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India Tops Global Emission Rise, But Defends Record
India recorded the world’s largest annual increase in greenhouse gas emissions last year, according to the United Nations Emissions Gap Report 2025 released last week.
The report found that India added 165 million tonnes of GHGs, followed by China and Russia. Together, G20 nations, including India, China and Indonesia, accounted for 77% of global emissions in 2024, with most members, except the European Union, registering an increase. The findings have placed India under the global spotlight at COP30 in Brazil, as the world calls for stronger climate action.
However, experts say the numbers do not tell the full story. “India is a developing economy, and our energy demand is increasing. Hence, our emissions will grow. However, in per capita emission terms, India remains one of the lowest emitters globally,” said Srinivas Krishnaswamy, CEO of the Vasudha Foundation. He noted that per capita emissions in the United States, China, Russia, and even the European Union far exceed the global mean of 6.4 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
Dr Manish Kumar Shrivastava, Associate Director at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), agreed that the UNEP data needs context. “Around 53% percent of the global increase in emissions is from land use change and forestry (LULUCF). This should have been assigned country-wise, but it isn’t, which distorts the picture,” he said. “With LULUCF, India’s emissions are much lower. Even excluding LULUCF, India’s emissions increase aligns with commitments and expected lines. India already achieved its initial 2030 targets and is leading the renewable transition, especially solar.”
India’s renewable achievements back that claim. A Press Information Bureau report states that as of 30 September 2025, India’s total installed electricity capacity reached 500.89 GW — surpassing the 500 GW mark. With over half of this from non-fossil fuel sources, India has already achieved one of its major COP26 Panchamrit goals — to have 50% of installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 — five years ahead of schedule.
Still, the installed capacity figures can be misleading. Srinivas adds, “Renewables have a much lower capacity utilisation as compared to coal — for example, renewables operate at about 18–30% capacity, whereas coal has an 80–90% plant load factor. So effectively, you need roughly four times the installed renewable capacity to match coal’s electricity generation,” he said.
Therefore, with growing electricity demand, we would still need coal in the mix. Manish adds, “The shift towards renewables has begun in India, but it is still some time till it surpasses coal-based generation. Rapid reduction in coal is possible once green hydrogen gets deployed at scale.”
At COP30, India reiterated that developed countries must accelerate emissions cuts and fulfil their promises. As New Delhi eyes a presidency in 2028, its message remains clear: the next decade must focus not just on targets but on implementation, resilience, and shared responsibility based on mutual trust and fairness.
Iran For ‘Peaceful Nuclear Deal’, Offers Hand Of Friendship
Iran is seeking a “peaceful” nuclear agreement with the United States to end a decades-long standoff, but it will not make any concessions that threaten its national security, Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Tuesday.
The United States, its European allies and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear programme as a veil for efforts to try to develop the capability to produce weapons.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
In October, President Donald Trump said the United States was prepared to make a deal with Iran when Tehran was ready to do so, adding, “The hand of friendship and cooperation (with Iran) is open.”
Washington Accused Of Sending Contradictory Messages
Speaking at the 12th Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, Khatibzadeh said Washington was sending Tehran contradictory messages about nuclear talks through third countries.
The two nations held five rounds of nuclear talks prior to a 12-day war between Iran and Israel in June, which Washington joined by striking key Iranian nuclear sites.
Repeating Tehran’s view, Khatibzadeh accused Washington of “betraying diplomacy” and the nuclear talks have stopped since the June war.
Major gaps remain between the two sides such as the issue of uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, which the United States wants to cut to zero to minimise any risk of weaponisation, a plan Tehran has rejected.
Supreme Leader Ruled Out Negotiations
Last week, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on key state matters, such as foreign policy and Iran’s nuclear programme, ruled out negotiations with the United States under threat.
“Tehran is not seeking nuclear bombs and … is prepared to assure the world about it. We are very proud of our home-grown nuclear programme,” Khatibzadeh said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
US-South Korea Trade Ties Move Forward, N-Sub Plan In Slow Lane
Recall the headline-grabbing report last month that the US had cleared a plan for South Korea to build nuclear submarines. Nothing appears to have moved since then because various US governemnt departments have to give their opinions. Now President Trump’s posts on social media suggest the vessel will be built only in a US shipyard. There are also questions about the US transferring sensitive technologies.
StratNewsGlobal learns that the Korean firm Hanwha owns a shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania state, on the US east coast. If Hanwha starts building there, it will be the third submarine building yard in the US and will operate under tight US controls.
But as far as trade goes, ties are moving forward. According to a report in The Korea Herald, a joint fact sheet is being readied summarizing trade and security agreements between Seoul and Washington. It includes $25 billion in U.S. arms sales to South Korea although the terms “have yet to be finalized.”
