BEIJING/NEW DELHI — China on Tuesday objected to the formation of Ladakh as Union Territory by India, saying it undermined its territorial sovereignty, evoking a sharp reaction from New Delhi, which asked Beijing to refrain from commenting on its “internal affairs”.

With the government bifurcating Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh — Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said China has always opposed to India’s inclusion of the Chinese territory in the western sector of the China-India boundary into its administrative jurisdiction.

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Reacting strongly, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said,“the J-K Reorganisation Bill 2019, introduced by the government in Parliament on 5 August, which proposes the formation of a new ‘Union Territory of Ladakh’ is an internal matter concerning the territory of India. India does not comment on the internal affairs of other countries and similarly expects other countries to do likewise.”

While asserting that “recently India has continued to undermine China’s territorial sovereignty by unilaterally changing its domestic law,” Hua said such practice was “unacceptable and will not come into force.”

She also said, “we urge India to exercise prudence in words and deeds concerning the boundary question, strictly abide by relevant agreements concluded between the two sides and avoid taking any move that may further complicate the boundary question.”

On his part, Kumar said,“so far as the India-China boundary question is concerned, the two sides have agreed to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question on the basis of the ‘Political Parameters and Guiding Principles’ for the settlement of India-China boundary question.”

Pending such a settlement, both sides have agreed to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas on the basis of the relevant agreements, he added.

India and China have 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) between them. The two countries have held 21 rounds of Special Representatives talks so far to resolve the boundary dispute.

Meanwhile, there were reports that China has not granted visas to a group of Indians planning to undertake Kailash Mansarovar yatra later this week. However, there was no official confirmation either from Indian or Chinese side.

In a separate response on exchange of fire along the India-Pak Line of Control and India revoking Article 370 to withdraw special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Hua asked India and Pakistan to exercise restraint, and avoid actions that “unilaterally” change the status quo and exacerbate tensions between them.

Expressing “serious concern” over the situation in Kashmir, she said China’s position on it was “clear and consistent”.

“This issue is a legacy of history between India and Pakistan, which is also the consensus of the international community.The parties concerned should exercise restraint and act with caution, especially to avoid actions that unilaterally change the status quo and exacerbate the tension,” she said.

Hua also said,“the relevant sides need to exercise restraint and act prudently. In particular, they should refrain from taking actions that will unilaterally change the status quo and escalate tension. We call on both India and Pakistan to peacefully resolve the relevant disputes through dialogue and consultation and safeguard peace and stability in the region.”

This is the second statement issued by China on the Kashmir issue in recent weeks.

On July 26, China said India and Pakistan should peacefully settle the Kashmir issue and other disputes through dialogue and expressed its support to the international community, including the US, in playing a “constructive role” to improve ties between the two countries.

The statement was issued in response to US President Donald Trump’s offer to mediate between India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue during his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Washington.

India rejected Trump’s offer, saying that Kashmir is a bilateral issue.

Monica Lewinsky is slated to produce the next season of FX’s “American Crime Story,” which will be based on the 1998 impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

FX made the announcement during the Television Critics Association summer press tour on Tuesday, according to reports from Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. The season will be based on a book by author and attorney Jeffrey Toobin, “A Vast Conspiracy: The Real Story of the Sex Scandal That Nearly Brought Down a President.”

The network said it had cast Beanie Feldstein, of “Booksmart” fame, as former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, with Sarah Paulson as Lewinsky confidante Linda Tripp and Annaleigh Ashford as sexual harassment accuser Paula Jones. 

John Landgraf, the chairman of FX Networks and FX Productions, in a release on Tuesday called “American Crime Story” a “cultural touchstone” that delved into the O.J. Simpson trial and Andrew Cunanan’s assassination of designer Gianni Versace in its first two seasons.

“This franchise re-examines some of the most complicated, polarizing stories in recent history in a way that is relevant, nuanced and entertaining,” Landgraf said.

He continued: ”‘Impeachment: American Crime Story’ will likewise explore the overlooked dimensions of the women who found themselves caught up in the scandal and political war that cast a long shadow over the Clinton Presidency.”

Executive producer Ryan Murphy first optioned Toobin’s book in January 2017 but later expressed concerns about telling Lewinsky’s story. “I told her, ‘Nobody should tell your story but you, and it’s kind of gross if they do,’” Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter last year. “If you want to produce it with me, I would love that; but you should be the producer and you should make all the goddamn money.’”

Lewinsky has been increasingly vocal in recent years about her brief affair with Clinton leading up to his impeachment trial, as well as the ensuing years of harassment she experienced.

“I felt like every layer of my skin and my identity were ripped off of me in ’98 and ’99,” Lewinsky told The Guardian in 2016. “It’s a skinning of sorts. You feel incredibly raw and frightened. But I also feel like the shame sticks to you like tar.”

In a 2018 essay for Vanity Fair following the emergence of the Me Too movement, the former intern said it has taken the last two decades to process everything that happened.  

“I’m beginning (just beginning) to consider the implications of the power differentials that were so vast between a president and a White House intern,” Lewinsky, now 46, wrote. “I’m beginning to entertain the notion that in such a circumstance the idea of consent might well be rendered moot. (Although power imbalances ― and the ability to abuse them ― do exist even when the sex has been consensual.)

“I want to be thoughtful,” she continued. “But I know one thing for certain: part of what has allowed me to shift is knowing I’m not alone anymore. And for that I am grateful.”

PROVIDENCE — The lack of runs, at times, does “frustrate” Rishabh Pant, but unwavering support from his senior India teammates acts as confidence booster.

