NEWS OF THE DAY

_1 Border tensions: China says the Galwan Valley in the Himalayan border region where Chinese and Indian troops engaged in a deadly brawl last week falls entirely within China, boldly laying claim to the disputed area as the Asian giants continued using military and diplomatic channels to reduce tensions Saturday. The confrontation in the Galwan Valley, part of the disputed Ladakh region, was the deadliest between the two countries in 45 years. “The Galwan Valley is located on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in the west section of the ChinaIndia boundary,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian. India called China’s claims “untenable.”

_2 Fuel spill: Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered his government to fully repair environmental damage from a massive fuel leak in the Arctic. A power plant in the Siberian city of Norilsk leaked 20,000 tons of diesel fuel into the ecologically fragile region, the worst such accident in decades. The leak occurred when a storage tank collapsed on May 29. Much of the spilled fuel fouled waterways in the Norilsk area, and there is concern it could affect wildlife or make its way into the Arctic Ocean. “Obviously, the disaster has brought dire consequences for the environment and severely impacted biodiversity in water bodies,” Putin said. “It will take a lot of time to reclaim and restore the environment.”

_3 Yemen fighting: Battles convulsed Yemen’s remote Socotra archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as an armed unit backed by the United Arab Emirates fought government security forces for control of the island’s capital. The UAEbacked separatist Southern Transitional Council on Friday seized several state buildings, including the governor’s headquarters, as it pushed into the provincial capital of Hadebo, according to security officials. The Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia, accused the separatist group of bombing civilian targets on the scenic island, normally far removed from the troubles of wartorn Yemen. _4 Racial justice: Antiracism demonstrators held a fourth weekend of protests across the U.K., despite a ban on large gatherings because of the coronavirus pandemic. Demonstrations took place Saturday in cities including London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Hundreds assembled for a socially distanced Say No to Racism rally in Glasgow’s George Square, where earlier this week members of the far right attacked a refugeerights gathering. Hundreds of thousands of people have held mostly peaceful antiracism protests across Britain since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, urging the U.K. to confront its own history of imperialism and racial inequality. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is setting up a commission to look at what more can be done to eliminate racial injustice. _5 Germany politics: A prominent regional leader of the farright Alternative for Germany won a court injunction against his expulsion from the party. The national leadership of the party voted to void the membership of Andreas Kalbitz, its chief in the eastern state of Brandenburg, for failing to disclose his ties to extremist groups. Kalbitz vowed to fight the decision, which is hotly disputed inside the party. The Berlin state court ruled Friday that the cancellation of Kalbitz’s membership was inadmissible, which means Kalbitz can continue to exercise his rights as a party member until an arbitration committee rules on the matter. The party is under pressure to distance itself from extremists in its midst after coming under growing scrutiny from Germany’s domestic intelligence agency.

months.

The bill was submitted Thursday for deliberation, covering four categories of crimes: secession, subversion of state power, local terrorist activities and collaborating with foreign or external foreign forces to endanger national security.

The bill has received heavy criticism, including from the U.S., which says it will revoke some of the preferential conditions extended toward Hong Kong after its transfer from British to Chinese rule in 1997.

Britain has said it will offer passports and a path to citizenship to as many as 3 million Hong Kong residents. Group of Seven leading economies called on China to reconsider its plans, issuing a joint statement voicing “grave concern” over the legislation that it said would breach

Beijing’s international commitments as well as the territory’s constitution.

Beijing has repeatedly denounced the moves as rank interference in its internal affairs.

Li Zhanshu, the ruling Communist Party’s thirdranking official and head of the National People’s Congress, presided over the meeting of the Standing Committee, which handles most legislative tasks in between the annual sessions of the full and largely ceremonial congress.

In its full session last month, the congress ratified a decision to enact such legislation at the national level after Hong Kong’s own Legislative Council was unable to do so because of strong local opposition. Critics say the law could severely limit free speech and opposition political activity.