MANCHESTER: The fifth and deciding Test between England and India at Old Trafford in Manchester was dramatically cancelled on Friday just over two hours before the scheduled start because of coronavirus (Covid-19) concerns in the tourists’ camp. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said fears over the coronavirus, related to an outbreak among backroom staff, had left India unable …

KARACHI: The first two months of the fiscal year 2021-22 (2MFY22) proved highly satisfying for the entire auto sector, with car sales posting growth of 93 per cent, followed by an increase of 199pc in jeeps. A sharp increase of 150pc was witnessed in truck sales, followed by 119pc in light commercial vehicles (LCVs), 18.4pc in tractors, 2pc in buses …

ISLAMABAD: Amid withdrawal of bids by three main players in the telecom sector, Ufone has obtained 9MHz spectrum in 1800-megahertz band for $279 million, allowing the company to improve its quality of service as well as expand penetration in different underserved areas. The Pakistan Telecommu­nication Authority (PTA) on Friday declared Ufone as the sole winner in the auction of additional …

GENEVA: The UN on Friday criticised the Taliban’s increasingly harsh response to peaceful protests, including using live rounds, and warned that nearly all Afghan households weren’t getting enough to eat. “We call on the Taliban to immediately cease the use of force towards, and the arbitrary detention of, those exercising their right to peaceful assembly and the journalists covering the …

SAN FRANCISCO: A US judge on Friday ordered Apple to loosen control of its App Store, barring it from obliging developers to use its payments system, in a high-profile antitrust case brought by Fortnite maker Epic Games. Epic launched the case aiming to break Apple’s grip on the App Store, and the ruling could have far-reaching consequences across the digital …

WASHINGTON: The United States would engage with the Taliban when it’s in America’s interest to do so, although it’s not yet ready to recognise the Taliban government. At a Thursday afternoon’s news briefing, State Department spokesperson Ned Price also said that Pakistan shared concerns of the international community on Afghanistan and wanted to protect the gains of the last 20 …

MOSCOW: Russia said on Friday it had finished construction of a subsea pipeline to Germany, which could allow it to double lucrative gas exports to Europe via the Baltic Sea while bypassing and cutting off a source of income for political foe Ukraine. Although German regulators have yet to clear gas flows, completion of the construction stage of Nord Stream …

MOSCOW: Russia’s foreign ministry summoned the US ambassador in Moscow on Friday over alleged interference by US tech giants in parliamentary polls due later this month. Russia has recently ramped up control of its segment of the internet and has been taking legal action against foreign tech companies for not deleting content banned by authorities. “There is one reason — …

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistani Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai has urged the international community to speak with one voice to ensure that Afghan girls are allowed to go to school and their teachers are allowed to work. Malala, the youngest Nobel laureate ever, briefed the UN Security Council on Thursday afternoon, on how the change of rulers in Afghanistan could impact the …

ISLAMABAD: Chairman of Parliamentary Committee on Kashmir Shehryar Khan Afridi on Friday wrote letters to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and high commissioner of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Michelle Jeria, calling for an impartial but immediate UN investigation into the custodial killing of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, desecration of his body and registration of …