CAPE TOWN, 27 April 2020, TON: South Africa celebrates its National Freedom Day on Monday, 27 April. The day commemorates with the first democratic elections held in South Africa on 27 April 1994.  These were the first post-apartheid national elections in which anyone could vote regardless of race. The 2020 National Freedom Day marks 26 years of freedom and democracy and getting rid from colonial and apartheid oppression, spanning over 400 years.

The year 2020 shepherded in with the COVID-19 challenge that has transformed things differently than what was practiced before.

Freedom Day 2020 is being reflected upon during a live stream today. The theme for this year’s Freedom Month celebrations is, “Solidarity and triumph of human spirit in this challenging times”. The President of South Africa is expected to address the nation.

WASHINGTON, 27 April 2020, TON: The US Army has moved its combatants for a news role to confront threats in the Sahel. In the recent decision from Pentagon, the US personnel and helicopters available for casualty evacuation flights and medical aid in Africa would end mission. But this withdrawal would be redeployed in Sahel region including Niger to join local combat forces to defeat rebels. According to a report US has deployed Bell 214ST and H225 Super Puma helicopters for new joint combat role with the regional forces in Niger.

If we recall back in 2017, the US forces carried out similar operations against Boko Haram.  US Commander in Niger claimed that their fight is against mix of Islamic State and Al Qaida fighters in tri-border region of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

The decision was taken after last month Diffa Operation on border with Nigeria in which a number of residents in the border area were killed on the suspicion of links with extremists. 

ROME, 25 April 2020, TON: Every year tens of thousands of people take to the streets of Italy's main cities, including Rome, Milan and Bologna, to mark the day. On Saturday, Italians waving national flags and singing the national anthem “Bella Ciao,” Sergio Mattarella, were seen in Rome and other cities. Italian President said while the Coronavirus had forced Italians to celebrate in their homes, remembering Italy’s partisans meant “reaffirming the values of freedom, justice, and social cohesion.

This year was different, though, as all public events were canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak and estimated 195,000 COVID-19 positives cases, 26,000 deaths and 63,000 recoveries in Italy as on 25 April 2020, Italians celebrated the 75th anniversary of Liberation Day and the end of World War II fascist rule under a national lockdown. Stranded at home, they went out on their balconies waving flags, singing, clapping and cheering. Among them were Italians leaders who participated in the resistance struggle movement in the 1940s against German occupation and fascist forces.

Some Italians celebrated the Feast of St Mark (La Festa di San Marco). In some Churches there were assemblies on Saturday, although the attendances were thin.  

TEHRAN, 22 April 2020, TON: In a latest tweet, US President Donald Trump said, “I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea”.

The instructions are Trump's reaction to a recent confrontation between US warships and Iranian boats in the Arabian Gulf and launch of multiple purpose satellite on 22 April 2020.  A video was also  released by Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Sunday shows the IRGC Navy warning off a flotilla of US warships in Arabian Gulf as they try to approach the Iranian territorial waters.

US President Donald Trump is stepping up his anti-Iran threats by claiming that he has instructed the US Navy to destroy Iranian boats. Washington is aiming at regime change in Iran to pave way for ultra modern leadership to emerge as a joint collation representing all sections of the Iranian society. . 

TEHRAN, 22 April 2020, TON: Iranian Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has successfully launched country’s first military satellite into the orbit on Wednesday 22 April 2020.

The elite force fired the satellite ‘Nour’ - 1 through ‘Qased’ satellite carrier from Dasht-e Kavir site in Iran’s Shahroud region.

Speaking on the occasion, Major General Hossein Salami of IRGC congratulated Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei and the Iranian people on the achievement and said that the new satellite could now assist Iran in “Intelligence Warfare.”

Analysts are of the view that launch was not possible during US’s tough sanctions so either US is collaborating with Tehran or it is the achievement from neighbourhood.

