POLITICS & POLICY

An exclusive report published by The Guardian on Thursday has scrutinised the organisers for failing to provide safe working conditions for those employed in the construction of venues. Qatar won the bid in 2010 in what was a contentious vote, despite having just one world-class stadium. The country has been building ten more new stadia and expanding two more, in the run-up to the premiere football event in the world.

Thirty activists were jailed by a court in Russia on Thursday, Sept 26.

Stressing the importance of international solidarity in setting a new long-term global development agenda, leaders of African nations told the General Assembly that if the development agenda is properly managed, the world could see the 21st century becoming an “African century.”

Calling for a new global commitment to peaceful, inclusive development, on day two of the UN General Assembly debate, leaders from the Latin American region warned the United Nations General Assembly that deepening inequality and unfair economic policies by powerful countries condemn vulnerable people to the margins of society and prevent small countries from enjoying the rights enshrined in the UN Charter.

China is planning to build as much as to 40 massive projects to convert coal to synthetic natural gas (SNG) as it zealously works to curb its coal pollution emissions. But a group of researchers had strongly warned it best to all together shelve the project because the SNG plants will greatly increase China's greenhouse emissions, releasing yet another environmental disaster.

China's Alibaba, the country's largest e-commerce company, has shunned the Hong Kong bourse for its planned initial public offering (IPO). Reportedly estimated to be worth $70 billion up to $120 billion, the IPO is being mulled to be organized in the U.S., either by the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq.

With the sacking of Tim Flannery and the removal of the Climate Change Commission, Australia might end up having no climate change policy. The new Australian Senate will more likely breeze through the repeal of Australia Labour's carbon tax. However, the Senate remains skeptical about the Coalition government's plan to push the Direct Action plan worth $3.2 billion as an alternative.

China, the world's stronghold of rare earths, is set to go on a splurging spree in October for the precious elements.

Bill Gates and Bill Clinton pose for a selfie while they were having fun

New Zealand will soon welcome President Francois Hollande of France to its shores as the French leader will visit the country for the first time. It is also the first time that a France's head of state will arrive in New Zealand to further strengthen the ties between the two countries and discuss the common interests in the South Pacific.

The new island that shot up off the Arabian Sea after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Pakistan on Tuesday is not permanent and will most likely erode over time.

The Australian Defence force had released the inquiry report of the Aug 29 insider attack

Northern Territory and Tasmanian Senators have been decided by the Australian Electoral Commission

Prison rapes would hopefully be reduced significantly in New Zealand jails with a new policy by the government to give transgender convicts and accused the option to choose if they would be sent to a male of female facility.

The Al Shabaab, the militant group, linked to the Al Qaeda, involved in siege of the Westgate mall in Nairobi has warned that more attacks will follow if Kenyan troops do not pull out of Somalia immediately. The extremist group said the carnage was in retaliation for Nairobi's two-year battle against the extremists' bases in southern Somalia.

Reasserting his country’s right to peaceful nuclear enrichment, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani proposed immediate “time-bound” talks to resolve the nuclear issue. Addressing the 68th General Assembly of the United Nations on Tuesday, President Rouhani said, he had listened carefully to the statement made by President Obama [made earlier at the General Assembly].

The European Space Agency (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft is currently preparing to capture and further observe the 2013 Comet ISON while making its closest flyby to planet Mars on Tuesday, October 1. Space.com reports that Comet ISON will pass by the Red Planet at 6.5 million miles (10.4 million kilometers) so the spacecraft that started the observation campaign on September 21 must have a superior view.

Terming the prevention of slaughter within countries, whose institutions offer no hope to innocent men, women and children, as the new challenge the world faces today, U.S. President Barack Obama called upon nations to demonstrate the courage and determination to act decisively “when the breakdown of societies is so great [and] the violence against civilians so substantial.”

David Suzuki gave his thoughts about Tony Abbott's firing of Tim Flannery as Flannery launches new Climate Council.

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Pakistan on Tuesday has given birth to a new island off the Arabian sea. On land, the major tremor has killed at least 46 people and destroyed scores of infrastructure.

Official confirmation from no less than Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott that Prince Harry of Britain is visiting Australia on Oct 3-10 has led to speculations if he would again repeat his royal faux pas in August 2012 when he had fun in Las Vegas with some women playing strip poker.

Google Inc has criticised the New Zealand government for its new spy bill's failure to address privacy concerns. The new spy bill or the GSCB Bill is a new law to improve online state surveillance. The commerce committee has sent the Telecommunications Interception Capability and Security Bill back to the Parliament.

Fairfax Financial Holdings' intent to buyout Blackberry may just be what the latter needs before it's too late, but investors and analysts remained unimpressed.

China has set to increase the prices of cleaner fuel before the year ends, making its intent clear in cleaning up its air by easing out on its coal usage.

Some 130 world leaders are set to gather at United Nations headquarters in New York for the General Assembly's annual General Debate, which kicks off Tuesday and aims to set the stage for building a new global development agenda which both protects the planet and promotes equity, justice and prosperity for all people. A news release by the UN said thus far 84 heads of State, 41 heads of Governments, 11 Deputy Prime Ministers and 65 Foreign Ministers are scheduled to address the 68th Annual Se...

At the United Nations (UN), world leaders pledged to work together on national and international policies that enhance and promote disability-inclusive development. This, as UN officials on Monday urged, a High-level meeting of the General Assembly, that the rights of persons with disabilities be directly addressed by the post-2015 development agenda.

The highest-ranking transgender in the Australian Army says that she and Prime Minister Tony Abbott are close

Three British princes are visiting Australia in 2013 and 2014. They are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th in-line heirs to the throne.

Ahead of the 68thGeneral Assembly Session as world leaders begin to converge at the New York Headquarters of the United Nations, General Assembly (UNGA) President John Ashe and Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson held wide ranging consultations with more than 1,100 civil society representatives about their priorities for global sustainable development in the years following the end of the current development cycle in 2015.