42 groups pledge support to ISIS
Damascus: ISIS now has support from 42 different international groups in countries ranging from the Philippines to Egypt, it has been revealed. The map, produced for The Independent by statistics agency Statista, shows the 30 groups to have pledged formal affiliation to the terrorist group and 12 more that have pledged their support, as identified in a Global Terrorism Index report. ISIS is the richest and most violent terrorist group in modern history, the report states, and part of its strategy is to attract foreign fighters.
110 Siberian tiger cubs bred in China
Beijing: China has registered a sharp rise in the population of endangered Serbian tigers following birth of 110 cubs this year at the country’s largest breeding centre. Heilongjiang Siberian Tiger Park, where about 1,000 Siberian tigers live, handpicks certain tigers to breed the next generation every year. “We have conducted birth control for the tigers during the past 10 years, and try to maintain about 1,000 tigers in the park,” said liu Dan, chief engineer of the park.
Bangladesh lifts ban on Facebook
Dhaka: Bangladesh lifted the ban on Facebook, three-weeks after it blocked the popular social networking site following Supreme Court ruling upholding death penalty of two opposition leaders convicted for war-crimes committed during 1971 war against Pakistan.