The world's tallest railway bridge is now in India, standing at 359 metres (around 1,180 feet) above the Chenab River in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
At 29 metres (over 95 feet) taller than the Eiffel Tower, the Chenab Bridge is a remarkable feat of engineering.
The construction of the bridge took several decades, but it will finally be open to visitors by the end of December 2023 or January 2024, a press release by the Ministry of Railways in March informed.
According to media reports the Chenab Bridge, stretching 1,315 metres (4,314 feet), is a crucial piece of the Indian government's ambitious plan to connect the Kashmir Valley with the Indian Railway network.
This project, known as the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), also includes the construction of the country's longest transportation tunnel and Indian Railways' first-ever cable bridge.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who campaigned on a platform of nationalism and a vision of a prosperous India, sees these infrastructure investments as a means to foster social cohesion and exert political influence by linking remote areas with important urban centres.
The Chenab Bridge and the USBRL project, therefore, hold significant strategic value for the Indian government.
Experts believe, the newly established railway link between Kashmir and the rest of India will play a crucial role in boosting the region's industrial and agricultural sectors, as it will offer all-weather rail connectivity between the valley and the rest of the country.
Previously, the only way to connect the Indian-controlled parts of Kashmir with the rest of India was through the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, a winding 300-kilometer (185-mile) road that frequently closes during the winter and is prone to vehicle accidents.
Sushant Singh, a senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research in India, told CNN that the bridge holds political implications since it is perceived as a way of "integrating Kashmir into India."
Singh believes that historically, the railway link, including the Chenab Bridge, was intended to make Kashmir "feel more as a part of India."
However, despite being established before Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power, the USBRL project, including the Chenab Bridge, is being presented as a significant achievement of Modi's push for development in India.
India has made substantial investments in upgrading its infrastructure, with a particular focus on transportation. In February, the country's Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first phase of a 1,386-kilometre (861-mile) expressway connecting New Delhi with Mumbai, the country's financial capital.
The 246-kilometer (153-mile) section of the expressway alone cost $1.4 billion, according to a government press release.
Additionally, India is working on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor to ease congestion on the railway network.
English questioning rose from 20 per cent to 31 per cent, and racist jokes from 36 per cent to 41 per cent
Workplace violence against Black and ethnic minority employees rises to 26 per cent
Highlights
The Trades Union Congress surveyed 1,044 Black, Asian and ethnic minority employees. The results show clear increases in racist behaviour between 2020 and 2026.
Workers having their English questioned rose from 20 per cent to 31 per cent. Those hearing racist jokes went up from 36 per cent to 41 per cent.
Racist comments made to workers or around them increased from 31 per cent to 36 per cent.
Violence and threats
The most worrying finding involves physical threats and violence, which jumped from 19 per cent to 26 per cent.
Racist posts shared on workplace social media grew from 22 per cent to 28 per cent. Racist materials being passed around increased from 19 per cent to 25 per cent.
Beyond direct racism, many workers face unfair treatment. Nearly half (45 per cent) said they get harder or less popular jobs.
Over two in five (43 per cent) receive unfair criticism. The same number (41 per cent) stay stuck on temporary contracts.
Work conditions got worse too. Those not getting enough hours rose from 30 per cent to 40 per cent.
Workers denied overtime went from 30 per cent to 37 per cent. Being kept on short-term contracts increased from 33 per cent to 41 per cent.
Direct managers cause most unfair treatment (35 per cent), followed by other managers (19 per cent).
Bullying mainly comes from direct managers (30 per cent) and colleagues (28 per cent). Racist behaviour mostly comes from colleagues (33 per cent) and customers or clients (22 per cent).
Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, said: "Black and ethnic minority workers are facing appalling and growing levels of racism and unfair treatment in Britain. This racism is plaguing the labour market – and it's getting worse."
The TUC is calling for urgent government action to tackle the problem. The union wants ring-fenced funding for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to enforce workplace protections.
It is pushing for mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting for companies with over 50 employees.
The TUC says the Employment Rights Act, which makes employers responsible for protecting workers from harassment by customers and clients, will be an important step forward.
The union also wants employers to treat racial harassment as a health and safety issue and monitor ethnicity data across recruitment, pay and promotions.