LONDON: Britain recorded its highest ever temperature of 40oC (104F) on Tuesday as a heatwave gripping Europe intensified, forcing train tracks to buckle and fuelling a spate of fires across London.

The Met Office said a new provisional record temperature of 40.3oC (104.5F) was recorded in Coningsby, in central England, with 29 sites across the country experiencing temperatures in excess of the previous high of 38.7oC (101.7F) recorded in 2019.

Stephen Belcher at the Met Office said he had not expected to see such temperatures in Britain in his career.

“Research conducted here at the Met Office has demonstrated that it’s virtually impossible for the UK to experience 40oC in an undisrupted climate but climate change driven by greenhouse gases has made these extreme temperatures possible,” he said.

Train routes from London up the east and west coast of the country were cancelled, electricity companies reported mass outages and normally busy city centres appeared quiet. Network Rail tweeted a number of pictures showing large bends and kinks in rail tracks.

London Fire Brigade declared a major incident and urged people to stop having barbecues, as 110 fire engines battled blazes across the capital.

To the east, a large fire engulfed homes in the village of Wennington, with flames tearing across neighbouring tinder-dry fields and approaching a historic church. Elsewhere large grass areas around the capital were on fire, blowing smoke over major roads and nearby areas. —Reuters

Religious scholars and banking sector representative

Miftah underscores need for dialogue

RECORDER REPORT

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Miftah Ismail has desired for arranging a meeting between religious scholars and the banking sector for more guidance and clarity on the issues of Sharia-compliant mechanism on Friday or next Monday.

On Tuesday, the finance minister held a meeting with Islamic scholars, Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani, Dr Hussian Akbar, Dr Raghib Naeemi, and Shaikh Azhar Iqbal on the implementation of Sharia in the banking system and the elimination of Riba from Pakistan.

According to the Finance Ministry, the meeting reviewed the current state of Islamic Finance operations in the country, order of the Supreme Court, and the Federal Shariat Court’s decision in Shariat petition.

The meeting discussed and sought guidance in certain financial areas requiring more clarity for the implementation of Sharia in the financial system of the country.

Islamic Scholar Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani and others shed light on the different aspects of the Islamic financial system and gave their suggestions for designing a framework for handling of public debt through Sharia-complaint financing/debt structure.

The Islamic scholars also proposed suggestions for the implementation of banking system on Islamic lines for monetary policy and Islamic interbank system.

It was also suggested that a separate section should be created in the Finance Ministry on Islamic financing.

The chair emphasizing the directive of the prime minister on the implementation of Riba-free system in Pakistan endorsed the suggestions of the religious scholars and asked the relevant authorities to chalk out the programme on discussed lines.

An official said the finance minister directed that a meeting should be arranged between religious scholars and the banking sector for more guidance and clarity on Sharia-compliant mechanism.

Sources said that religious scholars have suggested that banks instead of going into appeal against the Sharia court’s decision seek review of the decision.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Aisha Ghous Pasha, Acting Governor SBP, Chairman SECP, Secretary Finance, Secretary EAD, Secretary Law and Justice, and senior officers.