INDIA PLANS TO INVITE PAKISTAN FOR SCO SUMMITIn a move that is likely to open up the bilateral space, India Thursday saidNew Delhi will invite the heads of government of all member countries of theShanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) when it hosts the summit later thisyear.This would mean that Pakistan's representative - either Prime Minister ImranKhan or a Minister - will be coming to India to attend the SCO heads ofgovernment meeting.The SCO is a China-led economic and security bloc founded in 2001 by Russia,China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India andPakistan became members of the SCO in 2017, and India usually sends itsForeign or Defence ministers to attend the SCO heads of government meetings.Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends the heads of state summit, as alsoChinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.The Ministry of External Affairs' official spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said:"India will be hosting the heads of government summit later this year. Asper established practice and procedure, all eight members and four observerstates and other international dialogue partners will be invited. all eightmembers will be invited."Following bilateral tensions, which worsened after India removed Article 370in J&K, the two sides do not have full-time envoys to each other's capitals,and the missions are manned by the deputy high commissioners.PAY HEED TO CONSENSUS AT UN: INDIA TO CHINAA day after China's attempt to raise the situation in Jammu and Kashmir - atPakistan's behest - failed to yield an outcome as an "overwhelming majority"said it was not the right forum, New Delhi asked Beijing to "seriouslyreflect" on the global consensus and "refrain" from taking such action infuture.Besides France and the US, sources said that UK, Russia and Germany alsojoined in along with other members to block Beijing's attempt to get anoutcome. Sources said that while UK's ambivalent position in the UNSCclosed-door consultations in August had surprised many - a claim stronglydenied by the UK - London's decision to block Beijing's attempt sent animportant signal to Delhi.For the third time since August, Beijing had raised the J&K issue at aclosed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council late Wednesday.On Thursday, MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar made a sharp comment on Beijing."China should seriously reflect on this global consensus, draw properlessons and refrain from taking such action in future," he said, replying toa question on why India has not reacted strongly to Beijing raising theKashmir issue at the UNSC. "I suggest that this question should be posed tothe Chinese side as well."He also slammed Pakistan for trying to internationalise the Kashmir issuewith the help of China, saying Islamabad's "desperate" measures to "peddle"baseless allegations and present an alarming scenario about the Valleylacked credibility.CAA: AFTER KERALA, PUNJAB GOVT WILL SEEK HOUSE REJECTION TODAYCongress-ruled Punjab will become the second state after Kerala to bring inan Assembly resolution Friday seeking the repeal of the Citizenship(Amendment) Act. The state government will also seek amendment to the formof the National Population Register (NPR) to allay fears in certain quartersregarding the NPR and NRC.In Chhattisgarh, another Congress-ruled state, the government is consideringif it can denotify an October 2019 order which announced the state'sparticipation in the NPR exercise.This move by the Congress governments in the states comes days after theOpposition parties urged CMs to demand the scrapping of the CAA, suspend theNPR exercise and reject the proposed NRC process.Punjab's move today will coincide with a meeting called in New Delhi by theUnion Home Ministry to discuss modalities for the Census 2020 and NPR. Itwill be attended by Chief Secretaries and Census Directors of all states.Opposition parties say the NPR is a "prelude" to the NRC. The draftresolution prepared by Punjab states that the CAA has caused "countrywideanguish" and "social unrest with widespread protests" across the country.The CAA, the draft says, seeks to negate the very secular fabric on whichthe Constitution of India is based, that it is divisive and stands foreverything opposed to a free and fair democracy which must enshrine equalityfor all.US SLAMS RUSSIA FOR INDO-PACIFIC CRITICISMThe US slammed Russia on Thursday for calling the Indo-Pacific initiative a"divisive approach" to disrupt the existing regional structures and said theconcept was not aimed at excluding any nation, but was a "principledvision".In his address at the Raisina Dialogue, Russian Foreign Minister SergeiLavrov had on Wednesday strongly criticised the US-led Indo-Pacificinitiative, aimed at containing China's influence in the region.Responding to the criticism, US Deputy National Security Adviser MatthewPottinger said a free and open Indo-Pacific was not a bloc or militaryalliance, but a principled vision.Agreeing with Pottinger that Indo-Pacific was a principled vision, ForeignSecretary Vijay Gokhale said Asia Pacific was a colonial concept.US INDICTS FIVE PAK-ORIGIN MEN FOR SMUGGLING NUKE EQUIPMENTThe US Federal Court has indicted five men of Pakistani origin for smugglingequipment related to nuclear weapons and entities that have been sanctionedfor years as threats to the US national security.Although arrest warrants are pending, none of the five defendants has beenarrested so far. The case brings back memories of the arrest of ArshadPervez in 1987 on charges of illegal procurement. But all moves to takeaction against Pakistan were stymied by then US President Ronald Regan as hefeared it could impact the arming of militants fighting the KabulGovernment.It remains to be seen with the Afghan peace talks hanging in balance,whether the US will cancel its recently restarted International MilitaryEducation