India

In the southern Indian city of Chennai, the pigeon racing season is reaching its climax. For pigeon keepers – or fanciers as they are known – it is a very important time of year. The wings of thousands of pigeons are routinely tested, the birds are watered and fed nutritious meals at regular intervals and much ground-work is laid for a race taking place in the skies. … [Read more...] about Pigeon racing season reaches a high point in India

"I have to get back home as quickly as possible. I don't know how my wife and baby are coping. Every time I speak to my wife she cries and wants me back. I am so worried, no one is there to look after them and feed them," he tells Sky News, his eyes filling with tears. … [Read more...] about Coronavirus: India’s workforce left stranded miles from home after lockdown

The Rana Plaza tragedy prompted safety checks that led to many factory closures and the loss of exports and jobs, but the industry had begun to recover strongly despite sporadic attacks in Bangladesh claimed by Islamic State and al-Qaida. These have included murders of liberals, gay people, foreigners and members of religious minorities. … [Read more...] about Rana Plaza collapse: 38 charged with murder over garment factory disaster

Tree's motivation appears to be neither opportunistic nor self-serving. She sits in the sunny, peaceful front room of the house where she lives with her second husband, and speaks knowledgeably about the issues. There are pictures of the Dalai Lama on shelves; several Buddhas silently watch over us. She drinks tea from a 'Free Tibet' mug. For some years now she has been a practising Buddhist, which entails daily meditation and study. In the mid-Eighties, at a low point in her personal life, almost undone by anxiety, she found herself in the front row of an event with the Dalai Lama. Along with many others, he briefly shook hands with her at the end. It would turn out to be the beginning of a new phase for Penelope Tree: over the next few years, life began to make a little more sense. … [Read more...] about ‘People thought I was a freak. I kind of liked that’

International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways, has grounded 75% of its aircraft. More than 327 airliners belonging to the group have been parked in storage without a single flight for the past seven days, according to aviation analytics company Cirium. … [Read more...] about Coronavirus: More than 90% of UK airliners grounded as travel demand plummets