Monday, December 22nd, 2025
From Chemical to Biological Control: Safer Pesticide Alternatives
By Azhar Jatoi Agriculture has long been described as the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, employing nearly 42 per cent of the workforce and contributing about 24 per cent to the national GDP. Yet this backbone is under growing strain. With Pakistan’s population projected to reach over 400 million by 2050, the pressure on food systems is intensifying at a pace few sectors are prepared for. Low agricultural productivity, already compromised by climate stress, pests and diseases, threatens to widen the gap between food demand and supply. For decades, the mostRead More
Japan prepares to restart world’s biggest nuclear plant, 15 years after Fukushima
BAKU, Dec 22 (DNA):Japan took the final step to allow the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant on Monday as the Niigata Prefectural Assembly voted to resume operations, a watershed moment in the country’s return to nuclear energy nearly 15 years after the Fukushima disaster, according to the Japan Times. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 220 km northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors closed after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima No. 1 plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Since then, Japan has restarted 14Read More
Azerbaijan, China explore tourism relations
BAKU, Dec 22 (DNA): An Azerbaijani delegation led by Fuad Naghiyev, Chairman of Azerbaijan’s State Tourism Agency, visited China to attend the CITM 2025 (China International Travel Mart) international tourism exhibition. As part of the visit to Beijing, the delegation met with China’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli to discuss the development of tourism relations between the two countries. The sides noted that the recent establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and China, thanks to the efforts of President Ilham Aliyev and President Xi Jinping, hasRead More
Punjab starts work on seedless, pigmented kinnow varieties
ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (DNA): The Citrus Research Institute (CRI) Sargodha has begun developing seedless and pigmented kinnow varieties to better meet global market demand, marking a major shift in Punjab’s citrus improvement efforts. Punjab has 358,000 acres under citrus cultivation, with expected production for the current season estimated at 3.3 million metric tons. “The current varietal spectrum is not fully aligned with international market demand, as it remains heavily dependent on traditional seedy kinnow,” said Dr. Akbar Hayat Saggu, Director of CRI Sargodha. Speaking to Wealth Pakistan, Dr. Saggu saidRead More
Oil: Wealth, Curse—and the Price of Defiance
Qamar Bashir For nations blessed with oil, the central question is never geological. It is political. Oil can finance schools, hospitals, roads, dignity, and independence—or it can finance coups, client rulers, sanctions, wars, and broken states. The difference is not the size of the reserves under the sand. The difference is whether the owners of that oil are allowed to own it in practice. Before 1953, Iran’s petroleum was not simply an export commodity. It was an imperial system. Britain’s Anglo-Iranian Oil Company dominated production and refining, and Iran’s shareRead More
LHC CJ suspends operation of Punjab land protection ordinance
Expressing her disapproval of the law, she remarked: “Someone should inform the government that if this law remains in force, even Jati Umra (the Sharif family residence) could be vacated within half an hour Bureau Report LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued an interim order on Monday to suspend the operation of the newly enacted Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance, 2025, which empowers deputy commissioner-led committees to decide property disputes. Justice Neelum issued the ruling during a hearing of petitions by Abida ParveenRead More