Tag: The News Caravan

Why McConnell and McCarthy locked arms on the debt crisis

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McConnell’s move helps McCarthy’s negotiating position — and perhaps just as importantly, it boosts his own standing within a Senate Republican conference that has shifted rightward, a lurch that sparked the first-ever rebellion against his leadership last fall.
McConnell said Biden isn’t the first president he’s pushed to work with a House controlled by the opposing party.
“This is the very same advice I gave Donald Trump after the Democrats took the House. It wasn’t the first thing on their mind to negotiate with Nancy Pelosi. But they did,” McConnell said. “My advice in private is the same as I’ve been saying publicly … quit wasting time here. And in the end, the deal will be made between McCarthy and Biden.”
Five months ago, it was impossible to imagine the reserved McConnell on the same page with the chummy McCarthy. During Biden’s first two years in office, they split on everything from gun safety to infrastructure to the billions of dollars in Ukraine aid tucked into a bipartisan spending deal. McCarthy quickly moved to repair his relationship with Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, while McConnell never spoke to Trump again.
Their rifts created deep tension between House and Senate Republicans, who at times seemed at polar ends of the GOP as McCarthy positioned himself to win the speakership and McConnell steered the party away from Trump. Democrats privately believe McConnell will jump in to help save the day on the fast-approaching debt deadline, but conservatives see him as joined with McCarthy “until hell freezes,” as Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) put it.
So when lawmakers get to the White House on Tuesday, expect McCarthy to do most of the talking for Republicans.
Asked if she anticipated a quiet McConnell during their slated meeting, Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) replied: “Yes. He’s like: ‘I’m here to support McCarthy.’”
As McConnell and McCarthy set up Tuesday’s meeting during separate phone calls with Biden, the two Republicans spoke several times to coordinate their message, according to a person with direct knowledge of their talks.

Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, replied to questions about McConnell’s call with Biden by stating the administration does not comment on private discussions with congressional leaders. He added, however, that “avoiding default is a critical priority for our economy — one that presidents from both parties have acknowledged is non-negotiable.”
Despite McConnell’s and McCarthy’s clear personality differences, Republicans argue that the two are more alike than not: Both are political animals focused on their legacies who maintain a close read on their party and members. McConnell drolly surmised that McCarthy “has an interesting set of players” to deal with in the House, from the conservative Freedom Caucus to moderates.
McCarthy’s closest allies see his relationship with the Senate leader maturing. Financial Services Chair Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) described “a better line of communication now. And that has made a big difference.”
“Where the McConnell and McCarthy teams have come to an understanding is first with communication — better communication — and a mutual recognition of their different challenges,” McHenry said.
And Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), who once interned for the Senate Republican leader, recalls a longtime McConnell-ism: that being a Senate leader is “kinda like being the undertaker at a cemetery.”
“You’re over everyone, but nobody’s listening,” Barr recounted, describing McConnell as “empathetic to Speaker McCarthy’s job, which is also about the difficulty of bringing together a lot of independent-minded people.”
The duo is converging on the crucial issue of Ukraine aid, too, following a rocky stretch. After McCarthy rebuked a Russian reporter over the war during an overseas trip, McConnell even took to the Senate floor to praise the Californian.
Scott Jennings, a Kentucky-based GOP strategist and longtime McConnell confidante, said that gesture was a sign of “respect and support.”
McConnell has navigated past fiscal fights where the political odds looked stacked against him, but Republicans who are close with both leaders say that mutual destruction would result if he steps out of line with McCarthy now. In fact, McCarthy could lose his gavel, causing chaos in the House, if McConnell were to negotiate a side deal with Democrats.
“Whether it’s political ideology or pure pragmatism, [Senate leaders] recognize that a deal that’s not good with House conservatives is not making it through,” said first-term conservative Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio).
McCarthy’s House already passed a package of blunt spending cuts coupled with a one-year debt ceiling increase that Republicans are using as leverage against Democrats who vow they’ll only accept a straightforward hike. Tuesday’s meeting with Biden, McCarthy, McConnell, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will be this spring’s first tangible move to break the deadlock.
“If there is a path forward, it’s going to require serious and swift cooperation with Sens. Schumer and McConnell, Leader Jeffries and Speaker McCarthy. And that’s partly why I think there’s so much anxiety about the possibility of default,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a close Biden ally.
Republicans are almost universally insistent that, in light of the House GOP’s passage of its plan, the next step is Biden’s to take. They’re feeling especially confident after McCarthy proved he could corral his party, with only a handful of votes to spare, in favor of raising a borrowing limit that many promised never to touch.
McCarthy may feel a squeeze if the Democratic-controlled Senate sends back its own legislation, but that would require nine or more GOP votes to break a filibuster.
Despite the growing McConnell-McCarthy warmth, House conservatives still harbor strong suspicion of the Senate GOP leader due to his opposition to Trump and support for multiple bipartisan bills last Congress. That group of McConnell skeptics includes some of the same members who initially blocked McCarthy’s path to the speakership.
“Nothing McConnell does surprises me; his actions are against everything [and] everyone who promotes conservatism,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) wrote in a text message.
Others in the bloc of 20 who voted against McCarthy during the speaker race, such as Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), bashed McConnell in the wake of the Senate’s approval of a $1.7 trillion spending bill in December. In light of that display, some Senate Republicans also believe it’s McCarthy turn to take arrows for cutting a tough deal, according to one person familiar with the Kentucky Republican’s thinking.
McConnell was blunt in seeing no upside to working with Biden on a side agreement, even after steering his party out of similar debt ceiling impasses just two years ago.
Any such accord with the president, McConnell said in the interview, “would produce nothing. Because the House of Representatives is not going to pass a bipartisan debt ceiling deal negotiated, presumably, with Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer.”
So does McConnell have any advice for McCarthy on future negotiation with Biden, whom McConnell served with for decades?
“[McCarthy] doesn’t need any advice from me about how to handle himself. I just think that the solution here is so obvious,” McConnell said. “This is going to be decided when the speaker and the president reach an agreement.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

