Greater Kashmir

New Delhi, Nov 02: Delhi's air quality slipped into the 'very poor' category for the first time this season on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recording 312 at 9 am, while the minimum temperature at the Safdarjung weather station settled at 16.4 degrees Celsius, 1.1 notches above normal. The minimum temperatures at other weather stations were recorded at 16.4 degrees Celsius at Palam, 16.8 degrees at Lodhi Road, 17.2 degrees at the Ridge and 16.7 degrees at Ayanagar, according to the In

Srinagar, Nov 01: Amid steady festive demand for Kashmiri apples in terminal markets across the country ahead of Diwali, supplies remain inadequate after a substantial portion of this year's crop was hit by a scab outbreak, according to growers and dealers. The demand is very good. On this occasion (Diwali), our large apples (Grade A), especially the gift pack, have a good demand, Zahoor Ahad Tantray, general secretary of Kashmir Fruit Growers and Dealers Association, said. Tantray, however, sai

Srinagar, Oct 28:Minister for Agriculture Production, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Cooperative and Election Departments, Javid Ahmad Dar, on Wednesday called for modernising Jammu and Kashmirs apple industry through technology adoption, precision horticulture and improved market linkages to boost growers incomes and expand access to domestic and international markets. He was speaking at the sixth edition of the CII J&K Apple Conclave 2026, organised by the Confederation of Indian Indust

New Delhi, Oct 26: The Supreme Court on Monday directed all states and Union Territories to allocate funds to build bar rooms, washrooms and other basic amenities for women advocates in district and taluk courts. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana disapproved of the lack of ladies' bar rooms and said facilities should be provided to women advocates regardless of their numbers. If there are no ladies' bar rooms, we strongly disapprove of

Leh, Oct 23: The chief electoral officer of Ladakh on Friday announced elections to the municipal committees of Leh and Kargil, comprising 38 wards, on November 21. The last panchayat and municipal elections in Ladakh were held in 2018 when it was part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Both the bodies have completed their terms. According to a press note issued by Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rahul Sharma, the electoral rolls for the municipal committees of Leh (21 wards) and Kargil

Srinagar, Oct 23: Continuing its crackdown against drug peddling, Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested four drug peddlers in separate anti-narcotics operations in Anantnag, Kulgam and Kupwara; and recovered contraband substances from their possession. A police spokesperson said that in Anantnag, during patrolling in the Jablipora area, a police party from Police Station Bijbehara arrested a person identified as Usman Ahmed Mir son of Late Zahoor Ahmed resident of Batengoo, Bijbehara, at Fruit

Srinagar, Oct 23: In a major crackdown on illegal mining, Jammu and Kashmir Police in Pulwama, acting on the directions of SSP Pulwama, conducted early-morning raids at multiple locations across the Rohmu belt to curb the illegal extraction of soil and minerals. A police spokesperson said that during the operation, a police team led by DySP Headquarters, Pulwama, intercepted illegal soil extraction at Gusoo, Pulwama, and seized 23 dumpers/tippers and one L&T excavator from the spot. He said that

Leh, Oct 23: The Ladakh State Election Commission on Friday issued separate notifications inviting objections and suggestions from the public and other stakeholders on the draft delimitation of constituencies for eight newly created Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC). According to eight separate notifications issued by the Commission, objections and suggestions must be submitted to the deputy commissioners or Block Development Officers of these districts by November 2. The Commi

Lahore, Oct 23: Pakistan's Lahore was ranked the world's most polluted city on Friday, with its air quality reaching hazardous levels and the Air Quality Index (AQI) touching 410, according to an air quality monitoring platform. The AQI is a numerical measure of air pollution, with higher values indicating poorer air quality and greater health risks. Under the scale used by the Swiss monitoring platform IQAir, readings above 300 are classified as hazardous. IQAir's report also said the concentra

Bucharest,, Oct 23: Romanian authorities said Friday that a search and rescue mission is underway in the Black Sea after a cargo ship caught fire, leaving one dead and three missing. The incident occurred about 13 nautical miles (15 miles) east of the port city of Constanta, according to the Romanian Naval Authority, and was reported around 10 am local time. The ship's crew was 10 Ukrainian citizens and 3 Azerbaijanis.

Srinagar, Oct 23: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for civic and road infrastructure projects worth 14.33 crore in Beerwah area of Budgam district, aimed at improving connectivity, enhancing public amenities and boosting tourism potential. The Chief Minister inaugurated a two-span truss girder bridge over Nallah Sukhnag, with each span measuring 35 metres, providing improved connectivity in the area. He also laid foundation stones for the beautificati

Srinagar, Oct 23: Apni Party leader Ghulam Hassan Mir has urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to enhance the monthly pension for widows, orphans, elderly people and other vulnerable sections of society, while calling for the immediate release of pending payments. Mir said the National Conference (NC) government had been in office for nearly two years but had yet to fulfil its manifesto promise of increasing the monthly pension from Rs 1,000 to Rs 3,000. He said that, according to ground repor

Srinagar, Oct 23: An elderly man was prevented from jumping into the River Jhelum from a footbridge in Srinagar after a man present at the spot intervened and caught hold of him, averting a possible tragedy. Eyewitnesses said that an elderly man was about to jump into the river when the bystander acted swiftly and stopped him before he could fall into the water. Police rushed to the spot following the incident and took the elderly man along for further proceedings. He was reported to be stable.

Srinagar, Oct 23: The Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE) has allowed students who clear private or bi-annual examinations to appear in the succeeding annual regular examination, a decision aimed at ensuring continuity in their academic progression. Under the decision, schools have been directed to facilitate the admission of eligible students to the next class, irrespective of earlier restrictions that may have prevented them from continuing their studies through the regular st

Srinagar, Oct 23: Dry weather is likely to prevail across Kashmir till the end of October, with brief spells of rain expected in parts of north, central and south Kashmir over the next two days, Meteorological Department Director Mukhtar Ahmad said on Friday. Ahmad said a brief spell of rain was possible on Friday in some districts, particularly in north and central Kashmir and parts of south Kashmir. Similar conditions may occur around the afternoon on Saturday in some higher reaches of the Val

Poonch, Oct 23: Security forces on Friday recovered a hideout in Kasbalari area of Mendhar in Poonch district. Officials said that based on specific input received by security forces conducted a search operation in General Area Kasbalari in Mendhar. During the search, the forces recovered 01 Black colour Bag, 06 Brown tape insulated containers (Likely IEDs), 01 Combat Pouch, 01 Black Iron Box (Likely Magazine), 01 Blue tape insulated container (Likely IED), 01 Magazine (Likely 7.62mm LMG), 01 Al

Leh, Oct 22: The Office of Ladakh Chief Electoral Officer Rahul Sharma has notified the final publication of the municipal electoral rolls for municipal committee Leh and municipal committee Kargil, with October 1, 2026, as the qualifying date. According to a public notice issued by the CEO's office, the final electoral rolls have been published by the respective Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for both municipal committees. The electoral rolls are available for inspection at the offices

Leh, Oct 22: The Ladakh administration has defended cancelling land allotment to Sonam Wangchuk's institute, citing the activist's disregard for the law, and said the allotment automatically lapsed due to unpaid dues and an unexecuted lease deed. In an affidavit filed in the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the administration maintained that the 40-year lease allotment covering 1,076 kanals and 1 marla of land at Phyang Thang had lapsed by operation of law on May 5, 2019, due to the H

Srinagar, Oct 22: Jammu and Kashmir Police in Shopian have arrested a drug peddler and recovered contraband substance from his possession. A police spokesperson said that during routine naka checking at Borihalan near Danish Resort, a police party from Police Station Heerpora intercepted an Alto vehicle bearing registration number JK03H-7227 travelling from Shopian towards Heerpora. During search, 60 grams of charas-like substance was recovered from drivers possession. The accused have been iden

