Morning Digest: Sonam Wangchuk says restrictions on him arbitrary, vague; Centre sanctions new roads, infrastructure along China’s border, and more

Restrictions on me arbitrary, vague: Sonam WangchukLadakh activist Sonam Wangchuk on Thursday (November 12, 2026) described the restrictions imposed by the administration on him as “bad in law, arbitrary, vague and disproportionate” and conspicuously “not using words such as house arrest”. Invoking Section 163(1) of the BNSS, the Ladakh administration on Wednesday (November 11, 2026) evening shifted Mr. Wangchuk from a protest venue to his residence in Leh and has been allegedly restrained from leaving his residence.Centre sanctions new roads, infrastructure along China’s borderAmid continuing face-offs with the Chinese Army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh since late July, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has sanctioned the construction of new border infrastructure in the northeastern State, a senior government official told The Hindu. Earlier, in February, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had cleared the third phase of the Indo-China Border Roads (ICBR-III) project. Under the scheme, as many as 26 roads are to be constructed along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh, another government official said. The Union Government has not yet officially announced the ICBR-III project or publicly disclosed these details.India-EU FTA will be a game changer, says German envoyIn a wide-ranging interview, German Ambassador to India Jasper Wieck spoke to The Hindu about evolving European security architecture, the potential for growth in the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA), bilateral clean energy and defence initiatives and opportunities for skilled Indian workers in Germany.Amidst simmering tensions, India-Bangladesh consular dialogue postponedDays after Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested Dhaka for a new passport and national identity card, the fifth India-Bangladesh consular dialogue that was scheduled to take place on November 17 and 18 has been postponed, a diplomatic source has confirmed.Government planning special Session to clear Delimitation Bill; Congress calls it a ‘bluster’The government is mulling a plan to convene a ‘special’ Session of Parliament to attempt to pass the Delimitation Bill, 2026, linked, as per the government, to operationalising the Women’s Reservation Act, 2023. Sources in the government said the Centre is confident of the numbers, of having “at least 15-16 more votes than needed”, but did not disclose the dates or duration of the proposed Session.PM Modi conveys Deepavali greetings to Sam Pitroda, commends Indian media for voicing diverse opinionsPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (November 12, 2026) extended Deepavali greetings to Sam Pitroda after the Indian Overseas Congress president described him as a “Gujarati friend”. Responding to a video statement by Mr. Pitroda on X, Mr. Modi said: “Happy Diwali and Nutan Varsh Abhinandan to you Sam Bhai and to Anjana Ben. Praying for a joyful and healthy year ahead. Jai Jagannath!”ISRO successfully carries out ground static test of PSLV third stageThe Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which is looking to get its workhorse launcher, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), back on track has successfully carried out the ground static test of the PSLV third stage (PS3) at the Static Test Facility in Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on Thursday (November 12, 2026).Sukhbir Badal likely to meet Amit Shah on November 13, SAD-BJP alliance may be announced this monthAfter months of speculation over a possible re-alliance between the old partners Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly election, a likely meeting between SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 13 is being viewed as a move toward sealing the alliance.SIT probing Veeramani case arraigns seven police officers as accusedThe Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe cases of child sexual abuse against Gem Granites owner R. Veeramani has arraigned 7 police officers, including two IPS officers, who earlier served in the Greater Chennai Police as accused in the first case, police sources said on Thursday. The police officers were accused of failing to record information of a cognisable offence, resorting to falsification of records and failing to report or record a case of child sexual abuse, the sources said.Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang resigns amid spy scandalJensen Huang resigned as chief executive of Nvidia on Thursday (November 12, 2026), ending his 33-year run at the helm of the AI giant he co-founded after revelations he had two extramarital affairs, including with a woman accused of spying for China. The company’s board said Mr. Huang had stepped down as president, chief executive and board member, effective immediately. Chief financial officer Colette Kress will serve as interim CEO while keeping her finance role, and the board will consider internal and external candidates for a permanent replacement.Washington DC shooting: One dead, four people injuredFive people were shot on Thursday (November 12, 2026) in a trendy Washington, D.C., neighbourhood within walking distance of the White House, police said, and the suspected gunman shot himself as a swarm of officers responded to a nearby apartment building. One victim died in the shooting, said Jeffrey Carroll, interim chief with the Metropolitan Police Department.Widespread outage hits Microsoft appsA widespread outage hit Microsoft platforms including Outlook on Thursday (November 12, 2026), with many users encountering trouble using their email accounts and other errors across the tech giant’s suite of apps. Nearly 1,30,000 users on outage tracker Downdetector reported problems accessing Outlook just after 1 p.m. ET. New reports have since fallen from that peak, but many said they couldn’t send and receive emails, or had trouble loading their inboxes altogether.Yemen’s Houthis say they targeted Saudi East-West pipeline, port city of YanbuYemen’s Houthis said on Thursday (November 12, 2026) that their forces targeted Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline and an oil facility in the port city of Yanbu on the Red Sea. The pipeline, which ends at Yanbu, has become increasingly important to the world’s largest crude exporter, allowing it to get its oil to market after Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz on the other side of the Arabian Peninsula at the outset of the West Asia war. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said in a post on X that one operation “targeted Pumping Station No. 7 on the East-West Pipeline using a drone”, while a second “targeted the Yanbu oil facility using a ballistic missile”.