It’s Christmas time in Bonn and the first thing that strikes your nostrils is the lovely smell of Christmas goodies at the local market. From spiced wine served warm in special mugs to chocolate cake with cinnamon, from roasted almonds to cotton candy, from chinese noodles to traditional german dumplings with vanilla sauce, the Christmas market is a feast for the eyes, nose…and the palate! While we went out on our own very personal round of the Christmas market in Bonn,  we decided this might just be the perfect time to organize an online cooking competition, in which you send us your best recipe.

Maria Jose Cristerna, a Mexican tattoo artist said she started to cover her body in tattoos, piercings, titanium implants and dental fangs to re-invent herself as a vampire, her reaction after suffering domestic violence.

’16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence’ is a campaign by the United Nations to promote awareness and motivate people around the world to act towards ending all forms of violence against women and girls.  The ‘Days of Activism’ begin on November 25, the International Day of Elimination of Violence against Women, and lasts until December 10, the International Human Rights Day.

What makes Malala Yousafzai stand out is not only her unwavering resolve to continue education, but the ambition to be a politician, which is quite an exception for most Pakistani women. One wonders, how come?

A little girl in India, dressed as a bride, waits for her groom.

Be it going to school, playing with friends or listening to stories from your grandparents- all these memories of childhood bring a profound feeling of happiness. But everyone is not fortunate enough. For hundreds of girls throughout the world childhood comes to an end sooner than it should.

“With all respect, everyday, thousands of people die, but still the world moves on. Just because one politician died a natural death, everyone just goes bonkers. They should know we are resilient by force, not by choice. When was the last time anyone showed some respect or even a two minute silence for shaheed Bhagat Singh, Azad, Sukhdev or any of the people because of whom we are free living Indians? Respect is earned, given and definitely not forced. Today Mumbai shuts down due to fear, not respect.”

The hardest thing for a mother is to lose her child. The pain caused is much greater than that caused by childbirth. Savita Halappanavar was brave enough to accept that she was losing her baby. 31-year-old Savita, a dentist by profession, went to a hospital in Ireland complaining of back pain. After being told that she was miscarrying, she sought medical termination of her pregnancy.