‘Hardouk Ooush’ film directed by Wasaf Jeelani makes it to Spain film festival

A short film, written and directed by a young Kashmiri boy, is set for screening at an international film festival in Spain. 24-year-old Wasaf Jeelani said his film, ‘Hardouk Ooush-Tears of the autumn’, has been selected for International India film festival Spain. The film, produced by Vivek Budakoti and Rajita Sharna, has been made under the banner of Magic Lantern Productions. Inspired by Anton Chekhov’s short story ‘Misery’, the film is an attempt to present a perspective on enforced disappearances in Kashmir, said Jeelani.

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Two Army Men, including Major killed in Shopian encounter

Two army men, including a major, were martyred while one jawan reportedly injured after terrorists open-fired on a patrol party of security forces at Imam Sahab area of South Kashmir`s Shopian district on Thursday morning. A cordon and search operation was launched by Army in Zaipora area of Shopian during the night following intelligence inputs about the presence of militants there, a police official said. During the search operation, the terrorists fired upon the search party, injuring three army personnel. The injured were later taken to Army’s 92 base hospital…

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Pandit staff in dilemma over ultimatum on rejoining duty

Had shifted to Jammu last year when their camps were targeted Hundreds of displaced Kashmiri Pandit employees engaged under the Prime Minister’s employment package are in a dilemma after the government issued an ultimatum asking them join duties in Kashmir within 15 days or face termination. The youth who returned to the Valley in 2010 had given an undertaking that they would not seek transfer and attachment outside Kashmir under the rehabilitation package announced by then Congress-led UPA government in 2008. However, last year when the Valley witnessed violence following…

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Cloudburst hits Khonmoh industrial area, Surrounding areas

A massive cloudburst caused flash floods at Khonmoh area here on outskirts on Wednesday morning damaging more than hundred units at the Khonmoh Industrial Estate (IE). Reports said the first cloudburst occurred at 9:30 am hitting Industrial Estate Phase-2. The second cloudburst hit Phase-3 of the IE in the afternoon. The IE is divided into three phases and there are almost 450 industrial units in the estate spread on 4000 kanals. Witnesses said more than 100 units have been damaged. Industrial units affected by the cloudburst included those manufacturing of…

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Flash floods claims three lives in Jammu region

A 7-year-old boy was among three persons killed in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Jammu, police said today. The boy identified as Khateeb Ahmed was washed away in the Gundi area of Ramban district when he was on his way to school today, they said. His body was recovered later, police said. In another incident, Ashraf Bi was washed away in Poonch district today, while Bahadur Singh (50) died last night after his house collapsed due to heavy rains in Kathua district, they said. The flash floods also…

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India permitted to construct Kishanganga, Rattle projects: World Bank

Under the Indus Waters Treaty, India is permitted to construct hydroelectric power facilities on tributaries of the Jhelum and Chenab rivers with certain restrictions, the World Bank has said. Pakistan opposes the construction of the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Rattle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric power plants being built by India, it said in a fact sheet issued yesterday at the conclusion of secretary-level talks between the two countries over the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Noting that the two countries disagree over whether the technical design features of the two hydroelectric plants…

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Pakistani lawmakers elect Shahid Abbasi as PM to replace ousted Nawaz Sharif

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was on Tuesday elected Prime Minister by Pakistan’s National Assembly, becoming the interim leader of the country after Nawaz Sharif was disqualified by the Supreme Court over the Panama Papers scandal. Abbasi got elected after getting 221 votes in the House of 342. Naveed Qamar of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) got 47 votes, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf got 33 while Jamaat-e-Islami’s Sahibzada Tariqullah managed just four votes. After announcing the results amid sloganeering, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq asked Abbasi to take the seat of…

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Resistance Leadership calls shutdown in Kashmir tomorrow against civilian killings, Schools, colleges to remain closed

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) has called for a strike tomorrow to protest against the killing of a civilian in forces’ action on protesters in Pulwama district earlier today. A civilian, identified as Showkat Ahmad of Begumbagh Kakapora, was killed after forces opened fire on protesters marching towards the encounter site in Hakripora earlier today. JRL called the killings and use of force on protesters as “worst example of state terrorism”. They appealed to people to observe complete shutdown against what they called naked aggression, cruelty of government forces and massacre…

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Worried about being laid off? Try these IT jobs

Worried about being laid off? If you are in IT sector, these are the roles you need to move towards – cloud engineer, DevOps engineer, information security manager amongst others. A report by e-learning company Simplilearn shows what roles in IT are likely disappear and what roles are likely to see demand in the next 1-2 years, also the median salary or the salary point where mass hiring is expected to happen. IT job roles such as software test engineer (in manual testing), system engineer (in infrastructure management), customer service…

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Won’t pay tax, if GST not rolled back: Civil Society

The Jammu and Kashmir Coordination Committee (JKCC), a grouping of trade organisations and civil society groups, said on Monday that it will take to the route of civil disobedience if the Goods and Services Tax (GST) is not rolled back by the state government. “If the state has means to exercise its power, we, too, have means. We will not pay any tax to the government if it is not rolled back,” said Shakeel Qalander, a member of the JKCC during a seminar, ‘Surrender of Fiscal Autonomy and Compromise on…

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