Tag: g20 summit

Worldview with Suhasini Haidar | G-20 Summit | The big wins and the takeaways

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So, here are the big takeaways from the 18th G20 Summit in Delhi

1. New Delhi Leadership Declaration 

2. Ukraine Paragraphs 

3. African Union membership 

4.Climate Change 

5. Bio-fuel alliance 

6. IMEC

 7. Review meeting of G20 

Let’s just tell you a bit about each 

1.     A joint declaration- this was the most important success of the Summit- with 83 paragraphs in all over 32 pages, with about 5 pages of annexures.  

Thus far there had been close to 200 G20 meetings in 60 cities across the country, and so far, not even one of those meetings had been able to put out a joint statement- ending instead with a Chair’s Summary or an outcome document. We will tell you in a bit how this was achieved. But what’s important to remember is that no G20 thus far has failed to put out a joint declaration, and India ensure that record is kept- and skilful negotiations by India’s Sherpa team and officials on this Summit, have actually made it much easier for the next summit in Brazil. Whats also significant is that the Summit statement was declared as a win by both sides 

2.     How was this achieved? 

 G-20 has been broadly divided on the Ukraine conflict with 

-G-7 countries, European Union and American Allies Australia and South Korea on one side- that wanted tough references to Russia as an aggressor, and no reference to sanctions 

-Russia and China combine on the other side- that was opposed to any references of Russia, and the war itself, and wanted references to western sanctions 

-The countries in the middle- India, Brazil, Argentina, Indonesia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye- Significantly all members or observers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)- that broadly criticise the war, but don’t join sanctions 

Most significant were the 8 paragraphs in the Joint statement on pages 5 and 6 that pertained to the Ukraine War. Significantly, and especially compared with the Bali Statement

1. The paragraph wasn’t titled Geopolitical Issues or Ukraine, but “For the Planet, People, Peace and Prosperity”

2 It didn’t directly refer to Russia as an aggressor in the Ukraine war, although it referenced the UNGA resolutions that did 

3 It recognised that the G20 is not the platform to resolve geopolitical and security issues, however that the conflict can have significant consequences for the global economy 

4. It adds that in line with the UN Charter, all states must refrain from the threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state

 5. It doesn’t refer directly to sanctions by the west, but to “negative added impacts” of the war

6.  The use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible. 

7. It also adds a paragraph on reviving the Black Sea Grain Initiative, that was lapsed in July this year- giving Russia more access to the SWIFT financial system despite Western sanctions, and Ukraine grain and oil exports to be sent out despite the Russian blockade. 

Let me just show you quickly what they did- talks went into an impasse a day before the G20 summit, this is the proposal that India Indonesia Brazil and South Africa gave in- we reported on it exclusively at The Hindu, and as you can see, it has been brought into the G20 declaration, word for word.

Moving on to the other achievements- where there wasn’t always agreement: 

3.     African Union membership: While this is a long pending demand of the 55 nation AU, India lead the push to bring in the AU, the second regional organisation that is a member of G20 after the EU. This will significantly alter the composition of the G20, and could pave the way for others like CELAC and ASEAN to join as well. 

4.     On Climate change, the outcomes were a mixed bag- while the statement committed to tripling renewable energy by 2030 and spelt out the need for nearly 10 trillion dollars in climate financing for the developing countries, it couldn’t record an agreement on phasing out coal or fossil fuels, and didn’t set new ambitious deadlines for net zero ambitions 

5.     Next was the launch of a bio-fuel alliance, something both India and Brazil have been working on, essentially to make ethanol and other bio fuels a mandatory part of the global fuel mix. The GBA is made up of India, the US, Brazil, Argentina, Bangladesh, Italy, Mauritius, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates, with Canada and Singapore as observers 

6.     On the sidelines of the meeting was what is called a game changer plan for an India-Middle East Infrastructure Corridor or (IMEC) of 8000 kms, that would see a shipping route from India to Dubai, a rail corridor across Middle eastern countries from Oman and UAE to Saudi and even possibly Israel, and then onto Europe and even UK, billed as an answer to the Chinese BRI. While the plan is ambitious, it is at present an MoU, and questions that remain to be answered are who will fund the rail line, whether the ship-rail-ship-rail route would prove as effective as current shipping routes through, and how long will the corridor take to build. 

7.     Finally- PM Modi has proposed a Review meeting of G20 objectives in November this year, before India formally hands over to Brazil. 

While diplomacy is never a zero-sum game of winners and losers, let’s just tell you who got the glory and stood in the spotlight, and took some shade: 

1. India- Indian diplomacy, including PM Modi’s outreach to leaders ensured that all G20 countries had a stake in the success of the Indian Presidency 

2. Russia- Russia has definitely gained from the Statement, that erases blame to Russia for the war, even though European leaders claimed Russia was isolated. 

3. Multilateralism- The fact that all countries were willing to compromise in order to forge a G20 declaration- given many feared the absence of a statement would have been the end of the G20 one of the only forums other than the UNSC where both sides of the geopolitical divide are represented. Some fear that if G20 disappears, groups like the now 11 member BRICS, and the G7, European Union and allies would divide the world further

 4. Global South- The voice of the Global South has been amplified in the G20 statement and outcomes, and need to give developing world issues a priority, especially with African Union inside the G20 now. 

5. G20 Process: India’s push to democratise and popularise the G20, take it to other cities, make it more about local culture and flavours will endure, although other countries have made it clear they will not spend the same amount that India has. 

On the shade side: 

1. China: By skipping the Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping missed being a major part of the proceedings, and China was absent from important initiatives like inducting the AU and the biofuel alliance 

2. Western alliance- Ukraine was the first to criticise the G20 declaration as “nothing to be proud of”, and each of the leaders, including Biden, Trudeau, Macron, Scholz etc took heat from their media on what papers called a  “climbdown” and even a “sellout” 

3. Mr. Trudeau himself came in for much unflattering commentary- as he skipped many of the G20 meetings, and the conversations with PM Modi showed both as quite uncomfortable- which ended with both sides airing their differences over Khalistan issue for India and the issue of foreign interference for Canada. Making matters worse, Mr. Trudeau plane developed technical issues and he was not able to take off from Delhi for 2 days.

 4. Visiting media was also critical of the fact that press access at the G20 was limited and they also commented on the fact that only PM Modi’s billboards dotted the roads and the G20 venue, without any photos of other leaders 

WV Take

There is no taking away from India’s G20 success, which has left an indelible mark on both the outcomes and the G20 process itself. What is important is that the world preserve this moment of consensus and build on it to bring the most pressing conflicts and resulting sanctions to an end at the earliest. India’s push for multilateralism and a multipolar world, and its adherence to a middle path that ultimately won it this major diplomatic moment. 

Script and Presentation: Suhasini Haidar

Production: Gayatri Menon and Reenu Cyriac

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Opinion: For G20 Delhi Declaration, G7 Ceded Major Ground On Ukraine

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The G20 Summit has snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, with its success in delivering the New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration. There was apprehension that much like the G20 meetings of the Foreign, Finance, and Development Ministers, which could not produce joint statements because of differences over the Ukraine conflict – a Chair’s Summary was issued by India in each case – the Summit would fail to establish a consensus document. This pessimism has been happily belied.

