Bamiyan Buddha may be restored

German scientists have said it may be possible to reconstruct the smaller of two giant 1,500-year-old Bamiyan Buddha statues blown up by the Taliban in Afghanistan 10 years ago, which prompted a worldwide outcry.

Researchers have concluded the 38m statue, which was originally brightly coloured, could be restored using more than 1,000 sandstone fragments that weigh up to two tonnes, said Erwin Emmerling of Munich's Technical University. The proposal will be presented to Unesco in Paris this week.