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NCP legislators ask Ajit to withdraw resignation
MUMBAI: A crucial
meeting of the NCP legislature party on Wednesday unanimously decided
to request Ajit Pawar to withdraw his resignation as Maharashtra
Deputy Chief Minister, a day after he quit and plunged the Congress-NCP
coalition government into a crisis.
A resolution to this
effect was moved by state party president Madhukar Pichad and was
adopted unanimously.
“A resolution was
adopted requesting Pawar to take back his resignation,” Mr. Pichad
told reporters after the meeting which lasted barely 20 minutes.
Mr. Pichad, who alone
spoke at the meeting, said it was decided that the sentiments of
legislators would be conveyed to NCP chief Sharad Pawar and he would
take a final call.
The meeting also adopted
another resolution condoling the demise of senior party leader and
former state Assembly Speaker Babasaheb Kupekar.
Mr. Pichad said
political situation arising in the state after Mr. Ajit Pawar’s
resignation was not discussed due to Mr. Kupekar’s demise. - PTI
100 million will die by 2030 if world fails to tackle
climate change: report
LONDON: More than 100 million people will die and global economic growth will be cut by 3.2% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 if the world fails to tackle climate change, a report commissioned by 20 governments said on Wednesday. As global average temperatures rise due to greenhouse gas
emissions, the effects on the planet, such as melting ice caps, extreme weather, drought and rising sea levels, will threaten populations and livelihoods, said the report conducted by humanitarian organisation
DARA.
It calculated that five million deaths occur each year from air pollution, hunger and disease as a result of climate change and carbon-intensive economies, and that toll would likely rise to six million a year by 2030 if current patterns of fossil fuel use continue.
More than 90% of those deaths will occur in developing countries, said the report that calculated the human and economic impact of climate change on 184 countries in 2010 and 2030. It was commissioned by the Climate Vulnerable Forum, a partnership of 20 developing countries threatened by climate change.
"A combined climate-carbon crisis is estimated to claim 100 million lives between now and the end of the next decade," the report said.
It said the effects of climate change had lowered global output by 1.6 percent of world GDP, or by about $1.2 trillion a year, and losses could double to 3.2% of global GDP by 2030 if global temperatures are allowed to rise, surpassing 10 percent before 2100.
It estimated the cost of moving the world to a low-carbon economy at about 0.5% of GDP this decade.
British economist Nicholas Stern told Reuters earlier this year investment equivalent to 2% of global GDP was needed to limit, prevent and adapt to climate change. His report on the economics of climate change in 2006 said an average global temperature rise of 2-3 degrees Celsius in the next 50 years could reduce global consumption per head by up to 20%.
Temperatures have already risen by about 0.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times. Almost 200 nations agreed in 2010 to limit the global average temperature rise to below 2C (3.6 Fahrenheit) to avoid dangerous impacts from climate change.
But climate scientists have warned that the chance of limiting the rise to below 2C is getting smaller as global greenhouse gas emissions rise due to burning fossil fuels.
The world's poorest nations are the most vulnerable as they face increased risk of drought, water shortages, crop failure, poverty and disease. On average, they could see an 11% loss in GDP by 2030 due to climate change, DARA said.
"One degree Celsius rise in temperature is associated with 10% productivity loss in farming. For us, it means losing about 4 million metric tonnes of food grain, amounting to about $2.5 billion. That is about 2 percent of our GDP," Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in response to the report.
"Adding up the damages to property and other losses, we are faced with a total loss of about 3-4% of GDP."
Even the biggest and most rapidly developing economies will not escape unscathed. The United States and China could see a 2.1 percent reduction in their respective GDPs by 2030, while India could experience a more than 5% loss. — Reuters
Zardari rakes up Kashmir
issue at UN
UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan once again resorted to its old tactics of raking up Kashmir in the United Nations when its President Asif Ali Zardari sought a solution to the issue under UN resolution.
He said Kashmir remains a symbol of failure of the UN system and Pakistan's principled position on territorial disputes remains a bedrock of its foreign policy.
"Kashmir remains a symbol of failures, rather than strengths of the UN system," Zardari said in his 20-minute speech at the 67th session of the UN General Assembly here.
"We feel that resolution of these issues can only be arrived in an environment of cooperation," he said.
"We will continue to support the right of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to peacefully choose their destiny in accordance with the UN Security Council's long-standing resolutions on this matter," the Pakistani president said.
Later, as Zardari exited the General Assembly hall, he was asked by to comment on his remarks that Kashmir is a "symbol of failure" of the UN system.
Zardari, however, did not clarify or elaborate further.
Pakistan's foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar also did not elaborate on the president's remarks on Kashmir.
"It is in the speech, please read that. He said what he said. It is elaborated enough," she said.
Pakistan has raked up the issue of Kashmir at the UN forum time and again but India has insisted that it is its internal matter.
US President Barack Obama has also ruled out any "outside" solution to the Kashmir issue, saying in an interview in July that disputes between India and Pakistan can only be resolved among themselves.
Highlighting his country's foreign policy towards its neighbours in the sub-continent in his address, Zardari said Pakistan approaches its relations with India on mutual trust.
"Our principled position on territorial disputes remains a bedrock of our foreign policy," he added.
Noting that contacts between the leadership of India and Pakistan are "expanding", Zardari said he was "encouraged" by his discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month in Tehran. — PTI
Murugesan sworn in as Chief Justice
of Delhi High Court
NEW DELHI: Justice Darmar Murugesan, who was a Judge of the Madras High Court, was today sworn in as the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.
62-year-old Justice Murugesan after being elevated was transfered to Delhi in the place of Acting Chief Justice A. K.
Sikri, who in turn has taken charge as the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna administered the oath of office to Justice Murugesan at 10
am at a function at Raj Niwas here, which was attended by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and other fellow judges of the Delhi High Court.
In view of the swearing-in ceremony of Justice Murugesan, the proceedings in the Delhi High Court commenced at 11.30
am, an hour later than the scheduled time.
Justice Murugesan, born on June 10, 1951, was appointed as Judge of the Madras High Court on March 2, 2000, more than 24 years after he enrolled as a member of the Bar on August 27, 1975.
He was made a permanent Judge of the Madras High Court on June 13, 2001.
— PTI
Simon Taufel to quit umpiring after T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI: Australian Simon Taufel will end his international umpiring career after the ongoing Twenty20 World Cup in Sri Lanka to groom the next generation of elite match officials, the International Cricket Council
(ICC) said on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old has umpired in 74 tests and 174 one-day internationals in his outstanding career, winning ICC Umpire of the Year award for five successive years from 2004 to 2008.
Taufel said in an ICC statement that he wanted to spend more time with his family.
"In my new position as ICC umpire performance and training manager, I look forward to help create professional programmes and resources to support the current and future generations of cricket match officials," he added.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson paid tribute to one of cricket's most consistent umpires.
"Simon has been one of the most respected umpires for over a decade due to his excellent decision-making and man-management skills.
"He has been a role model for umpires globally who look to him for inspiration and guidance," he added. — Reuters
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