REGIONAL

Lieutenant Governor Brig BD Mishra (retd) of Ladakh has issued a directive to the Excise department, instructing them not to permit the establishment of any new liquor vends within the Union Territory. This decision comes in response to numerous appeals from various social and religious organizations, as reported by The Tribune. A significant delegation representing the Ladakh Buddhist Association, led by member Tsering Norboo, met with the Lieutenant Governor at the secretariat to advocate for the prohibition of new liquor shops and bars. This appeal aligns with sentiments expressed by several other delegations in the past, emphasizing the community's collective stance against the proliferation of such establishments. In response to these appeals, LG Mishra has tasked Commissi...

Amid an unyielding dry and cold wave, Kashmir experienced no respite on Wednesday as minimum temperatures persisted several degrees below freezing point. On Tuesday night, Anantnag town emerged as the coldest spot in Jammu and Kashmir, with the mercury plummeting over seven degrees below freezing, creating a thin layer of ice on Dal Lake’s surface. For the second consecutive night, Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, causing residents living in houseboats on the lake to face difficulties navigating through the icy waters. The extreme cold-wave conditions have led to frozen water supply pipes in various parts of Kashmir, adding to the challenges the locals face. Pahalgam, a vital base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir’s Anantna...

Amidst a persistent dry spell, the Kashmir Valley continues to face sub-zero temperatures, with Anantnag recording the coldest at -7.2°C. Officials anticipate generally cloudy conditions from January 4–5, with dry weather prevailing across plains and a slight possibility of isolated light snowfall in extreme higher reaches. The forecast for January 6–7 indicates mainly dry weather with no significant changes. Kashmir has been grappling with an extended dry period, with no precipitation expected over the next six days, resulting in a significant 79% rainfall deficit in December. Notably, most plain areas lack snowfall, and the upper reaches of the valley have received below-average snowfall by the end of December. The minimum temperatures today depict a chilly scenario across th...

  Danishwar Hameed A fire incident in Frisal, Kulgam, resulted in the destruction of a mosque and a residential house on Wednesday. The blaze originated in the joint partitioned house of Jahangir Ahmed Pala and Ab Majeed Pala, completely gutting the residence, locals told The Kashmiriyat. The two-story Jamia Masjid also suffered extensive damage to its rooftop, but the fire was eventually brought under control by the efforts of police, fire tenders, and local residents. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

Extensive queues formed at fuel stations throughout Jammu  Kashmir as truckers initiated a strike in protest of stringent penalties for hit-and-run incidents under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita law. The strike severely impacted fuel supplies in the region, leading to a surge in panic buying. The J-K fuel station owners' association reported that 90% of petrol pumps in Jammu had run dry, with the remaining stocks expected to deplete within hours due to the absence of 1,500 fuel tankers on strike. The All J&K Petrol Tanker Owners' Association declared their intention to sustain the strike until the contested legislations were revoked. Long queues of vehicles at fuel stations in Kashmir resulted in traffic congestion in parts of Srinagar and other areas of the Valley. The Bhara...

School Education Department has sought recommendations and proposal from the draft committee for establishment of Madrassa Board in Jammu Kashmir. According to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Director of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) in this regard has accorded to establish a draft committe of four members. “Sanction is accorded to the establishment of Draft Committee comprising of four officials who will prepare a comprehensive draft proposal regarding establishment of Madrassa Board in J&K,” it reads. DSEK said that the Committee shall meet at its headquarters from January 03-7. “They shall submit their recommendations and proposal to DSEK by or before January-10-2024.”—(KNO)

A 3.9 magnitude earthquake struck Jammu District today at 11:33:32 a.m., according to the National Seismological Centre (NCS). The quake's epicenter was located at 32.76°N, 74.57°E, with a depth of 5km. Estimated energy released was 4.5 x 10^10 joules, equivalent to 12.4 megawatt hours or 10.7 tons of TNT. The quake's impact was felt in nearby areas, including Jammu (28 km E of epicenter), Katra (43 km NE), Reasi (43 km NE), Samba (56 km E), and Udhampur (56 km E). Primary data source: NCS, reported.

The enforcement wing of agriculture seized 400 bags of duplicate spurious fertilizers at Ladgoo area of Kulgam district on Tuesday morning, officials said. An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that, “Enforcement team headed by Director Agriculture Kashmir Choudhary Mohammad Iqbal seized bags of duplicate spurious fertilizers at Ladgoo early morning today.” He said during the operation, team confiscated around 400 bags of duplicate spurious fertilizers. Director Agriculture Kashmir, Choudhury Mohammad Iqbal told KNO that the fight against the duplicate spurious fertilizers will continue in the Kashmir valley. “Today we have seized 400 bags of duplicate spurious fertilizers at Ladgoo. Such actions will continue in future,” he said. Choudhary reiterated ...

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Monday said to have busted a marriage scam by arresting a fraudster in Baramulla. "Police Post Delina received a written complaint from a resident of Hudpora Khaitangan stating therein that his brother's marriage ceremony was scheduled to be held on 31st of December, 2023 and they were supposed to get the bride from Thana Mandi Rajouri. However, the families don't know each other and are in touch through the middle man namely Sharif Ahmad Gaasi son of Ali Mohd Gaasi resident of Kakapora Pulwama who is not responding to their phone calls," a police spokesman said in a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). Accordingly, police said a case under relevant sections of law was registered in Police Station Baramulla and investigation was...

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a high-level meeting in New Delhi to review security situation and developmental works in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, sources said here. Sources told KNS that the meeting has been called in the backdrop of recent terror attacks in Poonch-Rajouri region, where 19 soldiers have been martyred in four incidents in 2023. They said that the meeting will focus on enhancing security measures in the Rajouri-Poonch region and along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Besides security situation, sources said the meeting will on focus on developmental works in Jammu and Kashmir, review of security measures for the upcoming Republic Day, enhancing tourist safety, anti-terror operations and increased vigil along the Line of Control. They...