The Hindu Editorial Analysis In English | Free PDF

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Shielding witnesses

Supreme Court: States to implement a scheme framed by the Centre to protect witnesses in criminal trials from threat, intimidation and undue influence.
We have abysmal rate of convictions in the country.
Many Law Commission reports and court judgments for years have emphasized about the need to protect witness.
Witnesses turning hostile is a major reason for most acquittals.
Why witness are turning hostile? Because ere is little incentive for witnesses to turn up in court and testify against criminals.
Besides threats to their lives, they experience hostility and harassment while attending courts.
Justice A.K. Sikri: the condition of witnesses in the Indian legal system is “pathetic”, as it takes them for granted.
A witness protection order will be passed by a competent authority.
The scheme is to be funded by budgetary support from State governments and donations.
The real test will be the advanced forms of identity protection: giving witnesses a new identity, address and even ‘parentage’, with matching documents.
All this needs to be done without undermining their professional and property rights and educational qualifications.

Quick retreat

Violent countrywide protests triggered by a proposed increase in the fuel tax.
Government cancelled the tax proposal altogether. Uturn on measures to reduce CO2 emissions.
Macron swept to power on a pledge of modernising the economy and restoring popular trust in politicians.
Government: open to reinstating the wealth tax, which was revised last year to narrow its scope.
France’s tax system: rates are highest in the European Union
EU rules that set an annual fiscal deficit target of below 3% of GDP on member-states.
Macron’s handling of the challenges at home will crucially define his ambitions on the EU stage.

Still on the last chance saloon

Average global temperature: crossed 1° C
Concentration of Carbon dioxide: 410ppm
CoP 24 to the UNFCCC: Katowice, Poland from 3-14 December
Aim: Rule book for Paris Agreement
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)
Support: Finance + Technology transfer
PA: world agreed to control warming to 1.5° C
Without standardization of processes it is difficult or impossible to achieve results.
Article 9 of PA: Financial support from development countries.
i.e. $100 billion per year
Article 9.5 of PA: communicate your support, pledges etc
Rough estimate: $4.4 trillion to implement NDCs.
Climate Funds Update of 2018 notes that multilateral funds pledged until 2017 are less than $30 billion, of which around $20 billion has been deposited and about $4 billion disbursed.
Countries with average income exceeding $15,000 typically have the capacity and finance and technology to reduce their emissions dramatically.
PA implementation period: 2020-30
Countries have to trust each other, which would mean that fulfilling obligations is a foundation of future ambition and action.
Australia and France have had political turmoil due to their climate policies even while experiencing severe weather events.
World will be 3-4º C warmer by the end of the century.

A relationship under stress

CIA reports that MBS personally ordered Khashoggi’s murder.
There is a global outrage against MBS
Realists say the relationship between USA and Saudi is interdependent.
Saudi-US Partnership: 1945
President Franklin D. Roosevlt + Saudi King Abdulalziz bin Saud
USA will provide military assistance while the Saudi will supply oil.
Afghanistan, Post war reconstruction of Europe etc.
Crude production: USA at present is 1 of the top 3
Saudi invested in the US: treasury securities and private businesses.
Ideological difference between USA and Saudi
Mr. Obama refused to act on all demands of Saudis
striking Syria
Iran Nuclear
Trump: Israel’s security + roll back Iran
Realpolitik point: MBS is not helping
Houthis in Iran’s embrace
Lebanon: Hezbollah
US Senators: against behavior of Saudi

Important News

- Why strip Verma of powers suddenly: SC
- Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Thursday asked the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), represented by Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, to explain the exigency that prompted it to take an “overnight” decision to divest Alok Verma of his powers as CBI Director.
- Cabinet clears policy to double agri exports
- The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the Agriculture Export Policy, aimed at increasing India’s exports to $60 billion by 2022 from the current $37 billion, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu announced.
- “We have managed to increase agriculture exports to $37 billion from $30 billion in just one year,” Mr. Prabhu said at a press conference. “With this policy, we aim to increase that to $60 billion by 2022. This is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of doubling farmers’ income.”
- CBI confronts Michel with documents
- Agency is trying to establish money trail of alleged bribes in copter deal case
- ‘Air pollution cause of 1 in 8 deaths’
- India, with 18% of the world’s population, has a disproportionately high 26% of the global premature deaths and disease burden due to air pollution.
Moreover, one in eight deaths in India was attributable to air pollution in India in 2017, making it a leading risk factor for death.
This is according to the first comprehensive estimates of reduction in life expectancy associated with air pollution in each State, published by the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative. These research findings, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, were released on Thursday at the ICMR.
Tourists bring a wave of trash to beaches
Kia to drive out first car from A.P. plant in January
Kia Motors India signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government for collaboration on future eco-mobility and electric vehicle infrastructure in the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Kia Motors CEO & MD Kookhyun Shim at the Secretariat on Thursday.

- OPEC agrees to cut oil production
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) tentatively agreed an oil-output cut on Thursday but was waiting to hear from nonOPEC heavyweight Russia before deciding the exact volumes for a production reduction aimed at propping up crude prices, two sources from the group said.
- Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak flew home from Vienna earlier for talks with President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg. Mr. Novak will return to the Austrian capital on Friday for discussions among Saudi-led OPEC and the group’s allies.
- The price of crude has fallen almost a third since October, but U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded OPEC make oil even cheaper by refraining from output cuts.
- Nasheed to lead Maldives delegation at climate summit
- Former President of the Maldives Mohamed Nasheed, widely regarded as a climate champion, will lead Male’s official delegation at the UN climate change conference in Poland. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih nominated Mr. Nasheed to head the Maldivian team, according to a statement.
- 2 killed in Chabahar attack
- A suicide car bombing followed by an armed assault killed at least two people and wounded dozens outside police headquarters in the port city of Chabahar in restive southeastern Iran on Thursday.
- Chabahar lies in Sistan-Balochistan province which has long been a flashpoint, with Pakistan-based Baluchi separatists and Sunni Muslim extremists carrying out cross-border attacks targeting the Shia authorities.
- CAD may fall to 2.2%, thanks to oil slide
- ‘PMAY-U needs push to succeed’
- Crisil Research: needs a concerted push to succeed
- A ramp-up in fund-raising and utilisation is crucial, Crisil said.
- China to build 20,000 forest villages
- China has spent over $100 billion on trees
Its total forest cover area is almost 22