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  • Cop killed, two others injured in Shopian road accident

    Srinagar, Nov 27: A policeman died while two others were injured in a road accident in Kanipora area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Sunday evening.

    An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the accident took place between a truck and an alto car at Kanipora bridge in Shopian town, in which 3 cops posted at SOG camp Gagran Shopian were injured.

    He said that all three were shifted to district hospital Shopian where one among them identified as constable Muzamil Ahmad Dar of Shadab Karewa Shopian succumbed to injuries.

    He identified the injured as Aman Preet Singh of Reasi and Rahul Kumar of Jammu—(KNO)

  • No Active Militants In 3 Kashmir Districts; LeT, JeM Headless: ADGP Vijay Kumar

    Srinagar, Nov 26: Three districts in Kashmir have zero “active militants” currently even as two prominent militant organisations, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed, have gone “headless” after security forces neutralised their operatives and commanders, a senior police officer said on Saturday.

    He identified the three “militant-free” districts as Bandipora, Kupwara and Ganderbal.

    The Kashmir region, that comprises 13 police districts, has 81 militants at present with 29 being local while 52 are of foreign origin (Pakistanis), Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir zone) Vijay Kumar said.

    He was interacting with a group of visiting journalists at the police control room here.

    “The security forces have an upper hand now when it comes to containing terrorism and militants in the Valley. We are working to bring the figure of active, foreign and hybrid terrorists to less than 50 in the near future,” the officer said.

    We are very hopeful of eradicating militancy from Kashmir in the next two years, he asserted.

    Kumar said the LeT and JeM are currently “headless” after the security forces neutralised their ranks in multiple encounters and operations.

    Officials said Farooq Nalli, a Hizbul Mujahideen top operative, is the only active commander — since 2015 — and he is on the radar of the forces, including the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and sister forces like the Army and the Central Reserve Police Force.

    Police officials said the “achievement” of the forces in neutralising senior militant operatives can be gauged from the fact that while there were 80 top commanders in Kashmir about two years ago, there are only three now. Apart from Nalli, the two others are inactive.

    Kumar added that there were about 15-18 active “hybrid” militants.

    According to security agencies, hybrid militants are those who are radicalised online and are given pistols to kill one or two persons, identified or unidentified.

    Most of these “hybrid” militants are located in South Kashmir area comprising Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts, officials said.

    Police authorities said the militants operating in Kashmir are now operating in a “module”, where they get a specific direction of attacking or killing one person.

    “We have busted as many as 119 modules this year,” ADGP Kumar said.

    The JKP officials said their main area of concern in Kashmir is militants picking up “soft targets” like labourers coming from other states and Kashmiri Pandits, while they also have “detected” some women over ground workers (OGWs) assisting im some recent terrorist activities.

    “We have, however, ensured that those who target labourers and members of the Pandit community are neutralised immediately and also that they are not kept safe as much as possible,” a senior officer said.

    Another concern for the police is the recent seizure of some Turkey-made pistols from militants, which they said is an indicator that Pakistan-based handlers are providing weapons of that country to ultras operating in Kashmir.

    The officer said there is also a fourth category of ultras in Kashmir whom they categorise as “potential militants.” These are those who are radicalised, have joined or about to join the militant ranks but have not undertaken a militant act.

    “In 80 per cent cases in this category, the families of these potential terrorists inform the JKP and security forces about their doubtful activities, and we have been able to bring back 13 of them in 2022, some even after joining the ranks,” another senior officer said.

    “We can tell you that denying social sanction to militants, their activities and radicalisation activities will usher peace in Kashmir,” the officer said.

    According to latest police data, there were 99 local recruitments in militant ranks in Kashmir this year, an all-time low over the last six years.

    Out of these, 64 were killed and 17 arrested, the data said.

    The comparative figures are: 136 in 2021, 167 in 2020, 140 in 2019, 201 in 2018, 147 in 2017 and 95 in 2016.

    Maximum local militants, according to data, are killed within a month of their joining the militant ranks while some are neutralised in two to three months.

    Twenty-nine civilians were killed by militants this year and these included three Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus each, 15 Muslims, apart from six non-local Hindus and two non-local Muslims.

    The officials said security situation in the Valley has improved “drastically” as there have been “no bandhs, no major internet shutdowns, no stone pelting incidents and zero killings of civilians” during operations of the security forces post the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

    A total of 169 militants (127 local terrorists and 42 foreign militants) have been killed in Kashmir this year, the data said.–(PTI)

  • ‘Women look good even without clothes’, says Ramdev

    In a potentially controversial development, Yoga expert Ramdev on Friday commented on women’s attires, raising eyebrows in political and social circles.

