Junior Digest

Vijayawada, Dec 9,2020: Telugu Desam Party National President and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reiterated the demand for ‘health emergency’ in Eluru city, where one person died and hundreds of people fell ill with mysterious disease, so that all necessary steps could be taken to create confidence among the people and the patients.

In a letter to Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy here on Wednesday, Mr Naidu said there were rising fears over the presence of heavy metals like lead and nickel in the drinking water.

The government should immediately address these concerns and ensure proper drinking water supply through mobile mineral water plants, he said.

Stating that the general public were under grip of constant fear, the former Chief Minister expressed concern that the presence of heavy metals would have a serious impact on the health of pregnant women, children and the aged people. Hence, every resident in the city should be given electronic health cards and every patient should be monitored on a long-term basis, he said.

The TDP Chief expressed serious concern over the rising cases in Eluru. Over six to seven hundred people had fallen sick and were admitted to hospitals in just five to six days. Alarmingly, the symptoms of the patients were changing each day. There were increasing fears over lack of immediate reasons for the mass affliction in the city, he regretted.

Expressing anger over the Jagan Mohan Reddy headed YSRCP regime for not opening a ‘helpline’ for the victims in Eluru, the leader of opposition demanded that a special control room should be set up immediately.

Washington, Dec 7,2020: US State Secretary Mike Pompeo has challenged the legitimacy of the parliamentary elections hels in Venezuela on Sunday, saying that there would not be representation of the people’s opinion at the new parliament due to “electoral fraud.”

The elections to Venezuela’s National Assembly took place on Sunday.

Pompeo took to Twitter to express his disapproval of the elections

“Venezuela’s electoral fraud has already been committed. The results announced by the illegitimate Maduro regime will not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people. What’s happening today is a fraud and a sham, not an election,”.

Over 100 political parties and associations are participating in the electoral process. Thought more than 20 parties, including the opposition bloc of Juan Guaido, a failed coup leader, have refused to participate in the election.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has said that he was ready to resign if the opposition wins the Sunday elections.

Maduro voted earlier in the day, following up by calling on all political forces to engage in an inclusive national dialogue after the elections.

LONDON,Dec 08,2020: A 90-year-old grandmother became the world’s first person to receive a fully-tested COVID-19 shot on Tuesday, as Britain began mass-vaccinating its people in a global drive that poses one of the biggest logistical challenges in peacetime history.
Health workers started inoculating the most vulnerable with the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, with the country a test case for the world as it contends with distributing a compound that must be stored at -70C (-94F).

Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 in a week, was the first to receive the shot, at a hospital in Coventry, central England.

“It’s the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year,” she said.

The launch of the vaccine, one of three shots that have reported successful results from large trials, will fuel hope that the world may be turning a corner in the fight against a pandemic that has killed more than 1.5 million people.
Britain, the worst-hit in Europe with over 61,000 deaths, is the first Western nation to begin mass-vaccinations and the first globally to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech shot.

But despite the relief of people receiving the first dose of the two-dose regimen, they will have to wait three weeks for their second shot, and there is no evidence immunisation will reduce transmission of the virus.
In Britain, about 800,000 doses are expected to be available within the first week, with care-home residents and carers, the over-80s and some health workers prioritised. Hancock said he had a “high degree of confidence” Britain would take delivery of another batch of the vaccine next week.

New Delhi, Dec 6,2020: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that the Aam Aadmi Party supports the call for Bharat Bandh by the farmers on December 8.

The AAP workers across the nation will extend their support to the Bandh on Tuesday in a peaceful manner, AAP supremo said taking to the micro blogging site twitter.

Kejriwal also appealed to all the countrymen to take part in the farmers call and extend their support to the farmers.

Senior AAP leader Gopal Rai further asked all the AAP leaders, workers and post holders across the country to contribute in making the Bharat Bandh successful as their party chief has given a call to support the farmers cause and movement.

He said that the country’s food providers are on the streets braving the cold weather demanding to repeal the new agriculture laws, which are not in the favor of farmers.