Russia, supported by China, had already rejected the repetition of the compromise language on the Ukraine war in the Bali Leaders’ Declaration under Indonesia’s Presidency in 2022. The position of the West has been hardening over this time with increasing financial support and arms supplies to Ukraine, including cluster bombs, uranium-enriched ammunition, and advanced missiles to enable it to launch its so-called spring offensive to gain an upper hand militarily and force Russia to come to the peace table. Against this backdrop, it seemed most unlikely that these fundamental differences over the Ukraine conflict could be bridged and a compromise language could be drafted to enable a joint statement. 

It is to the credit of New Delhi’s diplomacy, backed by the international standing of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that India could help forge a compromise language on the Ukraine conflict. In this effort, the weight of the Global South has been a critical element, in that Indonesia, Brazil, and South Africa, the past and future Presidents of G20, and Global South heavyweights, mediated the language, supported also by Mexico and Turkey. Neither the G7 Plus members of G20 nor Russia and China, which have great stakes in the Global South, could have rebuffed these efforts. 

The G20 platform, created by the G7, was meant to accommodate the major developing countries in decision-making on economic and financial matters at the international level. The G7 would want to preserve this platform in which they have a major say, rather than reduce its salience if the Summit in Delhi had ended without a consensus document. The recent expansion of BRICS to G11, with further expansions in the pipeline, excludes the G7 and thus sidelines its influence and control over the agenda. This move was strategically aimed at challenging the established Western global dominance. It was a significant factor taken into account to prevent the G20 Summit from concluding with discord.

It is not surprising therefore that Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Adviser, called the declaration a “significant milestone” and “a vote of confidence that the G20 can come together to address a pressing range of issues”. 

The US, no doubt, also had in mind its own bilateral ties with India in handling the summit. It would have been kept in mind that in the context of India and the US forging increasingly close ties, it would be a blow to India and to Prime Minister Modi personally if the US-led G7 allowed the summit to end inconclusively. For India, the G20 Presidency was an occasion to showcase a new, confident, economically rising India that is determined to play a more active role in shaping a new international order that is more democratic and equitable and remains a bridge between East and West as well as North and South. The constructive role played by G7 leaders in contributing to the success of the summit, leaders with whom Modi has built productive ties, needs to be acknowledged. 

Russia, which the West has wanted to isolate diplomatically, is reaching out successfully to the Global South, especially the African countries. China too, through its Belt and Road Initiative, has made vast inroads into the Global South in order to position itself as a rival to the US in terms of global power. Both Russia and China, also with the growing pull of the Global South towards BRICS, would have also been responsive to pressure by developing countries to reach a compromise language on Ukraine. 

In the event, to secure the language of consensus, the G7 has ceded major ground on the Ukraine conflict, compared to the language in the Bali Declaration. There is no reference at all to Russia by name in the document. There is no “deploring in the strongest terms Russia’s aggression against Ukraine” or reference to “Russia’s complete and unconditional withdrawal from Ukrainian territory”, as in the Bali Declaration. The war in Ukraine has also been placed in the wider context of “the immense suffering and the adverse impact of wars and conflicts around the world”. 

The addition in the Delhi Declaration that “all states must refrain from threat or use of force to seek territorial acquisition against territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state” is a general statement of principle which, even if it indirectly refers to Russia’s action in Ukraine, Russia could live with, especially as it argues that in Ukraine the principle of self-determination enshrined in the UN Charter is involved and that the Ukrainian territories in question have been incorporated into Russia after referenda. 

Some elements of the Bali Declaration have been reincorporated in the Delhi Declaration, again in terms of general principles, such as the “use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible”. Russia did not oppose this formulation at Bali either. Russia did not object when this was said in the document between China and the EU. That “there were different views and assessments of the situation” with regard to the impact of the war in Ukraine is repeated from the Bali Declaration is language that accommodates Russia, but omitting the word “sanctions” in this sentence, was clearly a concession to the G7 that believes its sanctions are justified. 

On the contentious issue of food grain and fertiliser exports from the region (the Black Sea Initiative), which Russia has suspended, Russia has got satisfaction as the Declaration calls for full and timely implementation of the UN-brokered Istanbul Agreements to “ensure the immediate and unimpeded deliveries of grain, foodstuffs ad fertilisers/inputs from the Russian Federation and Ukraine”, necessary to meet the demand in developing and least developed countries, particularly in Africa. Russia has been arguing that contrary to the agreement in question, Russian agricultural exports are being impeded by the West by various forms of sanctions. Clearly, the weight of the Global South has been felt in drafting this text. 

The call in the Declaration to welcome all relevant and constructive initiatives that support comprehensive, just, and durable peace in Ukraine, besides upholding the principles of the UN Charter for the promotion of peaceful, friendly, and good neighbourly relations among nations in the spirit of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, is a bow to India.

(Kanwal Sibal was Foreign Secretary and Ambassador to Turkey, Egypt, France, and Russia, and Deputy Chief Of Mission in Washington.)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author.

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Morning Digest | PM Modi, President Biden welcome progress in defence ties; Ukraine war unlikely to end in immediate future: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, and more

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PM Modi, President Biden welcome progress in defence ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday welcomed the completion of the notification process in the U.S. Congress on August 29 for a commercial agreement between General Electric Aerospace and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) to manufacture GE F-414 jet engines in India and the commencement of the negotiations. The leaders lauded the settlement of the seventh and last outstanding World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute between the two countries.

Ukraine war unlikely to end in immediate future: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

Efforts to build a peaceful world are faltering and the Ukraine conflict is unlikely to end in the immediate future, said Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres here on Friday. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the G-20 summit that will begin here on Saturday, Mr. Guterres laid out the concerns of the UN and said the world cannot “go on like this” and spoke forcefully seeking change of the global multilateral institutions. He also appreciated India for placing the “development agenda at the centre” of G-20.

New Delhi declaration ‘almost ready’, says India’s G-20 Sherpa, as Ukraine para remains sticking point

The joint declaration is “almost ready”, said India’s G-20 ‘Sherpa’ Amitabh Kant, indicating that the Sherpas or leaders’ representatives for G-20 countries will now hand over the document to G-20 leaders who begin their summit on September 9 in an effort to close the gaps, mainly over the paragraph on Ukraine. Mr. Kant also downplayed issues with China during the negotiations, and said that while all countries have a “veto power” over the joint statement to be issued, India had been able to bring “every single country” on board with its priorities.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang lands in India facing first international test

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in New Delhi on Friday evening for the G-20 summit, which will, for the relatively unknown second-ranked Chinese leader, mark a first major international diplomatic test. Mr. Li earlier this week attended the East Asia Summit in Jakarta, but the G-20 will pose its own challenges with its higher profile and the presence of Western leaders who have been sharply critical of China, especially for its stand on the Ukraine crisis, a major sticking point that threatens to derail a joint communique for the first time in G-20 history.