Leh, Oct 22: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Thursday laid the foundation stone for an open exhibition ground at Melong-Thang in Leh, calling it a landmark initiative to strengthen Ladakh's cultural, social and economic fabric. The modern facility will serve as a platform to showcase Ladakh's rich traditions, art, crafts and innovations, besides hosting national and international exhibitions, trade fairs and community events, the lieutenant governor said. He noted that the exhibition gr

New Delhi, Oct 22: Gold prices fell by Rs 1,000 to Rs 1.48 lakh per 10 grams in the national capital on Thursday, while silver tumbled Rs 5,900 to a 10-month low of Rs 2.07 lakh per kilogram amid weak trends in the international markets. The yellow metal of 99.9 per cent purity closed at Rs 1.49 lakh per 10 grams on Wednesday. Silver also plunged Rs 5,900 to Rs 2,07,500 per kilogram, inclusive of all taxes, from the previous close of Rs 2,13,400 per kg, according to the All India Sarafa Associat

Srinagar, Oct 22: Kashmirs autumn tourism is set to receive a major boost with the opening of the Chrysanthemum Garden, where around 3.5 lakh flowering plants have been planted, with the bloom expected to continue until early December, Director Floriculture, Gardens and Parks, Kashmir, Mathoora Masoom, said on Thursday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in Srinagar, Masoom said the garden had been developed with expanded flower beds, vibrant floral displays, water features, pe

Srinagar, Oct 22: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday criticised the Centre over an eviction notice to a century-old mosque near the prime minister's residence, and accused the government of having a latant disregard for the religious sentiments of the country's Muslim community. Authorities have served an eviction notice to the Race Course Mosque, which is located in close proximity to the prime minister's residence in the national capital, and disconnected its water and electricity supply. V

Srinagar, Oct 22: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has issued strict instructions to all administrative departments and concerned authorities to ensure the timely filing of replies, affidavits and compliance reports in pending litigation before courts and tribunals, with particular emphasis on contempt proceedings. The Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, through Circular No. 15-JK(LD) of 2026 dated October 19, has directed administrative departments, Heads of Departments and ot

Baramulla, Oct 22: Security forces on Thursday apprehended two terrorist associates along with war-like stores in Baramulla district. Officials said that based on a credible intelligence input, Indian Army's 52 RR and Baramulla Police nabbed two terrorist associates from the Darpura Nursery area near Delina Ghat of Baramulla. During search, 01 Kanik Turkish-made pistol, 01 magazine with 10 rounds and 02 IEDs were recovered from their possession. Both individuals hail from the Chinkipura area of

Moscow, Oct 22: Russia prides itself on its digital advances -- from an extensive e-commerce services sector to ambitious plans for developing artificial intelligence. But now, some of the key data centres at the heart of its technical prowess have been knocked out by Ukrainian drone attacks in the 4.5-year-old full-scale invasion, suffering damage that could take a long time to repair. Ukraine this month hit three main data centres belonging to tech giant Yandex, one for Russia's biggest bank,

Leh, Oct 22: Former executive councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, Konchok Stanzin has sought expansion of the subsidised helicopter service to Nyoma and Durbuk in the Changthang region of eastern Ladakh, with Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra assuring a solution. In a post on X on Wednesday, Stanzin urged the administration to ensure equal access to air connectivity for residents of remote areas. He appealed to Lt Governor V K Saxena and Chief Secretary Ashish

From teaching to running a cloud kitchen, Rukhsana Manzoors journey with Ghar Batti began during the COVID-19 pandemic in Srinagar, Kashmir, after her daughter suggested the idea. With support from her family, she went on to run the food business, turning a suggestion into an entrepreneurial venture.

