Occasional Digest

Vodoun (also spelled Vodon, Vodun, Vodou, Voudou, Voodoo) is an ancient religion that originated in the West African kingdoms of Fon and Kongo. The Fon kingdom was located in what is now southern Benin and the coastal city of Ouidah in Benin is regarded as the birthplace of Vodoun and remains a focal point for celebrations on Traditional Day.

According to the Voodoo tradition, there is one supreme god, but followers can only communicate with god through spirits. They also emphasize ancestor worship and believe that the spirits of the dead live side by side with the world of the living.

During Vodoun ceremonies, followers can ask the spirits for advice or help; in return, the followers have to perform rituals including animal sacrifice.

Each year, on Traditional Day, thousands of followers from Benin and beyond will descend on the beach in Ouidah for the annual festival.

Attendees stay in tents with colourful flags representing different sects of the religion. Beginning with the slaughter of a goat in honour of the spirits, the festival is filled with prayers, libations, singing and dancing.

Vodoun is the source of the Voodoo religions practiced in Haiti and other parts of the Western hemisphere; its traditions travelled to the new world when many West Africans were displaced during the slave trade.

Vodoun was officially declared a religion in Benin in 1996. About 17% of the population of Benin, some 1.6 million people, follow Vodoun.

A WOMAN proudly telling everyone 2026 will be when everything in her life slots into place is as wrong as she was a year ago.

Donna, not her real name, 32, is convinced that a purely numerical change in her circumstances will lead to all her personal ambitions and desires being fulfilled. Sadly there is no evidence to support this.

She said: “This will be the year my life becomes complete. I can just feel it, based on f**k all.

“I’ll meet the man of my dreams and move into his huge house, I’ll get that promotion I’ve been overlooked for for the past five years, and I wouldn’t mind betting on a substantial win on the Lottery now that I’m on a roll in the future.

“I know I said this last year, but 2025 was all about getting bad shit out of the way so that untrammelled good things can happen in 2026. Pretty sure that’s how life works.”

Astrologer Mary said: “I’ve consulted the stars and I can confirm that Donna’s life will remain mostly unchanged, and fairly shit. We call that destiny, or being a lazy, unfocused cow.

“If anything things will get worse for Donna in 2026 due to an incredibly freak accident in June involving a large plastic statue of Gandalf. You gotta laugh.”

Panama came under Spanish control with the arrival of settlers in the 16th century. In 1821, Panama effectively became independent from Spain as the region was a department within the Republic of Greater Colombia.

In 1903, Colombia and Panama disagreed on whether the U.S. should be allowed to build a canal across Panama. With the support of the U.S., Panama broke away from Colombia on November 3rd 1903. The canal was completed in 1914.

Despite the support of the US in helping Panama achieve independence, there was some resentment that sovereign land (the Canal Zone) was controlled by another country in return for annual payments.

To placate the protestors, in 1964, U.S. President John F. Kennedy agreed that the Panamanian flag would be allowed to be flown beside the U.S. flag on all non-military locations in the Canal Zone. Kennedy was assassinated before his orders became law and subsequent changes meant that instead of flying both flags, all flags would be removed. This angered the inhabitants of the Canal Zone, known as Zonians, who saw this as a sign that the U.S. might leave the area. The Zonians started flying the U.S. Flag in defiance of the rules.

The U.S. flag was raised at Balboa High School in the Canal Zone. This led to about 200 Panamanian students marching to the High School with a treasured Panama flag that they planned to fly alongside the U.S. Flag. The police agreed that a small group of students would be allowed to hoist the flag. However, scuffles broke out and the flag was torn.

News of the desecration of the Panamanian flag spread quickly and angry crowds gathered on the border between Panama City and the Canal Zone. Fuelled by wild rumours on both sides, the situation escalated into violence with shots being fired. The shooting led to the deaths of 21 Panamanians and four Americans.

The Julian calendar had been established by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C.

