INTERNATIONAL NOVEMBER 2015
- Russia sanctions against Turkey
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing a raft of punitive economic sanctions against Turkey on 28th November, underlining the depth of the Kremlin's anger toward Ankara four days after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane.
The decree, which entered into force immediately, said charter flights from Russia to Turkey would be banned, that tour firms would be told not to sell any holidays there, and that unspecified Turkish imports would be outlawed, and Turkish firms and nationals have their economic activities halted or curbed. The decree, posted on the Kremlin's website, spoke of the need to protect Russia's national security and Russian citizens "from criminal and other illegal activities".
In it, Putin ordered the government to prepare a list of goods, firms and jobs that would be affected. Some of the measures announced have already been informally introduced.
Turkey mainly sells food, agricultural products and textiles to Moscow and is also one of the most popular holiday destinations for Russians. - Adolescent deaths from AIDS tripled since 2000: Unicef
The number of adolescent deaths from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years, most of the patients having acquired the disease when they were infants, according to new data released on 27th November by Unicef.
AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally.
Among HIV-affected populations, adolescents are the only group for which the mortality figures are not decreasing, according to Unicef, reported Xinhua.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls are vastly more affected, accounting for 7 in 10 new infections among 15-19 year olds. However, among adolescents in that age group in the region, just over 1 in 10 is tested for HIV, it said.
According to the data in Unicef's Statistical Update on Children, Adolescents and AIDS, less than half of children under 2 months old are tested for HIV. Only 1 in 3 of the 2.6 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV are on treatment.
The new data states that most adolescents who die of AIDS-related illnesses acquired HIV when they were infants, 10 to 15 years ago, when fewer pregnant women and mothers living with HIV received anti-retroviral medicines to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child.
However, since 2000, nearly 1.3 million new infections among children have been averted, largely due to advances in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
By 2014, 3 in 5 pregnant women living with HIV received anti-retroviral treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to their babies. This has translated into a 60 percent reduction in AIDS-related deaths among children under 4 years of age since 2000, according to the Unicef.
The data reveal that currently among adolescents (15-19): 26 new infections occur every hour; and about half of those living with HIV are in just six countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Mozambique and Tanzania. - UN Chief asks developed nations to give $100bn to developing nations
UN chief Ban Ki-moon has asked developed nations to keep their pledge to provide 100 billion US dollars every year by 2020 to support concrete mitigation actions. On the eve of climate summit in Paris, he underlined the need for a durable universal deal to address rising green house gas emissions.
The industrialised nations had earlier committed to long term financing support in form of a green climate fund worth USD 100 billion a year to support concrete mitigation actions by the developing countries. In its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), India has offered to slash its emissions per-unit of gross domestic product figures to 35 per cent by 2030. - European Union Reaches Deal With Turkey on Migration
The European Union on 29th November agreed with Turkey’s government for Ankara to take steps to cut the flow of migrants into Europe in exchange for EU cash and help with its bid to join the 28-nation bloc.
Under agreement, Turkey would increase patrols in the Aegean Sea and on the land borders with Greece and Bulgaria, as well as crack down on human-trafficking gangs. Turkey also agreed—starting next year—to implement an agreement to take back migrants whose asylum claims are denied by EU countries.
In exchange, EU leaders pledged to provide an “initial” €3 billion ($3.19 billion) to Turkey to help it handle the more than two million refugees in the country. Much of that money would go directly to groups helping refugees in Turkey or to programs set up by the Turkish government to house, train and integrate migrants.
EU leaders also promised to open negotiations on a new chapter in Turkey’s bid to join the bloc—a move likely to be approved on Dec. 14—and to hold twice-yearly summits with Turkey’s leaders. They pledged to speed work on Ankara’s bid to win visa-free access to the EU for its citizens.
Part of agreement would require the EU to carry out preparatory work on five currently blocked chapters during the first three months of 2016. That would mean talks could theoretically start on key issues later next year, including justice, energy, defense and foreign policy.
But in a reminder of the obstacles accession talks will continue to face, Cyprus, whose government isn’t recognized by Ankara, rejected the mention of those five specific chapters in Sunday’s joint EU-Turkish declaration by the leaders. - Nepal shortages put millions of children at risk: UNICEF
Severe shortages of food and vaccines due to border protests have left millions of children in quake-hit Nepal at risk of disease or death this winter, UNICEF said on 30th November. The landlocked Himalayan nation has been struggling to cope with a sharp drop in vital supplies after protesters on September 24 began blockading a key border crossing to demand changes to a new Constitution.
Nepal’s government accuses neighbouring India of orchestrating the blockade, a charge it denies. The disruption has caused crippling shortages of fuel and medicine, leaving aid organisations scrambling to deliver relief to homeless quake victims seven months after the April 25 disaster killed nearly 9,000 people. More than 200,000 families are still living in temporary shelters at an altitude above 1,500 metres, it said. The shortages have also resulted in fewer medically-supervised deliveries due to limited ambulance services, putting the lives of some 125,000 expected newborns at risk over the next two months. Meanwhile, Nepal’s top political leaders met on 30th November with representatives of the Madhesi ethnic group, but no agreement was reached. - ASEAN leaders sign document for launching new economic bloc
In a historic development, ASEAN leaders on 22nd November declared the establishment of a European Union style regional economic bloc, the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC).
