World's Highest Rail Bridge Opens to Reshape Nuclear Rivals' Power Map
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
High in the Himalayas, where winds slice through conflict-hit Kashmir at 160 mph and temperatures swing from -20°F to 113°F, India has unveiled the world's highest rail bridge, remaking the power map of Asia.
Why It Matters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inauguration of the Chenab Rail Bridge, a 1,178-foot-tall steel construction that is nearly 100 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower, finally connects the Kashmir Valley to other railways in the world's most populous country.
It underlines India's hold on Kashmir just weeks after an insurgent attack on tourists in Pahalgam killed 26 people and prompted the biggest confrontation in decades with Pakistan, which India blamed for the attack despite its denials.
The railway also strengthens India's transport links to the disputed region where it is also at odds with China, which has strong links to Pakistan. All three countries are nuclear powers.
What To Know
The bridge completes the 200 mile Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).
"With the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi, the Valley of Kashmir is now connected to India's vast railway network," declared PM Modi at the ceremony which was live-casted on X. "We have always invoked Maa Bharati (Mother India) with deep reverence, saying 'from Kashmir to Kanyakumari' – today, this has become a reality even in our railway network."
A general view of Chenab bridge, the world's highest rail arch bridge in Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir on July 6, 2024
A general view of Chenab bridge, the world's highest rail arch bridge in Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir on July 6, 2024
Photo by TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP
The bridge is built with 28,000 tonnes of steel and 66,000 cubic meters of concrete to withstand earthquakes and blizzards, completing a railway that had proven beyond the reach of the British colonizers who established much of India's rail network.
"Many people dreamt of this train service. What the British couldn't do, you made a reality. Now, the Kashmir Valley is finally connected to the rest of India by rail," posted Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on X.
The Tricolour flies high over the Chenab Rail Bridge!
It's a feeling of immense pride that this bridge seamlessly blends ambition with execution, reflecting India's growing capability to build futuristic infrastructure in the most challenging terrains. pic.twitter.com/PrqELwfO7k — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 6, 2025
The bridge and railway have major geostrategic implications, linking Indian-controlled Kashmir, whose ownership is contested by Pakistan, with other parts of India.
It slashes military deployment time to the Pakistan border from days to hours. Tension remains high between the two nuclear-armed neighbors following the Pahalgam attack.
The railway also strengthens the economic links. Kashmir's ski slopes, apple orchards, and tech hubs are now accessible year-round. Modi's government calls the region "India's crown jewel."
While India also has a border dispute with China in Kashmir, the bigger message of the new railway may be India's growing ability to carry out major infrastructure projects – showing China that it is not alone in this.
As China builds the $60B China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, it is also a demonstration of Indian sovereignty in the Himalayas, where India's challenge to China also serves U.S. strategic interests.
What People Are Saying
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on his X post called June 6, 2025, a "momentous day" that would "go down in history," noting the simultaneous inauguration of India's first cable-stayed rail bridge at Anji.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw hailed it as "a historic day," attributing the achievement to Prime Minister Modi's "steely determination," in his statement.
What Happens Next
India can be expected to continue to reinforce its economic, political and strategic links to Kashmir. While the latest round of conflict with Pakistan has died down since the ceasefire, there is every possibility that further confrontation could be triggered.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘They are in shock': Indian students fear Trump has ended their American dream
For weeks, Subash Devatwal's phone has not stopped ringing. Some of the calls have been from distressed students, at other times it is their panicked parents, but all have the same question – is their dream of studying in the US still possible? Devatwal runs an education consultancy in Ahmedabad, the main city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is one of thousands of such organisations that exist across the country, helping Indian students achieve what many consider to be the ultimate symbol of success: getting into an American university. It has long been a booming business for Devatwal. Families in India will often invest their entire life savings to send their children to study in the US and last year there were more than 330,000 Indians enrolled at American universities, more than any other foreign nationality, overtaking Chinese students in numbers for the first time in years. But this year the situation looks drastically different. As Donald Trump's administration has taken aim at international students – first implementing draconian screening measures over political views and then last week ordering all US embassies globally to indefinitely pause all student visa interviews – many Indian students and their families have been left in limbo. Trump's unilateral decision to block Harvard University from admitting international students, which was later blocked by the courts, also caused widespread panic and stoked fears that foreign students at other universities could get caught in the president's crosshairs. 'The students are in shock. Most of them spend several years preparing to study in the US,' said Devatwal. He said many of his clients were now hesitant to pursue a US degree, given the high levels of turmoil and uncertainty following the Trump administration's new policies. Indian students can expect to pay between $40,000 to $80,000 (£29,500 to £59,000) a year on tuition alone to study in the US. In previous years, Devatwal's organisation sent more than 100 students to American universities but this year he said the number had dropped to about 10. Instead, families were shifting their focus to the UK and other European countries. A recent analysis by the Hindu newspaper estimated a 28% drop in Indian students going to the US in 2025. 