Malaysia will allow visa-free entry to Chinese and Indian citizens for up to 30 days starting December 1, announced Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The visa waiver, confirmed by the Home Ministry, will be applicable till end of 2024. China and India are Malaysia's 4th and 5th largest source markets for tourism. Pre-pandemic, Malaysia received 1.5 million Chinese tourists and 354,486 Indians in the first half of 2019. The move mirrors China's recent visa-free access for Malaysians and Thais exempting Chinese and Indians among other nationalities as countries dependent on tourism revenue seek to boost visitor arrivals. Regionally, Sri Lanka has also approved free visas for Chinese and Indians until March 2024 as a pilot.

Henry Kissinger, former U.S. Secretary of State and 1973 Nobel Peace laureate, has died at age 100. As Secretary of State under Nixon and Ford, Kissinger left an enduring imprint on American diplomacy through his role in historic events like China opening up, U.S.-Soviet arms control, Arab-Israeli ties and Vietnam peace agreement. Hailed for brilliance by some and decried as a war criminal by others, Kissinger remained influential in policy circles though his global travels were later constrained. Even in advanced age, he met world leaders, published a book and testified in Senate till July 2023. Despite a controversial Nobel, Kissinger was considered a transformative albeit divisive figure.

Canada has sought more cooperation from India in the probe of a Sikh separatist's murder in British Columbia after the US charged an Indian government employee for plotting to kill separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Canadian PM Trudeau said the US charges underscore the need for India to take this seriously and cooperate to get to the bottom of this. This comes after Canada acknowledged credible accusations linking Indian operatives to the June murder of separatist Hardeep Nijjar. Both countries aim to counter China but the allegations complicate those efforts. Reconciliation seems unlikely with Canada's probe ongoing and India preparing for Modi's re-election bid.

The BCCI has the tricky task of convincing skipper Rohit Sharma to lead India in the T20I series in South Africa after he has not played since the T20 World Cup exit. With Hardik Pandya injured, Suryakumar Yadav might captain if Rohit refuses. BCCI secretary Jay Shah will meet selection panel chief Ajit Agarkar to pick squads and plan for 2024 T20 World Cup. Rohit was earlier unwilling to play T20Is but his ODI World Cup leadership has convinced BCCI he should continue. Virat Kohli has opted out of SA T20Is and will be considered based on IPL performance, similar to KL Rahul's case with his LSG role vital. Squads will be announced on Thursday.

The Taliban-appointed Deputy Political Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai has said the country's consulates in Mumbai and Hyderabad have reopened, dismissing claims of embassy closure in India. In an interview, he said Afghan missions are in contact with the Taliban government and functioning. This counters the Afghan Embassy's recent statements declaring permanent closure from November 23 due to Indian government challenges. Earlier in September, the Embassy had stopped operations hoping India's stance would change. However, India hasn't recognized the Taliban regime and the Embassy was run by previous Ghani government staff. MEA has not commented on the issue which remains ambiguous.

The Silkayra tunnel project, part of the Char Dham road project, will continue after a safety audit following the successful rescue of 41 workers trapped inside the collapsed portion. A road ministry official said necessary precautions will be taken and work on the 4.5 km tunnel will resume after repairs. The 17-day rescue effort concluded on Tuesday with all workers being brought out safely after over 400 hours buried nearly 200 feet underground. Project head Harpal Singh cited poor geology study, inadequate ground support, construction issues and supervision errors as possible reasons for the collapse. He said all tunnels should have escape tunnels and learning from this incident can prevent future accidents.

The IMD has forecast heavy rains in Chennai and neighbouring districts over the next few days, prompting authorities to announce school closures on November 30. An orange alert was issued for Chennai indicating likelihood of very heavy rains. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned of more intense rainfall from December 2-4. The IMD also noted a low pressure area over Southeast Bay of Bengal that may concentrate into a cyclonic storm. Amid downpours, TN CM Stalin directed officials to provide assistance in rain-hit areas. GCC advised Chennai residents to stay indoors given the heavy rains. Fishermen were advised not to venture into sea due to rough conditions.

The annual UN climate summit, COP 28, will be hosted by the UAE in Dubai from November 30 to December 12. Over 70,000 delegates are expected to attend to accelerate energy transition and emissions cuts. COP28 is significant amid geopolitical risks from the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's Ukraine invasion. As a major emitter with a huge population, India's role is crucial - it must balance ambition on climate action with equitable development. With almost all countries participating, COP28 will see negotiations and give-and-takes on key climate goals.

Over 32 million voters will decide the fate of 2,290 candidates for 119 assembly seats in Telangana on Thursday after high-decibel campaigns by national leaders. Chief Minister KCR, his son KT Rama Rao, state Congress chief Revanth Reddy, and BJP MLAs Sanjay Kumar and Arvind are key contestants. Polling will be from 7 AM to 5 PM in 106 seats and 7 AM to 4 PM in 13 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas.The results will be declared on December 3 along with that of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, where the voting has taken place between November 7 and November 25. Telangana is last among these states to vote.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has activated a “severe weather emergency protocol” for London as snow is predicted to hit later this week. He implemented measures to shelter the homeless during the below-freezing nights. Khan stated the protocol means, "emergency accommodation across the capital would be opened for homeless people, with 'charities and local councils...working around the clock to help them'." Britain's Met Office warned parts of Scotland could see up to 5cm of snow. England could also get fairly widespread snowfall in the unusual cold blast from the Arctic. Though rare, officials prepped for London getting measurable snow too as bitter winds brought wintry conditions down from Scandinavia. Khan initiated the emergency protocol for the worst as experts predicted flash freeze and snow, hitting London amid nationwide winter warnings.