-Live Mint FDI or not, there are problems that plague Indian agriculture and will need to be fixed first  With the parliamentary vote on foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail out of the way, the government will proceed with the liberalization of this sector as it thinks it will improve the prospects of agriculture.   Should we be worried about our small neighbourhood stores shutting down? The fears are overblown. Organized large-format retail...

-IPS News Doha: United Nations climate talks are on the edge of collapse Thursday, according to a coalition of civil society and representatives from half of the world’s countries. Once again, rich industrialised nations are putting nothing on the table in terms of increased emissions cuts and financial support for poor nations, said Celine Charveriat, director of advocacy and campaigns for Oxfam International. “This is just like WTO (World Trade Organisation) negotiations where...

-AFP DOHA: UN talks seeking to halt the march of global warming entered their final day in Doha on Friday with key points outstanding: extending the greenhouse gas-curbing Kyoto Protocol and funding for poor countries. Delegates are preparing for a long day and night of final haggling to find consensus on interim ways to rein in climate change and smooth the way to a new deal that must enter into force in...

-The Economic Times DOHA: India faces the risk of devastating drought as monsoon rains are likely to have a shortfall of 70% in the years ahead, as climate change shakes up global Weather phenomena, recent research and experts at a global conference said. The risk of adverse changes in global Weather is aggravated by the fact that international efforts to act against climate change have been blocked by deep divisions among the...

-The Times of India RAIPUR: Expert in public policy and capacity building T R Raghunandan, a former IAS officer of Karnataka Cadre, said on Thursday that transfer of cash subsidy to the beneficiaries was not a "magic wand" but it could help create purchasing power among the masses in the respective areas. Speaking at the media capacity building workshop, organised by the centre and the UN joint programme on convergence here, he...