May 8, 2023
Republicans want Manchin to bow out, fearful that he may have one more trick up his sleeve

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Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) said she doesn’t know whether her fellow home-state senator will run for reelection and hasn’t asked him about it. But a presidential bid? “He might — he’s talking about it,” she said.
There’s no sugar-coating the dire position in which Manchin finds himself. After Democrats dominated West Virginia for decades, the state has gone full-blown MAGA in recent years. Former President Donald Trump won it by nearly 40 percentage points in 2020, and there are only 14 Democrats left in West Virginia’s 134-member state legislature. Manchin’s approval rating has plummeted, with 55 percent of voters giving him a thumbs down, according to a recent Morning Consult poll.
But interviews with 18 elected officials, strategists and political observers in West Virginia and Washington, D.C. reveal that Manchin isn’t quite being left for dead yet. Even Justice’s former pollster said it would be unwise to count Manchin out.
“There is a reason that Joe Manchin is basically the last standing Democrat in a state that has had a red tsunami since 2014,” said Mark Blankenship, a West Virginia-based GOP pollster who worked for Justice’s 2020 gubernatorial campaign. “You can’t say that it’s impossible for him to win because he’s won so much.”

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) announces his Senate campaign.
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Chris Jackson/AP Photo
Manchin’s GOP colleagues agreed with the sentiment: “You can’t take Joe for granted. He’s a formidable politician,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who appeared as a featured speaker at Justice’s campaign kickoff last month.
The early investment from McConnell’s allies at the group One Nation could save Republicans money next year — if it nudges Manchin toward the exit. Otherwise, the GOP will have to spend millions convincing West Virginia voters to part ways with a man who has not lost an election since the 1990s. Without Manchin on the ballot, many operatives see the state as an automatic flip, and Republicans can redirect their money toward other crucial battleground states.
“It would be nice if we didn’t have to,” said Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.) when asked if his party would need to spend money if Manchin retires. “We’ll see how it all plays out.”
Manchin first joined the West Virginia state legislature in 1982 at the age of 35. He served in both chambers before departing to run an unsuccessful primary campaign for governor in 1996. It was the only race he ever lost. He ended up supporting the Republican nominee over the woman who beat him for the Democratic nomination.

