REGIONAL

A viral video on social media claiming to have spotted a rare white deer in north Kashmir’s Gulmarg has been debunked as fake by the wildlife officials, saying that the video has not been captured in the region. Wildlife Warden North Kashmir, Intisar Suhail, while speaking with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), stated that the species shown in the video is not found anywhere in Jammu Kashmir—or even in the Indian subcontinent. “This is a fake video. It has been taken from the internet and is originally from a foreign country,” Sohail clarified. “I traced the original source, and it was first posted on Instagram from outside India. People are spreading misinformation by falsely attributing it to Kashmir.” The viral clip, which has garnered widespread attention, was initi...

Kashmir has now been connected to Kanyakumari through a railway line as the Udhampur-Baramulla-Srinagar Rail project is complete, President Droupadi Murmu said on Friday. Addressing the joint sitting of Parliament, the president highlighted the achievements of the Railway Ministry. “The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project has been completed, connecting the nation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari through a railway line,” Murmu said. “Under this ambitious project, the Chenab bridge has been constructed, which is the highest railway bridge in the world. Additionally, India’s first rail cable bridge, the Anji Bridge, has been completed.” The president also said that 71 Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, and Namo Bharat trains are operational across the country, with 17 new Vande Bhar...

Several Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) workers were detained on Friday as they were trying to sit on a day-long hunger strike here to demand the release of Baramulla Lok Sabha MP and party chief Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer, police said. The AIP workers assembled at the Sangarmal Shopping complex where they had decided to hold the hunger strike after the district authorities rejected the party’s application for a sit-in near Pratap Park in the Lal Chowk area of the city. The cops, who were waiting at the new venue, bundled the AIP workers, including Rashid’s son Abrar, into vehicles and detained them at Kothibagh Police Station. Before being taken away, Abrar told reporters that not allowing his father to attend the Parliament session was murder of democracy. “He has been jail...

Medical experts in Kashmir have raised concerns over toxoplasmosis, a cat-borne infection that can lead to miscarriages among women. Dr. Syed Altaf Geelani, Superintendent of Central Veterinary Hospital Srinagar, speaking to Jammu Kashmir News Service explained that toxoplasmosis is a significant cause of abortion cases in females. He emphasized that cats, due to their unhygienic defecation habits, can spread fungal infections that are easily transmitted to humans, particularly those who handle them closely. "Many girls remain in close contact with cats, which increases the risk of infection. If proper hygiene is not maintained, toxoplasmosis can lead to miscarriages," Dr. Altaf noted, adding that such cases have been reported and treated at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar. Dr. Altaf...

At least three cases of jaundice have been reported from the Chewdara Beerwah area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, raising concerns among residents. Block Medical Officer (BMO) Beerwah, Dr. Arshid, confirmed that three members of the same family have been diagnosed with jaundice. While two patients have recovered, one is still undergoing treatment. Dr. Arshid urged residents to take precautions, particularly by consuming only boiled water to prevent the spread of the disease. He reassured the public that there is no cause for panic but emphasized the importance of maintaining hygiene and following preventive measures “In response to the situation, medical teams have been deployed to various villages in the area to screen residents and monitor for potential new cases,” he ...

Amidst the forecast of wet spell for the next one week, Jammu Kashmir continued to record the deficit rainfall in the month of January with details revealing that a deficiency of 87 per cent was recorded from January 01 to January 29. As per the details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), against the normal rainfall of 88.2 mm, the region has recorded a precipitation of just 11.5 mm only The highest deficiency of 98 per cent was recorded in Kathua during the period followed by 96 per cent in Shopian district in south Kashmir and 95 per cent in Doda. The data further reveals that Jammu, Kishtwar and Reasi districts in Jammu division saw a deficiency of 94 per cent each in the first 29 days of this year—2025. Kulgam in south Kashmir has also recorded a defici...

Danishwar Hameed A woman pedestrian lost her life in a tragic road accident at the Wanpoh Flyover on Thursday afternoon after being hit by a truck. Officials told The Kashmiriyat the truck, bearing registration number JK03H-8772, struck the woman, inflicting critical injuries. She was immediately shifted to GMC Anantnag, where doctors declared her brought dead. The deceased has been identified as Mubeena Banoo, wife of Mohd Shafi Malik, a resident of Danter, Anantnag. Police have taken cognizance of the incident and initiated an investigation into the circumstances leading to the fatal crash.

A routine gallstone surgery at District Hospital (DH) Shopian took an unexpected turn, leaving the patient’s family raising serious concerns about the hospital’s handling of the procedure. The patient, scheduled for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy on Wednesday morning, was taken into surgery around 11:30 AM after completing all necessary tests. Expecting a minimally invasive operation, her family grew anxious as the procedure extended beyond the anticipated time. According to the family, hospital staff repeatedly assured them that the surgery was proceeding as planned. However, they claim they were not informed that complications had arisen, forcing doctors to abandon the laparoscopic method and switch to an open cholecystectomy. “When they finally told us about the situation...

In a major decision, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo have approved the long-pending stipend file for Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) interning in the region. This landmark decision, hailed as a breakthrough, brings an end to years of struggle and advocacy by FMGs and their supporters, marking a new chapter in the region's healthcare sector The approval follows years of relentless efforts by FMGs to secure fair stipends for their work in the healthcare system, a foreign medical intern told The Kashmiriyat. "The Kashmiriyat was instrumental in initially carrying the issue to the forefront. When nobody spoke or acknowledged our issue, it was The Kashmiriyat, who engaged with various officials, highlighting our grievances and pushin...

Residents of several villages in central Kashmir’s Budgam district staged protests against the installation of smart electricity meters, citing concerns over high power bills and financial strain. One of the major demonstrations took place in Chek-i-Kawoosa village, where a large number of women blocked the road in opposition to the new metering system. Raising slogans, the protestors demanded a rollback of the smart meter installation, arguing that it would significantly increase their electricity bills and worsen their financial condition. “We are already struggling to make ends meet, and these smart meters will only add to our burden,” said a protesting woman in Chek-i-Kawoosa. “The electricity bills are bound to go up, and we won’t be able to afford them. How will we manage ou...