A chance meeting between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union minister Kiren Rijiju at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar has sparked a political storm, with opposition parties accusing the National Conference of laying out a red carpet for the BJP leader in the aftermath of the Waqf Amendment Act. While NC sources termed the interaction as a purely coincidental encounter, opposition parties like the PDP and Peoples' Conference condemned the meeting, accusing the NC of surrendering to the BJP. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, passed by Parliament last week, aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare.
Manchester City seized the opportunity of Arsenal's 2-1 loss at Aston Villa earlier in the day to climb within two points of the leaders.
Nikhat, Jaismine and four other Indian boxers march into finals
Syed Adil Hussain Shah, a 30-year-old pony ride operator, was killed while trying to protect tourists from terrorists in Pahalgam, Kashmir. He was shot dead while trying to snatch a weapon from one of the terrorists. The attack claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited Pahalgam to offer condolences to the families of the victims and praised Shah's bravery. Shah was laid to rest in his ancestral village with hundreds of mourners attending.
Mixing humour with political resolve, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday used the flagging-off ceremony of the first train to Kashmir by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Katra to subtly but clearly articulate his government's demand for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Results and trends from recent bypolls across eight assembly seats in India show wins for MNF in Mizoram, BJP in Jammu and Kashmir, and Congress leading in Telangana and Rajasthan.
The Trump administration said it will conduct a "rigorous" re-examination of all Green Cards issued to immigrants from "every country of concern".
The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered the closure of Darbar Move offices in Srinagar on October 31, following Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's announcement to restore the tradition. The Darbar Move, which involves shifting government offices between Srinagar and Jammu, was scrapped in 2021 but is now being reinstated.
'Pakistan is uncomfortable with the Indian presence in Afghanistan. They want the Taliban to ensure that there is no Indian presence in Afghanistan.'
Abdullah, who visited the shelling-affected areas of Uri, including Salamabad, Lagama, Bandi and Gingal in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, also said that he would take up the demand for building individual bunkers in these areas with the Centre.
The opposition Peoples' Democratic Party and Peoples' Conference targeted the ruling National Conference over the meeting, and accused it of surrendering to the Bharatiya Janata Party without even a pretence over the passage of the Waqf act.
The sharp remark was intended after Congress and AAP's decision to contest the Delhi elections separately, despite being allies under the INDIA bloc banner.
'Me contesting elections from two seats is not a proof of weakness, it is a proof of the strength of the National Conference.'
The Jammu and Kashmir assembly unanimously passed a resolution on Monday expressing shock and anguish over the terrorist attack in Pahalgam and resolved to fight resolutely to defeat the nefarious designs to disturb communal harmony and hinder progress.
The first week of the Open (Jan 12-17) will also feature free entry for kids and nightly live music at Grand Slam Oval, with the main draw running January 18-February 1.
A summary of Friday's action in the FIFA World Cup 2026 UEFA Qualifiers.
The counting of votes will be done on November 14, along with the Bihar assembly election votes.
Second-string Liverpool were thumped 3-0 by Crystal Palace as Ismaila Sarr struck twice for the visitors in the League Cup on Wednesday, booking the London side's spot in the quarter-finals and piling more misery on Arne Slot's struggling side.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson, and Omar M Yaghi for their pioneering work in the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), Al Jazeera reported.
A shooter who opened fire at a Minneapolis Catholic School, killing two children, had 'Nuke India' written on one of the guns, according to video footage of the alleged arsenal used by him.
Srinagar's Dal Lake on Friday witnessed history as the first-ever Khelo India Water Sports Festival was inaugurated in Jammu and Kashmir, drawing over 800 participants from across India and abroad.
National Conference Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, along with Peoples Democratic Party leaders Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, Sheikh Khursheed and others, led a peaceful protest on Monday, December 23, 2024, outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's residence in Srinagar.
Developing relations with the Taliban is needed, but plunging headlong into Afghanistan without due thought will be akin to the rooster entering a KFC outlet, warns Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (Retd).
'Professor Kitagawa is an exceptional researcher, a good teacher and above all a great person.'
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah along with scores of Srinagar residents participated in a Tiranga Yatra along the famed Dal Lake.
'INDIA will easily cross 50 seats out of 90 in Jammu and Kashmir.'
'The Abdullah family is the problem and facilitator of the instability that we are seeing in Kashmir.'
Crystal Palace scored a stoppage-time winner to edge Liverpool 2-1 while Manchester United and Chelsea lost by an identical 3-1 margin in the English Premier League on Saturday.
'The Pahalgam terror attacks and the conflict that followed were a big blow to local tourism.' 'And just when things were starting to go back to normal, the floods, caused by heavy rain, spoiled all chances of a bounce-back this season.'
In a significant administrative reshuffle, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha ordered the transfer and posting of 48 J-K Administrative Service (JKAS) officers, potentially creating friction with the National Conference-led government in the Union Territory. The move, seen by many as an attempt by the LG to assert control over the bureaucracy, includes the transfer of 14 additional deputy commissioners and 26 sub-divisional magistrates. The timing of the order, coinciding with the elected government's wait for approval on business rules, raises concerns over power dynamics in the region.
New Delhi looks to be testing Omar's endurance with unconcealed glee, never feeling shy to bite whenever a moment comes its way. After all, ruling the country's only Muslim-majority UT/state has been the BJP's burning desire, points out Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
A Delhi court has granted Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid, currently jailed on terror funding charges, permission to vote in the upcoming Vice Presidential election.
Certain everyday habits -- like poor sleep, stress and multitasking -- can quietly weaken your brain. Making simple lifestyle can help protect your mental health.
The delayed timing of J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's admission has more to do with deflecting the thrust of the Opposition attack on the prime minister and Union home minister during the monsoon session of Parliament, points out Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
The National Conference on Sunday ruled out joining the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and dismissed as baseless a media report in this regard.
'Often people outside paint a wrong picture of us of Kashmiris. We are not like that. We are cool and bindaas,' said the lady, a teacher, caressing my cheeks in the pressing crowds.
Omar Abdullah will have to negotiate at every step with the lieutenant governor's office and the Modi government at the Centre.
World Junior Ch'ships: India off to flying start; Sri Lanka edge UAE in thriller
Omar Abdullah was on Thursday unanimously elected as the leader of the National Conference legislature party, party president Farooq Abdullah said in Srinagar.
The CMs with lowest assets are West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with assets worth over Rs 15.38 lakh, Omar Abdullah, CM of Jammu and Kashmir, with assets worth over Rs 55.24 lakh, and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, who has assets worth Rs 1.18 crore.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances