Statement of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the attacks in Sri Lanka
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expresses his horror at the terrorist attacks that took place on the day of Western Easter celebrations in churches and hotels in the greater area of the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, causing death to dozens of our fellow human beings and injuring hundreds. His All-Holiness unambiguously condemns all acts of terror, […]
UN scales back Pakistan polio campaign after killings
The UN has scaled back an anti-polio campaign in Pakistan after two more health workers died in the latest of a spate of gun attacks. Attacks in the Peshawar region killed a vaccination supervisor and her driver, and injured a student volunteer. No group has claimed responsibility, but the Taliban have issued threats against the […]
Extinct elephant ‘survived late’ in North China
Wild elephants living in North China 3,000 years ago belonged to the extinct genus Palaeoloxodon, scientists say. They had previously been identified as Elephas maximus, the Asian elephant that still inhabits southern China. The findings suggest that Palaeoloxodon survived a further 7,000 years than was thought. The team from China examined fossilised elephant teeth and […]
15 of the world’s most bike-friendly cities
Grab a helmet and check out these 15 cities where drivers use all five fingers when they wave at you. EUROPE Amsterdam, Netherlands The ” bicycling capital of Europe” tops many lists — including this one, it seems — as the most bike-friendly city anywhere. Safe and extensive route networks, serious governmental promotion, and a […]
Poll: Are Singaporeans least happy?
– Perhaps money can’t buy happiness. A recent Gallup report shows that Singapore’s wealthy population is the unhappiest — less happy than the populations of Iraq, Haiti, Afghanistan, and Syria. Singaporeans were least likely to report having positive emotions– despite the fact that they enjoy one of the highest per capita GDP values in the […]
Sonepur fair: Poor Indian boys ‘fish’ for coins to help family
Every day since 28 November, 10-year-old Rohit Kumar has sat from dawn to dusk on the banks of the Gandak river in the eastern Indian state of Bihar with a magnetic fishing line trying to fish out coins from the water. He is among the hundreds of boys who collect coins thrown into the river […]
Mayan prophecies: Life after the (non) end of the world
Despite all the predictions of Mayan apocalypse, the world will probably not end by Saturday morning. How will the believers cope when life carries on? The clock strikes midnight, the hallowed date arrives and, once again, the apocalypse fails to turn up on schedule. For such a cataclysmic event, the projected end of the world […]
Police call for death penalty after Delhi bus rape
New Delhi’s police chief on Tuesday demanded the death penalty for rapists amid growing outrage over the gang-rape of a 23-year-old student on a school bus in the city. The physiotherapy student and her male companion were brutally beaten and thrown off the vehicle after the attack, which has provoked street protests and widespread anger […]
Pakistan blast: Market bomb ‘kills 17’ in Khyber
At least 17 people have been killed and more than 70 hurt in a car bomb attack on a market in the Khyber tribal area in north-west Pakistan, officials say. Women and children were among those killed in the blast at the market in Jamrud, the main town in Khyber. The explosion took place close […]
Death toll from Typhoon Bopha tops 1,000 in the Philippines
The grim toll from a typhoon that devastated southern Philippines earlier this month continues to climb, with 1,020 reported dead as of Sunday morning, authorities said. Officials fear the toll from the December 4 storm will rise further. Because while rescue crews continue searching, the chances of finding people alive dim with each passing day. […]