International

"Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Sunday that the country will ratify the Paris Agreement early next month, giving the climate pact a major boost needed to go into effect this year.

Modi made the announcement at the Bharatiya Janata Party council meet, local outlets The Times of India and The New Indian Express reported. He said India will sign the agreement on Oct. 2, which is Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.

"On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly [devoted] an entire day to a high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance. The meeting is recognition that bacteria and other microbes are evolving to become more and more resistant to antibiotics and other antimicrobials, which means that these drugs will eventually become ineffective against even the simplest infections unless there are major changes in how they are used in medicine and agriculture."

"An agreement to fight global warming came one step closer to taking effect on Wednesday when dozens of countries deposited their ratification of the deal at the United Nations, taking the total to 60, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said."

"Rapidly melting Greenland may be shedding its ice even faster than anyone suspected, new research suggests. A study just out in the journal Science Advances finds that previous studies may have underestimated the current rate of mass loss on the Greenland ice sheet by about 20 billion tons per year. "

"Record-breaking heat has never persisted on the planet for so long. Not only did Earth witness its hottest August on record, according to NOAA, but it also extended its streak of record-warm months to 16. Such a lengthy period of record-setting warmth is unprecedented in 137 years of temperature observation, NOAA said."

"The United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, is expected to announce on Wednesday that he has secured enough commitments from world leaders to ensure that the 2015 Paris climate accord will enter into legal force this year, binding the next American president, whoever it is."

"Controversial Trade in Services Agreement (Tisa) could make it harder for governments to favour clean energy over fossil fuels as part of efforts to keep temperature rises to 1.5C".

"A far-reaching global trade deal being negotiated in secret could threaten the goals of the Paris climate deal by making it harder for governments to favour clean energy over fossil fuels, a leak of the latest negotiating text shows.

"NEW YORK — Presidents and prime ministers, environmental advocates and entrepreneurs have descended on the Big Apple to help the landmark Paris climate deal take force and discuss new ways of reducing greenhouse gases."

"Farmers are reconsidering the use of biotech seeds as it becomes harder to justify their high prices amid the measly returns of the current farm economy".

"Illegal fishing, which accounts for 30 percent of fish caught globally, has long been a thorn in the side of small nations who lack resources to monitor their waters. But a new technology puts that power in the hands of anyone with a computer."