Four dead in Georgia domestic shooting; Indian Consulate expresses grief

Gusty winds, snow cripple Kashmir’s power network

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January 24, 2026

Gusty winds, snow cripple Kashmir’s power network

Srinagar, Jan 23: Gusty winds on Thursday evening, followed by heavy snowfall in the upper reaches, caused extensive damage to the power infrastructure across Kashmir, plunging large parts of the Valley into darkness and leaving only essential feeders functional by Friday morning.

Officials of the Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited (KPDCL) said the intensity of the weather event was unprecedented and resulted in widespread faults at both sub-transmission and distribution levels.

ìThe high-speed winds and snowfall caused rooftops to be blown off and crash onto 33 kV and 11 kV lines, leading to massive tripping and physical damage to the network. The scale of destruction is significant, and restoration is challenging due to weather and accessibility issues,î a senior KPDCL official said, adding that field staff were working in extremely difficult conditions.

According to officials, the power network remained live until around 10 pm on Thursday night, when the load abruptly crashed due to multiple faults triggered by gusty winds.

ìWe witnessed a sudden and steep fall in demand, something rarely seen before. Our priority immediately shifted to safeguarding the system and ensuring supply to essential installations,î the official said.

A statement of the KPDCL issued here said that in anticipation of snowfall predictions, KPDCL had geared up its preparedness to tackle the aftermath of snow on electric infrastructure, especially in hilly terrains and rural areas.

ìHowever, severe gusty winds, incessant rainfall, and heavy snowfall across various parts of the Kashmir division led to an unprecedented decline in power demand and load,î the statement said. ìThe load dropped to the lowest level of 93 MW at around 10 pm, as against the normal average running load of approximately 1650 MW.î

The KPDCL statement said the network was live until 10 pm on Thursday night, when the load abruptly crashed due to faults and damage of various 33 kV and 11 kV feeders owing to high-speed gusty winds.

It said the rooftops of houses were blown off and smashed onto 33 kV and 11 kV lines, causing extensive damage to electrical lines and adding extra difficulty in clearing the smashed roof structures hanging on the lines.

The statement said that at the sub-transmission level, 103 of the 135 33-kV lines were down or under fault, reflecting nearly 24 percent active network at this level.

ìSimilarly, at the distribution level, 1275 of the 1302 11-kV feeders were down or under fault till Friday morning,î it said. ìFollowing established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), early morning restoration work was initiated and was monitored at all levels, led by the Managing Director and Chief Engineer, and pursued by Superintending Engineers and Executive Engineers.î

The statement said that the restoration picked up pace during the day and by 6 pm, almost 80 percent of the network was charged back, with a load of 1050 MW recorded by the State Load Dispatch Centre, prioritising essential and vital installations.

It said that heavy snowfall and high-speed winds had badly affected the electrical infrastructure, particularly in Shopian, Kulgam, Baramulla, and Budgam districts.

ìAround 4.5 feet of snow in higher terrains of these areas is affecting restoration work, as vehicular movement remains severely impaired,î the KPDCL statement said. ìThe major affected areas include D H Pora, Kund, Malwan, and Branel-Lammar of Kulgam district; Sedow, Reshnagri, Herpora, Kapran, and Kuch Dora of Shopian district; and Khansahib, Beerwa, Doodhpathri, and Yousmarg of Budgam district.î

It said that the damage to a transmission tower at Sheeri in the Delina-Lower Jhelum Hydroelectric Project 132-kV transmission line has further hindered the restoration of power supply.

ìThe Jammu and Kashmir Power Transmission Corporation Limited (JKPTCL), Kashmir, is on the job of restoring the network by erecting an Emergency Restoration System,î the statement said.

Reiterating its commitment, the KPDCL said it was making all efforts to restore power supply to all areas by dusk, with men and machinery already mobilised to the affected areas and teams working on a war-footing basis for the earliest possible restoration of power services across the Valley.

Labour Commissioner reviews PM-SYM rollout

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January 24, 2026

Labour Commissioner reviews PM-SYM rollout

Jammu, Jan 23: Labour Commissioner J&K, Charandeep Singh, reviewed the implementation and progress of the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) scheme during a meeting with all Assistant Labour Commissioners (ALCs) of the Union Territory.

During the review, it was informed that 85,954 unorganised workers have been registered under the PM-SYM scheme in J&K so far. The Labour Commissioner assessed the ongoing registration drive and noted that necessary measures are already in place to further accelerate enrolment, with particular emphasis on intensified field-level activities.

