[NEWS OF THE DAY]

1. G20 Summit: Indonesia hands G20 presidency to India
2. G20: Xi-Sunak meeting called off due to ‘scheduling issues’
3. China appoints former India ambassador as deputy foreign minister
4. Rishi Sunak greenlights 3,000 UK visas for Indians
5. Terrorist attack in Lakki Marwat martyrs six policemen, including ASI

What Else

6. India using technology as weapon against poverty, says PM Modi
7. Johnson and Johnson can manufacture baby powder: Bombay HC
8. BRO to complete Kailash Mansarovar road up to Lipulekh by 2024
9. At COP27, EU says will back India’s ‘all’ fossil fuels phase out bid if coal pact ‘not diminished’
10. Indian refiners wary of buying Russian oil after 5 Dec when EU sanctions take effect, says report
11. Terrorist attack in Lakki Marwat martyrs six policemen, including ASI
12. PTI’s long march continues
13. Gilgit-Baltistan CM unhappy with unavelaibilty of allocated 3bn from fedral govt

Media

Shraddha Walkar killing: Aftab’s search history reveals he googled 2010 Anupama Gulati murder case (here)

G20 Summit: Indonesia hands G20 presidency to India

• G20 Communique Adopted Indian PM Modi’s comments –“Today’s era must not be of war”.
• President of Indonesia Joko Widodo hands over the G20 Presidency to India at the closing ceremony of the Bali Summit.
• From Dec 1^st, India will assume the G20 presidency for a year and chair over 200 meetings that aim to secure global economic growth and prosperity.
• ‘Matter of pride’: PM Modi as India takes over G20 presidency”
• PM added, “India’s G20 presidency will be inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented.
• G20 meetings will organize in different states and cities in India.
• On the sidelines of the G20 summit, PM Modi to hold bilaterals with leaders of Germany, Italy, Indonesia, Australia, UK and Singapore.
• PM Modi and Chinese President Xi publicly exchanged greetings at the G20 dinner hosted by Indonesian President Widodo on Tue. No bilateral with Xi.
• The 1^st meeting since the Chinese PLA and the Indian Army’s standoff was in Apr 2020.
• In Sept, Modi and Xi had come face-to-face but there was no report of a handshake or exchange of pleasantries between Modi and Xi at that time.
• Most of the G-20 nations deplored Russia’s aggression in Ukraine “in the strongest terms” on Wed and demanded its unconditional withdrawal.
• The positions taken by China and India, which abstained from a similar UN resolution in Mar, were not immediately clear. (here)
• Misuse of social media, dark web, crypto currency among key issues India will raise at ‘No Money For Terror’ Conference

China appoints former India ambassador as deputy foreign minister

• China’s former envoy in India, Sun Weidong, who left New Delhi last month has been appointed as the country’s deputy Foreign Minister.
• Sun, who assumed office in Jul 2019, left India at a time when the two sides are trying to manage ties via multiple channels, post-Galwan clash in 2020.
• In his farewell address, Sun stressed the need to manage and resolve differences between two and uphold the principle of non-interference in other’s internal affairs.
• External Affairs Minister met the Chinese envoy, and he emphasized that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential to maintaining bilateral ties.
• “The normalization of India-China relations is in the interest of both countries, of Asia and the world at large,” he added. (here)

Rishi Sunak greenlights 3,000 UK visas for Indians

• The UK will offer 3,000 places annually to 18-30-year-old graduate Indian to live and work in the UK for up to two years.
• The scheme will be reciprocal.
• The announcement came just hours after Sunak met with PM Modi.
• The UK said India is the first visa-national country to benefit from such a scheme, highlighting the strength of the UK-India Migration and Mobility Partnership agreed upon last year.
• The UK is currently negotiating a trade deal with India – if agreed it will be the first deal of its kind India has made with a European country. (here)

India using technology as weapon against poverty, says PM Modi

• India’s technology and innovation have already impressed the world but the future will be much bigger, PM Modi said at the Bengaluru Tech summit via a pre-recorded video message.
• Highlighting Bengaluru’s top position on India’s Innovation Index for years, PM Modi called the city the home of technology and thought leadership.
• The PM stressed that India is no more a place known for red tapism and lays red carpet for investors.
• He also informed that India jumped to the 40^th rank in the Global Innovation Index from 81^st rank in 2015 this year. (here)

Johnson and Johnson can manufacture baby powder: Bombay HC

• The Bombay High Court said that Johnson and Johnson should start manufacturing baby powder at their own risk.
• However, the ban imposed by the Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) on sale and distribution remains in force till Nov 30.
• Bombay High Court directed the state govt that baby powder will be newly tested in three laboratories.
• The court said new samples of powder must be tested within three days and report within a week.