The declaration, signed by all ten members during the ongoing ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur will create a community of a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labour in the ASEAN region. It will integrate Southeast Asia's diverse economies, a region with 620 million people and a combined gross domestic product of USD 2.4 trillion.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was one among the East Asia Summit leaders who witnessed the historic moment. The ASEAN members termed emergence of the Community an important milestone ever since it was founded in 1967.
In another development, the ASEAN members endorsed the ASEAN 2025-Forging ahead Together that chalks out a plan of action for next ten years.- Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, who is chairing the meeting, cited the possibility of ASEAN's GDP growing to become the 4th-biggest in the world through the economic bloc.
- The plan calls for abolishing tariffs on imports within the region and promoting the liberalization of service industries such as retailing and tourism. It also calls for more free movement within the region of doctors, architects and others with special skills.
- Member nations plan to speed up efforts to abolish regulations that protect their industries from imports.
- The new economic community will have a population of more than 600 million. ASEAN member nations want to boost market competitiveness to achieve further economic development.
- Will hunt down IS leaders and cut off group's financing: US President Obama
US President Barack Obama vowed that the United States and its international partners will not relent in the fight against the Islamic State militant group.
Speaking in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he said they will hunt down IS leaders and cut off the group's financing. Mr Obama insisted that the world will not tolerate extremist attacks on civilians in Paris and elsewhere. The 13/11 terrorist attacks in Paris claimed by IS group killed 130 people and injured hundreds more.
Wrapping up his nine-day trip to Turkey and Asia, Mr Obama also pressed Russian President Vladimir Putin to align himself with the US led coalition to fight the IS group, reminding him that the terrorist group has been accused of bringing down a Russian passenger jet last month, killing 224 people.
He said, Russia has stepped up its air campaign in Syria, but Moscow has focused its attention on moderate rebels fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad. Obama called on Russia to make a strategic adjustment and drop its support for Assad, insisting the violence in Syria cannot be stopped as long as Assad is in office. - Earthquake in southwestern Mexico
5.5 magnitude quake hit Mexico City on 23rd November, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), shaking buildings and forcing office towers to be evacuated, although there were no initial reports of damage or injuries.
The USGS said the 5.5. magnitude quake had its epicenter 257 km (160 miles) south of Mexico City in the southwestern state of Guerrero. It said the quake occurred at a depth of 37 km (23 miles).
Mexico, located on top of three tectonic plates, is one of the most earthquake-prone regions on Earth. Mexico City is built on an ancient lake bed surrounded by volcanoes and whose liquid-rich soil amplifies seismic waves. - Turkey shoots down Russian military plane on Syria border
The Turkish military has shot down a Russian warplane on the border with Syria on 24th November. Turkey confirmed that its F-16s fired on the Russian plane as it had violated Turkish airspace and ignored repeated warnings. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Su-24 was hit by air-to-air missiles fired by Turkish F-16s while it was flying over Syrian territory.
The two pilots ejected as their burning aircraft plunged into a Syrian hillside. Video footage has shown the dead body of one of the pilots, surrounded by armed rebels. According to rebel and opposition activist sources, the first pilot was killed by opposition forces who shot at him as he landed after ejecting from the plane. - China building world's largest animal cloning centre
The world's largest animal cloning factory is under construction in China, with plans to churn out dogs, horses and up to a million cattle a year. According to the official Xinhua news agency, the 31-million US Dollar facility will include cloning laboratories and a gene bank.
It is being set up by Chinese biotechnology firm Boyalife and South Korea's Sooam Biotech - whose founder was embroiled in controversy a decade ago over claims to have cloned human embryos along with two Chinese research institutions.
It will develop animals such as pet and police dogs, racehorses and cows, to be sold on the open market on an industrial scale. The factory in the northern port of Tianjin is set to start production next year, with initial capacity of one lakh cattle embryos a year. - India, China 'most affected by weather-related disasters': UN
India and China are among the countries most affected by weather-related disasters. According to a United Nations report, between 1995 and this year, the two nations have accounted for more than 3 billion disaster-affected people that is 75 per cent of the global total of 4.1 billion people.
The report, which comes ahead of the Paris climate conference starting on the 30th of this month, has been titled 'The Human Cost of Weather Related Disasters by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction'. It said, in India, 805 million people were affected by weather-related disasters during the period, second only after China where 2,274 million people were affected.
