Delhi seals 20 coronavirus hotspots with immediate effect

After Uttar Pradesh, Delhi becomes the second state seal twenty hotspots with immediate effect. "No person will be permitted inside these localities or will be allowed to leave them," said deputy CM deputy CM Sisodia. Govt to ensure delivery of essential items in areas that have been sealed to combat COVID-19 spread, added deputy CM.The decision was taken at an emergency meeting held at the CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence, which was attended by health minister Satyendra Jain and Manish Sisodia.The state also declared that face masks will be compulsory for people stepping out of their homes after Maharashtra, Chandigarh and Uttar Pradesh made masks compulsory. The state has reported 576 cases of coronavirus -- including nine people who died and 21 who recovered.
"Wearing of facial masks can reduce the spread of coronavirus substantially. Therefore, it has been decided that facial masks will be compulsory for anyone stepping out of their house. Cloth masks will be eligible too, "Aravind Kejriwal said.

The 20 hotspots are-1. Entire affected street near Gandhi Park, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi2. Entire affected street of Gali No 6 , L 1 Sangam Vihar, New Delhi.3. Shahajahanabad society, plot no 1, Sector 11, Dwarka.4. Dinpur Village5. Markaz Masjid and Nizamuddin Basti6. Nizamuddin West (G and D block) areas.7. B Block Jhangirpuri.8. H. No 141 to H. No 180, Gali no. 14, Kalyanpuri Delhi9. Mansara Appartments , Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi10. 3 Galis of Khichirpur including Gali containing H. No. 5/387 Khichirpur Delhi11. Gali No 9, Pandav Nagar , Delhi 110092.12. VarDhaman Appartments , Mayur Vihar, Phase I , Extension, Delhi13. Mayurdhwaj Appartments , I P Extension, Patparganj, Delhi  ..14. Gali no. 4, from H. No. J- 3/115 ( Nagar Dairy) to H. No. J- 3/108( towards Anar wali Masjid Chowk), Kishan Kunj Extension, Delhi.15. Gali No. 4, from H. No J- 3/101 to H. No. J - 3/107 Krishan Kunj Extension Delhi.16. Gali No. 5, A Block ( From H No. A- 176 to A-189), WestVinod NagarDelhi 110092.17. J & K , L and H pockets Dilshad Garden18. G, H, J, Blocks old Seemapuri19. F- 70 to 90 block Dilshad Colony20. Pratap khand , Jhilmil Colony.x

COVID-19: TRUMPH Talks about "RETALIATION" If INDIA Rejects Supply of the Drug

Coronavirus: US President Donald Trump said he spoke to PM Modi on Sunday.

Washington/ New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has said "there may be retaliation" if India does not agree to export hydroxychloroquine, a key anti-malaria drug believed by many to be effective in the treatment of coronavirus. His remarks come nearly two weeks after the government banned export of the drug as experts test its efficacy in helping treat COVID-19 patients.

"I would be surprised if he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) would, you know, because India does very well with the United States," Mr Trump said at a White House press briefing on Monday, when a reporter asked whether he was worried about "retaliation to the US ban on export of medical goods" from India.
"I don't like that decision, I didn't hear that that was his decision. I know that he stopped it for other countries. I spoke to him yesterday, we had a very good talk and we'll see whether or not that's his... For many years, they've been taken advantage of the United States on trade. So I would be surprised if that were his decision. He'd have to tell me that. I spoke to him Sunday morning, called him, and I said, we'd appreciate you allowing our supply to come out. If he doesn't allow it to come out. That would be OK. But of course, there may be retaliation. Why wouldn't there be," the US President said.
Trump has described hydroxychloroquine as a "game-changer" though it is yet to be established as an effective cure for COVID-19.
Last month, the Indian Council of Medical Research or ICMR had recommended the use of hydroxychloroquine for treating healthcare workers serving coronavirus patients.

In a notification on March 25, the government announced a hold on the medicine's export, adding that it would be allowed only on "case-to case basis" on humanitarian grounds. India has reported over 4,000 coronavirus patients so far and more than 100 deaths.

This morning, however, the government said that key drugs linked to COVID-19 cure will be supplied to "nations that have been badly affected" by the pandemic.
"In view of the humanitarian aspects of the pandemic, it has been decided that India would licence paracetamol and Hydroxychloroquine in appropriate quantities to all our neighbouring countries who are dependent on our capabilities. We will also be supplying these essential drugs to some nations who have been particularly badly affected by the pandemic. We would therefore discourage any speculation in this regard or any attempts to politicise the matter," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.
Currently, the US has the most number of coronavirus cases in the world. The coronavirus death count has crossed 10,000-mark in US; over 366,000 have contracted infection so far.
Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization or EUA to permit the emergency use of hydroxychloroquine sulfate supplied from the national stockpile to treat adult and adolescent COVID-19 patients who weigh 50 kg or more and are hospitalised, according to an official statement.