We have a lot to bring to G-20 table, says African Union chief Azali Assoumani

The African Union (AU) is confident of becoming a full member of G-20 during the Delhi summit beginning in New Delhi on September 9, said AU Chairperson Azali Assoumani. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Mr. Assoumani, who is also the President of Comoros, said member countries of G-20 should invest in industrialisation of Africa. Assuring the members that Africa is willing to do what it takes to deal with the immigration issue being faced by the European countries, he urged the G-20 economies to utilise African resources to manufacture products in Africa. 

Criminal trials ideally need dynamic judges not taciturn ones, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court said criminal trials ideally need active and dynamic judges rather than reticent or taciturn ones. “Reticence may be good in many circumstances, but a judge remaining mute during trial is not an ideal situation. A taciturn judge may be the model caricatured in public mind. But there is nothing wrong in his becoming active or dynamic during trial so that criminal justice being the end could be achieved,” a three-judge Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai, J.B. Pardiwala and P.K. Mishra highlighted.

India committed to Global South, says PM Modi after talks with Mauritian leader

In his first bilateral meeting ahead of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held talks with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth in New Delhi and reiterated India’s commitment to furthering the voice of the Global South. “PM @KumarJugnauth and I had a very good meeting. This is a special year for India-Mauritius relations as we mark 75 years of diplomatic ties between our nations. We discussed cooperation in sectors like infrastructure, FinTech, culture and more. Also reiterated India’s commitment to furthering the voice of the Global South,” Mr. Modi said on X.

Six Opposition CMs may skip G-20 dinner hosted by President

The G-20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu is expected to have a thin attendance of Opposition leaders as Chief Ministers of at least six out of the 12 Opposition-ruled States are likely to skip the event for various reasons. The two former Prime Ministers, Manmohan Singh and H.D. Deve Gowda, also won’t be attending the dinner, citing poor health. According to sources, out of four Congress Chief Ministers, three — Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan, Siddaramaiah of Karnataka and Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh — are not heading for Delhi. Mr. Gehlot, it is learnt, is still nursing his fractured toes and has restricted travel. Mr. Baghel too has said that he is not well enough to travel to the capital. Mr. Siddaramaiah has given similar reasons.

Unions allege ‘scam in import of fuel for power plants’

Trade unions in the power sector have alleged that recent directions and statements of the Centre related to the import of coal for thermal power generation are contradictory, misguiding, deceitful and against the interest of the energy consumers, people and the nation. All India Coal Workers’ Federation (AICWF) and Electricity Employees Federation of India (EEFI), the two federations comprised of several unions in power and coal mining sectors, said on Friday that these moves favour one or two private companies. The federations are also mulling legal action against the Centre’s decision. 

PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina hold talks on diversifying India-Bangladesh cooperation

A day before the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 held talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on diversifying bilateral cooperation and discussed issues such as connectivity and commercial linkages. In a post on his second bilateral of the day after holding talks with Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, Mr. Modi said he had “productive deliberations” with PM Sheikh Hasina. “The progress in India-Bangladesh relations in the last 9 years has been very gladdening. Our talks covered areas like connectivity, commercial linkage and more,” Mr. Modi said.

India ‘very important’, but it is for members to decide on its UNSC membership, says Antonio Guterres

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on September 8 described India as “the country of the world” and a “very important” partner in the multilateral system but said it is for the members and not him to decide on its UN Security Council membership. Addressing a press conference here ahead of the G20 Summit, he made a strong pitch for immediate reforms to UNSC and other multilateral institutions, as he asserted that the future of the world is multipolar but “our multilateral institutions reflect a bygone age”.

INDIA wins four seats, BJP three in Assembly bypolls

In the first set of bypolls to be held after the formation of the INDIA bloc of Opposition parties, held in seven seats in six States, the BJP won three seats, with the Opposition constituents of the INDIA bloc bagging four seats, including the crucial Ghosi Assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh which was won by the Samajwadi Party (SP).

Gyanvapi survey: ASI granted further four weeks’ time to submit report

A Varanasi court on Friday granted four more weeks to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to complete the scientific survey of the Gyanvapi mosque complex and submit its report. The order for the extension of ASI survey deadline was announced by district Judge A. K. Vishvesh. “….one of the important question and the issue remains which has to be decided by this Court that what was the religious character of the Gyanvyapi precincts dated on 15th August, 1947 as Muslims were claiming there right also. Whatever will be seen/found and existing Hindu sign/symbols will determines the fate of the Original suit. In the light of above prayer this interlocutory application liable to be allowed,” the court noted.

Nancy Pelosi says she’ll seek House reelection in 2024, dismissing talk of retirement at age 83

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on September 8 that she will run for reelection to another term in Congress as Democrats work to win back the majority in 2024. Ms. Pelosi made the announcement before labor allies in the San Francisco area district she has represented for more than 35 years. “Now more than ever our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery,” Ms. Pelosi, 83, said in a tweet. “Our country needs America to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for ALL. That is why I am running for reelection — and respectfully ask for your vote.”

Will hold free, inclusive and credible election: Bangladesh Minister

Bangladesh will hold a “free, inclusive and credible election”, assured Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen here on Friday. Speaking at the end of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mr. Momen said the upcoming election would not be held under a caretaker government and said the two Prime Ministers discussed “regional peace and stability”. Sharing details about the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India had welcomed “Indo-Pacific outlook” of Bangladesh that the Sheikh Hasina government introduced earlier this year.

U.S. Open | Bopanna creates history as the oldest doubles finalist in Open Era

India’s doubles ace Rohan Bopanna, who is playing some of the best tennis of his career, became the oldest Grand Slam doubles finalist in the Open Era as he, partnering Matthew Ebden, reached the U.S. Open final. Producing outstanding tennis at the Flushing Meadows in front of a handsome Louis Armstrong crowd, Bopanna and Ebden defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in Thursday’s semifinals to set a summit clash against Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

Stokes, Buttler help England post 291-6 against New Zealand in first match of ODI series

Ben Stokes marked his return to one-day internationals with a half-century before captain Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone put on a rapid stand of 77 late in the innings to help push England to 291-6 against New Zealand in the first match of the Cricket World Cup warmup series on Friday. Stokes (52) opted to come out of ODI retirement ahead of England’s World Cup title defense in India starting next month and was one of four batters to post fifties on a tough track at Sophia Gardens.

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G20 Summit 2023 | Which leaders are attending? What is their agenda?

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The final event in India’s year of G20 Presidency is the New Delhi Summit scheduled to be held on September 9-10 at the newly inaugurated Bharat Mandapam (ITPO) complex — a culmination of all G20 processes and meetings held throughout the year. Led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the group comprising of leaders of eighteen countries will adopt the Leaders’ Declaration stating their commitment to the priorities agreed upon in the ministerial and working group meetings.

In a show of diplomatic power, India has invited nine other state leaders apart from the G20 member states. These include Asian leaders like Sheikh Hasina (Bangladesh), Pravind Kumar Jugnauth (Mauritius), Sultan Haitham bin Tarik (Oman), Lee Hsein Loong (Singapore), Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (United Arab Emirates), European leaders like Pedro Sanchez (Spain), Mark Rutte (Netherlands) and African leaders like Abdul Fatah Saeed Hussein Khalil El-Sisi (Egypt) and Bola Ahmed Tinubu (Nigeria).

