Geo blocked: Journalists walkout in Balochistan Assembly

QUETTA: Journalists staged walk out in Balochistan Assembly in protest against the blocking the transmission of Geo News and another private TV channel here on Monday.

Pakistan floods, Russia heat match climate trends

OSLO: Devastating floods in Pakistan and Russia”s heat wave match projected trends of ever more extremes caused by global warming even though it is impossible to blame mankind for single severe weather events, scientists said.

This year is on track to be the warmest since reliable temperature records began in the mid-19th century, beating 1998, mainly due to a build-up of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, according to the UN”s World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

“We will always have climate extremes. But it looks like climate change is exacerbating the intensity of the extremes,” said Omar Baddour, chief of climate data management applications at WMO headquarters in Geneva.

“It is too early to point to a human fingerprint” behind individual weather events, he said. Recent extremes include mudslides in China or temperature heat records from Finland to Kuwait.

Reinsurer Munich Re said a natural catastrophe database it runs “shows that the number of extreme weather events like windstorm and floods has tripled since 1980, and the trend is expected to persist”.

The worst floods in Pakistan in 80 years have killed more than 1,600 people and left 2 million homeless.

“Global warming is one reason” for the rare spate of recent weather extremes, said Friedrich-Wilhelm Gerstengarbe, a professor at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.

He pointed to the heat wave and related forest fires in Russia, floods in Pakistan, rains in China and downpours in countries including Germany and Poland. “We have four such extremes in the last few weeks. This is very seldom,” he said.

RARE RAINS

Russia”s worst drought in decades has led to fires that have almost doubled death rates in Moscow to around 700 per day, an official said. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced a grain export ban from Aug. 15 to Dec. 31.

Nearly 1,500 people have died in landslides and flooding caused by months of torrential rains across China, the ministry of Civil Affairs said.

Baddour said one cause of a shift in monsoon rains in Asia seemed to be a knock-on effect of La Nina, a natural cooling of the Pacific region.

Scientists say it is impossible to pin the blame for individual events from hurricanes to sandstorms solely on human activities led by burning of fossil fuels that release heat-trapping carbon dioxide.

Still, one study concluded that global warming had doubled the chances of heat waves similar to a scorching 2003 summer in Europe, in which 35,000 people died. Those temperatures could not convincingly be explained by natural variations.

“It may be possible to use climate models to determine whether human influences have changed the likelihood of certain types of extreme events,” the UN panel of climate scientists said in its latest 2007 report.

That report concluded it was at least 90 percent likely that most warming in the past 50 years was caused by mankind.

“Warming of the climate is likely to bring more events of this sort,” said Henning Rodhe, professor emeritus of chemical meteorology at Stockholm University, of Russian forest fires.

“But you can”t draw the conclusion that this is caused by global warming,” he said.

Most countries agreed at a UN climate summit in Copenhagen last year to limit a rise in average world temperatures to below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 F) above pre-industrial times, a tough goal since temperatures already rose 0.7C in the 20th century.

Geo blocked: Demos at KPC, cable operators offices

KARACHI: Journalists and staff members of Geo TV staged peaceful demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club (KPC) to register protest against the blocking of Geo News and other private channels.

The participants of the demonstrations demanded immediate reopening of the blocked TV channels including Geo News.

The protest rally then headed towards Sindh Chief Minister House where journalists chanted slogans for the freedom of press and media.

Later, the protestors gathered in front of the offices of WorldCall cable operators to mark their protest and to seek an explanation as to what led the administrators of cable offices to block Geo News and other private TV channels.

It is pertinent to note here that WorldCall has heavy stakes of an Oman company as well as government dignitaries including Governor Punjab Salman Taseer.

Countrywide protests against Geo ban

KARACHI: The journalist community across the country protested with Jang Group staff members against the burning of copies of The News and Daily Jang, and blocking of Geo TV transmission.

Demos were held at various press clubs and assembly buildings to protest the acts against media freedom. Journalists vowed that curbs on the media would not be tolerated at any cost.

KARACHI: Journalists and staff members of Geo TV staged peaceful demonstration in front of Karachi Press Club (KPC) to register protest against the blocking of Geo News and other private channels.

The protest rally then headed towards Sindh Chief Minister House where journalists chanted slogans for the freedom of press and media.

Later, the protestors gathered in front of the offices of WorldCall cable operators to mark their protest and to seek an explanation as to what led the administrators of cable offices to block Geo News and other private TV channels.

QUETTA: Journalists staged walk out in Balochistan Assembly in protest against the blocking the transmission of Geo News and another private TV channel.

ISLAMABAD: Supporters of free media also protested in front of National Press Club against the ban on free flow of information.

LAHORE: Likewise, the journalists held demo outside Punjab Assembly Building. They demanded immediate removal of ban.

Similar demos were held across country. Protestors condemned the burning of the copies of The News and the daily Jang. Terming the incident an attack on freedom of expression, they said the media would continue to write truth.

Ch. Nisar raps PPP on media handling

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader in the National Assembly and Central leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said President Asif Ali Zardari was previously taxed with mafia-style politics and even today, he is attesting to the same through anti-media action, Geo News reported Monday.

Talking to media at his chamber, he said the Pakistan People”s Party (PPP) does not utter a word against British media; instead, it is victimizing the free media in the country.

Chaudhry Nisar said he condemned the way media was treated, adding media is a mirror.

Urging the PPP to ascertain whether the incident took place or not, Nisar wondered why media is being targeted if the incident did not occur altogether.

Commenting on allegations leveled against Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N), the PML-N said his party does not target its political rivals as such, adding Zardari was reviled in the UK’s media as no leader of the world was denounced ever before.

He also alleged the efforts are being made to affect the media through Salman Taseer’s cable network, vowing his party will support media in its protest.

Chaudhry Nisar said the wrong impression was created as to Zardari’s visit being official, adding they would raise the issue at the Assembly floor.

‘Instead, the visit was meant for boosting his own business. The government is doing nothing for the flood-affected people, who are being made fun of, by setting up fake medical camps.’

The Punjab Assembly resolution against media was a mistake, he said adding his party acknowledged this; unlike PPP, that jumped to setting newspapers ablaze.

Asian stocks up on results of Europe bank tests

TOKYO: Asian stock markets rose Monday amid relief that most European banks passed the much-anticipated stress tests aimed at clearing up worries over the region’s financial system.

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Asian stocks up on results of Europe bank tests

Israel, US sign deal to upgrade missile shield

TEL AVIV: Israel and the United States have signed an agreement to make the Arrow II ballistic shield capable of shooting down missiles at a higher altitude, the Israeli Defense Ministry said.

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Israel, US sign deal to upgrade missile shield

FIFA begins inspection visit Down Under

SYDNEY: A FIFA delegation began a three-day visit to Australia to inspect stadiums and other facilities for the country’s 2022 World Cup bid on Monday.

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FIFA begins inspection visit Down Under

Voting underway in Sargodha by-polls

SARGODHA: The voting begins for by election in Punjab Assembly constituency of PP-34 in Sargodha.

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Voting underway in Sargodha by-polls

PML-Q for talks on Kashmir, trade with India

LAHORE: The Punjab Assembly opposition leader Chaudhry Zaheer ud Din Khan (PML-Q) said Pakistan must talk on Kashmir, water and trade simultaneously with India.

Talking outside assembly building here today, he criticized the government for signing a trade agreement with Afghanistan.

The opposition leader also supported the extension in Gen Kayani”s service.

He suggested to improve the prosecution department and sought increase in salaries of Rescue 1122.

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