NEW DELHI: The Centre is set to levy a new cess on tobacco, tobacco products and pan masala after the phaseout of GST compensation cess to ensure that price of these products do not fall as they are sin goods.At the time of GST revamp, govt had announced continuation of compensation cess only for tobacco and pan masala, while withdrawing it on all other products and changing the rates, which resulted in lower levy for several products. Some of the goods had moved into the 40% sin goods bracket.

While the compensation cess on tobacco products and pan masala is to be levied up to March 2026, there is a possibility of the levy being withdrawn earlier as the Centre will be able to raise resources to meet the bond payment requirement. As a result, the health and security cess that is proposed on these two sin goods segments will kick in from the date that will be notified.On Monday, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman is scheduled to introduce a bill “to augment the resources for meeting expenditure on national security and for public health, and to levy a cess for the said purposes on the machines installed or other processes undertaken by which specified goods are manufactured or produced and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto”, according to the business listed for the Lok Sabha.The move also paves the way for the govt to allocate more resources for defence, amid heightened tension in the neighbourhood.Govt is hoping that the bill is passed during the Winter Session itself so that the date can be notified, whenever required.At the time of the GST revamp announcement in Sept itself, govt had indicated that a new cess will be imposed on the two products. “The idea is to ensure that prices remain the same for consumers. It is not a revenue raising exercise,” said a govt official.At the time of the launch of GST in 2017, the Centre and the states had agreed to the compensation cess on sin and luxury goods, such as cars, yacht, soft drinks, coal, tobacco and pan masala. The idea was to ensure that states were assured of an annual 14% increase in their indirect tax kitty for five years. Covid outbreak and the lockdown, however, upset the calculations resulting in the cess continuing till March 2026, until the GST Council agreed to the restructuring earlier this year.

India’s Virat Kohli (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli secured his 52nd ODI century with a score of 135 off 120 balls, leading India to a 17-run victory against South Africa in the first ODI at JSCA Stadium. His performance, marking his 83rd international century, helped establish India’s control through a 136-run partnership with Rohit Sharma.India posted a total of 349/8. South Africa’s response, despite early setbacks at 11/3 and 77/4, showed resilience through Matthew Breetzke’s 72 and Marco Jansen’s 70, followed by Corbin Bosch’s quick 67 off 51 balls.The match concluded in the final over with South Africa reaching 332, falling short by 17 runs when Bosch was dismissed on the second ball with 18 runs needed.Kuldeep Yadav proved crucial with figures of 4/68, particularly with his dismissals of Breetzke and Jansen in quick succession. Rohit Sharma’s contribution of 57 runs, featuring three sixes, helped him surpass Shahid Afridi’s record for most ODI sixes at 352.India, led by KL Rahul and featuring veterans Rohit and Kohli in ODIs exclusively, took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.“Today was really nice to kind of get into the game like that. Pitch played decently in the first 20-25 overs before it started to slow down. Was just about staying in the space of enjoyment. Of course when you get a start, you get into the situation, you know what needs to be done. The experience kicks in,” said Kohli, who was named Player of the Match.“I’ve never been a believer of preparation. All my preparation is mental. As long as my physical levels are up and the mental sharpness is there, then you know it’s fine. I took a day off before the game. I’m 37 and need time for recovery,” he added regarding his approach to workload management.“That’s how it’s always going to be – I’m just playing one form of the game. If you’ve played 300-odd games and so much cricket, you know when you’re hitting balls in practice, you know the reflexes are there and the physical ability is there to bat long. As long as you’re hitting the ball well and playing good cricket, it’s about physically fit, mentally ready and excited.”Kohli’s 52nd century, achieved with a boundary off Jansen, surpassed Sachin Tendulkar‘s record of 51 Test hundreds for most centuries in a single format.A memorable moment occurred when a fan breached security to touch Kohli’s feet, demonstrating the local crowd’s admiration. The series continues in Raipur for the second match on Wednesday.

Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, has been arrested in connection with a brazen daylight shooting in Washington, DC, just blocks away from the White House. In response to the shooting, the Trump administration announced a pause on all asylum decisions and a suspension of visa issuance for Afghan nationals.Lakanwal, who previously served with the US military and the CIA in Afghanistan, has been charged with first-degree murder in the killing of Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and the wounding of Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, both West Virginia National Guardsmen deployed to the city as part of US President Donald Trump’s anti-crime initiative.

An image of an identification badge circulating online appears to link the suspect to the “Kandahar Strike Force” or “03” unit, one of several “Zero Units” that operated alongside US and other foreign forces during the war in Afghanistan.However, little is publicly known about the unit or the nature of its operations.

What is the ‘Zero Unit’?

Lakanwal was among the thousands of Afghans who served alongside US forces during the nearly two-decade war against the Taliban. Lakanwal’s “03” unit, as identified on his badge, operated in and around Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province. Images of the badge circulating on social media after the attack also featured the words “Firebase Gecko”, the former CIA and US Special Forces base in the region, which once served as the compound of Taliban founder and Afghanistan’s first supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, as cited by The Time.These units operated as Afghan intelligence and paramilitary forces, supporting US troops throughout the long campaign against the Taliban. Trained by American special operations personnel, they conducted high-risk missions, including frequent night raids.Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused the units of carrying out extrajudicial killings, indiscriminate airstrikes, and multiple violations of international humanitarian law during the 2010s. Known for their covert operations, the units were described by diplomats as “death squads,” according to HRW. Both the CIA and the US government have rejected these allegations.

Eight years on the frontlines

Lt Gen Sami Sadat, former commanding general of the Afghan National Special Operations Corps, said that Lakanwal served in the “03” unit for eight years. A former senior Afghan general under the US-backed government added that the “03” unit, also known as the Kandahar Strike Force (KSF), “was under the special forces directorate of NDS. They were the most active and professional forces, trained and equipped by the CIA. All their operations were conducted under the CIA command.” Sadat said Lakanwal was part of the unit’s operations team.“He was known for being responsible and professional within his team and had strong anti-Taliban views,” Sadat was quoted as saying by CBS News.Lakanwal’s family faced serious threats from the Taliban, prompting him to move them from their native Khost province to Kabul, Sadat said. In the US, Sadat noted, Lakanwal “was generally calm and maintained a clean record, though he suffered from PTSD.”As a member of a Zero Unit, Lakanwal would have been virtually guaranteed asylum in the US, as members of these elite forces were prime targets for Taliban retaliation after the group regained control. Many of these unit members also played crucial roles in the August 2021 evacuation from Kabul, securing guaranteed spots on flights out of Afghanistan for themselves and their families.

Entry through Operation Allies Welcome

A federal program established under former president Joe Biden is under scrutiny after officials confirmed that Lakanwal entered the US through it.Known as Operation Allies Welcome, the initiative was created to assist Afghans fleeing Taliban reprisals after Kabul’s fall in August 2021. Reports suggest the program had significant flaws, potentially allowing individuals to enter the country with minimal oversight, according to the New York Post.Under Operation Allies Welcome, later renamed Enduring Welcome, nearly 200,000 Afghans were admitted to the United States, with about 40 percent granted Special Immigrant Visas.The Department of Homeland Security’s archived page for the program states that all arrivals underwent a “rigorous screening and vetting process,” which was “multi-layered and ongoing,” involving checks by the DHS, Department of Defence, FBI, National Counterterrorism Center, and other agencies.

Brazening it out, Pakistan on Sunday dismissed UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk’s concerns over the country’s recent 27th constitutional amendment, urging him to avoid remarks that reflect “political bias and misinformation.”“Like all parliamentary democracies, all legislation as well as any amendment to the constitution remain the exclusive domain of the elected representatives of the people of Pakistan. While Pakistan gives due importance to the work of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, it is regrettable that Pakistan’s views and ground realities were not reflected in the statement issued,” the Foreign Office (FO) said in a statement.

The FO added that Pakistan remains “fully committed to protecting, promoting and upholding human rights, human dignity, basic freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution”.“It is regrettable that Pakistan’s views and ground realities were not reflected in the remarks. We urge the High Commissioner to respect the sovereign decisions of Pakistan’s parliament and avoid commentary that reflects political bias and misinformation,” it stated.In a statement on Friday, Türk criticised Islamabad for adopting the amendment without “broad consultation” with legal experts and civil society, warning that the “hastily adopted” changes could undermine judicial independence and raise questions about military accountability.The 27th amendment has stirred intense political debate within the neighbouring nation. On November 12, a joint parliamentary committee of the Senate and National Assembly approved the bill, prompting the opposition to warn that the government was sounding “the death knell for the Supreme Court”.Also Read | 27th amendment: Where’s Pak headed — a govt-compliant court, an army-compliant govt?The amendment alters Article 243 by abolishing the post of Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) and replacing it with a new Chief of Defence Forces (CDF). It also proposes establishing a Federal Constitutional Court and reducing certain powers of the Supreme Court.The first CDF will be Asim Munir, the Pakistan Army chief who was “promoted” to the five-star Field Marshal rank following the conflict with India in May.According to Dawn, the Pakistan government is yet to notify the appointment of the CDF, even as the office of the CJCSC formally ended on Thursday.(With PTI inputs)

