In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95 billion. The year 2024 was marked by extreme temperature events in Asia that caused thousands of deaths, severe droughts in Africa affecting over 25 …
A decade after severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, swept through Hong Kong and then around the world, the city is among the first to become worried about the emergence and spread of another, genetically related virus in the Middle East. Medical researchers emphasize that they do not know if …
Australia's neighbours in Asia - especially China - are emerging as the countries best placed to prosper from moves to cut greenhouse gas emissions, an international study has found. In their second study of the ''low carbon competitiveness'' of the world's largest economies, multinational GE and the Climate Institute found …
Despite the uncertainty surrounding re-insurance for oil refineries over crude oil import from Iran, companies here are not perturbed yet about the United States’ sanctions in this regard. They said they believe the government would come out with a solution by June. Hit largely by the sanctions are the country’s …
Customs authorities continue to release imported plastic scrap merely on generalised letters and certificates from exporters in violation of the Import Policy Order which categorically asks for compliance to the provisions of the Basel Convention, sources in the industry told Dawn on Tuesday. The Basel Convention specifies 27 waste streams …
Ever since the ban on Iranian oil imports by European Union nations came into effect in February 2012, Indians oil companies have gradually reduced their dependence on oil from the West Asian country and put in place alternative arrangements. India aims to cut Iranian oil imports by around 15% every …
Cabinet may clear proposal today to boost agri exports In a major fillip to India’s processed food exports, the Cabinet is set to clear a policy under which processed foods from agricultural commodities such as wheat, rice, onion and milk would not be subject to any export ban or restrictions. …
Increasing protests against land grabs is one of India’s most pressing development challenges, said experts from international organisations working on natural resources, ecology and livelihoods. The Right and Resources Initiative (RRI), a US-based organisation, and the Society for Promotion of Wastelands Development (SPWD), a non-government organisation, have blamed the Indian …
Saudi Arabia is to give $200 million to Pakistan to strengthen its vaccination programme meant for fighting childhood diseases, according to former Saudi health minister Dr Hussain A Gezairy. “The Islamic Investment Bank of Jeddah will shortly give the grant to Pakistan to help it fulfill the national obligation of …
“War in the Gulf will have profound effect on India” Observing that a war in the Gulf would have a profound effect on India, an American expert on the Middle East, Jon Alterman, said New Delhi needed a national strategy to deal with rising threat to its security, particularly on …
Mismatch In Favour Of Production 1st Time Since ’04-05, Prices Drop 25% In 4 Months New Delhi:Strange things are happening in the world of oil. Crude prices have dropped more than 25% in the past four months. Global oil consumption has dropped below global production for the first time since …
Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, may finally be getting serious about overcoming the technical and financial hurdles for tapping its other main resource: sunshine. Thousands of solar power panels have sprung up across Europe over the past few years, thanks to generous subsidies that make the technology an …
Trillions of tonnes of water have been pumped up from deep underground reservoirs in every part of the world, says report Humanity's unquenchable thirst for fresh water is driving up sea levels even faster than melting glaciers, according to new research. The massive impact of the global population's growing need …
The Kuwaiti Fund has approved a soft loan worth US$ 30 million to construct the 30 MW Budhi Ganga hydropower project located in western Nepal. “We have just received the approval letter for the loan from the Kuwaiti Fund,” a senior Finance Ministry official said. Nepal had made formal request …
On May 9, the government of Alberta released a study into the extra carbon emitted by crude produced using oil sands instead of more conventional sources. The study, by a unit of California-based Jacobs Engineering Group, found that emissions from oil-sand crude are just 12 percent higher than from regular …
What was once hailed as an endless source of desert electricity has now fallen by the wayside in the profitability race. Is concentrated solar power condemned to remain a niche player in the energy market.
Also woos Saudi Arabia with new petroleum diplomacy, while trying to soothe a vexed US, in an interesting coordination effort between external and other ministries India is finally plunging into the oil politics of the Gulf and West Asia. It sent a team of senior officials from the commerce ministry …
The hill state of Himachal Pradesh known for its scenic beauty has emerged as one of the popular destination to foreign tourists, mainly form the US, UK, France and Australia with the state recording the arrival of nearly five lakh tourists from these countries last year. Since foreigners love adventure …
Airbus and a group of European airlines issued another warning that the European Commission faces sparking a trade war after extending its emission trading scheme to the global industry. The plane maker had said that China has frozen some jet deals because of the scheme, and spearheaded a new warning …
New Delhi India’s largest Iranian oil buyer plans almost to halve daily imports, industry sources said on Monday, becoming the latest Asian refiner to cut supplies from Iran as Western sanctions make trade with Opec’s second-largest producer difficult. India, China and Japan buy almost half of Iran’s estimated 2.6 million …
The government is working on setting up National Water Council (NWC) to launch a coordinated National Water Initiative for federal and provincial governments in areas of flood control, irrigation strategies, construction of dams and to ensure full cost recovery from water users. The NWC comprising provincial representatives and experts from …
