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Omar Abdullah Congratulates Students on Class 10 Results, Urges Resilience

File Photo : CM Omar Abdullah

Srinagar, Apr 21 (NVI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday congratulated students of summer zone schools following the declaration of the Class 10 results by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education.

In a post on X, he extended his best wishes to all successful candidates, acknowledging their hard work and dedication.

The chief minister also encouraged those who did not achieve their desired results to remain determined and continue striving for excellence, stressing that setbacks are part of the learning process.

His remarks came as thousands of students across the Jammu division received their results, marking a key academic milestone.(NVI)

Big Transition at Apple, Tim Cook to step down as CEO
Cook has been the CEO for 15 years during which company recorded tremendous success

Big Transition at Apple, Tim Cook to step down as CEO
Tim Cook to step down as Apple CEO

New Delhi, Apr 21: Tim Cook has decided to step down from the post of CEO of Apple after holding the post for 15 years which were marked with tremendous success of the company.

He will leave the post of CEO on September 1, 2026 and shift to the role of Executive Chairman on Apple’s board.

He will be succeeded by the company’s hardware engineering chief John Ternus.

Cook took the charge of CEO from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011, and under his leadership, Apple reported unprecedented growth, launching new products like the Apple Watch and services such as Apple Music and Apple TV Plus.

The company also became the first in the US to reach a market valuation of $1 trillion in 2018, eventually reaching $4 trillion in 2022.

When Tim had assumed the role of CEO, Apple’s market cap was $350 billion.

In a letter addressed to the Apple community, Cook has admitted that in his heart, the role of the company’s CEO was the “best job in the world.”

He referred to emails and messages received from Apple users who loved using the company’s products.

“You share little pieces of your lives with me and tell me things you want me to know about how Apple has touched you,” he wrote.

A person with rural background

Cook assured Apple users that he was still going to be around. “This is not goodbye. But at this moment of transition,” he said.

He expressed his gratitude to every Apple user for changing his life.

“A person who grew up in a rural place in a different time and, for these magical moments, got to be the CEO of the greatest company in the world. Thank you for the confidence and kindness you’ve shown me,” Cook wrote.

Praise for his successor

Cook showered praise on John Ternus, saying he is “the perfect person for the job”, given his vast experience at Cupertino.

“John Ternus [is] a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much, obsessed with every detail, focused on every possible way we can make something better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful,” Cook wrote.

He said Apple is about to reach new heights in its new era with Ternus at the helm. “I can’t wait for you to get to know him like I do.”

Cook’s full letter:

To the Apple community:

For the past 15 years I’ve started just about every morning the same way. I open my email and I read notes I received the day before from Apple’s users all over the world.

You share little pieces of your lives with me and tell me things you want me to know about how Apple has touched you. About the moment your mom was saved by her Apple Watch. About the perfect selfie you captured at the summit of a mountain that seemed impossible to climb. You thank me for the ways Mac has changed what you can do at work and sometimes give me a hard time because something you care about isn’t working like it should.

In every one of those emails I feel the beating heart of our shared humanity. I feel a sense of deepening obligation to work harder and push further. But most of all, I feel a gratitude that I cannot put into words, that I somehow got to be the person on the other end of those emails, the leader of a company that ignites imaginations and enriches lives in such profound ways it defies description. What an honor and a privilege it has been.

Today we announced that I’m taking the next step in my journey at Apple. Over the coming months I will be transitioning into a new role, leaving the CEO job behind in September and becoming Apple’s executive chairman. A new person will be stepping into what I know in my heart is the best job in the world. That leader is John Ternus, a brilliant engineer and thinker who has spent the past 25 years building the Apple products our users love so much, obsessed with every detail, focused on every possible way we can make something better, bolder, more beautiful, and more meaningful. He is the perfect person for the job.

John cares so much about who we are at Apple, what we do at Apple, who we reach at Apple, and he has the heart and character to lead with extraordinary integrity. I am so proud to call him Apple’s next CEO. This company will reach such incredible heights under his leadership, and you will feel his impact in every bit of delight and discovery that grows out of the products and services to come. I can’t wait for you to get to know him like I do.

