In the late 19th Century a group of German Christians called the Templers settled in the Holy Land on a religious mission. What began with success though ended three generations later, destroyed by the rise of Nazism and the war. Kurt Eppinger’s community of German Christians arrived in the Holy Land to carry out a messianic plan – but after less than a century its members were sent into exile, […]
Scientists believe they are closer to understanding why a common virus infecting cats can turn deadly. The virus, a distant relative of Mers and Sars coronaviruses, usually causes mild illness but in some cats the infection can be fatal. The new findings show that severe disease is associated with mutations in one of the viral proteins. Details of the work have been published in the journal Emerging infectious Diseases. The […]
Six women attempted to climb one of Europe’s tallest buildings Thursday to rally against Shell’s Arctic drilling plan. The women from environmental group Greenpeace said they dodged security guards around the London landmark and once on top, they planned to “to hang a huge work of art that captures the beauty” of the Arctic. “They expect the grueling project to take most of the day,” the environmental group, Greenpeace said […]
It has taken centuries for scientists to settle on a creation story for our moon, the most popular of which is depicted on the July cover of National Geographic magazine. But as I learned at a recent lunch with Erik Asphaug, a planetary scientist at Arizona State University, the debate is still far from finished. Before the giant impact model gained traction nearly four decades ago, three other models were […]
Indian lawmakers convicted of serious crimes will be removed from office under a landmark Supreme Court ruling. Federal and state assembly members would be barred from elections if found guilty of offences carrying a jail term of at least two years, judges said. Campaigners called it a major step in cleaning up Indian politics, which has been beset by corruption scandals. More than 150 MPs in the 543-seat lower house […]
Fewer babies have been born in Europe since the start of the financial crisis in 2008, a new study shows. The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany found that the birth rate in 28 European countries dropped as unemployment rose. People under 25 have been particularly affected, along with those living in southern European countries like Spain. The relationship between the economy and fertility has long been discussed, […]
A landslide has buried between 30 and 40 people in China’s Sichuan province following heavy rain, state media say. Rescue workers with search dogs are at the scene in the city of Djiangyan, Xinhua news agency reports. On Tuesday a bridge collapsed in the nearby city of Jiangyou, leaving at least 12 people missing. Days of heavy rain and floods have damaged hundreds of homes and forced the evacuation of […]
Some of the largest economies in Asia have seen big movements in the value of their currencies in recent months. Other than domestic factors, the potential tapering off of the US Federal Reserve’s cheap cash injections is partly responsible for the volatility. The US central bank’s moves had allowed billions of dollars of inflows into emerging economies, and now that money is leaving and it is having an impact on […]
An Italian judge has ordered 49 suspected Latin American gang members to stand trial for allegedly using dogs to smuggle cocaine into the country. A vet in Mexico forced large dogs to swallow drug packages before they were flown into Milan, police say. On arrival, they were killed and dismembered to retrieve the cocaine in a case which has outraged animal rights activists. The Ecuadorean, Peruvian and Salvadoran nationals will […]
British pop king Elton John has cancelled the rest of his European tour after he was struck down with appendicitis, his spokesman said on Tuesday. The flamboyant 66-year-old was due to headline at the British Summer Time festival on Friday night, but his doctors have advised him to cancel all shows in his current tour, which includes dates in France, Germany, Italy and Spain. “Elton is currently undergoing a course […]
