Month: January 2021

Malaysian council condemns human rights violations in occupied Kashmir seeks UN intervention against India

Editor

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (MAPIM) called on Wednesday for United Nations’ (UN) immediate intervention against India’s impunity on Kashmir’s freedom and human rights activists to ensure their protection, particularly Aasiya Andrabi. In a statement, MAPIM President Muhammad Azmi Abdul Hanid called for dropping “concocted charges” against Andrabi and her unconditional release. “India must end all persecutions on Kashmir political dissenters and human rights activists and those apprehended without charge must be released,” Azmi said. The statement was endorsed by Chairman MANAR Datuk Seri Syekh Ahmad Awang, Chairman…

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What is avian influenza or bird flu? Which Indian states have been affected?

Editor

After at least five states in India reported bird deaths due to bird flu in the past one week, the Centre has issued an advisory to all states asking them to test the droppings of migratory and poultry birds to prevent the spread. Close to 24,500 birds have died and thousands others are infected. Here’s an explainer on how serious is the 2021 bird flu threat. What is avian influenza or bird flu?Bird flu is a highly contagious viral disease caused by Influenza type A viruses which generally affects poultry…

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‘Want tourists to enjoy snowfall, carry only good memories from here’; Hotels, Houseboats, Homes open doors for stranded tourists

Editor

Living up to their age-old tradition of being very hospitable towards their guests, the people in Kashmir have yet again depicted the gesture by opening their doors to accommodate the guests stranded here due to closure of the Srinagar – Jammu highway and cancellation of flights at Srinagar airport after the Valley received heavy snowfall from last two days. From offering accommodation in homes to houseboats to hotels, Valley people are going all out to ensure that the tourists stuck here carry only good memories with them. Valley’s travel and…

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Amid heavy snowfall across Kashmir Valley, Admin orders rationing of essentials

Editor

Heavy snowfall on Tuesday snapped air and surface link with the Kashmir Valley from the rest of country forcing authorities to order rationing of essentials commodities to evade any crisis in supply. The Srinagar-Jammu Highway remained closed for the third consecutive day. The nearly 300-km long highway is the lifeline of supplies for the landlocked Valley. Each time, the highway gets blocked, hoarders and profiteers resort to selling essentials on the black market. The authorities on Tuesday announced rationing of petroleum products and cooking gas. An order issued by PK…

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Outrage after Indian Army accused of ‘Staged Kashmir Killing’

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Indian army says it killed rebels but victims’ families say the three young men were innocent and murdered in another case of ‘staged gunfight’. On Tuesday, Indian forces killed three young Kashmiri men claiming they were supporters of armed groups and likely planning an attack, but their families saying they were innocent and were murdered in another case of a staged gunfight. The families of the three victims – Zubair Ahmad Lone, 25, Ather Mushtaq Wani,16, and Aijaz Maqbool Ganai, 22 – from Shopian and Pulwama districts, on Wednesday protested…

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‘Kangri’ reach Singhu border to keep protesting farmers warm

Editor

The farmers from different parts of the country camping at various border points of Delhi for more than a month now have been given around 50 Kangris brought by a Delhi-based NGO from Jammu and Kashmir to give some respite to elderly farmers from the chilling cold. Kangri is an earthen pot woven around with wicker, filled with hot embers, and it is used by Kashmiris under the traditional long cloth Phiran or inside a blanket to warm the body. “Last week, I was approached by some people that they…

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Snowfall affects Surface & Air traffic for 2nd day, Power outage across Kashmir Valley

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Over 4000 vehicles stranded, No traffic on the highway today 471 feeders, 80 transformers damage, Electricity to be restored today: Govt The plains and higher reaches on Monday received fresh spells of moderate to heavy snowfall for the second consecutive day leading to the closure of Srinagar – Jammu highway and cancellation of all flights at Srinagar airport for the second consecutive day. Due to the landslides, over 4,000 vehicles are stranded at various places along the Srinagar Jammu highway. The Meteorological Department has predicted moderate to heavy snowfall in…

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Srinagar Encounter: Slain youth’s kin stage protest, demand bodies, and a fair probe, Omar, Mufti advocates claim

Editor

The families of two of three youths who were killed in an encounter with security forces on December 30 protested in Srinagar on Monday demanding their bodies and impartial investigation into the matter. While the army and police have maintained that they were militants, the youths’ families have vouched for their innocence. The police also released purported videos of the cordoned house where the trio – Zubair Ahmad of Turkawangam, Shopian; Ajaz Maqbool and Athar Mushtaq of Putrigam, Pulwama – was killed in Hokersar-Lawaypora, Srinagar. The security forced had claimed…

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Term ‘Halal’ dropped from meat manual by govt body

Editor

A government body on Monday removed the word “halal” from a red meat manual that it issues to lay down the contours of meat export — a move that came in the backdrop of allegations by some Hindu groups that the use of the term gives an unfair business advantage to Muslim exporters. “Halal” is a term used for consumables permitted under Islam. Meat that is slaughtered in a certain way is also labelled as “halal-certified”. Several Islamic countries import only “halal-certified” meat. A section of the older manual by…

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Power deficit to Power surplus in the next four years; J&K to be power surplus after MoUs with NHPC: LG Manoj Sinha

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The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Sunday said it has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and that it will attract Rs 35,000 crore investments besides ensuring 24-hour power supply in the UT. The MoUs were signed between Power Development Department (PDD), NHPC and Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation in presence of Lt governor Manoj Sinha, Union minister of state (MoS) for power, new and renewable energy RK Singh and Union MoS in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh while various projects of PDD aimed at…

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