UK clampdown on protests
The British government is set to put forth new proposals to quell public protests, by giving police more power to prevent serious disruption. The government passed legislation to address the issue last year. But it is planning to go further with a new set of laws known as the Public Order Bill which is being debated in parliament. The government wants to amend the bill before it becomes law. That’s in order to broaden the power of police to deal with demonstrators who block traffic or lock themselves to objects or buildings. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended the new proposals, saying protests by a small minority should not affect other citizens. Civil rights groups have, however, warned that the legislation would be against democracy if passed by parliament.
Nepal plane crash
Rescue teams at the site of a plane crash in Nepal are racing against time to find possible survivors as the country observes a day of national mourning Monday. A senior local official says the chances of finding survivors are now nil. The official, however, says search is underway to find four people who remain missing. That’s after 68 bodies were pulled from the wreckage of the aircraft and both of its black boxes were recovered. The aircraft had 72 people on board. It hit a hillside near the western city of Pokhara on Sunday. The incident is the deadliest of its kind in Nepal since 1992, when two deadly air crashes killed a total of 280 people.
US migrant policies
The mayor of the US city of New York has traveled to the Mexican border city of El Paso as part of efforts to stop the influx of migrants toward the United States’ eastern borders. Eric Adams said "there is no room in New York for busloads of migrants being sent to America’s most populous city". He criticized the administration of President Joe Biden for its response to migrants’ influx, saying now is the time for the government to do its job. Busloads of migrants have been shipped north to New York and other US cities. That has exacerbated the housing crisis in the city. Adams says the migrant influx into New York could cost the city as much as two billion dollars.