SYN TASH: In the Tian-Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, villagers have made an artificial glacier to provide water for their drought-hit farms. Standing on the ice hillock, farmer Erkinbek Kaldanov said he was optimistic about harnessing nature to counteract climate change. “We won’t have any more problems with water,” said the farmer, who was worried for his sheep last year after …

NEW DELHI: Indian farmers plan to march to the capital New Delhi on Wednesday as they push their demands for higher crop prices, a protest leader said, after several rounds of failed talks. Farm union leaders are seeking guarantees of state support or a minimum purchase price for farmers’ produce. “On March 6, farmers will come to Delhi from all over the …

BANGKOK: One-fifth of fish species in the Mekong river face the threat of ext­inction, according to a new report from a coalition of regional and international environmental groups. The Mekong — among the world’s most biodiverse rivers, surpassed only by the Amazon and the Congo — is home to some 1,148 recognised spe­cies of fish, with millions of people relying …

TEHRAN: Iranian conservatives secured the bulk of seats in elections for a key clerical body and the national legislature, local media reported on Sunday, estimating a record low turnout. Authorities were still counting ballots two days after Friday’s vote for members of parliament and for the Assembly of Experts, which selects the Islamic republic’s supreme leader. The election, in which a vetting …

SEOUL: Thousands of South Korean doctors protested on Sunday in Seoul in an escalating standoff with the government over medical training reforms, which has seen junior doctors quit en masse, plunging hospitals into chaos. Around 10,000 junior doctors quit and stopped working nearly two weeks ago to protest hikes to medical school admissions from next year meant to combat shortages and an …

MONTREAL: A soiree to be attended by the prime ministers of Canada and Italy on Saturday in Toronto was cancelled over “security concerns”, the Canadian leader’s office said, as pro-Palestinian protesters picketed the venue. Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators had gathered in front of the Art Gallery of Ontario, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was due to host his Italian counterpart …

Jennifer spent her weekend calling California voters, urging them to cast their ballot in Tuesday’s primary election for Democrat Peter Dixon. But unlike her human counterparts, Jennifer is a creation of artificial intelligence (AI), allowing her to make thousands of calls without taking a break or losing her cool. “Hello there. My name is Jennifer and I’m an artificial intelligence …

Shazia Syed, the former CEO of Unilever Pakistan, has been named in a Forbes list again — this time for the 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen 2024. She, who is currently the general manager for Unilever’s operations in North Africa, Iraq, Levant, and Arabia, had previously been recognised as one of the top executives in the Middle East in 2023. Emerging from Abbottabad, Syed embarked …

Three Indian men have appeared in court after the gang rape of a Spanish tourist on a motorbike trip with her husband, with police hunting four other suspects, reports have said. The attack took place on Friday night in eastern India in Jharkhand state’s Dumka district, where the couple were camping. A total of seven men are accused of carrying out the …

ISLAMABAD: Amid controversy over the extension of a 20MW hydropower project to 40MW, the Centre is facilitating the Gilgit-Baltistan administration to set up an energy regulatory authority and an energy development organisation for exploitation of hydropower potential in the region. Informed sources told Dawn that a recent meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) deferred the approval of the 40MW Hydropower …