Kupwara, Nov 6: A driver and woman died after a collision between a private vehicle and a truck in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday morning.
Police sources told a local news agency KNT that there was a collision between a private vehicle (CH03A-2071) and a truck (JKO3-8559) near Hathmulla Kupwar that left the driver of the passenger vehicle dead on the spot. The victim driver was identified as Shabir Ahmad Deedar son of Saifullah Din of Kupwara.
Police sources added that four persons on board in the private vehicle sustained injuries among which a woman succumbed in the hospital. The deceased woman was identified as Jana Begam wife of Muhammad Younus Khatana of Ucher, Magam area of Handwara.
The injured who are getting treatment at Sub District Hospital Kupwara are Dawood Ahmad Khtana, Ghulam Rasool Khatan of Ucher Magam and Masrat Begum of Shatwari Nagrii.
Police have taken cognizance of the case, seized the truck and arrested its driver.

New Delhi, Nov 6: The Haj Committee of India has issued the action plan for Haj pilgrimage 2021 with precautionary measures in place due to coronavirus pandemic. The guidelines will be issued soon.
The online application process for Haj 2021 will start on November 7 that will continue till December 10. The last date to submit the medical certificate is January 1, 2021.
According to the action plan, the last date to deposit the first instalment of fee will be March 1, 2021 while the last date for the same will be April 30, 2021.
The pilgrims will also be vaccinated on May 15-16, 2021 at the vaccine camp. The first batch of pilgrims will depart for Saudi Arabia on June 26, 2021 and the last flight will take off on July 13, 2021. The return phase will begin from August 14, 2021.
A total of Rs 2,100 crore were refunded to 1.23 lakh pilgrims who could not go for Haj in 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Saudi Arabia has also refunded around Rs 100 crore to pilgrims for Haj 2018-19. As an average around two lakh Indians go for the Haj pilgrimage every year. (Agencies)

Srinagar, Nov 6: Mid-night blaze damaged the historic Pathar Masjid in Nawabazar area of Srinagar partially, officials said on Friday.
They said that the fire broke out in Pathar Masjid, which is a Mughal era stone masjid, located in Nawabazar area of Srinagar. An official said that in the fire incident, the pulpit of the masjid got fully damaged and since the masjid is built of stone, fire didn’t cause much effect.

“Fire service vehicles reached the spot well on time and doused the blaze,” an official said, adding that the short circuit has been found as the primary reason for the blaze. “Police and locals also helped in dousing the flames,” they said.
Pertinently, Pathar Mosque, locally known as Naev Masheed is a Mughal era stone mosque located in the Nawabazar area of old city of Srinagar. It is located on the left bank of the River Jhelum, just opposite the shrine of Khanqah-e-Moula. It was built by Mughal Empress Noor Jehan, the wife of emperor Jehangir.
The mosque has some distinct features that separates it from the rest of the mosques in Kashmir. Unlike other mosques, it does not have the traditional pyramidal roof. Furthermore, the mosque has nine mehraabs (arches), with the central one being larger than the others. (KNO)

Deoria, Nov 6: A man, who was objecting to alleged harassment of his daughter, was beaten to death in the Ekauna area here, police sources said on Friday.
As per sources here, the daughter of Bhola Prasad (50), a resident of the Ishwarpura village in the Ekauna area, was standing at the door of her house, late Thursday evening. A relative, who was visiting the house of their neighbor, allegedly eve-teased her.
When Bhola Prasad came to know about the incident, he went to his neighbor’s house and objected to the same. Meanwhile, the accused neighbor allegedly attacked Bhola with lathis and sticks along with his family members, resulting in critical injuries to Bhola.
Critically injured Bhola Prasad was taken to the district hospital where he was referred to Gorakhpur’s medical college in view of his critical condition. However, Bhola succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment, early this morning.
Police have arrested two persons after registering a case under harassment and murder.

New Delhi, Nov 6: Hearing an appeal filed by District Cricket Forum, Kulgam, objecting to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court continuing to hear the matters related to the JKCA, the Supreme Court Thursday directed the advocates appearing for the petitioners to supply a copy of the paper book on the Amicus Curiae PS Narasimha, Senior Advocate.

Last year, on March 14 2019, the Supreme Court had directed all the High Courts and other Courts in the country to refrain from entertaining or hearing matters related to the BCCI or the State Cricket Associations. Since the said order was general, the Supreme Court modified it on 22nd October 2019 to exclude arbitrations with the BCCI or State Associations from the ambit of the said Order.

Devadatt Kamat, Sr. Advocate appearing with Amit Pai, Advocate on record, informed the Apex Court that despite the Jammu and Kashmir High Court earlier not proceeding to hear matters relating to the Jammu and Kashmir Cricket Association, had suddenly decided to proceed with the hearing without the Supreme Court having modified its Order. Different High Courts in the country are taking a different view, it was pointed out.

Appreciating the importance of the issue and the wide ramifications, and due to the fact that Narasimha was appointed as Amicus Curiae in the main Cricket Reforms matter relating to the Lodha Committee, the Bench asked Kamat to provide a copy of the petition to the Amicus.

Upon being informed about the matter coming up next week before the High Court, the Apex Court did not desire grant a stay without hearing parties, but directed the parties to inform the High Court about the listing in the week ensuing the Diwali vacations.

The matter is now listed on 19th November.

London, Nov 6: Painkiller aspirin will be evaluated as a possible treatment for COVID-19 in one of Britain’s biggest trials, which will assess whether it might reduce the risk of blood clots in people with the disease.
The scientists behind the RECOVERY trial, which is looking into a range of potential treatments for COVID-19, said it would include the drug, which is commonly used as a blood thinner.
“There is a clear rationale for believing that it (aspirin) might be beneficial, and it is safe, inexpensive and widely available,” said Peter Horby, co-chief investigator of the trial.
Patients infected with the coronavirus are at a higher risk of blood clots because of hyper-reactive platelets, the cell fragments that help stop bleeding. Aspirin is an antiplatelet agent and can reduce the risk of clots, the RECOVERY trial’s website said on Friday.
At least 2,000 patients are expected to randomly get 150 mg of aspirin daily along with the usual regimen. Data from those patients will be compared with at least 2,000 other patients who receive the standard COVID-19 treatment on its own, the website showed.
Small daily doses of aspirin has been found to reduce the risk of certain cancers. As a blood thinner, it increases the risk of internal bleeding, and taking too much over a long period of time has been associated with kidney damage.
Other treatments being tested in the RECOVERY trial include common antibiotic azithromycin and Regeneron’s antibody cocktail that was used to treat U.S. President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 symptoms.
Unlike Gilead’s remdesivir, which has been approved as a COVID-19 treatment in the United States but has shown poor results in a large World Health Organization trial, aspirin is a generic drug, making it much cheaper.
The RECOVERY trial was the first to show that dexamethasone, a steroid which is also cheap and widely available, could save lives of people severely ill with COVID-19.
It also showed that the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, once touted by Trump, was of no benefit in treating COVID-19 patients.

Srinagar, Nov 6: Thousands of devotees, including women, joined prayers on Friday following of Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi at Hazratbal shrine which houses the holy relic of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and other religious places, Jamia Masjids and mosques in the Kashmir valley.
Thousands of people also joined Friday prayers at Historic Jamia Masjid, where devotees, Anjuman-e-Auqaf Jamia Masjid and Imam-e-Hai Syed Ahmad Naqashbandi urged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to release Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq who is under house arrest since August 5, 2019 when centre abrogated Article 370 and 35 A besides divided the Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories (UTs).
However, no night-long prayers were held at Hazratbal and other religious places due to restrictions imposed by the administration to prevent spread of COVID-19.
Thousands of people joined the Friday prayers at Asaar-e-Sharief Hazratbal on the bank of famous Dal Lake, where proper social distancing was maintained by the devotes.
The devotes had the opportunity of have glimpse of Holy Relic after the morning and mid-day prayers. The process of displaying the holy relic for devotees will continue after every prayers today.
The authorities have made all necessary facilities for the devotees who had come from different parts of the valley and Jammu region.
A number of organizations had also set up camps providing water, health and other facilities to devotees. Adequate security arrangements had also been made.
Demanding release of Mirwaiz, devotees and Imam-e-Hai and Anjuman-e-Auqaf said he could not address any congregations on Eid and other important religious functions.
Mirwaiz used to address Friday and other congregations at Jamia Masjid before his detention.
Similar Friday congregations were also held at Asar-e-Sharief Shaheri Kailashpora, Pinjoora, shrine of Hazrat Mehboob-ul-Aalam, Hazrat Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, Datigeer Sahib and Sonawar.
Reports of celebration of Friday following of Eid-e-Milad were also received from other parts of the valley and Ladakh region.

New Delhi, Nov 6:) The Supreme Court has directed the trial courts to consider granting protection to witnesses in cases against sitting and former lawmakers under Witness Protection Scheme without their making any specific application in this regard.
A three-judge bench of Justices N V Ramana, Surya Kant and Anirudhha Bose, said the Witness Protection Scheme, 2018, approved by it should be strictly enforced by the Union, States and Union Territories.
“Keeping in mind the vulnerability of the witnesses in such cases, the Trial Courts may consider granting protection under the said Scheme to witnesses without their making any specific application in this regard,” the bench said.
The apex court noted that most witnesses are unwilling to appear before the respective Courts to make depositions in courts.
It directed that no unnecessary adjournments be granted in cases related to lawmakers keeping in mind the public interest involved in these matters.
“At the cost of repetition, it is clarified that the directions in the present writ proceedings are applicable to both sitting as well as former legislators (MPs and MLAs),” the bench said.
The apex court also granted Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, one more week”s time to file a reply to submit the status report relating to investigations against lawmakers by special agencies.
The bench was hearing a PIL filed by lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay seeking speedy disposal of cases against the lawmakers.
Earlier during the hearing, the bench had not agreed to the submission of senior advocate Vijay Hansaria, who is amicus curiae in the matter, that a direction be given to the special courts to grant protection to the witnesses in cases against lawmakers.
“There are thousands of witnesses in over four thousand cases against MPs and MLAs and is it possible to grant protection to all. There must be some application by somebody seeking protection,” the bench had said.
On the issue of providing public prosecutors to try such cases, the bench had said the example of 2G and the coal scam cases cannot be followed in such matters which are huge in numbers and moreover, this aspect is governed by CrPC as well.

New Delhi, Nov 6: No political party in India can ever afford to restore Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, Union minister Jitendra Singh on Friday said as he alleged that the bogey of autonomy or self-rule is raised by certain opposition leaders only when they are out of power.
Taking a strong exception to utterances by some of the leaders of mainstream Kashmir-centric political parties like the PDP and the National Conference, he said unsubstantiated assertions made by these leaders are only motivated by a desperate attempt to hold back the ground which is fast slipping from under their feet.
“No political party in India can ever afford to restore back Article 370 and the unsubstantiated assertions made by these leaders are only motivated by a desperate attempt to hold back the ground which is fast slipping from under their feet,” Singh told a wire news agency.
He also asked the Congress to make its stand clear on the issue, saying if it has the courage and conviction, it should go for the ensuing District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir with the slogan that it will restore Article 370 if voted to power at the Centre.
Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, alleged that the bogey of autonomy or self-rule is raised by the leaders of National Conference and other Jammu and Kashmir-based political parties only when they are out of power.
He said the leadership of National Conference must explain to the people of Jammu and Kashmir why Farooq Abdullah did not find it appropriate to resign as chief minister when the autonomy resolution put forward by his government in the erstwhile state of J&K was summarily rejected by the then Vajpayee government at the Centre.
“Not only this, his son also continued as a junior minister in the Vajpayee government,” Singh said.
“Let us not forget that the decision to abrogate Article 370 was passed by the Parliament which also has members representing National Conference and PDP,” he said.