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Category: 3. Business

  • Hydel power stations generated 33b units

    Hydel power stations generated 33b units

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    ISLAMABAD’:

    The outgoing calendar year 2025 proved to be satisfactory for hydroelectric power and water sectors as the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) contributed high quantities of clean, green and low-cost hydel electricity to the national grid.

    It also achieved several key targets for the under-construction mega projects despite a diverse environment and serious challenges.

    According to a statement issued on Tuesday, Wapda’s 22 hydel power stations cumulatively generated 33.12 billion units in 2025, which constituted about 30% of the total electricity production.

    Hydel electricity with a tariff of just Rs3.83 per unit kept on subsidising the country’s entire power sector in the outgoing year too, thus significantly contributing to economic stability and social development, it said.

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  • A novel deep learning approach for intrusion detection in maritime radar networks

  • Pires, L. M., Alves, T., Vassaramo, M. & Fialho, V. Design and development of a High-Accuracy IoT system for Real-Time load and space monitoring in shipping containers. Designs 9 (2), 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/designs9020043 (2025).

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  • About OpenCPN. Accessed: 03, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://opencpn.org/OpenCPN/info/about.html

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  • Promise of bumper coffee crop in 2026 fuelled by explosion of white flowers

    Promise of bumper coffee crop in 2026 fuelled by explosion of white flowers

    Australian coffee growers are hoping for a bumper 2026 season to meet increased demand for homegrown beans.

    Fuelling that hope was the explosion of white, star-like flowers that covered coffee bushes across the country during their November flowering season.

    Coffee farms are transformed into a sea of white as the trees burst with star-like white flowers. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    Australian Grown Coffee Association president Rebecca Zentveld said it was the best flowering in six years at her farm in Newrybar near Byron Bay.

    Ms Zentveld said the positive signs for the crop in 2026 were welcome after a smaller-than-expected harvest this year.

    A woman in a blue dress pulls apart coffee tree branches with white flowers.

    Rebecca Zentveld checks the flowering on her coffee trees. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    Poor weather in coffee-growing countries, including Brazil and Vietnam, in recent years, has meant Australian growers have been well-placed to fill the gap.

    Beautiful blossoming

    Coffee plants are known for their short flowering season, generally lasting just two days.

    “That tiny little bud of the next fruit starts to grow for the next eleven months,” Ms Zentveld said.

    A red and a green coffee cherry on a branch with white blossoms.

    Coffee cherries left from the 2025 harvest among the blossoms. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    “Not every flower will turn into a little fruit; we will allow some to drop and accept that, and it’s a really good start.”

    The flowers present not only a visual sensation on farms. The short-lived blossoming offers a multi-sensory experience for growers and visitors.

    A honey bee on a white coffee blossom.

    A European honey bee prepares to collect nectar from the white blossom of a coffee cherry. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    A honey bee with orange pollen sacs flies over white coffee flowers.

    A honey bee with pollen baskets hovers over coffee blossoms. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    A honey bee collects nectar from a white coffee blossom.

    Bees are kept busy collecting nectar and pollinating the coffee cherries. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    The bees are busy buzzing about collecting nectar from the blossoms, which have a sweet jasmine-like smell that even wafts beyond the farm fence.

    “They’re going crazy, often what we do is hear the bees first, the hum, they will be out in force,” Ms Zentveld said.

    “We’ve had people drive past with their windows down and come in on the day that the blossoms are out because they could smell them in the air.”

    Rebecca Zentveld with a tour group around a coffee tree with white flowers.

    Rebecca Zentveld and a tour group stop to smell the coffee flowers. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    Rebecca Zentveld and a tour group stop to smell the coffee flowers. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    A sign inviting visitors to come smell the coffee blossoms.

    A welcome sign at Zentveld’s Coffee Farm & Roastery at Newrybar. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    Welcome sign at Zentveld’s Coffee Farm & Roastery at Newrybar. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    A lady takes a photo of a man and woman in front of coffee trees with white blossoms.

    Rebecca Zentveld snaps a photo of some visitors to the farm with the coffee blossoms.  (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    Rebecca Zentveld snaps a photo of some visitors to the farm with the coffee blossoms. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    “It is just marvellous, just extraordinary.”

