Latest news with #GuinnessWorldRecords
The Star
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Strategic Kashmir link now running
Mountain connection: Modi visiting Chenab Rail Bridge during the inauguration of the Kashmir rail link in Kashmir. — AFP Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to Kashmir since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan, opening a strategic railway line to the contested region he called 'the crown jewel of India'. Modi launched a string of projects worth billions of dollars for the territory, the centre of bitter rivalry between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan fought a four-day conflict last month, their worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. 'Pakistan will never forget... its shameful loss,' the Hindu nationalist premier told crowds a month since India launched strikes on its neighbour after an attack on tourists in Kashmir. 'Friends, today's event is a grand festival of India's unity and firm resolve,' Modi said on Friday after striding across the soaring bridge to formally launch it for rail traffic. 'This is a symbol and celebration of rising India,' he said of the Chenab Bridge which connects two mountains. New Delhi calls the Chenab span the 'world's highest railway arch bridge', sitting 359m above a river. While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China. Modi said the railway was 'an extraordinary feat of architecture' that 'will improve connectivity' by providing the first rail link from the Indian plains up to mountainous Kashmir. With 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, the new railway runs for 272km and connects Udhampur, Srinagar and Baramulla. It is expected to halve the travel time between the town of Katra in the Hindu-majority Jammu region and Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir, to around three hours. The new route will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air. Modi's Hindu nationalist government revoked Kashmir's limited autonomy and took the state under direct rule in 2019. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry in a statement said India's 'claims of development... ring hollow against the backdrop of an unprecedented military presence, suppression of fundamental freedoms, arbitrary arrests, and a concerted effort to alter the region's demography'. Around 150 people protested against the project on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. 'We want to tell India that building bridges and laying roads in the name of development will not make the people of Kashmir give up their demand for freedom,' said Azir Ahmad Ghazali, who organised the rally attended by Kashmiris who fled unrest on the Indian side in the 1990s. 'In clear and unequivocal terms, we want to say to the Indian government that the people of Kashmir have never accepted India's forced rule.' — AFP
Buzz Feed
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Tom Cruise Does 16 Burning Parachute Jumps
Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning was one for the history books — and the record books, too! For 29 years, Tom has performed a series of death-defying stunts in the Mission: Impossible franchise as IMF agent Ethan Hunt. The eighth film, billed as Tom's final outing as Ethan, has grossed over $360 million at the worldwide box office. It also made $200 million worldwide in its first weekend, a record for the franchise. On May 27, Tom shared a message, writing, "This weekend was one for the history books!" congratulating the filmmakers, crew members, everyone involved in the production, and the audiences. Well, it wasn't just one of the history books, because Tom's proclivity to stressing audiences out with wild stunts landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records, too. During Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning, Tom did 16 burning parachute jumps while filming a climactic sequence on a plane. If you've seen the last seven Mission: Impossible movies, you'll know there's always a plane and Tom doing something really scary involved. In a behind-the-scenes video, Tom leaped to his likely death while the parachute caught fire 16 times, and each time he tried was more terrifying than the first. Right, Tom. Right. They're dropping this man a minimum of 7,500 feet in the air with a parachute on fire. They soaked the parachute in gas so his life net would catch fire when they ignited it in the air, while 62-year-old Tom Cruise is dangling on the other end, trying to deploy his backup chute. He can't be serious. This is wild. Sir. Tom, you have a problem. For performing this stunt 16 times, Tom was awarded the title for most burning parachute jumps by an individual. "Tom doesn't just play action heroes – he is an action hero!" Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, said. "A large part of his success can be chalked up to his absolute focus on authenticity and pushing the boundaries of what a leading man can do. It's an honour to be able to recognize his utter fearlessness with this new Guinness World Records title." It's not Tom's first world record. He actually holds the record for actor with "the most consecutive $100-million-grossing movies for his 11 films between Jack Reacher (2012) and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (2025). "Tom is no stranger to record breaking," Craig said. "Over his impressively long and consistent career, he's proved himself to be the most powerful actor in Hollywood and the most bankable star, and he's still the actor with the most consecutive $100 million movies on their resume and the most successful leading action hero at the worldwide box office." Watch the behind-the-scenes for the Mission: Impossible - Final Reckoning parachute scene here:
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Modi opens Kashmir rail link
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to Kashmir yesterday since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan, opening a strategic railway line to the region he called 'the crown jewel of India'. Modi launched a string of projects worth billions of dollars for the northern territory. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan fought a four-day conflict last month, their worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. 'Pakistan will never forget... its shameful loss,' the premier told crowds a month since India launched strikes on its neighbour after an attack on tourists in Kashmir. 'Friends, today's event is a grand festival of India's unity and firm resolve,' Modi said after striding across the soaring bridge to formally launch it for rail traffic. 'This is a symbol and celebration of rising India,' he said of the Chenab Bridge which connects two mountains. The Chenab span is the 'world's highest railway arch bridge', sitting 359 metres (1,117 feet) above a river. While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China. Modi called it 'an extraordinary feat of architecture' that 'will improve connectivity' by providing the first rail link from the Indian plains up to mountainous Kashmir. With 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, the new railway runs for 272 kilometres (169 miles) and connects Udhampur, Srinagar and Baramulla. It is expected to halve the travel time between the town of Katra in the Hindu-majority Jammu region and Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir, to around three hours. The new route will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air.
