Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has flagged serious ecological concerns over Wular Lake in Kashmir, warning that the wetland is under severe stress due to encroachment and siltation. In a recent audit report examining changes in water bodies between 1967 and 2020, the CAG, said 315 lakes in the Union Territory have disappeared, while several others have deteriorated significantly. The report noted that Wular Lake in Bandipora district has witnessed a reduction in its water spread due to large-scale encroachments along its periphery and continuous silt accumulation, affecting its role as a natural flood buffer for the Kashmir…
Author: KO Web Desk
Iran has stated it will not engage in any negotiations with the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan, as long as Israel continues its military operations in Lebanon. According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, citing an unnamed source, the Iranian negotiating team has not traveled to the Pakistani capital and has no plans to attend peace talks under the current circumstances. This directly contradicts reports from some US media outlets claiming that an Iranian delegation had already arrived in Islamabad. Yenişafak reported that Iran has formally informed Pakistani authorities that it will only consider participating in peace talks with the US…
The much-talked-about high-security prison in Jammu & Kashmir is now ready, with the Home Department officially notifying it as a prison. The Union Territory’s Home Department has issued a notification declaring it both a prison and a designated high-security jail. “In pursuance of sub-section (1) of Section 3 of the Prisons Act, 1894, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir hereby declares the structures erected on the land measuring 148 kanals, bearing Khasra No. 427 min & 486 min at village Dambra, Tehsil Mahanpur, District Kathua, as a prison, and also designates the said prison as ‘High Security Prison, Mahanpur,’” reads…
US President Donald Trump, writing on social media, says that “all US ships, aircraft, and military personnel” will remain in place around Iran until the “real agreement” on a ceasefire “is fully complied with”, warning of more conflict otherwise. “If for any reason it is not, which is highly unlikely, then the “Shootin’ Starts,” bigger, and better, and stronger than anyone has ever seen before.,” the president added. Iran had said earlier on Wednesday that it would be “unreasonable” to proceed with talks to forge a permanent peace deal with the United States after Israel pounded Lebanon with its heaviest…
Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday welcomed the ceasefire between Iran and the United States, calling it a step towards de-escalation and urging sustained dialogue to ensure lasting peace in the region. Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, questioned the outcome of the nearly 39-day conflict, asking what the United States had achieved. “What exactly did this war achieve?” CM Omar said, referring to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which he noted had been operational before the conflict. He said the ceasefire, though significant, raised questions about the costs and consequences of the confrontation. JKNC chief, Farooq Abdullah…
Iran has halted the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz over Israel’s strikes in Lebanon, the Fars news agency reports. Israel has bombed Beirut in a devastating attack that authorities say has led to hundreds of casualties, including dead and wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier said that Lebanon would not be included in the ceasefire. The United States and Iran have announced a suspension of all attacks for two weeks, and Tehran has agreed to allow the safe transit of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Fars reports that two oil tankers were allowed…
US, Israel and Iran has accepted a two-week ceasefire as the conflict enters sixth week, but conflicting versions from all sides raise doubts Iran has claimed victory and says upcoming talks in Pakistan on Friday do not mean that the end of the war is guaranteed. Iran says it has accepted a two-week ceasefire, with talks set to begin on Friday in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, after Trump agreed to suspend attacks on the condition that Tehran fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said safe passage through the strategic waterway will be ensured for two weeks…
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday terminated the services of two Jammu and Kashmir government employees for their alleged links with terror outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, official sources said. The dismissals were carried out under Article 311(2)(c) of the Constitution as part of the administration’s “zero-tolerance to terror” policy, aimed at rooting out militant elements from government institutions. Sinha had recently observed that he will not rest until “the last thread of the terror cancer is torn from the body of government machinery”. He had also vowed that security agencies would “completely, decisively and permanently end the scourge…
In the middle of Srinagar’s fast-moving traffic and modern bustle, a slow, rhythmic clip-clop has begun to turn heads again. A traditional tonga, once a common sight across Kashmir, has returned to the streets, thanks to a 70-year-old man, Ghulam Rasool Kumar, determined to keep a piece of the past alive. As per details available, Ghulam Rasool, a resident of Srinagar, has reintroduced the horse-drawn cart, offering locals a rare glimpse into a bygone era when tongas were an integral part of daily life in the Valley. For decades, these carts ferried passengers through markets, neighbourhoods and riverbanks, long before…
Indian Embassy in Iran has issued an urgent 48-hour safety advisory for citizens in Iran, advising them to avoid all electric, military installations and upper floors of multi-storey buildings. The advisory comes after US President Donald Trump issued fresh warning to Iran, stating that “a whole civilisation will die tonight” if Iran does not make a deal. He however had said that Iran still has time to capitulate ahead of a deadline set for 8 pm in Washington. The American leader issued the stark threat Tuesday, about 12 hours ahead of his deadline for Iran to agree to a deal…