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World Bank develops roadmap to modernise wheat sector in Pakistan

• Move aims to stimulate private sector investment and redirect resources • Paper says Pakistan must close its yield gap through better seed systems, balanced fertiliser use and efficient water management • Calls for empowering farmers with small holdings through access to finance, aggregation ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has developed a roadmap to modernise the wheat sector in Pakistan, recommending focused interventions in five priority areas that are aimed at stimulating private sector investment and redirect resources towards core public goods for greater returns, increased farmer incomes, and job creation. The five targeted actions highlighted in a technical paper spelt out closing the productivity gap between Pakistan and other comparable wheat producers; increased investment in agricultural research and development; empowering the farmers with small holdings so that they can reach their full potential; improving institutional coordination and transparency to ensure market stabi...
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Israel passes law making death penalty default sentence for Palestinians convicted of lethal attacks

Israel’s ​parliament passed ‌a law on ​Monday ​making the death ⁠penalty ​a default ​sentence for Palestinians convicted ​in ​military court of ‌deadly ⁠attacks, seeing through a ​main ​pledge ⁠by Prime ​Minister ​Benjamin ⁠Netanyahu’s far-right ⁠allies. The legislation has been sharply criticised as discriminatory by European nations and rights groups. The Times of Israel reported that the Knesset voted 62-48 to pass the law. The bill was spearheaded by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit, or Jewish Power, party. The legislation results in the death penalty becoming the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank found guilty of intentionally carrying out deadly attacks deemed “acts of terrorism” by an Israeli military court. The legislation says that the sentence may be reduced to life imprisonment under “special circumstances”. According to The Times of Israel , the sentence handed under the law cannot be appea...
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Global food waste crisis undermines climate and security, says UNEP official

ISLAMABAD: The world wastes food on a staggering scale, as every year over one billion tonnes of edible food — nearly one-fifth of all food available to consumers — is thrown away, impacting both people and the environment, undermining food security and climate resilience, and compromising progress towards a zero-waste, circular future. The ‘International Day of Zero Waste’ is being observed on Monday (today), focusing on “Food – what we eat, what we waste, and how we can move towards a more circular future”. While hundreds of millions of people face hunger, 13 per cent of food is lost before it reaches retailers, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said. In 2022, the world wasted an estimated 1.05 billion tonnes of food across the retail, food service, and household sectors combined. This amounts to 132 kg per capita per year, of which 79 kg per capita was wasted in households. In a campaign brief, the UNEP said, “Zero waste starts on your plate”, estimating that $1 tri...
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In letter to PSL CEO, police detail alleged security protocol breach by Lahore Qalandar’s Shaheen Afridi, Sikandar Raza

Lahore Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations) Muhammad Faisal brought to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) chief executive officer’s notice on Sunday the alleged breach of security protocols involving Lahore Qalandar players Sikandar Raza and Shaheen Shah Afridi and urged necessary action to prevent the recurrence of such violations. The Zimbabwe all-rounder is among several overseas players who arrived in Lahore to join their franchises for the 11th edition of the PSL. In his letter, the Lahore DIG said, “As per the contents of the report of the superintendent of police (operations), Civil Lines Division, Lahore, a serious breach of established security protocols occurred on March 28, 2026 at the PC hotel where all PSL participant teams are currently residing under strict security arrangements.” The letter said that at approximately 10:35pm, the Lahore Qalandars liaison officer approached Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Security and Anti-Corruption Manager Lt Col (retd) Akhtar ...
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Action plan unveiled to combat drought

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has developed a national drought action plan in an attempt to transition from a reactive to a proactive risk-based approach for drought management, as climate change is making droughts frequent and severe, leading to water stress. Federal Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination Aisha Humera Moriani, while speaking as a keynote speaker at a national consultative workshop on the National Drought Action Plan (NDAP) on Saturday, said drought was “no longer a distant or occasional risk” but an increasingly persistent threat driven by rising temperatures, water stress, and climate variability. “Pakistan is already among the countries facing high water risk and drought directly affects agriculture, water resources, food security, ecosystems and livelihoods,” she said, adding that past responses had largely focused on post-impact relief rather than preparedness. Ms Moriani highlighted the need for a coordinated institutional and policy framework to tr...
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DPM Dar says Iran has allowed ‘20 more ships’ under Pakistan flag to cross Strait of Hormuz

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said late on Saturday that the government of Iran had agreed to allow “20 more ships under the Pakistani flag to pass through the Strait of Hormuz”. In a post on X, he said two ships will cross the Strait daily. “This is a welcome and constructive gesture by Iran and deserves appreciation. It is a harbinger of peace and will help usher stability in the region,” he said. “This positive announcement marks a meaningful step toward peace and will strengthen our collective efforts in that direction,” he said. “Dialogue, diplomacy, and such confidence-building measures are the only way forward,” he said. He also tagged US Vice President JD Vance, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff in the post. The world has been facing a global fuel crunch in the aftermath of a US-Israeli war on Iran, which has been going on for nearly a month. The fuel crisis has resulte...
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Foreign media association slams Israeli forces’ assault on CNN crew in occupied West Bank

An international media association on Saturday condemned what it described as a “violent assault” by Israeli soldiers who detained a CNN crew in the occupied West Bank this week. A CNN team was reporting on the aftermath of an assault by Israeli settlers and the establishment of an illegal outpost near the Palestinian village of Tayasir on Thursday when Israeli soldiers detained it, the Foreign Press Association (FPA) said. “The soldiers aggressively targeted the crew and Palestinian civilians present, pointing their rifles at them,” the FPA said, even after the journalists identified themselves. “The soldiers repeatedly tried to infringe the CNN crew’s right to film, ordering the crew to stop filming and threatening to confiscate the camera. “Later, an IDF (Israeli Defence Force) soldier approached CNN’s photojournalist from behind, placed him in a chokehold, slammed him to the ground, and damaged his camera,” said the association, which represents hundreds of journalists...
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