Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours- The Week

     FGN13 US-INDIA
     *White House claims India 'scaling back' Russian oil purchases at Trump's request
     Washington: The White House has claimed that India has begun "scaling back" its oil purchases from Russia at the "request" of US President Donald Trump.

    FGN36 CHINA-INDIA-FLIGHTS
    Resumption of India-China flights a positive measure to promote friendly ties: Beijing
    Beijing: China on Friday said it is willing to view its relations with India from a strategic and long-term perspective, adding the resumption of flights between the two countries from Sunday is a positive measure to promote friendly exchanges between the 2.8 billion people.

          FGN11 UN-INDIA-GAZA
     Gaza peace deal 'landmark' step towards stability in Middle East: India
     United Nations: The recently signed Gaza Peace Agreement is a “landmark” step towards stability in the Middle East, India has said, reiterating that a two-state solution remains “the only pragmatic path” to achieving durable peace between Israel and Palestine.

    FGN30 BIZ-GOYAL-LD TRADE
    India does not do trade deals in hurry or with gun to our head: Goyal
    Berlin/New Delhi: India does not do trade agreements in a hurry or with a "gun to our head", Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday.

     FGN37 US-INDIA-KWATRA
    Indian envoy Kwatra discusses bilateral ties, trade deal with US Senator
     Washington: Discussions on India-US ties including a proposed trade agreement and cooperation on shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, were held between Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra and a Republican senator here.

     FGN23 CHINA-XI-TRUMP-MEET
     Xi to visit South Korea for APEC Summit; to meet Trump amid renewed trade tensions
     Beijing: China on Friday confirmed that President Xi Jinping will visit South Korea to attend the APEC Summit, during which he is expected to hold crucial talks with his US counterpart Donald Trump to ease escalating trade tensions between the two countries.

     FGN9 US-H1B
     Trump admin says it will contest lawsuits challenging USD 100,000 H-1B visa fee
     Washington: The US government has said it will fight lawsuits aimed at blocking the USD 100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visa petitions, asserting that "for far too long" the system was "spammed with fraud" and must be overhauled to prioritise American workers.

     FGN18 US-INDIAN-ARREST
     Indian-American govt employee arrested for holding 'second, full-time job'
     New York: The US authorities have arrested an Indian-American government employee on charges of "grand larceny" for allegedly working a "second, full-time job" during the hours he was being paid to perform his official duties as a state employee.

     FGN19 CANADA-POST-DIWALI
     Canada Post issues Diwali stamp celebrating cultural diversity
     Ottawa: Canada Post has released a new Diwali-themed stamp to celebrate the country's multicultural fabric.

     FGN27 PAK-LD BLAST
     3 policemen killed in twin blasts in northwest Pakistan
     Peshawar: Three policemen including a senior officer were killed and another injured on Friday in two back-to-back blasts in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, officials said.

     FGN20 UK-LD BOOKER
     Booker Prize charity launches new Children's Prize worth 50,000 pounds
     London: The charity behind one of the world’s most significant literary prizes on Friday announced a new 50,000-pounds Children’s Booker Prize for fiction, to be selected by a combined panel of child and adult judges.

     FGN3 SAFRICA-VALLIAMMA-BUST
     Bust of teenage martyr Valliamma now proudly stands at Tolstoy Farum alongside Gandhi, Mandela
     Johannesburg: A bust of teenage martyr Valliamma Munuswami, who marched in South Africa alongside then lawyer Mohandas Gandhi before he became the Mahatma, was unveiled recently at Tolstoy Farm, south of Johannesburg.*

Following are the top foreign stories at 2000 hours

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