18112020-TT-01.qxd 11/17/2020 11:12 PM Page 1 13 chandigarh | gurugram | jalandhar | bathinda | vol.140 no.319 | 12 pages | ~5.00 | regd.no.chd/0006/2018-2020 established in 1881  haryana JAPAN, AUS INK KEY DEFENCE AGREEMENT WORLD /thetribunechd RBI PLACES LAKSHMI VILAS BANK UNDER MORATORIUM, CAPS WITHDRAWAL BUSINESS SECURITY COUNCIL ‘IMPAIRED’ ORGAN: INDIA AT UN BACK PAGE /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com wednesday, november 18,2020 Unite against terror sponsors: Modi Self-regulation won’t do, SC BRICS SUMMIT Seeks members’ backing for IPR waiver on Covid vaccine, testing Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 17 Prime Minister Narendra Modi today sought the backing of BRICS members for the UN Security Council reforms and the waiver of some intellectual property regulations (IPR) for Covidrelated development of vaccines, testing and treatment. Speaking at the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-ChinaSouth Africa) summit, he described the finalisation of the BRICS counter-terrorism strategy as an “important achievement” and assured AT BLOOMBERG FORUM, INVITES INVESTORS CALLS FOR JOINT FIGHT ■ The PM said terrorism was the biggest problem today ■ The PM pitched India as the most attractive investment destination at Bloomberg New Economy Forum ■ The countries that support- ed and helped terrorism should be held guilty ■ He wooed investors in the ■ The entire world should fields of urbanisation, mobility, innovation and sustainable solutions INSIDE come together to fight the menace of terror, he said India would take the work forward during its BRICS chairmanship in 2021. “Terrorism is the biggest problem today. The countries that support and help terrorism need to be held guilty and we need to fight this problem in a united manner,” he said. The BRICS counter-terrorism strategy proposes to work out common measures and coordinate more closely at the UN and other forums on such issues. The PM also referred to the India-South Africa proposal for IPR waiver in case of Covid-19 vaccines, treatment and testing. On October 2, the two countries had jointly Daily cases below 30K first time in 4 mths Tribune News Service COVID-19CASES INDIA New Delhi, November 17 The country witnessed 29,163 new infections in the last 24 hours, the lowest in four months. Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 76.6 per cent of all active cases were in 10 states with Maharashtra, Kerala and Delhi having the maximum load. He said the full impact of the festive season was “yet to play out” and there was no cause for complacency. COUNT 88,74,290 TOTAL RECOVERED DEATHS RECOVERED 82,90,370 FRESH FATALITIES 449 TOTAL DEATHS 1,30,519 WORLD 5,55,64,539 3,87,60,562 13,35,831 Meanwhile, the pandemic situation in Delhi remained grim with the Centre calling it “unsustainable and KEJRI SEEKS POWER TO SHUT RED-ZONE MARKETS Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal sought power from the Centre to impose lockdown in markets in hotspot areas. He has also sent a proposal to allow only 50 people at weddings against earlier limit of 200. unprecedented”. The Capital reported 6,396 new cases and 99 deaths in the last 24 hours. VK Paul, Member, Health, NITI Aayog, said the residents must fear this surge. “We are tired of repeating that people need to wear masks, avoid crowding and socialising and get tested. While the Centre has made arrangements on war footing to tackle the crisis, the onus is on people now,” Paul cautioned. On vaccine front, he said though talks were on with foreign manufacturers, the government had high hopes of success in the five vaccine trials underway in the country. communicated to the WTO TRIPS Council a proposal for a moratorium on certain provisions of the TRIPS Agreement claiming these were hindering the timely provisioning of affordable medical products for Covid patients. The EU, the US and Brazil had opposed the proposal, while China supported it. Advocating reforms in the UNSC, WTO and the WHO, the PM said India was fully committed to multilateralism. India had lost the highest number of peacekeepers on UN duty, he reminded BRICS members. Himachal to cap gatherings at 100 Shimla, November 17 The Himachal Pradesh Government will soon issue a new protocol for scaled down social and political gatherings in view of the sudden spike in Covid cases and the high fatality rate. A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting chaired by CM Jai Ram Thakur. Senior bureaucrats confirmed that the attendance at social gatherings, including weddings, will