Daily Briefing | Terror attack in Kashmir kills 2 migrant workers; Spider-Man: Brand New Day review

With that, let’s move on to the top five stories from today’s edition:

🚨 Big Story

From the North

Just ten days after a Jammu and Kashmir Police head constable was killed in a busy market in Anantnag district, two migrant workers from Chhattisgarh were shot from point-blank range in the second terror attack in the Valley this month. Both hailed from Bilaspur and worked in a brick kiln in South Kashmir. According to J&K Police Inspector General V K Birdi, the attack took place in the village of Kilam in Kulgam district. Both of them succumbed to their injuries. Over the past two decades, migrant labourers have become an integral part of Kashmir’s economy. Read the full story.

The ongoing crackdown by the Pakistani establishment in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has led to the death of 40 civilians and injuries to many, India said on Friday. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, called upon the international community to scrutinise Islamabad’s “ruthless” use of force against peaceful protesters and hold it accountable for the “atrocities” being committed in PoK. The clashes come as elections to the 45 contesting seats in the PoK legislative assembly are underway. Jaiswal also termed the rigged elections a rejection of the Pakistani establishment. Over the past two months, PoK has witnessed massive protests – the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), a civil society group, has been spearheading the protests – over 12 seats reserved for non-residents.

⚡ Only in Express

Making of the grandmaster: About 65 students at Tal Chess Club, housed within the Russian Centre for Science and Culture in Chennai’s Teynampet, are shaping the city’s reputation as the chess capital. The club is among the many that have played a part in nurturing generations of grandmasters and prodigies. From Vishwanathan Anand to Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Vaishali R, Pranesh V and Aravindh Chithambaram, India’s tally of chess grandmasters is now one short of 100. Of these 99, 38 are from Tamil Nadu – a majority of them based in Chennai – and groomed in chess academies such as Tal. It is where the basic tenets of the sport are drilled into them: play fair, lose with grace, fight for every square inch on the board, and “do checkmate”. The Indian Express travels to such chess clubs across the city to see what goes into producing the world-beaters: precision, practice and long hours on the chess board.

💡 Express Explained

The project cost of the four under-construction Russian-designed nuclear reactor units at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNP) in Tamil Nadu has risen by nearly 55% over the originally sanctioned cost since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. As per latest government data, the cost of these four reactors, each with 1 gigawatt capacity, has increased from Rs 89,470 crore to Rs 1,38,330 crore. KKNP is one of India’s largest nuclear power projects. The sharp rise in project costs comes at a crucial juncture for India’s nuclear power sector. Any cost escalation has the potential to make electricity generated by these plants more expensive. This could pose a challenge to India’s ambitious nuclear expansion plans in a price-sensitive electricity market. Here’s why it matters.

✍️ Express Opinion

In our Opinion section today, Raghuram Rajan delves into the demands and fears of the Indian youth as they grapple with a broader unease concerning authoritarianism, divisiveness, cronyism and corruption. They fear, as the columnist puts it, joblessness, inadequate education, the spread of artificial intelligence, among other issues. Rajan writes: “Not every issue is as amenable to mass mobilisation as is access to higher education. Moreover, India needs to tackle root concerns, not only symptoms like exam leaks. An organised Opposition must carry those concerns into public debate and force those in power to confront unwelcome facts. Without such pressure, governments have little incentive to correct course.”

🎥 Movie Review

Wondering what to watch this weekend? Well, we’ve got you covered! Spider-Man: Brand New Day, starring Tom Holland for the seventh time, has hit your nearby screens. The premise deals with the dilemma of whether the protagonist could continue ridding New York City of crime and return home to a garage-like room, with no one to talk to, except a virtual assistant. Shalini Langer, in her review, writes: “Not the most obvious choice for this big-ticket project, director Cretton does well in the building-destroying, city-smashing, Ninja-ass-kicking fight sequences. Holland gets an ample range to perform, from the forlorn lover to the lonesome guy and science wizard, and from a superhero confused about his “changing” powers to a man embracing the arachnid side within him. His Spider-Man also keeps getting thrown about, thrashed and squished, bearing the bruises vividly.”

That’s it for today! Have a lovely weekend!

Until next time,
Ariba

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