Kiran Rao discusses Lost Ladies journey to the Oscars

Kiran Rao is ready for the Oscars.

Come January, we’ll know if Rao’s second directorial venture, Lost Ladies, India’s official nomination for best international film in 2025, has a chance at winning at the 97th Academy Awards.

Lost Ladies follows Phool and Jaya, two young newlywed brides, who get exchanged during a train ride to their husband’s homes. Rao’s second film after Dhobi Ghat in 2010, Lost Ladies was screened at the 48th Toronto International Film Festival last year in September and released theatrically in March 2024.

Based on a screenplay by Biplab Goswami, the script was brought to Rao by her former husband, the actor and producer Aamir Khan.

Speaking to The Independent, Rao describes the journey the film took, from a script to become India’s official entry to the Oscars.

“The original script by Biplab actually had a lot of the bones of what finally made it to the film,” Rao says.

“And the idea of the swap was, of course, central to how the story played out. And that in itself was very exciting to me because it’s a journey film, and they give you a lot of potential to develop adventures along the way, revelations that the journey can throw up, the growth in the characters as they progress through that journey.”

Rao credits Goswami’s writing as a “great place to start building very interesting characters”, which were built further with writer Sneha Desai.

Rao decided that a comedic, more satirical treatment of the idea that two brides, dressed similarly in bridal finery with their faces covered by their veils, could end up with the wrong husbands would be more fitting.

Because the idea is absurd, and yet oddly plausible, if one looks at the cultural context.

“The idea of the two brides getting swapped because of a confusion with the veil is funny, but it was also a great way to satirise and then address a lot of the themes I wanted to layer into the screenplay,” she said.

“We wanted to build interesting characters, the experiences of women, and really focus on the idea of women’s potentials being perhaps limited by society’s expectations of them.”

Lost Ladies is set in 2001, a fact absolutely integral to the plot not just because it was a time before mobile phones became as common as they are now, but also because the same technology was just starting to find its way into the hands of resourceful young women.

“In more ways than one, we could see what may happen when technology is put in the hands of a woman. And it was also a time when modernity and the conventional, traditional world were also changing quite drastically in India, with technology going into small towns and villages. It was a great time to set the film in as a backdrop for these characters who were going to navigate a journey with very rigid expectations that were set for them to something unexpected,” Rao says.

Rao makes a pertinent point about lost potential of women and what could happen —her film was selected for the Oscars by the same country whose film certification body denied clearance to a film by a female filmmaker in 2017 for being too “lady oriented”.

This year, Lost Ladies went up against 29 shortlisted films which included two other frontrunners to be India’s entry—Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine as Light and the National Award-winner Aattam.

All three films happen to follow women’s stories, and show how far the country has come.

“Honestly, I’m really honoured to be in the company of people like Payal, Sandhya Suri from the UK, whose film [Santosh] is England’s entry. And I think it’s quite an interesting and exciting moment for women, Indian women in cinema,” Rao says.

“You know, we’ve had Guneet [Monga] and Kartiki [Gonsalves] who won best documentary at the Oscars, and we had Shuchi Talati’s film Girls Will Be Girls at Sundance. We had Anasuya [Sengupta] and Payal winning at Cannes, so I’m hoping that it’s the start of a wave that continues for a very long time.

“We do stand on the backs of a lot of work that was done in the last few decades by women who have been in the film industry, pushing their stories and their perspectives into what is a very strongly male-dominated industry. The fact that there are so many women from India representing storytelling is a great sign for times to come.

“We see women filmmakers now in practically every industry, so we are now seeing a lot more women who are able to bring their stories into a space where perhaps the norm was that the men are the protagonists, they’re the ones saving the day. But I think this has definitely changed across the country, and while I know the change is small because in real terms, we still don’t have parity with men.