India was hit by 288 disasters over the last 20 years, third only after the US and China. The report, however, said in recent years, national preparedness and more efficient responses to disasters have significantly reduced the numbers of people dying from weather-related hazards in some countries. - 2015 to be hottest on record, 2016 could be even hotter due to El Nino: UN
This year is set to be the hottest on record and 2016 could be even hotter due to the current El Nino weather pattern. The UN weather agency, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), on 25th November said that data until the end of October showed this year's temperatures running well above any previous 12 month period. The rise is due to a combination of a strong El Nino and human-induced global warming. WMO Secretary-General Michel Jarraud said global average surface temperatures in 2015 are likely to reach a symbolic and significant milestone of 1 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial era. - UN renews call to abolish death penalty in Bangladesh
The United Nation (UN) has renewed its call on the Bangladesh government to immediately impose a moratorium on capital punishment. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the government should not implement death sentences awarded by the International Crimes Tribunal. The statement has given the doubts that have been raised about the fairness of trials conducted before the tribunal. - Children Bear Brunt of Climate Change: UNICEF
More than half a billion children live in areas with extremely high flood occurrence and 160 million in high drought zones, leaving them exposed to the impacts of climate change, UNICEF has said. Of the 530 million children in the flood-prone zones, some 300 million live in countries where more than half the population lives in poverty -- on less than $3.10 a day, according to UNICEF report, released on 23rd November
The report pointed out that "of those living in high drought severity areas, 50 million are in countries where more than half the population lives in poverty".
Climate change means more droughts, floods, heatwaves and other severe weather conditions.
These events can cause death and devastation, and can also contribute to the increased spread of major killers of children, such as malnutrition, malaria and diarrhoea, according to the report.
The vast majority of the children living in areas at extremely high risk of floods are in Asia, and the majority of those in areas at risk of drought are in Africa, said the report.
In the upcoming 21st UN climate change conference, known as COP21, world leaders gathering in Paris from November 30 to December 11 will seek to reach agreement on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, which is critical to limiting potentially catastrophic rises in temperature. - Bangladesh: 1971 war crime convicts executed
Two Bangladesh opposition leaders have been executed for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence struggle against Pakistan. Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid were hanged in Dhaka's central jail. They were convicted of genocide and rape charges.
Chowdhury has been an influential politician. He was elected MP six times. Mujahid was a top leader of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said they were hanged after President Abdul Hamid rejected appeals for clemency by the two men. - Largest Hindu temple in Australia opened on November 30
A Durga Temple, claimed as the largest Hindu Temple in Australia will be opened in Melbourne on 30th November, meeting the wishes of the growing Indian population in the country. The temple is located in Rockbank, near Melbourne. It has been under construction for the last five years. The temple is said to provide Hindus a worship place in Australia’s second largest city. The temple will organize several events including Hindu festivals like Dussehra apart from holding bhajans and religious lectures. - Russia sanctions against Turkey
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree imposing a raft of punitive economic sanctions against Turkey on 28th November, underlining the depth of the Kremlin's anger toward Ankara four days after Turkey shot down a Russian warplane.
The decree, which entered into force immediately, said charter flights from Russia to Turkey would be banned, that tour firms would be told not to sell any holidays there, and that unspecified Turkish imports would be outlawed, and Turkish firms and nationals have their economic activities halted or curbed. The decree, posted on the Kremlin's website, spoke of the need to protect Russia's national security and Russian citizens "from criminal and other illegal activities".
In it, Putin ordered the government to prepare a list of goods, firms and jobs that would be affected. Some of the measures announced have already been informally introduced.
Turkey mainly sells food, agricultural products and textiles to Moscow and is also one of the most popular holiday destinations for Russians. - Adolescent deaths from AIDS tripled since 2000: Unicef
The number of adolescent deaths from AIDS has tripled over the last 15 years, most of the patients having acquired the disease when they were infants, according to new data released on 27th November by Unicef.
AIDS is the number one cause of death among adolescents in Africa and the second leading cause of death among adolescents globally.
Among HIV-affected populations, adolescents are the only group for which the mortality figures are not decreasing, according to Unicef, reported Xinhua.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence, girls are vastly more affected, accounting for 7 in 10 new infections among 15-19 year olds. However, among adolescents in that age group in the region, just over 1 in 10 is tested for HIV, it said.
According to the data in Unicef's Statistical Update on Children, Adolescents and AIDS, less than half of children under 2 months old are tested for HIV. Only 1 in 3 of the 2.6 million children under the age of 15 living with HIV is on treatment.
The new data states that most adolescents who die of AIDS-related illnesses acquired HIV when they were infants, 10 to 15 years ago, when fewer pregnant women and mothers living with HIV received anti-retroviral medicines to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child.
However, since 2000, nearly 1.3 million new infections among children have been averted, largely due to advances in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
By 2014, 3 in 5 pregnant women living with HIV received anti-retroviral treatment to prevent transmission of the virus to their babies. This has translated into a 60 percent reduction in AIDS-related deaths among children under 4 years of age since 2000, according to the Unicef.
