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India’s giant movie industry is known for its macho, men-centric storylines, but a wave of women filmmakers is helping to break the mould.”More and more women are writing their stories, turning them into films,” said writer-director Reema Kagti, who believes the trend brings a more “real and healthy perspective” to movies, with complex, outspoken women characters who are masters of their own story.The world’s most populous nation churns out 1,800 to 2,000 films in more than 20 languages annually — and Hindi-language Bollywood is one of the largest segments, with more than 300 productions.Yet the films have often failed to portray women authentically, choosing instead to box them into being passive housewives or mothers who bow to societal pressure.A 2023 study by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) found that female characters in most chart-topping Indian films play the role of a romantic interest — and are “fair skinned with a thin body type and a small screen time”. But industry insiders point to a slate of women-directed movies earning international acclaim that have also scored well at the tough domestic box office.Malayalam-language film “All We Imagine as Light”, a poetic tale about two nurses forging an intergenerational friendship, was the first Indian production to win the Grand Prix at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.Director Payal Kapadia shunned the one-dimensional portrayal of women on Indian screens which tends to mimic “unrealistic standards set by society”, she said, in favour of one that allows women to “just be ourselves, authentic and true to how we are in everyday life”.India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars was Kiran Rao’s “Lost Ladies” — “Laapataa Ladies” in Hindi — a comedy which challenges convictions surrounding marriage and womanhood, a sign of a shift — even if it missed the final shortlist.- ‘More inclusive narratives’ -It is not only arthouse films that are winning hearts.Mainstream movies with strong women co-leads are filling up theatres as well.”Stree 2″, a horror comedy featuring Bollywood star Shraddha Kapoor, smashed box office records last year, beating earnings by superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s action flick “Jawan”.And “Crew”, a heist comedy about flight attendants, was widely seen as a win for women-centric movies.”Women still face challenges in telling stories from their perspective”, said actor-producer Dia Mirza.”However, the increasing presence of female directors, producers and writers is paving the way for more inclusive narratives.” Movies can also tackle the way regressive traditions manifest in the daily lives of Indian families.”Mrs.”, a Hindi-language film released in February, dives into the unseen labour of a newlywed housewife, her silenced aspirations and the societal conditioning she struggles with.”Across social media, you can see people posting — that the majority of women in India go through this turmoil,” said Lakshmi Lingam, a Mumbai-based sociologist.She points out that there was no backlash to the film.”The voices of women saying, ‘Yes, this is true and I can see myself there’ is very high,” she said.”So, there is that kind of ecosystem of women resonating with many of the ideas these women filmmakers are making.”- ‘Still misogynistic’ -Industry figures suggest progress is being made, albeit slowly.Last year, 15 percent of Indian movies surveyed hired women for key production positions, up from 10 percent in 2022, according to a report by Ormax Media and Film Companion Studios.Konkona Sen Sharma, an actor-director who is a champion of women-oriented cinema, is cautiously optimistic about the role women will play in the future.Women are increasingly present in the film industry, but “we still don’t have enough women in positions of power,” she said.Filmmaker Shonali Bose points out that women directors need the independence and financial backing to tell new stories.”Our problem is not to do with gender, it is getting to make what we want to make,” Bose said. “When we want to make world cinema, we are facing market forces which are getting increasingly conservative.”Lingam, the sociologist, said that while moviegoers are being “exposed to the changing discourse”, mainstream films are “still very male-orientated” and plotlines “still misogynistic”.”Some of the women scriptwriters have great ideas, but producers don’t want to back those stories,” she said.”They intervene and make so many changes by converting the female protagonist into a male to make a ‘larger-than-life character’. At the end of the day, the buck actually dictates what can be made and what cannot.”

