A look at the headlines today:
1. SC's five-judge Constitution bench will begin hearing pleas against abrogation of Article 370
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear from today a batch of pleas challenging the constitutional validity of the Centre's abrogating the provisions of Article 370, which gave special status to erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. A five-judge Constitution bench, headed by Justice N.V. Ramana, will commence the hearing on a batch of petitions including that of private individuals, lawyers, activists and political parties like National Conference, Sajjad Lone-led J&K Peoples Conference, and CPI(M) leader Mohd Yousuf Tarigami. The bench, also comprising Justices S.K. Kaul, R. Subhash Reddy, B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant, had on November 14 refused to pass any interim order on the pleas saying it might lead to delay in the matter and the apex court would settle all the issues at one go after hearing all the parties.
2. 11-hour Northeast bandh begins in protest against CAB
The 11-hour Northeast bandh called by an umbrella body of students' organisations of the region to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill began at 5am today. The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), backed by various other bodies and political parties, will observe the shutdown till 4pm against the bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday. Security was beefed up in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. Nagaland has been exempt from the purview of the bandh in view of the ongoing Hornbill Festival. The Manipur People Against CAB (Manpac), which was spearheading the agitation in the state, has announced suspension of its stir on Monday, after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the to be brought under Inner Line Permit (ILP) regime.
3. Disgruntled BJP leader Eknath Khadse to meet CM Uddhav Thackeray today
Maharashtra BJP veteran Eknath Khadse, who has been critical of the state leadership post-assembly polls, said he will meet Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday. He spoke about being "humiliated" and "ignored" by the party as he landed in Delhi to meet central leaders amid mounting speculation over his next move. The 67-year old, who has been vocal of late against some of the party's decisions after the BJP's below par show in the October Assembly results, was denied a ticket. "Khadse has sought appointment with senior leaders of the BJP in Delhi. The chief talking point of his meeting would be about ending his alienation in the party," said a close aide of the former minister. The aide claimed Khadse's treatment by the party was causing "unrest" in the OBC leadership, and this, too, may be discussed with Delhi leaders. Khadse belongs to the Leva Patil community, which is part of the Other Backward Class (OBC) category in the state.
4. Trump to meet Russian FM today, two years after controversial encounter
US President Donald Trump will Tuesday welcome Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Washington, the White House announced, two years after the US leader was accused of leaking classified information to him. Trump will "discuss the state of the bilateral relationship" in a meeting both with Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a senior Trump administration official said Monday. The State Department on Sunday had confirmed Lavrov's visit—his first to the US capital since the controversial Oval Office meeting with Trump in 2017. The talks are expected to focus on hotspots in which both powers are heavily involved including Syria, Iran and North Korea. The US leadership is also expected to speak to Lavrov about breakthrough diplomacy on Ukraine, which is fighting Russian-backed separatists. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday met for the first time with Ukraine's young new leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a summit in Paris that also involved France and Germany. But Lavrov's visit comes as a cloud still hangs over Trump over his relationship with Russia, which US intelligence concluded interfered in the 2016 election.
5. Afghan war can end in few weeks if Pakistan denies safe heaven to Taliban, says US Senator Graham
The war in Afghanistan would end in few weeks if Pakistan denied the Taliban safe heaven in its territory, a top US Senator has said. Senator Lindsay Graham said that the US should negotiate with Pakistan instead of the Taliban to see an end to the war in Afghanistan. "As to negotiating with the Taliban, I think we got this wrong. I think what we should do is start negotiating with Pakistan. If Pakistan denied the Taliban safe haven in Pakistan, the war in Afghanistan would end in a matter of weeks," Graham said in an interview to Fox Channel on Monday. Washington resumed talks with the Taliban in Qatar on Saturday, three months after President Donald Trump had abruptly halted diplomatic efforts that could end America's longest war. Trump called the year-long effort "dead" and withdrew an invitation to the insurgents to join secret talks at his US retreat at Camp David after the killing of an American soldier.
6. South Asian Games: India closes in to 300-medal mark on penultimate day, set to top tally for 13th time on trot
India clinched 42 medals, including 27 gold, on the penultimate day of competitions to inch closer to 300-mark as the country is poised to finish on top spot for the 13th time on the trot in the South Asian Games. The Indian athletes also won 12 silver and 3 bronze to end Day 8 with 294 medals (159 gold, 91 silver and 44 gold) to further widen the gap with second-placed Nepal who have collected 195 medals (49 gold, 54 silver and 92 bronze). Sri Lanka are third with 236 medals (39 gold, 79 silver and 118 bronze). With just a few events—including seven boxing finals—left on the closing day today, India is unlikely to cross the 309 total medals won in Guwahati and Shillong in the last edition in 2016 but may go past the 300-mark. India has topped every edition of the South Asian Games since its inception in 1984. Boxers gave India the maximum medals on Monday with six gold and one silver.
7. Lok Sabha passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill
The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there, a little past midnight on Monday after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours. The Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha with 311 members favouring it and 80 voting against it, will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for its nod. Several amendments brought by opposition members, including one by a Shiv Sena MP, were defeated either by voice vote or division. According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.
-Inputs from PTI