The data reveal that currently among adolescents (15-19): 26 new infections occur every hour; and about half of those living with HIV are in just six countries: South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Mozambique and Tanzania. - G20 pledge robust fight against patchy economy
G-20 summit has begun at Antalya in Turkey on 15th November. In this summit Leaders of the Group of 20 major economies will be focusing on the fight against terrorism in the aftermath of Paris attack.
The heads of the world's 20 largest economies pledged to use all of their policy tools to tackle uneven economic growth that falls short of expectations, according to a draft Group of 20 (G20) communiqué.
As the G20 leaders gathered in Turkey for a two-day meeting on how to boost global growth, the economic discussions were overshadowed by deadly attacks claimed by Islamic State in Paris on 15th November that left more than 125 people dead.
In a nod to uncertainty in financial markets and worries about lagging output in much of the world, the leaders said they would stick to a target to boost the G20's collective economic output by an additional two per cent by 2018.
The head of the European Central Bank, Mario Draghi, has underlined the ECB's readiness to extend money printing, warning that inflation, a key measure of economic health, was flagging.
The timing of the Fed hike has been a constant source of concern for financial markets and emerging market economies, which have seen their currencies hammered this year as the dollar has risen sharply on expectations of a US rate hike.
In language likely aimed at the Fed hike, the leaders highlighted the need to "carefully calibrate" and clearly communicate policy decisions, to make sure markets are not taken by surprise by such key decisions.
The leaders endorsed a package of measures to tackle corporate tax avoidance, although questions remain about whether countries will follow through on the plans or leave loopholes multinationals can exploit. The Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) measures aim to close the gaps in existing international tax rules.
The leaders also noted the scale of the refugee crisis, saying all states need to share the burden, including through refugee resettlement and other forms of humanitarian aid, while underscoring the importance of a political solution. - BRICS voice against terrorism
The leaders of BRICS nations have urged the global community to work in unison against terrorism. Meeting at Antalya in Turkey on the sidelines of the G-20 summit, they said united action against terrorism is a priority area for the world. Indian Prime Minister Modi said India attaches highest importance to it and the theme for the economic grouping would be “Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions,” which, in short, will be 'BRICS' again.
The “New Development Bank” by the BRICS would be essential to support emerging economies; he said and assured full support to China, which takes over the presidentship of the G-20 by this year end.
Russian President Vladimir Putin underscored the challenge of refugee crisis also, which he said deserves combined efforts of the world. Chinese president Xi Jinping, Brazil President Dilma Rousseff, South African President Jacob Zuma also condemned terrorism in unequivocal terms and called for collective action against the menace.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined World leaders in condemning terrorism and has outlined India’s plans to contribute to mitigate climate change. Addressing the working lunch session on climate in the G20 summit at Antalya in Turkey, he said terrorism calls for a comprehensive global response and urged that combating it must be major priority for G20.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s addressed at the G20 session on development and climate change gave a broad outline of India’s plans to contribute to the global efforts to control climate change, apart from joining the world's leaders including US President Barack Obama and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in unequivocally condemning terrorism. Expressing confidence of India achieving 7.5% growth in the near term, Mr Modi said India can become a pillar of global growth and stability.
He announced plans of generating an additional capacity of 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022, cut in fuel subsidies and tax on coal and, National Clean Energy Fund of $3 billion to promote clean technologies. He pitched for fixing a target date before 2030 to reduce the high remittance charges. - India calls for non-discriminatory & transparent global trading system:
According to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all elements of the WTO's Bali pact should be fully implemented for realizing a transparent and non-discriminatory global trading system. In his intervention at the G-20 working lunch on 'Trade and Energy', Modi said the global trade slowdown was a major concern and prospects for rise in trade momentum remain bleak. Stating that efforts to accelerate global economic growth will help trade, he said a transparent, equitable, on-discriminatory and rule-based global trading system is essential for the world economy.
In the last meeting at Bali in Indonesia, the WTO members agreed on the trade facilitation pact and food grain stockpile for food security purposes. As regards regional trade agreements, PM Modi noted that, such pacts "should not fragment the global trading system.
On energy sector, Modi said, the grouping of world's biggest economies (G-20) should increase research and development in clean and renewable energy and reduce cost to make it affordable and accessible for all. The World Trade Organisation's (WTO) 10th ministerial meeting is scheduled from December 15 to 18 at Nairobi in Kenya. - India urges guidelines on climate change
India has urged the world leaders that any action on Climate Change should be within the context of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
India’s Sherpa for the G20 and Vice-Chairman of NITI Ayog Arvind Panagariya expressed confidence that in the forthcoming “Conference of Parties” CoP-21 meet at Paris by the end of this month would come out with a widely recognizable outcome.
On the question of fossil fuel cuts, he said though the Union Government is taking moves in that direction on its part, complete phase out of fossil subsidies cannot be acceptable as states have the powers to subsidize electricity for farming and fertilizer subsidy cannot be done away with. In the G-20 summit, India strongly advocated implementation of the Bali Package and ratification of trade facilitation agreement, for improvements on trade front, he informed.
