NEW YORK: FIFA has unveiled the official match ball for the 2026 World Cup, combining high-tech refinements and design details celebrating the three co-host countries — the United States, Mexico and Canada. The ball, called Trionda, was again designed by German manufacturer Adidas, provider of the official World Cup balls since the 1970 tournament. “I…
PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain are fresh from a fine Champions League win in Barcelona, but there are signs that this season might present the best opportunity in a long time for someone else to win the Ligue 1 title. PSG have almost totally dominated French football in the years since being taken over by Qatar Sports…
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump signaled on Thursday that he plans to follow through on his threat for mass layoffs of US federal workers as he ratcheted pressure on Democrats to back moves to end the government shutdown. The Republican president announced he would meet budget chief Russell Vought “to determine which of the many Democrat Agencies,…
ISLAMABAD: Personnel of the Islamabad police stormed the capital’s National Press Club on Thursday evening, damaging property and subjecting journalists to violenceĀan unprecedented move that sparked an outcry of indignation. Eyewitnesses reported that armed police officials suddenly entered the premises of the press club, vandalized equipment, and physically attacked several journalists. They said a number…
ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has brought the multibillion-dollar Reko Diq mining project under its purview, asking the government to provide a detailed briefing on its status. The move expands the Fund’s oversight from balance-of-payments support to scrutiny of major projects in Pakistan. Sources said the briefing, initially scheduled for this week, has now…
ISLAMABAD: The Constitutional Bench has ruled that the eight-judge majority judgment of the Supreme Court announced on July 12, 2024, which held that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was entitled to get reserved seats, had ignored the “will of people” and “command of the Constitution”. “Elections to the reserved seats, no doubt indirect, and no doubt…
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, appreciating the “dignified” participation of Pakistani nationals in Sumud Gaza Flotilla, demanded their return as they were intercepted on their way to Gaza to supply the humanitarian aid. The prime minister, in a post on X, appreciated the Pakistani nationals including Mushtaq Ahmed Khan, Mazhar Saeed Shah, Wajahat…
JERUSALEM: Israel faced international condemnation and protests on Thursday after its military intercepted almost all of about 40 boats in a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza and took captive more than 450 foreign activists, including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg. Cameras broadcasting live feeds from the boats showed armed Israeli soldiers in helmets and night vision…
MUZAFFARABAD: Negotiations between the Jammu Kashmir Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) and a federal government team temporarily stalled on Thursday, despite high-level efforts to defuse the ongoing crisis in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The federal delegation, comprising senior political figures Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Sanaullah, Amir Muqam, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and others,…
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) closed on a strong note on Thursday as the benchmark KSE-100 index surged around 2,850 points to settle near 168,500, marking another record high. The rally was powered by aggressive buying in the banking sector, which added over 1,800 points to the index, even as profit-taking in select heavyweight…
