international

07 Aug

Taliban captures capital of Afghanistan’s Nimroz province

editor0 Commentsinternational

The Taliban has captured the Afghan provincial capital of Zaranj, according to reports, and assassinated the government’s top media officer in Kabul, on a day of high-profile setbacks for the country’s Western-backed administration. A police spokesperson in southern Nimroz province said on Friday that Zaranj had fallen to the hardline Islamist group due to a lack of reinforcements from the government. Zaranj, in the south-western province of Nimroz, fell after just three hours of fighting becoming the first provincial capital to be taken by the insurgents who have intensified their nationwide offensive as foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan after 20…

06 Aug

Johnson & Johnson applies for emergency use authorisation of its single-dose Covid-19 vaccine in India

editor0 CommentsHealth, India, international

Global healthcare major Johnson & Johnson today said it has applied for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) of its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine in India.On Monday, the company had said that it remained committed to bringing its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine to India and looks forward to ongoing discussions with the Indian government. "On August 5, 2021, Johnson & Johnson Pvt. Ltd applied for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) of its single-dose covid-19 vaccine to the Government of India," read the statement. Johnson & Johnson claimed that its single-shot vaccine, in clinical trials, proved to be 85 per cent effective in preventing severe disease.…

06 Aug

Indian, Chinese armies disengage from Gogra, 6 months after Pangong pullback

editor0 CommentsIndia, international

In a major breakthrough, India and China have withdrawn troops from the friction Patrolling Point (PP) 17A in Gogra along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army said Friday. The Indian Army said that both the countries have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner. “The disengagement process was carried out over two days, i.e., August 4 and 5. The troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases,” the Indian Army said in a statement. The disengagement has taken place around Patrol Point 17A in eastern…

06 Aug

Pakistan trainer aircraft crashes in Punjab province

editor0 Commentsinternational

A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) trainer aircraft crashed on Friday during routine training exercise near Attock area of Punjab province."Both pilots have ejected successfully. No loss of life or property has been reported so far on ground," the PAF said in a statement. It said a Board of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident. This is the third such crash reported by the PAF in the last 18 months. In September 2020, a PAF trainer aircraft crashed in the Attock district during a routine flight.That same year in February, a PAF Mirage aircraft crashed near…

05 Aug

Afghan Forces Prevent Taliban’s Attack On India-Built Salma Dam In Herat Province

editor0 CommentsIndia, international

The Afghan forces thwarted the Taliban's attack on India-built Salma Dam in Herat province, said the Afghan government, adding that the terror group has "suffered heavy casualties and fled the area as a result of counter-attacks".In a tweet, Afghan defence ministry spokesperson Fawad Aman said Taliban terrorists attempted an attack on Salma Dama, popularly known as the India-Afghanistan friendship dam, on Tuesday night. "The Taliban attack on Salma Dam failed! Terrorist Taliban attacked the #Salma Dam in Herat province to destroy it last night. But, fortunately, they have suffered heavy casualties and fled the area as a result of counter-attacks…

05 Aug

PM Modi hails Indian hockey team’s medal win as historic

editor0 CommentsIndia, international, Sports

Hailing Indian men’s hockey team’s bronze medal win in the Tokyo Olympics as historic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that this day will be etched in the memory of every Indian.With this feat, they have captured the imagination of the entire nation, especially the youth, Modi said, adding that India is proud of its hockey team.The Indian men’s hockey team rewrote history as it claimed an Olympic medal after 41 years, beating a plucky Germany 5-4 to claim the bronze in an edge-of-the-seat play-off match of the ongoing Games here on Thursday.Modi tweeted, “Historic! A day that will…

03 Aug

UAE lifts ban on transit flights including from India and Pakistan

editor0 Commentsinternational

The United Arab Emirates will lift a ban on transit passenger traffic from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and other countries from August 5, the National Emergency and Crisis Management Authority (NCEMA) said on Tuesday. The UAE, a major international travel hub, has banned passengers from many South Asian and African countries for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic. NCEMA said on Twitter that passengers travelling from countries where flights had been suspended would be able to transit through its airports from Thursday as long as they present negative PCR tests taken 72 hours prior to departure. Final destination approval would…

03 Aug

North Korea releases army rice reserves amid shortage

editor0 Commentsinternational

North Korea is releasing emergency military rice reserves as its food shortage worsens, South Korea's spy agency said on Tuesday, with a heat wave and drought reducing the country's supply. The country's moribund economy is continuously being battered by the protracted Covid-19 pandemic, and while mass starvation and social chaos have not been reported, observers expect further deterioration of North Korea's food situation until the autumn harvest.Seoul's National Intelligence Service told a closed-door parliamentary committee meeting that North Korea is supplying rice reserved for wartime uses to citizens left with little food, other laborers and rural state agencies, according to…

26 Jul

US General Vows To Continue Air Strikes Supporting Afghan Troops

editor0 CommentsInternational, international

TUnited States will continue air strikes in support of Afghan forces fighting the Taliban, a top US general said Sunday, as the insurgents press on with offensives across the country. Since early May, violence has surged after the insurgents launched a sweeping assault just days after the US-led foreign forces began their final withdrawal.The Taliban’s deadly assault has seen the insurgents capture scores of districts, border crossings and encircle several provincial capitals.Speaking to reporters Sunday in Kabul, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of the US Army Central Command, said, “The United States has increased airstrikes in the support of Afghan forces…

24 Jul

YouTube hits 10 bn Play Store download milestone

editor0 CommentsBusiness, Entertainment, international

The Google-owned YouTube app for Android users has surpassed a whopping 10 billion downloads on the Google Play Store. According to 9To5Google, video streaming has exploded in popularity over the past decade with improving global internet speed, introduction of 4G devices and increasing access to smartphones/tablets. As the largest and most well-known streaming platform globally, it was always likely that YouTube would become the first “proper” user-facing Android app to hit such a download milestone on the Play Store, it added. Given that the app comes pre-installed on almost all devices, it is marginally bolstered and could even include some…