FRANKFURT: The European Central Bank is set to give the green light on Wednesday to a multi-year project to create a digital version of the euro. An electronic equivalent of banknotes and coins, the digital euro will likely be a digital wallet that euro zone citizens can keep at the ECB. It is part of a drive by central banks …

NEW DELHI: Yashpal Sharma, member of the India side that famously won the 1983 World Cup, has died of a heart attack at the age of 66, cricket authorities said on Tuesday. Yashpal played a key part in India’s first World Cup win that triggered cricket’s rise in South Asia. He played 37 Tests and 42 One-day Internationals as a …

ISTANBUL: The mayor of Istanbul on Tuesday said he wanted the ancient Turkish city to host the 2036 Summer Olympics after a failed bid for the pandemic-delayed 2020 Games. The fabled capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires boasts strong infrastructure and the distinction of bridging Europe and Asia along the Bosphorus Strait. But it also suffers from stifling heat …

oo TOKYO: International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach referred to his Japanese hosts as Chinese when he appeared in public on Tuesday for the first time since arriving in Tokyo last week. Giving a pep talk at the headquarters of the Tokyo Olympics organising committee, Bach’s opening remarks were, “You have managed to make Tokyo the best-ever prepared city for …

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s stunning knock of 158 was in vain as England’s second string side completed a record run chase at Edgbaston to win by three wickets on Tuesday and clinch the three-match One-day International series 3-0. Set a target of 332 for victory, James Vince smashed 11 boundaries en route to his maiden ODI century (102) which …

Pakistani Twitter is celebrating Babar Azam for becoming the fast cricketer to reach 14 ODI centuries, beating Virat Kohli and several other international players. Pakistan lost the match (and series) to England but Azam’s brilliant 158 knock has set several records. It’s Azam’s highest one-day international score, made him the fastest player to 14 ODI centuries by number of innings and …

TOKYO: Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said on Tuesday that a sufficient number of hospitals combined with a speed-up in the Covid-19 vaccination rollout among the elderly meant the city will be able to hold “safe and secure” Olympics in 10 days. But Koike, speaking in an interview at the Tokyo government headquarters that has for the last few weeks doubled …

ISLAMABAD: The State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic (Socar) on Tuesday appeared to be back-peddling its diplomatic push for oil and gas deals with Pakistan’s public sector firms under government-to-government arrangement after an aggressive public snub by the Petroleum Division. A Socar spokesman said that various media reports appearing in the last several days did not represent the reality of successful cooperation …

ISLAMABAD: The Large-Scale Manufacturing (LSM) continued its growth momentum in the fourth consecutive month as big industrial sectors’ output rose year-on-year by 36.84 per cent in May, data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) showed on Tuesday. The overall output of Large-Scale Manufacturing Industries (LSMI) increased by 14.57pc in July-May 2020-21 compared to 11MFY20. However, on a month-on-month …