Features
In-depth articles engaging with a variety of topics.
Thursday, 11 March 2010 14:23 | and posted in Features
1. 1.4 billion people live on less than 83p a day ($1.25). This means 20% of the global population live in "extreme poverty".
2. 3.14 billion people live on less than £1.67 a day ($2.50). This is equal to 50% of the global population.
3. 5.15 billion people, 80% of the global population, live on less than £6.67 ($10) a day. This means if you your annual income is more than £2,435.44 you are in the world's richest 20%.*
Friday, 22 January 2010 16:26 | and posted in Features
Have you seen the video footage of five year old Kiki being rescued by Haiti firemen after being trapped in an underground chasm for a week? I saw it the other night on the news and the joy Kiki expressed was incredible. He threw his arms and legs out straight much like a crowd-surfer and the smile on his face was contagious.
His story is a tear-wrencher. He was trapped underneath the rubble for seven days with just his older sister Sabrina and younger brother. Sabrina told Sky News: “My little brother died right next to me and his body started to decay.”
Tuesday, 22 December 2009 15:16 | and posted in Features
You can be easily forgiven for thinking that claims about Avatar changing the face of cinema are merely media-hype, but wow, wow, wow is this not an overstatement. Avatar truly is the herald of a new era of cinema! An era where three dimensional movies will become the norm and where, comically, everyone in cinemas will be wearing really uncool black glasses!!
Friday, 05 June 2009 00:00 | and posted in Features
Yesterday marked the 20 year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, when Chinese military opened fire on a group of unarmed students. The protests were sparked by the death of a pro-democracy official Hu Yaobang in April 1989. Groups gathered to mourn his death and demonstrate for the things he had campaigned about - democracy and reform. The protests continued around central China for weeks, culminating in a large gathering of students and like-minded protesters in Tiananmen Square on the 3rd and 4th June.
Friday, 08 May 2009 00:00 | and posted in Features
Now, here's a model of biblical proportions. A retired farmer has spent more than 30 years building an enormous scale model of Herod's temple - and it is still not finished. Alec Garrard, 78, has dedicated a massive 33,000 hours to constructing the ancient temple, which measures a whopping 20ft by 12f. The pensioner has hand-baked and painted every clay brick and tile and even sculpted 4,000 tiny human figures to populate the courtyards.
Friday, 24 April 2009 00:00 | and posted in Features
Do you remember what you were doing when you were 9 or 10 years old? Do you remember the games you played and the toys you played with? Whatever you remember, I'd be willing to bet that the games you played didn't involve being part of an actual war and the toys you played with didn't involve real live AK47 assault rifles. This is the reality for around 30,000 children in Uganda who are unwilling participants in Africa's longest running war.
Thursday, 02 April 2009 00:00 | and posted in Features
Most of the world's eyes will be on London today as it hosts the G20 summit. Estimated to cost around £19 million, the G20 will see world leaders meet together to rethink and redesign finances in light of the credit crisis that is gripping the world. The G20 is made up of the richest industrial nations on the planet, plus emerging economies such as Brazil. These 19 nations plus representatives of the EU, are accountable for around 85% of the world's wealth.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008 00:00 | and posted in Features
Wednesday, 10 December 2008 was Human Rights Day and also the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (or UDHR for short). The UDHR was born out of the ashes of the Second World War and was ratified (approved) on 10 December 1948 by the United Nations. It is made up of 30 articles advocating basic human rights such as freedom, liberty, freedom of opinion, and the right not to be tortured or to be subjected to cruel or inhumane treatment.
Friday, 14 November 2008 00:00 | and posted in Features
On Tuesday in Burma 14 pro-democracy activists were jailed for 65 years each. The breathtakingly severe sentences were passed down behind closed doors, with no defence lawyers or family allowed at the trial. They will live out their remaining years in prison. On Monday a 28 year old blogger was given 20 years imprisonment.
Tuesday, 11 November 2008 00:00 | and posted in Features
As I reflect this morning on Remembrance Day I am struck by the thought that there is probably no city, town or village in Britain that does not contain a memorial to the men who died during the First World War. These memorials stand as a testimony as to how hardly a family went untouched by the tragedies and sacrifices of WW1.