This is not goodbye. But at this moment of transition, I wanted to take the opportunity to say thank you. Not on behalf of the company, this time, though there is a wellspring of gratitude for you that overflows inside our walls. But simply on behalf of me. Tim. A person who grew up in a rural place in a different time and, for these magical moments, got to be the CEO of the greatest company in the world. Thank you for the confidence and kindness you’ve shown me. Thank you for saying hi to me on the street and in our stores. Thank you for cheering alongside me when we unveiled a new product or service. Thank you, most of all, for believing in me to lead the company that has always put you at the center of our work. Every day we get up and think about what we can do to make your life a little bit better. And every day, you’ve made mine the best I could have asked for.

Thank you.

Tim Cook

–Ends

Islamabad talks in limbo; US Vice President on way, but Iran shows no interest
US and Pakistan had planned talks for today and tomorrow, Iran has said it has not confirmed its participation

Islamabad talks in limbo; US Vice President on way, but Iran shows no interest
Islamabad geared up for talks between US and Iran

New Delhi, Apr 21: The second round of talks, which the US and Pakistan said were planned in Islamabad from today, appear to be in a limbo as Iran is projecting itself as an uninterested party.

Pakistan, the mediator, has made all preparations for the top-level talks between the US and Iran.

Massive security arrangements, along with curbs, have been imposed in Islamabad for the anticipated guests. Advance security teams of the US, with protective vehicles and equipment, have already reached Islamabad.

US Vice President JD Vance and top officials are expected to leave for Pakistan today, according to CNN.

However, uncertainty looms large over the prospects of the talks as Iran is not confirming its participation even as the two-week ceasefire is slated to expire tomorrow.

“No Iranian diplomatic delegation – be it a primary or secondary team, or an initial or follow-up mission – has travelled to Islamabad, Pakistan, so far,” state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported at 11.26 am (Iran time).

Apparently, Iran has hardened its stance after the US Navy attacked and seized its cargo vessel in the Arabian Sea on April 19.

While vowing to retaliate, Iran is demanding immediate release of the ship, along with its sailors, crew and their families.

Trump, who is threatening to bomb Iran again if no agreement is reached by tomorrow, had earlier claimed that Tehran has agreed to ship its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to the US.

The claim was quickly ridiculed by Iran, saying its nuclear assets are a national treasure and would not be sent anywhere.

During the first round of talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, Vance and his team of negotiators proposed a 20-year pause on Iran enriching uranium. But Iran is not ready to accept it.

Strait of Hormuz: 

The world breathed a sigh of relief last Friday when it was announced that Iran would “reopen” the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for international energy flows, effectively shut for almost two months.

But the reprieve was short-lived as Trump said the US would impose a blockade on movement of ships to and fro Iran.

This was followed by a further escalation on Sunday (April 19) when the US Navy attacked and captured an Iranian cargo ship in the Arabian Sea when it was returning home from China.

JKBOSE exam results: Girls Outperform Boys in Jammu Division

JKBOSE results: Girls Outperform Boys in Class 10 Results in Jammu Division
Representational image

Srinagar, Apr 21 (NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) on Tuesday declared the Class 10 Annual Regular Examination results for the Jammu division, recording an overall pass percentage of 88.85, with girls outperforming boys.

Official data, a total of 50,754 students appeared in the examination, of whom 45,094 qualified successfully.

Girls registered a pass percentage of 90.42, while boys recorded 87.51, continuing the trend of better performance by female candidates.

Officials attributed the strong results to improved academic standards and sustained efforts by students and educational institutions across the division.(NVI)

US-Iran talks: Uncertainty prevails even as Islamabad is geared up
Trump threatens bombing if Iran does not sign agreement before ceasefire ends tomorrow; Iran refuses to 'surrender'

US-Iran talks: Uncertainty prevails even as Islamabad is geared up
Islamabad Talks Logo

New Delhi, Apr 21: Uncertainty prevails over the much-anticipated second round of peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad even as Pakistan has made all the preparations for the event.

According to the indications emerging from the US and Pakistan, the talks were planned for today and tomorrow and American delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, was supposed to reach Islamabad by this morning.

The Trump administration has said the US delegation would attend peace talks in Pakistan this week.

US President Donald Trump initially said talks would take place in Islamabad on April 21 and 22, but the date could be pushed back.

As of now, there is no confirmation about arrival of the US delegation in Islamabad.

However, Iran kept saying it had no plans to send any delegation for any talks until the US gave up its “aggressive” stance.

