Top of the Morning: Doha Climate Talks Hit Snag; Global Food Prices Decline; Egypt in Turmoil;

Top stories from the mobile news aggregation app, DAWNS Digest. 

Doha Climate Talks Poised to End in Failure

This is not terribly shocking given the previous climate confabs. “European Union promises of rising aid to help developing countries tackle climate change on Thursday failed to ease a stand-off at U.N. talks in Doha that green groups said were on the brink of disaster. The two-week meeting, due to end on Friday, is deadlocked on modest goals such as aid and an extension of a existing U.N.-led plan to combat climate change into 2013. The talks have agreed nothing that would curb rising world emissions of greenhouse gas emissions.” (AlertNet http://bit.ly/VLtHkV)

Tanks Deployed to Protect Egyptian Presidential Palace

President Morsi is looking more and more embattled as clashes rage on, and the opposition has reportedly rejected calls for a dialogue.“The Egyptian army sealed off the presidential palace with tanks and barbed wire Thursday, a day after fierce clashes between supporters and opponents of the Islamist leader over a disputed constitution killed at least six people. Compounding President Mohammed Morsi’s woes, another member of his 17-person advisory panel resigned in protest of his handling of the crisis, bringing the total to seven in the past two weeks. Rafik Habib, the only Coptic Christian adviser, was the latest to resign.” (Vancouver Sun http://bit.ly/Rc6Xx5)

Global Food Prices at Lowest Since June

Some good news. “World food prices fell slightly in November to their lowest level since June, driven by declines in sugar, oils and cereals prices, the United Nations food agency said on Thursday, while cutting its global cereal output forecast for 2012. The FAO Food Price Index, which measures monthly price changes for a basket of cereals, oilseeds, dairy, meat and sugar, averaged 211 points in November, down 3 points from October, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said.” (AlertNet http://bit.ly/VLsIkH)

Transparency International Unveils Annual Corruption Perception Index

No real surprises here, but click through for some neat interactive tools. “In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 Denmark, Finland and New Zealand tie for first place with scores of 90, helped by strong access to information systems and rules governing the behaviour of those in public positions. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia once again cling to the bottom rung of the index. In these countries the lack of accountable leadership and effective public institutions underscore the need to take a much stronger stance against corruption.” (TI http://bit.ly/VLtheq)