HPIBERN, SWITZERLAND, July 9, 2003: When a father tried to take his estranged wife’s partner to court for hitting and kicking his children, the case was rejected, and the court pronounced that the mother’s partner (that is, her new boyfriend) has the right to punish her children. On appeal, the initial ruling was overturned and it was deemed that “the…
SourceBRIENZ, SWITZERLAND, July 14, 2003: Swiss dairy farmer Paul Wyler is offering his cows for rent on the Internet, with all the cheese they produce going to the “owner.” “We have already had dozens of inquiries from people who want to rent one of our cows,” Wyler said. Cows cost US$276 for the summer. Wyler looks after the animals and…
SourceLONDON, ENGLAND, July 15, 2003: British Immigration and Customs officials have launched a campaign to preempt people from bringing in food and other edible items into Britain. They have said that European Union rules have become very stringent, particularly after SARS. Sources at the High Commission said that the customs at Heathrow airport, where all flights from India land, are…
Hindustan TimesNEW DELHI, INDIA, July 5, 2003: Union Minister for Science and Technology, Murli Manohar Joshi, has appealed to the populace and in particular to allopathic physicians, not to “belittle” ayurveda. Joshi says, “It is the oldest system of medicine, and I fail to understand why they call it an alternative system of medicine. Ayurveda has been practiced by our…
Jakarta PostJAKARTA, INDONESIA, July 10, 2003: Ketut Budiana, Bali’s most creative “post-traditional” artist, was guest of honor at Tokyo Station Gallery, where he held a retrospective exhibition from June 14-21, 2003. A low-profile artist, Budiana is little known in the Indonesian art world beyond a small circle of local and foreign initiates. Budiana’s works are often described as dark canvases…
SourceAMARNATH, JAMMU & KASHMIR, July 12, 2003: Amidst chants of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Jai Bholanath” the first devotees on the annual Amarnath pilgrimage paid obeisance at the holy ice Siva Lingam at the cave shrine. “For me there is no emotion parallel to the darshan of the ice Lingam, it gives a feeling of being one with God. That…
SourceDURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, July 6, 2003: The South African Hindu Maha Sabha recently discovered that Beacon Sweets, a sweets manufacturer owned by Tiger Brands, uses bovine gelatin in many of its products. It has alarmed the community as cows are sacred to Hindus. Rugbeer Kallideen, secretary of the Maha Sabha says, “We received complaints from members of the Hindu community…
SourceCOLOMBO, SRI LANKA, JULY 11, 2003: The Sri Lankan Government has decided to grant citizenship to 168,141 people of Indian origin who had opted, but failed to return to their native country. Officials said the Cabinet approved a plan to grant citizenship to 84,141 people who had obtained Indian passports to return home, but could not travel for various reasons…
SourceSIEM REAP, CAMBODIA, July 12, 2003: A year ago, tourist buses jammed the parking lots around the ancient temples of Angkor. Trash piled up and exhaust fumes from taxis colored the air a hazy blue. These architectural wonders were in danger of being overrun — not by the surrounding jungles, but by hordes of travelers. “The serenity of one’s visit…
The StarKUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA, July 6, 2003: Misusing his sacred position, a priest serving in an Amman temple in Malaysia has been accused of knowingly deceiving devotees into giving him money and jewelry in exchange for communicating with dead relatives. He then allegedly proceeded to enact bogus encounters with living relatives and the deceased and often conned survivors into giving…