MIRPURKHAS, Pakistan – Until April, farmers in Pakistan’s famed mango-producing district were expecting a bumper harvest of the succulent, yellow fruit which makes a sizeable share of the country’s exports. However, their dreams of raking in big profits were shattered by an unusual spike in temperatures coupled with water sho...
LAIKIPIA, Kenya – An ornamental plant brought by the British colonialists to Kenya in the 1940s has been killing indigenous vegetation, especially grasses and bushes, thus creating food shortages for livestock and wild animals. Scientists say that the invasive plant Opuntia stricta or the prickly pear, is spreading fast across northern Kenya, ...
KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) – The US dollar hit an all-time high against Pakistani rupee on Wednesday, rising past 200 in the open market. The greenback that began its streak against the Pakistani rupee last month — amid a political crisis, which also saw the ouster of former premier Imran Khan through a no-trust motion — [&hellip...
Fnideq, Morocco – AFP Morocco and Spain have reopened the land borders between the north African country and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, two years after they were shut due to Covid restrictions and a major diplomatic row. The enclaves on the Mediterranean coast in northern Morocco have the European Union’s only land ...
KARACHI, Pakistan – Longtime allies Pakistan and China have vowed to enhance economic cooperation, expand trade, and encourage greater investments from Beijing. In a phone call, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang agreed that an “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”...
LAHORE, Pakistan – With alarm bells ringing all over the world over global warming, new farming technologies are helping the young generation reduce waste and keep the earth healthy. A survey by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in 2018 found that some 39% of the country’s labor force was engaged in agriculture, with the sector [&h...
ANKARA – Inter RAO, Russia’s largest electricity company, has suspended electricity supply to Finland, according to news reports. Inter RAO’s Finnish subsidiary, RAO Nordic Oy, said in a statement that it is “forced to suspend the electricity import” starting May 14. “Unfortunately, we are forced to note that for ...
ANKARA – Protests continue in Iran over hike in food prices and a shortage of commodities in the country. Protests were reported in the cities of Borujerd and Dorud in the western Lorestan province, in Gunkan and Farsan in Chaharmahal Bakhtiari province and the city of Dehdasht in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southwestern Iran. [&hel...
ANKARA – Iran blocked more than 9,000 bank accounts on Saturday over ‘suspicious and illegal foreign currency and cryptocurrency activities.’ A total of 9,219 bank accounts belonging to 545 individuals were blocked, according to a statement by the Ministry of Intelligence. The volume of the accounts was approximately 60 trillion Ir...
WASHINGTON (AA) – The US has issued a general license to exempt northern Syrian territories, including those controlled by the PKK’s regional branch, from American sanctions. The Treasury Department’s action lifts prohibitions on business activities in 12 different economic sectors in northern Syria, including agriculture, te...