1. India supports UN resolution calling upon Israel to withdraw from Golan Heights
2. US sent officials to India to ‘press for probe into plot to kill Pannun’
3. Indian govt signs peace accord with Manipur’s insurgent group UNLF, Shah calls it ‘historic milestone’
4. India launches 1st -ever auction for critical minerals, transition towards clean energy
5. Afghan diplomat in India asserts allegiance to Republic amid Taliban claims

What Else

6. Rajasthan Woman Anju, Who Fled to Pak to Marry Facebook Friend, Returns to India
7. US House Foreign Affairs Committee approves ‘Resolve Tibet Act’ for Tibet-China dispute
8. Pakistan: Islamabad High Court acquits Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield reference case
9. Pakistan: Saudi Arabia extends term of $3b deposit for another year

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India supports UN resolution calling upon Israel to withdraw from Golan Heights

• The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling upon Israel to withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights.
• India is among the 91 nations to have voted in favor of the resolution.
• “The UNGA reiterates its demand that Israel withdraw from all occupied Syrian Golan to the line of Jun 4, 1967, in compliance with the relevant Security Council resolutions.”
• Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 6-day war in 1967.
• 91 countries, including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, China, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, and Indonesia, among others, voted in favor of the resolution at the UN.
• Meanwhile, 8 countries — Australia, UK, US, Palau, Micronesia, Israel, Canada, and the Marshall Islands voted against it.
• 62 countries, including Ukraine, France, Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Japan, Kenya, Poland, Austria, and Spain, among others, abstained on Tue, Nov 28. (here)
• PM Modi has been sending messages traditionally on this day.
• The significance of Nov 29 harks back to 1977 when the UN designated it as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, coinciding with the adoption of the resolution on the partition of Palestine in 1947.
• 16 more hostages freed from Gaza as part of Israeli-Hamas truce: 16 people who were being held hostage in Gaza were handed over to Israeli officials on Wed, the 2^nd and last day of a 2-day extension of a truce between Israel and the Palestinian group.
• In a repeat of scenes over the past six days during a humanitarian pause in hostilities, the civilians were under the truce released to the ICRC and driven in vehicles to Israel.
• Under the terms of the Qatari-mediated deal, 30 Palestinians — 16 minors and 14 women — will be released on Wed in exchange, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry stated.
• Truce Extention Talks: US Secy of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv, his 3^rd trip to the region since the Oct. 7 attack, and was set to meet with Israeli leaders to discuss extending the temporary truce and boosting humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
• Israel has released 180 Palestinian detainees, all women and teenagers. (here)

US sent officials to India to ‘press for probe into plot to kill Pannun’

• The US sent its 2 top intelligence officials to India to press for an investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist leader on American soil earlier this year.
• According to The Washington Post, federal prosecutors are expected to file a superseding indictment against an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, in a NY court on Wed
• The report came on a day when India said that it has constituted a high-level inquiry committee to probe allegations relating to a conspiracy.
• The US has ‘discovered’ a plot to assassinate a separatist Sikh leader on US soil.
• The issue has been raised by top leadership including President Joe Biden and CIA Director William Burns and they have demanded New Delhi to hold those accountable. (here)
• From US court doc: Details on plot to kill Pannu CC1= Indian Govt Employee Nikhil Gupta alias Nick: Alleged mastermind,
• Indian national, arrested by Czech Govt CS: works with Gupta, but is US govt agent US: Hitman introduced to Gupta by CS but is US govt agent
• 15-page US court details how the plan was to kill Khalistani extremist Pannu, names one Nick who was recruited to “orchestrate the assassination of the victim“;
• Mentions how $15000 was arranged, pictures released in the court document.
• CC1 instructed Gupta not to kill Pannu around high India US diplomatic engagements
• Nikhil Gupta arrested by Czech Govt at request of US govt
• Prosecutors described Pannun as a “vocal critic of the Indian govt who leads a US-based organization that advocates for the secession of India’s Punjab state”.
• The organization, Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), is banned in India.
• On Wed, the MEA said the US side shared some “inputs” about the nexus and that India takes such inputs seriously since they impinge on “our national security interests as well” and that relevant departments were examining the issue.
• Piggybacking on USA, Trudeau urges India to take Canada’s claims seriously: Amid claims made by the US govt that it foiled an assassination attempt against a Sikh separatist leader on its soil by an Indian, Canada’s Trudeau has chimed in with a response.
• The Canadian PM urged India to take Ottawa’s allegations seriously, referring to the murder of another separatist leader Nijjar in Vancouver, earlier this year (here)

Indian govt signs peace accord with Manipur’s insurgent group UNLF, Shah calls it ‘historic milestone’