Srinagar, Oct 22: The World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have launched a global framework to help countries monitor the health impacts of extreme heat on pregnant women, newborns and children. Launched on October 21, the framework introduces priority indicators to strengthen health monitoring, preparedness and responses to extreme heat, which is becoming more frequent and severe worldwide. Evidence s

Leh, Oct 21: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday notified 100 constituencies for the eight Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDC), nearly doubling the existing strength of 52 seats. Under the new structure notified under the LAHDC (Amendment) Regulation 2026, Leh will have 22 constituencies, Kargil 21, Sankoo 13, Changthang 10, Nubra, Sham and Zanskar nine each, and Drass seven. Saxena said the increased number of seats will significantly enhance local represe

Leh, Oct 21: Ladakh Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of criminal cases against 10 individuals booked in connection with 2025 Leh violence. With the latest decision, a total of 55 persons booked in 87 cases have been given the reprieve over the past three months. Cases stem from an outbreak of violence on September 24 last year during a protest for statehood and the extension of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to the Union Territory. The withdrawal of cr

New Delhi, Oct 21: Telecom behemoth Jio Platforms Ltd's Rs 30,213-crore initial public offering was fully subscribed within 100 minutes of opening on Wednesday, making it the fastest among India's mega-issues to attract bids for all shares on offer, as institutional investors led an early rush for the country's largest-ever IPO. The issue had attracted bids for 28.31 crore shares against 19.75 crore shares on offer as of 12:33 p.m., translating into overall subscription of 1.43 times, according

New Delhi, Oct 21: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed his deepest gratitude to all police personnel on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day, recognizing their invaluable contribution in maintaining law and order, combating crime, responding to emergencies, and ensuring the safety of citizens in the most challenging circumstances. Paying solemn tributes to the brave police personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty, Modi stated that their courage, unwavering dedication,

New Delhi, Oct 21: Delhi Police has transferred another case registered against Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to the Crime Branch, sources said. The Crime Branch will now investigate two cases against the CJP leaders. The other case linked to Das and Ranka allegedly entering the Jantar Mantar area was transferred to the Crime Branch on Monday. According to Delhi Police, on October 13, Das, Ranka, Ajinkya Shinde and 11 other members of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)

Srinagar, Oct 20: Chief cleric of Kashmir Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Tuesday expressed concern over a reported eviction notice to the historic Race Course Mosque in New Delhi, a gazetted waqf property since 1977 and a listed heritage site. Deeply disturbing that Delhi's historic Race Course Mosque, a gazetted Waqf property since 1977 and a listed heritage site, faces eviction within six days, Mirwaiz posted on his X handle. He said the failure of the waqf authorities to defend the mosque was also al

Rajouri, Oct 20: A grenade was found abandoned near a temple in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmirs Rajouri district on Tuesday, prompting police to rush a bomb disposal squad to the spot, officials said. The explosive device was noticed by some children playing with construction material near a temple in Chattyar village, the officials said. They said the village head subsequently informed the local police station, following which a police team, accompanied by a bomb disposal squad, was rush

New Delhi, Oct 20: Jio Platforms has allotted shares worth Rs 8,109.85 crore to 212 anchor investors at the top end of its price band, after institutional demand for the offering exceeded Rs 2.5 lakh crore, more than 30 times the amount available in the anchor book, according to a stock exchange filing and people familiar with the matter. The allotment of 7.24 crore shares at Rs 1,119 apiece comes ahead of the initial public offering that opens for public subscription on Wednesday. The strong de

New Delhi, Oct 19: India on Monday strongly trashed an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) resolution on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, and said the grouping has allowed itself to be misused by Pakistan for its igoted agenda. New Delhi, in a strong reaction, said the references to India by the OIC are malicious, biased and false, and have been orchestrated by Pakistan. We categorically reject the anti-India references in the resolutions of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers' Meet

Srinagar, Oct 19: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Monday criticised Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the felling of centuries-old Chinar trees, saying saplings could not compensate for the loss of Kashmirs natural and cultural heritage. In a post on X, Mufti said a Chinar takes generations to attain its full stature and argued that centuries of heritage could not be replaced through plantation drives. The irony is staggering, she said, alleging that Omar Abdullah, whi