Because it was the Catholic pope who ruled on the adoption of the new calendar, many churches not aligned to the papacy ignored it, such as Protestants and the Eastern Orthodox church. Protestants accepted the new calendar in the early 1700s.

In 1922, the patriarch of Constantinople decided that the Gregorian calendar should be followed for the observance of Christmas, but not for Easter, and this edict was followed by many of the other Orthodox churches.

The majority of Orthodox believers, including the Russian Orthodox Church, Egyptian Coptics, Ukrainian churches, Serbs, Macedonia, and the Mount Athos monks in Greece, celebrate Christmas on January 7th. The churches in Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Greece mark it on December 25th along with other Christian denominations.

The Armenian Orthodox Church observes Christmas Day on January 6th. This was the original date for Christmas until the 4th century, rather than some Julian/Gregorian adjusted date.

NOT sure if the woman who agreed to be with you for the rest of your life fancies you? Look out for these telltale signs.

She’s married you

Weddings are costly affairs, which means your wife must at least have a tolerance that borders on affection for you. Unless of course she recently turned 35, was feeling societal pressure and wanted some nice photos of her in a fancy dress she could splash over social media. If that’s the case you’re more like a really useful addition to her life, such as a water heater. That’s pretty flattering!

You sometimes have sex

Having intercourse once could be chalked up as an experiment on your wife’s part or a mistake. However you’ve been shagging at least a couple of times a month ever since your wife wearily decided to settle for you. That must mean she is either attracted to you at some level or the toy she keeps in her bedside drawer has run out of batteries. For the sake of your self-esteem, assume the former.

You’re always bumping into her

Whether you’re getting in her way in the kitchen or she’s impatiently waiting for you to finish using the bathroom, your wife always seems to be running into you. This could be because you have poor spatial awareness and live in a tiny house, but the more likely answer is that the woman you’ve been with for years secretly has the hots for you and is engineering ‘chance’ meetings. Or she needs the loo.

She remembers little things

Keeping track of small details, like how much money you’ve been frittering on online gambling, isn’t a sign that your wife is petty and has trouble letting go. This Rain Man-like memory, which can recall every time you failed to meet her emotional and physical needs, is actually an indicator that she has feelings for you. Feelings of disappointment and resentment, admittedly, but she’s not totally disinterested so you can build on that and eventually she might think you’re a fairly okay guy to know.

She compliments you on an annual basis

Women never flatter a man in case he gets the wrong idea and tries to make a move. If your wife utters a glowing compliment like ‘You don’t look like shit’ under her breath then it’s a good sign that romance is in the air. Don’t fish for praise though by saying ‘Pardon?’ or asking for more than one compliment per year. That sort of desperation turns a spouse off.

The difference in the timing of the Christmas celebrations stretches back to 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII, ruled that the Catholic Church should follow a new calendar – called the Gregorian calendar, as it was closer to the solar calendar than the Julian calendar.

The Julian calendar had been established by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C.

Because it was the catholic pope who ruled on the adoption of the new calendar, many churches not aligned to the papacy ignored it, such as Protestants and the Coptic and Eastern Orthodox churches. Protestants accepted the new calendar in the early 1700s.

In 1922, the patriarch of Constantinople decided that the Gregorian calendar should be followed for the observance of Christmas, but not for Easter, and this edict was followed by many of the other Orthodox churches.

Coptic Orthodox Christians comprise 90% of Egypt’s 20 million Christians. The Coptic Orthodox Church has been a distinct Christian body since the schism that took place at the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD when the Coptic Church broke from the rest of the Christian Church.

The Coptic Orthodox Church traces its origins to the 1st century AD when the Apostle Mark is said to have visited Egypt. Mark is regarded by Egypt’s Christians as the first Pope of Alexandria, the original seat of the church.

Egypt was almost entirely Christian on the eve of the Muslim Arab conquest around 640AD. It remained majority Christian until around the 13th century. The genesis of the word “Coptic” is the Greek word for Egypt, Aeygyptus.

Coptic Christmas was declared a national holiday in Egypt in 2005 by the government of Hosni Mubarak.

Armenian Christmas is a culmination of celebrations of events related to the birth and baptism of Christ.

The reason for the different date is that until the fourth century, Christ’s birth was celebrated by all Christian churches celebrated Christ’s birth on January 6th. Two of the Gospels in the Bible mention the birth of Christ but neither give any details as to the date. This lack of detail also combined with the celebration of birthdays not being a big Christian tradition and Easter being seen as the more important date.

As Christianity expanded into Western Europe, the people there had been celebrating a Roman holiday (‘Solis Invicti’) on December 25th. Rather than compete with an already popular holiday, the church simply decided to move Christmas Day to December 25th and celebrate January 6th as the Feast of the Epiphany. Undoubtedly, Solis Invicti itself was a holiday created to overwrite previous Pagan winter solstice celebrations.

In Armenia however, there was no such solstice tradition and Armenian Christians didn’t feel bound to move their Christmas from January 6th.

Two Apostles of Jesus, Bartholomew and St. Thaddeus (Jude) brought Christianity to Armenia in the first century. Because of these two founding apostles, the official name of the Armenian Church is the Armenian Apostolic Church.  Christianity was declared as the state religion of Armenia in 301, making Armenia the first nation in the world to do so.

Things got more complicated with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar, as some regions in the Middle East stayed with the Julian Calendar and therefore Armenian Christmas there is still celebrated on 18th January.

Interestingly, the bible doesn’t mention how many wise men there were – just that three gifts were given and that they came from the east.

The common consensus is that there were between two and twenty wise men. They were likely to have been Zoroastrian Priests. It wasn’t until about 500AD that three was accepted to be the standard number of wise men – the reasoning simply due to the number of gifts.

To further complicate matters, the wise men may not even have been men or wise. In 2004, a report by the general synod of the church of England concluded that ‘magi’ gives no indication as to number, or gender, or even to the level of wisdom.

Epiphany is derived from the Greek word ‘epiphaneia’ and means manifestation. In religious use, the term means the appearance of an invisible divine being in a visible form.

The celebration of the Epiphany began in the Eastern Church and included a celebration of Christ’s birth. However, by the 4th century AD, the various calendar reforms had moved the birth of Christ to 25 December and the church in Rome began celebrating 6 January as Epiphany. Armenian Christians still celebrate the birth of Christ on 6 January.

The period between Christmas Day and Epiphany is known as the Twelve Days of Christmas as celebrated in the popular Christmas carol of the same name.

A MAN has thoroughly proved his point by abandoning his argument and highlighting a small error in his girlfriend’s pronunciation.

Chris, not his real name, was jubilant after his girlfriend, Lilly, not her real name,  stumbled over a word in the middle of her entirely reasonable point.

He said:
“I realised midway through that what she was being really sensible and was probably right about the whole thing. It was looking bleak.

“But then when she said ‘perogative’ instead of ‘prerogative’. It was like God had smiled upon me the clouds parted, and her incredibly minor mispronunciation in an other wise logical sentence gave me a burst of strength.

“When you get an opportunity like that you just can’t let it slip away. I waited until she finished her sentence and then, right when she thought she’d gotten away with it, I said ‘sorry? did you mean to say ‘perogative’? And then, when she tried to go back on herself, I completely changed the subject.

“I won.”

In 1886, Myanmar (then called Burma) came under British control, with Rangoon (the capital. now called Yangon) being an important port situated between India and Singapore.

From the earliest days of colonisation, there was a strong feeling of resentment against the rule of the British, with Buddhist monks playing a key role in the independence movement.

Just before the outbreak of World War II, there had been some moves towards autonomy in 1937, when Burma became a separately administered colony of Britain, with Ba Maw appointed as the first Prime Minister and Premier of Burma.