After two poor outings, Pant came good under the guidance of skipper Virat Kohli as India comfortably beat West Indies by seven wickets in the third T20 International to complete a 3-0 whitewash on Tuesday.

“I felt nice about my innings. I was not able to score runs and was getting frustrated. But, I kept following my process and it fetched the desired results today,” Pant told India vice-captain Rohit Sharma for BCCI.TV.

Chasing 147 on a slow deck, skipper Kohli anchored the innings to perfection with 59 off 45 balls while Pant was brilliant during his unbeaten 65 off 42 balls.

“There are various times that I get frustrated when I don’t get the runs. Then I think what different things I could have done to perform. There are times when I take the right decision and even then I am not able to perform. It happens in cricket and is part and parcel of the game.

“But what I try to do always is to focus on my basics, trust my instincts and just follow the process,” he added.

Asked about his 106-run partnership with captain Kohli, the 21-year-old said, “When I and Virat bhaiya were playing, we were thinking of stitching together a big partnership and take the game deep and then accelerate in the last seven-eight overs.”

He said he doesn’t get pressurised by the expectations.

“I do feel the pressure at times, sometimes I enjoy. But the entire team, especially the senior members, have faith in me and that is a huge confidence booster. You know that even if you fail in one or two innings, the team will back you. That really helps.”

SRINAGAR, Jammu & Kashmir—The Modi government’s decision to nullify Article 370 and divide Jammu & Kashmir into two Union territories has claimed its first civilian victim—a 17-year-old boy named Osaib Altaf, from Srinagar’s Palpora area—HuffPost India has learnt.

A visit to Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, and interviews with hospital authorities, revealed 13 cases of pellet injuries. At least some of these pellet injuries were to the eyes of victims.

Altaf’s family told HuffPost India that he was among a group of boys who were cornered by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, on the afternoon of Monday August 5 2019, while the boys were at a playground. The same  day home minister Amit Shah announced the government’s plans to bifurcate the state in the Rajya Sabha.

“All of them were cornered by CRPF men on a footbridge as they had come from two opposite sides of the bridge. Seeing no way out, the boys jumped into the river. While others were saved by the quick response of labourers extracting sand on the river, Osaib couldn’t make it. He didn’t know swimming. He remained in the water for 20 minutes,” Altaf’s father, Mohammad Altaf Marazi, said. 

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Two of the boys were admitted to hospital by local people, while Altaf’s body was brought home, said Marazi.

The government’s shock move to scrap the special status accorded to Jammu & Kashmir has been accompanied by an unprecedented communications clampdown on Kashmiris. Mobile, landline and internet services have been cut in many parts of the state, especially the Valley, and the social media channels and websites of ordinary Kashmiris and local publications have been silent for more than 2 days now.

Since Monday, the movement of civilians has been severely curtailed and most people have been staying inside their homes. 

This reporter managed to reach Altaf’s residence in Srinagar around midnight on Tuesday, after several unsuccessful attempts through the day.

Officials at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital in Srinagar said they were not authorised to speak to media over any incidents of violence involving government and police forces.

“We can’t share the information with you as it creates problems for us,” a senior official of SMHS hospital told HuffPostIndia on condition of anonymity. “We have been told to not to give any information to the media.”

‘We don’t expect justice’ 

Marazi said his son had no idea about the government’s decision to revoke Article 370, and there were no protests in the area at the time of the incident. 

“He was just a Class XI student and loved to play cricket. He didn’t know anything about this whole Article 370 issue. And we actually had no way of knowing about the centre’s decision since we don’t have a television or a radio at home,” said Marazi, who works as a driver. 

Marazi said he last saw his youngest son alive on Sunday afternoon. 

“I left for work on Sunday afternoon and returned on Monday morning. I was sleeping until Monday afternoon and Osaib had left for playground in the morning,” he said. 

The family is not aware if the police has filed any case in the incident. It also seems to have given up any hope for justice. 

“Who’ll give us justice? We are under oppression. There’s no justice in oppression,” Marazi rued. 

HuffPost India tried multiple times to reach Safa Kadal police station, under whose jurisdiction the case falls, for a comment on the incident. However, the security forces deployed on the way to police station didn’t allow this reporter to move ahead. 

Violence in the Valley

So far, the government hasn’t officially announced any casualties or injuries of civilians during the current crisis. Due to the communications blackout, it’s hard to ascertain the actual figures of civilian casualties or injuries. 

However, when HuffPost India managed to reach Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar on Tuesday night, we found eight cases of bullet and pellet injuries admitted in the hospital. 

“I was walking in the lane leading to my house when CRPF personnel fired pellets on me. It all went blank and I fell down. I don’t know how I reached here,” Owais Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar’s old city’s Nawa Kadal, told HuffPost India. 

On Wednesday afternoon, SMHS hospital officials said that they have received 13 cases of pellet injuries on the eyes from district Srinagar and Ganderbal. “Two of them have got injuries on both their eyes. However, none of the cases are serious and they will not lose their sight,” an official said. 

 Editor’s Note On This Story

On August 2 2019, HuffPost India commissioned journalist Safwat Zargar with writing a series of stories on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the backdrop of the unprecedented (and at the time, unexplained) mobilisation of troops in the former state.

 Two days later, the Indian government cut off the internet and severed all means of communication in the valley. This blackout, it has since been revealed, was a calculated strategy to silence Kashmiri voices as the Bharatiya Janata Party fundamentally altered the terms of Kashmir’s accession to the Indian Union.

For two days, the government — and many sections of the Indian media — have launched a propaganda blitzkrieg extolling the virtues of this unprecedented decision while refusing to let the media access the voices of the people of Kashmir. 