'Families contribute their savings, take out loans from banks and borrow from relatives, all in the hope that the student will secure a good job abroad, repay the debt, and build a promising future,' said Devatwal. 'In such uncertain circumstances, parents are understandably reluctant to let their children take such a risky path.' Brijesh Patel, 50, a textile trader in Surat, Gujarat, said he had been saving money for over a decade to make sure his son could go to a US university, including selling his wife's jewellery and borrowing money from relatives. 'Everyone in the family wanted our son to go to the US for his studies and make something good of his life,' said Patel. His 21-year-old son, who he asked not to be named for fear of retribution by the US authorities, had secured a place at two American universities for his master's degree and Patel had already paid 700,000 rupees (£6,000) to consultancies who helped with the applications. But amid the turmoil under Trump, Patel said his son was being advised not to even apply for his student visa, due to the uncertainty and high probability of rejection. 'We simply can't take that risk. If our son goes now and something goes wrong, we won't be able to save that kind of money again,' he said. However, Patel said he was not willing to give up on the family dream just yet. 'I am an optimist, and my son is willing to wait a year,' he said. 'We're hoping that things improve by then. It's not just my son who will be living the American dream, it's all of us: my wife, our relatives and our neighbours. I've struggled my whole life – I don't want my son to face the same struggles here in India.' The fear among prospective and current students was palpable. Several Indian students studying in the US declined to speak to the Guardian, fearing it could jeopardise their visas. In India, a student selected in December to be one of this year's Fulbright-Nehru doctoral fellows – a highly competitive scholarship that pays for the brightest students to study abroad at US universities as part of their PhD thesis – said the applications of their entire cohort had recently been demoted back to 'semi-finalists'. The student, who asked to remain anonymous over fears it would affect their application, said they had invitation letters from top Ivy League universities for the fellowship, which is considered one of the most prestigious scholarships in the US, but now everything was up in the air. 'We are supposed to start in October and our orientation was scheduled for May, all the flights and hotels were even booked, but then it all got cancelled. Now we've been informed all our applications are under review by the Trump administration,' said the student. They said it had caused 'huge panic and anxiety' among those accepted. 'I know a lot of people are going back through their social media, deleting things and doing a lot of self-censoring.' Piyush Bhartiya, a co-founder of the educational technology company AdmitKard, said many parents who had been set on sending their children to the US were rethinking their plans. He cited one example of a student who had been admitted to New York University for the coming year but was instead planning to go to the London School of Economics after the US visa interviews were paused. Bhartiya said Indian students primarily went to the US to study Stem subjects – science, technology, engineering and maths – and so the focus had shifted to other countries strong in these areas. 'Germany is the main country where students are shifting to for Stem subjects,' he said. 'Other countries like Ireland, France, the Netherlands, which are also gaining substantial interest in the students. At the undergraduate level, the Middle East has also seen a lot of gain in interest given parents feel that it is close by and safer and given the current political environment they may want their kids closer to the home.' Among the Indian students forced to abandon their plans is Nihar Gokhale, 36. He had a fully funded offer for a PhD at a private university in Massachusetts, but recently received a letter saying the funding was being withdrawn, as the university faced issues under the Trump administration. 'It was quite shocking. I spoke to people at the university, and they admitted it was an exceptional situation for them too,' said Gokhale. Without the funding, the US was financially 'out of the question' and he said he had an offer from the UK he now intended to take up. 'For at least the next three or four years, I'm not considering the US at all,' he said. • This article was amended on 4 June 2025 to correct a conversion error. An earlier version said that 700,000 rupees was £68,000 instead of saying £6,000.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hegseth says Nato allies ‘very close' to raising defence spending target to 5%
The US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said Nato allies were 'very close, almost near consensus' to an agreement to significantly raise targets for defence spending to 5% of GDP in the next decade. The Trump administration official indicated he expected the increased target to be agreed at a summit in The Hague later this month – and confirmed that the headline figure was to be split into two parts. 'This alliance, in a matter of weeks, will be committing to 5%: 3.5% in hard military and 1.5% in infrastructure and defence-related activities. That combination constitutes a real commitment,' he said. Hegseth was speaking at a press conference at Nato headquarters in Brussels after the morning session of an all-day meeting of defence ministers from the 32-country transatlantic military alliance. 'I'm very encouraged by what we heard in there,' Hegseth told reporters. 'Countries in there are well exceeding 2% and we think very close, almost near consensus, on a 5% commitment to Nato.' Nato's current target level for military spending, agreed at a summit in Cardiff in 2014, is 2% of GDP, but Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that European allies and Canada do not spend enough compared with the US. In an attempt to avoid Trump wrecking the first Nato summit of his second term, the alliance's new secretary general, Mark Rutte, proposed a 3.5% plus 1.5% target, though there is some ambiguity about the target date. Initial reports suggested that Rutte wanted allies to hit the target from 2032, though earlier this week British sources suggested the date could be 2035. Sweden's defence minister said he would like to see the target hit by 2030. Only Poland currently exceeds the 3.5% target for hard military spending at 4.32%, according to Nato figures, while the US defence budget, the largest in the alliance, amounts to 3.4% of GDP, at $967bn (£711bn). The UK spends 2.33% of GDP on its military, but has pledged to increase that to 2.5% by 2027 and to 3% some time in the next parliament. Earlier this week the prime minister, Keir Starmer, declined to set a firm date for the UK achieving 3% as he unveiled a strategic defence review. Related: Why is defence such a hard sell? The same reason Starmer is struggling in the polls | Martin Kettle Rutte will visit London on Monday to meet Starmer before the summit. Downing Street said the prime minister and the secretary general would 'talk about how we ensure all allies step up their defence spending now in order to respond to the threats that we face now'. Germany's defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said Berlin would need up to 60,000 additional troops to meet new Nato targets for weapons and personnel. 