Kolkata Turns into Fortress as PM Modi Set to Arrive in Bengal Day After Enforcement of New Citizenship Law; Oppn Plans Protests

Kolkata: In the midst of National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on Saturday to attend Kolkata Port Trust's (KPT) event.


This will be PM Modi's first visit to West Bengal after BJP's impressive show in the last Lok Sabha election by winning 18 seats (out of 42) in Bengal. Last time, he came in April, 2019 to address public rallies in South Dinajpore and in Nadia districts.PM Modi is scheduled to arrive at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA) at 4pm and around 7pm he will inaugurate a light and sound show at Howrah Bridge. From there he will proceed to Ramkrishna Mission headquarters in Belurmath. In 2015, Modi for the first time after becoming the PM, visited Belurmath.

On Sunday, he will address an event of Kolkata Port Trust (KPT) around 11am at Netaji Indoor Stadium and at 12.45pm, he will depart from Kolkata.

Party insiders claimed that chief minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to meet PM Modi on the first day of his visit to Kolkata. Though, the agenda of the meeting is not yet known but Mamata is likely to discuss various state-centre issues, including NRC and CAA.

Earlier, in September 18 last year, Mamata met PM Modi after a gap of nearly 16 months at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence. Then, she termed the meeting as 'non-political meeting' and 'very good'. Then, for the first time she had also met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed many issues, including the National Register of Citizens.

BJP state vice-president, Joy Prakash Majundar, had said that, "A meeting with the senior state party leaders is also in the pipeline." During meeting with the party leaders, PM Modi may inquire about the present situation in Bengal over Centre's decision to implement NRC and CAA.

PM Modi's Kolkata visit seems to be crucial amid series of protest rallies planned by the ruling TMC and college students.

Mamata had already announced that she will fight against NRC and CAA till her last breath. "We opposed Centre's decision to implement NRC, CAA. Why we need to prove ourself that we are Indian? My party workers will protest in each and every block against NRC. We are in favour of all the religions. We respect people from all caste and creed. We don't discriminate people based on their religion. NRC is based on religion and therefore we will not support this,”"she had said.

Her reaction came after Union Home Minister Amit Shah had said that Modi government would implement the NRC all over the country and "throw out infiltrators" from every inch of India, and he reiterated it by, saying that it will be done before the 2024 general election.

Massive security arrangements were made by the Special Protection Group (SPG) in consultation with the Kolkata Police. Amid protests, the security is several notches tighter as the city turns into a fortress. According to local reports, a protest at Kaikhali on VIP Road is still on. Another demonstration has been lined up outside Raj Bhawan, and both Left and Congress have planned to wave black flag.

JNU Violence: Delhi Police Identify 37 Students from WhatsApp Group, Claim They Don't Belong to Left or Right Outfits, Says Report

New Delhi: Delhi Police has identified 37 students from a WhatsApp group created during the January 5 violence on the JNU campus, sources said.

They said the identified people do not belong to any Left or Right-leaning organisations.

Those identified are students who were in favour of the semester registration process and wanted to enroll themselves, the sources said.

On Friday, police said the WhatsApp group 'Unity Against Left', believed to have been created while the violence escalated on the JNU campus, was under the scanner.

Addressing a press conference, the police had claimed that nine students, seven of whom are from Left-leaning bodies including JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, were identified as suspects in the violence on the varsity campus.

The others included Dolan Samanta, Priya Ranjan, Sucheta Talukdar, Bhaskar Vijay Mech, Chunchun Kumar (an alumnus of JNU) and Pankaj Mishra.

The remaining two suspects named by police are Vikas Patel and Yogendra Bharadwaj. Police sources said the two are from the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The preliminary findings in the probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police also released pictures of the nine suspects.

The police also claimed that the violence was a fallout of the online registration process and that tension was brewing in the university since January 1.

The Student Federation of India (SFI), All India Students Association (AISA), Democratic Students Federation (DSF) and All India Student

Federation (AISF) had been allegedly "creating nuisance and threatening the students" against the recently started online admission for the winter semester in the varsity, the police had said.

The students' union of JNU, however, had termed the press conference as bogus.

Several students of the varsity said that they had received notices from Delhi Police seeking a meeting with them in the next few days.

Over 50 passengers feared trapped inside burning bus in UP's Kannauj last night

Over 50 passengers were feared trapped in a burning bus at the HT Road in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj.

The bus burst into flames after it collided with a truck on the busy highway. The accident took place around 09:30 pm near Ghinoi village.

First respondents suspect that at least 50 passengers are trapped inside the burning bus.

