Category: Today

Protect army personals from stone-pelters: Army kids to NHRC

Editor

At a time when FIR against Armymen and withdrawal of cases against stone-pelters is a subject of hot debate in J&K, children of two Army officers took an unprecedented step to move the National Human Rights Commission, asking it to protect army personnel’s human rights being violated daily by stone-pelters. Preeti, Kajal and Prabhav, children of two Lt Colonels and a retired Naib Subedar, presented NHRC chief Justice H L Dattu with a complaint, which complimented the apex human rights body and Amnesty International for zealously protecting the human rights…

Read More

Number of Kashmiris joining terror outfits steadily increasing: Mehbooba Mufti

Editor

In a written reply in the state assembly, she said that 126 local men joined terrorism in 2017. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Tuesday admitted that the number of local Kashmiri youngsters joining terrorism is steadily going up. In a written reply in the state assembly, she said that 126 local men joined terrorism in 2017. “The number of youth who joined militancy in 2017 is 126, while in 2016 the number was 88 and in 2015, it was 66,” she stated. Mehbooba had earlier vowed to…

Read More

Security tightened across J&K, Mobile Network, Internet services snapped in Kashmir ahead of Republic Day Function

Editor

Jammu and Kashmir has been put on a high alert and extra security has been deployed in sensitive towns and cities following intelligence inputs that terrorists may strike in a big way on Republic Day on Friday. The security has been tightened, particularly in Srinagar and Jammu, where the main functions will be held. Guard has also been upped near Army camps, vital installations and highways. Separatists have given a call for a shutdown and protests for Friday. Reviewing the security, Director General of Police SP Vaid said all necessary…

Read More

Teenage, Two militants killed, scores injured in Shopian Gunfight

Editor

Two militants were gunned down in an ongoing gunfight with security forces while a teenage boy was killed and two young girls were critically injured as security forces allegedly opened fire at protesters near the encounter site in Shopian district of south Kashmir. The injured girls have bullet wounds on their heads and are critical, as per health officials. The encounter raged in Chaigund village of Shopian district, some 50 km south of the summer capital. The slain teenager has been identified as Shakir Mir, son of Mohammad Yousuf Mir,…

Read More

No mediation on Kashmir unless both parties agree: UN Chief Antonio Guterres

Editor

chief Antonio Guterres has ruled out any mediation to resolve the Kashmir issue unless all parties agree to it and asked India and Pakistan to address their outstanding issues through talks amidst heightened tensions along the border. The U.N. Secretary-General’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that in principle good offices of the U.N. chief are always available for mediation, but everyone needs to agree on involving the world body. Asked about escalating tensions between India and Pakistan due to ongoing skirmishes and firing along the border, Mr. Dujarric said, “We’re obviously…

Read More

Two troopers, Two civilians killed in Pak firing along LoC, Villagers flee as Pak rains mortars

Editor

Govt closes all schools close to border, LoC Only three bullet-proof vehicles to evacuate 15,000 residents in Kathua An army man, a border guard and two civilians were were killed and 26 others injured in cross border firing along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu province on Friday. The cross-border firing started mid night and it again resumed during early morning along the IB in Arnia and R S Pura sectors. Later, Hiranagar and Samba sectors also witnessed intense cross-border firing and shelling. “The firing…

Read More

Govt ends Haj subsidy, says decision taken to empower minorities

Editor

Minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the Saudi Arabian government has in principle agreed to allow Haj journey from India by ships and officials of the two countries will sit together to finalise modalities. There will be no subsidy for Haj pilgrims from this year, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Tuesday. Naqvi told reporters that despite the subsidy withdrawal, a record number of 1.75 lakh Muslims will undertake the pilgrimage this year from India. Naqvi also said the Saudi Arabian government has in principle agreed to allow…

Read More

Kashmir suffering due to bitter relations between two neighboring countries, must shun ‘Tit for Tat’ policy: Mehbooba Mufti

Editor

Batting for resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said the confrontation between the two countries was the biggest challenge for the people of J&K who had been the worst victims of their bitter relations. She, however, hoped that the two countries would stop their “tit for tat” policy and go back to the days of friendship, amity and reconciliation witnessed during the regime of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. “The biggest challenge for the people of the state is the confrontation between the…

Read More

Govt rolls out populist Budget, Highlights

Editor

Finance Minister terms it a potential game-changer I Rs80,213 cr to be spent in next fiscal Non-commercial vehicles not to pay toll at Lakhanpur,  Tax on commodities up by 25%; 12 specific items exempted In its first post-GST Budget, the PDP-BJP government today focused on populism and rolled out several welfare measures “to change the lives of people, especially of the most vulnerable and marginalised”. Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu, while presenting his fourth Budget in the Mehbooba Mufti-led government, termed it a ‘Budget of conscience’ and ‘potential game-changer’ in the…

Read More

Valley shivers at -6.2°C, water bodies freeze, No Rain, Snow till January 14

Editor

The weather in the summer capital continued to remain below -6°C for the third consecutive day, giving a tough time to residents. Though the weather is predicted to remain dry for the week, the mercury further dropped in Srinagar. Officials said the weather would remain dry till January 11 as the cloud cover had disappeared from the sky. The night temperature in the city settled at the season’s lowest of -6.2°C which was the coldest in the season so far — marginally down from -6.1°C recorded the previous night. Many…

Read More