Four years later he became West Virginia’s Secretary of State and won the governorship in 2004. In 2010, he made the jump to the Senate, campaigning in a special election seat left open by Democrat Robert Byrd’s death.
Democrats’ best hope of keeping Manchin’s seat in 2024 involves him seeking reelection and a brutally messy Republican primary that leaves the eventual nominee bruised and broke.
Justice, while wealthy and well-liked, does not have the GOP field to himself. Also in the race is Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.), a conservative hardliner who trounced a fellow member in a Republican primary for a House seat in 2022. He is planning on running to Justice’s right with the help of $10 million from the anti-tax Club for Growth super PAC.
Democrats and Republicans alike said Manchin has been able to hold onto elected office in the past in part due to his skills as a retail politician, a key advantage in a state of only 1.7 million people.
“He is the best face-to-face politician I’ve interacted with outside of Bill Clinton,” said Patrick Hickey, a political scientist who previously worked at West Virginia University. “He has that Clinton-esque ability to make everybody feel like he’s your friend and he’s listening to you and he’s concerned about you.”
In 2012, Hickey said he invited Manchin’s GOP opponent, John Raese, to class. “Within a week,” he said, Manchin came into his class to glad-hand students.
Manchin, a moderate, has benefited from distancing himself from national Democratic leaders for years. During his first Senate campaign, he fired at Democrats’ cap-and-trade bill in an ad. His vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 was credited with helping save him in that year’s Senate race. But Manchin’s favorability rating took a nosedive last year after he voted for — and helped write — President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. That’s left many of the few remaining Democrats in West Virginia feeling pessimistic about Manchin’s chances for holding on, regardless of his history.
“I don’t think he can pull it out,” said Deirdre Purdy, chair of the Calhoun County Democratic Party. “My county has so few Democrats in it, I can’t even get a full committee together.”
Manchin is now threatening to vote to repeal Biden’s signature climate legislation with Republicans, arguing that Biden has extended electric vehicle tax credits beyond the law’s specifications.
Given the state’s deep-MAGA hue, some in the GOP think it doesn’t even matter whether Justice or Mooney wins the nomination because either will defeat Manchin. “This state’s now solidly Republican,” said former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
Manchin has given few clues about whether he will run for reelection except to say that he won’t make a decision until the end of the year. Amid that vacuum of information, political insiders have desperately tried to read the tea leaves.
When a political operative who has served as an adviser to both Manchin and Justice attended Justice’s campaign launch, it set off speculation among Republicans that Manchin may not run. Larry Puccio, Manchin’s former chief-of-staff and longtime friend, would only go to the event, the thinking went, if he had gotten a signal from the senator that he’s bowing out. A GOP strategist close to Justice said Puccio will not have an official role on Justice’s Senate team, but the governor will “talk to him about the race and campaign.”
Some Democrats cautioned against reading into it, however. According to a person close to Manchin, Puccio “will support Manchin for any office he seeks.”
Puccio did not respond to a request for comment.
Jonathan Kott, a former senior adviser to Manchin, said he believes Manchin is truly undecided on another Senate run. In the 2018 election, Manchin waited until January — days before the filing deadline — to tell his colleagues that he was seeking reelection.
“This is just who he is,” he said. “He just doesn’t focus on the campaign till he has to. He’s busy being a senator for West Virginia and legislating. He’ll sit down with his family, I would guess sometime in like December, and that’s when they’ll make a decision. I’m pretty sure that’s what he did last time.”

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#Republicans #Manchin #bow #fearful #trick #sleeve
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

May 8, 2023
Arms ‘Dropped By Pak’ Seized In JK

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SRINAGAR: Arms and ammunition believed to have been dropped by Pakistan and picked up by overground workers (OGWs) have been recovered in the Mendhar sub-division of Poonch district, The Tribune reported.
This comes after the arrest of six OGWs who were assisting the militants behind the ambush on an army truck in Bhata Dhurian area of Mendhar on April 20.
Two of the arrested OGWs, Nisar Ahmed and Mushtaq Ahmed, shared details about the hidden arms and ammunition. They disclosed that the arms were hidden in a forest and at a home. Acting on the information, a joint team of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J&K police, CRPF, and Army conducted a raid near the house of Mushtaq Ahmed in Gursai police station’s jurisdiction. The team seized one AK-47 magazine, 15 rounds of AK-47, and a body cover of an assault rifle.
Another OGW, Nisar Ahmed, was found to be in possession of two hand grenades, two AK-47 magazines, and Rs 19,000 in cash when his house was searched.
Director General of Police Dilbag Singh while speaking to The Tribune confirmed that the arrest of the six OGWs, adding that they provided logistical support to the terrorists who carried out the ambush. The OGWs assisted the ultras by picking up the weaponry sent by Pakistan through drones near the LoC. The arms used in the ambush included steel bullets that penetrated the army truck.

