Israel is systematically killing Palestinians: Abbas – (International Relation)
- Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas has said the recent eruption of violence in Jerusalem and West Bank is a “reaction to the violence and atrocities committed by Israeli security forces and settlers” against Palestinians.
- “This spontaneous movement was launched by Palestinians, Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem, as a result of the Israeli sanctions against them, including confiscation of their land, disallowing them to build their homes, and imposing huge taxes,” Mr. Abbas told The Hinduin an e-mail interview.
Red tape holding up $41-bn U.S. investment – (International Relation)
- Red tape is hindering U.S. companies from going ahead with a $41-billion investment in India, and an investment treaty to settle disputes with the States needs to be in place to speed up overseas funds, said an official of an advocacy group, set up to strengthen trade ties between the two nations.
- U.S. firms are planning to invest in infrastructure, defence, pharmaceutical, healthcare, e-commerce and renewable energy, president of the U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC) Mukesh Aghi, told The Hindu .
PSLV bags two more U.S. launch orders – (Science and Technology)
- Two more U.S. satellite launch contracts have come the way of ISRO’s PSLV rocket, this time from commercial weather satellite company PlanetiQ.
- A couple of space industry observers noted this as an inevitable trickle of business, if not a flow yet, from a top space market such as the U.S. to the now proven Indian player.
Javadekar backs Jaitley’s stand on homosexuality – (Indian Polity)
- Just before leaving for Paris for the ongoing climate change talks, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar said that while India wanted to be part of the solution to global warming, “it (India) wasn’t part of the problem”.
- In a chat with The Hindu , Mr.Javadekar underlined the need for action with justice, cautioning developed nations that the world economy would grow only if developing nations grew.
Madhesi leaders to seek India’s mediation during Delhi visit – (International Relation)
- The Nepali agitators, who have enforced an economic blockade on the Nepal-India border, will arrive in Delhi to present their case to the Indian leadership during a short visit starting on Sunday.
- It will be the first time that the top leaders of the United Madhesi Democratic Front (UMDF) will visit New Delhi together since the beginning of the blockade more than three months ago.
China’s ‘world bank’ makes the U.S. balk – (International Relation)
- As top leaders met at a lush Bali resort in October 2013, President Xi Jinping of China described his vision for a new multinational, multibillion-dollar bank to finance roads, rails and power grids across Asia. Under Chinese stewardship, the bank would tackle the slow development in poor countries that was holding the region back from becoming the wealth centre of the world.
- After the presentation, the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, caught up with Mr. Xi in the corridor. “That’s a great idea,” Mr. Kerry said of the bank, according to Chinese and U.S. aides briefed on the encounter.
Proposal to achieve zero emissions by 2060-80 – (International Relation)
- The final draft of the Paris Climate agreement, which will be taken up for discussion in the high-level segment of Ministers beginning Monday, was released by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on Saturday.
- French President Francois Hollande said instituting a review mechanism to monitor compliance on carbon emissions by countries, and transfer of climate-friendly technologies to developing nations continue to be hurdles, but they could be resolved by “pushing ahead”.
Solar capacity crosses 5,000 MW – (Economics)
- India’s total installed capacity of solar power has crossed the 5-GW-mark. The total commissioned utility solar capacity in the country stands at about 4.7 GW, while rooftop capacity is 525 MW, according to Bridge to India, a solar energy consulting firm
- “Solar sector has got great momentum with capacity addition in 2015 more than doubling up over last year and total pipeline of over 15 GW of projects under bidding-cum-development,” Vinay Rustagi, Managing Director, Bridge to India, said in a report.
OPEC fails to agree on production cap after Iran pledges output boost – (Economics)
- Members of OPEC failed to agree an oil production ceiling on Friday at a meeting that ended in acrimony, after Iran said it would not consider any production curbs until it restores output scaled back for years under Western sanctions.
- Friday’s developments set up the fractious cartel for more price wars in an already heavily oversupplied market.