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Heritage trail: The beauty of St Petersburg

The Winter Palace. THE  city of St. Petersburg was founded by Peter the Great, who aspired to create a city that would rival the great cultural capitals of Europe. Built on the banks of the Neva river, St. Petersburg stretches across 42 islands with natural waterways and canals, giving it the title of the ‘Venice of the North’. It was the imperial capital of Russia for two centuries until the Communist revolution of 1917. To this day, it retains its status as the country’s cultural capital with its heritage buildings, grand palaces, cathedrals and museums. Exploring St. Petersburg Considering that I only had three days to explore the city after arriving by bullet train from Moscow, I was glad to find that the Park Inn Nevsky, my home for the next few nights, was located on Nevsky Prospekt, St. Petersburg’s main street. What you will find along this street are plenty of places to shop and eat, like the Eliseyev Emporium Coffee shop, the Gostiny Dvor shopping centre, loc
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Travel Tales: The grandeur of Russia

Visit iconic monuments and see treasures from the past in one of Europe’s oldest cities Night view of the famed St Basil's Cathedral. FOR all its great political and social upheavals which have given rise to many a good movie script, the largest country on earth has never quite popped up on glossy tourist brochures boasting a “bucket list” of must-see architectural wonders like the Eiffel Tower or the iconic Taj Mahal. Neither does it beckon with the promise of breathtaking natural scenery and beautiful landscapes. Before the invitation for this media familiarisation trip came along, my impression of Russia and Moscow in particular was of a city still dominated by grey Soviet-era apartment blocks and sombre locals. However, when I received the itinerary for the trip to Moscow and St Petersburg organised by Trafalgar, another version of Russia began to emerge, that of a country steeped in culture and art, with many well-preserved heritage buildings. B

A happy ending for Nepal's last dancing bear

On July 10, a convoy of vehicles with a police escort made its way across the border from Nepal to India, in a journey that took 30-hours. At the heart of the convoy, in an animal ambulance, was Rangila, Nepal's last known 'dancing bear'. The long journey from a substandard zoo in Nepal to Wildlife SOS' specialist sloth bear sanctuary in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, was nothing less than significant. For after months of intense lobbying by animal rescuers, a Cabinet decision by the Nepalese government approved the repatriation of the 19-year-old bear to India. Rangila's journey to freedom and safety has been extremely challenging. In December 2017, World Animal Protection and the Jane Goodall Institute of Nepal rescued Rangila together with a 17-year-old female sloth bear named SriDevi from their owners who used the bears as street performers. How do you get a bear to dance? Rangila and SriDevi were poached from the wild as cubs and smug

What will the mass cull in the name of rabies achieve?

IF you think that the mass culling of stray dogs in the northern states which began last month, after rabies was first detected in Perlis on Aug 19 will serve to eliminate the zoonotic virus from spreading further, I urge you to think again. Let us not be deluded by the notion that the council workers, dog catchers and Department of Veterinary Services personnel are coming face to face with ferocious, rabid and snarling dogs on their culling rounds which they are "destroying" for the good of the community. The dogs that are becoming easy kill are dogs like Ah Pek, his photo first appeared in a Facebook post on Sept 23. It was a poignant image of a white dog sitting resignedly with its head slightly bent. The dog had a collar around its neck and was surrounded by Majilis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) workers, one worker in particular held a metal chain that was fastened around Ah Pek's neck. It was a sad image indeed, of man's best friend on death row.

Justice delayed is justice denied

JUSTICE delayed is justice denied is a popular legal maxim that means if legal redress is not forthcoming in a timely manner, it is akin to having no redress at all. I believe the friends and family members of marketing executive Chee Gaik Yap who was raped and murdered in 2006 would heartily agree with this. On Aug 9, almost ten years after her tragic demise, businessman Shahril Jaafar was sentenced to death by the Alor Star High Court for Chee's murder. Despite the weight of the crime that he was accused off, Shahril almost got away with it on two occasions. The first was when he skipped police bail and left for Perth, Australia, where he obtained permanent resident status. He was rearrested six years later upon his return on Jan 17, 2012. He was charged two weeks later and stood trial, only to be acquitted by the High Court on June 25, 2013, without his defence being called. In an emotionally charged scene, moments after the High Court discharged a