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Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Event celebrates Pakistan-Bulgaria diplomatic ties
Their ties date back to 1878 when Tsar Alexander II put an end to five centuries of Ottoman domination of Bulgaria. PHOTO: FILE The Embassy of Bulgaria in Islamabad hosted a vibrant reception titled "The Ancient Treasures of Bulgaria" to mark the Day of the Bulgarian Alphabet and Culture, as well as the 60th anniversary of Bulgaria-Pakistan diplomatic relations. The event brought together diplomats, officials, scholars and cultural enthusiasts for an evening of celebration and cultural exchange. Ambassador of Bulgaria Irena Gancheva welcomed the guests and highlighted the strong and friendly ties between Bulgaria and Pakistan, forged over six decades of cooperation and mutual respect. She emphasised the importance of cultural diplomacy in deepening people-to-people connections and enhancing bilateral relations. The chief guest, Additional Foreign Secretary for Europe, Mohammad Ayub, congratulated Bulgaria on its national cultural day and appreciated the embassy's efforts to promote cultural understanding. He noted the historical depth of both nations and expressed hope for continued collaboration in education, culture and trade. A key highlight of the evening was a special exhibition, "The Ancient Treasures of Bulgaria," showcasing Bulgaria's rich archaeological and cultural heritage.
Daily Record
16-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Hidden 13th century Scottish abbey is UK's only monastery with monks today
Tucked in a quiet Moray glen, 13th century Pluscarden Abbey is Britain's only medieval monastery still inhabited by monks. Located in a quiet glen near Elgin in the Moray region of Scotland, Pluscarden Abbey stands as a significant historical and religious site. Founded in the 13th century, it holds a unique distinction as the only medieval monastery in Britain that has been re-established and remains continuously inhabited by monks today. The origins of Pluscarden Abbey date back to 1230. It was established by King Alexander II for a community of monks who were part of the Valliscaulian Order. This order, known for its strict contemplative life, had its roots in France, and Pluscarden became one of a small number of its houses located outside of mainland Europe. The abbey experienced periods of prosperity but also faced severe setbacks. Historical accounts indicate that a major fire in 1390 caused substantial damage to the buildings. Later, like many monastic institutions across Scotland, Pluscarden was significantly affected by the Reformation in the 16th century. This led to the dispersal of the monastic community and the eventual abandonment of the abbey buildings, which fell into a state of ruin over subsequent centuries. The fortunes of Pluscarden changed in the 20th century. Restoration efforts began, culminating in the formal re-establishment of a monastic community. According to information on the abbey's official website, Pluscarden became a priory of the Benedictine Order in 1948, stemming from Prinknash Abbey in England. This marked the return of monastic life to the ancient site. In 1974, the community was elevated to the status of an abbey. Today, Pluscarden is home to a functioning community of Benedictine monks. Their life is structured around prayer and is guided by the ancient Rule of St Benedict, which dates back to the 6th century. This rule provides a framework for communal living, emphasising a balance of prayer, work, study, and hospitality. The abbey's overview describes the monks' daily routine as centred on regular worship services in the abbey church, complemented by time for manual labour, reading of sacred texts, and periods of quiet reflection. The physical setting of the abbey contributes greatly to its character. Situated in a secluded and peaceful valley, it offers a serene environment that many visitors find conducive to peace and contemplation. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. According to information from Moray Speyside, the tranquility of the location and its enduring significance as a place of prayer and heritage. Pluscarden Abbey is not just a historical monument; it is a vibrant religious house that welcomes visitors. The monks welcome members of the public who wish to attend their daily services in the church, allowing people to witness and participate in the rhythm of monastic prayer. Visitors are also permitted to explore certain areas of the abbey grounds. For those seeking a deeper experience, the abbey offers limited hospitality for short retreats, providing an opportunity to share, to some extent, in the monastic routine.
