[NEWS OF THE DAY]

1. Hexacopter drone with 5 kg heroin found near India-Pakistan border in Punjab’s Tarn Taran
2. ‘No veto on our military exercise’: India rejects Chinese demur to US ‘Yuddh Abhyas’ war games near its border
3. India ready to take its place at UNSC, G20, other top tables globally: Indian representative to UN
4. Gangster Goldy Brar detained in California: Sources
5. IAF actively monitoring Chinese drone activities in North-East, fighter aircraft on alert to prevent air space violations

What Else

6. India mostly used force defensively when threatened, almost always within its borders: Jaishankar
7. Fact check: NO curfew in Mumbai, Section 144 imposed from Dec 3 to 17
8. ‘Islamic Resistance Council’ claims responsibility for Mangaluru blast, police register fresh FIR
9. Now use your face as boarding pass at Delhi, Varanasi and Bengaluru airports
10. ISRO espionage case: SC asks Kerala HC to reconsider bails to those who allegedly framed Nambi Narayanan
11. Biden signals to Macron openness to Inflation Reduction Act ‘tweaks’ to cut reliance on China
12. UK parliament committee chair says she talked defence cooperation on Taiwan trip
13. Sri Lanka: Jaffna University refuses to sign MoU with China, says Beijing has hidden agenda
14. Gen (retd) Bajwa advised us to support PTI at time of no-trust move, claims Moonis Elahi
15. Balochistan police arrest Senator Azam Swati in controversial tweets case
16. Saudi Arabia extends term of $3 billion deposited with SBP

What Media is Cooking

Hexacopter drone with 5 kg heroin found near India-Pakistan border in Punjab’s Tarn Taran

• Security forces found a hexacopter equipped with packets containing heroin weighing 5 kg from a field near the Indo-Pak border in the Tarn Taran on Fri.
• Tarn Taran Police in a joint search operation with the Border Security Force found it.
• Further details are awaited. Previously, BSF Chief said that the force has so far this year shot down 16 drones and the BSF has adopted an anti-drone system.
• Besides, BSF has started 3-4 km in-depth patrolling so that the person trying to pick up the illegal items dropped by these drones can be caught.
• BSF shot down 16 drones till Nov whereas only 1 drone was shot down last year.
• The total number of drones shot down till the end of this year may increase to 25. (here)

‘No veto on our military exercise’: India rejects Chinese demur to US ‘Yuddh Abhyas’ war games near its border

• China has groaned that the ongoing India-US ‘Yudh Abhyas’ in Uttarakhand breaches Sino-Indian bilateral accords for border peace.
• Also, India has invited Beijing to reflect on its violations of the pacts in the form of Chinese transgressions in eastern Ladakh.
• The exercise near the Line of Actual Control is also seen by China as an attempt by the US to influence in India-China border relations.
• In response to China’s objections, the ministry of external affairs stated that India has not granted any 3^rd country a “veto” on who to conduct a military exercise with.
• “But since these were raised by the Chinese side, I must emphasize that the Chinese side needs to reflect and think about its breach of the agreements of 1993 and 1996,” said MEA.
• The 1993 agreement for sustaining peace and serenity along the LAC, but the 1996 agreement deals with military confidence-building measures along the LAC. (here)

India ready to take its place at UNSC, G20, other top tables globally: Indian representative to UN

• India is ready to take the presidency of G-20 and the UNSC as the country is willing to bring solutions to the table, India’s Permanent envoy to the UN Ruchira Kamboj said on Fri.
• During the press briefing, when asked about UNSC reforms and India’s permanent seat at the UNSC, Kamboj said, “India is ready to take its place at the global top tables as a country that is willing to bring solutions to the table.”
• India has been one of the leading voices for the long-standing reforms due in the UNSC.
• Proposals to restructure the UNSC have hit a stalemate in the UN General Assembly.
• India, on Thu, assumed the Presidency of the UN Security Council for Dec.
• It is the second time in its 2-year tenure as an elected member of the UN Security Council that India has assumed the Presidency of the Council. (here)
• Two signature events- Counter Terror and Reformed Multilateralism,  will be chaired by EAM Jaishankar.