and Training (IMET) with Pakistan.TRUMP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL OPENS AS WATCHDOG FAULTS WHITE HOUSE ON UKRAINEThe Senate impeachment trial on whether to remove U.S. President DonaldTrump from office formally began yetserday even as a congressional watchdogfound that the White House broke the law by withholding security aid forUkraine approved by Congress.The assessment from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO)was a setback for Mr. Trump, but it was unclear if it would figure in histrial in the Republican-led Senate given that key questions such as whetherwitnesses will testify or new evidence will be considered remain unanswered.The Senate is expected to acquit Mr. Trump, as none of its 53 Republicanshas voiced support for removing him, a step that requires a two-thirdsmajority.TECHNOCRAT, HOCKEY PLAYER, PIANIST: RUSSIA'S NEXT PM MIKHAIL MISHUSTINOn Wednesday, Mikhail Mishustin, who is best known in Russia for improvingtax collection processes and doubling tax revenues, was picked by PresidentVladimir Putin as the nation's next prime minister.A glowing profile of him on state-run RT.com said that the Moscow-bornMishustin worked in the computer and IT sector throughout the 90s and joinedthe tax service near the end of the decade, when he began his career as acivil servant. Mishustin holds a doctorate in economics and oversaw theopening of the first special economic zones in Russia and in the early 2000swas put in charge of the Federal Real Estate Cadaster Agency.Like Putin, Mishustin enjoys ice hockey and is on the boards of CSKA Moscowice hockey club and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation.ONE MONTH INTO CAA PROTESTSOne month into the protests against the new citizenship law and the proposedNRC, the political establishment is split right down the middle on theirnature and impact. While the ruling BJP and the Centre talk down theprotests, brush it off as choreographed and avoid any engagement with theprotestors, the Opposition senses an opportunity to rattle a government thatreturned to power with an enhanced majority barely seven months ago.The protests themselves have travelled quite some distance in a month. Theyhave got wider; the violence that marked some of them has abated.The BJP has started a massive door-to-door campaign and a set of publicrallies to underline that there is popular support for the CAA.Politically, the party knocked the protests as an orchestrated campaign bythose who had lost electorally - Congress, Left, AAP, TMC among others -barely six months ago. Additionally, it went into an overdrive todelegitimise them by amplifying incidents of vandalism. Given that protestsinitially drew in large number of members of Muslim community, the protests,the BJP said, were by and for a "varg vishesh" (specific community).But over the last one month, the protests, too, have crossed two importantmarkers that open up opportunities for the Opposition.First, images and videos of the protest that were dominated by Muslims -flagged by several BJP members, including the PM - have given way to thosethat show a mixed gathering, especially in cities and towns.Second, the initial violence has given way to peaceful demonstrations withthe Tricolour and the Constitution the omnipresent symbols. The assurance ofabsence of violence has opened up space to draw in more people into theprotests, as in Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, and similar protests in other cities.WHEN TRUMP'S POOR KNOWLEDGE OF INDIA-CHINA GEOGRAPHY LEFT MODI STUMPEDDonald Trump once left Prime Minister Narendra Modi flabbergasted after hetold him that India and China didn't share a border, revealing the USPresident's "woefully" poor knowledge of geography, according to a new bookauthored by two Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalists.The 417-page book, 'A Very Stable Genius', written by Philip Rucker andCarol D Leonnig, detailed similar vivid incidents from Trump's tumultuousfirst three years as President, the Washington Post has reported.The book claimed that during one of his meetings with Modi, Trump told him,"It's not like you've got China on your border." However, the WashingtonPost report did not mention the year in which Trump made this gaffe.After Trump bungled his India-China geography, the authors, both Postreporters, claimed that "Modi's eyes bulged out in surprise" and his"expression gradually shifted from shock and concern to resignation".The book quoted a Trump aide as saying that Modi probably "left that meetingand said, 'This is not a serious man. I cannot count on this man as apartner'".RAUT APOLOGISES FOR LINKING INDIRA GANDHI WITH DONSanjay Raut, Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabha MP, kicked up a storm when he saidformer PMIndira Gandhi used to meet underworld don-turned-social workerKarim Lala in Mumbai.Raut was speaking on the links between politicians and criminals at an eventin Pune on Wednesday. "The underworld used to decide who would be Mumbai'spolice commissioner. They would choose who sits where at Mantralaya. WhenHaji Mastan came to Mantralaya, everyone used to come down to receivehim.... Indira Gandhi used to meet Karim Lala at Pydhonie," Raut has beenquoted as saying.His remarks drew the ire of the Congress which is in power along with theShiv Sena with several of its leaders demanding an apology from Raut. Lateron Thursday, Raut apologised. "Our friends from Congress need not feel hurt.If someone feels that I have hurt the image of Indira Gandhiji, I take backmy statement." Raut said.After Congress leaders Milind Deora and Sanjay Nirupam criticised Raut andasked him to withdraw his "ill-informed" remarks, the Sena leader defendedhis words, saying he never shied away from praising former prime ministerIndira Gandhi."Kareem Lala was leader of Pathan community, he led an organisation called'Pakhtun-e-Hind'. It was in this capacity