Sky News
18-02-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Unclear whether Ukraine-US rare earth saga is a masterstroke or colonial appropriation
Deep under the ground in the east of Ukraine sits a veritable mineral motherlode: rich reserves of coal, dense concentrations of iron ore and, further west in Nikopol, some of the world's biggest resources of manganese - as well as other, more exotic minerals. The geological riches of the Donbas and its neighbouring regions have long been looked at with envy by the country's friends, enemies and neighbours as a prize. In the 19th century, Tsar Alexander II pinpointed the basin of the Donets River as the ideal spot for iron and steelworks - in large part because of the dense deposits of coal and iron. In the Second World War, Adolf Hitler coveted Ukraine 's natural resources and eventually ended up invading the region for them - though Ukrainians spent most of the occupation refusing to mine and smelt them. Now Donald Trump is the latest world leader with his eye on Ukrainian minerals, in this case as a form of reparations for the billions of dollars America has spent supporting the country following the Russian invasion. Leaked drafts of an agreement proposed by the Americans, championed by senator Lindsey Graham, show America is pushing for 50% of the revenues from mineral resources in future. The idea follows a meeting at Trump Tower last September between Mr Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy - in which the Ukrainian president reportedly proposed giving the US a direct stake in the country's rare earth elements and critical minerals in exchange for continued weapon deliveries. 2:02 Yet the eventual proposal is, according to Ambrose Evans-Pritchard of the Daily Telegraph who has seen the full document, even more economically wrenching than the Versailles Treaty, which imposed years of crippling reparations on Germany after the First World War. Though this depends on whether it indeed extracts as much money as the documents suggest it could. However, a closer look at the geology of the country, and the nature of the mining industry, begs some serious questions about whether it will. Nor is this the only slightly odd feature of this story. On the one hand, everyone knows Mr Trump is a dealmaker - keen to extract as much as possible from every negotiation - and so it's quite plausible that he would be attracted to a deal promising monetary reward to America. But by the same token, the main thrust of American economic policy since he came to the White House has been about imposing economic barriers on other countries. Becoming even more reliant on a foreign power for one's mineral resources seems to fly in the face of that philosophy. The other significant factor is that many of these deposits - both of conventional minerals like coal and of more exotic minerals like titanium, lithium and rare earth metals - sit in or around the areas currently under Russian occupation. That raises another question: to what extent is this a ploy from Ukraine to draw American companies and capital into an area under threat of Russian destruction? But the final curious issue - perhaps the most important of all - is that save for the long-established coal and iron deposits, it's not altogether clear that any of the critical mineral deposits in Ukraine are of world-changing significance. It's certainly true that Ukraine has large proven resources of lithium - around 500,000 tonnes, more than any other country in Europe. However, this is small beer in comparison with the 1.8 million tonnes of lithium reserves in the US. Indeed, look at the other prospective lithium resources that sit underneath America and they come to a whopping 19 million tonnes, more than the country will ever need for its electric vehicle fleet. When it comes to graphite, Ukraine has a decent amount but there's much more in Norway, Korea and Brazil. Ukraine has quite a lot of titanium ores, but, again less than you find in far less unstable regions of the world like Australia and Canada. And anyway, with titanium, the main challenge is not so much finding deposits in the ground but the expertise in how to refine it into a metal. Something similar goes for rare earth elements - a very specific corner of the periodic table where you find neodymium and lanthanum and other obscure substances. These elements are crucial for the production of high-power magnets and special steel alloys used by the military. But contrary to much of the coverage you'll have read about this, it's not altogether clear that Ukraine is especially rich in these elements. Of the 109 deposits of critical minerals identified by the Kyiv School of Economics across the country, only three actually specialise in rare earth elements. Anyway, the main reason China dominates global rare earth production has less to do with the preponderance of ores in the ground there than the fact that it is more willing to undertake the dirty, energy-intensive refining process than most other countries. None of the above is to dispute that there are plenty of minerals in Ukraine. There are certainly large deposits of coal and iron, lots of manganese, lots of titanium and also plenty of gas stored in shale formations. Most of the more plentiful deposits have been exploited for some time. And they could be an important part of Ukraine's economy in future. But by the same token, a) in most cases these are not earth-changing amounts, b) in most cases, the US actually has equivalent or superior deposits available on its territories or in near neighbours and c) the real challenge with minerals like these is not identifying them in the ground but getting them out of the ground cheaply and safely. When it comes to critical minerals, Ukraine is still a long way from that point. In short: it's not altogether clear whether this whole rare earth/critical minerals saga is a masterstroke by the Ukrainians, in selling the Americans something which may end up far less valuable than it looks from the outside, or a tale of colonial-style mineral appropriation from the US. What it certainly is is decidedly odd. Then again, there is a long history of curious stories such as these cropping up at moments such as these. In the final days of the Afghanistan occupation, there were occasional stories about the "vast mineral riches" which would soon change it into a veritable Saudi Arabia of the 21st century. What came of it in the end? Not all that much. And that's mostly the case. Every so often a mineral discovery can be truly world-changing - enough to trigger wars and to help one nation overwhelm another. But much more often, when it comes to metals and minerals, the tall tales tend to outnumber the real ones.
