Shutdown continues in occupied Kashmir on 135th consecutive day (update by Nov 21,2016)
SRINAGAR – The shutdown is being observed as part of the protest programme issued by the joint resistance leadership comprising the All Parties Hurriyet Conference Chairman, Syed Ali Gilani, and Hurriyet leaders, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, against the civilian killings and other brutalities of Indian forces in the occupied territory. The strike started on July 9, a day after the extrajudicial murder of popular youth leader, BurhanWani, in a fake encounter by Indian troops and has been extended till November 21. The killing has triggered mass uprising in the territory and so far 113 people have been killed, over 16,000 injured and more than 400 blinded due to the firing of pellets, bullets and teargas shells by Indian forces on the peaceful protesters. The puppet authorities have detained thousands of people including Hurriyet leaders and activists to suppress the movement. In the meanwhile, most of the shops, commercial establishments, educational institutes and other offices were closed across the Srinagar. Heavy movement of private vehicles, auto-rickshaws, mini-buses and passenger cabs’ as well pedestrians was seen in civil line and uptown areas of the city. Hundreds of vendors had set up their stalls in Lal Chowk area and large numbers of shoppers were also seen buying winter garments. In Old City, hundreds of forces men were deployed in five police station areas of Srinagar’s Old City – MR Gunj, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal, Rainwari and Khanyar – since early morning. ‘Courtesy Kashmir Watch)
Chinese foreign ministry statement:–
On November 11, the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) convened a meeting, under the Chairmanship of Republic of Korea, in Vienna to discuss “Technical, Legal and Political Aspects of Non-NPT States’ Participation in the NSG”, in accordance with the mandate adopted by the Seoul Plenary in June this year. Ambassador Wang Qun, Director-General of Arms Control Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China headed the Chinese delegation to the meeting. This is the first time, not only since the Seoul Plenary, but also since the NSG’s inception in 1975, for the Group to formally take up the issue of non-NPT states’ participation in an open and transparent manner. The meeting had debriefings from relevant countries including China as well as from the former Chair of the Group on their respective papers submitted to the Group. The Participating Governments offered their observations on the key issues dealt with in the above papers as they pertain to the issue of technical, legal and political aspects of non-NPT states’ participation in the NSG. The Chinese delegation participated in the meeting in a constructive manner and contributed its substantive inputs.
China believes that, the above meeting marks a good beginning of the two-step inter-governmental process launched by the Group. China supports the continuation of this open and transparent inter-governmental process, in accordance with relevant rules of the Group, and to ensure a solid first step taken towards an early formula on the above issue, so that the Group can proceed to the second step of taking up country specific membership application by non-NPT states at an early date.
To this end, China maintains that, any formula worked out should be non-discriminatory and applicable to all non-NPT states; without prejudice to the core value of the NSG and the effectiveness, authority and integrity of the international non-proliferation regime with the NPT as its cornerstone; and without contradicting the customary international law in the field of non-proliferation. China is ready to work with all parties to promote early progress by the Group in this regard.
US election Tuesday November 8, 2016 Donald J. Trump elected 45th President of the United States Donald Trump a stunning victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton Trump beats Clinton to take White House
Trump won the vote that counts, in the Electoral College. Trump has 290 Electoral College votes and Clinton has 232. It takes 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the presidency. The Republican nominee’s victory came down to a handful of key swing states, despite months of polling that favoured Mrs Clinton. The battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and North Carolina cleared the way for his Brexit-style upset. Global markets plummeted, with the US dollar diving and gold prices surging. Mr Trump’s shock victory in Wisconsin put him over the 290 out of 538 electoral college votes needed to win the White House, after a gruelling and rancorous campaign. The US president-elect took to the stage with his family at his victory rally in a New York hotel ballroom and said: “I just received a call from Secretary Clinton. She congratulated us on our victory. In his acceptance speech, the next president promised a bright future that is at odds with the fear and division he rode to the White House. “I pledge to every citizen in our land that I will be President for all Americans, and this is so important to me,” Trump told a wild pack of supporters at Manhattan’s Hilton Hotel. He insisted he would work with Americans of all backgrounds on “the urgent task of rebuilding our nation and renewing the American dream.” Trump said Clinton called him to concede, and he commended his opponent on her service to America. His victory had an immediate impact on Dow Jones futures and Asian markets, with both plunging as the counting of the vote for President Obama’s successor lingered into early Wednesday. Republicans appear set to control both the White House and both houses of Congress, giving a President Trump consolidated power and a free hand to carry out his agenda. The GOP had a firm grip on the House and was expected to retain its Senate majority. Trump boosters started to celebrate as the night wore on and their candidate hung on to a lead in electoral votes.
Indian Efforts to Create Space for ISIS in Afghanistan
The recent Indian efforts are directed towards linking the PakistanISIS linkage in Afghanistan, whereas circumstantially, India has been found supporting ISIS for having a strong foothold in Afghanistan. There are confirmed reports of Indian nationals joining the ISIS. In a late 2014 attempt, Indian NSA Ajit Doval visited Syria and Iraq on pretexts of assisting Indian external ministry (EAM) in evacuation of stranded Indian people, however, the secret visit was used to create contact with ISIS leadership. Indian consulate in Qandhar was utilized for creating harmony and contact between TTP and ISIS elements.
India’s nexus and exploitation of so-called religious extremists outfits like TTP, AQIS etc has become a marked reality. These organizations under different covers and narrative, not only created unpleasant situation for Pakistan regionally and internationally but also challenged the writ and authority of the State/government. India’s urge to replace TTP with ISIS in Afghanistan is explicitly Pakistan, Afghanistan and China oriented. Experts believe that current joining of Hizb-e- Islami Afghanistan with the Afghan government to further the peace talks, is actually the start of another phase of conflict. Earlier, it was declared by the Hizb leaders during September last year that they were considering joining the ISIS militants in Afghanistan. India is keen to orchestrate such scenarios to scuttle the current development projects i.e. CPEC and enhancing influence of China by exploiting the ISIS phenomena, whereas, TTP and disenchanted Taliban in Afghanistan are also being lured in by India to join ISIS ranks which is propagated as “Al Khorasan” in Afghanistan. Peshawar APS carnage and Indian (RAW-NDS) supported terrorists attack on police training college in Quetta are clear manifestation of RAW’s sinister campaign to destabilize entire WEST Asia.
4 killed, over 115 wounded in attack on German Consulate in Balkh
10 Nov: The attack took place in front of the consulate at 11pm local time, Balkh Police Chief Gen. Sayed Kamal Sadat said. He said an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near the entrance to the consulate office. Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement. The group claimed the attack was carried out in response to Afghan forces’ operation in Kunduz. A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry said that all of its two dozen staff escaped the attack “safe and uninjured” and were evacuated.Mazar-i-Sharif attack proves no Afghan city is safea German official said.Mazar-i-Sharif is considered one of the safest cities in Afghanistan. But the Taliban attack on a German consulate there has shocked the locals. People fear it might be the beginning of a series of more bombings.
Suicide Attack Kills at Least 4 Americans at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan
12-11-2A16: A man wearing a suicide vest killed two U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors inside the largest NATO military base in Afghanistan early Saturday, the Pentagon said.Another 16 U.S. service members and one Polish soldier were injured in the blast at Bagram Airfield, Defense Secretary Ash Carter confirmed in a statement. “Force protection is always a top priority for us in Afghanistan, and we will investigate this tragedy to determine any steps we can take to improve it,” Carter said. “For those who carried out this attack, my message is simple. We will not be deterred in our mission to protect our homeland and help Afghanistan secure its own future.”
US army and CIA may be guilty of war crimes in Afghanistan, says ICC
US armed forces and the CIA may have committed war crimes by torturing detainees in Afghanistan, the international criminal court’s chief prosecutor has said in a report, raising the possibility that American citizens could be indicted even though Washington has not joined the global court. “Members of US armed forces appear to have subjected at least 61 detained persons to torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity on the territory of Afghanistan between 1 May 2003 and 31 December 2014,” according to the report issued by prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s office. The report adds that CIA operatives may have subjected at least 27 detainees in Afghanistan, Poland, Romania and Lithuania to “torture, cruel treatment, outrages upon personal dignity and/or rape” between December 2002 and March 2008. Most of the alleged abuse happened in 2003-04, the report says.
Three U.S. Military Trainers Shot in Jordan
AMMAN11 Nov: This was the fourth deadly clash in a year involving security services in Jordan, marking a sharp escalation in such violence. Islamic State claimed one of the three previous attacks and Western officials have said they believe loyalists of the extremist group were behind the other two. A Jordanian officer also wounded in exchange of fire at Prince Faisal air base.
China unveils advanced J-20 stealth fighter in fly over at air show
1 Nov,2016:- China has showcased its new J-20 stealth fighter in southern Guangdong Province’s city of Zhuhai in a spectacular fly over at Air Show China, the country’s biggest meeting of aircraft makers and buyers. Two J-20s, China’s fifth-generation jets, swept over hundreds of spectators at the show’s opening ceremony in a 60-second flyby on 1st Nov, 2016. The J-20 is a long-range radar-evading fighter jet equipped with air-to-air missiles. China has reportedly already produced six prototypes of the new stealth fighter, which is expected to add greatly to China’s offensive and defensive capabilities. Bloggers have been comparing the J-20 with the US military’s Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor ever since it was been first tested. The fifth-generation fighter resembles the F-22 Raptor in terms of appearance, but is equipped with a different engine.