BRO to complete Kailash Mansarovar road up to Lipulekh by 2024

• Amid the push for early completion, the BRO is expected to complete the work on the strategic road to Lipulekh near the China border for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra by 2024.
• Armey Chief Engineer said that after the road project is completed, the travel time for the pilgrims would come down by almost a week.
• The distance from Dharchula to Kailash Mansarovar is only 115 kms.
• The govt has provided all possible support to the project and the heavy-lift chinook helicopters have been used to transport equipment to higher reaches.
• He said there is also a plan to build tunnels on the route on some portions to reduce the time taken and avoid unstable portions.
• The new route involves travelling up to Pithorgath and then to Lipulekh Pass which is on border with China. (here)

At COP27, EU says will back India’s ‘all’ fossil fuels phase out bid if coal pact ‘not diminished’

• The EU has said it will support India’s proposal to phase down “all” fossil fuels as long as it “doesn’t diminish the earlier agreement we had on phasing down coal”.
• Executive vice president for the European Green Deal, said Tue, in a press statement at the ongoing COP27 climate summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh.
• The statement doubled down on agreement on during the COP26 in Glasgow, which singled out coal phase down, and had initially called for it to be phased out.
• India was among the countries that opposed the phase out of coal, citing the govt’s responsibility to provide its citizens with energy security.
• Most of India’s electricity generation is coal-dependent. (here)

Indian refiners wary of buying Russian oil after 5 Dec when EU sanctions take effect, says report

• ThePrint (sources)-Indian refiners are wary of buying Russia crude oil loading after Dec 5 when EU sanctions take effect, pending clarity on the proposed G7 price cap mechanism.
• Chinese refiners have already begun slowing down Russian oil imports from next month.
• The Asian giants, who are 2 of the world’s top 3 importers, had become Russia’s biggest customers after the West shunned Russian oil after the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
• Reduced buying by both would leave Russia chasing alternative customers, potentially lower prices even if those new buyers are unlikely to join a plan by rich nations. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

G20: Xi-Sunak meeting called off due to ‘scheduling issues’

• A scheduled meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was called off, prompting questions about ties between the two.
• Had it occurred, the meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit would have been the first in-person bilateral talks between the leaders of the two countries in 5 years.
• A Downing Street said on Wed that the meeting was canceled due to “scheduling issues”.
• The Guardian tweeted that the meeting was canceled “because of time pressures after the snap meeting this morning on the missiles in Poland”.
• Chinese foreign ministry on cancelation: “I have no information to share with you.”
• “We stand ready to support Taiwan, as we do in standing up to Chinese aggression,” Sunak said.
• Sunak labelled China the “biggest long-term threat to Britain” and vowed to be tough on the country when he ran against Truss. (here) 
• Xi calls for French respect and cooperation in meeting with Macron; Macrone responds by urging a united approach between Beijing and Paris against the war in Ukraine.
• A footage from G20 in which Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Chinese Prez Xi are seen engaged in a heated argument as the latter expresses displeasure over details of talks getting leaked to media.

Terrorist attack in Lakki Marwat martyrs six policemen, including ASI

• At least 6 policemen were martyred when two terrorists on a motorcycle opened fire on their mobile during routine patrolling, officials confirmed Wed.
• Terrorists open fire on police mobile during routine patrolling.
• Lakki Marwat police say a search operation is underway.
• PM Shehbaz Sharif, and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah condemn it.
• In a statement issued shortly after the attack, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned it and paid tribute to the martyred policemen. (here)

PTI’s long march continues

• PTI’s long march enters another day as it moves towards Islamabad.
• Islamabad High Court to hear PTI’s NOC plea on Nov 18.
• Imran Khan says PTI looks at CJP for justice in Sharif, Swati, Wazirabad case.
• PTI chief requests CJP Bandial to hear all 3 ‘landmark’ cases
• Khan says he does not blame Washington for ouster anymore.
• PM Shehbaz-led government wants Khan to pay a political price for a U-turn.

Gilgit-Baltistan CM unhappy with unavelaibilty of allocated 3bn from fedral govt

• Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Khalid Khurshid alleged that the Federal PDM Govt did not provide them any funds from the Flood Relief but gave Rs.3bn allotted for the GB Council.
• He expressed displeasure over non-payment of compensation to flood affected families as per the approved policy.
• He warned all the concerned officials to stop unnecessary delaying tactics and provide immediate relief to flood affected families.
• CM Khurshid blamed the federal government for the wheat crisis in the province due to a delay in supply of 1.6 million wheat sacks. (Baad-e-Shimal, Daily K2)