Author: i2wtc
A drone photo taken on March 19, 2024 shows drones spraying pesticides on the crops at the smart farm at Shuanglou Village, Bozhou City of east China’s Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Du Yu)HEFEI, March 1 (Xinhua) — As dawn breaks over the vast wheat fields, a fleet of drones hums to life, rising like a swarm of mechanical bees. Guided by skilled pilots, the drones glide over the expanse, spraying the crops with precisely measured doses of pesticide.In just three days, more than 80,000 mu (approximately 5,333.33 hectares) of wheat fields will be treated. This level of efficiency is unimaginable in traditional…
Listen to article The Sustainable Social Development Organization (SSDO) has released its latest report, “Mapping Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Pakistan 2024,” providing a province-wise analysis of rape, honour killings, kidnapping/abduction, and domestic violence across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Balochistan, and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). The report highlights the alarming scale of GBV cases and the extremely low conviction rates, emphasizing the need for urgent reforms in law enforcement and the judicial system. According to the report, a total of 32,617 GBV cases were reported nationwide in 2024. These include 5,339 incidents of rape, 24,439 incidents of kidnapping/abduction, 2,238 incidents of domestic violence,…
Many of the more than 1.8 billion Muslims across the world have begun fasting for the holy month of Ramadan. Saudi Arabia and most other Middle Eastern states welcomed the start of Ramadan late on Friday after the crescent moon was sighted in the kingdom, which is home to Islam’s two holiest sites. “The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Saturday, is the first day of the month of [Ramadan],” the official Saudi Press Agency posted on X on Friday. Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia announced they too would begin the daytime fast on Saturday as well as…
Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate on the field after winning Game 5 to win the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 30, 2024.Mike Lawrence | Major League Baseball | Getty ImagesAs Major League Baseball’s spring training kicks into gear, the Los Angeles Dodgers are wrapping up a nearly perfect offseason.After the Dodgers captured the World Series in October, the team notched more wins in the winter. The club retained key players, brought in coveted free agents and deferred over $130 million in…
Rescue operation still under way after avalanche in Chamoli region, adjoining Tibet, trapped dozens of workers.At least four people have died after an avalanche struck a highway construction site near India’s border with China, the Indian army said, a day after the accident left dozens of workers trapped. The avalanche hit the Mana Pass area in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand on Friday, trapping 55 workers under the snow. By Saturday, rescuers managed to pull out 50 people, but four later succumbed to their injuries, according to an army statement. The search continues for five missing workers, with multiple…
Listen to article Punjab government has announced the launch of special bus services for rural women, a crucial step towards improving transportation accessibility in the province. The decision aims to address the ongoing challenges faced by women living in rural areas, where a lack of reliable public transport has long been a barrier to their mobility, Express News reported. Under the new plan, a dedicated bus service will operate from each rural tehsil to the district headquarters. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has also requested the development of an inter-village transport plan to further enhance connectivity. Additionally, the government is reviewing a…
European leaders to gather in London on Sunday to shore up support for ‘securing a just and enduring peace’ in Ukraine.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as most of Europe rallies behind Kyiv after Zelenskyy’s public clash with United States President Donald Trump. Starmer’s office said he would meet Zelenskyy in London on Saturday before a wider summit of European leaders on Sunday, which Downing Street said will focus on shoring up support for “securing a just and enduring peace” in Ukraine. US support for Ukraine stands in doubt after a White House meeting between…
South African pacers Wiaan Mulder and Marco Jansen grabbed three wickets apiece to skittle England for a dismal 170 all out in their Champions Trophy Group B match in Karachi on Saturday. Mulder finished with 3-25 while Jansen took 3-39 as England’s innings never took off after they won the toss and batted and ended in 38.2 overs. Spinner Keshav Maharaj had figures of 2-35 as England’s batting chart presented a sorry picture, with Joe Root the highest scorer with 37. The fact that England were already out with two defeats in as many games, coupled with Jos Buttler stepping…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (2L) attends a Nordic summit meeting with leaders of the five Nordic nations, key backers in Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s invasion on December 13, 2023 in Oslo. Cornelius Poppe | Afp | Getty ImagesThe Norwegian government will soon ask that parliament increases its financial backing for Ukraine, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told public broadcaster NRK on Saturday.”I can say today that we will go back to parliament in the near future with a proposal to increase the support,” Stoere told NRK.Norway’s parliament late last year agreed to spend a total of 35 billion Norwegian crowns…
Paramount Pictures revamped version of Sonic the Hedgehog (r).Source: Paramount PicturesSonic the Hedgehog may be able to run faster than the speed of light, but his film franchise nearly came to a screaming halt in 2019.A less-than-three-minute trailer released early that year to tease the film’s release, which was just six months away, was widely panned by fans who took to social media to rail against Paramount’s character design. Dubbed “Ugly Sonic,” the blue creature that appeared on film was a far cry from the iconic video game speedster.Cinematic Sonic, version 1, had more realistic facial features, including human-like teeth,…