News

1st NEWS

Climate change: China official warns of 'huge impact'

Climate change: China official warns of 'huge impact'

Climate change could have a "huge impact"

on China;

Reducing crop yields and harming

the environment,

Serious threat to big infrastructure projects,

Climate change and climate disasters,

Climate change: China official warns of 'huge impact'

Temperature rises in China were already

higher than global averages,

Emissions of gases that cause climate

change will peak by 2030,

The country has not set a specific target for cutting emissions of

the gases, mainly carbon dioxide.

Climate change: China official warns of 'huge impact'

Mr Zheng, the head of China's meteorological

administration;

More droughts,

Rainstorms,

Higher temperatures, which would threaten river flows and harvests,

He urged China to pursue a lower-carbon future.

Climate change: China official warns of 'huge impact'

China and the US together produce around

45% of global carbon emissions,

Leaders from the two countries are taking part

in a summit in Paris this year that will aim for a

global deal to cut carbon emissions by 2020,

2nd NEWS

India arrestshundreds over Bihar school cheating

India arrestshundreds over Bihar school cheating

About 300 people have been arrested in the

Indian state of Bihar;

Parents and friends of students were climbing

school walls to pass on answers,

Many of those arrested were parents,

At least 750 students have been expelled,

India arrestshundreds over Bihar school cheating

An estimated 1.4m students are taking

their school leaving exams in Bihar alone,

Students were seen copying answers

from smuggled-in note sheets, and police

posted outside test centres were even seen

being bribed to look the other way,

India arrestshundreds over Bihar school cheating

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar

condemned the cheating;

Three to four people helping a single student

would mean that there is a total of six to seven

million people helping students cheat,

Parents that helping their children cheat

would only harm them in the long run,

3rd NEWS

Nevruz traditions

All sorts of flowers open in spring

The bed of silk cloth has been spread out

Paradise’s place has been spied, its sides warm

Cold won’t come now.

- Dîvanü Lügati’t-Türk (11th century)

One of the earliest references to Nevruz is in the 11th century Divanü

Lügati’t-Türk, and one of the earliest legends points to its Kurdish origins

Nevruz traditions

When night and day are approximately the

same length of time, is a custom among the

Turks that goes back centuries,

Scholars believe it originated as part of the

Zoroastrian religion that developed in the

Iranian area 3,500 years ago, and has persisted

ever since,

Nevruz traditions

One of the oldest legends of Nevruz is to be found among the Kurds

and is the story of Kawa, a blacksmith, and Dehak, an evil king,

The latter’s kingdom had been cursed

and Dehak with it.

The sun did not shine, crops could not grow,

and the people were starving.

Nevruz traditions

Dehak had two snakes coming out of his

shoulders and they had to be fed often,

so the villagers were ordered to sacrifice

two children every day and provide their

brains as food for the snakes,

Nevruz traditions

Kawa sacrificed 16 of his 17 children and

only his last daughter remained before

he decided that he could play a trick on

Dehak. He took the brain of a sheep and

fed it to the snakes, who ate it without

any problem,

Nevruz traditions

The villagers sent their children into the

mountains with Kawa to a remote valley

called Ergenekon that was difficult to find.

When the children were old enough,

Kawa turned them into an army to attack

the king,

Nevruz traditions

After they did this, the blacksmith then set

alight a bonfire to let everyone know that

Dehak was dead. With that, the sun came

out and the crops started growing,

spring had started.

Nevruz traditions