MUZAFFARABAD, 26 November 2020, (TON): A villager of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) lost his life on Wednesday evening after an Indian sniper shot at him from across the restive Line of Control (LoC) while he was heading home on a motorbike, officials said.

Chaudhry Ansar Mahmood, was about to reach his home in Gohra Mehri hamlet when he fell victim to the savagery of some trigger-happy soldier in an Indian post, situated at a stone’s throw from the spot, deputy commissioner Bhimber Qaiser Aurangzeb told a news agency by telephone.

Gohra Mehri hamlet is part of the revenue village Kahanwaliyan in Samahni subdivision of Bhimber district. Milit­ary refers to this area as Baghsar sector.

DC Aurangzeb said “He was struck by a single bullet that pierced the right side of his body through the ribs.”

A group of undaunted villagers took the victim to the nearest health facility in Bandala, but he did not survive due to excessive blood loss.

The deceased was said to be the elder son of his parents and a father of three daughters.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations confirmed the martyrdom of Mr Mahmood due to “unprovoked ceasefire violation by the Indian army in Baghsar sector”.

Locals are victims as India unleashed its security forces on non-combatant Kashmiris along the LoC in AJK. 

WELLINGTON, 26 November 2020, (TON): New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s government is set to declare a climate emergency to increase pressure for action to combat global warming.

The government will put forward a motion to declare the emergency as a symbolic step to increase pressure for action next Wednesday, the government said as parliament reconvened after a general election won by Ardern’s party.

PM Ardern said “We’ve always considered climate change to be a huge threat to our region, and it is something we must take immediate action on.”

She added “Unfortunately, we were unable to progress a motion around a climate emergency in parliament in the last term, but now we’re able to.”

Ardern returned to power last month delivering the landslide victory for her centre-left Labour Party in half a century as Voters rewarded Ardern for crushing community transmission of Covid-19.

In her last term, Ardern’s government passed a Zero Carbon Bill, which sets the framework for net zero emissions by 2050, with cross-party support in parliament.

If a climate emergency is passed, New Zealand would join countries like Canada, France and Britain that have taken the same course to focus efforts on tackling climate change.

Last week, Japanese lawmakers declared a climate emergency and committed to a firm timetable for net-zero emissions.

On January 1st, 2019, The Climate Mobilization recorded just 233 declarations worldwide compared to the 1,814 today. For the most part, those declarations aren’t binding and rarely include any specific changes in policy, but in some cases, they have bolstered more concrete efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

CANBERRA, 26 November 2020, (TON): Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said on Thursday that Australia has issued termination notices to at least 10 special forces soldiers after The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has released findings from a four-year inquiry into misconduct by its forces in Afghanistan.

According to military report published last week found that at least 19 serving and former Australian Special Forces allegedly committed up to 39 unlawful murders during the conflict in Afghanistan.

None of the 19 soldiers was identified in the report, which was written by a state judge appointed by the inspector-general of defense. The 19 serving and former soldiers have been referred for possible prosecution.

The ABC said 10 soldiers had been formally notified that they would be dismissed. The broadcaster did not identify any of the 10 but said all of them were witnesses or accessories and therefore not among the 19 referred for possible criminal charges.

Those 10 soldiers who got termination notices would have at least 14 days to respond to the notices. It did not say if any of them had legal representation.

Australia’s most senior military official apologized to Afghanistan last week after the release of the report.

Australia has had forces in Afghanistan since 2002, to join the US-led forces that tried to defeat the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan.

BUENOS AIRES, 26 November 2020, (TON): Top football legend Diego Maradona, the Argentine soccer great who led his country to World Cup has died. He was 60.  

Ahead of his 60th birthday in October, Maradona told France Football magazine that it was his dream to “score another goal against the English, this time with the right hand.”

Maradona’s spokesman, Sebastián Sanchi, said he died Wednesday of a heart attack, two weeks after being released from a hospital in Buenos Aires following brain surgery.

His reputation become controversial due to cocaine use and  and his addictions, he remained idolized in soccer-mad Argentina as the “Pibe de Oro” or “Golden Boy.”

