PM Modi celebrates 4,399 days in office as Prime Minister: ‘Devoted by nature, a king with….’

A major breakthrough was witnessed on Tuesday by the Zojila tunnel that connects Kashmir's Sonmarg to Ladakh's Minamarg as a blast broke through the last 2.5 metres of the project that cuts through the Himalayas.With this breakthrough, the two ends of the world's longest single-tube bi-directional bypass have now been connected, as per officials who spoke to news agency PTI.This tunnel will cut travel time between Kashmir and Ladakh from 1.5 hours to a mere 15 minutes.The final breakthrough was attended by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who pressed the remote button that blasted the site near the tunnel's East Portal in Ladakh Union Territory's Minimarg.Gadkari said regarding the tunnel, "This tunnel is state-of-art. This tunnel has been constructed with world class safety standard, and it will provide all weather connectivity to Leh, Ladakh. I visited Ladakh when I was BJP president and people told me that everything remains closed for six months and there's connectivity. It pained me to see how the locals here are facing so many difficulties. Our government came to power in 2014 under the leadership of PM Modi and he gave highest priority to infrastructure development. I was handed over the responsibility of this department and then this project was initiated. The original tender of this project was ₹12,000 crore and I am happy to announce that all the work related to this project has been completed in ₹7,000 crore and we have saved at least ₹5,000 crore. This is not just a tunnel but a lifeline."Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were also present.The breakthrough has been achieved six months ahead of schedule, as per officials of the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL)."We have worked for this tunnel day and night in challenging weather conditions, and completed it without any accident," project engineer Manmohan Singh told AFP.More than 3,000 workers have been involved since 2020 in excavating the tunnel.Yousef Es'haghpour Rahimabadi, the Authority Engineer for the project, said that around 85 per cent of the total work has been completed as of now, as per PTI.Yousef, who is from Iran, told ANI regarding his involvement and the project: "I am from Iran. I am proud of it. I can say I am proud that about 80% of the project is already finished; the remaining 20% might take another two years or so to complete fully. Regardless, the breakthrough is a major event for the tunnel, and we are happy that, under the current system, we have managed to execute this project effectively. It will take roughly another two and a half years for the tunnel to fully open. However, in a dire emergency, especially if the Army needed to use it, it might be possible to utilise the tunnel for a short period, although under normal circumstances, it is not feasible to use it yet..."The tunnel will be made accessible for the public in February 2028, as per officials. Civil works will take 7-8 months to be completed, after which the electrical works will commence.Details on the tunnelThe tunnel is 9.5 metres wide, 7.57 metre high, and 13.153 km long. It is a single-tube, two-lane road tunnel shaped like a horseshoe. It is at a height of around 11,578 feet above sea level.Besides cutting short the travel time between Kashmir and Ladakh, this geostrategically important tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway will provide year-round, all-weather connectivity for the locals.The tunnel, which stretches from from Baltal in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir to Minimarg in Drass district of the Union Territory of Ladakh, has an 18-km approach road.The agency behind the project is Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL). It has used the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) to navigate the fragile geology of the region and pierce through the Himalayas. Including the approach road and bridges, stretching from Sonmarg

Former YouTuber Curry Barker has emerged as horror cinema’s breakout filmmaker after Obsession earned nearly $80 million worldwide following the success of his debut feature Milk & Serial.Curry Barker’s transformation from YouTube creator to one of horror cinema’s fastest-rising directors has become one of the film industry’s most unexpected success stories of the year.Just a few years ago, Curry Barker was primarily known online for creating independent videos and short-form content on YouTube. Today, the filmmaker stands at the centre of one of 2026’s biggest box-office success stories after his horror thriller Obsession surged to nearly $80 million worldwide.Meet Curry Barker, the director of hit indie horror film ‘Obsession’The remarkable rise of Obsession has not only established Barker as a major new voice in horror filmmaking but also highlighted an unconventional path into Hollywood — one built through internet content creation, self-taught filmmaking and independent experimentation.According to recent box-office figures, Obsession has earned approximately $79.7 million globally, including more than $58 million domestically, despite being produced on a reported budget of under $1 million. The film’s extraordinary performance has turned Barker into one of the most closely watched emerging directors in the industry. Reports from trade publications have described the film as this summer’s breakout horror phenomenon.Long before entering mainstream cinema, Barker spent years building an audience online through comedic sketches, experimental videos and collaborative content on YouTube. However, filmmaking was always central to his ambitions.“At about 10 years old, I was already making and editing films because I wanted to be an actor, and the only way to act was to make things myself. Filmmaking started as a means to an end, but that’s how I discovered my love for it.”That passion gradually evolved from online content into more ambitious narrative storytelling. Barker first gained wider attention in filmmaking circles through his independent feature Milk & Serial, a dark psychological thriller centred on a seemingly harmless surprise birthday prank that spirals into disturbing and violent territory.The low-budget feature was praised for its inventive storytelling, tension-building and social media-era horror aesthetic. More importantly, Barker has said the production became a formative learning experience that shaped his later work on Obsession.Reflecting on the challenges of independent filmmaking, Barker also emphasised the importance of simply beginning creative projects without waiting for perfect conditions or institutional backing.“I learned that you should just go ahead and make something, because most of the time, people are willing to help you if you’re trying to make something cool.”That philosophy appears to have defined Barker’s career trajectory. Obsession — a psychological horror film exploring loneliness, fixation and emotional manipulation — has been widely praised for blending emotionally grounded storytelling with unsettling horror imagery. The film’s runaway commercial success has already led to speculation about Barker’s future in the horror genre. Industry reports suggest he is now attached to several major studio projects, including discussions linked to legacy horror franchises.For many industry observers, Barker’s rise represents a growing shift in modern filmmaking, where creators who once built audiences online are increasingly moving into mainstream cinema with established fanbases and distinctive storytelling styles.With Obsession continuing its theatrical run and approaching the $100 million global milestone, Curry Barker’s transition from YouTube creator to major horror filmmaker now appears firmly complete.About the AuthorTrisha BhattacharyaTrisha Bhattacharya is a Senior Content Producer at Livemint, with over two years of experience covering entertainment news from India and beyond. She spend