New Delhi

The Line of Control (LoC) dividing the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into India and Pakistan symbolizes decades of painful history. Now it is once again turning into a battleground between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The large population living on both sides of the divide continue living on the edge amid one of the heaviest military presences in the world.

Thousands of people joined fresh rallies against a contentious citizenship law in India on Dec. 21, with 20 killed so far in the unrest.    

The death toll jumped after demonstrations turned violent on Dec. 20 in the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, leaving at least 11 dead including an eight-year-old boy, who was trampled.    

Opponents of the Indian citizenship law, considered discriminatory against Muslims, have raised new protests today, BTA reported.

There were clashes between thousands of protesters and police officers in the capital New Delhi.

The security forces used tear gas to repel protesters, who were piling up barricades and were throwing stones at the police.

Four public transport buses in the capital were set on fire, while others were seriously damaged in mass protests against the new citizenship act.

Police are using tear gas against students at Jamia Millia Islamia University in the southern part of the capital. More than 100 activists and 35 police officers, including some senior officers, were injured.

India's capital, New Delhi, has the world's most polluted air, according to an air quality monitoring agency.

Two other Indian cities, Kolkata and Mumbai, also ranked among the top 10 cities with the dirtiest air, on the sixth and ninth position respectively, Swiss-based IQ AirVisual said on Friday.

Thessaloniki's MOMus Museum of Contemporary Art and the Onkaf Gallery in New Delhi present an exhibition of paintings, drawings, sculptures and videos by 38 Indian artists at the Thessaloniki International Fair, where India is this year's honored country.

Indian security forces have arrested more 500 people since New Delhi imposed a communications blackout and security clampdown in divided Kashmir, where people remained holed up in their homes for a fourth day.

The capitals of three neighbors of Bulgaria are among the ten cities in Europe with the greatest traffic congestion. These are Istanbul, Bucharest and Athens, with the first two cities ranked second and third in 2018, only behind Moscow. The Greek capital is in 7th place, ahead of Rome, Warsaw and Ekaterinburg.

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic and Demographic Policy Mariana Nikolova and the Indian Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria Pooja Kapor, discussed the development of Bulgarian-Indian relations.

According to information from our embassy in India, there are no reports of injured Bulgarian citizens at the time of terrorist attacks in churches and hotels in Sri Lanka. At least 290 deaths have been reported as a result of the explosions.