New organisational invitees include heads of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Asian Development Bank (ADB). These guest organisations are in addition to the regular ones: United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World bank (WB), World Health Organisation (WHO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Financial Stability Board (FSB) and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Heads of regional organisations like African Union (AU), African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), and Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) have also been invited.

 Which leaders will be in attendance? What is their agenda?

United States: Joe Biden

US President Joe Biden arrived on Friday in New Delhi and will immediately hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi at his residence (7 Lok Kalyan Marg). The focus of the bilateral talk will likely be progress on the joint manufacture of jet engines, civil nuclear liability and trade agreements, and cooperation on global issues like climate change, technology, and clean energy. The leaders are also likely to discuss India-China relations, the situation along Line of Actual Control (LAC), and India’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Forum’s ‘Trade’ pillar. Moreover, as announced, Mr. Modi plans to host the next QUAD summit in India in 2024 and will discuss the same with Mr. Biden.

During the summit on September 9-10, Mr. Biden will focus on tackling climate change, reshaping multilateral development banks like World Bank and IMF, social and economic consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, welcoming the African Union, commending Mr. Modi’s G20 leadership and affirming faith in the group by hosting the forum in 2026. Consensus on a G20 statement on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is difficult, but India remains hopeful of a joint declaration.

United Kingdom: Rishi Sunak

Touted as India’s ‘son-in-law,’ British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will attend his second G20 summit hoping for a warm welcome. Mr. Sunak enjoys star status in India as the son-in-law of Infosys founder Narayan Murthy and as a practising Hindu Prime Minister – a first for the UK. Hoping for concessions due to his Indian connection, Mr. Sunak will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on September 9 and press for an Indo-UK trade deal and a toughening of New Delhi’s stance against Russia.

France: Emmanuel Macron

Arriving on September 9, French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to squeeze in a working lunch with Mr. Modi after the G20 summit on Sunday. Apart from India, Mr. Macron will also be holding bilateral talks with Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Indonesia President Joko Widodo and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman, before he leaves for Bangladesh on Sunday afternoon.

Japan: Fumio Kishida

After attending the ASEAN Summit in Indonesia along with Mr. Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Fumio Kishida is scheduled to attend the G20 summit. He will also attend a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on September 9 in which likely topics of discussion includes China, India hosting the next QUAD meeting in 2024 and trade.

Japanese experts say that Mr. Kishida will back India and not China at the G20 summit as a key bridge between the West and the global south. Keeping India’s strategic role in mind in the South China Sea tussle, Mr. Kishida had previously invited Mr. Modi to the May meeting of the G-7 countries in Hiroshima.

Germany: Olaf Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be attending the summit as he believes that the G20 has an obligation to fulfil inspite of China and Russia’s absence amid the growing influence of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa). Mr. Scholz is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on September 9 to discuss regional developments and global challenges. At the summit, Mr. Scholz will reiterate the need for countries with a colonial history to help former colonies develop as he believes in ‘fair partnership’.

Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina

Attending the G20 summit on India’s special invitation, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will be one of the first global leaders to hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on September 8. On arrival, she along with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana were received by Union minister Darshana Jardosh and will later meet Mr. Modi at his residence (7 Lok Kalyan Marg). In the meeting three memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) on cooperation in the agriculture research, cultural exchange and financial transactions between the two countries will be signed.

At the summit, she will speak on climate change, economic recovery after Covid-19, war in Europe and its impact on global supply apart from Bangladesh’s good performance in many socio-economic categories. Apart from Mr. Modi, the Bangladeshi PM is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Argentina’s President Alberto Fernandez, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol and UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Mauritius: Pravind Kumar Jugnauth

Another special invitee, Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth arrived on Thursday night and was received by Union Minister Shripad Naik. After meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, Mr, Jugnauth is also scheduled to meet Mr. Modi at his residence for a bilateral meeting to review the two nation’s ties and developmental cooperation. Incidentally 70% of citizens of Mauritius are Indian-origin which has led to deep ties between the two countries.

Italy: Giorgio Meloni

Arriving for her second G20 summit, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was received by Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje. Ms. Meloni had recently visited India in March to attend the eight edition of the Raisina Dialogue and held a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi. She is scheduled to meet Mr. Modi for a bilateral meeting tomorrow in which the Russia-Ukraine war, trade, digital transition, space, and cybersecurity are likely to be discussed.

Brazil: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Gearing up to take over the G20 presidency from Mr. Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will arrive in New Delhi to attend the summit. A strong proponent for expanding the BRICS coalition and establish a common bloc currency, Mr. Lula hopes to reduce developing nations’ dependency on the US dollar. With 41 nations expressing interest in joining BRICS, the bloc is likely to crop up in bilateral meeting scheduled between Mr. Lula and Mr. Modi on September 10.

Turkiye: Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will attend the summit during the weekend and is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines with several leaders including Mr. Modi on Sunday. Mr. Erdogan, who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi earlier this week, will attempt to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative which allows grain export from blockaded Ukrainian ports. This initiative which was launched by the United Nations in 2022, supported by India, will provide a major relief to the current global food security crisis.

UAE: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Visiting India for the first time since being appointed as UAE’s President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) will attend the summit and hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on Sunday. Recently, India has supported UAE’s application to join the BRICS and has signed a  comprehensive economic partnership agreement. The two nations have also signed the Rupee-Dirham deal to promote usage of local currencies for cross-border transactions and recently conclude a Rupee-Dirham oil transaction between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Indian Oil Corporation. With multiple investments in Indian projects, MBZ and Mr. Modi are likely to discuss key trade deals, projects in the meeting.

South Korea: Yoon Suk Yeol

Accompanied by eleven companies, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the summit and hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on Sunday. The companies are eyeing joint ventures in Indian defence sector in artillery, radar and satellite communication, military power systems and aerial and naval platform sub-system supplies. The companies are keen to sign MoUs with Indian defence manufacturing companies for joint-ventures, technology transfer and trade.

At the summit, Mr. Yoon will urge participating nations to enforce U.N sanctions on North Korea for its ever-escalating missile provocations and nuclear threats. He will emphasize the need to deter North Korea from stealing cryptocurrency, dispatching workers overseas and other illegal activities to cut off its main funding for its weapons program.

Canada: Justin Trudeau

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend the G20 summit and may have a quick pull-aside meeting with Mr. Modi on Sunday. India-Canada relations have recently been strained in recent times since Ottawa expressing concerns for the farmers’ protest against the Modi government. Moreover, with growing support for the Khalistan referendum in Canada, the Trudeau government has been careful to not upset the major Sikh diaspora in Canada which have been voicing out violation of human rights of religious minorities in India. Recently, Canada hit pause on a trade deal with India over unclear reasons.

Saudi Arabia: Mohammad bin Salman

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be attending the summit over the weekend followed by a one-day state visit. During his visit, he will hold bilateral talks with Mr. Modi on the nations ties in various sectors like energy, defence, trade and investment.

Netherlands: Mark Rutte

Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte accompanied by his Finance minister Sigrid Kaag will attend the summit over the weekend and then travel to Bengaluru on Monday on an economic mission. In Bengaluru, Mr. Rutte will hold discussions with representatives of over sixty Indian companies engaged in business with his nation, visit an innovation lab of NXO and attend a roundtable discussion with Dutch companies operating in Karnataka.

