Stories about Culture
‘It’s not just a joke!’ Nigerian comedians unite against rape culture
"We have to stop turning survivors of sexual and gender-based violence into collateral damage, just for laughs. Because rape is not a joke…This has to stop. Now!"
‘Queer Japan’ documentary introduces Japan's vibrant, multifaceted LGTBQ+ community
The film features a variety of individuals involved in art, activism, nightlife, and politics in Japan.
Internet artist behind satirical Australia war crimes image hailed as a hero on Chinese social media
The satirical image of an Australian soldier slitting the throat of an Afghan child was shared by China’s Foreign Ministry's spokesman on Twitter, causing a row between the two countries.
Google Doodle of economist and Nobel laureate Sir Arthur Lewis makes the Caribbean proud
The St Lucian-born economist, who became known for his “Lewis model” of economic development, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1979.
Diary of a Nepali soldier in France
A diary written by a Gurkha sergeant in the British Army in 1914, during World War I, has revealed a whole new side to the Gurkha legend.
Bangladesh bids farewell to Argentinian football legend Maradona
Argentinian football legend Maradona became an icon in Bangladesh after the 1986 FIFA World Cup. Now, Bangladeshi fans mourn his death.
‘Godmother’ of Caribbean literature, Marina Salandy-Brown, made honorary fellow of Royal Society of Literature
“We've always been writing in the Caribbean, but no one had really created a space (at home) with the power to [connect] regional writers to the international publishing industry."
The power of ‘personal experience': An interview with Egyptian artist Youssef Nabil
Nabil's "technique mixes painting and photography, inspired by hand-painted movie posters of the 1940s and 1950s, and is reminiscent of the pre-digital world."
Pakistan to introduce tougher punishment for rape—including chemical castration
The laws address several aspects of the criminal process and include an expansion of the definition of rape, which was welcomed by activists. Other points, however, received mixed reactions.
Controversy over Thanksgiving celebration in a Chinese university highlights a growing culture of political snitching
A dormitory supervisor at Harbin Institute of Technology wanted to give out chocolate treats to students on Thanksgiving Day. A student threatened to report her to the school's authorities.
Newly-found vintage playing cards shine a light on post-war occupied Japan
The vintage playing cards feature what was arguably the most prominent figure of daily life in early post-war Japan: the American soldier.
From #BlackLivesMatter to #VidasNegrasImportam: Call to end colonial legacy of police brutality
"Police brutality is universal, white supremacy is global, and colonialism is not forgotten, which is why Black people every day, around the world, are being killed."
Can secularism be compatible with Islam?
"Islam has become an insecure identity that is always undermined by criticism from the Christian or godless, but always colonial, West."
Rubber ducks in Thai protests inspire solidarity and memes
"The image of Thai authorities, armed to the teeth with riot gear and shields, facing off against…rubber ducks…highlights the sheer asymmetry of the battle between protester and state."
In the Middle East, words escape prison walls to inspire freedom and hope
"Why is our homeland so small and tight, and why am I considered a criminal or an enemy that threatens it!”
The greatness of Caribbean writer Jean Rhys
Best known for “Wide Sargasso Sea,” her daring riposte to “Jane Eyre”, Rhys is an integral part of the literary canon. A panel of writers dissects what makes her great.
During the Cold War, Latin American intellectuals found solace in communist Prague
After World War II, Latin America had authoritarian, US-backed anti-communist governments. Facing repression at home, writers found refuge in communist Prague, in a story little-known in today's Czech Republic.
Proposed tax on books in Brazil may disadvantage readers in poorer neighbourhoods
The Brazilian government is considering a 12 percent tax on literary works. Cultural initiatives warn that the proposal risks widening existing inequalities in access to reading.
Barbados removes statue of British naval officer Horatio Nelson for his role in the slave trade
"The point is not the destruction of ‘the past’, as if there was one monolithic uncontested past, but the renegotiation of which past the present holds up to its face."
How Japan followed the US presidential election
In Japan, Trump is not always regarded with the dismissiveness or loathing that is so common in the United States or even in Canada.
