Global Electricity Review 2025
<p>In a world of higher electricity demand growth, clean electricity is stepping up to the challenge. Spearheaded by exponential solar expansion, clean power is set to grow faster than demand, marking
Pakistan
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New bird flu outbreak reported in Swabi
Authorities on Sunday reported a new outbreak of avian flu at a commercial poultry farm in the country's north-west, killing thousands of birds, officials said. Tests conducted at a government-run laboratory in Islamabad confirmed the presence of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu at a farm in Swabi district, local livestock department chief Ibrahim Khan told AFP. "The virus was detected after the owner of the farm informed us on Friday that some 4,000 birds had died within the past few days," he said.
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Rs 2155 million being spent on small dams' construction
The Provincial Irrigation & Power Department (I&P) is spending an amount of Rs 2155 million on the construction of small dams in district Potohar including Jhelum, Chakwal, Rawalpindi and Attock. These schemes besides providing water for the irrigation purposes will also supply clean drinking water to the people of these areas. Punjab Senior Minister Raja Riaz averred this while meeting a delegation of farmers and political workers of Potohar here on Sunday.
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Rs71bn deficit budget for Balochistan
The cash-strapped Balochistan government on Saturday announced a budget of Rs71.19 billion for financial year 2008-09 which showed a deficit of Rs8.80 billion. "Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has promised to provide Rs3 billion special grant from his discretionary fund,' Balochistan Finance Minister Mir Asim Kurd informed the provincial assembly in his budget speech. With this grant, the budget deficit would come down to Rs5.80 billion, which would be met by enhancing province's own resources, he added.
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Punjab Assembly for improvement in agriculture and irrigation sectors
Punjab Assembly on Saturday stressed the need for improving agriculture and irrigation sector in the country, saying that these sectors remained the backbone of the country's economy. The session, which again saw boycott of the opposition on the pretext of non-issuance of notification of the leader of opposition and erected a camp outside the assembly premises, was also critical of rising commodity prices in the country.
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'Chemicals serious threat to humans'
- Harmful chemicals are posing a serious threat to human survival thus endangering global environment, said Ijaz Ahmad Qureshi, Secretary Ministry of Environment here on Friday. He was presiding over the inauguration ceremony of the national consultative workshop on 'Obligation and implementation status of Pakistan on chemicals-related environmental treaties', Organised by the Ministry of Environment.
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Compensation increased to Rs54 billion: Mangla dam-affected people
The government has raised the compensatory amount from Rs18 billion to Rs54 billion for disbursement among the people affected by the raising of the country's second biggest reservoir, Mangla Dam. This was disclosed by Commissioner Mangla Dam Affairs Engineer Chaudhry Ameer Afzal while talking to a delegation of Britain-based affected persons, who called on him in his office here on Friday. Mr Afzal said construction work on raising of Mangla Dam would be completed by the end of next year.
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Agriculture education in schools stressed
Agriculture should be taught in primary and high schools in rural areas across Pakistan so that the country's younger generation is better equipped with the knowledge of the subject, says an academic. Talking to a delegation of Australian scientists led by Prof Ray Collins, University of Agriculture Faisalabad acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ashfaq said Pakistan was lagging behind in post-harvest technology and marketing of its farm products.
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Agri scientists want wastage of irrigation water stopped
Agricultural scientists have asked Pakistan to stop its irrigation water from further wastage. Globally, agriculture consumes 70 per cent of water withdrawals, but, in Pakistan it goes up to 95 per cent. Speaking at a seminar on
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Polio vaccine age limit likely to be raised
The Sindh health department is expected to place the issue of vulnerability of children beyond five years to polio in a meeting of international experts on polio eradication scheduled to be held in the city on June 24 and 25. Sources in the health department said that prior to the emergence of cases of polio among children above five years of age, the authorities had no clue to the pattern of the disease in this age group, and now they were considering raising the age-limit for polio vaccination from five to 10 years, to provide protection to children in this age bracket as well.
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Concessions for agriculture tool, auto part industries demanded
The business community engaged with agri-tool and auto-part industries of Daska has urged upon the Punjab government to take initiatives for tracking both industries on modern production lines. Daska is a famous hub and had a special repute in producing the agricultural inputs with traditional techniques and without any support of the government catering the needs of farmers and cultivators.