Lahore, Pakistan
At least 11 people were killed this week at an annual kite-flying festival in eastern Pakistan. National authorities banned kite flying in 2005, after metal or glass-coated strings used by competitors to cut rival kites’ strings also cut the throats of at least nine people. Punjab state authorities this year defied Islamabad to allow the two-day festival to proceed, amid heightened security. Two of the deaths, both of children, were attributed to reinforced kite strings. The other victims were hit by celebratory gunfire or electrocuted while untangling kites from overhead power lines. Muslim religious parties oppose the festival, saying it springs from an ancient Hindu rite.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Kristi Noem might not be long for TrumplandIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Homeland Security secretary has been one of the most visible and vocal architects of Trump’s anti-immigration efforts, even as her own star risks fading
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