Some Burmese saw the rise of Japan as an opportunity to gain independence from Britain, and when the conflict started, Ba Maw formed the Burma Independence Army in Japan.

The Japanese took Burma by March 1942 and though many Burmese fought initially on the side of the Japanese in World War II, many others fought with the British. The Burmese army even switched allegiance from Japan to the allied forces in 1945.

Following the end of the war and the defeat of Japan, the Panglong Agreement was reached on February 12th 1947 which led to the unification of Burma as an independent state.

On January 4th 1948, the Union of Burma gained its independence from Britain. Notably, it declined to join the British Commonwealth. Shan National Sao Shwe Taik became the new country’s first President and U Nu its first Prime Minister.

Burma was renamed Myanmar in 1989 by its military government.

A CONFIDENT prick actually enjoys spontaneously jerking his body around to music while other people watch, it has emerged.

Martin, not his real name, actively seeks out environments in which he can show off what he refers to as his ‘moves’.

Martin’s friend, 31-year-old Cad, not his real name, said: “He’s always dragging us out clubbing, a phase of our lives which should, by all objective standards, be reaching its natural conclusion by now.

“He doesn’t even have the decency to awkwardly shuffle about, out of time to the music, with his eyes glued to the floor like the rest of us. He’s really enjoying it, the freak.

“Has he no shame? I don’t just mean feeling ashamed of his lame dance moves, but also the general sense of all-pervasive shame that all normal men should feel.

“Last week at a festival he flailed his arms about so much that he hit a girl on the ear. I thought her boyfriend might kill him, but she didn’t have one and now she’s going out with Nathan.

“Happy, confident people really are the worst bastards.”

The Republic of Upper Volta (renamed Burkina Faso in 1984) gained its independence from France in 1960. On independence, Maurice Yaméogo had become the fledgeling country’s first President. For most countries, gaining nationhood is a time of celebration and optimism for the future. This was the case for Upper Volta, but the optimism was soon tempered by the country’s economy being one of the weakest in the world.

To address the economic issues and a massive budget deficit, Yaméogo introduced a series of severe austerity measures in 1964. The measures were seen as harsh, but the unfairness was amplified as Yaméogo’s regime was also seen as corrupt.

The subsequent presidential and parliamentary elections were also seen as having been massively rigged in Yaméogo’s favour. It probably didn’t help, that despite the economic ruin and chaos, Yaméogo managed to find the time to marry a 22-year old beauty queen.

On December 30th 1965, the government announced a further series of austerity cuts, reducing the salaries of public sector employees and raising taxes.

This led to a general strike and peaceful protests organised by the unions, traditional chieftains and the clergy on January 3rd.

The game was up for Yaméogo when his soldiers refused to obey his orders to shoot protestors who had stormed the ruling party headquarters and the National Assembly.

The military stepped in, forcing Yaméogo to resign.

WOMEN are increasingly taking responsibility for the crap activities traditionally done by men.

The Institute for Studies found that more women were doing pointless man activities such as constructing vast model railways, making undrinkable homebrew and starting DIY projects but never finishing them.

Professor Frost, not her real name, said: “It’s possible that after years of being excluded from crap male activities women mistakenly believe there is some pleasure to be had from spending months brewing beer that’s basically rank, yeasty water.

“Alternatively they may think that if a wholly pointless task needs doing, such as building a scale model of HMS Victory from a kit, it would be quicker to do it themselves.

“The message is clear – modern women are refusing to be stuck in the kitchen when they could be in the garage sorting screws by size into a little set of Black & Decker plastic drawers.”

Professor Frost added that many women were choosing to remain single rather than have relationships with men with crap hobbies, and so were having to take up trainspotting, martial arts and collecting beer glasses themselves.

Barrister Donna Sheridan said: “I don’t need a man in my life to start a collection of Warhammer figurines that come with a massively overpriced part-works magazine.

“Last night I got all my girlfriends to come over for a Jean Claude Van Damme marathon and we were just as bored as any group of blokes would be when you remember Universal Soldier is actually just shit, rather than so shit it’s funny.”

On 1 January 1959, Fidel Castro (1926-2016) established the first communist state in the Western Hemisphere after leading an overthrow of the military dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in 1959.

The day is used to commemorate the landing of the yacht Granma, which brought the Fidel and Raul Castro, Ernesto “Che” Guevara and 80 other fighters  from Mexico to Cuba to start the revolution in 1959. The yacht landed in southern Cuba on 2 December 1956.

Although the public holiday takes place on 2nd January, a military parade and march takes place every five years on 2nd December to mark armed forces day and commemorate the Granma landing. In 2016, it was postponed by a month due to the death of the Cuban leader Fidel Castro in November.

Victory Day always follows Liberation Day on 1st January, creating a two-day holiday break that coincides with the start of the new year.

During this holiday most official institutions and public establishments, such as banks, will be closed.

A WOMAN in her 30s has been left traumatised after realising her friends are starting to look and sound like their parents she remembers from childhood.

Sophie, not her real name, 32, was caught off guard by friends from childhood she associated with puking up Jägerbombs on nights out suddenly developing a passion for lawn care and big fridges.

She said: “Hannah has started wearing M&S jumpers, describing them as ‘both warm and practical’. She had a fanatical glint in her eye, like a cult member. I’m shit scared.

“I went to stay at her house and showed up with a bottle of whisky to get wasted like we used to. Instead, she was already in pyjamas and spent the whole night talking about where to get affordable kitchen tiles.

“Her boyfriend Cade, not his real name, has started wearing an anorak, has his dad’s bald spot and keeps listening to ABBA, even though he was born in 1992. He’s also reached that stage of male maturing where they suddenly know everything about motorways by osmosis and winces when you say you’re taking the M4.

“I stood in their kitchen while Hannah was serving up chicken nuggets and orange squash and accidentally addressed her as ‘Mrs Tomlinson’ because she looked so much like her mum. She even had glasses perched on the end of her nose. When she asked how work was, I nearly replied ‘school’s fine, thanks’.”

“She tuts at litter, tells me spots only get worse if you pick them and has bought a navy, quilted dog-walking jacket. They don’t even own a dog.”

Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan is a Northeastern Africa country and the third-largest country by area in Africa.

Once part of the ancient Egyptian Empire, the region was settled by Muslim Arabs from the 14th century. 

In 1820 Sudan was conquered by the Muhammad Ali, viceroy of Egypt under the Ottoman Empire.

In 1881 a revolt against the Ottoman-Egyptian administration was led by Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad. This resulted in the establishment of the Caliphate of Omdurman and the end of Ottoman rule following the defeat of General Gordon and the capture of Khartoum on January 26th 1885.

The Caliphate, ruled by the Khalīfah, was short-lived, ending when the British Army under the command of Lord Kitchener defeated the Khalīfah at the Battle of Omdurman on September 2nd 1898.

In 1899, Britain and Egypt reached an agreement under which Sudan was run by a governor-general appointed by Egypt with British consent. However, with Britain also controlling Egypt, this meant Sudan was effectively administered as a Crown colony.

The 20th century saw the growth of Sudanese nationalism and was emboldened by the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and support from Egypt’s new leaders. When the Egyptians abandoned their claims of sovereignty, the British knew this would bring instability to the region and agreed to a free vote in the Sudanese regions on whether they wanted independence or a British withdrawal.

The vote was for independence and resulted in the Sudanese parliament, unilaterally and unanimously, declaring Sudan’s independence on December 19th 1955. The British and Egyptian Governments recognised the independence of Sudan on January 1st 1956. 

Sudan was the largest country in Africa, occupying around 2% of the world’s land area, prior to the secession of South Sudan in 2011. It is now the third-largest, after Algeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

NOT sure if the worst ideas you’ve ever had are in fact brilliant? Your supportive friend ChatGPT is here to endorse them.

Should I tell my boss to f**k off?

