Rome’s Pantheon may have been built as a massive sundial researchers reveal
But mystery has always surrounded what lies behind the unusual design of the Pantheon, a giant temple in the heart of Rome that was built by the Emperor Hadrian Read more
Author Archives
Hibatur Rehman
Record high radiation at crippled Japan nuke plant
Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said Monday it had monitored record high radiation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crippled by the March 11 quake and tsunami. Read more
China blames deadly Xinjiang attack on separatists
China says Muslim separatists trained in Pakistan were behind an attack which killed six civilians in the western region of Xinjiang on Sunday. In an online statement, the local government said “armed terrorists” stormed a restaurant, killing two, then fatally stabbed four people outside. Read More
China: Unrest in Kashgar, Xinjiang, leaves 15 dead
Weekend unrest in Kashgar, in China’s western Xinjiang region, has left at least 15 people dead, state media say. The violence began on Saturday when two men killed a truck driver, then drove his lorry into pedestrians and attacked them with knives, killing six. One of the attackers also died. […]
NHS delays operations ‘in hope that patients die or go private’
NHS managers are deliberately delaying operations as they wait for patients either to die or go private in order to save money, according to an official report. Health service trusts are “imposing pain and inconvenience” by making patients wait longer than necessary, in some cases as long as four […]
‘Africa can feed the world’
The president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development claims that, by focusing on farming, Africa has the potential to feed not only itself but the rest of the world.frequent drought. Africa can feed not just itself but the world is a bold assertion to make at a time when […]
UK expels Gaddafi diplomats and recognises Libya rebels
William Hague has said the UK will recognise the Libyan rebel council as the “sole governmental authority”, as Gaddafi-regime diplomats are expelled. The Libyan charge d’affaires was called to the Foreign Office earlier to be told he and other diplomats must leave. Instead the UK will ask the National Transitional […]
Hague ‘outrage’ at Lockerbie bomber’s TV appearance
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has said a TV appearance by the Lockerbie bomber will intensify the “anger and outrage” at his release from jail. Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was at a rally broadcast by Libyan state television. Mr Hague said it was “a further reminder that a great mistake was made” […]
Irish PM slams Vatican ‘dysfunction’ on child abuse
Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny launched a blistering attack on the Vatican on Wednesday, accusing it of “dysfunction, disconnection and elitism” in its failure to tackle clerical child sex abuse. His hard-hitting comments came in a parliamentary debate on a report last week which accused the Roman Catholic Church of […]
Muslim-majority Malaysia and Vatican establish diplomatic relations
The Vatican and Malaysia established diplomatic relations on Monday in the wake of tensions between Muslims and religious minorities in the Southeast Asian nation. The Vatican announced the agreement after Pope Benedict XVI met with Malaysia’s prime minister, only the second meeting between a government chief from the Southeast Asian […]
Mumbai bomb blasts: Pakistan braced for blame game
As graphic pictures were broadcast on television of mangled bodies strewn across roads, commentators were quick to blame militant groups with ties to Pakistan’s intelligence services, particularly the army’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The claims resonated in a city regularly traumatised by rush-hour attacks. The principal suspect in Wednesday’s bombings, Lashkar e-Taiba (LeT) […]
Ageing Church of England ‘will be dead in 20 years’
The average age of its members is now 61 and by 2020 a “crisis” of “natural wastage” will lead to their numbers falling “through the floor”, the Church’s national assembly was told. The Church was compared to a company “impeccably” managing itself into failure, during exchanges at the General Synod […]
Cameron: Future role possible for Taliban
British Prime Minister David Cameron has said that Afghanistan’s Taliban – currently fighting against British troops and other international coalition forces – could play a future role in the government of the country. Western leaders have previously said they are negotiating with the Taliban in an attempt to forge a […]
How religion has clashed with secular society
Ten examples of how religion has come into conflict with the rules of secular society. 1. ‘Anti-gay’ Christian couple banned from being foster parents 2. Nurse suspended for offering to pray for a patient’s recovery 3. Schoolgirl suspended for wearing crucifix 4. Sikh schoolboy sent home for carrying ceremonial dagger […]
Church services need to be shorter, says bishop
A senior bishop has urged churches to slash the length of services to encourage people to worship more. With most people torn between using Sunday mornings to go shopping or lie in bed, the prospect of spending 90 minutes in church has an increasingly limited appeal. There is a simple […]
Indian guru’s hoarded riches raise doubts over charitable works
Thousands of followers around the world believed the Indian guru Sai Baba was a god, but since his death it has emerged that the fortunes people donated to him were not all invested in good works. The Indian guru Sai Baba’s life seemed to have it all: sex, money and […]
Islam’s Understanding Of Hell
The following article was published in HuffPostReligion by Faheem Younus: Southern Baptists should be commended for their actions on June 15. No, not for passing a resolution to support their belief in an “eternal, conscious punishment” (or hell) for non-Christians; they were dead wrong in understanding Jesus’ teachings there. But […]
Bank chief warns of wave of home repossessions if rates rise
Britain is facing a tsunami of house repossessions as soon as interest rates start to rise, one of the country’s leading bankers has warned. Richard Banks, the chief executive of UK Asset Resolution (UKAR), the body that runs the £80bn of mortgages bailed out by the taxpayer during the banking […]
Future RAF missions under threat if Libya intervention continues
Air Chief Marshal Sir Simon Bryant has told MPs that intense air operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East are placing a “huge” demand on equipment and personnel. In a briefing paper delivered to senior politicians and obtained by The Daily Telegraph, the RAF’s second in command said morale among […]
Church of England to approve first openly gay bishop
The Church will publish legal advice on Monday that says that homosexual clergy in civil partnerships can become bishops – as long as they remain celibate. The legal guidance makes clear that it would be wrong for a cleric’s sexual orientation to be taken into account when considering their suitability […]