FirstUp: India to get Commonwealth Games 2030 hosting rights, UK budget presentation... The news today

It is set to be a busy Wednesday with several events lined up for the day.

Firstly, India's bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games is set to be formally approved in Glasgow. Meanwhile, the UK government will present its budget statement today.

In India, Chandigarh is set to witness two major protests. Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul is set to meet his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur.

Here is all that is taking place across the world today.

India set to formally get hosting rights of Commonwealth Games

India will be officially awarded the hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games today. The rights will be discussed at the Commonwealth Sport's General Assembly in Glasgow.

The decision will formalise the recommendation made by the Commonwealth Sport Executive Board in October 2025 to select Ahmedabad as the host city for the centenary edition of the Games. This marks a significant step in India's ambition to become a major multi-sport hub.

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India's bid competed against Nigeria's city of Abuja. However, Commonwealth Sport decided to explore Nigeria's hosting ambitions for the 2034 edition. Earlier in 2010, India last hosted the Games in Delhi.

The bid has been recommended by the Commonwealth Sport’s Board, and overseen by the Commonwealth Sport’s Evaluation Committee. It assessed the candidate cities for “technical delivery, athlete experience, infrastructure, governance, and alignment with Commonwealth Sport values.”

UK budget presentation

United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves will present the annual budget in the House of Commons today. Facing a challenging economic backdrop of high debt and inflation, the Labour government is widely anticipated to introduce significant tax increases and welfare reforms.

A key proposal is extending the freeze on income tax thresholds until 2030, which would generate revenue by pulling more people into higher tax brackets as their wages increase. The budget is also reported to include plans to limit a tax break on pension contributions.

The budget will be presented against the backdrop of the government's "iron-clad" fiscal rules, which aim to balance the current budget by 2029-30. Independent forecasts suggest tax rises will be necessary to meet these rules.

Punjab braces for major protests

Chandigarh is bracing for a day of severe disruptions today as two major mobilisations, the fifth anniversary march of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and a complete shutdown called by the Panjab University Bachao Morcha are expected to converge.

Farmers remove barriers as they march towards New Delhi to press for better crop prices promised to them. File image/Reuters

The largest mobilisation is likely to come from the SKM, which will mark the fifth anniversary of the farmers’ agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws. While SKM and central trade unions have called for nationwide demonstrations, farmers from Punjab are preparing to march towards Chandigarh in significant numbers.

Adding to the city’s security concerns, the PU Bachao Morcha has announced a complete shutdown of Panjab University (PU) on November 26. The group has also threatened to gherao BJP offices in Chandigarh and Punjab if the long-pending senate election schedule is not announced by November 25.

Thai PM Anutin Charnvirakul to meet Malaysian counterpart

Thai PM Anutin Charnviralul will make an official visit to Malaysia on today, in a bid to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

In a statement, Thailand's Foreign Ministry said Anutin is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to discuss ways to further enhance Thailand-Malaysia cooperation.

"Both prime ministers will meet to deepen cooperation, particularly in the development of border areas, border security, transport connectivity, trade and investment, tourism, food security, and future industries," the ministry said on Monday.

The ministry added that the leaders will also discuss efforts to strengthen Asean's capacity to address global challenges, building on the outcomes of the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits held last month in Kuala Lumpur.

With inputs from agencies