again be restricted to 100 instead of the present 200. — TNS 5 burnt alive in Sangrur mishap CBI nabs JE for sexually abusing SC reserves order 2 Moga docs, a retired Army Captain among victims 50 UP children on Saini’s bail plea IN BRIEF DELHI: The Supreme Court has reserved its order on Punjab ex-DGP Sumedh Singh Saini’s petition seeking anticipatory bail in the 1991 Balwant Singh Multani murder case. After hearing arguments from both sides, a Bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said it would pass a reasoned order. INSIDE NEW Two suspected JeM ultras held in Delhi NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police have arrested two suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists from Sarai Kale Khan area in southeast Delhi, officials said. Abdul Latif Mir (22) of Doru village in Baramulla and Ashraf Khatana (20) of Hat Mulla village in Kupwara were nabbed on Monday. INSIDE Ex-Mayor nabbed for B’luru violence BENGALURU: Former Congress Mayor R Sampath Raj, who was wanted in the August 11 Bengaluru violence case that left four persons dead, has been arrested, police sources said. Raj, corporator from Devara Jeevanahalli municipal ward, had escaped from a private hospital. PTI Sangrur, November 17 Five persons were burnt alive as the car they were travelling in caught fire after colliding with a truck on the SangrurSunam road late last night. The deceased were identified as Dr Kultar Singh (41), Dr Balwinder Singh (40), former Army Captain Sukhwinder Singh Gill (55), PSPCL cashier Chamkaur Singh (50) and Surinderpal Singh (46), all residents of Moga. They were returning home after attending a party at Dirba town in the district. When they reached near Sunam bypass, their Hyundai Eon car collided with the truck and caught fire. The remains of the car that caught fire on the Sangrur-Sunam road. Rakesh Kumar, SHO, said: “All five occupants of the car were burnt alive as their vehicle got locked. It took over an hour to extricate the bodies from the car.” — TNS New Delhi, November 17 The CBI has arrested a junior engineer of UP Irrigation Department for alleged sexual exploitation of kids for last 10 years and selling videos and photos of his acts on dark web to paedophiles across the globe, CBI officials said. The accused, Rambhawan, allegedly victimised about 50 children in the age group of five to 16 years in Chitrakoot, Banda and Hamirpur districts of UP Eight mobile . phones, Rs 8 lakh cash, a laptop and other gadgets containing child abuse material had been seized from his house, they said. BACK PAGE Nitish keeps home, gives Ahead of rural polls, Hry finance, IT to Tarkishore clears90newpanchayats Patna, November 17 Portfolios were allocated among members of the Nitish Kumar Cabinet in Bihar on Tuesday with the CM retaining key departments like home. Other portfolios remaining with the CM are general administration, cabinet secretariat and election, besides “any other department not allocated”, according to a noti- fication issued by Raj Bhavan. Deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad was given finance, commercial tax, environment, forestry and information technology (IT), all of which were held by his predecessor Sushil Kumar Modi. Renu Devi, second deputy CM, will be handling panchayati raj, other backward classes, extremely backward classes and industries. — PTI Geetanjali Gayatri Tribune News Service Chandigarh, November 17 Haryana will have nearly 90 new panchayats before the upcoming rural elections in March next year. Besides, reports have been sought from the respective district administrations for setting up another 41 panchayats. The matter will be taken up at the next meeting of the Another 41 on cards; elections in March reorganisation committee. Sources said the committee, which met here today under the chairmanship of Deputy CM Dushyant Chautala, gave its nod to reorganise the administrative limits CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE Pak army had links with Qaida: Obama on Osama raid Washington, November 17 Barack Obama has said that he had ruled out involving Pakistan in the raid on Osama bin Laden’s hideout because it was an “open secret” that certain elements inside Pakistan’s military, and especially its intelligence services, maintained links with the Taliban and perhaps even the Al-Qaida, sometimes using them as strategic assets against Afghanistan and India. Giving a blow-by-blow account of the Abbottabad raid by American commandos that killed the world’s most wanted terrorist on May 2, 2011, in his latest