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By Richard Black

Top UN climate official Christiana Figueres said the fate of low-lying islands should be a ‘wake-up call’

Ministers have begun talks at the UN climate summit in Cancun, Mexico, amid warnings that time is running out to curb climate change.

Top UN climate official Christiana Figueres said the fate of low-lying islands should be a “wake-up call”.

Big differences remain between nations on issues such as cutting emissions, protection from climate impacts and inspections of others’ emission curbs.

It is unclear whether those issues can be resolved in the three days left.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon congratulated negotiators for their work so far.

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“The work has been difficult, but I see the results of negotiations are encouraging, although it is clear there are formidable challenges to overcome,” he said in his opening speech.

“What should prevail is goodwill, trust and understanding, and with that we will be able to offer the world an opportunity to open a new path when it comes to fighting climate change.”

Ms Figueres, the Costa Rican diplomat who took up the post of UN climate convention (UNFCCC) executive secretary earlier this year, warned that much was at stake.

“The political stakes are high because the effectiveness and credibility of your inter-governmental, multilateral process are in danger,” she said.

“And the environmental stakes are high because we are quickly running out of time to safeguard our future.

“Tuvalu, The Maldives, Kiribati, Vanuatu are looking for ways of evacuating their entire populations because of salt water intrusion and sea-level rise. Their fate is a wake-up call to all of us.”

Earlier, the UN Environment Programme (Unep) formally presented delegates with the results of a study published two weeks ago.

It showed that pledges on the table for curbing emissions will not be enough to keep the global average temperature rise below the levels that most governments say they want.

The vast majority of countries want to keep the rise since pre-industrial times to within either 1.5C or 2C.

Lou Leonard from environmental group WWF was one of many campaigners emphasising that the agreement coming out of Cancun must allow for countries to increase their pledges, to close this gap.

“They say they want 2C, the pledges don’t get to 2C. It is like the emperor has no clothes,” he said.

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The SDLP is to propose a pay freeze for all public sector workers earning more than £31,500 as part of its budget plan.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

UN diplomats say Russia is blocking a Security Council statement endorsing Ivory Coast opposition candidate Alassane Ouattara as president.

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Megrahi was convicted of murdering 270 people in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing

The UK feared harsh action by Libya against British interests if the Lockerbie bomber died in jail, cables published by Wikileaks claim.

The US diplomatic documents reveal London’s full support for the early release of Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi.

The details, published in the Guardian, allege Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi made “thuggish” threats to halt all trade deals if Megrahi stayed in jail.

The UK was “between a rock and a hard place”, one cable to Washington said.

The British ambassador allegedly told a US diplomat in Libya that the Libyans could “cut us off at the knees”.

British diplomats planned dramatic and pre-emptive measures preparing for hostile demonstrations and leaving only essential staff in the embassy.

The details are the latest revelations on the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks to appear in the Guardian.

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Japan’s first space probe bound for Venus has failed to enter the planet’s orbit, the country’s space agency says.

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Jude Celestin, the candidate for Haiti’s governing party, has made it through to a presidential run-off with former first lady Mirlande Manigat, electoral authorities say.

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Could a supermarket approach help universities carry on?

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India’s top investigation agency carries out raids on homes of a former telecommunications minister suspected of an alleged scandal, reports say.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.