He said that the government is just holding talks and just trying to divert farmers by explaining their part to them, and therefore saying that being a agrarian nation, Rai not only appealed to the AAP workers and leaders ,but, everyone to support the farmers.

New Delhi, December 8,2020: In his address at the DST-CII Technology Summit 2020, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on Monday said that more than 100 startups have provided innovative products and solutions to overcome challenges posed by the pandemic.
Union Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan addressed the 26th edition of DST- CII Technology Summit organised by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Portugal was the partner country for this year’s edition.

“Science has been mankind’s saviour during this #pandemic. I am sure deliberations at the Summit on critical areas of healthcare, water, agriculture, food processing and IT will provide novel ideas for harnessing the power of STI for greater social good and achieving SDGs,” he said.

“India’s fight against #COVID19 has been aided by exceptional efforts of our scientists. With Govt support, more than 100 startups have provided innovative products and solutions to overcome challenges posed by the pandemic. We’re also leading vaccine development efforts,” he wrote in a tweet.

New Delhi, Dec 6,2020: As farmers protest entered day 11 on Sunday with deadlock between the government and farmers continuing as the next round of talks are now scheduled for December 9, more groups of farmers were seen heading for the Singhu, Kundli and Noida borders in support of those already sitting in at the city’s entry points.

Not only on ground, people, especially the young generation is supporting the farmers on the digital campaigns that are now trending for the cause of farmers, with tweets flowing in from all walks of life in support of the sons of soil.

Not only twitter, Instgram, Facebook and other social media feeds of people are also full of farmers posts and pictures talking about their demands, their life and hardships and the essential role a farmer plays in every single human beings life by providing food.

Farmers and supporters including political parties, transport union, and other organisations are gearing up for the Bharat Bandh called on the December 8, and have said that their support is with the farmers.

Not only farmers, sports personalities, celebrities have also come out in support of the the food providers and have even announced to give up honors given by the government in the form of important awards.

Boxer Vijender Singh has said that if the laws are not repealed he will give up the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award.

Singh made this announcement while standing with the agitating farmers at the Singhu border, and added saying that he may not have words to explain how important farmers were to him and also the state of Punjab.

Punjab, our big brother is here, so how will Haryana be behind, he said adding that farmers unity is something that will ever last and cannot be broken.

Punjabi actor Gurpreet Ghuggi also came out in support of farmers like Diljit Dosanjh and Yograj Singh who have been continuously been vocal for the rights and concerns of farmers.

Convoys of cars, SUVs and farmers in tractors trolleys were seen heading for Delhi on the GT road, to join their brethren.

According to local sources, people have now started becoming very emotional towards farmers, and Haryana farmers have asked there farmer brothers from Punjab to not worry about the ration and food supplies.

Farmers from Rajasthan, UP, MP and Uttarakhand have also headed for supporting their farmer brothers who are at the national capital’s borders staging their protests in a peaceful manner, the most impactful manner.

Meanwhile, security arrangements were being stepped up at the Kundli border with adding up of force personnel in wake of the more farmers joining the agitation with the ones who were already sitting there.

New York [US], December 8,2020: The United Nations sees concerning reports from Libya and urges warring parties to adhere to ceasefire agreements to ensure the success of an ongoing political dialogue, spokesman Stephan Dujarric told reporters on Friday.
“We have seen the reports which are concerning. We urge everyone in Libya, the Libyan parties and those who have influence over them to ensure that this cessation of hostilities continues,” Dujarric said during a daily briefing. “There are political talks at many different levels which are progressing well. We want to make sure that continues.”

Libya has been split between two rival administrations since its longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi was overthrown and murdered in 2011. The western part of the country is controlled by the Government of National Accord (GNA) headed by Fayez al-Sarraj, while the eastern part is controlled by the Libyan National Army(LNA) of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Dujarric did not comment on reports that Haftar has put his forces on a high level of readiness, but said that the UN does not “have any confirmation of any ceasefire violations.”
Earlier, Libyan parliamentarians from Tripoli in the west of the country and Tobruk in the east agreed to meet to end the split in the House of Representatives. Such a meeting on the territory of Libya, at which the quorum necessary for making decisions can be achieved, according to statements by its participants in the media, is being held for the first time since 2014, when the lawmakers were elected.