Nigeria: Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Arriving three days ahead of the G20 summit on September 6, Nigerian President Tinubu met with Hinduja Group chairman Mr. Gopichand Hinduja to drum up investments into his nation. He is also scheduled to address the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference, to attract global capital into Nigeria from the attending CEOs, senior government officials. Highlighting his Renewed Hope Agenda, Mr. Tinubu will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on September 10 to strengthen economic, trade, and investment partnerships.

In the summit, Mr. Tinubu will share Nigeria’s perspective on the G20 theme “One Earth-One Family-One Future”, while weighing the pros and cons of his nation’s application to be a permanent member of the group. Mr. Tinubu’s retinue comprises of his ministers Yusuf Tuggar (External affairs), Wale Edun (Finance and Economy), Dr. Bosun Tijani (Communication), Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite (Trade).

Argentina: Alberto Fernandez

Argentian President Alberto Fernandez will be in attendance at the Summit accompanied by Foreign minster Santiago Cafiero, secretary Julio Vitobello, spokesperson Gabriela Cerruti and the Argentian Sherpa Jorge Argüello. According to local news channel C5N, Mr. Fernandez is expected to raise the issue of global financial architecture in his speech and hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Bangladesh (Sheikh Hasina), South Korea (Yoon Suk Yeol) and UAE (Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan). A bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi is yet to be confirmed.

Comoros: Azali Assoumani

Comoros President Azali Assoumani has arrived in Delhi to attend the summit and will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Modi on Sunday. As the chairperson of the 55-nation African Union (AU), Mr. Assoumani will also discuss the membership of the bloc to the G20 in the summit. Sources at the Sherpa meeting stated that the African Union is set to join the bloc, leaving a lasting imprint of India’s work during its Presidency. It is unclear if the G-20 will be renamed as G-21 with the inclusion of AU.

Australia: Anthony Albanese

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend the G20 summit as part of his three-nation tour – India, Indonesia and Philippines. As India hopes to have the QUAD nations’ leaders as its Republic Day chief guests in January 2024, Mr. Modi may discuss the same Mr. Albanese. Sources say that Mr. Albanese’s presence in particular will be tough as January 26 is observed as Australia Day.

During the G20 event on September 9-10, Mr. Albanese will reiterate Australia’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific for growth and prosperity, stability and respect for sovereignty and lasting peace.

Other attendees include South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, European Council President Charles Michel, European Union president Ursula von der Leyen, Indonesian president Joko Widodo, Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Which leaders are skipping the event?

China: Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping will skip the event and will be represented by Premier Li Qiang. Mr. Xi has already skipped the recently concluded ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and East Asia summits. India has dismissed Mr. Xi’s absence as non-consequential.

Mexico: Andrés Manuel López Obrador

Since 2019, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has skipped G20 summits in a bid to avoid trade war confrontation. He will be represented by Finance Minister Carlos Urzua and Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

Spain: Pedro Sanchez

Spain’s caretaker prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, will miss the G20 summit after testing positive for COVID-19. He will be represented by economy Minister Nadia Calvino and Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.

Russia: Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin will skip the event as he is currently still focusing on the “special military operation” in Ukraine. He had skipped the summit in Bali in November 2022 citing the same reasons. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is leading the Russian delegation in his stead.



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Morning Digest | Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks require proper response, PM Modi tells Ministers at informal meeting; Ready to hold polls as per legal provisions, CEC on ‘one nation, one election’, and more

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Sanatana Dharma | Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks require proper response, PM Modi tells Ministers at informal meeting

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reportedly told his Ministerial colleagues that DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin’s remarks on Sanatana Dharmarequired a “proper response” based on “facts of the issue” within the contemporary situation and emphasised that the Constitution does not allow for abuse of any religion. On the issue of Bharat being substituted for India in government communication in English as well, Mr. Modi reportedly said that only those authorised to speak on behalf of the government should comment on the issue.

Ready to hold polls as per legal provisions, CEC on ‘one nation, one election’

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on September 6 said the Election Commission of India was “ready to conduct elections as per legal provisions”. He was responding to a query whether the ECI was ready to conduct the much-discussed ‘One Nation, One Election’. The CEC was addressing a press conference in Bhopal on the preparations for the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh due later this year. On the specific questions asked in the context of ‘One nation, One election’, Mr. Kumar said the poll commission was mandated to “deliver elections before the time” as per constitutional provisions and the RP Act (Representation of the People Act, 1951.)

‘India-Bharat’ issue being raised to mislead people: Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on September 6 said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was raising irrelevant issues like changing the country’s name to Bharat because it was unnerved by the formation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) coalition. “The India-Bharat issue reflects the BJP’s panic. The party is desperately trying to mislead the people,” Mr. Kharge said.

Blocking blacklisting of terrorists smacks of doublespeak: India

India has told the UN Security Council that blocking evidence-based proposals to blacklist globally sanctioned terrorists without providing justifications is uncalled for and “smacks of doublespeak”. “The working methods of the UNSC Sanctions Committees continue to dent the credibility of the UN Security Council,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said here on Tuesday.

40 injured in protest over Army barricade in Manipur

More than 40 people were injured in a stampede at Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Wednesday as security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse over 10,000 people who had converged to demand the removal of an Army barricade. A defence source said the stand-off continued through the day. Armed miscreants fired at the Central security forces and a mob threw stones at them. Three personnel of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), a specialised anti-riot force, were injured in the incident. 

Won’t let INDIA bloc seat-sharing talks become media spectacle: SP leader 

The Samajwadi Party (SP) won’t allow seat-sharing negotiations in Uttar Pradesh to become a media spectacle, said party leader Javed Ali Khan, who is part of the INDIA bloc’s 14-member coordination committee. In an interview to The Hindu, he also junked suggestions that the Congress and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) are pretending to be cosying up to the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as a tactic to get more seats for themselves in the State.

Shah, Meghwal meet Kovind days after he was appointed head of ‘one nation, one election’ panel

Home Minister Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on September 6 met former president Ram Nath Kovind who heads the committee on simultaneous polls in New Delhi, days after the government notified the panel, sources said. They described the nearly hour-long meeting as a “courtesy call”. Efforts are on to hold the first meeting of the high-level committee in the coming days and a venue is being finalised.

Punjab AAP Minister says there is no alliance with Congress 

The cracks between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), partners in the newly formed Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) were on display on September 6 after a Cabinet Minister in Punjab, where the AAP is in power, ruled out any alliance with the Congress. Punjab Tourism Minister Anmol Gagan Maan at a press conference in Chandigarh said there would be no alliance of the AAP with the Congress party in Punjab.

China warns against ‘new Cold War’ at ASEAN summit

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on September 6 it is important to avoid a “new Cold War” when dealing with conflicts between countries as world leaders gathered in Indonesia amid sharpening geopolitical rivalries across the Indo-Pacific region. Speaking at an annual summit involving members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China, Japan and South Korea, Mr. Li said countries needed to “appropriately handle differences and disputes”.