• In what has been described as a ‘historic milestone’, the Indian govt on Wed confirmed that it has signed a peace deal with Manipur’s banned armed group UNLF, paving the way for normalcy to return in the violence-hit north-eastern state.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to social media X to laud the oldest valley-based armed group’s decision to shun violence and join the mainstream.
• “UNLF, the oldest valley-based armed group of Manipur has agreed to renounce violence and join the mainstream,” the home minister added.
• Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also termed it as “a significant milestone.”
• Insurgent groups activity sliding in state: The peace talks between the government and the insurgent group began last year, according to reports. It was paused for a brief period due to the ethnic strife in the state that broke out on May 3.
• It is considered a breakthrough as no valley-based Meitei insurgent group had ever come to an agreement with the Indian govt or even participated in peace talks. (here)

India launches 1^st-ever auction for critical minerals, transition towards clean energy

• The Indian government launched the first-ever auction process for critical minerals in a bid to boost the economy while also paying way towards clean energy.
• The first tranche of $5.36 billion worth of 20 blocks of critical and strategic minerals was put up for auction on Nov 29 by the Indian Ministry of Mines.
• Minister of Coal, and Mines, Pralhad Joshi while launching the auction process said, “We have identified a total of 100 blocks for auction. Of these, 20 are being offered“
• These 20 blocks which have been put under the hammer are located in different parts of the country.
• The blocks are located in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and the Union Territory of J&K. (here)

Afghan diplomat in India asserts allegiance to Republic amid Taliban claims

• Amid the Taliban’s claims to take control of the Afghan embassy in Delhi, Afghan diplomat Zakia Wardak has staunchly asserted her allegiance to the Afghan republic.
• Wardak, who has been serving as the consul general of Afghanistan in Mumbai for several years, emphasized, “We are working under the flag of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.”
• The Afghan Republic’s flag, a tricolor featuring vertical black, red, and green stripes with the national emblem in white at the center, serves as a picture of Wardak’s alignment.
• This flag is distinctly different from the Taliban’s, which bears a white field with a black Shahada inscription. (here)
• “Afghan consulates reopened in Mumbai, Hydrabad”, claims Taliban Min: India has not recognized the Taliban govt — which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 — and evacuated its staff from Kabul two years ago.
• India no longer has a diplomatic presence there. (here)

Rajasthan Woman Anju, Who Fled to Pak to Marry Facebook Friend, Returns to India

• A woman from Rajasthan, who shot into the limelight after leaving her husband and two children to marry her lover in Pakistan, returned to her homeland on Thu.
• 34-year-old Anju, who is living with her husband Pakistan national Nasrullah in KP, entered India via the Wagah Border.
• After several rounds of interrogation by the agencies, she was allowed to travel to her home country to meet her family.
• She was taken to Amritsar airport from where she reached Delhi.
• Since July, Anju aka Fatima has been living in Pakistan with her 29-year-old husband Nasrullah, whom she met via Facebook.
• Pakistani media also reported that the 34-year-old woman has also accepted Islam. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

US House Foreign Affairs Committee approves ‘Resolve Tibet Act’ for Tibet-China dispute

• A bill aimed at firming US efforts to push China to negotiate with the Dalai Lama’s envoys to resolve the ongoing Tibet-China dispute can now proceed to the House floor, following a unanimous vote by the US House FAC on Wed.
• The bipartisan legislation, known as the Resolve Tibet Act, received approval at a markup meeting attended by Tibetan Americans, as per the Washington-based ICT.
• The Resolve Tibet Act establishes official US policy that China must resume dialogue with the Dalai Lama’s envoys, emphasizing the unresolved conflict between Tibet and China and Tibet’s undetermined legal status under international law. (here)

Pakistan: Islamabad High Court acquits Nawaz Sharif in Avenfield reference case

• The Islamabad High Court acquitted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif in the Avenfield reference case, on Wed.
• It reported that a bench comprising Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb announced the verdict.
• During the hearing today, Nawaz’s counsel took to the rostrum and contended that the accountability court had acquitted Nawaz from Section 9A of the NAB Ordinance.
• He added that now only Section 9A(5) remains in the case which pertains to assets beyond means and then read the law out in court.
• Sharif was convicted in the Avenfield reference and the Al-Azizia reference respectively in July 2018 and Dec 2018.
• The National Accountability Bureau filed these references on the order given by the Supreme Court. (here)

Pakistan: Saudi Arabia extends term of $3b deposit for another year

• Pakistan’s central bank on Wed reported that Saudi Arabia had extended the period of its deposits worth $3 billion for another year, a move that would help the country maintain its foreign exchange reserves and strengthen its domestic economy.
• It added that the said amount has been placed with SBP on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
• It is worth noting that the USD3 billion-deposit agreement was initially signed through the SFD with the SBP in the year 2021 and rolled over subsequently in 2022, after the issuance of the royal directives that reflect the continuation of the close relationship between the two brotherly countries. (here)