Brazil milks deadly snakes for their life-saving venomBy: Agencies on December 10, 2019Gripping the deadly snake behind its jaws, Fabiola de Souza massages its venom glands to squeeze out drops that will save lives around Brazil where thousands of people are bitten every year. De Souza and her colleagues at the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo harvest the toxin from hundreds of snakes kept in captivity to […]
Backstory: As a riot rages, a smartly-dressed Chilean sips his sodaBy: Agencies on December 10, 2019Wearing dark glasses, a suit and tie and sipping on a soda, the smartly-dressed Chilean standing on a Santiago boulevard looks surprisingly nonchalant about the tumult around him, with riot police chasing down masked protesters. Chile’s protests began in October over a hike in metro fares but quickly unraveled into sometimes violent riots, looting, and […]
Eritrean artists profit from peace to make their mark on EthiopiaBy: Agencies on December 10, 2019When Eritrean painter Noah Mulubrhan crossed into Ethiopia last year, he had little desire to stay — and even less of an expectation that the move would be a boon to his career. The 35-year-old was taking advantage of the sudden rapprochement between the two countries to visit the grave of his long-dead father in […]
Christmas in Iceland means a ‘flood’ of books under the treeBy: Agencies on December 10, 2019Since the end of WWII, Icelanders have celebrated the Jolabokaflod, or Christmas Book Flood, exchanging books as presents and reading on Christmas Eve. In the land of the Sagas, it isn’t Christmas if there isn’t a deluge of books under the tree — literally. The Jolabokaflod, or Christmas Book Flood, is a much-loved tradition that […]
Peter Handke: Iconoclastic and divisive Nobel winnerBy: Agencies on December 10, 2019Austrian Peter Handke, considered one of the most original German-language writers alive, has seen his career crowned with a Nobel Prize — but the accolade was overshadowed by controversy over his outspoken support for the Serbs during the conflicts that ravaged the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. Handke has always had a reputation for speaking […]
US athlete who inspired ‘ice bucket challenge’ dies at 34By: Agencies on December 10, 2019A former US college baseball player who helped inspire the global phenomenon known as the “ice bucket challenge” to tackle a deadly neurodegenerative disease has died at the age of 34, his family said Monday. A one-time college athlete from the Boston area, Pete Frates’ struggle with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, was […]
Kartarpur Corridor — new era of Indo-Pak relationsBy: Chanchal Singh Chowdhry on December 10, 2019Sikhs all over the world are indebted to Pakistan for their generosity and goodwill in providing Sikhs with uninterrupted access to their holy shrine in the Kartarpur Corridor. Sikhs have campaigned for over seven decades to access their historical Gurudwaras in Pakistan. At the opening ceremony of the Corridor, Prime Minister Imran Khan acknowledged that […]
Elm trees are making a comeback in Britain thanks to the development of new breeds on December 10, 2019Elm trees could make a comeback after dying in their millions during the 1970s when they were ravaged by disease. Varieties that are more resistant to Dutch elm disease have been identified and could be used to repopulate the country. The Future Trees Trust has found mature specimens around the country that have successfully resisted […]
Keep your digestion healthy during the wedding season with these foods on December 10, 2019The shaadi season is on in full swing, and with it also comes the most common issue that people tend to experience – digestive troubles. Indulging in fried and oily food and drinks is part of the wedding festivities, which can seriously affect one’s digestion. A bloated abdomen can make you feel uncomfortable and conscious, […]
The epitome of Arctic cool — discovering Svalbard in Norway on December 10, 2019I am mushing through a polar landscape, led by a fluffy, affectionate canine entourage. The mercury is at a bone-chilling minus 10C, which the guide says is ‘warm’. ‘It was minus 14C yesterday,’ he trills. It may be morning but the Norwegian landscape exudes a bluish tinge and a pink moon hangs low in the […]