WORLD VISION

Why did Russia suddenly start military exercises?  Russian President Vladimir Putin has instructed the Russian armed forces to conduct separate military exercises in the south and west of his country.  He ordered the exercise to be conducted on Friday without prior announcement to test the combat capability of his country's armed forces.  Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that the military exercises began immediately at the behest of President Putin.  Naval, air and ground forces are participating in it.  Russia's Pacific Fleet as well as its Northern Fleet are taking part in the exercise, the statement said.  Earlier, Dmitry Medvedev, Russia's former president and deputy secretary general of the National Security Council, said the US-led NATO alliance had conducted military exercises in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak and that Russia would respond appropriately.

India   Police-guerrilla clashes in Jammu and Kashmir, killing four  A head constable was killed and two other jawans were injured in a guerrilla attack on the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Sopore, Jammu and Kashmir.  One civilian was also seriously injured in the shooting. The slain head constable was a jawan of the 179th Battalion.  According to Indian media, the casualties occurred when the guerrillas suddenly attacked the CRPF patrol.   According to the website of 'Aajtak' Hindi TV channel, a CRPF search team was shot dead in Model Town, Sopore this (Wednesday) morning.  Three soldiers and a civilian were killed in the indiscriminate firing by the terrorists. One head constable died during the treatment when the four were rushed to hospital.  CRPF IG Rajesh Yadav said, "We lost Head Constable Deepchand in the terrorist attack."  A young man is fighting for his life. A third soldier was not shot, but...