Mumbai, Jan 28: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and five other persons were killed after an aircraft carrying them crashed in Pune district on Wednesday morning, officials said.
The incident occurred when the plane carrying NCP leader Pawar (66) and others was landing in Pune’s Baramati area, they said.
Washington, Jan 28: President Donald Trump warned Iraq on Tuesday that the US would no longer support the country if its former prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, returns to power.
Trump made the threat days after the dominant political bloc known as the Coordination Framework, a collection of Shiite parties, announced it was backing the nomination of al-Maliki, who the US administration views as too close to Iran.
“Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again,” Trump said in a social media post announcing his opposition to al-Maliki.
“Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq and, if we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom.”
Trump’s intervention into Iraqi politics comes at a fraught moment for Trump in the Middle East as he weighs carrying out new strikes on Iraq’s neighbour Iran, which has maintained deep influence in Iraq’s government since the US ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Trump has left open the possibility of military action in response to Tehran’s deadly crackdown on recent protests against the Islamic government.
Al-Maliki’s troubled relationship with Washington
Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s bloc won the largest share of seats in November’s parliamentary elections. But he stepped aside earlier this month after he was unable to form a government. That cleared the field for al-Maliki after the two had competed for the backing of the Coordination Framework.
Al-Maliki, who first served as prime minister in 2006, is the only Iraqi prime minister to serve two terms since the US toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Al-Maliki’s bid for a third term failed after he was accused of monopolising power and alienating the country’s sizable Sunni and Kurdish populations.
When he came to power in May 2006, Al-Maliki was initially embraced by President George W. Bush. Al-Maliki took over as prime minister months after the bombing of the al-Askari shrine, a significant Shiite mosque. It was a moment that deepened sectarian tension in Iraq and sparked a period of intense violence in the country.
But within months, US officials soured on al-Maliki. They saw his government as too often favouring Shiite factions and alienating Sunni populations, which exacerbated the security crisis.
For years, concerns were frequently raised in Washington about Maliki’s closeness to Iran and his ability to govern independently of Tehran’s influence.
By 2014, the Obama administration had lost confidence in al-Maliki’s ability to manage the security situation, particularly the rise of the Islamic State group, which had seized large swaths of the country.
‘This is Iraq, so never say never’
The Trump administration began publicly signalling its concerns about the political situation in Iraq in recent days, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio telling caretaker Prime Minister al-Sudani in a phone call Sunday that the US was concerned about a pro-Iran government taking root in Iraq.
“The Secretary emphasised that a government controlled by Iran cannot successfully put Iraq’s own interests first, keep Iraq out of regional conflicts, or advance the mutually beneficial partnership between the United States and Iraq,” said State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott in a statement.
Hussain Abdul-Hussain, a research fellow focused on the Middle East at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish Washington think tank, said that Trump’s public opposition creates a difficult hurdle for al-Maliki to overcome.
“But this is Iraq, so never say never,” said Abdul-Hussein. “And this was a guy whose political life was supposed to have expired many, many years ago, and yet Maliki is still here.”
The US also has been pushing Baghdad to disarm Iran-backed groups operating inside Iraq — a difficult proposition, given the political power that many of them hold.
Trump’s intervention comes at a fraught moment with Iran
It’s not the first time that Trump has intervened in another country’s politics since returning to office. He also offered strong backing last year for right-wing candidates in Argentina, Honduras, and Poland.
The long-frayed relationship between the US and Iran remains tense after Trump earlier this month repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action if his administration found the Islamic Republic was using deadly force against anti-government protesters.
He then said he was holding off on strikes after claiming that Iran had halted the execution of some 800 people detained in the protests — something Iran’s top prosecutor, Mohammad Movahedi, has strongly denied.
Trump may have been at least temporarily dissuaded from carrying out a strike because of a shift in the U.S. naval presence from the Middle East to South America.
The aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford was redirected from the Mediterranean Sea in November to support operations targeting drug smugglers in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific as well as this month’s capture of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
But the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three accompanying warships have arrived in the Middle East, US Central Command confirmed Monday. That’s raised anew speculation that Trump could soon opt to order airstrikes on Iran for its crackdown on protesters.
Srinagar, Jan 27: An avalanche hit Sonamarg tourist resort in Jammu and Kashmir late Tuesday night, but there was no loss of life, officials said.
They said the avalanche hit Sonamarg resort in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district at 10.12 pm on Tuesday.
The massive avalanche was caught on CCTV camera, showing snow engulfing buildings, officials said.
However, they added there were no reports of any loss of life.
The authorities had on Monday warned of a high-intensity or high-danger avalanche in the district.
Sonamarg and most other parts of the valley received moderate to heavy snowfall over the last 24 hours.
Sopore, Jan 27: Defying harsh winter conditions, a group of spirited youth in Tarzoo village of Sopore, north Kashmir, braved heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures to convert a snow-laden field into a makeshift volleyball arena.
The activity, as per the news agency KNO, drew cheers from onlookers. The video clips of the volleyball match played in the snow went viral on social media, drawing applause from the netizens.
Donning jackets and pherans (long Kashmiri coats), over a dozen youth had marked boundaries and erected a net on the snow-covered ground, which was followed by an hour-long friendly match filled with dives, high-fives, and roars of laughter.
“The snowfall is heavy, but yet our passion for the sports is heavier,” said Bilal, a 25-year-old youth. “We have grown up playing here, snow is just adding adventure,” he added.
Another youth said, “It’s heartwarming to see young people active and happy, even in this weather. The energy level is inspiring, while such activities unite everyone.”
It is noteworthy that Tarzoo, in the Sopore outskirts, is the same village where a maiden volleyball tournament on synthetic turf was played in 2025.
Srinagar, Jan 27: The Jammu and Kashmir government has formally notified that the tenure of District Development Councils (DDCs) would end on February 24, 2026, directing chief executive officers (CEOs) to inform the chairpersons and members about the completion of their five-year term.
In a communication issued by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, the CEOs, who are the Additional District Development Commissioners (ADDCs) of the respective districts, have been asked to convey the decision to the elected representatives.
ìAs per the opinion rendered by the Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, citing Sub-Rules (2) and (3) of Rule 108ZP of the J&K Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996, the term of the DDCs commenced from the date of issuance of the notification constituting the councils, that is, February 25, 2021. Accordingly, the councils shall cease to exist with effect from February 24, 2026,î the letter states.
With the completion of the DDC tenure, all three tiers of the Panchayati Raj system in J&K would cease to exist.
The terms of the first two tiers, Halqa Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs), have already ended.
Greater Kashmir had earlier reported that such a decision was imminent.
In its front-page report ëGovernance Overlap: Created in crisis, DDCs may be buried by consensusí published on June 11, 2025, Greater Kashmir had highlighted that the future of DDCs was uncertain amid governance overlaps, administrative redundancy, and a growing consensus within official circles on reworking the local governance framework.
The report had noted that the DDCs, created in the aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370 through amendments carried out by the Ministry of Home Affairs under the J&K Reorganisation Act, 2019, were increasingly seen as an interim arrangement.
It had also underlined concerns within the administration about duplication of roles between DDCs, district administrations, and other local bodies, as well as the absence of timely elections to the lower tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
The formal notification issued now comes over seven months after Greater Kashmir flagged the likelihood of the DDCs being wound up at the end of their tenure, making the newspaper significantly ahead in reporting the development.
Each DDC comprises 14 elected members, and with 20 districts in J&K, the total strength of elected DDC members stood at 280.
In the first-ever DDC elections held in November-December 2020, the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) secured 110 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats.
The end of the DDC tenure is expected to revive the debate on the future structure of grassroots governance in J&K and the roadmap for fresh local body elections.
