The Explainer: The ‘Curse of Ham’ – how people of faith used a story in Genesis to justify slavery
PAUL HAM, a lecturer in narrative history, looks at how “a grotesque misuse of the very words of the Bible” has been used to support the idea of slavery…
India stares at summer water crisis as reservoir levels slide
New Delhi Reuters India’s main reservoirs have hit their lowest March levels in five years, government data showed, indicating a possible squeeze on drinking water and power availability this summer. In major centres such as India’s ‘Silicon Valley’ Bengaluru, home to firms like Google, water supply is already being curtailed. Residents get their containers filled […]
Notre Dame Cathedral’s restoration has been a five year journey of dedication and recovery
Paris, France AP The restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following a tragic blaze in April, 2019, is a story of dedication and recovery. The iconic medieval monument immortalised in history, film and literature has been gradually rebuilt over the past five years, through challenges that have included delays during the pandemic and the […]
Ukraine appeals for air defence aid, citing hundreds of missile attacks in March; Pentagon chief warns Ukraine’s survival in danger
Reuters Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy appealed to Kyiv’s allies on Tuesday to supply more air defences, saying Russia had launched 130 missiles, more than 320 attack drones and almost 900 guided bombs in attacks this month alone. More than two years into Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv relies heavily on foreign military aid, some of which […]
Bangladesh, Pakistan and India bottom in air quality rankings in 2023, data shows
Singapore Reuters Pakistan remained one of the world’s three smoggiest countries in 2023, as Bangladesh and India replaced Chad and Iran, with particulate matter about 15 times the level recommended by the World Health Organization, data published on Tuesday showed. Average concentrations of PM2.5 – small airborne particles that damage the lungs – reached 79.9 […]
UN sounds ‘Red Alert’ as world smashes heat records in 2023
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters Every major global climate record was broken last year and 2024 could be worse, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Tuesday, with its chief voicing particular concern about ocean heat and shrinking sea ice. The UN weather agency said in its annual State of the Global Climate report that average temperatures […]
Netanyahu spurns Biden plea to call off Rafah assault in Gaza
Rafah, Gaza Strip/Cairo, Egypt/Jerusalem Reuters Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spurned a plea from Joe Biden to call off a planned ground assault of Rafah, the last refuge in Gaza for more than a million displaced people, where Israel believes Hamas militants are holed up. Netanyahu told lawmakers on Tuesday he had made it “supremely […]