he UN Conference on Climate Change in Doha has come to an end with around 200 countries agreeing to extend the Kyoto Protocol till 2020. The treaty seeks to limit the emission of greenhouse gases by around 35 nations until the end of this year. The conference also agreed on promises of financing to help poor countries tackle the climate change, and reaffirmed the previous decision to adopt a new global climate treaty by 2015. Our West Asia Correspondent reports that the extension of Kyoto Protocol means it will stay alive as a legally binding instrument on climate change since its term expires on December 31. It will cover the period till 2020 after which a new climate treaty will come into force which is supposed to cover both rich and the poor countries. The current treaty will be applicable only to 15 percent of global emissions mainly from EU, Australia and a group of smaller nations. US has rejected the agreement saying it didn’t impose any binding commitment on China and other emerging economies. Russia, Japan, Canada and New Zealand have refused to join for a second commitment. On the climate financing, the rich nations have been encouraged to enhance the climate aid by $10 billion per year from 2010-12 to help reduce carbon emissions and adapt to a changing climate. No mid term targets have been set as the nations agreed to identify pathways for mobilizing the scaling up of climate finance. A new concept of loss and damage has been incorporated in the text at the request of small island nations to take into account the damages from climate-related disasters. The new treaty is likely to be adopted in 2015 and will come into effect from 2020. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the climate deal in Doha but said far more still needs to be done. The European Union Climate Commissioner Connie Hedgegaard has expressed hope that the deal would pave the way to talks on a new global UN treaty by 2020. The new treaty will have emission goals for all countries including China and India.

he authorities in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Sunday beheaded a Pakistani in holy city of Mecca for stabbing to death a compatriot. Saudi Interior Ministry said, Pakistani national Altaf Hussein Hati was found guilty of stabbing a man in the throat and leaving him to bleed to death. His beheading brings to 74, the number of people executed so far this year in the kingdom. According to Amnesty International, 79 people were put to death in 2011. Rape, murder, apostasy, armed robbery and drug trafficking are all punishable by death under the Sharia or Islamic law.

outh African President Jacob Zuma has visited Nelson Mandela in hospital and says he looks well after a restful night. Mr Zuma's spokesperson said, the President has been reassured that Mr Mandela is in the hands of a competent medical team at the hospital in Pretoria. The 94-year-old was admitted to a hospital on Satyrday to undergo some medical tests.

Around 600 foreign troops are expected to accompany six Patriot missile systems to be deployed in Turkey to reinforce the NATO member country's air defence and calm its fears of coming under a possible missile attack from neighboring Syria. Local newspaper Today's Zaman reported that the surface-to-air batteries, able to intercept ballistic missiles, are expected to be transported to Turkey by sea within four or five weeks. A team of NATO experts recently visited Turkey to survey the possible sites for the deployment, and have submitted their report to Ankara and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe. The United States, Germany and the Netherlands, the only three NATO nations with the most modern type of Patriots, have all agreed to send missiles to protect their ally. Each battery to be sent to Turkey reportedly has four to six missile launchers and each launcher has the capacity of launching 16 missiles.

he Human Rights Day will be observed across the globe on Monday. This year the objective of this day is to highlight the rights of all people, including women, minorities, persons with disabilities and marginalised people as well as to make their voices heard in decision making processes. The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10th December in 1948. The Declaration is the recognition of dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human community as the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.

To mark the occasion, the National Human Rights Commission is organizing a programme in New Delhi for spreading more awareness on human rights.

 US drone strike in Pakistan's North Waziristan on Sunday killed a senior Al-Qaeda commander. According to a news agency, the attack killed Mohammad Ahmed Almansoor and three others in Tabi area close to Miranshah. The drone fired four missiles at a house destroying two rooms and a car. Another, senior Al-Qaeda commander was killed in a drone attack on Thursday in North Waziristan.

The security control in Afghanistan’s Kapisa province has been handed over to local forces as French troops continue withdrawal. Kapisa Governor Mehrabuddin Safi said the foreign troops have vacated the area, adding that the Afghan National Army is responsible for security in the area. According to NATO plans, drawdown of foreign forces will be completed by 2014. With the latest pullout, France now has only 530 troops deployed in the war stricken country