Tehran hardened its stance after its cargo ship was attacked and seized by the US Navy in the Arabian Sea on April 19, a development that Iran described as a “violation of the ceasefire”. The two-week ceasefire is in place till tomorrow.

Trump has said it is highly unlikely that it will be extended and that Iran must participate in the negotiations in Islamabad and sign a deal by then.

If there is no breakthrough, “then lots of bombs start going off”, he threatened in a media interview.

“I mean, they’re supposed to be there. We agreed to be there, although they say we didn’t. But no, it was set up. And we’ll see whether or not it’s there. If they’re not there, that’s fine too,” he added.

Iran, on the other hand, said it “will not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats” and that Tehran has “new cards” if the war resumes.

Iran’s powerful parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is the country’s top negotiator in talks with the US, said that Trump, by imposing a blockade and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn the negotiating table into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering.

In a social media post, he said while Iran wants peace, “in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”

Escalation:

While the two-week ceasefire was declared to allow peace negotiations to take place, there has been escalation in the rhetoric and posturing by both sides during this period.

Trump has repeatedly issued threats to Iran to finalise a deal urgently, even declaring that the agreement the US had prepared was a greatest ever.

Iran, on the other hand, has maintained that certain conditions put forth by the US were unacceptable to Tehran and it would not sign any agreement under pressure.

Meanwhile, both sides have come face-to-face over the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, with the US recently starting to target Iranian ships moving out of this globally-crucial maritime corridor.

Three days back, the US Navy intercepted and seized an Iranian cargo ship, which was returning home from China.

The US Navy attacked it in the Arabian Sea, evoking angry reactions from Iran which has vowed to retaliate.

China, too, has expressed anger over this development, saying it will not tolerate targeting of any ship moving between the two countries. It threatened to take effective measures if such a thing happens again. (NVI)

Some boundaries should never be crossed: Indian Army on eve of Pahalgam terror attack anniversary
On April 22 last year, 25 tourists and a local Kashmiri were killed by three Pakistani terrorists in Pahalgam in Kashmir

Some boundaries should never be crossed: Indian Army on eve of Pahalgam terror attack anniversary
Pahalgam anniversay: Indian Army's message

Srinagar, Apr 21 (NVI): “Some boundaries should never be crossed. India does not forget.”

This terse message was issued by the Indian Army today, on the eve of the first anniversary of the ghastly terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam in Kashmir by Pakistani terrorists.

It may be recalled that three terrorists struck at the Baisaran meadows of Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, killing 25 tourists enjoying vacations and a local pony operator.

To punish the perpetrators, India carried out air strikes on 9 major terror installations in Pakistan on May 7 under ‘Operation Sindoor’, killing many top commanders of Pakistani-military supported Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) outfits.

Pakistan made it an excuse to attempt cross-border military strikes in India, leading to an armed confrontation which was halted on May 11 following Pakistani requests for a ceasefire.

India has maintained that the ‘Operation Sindoor’ is on a “pause” and can be resumed any time if Pakistan indulges in any misadventure afresh.

Keeping in tune with that, the Indian Army today issued the strong message, asserting that any breach of humanity will invite a decisive response.

“When boundaries of humanity are crossed, the response is decisive. Justice is served. India stands united,” said Indian Army spokesperson in a social media post. (NVI)

CRPF Inspector Dies of Heart Attack Near Srinagar Airport

Representational picture

Srinagar, Apr 21 (NVI): An Inspector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) died of a heart attack near Srinagar Airport on Tuesday, officials said.

Insp (GD) Bhabotosh Roy of 35 Battalion CRPF suffered a cardiac arrest while on duty, they said. He was rushed for medical assistance but could not be revived.

Officials said further formalities are underway.

Condolences have been expressed by senior officers, who paid tribute to the deceased officer for his service.(NVI)

Army Leads Massive Rescue After Bus Plunges Into Gorge in Udhampur; 21 Dead

Jammu, Apr 20 (NVI): Army troops rescued dozens of passengers after a private bus veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge near Ramnagar in Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said.

The accident occurred around 9:40 am near Kaghote village when the bus, on its way from Ramnagar to Udhampur, fell nearly 70 feet into the gorge, resulting in multiple casualties.

Troops of the Gorkha Rifles, who were passing through the area, were the first to reach the spot and immediately launched rescue operations, evacuating trapped passengers from the mangled vehicle under difficult terrain conditions, they said.

