Health

LONDON: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday said he was “deeply sorry” for those who lost family during the Covid pandemic as he was quizzed about his actions as finance minister during the global health emergency. Sunak is expected to face questions at the public inquiry into the UK’s handling of the crisis over whether his “Eat Out to Help Out” …

DUBAI: Humanitarian concerns have been raised over Afghanistan being left out of United Nations climate negotiations for a third year in a row, as the country grapples with worsening drought and floods. Dozens of people were killed in Afghanistan, one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change, after heavy rains triggered flash floods that swept across drought-stricken land earlier this …

DUBAI: With less than 48 hours left before the UN climate summit officially comes to an end, oil producers Saudi Arabia and Iraq resisted moves to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels, a key demand at the COP28. Over 80 countries, including the US, European Union and members of Pacific Island states threatened by rising seas have been some …

DUBAI: Holistic responses to climate change-induced challenges for developing countries like Pakistan are not going to be cheap, since conventional mechanisms have demonstrated their inability to move at speed and scale that is required. This was the thrust of the argument put forward by Dr Charles Ehrhart at a discussion held on the sidelines of the COP28 summit. The global …

PESHAWAR: Setting alarm bells ringing for residents, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province recorded very unhealthy air for five consecutive days this week with the air quality being even worse than Lahore’s on three days, reveals a Swiss air quality technology company on its website. The data posted on IQAir’s website is sourced from at least 10 air quality monitors …

HWANGE PARK: Dozens of elephants have died of thirst in Zimbabwe’s popular Hwange National Park, and conservationists fear losing more as a drought caused by climate change and the El Nino global weather pattern dries up watering holes. The seasonal El Nino, which causes hotter, drier weather throughout the year, has been exacerbated by climate breakdown, scientists say, a cause …

ISLAMABAD: Most children and young people say they have heard of climate change but only half understand what is it, according to a new Unicef-Gallup poll, as world leaders have gathered for the COP28 in the UAE. The global poll found that on average 85 per cent of young people aged 15-24 surveyed in 55 countries said they have heard of climate …

ISLAMABAD: A World Bank report has pointed out that eight in 10 people in Pakistan are concerned about impacts of climate change, with female and educated people being more concerned. The report titled, Climate Silence in Pakistan, has observed that climate change has profoundly affected Pakistan, manifesting in altered weather patterns and devastating floods. According to projections, Pakistan’s GDP is expected to …

LONDON: Boris Johnson apologised on Wednesday for “the pain and the loss and the suffering” caused by the Covid-19 pandemic but defended his government at a public inquiry into its handling of the crisis. The former British prime minister, who has faced a barrage of criticism from former aides for alleged indecisiveness and a lack of scientific understanding during the pandemic, began …

Lahore on Wednesday remained on top of the list of the most polluted cities in the world with an average pollution reading of 230. According to the air pollution data shared by the Punjab Environment Protection Department, Shahra-e-Quaid-e-Azam remained the most polluted area with a reading of 424. The pollution in the air at Mall Road was recorded over 400 …