Climate change is "a myth," sea levels are not rising and Britain's chief scientist is "an embarrassment" for believing catastrophe is inevitable. These are the controversial views of a new London-based think-tank that will publish a report today attacking the apocalyptic view that man-made greenhouse gases will destroy the planet. \nThe International Policy Network will publish its long-awaited study, claiming that the science warning of an environmental disaster caused by climate change is "fatally flawed." It will state that previous predictions of changes in sea level of a meter over the next 100 years were overestimates. \nInstead, the report will say that sea level rises will reach a maximum of just 20cm during the next century, adding that global warming could, in fact, benefit mankind by increasing fish stocks. \nThe report's views closely mirror those held by many of US President George Bush's senior advisers, who have been accused of derailing attempts to reach international agreement over how to prevent climate change. \nThe report is set to cause controversy. The network, which has links with some of the President's advisers, has received cash donations from the US oil giant ExxonMobil, which has long lobbied against the climate change agenda. Exxon lists the donation as part of its "climate change outreach" program. Environmentalists on Saturday said the network report was an attempt by US neoconservatives to sabotage Prime Minister Tony Blair's attempts to lead the world in tackling climate change. \nIt has close links to the Washington-based organization, the Competitive Enterprise Institute which is run by Bush's top climate adviser Myron Ebell. It was Ebell who recently launched an astonishing personal attack on Britain's chief scientist Sir David King after he described climate change as a greater threat than terrorism.
HOUSES FLOODED: The ground shook in Tonga as explosions were heard, followed by gushing water and pelting rocks, sending people running to higher ground A massive volcanic eruption in Tonga that triggered tsunami waves around the Pacific caused “significant damage” to the island nation’s capital and smothered it in dust, but the full extent was not apparent with communications still cut off yesterday. The eruption on Saturday was so powerful that it was recorded around the world, triggering a tsunami that flooded Pacific coastlines from Japan to the US. Tonga’s capital, Nuku’alofa, suffered “significant” damage, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, adding that there had been no reports of injury or death, but a full assessment was not possible with communication lines down. “The tsunami has
‘ZERO’ STRATEGY: Carrie Lam said the airline faced a probe over its compliance with the rules after an outbreak was traced to air crew who breached quarantine Cathay Pacific is being investigated and faces possible legal action over an outbreak of COVID-19 in Hong Kong that began with the airline’s employees, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam (林鄭月娥) said yesterday. The revelation came as Lam announced the suspension of all kindergarten and primary schools until after the Lunar New Year early next month. Like China, Hong Kong maintains a “zero COVID” strategy that has largely cut the international finance hub off from the mainland and the rest of the world for the past two years. A recent outbreak traced to Cathay Pacific air crew who breached home quarantine has sparked
PORT CONGESTION: Ships heading for Omicron-affected Dalian and Tianjin are being redirected to Shanghai, which does not have the capacity for the sudden cargo influx China has detected the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in a second major port city, deepening concern that the vastly more infectious variant could spread quickly across the world’s largest trading nation, upending global supply chains. Chinese officials said yesterday that at least one person has Omicron in Dalian, a city of 7 million. A second person also tested positive for the virus, but the variant is unknown. Both are college students who returned home for the Lunar New Year holiday from Tianjin, where at least 137 other cases were traced as of Wednesday. Dalian joins Tianjin as the second crucial port city
Japan extended measures barring almost all new foreign arrivals until the end of next month and is to reopen mass vaccination centers as it battles an surge of COVID-19 cases, the government said yesterday. “We will keep the current border control policy until the end of February while taking necessary measures from a humanitarian viewpoint and considering the national interest,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. Local media said that there would be some new exemptions for members of Japanese families as well as students studying in Japan, but there were no immediate details from officials. The government is also to reopen
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