Long Reads News - Page 9

The most anticipated games of 2020 — from The Last of Us II to Half-Life: Alyx and Cyberpunk 2077

Hopefully, game realeses in 2020 will be better than the last year. May the loot box odds be ever in your favour.

Chennai: How a restored wetland brought relief to residents in city's drought-prone area

Illegal encroachments, untreated sewage inlets, garbage dumping, land reclamation, infrastructure and development projects have degraded more than 85% of these water bodies in Chennai over the last three decades.

The highs and lows of gaming in 2019 — from Control to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Fallout 76

2019 was a tough year to be a gamer, particularly for those of us who mark the hours creeping by until the release of Cyberpunk 2077 delivers us from our fleshy existence. Still… a few notable things happened in the gaming industry over the last year, some of them bad, but surprisingly, a few of them were good too.

Goa Photo Festival chronicles the pathos in people's lives, their private spaces, and food practices

The third edition of Goa International Photography Festival was held from 6 to 8 December in the village of Aldona (North Goa), known for its rich architectural heritage, which later inspired the overall theme of the festival — of working with 'living heritage'.

A decade of Beyoncé: The pop singer's fandom and music sparked vital conversations

The frenzied behaviour of Beyoncé's fans, called The Beyhive, along with Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters changed fan-celebrity relationships. It marked a neoliberal turn towards intense inter-fandom competition and worship that helped lay the foundation for the today’s pop fan culture.

From Magnetic Fields 2019, snapshots of the most original festival fashion

Taking place every year in Alsisar Mahal in Rajasthan, Magnetic Fields is a three-day micro universe of outstanding music — and of course, incredible festival fashion.

A civil war's cost: Brutal chapter of Sri Lankan history documented in a graphic novel

In July 2012 I was introduced to an artist, Lindsay Pollock, who was living in north London. I sent Lindsay some photographs of Vanni and he replied by illustrating the images. The mission was immediately set: we were going to tell the story of Vanni as a comic book.

In Kashmir, internet shutdown following Article 370 abrogation rekindles reading culture

More than four months long internet shutdown in Kashmir, imposed since 5 August, while wrecking the IT industry and other internet-dependent businesses, is bringing people closer to the print medium, resulting in the increased sales of books, newspapers, and magazines from bookstores and news agencies.

Jharkhand’s groves of faith: How conservation schemes are protecting sarnas from developmental projects

Fear of sarnas gradually vanishing is deep in areas where lands have been acquired by the state government for development projects.

In Chennai, local organisations work toward restoring water bodies, with sustainability in mind

In June this year, Chennai's water woes caught international attention and many people around the world wondered as to how the city of 10.6 million would survive the summer heat of 50 degrees Celsius without water.

Kashmir’s forests face the axe: Forest Advisory Committee approves diversion of 727 hectares in 33 days

Kashmir forests face the axe; in 33 days the Forest Advisory Committee has approved diversion of 727 hectares of forest land and the felling of trees in designated forest areas.

Sindh’s man-made Chotiari reservoir is an environmental disaster, study finds

At a time when Pakistan is in desperate need to conserve water, the Chotiari reservoir — a mega water storing body constructed 17 years ago to boost agriculture in the country’s southern riparian Sindh province — has emerged as an unsustainable irrigation project and an environmental disaster due to bad planning, a new report revealed.

Let there be light: Chandannagar’s masters of illumination have brightened up festivals for years

Over the months of October to January, the streets of West Bengal’s towns and cities light up for a number of festive occasions — beginning with Durga Puja and Diwali, to the Jagadhatri Puja, Christmas, and then New Year’s. The dazzling illuminations seen in Bengal, especially Kolkata, owe much to a 60-year tradition, harking back to the world renowned light artist Sridhar Das

Lovers in Auschwitz, parted at the end of World War 2, reunited 72 years later

The first time he spoke to her, in 1943, by the Auschwitz crematory, David Wisnia realised that Helen Spitzer was no regular inmate.

