Amid pounding artillery fire, Amarjeet Singh rushed to the ground floor of his house, seeking safety from the projectiles overhead. At that moment, a mortar shell fired from Pakistan tore through his home in the border district of Poonch in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Splinters from the munition punctured his lungs and the 50 year old later died in hospital, his nephew Atinder Pal Singh told The National.
He is among 16 people, including four children, who have been killed since Wednesday in intense fire that has bombarded Indian towns along the Line of Control, the de facto border in Kashmir.
The violence began when New Delhi on Wednesday carried out air strikes against Pakistan in retaliation for a gun attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that India blamed on Islamabad.
“We ran barefoot to the hospital," said the nephew. "He was talking till his last breath but his lungs were punctured and he died despite two surgeries."
Amarjeet Singh’s elder brother Surjan, 61, was also wounded in one ear. “The shelling continued all night,” he said. “There are cracks on all the walls of my house.”
A sense of jubilation has gripped many parts of India after New Delhi carried out the air strikes. Many Indians see the missile strikes on "terror groups" as a befitting reply to the attack on tourists in the Himalayan hill station of Pahalgam.
But in border regions, fear and panic has gripped residents. Hundreds have fled their homes on the Indian side while others have hidden in bunkers. A Sikh temple was attacked and a teacher at an Islamic seminary was killed.
The Singh family are from Kuma Khan village in Poonch, the worst-hit district in Jammu region, but shelling has also been reported in the Kashmir towns of Rajouri, Uri and Baramulla.
Atinder Singh said he had never seen such an intense round of fire and pleaded with the government not to go to war.
“People living in the Indian cities are watching this on TV but we are facing it. My cousin’s daughter is in class four and son is in class eight — who will think of them?" he said.
"Seventy per cent of Poonch’s population have left the town. Not a single shop is open, we needed water bottles but couldn’t get them.
“We request that the government stop this war and let us live peacefully. No one in Poonch has slept for the last three days.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Dr Sarfaraz Mir, who lost his 10-year-old twin cousins Urva Fatima and Zain Ali in the violence.
“The mortar hit the roof of their house and splinters hit my cousins – they died on the spot,” Dr Mir told The National.
“What happened in Pahalgam was wrong and India has already avenged the killings, but this must stop now. But what Pakistan is doing is also wrong. War has never been a solution.”
India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed nations, have fought three wars over Kashmir, the last in 1999 which lasted two months. More than 500 Indian soldiers were killed, while estimates of Pakistani losses range from 400 to about 4,000.
There have been regular skirmishes and cross-border fire at the border since then but the nations agreed to a ceasefire in 2021, which was broken after the April 22 attack on tourists.
In the Pahalgam ambush, 26 people were killed by armed gunmen in the Himalayan picnic spot in the Kashmir valley.
The Resistance Front, an extremist group, claimed responsibility. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of backing militant groups in Kashmir, a charge denied by Pakistan.
Anas Hamdani, 31, who lives in Karachi, said he fears an all-out war with mass loss of life. His niece was injured in an explosion outside her college on Thursday in Rawalpindi, a city about 40km from the border that houses Pakistan’s military headquarters. The Pakistani military has suggested an Indian drone was involved.
“We are worried," Mr Hamdani told The National. "I was talking to my niece, she is at a hospital in Rawalpindi. She told me that a bomb exploded just 30 minutes ago near her college and that they were running home.
“We have lost a seven-year-old boy in Kashmir. By what number will this be multiplied if this war escalates? It will not be Pakistan or India who win – it will be humanity that loses. We pray that both sides act sensibly and save precious lives.”
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Dh67
SAUDI RESULTS
Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)
Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),
G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)
The years Ramadan fell in May
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Global institutions: BlackRock and KKR
US-based BlackRock is the world's largest asset manager, with $5.98 trillion of assets under management as of the end of last year. The New York firm run by Larry Fink provides investment management services to institutional clients and retail investors including governments, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, banks and charitable foundations around the world, through a variety of investment vehicles.
KKR & Co, or Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, is a global private equity and investment firm with around $195 billion of assets as of the end of last year. The New York-based firm, founded by Henry Kravis and George Roberts, invests in multiple alternative asset classes through direct or fund-to-fund investments with a particular focus on infrastructure, technology, healthcare, real estate and energy.
Company%20Profile
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
PSA DUBAI WORLD SERIES FINALS LINE-UP
Men’s:
Mohamed El Shorbagy (EGY)
Ali Farag (EGY)
Simon Rosner (GER)
Tarek Momen (EGY)
Miguel Angel Rodriguez (COL)
Gregory Gaultier (FRA)
Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY)
Nick Matthew (ENG)
Women's:
Nour El Sherbini (EGY)
Raneem El Welily (EGY)
Nour El Tayeb (EGY)
Laura Massaro (ENG)
Joelle King (NZE)
Camille Serme (FRA)
Nouran Gohar (EGY)
Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
A cryptocurrency primer for beginners
Cryptocurrency Investing for Dummies – by Kiana Danial
There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine.
Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.
Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.
Begin your cryptocurrency journey here.
Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
Company%20profile%20
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Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 0
Stoke City 0
Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