On August 6 2019, the Hindustan Times carried a report claiming people in Srinagar welcomed this decision. Their source? National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

In this situation, which is clearly without precedent, Zargar sent us a report on the human cost of the Indian government’s decision. 

Given the absolute blackout on all news coming out of Kashmir, we are carrying this story to start a conversation. We anticipate questions from our readers — in fact, we welcome them.

We stand by Zargar’s reporting, and call upon the government to clarify the circumstances around the death of 17-year-old Osaib Altaf, and to face the consequences of its decision by lifting the communications blackout in Kashmir.

Aman Sethi

Editor-in-Chief

HuffPost India

Stranger Things 3 was chock-a-block with explosive surprises. But the one turn no one predicted was a sweet coming-out story.

And according to Maya Hawke, who portrayed Robin — the first character to verbalise their LGBTQ identity on the Netflix show — it happened partly because she spoke up.

Maya told Variety and The Wall Street Journal in recent interviews that Robin and fan favourite Steve (Joe Keery) were originally supposed to become a couple, but she felt that wasn’t the right direction for either of the characters.

“Throughout filming, we started to feel like she and [Steve] shouldn’t get together, and that she’s gay,” the actress told The Wall Street Journal. “Even when I go back and watch earlier episodes, it just seems like the most obvious decision ever.”

During season three, Steve and Robin bond while working banal summer jobs scooping ice cream and then discovering there’s a mysterious Russian lab located in the depths of their town’s new mall. Their chemistry is palpable, to say the least.

Steve eventually develops romantic feelings for Robin, and during a memorable scene in a cinema toilet, he confesses his affection — only to have Robin inform him that she’s gay.

In response, a maturing Steve shows Robin love and acceptance, and a close platonic relationship is cemented between the two, making for one of the most interesting dynamics in the show’s third season.

Fans absolutely loved the compassion-filled curveball...

Maya told Variety that showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer were pretty receptive to the idea too, and that they worked together to create a new relationship between Robin and Steve.

“The Duffer brothers and I, and [executive producer] Shawn Levy, had a lot of conversations throughout shooting and it wasn’t really until we were shooting episode four and five, I think, that we made the final decision,” she said. “It was a collaborative conversation, and I’m really, really happy with the way that it went.”

Maya added that she’s “so grateful” that fans responded well to her character and that she hopes Robin’s story can help people “fall in love with girls who love girls and boys who love boys.”

CHANDIGARH — The man introduced himself as a manager at State Bank of India and asked her for her account number, ATM PIN, CVC number and the OTP that she got. This was necessary for her salary to be deposited in her account, he told her.

Minutes after Preneet Kaur shared the information, she received an SMS that Rs 23 lakh had been debited from her account.

Just another routine case of financial fraud in India? Not really. The victim, Kaur, is not only the Congress MP from Patiala, she is also the wife of Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and member of an erstwhile royal family.

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The sensitivity of the case is obvious from the fact that A.S. Rai, IG, Patiala Range and Mandeep Singh Sidhu, SSP Patiala refused to speak on the issue. Naunihal Singh, IG, Cyber Crime, claimed ignorance of the matter.

Sources told HuffPost India that within minutes of the incident, a six-member police team was dispatched to Jamtara area of Ranchi in Jharkhand. They later arrested 30-year-old Ataullah Ansari, a resident of Narainpur village in Jharkhand. The police brought him on remand to Punjab and has claimed to have recovered the entire amount from him.

Jamtara has the unfortunate reputation of being the hub of cybercrime in the country—a 2015 report in The Indian Express said that thousands of calls that lead to online transaction frauds are made from the district.

How did this happen?

Mumbai-based cyber crime investigator Ritesh Bhatia told HuffPost India that the modus operandi suggests that Ansari was not aware of her identity.

“However, it seems that he was in possession of highly sensitive information pertaining to her name, bank account and the mobile phone linked to it. All he needed was her debit card details along with its pin and OTP which, like many others, she may have provided in ignorance,” said Bhatia, adding that the incident also points to the flaws of forcing people to enter the digital era without adequate awareness about the pitfalls.

“For years, youths from places like Jamtara have been crushing claims of the robust secure payment gateways of Indian banks. It is time for banks to think ‘what next’ to prevent further online frauds,” said Bhatia.

While the Punjab police remains tightlipped about the case, Jamtara SP Anshuman Kumar confirmed Ansari’s arrest by the Punjab police and said that he was a habitual offender and had been arrested earlier as well. However, he said he didn’t have any particulars about the case or the victim.

“Fraudsters like him either take pin and OTP details from you on phone or else clone your debit or credit cards through special softwares and cameras attached to ATM machines. Later, they take out the money and get it deposited in another account. It is mostly difficult to trace them, as they create a chain of accounts,” said Kumar.

With one order this week, New Delhi has removed the preferential treatment accorded for decades to Jammu & Kashmir applied all the provisions of the Indian Constitution to J&K and made the state legislative assembly (instead of its Constituent Assembly) the competent authority to recommend to the President to declare Article 370 inoperative. 

This article examines the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 2019, issued by the President under Article 370(1) of the Constitution. I confine myself to the legal issues entailed by the order, as I have long maintained that the genesis of the Kashmir issue or its resolution is not located in Article 370. 

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As a point of departure, let us recall the import of Article 370. Anyone familiar with the constitutional history of the sub-continent would know that J&K, a sovereign state as of 15 August 1947, acceded to India through the accession instrument of 26 October 1947 and became an integral part of India. Such accession by the ruler, though unconditional, was only in matters of external affairs, communications and defence and certain ancillary matters. 