China Launches Heavy-Lift Long March 5 Rocket for 1st Time
3 Nov,2016:- China’s powerful new heavy-lift rocket soared on its maiden flight today (Nov. 3), bringing the nation one step closer to building its own space station in Earth orbit. The Long March 5 rocket lifted off from the Wenchang launch center on Hainan Island, off China’s southern coast, at 8:43 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT; 8:43 p.m. Beijing time), according to Chinese media reports. Though Chinese space officials have not revealed many details about the Long March 5’s maiden mission, the launcher apparently carried to orbit an experimental satellite called Shijian-17, which is designed to test electric-propulsion technology.
Iraqi army says advances in Mosul, despite suicide bombers
REUTERS: BAGHDAD, Nov 12 (Reuters) – Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. and Iraqi air power took control of two districts of eastern Mosul. Infantry and armoured division troops also advanced in a nearby neighbourhood, destroying three rocket launchers and killing 30 militants, it said in a statement. Iraqi troops have been fighting for 10 days inside eastern Mosul, trying to expand their small foothold in the city which Islamic State has controlled since mid-2014, when its leader declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and neighbouring Syria. The nearly four-week campaign to drive Islamic State out of the biggest city under its control in either country has brought together an alliance of 100,000 Iraqi fighters, also backed by thousands of Western personnel on the ground. Lieutenant-General Abdul Wahab al-Saidi of the Counter Terrorism Service said his forces had completely taken over al-Arbajiya district and were halfway through clearing the adjacent al-Qadisiya al-Thaniya. “We destroyed more than 10 suicide car bombs and killed snipers and weapons teams,” Saidi told Iraqi television. “The clearing is continuing and in the coming hours, God willing, this quarter will be completely cleared.” (Last update)
Hundreds dead as boats sink off Libya, survivors tell UN
Nov 3, 2016: At least 240 people are feared to have drowned in the southern Mediterranean on Italian island of Lampedusa, bringing the annual total to 4,220 the highest in the Mediterranean on record.
Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro dies aged 90: (August 13, 1926 – November 25, 2016)
Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary who built a communist state on the doorstep of the United States and for five decades defied U.S. efforts to topple him, died on Friday 25 Nov, 2016. He was 90. A towering figure of the 20th century and Cold War icon, Castro stuck to his ideology beyond the collapse of Soviet communism and remained widely respected in parts of the world that struggled against colonial rule.
MILITARY FATIGUES, CIGARS
The bearded Fidel Castro took power in a 1959 revolution and ruled Cuba for 49 years with a mix of charisma and iron will, creating a one-party state and becoming a central figure in the Cold War. He was demonized by the United States and its allies for his repression of dissent at home and support of rebellion abroad, but admired by many leftists around the world, especially in Latin America and Africa. He fended off a U.S.-backed invasion at the Bay of Pigs in 1961 and claimed he survived or evaded hundreds of assassination attempts, including some conjured up by the CIA. Wearing green military fatigues and chomping on cigars for many of his years in power, Castro was famous for long, fist-pounding speeches filled with blistering rhetoric, often aimed at the United States. At home, he swept away capitalism and won support for bringing schools and hospitals to the poor. But he also created legions of enemies and critics, concentrated among the exiles in Miami who saw him as a ruthless tyrant.
Pro-Khalistan commander Harminder Singh Mintoo recaptured after India jailbreak
NEW DELHI: 28 Nov: A top Sikh militant commander was recaptured by police in the Indian capital Delhi on Monday, a day after he was freed in a dramatic jailbreak by a gang wearing police uniforms. “Harminder Singh Mintoo was caught near Delhi early on Monday and will be brought to Punjab,” A S Chahal, a senior local police official, said. Four other inmates who also escaped during the breakout members of a local criminal gang jailed for murder are still at large, Chahal added. He was freed in an early morning raid on Sunday 27 Nov, at least 10 armed men wearing police uniforms. They stabbed one guard and opened fire before fleeing with the prisoners in cars. Three policemen were injured in the assault, which prompted a massive hunt for the fugitives. Reports from Delhi say Mintoo was arrested on Sunday night from the Delhi railway station from where he was to board a train. He is being interrogated by the IB and Delhi Police. 49-year-old Harminder Singh Mintoo has been implicated in at least 10 terror-related cases, including an attack on Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim. He was rounded up from Delhi airport, following deportation by Thai authorities, in November 2014 as part of Indian police forces crackdown on pro-Khalistan activities Harminder Singh Mintu represents the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), a militant organization that claims to be fighting for the ultimate goal of a Sikh National state.