The contentious issue of finance will be among the key items that will take centrestage at the UN-sponsored climate talks in Durban. Predictable and continuous funding to undertake steps to tackle climate change lies at the core of a balanced global deal. At the pre-conference meeting, South Africa said that the Durban meet should go beyond operationalising the Green Climate Fund agreed on at the Cancun meet. Pretoria indicated that...

-The Hindu   Chief of the Army Staff General V.K. Singh on Thursday refused to be publicly drawn into the debate over withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, stating the Army gave its views and the issue fell under the Union Home Ministry. With Chief Minister Omar Abdullah stating that the Act could be withdrawn from some districts of the State, including Srinagar,...

-The Indian Express   A majority of children of primary classes in rural areas are at least two grades below the required level of proficiency in both mathematics and language, according to a study released today. It said that while the ability of children to correctly formulate and write sentences on their own is “exceedingly” low, a high proportion of children in class IV were struggling with basic multiplications and divisions. The Annual Status...

-The Telegraph   Calcutta is among six cities worldwide at “extreme risk” of facing natural hazards of climate change, including the impacts of sea level rise, but with a poor capacity to respond, says a report released today. The report on climate change vulnerability from Maplecroft, a private UK-based risk analysis company, also predicts that Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi are among 10 cities across the world that face a “high risk” of the...

-The United Nations   With the world population projected to reach 7 billion in five days’ time, actions taken now will decide whether the future will be healthy, sustainable and prosperous or marked by inequalities, Environmental decline and economic setbacks, according to a United Nations report issued today. The world must seize the opportunity to invest in the health and education of its youth to reap the full benefits of future economic development...