Month: February 2024

After the season’s major snowfall, temperature dropped below freezing point in Kashmir valley and most parts of Jammu division on Monday. A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.4°C against minus 0.7°C on the previous night and it was normal for the summer capital of J&K for this time of the year. Qazigund recorded a minimum of minus 1.4°C against minus 2.2°C on the previous night, he said. The minimum temperature was 0.1°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, the MeT official said. Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 11.9°C against minus 3.5°C on the previous night and it was 5.7°C above normal for the famous resort in south Kashmir. Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 3.3°C against minus 3.0°C o...

On sunday, thousands of Ladakhis marched the streets of Kargil raising slogans against the BJP government while demanding special status for the region. The protest was organised to demand statehood for the Ladakh region and constitutional reservations under the 6th Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The protests were organized by Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), two distinct bodies operating in the Ladakh region. The two collaborated in August 2021 to supplement their demands. The most important clause of the 6th Schedule states that indigenous lands must be run as independent districts and nations. It also states that the people of those regions must maintain sovereignty over their land and natural resources, influencing their way of life and culture. ...

Farooq Nazki, a well-known poet, broadcaster, and media personality from Jammu and Kashmir, has passed away. He breathed his last at Narayana Hospital in Katra. Nazki served as the director of Doordarshan and AIR Srinagar from 1986 to 1997. Besides his career in media, he also worked as an editor for the Daily Mazdoor, a newspaper that focused on the issues faced by the labor class. In 2000, he retired as the deputy director-general. Nazki served as a media advisor to two chief ministers, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah. He was awarded the Sahitya Academy Award in 1995 for his book of poetry "Naar Hyutun Kanzal Wanas" (Fire in Eyelashes), written in Kashmiri. The body of Farooq Nazki is being transported from Jammu to Srinagar through the national highway and will be laid to ...

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed his appreciation for the interim budget of Jammu  Kashmir for the fiscal year 2024-25, praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for their dedication. Sinha took to X platform to convey his gratitude, stating, "Grateful to PM Narendra Modi & FM Nirmala Sitharaman for J&K’s interim Budget 2024-25, which is dedicated to farmers, women, youth, marginalized section of society and seeks to strengthen the grassroots democracy in the Union Territory." He emphasized that the interim budget underscores the government's commitment to rapid economic growth, ensuring social inclusivity and sustainability. LG Sinha highlighted its focus on expanding the agricultural sector and addressing regional imbalances, ...

The Delhi police on Tuesday said it arrested a "key conspirator" of the recently busted militant module in north Kashmir's Kupwara. In a statement, issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a spokesperson said that the staff of the PS New Delhi Railway Station has arrested one of the key conspirators, identified as Riyaz Ahmad, of the recently busted terror module in Kupwara. The statement reads that he was arrested on February 04 at New Delhi Railway station from where he was trying to escape "He was involved in hatching conspiracy along with one Khursheed Ahmad Rather and Ghulam Sarwar Rather in receiving arms and ammunition from across the LoC by the terror handlers. On February 04, a specific information was received from investigation agencies in Jammu & Kash...

A devastating fire swept through Banihal Vegetable Market, reducing seventy-two temporary shops (kiosks) to ashes. The fire erupted around 2 AM on Monday, in a single temporary shop within the designated vegetable and fruit market area, quickly spreading to engulf neighboring shops. Prompt response from locals, police, fire services, and army personnel led to a joint firefighting effort to combat the flames. Assistant Director Sahil Bandral of the Fire and Emergency Services Ramban reported that two fire tenders were deployed to quench the fire, one from Fire Station Banihal and another from Kulgam Kashmir district. Despite their efforts, it took three hours to bring the blaze under control, which was finally subdued by 5 AM. Fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries re...