indian express

What began as a scenic cable car ride over the snow-covered peaks of Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg turned into a terrifying ordeal for nearly 300 tourists on Sunday after the famed Gulmarg Gondola service suffered a sudden technical breakdown, leaving visitors stranded mid-air for hours. A massive multi-agency rescue operation involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces and Civil Defence teams was launched immediately to evacuate tourists trapped inside multiple chair cars suspended above the mountainous terrain. Officials said the technical snag occurred around 1 pm, disrupting operations in the first phase of the Gulmarg Gondola service in north Kashmir's premier tourist resort. "A sudden technical fault hit the operations in the first phase of the Gulmarg cable car," a senior official of the Gulmarg Development Authority said. The first phase of the Gondola runs from the Gulmarg bowl to Kangdori, while the second phase extends up to Apha...

Kristian Trend, a 40-year-old wellness coach from Leicester, England, died last month after taking part in a 'cleansing' ritual involving Kambo, a toxic secretion derived from the Amazonian giant leaf frog. According to a Telegraph report, he is believed to be the first British person to die following the use of the substance. The incident occurred at a flat in Clarendon Park, Leicester, where Trend reportedly participated in a traditional "purging" ceremony commonly associated with South American spiritual and healing practices. During such rituals, Kambo is typically applied to small burns made on the skin, allowing the toxin to enter the bloodstream. Emergency services were called to the property on April 11 after Trend became seriously unwell during the ceremony. He was treated at the scene before being rushed to hospital, where he later died. Leicestershire Police confirmed that a 41-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of administering poison in connect...

The game in Uttar Pradesh politics has only just begun, but the real drama is yet to unfold. With the UP assembly elections scheduled for February 2027, political parties have already started their preparations. The BJP is currently engaged in a series of meetings. And with the elections in mind, the UP cabinet was recently expanded, resulting in the induction of six new ministers and the granting of independent charge to two others. The BJP intends to contest the elections in alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal, Apna Dal, Nishad Party, and the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party. Through this coalition, the BJP aims to successfully navigate and balance the complex caste equations of UP. As a counter-strategy to this, Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav has introduced the 'PDA' formula - an acronym representing the coalition of Pichhda (backward classes), Dalit, and Alpsankhyak (minorities). The Opposition bloc INDIA's precise configuration in UP remains unclear. Altho...

Suryakumar Yadav 's future as India's T20 captain could primarily be decided by head coach Gautam Gambhir , as the national selection committee is not entirely convinced that he can make it to the team purely as a batter, according to a senior BCCI source. Suryakumar, who was given the moniker SKY by Gambhir, has been struggling for form for a year now.Within the BCCI, it is understood that the selection panel is in favour of moving on from him, but the Board hierarchy also recognises that the coach-captain equation is integral to the dressing-room environment. And Gambhir's stated comfort with Suryakumar will make him a key figure in the final call. For close to a year now, Suryakumar's place in the side has remained under scrutiny. At the moment, it is understood that all five selectors largely believe that the current T20 captain should be dropped from the XI. The view has been gaining ground ever since the emotional dust of the T20 World Cup triumph settled. The...

Arjun Tendulkar , son of legendary India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar , made his debut for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2026 on Saturday, and also took his first wicket of the tournament. Tendulkar bowled an inch-perfect yorker in his third over to dismiss Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Prabhsimran Singh , trapping him LBW. The left-arm pacer, however, did not celebrate it much, with LSG in a losing position. Tendulkar had a golden opportunity to dismiss Prabhsimran in his very first over, but LSG skipper Rishabh Pant squandered a simple catch. When Tendulkar got Prabhsimran's wicket on the final ball of the 15th over, PBKS were already in the driving seat and on their way to victory, chasing a target of 197. Tendulkar was not animated in his celebration, instead just exchanging high-fives with some of his teammates. WATCH: Arjun Tendulkar takes his first wicket of IPL 2026 Yorker on point Arjun Tendulkar denied earlier by a dropped catch but fetches his maiden #LSG wic...

A case of alleged domestic abuse in Jaipur has left two children without their mother. The victim, Anu Meena, allegedly died by suicide by hanging herself. Both children were witnesses to their parents' constant quarrels. Anu married Gautam Meena, an executive engineer in the Public Works Department, in 2015. Allegations suggest that soon after marriage, Gautam began harassing her, often under the influence of alcohol. He reportedly abused and physically assaulted her multiple times. Their son, 10-year-old Mahir, said that his father frequently beat his mother. He recalled an incident when his father came home and assaulted Anu.  Mahir also mentioned that his mother had asked him to give her salt water whenever her blood pressure dropped. On one occasion, while he tried to help her, his father dismissed the situation. "Dad would often hit Mom and torment her. One day, he came home, played a song on the TV, then smashed the television set and beat Mom. I went to get the w...