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LIVE! Imran Khan telephones UN chief, raises Kashmir issue: Official

12:25  Imran Khan telephones UN chief, raises Kashmir issue: Official :  

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan telephoned United Nations chief Antonio Guterres and raised the issue of Kashmir, a UN spokesman has said. 

Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN Secretary General, did not give further details about the conversation between Khan and Guterres.  

When asked by PTI to comment on India’s strong retort to Khan that Pakistan should mind its own business and that Kashmir is an integral part of India, Dujarric said, “Our position on Kashmir has been reiterated. There is an observer group as mandated by the Security Council,”

 

He was referring to the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.  

Dujarric added that the Pakistani prime minister wanted to speak to the Secretary-General. 

“It’s only normal that the Secretary-General speak to Heads of Governments and Heads of State and, as I said, I can confirm that the call took place and that the prime minister raised the issue of Kashmir,” Dujarric said.

 

In a set of recent tweets, Khan said that “Kashmiris must be allowed to decide their future”. 

He also tweeted that Pakistan would raise the issue of India’s alleged human rights violations at the United Nations. 

External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar in response said that “the statements coming out from their side demonstrates the insincerity and duplicity”.  

 

The UNMOGIP was established in January 1949 and currently has a total of 118 UN and civilian staff. 

Following the India-Pakistan war in 1971 and a subsequent ceasefire agreement of December 17 of that year, the tasks of UNMOGIP have been to observe, to the extent possible, developments pertaining to the strict observance of the ceasefire and to report there on to the Secretary-General.

India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control. — PTI

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11:55  31st GST Council meeting underway at Vigyan Bhavan under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.


11:39  23 killed in Nepal bus accident:  

A bus carrying college students and their teachers back from an educational trip veered off a mountainous road and lunged into a ravine in Nepal, killing 23 people and injuring 14 others. 

The fatal crash occurred on Friday when the bus was returning from Kapurkot in Salyan district.  

According to the District Police Office, Dang, there were 37 persons — 34 students, two teachers and a diver, on the ill-fated bus, which drove off the road and fell some 700 metres down near Ramri village, about 400 kilometres west of the capital Kathmandu.

 

Fourteen persons, including five women, were injured in the incident.  

The students and instructors from Krishna Sen Ichhuk Polytechnic Institute had been visiting a farm for their botany project, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Poor road infrastructure and reckless driving are the leading causes of accidents in Nepal. — PTI 

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11:04  US govt shutdown begins after no deal on border wall:  

The US government began a Christmastime shutdown early on Saturday, after Congress adjourned without passing a federal spending bill or addressing President Donald Trump’s demand for money to build a border wall.

Operations for several key agencies ceased at 12:01 am Saturday (5:01 GMT), despite last-ditch talks that continued on Capitol Hill between White House officials and congressional leaders in both parties.  — Agencies

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10:55  Six terrorists killed in Pulwama encounter:  

UPDATE: Six terrorists killed in encounter in South Kashmir’s Tral, Inspector General of Police Swayam Prakash Pani said.

The encounter broke out in Tral area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday morning.

More details are awaited.

A string of terrorist activities has taken place in the week.  — ANI, PTI

Image only for representation.

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10:21  Senate, House adjourned as US govt set to shutdown:  

A partial government shutdown is imminent as the United States House of Representatives and Senate was adjourned for the evening, as President Donald Trump and lawmakers remain at odds over border wall funding.

Although negotiations are underway in Congress to reach an agreement in an aim to prevent a government shutdown, virtually, there is no chance that a vote will take place on Friday night (local time).

On December 6, the Congress approved a two-week stopgap funding bill to keep the government agencies, including Homeland Security and State Department running to prevent a partial government shutdown till December 21.

With the deadline fast approaching, this would be the first time in 40 years that the US government will have been closed three times in a year, CNN reported.

Before adjournment, the Senate passed a bill to ensure federal employees who were granted leave of absence to get their back pay.

Earlier, Trump stated that he is prepared for a long government shutdown over funding for his proposed border wall.

Placing blame on the Democrats, Trump tweeted, “Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!”

The Democrats in the House have vowed not to support a bill that includes funding for Trump’s border wall, increasing the likelihood of a partial government shutdown on Friday midnight.

After assuming office in January last year, Trump had signed an executive order that initiated the process of building a wall on the US-Mexico border.

The Democrats and some Republicans do not support Trump’s agenda on building the wall and have urged US president to work with Congress on reforming the American immigration system. — ANI


09:04  

JUST IN: Encounter underway between terrorists and  security forces in Tral, Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir:

More details awaited.

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09:00  Lamba to quit for not supporting AAP’s resolution on Rajiv Gandhi:  

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Alka Lamba said on Friday night that she will tender her resignation as ‘demanded’ by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not supporting a resolution in the assembly on revoking late former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s Bharat Ratna.

The Delhi assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

The matter became a major crisis with AAP MLA Alka Lamba alleging she was ‘put under pressure’ to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted.

Lamba said she was ready to face ‘any consequences’ and claimed she spoke to AAP supremo and CM Kejriwal who, she said, asked her to resign as MLA.

“I am ready to do so”, she said.

The Chandni Chowk MLA said she was not happy with the demand to take back Bharat Ratna from Gandhi and staged a walkout in protest.

Interestingly, the AAP later distanced itself from the resolution.

“After I staged a walkout, I got a message from the chief minister to tender my resignation,” she told PTI.

When asked whether she will quit, Lamba added, “I have won on a party ticket. I will tender my resignation as demanded by the party.”

In a tweet, she said, “I was asked to support the resolution demanding taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Since I didn’t agree to this, I staged a walk out. I am ready to accept whatever punishment given to me.”  — PTI

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08:19  UP outfit books Naseeruddin Shah’s tickets to Pak:  

The Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena on Friday said it will send veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah a air-ticket for Pakistan over his comments on the Bulandshahr violence.

The actor found himself at the centre of a major controversy over his remarks in reference to the killing of a policeman in Bulandshahr earlier this month.

He said the death of a cow was being given importance over killing of a policeman in the violence.

“If Naseeruddin Shah feels scared in India, he can go to Pakistan. The UPNS (Uttar Pradesh Navnirman Sena) has booked a air-ticket for him to Pakistan for August 14,” UPNS chief Amit Jani said.

“Like him, if anybody else feels scared, the UPNS will also book air-tickets for them to Pakistan,” he said.

Wondering why his comments on mob violence were being misconstrued with some people calling him a ‘traitor’, actor Shah said on Friday in Ajmer that he spoke as a ‘worried Indian’ and has the right to express concerns about the country he loves.

“What I said earlier was as a worried Indian. I have said this earlier as well. What did I say this time that I am being called a traitor? It is very strange,” Shah told reporters in Meerut at his alma mater, St Anselm’s Senior Secondary School.

“I have to bear criticism. If they have the right to criticise, then I also have the same right. I am expressing concerns about the country I love, the country that is my home. How is that a crime?” he asked.

Shah was responding to a question about the backlash he is receiving on social media following his remarks.

The actor had expressed anxiety over the growing mob violence in a video interview with Karwan-e-Mohabbat India, which the organisation shared on its YouTube channel on Monday.

In the interview, the actor expressed concern over the well-being of his children, who he said have not been brought up as followers of any particular religion.  — PTI

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00:20  Trump warns of ‘very long shutdown’ in absence of border wall funding:  

United States President Donald Trump warned on Friday that a partial government shutdown would last ‘for a very long time’ if the lawmakers do not approve money for his long-promised wall along the Mexico border.

The entire US government on Friday braced for an imminent shutdown because of the stalemate between the White House and the opposition Democrats on funding of the border wall.

The House of Representatives, where the Republicans currently enjoy a majority, has already passed such a bill.

But in the Senate the ruling Republican party needs additional eight votes from the Democrats to approve more than $5 billion for a wall across the US-Mexico border, which Trump argues is essential to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the US.

“The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is desperately needed. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don’t want Open Borders and Crime!” he said.

He said the Democrats would be responsible for such a shut down.

“The Democrats now own the shutdown!” Trump said in a tweet on Friday as ‘Shutdown today if Democrats do not vote for Border Security!’ he said.

“No matter what happens today in the Senate, Republican House Members should be very proud of themselves. They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World in order to vote for Border Security and the Wall. Not one Democrat voted yes, and we won big. I am very proud of you!” Trump said.

In another tweet Trump said the Democrats were trying to belittle the concept of a wall by calling it old-fashioned.

“The fact is there is nothing else that will work, and that has been true for thousands of years. It’s like the wheel, there is nothing better,” he said.

“I know tech better than anyone, & technology on a Border is only effective in conjunction with a wall. Properly designed and built walls work, and the Democrats are lying when they say they don’t. In Israel the Wall is 99.9 per cent successful. Will not be any different on our Southern Border! Hundreds of USD Billions saved!” Trump said.

He asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to fight for the wall and border security as hard as he fought for anything.

“He will need Democrat votes, but as shown in the House, good things happen. If enough Dems don’t vote, it will be a Democrat Shutdown! House Republicans were great yesterday!” he said.  — PTI

Source: Rediff