Top officials of the district are reaching the spot. There is no confirmation of the injured and casualties yet.

The bus was going to Jaipur from Gursahaiganj in Kannauj.

UP CM Yogiadityanath has taken cognisance of the fire and accident of the double-decker bus in Kannauj. He has asked DM and SP of Kannauj to rush to the spot and provide all possible medical attention and help to the passengers of the bus.

According to initial ground reports, the passengers were unable to escape when the bus caught fire as it was sleeper bus and passengers were asleep with doors and windows shut. Unconfirmed reports have said that several passengers stuck in bus may have died, but officials have not confirmed any casualty yet.ver 50 passengers were feared trapped in a burning bus at the HT Road in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj.

Trumph reply on the IRANIAN Attack on US Military base: "ALL IS WELL"

KEY POINTS:

• President Donald Trump responds to Iran attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq
• “All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq,” Trump tweets
• Trump says he will make a statement Wednesday morning on the attacks

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump has responded to Tuesday night’s attack by Iran on US and coalition forces stationed at bases in Iraq.

“All is well! Missiles launched from Iran at two military bases located in Iraq,” Trump tweeted. “Assessment of casualties & damages taking place now. So far, so good! We have the most powerful and well equipped military anywhere in the world, by far! I will be making a statement tomorrow morning.”

Shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Iran launched more than a dozen ballistic missiles against U.S. military and coalition forces in Iraq. It was not immediately clear if any U.S. service members were hurt in the strikes. 

The reassuring tone of Trump’s tweet marked an unexpected shift away from the harsh rhetoric the president has used in recent days to characterize tensions with Iran, which escalated following a U.S. strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

Hours before the Tuesday night attacks, Trump told reporters at the White House that “if Iran does anything that they shouldn’t be doing, they’re going to be suffering the consequences and very strongly.”

Trump also said the United States was “totally prepared” for Iran to retaliate, and “we’re prepared to attack if we have to as retribution.”

U.S. stock futures plunged on Tuesday night on news of the Iranian offensive. 

Trump spent part of Tuesday night meeting with top advisers at the White House about the attacks, including Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Army Gen. Mark Milley.

Both the Pentagon and the Iranian government were unequivocal about who was behind the attacks. “It is clear that these missiles were launched from Iran and targeted at least two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. military and coalition personnel at Al-Assad and Irbil,” a Pentagon spokesman said soon after the attacks. 

Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, said in a tweet late Tuesday that Iran “took & concluded proportionate measures in self-defense.”

Zarif added, “We do not seek escalation or war, but will defend ourselves against any aggression.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

Iran attacks U.S. Military Base in Iraq- live update

KEY POINTS:-

• IRAN attacks on US military base.
• IRAN strikes back by 12 milsilles on US military base.
• According to IRAN total of 80 american soldiers were found dead, which the america is denying about this news.
• Is Solemani's death revange taken by IRAN?

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran struck back at the United States early Wednesday for killing a top Revolutionary Guards commander, firing a series of ballistic missiles at two military bases in Iraq housing American troops in a major escalation between the two longtime foes.

It was Iran’s most direct assault on America since the 1979 seizing of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, and Iranian state TV said it was in revenge for the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, whose death last week in an American drone strike near Baghdad prompted angry calls to avenge his slaying. A U.S. and Iraqi officials said there were no immediate reports of casualties, though buildings were still being searched.

The strikes, which came as Iran buried Soleimani, raised fears that the two longtime foes were closer to war. But there were some indications that there would not be further retaliation on either side, at least in the short term.

‘All is well!’ President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after the missile attacks, adding, ‘So far, so good’ regarding casualties. Moments earlier, Iran’s foreign minister tweeted that Tehran had taken “& concluded proportionate measures in self-defense,” adding that Tehran did “not seek escalation” but would defend itself against further aggression.

The killing of Soleimani — a national hero to many in Iran — and strikes by Tehran came as tensions have been rising steadily across the Mideast after Trump’s decision to unilaterally withdraw America from Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. They also marked the first time in recent years that Washington and Tehran have attacked each other directly rather than through proxies in the region. It raised the chances of open conflict erupting between the two enemies, who have been at odds since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution and the subsequent U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis.

Adding to the chaos and overall jitters, a Ukrainian airplane carrying at least 170 people crashed outside Tehran on Wednesday morning, killing all on board, state TV reported. The plane had taken off from Imam Khomeini International Airport and mechanical issues were suspected, the report said.