Not the joint statement but Ukraine will be EU’s priority at G-20 summit: EU official

Ukraine will be the topmost item on the agenda of the European Union at the G-20 Summit, a senior EU official said on Wednesday. Clarifying the Western expectation about the upcoming summit that will be held here during the weekend, the official expressed confidence about forming consensus about the Global South and placed it on record that the EU “wished” to have the participation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G-20 summit in New Delhi. He also indicated that Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission is unlikely to travel to Delhi for the summit and said India’s text for negotiating an outcome document is “not sufficient”. 

Ahead of Joe Biden visit, India drops tariff hikes on U.S. almonds, lentils

Two days before U.S. President Joe Biden arrives in New Delhi for a bilateral meeting as well as the G-20 Summit, India has dropped the retaliatory customs tariffs it had imposed on imports of some American goods like almonds and lentils, effective September 6, 2023. India had raised import duties on 28 American products in June 2019, after the United States had hiked its customs duties on certain steel and aluminium products. In a notification issued on September 5, the Finance Ministry dropped some of these tariff hikes “on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do”.

Sri Lanka will investigate allegations of intelligence complicity in 2019 Easter bombings

Sri Lanka’s government will appoint a parliamentary committee to investigate allegations made in a British television report that Sri Lankan intelligence had complicity in the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings that killed 269 people. A man interviewed in the Channel 4 videos released on Tuesday said he arranged a meeting between a local Islamic State-inspired group and a top state intelligence official to hatch a plot to create insecurity in Sri Lanka and enable Gotabaya Rajapaksa to win the presidential election later that year.

Ukraine’s Parliament approves ex-lawmaker Rustem Umerov as Defence Minister

Ukraine’s parliament approved the appointment of former lawmaker Rustem Umerov as Defence Minister on September 6, in the biggest shake-up of the defence establishment since Russia’s invasion 18 months ago. Mr. Umerov (41) replaces Oleksii Reznikov, who helped secure billions of dollars of Western military aid as Defence Minister but was dogged by media allegations of corruption at the Ministry and sacked by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.

This summer was a global record breaker for the highest heat ever measured, meteorologists say

Earth has sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Last month was not only the hottest August scientists ever recorded by far with modern equipment, it was also the second hottest month measured, behind only July 2023, WMO and the European climate service Copernicus announced Wednesday.

Asia Cup | Pakistan pace trio too hot to handle as Bangladesh bowled out for 193

Haris Rauf proved to be too quick for the Bangladeshi batters, who were also troubled relentlessly by Naseem Shah as the Shakib Al Hasan-led side was bundled out for a paltry 193, well inside 40 overs in an Asia Cup Super 4 match against Pakistan in Lahore on September 6. Despite a 100-run stand and twin half-centuries by skipper Shakib (53 off 57 balls) and former captain Mushfiqur Rahim (64 off 87 balls), Bangladesh suffered twin batting collapse on either side of the fifth wicket partnership.

Ballon d’Or | Messi, Haaland, Mbappe in shortlist; Ronaldo left out for first time in 20 years

Argentina forward Lionel Messi was among the nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or trophy announced by organisers France Football magazine on Wednesday. Seven-times winner Messi, who plays for Inter Miami, led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in December, their first triumph since 1986. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won the award five times, did not receive a nomination for the first time in 20 years.

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Morning Digest | ‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ can be used in invitation, say legal experts; Indo-Pacific, China map on agenda as PM Modi leaves for Jakarta, and more

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‘India’ and ‘Bharat’ interchangeable, can be used in official invitation, say legal experts

An official invitation from President Droupadi Murmu to G-20 guests in which she is described as the “President of Bharat” has triggered speculation that the Narendra Modi government could officially change the name of “India” to “Bharat” during the five-day-long Special Session of Parliament that starts on September 18.

Indo-Pacific, China map and trade on agenda as PM leaves for Jakarta

Future cooperation on the Indo-Pacific, trade issues, the situation in Myanmar and the recent controversy over China’s map are likely to be on the agenda as Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves on Wednesday for a two-day visit, during September 6-7, to Jakarta to attend the annual ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit hosted by Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

PM Modi and President Biden to meet on September 8, says White House

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Jo Biden will hold bilateral talks on September 8 in New Delhi, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed. Mr Biden, who is being closely watched for symptoms of COVID-19, after U.S. First Lady Jill Biden tested positive on Monday, tested negative and is still on track to travel to the capital for the G20 Summit, as per the White House.

What is the agenda for Special Session of Parliament, INDIA parties ask govt.

Opposition parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) on September 5 demanded that the Modi government spell out the agenda for the Special Session of Parliament even as the Congress decided that parliamentary party chief Sonia Gandhi will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issues that the principal Opposition party wants to raise during the session.

Two CJIs, four years apart, had dealt differently with pleas for ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’

Four years apart, two Chief Justices of India had reacted differently to demands for ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’. While one CJI upheld the right of the individual to choose between the two names, his successor, four years down the line, suggested nudging the government about it. These hearings in the top court had happened years before the 2023 G-20 dinner invite described President Droupadi Murmu as the ‘President of Bharat’ sparking a row over whether the government was planning to drop ‘India’ and keep just ‘Bharat’.

A ‘spiritual strife’ between Swaminarayan sect, other Hindu outfits in Gujarat

The religious leaders at the Shri Kashtbhanjan Dev Hanumanji mandir in Salangpur, Botad district, managed by the Swaminarayan sect’s Vadtal branch, on Tuesday removed two controversial murals of Lord Hanuman kneeling before and praying with folded hands to the 19th century seer Sahajanand Swami (1781-1830), founder of the sect, known by his followers as Lord Swaminarayan.

Congress focuses on minority appeasement, Modi on welfare of tribals, Dalits and poor: Shah in M.P.

Attacking the Indian National Congress in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that the people would have to choose between the ideology of minority appeasement versus one that worked for tribal communities, backward classes, Dalits and the poor. Inaugurating the third of the five Jan Aashirwads Yatras, a pre-election outreach programme in Mandla – a key tribal belt within the Mahakoshal region, Mr. Shah referred to a 17-year-old speech by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as he sought to draw a distinction between the current dispensation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. 

First meeting of INDIA coordination committee to be held on September 13 in Delhi

The first meeting of the 14-member coordination committee of Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) will be held on September 13 at Sharad Pawar’s residence in Delhi. The primary agenda on the table is to fix deadlines for the immediate tasks, seat sharing, presenting vision document/common manifesto and finalising the dates for joint campaign rallies.

Restrictions imposed in Imphal to prevent march to Bishnupur Churachandpur border

Curfew-like restrictions have been imposed in the Imphal Valley amid a call given by a Meitei civil society group to march towards the Bishnupur-Churachandpur boundary on September 6 to remove an Army barricade. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an influential Meitei group, had asked the youth and locals to come out in large numbers on September 4 to push the barricade further to the hill district of Churachandpur. The group said that the failure of the State and Central governments to remove the barricade by August 30 was the reason behind the protest march.

 There has been no incident at proposed Kuki-Zomi burial site since status quo order, DGP tells Manipur HC

The Director General of Police (DGP) of Manipur has requested the Manipur High Court to close the contempt case, where it was accused of failing to implement an earlier order to maintain status quo at a proposed burial site for 35 Kuki-Zomi people killed in the four-month-long ethnic conflict in the State. 