New Delhi, Dec 8,2020: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Centre for continuing with the

Central Vista project even as the judgement on the plea against it is awaited.

However, the top court permitted the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new Parliament by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 10 while noting that no construction, demolition or felling of trees shall take place at the site as of now.

Central vista, the ambitious project of the Centre includes a common Central Secretariat, a new Parliament House building, and residences of Prime Minister and vice-president.

While the new Parliament building is slated to be ready by 2022, a portion of the new Central Secretariat, housing the offices of all central ministries, will be ready by 2023.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Dinesh Maaheshwari and Sanjiv Khanna asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta for the recent updates on the project and directed him to pass a stay order if no statement was forthcoming from the Centre.

Mehta returned with a statement that all construction work at the site will be put on hold till the court pronounces a verdict.

Kathmandu [Nepal], December 7,2020: After working for a year on processing data regarding the measurement of the world’s highest peak, Nepal on Tuesday will announce the newly-measured height of Mount Everest.
Sending an invitation to all media outlets and representatives, the Department of Survey, which undertook the measures on Sunday informed about the planned event to announce the new height.
“We will be hosting a program to announce the new height on Tuesday afternoon at our office. People who actively took part in this procedure also are scheduled to be felicitated on the occasion,” Sushil Narsingh Rajbhandari, Deputy Director General at Survey Department of Himalayan Nation confirmed to ANI.

Nepal undertook the initiation to measure the height of the world’s tallest peak after speculations that widely accepted that the height of 8,848 metres might not be the actual length after the 2015 earthquake which shook the nation.
While deploying Nepali officials and experts to re-measure the mountain’s height, the Government of Nepal also coordinated with China in its domestic efforts. During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Nepal visit in 2019, both nations signed an agreement to jointly announce the height of the world’s tallest peak.
Measured in 1954 by Survey of India, 8,848 metres is the widely accepted and recognized height of Sagarmatha, the Nepali name for the famed world’s tallest peak.

Dec 07,2020:The number of refugees arriving into Sudan from Ethiopia’s conflict-hit Tigray region has increased from about 400 a day to more than 800.

The Sudanese Red Crescent, working in coordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross, is trying to help.

“We started a programme called ‘family reunification’,” says Hudhaifa Mohamed Saleh, of the Sudanese Red Crescent.

“At the beginning, we allow them to call their family members for free. If that doesn’t work, we send short messages via our partner agencies in Ethiopia. So far we have conducted 2,500 phone calls and sent 86 messages. Seventy percent of the phone calls lead to good results.”

Over the past few days, the number of refugees arriving into Sudan has increased from about 400 a day to more than 800, according to the United Nations.

Part of the increase is due to a new round of fighting that has been reported between the Ethiopian army and rebel forces loyal to the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) in the area of Shire west of the regional capital, Mekelle.

“There is a lot of fear,” says Andrew Mbogori, emergency coordinator for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. “There [are] a lot of communal conflicts inside Tigray and they found it easier or safer to come to Sudan.”

Al Jazeera’s Mohamed Vall, reporting from Um Rakuba refugee camp, said there was a flurry of construction of activity at the settlement.

“The place is expanding,” he noted. “The feeling is that this situation is going to take a lot of time before being resolved; people are saying they can’t go home to Ethiopia until they see a political settlement, until they make sure that the area of Tigray is under the authority of a locally elected government.”

In the early hours of November 4, the central government in Addis Ababa launched an offensive on Tigray to capture its leaders after what it described as a surprise attack by TPLF forces on army troops stationed in the region.

More than a month of fighting is believed to have killed thousands of people, displaced more than one million and driven some 47,000 others into Sudan.

A week after seizing Mekelle, the government says the conflict is nearing its final stages and that it is close to capturing the TPLF’s leaders. The TPLF, however, says there is still fighting outside the regional capital.