    Small variety with big potential

    Growers at the Zentveld farm are particularly excited by the amount of blossoms on a new coffee variety that is being trialled there.

    Ms Zentveld said one of the dwarf varieties, Marsellesa, had put out more flowers than her Kenyan K7 trees.

    A lady in a blue dress stands between two coffee trees with white flowers on them.

    Rebecca Zentveld with the Marsellesa coffee tree.  (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    “The blossoms are bigger than the two main varieties we grow in Australia,” she said.

    “So that’s going to be interesting to see if that equates to overall big-sized fruit or coffee bean.”

    Marsellesa, a hybrid of Sarchimor and Caturra developed in Nicaragua, is a high-yielding, rust-resistant variety that researchers believe could be better suited for Australian conditions than the Kenyan K7.

    White coffee blossoms on a tree branch.

    White blossoms on the Marsellesa coffee variety. (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    Coffee converts

    Ms Zentveld said speciality coffee roasters were crying out for locally grown beans.

    “They’re willing to pay the money for it, which is a wonderful thing to keep our growers going and profitable. That’s what we want,” she said.

    That growing demand has seen the industry expand further within NSW and Queensland and into Western Australia.

    A wallaby stands next to a coffee tree with white blossoms.

    A wallaby among the coffee trees. (Supplied: Kim Honan)

    Ms Zentveld said fruit and nut farmers in particular were turning to coffee due to issues within their industries, including local processor closures.

    “We’re now getting quite a few professional farmers who may have been growing macadamias, growing citrus and avocados in Western Australia, sugarcane and peanuts in North Queensland,” she said.

    She said the industry would benefit from these professionals putting coffee in on scale.

    A branch with five red coffee cherries and white coffee blossoms.

    Coffee cherries hang on from the 2025 season during flowering for the 2026 crop.  (ABC Rural: Kim Honan)

    She said the industry had solid long-term prospects as it moved beyond just import replacement and into export markets.

    “They do the maths, and work out that this is a crop that’s in demand and should be profitable.”

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  • Retail payment transactions rise 10pc to 2.8bn – Dawn

    1. Retail payment transactions rise 10pc to 2.8bn  Dawn
    2. Digital payments hit 2.8b transactions in Q1FY26: SBP  The Express Tribune
    3. 81% of All Digital Transactions in Pakistan Are Done Using Mobiles  ProPakistani
    4. Jul-Sept retail payments: Total value soars 6pc to Rs166trn QoQ  Business Recorder
    5. Mobile app transactions drive 10% growth in retail payments  Daily Times

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  • Stocks soar past 174,000 on strong growth data – Dawn

    1. Stocks soar past 174,000 on strong growth data  Dawn
    2. Records tumble: KSE-100 settles with nearly 600 points gain  Business Recorder
    3. PSX maintains record-setting rally  The Express Tribune
    4. Stock market gains 1,495 points to close at 173,896  The Nation (Pakistan )
    5. PSX Settles At New All-Time High on UAE’s Billion-Dollar Investment News  ProPakistani

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  • Stocks soar past 174,000 on strong growth data – Dawn

    1. Stocks soar past 174,000 on strong growth data  Dawn
    2. KSE-100 crosses 175,000 level in early trade  Business Recorder
    3. PSX maintains record-setting rally  The Express Tribune
    4. PSX crosses 174,400 points as investor confidence strengthens  Daily Times
    5. PSX gains 576 points to close at 174,472  The Nation (Pakistan )

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  • UK company sends factory with 1,000C furnace into space

    UK company sends factory with 1,000C furnace into space

    The team is now planning to build a bigger space factory – one that could make semiconductor material for 10,000 chips.

    They also need to test the technology to bring the material back to Earth.

    On a future mission, a heat shield named Pridwen after the legendary shield of King Arthur will be deployed to protect the spacecraft from the intense temperatures it will experience as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.

    Other companies are also looking skywards – to make everything from pharmaceuticals to artificial tissues.