The accession instrument expressly declared that nothing therein would affect the continuance of the sovereignty of the ruler in or over J&K. Unlike other princely states acceding to India, the sovereign ruler of J&K did not merge the territory of the state into the Indian Union or cede other subjects to India. 

In 1971, an 11-judge bench of the Supreme Court held in Madhav Rao that the accession instrument was an Act of State on the part of the sovereign ruler of a princely state and bound all concerned, and that relations between the princely state and India were strictly governed by the accession instrument. 

Given that India was to be a democratic republic, the Constitution makers contemplated a transfer of power from the ruler of J&K to a duly elected state constituent assembly, and for this state constituent assembly to finally determine the constitutional relationship of J&K with the Indian Union, as emphasized by the Constitution Bench decision of the Supreme Court in Premnath Kaul (1959). 

Meanwhile, the Constitution was made applicable to J&K through Article 370, which inter alia provided that the power of Parliament to make laws for J&K would be limited to matters specified in the accession instrument in “consultation” with the J&K government and other matters with the “concurrence” of the J&K government. Similarly, the President could apply other provisions of the Constitution to J&K relating to matters specified in the accession instrument in “consultation” with the J&K government, while such application in respect of other matters required the “concurrence” of the J&K government

The state Constituent Assembly, set up in 1951, regarded the constitutional relationship of J&K with India as one of an autonomous republic within the Indian Union. This relationship was later crystallized in the Delhi Agreement, 1952, which was duly ratified by Parliament and the state Constituent Assembly, and which inter alia permitted the state legislature to make laws conferring special rights and privileges upon the state subjects. The President, with the concurrence of the J&K government, issued the Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954, under Article 370(1) which inserted provisions like Article 35A into the Constitution to give effect to the Delhi Agreement and also applied further Articles of the Constitution to J&K. 

Thereafter, successive regimes at New Delhi issued a series of executive presidential orders under Article 370(1) over the decades to apply almost the entire Constitution to J&K and that too, with modifications that would have been impermissible for other parts of the country. This ran counter to the very purpose of introducing Article 370 into the Constitution. Thus, ironically, J&K state did get a ‘special status’, though certainly not that of an autonomous republic within the Indian Union. Rather, it found itself at the other end of the spectrum, with mere executive directions by New Delhi deciding its fate.

Against this backdrop, let us consider the 2019 Order issued by the President, apparently with the concurrence of his own nominee, the J&K Governor, who has been equated by the 2019 Order with the J&K government. 

The order can be analysed in two parts. 

The first part relates to the supersession of the 1954 Order that had given effect to the preferential status of J&K, followed by the application of all provisions of the Constitution to J&K. This is vitiated by the same infirmities that made the erosion of Article 370 over the decades unconstitutional, including the fact that it was the state Constituent Assembly, and not New Delhi, which was to determine the constitutional relationship between J&K and India. 

The second part of the 2019 order pertains to the proviso to Article 370(3). This proviso mandated a recommendation from the state Constituent Assembly (which was to be convened for the purpose of framing the state constitution) to the President to declare Article 370 inoperative before he could do so. Since the state Constituent Assembly dispersed after framing the state constitution in 1957, without making any such recommendation, it follows that the competence of any organ of the Indian State to declare Article 370 inoperative no longer exists. 

Now, the 2019 order adds to Article 367 of the Constitution (an Interpretation clause) a provision to the effect that the state Constituent Assembly referred to in the proviso to Article 370(3) shall be read as the state legislative assembly. 

Simply put, New Delhi has sought to exercise the power under Article 370(1) to nullify or circumvent the protection given to J&K by Article 370(3). That runs counter to the elementary proposition of law that a constitutional provision cannot be used to defeat another constitutional provision or to render it void. 

Further, recourse is usually taken to an interpretation clause where there is ambiguity requiring the aid of interpretation. There is no ambiguity in Article 370, which expressly states that it is the state Constituent Assembly (convened to frame the state constitution) which would be the competent authority to make a recommendation to the President to declare Article 370 inoperative.

There is, accordingly, no warrant to use Article 370(1) to substitute the reference to the state Constituent Assembly in Article 370(3) with the state legislative assembly. Clearly, the intent was to denude the protection guaranteed by Article 370(3). To allow New Delhi to do so would amount to it indirectly amending Article 370(3)—which in turn would violate Article 370(1) (c) and (d) that mandate that the provisions of Article 370 shall apply to J&K and that it is only other provisions of the Constitution that may be modified in their application to J&K. 

To make matters worse, J&K is at present under President’s rule. As all the provisions of the Constitution have been made applicable to J&K by the 2019 Order, Parliament can exercise the functions of the state legislative assembly during President’s rule by virtue of Article 356 of the Constitution. 

In other words, the implication of the 2019 Order equating the state legislative assembly with the state Constituent Assembly is that New Delhi (Government of India) needs a ‘yes’ only from New Delhi (Parliament) to declare Article 370 inoperative! Surely that cannot be the position in law. And that too, when Article 356 is not meant to take far-reaching decisions but is an emergency provision to be resorted to sparingly until the government of the state can be carried on in accordance with the Constitution. 

The 2019 Order has already been challenged before the Supreme Court. However, given that it is already in effect and that the determination of a legal challenge is bound to take time, New Delhi has presented the country with a fait accompli.

The writer is a Supreme Court advocate and the author ofUnravelling the Kashmir Knot.

Pakistan said on Wednesday that it will “downgrade” diplomatic relations and suspend bilateral trade with India after the Narendra Modi government decided to nullify Article 370 and bifurcate Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories.