Agency reports said any plan to buy arms would depend on the government’s assessment of “spending capacity and the overall security environment.”
Korea Herald quoted Finance Minister Koo Yoon-cheol as saying that the trade component of the fact sheet is nearly finalized, while the security portion “is still being coordinated.” He added that both documents would be signed simultaneously once all security terms are settled.
$350 Billion Investment Framework
The broader economic framework involves a $350 billion South Korean investment package in U.S. projects, of which $200 billion will be allocated to commercially viable ventures overseen by a committee chaired by U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, according to Kim Yong-beom, the president’s chief policy secretary.
To safeguard South Korea’s currency market annual investments will be capped at $20 billion, with the remaining $150 billion directed toward shipbuilding and infrastructure projects, including loans and guarantees.
In return, the United States will reduce tariffs on South Korean-made cars to 15 percent from the current 25 percent, aligning with reciprocal tariff rates for most other South Korean exports. Products such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and aircraft parts will also benefit from lower duties or most-favored-nation treatment.
Political Divide
However, the political divisions persist over whether the agreements require parliamentary ratification. The ruling party argues the joint fact sheet and memorandum are not legally binding, while the opposition insists that, given the scale of financial commitments, parliament must formally ratify the deal under constitutional requirements governing treaties.
The government aims to present a special bill in November to provide legal grounds for the investments, signaling that both economic and defense cooperation with Washington remain central to Seoul’s long-term strategy.
Russia Claims It Foils Ukrainian-British Plot To Steal MiG-31 Jet
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said it had foiled a plot by Ukrainian and British spies to tempt Russian pilots to steal a MiG-31 jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile for $3 million, Russian state media RIA agency reported on Tuesday.
The RIA news agency cited the FSB as saying that the hijacked jet was to be flown toward a NATO air base in the Romanian city of Constanta, where it could have been shot down by air defences, the agency reported.
‘Large Scale Provocation’
The FSB, the main successor to the Soviet-era KGB, said Ukraine and Britain had planned a large-scale “provocation” using the hijacked aircraft, and that Ukrainian military intelligence had sought to recruit Russian pilots for $3 million to steal the fighter.
“The measures taken have thwarted the Ukrainian and British intelligence services’ plans for a large-scale provocation,” RIA cited the FSB as saying.
State TV showed pictures of messages and recordings of a man who they said was working for Ukrainian and British intelligence and had offered $3 million to a Russian pilot to fly a MiG to Europe, and that the pilot had also been offered citizenship.
Reuters could not independently verify the account.
Russia-UK Rivalry
Russia’s Kinzhal is an air-launched ballistic missile that Moscow calls hypersonic, capable of very high speeds and manoeuvring flight paths intended to make it difficult for air defences to track and intercept.
Russia has long cast Britain as its main enemy. Moscow accuses London of stoking the Ukraine war and British intelligence of helping Ukraine to mount a series of operations deep inside Russia.
Britain casts the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an imperial-style land grab by Moscow. London has repeatedly warned that Russian intelligence is trying to sow mayhem across Britain and Europe to undermine democracy.
(with inputs from Reuters)
South Korea Blocks Google Map Data Request Over Security Concerns
South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on Tuesday that it has once again postponed its decision on Google’s request to export map data, stating that a final ruling will be made after the company provides additional documentation.
The ministry said in a statement that its National Geographic Information Institute would give Google 60 business days until February 5, 2026 to submit the additional material before making a decision.
Security Concerns
South Korea previously rejected requests from Google, whose parent is Alphabet, for permission to use map data on servers outside the country, in 2016 and 2007, citing security concerns.
In September, Google said it would comply with South Korea’s security-related request to ensure that coordinate information for areas within the country is not displayed to any users, either inside or outside South Korea. The company had earlier agreed to blur images of security facilities.
Inconsistencies In Application
However, South Korea’s ministry said on Tuesday Google had not yet filed an updated application reflecting this, arguing inconsistencies between Google’s earlier statements and its submissions were making the review difficult.
Google is seeking approval to export South Korea‘s 1:5,000-scale map data, equivalent to 50 metres per centimetre, which the company says is the same scale used by domestic map services provided by Kakao Corp and Naver.
Google currently operates with 1:25,000-scale data, which it says is insufficient to support reliable navigation.
The negotiations with Google come amid efforts by South Korea and the United States to wrap up negotiations on tariff and security agreements between the allies.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Thailand To Halt Ceasefire Deal With Cambodia
Thailand’s government confirmed on Tuesday it will halt the implementation of an enhanced ceasefire agreement with Cambodia, signed last month in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump and said it would explain its decision to Washington.