    “In-space manufacturing is something that is happening now,” says Libby Jackson, head of space at the Science Museum.

    “It’s the early days and they’re still showing this in small numbers at the moment.

    “But by proving the technology it really opens the door for an economically viable product, where things can be made in space and return to Earth and have use and benefit to everybody on Earth. And that’s really exciting.”

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  • Emory radiologic technology program endures for six decades

    Emory radiologic technology program endures for six decades

    Emory Decatur Hospital is home to one of Emory’s longest-running clinical educational programs — the Emory School of Medicine Radiologic Technology (RT) Certificate Program. Founded in 1962, the certificate program prepares entry-level radiologic technologists to fill high-demand jobs and meet the critical clinical imaging needs of the greater Atlanta community.

    The RT Certificate Program is part of the allied health program offerings through the Emory School of Medicine. Emory Decatur Hospital serves as the off-campus instructional site for the program.

    Radiologic technology involves using X-rays or radioactive substances for medical diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Those who use the technology are known as radiologic technologists, or radiographers. They specialize in using X-rays to create images of the body and perform diagnostic procedures including imaging the skeletal system, chest and abdomen.

    The Emory School of Medicine Radiologic Technology Certificate Program is a full-time, 24-month long program that accepts between 19 and 25 students each year, with space for up to 50 total. Students train in areas such as general X-ray, trauma imaging and fluoroscopy, and also rotate through specialty areas such as CT (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and mammography to enhance their clinical education experience.

    “The Emory School of Medicine Radiologic Technology Certificate Program has been a leader in imaging education on a continuous basis for over 60 years,” says Jen Schuck, CEO of Emory Decatur, Emory Hillandale and Emory Long-Term Acute Care hospitals. “I’m proud that the program is a leader in creating career opportunities for people in our community and ensuring that graduates are well-prepared to make a real impact in health care.”

    Program graduates take the national certification exam for radiography through the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists and upon passing, become registered technologists in radiography. About 70% of graduates accept jobs at Emory Healthcare within a year of finishing the program. To date, approximately 1,100 have graduated from the program.

    “From the start, our students are placed in fast-paced health care settings where they use advanced equipment, care for patients from all backgrounds and learn to adapt to the changing needs of the medical field,” says LaShaun Taylor, RTR, program director. “By operating at Emory Decatur Hospital, our program students get hands-on training in a busy medical imaging department, giving graduates an advantage when pursuing their careers.”

    The Emory School of Medicine Radiologic Technology Certificate Program has maintained a strong track record of placing graduates in jobs and establishing collaborations to help elevate career advancement. While the program requires participants to hold, at a minimum, an associate degree before beginning the Emory program, it is currently exploring new opportunities to assist students in earning an associate’s degree. The program is also building stronger connections with Emory’s Medical Imaging B.S. Bridge Program as a pathway for program graduates to earn a bachelor’s degree to help advance future career opportunities.

    Applications are accepted each year from Sept.1 to March 1. To learn more, visit the Emory School of Medicine Radiologic Technology Certificate Program website.

    About Emory Decatur Hospital
    Emory Decatur Hospital, one of 11 Emory Healthcare hospitals, is a 451-bed facility located on North Decatur Road in Decatur, Georgia. Emory University School of Medicine faculty, private practice physicians and Emory Specialty Associates physicians care for patients at Emory Decatur, along with more than 2,500 staff. Services include emergency medicine, oncology, heart and vascular care including stroke, maternity care, orthopaedics, behavioral health, a weight loss center and a medical fitness center, among others.

    About Emory School of Medicine Education Programs
    Emory School of Medicine prepares future health care leaders through innovative education programs, including MD, DPT, PhD, and allied health degrees, as well as residencies, fellowships and continuing education. With a focus on excellence, compassion and discovery, Emory combines the science of medicine with the art of healing to advance patient care and medical research. Learn more at med.emory.edu/education.

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  • All aboard for savings: the Great British Rail Sale returns!

    All aboard for savings: the Great British Rail Sale returns!

