What it's like to be a living goddess
A Kumari, or living goddess, in Nepal, has spoken out about what it's like to be worshiped and then return to life as a mere mortal. Who wouldn’t want to be a goddess? Preeta Shakya can point to some...
View ArticleWhat it's like to be a living goddess
A Kumari, or living goddess, in Nepal, has spoken out about what it's like to be worshiped and then return to life as a mere mortal.
View ArticleHow everything became Hollande’s fault
So much blame is heaped on Hollande that it is hard not to feel sorry for the amiable back-room party manager who, his friends say, still cannot believe his good fortune in landing the presidency last...
View ArticleBirth pangs of a new South African worker’s party
With considerable pain and after a long gestation it seems that a new workers’ party is being born in South Africa.The National Union of Metalworkers (Numsa) appears on the verge of splitting away from...
View ArticleThe long goodbye to Afghanistan
Nad-e Ali's most senior politician, Mohammad Ibrahim, knows that the consequence of pushing too hard for change could be a Taliban resurgence. Striking this balance would be a challenge for a political...
View ArticleGlobal school rankings: where are students happiest?
The UK is ranked below the top 20 in terms of science, maths, reading and - crucially - happiness at school. There has been much concern today about the UK’s poor ranking in the OECD’s Pisa tables,...
View ArticleIf chimps become "legal persons" terrorism suspects should too
The good news is that the principle of habeas corpus may soon apply to chimpanzees in the US. The bad news is it still won't apply to humans suspected of terrorism. If the Nonhuman Rights Project wins...
View ArticleLebanon: the country that can't keep out of Syria's war
As the conflict drags on in Syria the tensions are felt strongly in Lebanon, which is hosting almost one million refugees.Lebanon’s 70th-birthday celebrations on 22 November were overshadowed by fears...
View ArticleAn Israeli–Saudi alliance? It could only happen in the Middle East
Strange alliances in tumultuous times. A little bit of history has just been made. On 24 November, Iran and the P5+1 (the five UN Security Council powers and Germany) struck a deal with Iran over its...
View ArticleThe Azerbaijan that you are allowed to see
As the Black City district is being redeveloped and renamed White City, contrasts between past and present in this oil–rich country could hardly be clearer.30 miles off the coast of Azerbaijan lies Oil...
View ArticleMandela's right–hand man and prison mate on his “elder brother and mentor”
Ahmed Kathrada went to jail with Nelson Mandela, and in Mandela's later years sometimes acted as his spokesperson. I met Ahmed Kathrada on a chilly autumn day in 2010. A book of Nelson Mandela’s...
View ArticleMandela will never, ever be your minstrel
"Mandela did what he felt he had to do and given the current economic inequality in South Africa he might even have died thinking he didn’t do nearly enough of it."Dear revisionists, Mandela will...
View ArticleWhy it’s misguided to treat the eurozone crisis as a morality tale about...
As southern European countries rack up record debts, Helmut Kohl has told friends “Merkel is destroying my Europe”.On 1 December, a 13-year-old girl died after inhaling carbon monoxide fumes in the...
View ArticleWhy the UK needs to help deliver on women’s rights in Afghanistan
Caroline Wright tells the story of a fellow gynaecologist, “Dr D”, an Afghan health professional who has experienced death threats and attacks on her family in Afghanistan.When I was asked if I wanted...
View ArticleWhy Mandela’s Communist Party membership is important
As we mourn Mandela's death we should not forget and acknowledge the role that communists played in befriending and influencing this great man.On the day of Nelson Mandela’s death the South African...
View ArticleFull text: Barack Obama's tribute at Nelson Mandela memorial
"We will never see the likes of Nelson Mandela again. But let me say to the young people of Africa, and young people around the world - you can make his life’s work your own."To Graça Machel and the...
View ArticleHow Lufsig the cuddly wolf became a Hong Kong protest symbol
A short lesson in the art of mistranslating names into Chinese.The stuffed toy wolf called Lufsig sold by Ikea was simply intended as a children’s toy – but since two protesters threw the toy at Hong...
View ArticleWho will care for Alzheimer's sufferers in low income countries?
In 2050, 71 per cent of Alzheimer's patients will be in low to middle income countries. Will they be able to access medical care?The G8 summit in London yesterday, which pledged to develop a cure or...
View ArticleBritain should “hang its head in shame” over Syrian refugee crisis
Amnesty International condemns Europe's failure to resettle Syrian refugees.As winter settles in, the dangers faced by Syrian refugees will increase – many lack adequate shelter, fuel, food or...
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Why India is sitting on a social time-bomb of violence against women
There are 37 million more men than women in India, and most of them are of marriageable age given the relatively young population. A social time-bomb is now setting off there with terrifying...
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