Nepal shuts borders with India, China for 72 hours ahead of polls on Friday

 Nepal has shut its international borders with India and China for a period of 72 hours ahead of the local polls slated for Friday, according to the Home Ministry

Nepal has shut its international borders with India and China for a period of 72 hours ahead of the local polls slated for Friday, according to the Home Ministry. The government decided to shut the borders to prevent any untoward incidents during the polls which will be held in 753 local units, said the Ministry. Ministry spokesman Phanindra Mani Pokharel said that a directive has been issued to the respective administration offices of the districts bordering India and China to implement the recommendations.

The adjoining districts have been asked to halt all movements, except for emergency services, during the 72-hour period. Political parties are gearing up for Friday’s elections which come after a gap of five years. The ruling alliance, main opposition, CPN-UML, Madhes-based political parties are among contesting the polls. Nepal shares a 1,880-km border with India and a 1,414-km with China. Out of 77 districts, as many as 42 either share a border with India, China or both…Read More

'Bulli Bai' case: Mumbai Police makes 3rd arrest, Nepal link found

 The police said that they have arrested one 21-year-old Mayank Rawal and have also detected links to Nepal

The Mumbai Police probing ‘Bulli Bai‘ app have arrested the third accused behind the controversy. The police said that they have arrested one 21-year-old Mayank Rawal and have also detected links to Nepal. Earlier, the police had arrested one engineering student Vishal Kumar Jha and one Shweta Singh. According to the police, Shweta was the mastermind behind the controversy.

She was in touch with a handle, which is being operated from Nepal. On his instructions, she made a Twitter handle with the name of @jattkhalsa07 and started uploading photos of women of a particular religion. Her friend Giyou whom she met on social media was asking her to do all this. He is based in Nepal. The Mumbai Police has recorded the statement of Shweta Singh and Vishal Kumar Jha. Jha is on police remand till January 10 while Shweta’s remand will end on January 5.

Security beefed up on UP-Nepal border for Ayodhya bhumi pojan event

The Sashastra Seema Bal and the Uttar Pradesh Police have intensified patrolling along the 551 km-long India-Nepal border, ahead of Prime Minister’s scheduled visit to Ayodhya for Bhumi Puja

The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Uttar Pradesh Police have intensified patrolling along the 551 km-long India-Nepal border, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Ayodhya for Ram Temple Bhumi Puja on Wednesday. According to senior police officers, a tight vigil is being maintained on movement along the border and people living in villages adjoining the border have been asked to alert security officials if they come across any suspicious activity or element in their area.

The security arrangements across the state, especially in Ayodhya and on the Indo-Nepal border, has been beefed up after intelligence agencies warned of a possible terror attack in August. The Pilibhit police has installed five barriers at different checking points along the 56 km-long Indo-Nepal border in the district to prevent infiltration bid by anti-social elements in the Indian territory. An additional barricade has been erected on the Pilibhit-Lucknow highway for checking of suspicious vehicles.

Deputy inspector general of police, Bareilly range, Rajesh Pandey, who has been camping in Pilibhit for the past three days, said: “I have been monitoring policing during Eid and Raksha Bandhan, but I have also held the string of security and vigilance myself since Tuesday considering the high-profile ceremony in Ayodhya.”

Nepal urges India to take steps against broadcast of anti-Nepal materials

Nepal has sent a 'diplomatic note' to India, urging to take steps against broadcast of materials what it called "fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive" to the country

Nepal has sent a 'diplomatic note' to India, urging New Delhi to take steps against the broadcast of materials what it called "fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive" to the country and its leadership by a section of the Indian media, a source said on Sunday. The move came days after Nepal on Thursday stopped the transmission of all Indian private news channels except Doordarshan, accusing them of airing reports hurting the country's national sentiment.

There was no immediate reaction from India on the issue In the diplomatic note to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) via the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi on Friday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the materials disseminated by a section of the Indian media are fake, baseless and insensitive as well as abusive to Nepal and Nepali leadership, according to an aide of the Nepal Prime Minister.

