A shocking train hijack in Pakistan

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

A shocking train hijack in Pakistan

Members of the Baloch Liberation Army have hijacked a train traveling from Quetta to Peshawar. Jaffar Express is carrying 500 passengers in nine coaches. At least nine security personnel have been killed—plus the driver. But the circumstances are unclear—as there are more than 100 army men on board—and security forces have surrounded the train. Officials also claim 16 militants have been killed and many more injured.

What happened: The train was attacked when it passed through the tunnels at the Bolan Pass—see the BBC News map below:

The good news: So far, 104 hostages have managed to break free—including 58 men, 31 women and 15 children. Again, we don’t know if they were rescued by security forces or freed by the militants. The area is remote with little connectivity—hence the news coverage is somewhat muddled as of now.

The bigger picture: The people of Balochistan are dirt poor and long ignored by successive governments. Hence, it also has a long line of militant separatist groups. But the region is very rich in minerals—and is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)—a $62 billion mega-development project that includes Gwadar Port. Touted as ‘the next Dubai,’ the port has become “a security nightmare with persistent bombings of vehicles carrying Chinese workers, with many killed.”

Point to note: The Jaffer Express has long been a target of militant attacks: “In November, a suicide bombing at Quetta’s railway station targeted the train just before departure, killing at least 30 people, including security personnel.”

Reading list: Al Jazeera has the best, most detailed explainer. BBC News has testimony from passengers.

An unexpected US-Ukraine deal: Ceasefire ahead?

After the debacle in the Oval Office, expectations were low for the high-level talks between the US and Ukraine—hosted by Saudi Arabia. But the two sides managed to come to a surprising consensus—maybe because it was State Secretary Marco Rubio in the room—not Trump or his bro JD.

The deal: is straight-forward. Ukraine agrees to an immediate 30-day ceasefire. In exchange, Washington will restore military aid and intelligence sharing.

But, but, but: Moscow has not signed on. US officials are very upbeat but little to date suggests the Kremlin is interested in a ceasefire:

[President Putin] has signaled that he will demand concessions — such as ruling out membership in NATO for Ukraine — before agreeing to any halt in the war… During his annual news conference in December, Mr. Putin suggested that a cease-fire would give Ukrainian forces an opportunity to replenish and train their personnel. “We do not need a truce,” he said. “We need peace, a long-term and lasting peace.”

Point to note: On the eve of the talks, Ukraine launched its largest drone attack of the war—”intended to push Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to the aerial and naval ceasefire.” It doesn’t look like Moscow got the message.

What’s next: The Americans know that Putin will demand his pound of flesh—i.e territory. That’s why Rubio said he did not expect to be “drawing lines on a map” towards a final deal. Meanwhile, in Paris, President Emannuel Macron assembled chiefs of staff from 30 countries—to form a multinational peacekeeping force to monitor any ceasefire in Ukraine. Needless to say, the US was not present—and likely wasn’t invited.

Quote to note: French defense minister, Sébastien Lecornu, said the new challenge facing Europe was “not so much the Russian threat as above all the unpredictability of our American partner.” Ooh, snap! (New York Times, login required, The Hindu)

The overdue arrest of Rodrigo Duterte

The former president of the Philippines was arrested in Manila by local authorities acting on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. He has now been flown to The Hague to face prosecution.

The allegations: Between 2016 to 2022, Duterte’s government unleashed a reign of terror using a war on drugs as cover:

Some were shot by vigilantes on motorbikes. Others had bullets in the head, execution style. In killing after killing, the police would only describe the victims as “drug suspects” who had resisted arrest, a charge that rarely stood up to even minor scrutiny. And yet the slaughter continued with impunity, at the behest of the man who was elected president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte.

Anywhere between 12,000 to 30,000 people were killed.

Behind the arrest: is a kahani as messy as a ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ subplot. President Bongbong Marcos—the son of ‘conjugal dictators’ Ferdinand and Imelda—is engaged in a political war with his own vice president: Duterte’s daughter Sara! At first—when all was well between the two—Marcos said he will not cooperate with the ICC. But in 2023, he quietly allowed ICC prosecutors to enter the country—and now arrest his veep's father. Sara Duterte is, of course, furious, declaring: “This is not justice—this is oppression and persecution”—proving she entirely lacks a sense of irony. The Guardian has the story on Duterte’s arrest.

Malhar certification: Meat politics in the name of faith

Maharashtra minister Nitish Rane has launched ‘Malhar Certification’—a Hindu-only label for mutton shops. It is marketed as “fresh, clean, and free from saliva contamination”—the last being a nod to Hindutva claims that Muslim shopkeepers spit on meat served to Hindus. This Malhar meat can only be sold by Hindu vendors. Rane has urged consumers to boycott shops without this certification.

The bigger picture: This is the latest move in the campaign against halal meat—which has been virulently opposed by Hindutva groups. And BJP-ruled governments have been happy to play along. In Uttar Pradesh, the government linked halal certification to terror funding—banning Halal-certified products overnight. Apoorvanand in The Wire has an excellent takedown of ‘satvik’ food. (Hindustan Times)

Prosthetic penis: Science is hard at work

Sorry, we couldn’t resist that headline :) Scientists have invented a 3D-printed penis implant that could offer an important breakthrough in sexual dysfunction. Damaged rabbits and pigs with the implant were able to have sex and make babies. It was 100% effective!

Why this matters: Right now, the study is a proof-of-concept and will need more research to develop implants for damaged human penises. But it offers real hope for men:

The penis is a complex organ, thanks to the intricate network of blood vessels and tissues needed to engorge it. Scientists have historically struggled to create models in the lab that can accurately replicate the structures of vessel-rich organs like the penis, but the researchers said they’ve made a major step forward

The bonus: The technology could also help develop implants for other organs that are rich in blood vessels—such as the liver or kidneys. (Gizmodo)

what caught our eye

business & tech

The Indian government is considering bringing back merchant charges on UPI and RuPay transactions for businesses with over Rs 40 lakh in annual turnover, after banks formally requested a review.
IndusInd shares crashed 25% after accounting discrepancies in its derivatives portfolio spooked investors, wiping Rs 1,600-2,000 crore (Rs 16-20 billion) off its net worth and raising fears of further de-rating.
Mint has a good read on how Trump’s administration is gutting government data—Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just axed the committee that kept US economic stats in check.
Mukesh Ambani’s empire is looking shaky—his $200 billion retail and digital bets are exposed, and if Trump escalates a trade war, the richest man in Asia might take a serious hit.

sports & entertainment

Guns N’ Roses are set to rock Mumbai after 12 years, bringing their global tour to Mahalaxmi Racecourse with a lineup featuring legends from Public Enemy, the Sex Pistols, and more.
New York Times (splainer gift link) has a good read on how Netflix is turning world literature into glossy, forgettable content—lavish adaptations that all just feel like more Netflix.
Fitness is ditching “no pain, no gain” for a new mantra: recovery is king. Think cold plunges, sleep coaching, and stretching—because pushing hard means nothing if you don’t rest right.

health & environment

An English biotech company Tropic has genetically engineered bananas that can remain fresh and yellow for 12 hours after being peeled.
According to a new study, AI models are bad at predicting when a patient will die as it cannot assess the severity of patients’ conditions.

meanwhile, in the world

The Tesla Takedown movement i.e. anti-Musk protests that started as a response to Musk in politics—has become more violent in the US over the last week.
Trump ramped up his Canada takeover talk, declaring, "The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty First State." It "would make all tariffs, and everything else, totally disappear."
No room for opinions at The Washington Post—political columnist Ruth Marcus resigned Monday, accusing CEO Will Lewis of killing her piece that criticised owner Jeff Bezos’ overhaul of the opinion pages.
Meta whistleblower alleges in her new book that Mark Zuckerberg—who is trying real hard to kiss Trump’s ass—once considered sharing user data with China.
Iran’s president shut down US talks under pressure, telling Trump, “Go and do whatever damn thing you want.”
Just 17% of cities in the world meet air pollution guidelines according to a new report. And India has six of the nine most polluted cities—Byrnihat in Meghalaya being the worst.

meanwhile, in India

Reporter’s Collective has details on the new social networking app Kutumb that is mobilising millions of BJP-supporting Indians by spreading disinformation and hate.
Hundreds of tourists left Hampi after the news that two women—an Israeli tourist and an Indian homestay owner—were gang-raped and a man murdered.
Airtel and Musk’s SpaceX join forces to launch Starlink in India, setting the stage for a broadband showdown with Jio. But, but, but: Starlink will still need to get government clearance to begin operations—so inking a deal is just the first step.
Delhi’s mohalla clinics are on their way out, with Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh calling the project flawed and promising a new pilot in 100 days.
Delhi sizzled at 34.8°C, its hottest day of the year so far—6.4 degrees above normal—while air quality stayed stuck in the ‘poor’ zone.

Four things to see

One: Canadian PM Justin Trudeau exited his office in style on Monday—carrying his chair and (most oddly) sticking out his tongue—as you can see from this viral photo. FYI: Canadian parliamentary tradition allows netas to take their office chairs when they leave. (Indian Express)

Two: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk perfectly summed up the state of the world in his address to Parliament: “500 million Europeans are begging 300 million Americans to protect them from 140 million Russians who for 3 years haven’t been able to ‘deal’ with 40 million Ukrainians”. Below is the clip. (Politico)

Three: Calling all Manchester United fans! In a much-needed reprieve from a horrific on-field season, the club announced plans for a new 100,000-seat stadium—described as the “world’s greatest” by billionaire owner Jim Ratcliffe. Designed by architect Norman Foster, the new venue will be built next to their current home ground Old Trafford. These are the concept images of the design—which looks like a Blade Runner version of Munich’s old Olympic Stadium. Our favourite one is below. More pics here. (CNN)

Four: Paging fans of the glorified stalker series ‘You’—the fifth and final season’s trailer is out. Joe (Penn Badgley) is married to Kate (Charlotte Ritchie) but slips back into his old habits. The new season drops on April 24 on Netflix. (Hollywood Reporter)