India gets more cheetahs to revive natural ecosystem
MUMBAI, 19 Feb 2023: India yesterday welcomed the arrival of 12 more cheetahs from Africa as part of a programme to reintroduce the species in the wild, over seven decades …
Push to recognise 14 eight-thousander mountains in Nepal
KATHMANDU, 17 Feb 2023: Nepal is home to not just eight, but 14 peaks that are more than 8,000m-tall, say mountaineering experts of the Himalayan country. Buddhi Narayan Shrestha, boundary …
Abortion remains a stigma in Thailand
BANGKOK, 17 Feb 2023: Two years after Thailand joined a small group of Southeast Asian countries in legalising abortion, ending an unwanted pregnancy remains taboo in the Buddhist-majority nation – …
Girls-only boxing battles stereotypes in Gaza
GAZA, 16 Feb 2023: A female-only boxing club in the Gaza Strip, the territory’s first of its kind, is breaking conservative views and gender stereotypes in the coastal enclave ruled …
Pakistan Islamists hold ‘modesty day’ to counter Valentine’s celebration
KARACHI, 15 Feb 2023: Pakistani groups yesterday promoted a ‘Haya’ (‘modesty’) day to ostensibly saving “tenets of Islam” from Valentine’s Day – dubbed vulgar in the conservative country despite being …
Thai LGBT+ couples break taboos on Valentine’s Day
BANGKOK, 14 Feb 2023: To celebrate love on Valentine’s Day with a symbolic wedding marathon between LGBT+ people, 100 couples gathered today in what is the first event of its …
Streets of Rio fill with revellers ahead of Carnival
RIO DE JANEIRO, 12 Feb 2023: Though the official start of Carnival is nearly a week away, thousands of Rio de Janeiro residents poured into the streets yesterday to join …
China authorities using squirrels to find illicit drugs
BEIJING, 10 Feb 2023: A Chinese city has trained a group of squirrels to detect drugs in spaces difficult to access, such as storage sheds or very high places, state …
‘Hug a cow’ for Valentine’s Day in India
NEW DELHI, 9 Feb 2023: The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), a government body, is aiming to replace Valentine’s Day with an occasion to hug cows – considered sacred …
Pop icon Madonna slams criticism of her appearance
LOS ANGELES, 8 Feb 2023: American singer-actor Madonna has defended her physical appearance during the Grammy Awards event, claiming the torrent of social media noise against her reeked of “ageism …