Pakistan’s decision came after a meeting of the National Security Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. 

The NSC decided to review “bilateral arrangements” with India while taking the matter to the United Nations, including the Security Council, a statement issued by the PM Office said, reported PTI. 

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“Our ambassadors will no longer be in New Delhi and their counterparts here will also be sent back,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told ARY News, according to Dawn.

Khan had on Tuesday expressed apprehension that Pulwama-like attacks can follow the revocation of the special status for Jammu and Kashmir.

“This will be a war that no one will win and the implications will be global,” he had warned while addressing a rare joint sitting of Parliament that was convened to discuss the Kashmir situation.

Khan had said that his government would approach the world leaders and apprise them of situation in Kashmir.

“We will fight it at every forum including the UN Security Council,” he had said, adding that Pakistan also plans to take the matter to the International Court of Justice. 

(With PTI inputs)

Pakistan on Wednesday expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, minutes after it decided to downgrade the diplomatic ties with India over what it called New Delhi’s “unilateral and illegal” move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

India on Monday revoked Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a crucial meeting of the National Security Committee on Wednesday during which it decided to suspend bilateral trade and review the “bilateral arrangements”.

Pakistan has also closed a corridor in its airspace, which will result in an additional up to12 minutes of flying time for overseas flights, an Air India official said. 

Indian envoy to be sent back

“Our ambassadors will no longer be in New Delhi and their counterparts here will also be sent back,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in televised comments soon after the NSC meeting.

While India’s High Commissioner Bisaria is in Islamabad, his Pakistani counterpart Moin-ul-Haq is yet to take charge in New Delhi.

A statement issued after the NSC meeting read that the Committee discussed situation “arising out of unilateral and illegal actions” by the Indian government, situation inside Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control.

The Committee decided “downgrading of diplomatic relations with India” and “suspension of bilateral trade with India,” the statement said.

The NSC also decided to review “bilateral arrangements” with India.

Pak to move UN, observe Aug 15 as ‘Black Day’

The Committee resolved to take the matter (abolition of the Article 370 by India) to the United Nations, including the Security Council, the statement said.

The Pakistani statement said that the country will observe this Independence Day on August 14 in solidarity with Kashmiris.

“August 15 will be observed as Black Day,” it added.

Prime Minister Khan also directed that all diplomatic channels be activated to highlight the alleged human rights violations in the Valley. He also directed the military to continue vigilance, according to the statement.

Imran Khan calls Boris Johnson, Prince Salman

Khan on Wednesday called his British counterpart Boris Johnson and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of his government’s plan to inform the world leaders about India’s decision of revoking Article 370 and withdrawing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Pak Parliament condemns India’s decision

Pakistan lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution condemning “Indian action in Kashmir and pledging support for Kashmiris.”

The resolution was adopted by the joint session of parliament after the lawmakers discussed the situation in Kashmir for two days.

The resolution reiterated the “strong conviction of Pakistan that the Jammu and Kashmir dispute would be resolved only through dialogue and diplomacy and in accordance with international law.”

India has not been engaging with Pakistan since an attack on the Air Force base at Pathankot in January of 2016 by Pakistan-based terrorists, maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together.

Early this year, tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

(With PTI inputs)

Netflix spends a lot of money. In 2019 alone, the company will likely invest around $15 billion on Netflix Originals content. This money goes to recruiting big-name creators such as Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes and even the Obamas.

Somehow, the money doesn’t go to renewing “Tuca & Bertie” for a second season. Maybe someday I’ll forgive Netflix for that.

By the end of 2019, a handful of expensive originals will debut on the service, with casts that include A-listers such as Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep and, arguably Netflix’s most famous face given the continued ubiquity of “Friends,” David Schwimmer.

Below is a list of a few super notable, super expensive movies joining the service before the end of the year. A few of these will likely compete for Oscars. A couple of them cost around half a billion dollars to make. You’re going to want to check these out.

“The Irishman”

Sum-Up: This is Martin Scorsese’s second Netflix movie this year (following “Rolling Thunder Revue”). The story comes from real-life figure Frank Sheehan, a union leader who worked with organized crime in the Northeast and may have had a role in the mysterious disappearance of fellow labor figure Jimmy Hoffa.

Release Date: Sept. 27 at the New York Film Festival, then later this fall on Netflix

Cast: Bobby Cannavale, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Al Pacino, Anna Paquin, Joe Pesci and Jesse Plemons / directed by Martin Scorsese

Cost:The Wall Street Journal reported that the budget may have exceeded $200 million.

Trailer:

“The Laundromat” 

Sum-Up: This is Steven Soderbergh’s second Netflix movie this year (following “High Flying Bird”). It focuses on a character played by Meryl Streep who stumbles into a global conspiracy during a vacation.

Release Date: August at the Venice Film Festival, then late 2019 on Netflix

Cast: Antonio Banderas, James Cromwell, Will Forte, Gary Oldman, David Schwimmer, Sharon Stone, Meryl Streep and Jeffrey Wright / directed by Steven Soderbergh 

Cost: Unclear, but Fast Company called it a “big-budget feature.” You don’t get all these A-listers for cheap.

“The King”

Sum-Up: A young prince, played by Timothée Chalamet, must rule a kingdom after the death of his father. The prince becomes King Henry V and rules England in the early 1400s. Seems kind of wild to call a movie “The King,” given the ubiquity of king-centric stories throughout the ages, but maybe this will still stand out.

Release Date: August at the Venice Film Festival, then late 2019 on Netflix

Cast: Timothée Chalamet, Lily-Rose Depp, Joel Edgerton, Ben Mendelsohn, Robert Pattinson

Cost: Unclear, but the cast, fight sequences and costume drama nature of the movie make it likely Netflix had to spend a lot.

