Cloth masks are useless: US health experts

Cloth masks are useless: US health experts

Prominent public health officials in the US have increasingly highlighted the limitations of cloth face masks, pushing for more effective respirator masks such as N95s as the Omicron variant is rapidly spreading across the country, a shift in messaging from earlier in the pandemic, the Washington Examiner reported. Officials encouraged the use of cloth masks in the spring of 2020 as a desperate measure to slow the spread of Covid-19 after previously recommending against masks and continued to boost them in the months after. Now, though, more experts are saying…

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Amid Covid surge, sharpest month on month dip in tourist arrivals to Kashmir

Amid Covid surge, sharpest month on month dip in tourist arrivals to Kashmir

The surge in cases of COVID19 across the country, including Jammu and Kashmir, has proved to be a damp squib for the tourism sector in the Valley. What was looking like a promising winter tourism season on the eve of New Year’s, has lost momentum, with a sharp decrease of more than 1 lakh tourists registered in January so far. As per official figures collected by this newspaper, 1.42 lakh tourists visited Kashmir in December 2021. However, as the Omicron-led Third Wave started to peak from the first week of January,…

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J&K logs 6568 Covid cases; Highest active infections in Srinagar

J&K logs 6568 Covid cases; Highest active infections in Srinagar

Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday reported the highest-ever daily Covid-19 spike witnessing 6,568 infections, again breaching all records since the pandemic began in 2020. Seven persons died due to the Covid-19 induced illness. The day’s surge is more than the monthly total cases of the past six months(In the past six months, July had recorded a highest of 5,800 overall cases during the month while October had seen 2,819 infections). For the past four days, the union territory has recorded above 5,700 cases daily. Before this week’s surge, the highest…

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Silence shouldn’t be misconstrued as normalcy: Mehbooba Mufti

Silence shouldn’t be misconstrued as normalcy: Mehbooba Mufti

Srinagar, Jan 22, (KIF): Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti reacted sharply to the remarks made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that statehood will be restored once the situation becomes normal in Jammu and Kashmir. Amit Shah today said that elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held as delimitation has started. Shah said that he has given assurance in Lok Sabha that as soon as the situation becomes normal in Jammu and Kashmir, statehood will be given back to J&K. Mehbooba Mufti in response to…

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Kashmir Issue: Antonio Guterres hopes for peaceful resolution between India and Pakistan

Kashmir Issue: Antonio Guterres hopes for peaceful resolution between India and Pakistan

New Delhi has been categorically rejecting any scope for third-party mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, saying that India’s stand has been clear for decades and the two countries can discuss the issue bilaterally. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he hopes the Kashmir issue between India and Pakistan can be solved peacefully. “Well, the position of the UN and the resolutions that were taken are the same, remain the same. We have, as you know, a peacekeeping operation there. We are, of course, committed,” Guterres said on…

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Omicron: J&K logs 07 Deaths and 5992 new infections; Govt orders lock-down from Friday 14:00 to Monday 06:00 Hours

Omicron: J&K logs 07 Deaths and 5992 new infections; Govt orders lock-down from Friday 14:00 to Monday 06:00 Hours

Figure highest ever since the pandemic outbreak, Sgr tops the list with 1,306 cases Case tally at 378,661 death toll mounts to 4,586, active cases increase to 31,044, recovery rate goes down to 90.59 Govt Orders complete restriction on non-essential travel from 2 p.m Friday to 6 a.m. Monday till further orders in J&K Srinagar, Jan, 21, (KIF): The Jammu and Kashmir Union territory on Thursday reported seven deaths and the biggest ever spike of 5,992 cases, the highest ever since the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, pushing the number of…

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Kashmir’s cricket bats industry received booster, by its maiden product appearance in T20 World Cup

Kashmir's cricket bats industry received booster, by its maiden product appearance in T20 World Cup

The Kashmir Willow bats have finally arrived in the international cricketing world. For the first time in the last 75 years, two international cricket players used the Kashmir willow bats in the T-20 world cup, which was held in Dubai. This development has changed the fate of Kashmir’s Willow bat industry. The demand for Kashmir Willow bats has increased and orders are pouring in from across the World. Bat importers from around 12 cricket-playing nations have placed orders with several bat factories in Kashmir. The Kashmir bat industry was established…

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J&K reports highest Covid cases, logs 5818 infections and four fatalities

J&K reports highest Covid cases, logs 5818 infections and four fatalities

Srinagar, Jan 19 (KIF): Covid-19 cases continue to mount as Jammu and Kashmir reported 5818 fresh cases while four persons died due to it in the last 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday. They said 1752 of the fresh cases were confirmed from Jammu Division and 4066 from Kashmir valley, taking the overall tally to 372669. Giving district-wise details, the officials told that Srinagar reported 1745 cases, Baramulla 791, Budgam 594, Pulwama 230, Kupwara 93, Anantnag 217,  Bandipora 130, Ganderbal 84, Kulgam 162, Shopian 20,  Jammu 1131,  Udhampur 105, Rajouri…

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‘War Crimes In Kashmir’: UK asked to nab Indian Army Chief, Home Minister and other Senior official over Kashmir ‘War Crimes’

'War Crimes In Kashmir': UK asked to nab Indian Army Chief, Home Minister and other Senior official over Kashmir 'War Crimes'

A London-based law firm filed an application with British police Tuesday seeking the arrest of India’s army chief and a senior Indian government official over their alleged roles in war crimes in disputed Kashmir. Law firm Stoke White said it submitted extensive evidence to the Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Unit documenting how Indian forces headed by Gen. Manoj Mukund Naravane and Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah were responsible for the torture, kidnapping, and killing of activists, journalists, and civilians. The law firm’s report was based on over 2,000 testimonies taken…

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J&K reports highest infections in 8 months; Witnessed three Covid-induced deaths and 4651 fresh cases

J&K reports highest infections in 8 months; Witnessed three Covid-induced deaths, 4651 fresh infections

Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday saw three Covid-induced deaths and 4,651 fresh infections – reporting the highest daily surge after May 9. Kashmir valley witnessed the highest 957 cases in Srinagar Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday witnessed three Covid-induced deaths and 4,651 fresh infections – reporting the highest daily surge after May 9. The active cases in the union territory reached 21,677 with over 20,300 active cases added in January so far. On December 31, the union territory had just 1,337 active cases. The officials said a record 74,772 tests…

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