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8 jawans killed, 19 injured in militant attack ahead of PM visit

June 24, 2013

Srinagar

Srinagar, Jun 24: In a brazen terror attack on the eve of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit, militants today ambushed an Army convoy killing eight Army jawans and injuring 19 others near Hyderpora area on the outskirts of the city.

The perpetrators of attack, the second in three days and the deadliest so far this year, are yet to be identified.

The security has been beefed up across the state in view of the attack as intelligence inputs suggested that the militants may try to carry out more such attacks during the VVIP visit.

According to sources, unmanned aerial vehicles were also pressed into service to carry out technical surveilance of Pir Panjal and Zabarwan mountain ranges amid inputs that militants armed with rockets had formed their base in the ridges of these mountains.

Militants, armed with AK assault rifles, attacked the convoy from front as well as back and, according to eyewitnesses, three terrorists carried out the attack that left eight jawans dead and 16 others injured.

According to the Army, the condition of three jawans was stated to be critical.

The students, whose bike was hijacked, told police that militants were armed with AK 47 rifles and spoke chaste Urdu, normally not spoken in Kashmir.

A few media reports said that Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed responsibility for the attack. A person Baliguddin, identifying himself as spokesperson of the outfit, called up a local news agency and said several squads have been formed and similar attacks will be carried out in the city in the future as well.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said such attacks will not shatter the morale of the security forces who have had great success in the past against the militant group.

"Such high profile attacks are aimed at restoring the shattered morale of the militants while trying to demoralise the security forces," he said.

Today's attack comes two days after militants gunned down two policemen in the heart of Srinagar city.

The brazen attack came even as security has been beefed up across the Valley in view of Prime Minister's two-day visit starting tomorrow.

PMO sources in Delhi said that there was no change in Singh's programme.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to reach here along with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on a two-day visit, during which he is expected to announce a package for border districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Singh and Gandhi will also launch train service on a railway section between Qazigund in Kashmir and Banihal in Jammu region that will provide an all-weather link to the Valley.

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News Network
March 27,2020

Srinagar, Mar 27: Over 180 people with undeclared recent travel histories have been traced and shifted into quarantine in Srinagar, officials said.
"COVID-19: Over 180 persons with undeclared recent travel histories have been traced and shifted into quarantine this past week in Srinagar. Some 200 more complaints are being verified. Just hoping no one is infected as it's just too hard to even imagine the possible consequences." Srinagar district administration tweeted.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had earlier on Thursday reported 88 new COVID-19 cases, which is the highest in a single day, taking the total countrywide tally to 694.

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Agencies
July 30,2020

New Delhi, Jul 30: India's gold demand in 2020 is expected to fall to the lowest level in 26 years with domestic bullion prices hitting a record high and as falling disposable incomes could curtail retail purchases, the World Gold Council (WGC) said on Thursday.

Lower demand by the world's second-biggest bullion consumer could limit a rally in global prices, which hit a record high earlier this month, although it could also reduce India's trade deficit and support the ailing rupee.

"Fast rising gold prices could act as headwinds," said Somasundaram PR, the managing director of WGC's Indian operations.

Local gold futures have jumped 35% so far this year after rising a quarter in 2019.

India's gold consumption in the first half of 2020 plunged 56% on-year to 165.6 tonnes. Meanwhile, the coronavirus-triggered lockdown also slashed demand by 70% in the June quarter to 63.7 tonnes, the lowest in more than a decade, the WGC said in a report published on Thursday.

Millions of Indians have lost their jobs or taken a pay cut after the country imposed a lockdown on its 1.3 billion people to curb the spread of the virus that has infected more than 1.5 million Indians.

Consumption is generally high during the June quarter due to weddings and key festivals such as Akshaya Tritiya, but lockdown restrictions kept shoppers indoors this year.

The weak demand in the first half could drag down India's gold consumption in 2020 to the lowest since 1994, when demand stood at 415 tonnes, Somasundaram said, adding that it is still difficult to provide an estimate for full-year demand as the coronavirus crisis is still unfolding.

"Indian demand has previously jumped as much as 300 tonnes in a quarter. Latent demand could come out in the second half," Somasundaram said.

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News Network
June 9,2020

New Delhi, Jun 9: Petrol price on Tuesday was hiked by 54 paise per litre and diesel by 58 paise a litre - the third straight daily increase in rates after oil PSUs ended an 82-day hiatus in rate revision.

Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 73.00 per litre from 72.46, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 71.17 a litre from Rs 70.59, according to a price notification of state oil marketing companies.

This is the third daily increase in rates in a row. Oil companies had on Sunday restarted revising prices in line with costs, after ending an 82-day hiatus.

Prices were raised by 60 paise per litre each on both petrol and diesel on Sunday as well as on Monday. In all, petrol price has gone up by Rs 1.74 per litre and diesel by Rs 1.78 a litre in three days.

Oil PSUs - Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) - had put daily price revisions on hold soon after the government on March 14, hiked excise duty on petrol and diesel by Rs 3 per litre each.

Oil companies did not pass on that excise duty hike, as well as the May 6 increase in tax on petrol by Rs 10 per litre and Rs 13 a litre hike on diesel by setting them off against the decline in retail prices that should have effected to reflect international oil rates falling to two-decade low.

International rates have since rebounded and oil companies having exhausted all the margin are now passing on the increase to customers, an industry official said.

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