Weekly wrap- Top headlines from Kashmir and beyond
Srinagar, July 21: Here are top headlines from Kashmir and beyond this past week.
Statehood is our right, says Omar Abdullah; rules out ‘hybrid system’
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday made a forceful plea for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir without further delay, and indicated that all avenues, including legal options, were being explored by the ruling National Conference in this regard.
Nearly ten months after the National Conference swept to power in the Union territory, Abdullah asserted that statehood was a fundamental right of the people.
Encounter breaks out in Dachhan area of J&K’s Kishtwar
During the searches, security forces came under intense fire, triggering a gunfight, and heavy exchange of fire is ongoing, the officer said.
Army’s White Knight Corps in a post on X said: “OP CHERJI, Based on specific inputs an operation was launched by #IndianArmy in the Hadal Gal area of #Kishtwar Sector.
India’s automobile exports jump 22% in April-June quarter
India’s automobile exports grew by 22 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in the April-June quarter of the current financial year (Q1 FY26), according to data released by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
This strong growth was driven by record shipments of passenger vehicles, along with solid performance in two-wheelers, commercial vehicles, and three-wheelers.
In total, India exported 14,57,461 vehicles across all categories in the first quarter, up from 11,92,566 units during the same period the previous year.
Syria, Israel reach ceasefire amid Suwayda unrest
Syria and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire following several days of airstrikes and escalating violence in southwestern Syria’s Suwayda region, according to an announcement by the U.S. ambassador to Turkiye, Tom Barrack. The development, first reported by Al Jazeera, brings a temporary halt to intense clashes that had threatened to widen into a broader regional conflict. The ceasefire, brokered with backing from the United States and supported by Turkiye, Jordan, and Syria’s neighbours, comes after Israeli airstrikes earlier this week targeted both the Syrian Ministry of Defence in Damascus and government forces in Suwayda, reports Al Jazeera.
CBI-backed Interpol red notices doubled since 2023 with India’s diplomatic, tech push
Interpol’s Red Notices issued at the CBI’s request have more than doubled annually since 2023, showing a paradigmatic shift in the country’s pursuit of fugitives by building on the deliberations during the hosting of the Interpol General Assembly and G20 summit as well as by embracing technological sophistication, officials said Sunday.
The Lyon-based International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) had issued 25 Red Notices in 2020, 47 in 2021 and 40 in 2022. Since 2023, the number of Red Notices issued on India’s request spiralled with remarkable alacrity — 100 notices in 2023, 107 in 2024 and 56 in the first six months of 2025, the latest data seen by the PTI shows.
UN humanitarians warn mass deprivation being normalised in Gaza
The daily onslaught of hostilities, preventable deaths, a worsening fuel shortage, displacement and desperation are normalising mass deprivation for Gazans, UN humanitarians said.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the Israeli authorities issued yet another displacement order, this time for parts of northern Gaza. There are also deeply troubling reports of malnourished children and adults in hospitals with few resources to treat them, Xinhua news agency reported.
