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May302025 by News DeskNo Comments

‘₹6,500 for a destroyed home’: Destruction widespread in border villages of Jammu Kashmir, relief negligible

REGIONAL

The early days of May 2025 brought renewed devastation to border villages in Jammu Kashmir as intense cross-border shelling from Pakistani troops struck multiple districts, damaging hundreds of homes and public buildings. Amid the rubble, residents now face what they call a second blow: paltry compensation from the government that barely scratches the surface of their losses. In the border district of Kupwara alone, more than 100 structures were damaged in Baramulla and Kupwara villages. Across all affected areas in Tangdhar, Karnah, Uri, Poonch, and Rajouri, the total number of damaged homes and structures has surpassed 400, according to local assessments. For many, the compensation has come as a shock. “I spent Rs 15,000 just to clear the debris of my destroyed house. The gov...

May302025 by News DeskNo Comments

Exposing the dark side of healthcare: MLA Mehraj Malik uncovers the hidden crisis in Jammu Kashmir

OPINIONS

Meer Irfan The healthcare system in Jammu Kashmir has long faced scrutiny, but in recent months, allegations of medical negligence—especially affecting underprivileged patients—have intensified. At the forefront of this campaign is Mehraj Malik, MLA from Doda and Jammu Kashmir's Aam Aadmi Party chief. Malik has consistently alleged that government hospitals, particularly Government Medical College (GMC) Doda, systematically fail the poor while serving the affluent with ease. In multiple social media videos, Malik has highlighted disturbing stories of patients allegedly mistreated or subjected to unnecessary procedures. One case involves a patient who underwent eye surgery at GMC Doda, only to be told later by doctors in Amritsar that the surgery was not medically required. The ...

May302025 by News DeskNo Comments

Entire Swiss village buried in seconds after massive landslide amid unchecked development

INTERNATIONAL

On May 28, 2025, a massive landslide triggered by the collapse of the Birch Glacier tore through the Swiss alpine village of Blatten, burying nearly 90% of it under a torrent of ice, mud, and rock. At least 40 buildings—homes, barns, and public structures—were swallowed in seconds, transforming a centuries-old settlement into a wasteland of debris. One person remains missing, though the toll could have been far worse had residents not been evacuated on May 19 after scientists detected signs of imminent collapse. Drone footage and satellite imagery reveal the scale of destruction: what was once a scenic village at the foot of a glacier is now an uninhabitable scar in the landscape. But this is no mere natural tragedy. It is the culmination of decades of relentless human reshapin...

May302025 by News DeskNo Comments

Eight policemen injured as gypsy overturns in Baramulla

REGIONAL

A police vehicle carrying officials for duty met with an accident near the Twin Bridge area in Uri, north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, on Friday, resulting in injuries to eight policemen. A senior police officer told news agency JKNS that a Gypsy belonging to Police Post Udoosa, Uri, was en route with officials for deployment when it skidded off the road near the Twin Bridge and overturned. Eight policemen on board sustained injuries in the mishap and were immediately shifted to Sub District Hospital (SDH) Uri for treatment, he said. Police have taken cognizance of the incident and further investigation underway. (JKNS)

May292025 by News DeskNo Comments

Zunoo Bibi ‘Mujahida’: The forgotten revolutionary of Kashmir

WRITE-UPS

On October 8th, 1983, British author Bilkees Tasir was sitting in the vestibule of Begum Abdullah’s house in Srinagar, casually chatting with some friends, when suddenly a burst of excitement filled the room. Mian Ghulam Sarwar, a political dissident and friend of Tasir, suddenly stood up and exclaimed, "Look, look who's here. Quick, bring your camera and take her photo. She is Zunoo Bibi Mujahida, a unique person to us Kashmiris." Tasir rushed to fetch her camera, and they all moved out to the lawn where she photographed a statuesque, virile old woman dressed in a loose pheran, toothless but sparkling with vitality. Tasir's friend also took a picture of the two women together, Zunoo (Zoona) Bibi with her niece. ALSO READ: Qadir Ganderbali: The enigmatic figure from Kashmir’s darkest e...