New Delhi, Jan 27: Member of Parliament Chowdry Ramzan on Tuesday pitched for statehood restoration at Parliament floor leadersí meeting and said that the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir was not being allowed to discharge its responsibilities towards the people.
Meeting several Members of Parliament (MPs) and raising key issues concerning J&K at a meeting of floor leaders of different political parties in the Parliament, Ramzan demanded restoration of statehood to J&K and said, ìDespite a massive public mandate, the elected government is not being allowed to function fully or discharge its responsibilities towards the people.î
The meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Health Minister J P Nadda, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of State (MoS) for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan, and floor leaders of all major political parties.
During the meeting, Ramzan highlighted a range of political, social, and economic concerns affecting J&K.
He raised the issue of prisoners from J&K lodged in jails outside J&K, seeking their repatriation to enable them to access legal assistance as provided under law.
Ramzan also demanded the release of prisoners involved in minor offences.
Referring to recent developments following the Delhi bomb blast, he urged the authorities to stop the harassment of labourers, students, and traders from J&K in different parts of the country.
On the economic front, Ramzan sought the waiver of Kissan Credit Card (KCC) loans of farmers, citing prolonged closure of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for over a month and repeated natural calamities, including hailstorms and untimely rainfall.
He also demanded suspension of interest and recovery of loans extended to the tourism industry in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.
Ramzan also called for a relook at the requirement of a 40 percent contribution from economically weaker states like J&K under the G Ram G program (erstwhile MGNREGA), terming it an undue burden on resource-constrained regions.
He urged the Centre to take these issues into consideration in the interest of justice, economic stability, and democratic governance in J&K.
Ramban, Jan 27:At least four persons, including a paramilitary CRPF soldier, died, and one woman was injured in an accident on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway near Jakhani Chowk in Udhampur district on Tuesday.
According to officials, the accident occurred around 11 am and involved a passenger bus, a stationary off-road vehicle, and a motorcycle.
A senior CRPF officer said the bus rammed into the off-road vehicle, which was parked on the roadside and undergoing repairs at the time of the incident.
Second-in-Command of the 137 Bn CRPF, Kartar Singh, told Greater Kashmir that the impact crushed the off-road vehicle, killing its driver and a mechanic on the spot.
He said that the collision caused two passengers to fall through a broken emergency window of the bus into a deep gorge near a bridge.
One of the victims was identified as Mukesh Prajapati, a soldier of the 52 Bn CRPF, who was on leave and travelling as a civilian at the time.
He later succumbed to his injuries, taking the death toll to four.
CRPF and Police personnel jointly launched a rescue operation and retrieved the bodies from the gorge.
The deceased were shifted to the mortuary of Government Medical College and Hospital, Udhampur, for medico-legal formalities.
The deceased were identified as Sanjeev Kumar, 42, son of Ashok Kumar of Ward No 8, Rount, Udhampur; Rayees Ahmed, 28, son of Muhammad Shabhan Ganai of Shatergam, Budgam; Mukesh Prajapati of 52 Bn CRPF, deployed in Kishtwar, and Rattan Lal, son of Mohan Lal of Batote.
The injured woman was identified as Bamlesha Devi, 37, wife of Surjeet Kumar of Chenani.
She was admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed sorrow over the loss of lives.
In his condolence message, the Lt Governor said he was deeply pained by the tragic accident and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, while praying for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also conveyed his condolences and prayed for strength to the affected families during this difficult time.
Srinagar, Jan 27: The fresh spell of snowfall in Kashmir on Tuesday led to the cancellation of all 29 flights scheduled to arrive at the Srinagar International Airport.
Speaking to Greater Kashmir, Director Srinagar Airport, Javed Anjum, said all flights to and from Srinagar were cancelled due to bad weather.
ìThe continuous snowfall made it impossible to operate the air traffic. As a result, all flights for the day had to be suspended,î he said.
