In an unusual prayer for world peace, residents of Poovalur village near Lalgudi, performed the marriage of two donkeys in the ancient Sri Thirumoola Natha Swamy Temple. A male and female donkey were brought to a specially decorated dais put up inside the temple on Sunday. While the 'bridegroom' was adorned with a silk dhoti, the 'bride' wore a silk jacket and saree. After garlanding the donkeys amidst chanting of vedic hymns by the priests, a villager tied the nuptial knot on behalf of the male donkey, to the female.

A group of Chinese monks have completed a special MBA course designed to help them mix business and prayer. Chinese state media say the newly graduated "business monks" are reflecting over their latest achievement. Shanghai's Jade Buddha Temple requested Jiaotong University to design a degree focusing on monastery management. According to the religious group, this degree would help monks to blend their daily monastic duties with business.

Kenyan prophetess Lucy Nduta, who is a self-proclaimed AIDS healer, was produced before court on charges of allegedly obtaining money (Sh1. 6 million) from six people after telling them that they would be cured of HIV/AIDS through prayers. According to The East African Standard, Margaret Muigai, Nairobi's Principal Magistrate, denied her bail and said that: "She has a constitutional right, but police officers are entitled to investigate the new complaints. "

Vicars in northern England are offering a service to people moving into new homes in an attempt to attract more people to the church - free home blessing. Rev. Chris Painter, a vicar in the diocese of Manchester, says, "For a large part of the church's history, people have come into the church building. Nowadays people tend not to come into church so we need to find new ways to meet people. "

A woman decided to honor the more than 216,000 people who died in last year's tsunami by building a toothpick memorial. "I remember thinking these people are going to become statistics, and I just felt I needed to see something other than a number in a newspaper article," says Nancy Lawson, 56, of Lawrence, Kansas.