Latest news with #Srinagar
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Samsung Suddenly Raises Trade-In Prices In Rare New Offer
Samsung Galaxy S25 (left) and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (right) are displayed for sale at a mobile ... More phone store in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on February 8, 2025. (Photo by Firdous Nazir/NurPhoto via Getty Images) If you're a Samsung smartphone customer in the U.S., you get access to free subscriptions and huge trade-in deals that pay hundreds of dollars for years-old phones. In the U.K., the trade-in prices are poor, but British shoppers get free devices bundled with their Galaxy phones. The Korean company has balanced its promotional offers between the two countries like this for years. But, with the release of the Galaxy S25 Edge, Samsung is rewriting its rulebook to shift more units of a phone that is reportedly underperforming sales expectations. The latest U.K. Galaxy S25 Edge deal bundles a free Galaxy Tab A9 Plus with all purchases, alongside the regular list of freebies and accessory discounts. The trade-in prices, however, are far more generous than any previous U.K. Samsung sale. For example, U.K. shoppers will get £341 ($461.41) for their Galaxy S22 Ultra compared to the U.S. site's $500 price. Things get better with the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is priced at £449 ($608.21), beating the U.S. store's $580 valuation. Here are some comparable prices between the two countries. That trend is continued across several devices from separate manufacturers. It's also completely unheard of. The only major difference in valuations between the two territories is that Samsung U.S. will accept a wider range of handsets. Also, some phones still net a higher valuation in the U.S. (the Galaxy Z fold 6: £230 ($310.39) U.K. $630 U.S.). Even on the cheaper end of trade-in pricing, Samsung U.K. beats its American counterpart by offering at least £200 ($269.90) for any Android phone, compared to the $50 the U.S. store will pay. Samsung will soon discount the new Galaxy S25 Edge again. The Galaxy S25 Edge is a new phone in a fresh device line, which doesn't have the history of previous models behind it to help sell the device. Samsung is working overtime to entice shoppers to try out the new handset by upping trade-in prices and giving away a free tablet. Reported sales data may also be a factor. According to its industry sources, SamMobile claims that Samsung's early Galaxy S25 Edge sales are below expectations. The site also theorizes that the company's lack of sales data in Korea and generous pre-order deals—that improved as the days went on—are signs that the device hasn't sold well. If true, we may see more Samsung Galaxy S25 edge deals on the horizon as the company attempts to shift units before the Galaxy Z Fold 7 steals the spotlight. If you're interested in the Galaxy S25 Edge, hold tight for bigger price cuts in the coming months. On the meantime, hit the follow button below for the latest deal news.
Al Jazeera
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Modi inaugurates strategic railway project in Indian-administered Kashmir
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has opened one of the country's most ambitious railway projects, which will connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time. Dubbed by the government-operated Indian Railways as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the 272-kilometre (169-mile) line begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in the Jammu region and runs through Indian-administered Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. The line ends in Baramulla, a town near the highly militarised Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between India and Pakistan. The Indian government has pegged the total project cost at about $5bn. The railway line travels through 36 tunnels and over 943 bridges and will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air. One of the project's highlights is a 1,315-metre-long (4,314-foot) steel and concrete bridge above the Chenab River connecting two mountains with an arch 359 metres (1,177 feet) above the water. Indian Railways has compared its height with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which stands 330 metres (1,082 feet), and said the bridge is built to last 120 years and endure extreme weather, including wind speeds up to 260 km/h (161mph). Modi visited the Chenab bridge on Friday with tight security, waving an Indian tri-colour flag before boarding a test train that passed through picturesque mountains and tunnels to reach an inauguration ceremony for another high-elevation bridge named Anji. The railway 'ensures all weather connectivity' and will 'boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities', Modi said. The prime minister also helped launch a pair of new trains called 'Vande Bharat' that will halve the travel time between Srinagar and the town of Katra in the Jammu region to about three hours from the usual six to seven hours by road. Modi's visit to Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday is his first since a military conflict between India and Pakistan brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of war last month when the countries fired missiles and drones at each other. The conflict was triggered after a shooting attack in late April that left 26 men, mostly Hindu tourists, dead in Indian-controlled Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied. India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Armed groups in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India insists the Kashmir armed groups are backed by Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies.