Anjum said men and machinery were deployed to ensure that the runway is clear for operations on Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, an airport spokesperson posted on microblogging site ëXí, ìDue to adverse weather conditions and continuous snowfall in Srinagar, the runway is currently not available for safe aircraft operations. In the interest of passenger safety, all flight operations to and from Srinagar have been cancelled for the day.î
The spokesperson said airline and airport authorities were closely monitoring the weather situation and would resume operations as soon as conditions improve and the runway is declared operational.
However, no flights could operate on Tuesday.
ìPassengers are advised to check the latest flight status with their respective airlines and stay updated through official communication channels. We regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate passengersí understanding and cooperation,î an airport official said.
Twenty-six flights to Srinagar were cancelled on January 23, owing to the seasonís first snowfall in the summer capital of J&K.
Meanwhile, seven flights were cancelled at the Jammu Airport due to a disruption in air traffic at Srinagar Airport owing to the snowfall.
ìThe cancelled flights at Jammu included affected services of SpiceJet, Indigo, and Air India Express,î a Jammu airport official said.
Srinagar, Jan 27: Tata Motors, India’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jammu and Kashmir Grameen Bank to strengthen and expand vehicle financing for its entire range of commercial vehicles, including the recently launched Tata Ace Pro.
The MoU aims to make commercial vehicle ownership more accessible by offering customers competitive interest rates, simplified documentation and faster loan disbursal processes. The initiative is expected to benefit small entrepreneurs, transport operators and first-time vehicle buyers across the region.
The MoU signing ceremony was attended by Sachin Gupta, General Manager, J&K Grameen Bank, and Deepak Gautam, Zonal Manager (North), Tata Motors Ltd, along with other senior officials from both organisations.
Officials said the partnership will leverage Jammu and Kashmir Grameen Bank’s extensive network of 330 branches across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to ensure wider outreach and easy access to vehicle financing, particularly in rural and semi-urban areas.
Jammu, Jan 27: J&L Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather, on Tuesday asserted that the new Legislative Assembly complex project, revived by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led government after coming to power in 2024, would be completed by mid-2027.
He said that it would address many issues, viz., paucity of space, faulty sound systems, etc., frequently encountered by all, including media persons.
Speaker also announced that the much anticipated National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) too would be partially introduced from the ensuing J&K budget session to encourage paperless functioning. “NeVA will be fully implemented in the next assembly session,” he assured while interacting with the media personnel of different news organisations at the Assembly Secretariat Jammu to facilitate smooth and efficient coverage of the forthcoming assembly session starting from February 2, 2026.
With regard to problems related to inadequate space and defective sound system, Rather stated, “These problems would have been addressed, had our under-construction new legislature complex in Jammu been completed. Its construction started when I used to be the Finance Minister (of J&K). I had procured funds especially for its construction from (New) Delhi (Centre) stating that Jammu did not have a proper assembly hall.”
He pointed out that the work on the project was re-started. “Unfortunately in 2018 that (new legislature complex in Jammu) project was abandoned though the structure was in place. You would be amazed to note that Rs 72 Cr were expended on creating the structure and still it (project) was abandoned probably thinking that there was no assembly. I presume someone would have decided that there was no assembly so why was it (new complex) required. But when we (NC government) came to power, last year I called the concerned engineers of (erstwhile) JKPCC to find out the reasons for abandoning the project,” Rather shared, adding that finally, he instructed them to immediately start the work on the project.
He informed that in the absence of JKPCC, the job was entrusted to PWD with a fixed timeline. “To revive the project and seek administrative approval, we had to route the proposal again to the cabinet. Now the tendering has been completed. Recently, in this connection, I called a meeting attended by the Chief Secretary and all other concerned persons and asked them to initiate work on the project at the earliest. So the pending work on the new Legislative Assembly Complex will be started soon. Works have already been allotted. We have drawn a commitment from them to complete the project within 18 months or before that,” the Speaker assured, maintaining that it would be equipped with all the facilities for the media personnel.
