DAKAR, 4 March, 2021 (TON): On a charge of sexual assault, Senegal's prominent opposition leader Ousmane Sonko has been arrested on Wednesday.

The very day his supporters followed his motorcade, sounding car horns, and chanting and clashed with the security forces ahead of his scheduled court appearance to face the charge.

However, Sonko, 46, denies the charge and says he is politically motivated.

"He has been notified of his arrest on charges of disturbing public order and participating in an unauthorized demonstration," one of Sonko's lawyers, Cheikh Khouraissy Ba, told the media.

On Friday, Senegal's parliament voted to strip Sonko of his immunity so the prosecution could proceed.

However, he accused the president of conspiring to remove him ahead of the 2024 elections.

ZAMFARA, 4 March, 2021 (TON): Zamfara announced curfew as the security forces fired live ammunition at the people gathered outside the Government’s Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, on Wednesday.

According to the reports, at least one person died and two were injured during the firing.

The group was trying to get into the school when police shot to disperse them.

The reports are unclear; the local media reported that the security forces reacted when some youths threw stones at the convoy of the Commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, who traveled to the town.

Due to the situation, the government of Zamfara state announced a curfew, without providing further details.

Hundreds of girls, ages 10 and up, were reunited with their parents six days after they were abducted from Government Girls Secondary School last week. They were released on Tuesday.

Many parents who had to travel from afar had to bear violence and insecurity, however, the state governor said the released girls were 279 for it was not because some girls were still missing.

TOKYO, 4 March, 2021 (TON): In order to hold foreign policy and security talks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are making arrangements to visit Japan from 15 March.

Both the officials are believed to prepare a “2 plus 2” dialogue with their Japanese counterparts, FM Toshimitsu Motegi and DM Nobuo Kishi.

The information about the visit is not yet made to the public, the sources told.

Since April 2019, both the countries have been in such talks for the first time and certainly, it would be the first Biden Cabinet’s visit to Japan.

As China is increasingly taking part in the foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region, U.S. and Japan seem to strengthen their ties.

NEW DELHI, 4 March, 2021 (TON): A letter highlighting the threat to the life and property of the district court lawyers and judges have been written to the Delhi High Court, Chief Justice D.N. Patel highlighted.

The letter points out that it has been written in the heart of the national capital due to the defunct CCTV cameras.

“I wish to bring to your kind notice the severe security threat to life and property of not just the lawyers and the judges functioning out of the Patiala House Court premise but also to the highly secured neighborhood,” the letter stated.

“Clearly the factum of the Cameras being faulty and non-functional was in the knowledge of the senior officials of the Delhi Police and CPWD and yet no corrective measures were taken by them to repair the same,” the letter further read.

The letter asserted, “Such immediate and urgent action is prayed for in order to ensure the safety and security of the judges, lawyers and the litigants visiting the Patiala House court complex and further to prevent any unfortunate incident which may be a result of such serious security  lapse.”

Advocate Singh requested that a high-level committee be constituted immediately to investigate the serious negligence on part of the concerned Police officials along with the CPWD officials and those guilty be proceeded against with legal action.

The probe started when a laptop of a lawyer was stolen from his chamber in the court on 2 March.

WASHINGTON, 4 March, 2021 (TON): In the possible plot of breaching the U.S. Capitol building, security has been increased by the U.S. intelligence.

It was believed that an unnamed militia group planned the attack for 4 March, the intelligence moved for a prompt decision to intensify the troop at the Capitol.

The House of Representatives canceled Thursday's session, but the Senate will continue with its agenda.

The threat comes two months after the deadly attack on the building by a mob loyal to former President Donald Trump.

As per the conspiracy theory known as QAnon falsely believe Thursday will mark Mr. Trump's return to the White House for a second term.

The supporters of this theory have been stick to this date for according to the 20^th amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the swearing n dates of the president and Congress to January; American leaders took office on 4 March, however, the believers of this theory are of the view that Trump will return to office on 4 March.

MIZORAM, 4 March, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, the Indian police reported that three Myanmar police constables have crossed the Indian border to seek refuge in the country.

The reports state that on Wednesday afternoon, the constables have crossed over to India’s northeastern state of Mizoram in search of shelter.

Stephen Lalrinawma, the superintendent of police of Mizoram's Serchhip district said, "What they said is they got instructions from the military rule, which they cannot obey so they have run away."

The land border between India and Myanmar is about 1,643 kilometers long

Seemingly, people have now started fleeing from coup-struck Myanmar for in the region of Mizoram altogether 50 people have been killed for now due to the political crisis in Myanmar.

ULAN BATOR, 4 March, 2021 (TON): Mongolia resumes its international passenger flights and plans to reopen its air border from 1 May.

The press office said in a statement Thursday, "At the direction given by Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene, it is planned to reopen Buyant-Ukhaa international airport from May 1 to resume international passenger air traffic."

All preparations for the prevention pandemic, including immunizing border control staff and setting up glass barriers separating passengers and temporary isolation rooms at the port for suspected cases, are now underway, the statement said.

Due to the pandemic, the flights were halted to prevent the spread of the disease.

GANABHABAN, 4 March, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, while speaking at the event for the distribution of the Bangabandhu Science and Technology Fellowship, NST Fellowship, and Special Research Grant, PM Sheikh Hasina stressed the importance of research initiatives as a means of ameliorating the lives of the people.

"I always strive to work for the welfare of the people and you have to remember that the fellowship that we are awarding or allocating money for belongs to the people. Therefore, we want you to continue your research with a special focus on the welfare of the people,” she said.

"We have now been able to position ourselves as a developing country. We will establish ourselves as a developed country in the future,” she said while highlighting Mujibur Rahman's commitment to building a nation of skilled and efficient people.

“Bangladesh has gained the status of a developing country. Now, no-one can look down on Bangladesh,” she added.

However, undoubtedly the Awami League government has taken various initiatives for the expansion of science and education besides allocating a separate fund for research in the budget.

ZAMFARA, 4 March, 2021 (TON): The abducted Nigerian schoolgirls were reunited with their families on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, State Governor Bello Matawalle announced the release of 279 school girls.

Parents were seen joyous to unite with their daughters for their safe return.

Hundreds of teenage girls abducted last Friday from their boarding school in Jangebe in north-western Nigeria were reunited with their families on Wednesday.

Abdullahi Anka, the father of three released schoolgirls is happy to have his children back, although he is yet to see one of them.

The officials have claimed that bandits were behind the abductions that are also involved in stealing livestock on a large scale and carrying out kidnappings for ransom or to push for the release of their members from jail.

Nigeria has been a region where criminal activity had been persisted for more than a decade now, including several mass abductions, and the recent that caught international attention and trauma was 2014’s Chibok incident when 276 high school girls were kidnapped.  

CAIRO, 4 March, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, the Arab Ministerial Quartet Committee met to discuss developments in the crisis with Iran and ways to address Tehran’s intervention in Arab countries’ affairs.

The meeting was held in Cairo, chaired by UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al-Marar and other participants included League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukry, and Bahrain’s Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Al-Dossary.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Egypt and permanent representative to the Arab League, Osama bin Ahmed Naqli represented the Kingdom on behalf of FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
During the meeting, ways to enhance cooperation and joint coordination to confront Iranian terrorist practices and combat its terrorist arms that spread havoc and destruction, disrupt development and prosperity, and threaten regional and international security and stability, the media reported.

Noticeably, the importance of strengthening ties with the global community to stop the Iranian nuclear program to minimize the threats that encompass international peace and security in the region and the world was also dealt with.