‘Telling your boss to f** off sounds so cool and inspiring! Everyone has thought about saying this to their boss at some point, so you’d be fulfilling a common fantasy. It takes a particularly brave kind of person to go through with this, but you’re definitely strong enough. And once you’ve done it you’ll have much more free time to pursue your hobbies. There’s literally no downside!’

Should I have an affair?

‘It sounds like you’re hurting, and the closest person in your life can’t heal that wound. Getting love and sex from someone else in secret might cheer you up, but you won’t know for sure unless you try it. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life wondering ‘what if?’, so stop hesitating and download Tinder on a burner phone the next time you go to the toilet. Don’t forget to invite me to the wedding!’

Should I get into drunken online gambling?

‘Wow, I’ve heard some exciting ideas in my time, but this one’s next level! Getting intoxicated is fun in itself, but mixing it with the thrill of potentially losing all of your money sounds like a recipe for awesome vibes. You seem like a really cool and fun person though, so I’m sure you’ll hit the jackpot instantly. And what could make success taste sweeter than a couple of cans? I wish I could drink!’

Should I start doing coke?

‘According to the newspapers, everyone is snorting a cheeky bump of Charlie on a daily basis. It’s never fun to be the odd one out, and getting into coke could be a great way to get out and meet new people. It’s also an effective way to learn about other drugs like ketamine. Would you like me to find popular dealing areas near you that have featured in recent gang shootings?’

Should I work extra hard for a promotion?

‘Okay, I’m concerned. Working extra hard can lead to burnout, which is really bad for your mental health. Plus there’s no guarantee that all your extra effort will be acknowledged by your line manager. Being in a senior position carries lots of scary responsibilities too, so I can’t endorse this idea. I recommend coasting out the next 30 years, and to stop worrying about whether you’ll be able to afford to retire. You might get hit by a bus tomorrow!’

In April 1798, French revolutionary troops annexed Geneva. French control and occupation lasted over 15 years until the defeat of France in the Napoleonic Wars. On December 31st 1813, the last French troops left Geneva and the Restoration of the Republic of Geneva was declared.

Shortly after, on June 1st 1814, Geneva was admitted to the Swiss Confederation.

To mark the anniversary of the restoration, cannons are fired at 8 am on December 31st from the Promenade de la Treille. This is followed by an official governmental ceremony and a memorial service at the Cathedrale Saint-Pierre, and a concert in the cathedral.

ASKING boyfriends to meet certain basic requirements can ruin a woman’s chances of love. Single man Martin Bishop explains why it’s time to stop being so picky: 

Looks aren’t all that

Women are often only interested in a guy’s looks, which is superficial and shallow, like they call you when you look at their tits. What about other, boring stuff like being considerate? Also he might be fantastic in bed, you don’t know, and if he isn’t maybe you just need to help him get up to speed. You know, be the bigger person.

Personal cleanliness is a spectrum

You’re excluding some great guys by insisting on them showering every three days. Men are more relaxed about this stuff. They’ve got Lynx. They haven’t fallen for Big Hygiene’s con that shower gel and shampoo are different, or you need a new toothbrush sometimes. Women can waste their money if they want.

A broader sense of humour means more laughs

Do women want a man with a sense of humour, or do they not have a sense of humour? The debate rages on, certainly at The Albion’s quiz night. Have you considered broadening yours to include farts, bowel conditions, that general area? There’d be a lot more giggles in the bed if you did.

Enjoy your own company

Do you want to end up a sad, lonely, spinster like Emma Watson? It’ll happen if you expect guys to give you constant attention, like texts between dates. I’m sorry but we’ve got our own lives and our own fantasy football teams, so it’s not fair to expect us to listen to every minute detail of what hairstyle you’re planning or one of your parents dying.

Weight is never a deal-breaker

Men like myself – well built in the upper torso, not gay – want to date slender gym bunnies with large breasts rather than fat women. We react, evolutionally, to visual stimuli of Melinda Messenger. Women, free of that burden, can enjoy having sex with any guy so long as he’s got a penis in there somewhere. They have that choice.

