NEW YORK: R. Kelly is a “predator” who demanded absolute fealty from the many women and underage girls he dominated in a two-decade racketeering scheme, a federal prosecutor said on Wednesday as the R&B star’s sex abuse trial began. Kelly’s defense team countered that the government’s case had “gaps,” and that the 54-year-old singer’s accusers were unhappy former fans who …

EA Sports released a new gameplay trailer earlier last month showcasing some of the new skill moves in FIFA 22 that all gaming enthusiasts will have available. The renowned electronic game producer earlier revealed the next generation, or next-gen, FIFA 22 version that is only available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S for the moment, will have a brand …

ISLAMABAD: As Covid continues to eat into the world’s health and economy with little respite even in its fourth wave, Pakistan has Sunday reported new 74 deaths owing to the global pandemic and 4,373 fresh cases. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) has released daily statistics today citing 55,634 tests conducted in the past 24-hour period across Pakistan, which …

KARACHI: The Kashmir Premier League (KPL) organisers on Wednesday announced a seventh franchise named Jammu Janbaz will be part of the second season next year a day after Rawalkot Hawks clinched the inaugural edition of the new Twenty20 League in Muzaffarabad with a close win over Muzaffarabad Tigers. The announcement by KPL president Arif Malik came following the grand success …

MELBOURNE: Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley defended the embattled Justin Langer on Wednesday after mounting concern over his management style sparked uncertainty around his position heading into the Twenty20 World Cup and a home Ashes series. The Australian head coach was forced to address negative feedback earlier this year when discontent surfaced about his ‘headmaster-like’ leadership and shifting moods. He …

LAHORE: Though rapid political changes taking place in Afghanistan where Taliban took control of the country’s capital on Sunday has raised doubts over the forthcoming three-match One-day International series between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday decided to start the preparations by organising the national training camp in Lahore from Aug 21 to 28. The said …

Samar Khan is the first woman to reach the K2 basecamp on a bicycle. As an athlete, she has a lot of firsts under her belt — she’s the first Pakistani to climb the 6,250-metre Burbucho peak in Shigar’s Arandu and the first Pakistani to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. Khan documented her journey to the basecamp on social media but her reasoning for …

WELLINGTON: New Zealand Cricket officials are monitoring the situation to ensure the team’s safety during its tour of Pakistan next month after some players expressed concern over security after the Taliban’s takeover of neighbouring Afghanistan. New Zealand agreed to undertake the Black Caps’ first tour of Pakistan in 18 years, with three One-day Internationals and five T20s scheduled for Rawalpindi …

ISLAMABAD: The sponsors of an upcoming new ‘integrated’ liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals have opposed unlimited capacity enhancement to government-guaranteed existing ‘un-bundled’ LNG terminals, saying such a move would monopolise the market and discourage new investment to set up merchant terminals. In a letter to the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), Tabeer Energy Pakistan Limited (TEPL) — a 100 …

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s bilateral trade with Afghanistan saw a sudden rise since the Taliban took control of Kabul on Sunday. A significant increase was noted in the number of cargo vehicles and pedestrian traffic across the western border. The volume of bilateral trade had fallen to a very low level in the second week of July when the Taliban captured the Afghan district …