India made a strong push for reduction of remittance charges which has come down to 7.5 percent on an average from the earlier 10 percent, but still is on a higher side. Mr Panagariya said India is favouring a rate as small as 3 percent. India is the world’s highest recipient of remittances from abroad through Indians working there.
A broad acceptance on controlling the problem of “Base Erosion and Profit Shifting” which in effect means corporates transferring the profits earned in one country to other tax havens to avoid taxes where the profit has been earned. The NITI Ayog Vice Chairman said the controlling mechanism is now moving towards implementation phase. - US, Russia agree for UN-backed peace talks to resolve Syrian crisis
US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on the need for UN-sponsored peace talks and a ceasefire to resolve years of war in Syria. US President Obama and Russian President Putin agreed on the need for a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition, which would be proceeded by UN-mediated negotiations between the Syrian opposition and regime as well a ceasefire, the official told reporters after the leaders met on the sidelines of a G20 summit taking place. - France vows to step up air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq, Syria
France has vowed to step up air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria after 13th November attacks in Paris. French defence ministry in a statement said that for the second time in 24 hours, the French military conducted an air raid against Daesh in Raqa in Syria.
Daesh is another name for the IS militants group. Ten Rafale and Mirage 2000 fighters carried out the raid at 0030 GMT, dropping 16 bombs simultaneously hitting and destroying two targets. The raid was conducted in coordination with US forces, the statement said. France has carried out air raids against IS in Syria since September but stepped up its raids after Friday's attacks in Paris.
- 6.7 magnitude earthquake strikes western Greece
The US Geological Survey reported on 17th November a magnitude 6.7 earthquake just off the west coast of Greece. The quake occurred 10 km below the Earth's surface, USGS said. A second reading gave a magnitude of 6.8 and a depth of just 5 km. - El Nino worst in over 15 years, severe impact likely: UN
UN weather agency has warned that this year's El Nino phenomenon is the worst in more than 15 years. World Meteorological Association Chief Michel Jarraud said that this El Nino which resurfaced a few months ago has already caused severe droughts and flooding. And it is expected to become even more powerful by the end of the year.
El Nino is triggered by a warming in sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. It can cause unusually heavy rains and severe droughts. The phenomenon usually leaves countries like India, Indonesia and Australia drier, increasing chances of wildfires and lower crop production. The UN also warned that El Nino could significantly increase the number of people going hungry. - Turning back Syrian refugees not a solution: UNICEF head
Turning back Syrian refugees in the wake of the Paris attacks is "not a solution" and will pile huge pressure on neighboring Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, the head of the UN children's agency has said.
Anthony Lake, the executive director of UNICEF, said in an interview yesterday that countries bordering war-torn Syria were already struggling with a massive influx of displaced people. Turkey has taken in two million Syrian refugees, Lebanon more than one million and Jordan more than 500,000.
France and other European countries are facing calls to deny entry to Syrian refugees after French investigators said that one of the Paris attackers may have slipped into Europe as part of the influx of asylum-seekers.
Lake called for a redoubling of efforts to end the war in Syria and help neighboring countries cope with the refugee crisis. Syrian children in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon must be able to receive an education to develop skills "to rebuild Syria" and keep alive "the desire to find reconciliation in Syria," he said. Turkey is hosting 600,000 school-age Syrian children but only 200,000 of them are attending classes. - Sri Lanka told to probe disappearance cases
A working group of the UN has called for the prosecution of all cases of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka. The group on enforced or involuntary disappearances, which on 18th November concluded its 10-day visit to Sri Lanka, stated that “prosecuting and trying only [a] few emblematic cases will not be sufficient to comply with Sri Lanka’s international obligations nor to satisfy the expectations of the victims and important sectors of society”.
The prosecution of all the cases would require equipping prosecutors and courts with the capacity to handle such high demand.
The group stated that over 12,000 cases were referred to the Sri Lankan government, of which 5,750 were still outstanding. A “very high number of cases” before the group related to disappearances occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s in relation to the “violent targeting of Sinhalese youth suspected of links to the Janatha Vimukti Peramuna.”
Another “very considerable number” pertained to the disappearance of Tamils during the Eelam War, which ended in May 2009.
There were other types of disappearances including the “white-van” disappearances, disappearances in the context of anti-terrorism operations or disappearances conducted for ransom or economic extortion purposes, or a combination of all three. - Unified global front to fight against terrorism urged
Russia and China have stepped up their campaign to form a unified international front to counter terrorism following the bloodbath in Paris and the downing of a Russian airliner in Egypt.
The Russians have already energised their diplomacy to form a “unified front” by their bid to rope in France as a partner in the air campaign in Syria, which targets the Islamic State (also known as ISIS) – the alleged perpetrator of the Paris horror. The ISIS is also the prime suspect in the crash of the Russian passenger airliner.
