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ZIMBABWE pacer Blessing Muzarabani bowls during a practice session at Trent Bridge on Wednesday.—Reuters LONDON: England captain Ben Stokes, who leads his side in one-off Test against Zimbabwe on Thursday, has challenged his players to make the jump from second in the Test world rankings to first. It is now more than a decade since Andrew Strauss was the last England skipper to take the team to the summit, back in 2011. England held the number one spot for under a year and have struggled to challenge since. When all-rounder Stokes succeeded close friend Joe Root as Test captain in…

LAHORE: Quetta Gla­dia­tors sealed a spot in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) with a clinical 30-run victory over Islamabad United in the Qualifier here at the Gadd­afi Stadium on Wednesday, thanks to brilliant contributions by Dinesh Chandi­mal, Faheem Ashraf and Usman Tariq. It was a statement win for Gladiators, who came into the match against the defending champions as the league stage’s table toppers and the Saud Shakeel-led side hardly felt the heat of the big occasion. After having posted 209-5, thanks to what proved to be a match-winning partnership between Chandimal and Faheem, Gladiators never really let United…

People shop at a grocery store in Brooklyn on May 13, 2025 in New York City. Spencer Platt | Getty ImagesAs Republicans push forward with the “big, beautiful” tax bill, federal food assistance may see big cuts.The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, may be cut about 30% under the terms of the bill, which would be the “biggest cut in the program’s history,” according to Ty Jones Cox, vice president for food assistance policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, currently provides food assistance to more than 40 million individuals including children,…

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at an event about the economy at the Circa Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., January 25, 2025. Leah Millis | ReutersThe Senate this week unanimously passed the No Tax on Tips Act in a surprise vote, which could boost momentum for an idea floated by President Donald Trump during his 2024 campaign. If enacted, the legislation would create a federal income tax deduction of up to $25,000 per year, with some limitations. The tax break applies to workers who typically receive cash tips reported to their employer for payroll tax withholdings, according to a…

A visitor waves an American flag near the U.S. Capitol, as the U.S. House of Representatives considers U.S. President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-cut bill, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 19, 2025. Nathan Howard | ReutersA tax package House Republicans may pass as soon as this week would kill a slew of consumer tax breaks tied to clean energy, as currently drafted. If it becomes law, households interested in the tax breaks may have to rush to claim them this year, experts said.Tax breaks on the chopping block include ones for consumers who buy or lease electric vehicles,…

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dropped Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan on Wednesday as it named a new-look squad for three home Twenty20 internationals against Bangladesh. Former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson will take charge for the first time after being appointed last week, replacing Aaqib Javed. Salman Ali Agha will captain Pakistan as they look towards next year’s T20 World Cup, to be hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Fast bowler Shaheen had played in Pakistan’s last T20 series in New Zealand in March, but batsmen Babar and Rizwan were omitted for the second consecutive T20…

LAHORE: Players of Lahore Qalandars attend a training session on Tuesday.—M.Arif/White Star LAHORE: High-flying Quetta Gladiators face defending champions Islamabad United in the first qualifier of the HBL Pakistan Super League X here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday. Though United have won three PSL titles — in 2016, 2018 and 2024 — ever since the league was launched in 2016 while Gladiators have clinched the title only once (2019), the latter have shown great form and consistency in the ongoing edition to top the table with 15 points (seven wins, two losses, one no result) in the league stage…

Wajid­ullah Nagri GILGIT: Two Pakistani climbers have successfully summited Mount Everest — the world’s highest peak — and Kan­ch­enjunga, the world’s third-highest peak at 8,586 metres, located in Nepal. According to Karrar Haidri, secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, Wajid­ullah Nagri from Gilgit-Baltistan reached the summit of Mount Everest on Monday. He stood at the highest point on Earth with the support of renowned mountaineer Ang Tashi Sherpa. “This remarkable achievement is a testament to courage, endurance and the unbreakable human spirit,” Mr Haidri said and congratulated Mr Nagri on his accomplishment. “It’s a proud moment for Pakistan and…

UNITED STATES – MARCH 31: Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., is seen during the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing titled Connecting America: Oversight of the FCC, in Rayburn Building on Thursday, March 31, 2022. Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty ImagesSenate lawmakers pressed President Donald Trump’s pick for IRS Commissioner, former Missouri Congressman Billy Long, about his opinions on presidential power over the agency, use of taxpayer data and his ties to dubious tax credits.Long, who worked as an auctioneer before serving six terms in the House of Representatives, answered Senate Finance Committee queries…

franckreporter | Getty ImagesNearly 2 million federal student loan borrowers who’ve requested to be in an affordable repayment plan are stuck in a backlog of applications, waiting to be approved or denied, according to new data recently shared by the U.S. Department of Education.The Education Department disclosed the information in a May 15 court filing in response to a legal challenge lodged by the American Federation of Teachers. The teachers’ union sued the Trump administration in March for shutting down access to income-driven repayment plan applications on the Education Department’s website.IDR plans cap borrowers’ monthly bills at a share of…