Ghana: Free cash at Otabil’s church
Manna literally fell for needy members of the Christ Temple (Abossey Okai, branch) of the International Central Gospel Church in Accra on Tuesday, October 29, when the Head Pastor, Dr Mensah Otabil invited genuinely broke congregants to pick money from the offering baskets to meet their financial needs.
His invitation attracted a loud roar from the members of the congregation, who were pleasantly surprised by the unusual gesture of their leader. ...
Graphic Online
New Zealand: Navy rule change embraces Movember
Lieutenant Commander Mike Peebles made naval history yesterday, becoming the first officer to be shaved in preparation for growing a moustache for Movember.
Until this year, Royal New Zealand Navy rules prevented sailors from growing a mo, for safety reasons, following tradition and British Royal Navy regulations.
“Queen Victoria had the opinion that she didn’t want sailors to injure themselves at sea spending time styling their facial hair with a razor on a rocking ship,” said spokeswoman Victoria Rendall.
However, the Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Jack Steer, decided to ditch tradition and gave the go ahead for all male navy personnel to grow a mo for Movember. ...
New Zealand Herald
Germany: Bulgarian police patrol German streets
For years economic refugees from Bulgaria caused problems for Dortmund’s police. Now Bulgarian police helps Dortmund to solve the problems.
“I recognized some faces,” said Atanas Georgiev from Plovdiv’s police directorate. For two weeks he and Dimitar Dimitrov, his colleague from Sofia, have been visiting Dortmund. For 15 years the superintendent has been working on petty crime in Bulgaria, mostly in the streets of Stolipinovo, the Roma quarter of Plovdiv. In Dortmund he finds many similarities to his work in Plovdiv. “There are differences in the surroundings but the situation is nearly the same as in Plovdiv’s Roma quarters,” said Georgiev. …
Deutsche Welle
Indonesia: President plays key role in promoting the use of Indonesian
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono should avoid inserting English words and phrases into his speeches as he holds the key to encouraging the public to speak good Bahasa Indonesia, linguists said.
During the closing ceremony of the 10th Bahasa Indonesia Congress, linguists issued 33 recommendations for the government including advising state officials to obey Law No. 24/2009 and Presidential Regulation No. 16/2010, both of which stipulate that Indonesian is compulsory for the president, vice president and other state officials in official speeches.
Yudhoyono has often been criticized for using English terminology in his speeches at various national and international events, including at the Independence Day commemoration. ...
Jakarta Post
India: Tourists invited to live like Mahatma Gandhi in his ashram
Tourists searching for peace and simplicity can for the first time check in to Mahatma Gandhi’s most famous ashram in India. But don’t expect modern comforts. And chastity is required.
For 1,000 rupees ($16) a night, tourists can sample the lifestyle of India’s famously ascetic independence leader by staying at the first ashram he established in 1915 in Gujarat.
Guests at the ashram, which opened to holidaymakers earlier this month, can try their hand at spinning, visit local communities, pray and meditate, all while wearing khadi -- hand-woven cloth -- during their stay. ...
AFP via NDTV
Italy: Mafia boss’ daughter turns informant
The daughter of a Mafia boss jailed for life for the 1982 Palermo murder of Carabinieri General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa has turned State’s evidence, police said Friday.
Police said Giovanna Galatolo, who does not have a criminal record, would be able to provide valuable information on her father Vincenzo’s control of Mob activities in the Sicilian capital’s port in the 1970s and 1980s. ...
ANSA
Estonia: Wonders of Ancient Salme Boat Burial Continue to Fascinate Researchers
Over the past five years, the remains of the two ancient sea vessels discovered in the Saaremaa town of Salme have continued to keep researchers busy, with the biggest mystery still unsolved: who were the 41 warriors buried there?
“It’s a ship burial of a completely different character from anything that we have seen earlier, so it’s not only unique in relation to Norway, it’s unique in relation to all of Northern Europe,” Oslo University professor Jan Bill told ETV yesterday at a Kuressaare conference dedicated to the dig.
Archaeologists have recovered 40 swords, as well as spearheads, arrowheads, daggers and even 250 board game pieces at the site. But it’s still not clear where the warriors who died some 1,300 years ago were from. ...
EER