French participation in coordination with Moscow, if it materialises, would mean the first NATO country joining the expansion of an anti-IS front in Syria, which has so far included Russia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanese Hezbollah and Syrian army troops. - Bangladesh Supreme Court upholds death sentences of two top opposition leaders
Bangladesh's Supreme Court on 17th November upheld the death sentences of two top opposition leaders convicted for war crimes committed during 1971 independence war against Pakistan, paving the way for their execution.
The four-member bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha rejected the final review petitions of Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury.
Mujahid, and Chowdhury, were senior ministers in ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP-led coalition government with the fundamentalist Jamaat being its key partner.
Mujahid, the second most senior member of Jamaat, was found to be a key mastermind of the massacre of the country's top intelligentsia just ahead of the December 16, 1971 independence war victory.
Chowdhury, a top aide to BNP chief Zia, carried out atrocities particularly at his home district of southeastern Chittagong, leading a violent campaign against the Hindus.
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal had handed down death sentences to them in separate cases of crimes against humanity in 2013, convicting them of several charges, including genocide and rape during the war and the apex court upheld the death penalty to Mujahid in June and to Chowdhury in July this year.
Immediately after the apex court verdict, authorities fearing violence by supporters of two opposition leaders shut down Facebook, Viber and WhatsApp aimed at preventing Jamaat supporters mobilising to protest against the ruling. - TPP leaders agree to act on PH, South Korea, Indonesia membership bids
Leaders from the 12-member countries of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) have agreed to act on the interest of the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia for membership even as they also moved to implement the newly-minted high-level 21st century free trade agreement as early as possible.
According to the Japanese Press Secretary Yasuhisa Kawamura the 12 Leaders met for one and a half hours on the sidelines of the APEC Leaders’ Summit to mark the recent conclusion of negotiations on the TTP agreement. US President Barack Obama, chair of TPP, has asked Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to chair the meeting. TPP groups Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, United States, and Vietnam.
Interested countries are expected to conduct full technical discussion with each of the TPP members. In the case of the Philippines, the Department of Trade and Industry has already started consultations with at least 6 of the 12-member countries.
The leaders have also agreed to expedite the completion of their respective domestic processes for the full implementation of the TPP agreement.
TPP member countries have to work on their domestic processes to be able to get domestic support for the agreement’s ratification. Each government has to ratify the TPP agreement before it can be implemented. This interest affirms that through TPP we are creating a new and compelling model for trade in one of the world’s fastest growing and most dynamic regions,” the TPP Leaders added. - Paris prosecutor: Suspected Paris mastermind killed in raid
The Belgian national suspected of masterminding deadly attacks in Paris was killed in a police raid on a suburban apartment building, the city prosecutor's office announced 19th November. Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins' office said Abdelhamid Abaaoud was identified based on skin samples. His body was found in the apartment building targeted in the chaotic and bloody raid in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on 18th November.
Police launched the operation after receiving information from tapped phone calls, surveillance and tip offs suggesting that Abaaoud was holed up there. Killed along with Abaaoud was a woman who blew herself up with an explosives vest at the beginning of the raid. Eight people were arrested. - Biggest diamond in more than a century unearthed in Botswana
A 1,111 carat gem-quality diamond, second in size only to the Cullinan diamond cut into the British Crown jewels, has been unearthed by Lucara Diamond Corp. in Botswana. The Type-IIa stone, just smaller than a tennis ball, is the largest diamond discovery for more than 100 years, according to Vancouver-based Lucara. It was recovered by machines at the south lobe of Karowe mine in central Botswana
Lucara's Karowe mine in Botswana is rivaling Gem Diamonds Ltd's Letseng operation in Lesotho as a source of the world's biggest and best stones. Gem Diamonds previously held the record for the largest discovered this century with the 603-carat Lesotho Promise.
Lucara sold a 341.9-carat Type-IIa diamond in July for $20.6 million, or $60,000 a carat, Sterck said. The company's shares jumped as much as 37 percent in Toronto trading, the steepest intraday gain since 2008.
The value of the find and who will want to buy it will depend on the size and quality of the polished stones that can be cut from it. While Lucara will likely sell it at a tender in Botswana, the cutting, polishing and eventual sale to a final owner may take many years. Antwerp and New York are the leading cutting centers for exceptional gems.
So far the biggest diamond discovered is the 3,106-carat Cullinan, found near Pretoria in South Africa in 1905. It was cut to form the Great Star of Africa and the Lesser Star of Africa, which are set in the Crown Jewels of Britain. Lucara also said it found two other very large white diamonds. The first weighs 813 carats before cleaning, meaning it's likely to rank among the 10 largest found. The second is 374 carats. - UNSC approves resolution to prevent further attacks by IS
The United Nations Security Council, UNSC, has unanimously approved a French-sponsored resolution calling on all nations to re-double and co-ordinate action to prevent further attacks by Islamic State, IS, terrorists and other extremist groups.