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#Arms #Dropped #Pak #Seized
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 8, 2023
Families, Livestock Stuck Near Margan Top, Rescue Ops On

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SRINAGAR: District administration Anantnag has launched a widescale rescue operation to evacuate nearly twenty families stuck along with their livestock at Margan Top in the Kokernag area, amid ongoing inclement weather conditions across the region.
“A joint rescue operation comprising of revenue, police, army, CRPF, Medical, ASH, SRTC was launched to respond to a distress call at Nawkan, near Margan Top”, SDM Kokernag, who is leading the rescue operation under the overall supervision of DC Anantnag said.
“It is estimated that there are some 20 families with livestock are stuck on the top,” the official said adding they have so far rescued two dozen people and around 20 farm animals.
“Another team is on way with JCB machinery to tackle any eventuality”, the official said.
“We have established a temporary shelter at Gawran and also a medical camp through army as a contingency measure”, the official added. (GNS)

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#Families #Livestock #Stuck #Margan #Top #Rescue #Ops
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 8, 2023
Victims’ Families Refuse To Identify Slain Militant ‘Behind’ Dhangri Attack

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SRINAGAR: Following the killing of a militant by security forces in the Kandi area of Rajouri on Saturday morning, families of victims from the Dhangri attack refused to identify the slain ultra, The Tribune reported.
The Army believes that the militant was responsible for the targeted killings of Hindus in Dhangri village, where seven civilians were killed and 15 others injured.
When the police informed the victims’ kin that one of the suspected attackers had been killed in the Kesari hills forest area of Kandi, it provided little relief for the families. They want the police to identify those who provided specific information about Hindu homes in the village, as there are also Muslim homes in the vicinity.
The village Sarpanch, Dheeraj Sharma while speaking to The Tribune, stated that no family of victims went to identify the slain militant, and everyone believes that there was someone else who informed the attackers about the Hindu families living in the village.
The police had sent a vehicle to take victims’ families to identify the militant, but everyone is of the view that the real culprits are still at large. During the Dhangri attack, two women saw the attackers on a killing spree. One of the women, whose close relative was shot dead, said that they are not safe until the police identify those who helped the militants launch the attack.
It has been reported that the Dhangri attackers stayed at a woman’s house in Bathuni village in Rajouri. She has identified the dead militant to be one of those who attacked Dhangri.
However, the police or NIA has not confirmed this. Meanwhile, the search for the group of armed terrorists continues in the thick vegetation area of Kandi.
On Friday, after the Army received specific information about the presence of militants, an operation was launched that resulted in the killing of five soldiers.

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#Victims #Families #Refuse #Identify #Slain #Militant #Dhangri #Attack
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 8, 2023
Two PhD Scholars From NIT Srinagar Get Prestigious Internship At UFS, South Africa

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SRINAGAR: Two PhD scholars of the Department of Physics from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar have been selected for a prestigious internship at the University of Free State (UFS), South Africa for the period of one year.
Research Scholars, Irfan Ayoub and Umer Mushtaq have been selected for the position of Research Assistant at the University of the Free State (UFS), South Africa.
The scholars will get to work with Prof Hendrik C Swart who holds a Research Chair in Solid State Luminescent and Advanced Materials. He is an NRF B1-rated researcher and is an internationally acclaimed researcher.
The scholars will work on the synthesis and spectroscopic investigations of rare-earth, transitional metal ions doped nanomaterials, nanocomposites, and hybrid materials to achieve color-tunable emission in solid-state lighting and white light LEDs.
Director NIT, Prof Rakesh Sehgal complimented both students and their mentor Dr Vijay Kumar for bagging the prestigious internship in one of the leading institutes in South Africa and hoped that they would justify the fellowship with a quality research outcome.
“It is a proud movement for the entire Institute. Research is important and vital for any engineering institution. Without research and investigation, there will be no progress and we cannot stay relevant in a competitive market,” he said.
Registrar NIT, Prof Syed Kaiser Bukhari extended his greetings to the PhD scholars. He said this prestigious internship will provide them with exposure and would fulfill their professional aspirations.
Head Department of Physics, Dr M.A. Shah also congratulated both PhD Scholars for bagging the prestigious fellowship andf said that the opportunity will help the scholars learn new techniques for the characterization of nano phosphor materials for various applications.