    • the Great British Rail Sale is back, with huge discounts on over 3 million tickets – making train travel more affordable for everyone 
    • travel by rail between 13 January and 25 March 2026 on thousands of popular routes
    • sale comes after the government has frozen rail fares for the first time in 30 years, putting money back in passengers’ pockets

    Millions of discounted train tickets for half-term activities, weekend getaways and commuting will be up for grabs next week. The week-long Great British Rail Sale, running from 6 to 12 January 2026, will give passengers the chance to save well over 50% on many advance and off-peak tickets.

    The reduced fares can be used to travel on thousands of popular routes between 13 January and 25 March 2026. Nearly all train operators are taking part, with routes spanning the length and breadth of Britain.

    For those looking to visit museums or schedule meetings in the capital, £10 journeys are on offer from south coast destinations like Portsmouth to London Waterloo – that’s a 59% saving. Or for those planning a quick getaway abroad, journeys from Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport will cost just £1.20, down from £2.90.

    The sale comes as the government eases the cost of living for hard-working people by freezing rail fares for the first time in 30 years.

    The government is also bringing in major reform to Britain’s rail services by establishing Great British Railways (GBR) – the new, nationalised organisation to run the railway. GBR will bring together 17 different organisations under a single directing mind, cutting through bureaucracy to deliver a rail network that passengers can rely on and be proud of.

    Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said:

    The Rail Sale is back – and it means further discounts for passengers as we freeze rail fares for the first time in 3 decades to help ease the cost of living.

    We all want to see cheaper rail travel, so whether you’re planning a half-term getaway, or visiting friends or family, this sale offers huge reductions.

    It’s all part of our plans to build a railway owned by the public, that works for the public.

    This is the fourth year of the Rail Sale, with last year’s sale saving passengers around £8 per journey. Last year, over 1 million tickets were sold, bringing in over £9 million in ticket sale revenue for the industry. 

    Travelling by train remains one of the quickest and greenest ways to get around, with the government committed to getting more people onto the railways, cutting carbon emissions and freeing up vital space on our roads for emergency services and freight.

    Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and CEO of Rail Delivery Group, said:

    The Rail Sale gives people even more reasons to choose rail, whether it’s reconnecting with loved ones or exploring new places. Rail continues to play a vital role in the lives of millions, supporting local economies and offering a more sustainable way to travel.

    This year’s Rail Sale will offer millions of discounted advance fares across the network from 6 January, giving customers the chance to save on journeys big and small. By making rail travel more accessible, we hope even more people will enjoy the convenience and comfort of travelling by rail.

    Patricia Yates, CEO of VisitBritain, said:

    The new year provides the perfect opportunity to hop onto a train and explore Britain’s great tourism treasures sustainably, boosting the economy by supporting our fantastic visitor experiences and attractions.

    Whether it’s a cultural break in one of our vibrant regional cities, a set jetting stay at a world-famous filming backdrop or the friendly welcome from our picturesque coastal and rural destinations, Britain has something for everyone to enjoy, creating memories of a lifetime for visitors.

    Key discounts

    Journey Sale price Full price Saving
    St Pancras to Whitstable £7.50 £15.10 50%
    St Pancras to Canterbury £8.10 £16.20 50%
    Exeter to London Waterloo £10.00 £41.70 76%
    Portsmouth to London Waterloo £10.00 £24.60 59%
    Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport £1.20 £2.90 59%
    Blackpool North to Manchester Piccadilly £3.50 £7.90 56%
    Bolton to Manchester Piccadilly £1.00 £2.50 60%
    Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western £1.60 £3.70 57%
    Newcastle to Middlesbrough £2.00 £5.20 62%
    London Marylebone to Birmingham Moor Street £7.00 £14.00 50%
    Nottingham to London Terminals £23.00 £46.00 50%
    Sheffield to London Terminals £25.50 £51.00 50%
    Charing Cross to Tunbridge Wells £4.00 £8.10 51%
    Ashford International to Ramsgate £2.70 £5.40 50%

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  • Severe drought leads to urgent order for Manitoba Hydro to raise rates by 4% on Jan. 1

    Severe drought leads to urgent order for Manitoba Hydro to raise rates by 4% on Jan. 1

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    Manitoba Hydro rates will rise four per cent on Jan. 1 as part of an interim general rate hike the Public Utilities Board says it has ordered “on an urgent basis because of a severe drought.”

