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Indian and Chinese Soldiers ‘mismatch on border’ in Sikkim
Dozens of Indian and Chinese soldiers have interchanged substantial blows in a mismatch on the shared border, Indian media confirms.
Seven Chinese and four Indian soldiers were injured, an army official reportedly said, near the Naku La sector in the border state of Sikkim.
Local commanders spoke and settled the argument, which took place on Saturday.
The two countries have engaging claims over their shared 3,400 kilometre (2,100 mile) border.
“Sometimes stand-offs involve chest-bumping, pushing and shoving, and throwing stones at each other,” BBC South Asia Editor Anbarasan Ethirajan reports.
The most resent tense face-off took place near the Naku La sector in Sikkim, more than 5,000 metres (16,400ft) above sea level in the Himalayas.
“China and India fought a war over the border in 1962.”
Back in 2017, the two countries also fought in the region after China wanted to enlarge a border road through a wrangled plateau.
“Though both countries send out patrols that often engage in physical stand-offs, no bullet has been fired over the border in the last four decades.”
Source___BBC News
Prime Minister Boris Johnson discloses ‘conditional plan’ to reinstate society
Boris Johnson has disclosed a “conditional plan” to reinstate society, letting people in England to take up more time outdoors from Wednesday.
The PM also said people who are not able to work from home should go back to their workplace – but keep away from public transport.
He said a new Covid 19 wide awake System with five levels would govern how swiftly lockdown limitations could be eased.
He anticipated the next step “at the earliestby 1 June” would be for some students to resume school in England
The next step could see some helpfulness businesses and other public places resume – “if the numbers support it” – but not earlier than 1 July.
He said these steps formed part of a “first sketch of a roadmap for reopening society”.
The PM added: “This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week. Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures.”
Mr Johnson also confirmed that fines for the “small minority who break” lockdown rules will increase.
Source___BBC News
U.S. makes stronger visa rules for Chinese journalists amidst coronavirus unease
The United States put forward a new rule on Friday for stronger visa guidelines for Chinese journalists, saying it was in response to the treatment of U.S. journalists in China, a movement that comes amidst tensions between the two nations over the coronavirus global pandemic.
“The United States and China have been engaged in a series of retaliatory actions involving journalists in recent months.“
In March, China threw out American journalists from three U.S. newspapers, a month after the United States said it would begin to treat five Chinese state-run media entities with U.S. operations the same as foreign embassies.
In the bringing forward anew regulation on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security cited what it called China’s “suppression of independent journalism.”
The order, which will take effect on Monday, will curtail visas for Chinese reporters to a 90-day period, with the possibility for extension. Such visas are mostly open-ended and do not need to be outstretched unless the employee moves to a different company or medium.
“The new rules will not apply to journalists with passports from Hong Kong or Macau, China’s two semi-autonomous territories,” according to DHS.
Credit____ REUTERS
Gambia reports 18 Covid-19 cases
The acting director of health services, Dr Mustapha Bittaye on Thursday revealed that one person has tested positive for Covid-19, out of the mass screening made in Bakau last Sunday.
The latest case brings the total number of recorded Covid-19 cases in The Gambia to 18.
Dr Bittaye said: “A new laboratory confirmed case has been recorded bringing the number of Covid-19 cases to 18. Another probable case has also been recorded. Both the newly confirmed case and the probable case are result of samples collected from the mass screening held in Bakau.”
He said while the confirmed case shows symptoms similar to Covid-19, the presume case is asymptomatic.
“Out of a total of 194 test results received, 192 tested negative, 1 inconclusive and 1 positive and 5 people have been taken into quarantine.”
The country right now has 101 persons under quarantine, 8 active cases and 3 presume cases. A total of 1029 tests were made, 18 positive, 323 completed quarantine, 737 contacts track down and 310 completed follow-ups,” Dr Bittaye added.
The new case is confirmed to be a Senegalese national resident in Bakau.
Credit___Standard Newspaper
Gambia National Assembly indicts Finance minister of disdain, pressurize penalty
Members of the Gambia National Assembly have regretfully find fault with the budget transformation process instituted by the government to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.
The government make known a D500 million emergency fund and a D734 million food support from this year’s approved D21 billion budget to overcome the coronavirus outbreak, but lawmakers on finance and public account committee described the decision as “illegal” in the absence of a parliamentary approval.
Sidia Jatta, Fatoumatta Njai and Ya Kumba Jaiteh all went against that the minister of finance did not have the transformatio powers to transfer funds from one public account to the other without the approval of the National Assembly who consent to the original allocation bill.
“It is the position of the law that I am defending.You do not have the authority to do a virement because technically it was the parliament which decided on these laws and to change it you must come back to parliament to seek authority but you failed to do that and that is why I said you are in contempt of the parliament because we made it clear to you in our last meeting. It is not that we are opposed to expenditure on Covid-19, in fact for us the expenditure is too late but you insisted and went ahead to do something that is even worse than the first process,” Sidia added.
The Member for Banjul South Fatoumatta Njai said: “The ministry of finance is in contempt of what the National Assembly has approved and I think it’s about time we started enforcing strict penalties to ensure everybody adheres to the rules because this committee has powers as the high court.”
She encouraged lawmakers to look into the matter for a bona fide penalty to apply on the minister because he cannot be in his corner and start viring money without the authority of the parliament and those in leadership agencies.