“6 Underground”

Sum-Up: With a kind of “Batman” vibe, six billionaires fake their deaths to start fighting crime vigilante-style. Michael Bay directing a movie about billionaires using their wealth on weapons has to equal tons of explosions, right?

Release Date: Late 2019

Cast: Mélanie Laurent and Dave Franco / directed by Michael Bay

Cost: Around $150 million

Teaser: 

“Klaus”

Sum-Up: This is Netflix’s first original animated feature film, and the company has Oscar hopes for it. The story focuses on a man tasked with setting up a post office in a remote, icy town. After repeatedly failing to convince the townspeople to write and send letters, the postman stumbles upon a toymaker named Klaus.

Release Date: Late 2019 (presumably before Christmas)

Cast: Joan Cusack, Rashida Jones, Jason Schwartzman and J.K. Simmons / directed by Sergio Pablos (“Despicable Me”) 

Cost:IMDb estimates $40 million, but doesn’t provide evidence.

Bonus: “Red Notice”

Sum-Up: Even though this won’t debut “soon,” Netflix just announced it will make this very expensive action movie with a few A-listers. Plot details remain scarce, but Deadline described it as a “globetrotting action heist thriller.”

Release Date: Possibly 2020

Cast: Gal Gadot, Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds

Cost:Around $200 million

RANGIA — Two persons, including a child, were killed and 40 others injured when the bus they were travelling in overturned in Assam’s Kamrup district on Wednesday, police said.

The passengers, residents of Kamrup’s Chhaygaon, said they were returning from a National Register of Citizens (NRC) hearing in eastern Assam’s Golaghat district.

“The bus hit a roadside tree on NH 17 in the wee hours of Wednesday, resulting in death of two people and injuries to 40 others,” Officer-in-Charge of Chhaygaon Police Station, Rupam Hazarika, said.

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Of the injured, condition of 13 people is serious and they have been admitted to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Hazarika said.

The deceased are Chhaymur Nessa and Arjuma Begum, he said.

Figuring out if you have a sleep disorder versus poor pre-sleep habits (commonly referred to as your sleep hygiene) is a bit of a “chicken or the egg” type of situation.

Are you not sleeping well because you have poor sleep hygiene? Or do you have a sleep disorder that then causes you to stay awake, resulting in unhealthy sleep habits (i.e. scrolling Instagram into the wee hours)?

Below, experts break down the identifiable differences between a diagnosable sleep disorder and the signs that you just may not be practicing good sleep hygiene. Read on in order to get a decent night’s rest.

Sleep disorders will cause more daytime sleepiness than usual.

“Most people with poor sleep hygiene can usually still function well during the day, and there’s no impairment at work, school or doing things like driving,” said James A. Rowley, chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at DMC’s Detroit Receiving Hospital in Michigan. “With proper education, poor sleep hygiene can be fixed and sleep will improve relatively easily. This is not the case when it comes to a sleep disorder.”

And while sometimes your sleep hygiene can cause you to feel drowsy during the day ― yes Netflix, I am still watching ”Friends” at 3 a.m. ― consistent daytime sleepiness is one of the biggest red flags that you may have a medical issue, said Ellen Wermter, a board-certified family nurse practitioner and Better Sleep Council spokesperson.

“If you have good sleep habits and still feel that your sleep quality is poor, that’s a sign it’s time to make an appointment with a specialist,” she said. 

Sleep disorders have a consistent pattern. 

The daytime sleepiness many experience with a sleep disorder can be caused by a few overarching reasons, according to Windel Stracener, a practicing family physician in Richmond, Indiana.

It’s a sleep issue if you find yourself lying awake for long periods of time before falling asleep on most nights, not being able to stay asleep once you do nod off, waking up extremely early, feeling like you haven’t slept at all, or dozing off periodically during the day (including while driving). It could possibly be a result of such conditions as sleep apnea, insomnia, restless leg syndrome or narcolepsy.

“It’s important not to self-diagnose,” Stracener said. “Keep a sleep diary and make an appointment with your family physician so you can discuss what may be causing your poor sleep and what the next steps are.”

Make sure to note in your sleep log any caffeine or alcohol consumption, how much time you spend in bed before you fall asleep, how often you wake up at night, when you wake up in the morning and how well you sleep overall, Stracener said. This will help your doctor recommend the proper changes to get you sleeping more soundly. They also may refer you to a sleep specialist who can run more detailed tests. 

You need good sleep hygiene, particularly if you have a sleep disorder.

“Sleep helps your body’s systems recharge, repair and become rested for the next day,” Stracener said. “Good sleep hygiene will help you fall asleep faster and get the quality rest that your body needs to be healthy.”

Not getting enough sleep on a regular basis can leave you at increased risk of health conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease, he added. That’s why it’s important to set yourself up for good sleep regardless of whether you have a disorder or just poor habits. Wermter listed five major areas to master when it comes to sleep hygiene:

• Exercise: “For most, it doesn’t matter when, just do it,” Wermter said. “If you notice that working out close to bedtime makes it harder to wind down then try to reschedule it for another time of the day.”
  
  
• Light: Get more of it in the morning and less in the evening. Natural light within 30 minutes of waking up will help reset your circadian clock and using blue light filters at night will help you get better quality sleep.
  
  
• Schedule: Try to wake up and go to sleep the same time every day, even on the weekends. “Regularity helps your brain predict and plan for maximum sleep efficiency,” Wermter said.
  
