National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, addressing counterparts from BRICS member states at a key gathering in New Delhi on Tuesday, hailed the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as a highly positive step that is expected to significantly bolster global energy security. Doval emphasized that ensuring unrestricted navigation through this critical maritime corridor would yield substantial benefits for both regional nations and the wider international community. He specifically welcomed the recent Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran, noting that India is approaching the development with “cautious optimism” and trusts that the agreement will prove effective in enhancing…
Author: KO Web Desk
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday pitched for the return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri Pandits, asserting that the displaced community cannot be treated at par with others and deserves all facilities extended to migrants. “Kashmiri Pandits are migrants. You cannot treat them at par with other people. You have to give them all the facilities that migrants should get,” Mufti said. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president urged the community to move beyond the past and focus on the future. “We want our Kashmiri brothers and sisters to forget what happened in the past. We want…
Cardiologist Dr Syed Maqbool has rejected allegations levelled against him in connection with the PMJAY-SEHAT controversy, asserting that the matter remains under inquiry and that no conclusions have been reached by the authorities. Dr Maqbool said the allegations contained in a departmental memorandum were being misrepresented in sections of the media and should not be treated as established findings. “What is being circulated in the media is totally different from the actual report. People are treating a memorandum of allegations as a final verdict, which is not correct,” he said. Dr Maqbool said Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag had already…
The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Jammu and Kashmir today filed a charge sheet before the Hon’ble Court of Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, Baramulla, against accused public servant Nisar Ahmad Wani, then Senior Fireman (Belt No. 1748), Fire & Emergency Services, Sopore, in connection with FIR No. 16/2024 registered at Police Station ACB, Baramulla. As per the statement, the case was registered on December 16, 2024, under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), following a written complaint lodged by a resident of Baramulla alleging demand of illegal gratification by Nisar Ahmad Wani, then Senior Fireman posted…
Planned technical talks between the United States and Iran on their ceasefire agreement were postponed Friday, the Swiss Foreign Ministry said, fueling fears that the pact signed earlier this week could unravel. Iran delayed dispatching its delegation to discuss the digitally signed deal because of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon, according to reports. Israeli strikes overnight and into Friday killed at least 18 people in southern Lebanon, and Iran-linked Hezbollah reported intense fighting. Iranian chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said any discussions would be bound by Tehran’s “red lines” and that halting Israel’s attacks on Lebanon was a key…
President Donald Trump has signed an interim agreement with Iran that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and grants immediate relief from U.S.-backed sanctions, allowing the Islamic Republic to sell oil freely, according to details released by both nations. The deal, which takes “immediate effect” upon the leaders’ signatures, was mediated by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who announced the accord online. It establishes a permanent cessation of hostilities and initiates a 60-day negotiating period to reach a final settlement on Iran’s nuclear program. Trump, however, left open the possibility of resuming military action, saying…
Security forces recovered Pakistani currency notes and a slip containing several Pakistani mobile phone numbers during a search operation in the Mendhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Thursday. Officials said the recovery was made by a Road Opening Party (ROP) of 118 Territorial Army during an area domination and search operation conducted near Bhattaduriyan along National Highway-144A. During the operation, personnel recovered Pakistani currency notes along with a handwritten slip bearing multiple mobile phone numbers believed to be from Pakistan. The recovered material was subsequently taken into possession by the security forces for further examination and analysis.…
Sunil Ambekar, the chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) publicity wing, became the third top functionary of the organization to advocate for fostering “people-to-people” connections with Pakistan, stating on Wednesday that official dialogues, whether conducted between governments, militaries, or intelligence agencies, have consistently failed to produce tangible outcomes. Speaking to reporters at the Pune Union of Working Journalists, Ambekar moved to contextualize recent statements made by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and senior leader Dattatreya Hosabale. He stressed that their overtures were strictly directed at building grassroots civil society links, rather than suggesting a revival of formal state-level diplomatic engagement.…
Eleven Controlled Atmosphere (CA) cold storage units in Lassipora Industrial Growth Centre (IGC), one of Kashmir’s most important apple storage hubs, have been served closure notices by the Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee (PCC) for alleged violations of environmental laws, including the absence of mandatory pollution-control infrastructure. Official documents reveal that the Pollution Control Committee has initiated closure proceedings against several prominent cold storage units after inspections reportedly found serious deficiencies in environmental compliance, particularly the absence of Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) and composite pits required for management of wastewater generated during operations. The units that have come under…
National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday attached two plots of land in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), officials said. The properties, located in Kanispora and spanning 7.5 marla (2,050 sq ft) and 6 marla (1,632 sq ft) respectively, are owned by Shaheen Ahmad Lone, an individual who has been named as an accused in a 2020 NIA case, officials added. This action was executed following a directive from a special NIA court in Jammu, issued under Section 33(1) of the UAPA. The seizure forms a component of the agency’s high-profile probe into an…