Source___Standard Newspaper
Gambia’s King of Kora gives fair warning against Covid-19 negation
Kora king Jaliba Kuyateh has given fair warning that there is no room for rebuttal in the battle against Covid-19.
Speaking to The Standard at his house, Jaliba also make known that a conspiracy theory that the authorities are putting together financial resources through the use of Covid-19 as a launch-pad may worsen national efforts in controlling the escalation of the virus.
“It’s unfortunate to hear people say this [Covid-19] is a conspiracy and that it is not real. Some people are saying it’s politics because government is using the outbreak to solicit funds. But it [Covid-19] is real and it is affecting the world,” Jaliba, who was speaking in an interview with The Standard, he make known.
As said by the kora legend, The Gambia is singly at risk of the Covid-19 escalation because, in his words, the country’s borders are porous.
“We cannot dismiss the fact that Covid-19 is a threat to The Gambia because people freely enter the country without using recognized entry points. Also, this pandemic has caused fear and panic across the world so, let us intensify the battle against it,” he added.
*The multiple award-winning kora ambassador has already released a Covid-19 message on promoting prevention measures. In it, Jaliba highlighted the weak nature of the country’s health-care system, the need for the observance of social-distancing rules and how the pandemic has overwhelmed even the most powerful nations of the world.*
Source___Standard Newspaper
Gambia: 2 imams pronounced guilty for conducing friday prayers
Magistrate SB Joof of the Brikama court yesterday pronounced and sentenced two Brikama imams Karamo Camara, a Gambian and Yusupha Camara, a Bissau national inhabitant in Brikama, to a fine of two thousand dalasi each, in failure to pay or serve one month in prison.
“The two imams were found guilty of a one-count charge bordering on closures and restrictions on non-essential public places contrary to the emergency powers regulation 2020.
As said by the police prosecutor Sub-Inspector Bobo Jarju, the first put into trial Karamo Camara, on 17 April 2020, at Brikama Darsilameh, intentionally and illegally led congregational Friday prayers in a mosque, going against social distancing guidelines and committing an offence.
As for Imam Yusupha Camara, a Bissau national, he was found leading congregational Friday prayers at Brikama Gidda.
In their appeal of alleviation, the two imams pleaded to the court to temper justice with mercy saying this is the first time they have a problem with the law and promising never to do it again.
In passing his judgement, the trial Magistrate Joof said: “I have listened to the plea of mitigations of the convicts and I will also put the consideration that this is their first time and they did not waste the court’s time. I will also consider the essential services they are rendering to the public. But not withstanding these facts, the convicts violated the statutory laws which are to protect the people and save their lives from Covid-19 pandemic. We should all endeavour to abide by the rules and regulations of not just The Gambia but the international community which is the WHO.”
He said the disobeying of this law could prove fatal, before passing the sentences.
Source___Standard Newspaper
Not Less than 200 Bandits Attack Six Villages In Katsina in Nigeria
Over two hundred bandits armed with dangerous weapons including AK 47 rifles, have reportedly attacked six (6) villages in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina state in Nigeria.
The villages consist of Tsugunni, Yandaka, Salihawar Duba, Garin Goje, watangadiya and Dutse maizane were at the same time attacked.
“During their operation late on Thursday night the bandits were reported to have shot and Killed one Alaramma Kabiru Kano, aged 57yrs at Garin Goje village.”
The Police Public Relations Officer of the state police command, SP Gambo Isah reported the occurrence in a statement adding that three others were injured at Dutse Maizane.
He further explained that “unspecified number of cows and sheep were equally rustled.
The bandits laid ambush for the joint forces of military and police which led to heavy exchange of fire.”
Source___Channels TV
Court in Nigeria Fines Man Forty Thousand Naira Over Failure To Wear Face Mask
An Ado Ekiti Magistrate Court has charged a fine of forty thousand naira on one Vincent Ikechukwu for reluctant to use a face mask which has become compulsory in the state since the wake of COVID 19 Pandemic.
“The offender who is the first to face such penalty will also engage in community labour for three days in addition to the fine.”
Not Less than a hundred violators including clergymen have been given various punishments in Ekiti State for violation of government orders meant to check the escalation of COVID 19.
The State government had last week released a fresh guideline to put on hold movement and activities during the pandemic season as Governor, Kayode Fayemi notified that violators will be put behind bars and prosecuted according to the framework developed by the State Ministry of Justice.
Source___Channels TV
Coronavirus has built a fracture between the US and China that may take a generation to mend
The novel coronavirus has taken a lot of lives and livelihoods in both the United States and China.
But rather than bonding the two nations together to overcome the pandemic, it has sent their already stress relations on a rapid sinking spiral — and fanned the flames of a potentially dangerous strain of nationalism.
China has been denounced at home and abroad over its controling of the virus, especially during the initial escalation.
“Pushing back such criticism with increasingly fierce rhetoric, Beijing says it is merely “responding” to false accusations, particularly from the US.”
A few days later, US President Donald Trump refered the coronavirus the “Chinese virus,” putting the blame on China as the escalation began to take hold in major American cities.
But the ill feeling goes deeper than a mere war of words. “The Trump administration is reportedly drawing up plans to punish China for the pandemic — retaliation options include sanctions, canceling US debt obligations and drawing up new trade policies. Trump and several administration officials are also enlisting foreign allies to join the pressure campaign against China.”
Source___CNN
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