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Three Police Personnel Injured as Scorpio Rolls Down in South Kashmir

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Srinagar, Aug 10 (NVI) A Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) and two police personnel were injured on Monday after their escort vehicle met with an accident in Awantipora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, officials said.

The incident occurred near Zahrayat Sharief when the tyre of the Scorpio vehicle carrying the police personnel burst, causing the vehicle to roll down, they said.

The injured were identified as DySP Dar Awantipora  and his two Police Security Officers.

The three were initially taken to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) Awantipora and later referred to the SMHS Hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment, officials said.

Further details about their condition are awaited.(NVI)

CM Omar Calls for World-Class Sports Facilities for J&K Athletes

Srinagar, Aug 10 (NVI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said athletes from the Union Territory cannot be expected to win medals at national and international competitions without adequate sporting infrastructure, emphasising the need for quality facilities, training and financial support.

Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir was still lagging behind in sports infrastructure and needed significant improvement.

“The right fruits of hard work will come when you get the right facilities. We are quite behind in this regard and need to improve going forward,” he said.

The chief minister highlighted the shortage of synthetic tracks in the Union Territory, saying athletes were being expected to compete with sportspersons who train throughout the year with access to better facilities.

“I can count the synthetic tracks on fingers. I can see only four. When we cannot provide our athletes with synthetic tracks, what medals can we expect from them?” Abdullah said.

“Your competition is with those who are practising for 12 months of the year,” he added.

Abdullah also called for greater utilisation of high-altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir for sports and training, while stressing the need to promote both established and emerging sporting disciplines.

Expressing concern over the overwhelming focus on cricket, he said other sports also required greater attention and investment.

“Unfortunately, when we talk about sports, perhaps more than 80 per cent of the attention goes towards cricket. Most of the money is also in cricket, followed by football and then other sports,” he said.

The chief minister said India would need to encourage athletes across disciplines to improve its performance at international sporting events.

“If we really want to achieve something in competitions like the Commonwealth Games and other international events, we have to participate in different kinds of sports,” he said.

Abdullah also linked sports promotion with efforts to combat drug abuse, saying sports infrastructure and opportunities for young people could play an important role in keeping them away from drugs.

“Staying away from drugs cannot be a slogan for just one day in the year. It has to be for 12 months in a year, and that will happen only when we provide infrastructure for sports,” he said.

He assured that the government would make all possible efforts to promote sports and improve facilities for athletes in Jammu and Kashmir.(NVI)

Now Exporters Don’t Need to Submit Physical Duty Payment Challans

Representational image

New Delhi, Aug 10 (NVI) For the benefit of exporters, the requirement of submitting physical duty payment challans while applying for Export Obligation Discharge Certificates (EODC) under the Advance Authorisation (AA) and Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) Schemes has been removed.

Licence-wise voluntary duty payment data received from Customs/ICEGATE has been integrated with DGFT’s online systems, enabling authenticated verification of such payments directly against the concerned authorisation, according to a notification issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

For voluntary duty payments made on or after 1 August 2026, exporters will no longer be required to submit physical challans along with their applications for closure of authorisations.

Authenticated payment details will be made available to exporters on the DGFT Customer Portal, enabling them to verify that the payment has been correctly mapped to the concerned authorisation before filing the application.

The same authenticated payment record will be available to the Regional Authorities on the DGFT Back Office, eliminating the need for manual verification of payment particulars.

This is expected to facilitate faster processing, reduce avoidable correspondence and bring greater consistency in decision-making across DGFT Regional Authorities.

The digital facility has been implemented through an API-based data exchange between DGFT and ICEGATE, under which duty payment particulars are transmitted electronically from Customs systems to DGFT’s EODC processing workflow.

The replacement of manual submission and verification with authenticated digital records is expected to shorten processing timelines, improve data accuracy, minimise human intervention and enhance transparency in the closure process.

The measure is also expected to reduce transaction costs and compliance burden for exporters by reducing documentation, follow-up and physical interface, particularly benefiting

MSME exporters handling closure formalities in-house. Trade Notice No. 15/2026-27 dated 5 August 2026 has been issued by DGFT for information of exporters and other stakeholders.

The initiative is part of the Government’s broader digital transformation agenda for trade facilitation, aimed at creating a more efficient, predictable and trust-based regulatory environment.

By strengthening integration between trade-related digital systems and reducing reliance on physical documentation, the measure reinforces the vision of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance” and enables exporters to focus on trade and growth.

The Advance Authorisation Scheme permits duty-free import of inputs that are physically incorporated in the export product, while the EPCG Scheme permits import of capital goods at concessional or zero customs duty, in both cases against an export obligation.

Where the export obligation is not fulfilled in full, the authorisation holder regularises the case by voluntarily paying the proportionate customs duty saved along with applicable interest and thereafter applies for an EODC to close the authorisation.

Earlier, proof of such payment was required to be submitted in physical form and verified manually by the Regional Authority. (NVI)

Social Media Activity Under Scanner as CIK Arrests Two in Kashmir

Counter Intelligence conducts raids in south, central Kashmir

Srinagar, Aug 10 (NVI): The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK) has arrested two persons in connection with a case involving the alleged dissemination of radical and anti-national content through social media, officials said on Monday.

The accused have been identified as Mehran Qazi, son of Atta Mohammad Qazi, a resident of Hiller Shahbad in Dooru area of Anantnag district, and Babar Hamid Dar, son of Abdul Hamid Dar, a resident of Chankan in Sopore, they said.

The arrests followed searches conducted by the CIK at multiple locations across the Kashmir Valley on August 8 in connection with FIR No. 03/2023, officials said.

During the searches, investigators seized six digital devices and seven SIM cards, which have been taken up for examination, they said.

According to officials, the investigation concerns the alleged circulation of material containing extremist narratives and content purportedly glorifying individuals associated with terrorism.

The case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), officials said.

Further investigation into the case is underway, they added.(NVI)

Jammu accident: Education Minister Sakina Itoo visits injured students, reviews treatment

Shivam Bakshi

Jammu, Aug 10 (NVI) Jammu and Kashmir Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Monday visited students injured in a road accident here and took stock of their health and the treatment being provided to them, officials said.

Itoo, who visited the hospital on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, interacted with the injured students and enquired about their condition, they said.

The minister directed the hospital authorities and medical teams to ensure the best possible treatment, round-the-clock monitoring and all necessary medical assistance to the injured.

She stressed that the health and well-being of the students should remain the top priority and asked the authorities to ensure that no medical assistance required by them is delayed.

Itoo also expressed solidarity with the families affected by the accident and assured them of all possible support from the government.

The authorities have been directed to closely monitor the condition of the injured students and provide all necessary medical interventions, officials said.(NVI)

Two arrested for allegedly raping 12-year-old girl in J&K’s Bandipora

Srinagar, Aug 10 (NVI) Two persons were arrested within 12 hours of a complaint regarding the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district, police said on Monday.

Police received information about the alleged incident around noon on Sunday, following which an investigation was launched, officials said.

During the investigation, two persons, who were not known to the victim, were identified and arrested during overnight raids, they said.

A case has been registered under relevant provisions of law and further investigation is underway, police said.—(NVI)

24 Injured, Two Critical After Mini-Bus Overturns in Jammu

Shivam Bakshi

Jammu, Aug 9 (NVI): At least 24 students were injured, including two who were critically hurt, after a mini-bus overturned in Jammu on Sunday

Officials said 35 students were travelling in the vehicle when the accident occurred. Of the injured, 18 sustained minor scratches, while two were reported to be in critical condition, they said.

The injured students were shifted to a hospital for treatment.

Further details about the accident are awaited.—(NVI)

Iran War: US military stockpiles dwindling, Trump govt wants speedy production

Trump After Hilton Shooting: Momentary Sympathy Or Limited Political Impact?
US President Donald Trump (file pic)

New Delhi, Aug 9 (NVI) The US is running out of its military stockpiles due to the war against Iran, compelling the Trump administration to press the country’s defence industry to accelerate production of weapons.

The number of Patriot interceptors available with the US military fell from 2,330 before the war to 1,030 when the April ceasefire took effect, according to Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Following recent fighting, the stockpile is now estimated to be between 759 and 827, a decrease of at least 65% since before the conflict began.

The number of THAAD interceptors fell from 452 before the war to between 232 and 262 at the start of the April ceasefire, CSIS said.

The U.S. was able to replenish some of the inventory to between 234 and 278 interceptors. But the stockpile is still at least 38% smaller than it was before the conflict.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has said in a statement that the US Defence Department was actively focused on boosting munitions acquisitions to provide “the weapons our warfighters need at the pace the threat demands.”

Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on Wednesday, giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to “drive significantly faster, more aggressive delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities,” according to a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

“Years-long development cycles are not acceptable. We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now,” Feinberg wrote.

The memo comes as the latest round of fighting with Iran has exhausted more of the US military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced missile interceptors, potentially putting American troops at more risk if hostilities resume, according to a new analysis.

Shrunken inventories of Patriot and THAAD interceptors may force the US and its Middle Eastern allies to take more risks to conserve those air defenses, according to the analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington think tank.

For example, it said, American forces may launch fewer missiles against incoming Iranian drones and missiles, raising the chance of one getting through.

President Donald Trump in recent days has dismissed reports of shortage of miiltary hardware, posting on Truth Social on Thursday that the U.S. has “massive amounts.”

He added that “large amounts are being manufactured and shipped to the US as needed.”

On Saturday, Parnell affirmed that Feinberg’s memo seeking a rapid escalation of weapons production is “real,” adding that it “will inform the fiscal year 2028 budget submitted to Congress for funding, and it is entirely consistent with our ongoing push to rebuild the defense industrial base.”

A defense spending bill is currently stalled in Congress, with lawmakers fuming over Trump’s military action against Iran and resisting the White House request to substantially increase Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion, up from about $900 billion last year. (NVI)

Pakistan says other nations can join defence pact it signed with Saudi, Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif after signing pact in Mecca on Aug 7, 2026

New Delhi, Aug 9 (NVI) Two days after signing trilateral defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Pakistan today said other countries can also join the group, seen as formation of a military alliance by the three Islamic nations.

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said the agreement was not directed against any country as it was “purely defensive in nature”.

On Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed the trilateral agreement in Mecca.

The agreement stipulates “that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all.”

In a social media post, Dar said this stipulation was consistent with the right of individual and collective self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Claiming that the agreement reflected a shared desire to strengthen strategic security cooperation among the three nations, he said other countries could join if they were willing to uphold its principles and resolve differences through peaceful means.

The trilateral agreement is seen as formation of a military alliance among the three Islamic countries and India, towards which Pakistan has a hostile attitude, is watching.

During the Operation Sindoor and the related brief conflict with India in May last year, Pakistan was helped by Turkey with drones despite the two nations having no prior defence pact.

Dar’s statement came a day after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the agreement was not aimed at Iran or any other country.

“The Makkah Accord does not abrogate or replace any existing bilateral or multilateral agreements between these countries, or with other countries or organizations,” he wrote.

His comments followed overnight public celebrations of the agreement  in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad.

Saudi cities were also illuminated in the colors of the Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani flags.

The three countries bring significant but differing capabilities to the strategic arrangement.

Pakistan is the only Muslim country with a nuclear weapon, Saudi Arabia brings substantial economic resources and regional influence; and NATO member Turkey has a large military and an increasingly sophisticated domestic defense industry.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have maintained close military ties for decades and signed a separate mutual-defense agreement in September 2025.

Pakistan and Turkey also have expanded military and defense-industrial cooperation in recent years. (NVI)

Jammu Police, BSF conduct joint search operation in Arnia

Shivam Bakshi

Jammu, Aug 9 (NVI) Jammu Police and the BSF on Sunday conducted a joint cordon and search operation in border areas of Arnia here as part of routine security measures, officials said.

The operation was carried out in Aik Nallah, Kool Kalan and adjoining areas under the jurisdiction of Arnia police station, they said.

Personnel from Jammu Police and B and F Company of the 60th Battalion of the Border Security Force (BSF) participated in the operation.

The joint teams searched around 10 to 15 houses and kullas during the operation, officials said.

The search operation, which commenced around 6 pm, concluded at about 8 pm.

The operation was part of area domination and surveillance measures aimed at maintaining vigilance and ensuring the security of the border areas, they said.

The situation remained normal throughout the operation, officials added.—(NVI)

 

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