SRINAGAR, 29 November 2020, (TON):  The Kashmiris across the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir State including the Muslims, Hindu Pandits and Sikhs have upon the basic point, “people of Jammu and Kashmir believe in the politics of peaceful protests and not the politics of bullet”, said Kashmiri leader loyal to top Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani. Despite Indian Military intelligence fake encounters and operations to show to the world that militancy still existed in Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmiris are determined to achieve their right of self-determination through peaceful non-violent means, the statement said.

Meanwhile, Indian Union minister from BJP Anurag Thakur said on Saturday also said, the people of Jammu and Kashmir believe in the “politics of ballot” and not the “politics of bullet”. He said the people do not believe in the “divisive politics” propagated by the ‘Gupkar alliance'.

Gupkar alliance or People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PGAD) is an amalgam of several parties, which are carring out peaceful protests to revert 5 August 2019 status and seeking the restoration of the special status of the Jammu and Kashmir State.

The development in shape of statement of Anurag Thakur came after Nationalist Youth Congress state president Shivdev Singh, and several Sarpanches and Panches joined the saffron party as part of Governments initiatives. Anurag Thakur said, no stone will be left unturned to transform this region into a progressive and peaceful place for citizens and investors. The measures taken by the Modi government are being supported by the common man and that is why they are showing their support for the BJP by joining in large numbers. Many BJP members are also internally in alliance with Gupkar Declaration. 

TEHRAN, 28 November 2020, (TON): Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday demanded the “definitive punishment” of those behind the killing of a nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Meanwhile, a group of Iranian protesters burn pictures of the US President-elect Joe Biden in a gathering in front of Iranian Foreign Ministry on Saturday. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh’s widow spoke on state television and demanded revenge on Israel for the scientist’s slaying.

Early this year President Donald Trump tweeted, “Let this serve as a WARNING that if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets, we have.........targeted 52 Iranian sites, some at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD. USA wants no more threats." However, he shelved and spoke against all plans to target Iran.

There are reports that keeping the international politics, the situation inside Iran is intentionally being made tense and uncertain, to pave way for a regime change.

NIAMEY, 28 November 2020, (TON): The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Saturday reaffirmed slammed Indian state-sponsored terrorism in the region.

According to the sources the OIC, in a unanimously adopted resolution at the 47th Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM), deplored India's state terrorism.

The OIC denounced the use of pellet guns by Indian troops in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and urged New Delhi to abide by international human rights obligations. OIC urged the international community to review their engagements with India.

The OIC has decided to further consider the Jammu and Kashmir dispute at the 48th CFM that is scheduled in Islamabad.

The organisation strongly urged India to implement recommendations of two reports of the United Nations for human rights in the region and also reaffirmed that the final decision of the region would be through a free and impartial plebiscite.

BAGHDAD, 28 November 2020, (TON): Violence erupted on Friday between the members of the November 2019 anti-government protest movement and supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, who had called on his followers to take to the streets in a show of force.

The death toll from clashes among rival protesters in Iraq’s southern hot spot of Nasiriya rose to eight. Strict security measures have been imposed in number of cities.

In the southern city of Nasiriya, anti-government activists accused of Muqtada al-Sadr supporters of shooting at them and torching their tents in their main gathering place of Habboubi Square.

Clashes continued and number of injured have increase to over 100.

Authorities sacked the city’s police chief, launched an investigation into the events and imposed an overnight curfew in Nasiriya.

As election scheduled for June next year, US is supporting underhand to Muqtada al-Sadr to come into power after US withdrawal.

ADDIS ABABA, 28 November 2020, (TON): Ethiopia has deployed its soldiers all along the Sudanese border to prevent Tigray refugees from fleeing to Sudan.

Refugees accused Ethiopian soldiers of blocking border with Sudan. The number of refugees fleeing the Ethiopian northern region has reduced to almost negligible after soldiers were deployed to the border with Sudan. Refugees are encouraged to flee to Eretria.

Several refugees complaint that they are being blocked so that Ethiopian soldiers kill them while returning.

Data from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) shows that new refugee numbers peaked around 10 November, with more than 6,800 people crossing into Sudan in a single day. The average number arriving daily has been 3,000. Since deployment of Ethiopian troops along the border, there is hardly any refugee that crosses the border to Sudan.   

WASHINGTON, 28 November 2020, (TON): The United States on Friday announced economic sanctions on Chinese and Russian companies that Washington said had supported the development of Iran’s missile programme.

The four firms, accused of “transferring sensitive technology and items to Iran’s missile programme”, will be subject to restrictions on US government aid and on their exports for two years, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.

The sanctions, imposed are against two Chinese-based companies, Chengdu Best New Materials and Zibo Elim Trade, as well as Russia-based Nilco Group and Joint Stock Company Elecon.

TEHRAN, 28 November 2020 (TON): Iran’s president on Saturday accused Israel of killing a prominent Iranian scientist long suspected by the West of masterminding a secret nuclear bomb programme, state TV reported.

Iran’s clerical and military rulers have threatened revenge for Friday’s killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who Iranian media said died in hospital after assassins gunned him down in his car near Tehran.

“Once again, the evil hands of global arrogance were stained with the blood of the mercenary usurper Zionist regime,” a term for Israel, President Hassan Rouhani said in a statement, according to state TV.

