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climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact. After years of lobbying by island nations who fear they could simply disappear under rising sea waters, the UN General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice last year for an opinion on «the obligations of States in respect of climate change.» Any decision by the court would be non-binding advice and couldn't directly force wealthy nations into action to help struggling countries. Yet it would be more than just a powerful symbol since it could be the basis for other legal actions, including domestic lawsuits. «We want the court to confirm that the conduct that has wrecked the climate is unlawful,» Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, who is leading the legal team for the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, told The Associated Press.

Sandip Sabharwal, asksandipsabharwal.com, says net-net, 2025 should be a reasonably good year overall because today the consensus trade is long dollar, long US equities, and the overweights on that are so excessive that normally and the consensus view is so drastic on that side, normally the reverse plays out and we could actually see emerging markets and emerging market currencies do better in 2025. In auto, among two-wheelers, TVS has done better than expected, Hero MotoCorp has done less well. Maruti numbers seem to be pretty good and they are the ones who actually corrected the delay in inventories and the management said that we are back to normal last month. So, the positives seem to be from TVS and Maruti. What do you make of the GDP slowdown because people are trying to find reasons around it as to whether one should look at the nominal number or if it is just manufacturing or a backward-looking data and all of that. What is your key takeaway on consumption right now? Sandip Sabharwal: GDP data, whenever it is released, is obviously backward-looking because the reports of the companies have already come in. So, the second quarter results in general were disappointing and those by themselves reflected a growth slowdown. All of us knew that there was a growth slowdown. It was just RBI, which was maintaining a very high forecast of growth, which looked very improbable. So, that reporting has come in.

trade hub by expanding participation of authorised economic operators (AEOs), integrated free zones, and promoting innovative policies, Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra said on Friday. «We aim to set new benchmarks in trade facilitation and global connectivity,» Malhotra said while delivering the valedictory address at the Global AEO Conference here. He further said technology and trust are two pillars of the revenue department and underscored the importance of expansion of Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) programme to include more regional and bilateral partners. India has been adopting technology both in direct and indirect tax administration, he said, adding that most of the services are online including appeals, refunds and payments.

Q2 GDP data, which came at 5.4% against an expectation of 6.5%. Analysts said investor sentiments going forward will be directed by geo-political developments and FII activity with the market likely to remain range-bound amidst mixed global cues and lack of domestic triggers.

Ankur Warikoo, who boasts a massive following of over 13.7 million across social media platforms, shared an approach to self-reflection through seven challenging questions designed to inspire personal growth and clarity for the upcoming year. These questions delve into daily habits, unspoken desires, and life priorities. The first, referred to as «The Two-Week Test,» by Ankur Warikoo, prompts individuals to evaluate their current lifestyle. By imagining their future if they continued living as they have for the past two weeks, people can assess whether their habits are steering them toward improvement or stagnation. The second question focuses on the tension between fear and desire, encouraging individuals to confront fears that may be holding them back from pursuing what they truly want.

Jammu and Kashmir BJP leaders on Sunday demanded action against PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for her «anti-national» remarks comparing the situation in Bangladesh with India. They welcomed the recent termination of services of two government employees over alleged terror links by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and said such actions should continue in the future to completely finish the terror ecosystem in the Union Territory. «Mehbooba's controversial statement comparing the situation in Bangladesh with India is completely wrong and condemnable. The world is aware of the worst kind of human rights violations in Bangladesh where the minority community is facing targeted attacks, women insulted and an elected prime minister forced to flee the country, besides the statues of its founder desecrated. »The J-K government should take a serious note of the anti-national statement of Mehbooba and her conspiracies. Action should be taken against her," former J-K BJP president Ravinder Raina told PTI on the sidelines of a party function here.

India were fast asleep, a drama unfolded at a sprawling conference hall of the Olympic stadium in Azerbaijan's capital Baku. Diplomats from nearly 200 countries, civil society representatives and journalists had gathered to witness a decision that could determine the fate of climate action in the Global South. But what transpired was far from routine — it was a moment of diplomatic brinkmanship that left many stunned and India's delegation fuming. As the president of this year's UN climate conference, Mukhtar Babayev, approached the centrepiece agenda item — the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance — India's Deputy Lead Negotiator Neelesh Sah rushed to COP29 Lead Negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev to convey that the country wants to make a statement before the adoption of the contentious decision. Around 2:30 am, without so much as a pause for objections or comments, Babayev hammered the gavel, declaring the USD 300 billion climate-finance package adopted. The move was so swift, it left delegates from many developing countries blinking in disbelief.

Kerala government to release the names of government employees found to have received social security pensions meant for the poor in the state. The opposition party warned that unless the names were disclosed, even honest officers would fall under suspicion. Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, V D Satheesan, sent a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Finance Minister K N Balagopal, citing the demand. In the letter, Satheesan expressed «surprise» that the government had not taken action on the matter, despite findings by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) two years ago.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) had condemned China and Russia for escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region. The council's statement on Friday highlighted Chinese military activity in the Taiwan Strait and joint military operations between China and Russia, which breached South Korea's air defence identification zone (KADIZ) earlier this week, Taipei Times reported. These actions have raised concerns about increasing instability in the region.

Indian cricketer Hardik Pandya recently melted hearts with a touching gesture for his son, Agastya. Known for his bold fashion sense and dynamic personality, Hardik shared a picture on social media showcasing a custom necklace with deep personal significance. The post received an outpouring of love from fans on Instagram who praised his emotional connection with his child. The necklace features a locket of the animal Panda which also symbolises Hardik’s nickname, and a pendant with the letter «A,» a heartfelt tribute to Agastya. This thoughtful piece of jewellery reflects Hardik's unwavering love for his son, earning admiration from fans worldwide. The Instagram post depicted him wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of black sunglasses and he accessorised himself with the special necklace. The caption read, “Stepping out.” One fan described the gesture as a reflection of Hardik's strength and love, while another admired the symbolic chain, calling it a representation of self-respect and deep affection for his son. Fans praised the cricketer for inspiring them with his actions and life lessons, hailing him as a true legend.

construction workers rendered jobless following the November 11 ban on constructions, prompted by the Delhi-NCR's air quality plunging to hazardous levels. More such bans are likely to follow throughout the winter. While that is good news for the city's residents, the story is different for these construction workers. «Even though working in the polluted air makes it hard for us to breathe, I would rather work than sit idle,» Raju Singh says, describing the crushing blow the restrictions have on his finances.

The top United Nations court will take up the largest case in its history on Monday

Amazon staff in India have joined strike action calling for better wages

Donald Trump says a surprise meeting with Justin Trudeau at his Florida home was “very productive,” after the prime minister flew down to discuss the growing threat of American tariffs on Canadian goods, the border and national defence.On Friday evening, Trudeau landed in Florida and travelled to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club for a hastily arranged dinner and discussion with the United States’ incoming president that a senior Canadian government source said was successful.In a post on his social media site, Truth Social, Trump said the meeting between the two had gone well.“I just had a very productive meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, where we discussed many important topics that will require both Countries to work together to address,” Trump wrote.He said the two had discussed the illegal fentanyl and the toxic drug overdose crisis, as well as what Trump called “the massive trade deficit” between the United States and Canada.“I made it very clear that the United States will no longer sit idly by as our Citizens become victims to the scourge of this Drug Epidemic, caused mainly by the Drug Cartels, and Fentanyl pouring in from China,” Trump wrote. “Too much death and hardship!”A senior Canadian government source told Global News the meeting, which ran from around 7:45 p.m.

Naresh Balyan was arrested here on Saturday in connection with an extortion case lodged last year, police said. The MLA from Delhi's Uttam Nagar Assembly segment was called to the Delhi Police's Crime Branch office in R K Puram for questioning and was later arrested, they said. The development came hours after the BJP alleged that Balyan was involved in extortion activities and questioned why AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has not taken action against him. The Aam Aadmi Party defended Balyan, claiming that his arrest was illegal. The MLA had refuted the BJP's allegations and said he would lodge police cases against those who «spread lies» about him.

BJP) on Saturday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after an alleged attack on former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by a bus marshal during his padyatra in the national capital. Speaking to ANI, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva claimed that the accused was a local AAP worker. «I have been saying since day one that Arvind Kejriwal will orchestrate such incidents to gain sympathy. As per the information, it was just water, and the individual involved is their local worker. He was caught in an intoxicated state. This is a political drama, a display of disappointment and hopelessness. Nothing is working for them now, so they resort to such cliched moves. The police should take action against whoever is responsible. The investigation will reveal that he is an AAP worker,» he said.

Gautam Adani responded by saying that this is not the first time the company has faced such challeneges and every attack made us stronger. «We had our successes, our challenges were even bigger. These challenges have not broken us. They made us tougher. We will rise stronger, said Adani while addressing the 51st Gem & Jewellery Awards, Jaipur. „Less than 2 weeks back, we faced allegations from the US. This is not the first time we faced such challenges. What I can tell you is that every attack makes us stronger,“ said Adani. U.S. authorities accused Adani, 62, his nephew and executive director Sagar Adani and managing director of Adani Green, Vneet S. Jaain, of being part of a scheme to pay bribes of $265 million to secure Indian solar power supply contracts, and misleading U.S. investors during fund raises there.

Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta, who filed a civil lawsuit claiming that the dargah of Sufi Saint Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer was built over a Shiva temple, on Saturday lodged a police complaint alleging that he has received death threats for filing the petition. Gupta said he filed the complaint at the Barakhamba Road police station in Delhi after he received two threatening calls — one from an Indian number and another from Canada. «The caller from Canada threatened to behead me for filing the petition in the Ajmer court. He threatened that I have made a big mistake by filing the petition regarding Ajmer Dargah,» he said. Police said that they were looking into Gupta's complaint.