International News
Net zero emissions by 2070, India’s strong pledge: Climate advocates
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the global climate talks in Glasgow announced net zero by 2070 for India. This makes India as one of the last major economies to join the countries committing to net zero goals, climate experts said on Tuesday.
In addition, Modi called on developed countries to dramatically raise their financial help to developing countries for the transition to clean energy and protection against climate impacts.
Responding to announcements made on Monday at World Leaders Summit of a stronger climate target with 50 per cent of its energy requirements to be met by renewables by 2030 and a commitment to cut one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) President and CEO Manish Bapna told IANS India is making a vital contribution in the global march against climate change, which disproportionately harms the world’s vulnerable people the most.
“Its bold pledges to cut climate pollution by a billion tonnes, in large part by meeting 50 per cent of its energy requirements with renewable energy by 2030, signals India’s resolute commitment to a healthier and clean future, for the people of India and the world.
“The world’s fifth-largest economy and fourth-largest carbon emitter has set a high bar for stronger climate commitments by key countries at COP26.”
Rhetorics ran high as the UN Climate Change Conference named COP26 in Glasgow on Monday.
There is a deficit of credibility and surplus of confusion over emissions reductions, said the UN Secretary General. Leaders’ speeches spoke about how climate change “is tearing us apart, and we need a new momentum, a quantum leap in the fight against climate change”.
On India’s bold announcemets, International Solar Alliance Director General Ajay Mathur said: “Prime Minister Modi cut through the rhetoric and delivered a big promise of climate action from India.
“Reducing 1 billion tonnes of emissions by 2030 and expanding non-fossils capacity to 500 GW are enormous and transformative steps. Fifty per cent of electricity generation from renewable energy sources speaks to India’s leadership and commitment to climate action.”
Describing it the real climate action, Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) CEO Arunabha Ghosh told IANS: “India has clearly put the ball in the court of the developed world. Now India demands $1 trillion in climate finance as soon as possible, and will monitor not just climate action but also climate finance.
“Most importantly, India has called once again for a change in lifestyle. If we cannot fix how we live, we can’t fix how we live on this planet.”
Chandra Bhushan, CEO, iForest, said: “India’s announcement of an ambitious 2030 target and a net zero target is a big step for climate collaboration.”
It’s a tremendous leadership gesture, says R.R. Rashmi, Distinguished Fellow, TERI.
“One billion tonne of reduction in absolute terms is massive. Compare this with the entire GHG inventory which is less than three billion tonne today, and will be 4.5 billion tonne in 2030. Committing to one billion is 25 per cent of the inventory in 2030.
“This shows a tremendous leadership gesture and commitment to act now and fix the road to 2030. It also sets the stage for carbon markets. In a way this means absolute emission reductions and this also means that India has set itself to commit to a peak in emissions without saying so explicitly.”
Dave Jones, Global Lead, Ember, said: “The world’s top 10 coal power countries have now all committed to net zero, as India announces a net zero pledge at COP26. But coal will need to end one, two or even three decades before the net zero dates that have been laid out. These net zero ambitions now need to transform into near-term action on coal. Failing to act on coal will undermine the credibility of net zero pledges.”
For Vibhuti Garg, Energy Economist and India lead with IEEFA, India’s pledge to increase the share of electricity generation from renewable energy sources to 50 per cent by 2030 would also reduce the emissions intensity of the economy by at least 45 per cent from its 2005 levels.
New Delhi-based Climate Trends Director Aarti Khosla said by announcing a commitment for achieving net zero targets by 2070, India has responded positively to the global call and it was the best climate action in Glasgow.
The commitment of 500GW of renewable energy by 2030, which is more than twice the installed capacity of coal currently, should set the stage for a quick transformation of the energy sector, the kind of which hasn’t been witnessed so far, she added.
International News
Iran’s IRGC says two ‘violating’ oil tankers disabled by blasts in Hormuz Strait

