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Draft pact seeks to halve emissions by 2050
Pak not to defend NRO
Maoists declare 2
provinces autonomous
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Washington, December 11 The United States has clarified that the long-pending Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally with active participation of the people of Kashmir.
Huma Akram’s death
3 Indians held with drugs in Malaysia
Headley’s Trial
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Draft pact seeks to halve emissions by 2050
Copenhagen, December 11 With less than a week until more than 110 world leaders descend on the talks, the proposal that would at least halve global emissions by 2050 sought to bridge some of the long-standing rifts between rich and poor nations. A European Union offer of 7.3 billion euros ($10.8 billion) of climate aid over the next three years was welcomed by the United Nations and the Danish hosts of the December 7-18 talks in Copenhagen. "Things are progressing," said Connie Hedegaard, the Danish minister who presides at the negotiations. The first four days of talks moved so slowly that European Commission delegate Karl Falkenberg joked that progress was only visible under a magnifying glass. Yvo de Boer, head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat, said the draft text marked a "step change" in the negotiations. "It's time to focus on the bigger picture," he told reporters. The documents propose a global emissions goal for 2050, a target developing countries have opposed in the past, and omits figures for how many billions of dollars rich nations should give poorer ones to help them tackle climate change. The text is also vague on when greenhouse gas emissions should peak. China, now the world's largest emitter ahead of the United States, said rich nations needed to provide long-term cash if they wanted poor nations to agree long-term emissions goals. "I doubt the sincerity of developed countries in their commitment. Why are they not talking about a commitment of providing funds through 2050? That will make them credible when they are asking for an emissions reduction by 2050," Vice-Foreign Minister He Yafei said. African nations said they were still considering the draft, but also were unhappy about financing. "What will it be used for? The developed countries found $1.4 trillion to combat the financial crisis. Now they're offering just $10 billion to fight climate change," said Kemal Djemouai, the Algerian chair of the African Group of nations. Small islands that face being washed away by rising seas also put out a far more ambitious draft proposal they said was a minimum needed to ward off disastrous climate change. The draft text covers both an extension of the existing UN Kyoto Protocol, whose first phase ends in 2012, and a parallel track of talks which draws in those outside Kyoto, including the United States. The text offers a range for global cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels, of at least 50 per cent by 2050 from 1990 levels. Developing nations led by China and India have in the past rejected signing up for a halving of world emissions by 2050 without more stringent short-term goals for developed nations. For these emissions cuts the draft agreement proposes an average range laid out by a UN panel of climate scientists in 2007, of at least 25-40 percent, also from 1990 levels. This might be acceptable to developing nations, though many have asked for more, but emissions cuts pledged so far from recession-hit developed nations total only about 14-18 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels. The text said developing nations, which say they need to emit more as they curb poverty, should either make a "substantial deviation" to slow the growth of their emissions by 2020 or slow growth 15-30 percent below projected levels. —
Reuters
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Pak not to defend NRO
The Supreme Court has reaffirmed its resolve not to do anything that derails the democratic process as the federal government has decided not to defend the infamous National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
Apparently unnerved by the court's directives to seek detailed information about President Asif Zardari's assets abroad, believed to be $1.7 billion, the government asked the court to confine itself only to within the parameters of the main contention of petitioners that the ordinance is ab initio void and illegal. In a written plea to the court, barrister Kamal Azfar, appearing on behalf of the federal government, exhorted the court to keep in view the challenges faced by the country in view of terrorism and external threats. Azfar contended that any decision on the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) outside the scope of what the challengers had sought could destabilise the democratic system. After remaining silent for four days, the government filed the petition through its newly appointed counsel Kamal Azfar to present its view on how the slightest mishandling could have adverse repercussions for the entire system. “Pakistan
today is poised at the crossroads. One road leads to a truly federal
democratic welfare state with a balance of power among an independent
judiciary, a duly elected government representing the will of the people
and a determined executive which is fighting the war against terrorism
and poverty,” said the 12-page petition. The second road leads to
destabilisation of the rule of law, it said. “The people of Pakistan
await your verdict,” the petition contended, stressing that certain
issues had been raised for the first time during the hearing which were
not part of the petitions or the prayer and, therefore, contrary to the
settled law enunciated by the court that arguments should be confined to
legal issues. Acting Attorney General Shah Khawar repeated the
government’s stance that it was not defending the NRO “from its
inception till end”. Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry made
it clear that the court was also a supporter of the system. ‘We are
telling everyone loud and clear that we are not going to derail the
system.’
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Maoists declare 2
provinces autonomous
Even after receiving national and international pressure not to declare autonomous provinces, the main opposition party, Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists (UCPN-M), today declared two provinces in eastern Nepal in accordance with the party decision to intensify their third-phase protests for what they called civilian supremacy.
According to Maoists party source, they have declared Kochila and Limbuwan autonomous provinces on the basis of ethnicity. Following the decision, the Maoists have invited the situation of parallel governance system pushing the ongoing peace process into imperil. "We
have announced the autonomous states to press other political parties,
as conspiracies are being hatched against the decision to go for federal
system," Maoist central secretariat member Netra Bikram Chand said
at a function organised at Birtamod. The Maoists’ Kochila autonomous
state comprises Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari districts. Earlier, the Maoists had withheld the programme for twice after receiving pressure from the national and international community. However, the Maoists leaders have been saying that it was a symbolic protest against the government and put pressure on other political parties to go for restructuring of the country into a federal model. Maoists are scheduled to announce over a dozen of provinces autonomous depending upon the ethnicity of the area within a week.
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US: Resolve Kashmir
issue bilaterally
Washington, December 11 Addressing a regular briefing, US Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs P.J. Crowley said Washington had been discussing the old issues with both countries, and wanted that they should resolve it amicably. "We understand the importance of the Kashmir issue to both Pakistan and India and it is something that we do discuss with both countries. But, obviously, at the end of a process that has to be something that is resolved ultimately between Pakistan and India with the active involvement of the people of Kashmir," The Nation quoted Crowley, as saying. Crowley's statement came after Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari, in his op-ed in The New York Times, urged the US to mediate to resolve the Kashmir issue. In
his article Zardari welcomed America's $7.5 billion pledge over the next
five years for non-military projects in Pakistan. — ANI
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Huma Akram’s death
Islamabad, December 11 "The licences of 17 doctors have been cancelled over the negligence in the treatment of Huma Wasim," The Daily Times quoted a statement issued by the ministry here. The decision was taken after a meeting of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Health. Wasim broke down during the meeting, saying that he was hurt by the way the medical professionals carried out their duties, due to which he had lost his wife. "My wife died because she was not provided proper medical care and as a result, her kidneys failed and she suffered heart complications," Wasim said. He urged the authorities concerned to take strict action against those private hospitals, which were involved in malicious activities. Talking to reporters later, Wasim said he would continue his efforts to bring about improvements in the medical facilities in the country. "I do not want revenge. I want to prevent such tragic deaths," said the former fast bowler. "I will carry out a campaign against those doctors and staff who don't do justice with their profession. It is scary to think that how many other people would have been affected by the negligence of these people," an upset Wasim said. A three-member inquiry committee, formed following the tragic death of Huma in Chennai in October, in its report had concluded that the doctors in Lahore were unable to diagnose Huma's problem due to which her condition deteriorated. The report has also blamed the doctors of keeping Wasim in the dark regarding the health of his wife to extract more money from him. Huma was initially admitted to National Hospital where doctors failed to diagnose her ailment and her condition deteriorated further. She was then referred to Singapore, but developed complications in an air ambulance following which she was admitted to Chennai's Apollo Hospital, where she died later. —
ANI
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3 Indians held with drugs in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, December 11 The Malaysian Customs department arrested the trio and seized the narcotic worth crores of rupees at K L International Airport. The Indian nationals had arrived here on Tuesday on a Malaysian Airlines flight from Dhaka, en route to Bali. The seized ketamine was believed to have been for the Indonesian market. The suspects would be remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations. The case is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drug Act 1952 which carries the death sentence upon conviction. —
PTI
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Headley’s Trial Washington, December 11 Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, P J Crowley was responding to a question about the statement by Indian Home Secretary G K Pillai in New Delhi that India would seek extradition of Headley, who was arrested by the FBI in October on charges of plotting terrorist attacks in Denmark and India. "Obviously, we do have an extradition treaty with India, but how that will work going forward, I think that’s premature," Crowley, told reporters at a news briefing. Early this week, FBI formally chargesheeted Headley for being allegedly involved in the Mumbai terrorist attack. "The FBI and Justice Department continue to share information with our foreign and domestic law enforcement partners in the Headley investigation," Dean Boys, spokesman, National Security Division of the US Department of Justice said. “As a matter of long-standing policy, we never comment on extradition matters. Headley remains charged in federal court in Chicago and the investigation continues”. In New Delhi, Union Home Secretary Pillai, told reporters that once India completes its probe into Headley's links with the Mumbai terror attacks, the government will seek his extradition. —
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A draft climate pact unveiled today revived hopes that UN talks might be able to pin down an international deal to fight global warming, but developing nations said they needed more cash from the rich.