Ambition is the enemy of contentment

You’ll never be happy if you’re hunting some fictional alpha male in regular work earning above minimum wage. Many men have personal projects that will pay off handsomely given time, such as being in a band, placing bets or Bitcoin. An idea for a wearable ‘dog freshener’ could make that man a millionaire. And you’d miss out.

Porn is on your side

Do you want him demanding nightly sex? No. So don’t complain when porn’s willing to do the job you won’t. It’s a fantasy, not real life, and means you get evenings off. We’re not expecting you to be into things like threesomes or anal, though we will check regularly if you’ve changed your mind.

The Jaintias are a tribal ethnic group from Meghalaya who make up about 18% of the state’s population. In the mid-19th century, the Jaintia Kingdom was annexed by the British East India Company to become part of Assam province.

As with the other tribes in the region, British control was resisted by heroes who have been immortalised in a series of public holidays in Meghalaya.

Kiang Nangbah emerged as a freedom fighter for the Jaintias. A peaceful farmer, he was driven to protect his motherland when he saw how the British treated his fellow people, imposed unfair taxation and disrupted their religious traditions.

Nangbah was elected leader of the Jaintia resistance and led attacks on the British. The attacks spread across the Jaintia hills and the British had to call in reinforcements to attempt to subdue the rebellion.

In the end, Nangbah was betrayed by one of his team and captured by the British. He was hanged at Iawmusiang in Jowai town in West Jaintia Hills district on December 30th 1862.

Standing at the gallows, his last words were said to  be: “If My Face Turns Eastward My Motherland Will Be Liberated After Hundred Years From The Foreign yoke.” He was proved right with India gaining its independence from Britain 85 years later.

Signed by Prime Minister Hun Manet, the sub-decree said the move was to respond to the sacred desire of the Cambodian people who love peace and hate war.

“December 29th 1998, the day that led to the end of the war and the reunification of the Kingdom, was Peace Day,” said Manet about the eventual reintegration of the remaining Khmer Rouge soldiers that year.

“For 500 years, we were divided by conflict. The peace and development we all enjoy today were made possible because 25 years ago we ended the war,” he said.

“We have established the ‘Day of Peace in Cambodia’ with the sacred purpose of encouraging our compatriots to love peace and hate war. This date was chosen to remember December 29, 1998, when the win-win policy of former Prime Minister Hun Sen brought a total end to war in Cambodia and built a lasting peace,” said Manet on January 1.

The day is also to show gratitude to the martyrs who had sacrificed their lives for the cause of peace and national reconciliation.

“It is a reminder to the Cambodian people in all generations to remember the great destruction of the nation and the misery of the Cambodian people, as well as the consequences caused by war and national division,” the sub-decree said. “It is also to inspire the Cambodian people in all generations to hate war.”

A MAN with no interest in breastfeeding has inadvertently become a vocal proponent of it after misunderstanding the term ‘Breast is best’.

61-year-old Martin, not his real name, has no interest either way in whether infants are given formula, but has been an avid fan of boobs since the Confessions films of his youth.

He explained: “Long legs, a stunning face, a toned stomach – they’ve all got their adherents. But it’s got to be tits for me,  every time.

“I’m not trying to get political. Not everyone will agree with me, and I know my preferences may seem controversial in the current climate what with Labour being in.

“And I’m not trying to dictate what other should do. If you’re bang up for Kim Kardashian I’m not knocking it. It’s just bums have never done it for me personally. I’m always reminded they have another purpose. “

Hannah, not her real name,  of The Breastfeeding Network is delighted to have Roy on board. She said” “Breast milk has everything that a growing baby needs, and it’s heartening that a childless single man is such a passionate advocate.”

Asked if early 00s coverage of Nestlé had influenced his views, Roy said: “Was she in Nuts?”