“But I think there’s been a clear movement in the last 20 years and we’ve been pushing wherever we are—women filmmakers like Reema [Kagti], Zoya [Akhtar], Alankrita [Shrivastava], Leena [Yadav], Ashwiny [Iyer Tiwari]. So it’s so nice that there’s a space now where it’s not an anomaly and you’re not the minority; we want to be equally represented, at least within the Indian context.”

As more stories about women are being told, there are also more women watching these stories. While critics and the audience responded largely positively to Lost Ladies, some felt that the film lacked nuance and that its feminist themes seemed too limiting, too simplistic.

On such criticism, Rao chooses to look at the silver lining. “When we made this film, we really wanted to address certain struggles that women face pretty broadly. And I think if one tries to put the film to every single test, then perhaps we didn’t address caste or every issue that women go through either,” she says.

“But I think the idea was to also look at a spectrum of women from mothers, grandmothers, sisters-in-law, from characters like Manju Maai to the two young girls, to look at the experiences that women have in a certain sort of rural environment, but also in many ways, issues that are faced in very, very urban spaces as well. So I feel that we achieved what we set out to achieve in terms of what we wanted to talk about.

“And I’m glad that it opens the space for discussion about perhaps all the other things that could have been there, or maybe the things that we addressed that people have different perspectives on. So I’m always open to that discussion.”

There are high hopes pinned on Rao’s film. Despite the record-breaking numbers of films India releases in a year, only three Indian films have earned a nomination at the Oscars. None have won.

The last Indian film to be nominated in the best international feature category was the 2001 period film Lagaan, starring Aamir Khan as the lead.

One might safely assume that with this being Khan’s second time with an Oscars campaign, Lost Ladies is in safe hands.

“Things are both the same and different since Lagaan had been sent as India’s entry. There are, of course, a lot more countries, and it takes a lot of money, power, perception building, holding screenings for people all over the world, to simply get people to register that this film is in the running,” Rao says.

“I think for us, the job is to just get people to watch the film, because that’s the best way, or rather, the only way to make it—if you get the voters in your category to watch the film.

On her chances at the Oscars, Rao stays optimistic. “I feel like while there are much, much bigger Goliaths out there, I’m hoping Lost Ladies will be a little David.”

Lost Ladies is available for streaming on Netflix.

Disney star removes snake from plane, earning him free drink

Australian Disney star Andre Rerekura removed a snake from his flight — earning him a free drink as a reward.

Speaking to Australia’s ABC News, Rerekura shared that before his Virgin Airlines flight from Broome to Perth took off on November 21, a passenger yelled about a snake being aboard. The initial take-off time was ultimately pushed back, as the crew tried to figure out how to handle the situation.

“They pretty much shut the whole plane down and everyone was going to get disembarked and sent off the plane, which we weren’t that keen for because everyone wanted to go home,” he recalled to ABC News.

He added: “It was a little bit of a weird story to think it was true, to hear that there was a snake on the plane, so I don’t think a lot of people believed it.”

However, Rerekura — who starred in Disney Plus’s Shipwreck Hunters Australia miniseries — said that he noticed the “crazy cute” Stimson’s python, a non-poisonous snake, next to his seat.

“As soon as I saw it, I identified it pretty easily… so I knew it was safe [and] I knew it was just scared and super shy,” he explained, noting that he didn’t have a problem picking up the snake and taking it off the aircraft.

He shared that everyone on the flight was so grateful for his bravery that the flight crew even gave him a token of appreciation: a free drink.

“I think everyone was relieved that they didn’t have to get off the plane and then a lot of people were happy that the snake was safe,” he explained, adding the flight was only delayed 20 minutes due to the incident. “The staff were awesome, they gave me a complimentary drink, I had a soda water.”

Another video of the flight posted to Instagram by 7News Australia showed the passengers applauding Rerekura, as he was seen reentering the plane after removing the snake.

“There is never a dull moment in aviation,  but that certainly takes the cake,” a flight attendant said over the intercom. “We do have a gentleman onboard who has safely taken it off the aircraft.”