The navy of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that two “violating” oil tankers were disabled by explosions while crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday night.
In a statement on the IRGC’s official news outlet, Sepah News, the navy said the two supertankers transited the strait despite frequent warnings from its centre for controlling traffic in the waterway about the “unauthorised and unsafe” nature of the southern route.
It added that the tankers were carrying more than 4 million barrels of oil in total, Xinhua News Agency reported.
The navy warned that the same fate will await any vessel that turns off its navigation systems in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf and cooperates with the U.S. military in crossing the waterway’s “unauthorised” southern route.
The Navy on Wednesday said a “violating” oil tanker caught fire earlier in the day after hitting naval mines east of the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday as the oil tanker was transiting the “unsafe and forbidden” region east of the waterway, the navy announced in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported. It said that its naval forces are monitoring the strait’s eastern waters, stressing that safe passage through the waterway requires coordination with the Iranian armed forces and compliance with maritime regulations.
Separately, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Ali Abdollahi on Wednesday warned the United States and Israel against making any new miscalculation, saying that “any point that serves as a focal point for threats against the existence of the sacred establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran will become a direct target of asymmetric operations.”
He said in a message carried by Iranian media that the armed forces would carry out orders issued by the country’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, without hesitation.
International News
One killed as three-storey building collapses in New York

At least one person was killed and 10 others injured after a three-storey building collapsed in New York City’s Brooklyn neighbourhood, authorities said.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, officials confirmed. Four people were taken to hospital in critical condition, while six others sustained minor injuries, according to the New York City Fire Department (FDNY).
The FDNY said it received reports of people being trapped at around 4:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday after the building collapsed on the edge of a construction site in the Flatbush neighbourhood of Brooklyn.
Videos from the scene showed firefighters digging through the rubble and pulling at least one person out of the debris.
Firefighters continued their search for another person believed to be trapped beneath the rubble and remained in communication with them as rescue operations progressed.
Several injured construction workers were taken to Kings County Hospital for treatment, although their medical conditions were not immediately known. Search and rescue operations were still underway following the collapse.
According to reports citing FDNY radio communications, at least 10 other people were injured in the incident.
Emergency response teams rushed to the site following reports of a partial building collapse at an apartment building in Brooklyn, with people feared trapped inside, according to FDNY officials.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) urged residents and commuters to stay away from the area around Bedford Avenue and Flatbush Avenue following the incident.
In a post on X, the NYPD warned that road closures and traffic delays were expected in the area and advised motorists to use alternate routes to avoid disruption and allow emergency personnel to carry out rescue operations.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul expressed condolences to the family of the person who lost their life in the building collapse. In a post on X, she said, “My heart breaks for the family who lost a loved one in today’s building collapse in Brooklyn. My administration has reached out and offered its full support as authorities investigate what happened.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani also commented on the incident, saying that emergency responders were working to secure the site and assist those affected by the collapse.
In his post on X, Mamdani said, “Flatbush Avenue is closed from Clarendon Road to Bedford Avenue – please avoid the area so rescue crews can work.”
He further said that the city would provide additional information once officials were in a position to confirm the details of the incident.
Further details are awaited.
International News
Iran designates Argentine Navy, Air Force as ‘terrorist organisations’

Iran Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that the country has designated the Argentine Navy and Air Force as terrorist organisations.
The move came in response to the Argentine government’s decision in late March to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity, the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry described Argentina’s decision as “hostile and being in contradiction with the fundamental principles of international law,” saying Iran’s move was based on the principle of reciprocity and a domestic law on reciprocal action against the US designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.
The law calls for equivalent countermeasures against countries that comply with or support Washington’s actions against Tehran, the statement said, Xinhua news agency reported. The ministry held the Argentine government responsible for all consequences arising from the decision, stressing that the IRGC is an integral part of Iran’s armed forces.
The office of Argentine President Javier Milei announced on March 31 that Argentina had designated the IRGC as a terrorist organisation.
The decision followed calls by US President Donald Trump’s administration for its allies to designate the IRGC and Hezbollah as terrorist organisations.
The Argentine government said the measure had been adopted in response to the IRGC’s support for Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed group, which Buenos Aires blames for a deadly 1994 bombing attack on the AMIA Jewish community centre in the capital city. The attack killed 85 people and injured over 300 others.
Earlier this month, the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced that Tehran had designated Britain’s Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and Secret Intelligence Service as “terrorist and hostile” entities over the British government’s anti-Iran actions.
Meanwhile, Qatar said Tuesday that progress had been made in negotiations between the United States and Iran, describing recent White House talks involving Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani as positive, while cautioning that it was too early to predict when an agreement could be reached.
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