by Geetha Iyer The evolution of insects About 500 million years ago (MYA), the Earth experienced a remarkable evolutionary event. Called the Cambrian explosion, it resulted in the emergence of a plethora of life forms – some gigantic, others small;…
Category: Life
Botswana decriminalises gay sex in landmark case
By Cara Anna | AP Johennesburg — Botswana became the latest country to decriminalize gay sex on Tuesday, a landmark case for Africa, as the High Court rejected laws punishing it with up to seven years in prison. Jubilant activists in the…
23 million boys married before 15 globally: Unicef
Dhaka, June 8 (UNB)— An estimated 115 million boys and men around the world were married as children, according to the first-ever analysis on child grooms, launched on Friday by the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef). Twenty-three million among them married…
Stressed out? Your dog may feel it too, study suggests
New York, June 7 (AP/UNB) — When dog owners go through a stressful period, they’re not alone in feeling the pressure — their dogs feel it too, a new study suggests. Dog owners experiencing long bouts of stress can transfer…
When to have thyroid test?
The thyroid gland is a butterfly shaped endocrine gland located at the front of the neck below Adam’s apple. It is basically responsible for the secretion of thyroid hormones which regulates body processes such as respiration, body temperature, pulsation, digestion…
Pakistani and Afghan refugees seek safe haven in Sri Lanka
By Caroline Gluck Negombo, Sri Lanka, May 31 2019 (IPS) – Thirteen-year-old Bariea, a Pakistani asylum seeker in Sri Lanka, is taking shelter at a mosque in the city of Negombo, where an uneasy mix of high anxiety and extreme…
How European telcos are monitoring people’s online activity
by Katherine Barnett The security and privacy of personal data are being jeopardised as Deep Packet Inspection is deployed by internet service providers. Europe has not escaped the global move towards ‘surveillance capitalism’. Numerous pieces of legislation are under consideration…
Welcome to GAFA land of tech giants where winner takes all
by Susanne Wixforth Amazon symbolises the four platform giants, also known as GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon). The company is Europe’s largest platform retailer and its turnover is twice as high as that of its 20 largest competitors. While…
Unfit motor Launch back to service makes Eid trips risky
Keraniganj, May 31 (UNB) – Workers of some 30 dockyards in and around Keraniganj are passing a busy period in their respective dockyards in refurbishing the old and unfit launches to earn extra money ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr. One of…
These dangerous aliens are here to stay
By Baher Kamal Madrid, May 29 2019 (IPS) – No, no, no. Nothing to do with what the US and Europe’s far-right fanatics now use to vociferate, saying once and again that “migrants come here to destroy our democracy, our…
PHC is where the battle for human health is won or lost’
Strong primary health care is the frontline in defending the right to health, including sexual and reproductive rights. It’s through strong primary health care that countries can prevent, detect and treat non-communicable diseases, he said. It’s through strong primary health…
Class analyst: Global income inequality
By Chris Wellisz Washington DC, May 24 2019 (IPS) – As a child growing up in Communist Yugoslavia, Branko Milanovic witnessed the protests of 1968, when students occupied the campus of the University of Belgrade and hoisted banners reading “Down…
Solar-powered dug-wells bring hopes to drought-prone BD people
Naogaon, May 26 – The phrase ‘drought-prone region’ to describe a cluster of districts in Bangladesh’s north sounds almost benign, and hardly captures the perpetual hardships of people engaged in a daily battle for water, the other name of life.…
The contribution of humanitarian action to peace
By Peter Maurer Stockholm, May 22, 2019 (IPS) – The connection of humanitarian action to broader objectives like peace, development and human rights is understandably complex, but it is also an area in which some fresh thinking is important. The…
River as a companion: Titash ekti nadir naam – II
May 16, 2019 SANDRP Just as all festivities of a fisherfolk life are connected to the river, their dreams and nightmares are riverine too. “For several days I’ve been noticing something different in the river’s flow pattern-familiar calculation just don’t…
