International Relations & Politics
The G20 leaders adopted a 122-Point Joint Declaration during their summit, underscoring solidarity, equality, and sustainability. The declaration highlighted multilateral cooperation and prioritized the concerns of the Global South. A significant outcome was the launch of the Australia-Canada-India Technology and Innovation (ACITI) Partnership, a trilateral collaboration in technology and innovation. Separately, India proposed six major global initiatives during the G20 Leaders' Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, aimed at fostering sustainable development, global resilience, innovation, and humanitarian cooperation. India also intervened at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, and proposed an Open Satellite Data Partnership to provide satellite data from G20 space agencies to developing countries.
The World Bank Group announced a new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for Fiscal Years 2026 to 2030. This five-year strategy, titled "Economic Diversification for Growth and Employment (EDGE)," focuses on creating more and better jobs, strengthening institutions, improving governance, connecting communities, and building a more resilient population.
In other political news, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held discussions with U.S. President Donald Trump regarding trade negotiations. Carney is also slated to participate in a World Cup event with Trump next week. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India, a trip that analysts suggest highlights the transactional nature of the relationship, particularly given both countries' current difficulties with the United States. The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) also convened virtually on November 25-26, with a focus on strengthening multilateralism for shared growth.
Economy & Finance
Japan's government unveiled a substantial 21.3-trillion-yen stimulus package aimed at boosting economic growth, alleviating inflationary pressures on households, and bolstering political support. The measures include cash handouts for families and energy-bill assistance. However, economists caution that the stimulus could strain households further through higher import prices, given rising bond yields and a weakening yen.
For India, S&P Global Ratings retained its GDP forecast, projecting an expansion of 6.5% for FY26 and 6.7% for FY27, signaling sustained economic growth. The Reserve Bank of India's November 2025 Bulletin indicated that the Indian economy gained momentum in October, driven by strong festive demand, rural consumption, and GST cuts. Additionally, the UAE–India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Council signed partnerships with FAB and Hub71 to boost Indian start-up growth. Globally, experts are examining how high national debt levels, particularly in developed nations, are increasing the influence of bond markets on political spending decisions.
Science & Technology
The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared Indonesia free from type-2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) in November 2025, following no reported cases since June 2024. In a significant public health breakthrough, Gavi and UNICEF announced a new pricing deal for the R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine, reducing the dose price to US$2.99. This initiative aims to expand access, protect 7 million children, save US$90 million, and enable 30 million more doses, particularly targeting high-burden African countries.
In India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the Cyber Security Innovation Challenge (CSIC) 1.0 under the Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) Project. Furthermore, India inaugurated its first Liquid Helium Facility at IIT Bombay, a key development under the National Quantum Mission (NQM), with advanced quantum facilities also being set up at IISc Bengaluru, IIT Delhi, and IIT Kanpur.
An environmental event of note was the eruption of Ethiopia's Hayli Gubbi volcano after approximately 12,000 years, with ash plumes reportedly drifting towards Pakistan and India, including the Delhi NCR region. In the realm of digital transformation, ZTE Corporation hosted its Global Services Ecosystem Forum 2025 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, focusing on AI-driven network service innovation and digital transformation. Rajasthan is also emerging as a leader in solar energy, hosting the "Global Solar Expo-Rajasthan 2025" and attracting significant investments in solar-hybrid, storage, and green hydrogen technologies.
Social Welfare & National Developments (India)
India observed Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) on November 26, marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution of India in 1949. The day honors the values and architects of the Constitution, particularly Dr. B. R. Ambedkar. Coinciding with this, India also celebrated National Milk Day on November 26 to honor Dr. Verghese Kurien, the "Father of the White Revolution," recognizing India's status as the world's largest milk producer.
The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MSJE) and the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to empower De-Notified, Nomadic, and Semi-Nomadic (DNT) communities in India. In legislative news, Assam introduced the Assam Prohibition of Polygamy Bill, 2025, which aims to criminalize polygamy and strengthen women's rights with strict penalties. Additionally, the Indian government is set to introduce the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2025, to bring Chandigarh under Article 240 of the Constitution.
Sports
Amdavad (Ahmedabad), India, has been formally ratified as the host city for the Centenary 2030 Commonwealth Games. Weightlifting has been confirmed as a core sport within the competition, alongside Athletics, Swimming, Table Tennis, Bowls, Para Powerlifting, Artistic Gymnastics, Netball, and Boxing. In winter sports, two-time World champion Anze Lanisek (Slovenia) secured the FIS Ski Jumping World Cup yellow jersey for the first time in his career after a victory on Falun's Large Hill in Sweden.