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".

OTTAWA, 20 April 2020, TON:  A Canadian terrorist identified as Gabriel Wortman, wearing a law enforcement agency’s uniform, driving Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) cruiser, killed at least 18 people, including an officer with the RCMP.

Chief Superintendent RCMP of the Nova Scotia, Chris Leather said, Gabriel Wortman disguised as law enforcement stormed across Nova Scotia over a two-day period killing 16 people. The suspect left victims scattered across multiple crime scenes in different communities during a rampage that stretched from late Saturday into Sunday. Leather added that RCMP Constable Heidi Stevenson, 23-year veteran of the force, was killed and another officer was injured while pursuing the suspect. 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, who owns denture clinics in Dartmouth and Halifax also set several buildings on fire before heading toward the port city of Halifax.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a statement on Sunday saying he was saddened to hear about the "senseless violence" in the Atlantic province. The international counter terrorist organizations are working to develop links of Gabriel Wortman with other terrorist organizations. 

The Indian health authorities are carrying out scientific live research in search of COVID-19 at the Islands of Port Blair and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The scientific officer said on Saturday,18 April 2020 that the medicines and therapies would be carried out on ingenious population of Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It is interesting to note that till yesterday, India announced that the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are Coronavirus or COVID-19 free.

Nodal officer for COVID19 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands said, the government has established a hospital with 60 beds and 10 rooms whereas private hospitals have also agreed to help the government.

Meanwhile, the virus outbreak has brought the Jarawa, Onge, Great Andamanese and Sentinelese indigenous tribes of the Islands into focus once again. The Jarawas, with an estimated population of 500, were much perturbed over the Government statements regarding the spread of paramedics. Indian Navy has forced Jarawas to live in the Jawara tribal reserve which extends from South Andaman to Middle Andaman. Locals said that the Indian Government and its tri-services command has plans to eliminate the entire population. Although the Indian Supreme Court ordered in 2002 that the Andaman Trunk Road should be closed but there was no implementation and Indian Army, Navy and Air force convoys regularly ply through the reserve as well as other parts.

ISLAMABAD, 18 April 2020, TON: The Pakistani Fore­ign Office rejec­ted Indian Army Chief Gen M.M. Naravane’s terror allegation as a “irresponsible, spurious and totally false”.

As per the details, at the weekly media briefing, FO spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said General Nara­vane’s allegations were meant to divert global and domestic attention from “India’s state-terrorism and egregious human rights violations and clamping of fundamental freedoms in Indian held Jammu and Kashmir, particularly post 5 August 2019”.

General Naravane, who was on a two-day visit to India-occupied Kashmir, had  blamed Pakistan for exporting terror at a time when the world in battling the coronavirus crisis. He said, "It is very unfortunate that at a time when the whole world and India is fighting the pandemic, our neighbour continues to foment trouble for us.".

The Foreign Office spokesperson said Indian troops had committed over 765 ceasefire violations, resulting in killing of three civilians as well as serious injuries to 54 innocent civilians, in three-and-a-half months this year. In 2019, India had violated ceasefire 3,351 times.

She said, “Pakistan has no desire to escalate the situation,” she underscored and recalled that the international community had been repeatedly urged to take notice of Indian provocations. “Our armed forces remain ready to defend the motherland against any threat.”

POONCH, 17 April 2020, TON: Indian Army Chief General MM Naravane on Friday, 17 April blamed Pakistan for exporting terror at a time when the world in battling the coronavirus crisis. He said, "It is very unfortunate that at a time when the whole world and India is fighting the pandemic, our neighbour continues to foment trouble for us."

Meanwhile, Indian Defence spokesman, Colonel Devender Anand had said in a statement, “India carried out precision targeting of terror launch pads, gun areas and ammunition dumps in Dudhniyal area in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir”. He added, “Pakistan initiated unprovoked ceasefire violation by firing with small arms and mortars along the LoC in Qasba and Kirni sectors of Mendhar area of Poonch. The Indian army is retaliating befittingly."

It is important to mention here that Indian Army and security apparatus are killing Kashmiri youths each day in dozens in the name of COVID-19 positive and burying them at their own. New Delhi blames Pakistan for unprovoked firing, however, on ground reports reflects that firing was carried out by both Pakistan and India and both are to be blamed for losses to each other.

AWANTIPUR, 16 April 2020, TON: Indian Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane arrived yesterday on a two-day visit to review the security situation in disputed Jammu and Kashmir State, after heavy losses to Indian forces from across the Line of Control (LoC). The Commanders gave briefing to the Indian Army Chief about the ongoing operations by the Indian Forces and heavy resistance by the Muhjahideen as well as firing from across the LoC. Commander 15 and 16 Corps were also present on the occasion. The Indian chief appreciated the operations by Indian troops against the Kashmiris insurgents and indiscriminate firing from Pakistani side.

The Indian Chief speaking on the occasion talked of a surgical strike along the LoC in end April and May to avenge the killings of 13 soldiers this years and numerous injuries. An officer working at staff duties said that Indian Army planning a big and dangerous game. The Chief received complaints on insubordination and revolt like situations from the soldiers deployed on the LoC as all sort of leave was stopped amid COVIS-19 lockdown. It was reported that suicide case have started to increase and morale of an average Indian soldier was quite low.

Top Pakistani-Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Mailk and other leaders had given a call for a complete shutdown in Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir State for 13 and 14 February 2019 against the highhanded attitude of India’s highest court. They threatened to launch a mass agitation if Indian state engineered adverse announcement and ambiguity over the dates of hearing of 35-A and 370 by Supreme Court prevails. It is worth noting that a petition seeking abrogation of constitutional amendment 35-A is being heard at Supreme Court of India. The Article gives power to Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to define the State Citizens or permanent residents of the State and their rights & privileges. It prohibits non-permanent residents from permanent settlement in the state, acquiring immovable property, government jobs, scholarships and aid. In another judgment in October 2002, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court held that women married to non-permanent residents will not lose their rights; however, the children of such women will lose succession rights.

To avoid another Burhan Wani type mass agitation against Indian occupying forces and Intelligence agencies, on 13 February 2019, engineered a blast ...............................

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