Gangster Goldy Brar detained in California: Sources

• (sources) Gangster Goldy Brar, known for several killings including being accused in the infamous Siddhu Moosewala murder case, has been detained in California.
• According to reports from India’s security agencies, mobster Goldy Brar claimed responsibility for the murder of a Punjabi musician.
• International sources have provided significant assistance to India’s intelligence agencies.
• No official statement has been received from the California govt in this case as of yet.
• However, intelligence agencies RAW, IB, Delhi Police Special Cell, and Punjab Intelligence have all received information that Goldie Brar has been apprehended.
• Brar claimed responsibility for the murder on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang, and the state police had “left no stone unturned” in their efforts to extradite. (here)
• National Investigation Agency confirms the arrest of Harpreet Singh, an accused Ludhiyana court blast case, and an associate of Lakhbir Singh Rode, a Pak-based operative.

IAF actively monitoring Chinese drone activities in North-East, fighter aircraft on alert to prevent air space violations

• (sources)- The Indian Air Force is keeping a close watch on Chinese drones along the Line of Actual Control in the NE as in many cases they have tried to fly toward the Indian side.
• The actions have to be taken as the drones or any aircraft can not be allowed to violate airspace, they said.
• If the drones are flying parallel to the LAC, as per the agreements, the two sides do not have any issues with it.
• but if the aircraft or drones are picked up by radars flying towards Indian territory, it is necessary actions have to be taken to prevent any violation, they said.
• The Indian Air Force has a strong presence in the NE with squadrons of Su-30 fighter jets deployed at multiple locations including Tezpur and Chhabra in Assam.
• The Rafale combat jets have also been deployed very close to Hashimara, West Bengal.
• The system can take care of any aerial threat over the almost entire area.
• The two sides recently agreed on measures to prevent any aerial escalation after the violation of air space by the Chinese in the Ladakh sector earlier this year. (here)

India mostly used force defensively when threatened, almost always within its borders: Jaishankar

• If India is threatened tomorrow, there is no ambiguity that it will use force, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Thu.
• However, he also stated that the country has been cautious on the use of force, noting that since Independence, India has “mostly used force defensively”
• Today, most countries – the U.S. is an exception – tend to be cautious about the use of force outside their jurisdictions, he said.
• To a question on the application of force outside the national jurisdiction, posed at a book launch, Dr. Jaishankar said that India had relatively limited experience with that.
• “One is Sri Lanka in 1987. It was a very difficult, very troubling, and end of the day a very counter-productive experience. That did scar policymakers for a generation” he said. (here)

Fact check: NO curfew in Mumbai, Section 144 imposed from Dec 3 to 17

• The city police have imposed Section 144 and banned gatherings of 5 or more people across the city from Dec 3-17.
• However, it is to be noted that it is NOT a curfew and the move has been taken by the city police to ensure peace in the city and avoid any kind of disruptions in public order.
• Any procession of any person is prohibited
• Any use of loudspeakers, musical instruments, and bursting of firecrackers is prohibited
• The police have also imposed an arms ban in Mumbai from Dec 4 to Jan 2.
• Social media users quickly took to Twitter to wonder if a ‘curfew’ has been imposed by the Mumbai Police. There was a common question asked by almost all: Is it true? (here)

‘Islamic Resistance Council’ claims responsibility for Mangaluru blast, police register fresh FIR

• After an unknown group called the ‘Islamic Resistance Council’ claimed the responsibility for the Mangaluru cooker bomb blast, the police registered a fresh case on Mon.
• Very little is known about the organization that has claimed responsibility for the terror act in which 2 people including the perpetrator and an auto driver were hurt.
• ‘Islamic Resistance Council’ claimed responsibility for the incident through a release, which mentioned a temple as the target they wished to hit.
• The circular also elaborated on why they decided to carry out the attack and threatened a few IPS officers.
• Meanwhile, the prime accused in the case Shariq was asked about the Council’ but His responses were deemed unsatisfactory by the investigators. (here)

Now use your face as boarding pass at Delhi, Varanasi and Bengaluru airports

• Passengers traveling from Delhi, Varanasi, and Bengaluru will be able to use their face as a boarding pass from Dec 1 to enter these airports, access the security check area, and enter the boarding gate.
• Travelers will have to mandatorily provide their Aadhaar details to avail themselves of this service.
• The technology, however, is not available at airline check-in counters at the moment and is expected to be introduced at a later stage, said airport sources. (here)

ISRO espionage case: SC asks Kerala HC to reconsider bails to those who allegedly framed Nambi Narayanan

