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Afghan Air Force receives 5 new helicopters from US
US delivered five more MD-530 Cayuse Warrior helicopters to the Afghan Air Force on Friday.
The MD-530s were delivered to the Afghan Air Force to support the Afghan National Army’s ground fight against the armed militants.
“These five latest (MD-530s) have the capability to fire rockets or .50-caliber machine guns and sighting systems that aren’t on the previously-delivered helicopters,” said Lt. Col. Bill Ashford, 438th Air Expeditionary Advisory Squadron commander. “We are also getting kits to modify the existing 13 to be able to support guns and rockets, but these five will be the first with both capabilities in service here.”
Afghanistan has received 13 MD-530s earlier from the US and with the five new addition the Afghan Air Force inventory will reach to 18.
“Some Afghans were skeptical of the MD-530 when it first started operating, however, it has proven itself in combat,” said Ashford. “Now everyone wants MD-530 support. The pilots are doing great work flying daily combat missions supporting (ANA) troops on the ground and escorting AAF Mi-17s in the air.”
According to the experts the Afghan pilots have flown more than 150 operational missions with the MD-530 just since May 1, 2016 and these new helicopters will give the AAF the ability to fly even more critical missions.
The MD-530s were purchased at a price of $5 million each using the Afghan Security Forces Fund.
By the end of August 2016, the AAF is scheduled to receive nine more MD-530s for a total strength of 27.
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IPL: Sunrisers thump MI in record breaking match
It was raining records at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday with the hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) clinching a 31-run victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) in Match 8 of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
Sunrisers’ batting rewrote the record books on a batting belter after the posted 277 for three.
SRH now have the highest team score in the history of the IPL – beating Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) 263 for five from the 2013 season.
In reply, MI made a spirited effort, and at one stage, were contenders to do the near impossible. In the slog overs, the enormity of the target proved a bit too much, and SRH clinched victory, but not without numerous nervous moments.
To put into perspective the carnage we witnessed – Heinrich Klaasen’s 23-ball half-century was the slowest fifty of the SRH innings.
Travis Head, playing his first match for SRH, raced to the milestone in 18 balls. Abhishek Sharma got there even faster – in 16 balls – to record the quickest fifty by an SRH batter in IPL history.
While Sunrisers notched up the highest total in the 16-year history of the IPL, just as incredibly, Mumbai Indians almost paid them back with the same coin, their batters coming out with a nothing-to-lose attitude.
The sixes kept rolling off the Mumbai bats too, helping them keep up with the asking rate for most of the chase, eventually however, they ran out of steam and finished on 246 for 5, the highest IPL total in a losing cause.
As ESPNcricinfo reported, never were more runs scored in a men’s T20 match (523). Never were most sixes hit in a men’s T20 (38). At the end of the close to four-hour six-fest, only two bowlers returned with an economy rate of under ten an over.
Thursday, March 28 : Match 9
Thursday’s match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur sees Rajasthan Royals go up against Delhi Capitals.
Fans in Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Television to watch the match live from 6.30pm. Alternatively the match can be screened live on arianatelevision.com
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Magnitude 5.2 quake jolts Afghanistan
An earthquake measuring a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter Scale jolted Afghanistan on Thursday afternoon, the National Center for Seismology reported.
The quake was at a depth of 70km and epicentered in the mountainous north-eastern area of Ashkāsham.
The jolt was felt across the region including in Kabul, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan
There were no immediate reports of any casualties.
In October last year, over 2,000 people were killed when four 6.3-magnitude earthquakes struck in Herat province.
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Bayat Foundation helps needy families in Balkh
As part of Bayat Foundation’s Ramadan aid campaign, needy families in Mazar-e-Sharif, in Balkh province, received much needed food packages this week.
The aid package includes rice, flour and oil.
“In continuation of Bayat Foundation’s assistance, this time also a quantity of food such as flour, oil and rice was distributed to needy families in Mazar-e-Sharif; Inshallah, these contributions will continue,” said a representative of the foundation.
Needy families that received aid packages expressed their gratitude but called on other aid organizations to help the needy during these difficult times.
“Many thanks to Bayat Foundation, I thank Bayat Foundation for helping the needy and poor people of this region,” said a recipient said.
“I would like to thank Bayat Foundation for their cooperation in helping the needy in this holy month of Ramadan; it is hoped that traders and charities will do such sustainable work,” said another recipient.
Bayat Foundation is one of the charitable organizations that has played an important role in helping the needy in Afghanistan over the last two decades.
In addition to distributing aid packages to needy and vulnerable families, it has carried out numerous other projects, including the construction of health centers and schools.
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