Discovering the Divine on a Deserted Island: The Fantastic Story of Hayy ibn Yaqdhan By: Akbar Ahmed on August 25, 2020The story of Hayy ibn Yaqdhan is as unlikely as is its impact on the world centuries after it was written. The twelfth century novel was written by Abu Bakr Ibn Tufail, advisor to the ruler in Marrakesh, whose kingdom then included Andalusia, Tufail’s native land. The anthropomorphic and philosophic novel tells the story of […]
Childhood packed in a rucksack: young refugees at risk in the Balkans By: Agencies on August 25, 2020A group of boys sit on a sunny patch of grass in a park in downtown Belgrade, but they are not here for a picnic. They are “unaccompanied minors” — the official name for the most vulnerable category of migrants who travel thousands of miles without adult supervision — and they came to meet a […]
Gold-hunting diggers destroy Sudan’s priceless past By: Agencies on August 25, 2020When a team of archaeologists deep in the deserts of Sudan arrived at the ancient site of Jabal Maragha last month, they thought they were lost. The site had vanished. But they hadn’t made a mistake. In fact, gold-hunters with giant diggers had destroyed almost all sign of the two millenia-old site. “They had only […]
12 days for assault: Fury at weak penalties for attacks on women By: Agencies on August 25, 2020Sexual harassment and assaults against women are not being taken seriously enough in Singapore, activists warn, after students at elite universities were given punishments criticised as too lenient for their crimes. In the most recent incident, a 23-year-old spent just 12 days behind bars after he tried to strangle his ex-girlfriend during a vicious assault. […]
After Beirut blast, foreign workers beg to go home By: Agencies on August 25, 2020After struggling first through Lebanon’s economic crisis and then the coronavirus pandemic, Ethiopian worker Tarik Kebeda said the deadly blast that ripped through her Beirut home was the final straw. Inside the small house she shares with four friends, she pointed to the window frames covered by sheets, because the glass was smashed out by […]
Cyprus denies new allegations in “golden passport” scheme By: Agencies on August 25, 2020Cyprus on Sunday denied fresh allegations that it was granting citizenship to foreigners accused of crimes in exchange for millions in investments, insisting that all those who received a passport met all criteria in place at the time. The Cypriot parliament last month beefed up the eligibility criteria for the so-called “golden passport” investment program, […]
Tauqeer Chughtai — a poet, story writer and a journalist of calibre By: Amjad Parvez on August 24, 2020Prolific Punjabi writer, poet, journalist and activist Muhammad Mushtaq’s pen name is Tauqeer Chughtai. He was born in village Boota, District Attock, Punjab on May 13, 1961. He is Masters is Mass Communications from Federal Urdu University, Karachi. He works as Copy Editor Packages, Samaa TV Channel and has written more than 1000 episodes of […]
Flipping lives of two generations By: Professor Dr Zia Ahmed on August 24, 2020Flipping is a South Korean novel by Eichin Chan-Lim published at Dog Ear Publishing. The story is divided into Three Parts, whereas Part 1 is mainly concerned with Jonsun with whom the story begins and part 2 is about the life of Elliana who has to undergo tragedies even when she has a happy prosperous […]
Google Maps update makes it look more like the real world with added detail on pavements on August 24, 2020Google has rolled out a worldwide update of its popular maps app to give terrain a ‘more vibrant’, detailed and colourful appearance. The visual makeover adds greater detail and makes natural features easier to see, such as beaches, deserts, lakes or snow caps on the peaks of mountaintops. The updates give Google ‘one of the […]
A hole new world: Japan city lights up sewer covers By: Agencies on August 23, 2020The humble manhole cover might not seem like much of a blank canvas, but one Japanese city is reimagining the possibilities with illuminated versions featuring anime characters. Tokorozawa, near Tokyo, is hoping the unusual additions will attract visitors, including enthusiasts of the painted decorated manhole covers that adorn some of Japan’s streets. “They’re Japan’s first […]