The resolution urged UN member-states to intensify their efforts to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters in Iraq and Syria and to prevent and suppress the financing on terrorism.
The resolution, however, does not constitute an authorisation for military action, as the resolution is not drafted under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which is the only way the United Nations can give a green light to the use of force.
The resolution was adopted a week after extremists launched a coordinated gun and bomb assault that killed 130 people in Paris. Islamic State had claimed responsibility for the attack. It also comes eight days after twin suicide bombings in Beirut killed 43 people, and three weeks after a Russian airliner crashed over Egypt's Sinai peninsula killing all 224 people on board. Both attacks were also claimed by IS. - Hostage crisis ends in Mali, 27 killed
The siege by armed gunmen on the Radisson Blu Hotel in Mali's capital Bamako has ended. Armed Islamic extremists on 20th November stormed a deluxe hotel in Mali locking in 170 people, killing at least 27 of them, while 20 captured Indians were evacuated without any harm.
Nine hours after the siege of the Radisson Blu hotel by extremists in a hail of fire from automatic guns, security minister Salif Traore announced the end of the hostage crisis after two gunmen were killed by security forces. The jihadist group Al Mourabitoun, allied to al Qaeda and based in the desert north of the former French colony, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
At least 27 people have died and two soldiers wounded while 2 terrorists have been killed. One of those killed was Geoffrey Dieudonne, a member of parliament in Belgium's Wallonia region. The US-owned hotel is popular with foreign businesses and airline crews.
US Special Forces had helped in the hostage rescue operation. French Special Forces were also dispatched to the scene. Malian security forces have been working their way up the building to where the gunmen were reportedly entrenched. Meanwhile, 10 days state emergency has been declared in Mali following hotel attacks. - Nepal’s children in a crisis: UN
The UN has warned that Nepal’s children, already hit by the devastating earthquakes, are facing a new humanitarian crisis as the country reels under political strife and blockade in the Terai region bordering India, severely impacting their health.
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Anthony Lake issued a statement and warned that natural devastation following the earthquake and political conflict are compounding the misery for Nepal’s children. - Nepal asks India to ease supplies, calls protesters for talks
Nepal's Cabinet on 9th November passed a special resolution asking India to open the border entry points to ease supplies of essential goods like medicines, gas and petroleum to the landlocked country, reeling under acute shortage due to blockade of key trade points. The Cabinet called on the Indian government to further improve the bilateral relations and make the bond of friendship strong by easing the supplies. The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) also asked the agitating Madhesi-based parties to seek solutions to their demands through dialogue.
The development came amid a political crisis over the new Constitution opposed by Indian-origin Madhesis who have led an agitation and blockaded key border trade points of Nepal with India, bringing supplies of essential goods including fuel and cooking gas for over a month. - UN conference reaches a deal on using radio frequencies to track airliners via satellite
A UN conference has reached a landmark deal on using radio frequencies to track airliners via satellite in the hope of avoiding a repeat of the disappearance of a Malaysian plane last year.
Current methods for tracking aircrafts depend on radar, which has a limited range and a radio system called ADSP. This allows an aircraft to broadcast signals to ground stations which can then be used to calculate its position.
The loss of MH370 and the subsequent mystery over its whereabouts highlighted the need for better mechanism. Under plans being drawn up by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, satellites will also be used to pick up ADSP signals, enabling aircraft to be tracked continually around the globe. - Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD party wins majority in Myanmar's polls
Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party won a majority in Myanmar's historic polls, according to a tally of official results released on 13th November. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party was awarded 21 further lower house seats by the Union Election Commission, taking its overall Parliamentary tally to 348 sailing through the mark for a basic majority. The victory will allow it to elect a president and form a government in a historic shift in power from the Army.
The election, the first Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party has contested since 1990, saw a huge turnout that has yielded more than 80 percent of seats for the NLD.
A big majority gives Suu Kyi, 70, leverage in the political wrangling ahead with a military establishment that has been chastened at the polls but retains sweeping powers. Suu Kyi is barred from the presidency by a junta-scripted constitution, which also guarantees the Army a 25 per cent bloc of seats. - Europe Pledges $1.9 Billion for 'Root Causes' of African Migration
At a summit in Malta attended by European and African leaders, the European Union agreed on a nearly $2 billion aid package aimed at tackling the root causes of migration. Hundreds of thousands of people have crossed the Mediterranean this year, overwhelming many European states’ ability to cope with the influx. The European Union agreed on a $1.9 billion fund aimed at addressing what it called ‘the root causes of migration.” The money is aimed at creating jobs, improving healthcare and conflict prevention.
The plan received a mixed response from many African leaders, including Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou. Issoufou said $1.9 billion is not enough; it is far from being enough. The needs are enormous. That is why the EU is calling on other partners to participate in the setting up of trust funds.
