after her divorce with West. “Kim is doing great. She was really struggling around the time she filed for divorce. She was very upset about it and really didn’t want to …

Fashion icon Gigi Hadid brought her A-game while stepping out in full glam to get her jab against COVID-19. The 26-year-old supermodel was a sight for sore eyes as she rocked a high-fashion look while heading towards Walgreen at the Big Apple to get vaccinated against coronavirus. The fashionista was photographed donning a lime green crop top, white knit cardigan, …

YANGON: Envoys from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) held talks with Myanmar’s junta on Friday, with its top general reiterating he would only allow fresh elections once the coup-stricken country had returned to “normal”. Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed since the military ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February, accusing it of fraud …

Zayn Malik  was outside the Amsterdam Billiards Club in the East Village when a group of men allegedly picked a fight with the singer, sources close to the situation tell a media outlet. The former One Direction star, who recently welcomed his first child with supermodel Gigi Hadid, reportedly got into a heated confrontation with a man outside a bar …

The leading Turkish actress Ozge Torer aka Bala Hatun has become a household name in Pakistan with her stellar performance in the Turkish historical series Kurulus: Osman. The charming star  has etched her name in the minds and hearts of the audience forever with her beauty and acting skills in the  famous  Turkish drama. Bala is also gaining popularity on …

LAHORE: A resolution was submitted to the Punjab Assembly on Friday condemning attacks on journalists and rights activists in the country. The resolution was submitted by independent MPA Jugnoo Mohsin. Ms Mohsin drew the attention of the state towards growing incidents of torture and murder of journalists. Speaking on the floor of the House, she revisited the history of violence …