The BCCI shared a new video on Saturday from Team India’s training session at the JSCA Stadium in Ranchi, giving fans a glimpse of senior stars Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma gearing up for their return to ODI cricket. The three-match series against South Africa begins on 30 November, and the experienced pair will be seen again in blue after stepping away from T20Is and Test cricket. They now feature only in the one-day format at international level. In the clip posted online, a light-hearted moment involving Rishabh Pant and Kohli has caught the attention of fans. Pant was keeping during the nets when the pacer delivered a good-length ball to Kohli. The former captain danced down the track and produced a cleanly struck pull shot that left Pant impressed. Reacting instantly, Pant said from behind the stumps, “Bhai ji, acha ball tha yeh. Tagda maar diya,” praising both the delivery and Kohli’s effortless timing. Rohit and Kohli last played an ODI together during the tour of Australia in October. In that game, Rohit produced an unbeaten match-winning 121, while Kohli supported him with a fluent 74 not out. Their 168-run partnership set the tone for India’s win. As the Ranchi opener approaches, both batters stand on the brink of major milestones. Rohit, who currently sits at the top of the ODI batting rankings, is closing in on the 20,000-run mark in international cricket. He has amassed 19,902 runs across 502 matches, including 4,301 in Tests, 4,231 in T20Is, and 11,370 in ODIs. The Indian captain needs only 98 more to become the fourth Indian to enter the elite 20,000-run club after Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rahul Dravid. Kohli is on the verge of creating history as well. One more hundred will move him past Tendulkar for the most centuries by a batter in a single international format. Both legends are currently tied with 51 tons each, with Tendulkar’s tally coming in Tests. Kohli’s next century will make him the first to reach 52 in one format. Only these two greats have managed to score 50 or more hundreds in any single format of the game.

S Jaishankar at a felicitation ceremony at IIM Calcutta

KOLKATA: External affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Saturday that the world was looking beyond the US and China to other countries and blocs for trade and energy as they try to hedge against contingencies.Calling the US the “long-time underwriter of the contemporary system”, Jaishankar said, “The US has set radically new terms of engagement. It is doing so by dealing with countries on a one-on-one basis. China has long played by its own rules and is now doing so even more.”Jaishankar was speaking at an event at Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta where he received a Doctorate of Philosophies Honoris Causa — an honorary doctorate.Pointing to the fast-changing nature of current geopolitics, he said, “This is an era where politics increasingly trumps economics, and that is not a pun.” He said the “pulls and pressures of globalisation, fragmentation and supply insecurities” have prompted the rest of the world to respond by “hedging against all contingencies”. Jaishankar said countries were exploring options other than the US and China “with great urgency”, and a sign of which was the uptick in enthusiasm around free trade agreements across geographies.Speaking on de-risking and hedging against uncertainties, Jaishankar called for more production centres and resilient supply lines. “The decisions are not merely made on costs, but taking into account ownership and security — (on) where a product is made and who offers a service is as important as the price point.”On energy, he said the US transformed from an importer of fossil fuels into a “significant exporter” while China dominates renewables. “Where trade is concerned, supply-side risks are aggravated by demand-side uncertainties,” he said.The remarks come at a time when more than 85% of India’s crude oil demand is met by imports from countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the US. After war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, India’s reliance on oil imports rose sharply due to discounted crude from the country.Jaishankar said India was actively pursuing self-reliance and making itself a manufacturing base for industries, with a focus on “reducing our vulnerabilities” and “promoting our influence” in the global market. “As India rises and our economy grows, we are preparing to shoulder more responsibilities… India has been making exponential advancements in infrastructure as well as in the latest scientific developments,” he said.