Both the selected scholars at present are pursuing PhD on “Improving luminescent materials for use in flat panel displays, solar cells, solid-state lighting, dosimetry, and thermometry under the supervision of Dr. Vijay Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, NIT Srinagar.

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#PhD #Scholars #NIT #Srinagar #Prestigious #Internship #UFS #South #Africa
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 8, 2023
SAIL, Bokaro Steel Plant Various Posts 2023 Admit Card Released

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SAIL, Bokaro Steel Plant Various Posts 2023 Admit Card Released
Name of the Post : SAIL, Bokaro Steel Plant Various Posts 2023 Admit Card Released
Total Post : 239
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Bokaro Steel Plant has given a notification for the recruitment of Consultant, Medical Officer, Operator cum Technician (Trainee) & Other vacancy.
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Admit Card : Click here

JKSSB Fresh Recruitment 2023 for 128 Posts
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[ad_2] #SAIL #Bokaro #Steel #Plant #Posts #Admit #Card #Released( With inputs from : The News Caravan.com )

May 8, 2023
JK Cricketer Vivrant Sharma Makes His IPL Debut

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SRINAGAR: Vivrant Sharma, an all-rounder from Jammu, finally made his IPL debut for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Rajasthan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Vivrant became the sixth player from Jammu and Kashmir to play in the IPL, joining the ranks of Parvez Rasool, Rasikh Salam, Abdul Samad, Umran Malik, and Yudhvir Singh. Sunrisers Hyderabad picked up the top-rated all-rounder in the IPL player’s auction for Rs 2.60 crore, exceeding his base price of Rs 20 lakhs.
During the toss on Sunday, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Aiden Markram said, “It’s a used wicket. There have been some close ones. Most of the time we’ve played decent cricket but not been able to get over the line. A couple of changes – Phillips comes in for Brook. Vivrant Sharma makes his debut.”
Prior to his IPL debut, Vivrant had played nine T20s for J&K, scoring 191 runs at an average of 23.87 and a strike rate of 128.18. He has also taken six wickets with an economy of 5.73.
Vivrant has an impressive record in List A cricket, averaging 39.92 in 14 matches, with a highest score of 154*. He has also taken eight wickets in this format. Vivrant has played seven first-class matches for J&K as well. His IPL debut is a significant milestone in his career, and fans will be eager to see what he can do on the big stage.

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#Cricketer #Vivrant #Sharma #IPL #Debut
( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 8, 2023
Briefing May 7-13, 2023

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SANASAR
It was tragic that in the middle of the night when a hotel went up in flames, the inmates were deep into slumber and two of them – including the hotel manager, lost their lives. Five others survived with serious injuries. Now the government has ordered an enquiry into the destruction of the Maa Shanti Hotel. Survivors said though the hotel management informed the government about the mishap, the fire tenders took their own time from reaching the hill station from Kud and Batote, from the two sides of the Patnitop hills. The deceased manager was been identified as Raman Sadhotra of Samba and the other deceased was identified as Surinder Kumar of Sudhmahadev, Chennai. All the five injured in the incident were locals from Jammu and Kashmir.
In Samba, Jammu Kashmir Police said they traced and recovered 23 missing females within three months
KISHTWAR
Villagers and troopers gather near the wreckage of an IAF chopper after it crashed in Budgam area, outskirts of Srinagar, Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb.27, 2019.
Yet another army helicopter crashed after a “hard landing” on the banks of Marua River in Marwa’s Machna Village killing the flying machine’s technician, Pabballa Anil, as the two pilots survived injured. The Dhruv was in operational mode and the crew had conveyed the chopper has developed some snag. As the residents saw the chopper crashing, they mounted a quick rescue operation, which was later joined by police and the army. Anil, 30, hailed from Telangana. The Army has ordered a court of inquiry into the helicopter crash incident. Earlier, a Dhruv crashed in Lakhanpur on January 25, 2021, and killed its pilot. On August 3, 2021, Rudra helicopter crashed into Ranjit Sagar dam on the Kathua-Pathankot border, killing both pilots. On September 21, 2021, Army’s Cheetah helicopter crash-landed in dense forests near Patnitop in Udhampur district, killing both pilots. On March 11, 2022, Army’s Cheetah helicopter crashed in the Gurez sector in Bandipora district, killing its co-pilot.
Earlier, the entire fleet of ALH Dhruv with the armed forces was grounded after the March 8 Navy chopper accident off the coast of Mumbai. Subsequently, the Army had allowed a select number of helicopters, including the one that met with the accident, to fly after clearing all the checks and procedures. There are around 300 ALH Dhruv helicopters, of which 145 are with the Army.
Between 2019 and 2022, the passport was denied to 805 citizens in Jammu and Kashmir.