Charandeep Singh directed all ALCs to continue the registration drive in a mission mode and to strengthen awareness and sensitisation through Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities, awareness camps and direct engagement with unorganised workers.

Stressing the importance of inter-departmental coordination, he instructed officers to involve other line departments and key stakeholders to ensure wider and faster coverage of eligible beneficiaries so that the benefits of the scheme reach every unorganised worker in the Union Territory.

The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) is a flagship social security scheme of the Government of India aimed at providing old-age protection to unorganised workers. Under the scheme, workers aged between 18 and 40 years can enrol by making a nominal monthly contribution, with an equal contribution by the Central Government. On attaining the age of 60 years, beneficiaries are entitled to a minimum assured pension of Rs 3,000 per month.

Srinagar-Jammu NH closed

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January 24, 2026

Ramban, Jan 23: Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was suspended on Friday following fresh snowfall and heavy rainfall across several stretches, officials said.

Due to inclement weather conditions, hundreds of vehicles were stranded in Udhampur, Chanderkote, and other places.

Vehicular movement was halted after snowfall was reported in the Qazigund-Ramsu sectors, while incessant rain in the Udhampur and Ramban areas rendered road conditions slippery and unsafe.

As a precautionary measure, authorities stopped all types of traffic and parked vehicles at safer locations along the highway.

Officials said continuous rainfall and snow accumulation up to Ramsu forced the suspension of traffic.

Travellers have been advised to avoid unnecessary movement until weather conditions improve.

More than a foot of snow has accumulated in Banihal and adjoining areas, with snowfall continuing.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Senior Superintendent of Traffic Police, National Highway, Ramban, Raja Adil Hamid, said over a foot of snow was recorded in Banihal, while around six inches of snow accumulated in the Nashri area of Batote.

He said that around 900 vehicles, including nearly 500 passenger Light Medium Vehicles (LMVs), were halted at safe locations as a precaution.

Meanwhile, the Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway was also closed due to snow accumulation in the Nashri and Batote areas.

Till late Friday evening, NH-44 remained closed.

Air traffic hit

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January 23, 2026

Srinagar, Jan 23: All scheduled flights at the Srinagar International Airport were cancelled on Friday as the plains in Kashmir experienced a moderate to heavy snowfall.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Director, Srinagar Airport, Javed Anjum said 26 arrivals and departures were cancelled, owing to poor visibility and accumulation of snow on the runway.

ìDue to adverse weather conditions and 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 he said.

Anjum said that, besides the cancellations caused by the snowfall, four flights were cancelled due to Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) at the Delhi Airport.

He said that a few flights had been getting cancelled during the last few days due to the NOTAM or operational reasons at the Delhi Airport.

The Airport Director 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.

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 he said.

Commenting on the flight operations for Saturday, Anjum said 27 flights were scheduled to operate to Srinagar, besides one additional flight scheduled by Air India.

ìWe have the men and machinery ready, as the Meteorological Department has predicted snowfall on Friday night. The final call on flight operations for Saturday will be taken in the morning,î Anjum said.

The flight cancellation on Friday comes after almost a month of smooth flight operations. Operational disruptions due to issues in the crew roster of low-cost carrier IndiGo saw 125 flight cancellations at the Srinagar and Jammu airports during December 2025.

While the IndiGo flight cancellations were at peak, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) had conducted a dry run, putting all the men and machinery to use for ensuring that flight operations remain smooth during the winter.

Prior to this, the Director Srinagar Airport had said that the runway at the airport had been upgraded so that flight operations could take place in low visibility.

On Friday, airport officials said that all arriving and departing scheduled flights for the day were cancelled due to poor visibility and in view of the safety of passengers.

This included services operated by Air India, IndiGo, Air India Express, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air being grounded for the day on Friday.

Most parts of Kashmir received fresh snowfall overnight, including the seasonís first snowfall in Srinagar, many parts of which were also lashed by rain.

Central Kashmirís Budgam district and south Kashmirís Pulwama and Shopian districts received abundant snow.

Meanwhile, seven flights were cancelled at the Jammu Airport due to inclement weather conditions in Srinagar, said an airport official.

Besides, five flights were delayed causing a huge rush of passengers at the Jammu Airport.

The post Air traffic hit appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Sarfaraz Khan smashes double ton for Mumbai against Hyderabad

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January 23, 2026

Sarfaraz Khan smashes double ton for Mumbai against Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Jan 23: India batter Sarfaraz Khan struck a fluent double century off 206 balls for Mumbai against Hyderabad in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C clash at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Friday.

Sarfaraz registered the fifth first-class double hundred of his career, as he was eventually dismissed for 227 off 219 deliveries. His knock featured 19 fours and nine sixes at a strike rate of 103.65, including 45 runs taken off India pacer and Hyderabad skipper Mohammed Siraj in just 39 balls.

He also shared a 249-run stand with stand-in skipper Siddhesh Lad (104) for the fourth wicket, steering Mumbai past 500 after the side had slipped to 82-3. His innings has helped turn the match firmly in Mumbai’s favour, as Sarfaraz also went past 5,000 first-class runs tally.

The right-hander has been in prolific form of late. He recently lit up the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a record 15-ball half-century against Punjab – the fastest by an Indian male batter in List A cricket – breaking the record of reaching the mark in 16 deliveries previously held by Abhijit Kale and Atit Sheth.

Sarfaraz eventually finished as Mumbai’s top scorer in the 50-over tournament with 303 runs coming at a strike rate of 190.56. Sarfaraz last featured for India in a Test against New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in November 2024, but has continued to press his case for a recall into the national set-up with consistent domestic performances.

He was Mumbai’s second-highest run-getter in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy this season with 329 runs in seven matches at an average of 65.80 and a strike rate of 203.80. Sarfaraz also earned an IPL 2026 contract with five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at his base price of Rs. 75 lakh.

Terrorist killed in Kathua encounter, searches continue in Kishtwar

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January 23, 2026

Terrorist killed in Kathua encounter, searches continue in Kishtwar

Jammu, Jan 23: Security forces on Friday killed a terrorist, affiliated to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad in a precision strike during a joint counter terrorist operation in Parhetar area of Billawar in Kathua district.

The joint operation, according to officials, was launched following a specific intelligence input. During the cordon and search operation, the contact was established and one terrorist was neutralised on Friday evening.

Indian Army’s Rising Star Corps, while confirming the elimination of a terrorist, said that the cordon and search operation continued in the area.

“Acting on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation was launched by Army and Police on January 23, 2026 in the general area Parhetar, in Kathua. Area was cordoned and contact established. In a precise strike by the joint forces, 1 foreign terrorist has been eliminated. Search operations are continuing,” Rising Star Corps posted on its ‘X’ handle.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Jammu zone Bhim Sen Tuti, while sharing the information with the identity of the slain ultra, on his ‘X’ handle, stated that he was a Pakistani Jaish terrorist.

“A Pakistani Jaish terrorist has been neutralised by a small JKP team in a joint operation with the Army and CRPF in the general area of Billawar, Kathua district,” IGP Jammu posted.

Meanwhile, intensive search operation continued on Friday also in Chhatru area of Kishwar district, with the cordon further strengthened to hunt down terrorists hiding in treacherous heights.

The security forces had re-established contact and exchanged gunfire on Thursday in Singhpora forests, in the vicinity of Son-Nar stretch, which witnessed fierce gunfight on January 18, 2026.

Additional deployment of troops is in place in the area, well equipped with advanced surveillance equipment, drones and dog squad, to strengthen the cordon amid un-relenting searches ongoing since January 18, 2026.

Senior officers of Army, Police and other central agencies are monitoring the counter terrorist operation to trace and neutralise the holed-up terrorists in the dense forests despite inclement weather conditions.

The gunfight on January 18 erupted after the security forces came under heavy fire and grenade attack by a group of two to three terrorists, believed to be affiliated to Jaish-e-Mohammad, during a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) in Son Nar forest stretch.

Eight soldiers sustained injuries in the grenade attack by the terrorists, out of whom one paratrooper – Havildar Gajendra Singh of the Special Forces succumbed to his injuries.

AIIMS Delhi doctors remove 19.9 kg tumour from 42-year-old colon cancer patient

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January 23, 2026

New Delhi, Jan 23: Doctors at the All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Friday announced a successful surgery where they removed a whopping 19.9 kg tumour from a 43-year-old colon cancer patient, giving her a new lease of life.

Munmun, hailing from Durgapur, West Bengal, was presented to the hospital in July 2024 with abdominal distension (a larger-than-normal belly). She had a history of unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy — the surgical removal of one ovary and one fallopian tube on one side of the body — 25 years ago.

Munmun was diagnosed with Stage-4 colon cancer, featuring pelvic predominance.

She had visited multiple hospitals and undergone several cycles of chemotherapy. Despite that, there was no improvement, and the disease kept progressing. With the tumour spreading to multiple abdominal organs, she was given only 3-4 months to survive.

“A team of doctors, led by Prof. M.D. Ray, a surgical oncologist at AIIMS Delhi, performed successful cytoreductive surgery on January 12, achieving complete resection and removing 19.9 kg of tumour burden with multi-organ resections, completing surgery plus HIPEC on January 15, to complete the oncosurgical management. The patient was shifted from the ICU to the ward and later discharged. She is doing fine, expectedly,” the apex institute said in a statement.

Speaking to reporters, Ray noted the disease was considered inoperable based on CT and PET-CT scans.

The scans showed a massive abdominal tumor with no separately identifiable organs. The entire abdomen was occupied by a tumour mass.

As the patient was unlikely to tolerate the massive procedure in a single surgery, he decided to do the surgery in two stages.

“In the first stage, I removed the bulk of the tumour. We performed extensive resection, removing ascending colon, part of ileum, two-thirds of transverse colon, sigmoid colon, omentum, uterus, and bilateral fallopian tubes, parts of liver and liver capsule, and peritoneum,” the doctor said.

“Major vessels such as the IVC were at risk due to inflammation and infiltration, making surgery extremely challenging,” he said, adding that during this stage, the patient became hemodynamically unstable due to blood loss and other complications.

After a gap of two days, the second stage of the surgery was performed, where HIPEC was administered to the patient.

Trump downplaying NATO’s Afghanistan involvement causes distress in UK

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January 23, 2026

Trump downplaying NATO’s Afghanistan involvement causes distress in UK

London, Jan 23: US President Donald Trump provoked outrage and distress among many in the United Kingdom on Friday with his suggestion that troops from NATO countries — other than Americans — stayed away from the front line during the war in Afghanistan.

In an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, Trump said he was not sure NATO would be there to support the United States if and when requested.

“I’ve always said, will they be there if we ever needed them, and that’s really the ultimate test, and I’m not sure of that,” Trump said. “We’ve never needed them; we have never really asked anything of them. You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines.”

In October 2001, nearly a month after the Sept. 11 attacks, a US-led coalition launched an invasion of Afghanistan to destroy al-Qaida, which had used the country as its base, and the group’s Taliban hosts. Alongside the US were troops from dozens of countries, including from NATO, whose mutual-defence mandate had been triggered for the first time after the attacks on New York and Washington.

In Britain, the reaction to Trump’s comments was raw, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer was being urged to request an apology from the US president.

After 9/11, then-Prime Minister Tony Blair said the UK would “stand shoulder to shoulder” with the US in response to the al-Qaida attacks. Troops from the UK took a key role in many operations during the Afghan war until their withdrawal in 2014, particularly in Helmand Province in the south of the country. American troops remained in Afghanistan until their chaotic withdrawal in 2021, when the Taliban returned to power.

More than 150,000 British troops served in Afghanistan in the years after the US-led 2001 invasion, the largest contingent after the American one.

British Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK and NATO allies “answered the US call” then, and that more than 450 British personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan.

“Those British troops should be remembered for who they were: heroes who gave their lives in the service of our nation,” he said.

Season’s first snowfall brightens Jammu hill resorts

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January 23, 2026

Season’s first snowfall brightens Jammu hill resorts

Ramban Jan 23: The famous hill resorts of Jammu province, including Patnitop, Nathatop, Sanasar, and Batote, along with towns like Gool, Banihal, and Ramsu, witnessed the season’s first snowfall on Friday, bringing cheer to the tourism sector even as power, water and road disruptions affected daily life.

The fresh snowfall and accompanying rainfall were welcomed by hoteliers, taxi operators, mule and horse owners, photographers, shopkeepers, and vendors operating near these tourist destinations, as they are expected to give a much-needed boost to tourism activities in the region.

Experts believe that the precipitation will also have long-term benefits. The rainfall is expected to recharge hydel project reservoirs, thereby improving power generation, which had declined drastically due to the extended dry season. Additionally, it is likely to replenish groundwater levels, revive natural springs, wells and traditional baulies, and prove beneficial for fruit and vegetable cultivation across the region. Health experts said the rainfall would help settle atmospheric dust and pollution, leading to improved air quality and better public health conditions.

However, the snowfall also disrupted normal life in several areas. Since early morning, power supply, water supply and telecommunication services were affected at many places. Batote town, in particular, witnessed a complete standstill, wearing a deserted look as residents stayed indoors due to harsh weather conditions.

Meanwhile, officials said that as a precautionary measure, vehicular traffic on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was halted at safer locations due to slippery road conditions caused by rain and snow. Traffic on several link roads across the affected areas was also snapped.

The administration has advised commuters to avoid unnecessary travel and follow official advisories until weather conditions improve and road connectivity is restored.