A research team has discovered that the mysterious heads on Easter Island have full bodies, extending down many, many feet into the ground of the island. The Easter Island Statue Project (EISP) has been carefully excavating two of 1,000-plus statues on the islands – doing their best to uncover the secrets of the mysterious stones, and the people who built them. Project director Jo Anne Van…
The Duchess of Cambridge wore what she had assumed was a traditional national dress to an event celebrating Solomon Islands’ culture…only to later discover that the dress was actually from the Cook Islands, some 3,000 miles away. Kate and William were meant to have dressed as Solomon Islanders to the party in the capital of Honiara on 16 September, part of their Diamond Jubilee tour o…
…ago consists of five islands and three reefs • Japan, China and Taiwan claim them; they are controlled by Japan and form part of Okinawa prefecture • The Japanese government signed a deal in September 2012 to purchase three islands from Japanese businessman Kunioki Kurihara, who used to rent them out to the Japanese state • The islands were the focus of a major diplomatic row between Japan and Chi…
…gzhou, demonstrators gathered near the Japanese consulate calling on Tokyo to quit the islands. In Shanghai, protesters held a banner reading “down with Japanese imperialism”. An estimated 200 demonstrators also marched through central Hong Kong to the Japanese consulate chanting anti-Japanese slogans, broadcaster RTHK reported. In the south-western city of Chengdu, protests shut down…
Japan has accused China of violating its airspace for the first time after a Chinese government plane flew near disputed East China Sea islands. Fighter jets were scrambled after the plane was seen around 11:00 local time near one of the islands, spokesman Osamu Fujimura said. Japan lodged an immediate protest with Beijing, he said. The islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, have…
Argentina’s President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has called on the UK government to hand over the Falkland Islands, in an open letter printed in British newspapers. President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner urges British Prime Minister David Cameron to abide by a 1965 UN resolution to “negotiate a solution” over the islands. The letter says they were forcibly stripped from Ar…
…p in China’s battle to demonstrate that the potentially oil-rich area is Chinese. Xinhua quoted the Haihang Group ship company as saying that a 47,000-tonne ship, capable of accommodating nearly 2,000 passengers, was ready to sail and that another was being built. The first tours would take place ahead of the May Day holiday, said Tan Li, the executive vice governor of Hainan province, just…
Japanese politicians have set sail for a group of disputed islands, in the teeth of protests by China which claims them for its own. A flotilla of some 20 Japanese boats set out for the Senkaku (Chinese: Diaoyu) islands and is expected to anchor off them early on Sunday. The politicians plan to commemorate Japanese dead in World War II, when Japan occupied eastern China. But Japan’s governm…
…llies in Chinese cities. Chinese indignation grew recently when nationalist politicians from Japan visited disputed islands to commemorate the Japanese dead of WWII Japan’s coast guard reported 20 Chinese marine surveillance ships in the vicinity of the islands last week. They confirmed to Kyodo news agency on Sunday that the last such vessel had left. The cancellation of Thursday’s c…
…ercussions as far as Japan-China relations are concerned. It is important that we avoid misunderstanding and unforeseen problems.” Osamu Fujimura told reporters that the government had set aside 2.05 billion yen ($26 million) to pay for the three islands. Japan said on Monday that it was buying the islands to promote their stable and peaceful management – a move that followed a bid by…
Japan’s government has reached a deal to buy disputed islands in the East China Sea from their private owner, local media reports. The government will pay 2.05 billion yen ($26 million) to buy islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. There was no confirmation from officials, but the reports were carried by major Japanese media outlets, citing government sources. The outspoken Tokyo…
– called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. The Japanese coast guard said it was the highest number of Chinese boats in the area since Tokyo nationalized part of the island chain in September 2012. China said its ships had been monitoring Japanese vessels. The State Oceanic Administration issued a statement saying three of its ships had “found” several Japanese ships around th…
US defence secretary Leon Panetta has warned territorial disputes in East Asia have the potential to become wider conflicts if provocations are not reduced. “A misjudgement on one side or the other could result in violence, and could result in conflict,” Leon Panetta said at the start of an Asian tour. His comments came as anti-Japanese protests continue to sweep China over a disputed…
…nds: • Known as Dokdo (Solitary islands) in Korea, Takeshima (Bamboo islands) in Japan • Also known as Liancourt rocks • Claimed by Japan and South Korea, but occupied by South Korea since 1954 • Just 230,000 sq m in size, with no fresh water • Surrounding waters valuable for their fishing …
…of the islands has been rumbling for years and has flared sporadically. A spokesman from Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration said that 58 fishing vessels arrived in the disputed waters at around 05:00 a.m. local time after setting off from a northern Taiwanese port on Monday afternoon. The fishing boats were accompanied by several Taiwanese coast guard vessels. Japan’s coast guard said…
…horter than usual, which the Vatican said was in line with Pope Francis’ preference for shorter Masses. Pope Francis, formerly Buenos Aires Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio, was elected on March 13, becoming the first non-European pope for almost 1,300 years. He replaced Pope Benedict XVI, who held the office for eight years and became the first pontiff in more than 700 years to resign, sayi…
…ompany went bankrupt in 1992 the hangar fell into disuse. A Malaysian company saw the potential in the hangar, which is the world’s largest freestanding building, and Tropical Islands Resort opened in 2004. The Tropical Islands Resort in Krausnick, Germany, is the world’s largest indoor beach with 400 sunloungers Despite the impressive interior of the hot hangar, visitors reviewing the indoor tro…
Khloe Kardashian has unveiled several candid snaps on her blog of her family celebrating Easter at their Calabasas home. One of Khloe Kardashian’s best shot was the picture of half-sister Kendall Jenner, who looked ultra-cute in a pair of fuzzy bunny ears. Khloe Kardashian has unveiled several candid snaps on her blog of her family celebrating Easter at their Calabasas home The Kardashian-…
…Hudson Valley, still has 650,000 customers without power – and said many of them won’t have electricity restored for another ten days. Two of New Jersey’s largest utility companies reported more than 2million customers still in the dark. What is a nor’easter? The nor’easter is a winter storm conceived by the meeting of cold arctic air with the warmer ocean air from the Gulf Stream. The stor…
…rable Cabbage Patch Kid face. Kris Jenner went opposite the pastel path for her Easter best, opting for a bright pink dress with a voluminous yet short skirt and a matching cardigan, and Kylie Jenner, 15, matched the others in a little white dress and a grey cardigan wrapped around her shoulders. After the service, Kendall Jenner took to her Keek account to send Easter wishes to her fans….
ion. He also said he had reviewed the Falklands’ military defenses and was prepared to send reinforcements if necessary. Tension over the remote South Atlantic archipelago has been growing since 2010, when British companies began drilling for oil in waters off the Falklands. Argentina has been rallying support for its claim from other Latin American nations, and President Cristina Fernandez…
ers, exports of wild-caught birds are strictly regulated. Using records from importing countries, Traffic investigators calculated that about 54,000 birds were exported from the Solomons in the period 2000-2010. More than 40,000 of these were declared as captive-bred. Most belong to species native to the Solomons, but more than 13,000 came from non-native species, mainly originating in Indonesia a…
McKeeva Bush, Cayman Islands prime minister, has been arrested as part of a corruption investigation, local police say. The charges against McKeeva Bush, 57, include misuse of a government credit card and importing explosive materials. McKeeva Bush had been in power since his United Democratic Party (UDP) won general elections in 2009. The British overseas territory is one of the world’s la…
dia Dining said the Easter eggs were an estimated 1 million on the Scoville scale of “hotness”, based on the values of the three chilies used. A typical vindaloo scores between 100,000 and 200,000 on the scale, he said. He added: “The restaurant has initially made 24 eggs, but will produce more to order if demand is high.” Asad Khan, the restaurant’s owner, said: …
Pope Benedict XVI has delivered his traditional Urbi et Orbi (To the City and the World) Easter message of peace in front of tens of thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. Pope Benedict urged Syria’s government to end the bloody year-long conflict, and spoke of the trouble in Nigeria and Mali. At a Mass on Saturday, the Pope warned that mankind is “groping in the d…
John Lennon guitar sells for $408,000 at Julien's AuctionsA guitar played by John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles has sold for $408,000 at auction. The custom-made instrument, built in 1966 by the VOX company, was bought…
Kim Kardashian finally puts her swollen feet in flatsAfter she raised eyebrows on Thursday as she crammed her swollen feet into Perspex heels, with painful looking results, Kim Kardashian finally seems to be giving her feet a…
Eva Longoria humiliating wardrobe malfunction at Cannes Film FestivalEva Longoria has suffered an extremely embarrassing wardrobe malfunction as she unfortunately revealed far more than she intended to upon screening of Jimmy P. (Psychotherapy…
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart split after cheating scandalRobert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have split after almost four years together, People magazine is reporting. The couple – who reportedly broke up briefly in December…
Eurovision 2013 winner is Denmark's Emmelie de Forest with Only TeardropsDenmark has won 2013 Eurovision Song Contest, held in the Swedish city of Malmo. Danish Emmelie de Forest had been the overwhelming favorite among the 26 entries, with her…
Phil Robertson, Miss Kay and Uncle Si do commercials for Clayton HomesDuck Commander Phil Robertson and his wife Miss Kay, the stars of Duck Dynasty, sliced some sweet potato pie and filled their audience in about Clayton Homes. “What do I…
Yahoo buys Tumblr for $1.1 billion
John Lennon guitar sells for $408,000 at Julien’s Auctions
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev: Nurses who looked after Boston bombing suspect could not stop themselves caring for him
Zahra Shahid Hussain funeral: Murdered PTI’s vice-president buried in Karachi
Madeleine McCann case: British cleaners and Portuguese manual workers among new suspects
Ariel Castro prison activity
Kim Kardashian finally puts her swollen feet in flats
Eva Longoria humiliating wardrobe malfunction at Cannes Film Festival
Imran Khan blames MQM’s Altaf Hussain for Zahra Shahid Hussain’s killing in Karachi
Richard DeCoatsworth: Former police officer once hailed as hero arrested in Port Richmond
Poweball jackpot: One lottery ticket bought in Florida wins its lucky owner $590 million jackpot
Obama administration knew IRS was targeting conservative groups since June 2012
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart split after cheating scandal
EU bans refillable bottles and dipping bowls of olive oil at restaurant tables
Eurovision 2013 winner is Denmark’s Emmelie de Forest with Only Teardrops
Zahra Shahid Hussain shot dead in Karachi
Phil Robertson, Miss Kay and Uncle Si do commercials for Clayton Homes
Manotox: Nip+Fab man only anti-ageing product claims to reduce wrinkles and fine lines without surgery
Eurovision winners over the years. Where are they now?
Mood lipstick: Green lipstick containing Red 27 reacts to your body chemistry to become perfect pink hue
KORA Organics: Miranda Kerr unveils skincare line featuring Noni fruit
Eurovision 2013: 26 countries competing in Malmö Grand Final
Rome: Thousands rally to oppose Italy’s austerity measures
Michelle Obama debuts her new longer hairdo
Ariel Castro’s three dogs found in better health than his victims
Real Housewives of Miami: Adriana de Moura marries Frederic Marq wearing a grey wedding dress
Beyoncé posts defensive note amid pregnancy rumors
US Airways flight makes belly landing at Newark Airport
Rihanna sues Topshop for $5 million over using pictures of her on T-shirts without her permission
Raha Moharrak: First Saudi woman and youngest Arab reaching Everest summit