  
• Disruptors: The big ones being caffeine and alcohol. Caffeine in particular can affect you longer into the day than you might realize, so try to cut any consumption of it by mid-day. And while alcohol can initially make you drowsy, it’s a common culprit for waking you up in the middle of the night, so try to not drink it too close to bedtime.  
  
  
• Environment: A decent mattress, comfortable bedding, silence or white noise and a cool room can make all the difference in how quickly you’re able to fall asleep. 

You need to talk about your sleep. 

“People who think they have a sleep disorder should talk to their primary care physician about their sleep,” Rowley stressed. “Many doctors may not ask about sleep issues during visits, so it’s important to bring it up.” 

But you should also talk about your sleep with your partner, or anyone you share a bed with.

“Some people are very tolerant of poor sleep or adapt over time and don’t realize how far from optimal they have drifted,” Wermter said. “A bed partner can help identify problems with sleep.”

For example, sleep apnea, a sleep disorder that affects an estimated 22 million people in the U.S., has common symptoms associated with it such as snoring, teeth grinding and gasping or choking. Thrashing, tossing, or turning can all be signs of periodic limb movement disorder, a condition that 80% of people with restless leg syndrome have and one that can greatly disrupt sleep. Simply asking your partner if your sleep patterns are distressed may be all you need to figure out if your lack of sleep stems from hygiene or disorder.  

The US on Wednesday said there was an “urgent need” for dialogue among all actors to reduce tensions and to avoid a potential military escalation in South Asia. It had also strongly refuted news reports that India had informed the US before revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

The State Department spokesperson said that “the US calls for calm and restraint by all parties”.

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“I have spoken to the Indian Foreign Minister,” Raab said on Wednesday. “We’ve expressed some of our concerns around the situation and called for calm, but also had a clear readout of the situation from the perspective of the Indian government.”

(With PTI and Reuters inputs)

BEVERLY HILLS — The Oscars did it, and now the Emmys will too. There will be no host at the ceremony honoring TV’s best next month.

Fox Entertainment CEO Charlie Collier said Wednesday that going hostless allows more time to salute departing shows, including “Game of Thrones.”

The HBO fantasy saga, which ended its run this past season, is the top nominee with a record-setting 32 nominations.

Collier said producers would have considered possible hosts and checked on their availability for the Sept. 22 ceremony. The Fox executive didn’t directly address whether anyone had declined.

The Emmy show rotates among the top broadcast networks.

The Oscars ran into trouble when last year’s planned host, Kevin Hart, stepped down following a backlash over his past homophobic tweets. The search for a replacement proved fruitless.

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to accord urgent hearing to a plea filed by a Congress activist against the government’s decision to allegedly impose restrictions and other regressive measures in Jammu and Kashmir after revoking provisions of Article 370.

A bench headed by Justice N V Ramana said the petition will come up for hearing in due course.

Advocate Suhail Malik, appearing for activist Tehseen Poonawalla, said he is not expressing any opinion on Article 370 but has sought withdrawal of ‘curfew/restrictions’ and other alleged regressive measures including blocking of phone lines, Internet and news channels.

He said people need to talk to their family members and have a right to know their well-being in a situation prevailing there.

Poonawalla, in his plea, also sought a direction from the apex court for the release of leaders like former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, who are under detention.

The Congress activist has also sought the setting up of a judicial commission to inquire into ground realities in the state.

He has contended that the decisions that have been taken by the government violate fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 19 and 21 of the Constitution. 

Many political workers and leaders, including Abdullah and Mufti, have been detained in Jammu and Kashmir since the Centre decided to revoke provisions of Article 370 and divide the state into two union territories, officials said. 

Parliament on Tuesday approved a resolution abrogating special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and a bill for splitting the state into two union territories.

The resolution and the bill were approved by Rajya Sabha on Monday.

A day after Pakistan downgraded diplomatic relations with India and suspended bilateral trade, New Delhi has urged Islamabad to review measures so “normal channels of diplomatic communications are preserved”. 

Pakistan’s decision came in a meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC) chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday. India had on Monday abolished Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

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The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said “intention behind these measures is obviously to present an alarming picture to the world of our bilateral ties. The reasons cited by Pakistan are not supported by facts on the ground.”

India’s decision on Jammu and Kashmir, the MEA added, is driven by a commitment to extend development opportunities denied to people earlier.

“The recent developments pertaining to Article 370 are entirely the internal affair of India. The Constitution of India was, is and will always be a sovereign matter,” the statement added.

India urged Pakistan to review its decisions so that “normal channels for diplomatic communications are preserved.”

Pakistan’s announcement

Pakistan on Wednesday had expelled Indian High Commissioner Ajay Bisaria, minutes after it decided to downgrade diplomatic ties and suspend bilateral trade with India.

“Our ambassadors will no longer be in New Delhi and their counterparts here will also be sent back,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in televised comments soon after the NSC meeting.

Later, the Foreign Office in a statement said that “Pursuant to the decision of the National Security Committee today, the Government of India has been told to withdraw its High Commissioner to Pakistan.”

It, however, did not give any time line for India to pull back its envoy.

“The Indian Government has also been informed that Pakistan will not be sending its High Commissioner-designate to India,” the statement said.

Pakistan’s new High Commissioner Moin-ul-Haq was expected to leave for India this month to take up his responsibilities.

The Committee decided “downgrading of diplomatic relations with India” and “suspension of bilateral trade with India,” a statement issued after the meeting read.

(With PTI inputs)

Several parts of Kerala received heavy rainfall on Thursday with the state disaster management authority issuing a red alert for three districts in the morning.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan held a review meeting on the rains as five NDRF teams were deployed in the state. The state has requested for 10 more teams.

