Business
Environment minister Bhupender Yadav heads to Brazil: India engages in pre-talks ahead of COP30; climate finance and adaptation on agenda – The Times of India
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav is set to travel to Brasília on October 13-14 for a pre-COP meeting as India steps up preparations for the UN climate summit COP30, scheduled in Belém, Brazil, in November. The meeting aims to streamline negotiations on key issues and build consensus among ministers before the main conference. He confirmed his visit on his X account. The two-day pre-COP will bring together environment and climate ministers, senior negotiators, and observers to narrow differences on politically sensitive issues and build ministerial consensus ahead of the COP30 negotiations, PTI reported. The COP30 presidency expects 30-50 delegations and around 800 participants at the event.Pre-COPs, while not formal UNFCCC events, have become a routine instrument for host countries to focus ministerial attention on a limited set of political questions that otherwise take negotiators weeks to resolve. Ministers use these meetings to test negotiating texts, identify common ground, and prepare positions to expedite negotiations at the main COP.COP30 is unfolding against a complex geopolitical backdrop, with some developed countries reassessing climate strategies amid economic and energy security pressures. The United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement has further heightened tensions. Disagreements over climate finance, the pace and responsibility of the energy transition, and burdens on developing countries remain sharp.Trust between developed and developing countries is fragile following COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where many Global South delegates said finance outcomes fell short of expectations. Central issues include the scale and nature of climate finance, grant versus loan structures, and predictability of funds for adaptation and loss and damage. These topics are expected to dominate discussions in Brasília and later in Belém.Logistical concerns are adding further pressure. Reports indicate shortages of hotel rooms and high costs in Belém, potentially limiting participation of smaller delegations and vulnerable countries. Observers warn that unequal attendance could affect negotiating dynamics and the legitimacy of outcomes.Key discussion points include climate finance, the post-2025 collective finance goal, rules and integrity for international carbon trading under Article 6, adaptation and national adaptation plans, and translating the Global Stocktake into actionable timelines. Loss and damage finance will also be a priority, with ministers aiming to make it predictable and accessible.India has emphasised equity and differentiated responsibilities in climate action, urging developed countries to meet Article 9 obligations on finance. It has pressed for predictable and concessional support for adaptation and loss and damage, while highlighting the need for technology transfer and capacity building aligned with national circumstances. India has also underscored a just energy transition that allows space for development.Ahead of COP30, India plans to submit two key documents: an updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), extending commitments to 2035, and the country’s first national adaptation plan (NAP). The updated NDC is expected to raise ambition on emissions intensity of GDP, non-fossil electricity capacity, and carbon sinks through forest and tree cover, without introducing new pledges. India has already exceeded its target for non-fossil installed capacity ahead of the 2030 deadline.Officials told PTI that India will closely monitor outcomes on carbon markets and accounting, ensuring that poorly designed rules do not shift burdens or create perverse incentives.
The government on Thursday kept petrol and high-speed diesel (HSD) prices unchanged at Rs253.17 per litre and Rs257.08 per litre respectively, for the coming fortnight, starting from January 16.
This decision was notified in a press release issued by the Petroleum Division.
Earlier, it was expected that the prices of all petroleum products would go down by up to Rs4.50 per litre (over 1pc each) today in view of variation in the international market.
Petrol is primarily used in private transport, small vehicles, rickshaws, and two-wheelers, and directly impacts the budgets of the middle and lower-middle classes.
Meanwhile, most of the transport sector runs on HSD. Its price is considered inflationary, as it is mostly used in heavy transport vehicles, trains, and agricultural engines such as trucks, buses, tractors, tube wells, and threshers, and particularly adds to the prices of vegetables and other eatables.
The government is currently charging about Rs100 per litre on petrol and about Rs97 per litre on diesel.
Business
Gold price today: How much 22K, 24K gold cost in Delhi, Patna & other cities – Check rates – The Times of India
Gold prices climbed to a fresh lifetime high in the domestic market on Thursday amid sustained buying by jewellers and stockists, according to the All India Sarafa Association.Gold advanced by Rs 800 to hit a new peak of Rs 1,47,300 per 10 grams (inclusive of all taxes), extending gains for the fifth consecutive session. The yellow metal had closed at Rs 1,46,500 per 10 grams in the previous session.Since the start of 2026, gold prices have surged Rs 9,600, or around 7 per cent, supported by persistent demand in the physical market. In overseas trade, spot gold slipped USD 12.22, or 0.26 per cent, to USD 4,614.45 per ounce, after having touched a record high of USD 4,643.06 per ounce in the previous session.Here is how much gold costs in major Indian cities today:
Gold price in Delhi today
The price of 22K gold in Delhi is Rs 13,140 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold is priced at Rs 14,333 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
Gold price in Chennai today
In Chennai, 22K gold costs Rs 13,290 per gram, up Rs 10, while 24K gold is priced at Rs 14,498 per gram, higher by Rs 10.
Gold price in Mumbai today
Mumbai markets see 22K gold priced at Rs 13,125 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold stands at Rs 14,318 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
Gold price in Ahmedabad today
In Ahmedabad, 22K gold is priced at Rs 13,130 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold costs Rs 14,323 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
Gold price in Kolkata today
Kolkata markets price 22K gold at Rs 13,125 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold stands at Rs 14,318 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
Gold price in Jaipur today
In Jaipur, 22K gold costs Rs 13,140 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold is priced at Rs 14,333 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
Gold price in Hyderabad today
Hyderabad sees 22K gold at Rs 13,125 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold is priced at Rs 14,318 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
Gold price in Bhubaneswar today
Bhubaneswar markets see 22K gold priced at Rs 13,125 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold costs Rs 14,318 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
Gold price in Patna today
In Patna, 22K gold costs Rs 13,130 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold is priced at Rs 14,323 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
Gold price in Lucknow today
Lucknow markets see 22K gold priced at Rs 13,140 per gram, down Rs 75, while 24K gold costs Rs 14,333 per gram, lower by Rs 82.
One of Britain’s most prolific rail fare dodgers could face jail after admitting dozens of travel offences.
Charles Brohiri, 29, pleaded guilty to travelling without buying a ticket a total of 112 times over a two-year period, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
He could be ordered to pay more than £18,000 in unpaid fares and legal costs, the court was told.
He will be sentenced next month.
District Judge Nina Tempia warned Brohiri “could face a custodial sentence because of the number of offences he has committed”.
He pleaded guilty to 76 offences on Thursday.
It came after he was convicted in his absence of 36 charges at a previous hearing.
During Thursday’s hearing, Judge Tempia dismissed a bid by Brohiri’s lawyers to have the 36 convictions overturned.
They had argued the prosecutions were unlawful because they had not been brought by a qualified legal professional.
But Judge Tempia rejected the argument, saying there had been “no abuse of this court’s process”.
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