REGIONAL

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Friday called on the youngsters to understand the importance of languages in our country. Addressing the inaugural session of national seminar ‘Bhartiya Bhashaon Mein Ekaatmata’ at NIT here, LG Sinha said, “No country in the world can match the diversity in languages we have. Its our duty to save the Hindi language under Hindi Pakhwada initiative.” “Youngsters need to understand the importance of languages in our country,” the LG said adding NIT students and professors have to make sure to get rid of the colonial mind set and embrace our languages. He said, “Today, we feel a strong need to inspire the country with an ideology of development. India or Developed India, I think, is not just a slogan, it’s an ideology, a movement. Our common goal shoul...

A day after a woman was killed in a road accident at Umerabad HMT area of Srinagar, her husband, who was battling for life at Hospital, also succumbed to his injuries, officials said on Friday. An official told news agency Kashmir News Corner—KNC that Bashir Ahmad, 55, resident of Umerabad HMT, who was injured along with his wife Fahmeeda after being hit by an unknown vehicle, breathed his last this morning. Earlier, his wife Fahmeeda, 50, had died on the spot due to severe head trauma. Police said a case has been registered and the driver has been arrested, while the vehicle seized. (KNC)

Danishwar Hameed A suspected outbreak of Hepatitis in Katrasoo village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district has claimed the life of a 13-year-old boy, while his sister remains hospitalised, officials said on Friday. According to health officials, three siblings from one family were infected. They were first taken to a local health centre and later shifted to District Hospital Kulgam. Two of them were referred to the Children’s Hospital Bemina in Srinagar, where the boy, identified as Mohammad Abu Bakar Bhat, died. His sister is still under observation, while the third sibling has recovered. Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kulgam, Dr Showkat Hussain, confirmed the incident and said medical teams have been deployed in Katrasoo. “The infection is most likely Hepatitis A or E, which spre...

Jammu Kashmir Police on Thursday attached immovable property linked to a narco-terror case involving arms, explosives, and narcotics, registered at Police Station Mattan. According to a police spokesperson, the action was taken in connection with FIR No. 57/2024 under the Arms Act, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act, and NDPS Act. The attached property comprises land measuring 3 Kanals and 6 Marlas under Khasra No. 283 Min, Khewat No. 16, Khata No. 155, located at Sangam Bijbehara. The land is registered in the name of Iqra Mushtaq, daughter of Mushtaq Ahmad Dar of Hugam, Srigufwara, who is the niece of the accused Firdous Ahmad Bhat. Police said the action was carried out under due legal process as part of the ongoing crackdown on individuals and properties ...

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday criticised the Centre over continued closure of several prominent tourist destinations in Jammu Kashmir, stating that tourism promotion and closures can’t go hand-in-hand. Speaking during the inauguration of the Gulmarg Convention Centre, CM Omar said the Pahalgam incident should not have happened, but once security measures were in place, the government should have reopened tourist destinations without delay. “On one hand, the government claims normalcy and pushes tourism campaigns, but on the other hand, several popular destinations remain shut. Both things can’t go hand in hand”, he said. He demanded immediate reopening of places like Drung, Doodhpathri, parts of Gulmarg, Yousmarg, Tosamaidan and others, stating that tourism stakeholders...

Senior Advocate Nirmal K Kotwal on Thursday announced that he will no longer represent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislator Mehraj Malik in proceedings related to the Public Safety Act (PSA). The decision comes after the circulation of alleged videos containing controversial remarks attributed to Malik. In a statement, Kotwal said he had been unaware of the videos when he initially took up the case. The alleged clips reportedly show Malik making provocative statements, including claims that Jammu and Kashmir is not a part of India, as well as purported praise for slain militant Burhan Wani and Pakistan-based militant leader Masood Azhar. Describing the remarks as “extremely insensitive, irresponsible, and detrimental to national security and sovereignty,” Kotwal stressed that his professio...

Police have registered a case in Bemina area of Srinagar after a woman alleged that she was violently assaulted by her drug-addicted son. Officials said that a 52-year-old housewife, identified as Urfana, approached Police Station Batmaloo with a written complaint, stating that she was physically attacked by her son Adnan, aged around 22. Adnan, the son of Irshad Ahmad Bhat, a resident of New Colony Bemina, was accused of habitual drug abuse and violent behavior. Police said that after receiving the complaint, cognizance was taken and a formal case was registered under FIR number 72/2025 at Police Station Batmaloo. The case has been booked under section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), read with section 307 of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC), which pertains to attempt to m...

More than a month after a devastating cloudburst triggered flash floods in Chishoti village of Padder in Jammu’s Kishtwar district, the fate of 36 missing people remains shrouded in uncertainty. Families of the untraced victims, who were swept away by the flood on August 14, continue to live in limbo as official search and rescue operations have now been called off. The disaster struck as thousands of devotees visiting the revered Machail Mata shrine were partaking in a community meal alongside locals. In a matter of minutes, walls of water mixed with boulders and mud swept through the area, washing away lives, property, and livestock. The calamity left at least 66 people confirmed dead and 115 others injured. Despite weeks of extensive operations, scores of victims remain missing. T...

Veteran Hurriyat leader and academician Professor Abdul Gani Bhat passed away on Wednesday evening. Born in 1935 in Sopore, Professor Bhat was a prominent figure in Jammu Kashmir’s political and academic circles, widely recognized for his moderate stance and advocacy for dialogue in the region. Professor Bhat was the first spokesperson of the Muslim United Front in 1986, a coalition that sought to represent the political aspirations of Kashmiri Muslims. He later served as the chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a coalition of separatist groups formed in 1993. In addition, he presided over the Muslim Conference in Jammu  Kashmir, which was later banned by the Indian government. He is known for having an unflinching intellectual stand on Kashmir and promoting dialogu...

Shopian MLA Shabir Ahmad Kullay has called for Kashmir to be handed over to the Army, accusing the civil administration of failing to deliver during crises such as the ongoing closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway. Expressing his disappointment over what he described as administrative inertia, the legislator said that the interests of the people would be better served if the Army directly managed affairs, as it functions without political considerations. “The Army installed a bridge in Jammu’s Tawi river within 12 hours. When there is desire to do anything, nothing is impossible. If you want to run Kashmir, handover Kashmir to the Army because there will be no politics,” Kullay as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust told reportes. The Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, t...