Unlocking the power of women
NEW YORK, May 15 2019 (IPS) – This June, thousands will flock to Vancouver for a global dialogue on how to accelerate progress for girls and women under the banner of power, progress and change. At the Women Deliver 2019 Conference, the…
Mystery of the death of widow, her daughter and son
Dhaka, May 15 – The doctor in charge of conducting post mortem on the three mysterious dead bodies in the capital’s Uttarkhan area said there might be cases of both murder and suicide in the incident. Dr Sohail Mahmud, the…
Titash Ekti Nadir Naam: Epic novel by a fisherman’s son
May 9, 2019 – “Titash is a river’s name. Those living beside the river hardly know the etymological source of its name. They never tried to find out, they never felt any need to. There are rivers with significant names…
Improving the lives of millions of mothers and children
PEMBA, Zambia, Apr 26 2019 (IPS) – It is slightly after 3pm on a hot Wednesday afternoon in Chipata district, eastern Zambia, and a group of women are gathering for a meeting. It is Elizabeth Tembo’s turn to stand amongst the…
People in a Mumbai waste-filled slum barely make it to 40
by Apekshita Varshney • Every day, 9000 metric tonnes of waste goes to the 134-hectare Deonar dumping ground in Mumbai. • The life expectancy of people living around the dumping ground hovers at 39 years, as against an urban life…
Changes in rainfall patterns affecting people’s livelihood
DHAKA, April 17, 2019 (BSS) – Experts here today observed that the rainfall patterns are changing in Bangladesh due to climate change which affecting the country’s agriculture as well livelihood of people. “The rainfall patterns are changing in the country…
Grandma gives birth as surrogate for her son and his husband
Dhaka, April 3 – A 61-year-old woman has given birth to her own granddaughter in the United States after serving as a surrogate for her son and his husband. The woman, Cecile Eledge, from Nebraska, had been through menopause but…
World Bank support to help improve livability in Dhaka
Washington, Mar 31 (UNB)— The World Bank has approved $100.5 million to improve public spaces and urban services in four neighbourhoods under the Dhaka South City Corporation. The Dhaka City Neighborhood Upgrading Project will benefit about a million residents. It…
Technology brings rugged Iditarod race to global audience
Anchorage, Mar 9 (AP/UNB) — Far from competitors tackling the frozen wilderness in Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a dozen people are holed up inside an Anchorage hotel behind banks of computers, tracking the punishing route and connecting with…
Japanese woman honored by Guinness as oldest person at 116
Tokyo, Mar 9 (AP/UNB) — A 116-year-old Japanese woman who loves playing the board game Othello was honored Saturday as the world’s oldest living person by Guinness World Records. The global authority on records officially recognized Kane Tanaka in a…
The future women want: Free of violence
KAMPALA, Mar 6 2019 (IPS) – Bakera excelled in school. As a girl who grew up in a rural, poor community, she had, against all odds, realized her education goals and was elated to go to the capital city, Kampala where…
Fighting destructive dams: Lessons from the masters
“Everybody loves us Lepchas,” said Tseten. He said this was a major reason that the group decided never to add violence in their fight to save the Teesta.
Why West craves materialism & East sticks to religion
ISLAMABAD, Feb 25 2019 (IPS) – My generation grew up at a time when colonial hang up was at its peak. Our older generation had been slaves and had a huge inferiority complex of the British. The school I went to…
Insects decline: What do insects actually do?
Reports show many insect populations are declining. How will that affect us? A recent study found that bees, ants and beetles were disappearing eight time faster than mammals, birds and reptiles. The general insect decline is being caused by intensive…
Plan taken up to preserve historic Suhrawardy Udyan
Dhaka, Feb 17 (UNB) – The government has taken a mega plan over Suhrawardy Udyan to help the posterity know all the historic moments that it witnessed, including the historic March 7, 1971 speech of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu…