Assorted

Muhammad Ali taunted opponents with razor-sharp rhymes, comical one-liners and the type of boxing braggadocio that both endeared him to and angered the masses. Ali was a loudmouth threat to the establishment. He could make heavyweight rivals Joe Frazier, Sonny Liston and George Foreman feel like unwitting participants at their own roast. He was king of the world and a clown prince, who fought for...

Washington, Jun 7: The US today returned to India over 200 stolen cultural artifacts, some dating back 2,000 years, estimated at USD 100 million, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing the cultural heritage as a great binding force in bilateral relationships. "Usually relationship between the countries of the world are very often covered by the present. It is present that plays a big role...

Washington, Jun 4: In a shocking incident in the US, a woman bought a used freezer for USD 30 from her neighbour's garage sale only to discover parts of a dead body inside. The woman, from Goldsboro, North Carolina, was shocked when she looked into the used freezer she bought and found parts of a dead body inside. "My heart was in my throat and I ran outside, called 911," the woman local news...

Bangkok, Jun 1: Thailand may close down its famed Tiger Temple, popular among Indian and foreign tourists, as wildlife officials have started relocating its 137 tigers, mostly Bengal tigers, amid allegations of illegal trafficking and animal mistreatment by temple authorities. In the first batch, more than 100 tigers will be taken away from Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampanno, popularly known as the...

London, May 26: In an incredible ordeal, a 65-year-old grandmother was followed by a huge swarm of bees for more than 24 hours while driving her car home from a nature reserve in the UK, attempting to rescue their queen. Carol Howarth was amazed when a swarm of over 20,000 bees flew down onto her vehicle, covering the back end of the car. The unusual incident happened shortly after she had parked...

Sydney, May 25: Facebook has been forced to backtrack after it banned an Australian ad featuring a bikini-clad plus-sized model promoting positive body image, initially saying the photo's depiction was "undesirable". The social networking giant blocked the ad for Melbourne's "Cherchez La Femme: Feminism and Fat" gathering, saying the image violated its advertising guidelines. When organisers...

May 24: Many people believe that violent acts such as mass shootings may be byproduct of mental illness. However, researchers have found that it can also be due to intense emotional commitment to certain beliefs. The researchers have suggested a new forensic term to classify such non-psychotic behaviours. They call it 'extreme overvalued belief'. They define the term as a belief that is shared by...

I met Sandeep Pandey days after he was sacked from his position as a visiting professor at a prestigious technical institute at Banaras Hindu University. We sat in a dreary guesthouse on the university campus. Pandey had just finished a long train ride. With his wrinkled kurta pajama and rubber slippers, he was every bit the picture of an old-fashioned leftist. That was why he'd been fired....

New York, Feb 1: Search engine giant Google has paid Sanmay Ved, the man who owned Google.com for a minute, $6,006.13 (about Rs 4.07 lakh) and later doubled the amount when he donated his reward to charity. In September last year, the ex-Googler, while searching Google Domains, found that Google.com (domain name) was available for purchase. He bought the domain for $12 and gained access to its...

In the 7th century AD, when dental hygiene was in its infancy, this man, while returning home, would ensure brushing his teeth with meswak, lest bad breath irk his family, particularly the wife and children. Despite having thousands of followers at his beck and call, he helped in household work. And, in an era when women were cursed, he found heaven in the many avatars of mother, daughter and wife...