India pays tribute to fallen soldiers of 1971 war

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday paid tributes to the war heroes of the 1971 India-Pakistan war at the National War Memorial in capital New Delhi. He also lit a victory torch and kick-started the 50th anniversary celebrations of India's decisive military victory in the war against Pakistan, which led to the creation of Bangladesh as a separate nation. People in northern India reeled under icy winds and fog on Wednesday as the cold wave continued unabated. But braving cold weather conditions, protesting farmers asserted they will "make" the Centre repeal the three farm reform laws. Farmers have been demonstrating at Delhi borders for nearly three weeks against the new farm laws that will allow them to sell produce to buyers beyond government-regulated wholesale markets. A Taliban delegation led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday for a three-day official visit at a time when the militant group has already refused calls from Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to hold the next round of peace talks on Afghanistan’s soil. The Afghan peace talks which were being held in Doha since September have been halted till January next year.