Argentinean Government has announced three days of national mourning. At least one million people are expected to march past Diego Maradona’s coffin tomorrow while he lies in state at the Casa Rosada presidential palace in Argentina’s capital city of Buenos Aires.
The doors of the Casa Rosada will be opened early morning 11 am GMT  on Tuesday for the public, who will give the football superstar a hero’s farewell. Huge crowds have already gathered at the city’s landmark obelisk on the wide 9 de Julio Avenue, as well as outside the Argentinos Juniors football stadium where Maradona began his stellar career.

KABUL, 25 November 2020, (TON): Roadside bombs exploded in central Afghanistan on Tuesday killing at least 13 civilians and a traffic policeman, officials said.

Official spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, said 45 people were also wounded in a late afternoon blast in Bamiyan city in Bamiyan province. Several shops and vehicles were destroyed or damaged.

Mohammad Reza Yusuofi, spokesman for the provincial police chief in Bamiyan, said there were two bombs that exploded in quick succession.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack and Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, said the group was not involved.

LUCKNOW, 25 November 2020, (TON):  Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force has been added to the security apparatus of the province but it was challenged in Allahabad High Court last month. The proposal of the new force is on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had announced the formation of Uttar Pradesh Special Security Force (UPSSF) on 26 June 2020, which the state cabinet passed and was promulgated on 2 August 2020. It has been reported that five UPSSF Battalions are about to be deployed in sensitive places but their might be legal issues in deployment.

On 13 September 2020, the government issued a notification for the formation of the UPSSF. This force will be deployed at places like metro rail, airports, industrial institutions, courts, religious places, banks and other financial institutions. As per the plan 9,919 personnel will deployed with the force within three months in the first phase, following which 1,913 posts will be created later. Five battalions will initially cost Rs 1747.06 crore.

The force has been formed on the proposal by Allahabad High Court after incidents of violence were reported on the premises of courts in December 2019, will not require warrants for an arrest or to conduct searches as long as it is sure about the crime.

The force, which will have superintendence of Director General of Police (DGP), is being set up for the protection and security of persons and installations notified persons or establishments including Court premises, administrative offices, shrines, metro rail, airports, banks, and industrial undertakings and others as notified by the state government. Superintendent of Police of a district will oversee the functioning of the Force in his jurisdiction, in coordination with the Supervisory Officer. 

A striking feature of the act is that private establishment will be required to pay a prescribed fee for the service.  The Act provides that member of the Force to make an arrest, and search a person and his belongings without a Magistrate’s order or warrant if the offences are against employees of establishments including voluntarily causing hurt or attempting to cause hurt, threaten to assault or use criminal force, and reasonable suspicion of a person’s involvement in a cognizable offence related to establishments. After the arrest the arrested person is to be produced to a police officer, or to be taken to the nearest police station, accompanied by a report on the circumstances of arrest.

DAKHA, 24 November 2020, (TON):  On 23 November, the cabinet of the Bangladesh government approves the first 'Bangladesh Film Artists Welfare Trust Act-2020'. It is enacted for the welfare of the artists of the film industry.

A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was held on the virtual way, decided to draft this act for the film artist as there is another law 'Artist Welfare Trust' under the ministry of culture.

After the meeting, the cabinet secretary KhandakerAnwarul Islam confirmed this draft law has been enacted as per the prime minister's instruction by considering the overall welfare of the film artists who are insolvent and incapable to carry their treatment and expenditure.

The secretary said there would be a 13-member board under the information minister as its chairman and there would be a managing director elected by the government. He added the trust would have a fund of its own and anyone could donate it as well as the government would give money from the annual budget each year.

However, the secretary highlighted the task of the board by saying that it would work for the welfare of the film artists, undertake various development projects for the interest of the film artists, provide necessary financial support to insolvent and incapable artists who are unable to work professionally, assist sick artists by bearing their medical expenses, and also support the artists' family after their death.He also mentioned that those who are under the Artist Welfare Trust of the cultural ministry would not be benefited from the newly proposed Bangladesh Film Artist Welfare Trust-2020.

This drafted act will ensure the security of the artists during their crisis moments.

KABUL, 24 November 2020, (TON): Sources on Sunday reported a breakthrough in the Doha talks but added that the agreements on the procedures of the negotiations have faced opposition from President Ashraf Ghani.

Sources said the negotiating teams of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban have made progress in talks. The negotiating teams of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban have agreed to include the US-Taliban deal, UN endorsements for the Afghan peace process, commitments of the negotiating teams and the will of the Afghan people as the base for upcoming negotiations, sources said.

Sources said Afghan chief negotiator Mohammad Massoom Stanikzai and presidential peace advisor Salam Rahimi are on a secret trip to Kabul in the past three days, seeking President Ghani’s approval for the agreed formulation.

The Islamic Republic and the Taliban’s negotiators in Doha are tight-lipped and have not made any comments on recent progress.

“I think disagreement on peace will further blame the government in front of the people and it loses its trust among the public,” said Sayed Ishaq Gailani, head of the National Solidarity Movement of Afghanistan.

The Presidential Palace rejected the breakthrough in the negotiations as well as President Ghani’s opposition to this matter.

Analysts, meanwhile, criticized the High Council for National Reconciliation’s leadership for the delay in appointing its members.

“The High Council for National Reconciliation so far has not defined itself that whether it is a government council or an independent one,” said Ahmad Wali Massoud, head of Massoud Foundation.

Ata Mohammad Noor, the CEO of Jamiat-e-Islami, in a statement, welcomed the breakthrough in Doha talks and says the leadership council of Jamiat-e-Islami hopes that the progress will open the way for lasting peace in the country.

Sayed Hamed Gailani, head of the National Islamic Front of Afghanistan, welcomed the breakthrough in Doha talks, calling on both sides of the negotiations to expedite their efforts for peace.

PRAYAGRAJ, 22 November 2020, (TON): Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh senior leaders and top members on Sunday assembled at Gauhaniya college in Prayagraj to attend two-day moot here.

Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat and senior General Secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi  participated in the meeting. Those who attended the meeting included Chief minister Yogi Adityanath who reached Prayagraj late evening to join the discussions.

It is a the two-day brain storming session to deliberate to discuss the latest situation arising from opposition parties including minorities leadership confidential meetings with Tibetan, American and Afghan leadership as well as  issues related to awakening of Hindu for self identity and control over illegal activities by minorities in India,

Meanwhile, Central Tibetan Administration which is based in Dharamshala in India has also made contacts in the neighbouring countries to get official reorganizational support. The recent contacts between Indian opposition leaders, especially minority leaders, and Central Tibetan Administration has made New Delhi in a real fix to choose between agreement on water course and rivers with China and question of supporting Tibet against Chinese political ambitions. The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh will also deliberate of these issues. The leaders will also discuss climate change and water issues.

The meeting will also deliberate upon increasing trends in Muslim men marrying Hindu girls. The case of Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, a follower of Shia sect married a  daughter of a Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh leader. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi is Minister of State for Minority Affairs to the Government of India. Now he is not only BJP  prominent politician but is also linked with Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh. It is expected that the meeting would discourage interfaith marriages.

KABUL, 22 November 2020, (TON): The 2020 Afghanistan Conference, co-hosted by Afghanistan, Finland, and the UN scheduled on 23-24 November 2020, is another opening to renew commitments to the peace, development and prosperity of Afghanistan.  Due to the serious Covid-19 situation in Switzerland, the Conference will take place virtually, with the Palais des Nations in Geneva remaining as the hub for all logistics.

Finland is committed to support inclusive participation of Afghan civil society in the 2020 Afghanistan Conference. Coordination of the civil society was awarded to BAAG the British and Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group (BAAG) and its partner Civil Society Working Committee (CSWC) to advance this objective. The CSO statement presented by the official CSO delegation on 24th of November will be a synthesis of national discussions and provincial consultations conducted in Afghanistan.

Those who intend to sabotage Afghan peace talks to exclude Taliban from mainstream politics have accelerated terrorist acts throughout Afghanistan to compel Washington to delay the Christmas withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.  On Saturday, eleven people were killed and at least 50 others wounded in two IED explosions and 23 rocket attacks. Although as in the past no group has claimed responsibility for the attacks but generally Indian and Western patronized Afghan living in India are believed to be behind these terrorist acts.