    Addressing a free Yoga training programme here, Ramdev said without batting an eyelid: “Women look good in saris, they look great in salwar suits, and in my view they look good even if they don’t wear anything.”

    At that time, he was flanked by Thane’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and singer Amruta Fadnavis — wife of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and other prominent personalities.

    Ramdev, 56, was speaking at a Yoga Science Camp & Women’s Meeting organised by Patanjali Yoga Peeth and Mumbai Mahila Patanjali Yoga Samiti here.

    He interacted with women who had brought their yoga attires and saris for the conclave and attended a training camp conducted by Ramdev.

    Since the meeting started soon after the training camp, many women did not get time to change and attended it in their Yoga suits.

    Observing this, Ramdev said that there was no problem if they had no time to switch to saris and they could do it after going home, and then made his remark — termed as ‘sexist’ in some quarters.

    He also urged the people to remain happy and smiling, similar to Amruta Fadnavis to live a long life.

  • Son kills mother for not giving money to buy mobile phone in Assam

    This Son kills mother for not giving money to buy mobile phone in Assam

  • Antimicrobial resistance a biggest health threat: Doctors

    80 percent of these drugs used by meat industry as growth promoters, antibiotic policy need of an hour: Dr Nisar Ul Hassan

    Srinagar, Nov 24: Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health in the World today, compromising the treatment of infectious diseases and undermining advancements made in medicine, Doctors said on Thursday

    A senior doctor of GMC Srinagar told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the most powerful antibiotics, which once saved the lives of millions of people across the world, are ineffective today.

    He said that superbugs have the ability to cause severe infections for which there are no cures and antibiotics are also reaching one through the food chain.

    Nearly 80 percent of these drugs are used by the meat industry, fed to cattle, chicken and other livestock to help them grow well used as growth promoters and the drug enters the human system through meat, milk, water and soil.

    Think twice and seek advice before using antibiotics as misuse of antibiotics put us all at risk, he said

    He said that unnecessary and extensive use of antibiotics have promoted the emergence and proliferation of resistant bacteria and other pathogens, along with rising AMR, which in turn has resulted in inadequate treatment of common infections and such consequences necessitate the exploration of a variety of ways to combat this expanding issue of resistance.

    He said that antibiotics were given in 70% of covid-related hospital cases and 100% of ICU admissions (patients with pneumonia), however, a small percentage of COVID-19 patients were requiring administration of antibiotics to cure secondary infections, he said.

    The over usage of antibiotics is a direct threat to patient’s health due to risk of adverse effects as well as increased emergence of AMR and multidrug-resistant microorganisms, he added.

    As per a report published in Lancet in January 2022, bacterial AMR caused 4.95 million deaths globally by 2019 and without any effective action plan is predicted to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050.

    Dr Nisar Ul Hassan, a senior medico at GMC, Srinagar and DAK president told KNO that there is a desperate need of an antibiotic policy so as to do away with this irrational and inappropriate use of antibiotics.

    Antibiotic policy will help in rationalization of antibiotic use in hospitals and even outside hospitals and will help in standard treatment protocol, he said.

    There is need different policy at different places and national policy won’t help here as we have our own epidemiological microbiology that is own pathogen prevalence which will be different for different regions and policy must be based on antibiogram of the region, he said

    The irrational and inappropriate treatment of patients is the main reason for evolution of these drug resistant microbes and hospitals are flooded with these deadly microbes.

    By giving inappropriate antibiotics, we end up in developing drug resistant microbes, he said

    He said that though development of resistance is a natural phenomenon, its amplification and spread through certain faulty practices is concerning.

    He said that it is exacerbated to most extent by the underlying factors like misuse of antimicrobial medicines – their overdosing/overprescribing/under-dosing and being prescribed for inappropriate indications; insufficient access to quality antibiotics; lack of a comprehensive and coordinated response; weak or absent antimicrobial resistance surveillance and monitoring systems; poor infection control practices; and unhealthy self-medication behaviour among people.

    “Inappropriate use of antibiotics is responsible for alarming levels of antibiotic resistance in Kashmir valley, ” he said, adding more than two-thirds of antibiotics are unnecessarily prescribed for infections caused by viruses or conditions that are not linked to infection at all.

    Dr Nisar said that with no regulations, chemists give antibiotics to everyone and even in hospitals patients are given antibiotics without appropriate testing to match their bacterial infection.

