August 31, 2023

The business community of Lahore on Thursday announced to observe a shutter down strike on September 2 (Saturday) against the inflated electricity bills and rising inflation. In a statement, Mujahid Maqsood Butt – President of Traders Association – said that markets across Lahore will remain closed on Saturday (September 2) in protest against inflated electricity bills and rising inflation in the country. Traders cannot pay such heavy bills, as it is destroying our businesses, Butt said and urged the Caretaker PM Anwaarul Haq Kakar to take back the recent hike in the electricity bills. Meanwhile, Karachi traders have also announced a shutter down strike on September 1 against inflated electricity bills. Countrywide protests The inflated power bills triggered country-wide protests from Karachi to Khyber and protests in some parts of the country are turning violent. The protesting masses have been demanding that the government should end the provision of free electricity to the notables and provide them relief as the bills they have been receiving are more than their salaries. Earlier on Wednesday, Caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar said the government cannot provide more subsidies on the electricity bills while being in program of the IMF. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/31-Aug-2023/electricity-bills-lahore-traders-to-observe-shutter-down-strike-on-sept-2

FLORIDA-Hurricane Idalia has hit Florida and is now crossing into Georgia, bringing powerful winds and potentially life-threatening conditions. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says the eye of the storm has now left Florida, leaving 250,000 people without power in its wake. He says there are no officially confirmed deaths, though US media are citing Florida’s Highway Patrol as saying two drivers died in road accidents during the storm. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says 16ft (4.8m) storm surges are expected in some areas as fierce winds push seawater inland. Some areas of the state have been hit with flooding as knee-deep water covers roads and inundates towns. Nearly 280,000 people are without power as the storm tears through, and residents are warned to be careful of downed power lines. Following Hurricane Idalia’s landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast, nearly 264,000 energy customers are in the dark as the storm moves inland. At least 263,964 customers are without power, according to poweroutage.com. The outages continue to be concentrated around the Big Bend region of Florida with outages in Taylor County at more than 81% of customers, Dixie County at more than 78% and Lafayette at more than 76%. Farther inland, in Suwannee County, more than 95% of customers are without power and 80% are dark in Columbia County. In southern Georgia, more than 99% of customers are without power in the small county of Echols, nearly 76% of customers have lost power in Brooks County and Lowndes County is 54% out. Hurricane Idalia is expanding its impact on the Southeast as the powerful hurricane tracks farther inland. The storm stretched from Central Florida to southern Georgia, around 250 miles, as of Wednesday morning. Hurricane-force winds slammed inland parts of northern Florida near Idalia’s center. Winds gusted to 85 mph in Perry, Florida, which is 45 miles southeast of Tallahassee as Idalia passed nearby and the center is moving into Georgia now. Idalia’s strong winds are not just confined to its center. Tropical storm-force winds span 175 miles, from Tampa and Orlando northward to Jacksonville and into Valdosta, Georgia, where a 67 mph wind gust was reported. The most-damaging wind gusts will expand across more of northern Florida and push into southern Georgia by late Wednesday morning. Winds aren’t the only threat. Water levels along Florida’s Gulf Coast remained at record highs after several feet of storm surge. More surge is expected along the Atlantic Coast next, in places like Savannah in Georgia, Charleston in South Carolina and Wilmington in North Carolina, as Idalia keeps tracking across the Southeast. Hurricane Idalia is expanding its impact on the Southeast as the powerful hurricane tracks farther inland. The storm stretched from Central Florida to southern Georgia, around 250 miles, as of Wednesday morning. Hurricane-force winds slammed inland parts of northern Florida near Idalia’s center. Winds gusted to 85 mph in Perry, Florida — which is 45 miles southeast of Tallahassee — as Idalia passed nearby and the center is moving into Georgia now. Source:https://www.nation.com.pk/31-Aug-2023/hurricane-idalia-slams-into-florida-and-georgia

The wildfire in Greece’s northeastern region of Evros raged for the 12th day, forcing the evacuation of more settlements, local media reported on Wednesday. The fire continued to rage despite the best efforts of Greek and foreign firefighters, who are assisted by firefighting planes and helicopters, on two main fronts, said the state-run AMNA news agency. Consequently, residents of Yiannouli and Sidiro villages in the region were instructed to evacuate, it said, adding that the shift in wind direction from northeastern to southern has hampered efforts to contain the fire. On Tuesday, the EU’s Copernicus Earth Observation Program said the fires in northeastern Greece, the largest in Europe in the past two decades, have burned an area of ​​808.7 square kilometers (312.2 square miles), an area bigger than New York City. Moreover, Balazs Iravju, spokesman for the EU Commission on humanitarian aid and crisis management, said the union has sent over 400 firefighters, 11 firefighting planes, 62 vehicles, and one helicopter in response to wildfires in Greece’s Evros region. SOURCE:https://www.nation.com.pk/31-Aug-2023/more-settlements-in-evros-region-evacuated-as-wildfire-rages-for-12th-day-in-greece