Like clockwork: Time now from Sunday this week for the clocks to go back in Britain. As they do about this time across North America and the rest of Europe. Which means that the UK moves back to GMT from the present British Summer Time. As always at this time of the year, when clocks move back, and in April when they move forward, a group of doubters ask, rationally enough, why. Surely the sun does not consult certain nations on when it rises or sets. It does help though in illusions that, come summer, the days feel longer going by the clock if not by the sun.
Watch out: The move to GMT throws up a quirky fact about the time difference between India and Britain. For anyone in either country to know the time in the other, simply view your watch upside down. Some have seen in this, not rationally one might add, a symbolic suggestion that there is a natural connection between Britain and India, even if from inverted positions through history. Perhaps it’s best not to take symbolism so far as to suggest that India will now look brighter than Britain; it is to escape the cold and the dark that many Brits came to India.
PMs to meet: Keep an eye on the space between India and the UK closely next week after the two prime ministers meet. They have met virtually twice this year after Covid killed two planned visits by Boris Johnson. Some announcements were made but a virtual summit is not quite the same thing. This bilateral meeting is likely to throw up declarations of several agreements between Britain and India, with more to follow next year.
The Italy visit: Before the climate summit, critical bilateral meetings are due to take place with Italian leaders in Rome on the sidelines of the G20 summit this weekend. And these are almost certain to include meetings on defence cooperation. The Indian Army chief had earlier visited both London and Rome. Italy is keen to put the AgustaWestland helicopter controversy behind and talk to India about more strategic exchanges. These are naturally not all made public.
Red list shredded: A day after offering quite unhelpful concessions to travellers from red-list countries, Britain has ended its red-listing altogether. Good news for travellers, not so good for hotels who made huge profits through this year on winning a listing for forced quarantining. Britain needs the money visitors bring and spend, which adds up no doubt to far more than they would spend on forced quarantining.
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