International

Pakistan will host a Test match at home for the first time in over ten years, starting with the Rawalpindi Test against Sri Lanka on December 11. Sri Lanka incidentally is the last visiting team to play a Test in the country. Here's a look back at the teams and composite teams from various countries who have played short series in Pakistan since 2009, when a terror attack on the Sri Lankan team bus forced Pakistan to host teams in other countries, particularly UAE.March 3, 2009 Pakistani policemen stand in front of a bullet–ridden bus which was carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team, parked outside the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on March 3, 2009.   | Photo Credit: AFP  The Sri Lankan team bus and a mini-van carrying match officials are attacked by militants near the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore ahead of the third day of a Test match. Six Sri Lankan players are injured; a reserve umpire suffers serious injuries. Six security men and two civilians are killed in the … [Read more...] about A timeline of international cricket in Pakistan since 2009

Pakistan will no longer look for neutral venues to stage home international cricket matches. “The onus will be on the other teams to tell us why they can’t play in Pakistan,” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani told the Associated Press on Tuesday. “Our default position will remain that Pakistan is safe. We play cricket in Pakistan (and if) you want to play against Pakistan you have to come to Pakistan.” Pakistan’s decade-long isolation from hosting test cricket ends on Wednesday when Sri Lanka will play at Pindi Cricket Stadium. The second test will be in Karachi from Dec. 19-23. The series is part of the world test championship. Sri Lanka was the last team to play a test in Pakistan in 2009. Terrorists attacked the team’s bus in Lahore and eight people were killed. Several Sri Lanka players and team officials were injured. The ambush shut the door on international cricket in Pakistan. The PCB organized almost all of its home matches … [Read more...] about No more international cricket at neutral venues, PCB chief Ehsan Mani

New Delhi: More countries should join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to reduce dependence on fossil fuels to meet growing energy requirements, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in Madrid on Monday. Speaking at a ministerial plenary on the sidelines of the 25th session of the Conference of Parties under the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC COP25) in Madrid, Javadekar said there was a need to speed up this alliance to trap solar energy in a big way. "Four years ago in Paris, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA), it was a new beginning. Now I can say that the four-year-old child is running fast, but it must run faster because the need of the hour is that we must tap solar in a big way," the minister said. The minister's statement was shared by the Union Environment Ministry here. Expressing contentment over 83 countries joining the ISA in just four years, … [Read more...] about COP 25: India calls for speedier expansion of international solar alliance

NEW DELHI: Expanding its network, GoAir on Thursday announced it would start 12 new flights on international sector connecting India with cities such as Bangkok and Dubai. The low-cost carrier said it would start 16 new domestic flights too that will connect Hyderabad with eight cities across India. "We will be launching three new destinations namely Bangkok, Kuwait and Dubai. We would also be adding (flights) to our existing destinations of Abu Dhabhi and Muscat," Arjun Dasgupta, the vice-president - international operations, GoAir, said. "On July 19, we would be commencing flights from Delhi to Abu Dhabhi. These would be daily departures... On the same day, GoAir would also be launching daily flights from Mumbai to Abu Dhabhi and from Mumbai to Muscat," he added. The official said the airline is launching a daily flight from Delhi to Bangkok and from Kannur to Dubai. From August 1, GoAir will start flights on the Mumbai-Bangkok route, Dasgupta added. In a statement issued on … [Read more...] about GoAir expands network, announces multiple new domestic and international flights

COLOMBO: A large number of Tamils in Sri Lanka today held demonstrations in the North and Eastern provinces, demanding an international probe into the alleged human rights violations during the last phase of war with the LTTE. Rejecting Maithripala Sirisena government's proposed domestic investigation rather than an international probe into the human rights violations, Tamils including activists of Tamil National People's Front, held protest in eight northern and eastern districts. The demonstrators raised slogans holding placards and banners that read 'No local inquiry' in Tamil and English. Sri Lanka has been subject to three UNHRC resolutions in 2012, 2013 and 2014 over alleged rights abuses by government troops during the last phase of the three decade-long war with the LTTE in 2009. In March last year, the 47-member UNHRC adopted a resolution which requested the Office of the High Commissioner to undertake a comprehensive investigation into alleged serious violations and … [Read more...] about Sri Lankan Tamils stage protest, demand international probe into war crimes