Ten artists respond to a decade of UN recognition for water, sanitation as vital human rights
WaterAid commissioned 10 visual artists from across the Global South to interpret the far-reaching impact access to clean water and decent sanitation has on people’s lives and the role these vital basics play in the realisation of other human rights
Wildlife photographer Shaaz Jung: 'Next big issue India will face is man-animal conflict'
Wildlife photographer Shaaz Jung talks to Firstpost about his viral black leopard photos, and importance of local involvement in conservation efforts as India tackles man-animal conflict.
Dastaan-e-Dilrubai: The life and times of Farzana Joanna Nobilis Sombre Zeb-un-nissa, or Begum Samru
Too many accounts of Begum Samru's life convey an almost tabloid-like fascination of her possible romances with European men, and describe her as an upstart | From #DastaanEDilrubai, a series by Shreya Ila Anasuya.
In Bangladesh, internet restrictions, rumours worsen COVID-19 fears in Rohingya camps
Of those tested in the camps near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border, 35 Rohingya people were found to be infected. A further 850 residents who had come into contact with the infected are now in quarantine. The only good news is that 618 Rohingya have completed their quarantine without contracting the disease.
In US, African-American protesters send out a powerful message of reform by dressing in their 'Sunday-best'
Almost every protest movement has its visual signifiers: images etched in the collective memory that crystallize the causes for which they were fought.
How community-run tourism can help Sundarbans recover from Cylone Amphan's devastating effects
Community-run ecotourism in and near the Sundarbans has the potential to popularise some of the existing and new tourism routes and locations. But a number of obstacles have to be overcome before it can really work.
In locked-down Kashmir, an upsurge in COVID-19 cases — and violence in civilian neighbourhoods
In the early hours of 19 May, Indian security forces allegedly launched an aggressive cordon and search operation of downtown Srinagar in Kashmir, followed by an armed confrontation, known as an “encounter,” against militants. Many have been rendered homeless, while some people's houses were smouldering for days
.jpg?impolicy=website&width=640&height=362 "Four survivors of trafficking on life in lockdown, and why it has meant a resurgence of old fears, uncertainties")
Four survivors of trafficking on life in lockdown, and why it has meant a resurgence of old fears, uncertainties
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 38,503 cases of trafficking in the country between 2011 and 2019.
With Bandra Neighbourhood Project, Ansoo Gupta records pockets of history in the 'Queen of the Suburbs'
As part of the Bandra Neighbourhood Project, Ansoo Gupta has been photographing bungalows and other sites, recording the history of the area.
Category Error: In dealing with a pandemic, people find that 'new normal' manifests in myriad ways
In 'Category Error', writer-painter Amruta Patil marries news-triggered observation with fiction, history, philosophy, against the backdrop of an Indian high rise.
Listeners lost, but Radio Afghanistan continues decades-long practice of reading out death notices
Afghans once tuned into Radio Afghanistan twice a day to hear the reading of death notices, but in an age of social media, the voice of the nation has lost much of its sway.
In Pakistan, fear of COVID-19 infection escalates as government plans to save summer tourism
Even in big cities in Pakistan, many of the SOPs in place for public gatherings, shops and mosques have been blatantly violated. Mask wearing and face coverings are far from the norm and commercial centres are crammed with people standing close to one another.
For Himalayan trekkers, a lost summer: Amid coronavirus crisis, mountains' solace too is forfeit
From our #SummerWithout series | 'Once, I introspected over why one leaves behind urban comforts to trek along these routes in the biting cold. I realise now as I miss out on 2020’s climb that the answer is quite simple: The mountains are addictive, as is journeying through them.'
In Afghanistan, the wild ephedra shrub breathes new life into country's meth epidemic
Once the ephedra lands in these district centers, often outside areas of Afghan government control, it is milled to a fine powder and sold in bulk quantities at open-air markets that have sprung up with the express purpose of providing supplies to local meth-producers.
Kashmir Himalayas: Kolahoi glacier's retreat can be attributed to climate change, shifts in land use
Scientists said that rapid retreating of Kolahoi and other glaciers in Kashmir is largely attributable to global factors and climate driven by the local land-use changes also has some influence on glacier-retreat.
Jamshedpur's lockdown, in 10 photos: A visual record of life, industry and religion at standstill in Tatanagar
The coronavirus pandemic has brought to light the overlooked gears that turn the wheel called urban efficiency in Jamshedpur — essential service providers like sanitation workers, nurses and security guards
Anxiety, isolation, warped time: The story of the coronavirus crisis, told through everyday objects
How does the 'everyday' change when you're living through a pandemic? These photographs tell the story of the coronavirus crisis as seen through everyday objects.
Eid in lockdown: Eight Indian photographers document quiet celebrations during coronavirus crisis
Capping a sombre Ramzan, this Eid was unlike any other in recent memory. But in homes across India, families managed to keep the ethos of the festival alive.
Category Error: Of a community's small pleasures, Biblical plagues, and lives lived on a fault line
In 'Category Error', writer-painter Amruta Patil marries news-triggered observation with fiction, history, philosophy, against the backdrop of an Indian high rise.
From Big Night to Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana — food films to inspire your lockdown cooking
The harmonised response to the coronavirus lockdown seems to be to get good at cooking. In that spirit, here is a pairing: simple, hearty dishes that can be made with easily available ingredients — inspired by food-centric films that serve as great backdrops for them (or binge-watch accompaniments alongside a meal).