"Such materials are not only misleading and misinforming but also impair the sense of minimum public decency, the ministry said in the note. The ill-intentioned "smearing campaign unleashed by a section of Indian media has deeply hurt the feelings of Nepali people and persona of Nepali leadership," read the note...Read More

Italy PM signals longer lockdown; France’s Covid-19 death toll at 20,796

Italy’s virus death total of 24,648 is still Europe’s highest and second globally after the United States

Despite a significant drop for the second time in the number of registered coronavirus cases in the country, Italy Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte prepared countrymen for a longer lockdown on Tuesday. Italy is approaching a fateful decision on whether to lift stay-at-home orders and reopen businesses for the first time in nearly two months on May 4.

Italy’s virus death total of 24,648 is still Europe’s highest and second globally after the United States, news agency PTI reported. Conte is being pushed into erring on the side of caution by leading doctors — and to think more about the economic toll by big business leaders and some regional chiefs. Many businesses warn that they will not be able stand idle much longer and Italy’s push for a comprehensive economic rescue from the European Union is running into resistance in Brussels.

ALSO READ: Covid-19 crisis: Tracking the coronavirus footprint across the world

Conte has convened a taskforce comprised of leading economists and health experts to weigh all the pros and cons. But he indicated Tuesday that Italians will probably have to put up with various forms of restrictions for some time to come. “I would like to be able to say, let’s open everything. Right away,” Conte wrote on Facebook. “But such a decision would be irresponsible.”..Read More

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Coronavirus outbreak: 4 more Indian on-board Diamond Princess test positive

Passengers showing no signs of the deadly disease started deboarding the ship after the quarantine period ended last week

Four Indian crew members who underwent tests for coronavirus on board the Diamond Princess moored off the Japan coast, have tested positive, taking the number of Indians infected with the virus on the vessel to 12, the Indian embassy said on Sunday. “Unfortunately, the results received include four Indian crew members having tested positive,” the Indian embassy tweeted. “All 12 Indians are responding well to treatment.”

Passengers showing no signs of the deadly disease started deboarding the ship after the quarantine period ended last week. The death toll from China’s coronavirus epidemic has shot to 2,442, while confirmed cases rose to 76,936, officials said on Sunday. Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered screening of passengers from four more countries — Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia — as part of efforts to prevent spreading of coronavirus. Now, fliers from as many as 10 countries would be screened. Maharashtra on Sunday said 81 out of 83 people admitted in isolation wards for suspected exposure to the novel coronavirus have tested negative. While 80 of them have been discharged, three others continue to be hospitalised.

The industry body Assocham said the industry and trade, including pharmaceuticals, are ready to manage the “evolving” coronavirus situation without causing any major impact on the supply chain and no major challenge is foreseen in the near term. Stating that there is no need for panic, Assocham Secretary General Deepak Sood said the government and industry have been reacting in a pro-active manner in close coordination with each other…

Coronavirus outbreak: 4 more Indian on-board Diamond Princess test positive

Passengers showing no signs of the deadly disease started deboarding the ship after the quarantine period ended last week

Four Indian crew members who underwent tests for coronavirus on board the Diamond Princess moored off the Japan coast, have tested positive, taking the number of Indians infected with the virus on the vessel to 12, the Indian embassy said on Sunday. “Unfortunately, the results received include four Indian crew members having tested positive,” the Indian embassy tweeted. “All 12 Indians are responding well to treatment.”

Passengers showing no signs of the deadly disease started deboarding the ship after the quarantine period ended last week. The death toll from China’s coronavirus epidemic has shot to 2,442, while confirmed cases rose to 76,936, officials said on Sunday. Aviation regulator DGCA has ordered screening of passengers from four more countries — Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia — as part of efforts to prevent spreading of coronavirus. Now, fliers from as many as 10 countries would be screened. Maharashtra on Sunday said 81 out of 83 people admitted in isolation wards for suspected exposure to the novel coronavirus have tested negative. While 80 of them have been discharged, three others continue to be hospitalised.

The industry body Assocham said the industry and trade, including pharmaceuticals, are ready to manage the “evolving” coronavirus situation without causing any major impact on the supply chain and no major challenge is foreseen in the near term. Stating that there is no need for panic, Assocham Secretary General Deepak Sood said the government and industry have been reacting in a pro-active manner in close coordination with each other…