-The Times of India WARSAW: Though the ongoing climate talks has failed to bring cheer to developing countries as rich nations have, so far, not made any commitment to set aside a corpus to battle global warming, hope springs eternal for the negotiators. They are expecting that the high-level ministerial round may throw up a pleasant surprise, where developed countries would finally pledge a sum -$20-$30 billion annually - for assisting poor...

-The Hindu The Bali ministerial conference in December presents a crucial opportunity to bring about changes in WTO rules Ending hunger and poverty requires major national policy initiatives in developing countries. The United Nations Secretary-General has articulated a broad zero hunger vision, endorsed and embraced as a priority by national leaders in many developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Production of food by small cultivators in developing countries has a...

-PTI Soaring inflation, high fuel cost, rising cost of education and health insurance premiums have eroded the real incomes of middle-class Indian families, with household savings rates dropping by a staggering 40 per cent in the last three years, says an Assocham survey. "Poor households are unable to maintain the consumption levels at current prices while middle income families find their purchasing power erode fast, thus having far less surplus money," Assocham...

-Outlook Multilateral lending agency Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide loan of USD 2 billion annually for five years till 2017 to India to create jobs, enhance investment reforms, and improve infrastructure. "The ADB and Government of India have agreed to a new country partnership strategy for 2013-2017 which supports the country's 12th Five Year Plan .... The strategy comes with a financial envelope of around USD 10 billion...," the Manila based...

-The Economic Times NEW DELHI: Numerous solar energy startups are delivering cheap and accessible power to rural India. These ventures have come up with solutions - ranging from solar off-grids to solar-powered home systems - that are not just cost-effective but also less toxic than traditional fuels like kerosene. "In a country, where large swathes of population have little or unreliable access to basic power, off grids is the solution," said Shyam...