News in Brief
China’s jet makes maiden commercial flight
AFP – China’s first domestically produced passenger jet made its maiden commercial flight on Sunday, a milestone event in the nation’s decades-long effort to compete with Western rivals in the air.
Beijing hopes the C919 commercial jetliner will challenge foreign models like the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320, though many of its parts are sourced from abroad.
Its first homegrown jetliner with mass commercial potential would also cut the country’s reliance on foreign technology as ties with the West deteriorate.
Indonesia seeks $700m to install solar power
REUTERS – Indonesian state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara seeks a $700-million investment to install a 200-megawatt (MW) solar panel that will replace diesel power generators in a bid to reduce carbon emission, the company said late on Saturday.
The plan is part of its target to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2060. PLN has planned to have 4.68 gigawatt (GW) of solar panels installed between 2021 and 2030.
Republicans criticize McCarthy, Biden debt ceiling deal
CNBC – Republican U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Sunday dismissed vehement opposition among party hardliners to a new agreement with President Joe Biden to suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, predicting that most House Republicans would support the deal.
After weeks of tough negotiations McCarthy and Biden reached a tentative agreement this weekend, but now face the challenge of getting a deal through the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Democratic-led Senate before June 5 to avoid a crippling first-ever default.