Agriculture, the biggest sector of the economy, is under serious threat as gradual sale and lease of large patches of lands to foreigners is being carried out in a very quick and secretive manner, the Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) said here on Sunday.

By 2015, halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation. The world, except sub-Saharan Africa, is on track to meet the target of halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water while at the current rate will miss the MDG sanitation target by over 700 million people.

This report provides an overview of the range of key livelihoods and production systems in the Blue Nile Basin. It is highlighting their relative dependence on, and vulnerability to, water resources and water-related ecosystem services in the catchments. It also elucidates current water and land related policies and institutions.

In 2008, the Sudanese and Egyptian governments decided to resume work on the Jonglei Canal project, which had been abandoned for 24 years. This project in southern Sudan plans to by-pass, and thus drain, part of the wetlands of the Bahr al-Jabal and Bahr az-Zaraf rivers into the White Nile.

New Delhi, September 18 Malaria has infected millions of people worldwide, with a large number of cases being reported from India alone, says the latest report of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Abu Dhabi is preparing to launch a large-scale agricultural project in Sudan to develop more than 70,000 acres of land as part of the oil-rich Gulf emirate's efforts to secure food supplies. The project comes amid growing interest from Middle Eastern states to use land overseas to ensure food security. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also held talks with Sudan and are considering agricultural projects of their own in Africa's largest nation, officials confirmed yesterday.

The bruising treatment of youngsters in many parts of the world, and the use of child soldiers in war-torn parts of Africa emerged as a recurring theme at the 10-day Berlin International Film

The time has come for the government to get off the oil industry's back

The runaway rise in international oil prices, which recently crossed $100 a barrel, has put Indian oil companies in a spot. Even as their costs rise, they are unable to raise prices to get the resources needed for acquiring oil assets or otherwise build the infrastructure needed for oil security.

Cotton is the most important textile fibre and contributes to 62 percent of the Indian Textile Industry's requirement. Among the different quality groups, the ELS Cotton of 35 mm and above is in great demand world over for the manufacture of high quality ring spun yarns.

An outbreak of desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) in Sudan could intensify and spread along both sides of the Red Sea in winter this year. "This could give rise to a potentially dangerous

Pages