An incident control centre was set up at the site under the supervision of an Army officer to coordinate rescue and relief efforts. Multiple teams of Army personnel were deployed for the operation.

The injured were provided first aid and shifted to nearby hospitals, while coordination was also established with the Indian Air Force for possible air evacuation air evacuationof the critically injured, officials said.

Army personnel also arranged food and water for the survivors and those involved in the rescue operation.

According to preliminary reports, 21 people were killed and 29 others injured in the accident. Civil authorities have taken over further rescue, medical treatment and investigation.

The Army’s swift response helped in saving several lives, officials added.(NVI)

DySP, Two Others Injured as Police Vehicle Skids in Tangmarg

Srinagar, Apr 20 (NVI): Three police personnel were injured after a police vehicle skidded off the road at Babreshi Mode in Tangmarg area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday, officials said.

An official said the police personnel injured to SKIMS Soura after initial treatment at Sub-District Hospital Tangmarg, they said.

Officials, the vehicle of the DySP Operations Kunzer, along with his escort, lost control and skidded off the road, resulting in injuries to the occupants.

The injured have been identified as DySP Operations Kunzer Hafiz Jalal, who sustained minor shoulder injuries; Muzaffar Ahmad, son of Mohammad Maqbool Tantray, a resident of Nowpora Baramulla (SPO), who suffered forehead injuries; and Constable Javid Ahmad Dar, son of Ali Mohammad Dar, a resident of Yaal Kunzer, who sustained head injuries.

All the injured are stated to be stable, officials added.(NVI)

First official visit by Indian Chief of Defence Staff to UK

First official visit by Indian Chief of Defence Staff to UK
CDS General Anil Chauhan (File Pic)

New Delhi, Apr 20: India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan is in the United Kingdom on his first official visit, during which he will discuss deepening of cooperation between militaries of the two countries.

UK Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton will host General Chauhan for a three‑day visit which started last night.

During their talks, the two military commanders will discuss deepening cooperation across training, operations and defence industry partnerships.

Senior UK civil and military leaders will also interact with General Chauhan during his visit.

Representatives of the British defence industry will meet him to progress talks on greater defence co-production between the two countries.

General Chauhan will also be given a tour of the Royal College of Defence Studies, where he will meet a multinational cohort of students.

This is the first official visit by an Indian CDS to the UK and marks the fifth senior UK–India military engagement this year, following the UK Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth’s visit to India in March.

Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, said: “General Chauhan’s landmark visit shows the trust and ambition driving the UK-India defence partnership. We are stepping up cooperation to strengthen interoperability, spur innovation and support a free, open and secure Indo‑Pacific.

“From joint training and defence industry cooperation to strategic dialogue, we are moving faster and closer, because India is a key defence partner for the UK. We will continue to build on this momentum in the months ahead.”

Commodore Chris Saunders MBE Royal Navy, Defence Adviser, British High Commission, said: “It is an honour to accompany General Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff India to the United Kingdom. The visit signals the significant progress we have achieved together across all areas of defence and highlights how much common ground we can share going forward.

“The visit will enable an opportunity to further discuss deepening our strong military-to-military engagement, expanding our cooperative training ambitions and exploring how we can develop greater defence industrial collaboration where both UK and India seek to use defence as an ‘Engine for Growth’ and to support India’s route to self-reliance. Exciting times for UK-India defence co-operation!”

 Background:

  • The UK and India launched a 10‑year Defence Industrial Roadmap under the Vision 2035 agreement to support growth, strengthen security and contribute to international stability.
  • The UK Ministry of Defence has set up a dedicated programme office, Defence Partnership‑India (DP-I), to drive bilateral defence collaboration.
  • In February 2026, the UK and India signed an agreement for the Indian Air Force to deploy three Qualified Flying Instructors to RAF Valley in the UK, the training base for British fast‑jet pilots. Indian officers are embedded as instructors across all three UK service academies.
  • In 2025, the UK and India ran their largest-ever maritime exercise, bringing together both nations’ Carrier Strike Groups. This included a separate air‑defence exercise with fast‑jet aircraft from the Royal Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. This was followed by Exercise Ajeya Warrior in Rajasthan, with 2nd Royal Gurkha Rifles training alongside the 21 Sikh Regiment. (NVI)
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