Mamata threatens economic blockade of educational institutions if Governor continues to ‘interfere’

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday threatened economic blockade of higher educational institutions in the State if Governor C.V. Ananda Bose continued to “interfere” with the functioning of educational institutions in the State. “If the Governor continues to interfere in the affairs of college and universities and any university or college agrees to function as per his will, then I will create economic blockade. On this issue there will be tit for tat, no compromise. Let us see which in college or university you [the Governor] are able to pay salaries to the teachers,” Ms. Banerjee said.

Israeli military kills 2 Palestinians in West Bank, a militant in an army raid and an alleged gunman

Israeli troops killed a Palestinian militant during an army raid in the West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian health officials said, while elsewhere in the occupied territory a Palestinian gunman opened fire at Israeli soldiers, wounding one before being shot and killed. The events marked the latest violence to roil the territory during one of the most violent stretches of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in nearly two decades. Israel has pressed on with near-nightly raids in the West Bank while Palestinian militants have ramped up shooting attacks against Israelis.

Asia Cup 2023: Super Four, final matches to stay in Colombo

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on September 5 decided to keep the Asia Cup Super 4 and final matches in Colombo itself as the weather in the Sri Lankan capital has shown signs of improvement. It has been speculated over the last few days that the Super 4 and final games of the Asia Cup could be shifted to Hambantota after heavy rains lashed Colombo.

Tata Steel Chess India: Gukesh among early leaders

Just when it seemed R. Praggnanandhaa would have another excellent day on the chessboard — something he has got used to over the last few months — Vincent Keymer made him pause. In the third-round clash between the two hugely talented teenagers, in the Open rapid section of the Tata Steel Chess India tournament, the German prevailed to move into the joint lead at the end of the first day at the National Library on Tuesday. He is sharing the top spot with first seed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France, Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan and D. Gukesh.

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Morning Digest | China releases new official map, showing territorial claims; Assam Rifles files defamation suit against Manipur politician, and more

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An Indian Army jawan looking at the India-China border through his telescope in Arunachal Pradesh. File.
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

Assam Rifles files defamation suit against Manipur politician, seeks apology

Assam Rifles, the oldest paramilitary force in the country, has slapped a legal notice against a Manipur politician for causing “considerable harm to the reputation and standing of the organisation in the public eye.” It said the notice is being served for tarnishing the reputation and “discouraging and demoralising” the Central armed police force. Assam Rifles sought a “written” and “public” apology for the false allegation and defamation asking him to retract the statement he made at ‘Condolence of Meitei Martyrs’ in Delhi on June 30.

China releases new official map, showing territorial claims

China’s government released the “2023 edition of the standard map of China”, which continues to show the entire State of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region within China’s borders. The latest map follows Beijing in April announcing it would “standardise” the names of 11 places in Arunachal Pradesh, including a town close to the Arunachal Pradesh capital of Itanagar. This was the third such list “renaming” places in Arunachal Pradesh, and was seen by observers as a response to India holding events in the lead-up to the G-20 summit in the State, which Beijing had opposed. Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the September 9-10 summit in New Delhi.

Only Centre can conduct census, Union tells SC in Bihar caste survey case

The Union government saidonly the Centre is entitled to conduct census, in its reply to the Supreme Court on the Bihar government’s caste-based survey. The Centre had filed an affidavit earlier on August 28 morning which said in its penultimate paragraph that “no other body is entitled to conduct the exercise of either census or any action akin to census”. Earlier, the Supreme Court had refused to stay the uploading of data collected in the recently concluded Bihar caste-based survey while debunking claims that the Nitish Kumar government had violated the fundamental right to privacy by compelling people to reveal their caste.

Rajnath Singh to visit Sri Lanka this weekend, say defence sources

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka over the coming weekend, defence sources confirmed. The visit comes at a time when the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry is considering a fresh request from China to allow the visit of a research ship. Last week, the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry acknowledged receiving a request from the Chinese Embassy. The research vessel Shiyan-6 is expected to arrive in October. 

Article 35A took away fundamental rights while giving special rights to permanent residents of J&K, says CJI

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said Article 35A, which empowered the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature to define “permanent residents” of the State and provide them special privileges, denied fundamental rights to others. “Article 35A gave special rights and privileges to permanent residents and virtually took away the rights for non-residents. These rights included the right to equal opportunity of State employment, right to acquire property and the right to settle in Jammu and Kashmir,” Chief Justice Chandrachud, heading a Constitution Bench, observed on August 28.

India’s population growth alone is not enough to make its economy stronger, says Moody’s

India’s population growth would raise its labour force availability but that alone won’t be enough to make the economy stronger or improve fiscal outcomes, due to the quality of education in the country, Moody’s Investors Service said in a report on Monday. In a report on Sovereigns in South and South East Asia, titled ‘Population growth alone will not drive credit benefits for emerging economies’, the rating major said it expects continued population growth in the region to support economic expansion as working-age populations will remain large compared with younger and older citizens.

Warming Pacific points to rise in cyclones over India: Study

Tropical cyclones that originate near the Equator, while being devastating, have been unusually subdued in recent decades. The last major cyclone of this kind in the Indian neighbourhood was the 2017 Cyclone Okchi which devastated Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. However, a combination of global warming and a cyclical event called the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) that repeats every 20-30 years, could make such cyclones more frequent in the coming years, a study published on Monday in the journal Nature Communications said.

Federal Judge sets March 4 date for historic Donald Trump trial

A federal judge has set a date of March 4, 2024, for Donald Trump’s election subversion conspiracy trial — placing one of the biggest criminal cases in American history at peak election season. Special counsel Jack Smith had asked for the trial of the 45th US president to begin on January 2, while Mr. Trump’s attorneys countered with a proposed date of April 2026 — 17 months after the election.

Fire in coach: Five from Uttar Pradesh arrested in Madurai by Tamil Nadu Railway Police

The Tamil Nadu Railway Police, have arrested five persons from Uttar Pradesh in connection with the fire that broke out in a coach and claimed nine lives near the Madurai railway junction on Saturday. The arrested persons have been accused of having carried inflammable articles on the train, in violation of Section 164 of the Railway Act.

U.S. raises concerns on India’s decision to curb tech imports

With the U.S. flagging concerns over India’s decision to impose import restrictions on certain electronic devices, both countries have agreed to find a solution to the issue that addresses the concerns of both nations, according to a statement of USTR. The issue was flagged during a meeting between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai here on August 26.

Foxconn billionaire Terry Gou says he will seek Taiwan’s presidency as independent candidate

Terry Gou, the billionaire founder of the electronics giant Foxconn, declared that he will run as an independent candidate for president in Taiwan’s 2024 election, ending months of speculation. Mr. Gou’s Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., is a major supplier to Apple and has factories in China. He has long had presidential aspirations. He ran in the 2019 election but lost as Tsai Ing-wen of the Democratic Progressive Party easily won re-election.

I have no personal desire to hold any post in INDIA, says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday categorically said that he had no “personal desire” to hold any post in the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) ahead of the upcoming third meeting of the Opposition bloc in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1. The buzz in political circles was that Mr. Kumar might be appointed as INDIA convener at its Mumbai meeting. Earlier, Mr. Kumar had initiated the meeting of Opposition parties in Patna on June 23 in which altogether 16 parties, including Congress, participated. The second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 18.

