
Street protests against Pakistan-backed terrorists good sign for peace in J&K: LG
SRINAGAR: The development of tourism sector was possible only in a peaceful and secure environment, J&K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday, adding that ordinary citizens in Kashmir were taking a stand against terrorism, which meant that the people wanted peace and development.
Addressing a tourism secretaries' conference in Srinagar, Sinha said while security forces had a huge role in combating terrorism in J&K, the role of society was no less. 'Terrorists' attempt to draw their sustenance from society should be foiled,' he said.
'Street protests against Pakistan-backed terrorists is a good sign to establish permanent peace in the Valley. Entire Jammu and Kashmir must rise and make sure terrorists have no place in this beautiful Union Territory,' Sinha said.
Union minister for Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, was also present on the occasion.
The LG said the conference was a befitting reply to terrorism and reflected J&K's march towards peace, progress and prosperity. 'God has truly been generous to Jammu and Kashmir. This land, adorned with snow-capped peaks, shimmering lakes, apple-laden orchards, temples and rolling meadows, is a living canvas of natural beauty, spirituality and peace,' he said.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
One of the Most Successful Investors of All Time, Warren Buffett, Recommends: 5 Books for Turning...
Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List
Click Here
Undo
Stressing that J&K's tourism sector had undergone a phenomenal transformation in the last few years, Sinha said: 'We have strengthened traditional tourism circuits and expanded tourism's horizon. We have ensured that the benefits of tourism reach every corner of the UT and transform lives.'
Sinha said the G20 Tourism Working Group meeting held in the UT was a defining moment that helped in building J&K's brand in global tourism.
This was followed by major international and national events, which presented J&K as 'a destination for luxury, film, entertainment and global engagement', he added.
The administration was committed to promoting sustainable tourism under SPREAD (Strategic Promotion and Revamping of Emerging Alternate Destinations in J&K), the LG said. 'This strategy aims to mitigate environmental pressure by diversifying tourist activities to lesser-known and emerging destinations.'
The government hoped to bring nine emerging destinations on the tourism map and provide direct employment to at least five lakh people in the first year, Sinha said.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
41 minutes ago
- Time of India
US state department layoffs: Trump administration orders workforce reduction; over 1300 employees affected
The headquarters of the Department of State (AP image) The US State Department on Friday (local time) laid off more than 1,300 employees as part of the Trump administration's latest move to cut its American workforce by about 15%. This is part of a broader effort to reorganize the department. According to a notice sent to State department employees, the layoffs include 1107 civil service employees and 246 foreign service officers. Overall, nearly 3000 people are expected to leave. The department is also rearranging the organizational structure of staff. These layoffs, officially called a 'reduction-in-force' or RIF, have been planned for months. Officials sent the reorganization plan to Congress in March, saying the cuts were necessary to remove duplicate offices and focus on the department's core responsibilities. However, critics argue the cuts will hurt the State Department's ability to work. All Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday opposing the layoffs. "During a time of increasingly complex and wide-spread challenges to U.S. national security, this administration should be strengthening our diplomatic corps—an irreplaceable instrument of U.S. power and leadership—not weakening it," the senators wrote. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2 BHK homes starting at ₹ 72.6 Lakh at Mahindra Happinest Tathawade . Mahindra Happinest Tathawade Get Quote Undo "However, RIFs would severely undermine the Department's ability to achieve U.S. foreign policy interests, putting our nation's security, strength, and prosperity at risk," the letter added, as reported by news agency CBS. Foreign service officers who received layoff notices will leave their jobs in 120 days, while civil service employees will depart in 60 days. The long planned layoffs began just days after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration's broader plan to slash the size of government workforce, overruling a lower court's order that halted layoff plans at dozens of federal agencies. Department staff were notified about the upcoming layoffs on Thursday afternoon in a message from Deputy Secretary of State Michael Rigas, who thanked departing staff "for their dedication and service to the United States." Some employees were instructed that because of the planned layoffs, they would not be allowed to work remotely on Friday. They were told to report to the office with all department-issued items, including laptops, phones, diplomatic passports, travel cards and other government property. An email explained that badges would be collected during the checkout process and reminded staff to gather any personal belongings beforehand. Diplomats and other staff applauded departing colleagues in emotional scenes at the State Department's Washington headquarters that runs US foreign policy and embassies around the world. The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), the union representing State Department employees, criticized the move as a 'catastrophic blow to our national interests.' "At a moment of great global instability -- with war raging in Ukraine, conflict between Israel and Iran, and authoritarian regimes testing the boundaries of international order -- the United States has chosen to gut its frontline diplomatic workforce," AFSA said in a statement. "We oppose this decision in the strongest terms," the statement added.


New Indian Express
43 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Administration crisis worsens in Kerala University; BJP syndicate members to move High Court
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The administrative crisis in Kerala University worsened on Friday with Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal deciding not to consider files sent by K S Anil Kumar, whose suspension from the post of registrar was revoked by the syndicate but not endorsed by Kunnummal. Meanwhile, Mini Dijo Kappen, who was given the charge of registrar by Kunnummal, continued to be denied access to e-files owing to pressure from the Left-backed syndicate. Owing to the standoff, decisions taken by both Mini and Anil remained only on paper. According to sources, Mini has reportedly told the VC to exempt her from the registrar role in the wake of stiff opposition from syndicate members and pro-Left university staff. Amid the impasse, the Left-backed syndicate members have given a letter to Kunnummal demanding that a meeting of the syndicate be convened at the earliest. As university rules stipulate convening of syndicate meeting once every two months, the VC is reportedly not in favour of conceding to the request. It was a special syndicate meeting on July 6 that revoked Anil's suspension. However, the VC had termed the meeting 'invalid'. In another significant development, two pro-BJP members in the syndicate have decided to move the High Court seeking its intervention in breaking the administrative deadlock in the university. The pro-BJP members are opposed to Anil Kumar's continuance in the post. Meanwhile, SFI continued with its protest in the university against the VC.


Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
S&P 500 ends down as tariffs sour sentiment
Wall Street ended lower on Friday, with Meta Platforms weighing on the S&P 500 after President Donald Trump intensified his tariff offensive against Canada, amplifying the uncertainty swirling around U.S. trade policy. Trump late on Thursday ramped up his tariff assault on Canada, saying the U.S. would impose a 35% tariff on imports next month and planned to impose blanket tariffs of 15% or 20% on most other trading partners. The S&P 500 eased from a record high the day before, with caution prevailing after Trump on Thursday imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil and as the European Union braced for a possible letter from Trump with details on fresh tariffs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like I lost my wife, now my son is in danger, please help him! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo "The increased rhetoric around tariffs, what we've seen this week regarding Brazil and Canada, is certainly elevating the anxiety level," said Michael James, an equity sales trader at Rosenblatt Securities. "People had become a little more accustomed to the lack of negative tariff headlines, and we've kind of been reminded that the tariff picture is still there." Shares of Nvidia rose 0.5% to a record high, lifting its stock market value to $4.02 trillion. Drone makers AeroVironment and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions jumped about 11% after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a surge in drone production and deployment. The S&P 500 declined 0.33% to end the session at 6,259.75 points. Live Events The Nasdaq declined 0.22% to 20,585.53 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.63% to 44,371.51 points. Volume on U.S. exchanges was relatively light, with 15.4 billion shares traded, compared with an average of 18.3 billion shares over the previous 20 sessions. For the week, the S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, the Dow lost about 1% and the Nasdaq slipped 0.1%. The S&P 500 is up about 6% so far in 2025. Investors will soon turn their attention to second-quarter reporting season, with a focus on how Trump's on-again off-again tariffs are affecting major U.S. companies. Among the big names reporting results next week are JPMorgan, Netflix and Johnson & Johnson. Analysts on average expect S&P 500 companies to increase their second-quarter earnings by 5.7%, year over year, with big gains from tech companies and declining profits in energy, consumer staples and consumer discretionary, according to LSEG I/B/E/S. "We believe expectations are a bit low for S&P 500 earnings. Much of the second quarter was marked with tariff and trade issues and that may have caused some dislocations in earnings," said Michael Landsberg, chief investment officer, Landsberg Bennett Private Wealth Management. Levi Strauss & Co jumped 11% after the apparel seller raised its annual revenue and profit forecasts and beat quarterly estimates. Meta Platforms shares closed 1.3% lower after Reuters reported that the company is very unlikely to offer more changes to its pay-or-consent model, increasing the risk of fresh EU antitrust charges and hefty daily fines. Kraft Heinz closed 2.5% higher after the Wall Street Journal reported the company is preparing to break itself up as the packaged food maker grapples with persistent weakness in demand for its higher-priced brands. Across the U.S. stock market, declining stocks outnumbered rising ones by a 2.8-to-one ratio. The S&P 500 posted 12 new highs and 4 new lows; the Nasdaq recorded 58 new highs and 43 new lows.