Jaffar Express derails in Pak, PIL filed in SC in Coldrif row | Daily Wrap

Several passengers were reportedly injured after multiple coaches of the Jaffar Express derailed in Pakistan’s Sindh Province following a blast on a railway track. Rescue operations for the Peshawar-bound train are underway.

Importantly, this is not the first time the train has come under attack. Jaffar Express, which runs between Quetta and Peshawar, has been a target many times in the past. This latest blast comes weeks after six bogies of the same train derailed in the Balochistan province.

Jammu and Kashmir hit by spate of landslides

Shifting focus, traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Srinagar-Leh national highways, along with Mughal and Sinthan top roads was suspended following multiple landslides. Officials say the landslides were triggered by the heavy rain and accumulation of snow in the higher reaches.

Pilgrimages to Vaishno Devi and Machail Mata shrines remain suspended for the third day, while schools across Jammu division were closed for the second day.

Coldrif cough syrup fallout: PIL in Supreme Court

A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking inquiry and systemic reform in drug safety mechanisms in India. It comes after the deaths of children in MP and Rajasthan being linked to consumption of Coldrif cough syrup with the PIL requesting all pending FIRs and investigations into the matter be transferred to the CBI.

Air India flight grounded in Chennai after bird hit

In other news, an Air India Colombo-Chennai flight carrying 158 passengers cancelled its return journey to Colombo after a bird strike.

Curiously, the flight crew had flagged a suspected bird hit on the previous route of Chennai to Colombo for the same aircraft. But after no damage was found, the aircraft was cleared for operation and subsequently left for and landed at Chennai.

Trump threatens to use US’ Insurrection Act

And in the US, the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago sued President Donald Trump seeking to block the deployment of federalised National Guard troops to Chicago.

Trump in turn threatened to invoke the rarely-used, 19th century Insurrection Act as a means to circumvent court restrictions on deploying troops.

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