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Corruption like prostitution is the world’s oldest profession. It recognises no laws, no moral or political values or religious faith. Its mode changes depending on the money-generating potential of the source. Corruption also transcends geographical boundaries by acquiring different forms. Besides hitting Punjab and Haryana during the past some years, it has also polluted the polity in Himachal Pradesh which was once considered to be relatively corruption-free Dev Bhoomi.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Will the Kerala unit of the CPI(M) respond positively to the suggestions made by the newly-appointed State CPI secretary, Mr C K Chandrappan, to fortify the Left Democratic Front? That is the question uppermost in the minds of left activists in Kerala.

New York: Two bodies within United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have concluded their work on a number of significant draft decisions that will be presented for adoption on Friday in the final plenary of the UN climate change conference under way in Cancún, Mexico.

CANCUN, MEXICO – A new report from the World Bank released today outlines how residents of cities are responsible for as much as 80% of global greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time facing significant impacts from climate change. The report, Cities and Climate Change: An Urgent Agenda, says that up to 80 percent of the expected $80 billion to $100 billion per year in climate change adaptation costs will likely be borne by urban areas. Nevertheless, says the report, climate change offers cities opportunities to alter course, implement smart policies, and develop sustainable communities. Well managed, dense cities are also shown to be the most important pre-requisite to mitigation of GHG emissions and overall sustainable development.

Executive Directors of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has welcomed Bosnia and Herzegovina’s satisfactory performance under the program amidst a challenging economic and political environment. Fiscal restraint is addressing large imbalances of recent years and structural fiscal reforms have advanced, albeit at a slower pace than initially envisaged. Directors emphasized that important challenges remain in ensuring that the economic and policy adjustments are sustainable. They encouraged the newly-elected governments to accelerate structural reforms to ensure fiscal and external sustainability, and to provide the basis for robust, sustainable growth.

Pre-commissioning trials of Kaiga 4 – India’s twentieth nuclear power reactor – denote a high water-mark in Indian nuclear establishment’s mastering the pressurized heavy water reactor design. This is a moment of significance in India’s quest to harness nuclear science and technology for meeting the country’s energy needs – the core requisite for achieving Indian developmental targets.

There is one thing every one in Delhi seems to believe but no one would come on record. The UPA government is inexorably slipping into a Bofors-like situation. A section of the Congress leaders are highly perturbed about the slide. They blame the government’s style of functioning and the lack of authority it displays throughout. As the MPs prepare to disperse after a premature end of the winter session, the Congress men feel scary about the growing public perception: that the government is becoming ineffective in dealing with the challenges before it.

New York: Cutting emissions from the world’s waste management companies could have a big impact in the fight against climate change, according to a United Nations report released today.

New York: Warning that talks to reunite Cyprus could “founder fatally” if substantive agreement is not reached within the next few months, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders to ready a practical plan by January to overcome major differences.

New York: Governments in Latin America and the Caribbean must act to protect the extraordinary wealth of plant and wildlife in the region and harness their potential as “biodiversity superpowers,” according to a new United Nations report.