• In a big development, the Supreme Court of India quashed the Kerala High Court order granting anticipatory bail to some policemen and Intelligence Bureau personnel.
• The apex court also asked to consider the bail afresh on merits and for the accused to be protected from arrest till the HC decides on their anticipatory bail plea.
• The Central Bureau of Investigation had told the SC that HC granted the bail without considering the serious charges pending against the accused.
• It added that the accused were a part of the international conspiracy to delay the development of technology for the cryogenic rocket engine project by India.
• The SC has ordered that the anticipatory bail petitions of 5 police and IB personnel be reconsidered 1 year and 3 months after they were granted respite. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Biden signals to Macron openness to Inflation Reduction Act ‘tweaks’ to cut reliance on China

• A day after France’s leader slammed provisions of the US president’s climate bill as “very aggressive”, the two seemed to have reached an understanding after their bilateral meeting in Washington on Thu.
• While declaring the US made “no apology” for the law.
• Joe Biden noted during a joint press conference with Emmanuel Macron that when “writing a massive piece” of legislation “there’s going to be glitches and a need to reconcile changes”.
• “There are tweaks that we can make that can fundamentally make it easier for European countries to participate and/or be on their own,” Biden said.
• Instead, “…no longer in a position, when there was a pandemic in Asia and China, decided they’re going to no longer sell us computer chips”, the American leader said.
• Macron, who is on an official state visit to the US, said he was “confident” that “we can work out some of the differences that exist”. (here)
• Will continue to coordinate our concerns regarding China’s challenge to the rules-based international order: US-France Joint statement

UK parliament committee chair says she talked defence cooperation on Taiwan trip

• A senior British lawmaker said on Frid her delegation had discussed defense cooperation with Taiwan during a visit this week to Taiwan.
• However, the Chinese claims island that Beijing has condemned as “gross interference”.
• Britain, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but has stepped up its support for the island in the face of a rising military threat from China.
• Alicia Kearns, chair of the UK parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told reporters the focus of their meetings was how to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
• “We talked about the joint cyber threats …, we discussed disinformation and of course, we discussed traditional military conflict,” she said.
• While the US is the most important foreign source of weapons, British companies have been helping develop Taiwan’s new fleet of domestically built submarines.
• Kearns did not directly answer a question on that program. (here)

Sri Lanka: Jaffna University refuses to sign MoU with China, says Beijing has hidden agenda

• China and Sri Lanka’s relationship has become more strained as Jaffna University recently refused to sign an MoU with China’s State Agri. University, saying that the deal has hidden the agenda of Beijing to grab fertile lands.
• Meanwhile, the students’ Union appealed to the Govt not to sign MoUs with China against the will of the people.
• In a statement, on Nov 28, Lanka’s Student Union of Jaffna University expressed shock that a “secret arrangement was made to sign an MoU strongly supported by the Govt of Sri Lanka.”
• Based on the approach of China, the union suspected that Columbo has already made secret deals with Beijing to sell the lands and the seas in the North and East to China. (here)

Gen (retd) Bajwa advised us to support PTI at time of no-trust move, claims Moonis Elahi

• PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi revealed that former army chief Gen (R) Qamar Javed Bajwa had advised them to back PTI when the no-confidence motion.
• Moonis, during an interview with a private TV channel, said that both Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) had made offers to them.
• “When he was giving you all-out support, he was right,” Moonis said, wondering if Bajwa had now become a traitor to them.
• Moonis said that there was no doubt that the former COAS fully supported the PTI, but when he withdrew his support, he had become a bad person. (here)

Balochistan police arrest Senator Azam Swati in controversial tweets case

• The Balochistan police on Fri arrested PTI Senator Azam Swati and took him to Quetta related to the case registered against him for the controversial tweets he posted against senior military officers.
• Sources say Balochistan police arrested Swati over different cases registered against the senator across the province.
• The arrest came minutes after the IHC reserved verdict on the senator’s plea seeking details of cases registered across the country.
• IHC CJ remarks that the court cannot give directions to any province or its home ministries. (here)

Saudi Arabia extends term of $3 billion deposited with SBP

• The State Bank of Pakistan announced on Fri that Saudi Arabia has extended the term for the $3 billion deposited with the central bank.
• In Sept, Saudi Fund for Development confirmed the rollover of the deposit for a year.
• SBP says the extension is a “continuation of the support provided” to shore up Pakistan’s forex reserves.
• Says deposit has contributed to Pakistan’s aim of meeting “external sector challenges and achieving sustainable economic growth”. (here)