Stimson’s pythons, which are non-venomous, have a “pattern of large reddish-brown blotches along their body with a paler background,” according to the Australian Museum.

This isn’t the first time that a snake has made its way onto an aircraft. In January, passengers on a Thai AirAsia flight from Bangkok to Phuket were shocked when they spotted a snake in the cabin’s overhead compartment.

At the time, the tiny snake was seen slithering over the cabin lights on an AirAsia Airbus A320 plane. One of the cabin crew members reportedly tried to capture the snake inside an empty plastic water bottle. The snake was later swept into a garbage bag using a plastic bottle.

In May, a passenger traveling from Miami International Airport in Florida was stopped by security after he was found with a bag of snakes hidden down his trousers. A TSA spokesman told The Independent that the passenger was attempting to take an international flight but had “basically admitted there were snakes in his pants” when the alarms had sounded.

The man was subsequently forbidden to board his flight, the spokesperson said, adding that such incidents were not “commonplace”.

Why you should swap overwhelmed Everest for the beauty of K2

After a bone-shaking ride through the saw-toothed peaks of northern Pakistan, we find that floodwaters have wiped away the road ahead. Fortunately, Rashid, our driver, spots another Jeep across the roaring river, which swirls and leaps like a tempestuous sea.

Quickly we transfer our dusty bags and hurry over a rickety footbridge before the ferocious glacial waters devour it too. And this is just the beginning. My husband, Mark, and I are on our way to Askole, the gateway to K2 base camp – and the start of one of the world’s most remote and challenging treks.

Until the 1980s, the journey to this frontier village was only possible on foot, extending what today is a two-week trek. The construction of a dirt track connecting Skardu, the town we flew into from the capital, Islamabad, to Askole, shortened the distance, but the route remains rugged.

Read more: Is Bhutan’s tourism tax an elitist ruse or the blueprint for the future of sustainable travel?

Askole sits in the region of Baltistan: home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres and more than 100 surpassing 7,000 metres. K2, the second-tallest mountain on Earth, is the poster child of the Karakoram range, which was thrown up millions of years ago when the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates smashed together.

Trekking to K2’s base camp gives an alternative to the more commercialised Everest route in nearby Nepal, which sees 40,000 hikers annually compared to just 1,000 visitors here. While K2’s numbers are growing, Everest base camp is still more crowded with tea houses and lodges along the way, whereas K2 offers no such comforts – only rock, ice and wilderness. Recent images of Everest show climbers lined up like ants to reach the summit, yet K2 is far more technical, reserved only for the most experienced.

On our first day, we leave the pin-bright, emerald-green terraces of Askole – our last glimpse of civilisation – and head onto a vast, stony plateau. Our gear is carried by a colourful caravan of mules and eight porters with homemade rucksacks; one has a cage of live chickens strapped to the top, and another leads a goat on a rope, both destined to become our future meals. Again, the path in front is washed away; we watch another group attempt a river crossing, only to lose a mule and tents to the current.

Instead, we press on to a further footbridge, a couple of hours away, under stormy skies. “We used to walk across Dumordo River. Now it’s so fast and furious because of global warming,” Bashir, our guide, says. It becomes a recurring theme, Bashir, urging us to move fast before the rising waters consume the flimsy bridges.

After three days, we reach the 39-mile-long Baltoro Glacier – cracked with unseen crevasses – which we’ll traverse over the next few days. Pakistan boasts more glaciers than any other country outside the polar regions. The glacier’s jagged jaws resemble a dragon, with icy black fangs firing out a torrent of water-like flames. The river’s waves surge like a battalion of raging stallions, rearing up over big rocky boulders in a frenzied dance.

Read more: Walking with gods in the Greek Peloponnese

Aside from guiding, Bashir is a gem miner – these mountains are as spectacular inside as out, with amethyst, rubies and aquamarine glittering below. “After 9/11, I was like a fish on dry ground,” Bashir says, explaining why he added another job to guiding. That evening, following a hot, shadeless walk, we camp at Liligo, where even the “long drop” loo has magnificent views, surrounded by mythical Tolkienesque towers and spires shawled in sparkling snow.

The landscape continues to surprise as we venture deeper. Despite the altitude, candy-pink asters and purple gentians gleam unexpectedly in the rocky terrain. In places, the glacier gapes like opening clams to reveal brilliant turquoise ice inside. We step onto an expanse of white sand dunes, dazzling amongst a constellation of peaks.

As we approach Khuburse, our next campsite, with its stone terraces cut into the rock, mist suddenly swallows the mountains. “This country’s politics is like the weather on Baltoro, it changes every minute,” Bashir laughs.

Read more: Joy, pain and an uncomfortable truth at the heart of every climber’s story

Even exhausted, I’m moved by the drama of the landscape – waterfalls tumble down, rivers carve under the glacier and rocks crash into blue glacial pools. At the campsite we meet fellow trekkers from Switzerland, and I comment on their home country’s mountains. “Nothing compares to the grandeur of these mountains,” they reply.

Then, for miles, we hike between giant ice arches, domes, and pyramids, which lift from the glacier like raised eyebrows. That night, wrapped in puffer jackets and thermals, we camp directly on the ice, the darkness punctuated with shooting stars. Morning finds the porters huddled together in a makeshift longhouse, built from stones and a tarpaulin, drinking Balti tea. “It’s made from butter, salt, and green tea, and gives us power,” says Mohammed Ali, one of the porters.

Power is what we need for today’s tough, uphill climb. Scattered kerosene canisters near an army post are a reminder that we’re near the disputed Indian border. Then, suddenly, we see K2 – other mountains jostle for space, yet K2 stands majestically alone. This trek feels like a pilgrimage for a peak, and here it is, in front of us.

Read more: What Rishi Sunak can expect on the Coast to Coast walk – as he bids to make it ‘UK’s greatest national trail’

As I marvel, a Korean trekker pulls out his phone, and another begins preening for photos against K2. The sight is jarring – mobiles, though useful, especially for climbers, make these far-flung places seem more accessible, stripping away their magic.

We’re camping at Concordia, often called the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods, as it was once proclaimed by a renowned photographer. The scenery is almost otherworldly but rather than solitude, there’s a festival-like feel with all the tents. I think back to treks I’ve made in Mongolia and Chad – places of equal, if not greater, beauty, yet untouched by tourism. There’s something, however, about man’s need to conquer the big names, like K2 and Everest, akin to planting flags throughout history, as symbols of victory.

While we settle in, I notice that sadly vivid yellow loo cabins rise in front of K2, unused dustbins lie toppled, and litter is evident everywhere. Despite the Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP) being paid to clear the rubbish, the government service falls short. An ethical dilemma looms: if the numbers to K2 keep increasing, and the waste continues to pile up, should we reconsider our presence here?

On our final day before we turn around to return to Askole (there’s an alternative, yet more technical, route out, over the Gondogoro La pass), we make our way towards K2 base camp. We walk along the Godwin-Austen Glacier, a long sherbet-white tail leading from K2, glittering with ice and pearlised channels of crystal-clear water snaking down its sides. As the evening light daggers in like searchlights, a rose armoury is cast over the mountains and I’m convinced this is a holy, inviolable land: mysterious, volatile and alluring. You only have to look at the many plaques to those who have lost their lives to know who has the upper hand.

Waljis (waljis.com), Pakistan’s first and longest-serving travel company, offers an 18-day K2 base camp trek from £2,295 per person including all camping, a guide, porters, mules, meals prepared by a chef and cooking staff, and transfers with a car and driver from Shigar to Askole. Also included are two nights in the Serena Shigar either side of the trek, a return internal flight from Skardu to Islamabad (daily flights, weather dependent) and two nights in Islamabad. British nationals require a visa to enter Pakistan.

