REGIONAL

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in a statement has called for the immediate release of a Kashmiri journalist Sajad Gull. In a statement, the RSF said, "The reporter for The Kashmir Walla website has been detained in a completely arbitrary manner for the past six days in Indian-administered Kashmir and is facing the possibility of more than six years in prison for nothing more than a tweet." Sajad Ahmad Dar, who writes under the by-line of Sajad Gul, was arrested by Indian soldiers on the night of 5 January and was taken to the police station in Sumbal, a town 20 km north of the region’s capital, Srinagar, RSF stated. On 8 January, he was charged with criminal conspiracy, assertions prejudicial to national integration, and statements conducing to public mischief under sections 120B...

Jammu Kashmir reported 1148 fresh covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, while two deaths have been reported across the region, officials said on Sunday. 640 out of these cases fresh cases were reported from the Jammu division and 508 from Kashmir, an official told The Kashmiriyat. On Tuesday, five omicron cases were reported from the valley, three of them in Anantnag. The total number of positive cases stands at 4810- 2676 in Jammu and 2134 in the Kashmir valley. Giving district-wise details of the fresh cases, the officials said that Srinagar reported the highest 256 cases, Baramulla 94, Budgam 59, Pulwama 12, Kupwara 30, Anantnag 18, Bandipora 18, Ganderbal 5, Kulgam 13, Shopian 2. In Jammu division, Jammu district reported the highest with 301 cases, Udhampur 77, Rajouri 2...

Suhail Dar Amid a huge spike in Covid 19 cases in Jammu Kashmir, eight omicron cases have been reported in the region, officials said on Tuesday. An official speaking to The Kashmiriyat said that eight cases of  Omicron variant have been detected in Jammu Kashmir, 04 from Jammu, 01 from Baramulla, 03 from GMC Anantnag. The official said that the first case of Omicron was detected in Kashmir on Monday while four more were detected today. "Three detected with omicron were non-locals whose samples were taken in Anantnag and they have already returned back from the valley," the official said.

First case of Omicron was confirmed in Kashmir Valley as one pregnant women from Uri area of North Kashmir's Baramulla district tested postive for the variant on Tuesday, official sources said. A health official told GNS that the pragnant lady is from Dhanisayden Uri and her sample was taken on 20 December 2021 at SDH Uri for for Omicron. Officials said she was already Covid postive patient. Deputy commissioner Baramulla confirmed to GNS that woman's test returned postive for the Omicron and said that she is stable. Officials said that a team of doctors has been rushed to the woman's home and samples f her family members and neighbors will be done. (GNS)

Seven persons were injured in a head-on collision between an army vehicle and video coach bus near Tota Gali in Poonch district on Tuesday. Official sources told GNS that there was collision between army vehicle and the video coach (JK02BH-5393 )at Tota Gali. The injured include Ajaz Ahmed (14) son of Alif Din of Sumbal, Mahmood Ahmed (28 ) son of Mohammad Latif of Gursai, Nazir Hussain (48) son of Lal Din of Marhote , Shafqat Ali son of Mohammad Rashid of Marhote, Arshad Iqbal (23) son of Mohammad Iqbal and Mohd Bashir (70) son of Gulab din of Narain and Bagum Johan (65) wife of Sala Mohammad of Narain. All the injured have been shifted to Army Hospital BG Gali for treatment. They were later treatment to GMC Rajouri. A police official confirmed to GNS the accident and subsequent ...

Tumna village in Kupwara district is still reeling under snow as the concerned department has failed to clear the link road leading to Tumna Chowkibal which is about 24 kms away from district headquarter of north Kashmir district. Locals of the Tumna Chowkibal told GNS over phone that they are facing immense hardships due to non clearance of roads. “From last three days, no one from the concerned department has come to remove the snow from our link road. We made several requests for removing the snow but to no avail, ” residents of the area said. Sarpanch of Tumna told GNS that due to closure of Tumna chowkibal road they carried an ailing old man Ali Mohammad Mir, 60, to hospital through the snow on shoulders. “I along with several other villagers carried him on a cot upto 400 met...

Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) on Tuesday said that it trapped and arrested Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of Police Station Kupwara for accepting bribe of Rs 10,000 from a truck driver. “Anti Corruption Bureau received a complaint through ACB helpline alleging therein that Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Mohammad Sultan Mir of Police Station Kupwara is demanding bribe for providing report to the court on an application moved by complainant through his counsel before court for release of his truck & its documents which were seized by the police station in accident case," a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) reads. It said that the complainant alleged that his truck met with an accident on 29-11-2021 near Heri, Kupwara. “A case was registered against him...

Kashmir Valley and Ladakh continued to reel under sub-zero temperatures with famous resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam recording a low of minus 10.6°C and minus 10.4°C respectively on Tuesday. A meteorological department official here told GNS that except Srinagar, mercury dropped in entire Valley with the summer capital of J&K recording a low of 0.2°C same as on previous. It was 2.1°C above normal for this time of the year Srinagar, he said. Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, recorded a drop by six notches as mercury settled at minus 10.6°C against previous night’s minus 10.0°C, he said. Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 10.4°C against minus 2.5°C on previous night, he said. Kashmir is presently u...

A 33-year-old accused from Seadpora area of Sopore, who was lodged along with his brother, at district jail Kupwara died around midnight, officials said on Tuesday. They said the accused Khurshid Ahmad Wani son of Ghulam Mohammad Wani of Seadpora Sopore, who was lodged in the jail since 5-October-2021 in a case (FIR no 52/2021 under section 363 498 and 109 IPC of police station Kralgund, fell severely ill and was taken to sub District hospital Kupwara where doctors declared him brought dead. Sources said that Khursheed was not keep well for quite some time and around midnight, his brother who is also lodged in the hospital in connection with same case, raised an alarm following which health officials of the hospital reached and found him dead. The jail authorities shifted him to h...