European leaders presented a 17-page "action plan" to tackle the crisis. In addition to the fund, Europe will attempt to sign individual migration agreements with African countries in return for development aid. The number of people crossing the Mediterranean from Africa is small compared to the arrival of over 650,000, mostly Syrians, who came through Turkey and Greece. Most are trying to reach northern Europe. Sweden, long seen as the beacon of support for migrant rights on the continent, became the latest member of Europe’s passport-free Schengen zone to re-introduce temporary border checks on 12th November. - Over 125 killed in multiple attacks in Paris; ISIS claims responsibility
In France, over 125 people have been killed in a series of attacks targeting young concert-goers, soccer fans and Parisians on 14th November. The worst carnage was at a concert hall hosting an American rock band, where scores of people were held hostage and attackers ended the standoff by detonating explosive belts killing at least 87 people.
Eight attackers also reported killed. Meanwhile, French President has declared a state of emergency in Paris. This was a day the French never imagined a series of attacks across Paris with blood and screams all around and people were running for safety. A second attack on French soil within a year's time but the magnitude is magnanimous this time. Over a hundred people killed and hundreds others injured.
The agencies and administration were left clueless. The attack comes as France has heightened security measures ahead of a major global climate conference that starts in two weeks, out of fear of violent protests and potential terrorist attacks. - World War I memorial unveiled in UK to honour Sikh soldiers
A memorial commemorating Sikh soldiers of the British- Indian Army who fought in World War I has been unveiled in the West Midlands region of England. The National World War I Sikh Memorial statue, opened on 1st November at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, commemorates the 130,000 Sikh men who took part in the war. The statue was funded through a campaign by the World War I Sikh Memorial Fund. - UN panel adopts draft resolution backing abolition of nuclear arms
A UN committee has adopted a draft resolution calling for the abolition of nuclear arms and asking world leaders to visit the two cities that have suffered nuclear attacks. China and Russia opposed the resolution. The UN General Assembly's disarmament committee adopted the resolution yesterday with 156 countries voting in support. Japan has submitted similar measures for 22 straight years. The resolution stresses the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and urges nuclear powers to be more transparent in their disarmament efforts. The United States, Britain and France abstained from voting despite having supported the resolution in past years. - China parliament ratifies AIIB agreement
The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) agreement has been ratified by China's top legislature on 4th November, which establishes the legal framework for the Bank. The ratification is a significant step closer to the AIIB's formal establishment slated for the end of this year, as China is the bank's largest shareholder. The 54 founding members of the bank had already signed the agreement and the remaining three are expected to sign before the end of this year.
All prospective members should have their legislatures ratify the agreement before the end of 2016 to formally become founding members. The China-backed US Dollar 100 billion-bank in which India is also a founder member is a multilateral development institution tasked with financing infrastructure development across Asia. - Maldives declares National Emergency
Maldives President Yameen Abdul Gayoom has declared a state of national emergency, initially for a period of 30 days. This declaration comes under Article 253 of constitution. It empowers the President to suspend certain laws and citizen rights and detain political leaders. Although the government has not elaborated on the reason for the declaration, sources in the government claim that the measure has been taken in view of the recent arms seizure by the police.
- Maldives Parliament impeaches Vice President accused of plotting to kill President
Maldivian Parliament Majlis impeached Vice President Ahmed Adeeb Abdul Ghafoor on 5th November. 61 parliamentarians out of the 85 present voted in favour of the motion. Fifty-seven votes were required to impeach the Vice President. The main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party boycotted the vote. Adeeb is the second Vice President to be impeached in Maldives within the last six months.
He has been charged with plotting to assassinate the President and is under arrest since 24th of last month. A number of his supporters have also been arrested in connection with the blast on the speedboat on which President Abdulla Yameen was travelling on 28th of September. - Nepal, China agree to open 7 more border trade points
Nepal and China have agreed to open seven more border trading points to facilitate flow of essential goods to the landlocked country. Currently the country is reeling under acute shortage due to blockade of a key border point with India by Madhesis protesting against the new Constitution.
The annual meeting of Nepalese and Chinese customs officials in Kathmandu on the issue of simplifying trade and customs procedures concluded with the signing of a 20-point agreement. - China, Taiwan meeting first time in 60 years
The leaders of China and Taiwan met on 7th November for the first time in more than 60 years for talks that come amid rising anti-Chinese sentiment on the self-ruled democratic island and weeks ahead of elections. The talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, the first such meeting since the Chinese civil war ended in 1949, are being held at the neutral venue of Singapore. Each leader hopes to seal his legacy as one who helped bring decades of division and mistrust to a mutually acceptable end. Both sides have said no agreements will be signed or joint statements issued.
Other important points- Taiwan and China have identified a broad agenda of engagement, including talks to narrow down differences over a “one-China” formulation, easing security tensions and collaboration in Beijing-led connectivity projects, following historic talks after a gap of 66 years, between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Taiwanese counterpart Ma Ying-jeou.
- According to the Taiwanese leader both sides uphold the ‘one China’ principle, but each has a different interpretation of it.
- Both leaders agreed in principle to establish a hotline as a major confidence building measure.
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