WB fireworks blast: toll climbs to nine, one arrested

The death toll in an explosion at an illegal fireworks factory at Mochpol area under Duttapukur police station in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district rose to nine on Monday with one more person succumbing to injuries. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her disappointment at a meeting of the State Cabinet today. She wanted to know why steps were not taken after she had sought action following an explosion at Egra in Purba Medinipur district. An explosion at an illegal fireworks factory at Egra on May 16 claimed 12 lives.

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Worldview with Suhasini Haidar | 50 days to G20 Summit | Is there still hope of a joint communique?

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This week marked an important moment in the G20 Presidency of India-

-With a crucial Sherpa Meeting held in Hampi and the last Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governers meeting in Gandhinagar being held back to back. Remember these are the two twin tracks of any G20 Presidency: The Sherpa track and the Finance Track.

-The two tracks also preside over about 13 working groups between them, and then finally present a Leader’s Declaration that would be put up for adoption on September 9-10, when the Summit is held in Delhi.

Some Quick facts about the G20-

– 19 Countries and the EU form the G20 grouping set up in 1999- since 2008 the Leaders of G20 nations have been meeting

– Members include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU). Spain is a permanent invitee.

– G20 countries represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade, and about 66% of the world population

– India’s Presidency began in November 2022, the Summit will be held two months early in September 2023- understood to be due to weather and pollution considerations in Delhi

– Apart from the G20 members and international organisations like UN, WHO, World Bank, AU, ASEAN and others, India has 9 special invitees including: Bangladesh, Egypt, Mauritius, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Singapore, Spain and UAE.

So let’s speak about some of the challenges ahead of the Government, and the G20 Secretariat ahead of the final summit in September- as became evident this week:

1. No consensus on a Joint Statement/Leader’s Declaration/ Joint Communique- mainly on language on the Ukraine war. If there is no joint communique on September 10th, that will be the first in the G20’s history.

At the end of the 3rd Finance Ministers and Central bank Governors, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said both Russia and China did not sign on to those paras, that had been imported from last year’s Bali statement, and hence only a Chair’s Statement could be issued

“The Chair’s Statement is because we still don’t have a common language on the Russia-Ukraine war. And our position has been since February that we have derived the statement from Bali, the leaders statement at the Summit. The February Bengaluru statement is the feeder into this. We don’t have the mandate to change that. It must be left to the leaders when they meet in September to take the call on that,” the Finance Minister said.

However, there was a shift- unlike in the March Foreign Minister’s Meeting, where Russia and China had the same objections to the para (WV #98), in this Finance Minister’s meeting they have different objections.

– China stated that the G20 FMCBG meeting is not the right forum to discuss geopolitical issues.

– Russia dissociated itself from the status of this document as a common outcome because of references in paragraphs 2, 3 and 5- which related to the Ukraine war

Meanwhile, with the possibility of no communique, the Indian Sherpa, Amitabh Kant said this about the what it would mean

“The Russia Ukraine war is not our creation- of developing and emerging countries. Our priority is developing issues – our priority is inclusive growth. …That maybe a priority for somebody else, that is why we will discuss it to the end. And whether there is a resolution or not, that is nothing to reflect.”

2. Attendance of all leaders:

The success of a G20 summit often depends on being able to bring all the leaders under one roof and have them hammer out a consensus. During this year’s summit, India is hopeful of having all the leaders as it would show not only global unity on India’s presidency, but also for India to project itself as “balancing power”. In particular the presence/absence of Russian President Putin and Chinese President Xi will not only indicate how far India has been able to bring all sides on board, but may also decide the attendance of G-7 leaders at the same functions and sessions.

Here’s what the MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchsaid this week.

“Invitations have gone out to all the G20 members as well as the invitee countries, the international organizations and the invitee international organizations. This is a physical summit and we would hope that all the invitees are able to participate in person for the summit. There have been confirmations, I understand, but again, I don’t have any specific response on any particular leader – yes or no – and I don’t think that it would be fair to look at it that way. But yes, we’re looking forward to welcoming the leaders here for our G20 Leaders’ Summit, New Delhi Leaders’ Summit in September. “

3. Induction of African Union as a member:

India says it has substantial support for its move to bring in the African Union chair- a grouping made up of 55 countries. While the AU is a regular invitee to the G20- this would make it a member- with the ability to shape G20 outcomes. This is seen as a part of India’s promotion of the voice of the Global South as well as an attempt to balance the G20 which has a very large European presence. While most countries have expressed approval of the idea, some challenges remain:

other regional groupings like ASEAN and CELAC who are also regular invitees may object

Countries like Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland that have larger economies than some of the other members, also want to be inside the G20

With consensus being hard to manage amongst 20 members – the induction of an entire continent could make decisions harder to pass

4. Promotion of India’s focus areas

1. Global South Issues- Debt restructuring where India is seeking global lenders like IMF, US, China to help countries with unsustainable loans

2. Reform of Multilateral Development Bank- India has commissioned a report by two experts Lawrence Summers and NK Singh

3. Accelerating progress on SDGs- India’s G20 Presidency collides with the crucial midpoint of the 2030 Agenda, which have been derailed after COVID-19 pandemic

4. Technological Transformation & Digital Public Infrastructure – concerns over privacy issues

5. Women-led development – gender differentiation vs gender equality

In addition, the Indian G20 Presidency has sought to differentiate itself by ensuring every G20 meeting is held in a different location, and more than 200 meetings were held in 50 venues around the country, in order to showcase India’s diversity.

WV Take: With G20 summit preparation now going into the last month, India has to double up efforts to ensure a consensus is built, as Indonesia did last year, and to not allow the Ukraine war to become the reason the G20 fails to unite or issue a communique. The burden of the heavy lifting will go to PM Modi, who may need to travel and to even set aside India’s bilateral problems in order to achieve a multilateral goal in September.

WV Reading Recommendations:

1. G20 @ 2023: The Roadmap to Indian Presidency by V Srinivas (and other books in previous WorldView #98)

2. India’s G20 Presidency “One Earth, One Family, One Future” India – Power to Empower by chandrasekhar buddha- Kindle book

Here are some others you may find useful on the subjects that are polarising the world:

3. The Power of Crisis: How Three Threats – and Our Response – Will Change the World by Ian Bremmer – who writes about the Trio of global health emergencies, transformative climate change, and the AI revolution.

Also the Author of Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism and Every Nation for Itself: Winners and Losers in a G-Zero World

4. Principles for Dealing With The Changing World Order by Ray Dalio-

Writes about the confluence of 3 things not seen since 1930s- huge debts in the world’s three major reserve currencies; big political and social conflicts within them due to disparities; and the rising of a world power (China) to challenge the existing world power (US) and the existing world order.

5. The New Cold War: The United States, Russia, and China from Kosovo to Ukraine by Gilbert Achcar

6. The World After Ukraine -Kindle Edition by Garry Kasparov

7. End of the World is Just Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan – who earlier wrote Disunited Nations

8. Chip Wars by Chris Miller

Script and Presentation: Suhasini Haidar

Production: Gayatri Menon and Reenu Cyriac

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