Pakistan last week summoned a senior diplomat from the Indian High Commission to register its protest over the alleged “ceasefire violations” by the Indian forces along the Line of Control (LoC). The Foreign Office said that due to “indiscriminate and unprovoked firing” in Bagsar Sector of the LoC, 33-year-old Ansar, a resident of Garhi village, was killed. The Indian side was called upon to respect the 2003 Ceasefire Understanding; investigate this and other such incidents of ceasefire violations and maintain peace along the LoC and the Working Boundary, it said in a statement.
34 killed in twin Afghan suicide bombings
At least 34 people were killed on Sunday in two separate suicide bombings in Afghanistan that targeted a military base and a provincial chief, officials said. There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attacks, which took place as Afghan government representatives and the Taliban hold peace talks in Qatar. In Ghazni, 31soldiers were killed and 24 others wounded when the attacker drove a military humvee full of explosives onto an army base before detonating the bomb, according to an official. Afghanistan’s defence ministry said 10 soldiers were killed and nine wounded. The ministry also offered a different account of what happened, saying the vehicle exploded near the army base after forces opened fire on the car. It was not immediately clear why there was a discrepancy. A spokesman for the interior ministry said a suicide bombing took place. In southern Afghanistan, another suicide car bomber targeted the convoy of a provincial council chief in Zabul, killing at least three people and wounding 21 others, including kids, according to a provincial spokesman.
Bilawal tests Covid+ve, in isolation
Chairman of Pakistan’s opposition Pakistan Peoples Party Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari announced that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and was exhibiting mild symptoms. Bilawal’s infection was diagnosed just a day before the engagement of his sister, Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari, to a Dubai-based businessman and four days before the next rally of Pakistan Democratic Movement, an anti-government alliance of 11 opposition parties, in Multan.
UAE halts visas to 13 nations over security concerns
The UAE has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a document issued by a state-owned business park. A source said the visas had temporarily stopped being issued to Afghans, Pakistanis and citizens of several other countries over security concerns, but did not give details. The document cited an immigration circular that came into effect on November 18. The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship had no comment.
China launches Moon probe to bring lunar rocks
China launched a spacecraft to the moon’s surface, aiming to be the first nation to bring back lunar rock and soil samples in more than four decades. The mission, Chang’e-5, is the latest step in an ambitious space programme that China hopes will culminate with a lunar research station and ultimately a human colony on the moon by the 2030s. Unlike in the past, the launch, from the Wenchang space site at Hainan Island, was broadcast live by state media, a sign of growing confidence in its space programme. If the mission is successful, China will be only the third nation to bring pieces of the moon back to Earth after the US and the Soviet Union.
Beijing market halts sale, storage of frozen food
Beijing’s Xinfadi market, which was linked to an outbreak in June, has suspended sales and storage of cold-chain and aquatic products, state-backed Beijing News reported. Several infections in recent months in Qingdao and Tianjin cities involved handlers of imported frozen food. Refrigerated meat and seafood in the market were disposed of, and over a hundred cold storages were disinfected and shut.
S Korea, China agree on Xi visit, N Korea talks
South Korea and China agreed to prepare for a visit to South Korea by Chinese President Xi Jinping and to cooperate on stalled talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme and on tackling the novel coronavirus. China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, arrived in Seoul, after a two-day visit to Japan, as Asian governments prepare for change under a new US administration. China and US ally South Korea have traditionally been suspicious of each other but in recent years they have found common ground in economic cooperation and a shared concern about North Korea’s rush to develop nuclear weapons.
Top Iranian N-scientist shot dead
Iran vowed retaliation after the architect of its nuclear programme was assassinated on a highway near Tehran, in a major escalation of tensions that risks placing the Middle East on a new war footing. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was ambushed with explosives and machine gun fire near Tehran. Efforts to resuscitate him in hospital failed. His bodyguard and family members were also wounded.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said Israel was probably to blame, and an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed retaliation. “We will strike as thunder at the killers of this oppressed martyr and will make them regret their action,” tweeted Hossein Dehghan.
