To an award show that's famous for honouring artists belatedly, we have sent as our official entry one of our major film-makers's weakest work yet, feels Sreehari Nair.
It's possible you want to escape the reality of what's happening to the world - countrywide shutdowns, worry and concern, divided politicians
The digital blackout in Kashmir completed 145 days on Friday with no sign of restoration of the services in near future.
Power Minster R K Singh said, "The power supply ramp down and ramp up -- they (officials) handled very smoothly, and I along with my senior officials -- power secretary, POSCO CMD -- were personally monitoring the situation from National Monitoring Centre in the ministry. I congratulate all the engineers of NLDC, RLDC and SLDCs for handling the situation very efficiently especially in huge response to the Prime Minister's call".
'You cannot achieve peace if your objective is not to make political accommodations,' notes Dr Nyla Ali Khan, Sheikh Abdullah's grand-daughter, Dr Farooq Abdullah's niece and Omar Abdullah's cousin.
The total cost of internet shutdowns across the world stood at $8.05 billion in 2019, an increase of 235 per cent since 2015-16.
People are taking to Twitter to protest peacefully, via a movement called #TwitterBlackout. They are changing their profile pictures to a blank black square. Some of them are also tweeting hopeful messages of support to the people that feel particularly vulnerable now that Trump, whose campaign was marked by divisive rhetoric, has won the White House.
Talk of a blackout by other news channels in solidarity remained inconclusive because of the heavy news agenda on that day.
As we wave goodbye to 2019, we look back at the highlights of the year, in the numbers that made it memorable.
Many political detainees have been released but former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who were whisked into custody in the early hours of August 5, 2019, are still in preventive detention.
Restrictions continue to be imposed for the 66th consecutive day since the abrogation of the state's special status under Article 370 on August 5.
"Its time for India to lift these restrictions and afford Kashmiris the same rights and privileges as any other Indian citizen," it said.
Warren urged India to respect the rights of the people of Kashmir.
On August 5, the Narendra Modi-led government abrogated Article 370, which gave the state of Kashmir special powers, and decided to transform the state into two Union Territories -- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Since then phone networks have been cut off and curfew-like restrictions have been imposed, leaving residents in a state of despair. On September 29, Union Home Minister Amit Shah attacked the Opposition for spreading "misinformation" about Kashmir. There were no "restrictions", he said -- they were "only in your mind". Sixty one days later, this is what normalcy looks like in the former state, particularly the Kashmir Valley.
The telecom companies have billed the subscribers for the period of communication blockade which began on August 5 when the Centre abrogated provisions of Article 370 and split Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.
'A trip to the banks of the Hooghly without which there wouldn't be a Calcutta/Kolkata is one for the bucket list,' says Kishore Singh.
The senators also said that Pakistan should end support to terrorism and refrain from taking any steps that could destabilise Kashmir.
Pramila Jayapal, the first and the only Indian-American Congresswoman in the House of Representatives, and Congressman James P McGovern said the international media and independent human rights observers must immediately be allowed into Jammu and Kashmir to investigate reports of abuse.
The top court asked the student Mohd Aleem Syed to file an affidavit after visiting his parents.
he bench asked the Centre and J-K administration to file their responses within seven days.
North Korea's official KCNA news agency issued a brief report early on Wednesday, saying the qualifier ended in a 0-0 draw after a series of "attacks and counterattacks".
The football teams will be competing amid a tense political backdrop with international negotiations stalled over North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
Some want to know about the wellbeing of their kin inside the Valley, some post they are fine and others use the medium to pass on information.
They also asked Pak to take 'demonstrable action' against terrorist groups within its territory.
India maintains that the Kashmir issue is a bilateral one and no third party has any role in it.
First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN called Pakistan a 'hub of terrorism'.
However, it was not clear on what basis most of the people were being held.
IMAGES from soccer matches played in the EPL, La Liga and Serie A on Tuesday.
Many Kashmiris have been left with no option but to flag down the odd private vehicle passing by in the Valley.
All educational institutes across the state are closed for the second consecutive day, the officials said.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar warned the army against "information blackout" as he sought enhanced capabilities to ensure protection from disruptive cyber attacks.
'Not only in Kashmir, but in the rest of the country.'
Possibly for the first time since Prime Minister Indira Gandhi called upon the nation to donate/sacrifice for the 'Bangladesh war' efforts, and also suffer blackout at nights with patience and pride, has the nation reacted so very positively to the government's diktat, says N Sathiya Moorthy.
'We demand immediate release of all public representatives of mainstream political parties and innocent citizens,' the resolution said.
'More members of the Indian Armed Forces have died in Kashmir, North East and Naxal areas than in the 1962 and 1971 wars against Pakistan combined. These deaths are the result of political failure and not war.'
There has been a virtual communications blackout in the Valley with no phones and no internet connections since the early hours of August 5.
The situation in Andhra Pradesh's Seemandhra region showed no signs of improvement, as the ongoing strike by 30,000 power sector employees against the bifurcation of the state entered Day 4 on Tuesday. The failure of the southern grid seems imminent.
There's a virtual blackout in the Valley with few workable mobile phones and internet connections and prohibitory orders in place.
Starting on Monday, the country's low-cost Mars mission that is in a rendezvous with the red planet for an extended period will enter the "blackout" phase snapping communication with the satellite.
A third of the 1.2 billion Indian population has no access to electricity.
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