Iran initially announced only one missile strike, but U.S. officials confirmed both. U.S. defense officials were at the White House, likely to discuss options with Trump, who launched the attack on Soleimani while facing an upcoming impeachment trial in the Senate.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard warned the U.S. and its regional allies against retaliating over the missile attack against the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq’s western Anbar province. The Guard issued the warning via a statement carried by Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

“We are warning all American allies, who gave their bases to its terrorist army, that any territory that is the starting point of aggressive acts against Iran will be targeted,” the Guard said. It also threatened Israel.

After the strikes, a former Iranian nuclear negotiator posted a picture of the Islamic Republic’s flag on Twitter, appearing to mimic Trump who posted an American flag following the killing of Soleimani and others Friday.

Ain al-Asad air base was first used by American forces after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, and later saw American troops stationed there amid the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. It houses about 1,500 U.S. and coalition forces. The U.S. also acknowledged another missile attack targeting a base in Irbil in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region.

The Iranians fired a total of 15 missiles, two U.S. officials said. Ten hit Ain al-Asad and one the base in Irbil. Four failed, said the officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly about a military operation.

Two Iraqi security officials said at least one of the missiles appeared to have struck a plane at the Ain al-Asad base, igniting a fire. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the attacks, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they had no permission to brief journalists.

About 70 Norwegian troops also were on the air base but no injuries were reported, Brynjar Stordal, a spokesperson for the Norwegian Armed Forces told The Associated Press.

Trump visited the sprawling Ain al-Asad air base, about 100 miles or 60 kilometers west of Baghdad, in December 2018, making his first presidential visit to troops in the region. Vice President Mike Pence also has visited the base.

“As we evaluate the situation and our response, we will take all necessary measures to protect and defend U.S. personnel, partners and allies in the region,” said Jonathan Hoffman, an assistant to the U.S. defense secretary.

Wednesday’s revenge attack happened a mere few hours after crowds in Iran mourned Soleimani at his funeral. It also came the U.S. continued to reinforce its own positions in the region and warned of an unspecified threat to shipping from Iran in the region’s waterways, crucial routes for global energy supplies. U.S. embassies and consulates from Asia to Africa and Europe issued security alerts for Americans. The FAA also warned of a “potential for miscalculation or mis-identification” for civilian aircraft in the Persian Gulf amid in an emergency flight restriction.

A stampede broke out Tuesday at Soleimani’s funeral, and at least 56 people were killed and more than 200 were injured as thousands thronged the procession, Iranian news reports said. Shortly after Iran’s revenge missile attack early Wednesday, Soleimani’s shroud-wrapped remains were lowered into the ground as mourners wailed at the grave site.

Tuesday’s deadly stampede took place in Soleimani’s hometown of Kerman as his coffin was being borne through the city in southeastern Iran, said Pirhossein Koulivand, head of Iran’s emergency medical services.

There was no information about what set off the crush in the packed streets, and online videos showed only its aftermath: people lying apparently lifeless, their faces covered by clothing, emergency crews performing CPR on the fallen, and onlookers wailing and crying out to God.

Hossein Salami, Soleimani’s successor as leader of the Revolutionary Guard, earlier addressed a crowd of supporters in Kernan and vowed to avenge Soleimani.

“We tell our enemies that we will retaliate but if they take another action we will set ablaze the places that they like and are passionate about,” Salami said.

Soleimani was laid to rest between the graves of Enayatollah Talebizadeh and Mohammad Hossein Yousef Elahi, two former Guard comrades killed in Iran’s 1980s war with Iraq. They died in Operation Dawn 8, in which Soleimani also took part. It was a 1986 amphibious assault that cut Iraq off from the Persian Gulf and led to the end of the war that killed 1 million.

The funeral processions in major cities over three days have been an unprecedented honor for Soleimani, seen by Iranians as a national hero for his work leading the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force.

The U.S. blames him for killing U.S. troops in Iraq and accused him of plotting new attacks just before he was killed. Soleimani also led forces supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad in that country’s civil war. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Assad in Syria on Tuesday amid the tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Soleimani’s slaying has led Tehran to abandon the remaining limits of its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as his successor and others vow to take revenge.

In Iraq, pro-Iranian factions in parliament have pushed to oust American troops from Iraqi soil following Soleimani’s killing. Germany and Canada announced plans to move some of their soldiers in Iraq to neighboring countries.

The FAA warning issued barred U.S. pilots and carriers from flying over areas of Iraqi, Iranian and some Persian Gulf airspace. The region is a major East-West travel hub and home to Emirates airline and Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international travel. It earlier issued warnings after Iran shot down a U.S. military surveillance drone last year that saw airlines plan new routes to avoid the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. Maritime Administration warned ships across the Mideast, citing the rising threats. Oil tankers were targeted in mine attacks last year that the U.S. blamed on Iran. Tehran denied responsibility, although it did seize oil tankers around the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s crude oil travels.

The U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said it would work with shippers in the region to minimize any possible threat