Nova Scotia Scott

Robots demonstrate their pole-dancing skills at the Kinetica Art Fair in London. Source: BBC Day in Pictures Joe Walker has another odd BBC photo.

About a month ago, a charming young woman named Cerrie Burnell (at right) became a presenter (host) on the BBC children’s TV show CBeebies. She has proved a very controversial choice, for the BBC soon received complaints from parents that Ms Burnell was scaring their toddlers. How exactly does she scare children? It’s her appearance: [...]

A courageous Turkish father has sued the Education Ministry for inciting racial hatred after his 11-year-old daughter watched a film disputing claims that Ottoman Turkey committed genocide against its Armenian citizens in 1915. The film, shown in schools across the country, presents brutally graphic images and alleges that Armenians carried out atrocities against Turks. The [...]

A new study has found that the probability of teenage motherhood is related to mandatory educational attainment. The longer students are required to stay in school, the lower the incidence of teenage child-bearing. More compulsory schooling results in fewer teenage pregnancies. This is shown in a major survey carried out recently at the Norwegian School [...]

The latest issue of Relevant magazine carries a fascinating story on Mickey Rourke, who has won several awards for his role as Randy “Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler. As a child, Rourke attended the Catholic Church until his parents split when he was six. At 17, he returned to the church but, although he often [...]

The president of Tajikistan presumes to give Muslim clerics pointers in good grooming.  Among his sartorial tips: Dress “appropriately”; wear a suit and tie; and, by all means, wash and trim those mangy beards. Speaking at a conference in Dushanbe on February 26 attended by religious leaders and scholars, President Emomali Rahmon said religious figures [...]