Bangkok will also put on hold the return of 18 Cambodian prisoners of war currently held by the Thai military, Defence Minister Natthaphon Narkphanit told reporters. He declined to answer a question on whether troops would be redeployed.
Thailand-Cambodia Tensions
Tensions between the two Southeast Asian neighbours, who clashed for five days in July, have escalated following a landmine blast on Monday that injured four Thai soldiers.
Thailand’s military has accused Cambodia of laying new landmines after the two countries agreed on the enhanced ceasefire steps, which included the withdrawal of troops and heavy weapons, as well as Bangkok’s release of the Cambodian detainees.
In a statement on Tuesday, Cambodia’s defence ministry denied that it had laid new landmines and urged Thailand to avoid patrols in old minefield areas. It said it was committed to working with Bangkok in line with the October deal.
Enhanced Ceasefire
The enhanced ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, signed during a regional summit in Malaysia, sought to build on a truce brokered in July by Trump, who called the then-leaders of the two countries, urging them to end hostilities or face halts to their respective trade talks with Washington.
Both sides blame each other for starting the exchange of rockets and heavy artillery, which killed at least 48 people and temporarily displaced an estimated 300,000 during their worst fighting in recent history.
Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said his country’s decision would be explained to the United States and to Malaysia, the chair of the regional bloc ASEAN, which has facilitated the ceasefire process.
“What they (Cambodia) have said is not sufficient. We have to see what Cambodia’s stance is from now on,” he said.
(with inputs from Reuters)
Chinese Records Debunk Senkaku Claims, Says Japan
Japan will soon display a set of historical Chinese documents that indicate China did not regard the Senkaku Islands as part of its territory in the past, according to Jiji Press. The exhibition, which will open on November 14 at the National Museum of Territory and Sovereignty in Tokyo, will show the parts of the documents, the agency reported.
The Documents
The three sets of documents, include a 1950 internal document from China’s Foreign Ministry prepared for peace treaty discussions with Japan, an 1889 report by a Qing dynasty official who visited Japan, and an 1895 record detailing the handover of Taiwan from the Qing government to Japan.
Notably, the 1950 document refers to the islands by their Japanese name ‘Senkaku,’ rather than the Chinese ‘Diaoyu,’ and classifies them as part of the Ryukyu chain, the present day Okinawa Prefecture.
The documents offer objective evidence that China did not consider the Senkaku Islands part of its territory prior to the 1970s. In 1968, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) published a report on the rich oil and gas deposits under the East China Sea. Soon after, China began asserting its claims over the area, marking a significant shift in its territorial stance.
The report suggests that the 1895 Taiwan-related materials will be made public for the first time, while the other two have previously featured in Japanese educational resources.
The Rising Tensions
The exhibition comes amid rising tensions between the two Asian powers. Chinese coast guard vessels have frequently entered waters near the Senkakus in recent months, prompting Japanese protests and diplomatic warnings. Tokyo hopes the display will reinforce its position that “there exists no territorial dispute” over the islets, which it administers as part of Okinawa.
China, however, maintains that the islands have been part of its territory “since ancient times.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry has repeatedly accused Japan of “distorting historical facts” to justify what it sees as an illegal occupation.
By highlighting archival records from China itself, Japan aims to bolster international understanding of its claim and counter Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the East China Sea. As regional tensions rise, the exhibition underscores how even century-old documents continue to shape the geopolitics of Asia’s contested waters.
South Korea: Ex-President Yoon Charged With Aiding Enemy, Abuse Of Power
South Korea’s special prosecutor on Monday filed additional charges against former President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing him of abuse of power and aiding an enemy state in connection with his brief declaration of martial law last year.
Yoon allegedly attempted to provoke military conflict between South and North Korea in order to declare martial law, a prosecutor’s spokesperson told a briefing, citing evidence found on a military official’s mobile phone that included some words suggesting potential provocations against North Korea, such as “drones” and “surgical strike”.
Yoon was removed from office by the Constitutional Court in April and is on trial for insurrection stemming from his failed martial law declaration. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to death.
Conspiracy And Allegations
Yoon has said consistently he never intended to impose military rule but declared martial law to sound the alarm on wrongdoings by opposition parties and to protect democracy from “anti-state” elements.
According to the memo, Yoon, former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun and former military intelligence chief Yeo In-hyung planned to induce a North Korean attack against the South, the spokesperson, Park Ji-young, said.
The trio conspired to create tensions in the country as a justification for Yoon to declare martial law, she said.
Kim and Yeo were also indicted on the same additional charges, the prosecutor said.
Covert Operation Claims
The special prosecutor’s team has accused Yoon and his military commanders of ordering a covert drone operation into the North to inflame tensions between the neighbours and justify his martial law decree.
