IBTimes

Kharge's remarks come amid continuing political tensions between the Congress and the BJP over electoral reforms, voter lists and allegations of electoral irregularities.

Ladakh has been declared India's first 100% organic Union Territory, marking a major milestone in sustainable agriculture. Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena credited farmers and the administration for promoting chemical-free farming, conserving the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, and creating opportunities to improve farmers' incomes through better market access for organic produce.

Former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah's remarks claiming that Pakistan was protecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir have triggered a political controversy, with Congress distancing itself from the National Conference chief's statement and the BJP accusing him of echoing Pakistan's narrative.

Tiger Shroff's spokesperson denied reports claiming that the actor questioned why he was targeted in the October 18 firing incident in Mumbai's Juhu area. The spokesperson said Tiger had made no such statement.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar called complaints of Kannadigas being denied jobs in Bengaluru's IT sector disheartening and warned that action would be taken against private institutions found deliberately sidelining locals.

Hema Malini inaugurated Braj Raj Utsav 2026 with a captivating presentation of Ganga Avataran at the Swami Haridas Auditorium. Member of Parliament performed her classical dance drama in a traditional white shimmering saree, representing herself as Goddess Ganga.

Former lovebirds Kareena Kapoor and Shahid Kapoor shared a warm hug at an IIFA event on Thursday. A video of their cordial reunion has since surfaced online, bringing back memories of their much-loved on-screen pairing in Jab We Met.

Climate activist and Leh Apex Body leader Sonam Wangchuk has criticised the arrest of three CJP leaders in Delhi, describing the situation as an undeclared emergency. He warned that he would consider an indefinite fast or a padyatra if the leaders were not released by the following day. Wangchuk had earlier announced that he would skip the CJP's October 10 protest at Jantar Mantar due to preparations for the approaching winter in Ladakh.

A six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe the alleged sexual assault, illegal termination of pregnancy and death of a 12-year-old tribal girl and her stillborn child in Kishtwar's Chatroo. Meanwhile, the Tribal Gujjar Bakarwal Welfare Foundation has demanded protection for the victim's family and strict action against those allegedly attempting to hush up the case.

The JERC's decision to raise electricity tariffs in Jammu and Kashmir by an average 6.83 per cent from September 1 has triggered a political storm, with opposition parties accusing the National Conference government of betraying its promise of 200 units of free electricity. BJP, Apni Party, Peoples Conference and PDP leaders have criticised the hike, while trade bodies have warned that it could add to the financial burden on consumers and further strain the region's economy.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha took an apparent swipe at former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti over her past remarks on the Tricolour, saying the national flag is today being held high with pride across Jammu and Kashmir. He also called for a united societal effort to combat terrorism, narco-terrorism, substance abuse and corruption.

The BJP faced another embarrassment in Jammu and Kashmir after police registered an extortion and fraud case against Pulwama Kisan Morcha vice-president Aijaz Ahmed Shah. The development comes days after the party suspended its Pulwama district president Showkat Gayoor following an extortion case against him.

Jammu and Kashmir has 5,138 unaudited functional cooperative societies, accounting for more than 56 per cent of the UT's total functional cooperatives, according to data presented in the Lok Sabha. The Ministry of Cooperation said only 3,994 of 9,132 functional societies in J&K have been audited.

Jammu and Kashmir's cultivable land increased from 10.74 lakh hectares in 2020-21 to 10.97 lakh hectares in 2024-25, registering a rise of 23,000 hectares, according to data tabled in the Lok Sabha. The figures also show that the average monthly income of an agricultural household in J&K was Rs 18,918, significantly higher than the national average of Rs 10,218.

Ganderbal Police have uncovered an alleged conspiracy to falsely implicate a poultry businessman in a drug case, with his wife's alleged former lover suspected of orchestrating the plot. Police intercepted a courier from Kanpur containing cocaine, charas and diclofenac tablets and have detained a suspect from Srinagar. The roles of the woman, her alleged lover and other suspected conspirators are under investigation.

J&K Police have issued a public advisory cautioning citizens that scammers are exploiting AI-powered deepfake and morphing tools to misuse publicly shared photos, videos, reels, and voice clips creating fake identities and impersonation scams that appear alarmingly authentic. The advisory urges the public to limit exposure of personal content, use masked copies of sensitive documents like Aadhaar, enable two-factor authentication, and report suspicious accounts or DMs promptly.

Counter-Intelligence Kashmir arrested Siraj Nabi Parray of Budgam for allegedly running a social media account glorifying terrorists and inciting youth toward terrorism. In a parallel pre-dawn operation, J&K Police's Counter-Intelligence Wing raided locations in Baramulla, Shopian, Anantnag, Kupwara and Bandipora.