Arab News
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Modi inaugurates ambitious rail project connecting Kashmir to Indian plains
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated one of the most ambitious railway projects ever built in India, which will connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time. Dubbed by government-operated Indian Railways as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the 272-kilometer (169-mile) line begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in Jammu region and runs through Indian-administered Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. The line ends in Baramulla, a town near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between India and Pakistan. The line travels through 36 tunnels and over 943 bridges. The Indian government pegged the total project cost at around $5 billion. One of the project's highlights is a 1,315-meter-long (4,314-foot) steel and concrete bridge above the Chenab River connecting two mountains with an arch 359 meters (1,177 feet) above the water. Indian Railways compared the height to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which stands 330 meters (1,082 feet), and said the bridge is built to last 120 years and endure extreme weather, including wind speeds up to 260 kph (161 mph). Modi visited the Chenab bridge with tight security, waving an Indian tri-color flag before boarding a test train that passed through picturesque mountains and tunnels to reach an inauguration ceremony for another high-elevation bridge named Anji. The prime minister also helped launch a pair of new trains called 'Vande Bharat' that will halve the travel time between Srinagar and the town of Katra in Jammu to about three hours from the usual six to seven hours by road. Modi traveled to Indian-administered Kashmir on Friday for the first time since a military conflict between India and Pakistan brought the nuclear-armed rivals to the brink of their third war over the region last month, when the countries fired missiles and drones at each other. The conflict began with a gun massacre in late April that left 26 people, mostly Hindu tourists, dead in Indian-administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers, a charge Islamabad denied. Addressing a public rally in Katra, Modi lashed out at Pakistan and alleged Islamabad was behind the massacre. He said the attack was primarily aimed at Kashmir's flourishing tourism industry and meant to fuel communal violence. 'I promise you, I won't let developmental activities stop in Kashmir,' Modi said, adding that local industries and businesses will get a boost from the new rail connectivity. The railway project is considered crucial to boosting tourism and bringing development to a region that has been marred by militancy and protests over the years. The line is expected to ease the movement of Indian troops and the public to the disputed region, which is currently connected by flights and mountain roads that are prone to landslides. India and Pakistan each administer part of Kashmir, but both claim the territory in its entirety. Militants in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir have been fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. Many Muslim Kashmiris support the rebels' goal of uniting the territory, either under Pakistani rule or as an independent country. India insists the Kashmir militancy is Pakistan-sponsored terrorism, a charge Islamabad denies. Tens of thousands of civilians, rebels and government forces have been killed in the conflict.
Washington Post
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Modi inaugurates ambitious rail project connecting Kashmir to Indian plains
NEW DELHI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated one of the most ambitious railway projects ever built in India, which will connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains by train for the first time. Dubbed by government-operated Indian Railways as one of the most challenging tracks in the world, the 272-kilometer (169-mile) line begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in Jammu region and runs through Indian-controlled Kashmir's main city of Srinagar. The line ends in Baramulla, a town near the highly militarized Line of Control dividing the Himalayan region between India and Pakistan.
Malay Mail
06-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Modi opens world's highest railway bridge in Kashmir after deadly India-Pakistan clash
SRINAGAR, June 6 — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kashmir today, his first visit to the contested Himalayan region since a conflict with arch-rival Pakistan last month, and opened a strategic railway line. Modi is launching 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 an intense four-day conflict last month, their worst standoff since 1999, before a ceasefire was agreed on May 10. His office broadcast images of Modi at a viewing point for the Chenab Bridge, a 1,315-metre-long (4,314-foot-long) steel and concrete span that connects two mountains with an arch 359 metres above the river below. 'In addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, the Chenab Rail Bridge will improve connectivity,' the Hindu nationalist leader said in a social media post ahead of his visit. Modi strode across the bridge waving a giant Indian flag to formally declare it open for rail traffic soon after his arrival. New Delhi calls the Chenab span the 'world's highest railway arch bridge'. While several road and pipeline bridges are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab trumps the previous highest railway bridge, the Najiehe in China. The new 272-kilometre (169-mile) Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway, with 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, has been constructed 'aiming to transform regional mobility and driving socio-economic integration', Modi's office says. The bridge will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, that was previously possible only via treacherous mountain roads and by air. The railway 'ensures all weather connectivity' and will 'boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities', Modi said. The railway line is expected to halve the travel time between the town of Katra in the Hindu-majority Jammu region and Srinagar, the main city in Muslim-majority Kashmir, to around three hours. 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 Islamabad denies. Rebel groups in Indian-run Kashmir have waged a 35-year-long insurgency demanding independence for the territory or its merger with Pakistan. — AFP