of the leader of Pathan communitythat he met several top leaders including Indira Gandhi. However, those whodo not (know) the history of Mumbai, r twisting my statement," Raut said ina tweet.CHILDREN BEING RADICALISED IN J&K, ISOLATE THEM GRADUALLY, SAYS CDSIndia's first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, said Thursdaythat "girls and boys as young as 10 and 12 are now being radicalised" inKashmir, and that those who are "completely radicalised" need to be "takenout separately" and put in deradicalisation camps.Responding to a question at the Raisina Dialogue forum, Rawat said that"radicalisation can be countered" but "first, you get to the nerve of thiswhole thing, as to who are radicalising people"."It is happening from schools, universities, from religious places andsites. There are a group of people who are spreading this," he said, addingthat those who are identified as radicalising others should be isolated"gradually".Then, he said, "a counter-radicalisation programme" should be started."First target those who are completely radicalised, then start also lookingat the future," he said.Referring to the use of pellet guns in the Valley, Rawat said the Army firesat the legs but when people bend to pick up stones to throw, they areinjured in the face, which is why "security forces can't be blamed for theinjuries that have been caused by pellet guns".On being asked if Army has been "heavy-handed" in Kashmir, Rawat said theArmy "had to be heavy handed in the very initial stages, when the proxy warswere launched on us in the early (1990s)" and at "that time we had to usesome hard measure," but not since."If we were heavy-handed we won't be suffering casualties," he said, whilepointing out that three soldiers die for every terrorist killed.AMU V-C 'REGRETS' DEC 15 INCIDENT, TELLS STUDENTS POLICE ENTRY 'ABERRATION'Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor on Thursdaymet the protesting students on the campus and tried to pacify them, sayingthat the entry of police on the night of December 15 was "an aberration, andthe university should function on its own".AMU students have been holding a sit-in protest for the past several weeksagainst the new citizenship law and the proposed NRC. Following the policeaction on the students of Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi on December 15,students at AMU had protested the same night in which several students wereinjured.Mansoor said no innocent student will be targeted and that the universityhas "no issue if students protest peacefully on any provision that they findobjectionable".The V-C clarified that the university administration gave permission to thepolice only to bring the situation to normalcy and restore public order andthat the police personnel were not supposed to enter any residential hostel.SC DISMISSES REVIEW PLEA BY TELECOM MAJORS ON AGR DUESThe Supreme Court Thursday dismissed a petition moved by telecom companies,including Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and Tata Teleservices, seeking areview of its judgment last October that upheld the DoT's definition ofadjusted gross revenue (AGR) and ordered operators to settle liabilitiesaccrued over 14 years within three months.While the operators said they are evaluating the option of a curativepetition, it is likely that they may have to clear the dues amounting to Rs1.47 lakh crore by January 23, as per the Supreme Court's order on October24, 2019.The total payout by all telecom companies combined could be as high as Rs1.43 lakh crore after the dues for spectrum usage charges (SUC) linked toAGR is also taken into account.CHIDAMBARAM TAKES DIG AT GOYAL AFTER HIS SNUB TO JEFF BEZOSA day after Amazon chief Jeff Bezos announced a fresh $1 billion investmentin India, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday saidthat Amazon was not doing a favour to the country by the investments andquestioned how the online retailing major could incur such "big" losses butfor its predatory pricing.Piyush Goyal, who has not yet given Jeff Bezos an audience, said thate-commerce companies have to follow Indian rules in letter and spirit andnot find loopholes to make a back-door entry into multi-brand retailsegment.Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram said Goyal snubbing Amazon's JeffBezos makes for a great headline in the world media. Taking a dig at theminister, Chidambaram said, "The snub will reverse the five successive monthdecline in imports and the eight successive month decline in exports.""The Commerce Minister should snub more people to boost Imports and Exports.Commerce Minister first snubbed Nobel winner Dr Abhijit Banerjee. AfterBezos, he should snub Sundar Pichai and Satya Nadella in order to make Indiaa $ 5 trillion dollar economy," said Chidambaram in a tweet.DEC 16 GANG RAPE CONVICTS MOVED TO CELLS NEAR HANGING COURTYARDThe four convicts of 2012 Delhi gang rape case were on Thursday shifted tofour separate single cells inside jail number 3 of Tihar. The prisonauthorities said they will proceed as per the court's order after they filea status report on Friday related to the legal remedies of the convicts.The four convicts are lodged in single cells that have at least two CCTVcameras and are guarded by 2-3 jail guards round-the-clock.MOHUN BAGAN MERGES WITH ATK; TO PLAY AS ATK-MOHUN BAGAN IN NEXT ISLMohun Bagan will be rechristened ATK-Mohun Bagan from next season after theiconic club merged with ATK FC on Thursday by selling the majority stake tothe owner of the two-time Indian Super League winners.The merged club will come into existence in June and will compete in the ISL2020-21. The two sides will, however, play separately in the currentI-League and ISL seasons.As per the deal, the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, who are the principal owners ofATK, will acquire majority shareholding of 80 per cent in Mohun BaganFootball Club (India) Private Limited.