Azmatullah Omarzai’s all-round show and an unbeaten century by Sai Sudharsan marked the return of Indian Premier League action on Sunday with victories for Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans.Gujarat rode unbeaten knocks from Sudharsan (108) and skipper Shubman Gill (93) to hammer Delhi Capitals by 10 wickets in the day’s second match to book their play-off spot.The result also ensured play-off places for Punjab Kings, who won the first match of the day, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals by 10 runs in the first completed match since the IPL’s resumption after Saturday’s scheduled restart ended in a washout.The T20 tournament was paused last week because of a deadly conflict between India and Pakistan but officials decided to resume the competition after a ceasefire.On a batting-friendly pitch at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla ground, impact substitute Sudharsan, who struck his second IPL century, and Gill helped Gujarat chase down 200 with one over to spare.”Feels amazing, I have talked about this couple of times, when I’m batting, I want to play and think as a batsman, not as a captain,” said Gill.”Last year was a learning (experience) for me as I was captain for the first time, the back end of last season I learnt that.”- Gill the leader -Gill, 25, is the frontrunner to lead India in five-day cricket after the recent Test retirements of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Gujarat, who won the IPL in their debut season in 2022, reclaimed first place in the 10-team table.Delhi, five-time champions Mumbai Indians and Lucknow Super Giants are the three teams remaining in the hunt for one remaining play-off spot.The huge partnership between Gill and Sudharsan trumped KL Rahul’s unbeaten 112 that steered the home team to 199-3.Sudharsan came out attacking in response as he raced to 25 off nine balls and reached his fifty with a boundary.Gill soon changed gears as he took on Sri Lanka’s Dushmantha Chameera in a 19-run 13th over, with Sudharsan picking up the pace as well and completing his hundred before hitting the winning six.Sudharsan is the leading batsman this season with 617 runs in 12 matches, with Gill second on 601.- ‘In high spirits’ -Earlier Rahul, who was promoted to open the innings, struck 14 fours and four sixes en route to his fifth career IPL ton.In Sunday’s opening match in Jaipur, Punjab posted 219-5 after they elected to bat first.Nehal Wadhera top-scored with 70 off 37 balls before Shashank Singh made the team finish strong with his unbeaten 59.Omarzai boosted the total with his unbeaten nine-ball 21 before he returned with two key wickets to restrict Rajasthan to 209-7.Impact substitute Harpreet Brar stood out with figures of 3-22 with his left-arm spin and South African left-arm quick Marco Jansen took two wickets in the final over when Rajasthan needed 22 for a win.”Absolutely brilliant approach and attitude coming in after the break,” Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer said.”The boys were in high spirits and we also needed a rest, going forward in the tournament, it was the right time we came in together and showed the kind of mindset to win irrespective of the situation.”Explosive opening knocks by Yashasvi Jaiswal and 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi came in vain after the two left-handers fired Rajasthan to 89-1 in the first six overs.Jaiswal hit a 25-ball 50 and Suryavanshi made 40 off 15 balls.Punjab were playing Delhi in Dharamsala when the match was halted midway on May 8 due to an apparent floodlight failure and the next day the IPL was suspended.Since the pause in the IPL, the tournament has been rescheduled with the final now set to take place on June 3.

At least 17 people died after a fire ripped through a building in the Indian city of Hyderabad, local officials said Sunday. The large blaze broke out early Sunday morning in a three-storey building which houses a jewellery store. A statement from the fire disaster response emergency and civil defence department in southern Telangana state, where Hyderabad is located, said they had received the call for help just after 6 am local time (00:30 GMT).”The fire broke out on the ground floor and spread to the upper floors. Firefighting, search & rescue operations were carried out simultaneously,” it said. The statement also listed the names of 17 individuals who lost their lives.  “The suspected cause of the fire is under investigation,” it said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his “deep grief” over the loss of life and announced compensation of 200,000 rupees (around $2,300) to the next of kin of each victim.”Deeply anguished by the loss of lives due to a fire tragedy in Hyderabad, Telangana,” Modi said in a statement released by his office. “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon.”Fires are common in India due to poor building practices, overcrowding and a lack of adherence to safety regulations. Last month, a fierce fire broke out in a hotel in Kolkata, killing at least 15 people. Some people clambered out of windows and onto the rooftop to escape. And last year, least 24 people died after a fire broke out at a packed amusement park arcade in the western state of Gujarat.

Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai marked the restart of the Indian Premier League with a fine all-round contribution as Punjab Kings closed in on a play-off spot with a 10-run win over Rajasthan Royals on Sunday.It was the first completed match since the resumption of the T20 tournament which had been paused because of an India-Pakistan conflict. Saturday’s scheduled return ended in a washout with the game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders abandoned without a ball being bowled.The weather was more clement in Jaipur as Punjab posted 219-5 when they elected to bat first in high-scoring match.Left-handed Nehal Wadhera top-scored with 70 off 37 balls before Shashank Singh made the team finish strong with his unbeaten 59.Omarzai boosted the total with his unbeaten nine-ball 21 before he returned with two key wickets to restrict Rajasthan to 209-7.Punjab are second in the 10-team table topped by Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Both teams are on 17 points in 12 matches.Impact substitute Harpreet Brar stood out with figures of 3-22 with his left-arm spin and South African left-arm quick Marco Jansen took two wickets in the final over when Rajasthan needed 22 for a win.Explosive opening knocks by Yashasvi Jaiswal and 14-year-old Suryavanshi Vaibhav Suryavanshi went in vain after the two left-handers fired Rajasthan to 89-1 in the first six overs.Jaiswal hit a 25-ball 50 and Suryavanshi made 40 off 15 balls.Suryavanshi, who hit an IPL century in 35 balls last month to shatter records, hammered the opposition bowlers for four fours and four sixes.Punjab introduced spin in the fifth over and Brar dismissed both openers in quick succession, Suryavanshi chipping a leading edge to mid-off and Jaiswal, just after he had passed 50, failing to clear Mitch Owen at long-off. The chase took another hit when skipper Sanju Samson fell for 20 off pace bowler Omarzai, who later removed the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer for 11.Dhruv Jurel made a valiant 53 off 31 deliveries but fell to Jansen in the final over as he failed to meet the increasing asking rate.Earlier Punjab’s top three fell cheaply as Australian batsman Owen’s IPL debut ended with a two-ball duck and Punjab slumped to 34-3.The mercury in the afternoon soared above 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit) when Wadhera steadied the innings and hit back with his attacking play as he put on 67 with skipper Shreyas Iyer, who made 30.Iyer fell but Wadhera kept up the charge with Shashank, who hit five fours and three sixes in his 30-ball knock.Wadhera departed in the 16th over but Shashank and Omarzai added 60 off 24 balls.Since the pause in the IPL, the tournament has been rescheduled with the final now set to take place on June 3. 

India’s commerce ministry announced restrictions on some imports from Bangladesh via its land borders, prompting fears for the South Asian country’s export-reliant economy.Relations between the two countries have deteriorated after former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina — a long-term New Delhi ally — was ousted last year, and fled to India where she is currently living in self-imposed exile.New Delhi announced late Saturday that ready-made garments from Bangladesh cannot be imported through land borders, while some other goods — including cotton, processed foods and wooden furniture — have been barred from at least six entry points in northeast India.The announcement came after Bangladesh banned yarn and rice imports from India through the same land routes last month.An Indian government source described the new restriction on garment imports as a “reciprocal measure”, adding that the move will “restore equal market access for both countries”.The government in Dhaka told AFP it had not been officially informed of the latest restrictions.”We haven’t received any official copy of notification. Once we get the documents and then we can come up with our decision after going through it,” said Ministry of Commerce advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin.The latest move is a “big threat”, Bangladeshi conglomerate Pran-RFL Group, which exports around $60 million of goods annually to India, told AFP. “India is the largest market for Pran-RFL Group’s processed foods, plastic products, furniture, and PVC-finished goods,” director Kamruzzaman Kamal said.”With the latest restrictions, almost every category of our products are getting affected. This is a big threat for the company and the country as well,” Kamal said, urging a bilateral solution with India.  The textile industry would be temporarily affected by the move, said Rakibul Alam Chowdhury of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association president Mohammad Hatem also denounced the tit-for-tat move by New Delhi, adding that border trade would “face a blow”.However, he believed that garment exporters “will be able to cover up the impact”.At the start of April, India cancelled a 2020 transshipment deal that allowed Bangladesh to export cargo to third countries via Indian land borders.  

Pakistan’s foreign minister will make a three-day official visit to China, his office said on Sunday, a little over a week after Islamabad reached a ceasefire with India to end their most serious conflict in decades.Ishaq Dar, who also holds the portfolio of deputy prime minister, will start his visit on Monday in Beijing where he will hold “in-depth discussions” with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi “on the evolving regional situation in South Asia and its implications for peace and stability”, his office said in a statement.”The two sides will also review the entire spectrum of Pakistan-China bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest,” it said.Dar’s visit to Beijing comes on the heels of a tumultuous couple of weeks, following an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir in which 26 people were killed. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it claimed were behind the attack — the deadliest on civilians in Muslim-majority Kashmir in decades. Pakistan denies the charge.The territory is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, which have fought several wars over Kashmir since their 1947 independence from British rule.On May 7, India launched strikes against what it said were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan, kicking off four days of intense tit-for-tat drone, missile and artillery exchanges with Islamabad.The conflict left more than 70 people, including dozens of civilians, dead on both sides.Fearing further escalation, global leaders had urged restraint from both sides early on in the conflict, including China which promised to play a “constructive role” — though experts say Beijing had clearly picked a side.China has been one of Pakistan’s most reliable foreign partners, readily providing financial assistance to bail out its often struggling neighbour.Dar told parliament on May 7, hours after aerial combat between the two sides, that Islamabad used Chinese jets against India, with Beijing’s ambassador called to his office over the deployment.”At 4 am in the morning, the whole Chinese team, led by their ambassador, was present at the foreign office,” Dar told the parliament.”We apprised them about all the developments taken place until that time, and they were very happy,” he said.US President Donald Trump announced a surprise truce on May 10, which appears to be holding over a week later. While Islamabad stated earlier in the week that the ceasefire would last until Sunday, the Indian army said there was no expiry date to the agreement.

US President Donald Trump’s claim to have helped end fighting between arch-rivals India and Pakistan has driven a wedge between him and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, analysts say.A week since Trump announced a surprise truce between India and Pakistan to end a brief but intense conflict, New Delhi and Washington differ about the way it was achieved.The US administration thought “an intervention at this stage might give them some basic benefit in terms of highlighting Trump’s role,” Indian foreign policy expert Harsh V. Pant told AFP.”That… became the driver and in a sense the hurry which with Trump announced the ceasefire,” said Pant from the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation (ORF) think tank.Fighting began when India launched strikes on May 7 against what it called “terrorist camps” in Pakistan following an April militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people.New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it claimed were behind the attack, which Pakistan denies.Trump announced the truce after four days of missile, drone and artillery attacks from both sides, killing about 70 people, including dozens of civilians, and sent thousands fleeing.He later boasted about bringing India and Pakistan “back from the brink”, telling Fox News on Friday it was “a bigger success than I’ll ever be given credit for”.New Delhi however shrugs off these claims, which go against decades-long Indian policy that opposes foreign mediation in conflicts with Islamabad.India and Pakistan claim the currently divided Kashmir in full. New Delhi considers the Himalayan region an internal matter, with politicians long viewing external mediation as a sign of weakness.Modi’s first speech since the ceasefire did not mention US involvement and his government has since insisted that talks with Pakistan are “strictly bilateral”.India was also quick to dismiss Trump’s suggestion that trade pressures hastened a truce.”The issue of trade did not come up” in discussions with US officials, the Indian foreign ministry said this week.- ‘Upstaged’ -According to ORF fellow Manoj Joshi, Trump’s rhetoric is “irritating” for India — whose strategic location and massive market size have made the country an important ally for the United States.But India is being “very cautious” because it is in negotiations for a trade deal with Washington to avoid steep tarriffs, he said.”We (India) would like the agenda to go in a different direction,” said Joshi.It is also a thorny matter domestically. Main opposition Congress party said Trump’s announcement had “upstaged” the Hindu nationalist leader’s “much-delayed address”.It also demanded an all-party meeting to ask whether India is changing its policy on “third-party mediation” for Kashmir, disputed between Pakistan and India. The two South Asian rivals had in the 1970s agreed to settle “differences by peaceful means through bilateral negotiations”.- ‘Irritating’ -Modi has previously poked fun at former Congress governments for “weak” responses against Pakistan in various skirmishes. “So India would obviously respond to that and deny that… about as politely as they feel they can get away with,” said South Asia researcher Pramit Pal Chaudhuri of political consultancy Eurasia Group.Trump’s claimed mediation was welcomed by Islamabad, which “needed an American intervention to give them the off-ramp they needed to get out of a conflict”, Chaudhuri added.On Thursday, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar reaffirmed that “where Pakistan is concerned, our relations, our dealings with them will be bilateral, and strictly bilateral.”But the same day, speaking from Qatar, Trump repeated claims of brokering a ceasefire and using trade as a tool.”(I said) let’s do trade instead of war. And Pakistan was very happy with that, and India was very happy with that,” Trump said in his speech.It has been a decade since Modi last met a Pakistani leader. Since then, relations have deteriorated, coming to a head when India unilaterally revoked Kashmir’s limited autonomy in 2019.According to Joshi, “the hyphenation of India and Pakistan” is also “irritating” for New Delhi, which has tried to carve out a separate identity on the global stage.”The optics of Trump hammering it day after day… is politically damaging for Modi,” Sushant Singh, a former Indian soldier and South Asian studies lecturer at Yale University, wrote on X.”(Modi) can’t personally counter Trump, and despite attempts by India’s big media to play it down, social media amplifies Trump,” Singh said.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Friday the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should reconsider a one billion dollar loan to Pakistan alleging it was “funding terror”, a move denounced by Islamabad as proof of New Delhi’s desperation.India and Pakistan last week clashed in the worst military violence in decades, killing around 70 people before agreeing a ceasefire that began Saturday.The confrontations were sparked by an attack on tourists by gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing — a charge it denies.”I believe a big portion of the $1 billion coming from IMF will be used for funding terror infrastructure,” Singh told troops at an air force base in western India.”I believe any economic assistance to Pakistan is nothing less than funding terror.”Despite India’s objections, the IMF last week approved a loan programme review for Pakistan, unlocking a $1 billion payment which the state bank said has already been received.A fresh $1.4 billion loan was also approved under the IMF’s climate resilience fund.India — which also represents Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh on the IMF board — abstained from the review vote with a statement from its finance ministry stating, “concerns over the efficacy of IMF programmes in case of Pakistan given its poor track record”.”India was the lone country which tried to stop it and it failed. It again reflects Indian frustration. Trying to criticise an institution like IMF speaks about this desperation,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters.Pakistan came to the brink of default in 2023, as a political crisis compounded an economic downturn and drove the nation’s debt burden to terminal levels before being saved by a $7 billion bailout from the IMF which sparked further crucial loans from friendly nations.- Removed from watchlist -Pakistan, which has long battled militancy within its borders, has faced scrutiny over its ability to combat illicit financing, including to militant organisations and in 2022 was put on an international money-laundering watchlist.However, the Financial Action Task Force removed Pakistan from it so-called grey-list in 2022 after “significant progress” which included charges being filed against suspected militants accused of being involved in the 2008 attacks in India’s Mumbai.Singh claimed it was “clear that in Pakistan, terrorism and their government are hand in glove with each other. “In this situation there is a possibility that their nuclear weapons could get their way into the hands of terrorists. This is a danger not just for Pakistan but the entire world,” he said.Singh on Thursday called for Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal to be put under the surveillance of the UN’s atomic energy agency, with Islamabad firing back that the international community should investigate a nuclear “black market” in India.Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad on Friday, where the two discussed the ceasefire, according to a statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry.Lammy also contacted his Indian counterpart on Thursday, the UK foreign office said, adding he “will look to travel to New Delhi soon.”Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who has warned that Pakistan’s armed forces are ready to counter any Indian aggression, called Friday evening for diplomatic solutions. “We have to sit down at the table like peaceful neighbours and settle our outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharif said. The disputed Muslim-majority region of Kashmir has been at the heart of several wars between the two neighbours, who administer separate portions of the divided territory.Militants stepped up operations on the Indian side of Kashmir from 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government revoked the region’s limited autonomy and imposed direct rule from New Delhi.

Every week, Bibi Jan scrapes together some of her husband’s meagre daily wage to buy precious water from rickshaw-drawn tankers that supply residents of Afghanistan’s increasingly parched capital.Kabul faces a looming water crisis, driven by unruly and rapid urbanisation, mismanagement over years of conflict, and climate change, meaning people like Bibi Jan are sometimes forced to choose between food and water.”When my children have only tea for a few days, they say, ‘You bought water and nothing for us’,” the 45-year-old housewife told AFP, describing reusing her supplies for bathing, dishes and laundry.Experts have long sounded the alarm over Kabul’s water problems, which are worsening even as many international players have backed off big infrastructure projects and slashed funding to Afghanistan since the Taliban government took power in 2021. “There could be no ground water in Kabul by 2030” without urgent action, the UN children’s agency UNICEF warned last year.  Other experts are more cautious, citing limited consistent and reliable data, but say the situation is clearly deteriorating. A 2030 cliff is a “worst-case scenario”, said water resources management expert Assem Mayar. But even if slated development projects are completed in a few years, it “doesn’t mean the situation would become better than now”, Mayar said.”As time goes on, the problems are only increasing,” he added, as population growth outstrips urban planning and climate change drives below-average precipitation.   – ‘Decreasing day by day’ -The Taliban authorities have launched projects ranging from recycling water to building hundreds of small dams across the country, but larger interventions remain hampered by financing and technical capacity. They remain unrecognised by any country since they ousted the Western-backed government and imposed their severe interpretation of Islamic law, with restrictions on women a major sticking point. They have repeatedly called for non-governmental groups to reboot stalled projects on water and climate change, as Afghanistan faces “some of the harshest effects” in the region, according to the United Nations. The water and energy ministry wants to divert water from the Panjshir river to the capital, but needs $300 million to $400 million. A dam project near Kabul would ease pressures but was delayed after the Taliban takeover.For now, Kabul’s primary drinking water source is groundwater, as much as 80 percent of which is contaminated, according to a May report by Mercy Corps.It is tapped by more than 100,000 unregulated wells across the city that are regularly deepened or run dry, the NGO said. Groundwater can be recharged, but more is drawn each year than is replenished in Kabul, with an estimated annual 76-million-cubic-metre (20-billion-gallon) deficit, experts say.”It’s a very serious problem… Water is decreasing day by day in the city,” said Shafiullah Zahidi, who heads central Kabul operations for the state-owned water company UWASS. Water systems designed decades ago serve just 20 percent of the city’s population, which has exploded to around six million over the past 20 years, said Zahidi. – ‘Use less water’ -At one of Kabul’s 15 pumping stations, maintenance manager Mohammad Ehsan said the seven-year-old well is already producing less water. Two others nearby sit dry. “The places with shallower water levels are dried out now,” said 53-year-old Ehsan, who has worked in water management for two decades, as he stood over an old well.It once produced water from a depth of 70 metres (230 feet), but a newer well had to be bored more than twice as deep to reach groundwater.    At one of the two large stations in the city, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) recently procured four new pumps where only one had been functioning. “If that pump collapsed for any reason, that means stopping the service for 25,000 beneficiary households,” which now have uninterrupted water, said Baraa Afeh, ICRC’s deputy water and habitat coordinator. Everyone in Kabul “should have 24-hour service”, said Zahidi, from the state water company.But in reality, Bibi Jan and many other Kabulis are forced to lug water in heavy jugs from wells or buy it from tankers.These suppliers charge at least twice as much as the state-owned utility, with potable water even more pricy in a country where 85 percent of the population lives on less than a dollar a day.Bibi Jan said she has to police her family’s water use carefully. “I tell them, ‘I’m not a miser but use less water.’ Because if the water runs out then what would we do?”

India and Pakistan accused each other Thursday of failing to control their nuclear weapons, calling on the world to monitor their neighbour’s arsenal just days after their most serious military confrontation in two decades.Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal should be under the surveillance of the UN’s atomic energy agency, while Islamabad said the international community should investigate a “black market” in India. The latest conflict between India and Pakistan had sparked global concerns that it could spiral into a full-blown war before a ceasefire was brokered on Saturday.”I wanted to raise this question for the world: are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of a rogue and irresponsible nation?” Singh told troops at a base in Indian-administered Kashmir.”I believe that Pakistan’s atomic weapons should be brought under the surveillance of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency),” Singh added.Hours later, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said the IAEA should instead probe “the repeated theft and illicit trafficking incidents involving nuclear and radioactive material in India”.”These incidents also suggest the existence of a black market for sensitive, dual-use materials inside India,” its statement added.But on Thursday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced there had been “military to military communications” and both sides had agreed to extend a ceasefire until Sunday, May 18. – Ceasefire -Fighting began when India launched strikes on May 7 against what it called “terrorist camps” in Pakistan following an April attack in Indian-administered Kashmir which killed 26 people.New Delhi blamed Islamabad for backing the militants it claimed were behind the attack — the deadliest on civilians in Kashmir in decades. Pakistan denies the charge.Four days of intense drone, missile and artillery exchanges ensued, leaving nearly 70 people, including dozens of civilians, dead on both sides.Both India and Pakistan are nuclear powers and members of the IAEA, which regulates the use of nuclear weapons.Pakistani ministers have repeatedly said the nuclear option was not on the table and that the country’s nuclear governmental body was not summoned at any point during the recent conflict.Pakistani military spokesperson Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry told reporters on Sunday that escalating conflict between the nuclear rivals was “inconceivable and sheer stupidity”.”That conflict can lead to the peril of 1.6 billion people, so in reality there is no space for war between India and Pakistan,” Chaudhry said.- Restraint calls -Fearing further escalation, global leaders had urged restraint from the arch-enemies with US President Donald Trump announcing the surprise truce.The ceasefire has held since the weekend, following initial claims of violations from both sides.But Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a call with UN chief Antonio Guterres on Wednesday, expressed “concerns over the continued provocative and inflammatory remarks by Indian leadership, as a threat to the fragile regional peace”.India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Thursday that a key water treaty, which governs river water critical to parched Pakistan for consumption and agriculture, would remain suspended until “cross-border terrorism by Pakistan is credibly and irrevocably stopped”.His counterpart in Pakistan, Ishaq Dar, responded calling the treaty “a no-go area”.”The treaty can’t be amended, nor can it be terminated by any party unless both agree,” he told parliament.Militants have stepped up operations on the Indian side of Kashmir since 2019, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government revoked the region’s limited autonomy and imposed direct rule from New Delhi.Police in Indian-administered Kashmir meanwhile said they killed three suspected militants on Thursday in the town of Tral, in Pulwama district south of Srinagar, the region’s main city. Police also said three other suspected militants died in a gun battle with soldiers on Tuesday in the southern Kashmir valley.Muslim-majority Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, which have fought several wars over the territory since their 1947 independence from British rule.burs-ecl/tc/dhw/bys