Reporting from near the border, Vall said refugees coming from Ethiopia are reporting instances of looting, as well as witnessing “two rounds of violence: the first being the military coming in to chase the rebels [away], and the second [being] members of local militia, particularly Amhara militia called Fano, who come after the defeat of the rebels to loot inside the homes and expel civilians from their places”.

Shimei Abra Adiko, an Ethiopian refugee in Sudan, said: “The militia said they would kill us because we are from Tigray. They told us, ‘You have 24 hours to leave’, and they began to loot our animals and property.”

The TPLF has also accused Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s forces of looting in Mekelle.

“[They are] looting civilian properties, hotels and damaging factories after looting,” TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda told a TPLF-owned TV station.

The government has previously denied targeting or discriminating against ethnic Tigrayans, insisting its operations “target primarily the disgruntled, reactionary and rogue members of the TPLF clique”.

With most internet and telephone communications in Tigray down and access to the region severely restricted, it is difficult to verify the statements by either warring side.
Some 46,000 refugees have poured into Sudan since fighting in Ethiopia’s Tigray began last month.

New Delhi, Dec 8,2020: Vaccine manufacturing major Serum Institute of India (SII) on Monday said it has applied to Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine Covishield.

The Pune-based company has collaborated with Oxford University and pharmaceutical company Astra Zeneca for making the vaccine and is conducting trials in India.

“As promised, before the end of 2020, @SerumInstIndia has applied for emergency use authorisation for the first made-in-India vaccine, Covishield,” SII CEO Adar Poonawala said in a tweet.

He further said: “This will save countless lives, and I thank the Government of India and Sri @narendramodi ji for their invaluable support.”

Last week, Pfizer India said it has applied to India’s drug regulator DCGI for emergency-use authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine, after the company’s parent received clearance for the treatment from Britain and Bahrain.

TOKYO/MELBOURNE,Dec 06,2020: Japan has retrieved a space probe from Australia’s remote outback after a six-year mission that may help reveal more about the origins of the planets, the Asian nation’s space agency said on Sunday.
A capsule from the unmanned Hayabusa2, carrying the first extensive samples of dust from an asteroid, was flown by helicopter from the outback to a domestic research facility of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

The craft’s mission seeks to answer some fundamental questions about the origins of the solar system and where molecules like water came from.

“This is great,” Yuichi Tsuda, a project manager for the agency, told Japanese broadcaster NHK. “It was a beautiful re-entry. We are all very moved by this.”

The agency will hold a briefing later on Sunday.
The spacecraft, launched from Japan’s Tanegashima space centre in 2014, took four years to reach the asteroid Ryugu before gathering a sample and heading back to Earth in November 2019.

Spectators gathered at a theatre to view the return clapped and waved banners in NHK footage, with one woman in tears. They wore masks and maintained a distance from each other in precautions against the coronavirus.

Asteroids are believed to have formed at the dawn of the solar system, and scientists say the sample may contain organic matter that could have contributed to life on Earth.

“What we are really doing here is trying to sample this pristine rock that has not been irradiated by the sun,” astrophysicist Lisa Harvey-Smith told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Gases trapped in the rock samples could reveal more about conditions that prevailed about 4.6 billion years ago, she added.

Japan’s space probe, named for the peregrine falcon, orbited above the asteroid for a few months to map its surface before landing. Then it used small explosives to blast a crater and collected the resulting debris.

The capsule lit up as it reentered the earth’s atmosphere early on Sunday and landed in the Woomera restricted area, about 460 km (285 miles) north of Adelaide, to be retrieved by scientists and brought to a research station, JAXA said.

“The helicopter carrying the capsule arrived at local headquarters and the capsule was brought inside the building,” the space agency said on Twitter.

Athens, Dec 9,2020: Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has described Turkey a as a “jihadist travel agency” and charged that Ankara’s policies undermine regional security.

After a trilateral meeting between himself, Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulidis and their Jordanian counterpart, Ayman Safadi, in Amman, he praised cooperation between the three countries and said they all share the same values — “peace, stability and International Law.”

He however was not as appreciative of Turkey’s policies

“Turkey acts in exactly the opposite way, outside the bounds of international legality, and having become, unfortunately, the local troublemaker. Threatening to use force- it has threatened to declare war against Greece, if Greece really acts on what is its sovereign right, expanding its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles. By instrumentalising the migration issue, by spreading propaganda and fake news, by exacerbating security challenges, by moving jihadists from Libya to the Caucasus – what I call a ‘jihadist travel agency’ – and endangering peace and stability in all the region,” Dendias said during a briefing.

The Greek minister added that Ankara’s behavior is “unacceptable,” and Athens often calls on its neighbor to engage in dialog with all “law-abiding” countries.

Turkey and Azerbaijan have repeatedly denied allegations that Ankara was sending Syrian mercenaries to fight for Baku during the recent six-week Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Armenia had accused Turkey of transporting Syrian mercenaries to fight against it during its conflict with Azerbaijan.

Lahore [Pakistan], December 7,2020: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on Sunday said the opposition’s 11-party alliance – Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is due to make some big decisions on December 8, and hinted at en masse resignation of alliance members from assemblies.
Geo News reported that while addressing a social media workers convention in Lahore, Maryam spoke to provincial and national assembly members, saying: “If we call for resignations from the assemblies, you must be willing to stand by us. Do not fall under any pressure.”
She also said that the party workers must embrace any cases registered against them by the Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government, adding that the people must know how fearful the government is of the opposition and that the most it can do is only register cases.
“You must take these charge sheets, string them together and wear them proudly like a garland,” she told party workers.
She further said that after December 8, it will be a ‘do or die’ situation.

The PML-N vice president also challenged PM Imran Khan to mingle with the people for two minutes, while highlighting that Pakistan’s GDP had turned negative, hundreds and thousands of people have become unemployed, medicines are prohibitively expensive, people have been robbed of wheat, sugar, flour and the ‘wheel of progress’ has begun to spin in the other direction.
Maryam’s remarks came ahead of a meeting between alliance members on December 8, reported Geo News.
A rally has been planned by the PDM at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan monument on December 13.
Meanwhile, a rattled Imran Khan ruled out the possibility of the government granting permission to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) for holding anti-government rallies and warned that police cases will be lodged against the organisers.
In an interview to a private news channel, the premier said the government has decided against allowing the Opposition to hold the public gathering, Geo News reported. “We will file FIRs against everyone — from the kursi wala to the sound system handlers but won’t stop them [Opposition leaders] from going there,” he said.
The PDM has held five similar rallies in Peshawar, Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta and Multan since October 16.

WELLINGTON ,Dec 08,2020:A report into last year’s Christchurch mosque massacre said New Zealand security agencies were “almost exclusively” focused on the threat from Islamist terrorism, and police failed to enforce proper checks on firearm licenses.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry, however, said despite the shortcomings, there were no failings within government agencies that would have alerted them to the imminent attack by Brenton Tarrant, a white supremacist who killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in the South Island city on March 15, 2019.

“The commission made no findings that these issues would have stopped the attack. But these were both failings and for that I apologise,” Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a statement after the report was released.

Ardern received global praise for her compassionate response to the attack and for swiftly banning the sale of the high-capacity semi-automatic weapons used. She also launched a global movement against online extremism.

However, authorities were criticised for ignoring repeated warnings from the Muslim community that hate crimes against them were escalating.

The 800-page report said there was an inappropriate concentration of resources on the threat of Islamist extremist terrorism, as opposed to other threats including white supremacists. But this did not contribute to the attack not being detected, it added.

The government accepted all 44 recommendations made by the report, including establishing a new national intelligence and security agency, and appointing a minister to coordinate the government’s response to the report.

The government said it would also act on a proposal for the police to better identify, record and respond to hate crimes.
HATE CRIMES

Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison without parole in August for the attack, which left dozens injured.

In its response to the report, the government said it would tighten firearm licensing laws, strengthen counter-terrorism laws, act on laws related to hate-motivated activity and inciting hatred against an individual or a group.

It would also create an ethnic community ministry and a graduate programme for ethnic communities to support the country’s diverse population.

The report revealed Tarrant was treated by doctors in Dunedin city in the months leading up to the attack after accidentally shooting himself, but staff never alerted police to his injuries.

The report recommended introducing mandatory reporting of firearm injuries to New Zealand police by health professionals.

“Ultimately, this roughly 800 page report can be distilled into one simple premise. Muslim New Zealanders should be safe. Anyone who calls New Zealand home, regardless of race, religion, sex or sexual orientation should be safe,” Ardern said.

Chandigrah (Punjab) , December 8,2020: Former Punjab Chief Minister and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his “personal intervention” in reaching a solution to get the stalemate broken.
This comes ahead of December 8 ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given by the farmers who are protesting against farm laws. SAD which broken its ties with NDA, soon after the passage of farm bills (now laws), has also supported the Bharat Bandh.
“I write this at a time when the problems facing the country are fast assuming the proportions of a grave crisis and our approach towards these needs an immediate course correction. I am deeply worried about ongoing farmers’ crisis. It seems to me that issue could have been dealt with better if government had paid greater attention to honest feedback on what the brave and selfless ‘annadata’ of the nation really thought of the government’s initiatives,” Badal wrote in his letter to PM Modi.
“In addition, the government needed to take the stake-holders of the issue on board. I found it hard to believe that any government,especially one with such a massive mandate as yours, would allow a failure of this kind to affect its decision making. The government would have done well to enact a legislation affecting the destiny of millions and millions of farmers only after taking their representatives and the farmer-friendly political parties like the Shiromani Akali Dal in confidence,” he added.
Badal said that consultation, conciliation and consensus are the foundation of any democracy.
“Consultative processes alone lead to consensus, and consensus alone is the recipe for avoiding confrontations like the one we see now between the government and the farmers. Once it became clear that the three Ordinances were not finding acceptance even among the Government’s own Alliance partners like the Shiromani Akali Dal, the obvious course open to the Government was to convene an All Party Meeting. There is a democratic convention in our
country to follow this course whenever there is a national stalemate. The government would not have been bound to accept the Opposition’s views but it would have gained from their wisdom. I was surprised that this option was not taken,” he said.
Badal said that farmers’ issue concerned every state government and agriculture in fact is a state subject and the state governments are in the best position to understand and address the issues of their respective farmers.
“The failure to consult states on an issue that concerns nearly 70 per cent of the country’s total population shows the government’s indifference to or rejection of the federal principle. This was unbelievable because you have yourself been among the biggest champions of federal structure,” he said.
“I say this because I sincerely believe that the roots of the ongoing crisis lie in the abdication of our commitment to the federal approach. The farmers’ crisis is not the only instance where this inclusive approach to nation building has been ignored or abandoned. The county and its government need to follow an approach based on widespread consultation and consensus. The scars left by our failure to do so in the recent divisive and destabilizing moments will take a long time to heal,” he cautioned.
Badal said that the country has seen how statesmen like Atal Behari Vajpayee understood and respected the beauty of the diversity of our nation and turned it into an asset.
“The ongoing farmers’ crisis needs your immediate and undivided attention. In the circumstances, I strongly urge you to show magnanimity in approach and to personally intervene to get the stalemate broken,” Badal requested PM Modi.
Badal demanded that the three farm laws must be withdrawn.
“As a first step, the three Acts in question that have pushed the country into deep turmoil must be withdrawn without making the farmers and their families endure any more suffering in this biting cold. The issue does not concern farmers alone but affects the entire economic fabric of the country, as traders, businessmen, shopkeepers, arhtiyas and labour are also directly affected by it,” he said
“In addition, the Government must categorically make 100 per cent procurement of farmers’ produce at Minimum Support Price (fixed as per Swaminathan Formula, C2+50) a statutory legal right of the farmer,” he added.
Parkash Badal said that he wish to re-emphasize the need for a liberal, secular democratic approach to solve all the problems facing the country today, including this one. “I request your immediate personal intervention in this regard,” he said.
On December 3, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) patriarch Parkash Singh Badal returned the Padma Vibhushan award “in protest” against the “betrayal of the farmers by the Government of India” and for the “shocking indifference and contempt” with which the government is treating the ongoing peaceful and democratic agitation of the farmers.

LONDON ,Dec 07,2020: Thousands of people protested and blocked traffic in central London on Sunday over Indian agricultural reforms that have triggered mass demonstrations in India, and police made 13 arrests over breaches of COVID regulations.

A crowd of demonstrators converged on the Indian embassy, located on Aldwych, a major artery in the centre of the British capital, and groups marched around the Trafalgar Square area.

Tens of thousands of farmers have protested in India against three laws the government says are meant to overhaul antiquated procurement procedures and give growers more options to sell their produce.

Farmers fear the legislation, passed in September, will eventually dismantle India’s regulated markets and stop the government from buying wheat and rice at guaranteed prices, leaving them at the mercy of private buyers.

Britain is home to a large Indian diaspora and many Britons who trace their family roots to India are strongly engaged with news from the country.

There was little social distancing in evidence at the London protests and few participants were wearing face masks, a Reuters photographer at the scene said.

The Metropolitan Police said it had arrested 13 people for breaching restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19, and that four of those people were later released after being issued with fines.

Police also confiscated fireworks from teenagers who were seen setting them off towards a crowd. There were no reports of injuries, and traffic was flowing freely after the crowds dispersed.

“The capital remains in the midst of a pandemic. It is vital that we all play our part in the fight against COVID-19,” said police Commander Paul Brogden in a statement.

New Delhi [India], December 8,2020: Farmers protesting against the Centre’s agricultural sector laws have called a “Bharat Bandh” today after several rounds of talks with the government over the new farm laws remained inconclusive.
Farmer unions on Friday decided to intensify their agitation against the farm laws calling for ‘Bharat Bandh’ today stating that they were not satisfied with amendments to the agricultural legislations being proposed by the government.
“The bandh will be observed throughout Tuesday, but the ‘chakka jam’ (road blockade) will be on only till 3 pm,” said Darshan Pal, Punjab unit president of the Krantikari Kisan Union said on Monday.
The leaders of the farmer groups also said that political party will be allowed on stage.
Haryana Police and Delhi Police have issued travel advisories informing that people may face traffic blockages on various roads and highways.

LONDON/DUBLIN ,Dec 07,2020: Britain and the European Union will make a last-ditch attempt to strike a post-Brexit trade deal this week, with probably just days left for negotiators to avert a chaotic parting of ways at the end of the year.
Ireland’s prime minister, whose country would face more economic pain than any of the other 26 EU member states in the case of a “no deal”, cautioned against over-optimism, putting the chances of an agreement at only 50-50.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke over the weekend to get their teams back to the negotiating table after talks stalled on three thorny issues.

They are due to hold another call on Monday evening in the hope that, by then, stubborn differences over fishing rights in UK waters, fair competition and ways to solve future disputes will have narrowed.

The Guardian newspaper reported after talks resumed on Sunday that there had been “a major breakthrough” on the rights of European fleets to fish in UK waters, leaving only a wrestle over how closely Britain should hew to EU environmental, social and labour standards over time to ensure a level playing field.

A British government source said there had been no breakthrough on fishing rights on Sunday.
EU officials did not immediately comment on the report.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin was not optimistic.

“My sense, having spoken to some of the key principals here, is that it is a very challenging issue to resolve, particularly around the level playing field … Things are on a knife edge here and it is serious,” he told national broadcaster RTE.

Since Britain formally left the EU on Jan. 31, negotiators have missed several deadlines for a deal with the world’s largest trading bloc before a status quo transition period ends on Dec. 31.

EU negotiator Michel Barnier will brief EU countries’ ambassadors to Brussels on the state of play early on Monday and talks are expected to continue through the day ahead of another check-in by Johnson and von der Leyen.
If there is no deal, a five-year Brexit divorce will end messily just as Britain and its former EU partners grapple with the severe economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic.