Author: The Dispatch Staff

Kargil:  In a hands-on visit reflecting both urgency and commitment, Chairman and CEC of LAHDC Kargil, Dr. Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, conducted a detailed inspection of the under-construction Parkachik–Khaus Irrigation Canal Tunnel—a lifeline project aimed at improving irrigation and ensuring water sustainability for the region’s farmers. Accompanied by departmental engineers and local officials, Dr. Akhoon personally entered the tunnel site, commending the engineers and workers for their dedication. The site team assured that construction is on track and progressing steadily. “This is more than a project—it’s a promise to our people,” said Dr. Akhoon. “Watching such vital work take shape on…

Leh: In a proactive move to strengthen grassroots-level education, Sonam Dolkar, Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) Nubra, paid a visit to Middle School Hundri. She was accompanied by the Zonal Resource Person (ZRP) and members of the Village Education Committee (VEC) and School Management Committee (SMC). During the visit, Dolkar noted with satisfaction that all teaching staff were present and engaged. She instructed the teachers to ensure students receive meaningful and structured homework for the upcoming summer vacation, with an aim to maintain academic continuity. Later, ZEO Dolkar inspected the newly constructed school building and issued clear directives to the contractor…

Leh: In a significant step toward strengthening mother tongue-based education in Ladakh, the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Leh, concluded a 10-day workshop on the re-editing and reframing of Bhoti textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 with a vibrant felicitation ceremony today. The workshop, held from July 9 to 19, 2025, was conducted under the guidance of Chief Education Officer and Principal DIET Leh, Deldan Angmo, following the directions of the Deputy Chairman, LAHDC Leh. Bringing together 24 passionate Bhoti language teachers from government schools across Leh district, the initiative focused on enhancing the textbooks’ linguistic quality, cultural…

Zanskar: In a moment that will be etched into the spiritual memory of Zanskar for years to come, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama arrived in the remote Himalayan valley today, after a two-day delay caused by inclement weather. Despite the initial setbacks—including a postponed journey on July 19 and a mid-air return to Leh on July 20 due to rapidly changing weather—His Holiness’s eventual arrival was met with overwhelming joy and unwavering reverence by thousands of waiting devotees. The visit includes a series of teachings, blessings, and public interactions over the coming days. For many in the remote and…

Leh:  A total of 21 civilians, including five women, who were left stranded after rain and mudslides cut off the road link to Nubra Valley in Ladakh a day ago, were sheltered at the Thoise Air Force Station overnight, officials said on Sunday. The Western Air Command (WAC) of the Indian Air Force shared the update in a post on X. It also shared some photos showing the state of the road and the group of civilians who had been sheltered at the key base. “Rain & Mudslides cut off the road link to Nubra Valley yesterday. Despite being affected…

Leh: A civil vehicle met with an accident on NH-1 near Nurla when it skidded off the road on July 20, prompting a swift response from the Fire and Fury Corps. The troops immediately rushed to the scene, providing timely assistance to the injured and administering first aid on the spot. Thanks to the prompt action of the Corps personnel, those injured received urgent medical care before being handed over to appropriate authorities for further treatment. The vehicle was carefully recovered from the accident site, and traffic on the busy highway was restored efficiently, minimizing inconvenience to commuters. This incident…

Leh: After a day-long postponement due to poor weather, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama finally departed for Zanskar this morning. The spiritual leader’s journey had originally been scheduled for July 19 but was rescheduled after dense cloud cover and safety concerns forced organizers to call off the trip. https://youtu.be/ta0EUgtBsMI?si=rJ_3HO3KKgGmHjCR On July 19, Padang Lhawang, President of the Zanskar Buddhist Association, confirmed the delay and expressed hope for better conditions the following day. “All preparations had been made, and devotees had gathered early in the morning. However, due to the weather, the event had to be called off for today.…

Leh: As part of the ongoing 4th CEC Cup Polo Tournament 2025, a friendly polo match between SECMOL and the Ladakh Women Polo Association was held at the Polo Ground, Shagaran, Chuchot. The event celebrated Ladakh’s rich polo heritage while promoting youth involvement and empowering women in traditional sports. The match was graced by Bhanu Prabha, IAS, Administrative Secretary for Education, UT Ladakh, as the Chief Guest, and Councillor Mirza Hussain of Chuchot as the Guest of Honour. The day began with a vibrant cultural program featuring traditional Ladakhi music and dance performances, creating a festive atmosphere for players…

Leh : Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Leh, Abdul Ghafoor Zargar (KAS), along with Executive Engineer Abbas Ali, undertook a two-day tour of the Turtuk Block on July 18 and 19 to review ongoing developmental activities and assess the implementation of various government schemes. During the visit, the ACD conducted on-site inspections of multiple infrastructure and welfare projects under execution across the block. He also engaged directly with village representatives to gather feedback and address local development concerns. A review meeting was held at the BDO Office in Turtuk, where Zargar directed concerned officials to expedite the completion of all pending…

Leh: Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC Leh, Adv. Tashi Gyalson, stated that since the formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh, access to funding for monastery development has significantly improved. He made the remarks while inaugurating the newly constructed Photang at Matho and reviewing preparations for the upcoming visit of His Holiness the Sakya Trichen Rinpoche. The inauguration ceremony saw the presence of Hon’ble Executive Councillor Adv. Stanzin Chosphel, Former MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Matho Gonpa President Ven. Jamyang Karma, Lopon Jamyang Zangpo, Khenpo Thinlay Chosal, Goba Tsering Angdu, engineers from relevant departments, and members of the Chitsogs Phandey…

Leh: In preparation for “Ladakh Rpal Ngam Duston 2025,” scheduled for August 5 to mark UT Ladakh Declaration Day, Chief Executive Councillor Tashi Gyalson chaired a planning meeting at the Council Secretariat to finalise the celebration blueprint. Senior officials and cultural figures attended the session to coordinate efforts for a vibrant, inclusive event that celebrates Ladakh’s heritage and community spirit. A grand cultural procession is planned to begin from Leh Palace, proceeding through the main market to the Polo Ground. Highlights will include the Shondol dance by 90 women artists—honouring the 90th birth anniversary of the 14th Dalai Lama—along with…

Jalandhar:  World’s oldest marathoner Fauja Singh, known by the nickname ‘Turbaned Tornado’, was cremated on Sunday with full state honours here in Beas, his native village. Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, and Minister Mohinder Bhagat attended the funeral. Fauja Singh’s son Harvinder Singh lit the funeral pyre. Fauja Singh was 114 when he was hit by a SUV being driven by Canada-based Amritpal Singh Dhillon on July 14. He was crossing the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway when the incident occurred. Governor Kataria recalled how Fauja Singh walked with him during a Nasha Mukt yatra — an anti-drug campaign…

Muzaffarnagar:  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday welcomed kanwariyas returning from Haridwar by showering flowers on them from a helicopter here. Thousands of kanwariyas (devotees of Lord Shiva) are proceeding homeward after performing parikrama (circumambulation) at the Shiv Chowk in Muzaffarnagar. District authorities have implemented stringent security measures along the Kanwar Yatra routes on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway and the Ganga Canal Road to ensure a safe and smooth kanwar yatra, which concludes on July 23. Earlier in the day, Adityanath made a visit to the ancient Dudheshwar Nath Temple in Ghaziabad as part of his Western Uttar…

Chennai: The Madras High Court has observed that the ED was not a “drone” to attack at will, and nor was it a “super cop” to investigate anything and everything which comes to its notice. A division bench of Justice M S Ramesh and Justice V Lakshminarayanan made the observations while hearing the plea by city-based RKM Powergen Private Ltd challenging the Enforcement Directorate (ED) seizing Rs 901 crore of its fixed deposits in connection with a PMLA case. The ED action came on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI in 2014 over the allocation of coal…

New Delhi: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking to declare that consumers have a “right to know” about the quality, purity and certification of products, besides details of distributors and sellers for redressal against unfair restrictive trade practices. It has also sought directions to the Centre and the states to ensure that every distributor, trader and shop owner displays details of registration, including name, address, phone number and number of employees at the entry gate in bold letters on a display board visible to people. The plea is slated to come up for hearing on July…

Jersey City: Indian-Origin Doctor In US Charged With Medical Fraud, Sexual Assault On Female Patients, Ritesh Kalra, 51, is now on home arrest and has been prohibited from practicing medicine and prescribing medication and will be required to shut down his medical practice while the case is pending. An Indian-origin doctor in New Jersey has been charged with multiple medical frauds such as distributing opioids without a legitimate medical purpose, soliciting sexual favors from patients in exchange for opioid prescriptions, and defrauding New Jersey Medicaid by billing for visits that never happened. Ritesh Kalra, 51, is now on home arrest…

Deir al Balah (Gaza Strip), Jul 20 (AP) The Israeli military published new evacuation warnings for areas of central Gaza on Sunday, in one of the few areas the military has rarely operated with ground troops. The evacuation cuts access between the city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow enclave. The announcement comes as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that expanding Israeli military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas to…

Moscow:  The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has issued a warning for Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula after two quakes — the larger with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck in the sea nearby on Sunday. The larger quake was at a depth of 20 kilometers and was 144 kilometers east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, according to the US Geological Survey. A few minutes earlier, a quake with a magnitude of 6.7 was recorded nearby. The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) indicated twin earthquakes of over 6.5 magnitude struck near the coast of Kamchatka, in…

Islamabad:  The death toll in Pakistan due to monsoon rains crossed 200 on Sunday as another 10 people have been killed, according to the country’s chief disaster control body. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said another 10 people were killed and 18 injured on Saturday, taking the cumulative death toll to 203 and that of injured to 562. The seasonal downpour began on June 26 when the first spell of monsoon rain was recorded, triggering flash floods in the northwest of the country. Of the latest deaths, nine were in Punjab and one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), while of…

Tokyo, Jul 20 (AP) Japanese were voting Sunday for seats in the smaller of Japan’s two parliamentary houses in a key election with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and his ruling coalition facing a possible defeat that could worsen the country’s political instability. Voters were deciding half of the 248 seats in the upper house, the less powerful of the two chambers in Japan’s Diet. Early results were expected Sunday night. Ishiba has set the bar low, wanting a simple majority of 125 seats, which means his Liberal Democratic Party and its Buddhist-backed junior coalition partner Komeito need to win 50…