Pakistan gives US overflight permit for its Afghanistan presence

Pakistan gives US overflight permit for its Afghanistan presence

WASHINGTON: Pakistan has allowed the US military to have overflight and access to be able to support its presence in Afghanistan, a top Pentagon official has told lawmakers. Assistant secretary of defence for Indo-Pacific Affairs David F Helvey also told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Friday that the US will continue its […]

Drone deployment by Coal India arm delayed by COVID-19

Kolkata: Deployment of high-end drones at coalfields by CMPDI, a subsidiary of Coal India, is getting delayed due to COVID-induced lockdowns and other restrictions in several states, even though the company has secured approval for using the equipment from the Centre, an official said. Central Mine Planning and Design Institute (CMPDI), the research and technical […]

China’s ‘father of hybrid rice’ Yuan Longping passes away

Beijing: Chinese scientist Yuan Longping, renowned for developing a hybrid rice strain that vastly improved the grain output in the country, passed on Saturday at the age of 91. The top rice scientist passed away in a hospital in Changsha, capital of Hunan Province, due to multi-organ failure, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. “A few […]

Curfew restrictions impact retail sales; health, hygiene, instant food products pick up

New Delhi: Retailers are having continued growth in health and hygiene category products as well as in food, personal care and home care items, but discretionary categories like beauty and cosmetics, fashion and apparels have been affected adversely during the second wave of the pandemic. Now, there is a renewed focus on healthy alternatives such […]

Driven by young women, ‘cricket’ set to get a ground in Barcelona

LONDON: Cricket is nowhere close to football on popularity charts in Barcelona but the people have voted for building a cricket ground in the Spanish city synonymous with Lionel Messi, leaving authorities stumped. A report in ‘The Guardian’ newspaper said Barcelona gave its citizens the chance to vote on a 30 million euro package of […]

2021 Asia Cup postponed to 2023 due to packed schedule

DUBAI: The 2021 edition of the Asia Cup will now be held in 2023 due to a lack of window in a rejigged cricket calendar that is constantly subject to change amid an evolving COVID-19 situation. This year’s continental tournament was moved from Pakistan to Sri Lanka but rising cases in the island nation had […]

Posting photo of worn-out shoes, Zimbabwe cricketer seeks sponsorships

Harare: Frustrated with financial constraints, Zimbabwe batsman Ryan Burl has requested for sponsorships for the national team, posting a photo of worn-out shoes to highlight the plight of his country’s cricket. The 27-year-old Burl, a left-handed middle-order batsman who has played three Tests, 18 ODIs and 25 T20Is, tweeted a picture of his shoe, a […]

Deputy commissioners authorised to utilise all staff for Covid-related work in J-K

Jammu: Amid a spike in COVID-19 cases, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has authorized deputy commissioners to utilize all available staff for Covid-related work like mobilization for vaccination, testing and surveillance, an official order said on Sunday. It also stated that ASHA and Anganwadi workers would be trained and empowered to assist in Covid mitigation […]