'We are stepping up to our responsibility as Europe's largest economy,' the minister said on Thursday. Germany, which currently spends 2.12% of GDP on defence, had been singled out by Trump as a laggard in spending, though until Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Berlin had been reluctant to be a leader in European military spending, partly due to the memories of the militarism of the second world war.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Total discrimination': Chinese students facing US visa ban say their lives are in limbo
Chinese students in the United States are questioning their future in the country after the state department announced last week that it would 'aggressively' revoke visas for Chinese students and enhance scrutiny of future applications from China and Hong Kong. Chinese students hoping to study at Harvard, the US's oldest and wealthiest university, are under particular pressure after the Trump administration announced on Wednesday that it was banning the school from enrolling new foreign students. The presidential proclamation cited Harvard's links with China as a particular cause for concern. Related: 'They are in shock': Indian students fear Trump has ended their American dream For Jerry*, a 22-year-old applied mathematics student at the University of California, Los Angeles, the uncertainty started last month, when the Trump administration suddenly halted Harvard University's ability to enrol any international students. Jerry has a place on a health data science masters programme at Harvard, which is due to start in the autumn. The US government's attempt to ban Harvard from accepting international students appears to have been blocked, at least temporarily, by the courts. But Trump's announcement on Wednesday invokes a different legal authority. Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, has announced that the authorities will be targeting Chinese students specifically, nationwide. It is 'total discrimination,' Jerry said. 'I don't think anyone would consider that reason sufficient. That's just pushing Chinese students to go elsewhere'. Unsure about whether or not he will be able to enrol at Harvard, Jerry is considering taking up a place on a DPhil (PhD) programme at Oxford University in the UK. He said on Thursday that following Trump's latest attack on Harvard, Oxford seems like an even more likely option. Although he hopes to study at Harvard, Jerry feels lucky to have a back-up plan. 'A lot of the people who accepted Harvard offers don't have other options. So it must be much more anxious for them'. Across the US, universities have been scrambling to find ways to reassure the hundreds of thousands of Chinese students on their campuses about their academic future. In a memo sent to Chinese students at University of Oregon, the school described the state department's announcement about revoking the visas for Chinese students as 'vague' and said: 'A revoked passport does not impact your legal status in the US because it is only an entry document used when entering the US'. However, the university warned that a revoked visa could lead to removal proceedings by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). Warning about being targeted by ICE have taken on a new gravity since the agency started targeting international students with the lawful right to remain in the country. They include Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate and pro-Palestine activist who was detained despite holding a green card to reside in the US. Khalil is now fighting a deportation order. Steven*, a 34-year-old Chinese PhD student at the University of Oregon, said that although he is not planning to apply for a new student visa soon, the prospect of an encounter with ICE concerned him. 'Nowadays, even if you have a green card, you have legitimate status, you could get caught by ICE, because these guys are crazy'. Steven has been in the US for a decade. In that time, the US has become a less attractive destination for Chinese students, he said, something he sees borne out in his part-time job helping Chinese students with their college applications. The numbers wanting to study in the US have declined, with people favouring countries in South-east Asia, such as Singapore, which are more culturally similar to China. The US is 'just not that friendly' any more, Steven says. The loss of top Chinese students in the US would be a blow to academic research, and to the funding for higher education institutions, experts say. In the 2023-2024 academic year, there were about 277,400 Chinese students in the US, according to government statistics. That is a 25% drop compared to 2019-2020. 'By barring Chinese students and scholars from America, the Trump administration will strangle the pipeline of high-end talent into our universities, companies, and research institutes, sparking a serious deficit in talent and expertise that will damage American competitiveness,' said Denis Simon, non-resident fellow at the Quincy Institute, who specialises in science and technology policy in China. The state department's announcement last week specified that students with connections to the Chinese Communist party (CCP) or studying in 'critical fields' would be included in the visa crackdown. For years, the US has tried to root out Chinese espionage in academia, with concerns raised about CCP-backed programmes to recruit top talent in science and technology fields that are strategically important to China. But academics and campaigners say that this has bled over into racism, with all Chinese researchers or those of Chinese heritage being treated with suspicion. Jerry, the mathematics student, said he has experienced discrimination in the US, but not on campus. But if Chinese researchers, staff and PhD students feel they have to leave the US because of an increasingly hostile environment, 'it's going to be a disaster for American universities,' he said. *Names have been changed Additional research by Lillian Yang