Christmas cuisine: A guide to heirloom recipes from all over India

Christmas, as a festival, certainly has a very strong connection with food. From the quintessential rum cake (albeit with a twist) to a full Naga feast, delicate kul-kuls, to salted meat and mutton stew — we got foodies from all over India to share their favourite Christmas recipes, and memories. These traditional dishes are made as per heirloom recipes, handed down from one generation to the next.

In Mexico, a riotous celebration of food, drink, sport, culture — and death

The idea of Mexico comes with certain stock images — tacos and guacamole; a wild night out fuelled by tequila; the ancient Aztec pyramids — accumulated over the years from media and pop culture

For Jaisalmer's camel owners, an uncertain future brought on by economics of change

The old tradition of breeding and herding camels, and using them as carriers for short distances for tourism, remains one of the primary professions for villagers around Jaisalmer. But changing fortunes have imperiled their livelihood.

Climate change: Increasing presence of peafowl across Kerala piques scientists’ interest

Across the state, peafowl are now being reported by birdwatchers from areas they were never spotted before. And according to a new study, this trend is likely to increase over the next few decades as Kerala grows progressively drier.

Celia Lobo's music still soars: The life and times of India's 'only living opera diva'

Celia Lobo — "India’s only living opera diva" — has had a career filled with remarkable moments.

Pakistan’s electric vehicle policy is ambitious, but money, vested lobbies may prove hurdles

Pakistan's Tehreek-e-Insaf government has quickly got a nod of approval for the first National Electric Vehicle (EV) Policy

In Skardu's mountainous region, women villagers' traditional way of life upended by climate change

In Skardu, women farmers are experiencing a similar situation, where climate change is forcing them to deviate from centuries old traditions to adopt new means to earn a living.

As political uncertainty looms over Jammu and Kashmir, Dal Lake nears its death

As politics took centrestage, Srinagar’s Dal Lake suffered, but is this a blip or a feature of the political changes that have happened in Kashmir, finds Auqib Javeed of The Third Pole.

Romancing With Revolution: Author Zaheer Ali on the life and works of Faiz Ahmed Faiz

All those who believe in liberty, equality, justice and intend to transform the socio-economic and political conditions in the India may seek inspiration from Faiz's poetry, says Zaheer Ali.

Marathwada: Women tackle climate emergency through sustainable, organic agriculture

Sustainable, climate-resilient, organic agriculture is allowing more and more women in Marathwada to feed their families and make money.

In water-rich Bhutan, authorities struggle to meet the needs of a fast growing capital with lack of access

Authorities in Bhutan are struggling to meet the water needs of the fast growing capital Thimphu, especially in the winter when there is little rain or snow and pipes freeze over.

In a Dakshina Kannada village, a lesser-known god brings blessings, chases away evil

Come May, a resident of the Peral village of Dakshina Kannada dresses up and becomes a medium for the god, Rajan Daiva Ullakulu. The villagers re-enact the story of how this deity protected them during an ongoing dispute with the neighboring region, seek blessings and solutions and play a game with coconuts

Karachi Biennale 2019: With focus on ecology, questions of whether art can spark change

The Karachi Biennale 2019, with its focus on ecology, raised questions of whether art can spark change, and also showcased how a proximity to power can undermine that effort.

The Borderlands: Hope and loss in a river and shelter homes at India-Bangladesh frontier

In Part 2 of The Borderlands series, filmmaker Samarth Mahajan and his crew travel to the India-Bangladesh frontier to discover how a river serves as both a border and place to meet and fall in love. Here the No Man's Land is owned by individuals, and those who cross into India from Bangladesh are repatriated — a long, arduous process that comes at personal cost.

Viewing Article 370 abrogation through the lens of Ambedkar — and Ambedkarites

Having looked at the various Ambedkarite positions on the abrogation of Article 370, it’s important to locate what Ambedkar himself has said about this.

In Raja Deen Dayal's 19th-century albumen prints, discovering the Deccan's archaeological heritage

An album of 58 albumen prints by Deen Dayal, originally commissioned for the Nizam of Hyderabad in 1888, is going under the hammer as a complete album at Mumbai-based auction house, Prinseps' first-ever live sale on 17 November.