REASI
JeM militant commander Ashiq Nengroo’s house demolished in Pulwama district
The administration has demolished the “illegal” house of a school teacher Mohammad Auraf Sheikh, whose name was linked to twin Jammu blasts earlier this year. It was constructed on State land under Khasra No 602/457/1 at the village Baransal (Mahore). Earlier, he was terminated by the Government when his involvement in the twin Narwal blasts was established by the police. One of the blasts killed five security personnel.
The Government of India has banned 14 messaging apps in Jammu and Kashmir for spreading terror. These include Crypviser, Enigma, Safeswiss, Wickrme, Mediafire, Briar, BChat, Nandbox, Conion, IMO, Element, Second Line, Zangi, and Threema.
LONDON
Jay Mala, the widow of Panthers Party’s founder, Bhim Singh, was finally cremated nine days after her death. The cremation followed days of drama and an apology by their son, Ankit Love, 39, who lives in the UK. Apparently, Love had conveyed that his mother should not be cremated in his absence. However, he could not fly home to Jammu because the Government of India did not process his visa because he was amongst the blacklisted people who had protested outside Indian High Commission in London. “I Ankit Love, son of late Prof. Bhim Singh and late Adv. Jay Mala, resident of the UK hereby sincerely apologise for my mistake of pelting eggs and stones at the Indian High Commission in the UK which I deeply and sincerely regret,” Ankit wrote a day later in an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mala, an erstwhile advocate, lived with her niece Mrignayani Slathia at Domana in Jammu, fell from the stairs at her home on April 25, and died the next day at the Government Medical College Hospital in Jammu. Her body was preserved by GMC Jammu at the request of her son.
Her corpse, however, became yet another issue for the squabbling Singh clan, who have been battling over the party leadership. After Mala died, it was Vilakshan Singh who took her body to Sidhra as another of Singh’s relatives, Harsh Dev Singh, a former minister, demanded an autopsy. Going by the media reports, it was a tussle over control of the party, with Slathia’s brother Vilakshan Singh on one side and Harsh Dev Singh on the other. Within minutes after Harsh Dev sought a post-mortem, Slthia and her brother returned the body to GMC where it was preserved. After the government permitted Ankit to fly in, the body was cremated at Devika in Udhampur. Bhim Singh died on May 31, 2022.
After Singh’s death, Panthers Party split into two groups. Vilakshan was elected president at a meeting chaired by Jay Mala, but a separate faction that claimed to include all executive members of the party elected P K Ganjoo as its president. Both factions approached the Election Commission to stake claim to the party symbol, but later came together again, with Vilakshan continuing as president and Ganjoo taking over as working president. The problem started when Harsh Dev, who had resigned from the JKNPP and joined the Aam Aadmi Party, claimed to have returned to the JKNPP after Bhim Singh’s death, and said he had been elected party president. Both Vilakshan and Ganjoo contested this claim.
Jammu’s 21 state-run schools will get have 286 ICT-enabled classrooms by the end of August.
KAK SARAI
Fiancé Stabber Sent to 6-day police remand
In an unprecedented bizarre incident, a young woman stabbed her fiancé, Adil Kaloo, a scrap dealer, in broad daylight and was arrested. Identified as Asifa Bashir, a resident of Parimpora, the lady lost her cool when the two were in a car.
The man was injured and bled profusely while the woman fled from the spot. The incident invited media attention because Asifa was running a Facebook page and claiming to be a journalist. Apart from clicking photographs with some officers, she was even flaunting her award by some Maharashtra groups. The two had been engaged a year ago and the nikah was an outcome of a love affair. Now, she is resting in jail and he is recovering in a hospital. Will they fall in love again? Nobody knows.
In Baramulla, 156 drug peddlers were arrested – 9 booked under PSA, in 2023, so far
POONCH

A novel bank robbery was attempted by a dismissed bank employee in Poonch. Mohammad Abrar, a resident of Ari (Mendhar), was caught while trying to transfer money from the bank in the dead of the night. With the intention to hack the bank’s security system, Abrar entered the bank during working hours and spent the entire night hiding in its false ceiling. The robbery plan got exposed as Abrar’s attempt to hack the bank’s security system alerted the officials. He is in police custody.
Jammu and Kashmir collected a GST of Rs 917.85 Crore in April 2023.
KASHMIR
G20 is Group of Twenty, an intergovernmental forum, comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy.
Security is on high alert in the wake of the fast-approaching G20’s Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting on May 22-24. Reports suggest the authorities will involve Marcos, the marine commandos, and NSG apart from the existing security set-up. Lt Governor Manoj Sinha presided over a high-level meeting in which the security was reviewed. Earlier, the police said they arrested Farooq Ahmad Wani, a resident of Wagoob Hygam, Baramulla, who was a driver in a 5-star hotel. Sensing the gravity of the threat after the Poonch attack, elite Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and National Security Guards (NGS) are being placed for the G20 event’s security.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha announced ownership rights for the refugee families for 46666 kanals of land allotted to them on May 7, 1954, after they emigrated from Pakistan in 1947. The land was allotted in Pargwal island in Akhnoor, RS Pura and Bishnah tehsils in Jammu, and parts of Samba and Hiranagar in Kathua district.
JAMMU
In order to prevent the use of women for drug peddling and other issues, the government has started deploying women constables at various vital checkpoints in Jammu City during night hours. This is happening for the first time. At checkpoints, they keep tabs on the movement of women residents. So far 50-60 women constables have been deployed on night duty around exit and entry points in the temple city.
The government is encouraging pea cultivation (PB 89 variety) in Uri’s 102 villages and it fetches better prices in Delhi’s Azadpur Market.
TEETWAL
A brand new Sharda Peth temple is coming up at Teetwal (Karnah0 on the banks of Kishanganga river, barely at a stone’s throw from the Line of Control.
Weeks after the revival and reconstruction of the Sharda temple, a Sikh Gurudwara reopened in Teetwal. Its reconstruction was funded by
Save Sharda Committee that reconstructed the temple destroyed in the partition. The spot on which the twin religious spaces existed was protected ad preserved by the native Muslims even though not a single Hindu or Sikh resides in Teetwal. The revnue records have 5 marlas of land recorded as Ahl-e-Singha and 18 marlas as Ahl-e-Hanood. The land was demarcated and Bhumi Pujan was done on December 2, 2021, paving the way for the installation of Guru Granth Sahib inside the Gurudwara amidst chants.
The National Investigation Agency raided 16 locations in Baramulla and Kishtwar districts, mostly on the residences of banned Jamaat-e-Islami activists
JAMMU
Aerial view of Jammu city
The Jammu and Kashmir administration will be allotting 336 low-income group flats to non-local labourers under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) mission in Jammu’s Sunjwan area. The Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board has invited online applications from people, who have migrated to Jammu temporarily or permanently for employment or education or long-term tourist visit, for its 336 economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG) flats. The flats are located at Sunjwan, in the vicinity of major Industrial estates Gangyal and Bari Brahmna. Initially, they will have an allotment for three years, which is extendable for five years. Housing Board said the allotment of 96 units will take place in the first phase followed by 112 units in the second phase by June 30 and allotment of the rest of the 128 units will be made in the third phase by October 31 this year.

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( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 8, 2023
Inclement Weather Forecast, Sinthan And Margan Passes Closed For Movement Till May 9

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SRINAGAR: Amid ongoing weather vagaries, authorities have ordered for closure of Sinthan and Margan passes for all sorts of movements to avoid any exigency till May 9.
“In view of predictions by the Meteorological Department for widespread and heavy rains and Snowfall in upper reaches, people of Tehsil Larnoo and outside tourists are advised to refrain from venturing in landslide and shooting stone prone areas”, reads an advisory.
“Moreover rainfall/thunderstorm/snowfall may lead to disruption of traffic on Sinthan pass and Margan pass roads. People are advised to refrain from travelling on these two roads on 8th and 9th of May 2023,” it said.
“Also in compliance to the directions of SDM Kokernag, SHO Larnoo, and Naib Tehsildar Larnoo are directed to set up naka at daksum and Gowran and restrict all kinds of vehicular traffic on Sinthan Pass and Margan Pass roads on 8th and 9th of May 2023”, it reads. (GNS)

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( With inputs from : kashmirlife.net )

May 8, 2023