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Tribune
Tom Cruise Lands Guinness World Record
TDT | Manama He's scaled the Burj Khalifa, clung to the side of a flying plane, and jumped off cliffs on a motorcycle — but now Tom Cruise has taken his daredevilry to a new level, earning a Guinness World Record for a stunt that is as jaw-dropping as it is dangerous. The 62-year-old Hollywood icon has officially been recognized for 'most burning parachute jumps by an individual', a feat performed during the filming of the recently released Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning (2025). Cruise executed a staggering 16 jumps from a helicopter, each time strapped to a parachute that had been soaked in fuel and set ablaze mid-air. After descending through a trail of fire, Cruise cut away the scorched chute and deployed a backup to land safely — a routine that no other actor or stunt professional has ever attempted at such scale. 'Tom doesn't just play action heroes – he is one,' said Craig Glenday, Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records. 'His obsession with authenticity and his commitment to outdoing himself every time is what makes him a legend. This title is more than deserved — it's a tribute to his fearlessness.'
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
India's Modi opens strategic railway in contested 'crown jewel' Kashmir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, opened a strategic railway line to Kashmir he called 'the crown jewel of India'. - Photo: EPA-EFE SRINAGAR (India): Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to Kashmir on Friday (June 6) since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan, opening a strategic railway line to the contested region he called "the crown jewel of India". Modi launched a string of projects worth billions of dollars for the divided Muslim-majority territory, the centre of bitter rivalry between India and Pakistan since their independence from British rule in 1947. Nuclear-armed India and Pakistan fought a four-day conflict last month, their worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. "Pakistan will never forget... its shameful loss," the Hindu nationalist premier told crowds a month since India launched strikes on its neighbour after an attack on tourists in Kashmir. "Friends, today's event is a grand festival of India's unity and firm resolve," Modi said after striding across the soaring bridge to formally launch it for rail traffic. "This is a symbol and celebration of rising India," he said of the Chenab Bridge which connects two mountains. New Delhi calls the Chenab span the "world's highest railway arch bridge", sitting 359 metres (1,117 feet) above a river. While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China. - 'Our troubles' - Modi said the railway was "an extraordinary feat of architecture" that "will improve connectivity" by providing the first rail link from the Indian plains up to mountainous Kashmir. With 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, the new railway runs for 272 kilometres (169 miles) and connects Udhampur, Srinagar and Baramulla. It is expected to halve the travel time between the town of Katra in the Hindu-majority Jammu region and Srinagar, the main city in Kashmir, to around three hours. The new route will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air. Modi's Hindu nationalist government revoked Kashmir's limited autonomy and took the state under direct rule in 2019. Pakistan's foreign ministry in a statement said India's "claims of development... ring hollow against the backdrop of an unprecedented military presence, suppression of fundamental freedoms, arbitrary arrests, and a concerted effort to alter the region's demography". Around 150 people protested against the project on the outskirts of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. "We want to tell India that building bridges and laying roads in the name of development will not make the people of Kashmir give up their demand for freedom," said Azir Ahmad Ghazali, who organised the rally attended by Kashmiris who fled unrest on the Indian side in the 1990s. "In clear and unequivocal terms, we want to say to the Indian government that the people of Kashmir have never accepted India's forced rule." More than 70 people were killed in missile, drone and artillery fire during last month's conflict. The fighting was triggered by an April 22 attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing, a charge denied by Islamabad. Rebel groups in Indian-run Kashmir have waged an insurgency for 35 years demanding independence for the territory or its merger with Pakistan. Modi also announced further government financial support for families whose relatives were killed, or whose homes were damaged, during the brief conflict --- mainly in shelling along the heavily militarised de facto border with Pakistan, known as the Line of Control. "Their troubles are our troubles," Modi said. - AFP