Flights with British Airways start at £658 return from London to Islamabad. Book with Flight Centre; flightcentre.co.uk

Read more: This previously out-of-favour tourist island is now seeing a boom in bookings

Satellite images show North Korea broke sanctions to get Russian oil

North Korea has allegedly imported over a million barrels of oil from Russia this year, flouting United Nations sanctions, according to satellite analysis released by the UK-based Open Source Centre and the BBC on Friday.

The research suggests that North Korean oil tankers have visited Russia’s Vostochny port over 40 times since March in defiance of international restrictions.

These findings are supported by satellite images, Automatic Identification System data, and maritime patrol imagery, the Open Source Centre claimed in a report.

”Dozens of high-resolution satellite images, AIS data, and imagery released by maritime patrol missions tasked with monitoring North Korea’s UN-sanctions-busting activities show North Korean tankers repeatedly loading at an oil terminal at Russian port Vostochny,” the report stated.

Russia hasn’t responded to the allegations, it added.

The report came as a South Korean official accused Russia of supplying air defence missiles to the North in exchange for allegedly sending troops to support its war in Ukraine.

The United Nations Security Council caps North Korea’s annual refined petroleum imports at 500,000 barrels under sanctions imposed due to its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. However, Pyongyang has continued to exceed this quota through illicit channels, as documented by multiple international watchdogs.

Attempts to curb North Korea’s activities include a joint task force launched by the US and South Korea earlier this year, aimed at preventing the nation from acquiring illicit oil. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives has been questioned, particularly as UN resolutions have caused divisions among key members.

Strategic, diplomatic and economic ties between Pyongyang and Moscow have significantly deepened in recent years. In June, Russian president Vladimir Putin visited North Korea, where he and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un agreed to a mutual defence agreement.

The deepening partnership has sparked concern in the US, Ukraine and South Korea. The three countries have all condemned the North for allegedly sending military equipment and over 10,000 troops to aid Russia’s war effort.

Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, asserted last month that such military cooperation does not violate international law. North Korea has neither confirmed nor denied these deployments.

South Korea’s national security adviser Shin Wonsik said in an interview with broadcaster SBS that Russia has provided the North with anti-air missiles along with air defence equipment “to strengthen Pyongyang’s weak air defence system”.

Pyongyang also appears to have been given military technology by Russia to support its satellite programme following the failed attempt to launch a spy satellite earlier this year, he claimed.

North Korea likely feels the need to boost its air defence capabilities after South Korean drones dropped propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang last month.

In response to the flying of drones, Pyongyang threatened military action if such incidents occurred again. South Korea’s military has declined to confirm involvement in the alleged drone flights linked to the leafleting.

According to Mr Shin, Russia has provided North Korea economic aid and advanced military technologies, including support for developing a space-based surveillance system.

During a summit with Mr Kim last year, the Russian president expressed willingness to assist North Korea in building satellites.

While North Korea launched its first spy satellite in November, foreign analysts doubt its capacity to generate militarily useful imagery. A second satellite launch attempt failed in May.

Seoul and Washington have expressed concerns over potential Russian transfer of sensitive nuclear or missile technologies to Pyongyang.

Mr Shin did not confirm whether such transfers have occurred and experts suggest it is unlikely that Russia would provide such capabilities early in North Korea’s reported troop deployment to Russia.

Additional reporting by agencies.

Everything we know about US indictment of Indian tycoon Gautam Adani

Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been slapped with criminal fraud charges in the US for allegedly orchestrating a $250m (£198m) bribery scheme to secure lucrative renewable energy contracts in his home country.

Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn, New York, unsealed the five-count indictment on Wednesday, alleging Mr Adani and seven other associates, including nephew Sagar Adani, bribed Indian public officials, concealed the scheme, and made false statements to raise $3bn (£2.4bn) from American and international investors.

Mr Adani, one of the world’s richest people, has faced fraud allegations earlier as well, but denied wrongdoing. He is regarded as a close ally of Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Adani, 62, has been charged with conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud, directly advancing the bribery scheme, and obstructing investigations that began in 2022.

The contracts to sell 12 gigawatts of solar power that his conglomerate obtained between 2020 and 2024 in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh allegedly through the bribery scheme are expected to generate over $2bn (£1.58bn) in profit.

“On several occasions, Gautam S Adani personally met with an Indian government official to advance the bribery scheme and the defendants held in-person meetings with each other to discuss aspects of its execution. The defendants frequently discussed their efforts in furtherance of the bribery scheme, including through an electronic messaging application,” the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a statement.

It said the defendants meticulously documented the bribery scheme. Sagar Adani, 30, used his phone to log details of the alleged bribes. Another accused, Vineet S Jaain, 53, photographed documents summarising bribe amounts owed while Rupesh Agarwal created and shared analyses via PowerPoint and Excel outlining strategies to pay and conceal the bribes, the indictment alleged.

The Adani Group has said the allegations are baseless and vowed to seek “all possible legal recourse”. “Our stakeholders, partners and employees know that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws,” a spokesperson said.

Lawyers representing Mr Adani have not issued a statement.

The indictment against Mr Adani has jolted debt and equity markets in India. Adani Group bonds fell in value after the news broke, but the stocks of the conglomerate’s companies stabilised on Friday after having lost nearly $27bn in market value.

India’s main opposition party, the Congress, has called for an investigation into Mr Adani’s ties with the prime minister. “When a top ranking Indian businessman is indicted by a foreign country, it tarnishes our image at the global stage,” the party’s president, Mallikarjun Kharge, said. “The Indian National Congress has been continuously objecting to unethical business practices, which profiteer and promote certain individuals by implementing Modi government’s policy of creating monopolies in key sectors and concentrating wealth in the hands of few by giving undue favours.”

Senior Congress member Jairam Ramesh said the indictment is “consistent with a long record of fraud and criminality carried out with impunity with the obvious protection of the prime minister”.

Mr Adani has risen from making a fortune in the coal business in the 1990s to becoming one of the richest and most influential people in India.

His Adani Group has expanded vastly in the past decade or so, with interests ranging from defence manufacturing to infrastructure to selling cooking oil. In recent years, the group has made big moves in the renewable energy sector, marketing this with the slogan, “Growth with Goodness.”

The group has a clean energy portfolio of over 20 gigawatts that includes one of the world’s largest solar power plants in the state of Tamil Nadu.

The Adani Group has said it wants to become India’s biggest player in the sector by 2030.

Mr Adani said in 2022 the company will invest $70 billion in clean energy projects by 2032.

More than 40 killed in one of Pakistan’s worst sectarian attacks

At least 42 people were killed after gunmen opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying Shiite Muslims in northwest Pakistan on Thursday in what has been termed as one of the country’s deadliest sectarian attacks in recent years.

The attack occurred in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province – an area with a history of sectarian violence between Sunni and Shiite communities.

The convoy, travelling from Parachinar to Peshawar, was ambushed despite prior threats to Shiites in the region. At least 20 others were also injured in the attack which happened in Kurram district. An eyewitness, Mir Hussain, 35, said he saw four gunmen emerge from a vehicle and open fire on buses and cars.

“I think other people were also firing at the convoy of vehicles from nearby open farm field,” he told the Associated Press. “The firing continued for about 40 minutes.”

He said he hid until the attackers fled. “I heard cries of women, and people were shouting for help.”

According to Dawn newspaper, Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi told reporters that the toll was 38 on Thursday. “This past week has been difficult and upsetting, now 38 people have been martyred in Kurram. We see a new incident every day now and are in constant contact with the KP authorities, KP inspector general of police and the chief minister.”

KP government spokesperson Barrister Dr Saif provided details of the attack, stating that the gunmen first targeted police personnel before opening fire on the passenger convoy from both sides.

“The convoy consisted of around 200 vehicles,” he said.

Barrister Saif added that an investigation into the incident is currently underway.

Kurram deputy commissioner, Javedullah Mehsud, told AFP that “two separate convoys of members of the Shia community … were targeted by the terrorists in the Kurram district.

“Both convoys consisted of around 40 vehicles travelling under police escort,” he said.

Shiite Muslims constitute about 15 per cent of Pakistan’s 240 million population, where the majority are Sunni Muslims. The country has a long-standing history of sectarian tensions between the two communities.

While they generally coexist peacefully, certain areas, particularly in Kurram, where Shiites form the majority, have seen recurring conflicts. In July, clashes over a land dispute in Kurram escalated into sectarian violence, leaving nearly 50 people dead from both sides.

Baqir Haideri, a local Shiite leader, criticised local authorities for failing to provide sufficient security for the convoy of over 100 vehicles, despite prior threats from militants targeting Shiites in Kurram.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack, while prime minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to bring those responsible for the killing of innocent civilians to justice. “Attacking innocent passengers is a cowardly and inhumane act,” Mr Zardari said.

Mr Sharif said: “The enemies of the peace of the country attacked the convoy of innocent citizens which is tantamount to brutality. All attempts of anti-national elements to destroy the peace of the beloved country will be thwarted.

“The evil elements involved in the incident will be identified and punished accordingly. Saboteurs cannot demoralise the brave Pakistani nation by such cowardly actions,” he said.

Meanwhile, in response to the attack, shop owners in Parachinar announced a strike for Friday as a form of protest.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the Thursday attack, though militant organisations such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have a history of targeting Shiite Muslims in the district, the New York Times reported.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan accused the government of failing to protect citizens in Kurram. “We demand immediate and decisive steps from both governments to permanently break this cycle of violence,” the commission said in a statement.

Additional reporting by agencies.

Family ‘devastated’ after Briton Simone White’s Laos methanol death

A British lawyer who is among six tourists to have died from suspected methanol poisoning in Laos has been remembered by her family as a much loved woman who had a “spark for life”.

Tributes from heartbroken loved ones and colleagues flowed in for Orpington solicitor Simone White, 28, who died along with two Australian backpackers, two Danes, and an American after becoming unwell while visiting the riverside party town of Vang Vieng.

“We are devastated by the loss of our beautiful, kind and loving daughter Simone. Simone was one of a kind and had the most wonderful energy and spark for life,” Ms White’s parents said in a statement.

“She was a soul who gave so much to so many and was loved by her family, friends and colleagues. Simone has been taken from us too soon, she will be sorely missed by her brother, grandmother and entire family.”

Ms White was a lawyer with global law firm Squire Patton Boggs, which described her in a statement as “a talented colleague with a bright future ahead of her and someone who epitomised (our firm’s) values.”

Ms White died after she reportedly fell ill last week while staying in the backpacking hotspot with her friend Bethany Clarke, also from Orpington, who said she had been in hospital after the incident as well.

In a post on a Laos backpacking Facebook group on 16 November, which has since been deleted, Ms Clarke wrote: “Urgent – please avoid all local spirits. Our group stayed in Vang Vieng and we drank free shots offered by one of the bars.

“Just avoid them as so not worth it. Six of us who drank from the same place are in hospital currently with methanol poisoning.”

Methanol is sometimes used as the alcohol in mixed drinks at disreputable bars and can cause severe poisoning or death. The NHS warns that as little as 4ml of methanol can cause visual hallucinations and blindness.

Ms Whites’ parents said their hearts went out to all other families “affected by this terrible tragedy” following the news that Melbourne teenager Holly Bowles, 19, had become the second Australian traveller to die in hospital a day after her best friend and sporting teammate Bianca Jones, also 19, passed away.

In a statement posted on social media earlier this morning, UK time, Australia’s foreign affairs minister Penny Wong offered her “deepest sympathies” to Ms Bowles’ family and friends and said all Australians would be heartbroken by her passing.

“Just yesterday Holly lost her best friend, Bianca Jones. I know tonight all Australians will be holding both families in our hearts,” Ms Wong said.

“The Australian government will continue to support Holly’s and Bianca’s families, just as we will continue our efforts with local authorities on investigations into this tragedy.”

Ms Bowles’ father, Shaun Bowles, told Nine News: “It is with broken hearts, and we are so sad to say that our beautiful girl Holly is now at peace.”

Ms Bowles and Ms Jones played for the same suburban Melbourne Australian rules football club, Beaumaris, which posted a statement earlier this week paying tribute to Ms Jones following her death.

“Bianca’s infectious charm and tenacity made her a fondly regarded teammate and friend. Her smile, exuberance and happy nature made her a delight to be around,” the club wrote, adding Ms Jones and Bowles were not only teammates, but best friends.

It comes as Thai police have detained the owner and the manager of Nana Backpacker Hostel, where affected travellers who visited the town were staying, however no one has been charged over the incident.

An officer at Vang Vieng’s Tourism Police office said a “number of people” had been detained in the case, with staff at the hostel confirming that the manager and owner were among those taken in for questioning.

On Tuesday, Duong Duc Toan, manager of the hostel, told the Associated Press that staff were told by other guests that two women were unwell after they failed to check out as planned on 13 November. The hostel arranged transport to a hospital for them, he said.

It is not known where the contaminated drinks were served.

According to The Times, Mr Toan said more than 100 guests had received free shots as a gesture of hospitality, but said that the alcohol was from a certified distributor and had not been tainted.

Woman severely injured as hair dryer explodes in her hand

A 37-year-old woman in the southern Indian state of Karnataka suffered severe injuries when a hair dryer exploded in her hand, police said.

Police stated that the device was part of a parcel collected by the victim, Basavarajeshwari Yarnal from Bagalkote, allegedly on behalf of her neighbour, identified as Sasikala.

While initial investigations pointed to a short circuit as the cause of the explosion, a more detailed inquiry is ongoing, police said.

Authorities are reportedly also exploring the possibility of any prior disputes between Ms Sasikala and Ms Yarnal. The incident occurred on 15 November but came to public light only on Wednesday this week.

Bagalkote superintendent of police, Amarnath Reddy, told reporters that a preliminary investigation found that Ms Sasikala had reportedly informed Ms Yarnal that she was out of town and requested her to collect a parcel from the courier office on her behalf.

After collecting the parcel, Ms Yarnal allegedly opened it at Ms Sasikala’s request and found a hair dryer inside, the outlet said. When she attempted to use it, the device allegedly exploded, causing severe injuries to her fingers and palms.

“The hair dryer was for my friend Sasikala. She had asked me to pick up the parcel and then later asked me to open it. It tried to use the dryer but it exploded. The doctors said I have suffered grievous injuries,” Ms Yarnal was quoted as saying by NDTV.

The hair dryer was reportedly made by a Visakhapatnam-based firm.

“The police have registered a case and also sent a team to the victim’s house for a probe. A report on the probe carried out so far has suggested that the blast occurred due to a short circuit. The dryer was manufactured by a Visakhapatnam-based firm. We are probing all angles, including any possible rivalry that the neighbour must have had with the victim,” Mr Reddy said.

The victim, a widow of an ex-army personnel, is undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The New Indian Express reported that Ms Sasikala had never ordered the hair dryer, adding mystery to the parcel’s origins. The police, however, said Ms Sasikala’s denial was likely due to the fear of being implicated in the incident. The outlet said investigators were tracing how the device reached Bagalkote and are examining potential foul play.