“The assassination of martyr Fakhrizadeh shows our enemies’ despair and the depth of their hatred... His martyrdom will not slow down our achievements.” \The death of the top Iranian scientist, Fakhrizadeh, could escalate tensions between Iran and its foes and undermining any effort between Iran and USA to negotiate on the JCPOA agreement signed earlier aimed at Iran commitment to the minimum level of uranium enrichment, to which USA exempted herself, citing it a deceit

Media quoting Iranian foreign ministry said, he in a letter handed to the Swiss Ambassador in Tehran, says, "We have reliable documents and evidence that this terrorist act was planned, guided and supported by the CIA." It is claimed that the letter says, "letter of condemnation" had also been sent to the British government, saying the killing of Iranian nuclear scientists had "started exactly after the British official John Sawers declared the beginning of intelligence operations against Iran".

ISLAMABAD, 28 November 2020, (TON): Special Assistant to Prime Minister on overseas Pakistanis, Syed Zulfiqar Abbas Bukhari on Friday said that Pakistani labour would avail new opportunities of job in Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In an interview with a private television channel program Zulfi Bukhari said ‘many countries provided employment to Pakistani people in the recent past due to vibrant foreign policy.”

The weak economic activity was being observed around the world due to emergence of COVID-19 cases, he stated.

Regarding the restriction on Pakistanis visa for Dubai he said “there was no restriction of visa, but Dubai was undergoing in a scrutiny process.”

“We should understand the problems of the people of U.A.E, who were also facing the challenges, emerged due to corona virus,” he said.

he added that virtual labour was being reduced in U.A.E, due to which, new jobs would be available for labour community of Pakistan.

The Special Assistant to Prime Minister said, we have sent over nine hundred thousand Pakistanis to many countries for jobs. In November, he said some 1600 Pakistani people went to U.A.E for work purpose.

Workers from Pakistan in the Gulf region make a considerable percentage of the overall working class employed in the region. The recent lock-down due to the corona virus fear, has immensely endangered the jobs of these migrant workers and according to reports UAE has restricted new visas for several countries including Pakistan due to security reasons however, Zulfi Bukhari clarified that there is no such restriction while the UAE is undergoing a scrutiny process.

NEW DELHI, 28 November 2020, (TON): India's economy contracted 7.5 percent between July and September, performing the poorest among major advanced and emerging economies and entering a technical recession for the first time since independence, official data showed Friday.

The figures indicate that Asia's third-largest economy is in for a tough fight as it attempts to revive demand and create jobs. Figures also indicated an improvement on the record 23.9-percent contraction recorded last quarter.

With GDP falling in two consecutive quarters, in the same quarter last year the economy grew 4.4 percent. The two successive quarters of contraction mean that the country has now entered a "technical recession" for the first time since 1947.

After virus-led lockdowns ravaged the globe, the growth recorded by major economies including the United States, Japan and Germany during the quarter ending on September 30 raised expectations that India would also enjoy a revival.

New Delhi has struggled to kick-start an economy that is expected to shrink 9.5 percent this year, according to estimates released by India's central bank governor Shaktikanta Das last month.

The International Monetary Fund has meanwhile predicted that India's economy would contract by 10.3 percent this year, the biggest slump for any major emerging economy and the worst since independence.

A report by Oxford Economics released earlier this month said that India would be the worst-affected economy even after the pandemic eases, stating that annual output would be 12 percent below pre-virus levels through 2025.

India's economy had struggled to gain traction even before the pandemic, and the hit to global activity from the virus and the lockdowns combined to deal the country a severe blow.

The shutdown in the vast country of 1.3 billion people left huge numbers of people jobless almost overnight, including tens of millions of migrant workers in the shadow economy.

The government has since been easing restrictions to revive activity, but is also recording the world’s highest number of daily new infections.

TEHRAN, 28 November 2020, (TON): An Iranian top nuclear scientist, long suspected by the West of masterminding a secret atomic weapons programme, was assassinated near Tehran on Friday, Iranian state media reported.

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh died of injuries in hospital after armed assassins fired on his car, according to Iranian media.

Iran has long denied seeking to weaponise nuclear energy but Fakhrizadeh has long been suspected by Western, Israeli as a mastermind behind atomic bomb programme.

Iran’s armed forces said “Unfortunately, the medical team did not succeed in reviving (Fakhrizadeh), and a few minutes ago, this manager and scientist achieved the high status of martyrdom after years of effort and struggle,”

Fakhrizadeh has been the rare distinction of being the only Iranian scientist named in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 2015 “final assessment” of open questions about Iran’s nuclear programme.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javed Zarif condemned the move, hinted at the possibility of Israeli involvement in the attack.

In a tweet he said "Terrorists murdered an eminent Iranian scientist today. This cowardice—with serious indications of Israeli role—shows desperate warmongering of perpetrators," while calling upon the international community "to end their shameful double standards & condemn this act of state terror."

Meanwhile, state television described Fakhrizadeh as “country's nuclear scientists having had an old and deep enmity of Israel towards him.”

Iran's armed forces chief of staff called Fakhrizdeh's death “a bitter and heavy blow to the country's defence system” and warned of “severe revenge” for those behind it.

Maj Gen Mohammad Bagheri said in a tweet that “We assure (Iranians) that we will not rest until we have chased and punished” those involved.  

Earlier this month, the US authorities confirmed that Trump plans to carry out a possible strike on Iran however, Trump decided against it. Now, it may be an altered version of the plan perceived to target Iran nuclear programme. As the recent high-level visits by US officials to Israel “raised flags something being cooked up” to “provoke Iran & complicate for Bidden to return to diplomacy with Tehran.