Offbeat

Chakwal (Pakistani Punjab) January 11 (Dawn): Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said here on Wednesday , that the day is not far when Pakistan will be recognized as a "minorities-friendly country" and that his government is taking steps to improve the lives of under-represented religious groups. The Premier said his government, through its actions, promotes the belief that 'to each...

By Jon Boone/The Guardian In a country increasingly riven by extremism, Abdul Sattar Edhi, the founder of a vast public welfare organization that spans Pakistan, was a symbol of the country’s shriveled secular tradition. Edhi, who died in July last year aged 90, never turned anyone away from his hospitals, homeless shelters, rehab centers and orphanages. His determination to ignore considerations...

Islamabad ,December 25 (Dawn): Minister for Railways Khuwaja Saad Rafique last Thursday inaugurated a special purpose 'Xmas Peace Train' ahead of Christmas festivities in the country highlighting the multi-religious and multi-cultural character of the country. The minister, while addressing the inauguration ceremony, hailed the role of minority groups, especially Christians, in the development and prosperity of Pakistan. "The white color...

Colombo, December 24 (NIA): Due to a shortage of time, Sri Lanka’s ambitious project to erect a 325 ft tall Christmas tree had to be modified to erect a 220 ft tree .But still it is the world’s tallest artificial Christmas tree to date. Currently, the record for the world’s tallest artificial Christmas tree is held by a Chinese firm...

Bhubaneswar, August 28 (PTI): A male nurse was sacked from the Kalahandi district headquarters hospital in the Indian state of Odisha on Saturday for not providing a hearse to a tribal man whose wife had died, thus forcing him to take away the body unaided. The man, Dana Majhi, carried the body on his shoulders right through the 10 km...

Amritsar, August 25 (AP): Doctors in Amritsar in the state of Punjab in Northern India have surgically removed 40 knives from the stomach of a man who had swallowed them over the past two months, one of the physicians said today. The 42-year-old man is recovering in a hospital in Punjab state after undergoing surgery Friday in which doctors removed...

Aug 25 - Worst decision ever? If they were handing out prizes, this one might win. A YouTube star thought it wise to make a video of himself bathing in a tub full of hot sauce. Cemre Candar, who loves to 'share his imagination' (that's what his bio says), has earlier had success with his videos showing him swimming in...

Om Astha Rai/Nepali Times Kathmandu, August 23: Man Bahadur Limbu went to Malaysia in 2002, hoping to escape poverty and war. He worked in a factory for four years and was allowed to visit his family only once, in 2004. He endured the burden of the loan, inhuman working conditions and separation from the family. Bahadur, a fifth-grade dropout, ploughed...