As per reports, NATO will keep some 12,000 troops in Afghanistan for an extra year in 2016 to prevent the country again becoming a terrorist safe haven.
NATO's Resolute Support advice and training mission was supposed to end this year but Taliban battlefield successes, prompted a radical re-think.
NATO allies and Resolute Support operational partners have agreed to sustain the Resolute Support presence.
Obama Urges Turkey to Reduce Tensions with Russia
Barack Obama has urged Turkey to reduce tensions with Russia that are hampering efforts to fight Islamic State militants in Syria and stressed that U.S. support for its NATO ally`s security remained steadfast.
The United States supports Turkey’s right to defend itself and its airspace and its territory.
Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called for the opening of communication channels between Turkey and Russia to prevent further incidents.
Promising to remain "accommodative" as long as inflation remains under control, RBI kept its policy rate unchanged even as Raghuram Rajan nudged banks to pass on the benefits of earlier cuts to borrowers.
As per Rajan there is more room for rate cut by banks as the lenders on an average have only passed less than half of the 1.25 percent reduction announced so far during 2015.
Manufacturing Sector Growth Slowest in 25 Months
As per a monthly survey, the manufacturing sector grew at its slowest pace in 25 months in November on sluggish pace of new business orders.
This also marks the fourth consecutive month of decline in the rate of Indian manufacturing output growth, as per the monthly Purchasing Managers' Index survey.
Yes Bank Inks Deal with US Firms
Private sector Yes Bank has signed loan agreements worth $265 million with the US government's development finance arm, OPIC, and Wells Fargo to support small business development in India.
Yes Bank has signed an agreement with Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the US government's development finance institution, for debt financing of $245 million to increase lending to micro, small and medium enterprises in India.
American Wells Fargo Bank will be sponsor and co-lender to the project, providing a loan of $20 million, to bring the total facility amount to $265 million.
Researchers have developed a new camera that can photograph and film methane in the air.
The camera is very sensitive, which means that the methane is both visible and measurable close to ground level, with much higher resolution than previously.
The advanced hyperspectral infrared camera is optimised to measure the same radiation that methane absorbs and which makes methane such a powerful greenhouse gas.
The camera can be used to measure emissions from many environments including sewage sludge deposits, combustion processes, animal husbandry and lakes.