The shutdown affected major urban centers, including the regional capital Muzaffarabad, where residents reported largely deserted markets, closed shops and inactive transport hubs. Similar conditions were reported in other towns across the territory.The strike followed violent confrontations on Sunday in the city of Rawalakot between JAAC supporters and security personnel.

According to authorities, seven people were killed in the unrest, marking one of the deadliest episodes of political violence in the region in recent years.The clashes erupted after the Supreme Court of Pakistan-administered Kashmir ruled that 12 legislative seats reserved for Kashmiri refugees residing in Pakistan are constitutionally protected and cannot be abolished without a formal constitutional amendment.

The JAAC, an alliance established in 2003, has campaigned for expanded political rights for residents of the territory and has long demanded the elimination of the refugee seats. The group argues that the arrangement grants disproportionate political influence to individuals who do not live within the territory.

Residents told local media that public participation in Tuesday’s strike was difficult to assess, with some people appearing to support the shutdown while others remained indoors due to concerns over potential violence.Prior to Sunday’s clashes, the JAAC had announced plans for a strike and a long march from Rawalakot to Muzaffarabad.

Witnesses said thousands of supporters gathered in the eastern city of Mirpur on Tuesday in preparation for the planned mobilization.Authorities responded by deploying additional police and security personnel throughout the region.

Internet services were also suspended in several major cities in an effort to limit mobilization and prevent further unrest.Police and regional government officials accused armed JAAC supporters of opening fire on security forces during Sunday’s violence. The organization has not publicly responded to those allegations in the information provided.

The regional government formally banned the JAAC last week, citing concerns over public order and security. Dozens of supporters have since been detained as part of the crackdown.Regional Prime Minister Faisal Mumtaz Rathore said his administration remains willing to engage in dialogue with representatives of the movement.

He stated that most of the group’s demands had been addressed during negotiations held last year, with the exception of issues relating to refugee seats and certain benefits provided to government officials and ministers.According to Rathore, those unresolved matters require legislative action because of constitutional limitations.

The refugee seats are allocated to individuals and families who migrated to Pakistan from Indian-administered Kashmir following decades of conflict over the disputed Himalayan territory. The arrangement was designed to provide representation for displaced communities affected by the region’s long-running political dispute.

Kashmir remains divided between Pakistan and India, both of which claim the territory in full. The dispute has been a central source of tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbors since their independence in 1947 and has led to multiple wars and recurring periods of instability.

Political tensions in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have intensified ahead of elections scheduled for next month, with debate over refugee representation emerging as a major issue following the recent court ruling and subsequent unrest.

Gunfire echoed through several districts of the Somali capital, with smoke rising over residential areas after hours of sporadic battles. Police said they were conducting a large-scale security operation against heavily armed militias accused of launching mortar attacks on parts of the city.

The violence follows a deepening political crisis after President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud announced an extension of his term beyond its scheduled May 15 expiry, a move rejected by opposition leaders and several regional authorities.

Former prime minister Hassan Ali Khaire accused government forces of attacking his convoy on Wednesday as he prepared to participate in demonstrations against the extension. Witnesses also reported clashes near the residence of former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

The unrest comes as opposition groups mobilize protests against Mohamud’s plan to advance constitutional reforms and move Somalia toward direct elections, a proposal critics say concentrates power in the presidency.

Somalia remains politically fragile, with divisions among rival clans and a continuing insurgency by Al-Shabab complicating efforts to implement nationwide electoral reforms.

Clashes broke out between rival political supporters in the state capital Kolkata after results were announced on Monday, with authorities confirming fatalities on both sides amid escalating tensions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP secured a sweeping win in the eastern state, capturing 206 of 294 assembly seats and marking its first-ever government in West Bengal, a region of more than 100 million people.

The outcome ends over a decade of rule by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, leader of the All India Trinamool Congress, who has rejected the election results after also losing her own seat.

Party officials reported casualties among their workers, with the BJP stating that two of its members were killed, while the TMC said two of its supporters were beaten to death in separate incidents.

“Two of our workers were killed after results of the elections were announced on Monday,” BJP state leader Samik Bharracharya said, adding that the party remained committed to peace.

The TMC, in a statement, condemned what it described as the “brutal murder” of its grassroots workers, with spokesperson Narendranath Chakraborty alleging that party offices were attacked in multiple areas.

A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed four deaths linked to the clashes and said one police officer was shot in the leg during the unrest.

Political analysts have described the BJP’s victory as one of its most significant expansions since Modi came to power in 2014, extending its influence beyond its traditional strongholds in northern and central India.

Trivedi, 75, a former railways and health minister and a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is expected to take up the assignment shortly, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

The appointment comes as India seeks to restore trust with Bangladesh after bilateral relations deteriorated in 2024, when a popular uprising forced then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to New Delhi, where she remains.

Her removal strained ties during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim administration, which Indian officials viewed as moving closer to China, raising strategic concerns in New Delhi over Beijing’s expanding influence in South Asia.

Relations began improving after February elections brought Tarique Rahman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to power, replacing the interim government and opening space for renewed diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

Trivedi’s appointment is seen as politically significant because India typically appoints senior career foreign service officers to such diplomatic posts. His political background and long experience in national and regional politics suggest New Delhi is seeking a more direct political channel in managing relations with Dhaka.

He joined the BJP in 2021 after leaving a regional political party in West Bengal, the Indian state bordering Bangladesh that plays a central role in cross-border trade, migration and security issues.West Bengal is also strategically important for Modi’s party as it seeks to expand its electoral footprint in ongoing state-level political contests.

Bangladesh, formerly East Pakistan, was part of British India before partition in 1947 and became independent in 1971 with military and political support from India, making the bilateral relationship historically sensitive and strategically significant.

Bangladesh’s foreign minister visited New Delhi earlier this month seeking increased fuel and fertiliser supplies, stronger energy cooperation and relaxed travel restrictions for Bangladeshi citizens.

However, one of the most sensitive unresolved issues remains India’s refusal so far to extradite Hasina, a point of friction in the relationship despite the broader diplomatic thaw.India has not publicly indicated any change in its position regarding Hasina, whose continued stay in New Delhi remains politically contentious in Bangladesh.

The appointment of Trivedi underscores India’s effort to preserve its influence in Dhaka at a time when Beijing continues to expand economic and strategic ties across the region through infrastructure investment, trade and defense cooperation.

The conviction is part of a broader investigation into the embezzlement of funds allocated for border defense infrastructure in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.

Authorities have pursued multiple former officials in the region following allegations that money intended to strengthen frontier defenses was misappropriated.

Parts of the Kursk region were seized by Ukrainian forces for several months in 2024, underscoring its strategic importance.

Details of the specific charges against Smirnov were not immediately disclosed, but the case reflects an ongoing crackdown on corruption linked to defense spending in border areas.