SRINAGAR, 22 April 2020, TON: Indian Army is all set to establish 100-bed COVID-19 care centre at the Army Public School Domana within the next two to three day. Another 250-bed hospital will be established at Rangreth in Srinagar.The step has been appreciated by foreign governments too.

Major General Hari Mohan Iyer of Indian Northern Command was on visit to the hospitals and was satisfied with the pace on which the hospitals were coming up. The spokesman at Army Public School said that Iran has pressurized the Indian government to accommodate over 1,000 people including students studying in Iranian universities and religious schools as well as those who visited Iran for pilgrimage and were COVID-19 positive. These individuals are being flown back to Jammu and Kashmir from Iran in Indian Air Force (IAF) CI-17 aircrafts. He added that Major Gen Hari Mohan Iyer visited the school to review the arrangements for setting up the hospitals.

TEHRAN, 21 April 2020, TON: Iranian Revolutionary Guard announced Monday that it has successfully upgraded the range of its anti-warship missiles. The report released by the official quarters said, “the Iranian Revolutionary Guard now possesses surface-to-surface and subsurface anti-warship missiles with a range as high as 700 kilometers (430 miles). Iranian Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri said that Iran is in the position to defend its sea.

Admiral Ali Reza Tangsiri’s remarks came a day after the Iranian naval forces had an encounter with US 5^th Fleet warships in the Arabian Gulf.

Tensions between Iran and the U.S. remain high in the Arabian Gulf, following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that it withdrew from the nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers in 2018 and re-imposed sanctions on Iran.   

NEW DELHI, 21 April 2020, TON: Rudratej Singh, who joined German BMW Group India in August last year as President and Chief Executive Officer suffered from cardiac arrest on Monday, 20 April while working out on treadmill. He passed away at the age of 46.

The official spokesman of BM, Group India said, "BMW Group India, with profound sorrow, announces the demise of Rudratej Singh (46) President and Chief Executive Officer on April 20, 2020". The officials of the company said the cause of his death was still being ascertained, however, it is generally believed that he died of a cardiac arrest while working out on the treadmill in his home in Gurgaon.

Rudratej Singh had 16 years of experience at Unilever where he rose to the designation of Vice President of the South Asia region in October 2012.

The month of April 2020 proved very shocking for the BMW Group as on 7th April, Mihir Dayal (40), Sales Director, BMW Group India also passed away after battling cancer.

LONDON, 21 April 2020, TON: For the first time in 700-year history of UK parliament, the House of Commons convenes 'virtually' in London, on Tuesday, 21 April, amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Fifty MPs are expected to be in the chamber, maintain rules of social distancing and 120 online a 'hybrid' system. Screens will be placed around the chamber to allow the Speaker and the present MPs to see their virtually-present colleagues in zoom mode.

Parliament will debate coronavirus measures and authorize spending on the UK's pandemic response on 21 April. It will not be business as usual for MPs. MPs are due to debate a key piece of Brexit legislation, repealing EU free movement in UK law. The The government also needs to pass its Finance Bill, enacting measures in the Budget, which is due to get its second reading on 22 April.

Online 'hybrid' system is being used in efforts to allow MPs to work remotely.

JEDDAH, 20 April 2020, TON: The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Sunday urged India to take “urgent steps” to protect the rights of its minority Muslim community and stop the incidents of “Islamophobia” in the country.

The OIC’s Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission in a tweet also said the Indian media was negatively profiling the Muslims and subjecting them to discrimination.

There was no immediate reaction from Union Ministry of External Affairs. India has previously hit out at the 57-member grouping of Muslim majority nations, saying bodies like OIC should not make irresponsible statements.

The tweet said, "unrelenting vicious Islamophobic campaign in India maligning Muslims for spread of COVID-19"— the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

In a statement issued Sunday, the OIC's Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) also condemned the "negative profiling [of Muslims in India] in media subjecting them to discrimination & violence with impunity".

The international body called upon the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to take notice of and "take urgent steps to stop the growing tide of Islamophobia in India".