Religion
Critics say they are cashing in on centuries-old religious traditions, while others maintain they are merely fighting for survival. Either way, Poland’s business-savvy monks are making a tidy profit with their latest venture – bringing their recipes to the masses.
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Poland’s Catholic Church is facing a recruitment crisis as figures show a sharp drop in the number of young men and women willing to join a monastery. The emergency is forcing the church to advertise online in search of new recruits.
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A cross-party commission of French MPs today recommended a partial ban on the wearing of the Islamic face veil, which it says will send a clear message that the garment is "unacceptable" in France's secular society.
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Critical meetings are taking place in Belfast and London today over the devolution crisis engulfing the Northern Ireland assembly.
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Divisive Dutch politician Geert Wilders had reason to leave the first day of his pre-trial hearing with a grin today after several hundred supporters turned up to support the peroxide-haired parliamentarian.
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French MPs will this month be presented with a proposal aimed at banning the wearing of the burka and niqab, following a long running debate within French parliament and society.
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Children the world over may rightly shriek at the sight of an ugly old witch skulking around their recently acquired Christmas bounty but Italian children react somewhat differently to most. The reason is that this hag is a welcome guest in Italian homes during the early hours of 6 January.
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Tiny Slovenia has not one, not two, but three Santa-like figures who bring children gifts over the festive season. Known as "the three good men," their coexistence is the curious result of a mixture of Communist and western Christmas traditions.
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