US Covid cases top 4mn in Nov
The total number of coronavirus cases in the United States for November surpassed four million last week, more than double the record set in October of 1.9 million cases. And the sharp escalation is likely to continue - or grow even steeper. “We are on track to continue this accelerated pace of the epidemic and see even more speed of rise of cases because of the movement indoors, of activities around the country and because large number of people have moved around the country for the holidays,” said Tom Inglesby, the director of the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University. The milestone came as Americans travelled by the millions for the long Thanksgiving weekend and amid a Black Friday that saw some store crowding. More than 170,000 people in the US are now testing positive on an average day. More than 1.1 million people tested positive in the past week alone.
Lara Trump considering run for US Senate
Lara Trump, Donald Trump's daughter-in-law, is considering a run for the US Senate in a move that could start a new American political dynasty. Lara, 38, who became a prominent campaigner for her father-in-law, said it would be "incredible" to stand in her home state of North Carolina. If successful, she would be the first member of the next generation of the Trump family to be elected to national office. Donald Trump Jr, the president's eldest son, and his daughter Ivanka, have both also been touted as possible future political candidates. Lara, a former television producer and personal trainer, is married to Eric Trump, 36, the president's second eldest son. She said, She told Fox News: "It would be an incredible thing. It's my home state, a state I love so much. And look, I think we need some strong Republicans in Washington DC. We had a great run with the Senate and the House this go-round, but you know, let's see what happens. Let's get through this one and then we'll talk about the next one."
SC backs religious challenge to NY virus curbs
As coronavirus cases surge again in the US, the Supreme Court barred New York from enforcing certain limits on attendance at churches and synagogues in areas designated as hard hit. The justices split 5-4 with new Justice Amy Coney Barrett in the majority. It was the conservative’s first publicly discernible vote as a justice. The SC’s three liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented. The move was a shift for the court. Earlier this year, when Barrett’s liberal predecessor, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, was still on the court, the justices divided 5-4 to leave in place pandemic-related capacity restrictions in California and Nevada. The SC’s action could push New York to reevaluate its curbs on houses of worship in areas designated hot spots.
WHO pushes for physical activity
The WHO says people need to get more active, warning that up to 5 million deaths worldwide could be avoided each year if people become more active. The UN health agency, launching updated guidelines on sedentary behaviour, is pointing to figures that one in four adults don’t get enough physical activity - a situation complicated by the Covid-19 crisis that has shut many people indoors. The agency recommends at least 21/2 hours of “moderate to vigorous aerobic activity” for adults per week, and an hour per day for kids and teens. A lack of physical activity leads to extra health care costs of $54 billion per year, plus another $14 billion in lost productivity, the WHO said.
Mexico's president again declines to recognize Biden win
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador again declined to congratulate Joe Biden for winning the US presidential election, making him stand out increasingly among world leaders who have withheld their recognition. Speaking shortly after China's President Xi Jinping congratulated Biden for his victory, Lopez Obrador reiterated that it would be wrong to offer congratulations until the electoral process has been formally concluded. "We do not agree with offering congratulations in advance," Lopez Obrador told reporters at a regular government news conference. "What's the best thing? For us to wait."
Elon Musk pips Bill Gates in rich list
Elon Musk’s year of dizzying ascents hit a new apex as the Tesla Inc co-founder passed Bill Gates to become the world’s second-richest person. The 49-year-old’s net worth soared $7.2 billion to $127.9 billion, driven by yet another surge in Tesla’s share price. Musk has added $100.3 billion to his net worth this year, the most of anyone on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a ranking of the world’s 500 richest people. In January he ranked 35th. His advance up the wealth ranks has been driven largely by Tesla, whose market value is approaching $500 billion. About three-quarters of his net worth is comprised of Tesla shares.
Airlines may soon ask for ‘vaccination passports’
International air travel could come booming back next year but with a new rule: Travellers to certain countries must be vaccinated against the coronavirus before they can fly. Encouraging news about vaccine development has given airlines and nations hope they may soon be able to revive suspended flight routes and dust off lucrative tourism plans. But countries in Asia and the Pacific, in particular, are determined not to let their hard-won gains against the virus evaporate. In Australia, the boss of Qantas said that once a virus vaccine becomes widely available, his carrier will likely require passengers use it before they can travel abroad or land in Australia.
