A bomb exploded, injuring three people, and two others were defused yesterday on the route of the first India-Pakistan bus across Kashmir ahead of its inauguration this week, as separatist rebels threatened prospective passengers to stay away.
India mounted extraordinary security and detained hundreds of people ahead of the inauguration tomorrow of the passenger bus between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistani-controlled Kashmir.
Three civilians were injured in the explosion at Hanjivira village about 35km north of Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, an officer at the police control room said on condition of anonymity. The explosive was placed along the highway connecting Srinagar and Muzaffarabad.
The blast occurred soon after a bomb squad defused two powerful bombs placed in plastic bags along the same highway in nearby Palhalan. The bombs weighed 70kg and 60kg respectively, the officer said.
A number of Kashmiri rebel groups have issued death threats against anyone planning to travel on the buses, which they see as a publicity gimmick that will do nothing to bring their goal of independence for Kashmir. The threat was renewed yesterday.
"If you want to let the Indians succeed through your stubbornness, then let it be known that you must suffer with your own ashes and blood," said a statement faxed to reporters.
The statement was signed by four rebel groups: Al-Nasireen (The Helpers), the Save Kashmir Movement, Al-Arifeen (The Pious) and Farzandan-e-Millat (Sons of the Community). The first two are major militant groups, while the others are little-known.There was no way to independently verify the authenticity of the fax.
The trans-Kashmir road, once the region's main highway, has been closed for nearly six decades because of the enmity between India and Pakistan. Security in Indian-controlled Kashmir, already very tight, has been stepped up dramatically, with hundreds of soldiers and police deployed along the length of the 110km route the bus will take to the Line of Control.
The collapse of the Swiss Birch glacier serves as a chilling warning of the escalating dangers faced by communities worldwide living under the shadow of fragile ice, particularly in Asia, experts said. Footage of the collapse on Wednesday showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside into the hamlet of Blatten. Swiss Development Cooperation disaster risk reduction adviser Ali Neumann said that while the role of climate change in the case of Blatten “still needs to be investigated,” the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere — the part of the world covered by frozen water. “Climate change and
Poland is set to hold a presidential runoff election today between two candidates offering starkly different visions for the country’s future. The winner would succeed Polish President Andrzej Duda, a conservative who is finishing his second and final term. The outcome would determine whether Poland embraces a nationalist populist trajectory or pivots more fully toward liberal, pro-European policies. An exit poll by Ipsos would be released when polls close today at 9pm local time, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Final results are expected tomorrow. Whoever wins can be expected to either help or hinder the
Packed crowds in India celebrating their cricket team’s victory ended in a deadly stampede on Wednesday, with 11 mainly young fans crushed to death, the local state’s chief minister said. Joyous cricket fans had come out to celebrate and welcome home their heroes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after they beat Punjab Kings in a roller-coaster Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket final on Tuesday night. However, the euphoria of the vast crowds in the southern tech city of Bengaluru ended in disaster, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra calling it “absolutely heartrending.” Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said most of the deceased are young, with 11 dead
DENIAL: Musk said that the ‘New York Times was lying their ass off,’ after it reported he used so much drugs that he developed bladder problems Elon Musk on Saturday denied a report that he used ketamine and other drugs extensively last year on the US presidential campaign trail. The New York Times on Friday reported that the billionaire adviser to US President Donald Trump used so much ketamine, a powerful anesthetic, that he developed bladder problems. The newspaper said the world’s richest person also took ecstasy and mushrooms, and traveled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump took power in January. In a