ISLAMABAD: Confirming that Pakistan will receive $2.77 billion ‘unconditional’ funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Aug 23, Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Thursday said the government would address the global lender’s concerns over its proposed Rs1.6 trillion worth of Kamyab Pakistan Programme (KPP) and take forward the $6bn Extended Fund Facility currently “in recess”. Speaking at a hurriedly …

Two wickets in two balls by Mohammad Abbas just before the close of play put the West Indies immediately on the back foot in reply to Pakistan’s first innings total of 217 on the rain-affected opening day of the first Test at Sabina Park on Thursday. At 2-2 going into the second day, with captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Roston Chase …

LONDON: The compact surroundings of the recently built, 17,250-seat Brentford Community Stadium will usher in another Premier League campaign on Friday. In reality, though, a season that will be marked by the return of capacity crowds for the first time in 17 pandemic-blighted months will only start in earnest once a summer-long, potentially title-defining transfer saga is settled one way …

Karachi: The England men’s cricket team will play two T20Is at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on 13 and 14 October. Meanwhile, England women team will also play as many T20Is against Pakistan women on the same day. Both teams will arrive in Islamabad on October 9. The men’s squad will depart for Dubai for T20 World Cup on …

LONDON: England great James Anderson removed the in-form Rohit Sharma during a two-wicket burst but India were still well-placed they reached 157-2 at tea after losing the toss on the first day of the second Test at Lord’s on Thursday. Sharma had been in excellent touch while making 83 during a first-wicket stand of 126 with K.L. Rahul — the …

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa will be without a number of key players for their three One-day Internationals in Sri Lanka next month, but expect their big guns to return for the Twenty20 series that follows as they build towards the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. South Africa play three ODIs in Colombo from Sept 2 to 7, but will …

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has said that Pakistan’s 0.3 per cent market share in the $1.6 trillion global food and agricultural trade is not commensurate with the country’s inherent agricultural potential. Presiding over a meeting of the National Assembly Special Committee on Agricultural Products on Thursday, Mr Qaiser instructed the sub-committee, Ministry of Commerce (MoC) and the Ministry …

ISLAMABAD: To enhance the quality and outreach of mobile telephony as well as broadband services in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecomm­unication (MoITT) on Thursday issued policy directives to the regulator for the auction of spectrum in the regions. The government also approved additional spectrum for the state-owned telecom operator — …

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday said it would establish its office in Malakand division for timely implementation of law in letter and spirit. In this regard, the FBR has directed the Regional Tax Office Peshawar to set up a tax office in Malakand division for prompt release of consignments, processing of consumption and exemption certificates. Besides, …