India has the lowest per capita emissions among G20 countries, making it a leader in climate efforts. As G20 President, India is using this position to push for global climate action. The challenge is urgent. The IPCC warns that global warming will exceed 1.5°C this century if action is delayed. Developing nations, especially in the Global South, face the biggest risks due to fewer resources and existing problems. Since G20 nations produce 80% of global emissions, their actions can change the course. India Leads by Example India is the only G20 country meeting its climate targets fo
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan arrived in Kuwait on Thursday for the Gulf Cooperation Council ministerial meeting. The meeting will finalize the agenda for the Supreme Council's 45th session, scheduled for Sunday in Kuwait City. Leaders from across the Gulf are expected to attend the session. Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya personally welcomed Faisal bin Farhan upon his arrival.
India and France have immense potential for partnerships in renewable energy, said Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday. He highlighted the success of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), co-led by the two countries, calling it a “runaway success.” Speaking at the Asia Pacific Commission (APAC) 2024 Forum organized by the French Foreign Trade Advisors, Goyal noted that over 100 countries have joined the ISA. Goyal elaborated on the alliance’s mission to bring clean and renewable energy to emerging and less-developed nations. He emphasized that sustainable pra
Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Vikram Doraiswami, said the Keir Starmer government is ready to restart Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with India. He described the FTA as an "ongoing process" and noted that the UK completed its internal review in July. After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit in Brazil, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that FTA talks between the UK and India would relaunch in 2025. Speaking to ANI, Doraiswami said, "The FTA is an ongoing process. The government that came to power here in the UK in July completed their in
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged U.S. President Joe Biden to approve Nippon Steel's $15 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel, highlighting the deal's importance to bilateral relations, according to sources familiar with the matter. Biden expressed his opinion against the purchase, stating possible threats to national security, along with a major effect on U.S. labor organizations. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States has been asked to review the deal and provide a recommendation before President-elect Trump takes office on January 20. Government agency
Italy and Japan have strengthened their defence sector collaboration by signing a bilateral deal in Rome, the Italian government announced on Monday. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya formalised the agreement, named the Acquisition and Cross-Service Agreement (ACSA). The agreement streamlines acquisitions, supplies, and exchanges in military operations and ensures rapid mobilization of aid during emergencies and natural disasters. Both nations also collaborate with Britain on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), a project to develop an a
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a framework promoting the use of local currencies - Indian Rupee (INR) and Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) - for cross-border transactions. This initiative seeks to streamline trade between the two nations by allowing exporters and importers to invoice and settle transactions in their respective domestic currencies. The framework is expected to encourage the development of trading in the INR-MVR pair in the foreign exchange market. By adopting local currencies, bot
The Govt. of Australia on Thursday introduced a bill in the parliament that aims to ban social media for children under 16 and introduced a fine of A$49.5 million for social media platforms for systematic breach of the rule. They also planned a trial on an age-verification system that may include biometrics or government identity verification to enforce social media age cut-off. This is one of the toughest moves made by any country till date. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed this as a landmark reform. This comes after the Albanese-led Labor government has crossed swords on excessi
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be traveling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia next month as per the plan briefed by a source on Wednesday. With such a move, Britain seeks to deepen the ties between the wealthy Gulf states. Another source briefed Starmer's UAE travel plans and confirmed his visit to UAE. However, both sources are anonymous about the plan as the travel plan hasn't been announced officially. As per the sources, Britain hopes to get investment from the Gulf countries, including UAE's energy projects. In the meeting, Starmer would also discuss c
The leaders of Britain, Japan, and Italy have discussed the GCAP jet fighter project on a broader scale with other countries, as stated by the office of Giorgia Melong, the Italian Prime Minister, on Tuesday. In December 2022, Japan, Britain, and Italy agreed on collaborating for an advanced front-line fighter to enter the middle of the next-decade service. The meeting was held between Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Shigeru Isiba, the Prime Minister of Japan, on Tuesday on the sidelines of the G20 summit taking place in Rio de Janeiro. As per the official statement,