New Delhi, July 29: Indian travellers can now use the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to make online bookings for At the Top, Burj Khalifa, with the iconic attraction becoming the first in the UAE to accept the payment system for e-commerce transactions, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) said on Wednesday.

The international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) said the launch of the facility is in partnership with NEOPAY and Emaar Entertainment.

The move enables Indian visitors to book tickets and experiences at the world’s tallest building through the attraction’s official website using UPI-enabled payment apps before travelling to the UAE.

The latest integration builds on NIPL’s existing partnership with NEOPAY.

Since the introduction of QR code-based UPI merchant payments in the UAE in 2022, Indian travellers have been able to use UPI for payments at merchants across NEOPAY’s network. With the new rollout, UPI acceptance has now been extended to online bookings.

“Indian travellers are increasingly seeking payment experiences that are simple, familiar and seamless when they travel abroad. By enabling UPI acceptance for online bookings at At the Top, Burj Khalifa, we are making it easier for them to use a payment method they know and trust while planning their visit, even before they arrive in the UAE,” said Ritesh Shukla, Managing Director and CEO of NPCI International.

According to the company, the initiative addresses the growing demand for convenient and trusted cross-border digital payments while strengthening the digital payments bridge between India and the UAE.

Vibhor Mundhada, CEO of NEOPAY, said the integration marked a significant milestone in digital commerce between the two countries and made NEOPAY the first company in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region to enable UPI acceptance for e-commerce transactions.

An Emaar Entertainment spokesperson said the introduction of UPI for online bookings would make the customer journey simpler and more convenient for Indian visitors, who constitute one of the attraction’s largest international visitor segments.

Islamabad, July 29: As unrest in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) continues to escalate, a human rights documentation and monitoring body has called on the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to intervene following reports of lethal firing by Pakistani forces on peaceful protestors in the occupied territory that left over 40 civilians dead and dozens injured.

In its urgent appeal to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, the PoK-based group Jammu Kashmir Human Rights Observatory (JKHRO) stated that the killings occurred after the peaceful Long March organised by Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) resumed from Rawalakot towards Muzaffarabad on July 27.

Citing JAAC, it said that large numbers of civilians participated in the march, estimating that the wider mobilisation may have involved more than 100,000 people.

“The combination of a mass civilian gathering, reported security-force deployment, alleged indiscriminate firing, restricted communications, limited media access and obstructed emergency coordination creates an immediate risk of further casualties. This is no longer a situation that can be addressed through statements of concern alone,” the JKHRO stated.

The group called on the UN human rights chief to intervene immediately by publicly calling for an end to the firing by Pakistani forces, seeking assurances that live ammunition would not be used against peaceful protesters, and ensuring emergency medical and humanitarian access in PoK.

It also appealed for the urgent deployment of relevant Special Rapporteurs or an OHCHR assessment mission, while urging the facilitation of credible negotiations to prevent further loss of life in the occupied territory.

Highlighting the humanitarian abuses by Pakistani authorities in PoK, the JKHRO said, “The international community has advance warning. The gathering is large. Security forces are reportedly deployed. Communications remain restricted. Fatal force has allegedly already been used. Initial accounts refer to more than 80 wounded, while other witnesses allege more; there is not yet a reliable final injury figure.”

“The essential question is no longer whether there is a risk of escalation. The essential question is whether the United Nations system will act quickly enough to help prevent the next death,” it added.

Earlier on July 17, the OHCHR raised serious concerns about infringements on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association in PoK amid escalating unrest in the occupied territory that has left dozens of people dead and injured.

In a statement issued, Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jeremy Laurence, said that “the criminalisation of a civil society organisation and imposition of strict limitations on gatherings raise serious concerns about infringements on the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Detained JAAC leaders must have access to legal representation and their families. Their rights to due process and fair trial must be fully guaranteed.”

Washington, July 29: US and Saudi Arabian forces carried out precision airstrikes against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq on Tuesday (local time) after more than 30 drone attacks targeted American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure, the US Central Command said.

US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck several logistics and weapons sites used by the groups, according to CENTCOM. It described the operation as a response to aerial attacks conducted over the previous 72 hours under the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“The unwarranted attacks against U.S. forces were not successful,” CENTCOM said.

The command did not identify the groups targeted or disclose the locations of the strikes beyond saying they occurred across eastern Iraq. It also provided no information about casualties or the extent of damage caused by the operation.

CENTCOM said Iran-aligned militias in Iraq had attempted more than 600 attacks against US citizens and facilities between February and April 2026.

“The IRGC and its terrorist proxies must cease these attacks to avoid further U.S. military response,” it said.

The joint strikes came on a day of heightened military activity across the Middle East. CENTCOM said the IRGC launched several ballistic missiles from Iran at 5.45 p.m. Eastern Time in what it described as an attempted surprise attack on US forces stationed in the region.

“All Iranian missiles were successfully intercepted,” the command said. “U.S. forces remain vigilant and at a high state of readiness.”

CENTCOM did not say how many missiles were fired, where they were intercepted or which US bases appeared to have been targeted. It also did not identify the defence systems used to stop them.

The command separately said more than 20 US Navy warships were operating across the Middle East in support of military missions. Those operations included what it called strict enforcement of America’s “steel wall blockade” against Iran.

As of July 28, CENTCOM said it had redirected 18 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded another two to enforce compliance. It did not identify the ships, their owners, their cargo or the waters in which the encounters took place.