book “A Promised Land”, the former US President said the top secret operation was opposed by the then Defence Secretary Robert Gates and his former Vice-President Joe Biden, who is now the President-elect. In the book that hit the BIDEN WAS AGAINST RAID INDIA A SUCCESS STORY The former US President has said the top secret operation was opposed by the then Defence Secretary Robert Gates and his former VicePresident Joe Biden, who is now the President-elect. The modern-day India can be counted as a success story in many respects, despite bitter feuds within political parties and corruption scandals, writes Obama in his latest book. LISTENED TO RAMAYANA Obama says he enjoyed listening to the Ramayana and Mahabharata during his early years in Indonesia. stands globally on Tuesday, America’s first Black President described the various options of killing Osama. “It was an open secret that certain elements inside the country’s military maintained links with the Taliban and perhaps even Al-Qaida, sometimes using them as assets to ensure that the Afghan government remained weak and unable to align itself with Pakistan’s number one rival, India,” Obama said. — PTI wants rules for TV channels Satya Prakash Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 17 Noting that self-regulation by TV channels wasn’t good enough, the Supreme Court today made it clear to the Centre that it wanted a statutory regime to regulate TV channels in India. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India SA Bobde said self-regulation by TV channels through private bodies such as National Broadcasters Association (NBA) and National Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) wasn’t good enough. It wondered why a private body like the NBSA should look into complaints against media. The top court asked the Centre to create a mechanism to address grievances against fake news circulated by TV channels and media. “What is shown in TV channels is of great consequences for the country... Create a mechanism under the law if CALLS FOR MECHANISM TO CURB FAKE NEWS ■ SC has sought a statutory regime to address grievances against fake news 3 WEEKS to the Centre given by the SC to inform it about steps to form the regulatory regime ■ What’s shown on news chan- nels has great consequences for the country, it maintains PIL ON TABLIGHI COVERAGE A PIL has demanded action against channels that linked Tablighi event to Covid surge there is none at present,” the Bench told Solicitor General Tushar Mehta after he submitted that there was no regime for content regulation of electronic media. The CJI’s observations came during a hearing on PILs filed by Jamiat Ulemae-Hind and Peace Party seeking directions to the Centre to stop dissemination of “fake news”. The petitioners demanded strict action against TV chan- nels allegedly spreading communal hatred against Muslims by stating that Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi in March was responsible for the spread of Covid-19. The Centre refuted the petitioners’ allegations that media was largely communal in reporting the incident. In an affidavit filed in the top court, the Centre said the IT Ministry had issued 743 orders for blocking fake or CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE ‘Gupkar gang’ playing into foreign hands: Shah Not part of J&K alliance: Cong New Delhi, November 17 Ahead of the district development council elections in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP has upped the ante against the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Home Minister Amit Shah termed it an “unholy global gathbandhan against India's national interests” that wanted “foreign forces to intervene in J&K”. He asked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and J&K LEADERS HIT BACK PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti and NC’s Omar Abdullah hit back at Amit Shah saying such comments were aimed at diverting attention from rising unemployment and inflation. Sonia Gandhi to respond whether they supported the “moves of Gupkar gang”. “The Gupkar gang is going global! They want foreign CONTINUED ON BACK PAGE New Delhi: Hours after Home Minister Amit Shah questioned the Congress over its truck with the PAGD, the party said it was not part of the alliance and did not subscribe to any foreign intervention on the Kashmir issue. "The Congress believes in democratic elections in J&K and is participating in the District Development Council poll to expose nefarious designs of the BJP said ," party media head Randeep Singh Surjewala. — TNS