May292025 by News DeskNo Comments

Stormy weather likely across Kashmir over next 72 hours

REGIONAL

Jammu Kashmir is set to experience a spell of stormy and unstable weather over the next 72 hours, extending until Saturday. Widespread thundershowers are expected across most parts of the Union Territory, with a more intense weather system likely to move in from Friday night into Saturday. This period may bring bouts of heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and isolated hailstorms, as per Kashmir Weather. The persistent cloud cover associated with the system is expected to keep daytime temperatures below normal for this time of year. Authorities and residents are advised to remain alert as intense showers could trigger landslides and shooting stones, particularly along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The possibility of cloudbursts and cloud-to-ground lightning strikes also exists. Fla...

May292025 by News DeskNo Comments

NIA arrests CRPF officer Moti Ram for sharing sensitive information with Pakistani Intelligence

INDIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Assistant Sub Inspector, Moti Ram Jat, on charges of espionage. According to the NIA, Jat had been sharing classified information related to national security with Pakistani intelligence operatives since 2023. The accused, a resident of Rajasthan, was posted with the CRPF’s 116 Battalion in Kashmir’s Pahalgam region—a site of a recent terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives in April. He was taken into custody in Delhi and remanded to NIA custody until June 6 by a special court at Patiala House. Investigators revealed that Jat was approached on social media by Pakistani agents posing as a woman. Over time, he allegedly disclosed sensitive operational details, including convoy movements. Off...

May292025 by News DeskNo Comments

Hailstorm causes damage to orchards in Rafiabad

REGIONAL

A hailstorm accompanied by heavy rain caused damage to crops in the upper reaches of the Rafiabad area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Thursday evening. The weather event caused damage to a range of fruits and vegetables, including apples, cherries, and other seasonal produce. “The hailstorm was intense and lasted several minutes, leaving the orchards battered,” a grower from Rafiabad said. Similar weather conditions were reported in Ladua, Khamoh, Shalkote, Braman, Kutroo Narbal, and other parts of Rafiabad. Farmers in the affected areas have appealed to the authorities for assessment and compensation, citing heavy losses ahead of the harvesting season. (JKNS)

May292025 by News DeskNo Comments

As luxury malls multiply, shared spaces shrink in Indian cities

WRITE-UPS

Bhavna Singh Years ago, while wandering through a bylane in Bengaluru, I stumbled upon a modest tea stall owned by an elderly woman. Beside her shop, a few makeshift homes had cropped up — slum dwellers who had built a tiny life for themselves, complete with little gardens of marigolds and sunflowers. In the evenings, they would gather on patches of open land, talking in dialects I could barely understand, laughter bouncing between tin roofs and bougainvillea vines. When I returned recently, I couldn’t locate the tea shop. In its place stood a gleaming shopping mall — glassy, silent, air-conditioned. There was no sign of the people who once lived and laughed there. Their homes had vanished without a trace. This isn’t just about nostalgia or memory. It is about a silent restructuri...

May292025 by News DeskNo Comments

‘Kill the Covid 19 patient’: Doctor heard telling colleague in viral audio clip

INDIA

In a chilling turn of events, Maharashtra Police have registered an FIR against a senior government doctor in Latur after an audio clip surfaced allegedly capturing him instructing a colleague to "kill" a COVID-19 patient during the 2021 pandemic peak. The incident, though over three years old, has resurfaced after the audio went viral on social media earlier this month, as per a report by Press Trust of India. The accused, Dr Shashikant Deshpande—then additional district surgeon at Udgir Government Hospital—is purportedly heard telling another doctor, Shashikant Dange, “Don’t allow anyone to go inside, just kill that Dayami woman,” referring to 41-year-old COVID-19 patient Kausar Fatima. At the time, Dr Dange was posted at a COVID-19 care centre in Udgir. Ironically, the Indian gove...