Obama calls Modi to clinch climate deal

WASHINGTON : In a bid to clinch a deal at the ongoing Paris climate conference, President Barack Obama is working the phones with calls to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders.He spoke on the phone with Modi Tuesday “to discuss the ongoing Paris climate conference,” according to a White House readout of the call.
“Both leaders emphasized their personal commitment to secure a strong climate change agreement this week and their interest in our countries’ working together to achieve a successful outcome,” it said.On behalf of the American people, Obama also accepted Modi’s condolences for the loss of life in the San Bernardino shootings last week.
Besides calling Modi on Tuesday, Obama conferred by phone earlier this week with President Dilma Rousseff of Brazil, New York Times cited Secretary of State John Kerry as saying in an interview on the sidelines of UN climate change talks in Paris.India and Brazil, along with China and the US, are among the world’s top producers of greenhouse gases that warm the planet, noted the Times.