    “Inappropriate and irrational use of antibiotics has turned Kashmir hospitals into breeding grounds for deadly bacteria that are resistant to all antibiotics,” he said adding more than 80% of the bacteria are resistant even to last resort antibiotics—(KNO)

  • Article | To Juice or not to Juice

    Beenish Zohra
    [email protected]

    Juicing is a quick and simple approach to incorporate nearly all of the necessary fruit and vegetable servings into a single portable container. There are two kinds to juicing. The traditional process of juicing involves extracting juice from fruits and vegetables (cold-pressed juice). The result of this procedure is a concentrated natural juice. There is no way we can eat half a kilo of carrots, an apple, a one-inch piece of raw ginger, and a full lemon right now. Juicing it, concentrates all those nutrients and helps to obtain a lot in a short amount of time. That is a huge advantage of juicing. So let me address the disadvantage: we lose fiber, which makes you feel full and aids in digestion. The alternative way of juicing, known as full juicing, is mixing fruits and vegetables in a high-powered blender. So, the advantage here is that you absolutely get the fiber. But because you’re receiving fiber, you’ll fill up faster, so the nourishment won’t be as concentrated and you still can’t eat half a kilo of carrots at a time.
    Concentrated juicing is like taking a multivitamin. It’s like a supercharged vitamin and mineral smack in the face. Juicing is thus more of a snack or a healthy supplement to a meal. Whatever method a juicer employs, we must be cautious and conscious of how much sugar we consume. When we solely use fruits, the concentration might be fairly high. As a dietitian, I would recommend that beginners aim for a 50/50 fruit/vegetable ratio. If you enjoy the taste, consider increasing the vegetables and decreasing the fruit to regulate the sweetness.  Juicing may be done by anybody, but it needs time and planning. It is also important to note that juices are not a substitute for eating fruits and vegetables. There is no such thing as a substitute. Juices provide hydration as well as abundant amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Both juices and smoothies contain extracts from vegetables and fruits. They are a great addition to your meals, especially if you are trying to go on a healthy diet. The difference between juice and smoothie is the presence of fibre. Juicing process filters out the pulp of vegetables or fruits while making smoothies involve blending the whole fruit/vegetable. When you blend your fruits and vegetables into a smoothie, you need to keep in mind that whatever you put in your blender ends up in your body. Smoothies blend these items and deliver the same nutrients that are in juice, but they keep the added fiber content of the produce that was used, as well as any added nutrients you use, such as milk, yogurt, or nut butters. Some of the greatest fresh juices are the most straightforward. Apples, celery, pineapple, cucumber, melon, spinach, kale, ginger, melon, and carrots are some of the greatest foods for juicing, ranging from fruit mixes to green beverages. We should also try to mix them with superfoods such as turmeric, pepper, ginger, lemon etc. A lot of people tend to add too much sugar to their smoothies, offsetting any health benefit of the smoothie. Leave it out from added sugars, preservatives, or colourants, so you can enjoy a natural drink whenever you want. Make it fresh and consume it.

    By Beenish Zohra, Dietitian and clinical nutritionist, Research Scholar (Dietitics and Nutrition), Certified Diabetes Educator. She can be reached out at [email protected]

  • DSEK proposes winter vacations for schools in phased manner from Dec 1 to 10

    Srinagar, Nov 24 : The School Education Department Kashmir has proposed winter vacations in a phased manner from the first week of December for winter zone of Kashmir division.

    Official sources informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that DSEK has forwarded a proposal to government for approval in this regard.

    He said DSEK has proposed that it will announce winter vacation for Primary Classes from 1st week of December and for Middle Classes from December 05.

    The official added that likewise for Higher Classes, it has proposed to announce vacations from December 10—(KNO)

  • In Kerala, 10-year-old Hindu girl wins first prize for Quran recitation

    In Kerala, 10-year-old Hindu girl wins first prize for Quran recitation

  • Preparing files to trap big fish involved in encroachments: Darakshan Andrabi

    White paper on Waqf encroachments to be made public in April next year

    Srinagar, Nov 23: Waqf Board Chairperson, Darakshan Andrabi on Wednesday said the white paper about encroachments of Waqf property will be made public in April next year.

    Talking to (KNO), Andrabi said files are being prepared to trap big and the white paper will be made public when Waqf day will be observed in April next year.

    She said Waqf day will be observed on the day when board was re-constituted last year.

    Andrabi further said six months have elapsed since the new Waqf Board assumed charge and one year will be completed in April. “We are just removing the dust from files so far and have taken some steps that will be completed one by one.”

    She added concrete steps for Waqf will be taken shortly and big fish involved in encroachments will be trapped—(KNO)

  • 23 Year-Old Youth Dies As Ball Hits Chest in Narbal Budgam

    Srinagar, November 23: A 23 Year-old Cricketer died on spot after he was hit by cricket ball while playing in Narbal area of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Wednesday.

    A senior police officer told GNS that around 2:30 pm one person namely Firdous Ahmad Dar resident of Syed pora Narbal while playing cricket was hit by a cricket ball on his chest, this resulted his onspot death.

    Meanwhile a case has been registered in this regard and investigation has been taken up, the officer added. (GNS)