-The Guardian Developing countries threaten to walk out of UN talks in Warsaw over failure to reach agreement on financial recompense The proposal by developing countries that their wealthier counterparts be held financially responsible for the damage incurred by extreme climate events such as typhoon Haiyan and droughts in Africa has become the most explosive issue at the UN's climate change conference in Warsaw. With neither side prepared to give way on...

-The Hindu     While it is apparent that due process has been subverted to the advantage of a few by the political executive, it is equally true that there has been some politicisation of the civil service Two recent events have focussed attention on the relationship between the political executive and public servants. At the international conference on corruption organised by the Central Bureau of Investigation on November 11, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh...

-Outlook Kolkata: The Opposition Left Front in West Bengal today demanded Rs 5,50,000 crore for the state during 2015-2020 period, which is more than double of what the ruling Trinamool Congress government had demanded from the 14th Finance Commission. "We from the Left Front had met the 14th Finance Commission and the meeting was fruitful. We had demanded about Rs 5,50,000 crore for the state," former state finance minister Asim Dasgupta said...

-The Hindu Warsaw: Poland, the hosts for the U.N. Climate talks this year, and the EU came in for some harsh opposition from many developing countries, including India, for promoting the idea that the talks must deliver a new carbon market mechanism even before countries make their emission reduction targets. Carbon markets help developed countries take credit for reduction of emissions carried out by poor countries by paying for the actions. The...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: CBI director Ranjit Sinha has said infrastructure building through the public-private partnership model could lead to a spike in corruption cases as the potentially lucrative contracts may encourage collusion between big firms and state officials. "This route is full of pitfalls and it has opportunities for corrupt activities with big scope for collusion among promoters of consortiums to whom such projects are awarded and corrupt public servants...