    The province’s independent energy regulator ordered Hydro to raise all of its rates except for diesel charges in 2026 at the maximum allowable annual increase, even though the provincial Crown corporation only sought the first of three consecutive annual rate hikes of 3.5 per cent.

    “The increase is necessary, on an urgent basis, to protect the financial health of Manitoba Hydro in light of the current drought,” the Public Utilities Board stated in an order published Tuesday afternoon.

    “Water inflows into Manitoba Hydro’s watershed are currently near the second-lowest level in 112 years.”

    When Manitoba Hydro filed an application for three annual rate hikes of 3.5 per cent, it was expecting a net income of $218 million for the fiscal year that ends on March 31, 2026, the PUB noted in its order.

    Now, Hydro expects to lose $409 million during this fiscal year, which represents “a deterioration” of $625 million, the PUB stated.

    The board stated it may adjust this increase in a final rate order for Manitoba Hydro’s next three fiscal years. That final order is expected in March 2026, the board stated.

    Rate hike will prove challenging: consumers group

    In March, when Manitoba Hydro filed sought permission for three annual rate hikes — a compound rate hike of nearly 11 per cent by 2028 — the Crown corporation said it needed the additional funds in order to fix aging infrastructure, increase generating capacity and mitigate the effects of both drought and debt.

    In its application to the Public Utilities Board, Hydro said it must spend $31 billion over the next two decades to improve the reliability of its existing infrastructure and expand its capacity to generate electricity to avoid the possibility of winter power shortages.

    Some of the infrastructure along Bipole I and Bipole II, two of Hydro’s three main transmission lines, is more than 50 years old, which is “one to three decades past the industry expected service life,” and will alone requires billions worth of upgrades in the coming decades, the corporation wrote in its rate application.

    The Consumers Coalition, which represents four Manitoba non-profit organizations, said in a statement a four per cent Hydro rate hike is understandable given the drought conditions but will still prove challenging for many ratepayers.

    This fall, the coalition asked the PUB to set a rate hike below 3.5 per cent this year because Hydro failed to show it’s making difficult choices in the face of drought, coalition lawyer Katrine Dilay said.

    “Hydro’s costs continue to escalate at rates well above the rate of inflation, and our clients strongly believe Hydro must examine its own costs before seeking increases from its customers,” Dilay said in a statement.

    Hydro spokesperson Peter Chura said the four per cent rate hike will cost the average Manitoba household that only uses electricity as a power source an additional $50.40 in 2026, compared to an additional $44.28 for a 3.5 per cent hike.

    Chura said the four per cent increase will cost the average Manitoba household that uses electricity for power and to heat their home an additional $96.60 this coming year, compared to an additional $84.60 for a 3.5 per cent increase.

    Urgent rate hike follows ‘rate freeze’

    Hydro did not seek a rate hike at all for 2025 in a move the NDP government called a “rate freeze.” Dilay and the Progressive Conservative Opposition criticized the decision to forgo additional revenue because of the financial pressures facing the Crown corporation, which is also carrying $25.3 billion in debt.

    Drought conditions across the Lake Winnipeg watershed preceded the “rate freeze” and are continuing this winter.

    According to Manitoba Infrastructure, the water level on Lake Winnipeg on Monday stood at 712.1 feet above sea level, which is below the water level on this date during 90 per cent of the years since 1981.

    Adrien Sala, the minister responsible for Manitoba Hydro, said in a statement the NDP government respects the role the PUB plays “in setting fair rates that maintain Hydro’s affordability while keeping the utility strong through wet and dry years.”

    On Instagram, PC Leader Obby Khan taunted the NDP for the rate hike.

    “So much for your rate freeze,” the Opposition leader wrote.

    WATCH | Manitoba Hydro rates to rise 4 per cent on Jan. 1:

    Manitoba Hydro rates to rise 4 per cent on Jan. 1

    Manitoba’s provincial regulator says it has ordered an urgent interim increase to help the Crown utility contend with drought.

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