In October last year, North Korea said the South had sent drones to scatter anti-North Korean leaflets over Pyongyang, and published photos of the remains of a crashed South Korean military drone.
Former defence minister Kim is also on trial on charges related to the martial law declaration.
Yeo has said he deeply regretted not challenging the order from Yoon, according to media reports. The prosecutor’s spokesperson said Yeo was making excuses that did not make sense about the notes discovered on his mobile phone.
(With inputs from Reuters)
BBC Director General, CEO Resign After Criticism Of Trump Edit
The BBC’s boss Tim Davie and its head of news Deborah Turness resigned on Sunday following accusations of bias at the British broadcaster, including in the way it edited a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The publicly funded BBC had been under mounting pressure after an internal report by a former standards adviser, which cited failings in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, transgender issues, and a speech made by Trump, was leaked to the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Trump welcomed the departures, criticising the two as “very dishonest people” after the BBC’s flagship Panorama programme edited two parts of one of his speeches together so he appeared to be encouraging the Capitol Hill riot of January 2021.
News Judgment Questioned
Tim Davie, who has led the British Broadcasting Corporation since 2020, defended the organisation, saying its journalism was seen as the gold standard around the world. But he said mistakes had been made and he had to take ultimate responsibility.
Deborah Turness, the CEO of BBC News, also resigned. In an email to staff, she said: “I want to be absolutely clear, recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.”
Widely respected around the world, the BBC remains the most trusted news brand in Britain, boasting a vast reach in the country, which provides news, entertainment, and sports.
But the corporation, which is funded by a licence fee paid by all television-watching households, comes under intense scrutiny from some newspapers and critics on social media, who object to its funding model and perceived liberal stance.
It has, in recent years, been accused of failing to maintain its commitment to impartial news by critics on both sides of the political divide, struggling to navigate the fractious political and cultural environment.
The leaked internal report said BBC Arabic had shown anti-Israel bias in its reporting of the war in Gaza and that an effort to cover a group campaigning for single-sex spaces had been suppressed by a small group of staff who saw it as hostile to the transgender community.
The report was written by Michael Prescott, a former political editor of the Sunday Times, who was an independent adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Board for three years before he left in June.
He compiled a dossier for the BBC’s board after he said bosses had “repeatedly failed” to tackle what he described as multiple examples of an institutional bias.
Multiple Scandals
In recent years, the BBC has struggled to contain multiple scandals.
In 2023, Gary Lineker, at the time its most highly paid sports presenter, was suspended for criticising the government’s immigration policy. That briefly led to many sports staff walking off the job in solidarity.
It was condemned for showing punk-rap duo Bob Vylan chanting against the Israeli military at this summer’s Glastonbury music festival, and it pulled a documentary about Gaza earlier this year because it featured the son of a deputy minister in the Hamas-run government.
In the Panorama documentary broadcast last year, Trump was shown telling his supporters that “we’re going to walk down to the Capitol” and that they would “fight like hell”, a comment he made in a different part of his speech.
He had actually said his supporters would “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women”.
Trump, in a social media post on Sunday, accused the two executives of having tried to influence a U.S. presidential election.
“On top of everything else, they are from a Foreign Country, one that many consider our Number One Ally. What a terrible thing for Democracy!” he said.
(with inputs from Reuters)
China Warns Japan Over Takaichi’s Comments on Taiwan
China has lodged strong protests with Japan following comments by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Taiwan, escalating tensions between the two Asian neighbours. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Monday that Beijing had made “serious representations” to Tokyo over what it sees as interference in its internal affairs.
Beijing Warns Against “Provocations”
Speaking at a regular press briefing, Lin criticised Takaichi’s recent remarks, describing them as a “provocation” that could harm bilateral ties. He urged Japan to stop making statements on the Taiwan issue, warning that such comments would “cause serious damage to China-Japan relations.”
Takaichi had told Japanese lawmakers on Friday that a potential Chinese attack on Taiwan could pose a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, according to the Kyodo news agency. Her comments underscored growing concerns in Tokyo over regional security and China’s military pressure on the self-governed island.
Rising Tensions in the Region
Beijing considers Taiwan part of its territory and has repeatedly warned other nations against engaging in what it calls “separatist” or “provocative” actions. Japan, meanwhile, has increasingly voiced support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, seeing the island’s security as directly linked to its own national defence.
The latest exchange comes amid a backdrop of strained relations between the two countries, fuelled by maritime disputes and growing military activity in the East China Sea. With both sides trading diplomatic protests, regional analysts warn that the rhetoric could further complicate efforts to stabilise ties between Tokyo and Beijing.
(with inputs from Reuters)