LAHORE: The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) has written a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, seeking a meeting to brief him about its role over the performance of national athletes at the recent Tokyo Olympics. The letter was written in wake of Prime Minister’s meeting last week with some of the stakeholders including IPC minister Fehmida Mirza, DG Pakistan Sports …

KINGSTON: Rain delayed the start of play on the second day of the second and final Test at Sabina Park on Saturday with Pakistan to resume at their first innings 212 for four against the West Indies. The visitors were rescued after losing three wickets for just runs during Friday’s opening day by skipper Babar Azam and Fawad Alam, who …

KARACHI: The outgoing shortened week (with three sessions instead of the usual five) was marked by early week selling as panic-stricken investors watched the Taliban advance without resistance and capture Afghanistan’s capital Kabul. However, by the end of the week, the KSE-100 index gained 430 points, or 0.91 per cent, and closed at 47,600. Heavy sell-off in the first two …

FAISALABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Food Security and Agriculture Jamshed Iqbal Cheema has said that most of the commodities commonly imported would be available in Pakistan in abundance within a couple of years as the government was focusing on enhancing their domestic production. Addressing a press conference at the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (Aari) here on Saturday, …

LAHORE: The increasing demand for gas in the country has forced the government to get the re-gasification capacity of the two private liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals in Karachi increased to 1,500 million cubic feet of gas per day from 1,200mmcfd to ensure uninterrupted supply to domestic consumers on priority. The situation may worsen in the upcoming winter, especially in …

KARACHI: Motorcycle and rickshaw assemblers have been striving to tap African markets besides aiming to boost their exports to Afghanistan after business environment gets normal following takeover of Kabul by the Taliban. Rickshaw makers are trying to break the decades-old monopoly of an Indian auto giant Bajaj in various countries, especially in African countries. The task is gigantic, but they …

KARACHI: Foreign investment in the construction industry fell sharply in July this year compared to the corresponding month of last year, possibly due to an end of the amnesty scheme on June 30. According to the latest data of the State Bank of Pakistan, the foreign direct investment (FDI) in the construction sector noted a net outflow of $4.9 million …

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka announced a 10-day lockdown starting on Friday night in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as surging infections and deaths overwhelm the island’s health system. The Indian Ocean nation recorded its highest single-day death toll of 187 and 3,793 cases on Wednesday. “Nationwide Lockdown in effect from 10pm today (20/08) to Monday (30/08). All …

TEHRAN: Iran’s ultraconservative President Ebrahim Raisi said on Saturday his government will prioritise tackling Covid and accelerating vaccinations ahead of an economic revival, as he defended his cabinet choices before parliament. The conservative-dominated parliament began debating the male-only, largely conservative lineup, ahead of a vote of confidence expected by Wednesday. “The government’s first priority is controlling the coronavirus, improving the …

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in on Saturday, bringing back the rule of the country’s longest-governing political party, but he faces a tall task in uniting a polarised society and reviving a slumping economy amid a worsening pandemic. Ismail was the deputy prime minister under the government of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned …