Indian forces killed three 'terrorists' behind Kashmir attack, home minister says
The attackers, who New Delhi said were Pakistanis backed by Islamabad, opened fire in a valley popular with tourists in Kashmir's scenic, mountainous region of Pahalgam, before fleeing into the surrounding pine forests.
Islamist Pakistan denied involvement in the attack — the worst assault on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks — and sought an independent investigation.
The four-day fighting between the nuclear-armed rivals was their worst in decades.
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Mail & Guardian
25 minutes ago
- Mail & Guardian
A lens, pen and a cause
Three newly published books landed on my desk — each chronicling the lives of fellow travellers from South Africa's epic struggle era and beyond. These richly textured works spotlight a Robben Island commissar and confidant of Nelson Mandela; a streetwise photographer who worked outside the confines of the mainstream media and a bold Indian woman news broadcaster-turned-author documenting life across the country's colour lines. All are South Africans of Indian descent, who shaped, and were shaped by, the political and cultural evolution of Durban and our nation. Spanning over 650 pages, Shades of Dif ference: Mac Maharaj and the Struggle for South Africa (Penguin Random House), by Padraig O'Malley, offers blockbuster insights into the life of Sathyandranath Ragunanan 'Mac' Maharaj. Once a garbage collector in white-run Newcastle, Maharaj became a central figure in the liberation movement — famously smuggling Nelson Mandela's essays off Robben Island, written on sheets of toilet paper, which would become the manuscript for The Long Walk to Freedom, later adapted into a film by Anant Singh. O'Malley, an Irish academic and seasoned negotiator who played a role in the Northern Ireland peace process, brings his deep understanding of resistance politics to the Maharaj story. The book features a rare and heartfelt 20-page foreword by Mandela himself: 'Writing the foreword to Shades of Dif ference holds a special place of its own. Mac is a longtime friend and confidant … He put the struggle for South Africa's freedom above everything else in his life. 'Mac became a legend for the torture he endured … I respect Mac and I love him. I call him Ngquphephe, after the one-eyed hero in Xhosa folktales. O'Malley does my Ngquphephe proud.' Mandela reminisces about how Maharaj smuggled essays off the prison island — later published as Reflections in Prison, edited by Maharaj — and praises his underground work during Operation Vula. Maharaj's clandestine leadership helped maintain the ANC's readiness in case the transition to democracy faltered. He was later rewarded with a cabinet post as South Africa's first democratic transport minister under Mandela's presidency. O'Malley first approached Maharaj in the early 2000s and what followed was a painstaking, years-long collaboration. The result is a comprehensive, sometimes controversial, portrait of a freedom fighter of Indian origin who walked the tightrope between loyalty and leadership in exile, in prison and in government. For readers, activists and post-Mandela politicians alike, this biography is a compelling education in resistance, resilience and political sacrifice. Through the lens of struggle In Available Light: Omar Badsha and the Struggle for Change in South Africa (NIHSS), author and Yale historian Daniel Magaziner documents the life and art of Durban-born freelance photographer Omar Badsha — one of the unsung visual chroniclers of South Africa's liberation journey. For over five decades, Badsha, often operating solo from his base on Douglas Road in the Grey Street area, captured the pulse of political resistance across Durban and beyond — from mass rallies at Curries Fountain to arrests, funerals, faith gatherings and township uprisings. Armed only with his camera, rolls of film and a keen political instinct, he built an extraordinary archive — often developed in his own darkroom, plastered with posters of Albert Luthuli and Steve Biko. The book's title, Available Light, reflects both his technical mastery and artistry and the metaphorical illumination he brought to apartheid's darkest corners. Magaziner skillfully reconstructs Badsha's life through 316 pages and an array of powerful photographs, including family portraits and frontline images from the struggle. His acclaimed works — The Law and the Prophets and The Art of Life in South Africa — positioned him well to present Badsha not only as a shutterbug but also as a political artist. This is a tribute to a man whose lens gave voice to the voiceless — and whose images remain vital testimony in an age of fading memory. From the newsroom to the village Vanessa Govender's latest book, The Village Indian (Jacana Media), offers a spicy, satirical and deeply personal account of her life in a rural setting as a city-bred Indian woman married to a reserved white man. It's her third literary offering after Beaten But Not Broken, a raw memoir of abuse, and the children's book The Selfish Shongololo. In this 299-page collection of anecdotes, observations and family escapades, Govender narrates her transition from a newsroom firebrand to a barefoot villager dealing with cockerels, stray dogs, deadly snakes, curious neighbours and the quiet prejudices that still bubble beneath South Africa's post-apartheid surface. Peppered with Durban-style humour and Indian lingo, the book reads as a diary of survival, reinvention and self-discovery — with a generous glass of red wine in hand, as the cover photo suggests. Govender's storytelling blends the absurd with the poignant, showcasing the realities of mixed-race marriage in a village still grappling with social transformation. Her Indian identity, media past and cultural flair animate every page. Her work, while not overtly political, is in itself a subtle act of resistance — a woman's right to define her space and script her own story. Final word: Revisiting the legacy Each of these authors — Maharaj, Badsha and Govender — traversed Durban's contested streets and storied communities. Their books offer us mirrors to our past, maps of our memory and markers of how far we've come, individually and collectively, in also contributing to the struggle. In revisiting their journeys, we are reminded that the story of South Africa is never singular. It is a chorus of voices, a kaleidoscope of experiences and a history still being written — page by page. Marlan Padayachee is a veteran correspondent from the transition from apartheid to democracy and is a freelance journalist, photographer and researcher.
TimesLIVE
3 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Brazil's Lula says he will discuss Trump tariffs with Brics group
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva presented himself as a torchbearer for multilateralism in a fractured world in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, revealing plans to call the leaders of India and China to discuss a joint Brics response to tariffs on US imports imposed by President Donald Trump. 'What President Trump is doing is tacit — he wants to dismantle multilateralism where agreements are made collectively within institutions and replace it with unilateralism where he negotiates one-on-one with other countries,' Lula said. 'What bargaining power does a small Latin American country have against the US? None.' Lula said he will initiate a conversation at the Brics group of developing nations about how to tackle Trump's tariffs. He said he planned to call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and China's Xi Jinping and other leaders after. The group also has Russia and other emerging economies among its members. 'I'm going to try to discuss with them about how each one is doing in this situation, what the implications are for each country, so we can make a decision,' he said. 'It's important to remember that the Brics have ten countries at the G20,' he added, referring to the group that gathers 20 of the world's biggest economies. Lula stressed that Brazil now holds the presidency of the Brics and said that he wants to discuss with allies why Trump is attacking multilateralism and what his goals may be. Trump called the Brics 'anti-American' and threatened to slap an additional 10% tariff on goods imported from those countries last month, while the group gathered in a summit in Rio de Janeiro. Some of the highest tariffs imposed by Trump have been on imports from those countries. Brazil climbed to the top of the list last month, when Trump tied 50% tariffs on most of the country's exports to what he called a 'witch hunt' against former president Jair Bolsonaro. On Wednesday, Trump threatened to impose another 25% tariff on Indian imports because of the country's reliance on Russian oil, which would add to the 25% levies that are already in place. The 30% tariffs on goods from China and South Africa are also among the highest imposed by Trump, though some Chinese products face additional levies.
TimesLIVE
6 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Trump says progress made in US envoy Witkoff's meeting with Putin
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his special envoy Steve Witkoff had made 'great progress' in his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as Washington continued its preparations to impose secondary sanctions on Friday. The meeting came two days before a deadline set by Trump for Russia to agree to peace in Ukraine or face new sanctions. Trump has been increasingly frustrated with Putin over the lack of progress towards peace and has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian exports. A White House official said that while the meeting had gone well and Moscow was eager to continue engaging with the US, secondary sanctions that Trump has threatened against countries doing business with Russia were still expected to be implemented on Friday. No details were provided. 'My special envoy, Steve Witkoff, just had a highly productive meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Great progress was made!' Trump said in a post on Truth Social. 'Everyone agrees this war must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,' he added. A Kremlin aide earlier on Wednesday said Witkoff held 'useful and constructive' talks with Putin on Wednesday. The two met for about three hours on a last-minute mission to seek a breakthrough in the 3-1/2-year war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said the two sides had exchanged 'signals' on the Ukraine issue and discussed the possibility of developing strategic co-operation between Moscow and Washington, but declined to give more details until Witkoff had reported back to Trump. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he believed pressure had worked on Russia and Moscow was now more amenable to a ceasefire. 'It seems that Russia is now more inclined to a ceasefire. The pressure on them works. But the main thing is that they do not deceive us in the details — neither us nor the US,' Zelensky said in his nightly address. Writing separately on the X social media platform, Zelensky said he had discussed Witkoff's visit to Russia with Trump, adding that he had reiterated Ukraine's support for a just peace and its continued determination to defend itself. 'Ukraine will definitely defend its independence. We all need a lasting and reliable peace. Russia must end the war that it itself started,' Zelensky said, adding that European leaders had joined the call with Trump. Trump on Truth Social said he had updated some of Washington's European allies after Witkoff's meeting. PRESSURE ON INDIA Trump took a key step towards punitive measures on Wednesday when he imposed an additional 25% tariff on imports from India, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil. No similar order was signed for China, which also imports Russian oil. The new measure raises tariffs on some Indian goods to as high as 50% — among the steepest faced by any US trading partner. The Kremlin says threats to penalise countries that trade with Russia are illegal. It was not clear what Russia might have offered to Witkoff to stave off Trump's threat. Ushakov, who was present, told Russian news outlet Zvezda: 'We had a very useful and constructive conversation.' He added: 'On our part, in particular on the Ukrainian issue, some signals were transmitted. Corresponding signals were also received from President Trump.' Bloomberg and independent Russian news outlet The Bell reported that the Kremlin might propose a moratorium on air strikes by Russia and Ukraine — an idea mentioned last week by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko during a meeting with Putin. Such a move, if agreed, would fall well short of the full and immediate ceasefire that Ukraine and the US have been seeking for months. But it would offer some relief to both sides. AIR ATTACKS Since the two sides resumed direct peace talks in May, Russia has carried out its heaviest air attacks of the war, killing at least 72 people in the capital Kyiv alone. Trump last week called the Russian attacks 'disgusting'. Ukraine continues to strike Russian refineries and oil depots, which it has hit many times. Zelensky said on Wednesday that Russia had attacked a gas pumping station in southern Ukraine in what he called a deliberate and cynical blow to preparations for the winter heating season. Russia said it had hit gas infrastructure supplying the Ukrainian military. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Zelensky, said on Wednesday that a full ceasefire and a leaders' summit were required. 'The war must stop and for now this is on Russia,' he posted on Telegram. Putin is unlikely to bow to Trump's sanctions ultimatum because he believes he is winning the war and his military goals take precedence over his desire to improve relations with the US, three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters. The Russian sources told Reuters that Putin was sceptical that yet more US sanctions would have much of an impact after successive waves of economic penalties during 3-1/2 years of war. The Russian leader does not want to anger Trump, and he realises that he may be spurning a chance to improve relations with Washington and the West, but his war goals are more important to him, two of the sources said. Putin's conditions for peace include a legally binding pledge that Nato will not expand eastward, Ukrainian neutrality, protection for Russian speakers, and acceptance of Russia's territorial gains in the war, Russian sources have said. Zelensky has said Ukraine would never recognise Russia's sovereignty over its conquered regions and that Kyiv retains the sovereign right to decide whether it wants to join Nato. Witkoff, a real estate billionaire, had no diplomatic experience before joining Trump's team in January, but has been simultaneously tasked with seeking ceasefires in the Ukraine and Gaza wars, as well as negotiating in the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme.