Pinarayi said, “As of today, there are 1385 people in relief camps. Wayanad district has the most number of camps- 16. The water-level in Idukki dam is very low and there is no cause for concern. Chief Minister has directed the district collectors to evacuate people from dangerous areas.”

Schools and colleges are shut in 6 districts of the state

Kerala State Disaster Management Authority issued a red alert for Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode. Authorities said extremely heavy rainfall in districts with red alert — over 204 mm rainfall in 24 hours.

An orange alert has been issued for Thrissur, Palakkad, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasargod. 

According to The NewsMinute, landslides have been recorded in several parts of Idukki district.

With the Pokemon Sword and Shield release date of November 15 on the way, The Pokemon Company released a slew of new information about the upcoming Nintendo Switch exclusive. These included details regarding Galarian variants of Pokemon, rivals, Pokemon jobs, and a whole lot more. There’s a new trailer that showcases these additions that you can watch below:

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Pokemon Sword and Shield Galarian Pokemon explained

Galarian Pokemon are regional forms of Pokemon native to the Galar region. These include the following:

• Galarian Weezing
  Category: Poison Gas Pokemon
  Type: Poison/Fairy
  Height: 9’10”
  Weight: 35.3 lbs.
  Ability: Levitate/???
• Galarian Zigzagoon
  Category: Tiny Raccoon Pokemon
  Type: Dark/Normal
  Height: 1’4″
  Weight: 38.6 lbs.
  Ability: Pickup/Gluttony
• Galarian Linoone
  Category: Rushing Pokemon
  Type: Dark/Normal
  Height: 1’8″
  Weight: 71.7 lbs.
  Ability: Pickup/Gluttony

  Pokemon Sword and Shield rivals

  Two rivals that Trainers will compete with on their adventures are Marnie and Bede.

  • Marnie
    Marnie is a rival who has a competitive side, and together with her partner Morpeko, she aims to become the Champion of the Galar region. She has many passionate fans due to her calm and calculated battle strategies.
  • Bede
    Bede is a rival who is skilled at Pokémon battles and has the pride to match. He has joined the Gym Challenge, having received his endorsement from Rose, the chairman of the Galar Pokémon League. While he clearly is aiming to become Champion, he seems to have other objectives as well.
  • Team Yell
    Team Yell is a group of troublemakers who seem to appear everywhere and who attempt to get in the way at every opportunity. They want nothing more than for Marnie to become Champion, so they try to obstruct other challengers. They take over hotel lobbies, prevent challengers from accessing transportation, and even shout and distract opponents during battle. Whenever Marnie battles, these Team Yell Grunts are quick to appear,showing their support with Marnie-print towels and horns.

    Pokemon jobs in Pokemon Sword and Shield

    Corporations and universities request the help of Pokemon through Poke Jobs. Trainers can check for available jobs at the Rotomi in Pokemon Centers and will be able send Pokemon directly from their Boxes to any job they accept. Trainers will find that certain Pokemon types are suited for specific jobs. The experience gained while on the job will help Pokemon grow, and Trainers may even receive rare items as rewards.

The Mako Reactor is your one-stop destination for everything Japanese gaming in India.

On Thursday, the fourth day after the Narendra Modi government announced the abrogation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, restrictions have still not been lifted and there have been few ground reports from the region. 

Authorities suspended internet and mobile services in several areas from Sunday night and banned public gatherings in Srinagar district under Section 144. The shutdown, as this HuffPost India report points out, means that the rest of the country has little idea what is happening in Kashmir.

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Some reports, like HuffPost India’s account of the first casualty in Kashmir after the decision on Article 370, have started trickling in (mostly sent by reporters after much effort or written by journalists who have returned from Kashmir), but local media organisations are yet to update their websites, and the social media channels of Kashmiris remain silent. Kashmiris outside the state have been frantically asking for news of their families back home. 

The last reports on Kashmir’s local news websites are from 4 or 5 August, just before the internet was snapped. Here’s a look at how the homepages of major news websites look on Thursday:

Rising Kashmir

Greater Kashmir

Kashmir Reader

What’s happening to journalists in Kashmir?

Local journalists, reports Al-Jazeera, have described their struggle since Monday to get information out as “unprecedented”.

Al-Jazeera quoted Sanna Irshad Mattoo, a multimedia journalist working for a local news organisation, as saying, “The forces clearly said they have orders not to allow any journalist to move. The distance which I could cover in five minutes took more than half an hour because of the checkpoints and barricades.”

In a report in The Indian Express on Wednesday, Muzamil Jaleel, Bashaarat Masood and Adil Akhzer wrote, “For the last two days, The Indian Express reporters have been holed up in their office from where they walk around to meet residents and then return. In the office building itself, dozens of policemen have moved in, the corridors their temporary shelter.”

The government has set up two helplines for residents outside Jammu and Kashmir, the Deputy Commissioner of Srinagar said on Thursday.

The two numbers can be used by residents and students outside Jammu and Kashmir to reach their families in the Union territory.

Communication services, including internet and phone, have been shut down in Jammu and Kashmir since Sunday midnight. On Monday, the government announced it was abrogating special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and splitting the state into two union territories.

The Indian Parliament approved a resolution and bill to this effect on Tuesday.

The resolution was adopted by Lok Sabha with 351 members voting in its support and 72 against it, while one member abstained. The bill to create two UTs ― Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh ― was passed by 370 votes in favour and 70 against. Modi was present in the House.

The resolution and the bill were approved by Rajya Sabha on Monday.