In the same breath, he also shared details about the implementation of NeVA project in J&K for which two committees, one headed by the Assembly Secretary and other – apex committee under his (Speaker’s) chairmanship were also constituted.
“During a recent meeting, we took some big decisions on this account vis-à-vis paperless functioning. Partially, we will begin work from the upcoming session but hopefully it will be fully in place from the next session (following the budget session). This will facilitate all,” he said.
During interaction, Rather cautioned the media persons that the coverage of the legislature session was a crucial yet a very sensitive job which warrants responsibility as even a little slip up or inaccuracy in dissemination of information would invoke the parliamentary privileges. “Therefore, you need to be very cautious in reporting as even a minor slipup will invite trouble for the media persons,” he elaborated.
In the same breath, he requested the media persons to ensure quality reporting while covering the session, focussing more on content, well-meaning debates and less on playing up uproar or the acts of indiscipline by the legislators like damaging of mike or entering the well.
“Quality reporting vis-à-vis House debates will encourage the legislators who are sincere in approach, work hard to raise public issues and serve people’s ends as their true representatives and will discourage those creating disruptions. It will also raise the standard of debates. Frequent disruptions in the legislature sessions was a major concern during the Presiding Officers’ conference, which I recently attended in Lucknow. MLAs are wrong in their perception that the people like disruptions,” Rather shared.
Recognising the significance of media in highlighting public issues, the Speaker sought cooperation from media houses for balanced and responsible reporting of the session. He emphasised the critical role of journalists in ensuring transparency and public awareness of legislative discussions and advised them to keep public interests paramount while discharging their professional assignments.
The Speaker stated that the MLAs violating the rules of procedure of the House should not be given publicity.
Elucidating this point, he said, “For example, the resolutions, bills, or questions that have not yet been tabled in the House cannot be circulated in media or in the public domain by the MLAs. This tendency has risen in the recent past, I took strong notice of that. I also served notices to those members warning against such practice. I warned that such acts would invite action against such members as well as those publishing it. So, I caution the media persons not to highlight such content to avoid trouble.”
Speaker also cautioned against reporting of expunged remarks. “That (expunging of remarks) is a ruling by the Presiding Officer. So once the ruling is given by the chair, the issue or remarks should not be reported,” he said. He also highlighted the need for mutual cooperation between the Chair and the media to facilitate seamless coverage while maintaining the dignity, decorum, and traditions of the House.
The Speaker said that the media acts as a vital bridge between the people and the legislature, ensuring the citizens remain aware of policies, discussions, and decisions that shape governance across Jammu and Kashmir.
While reviewing the arrangements for media persons, the Speaker emphasised the importance of taking necessary measures to prevent inconvenience to journalists covering the proceedings. He instructed the Assembly Secretariat officers to prepare and issue entry passes for journalists in coordination with the Information Department well in advance for their unhindered entry into the assembly complex.
To enhance media accessibility, the Speaker directed the Information department to install a sufficient number of microphones and Public Address Systems (PAS) within the Assembly Hall, facilitating smooth interaction between the dignitaries, Ministers, legislative assembly members and the journalists.
The Speaker also issued directions to the Hospitality and Protocol department; the SSP Security, Civil Secretariat, and the IT department to ensure that the media persons, legislators, and employees may not face any inconvenience during the session.
During the interaction, the Speaker also invited constructive suggestions from the journalists for improving media engagement and coverage of legislative business.
In response to concerns raised by the media fraternity, the Speaker assured them that the highlighted issues would be addressed promptly. He said the Assembly Secretariat remains committed to ensure a conducive environment for media persons to discharge their professional duties.
The meeting was attended by Director Information, Nitish Rajora; Secretary, JKLA, Manoj Kumar Pandita, SSP Civil Secretariat Security Sajjad Bhat, SSP Traffic Amit Bhasin along with veteran journalists, Bureau Chiefs, senior journalists and correspondents besides representatives of All India Radio, Doordarshan and other concerned officers.
