Culture- Page 4

Within the sprawling library of Jewish mysticism, few puzzles are as compact—and as consequential—as the two Hebrew letters Beit-Lamed (ב״ל). A growing circle of scholars is revisiting a 16th-century teaching from Rabbi

As Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine in February 2022, Europe’s concert halls, once filled with the soaring strains of Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich, fell abruptly silent. No more Nutcracker. No more Swan Lake.

It’s a question that has puzzled visitors to Japan for decades, including Professor Chris McMorran of the National University of Singapore, who brings students to Japan each year as part of his

When John Hanning Speke staggered through the sweltering jungle heat of East Africa in July 1858, he was a broken man—ravaged by fever, half-blind, and disheartened. For 18 months, he had searched

On May 20, 2025, Indian author, lawyer, and activist Banu Mushtaq made history by winning the International Booker Prize for her Kannada short story collection, Heart Lamp, translated into English by Deepa Bhasthi.

A recent call by the United Nations to reform Japan’s imperial succession law has reignited long-simmering tensions between the country’s progressive rhetoric on gender equality and its deeply entrenched conservative traditions. In

In a world that often finds itself playing discordant notes of division, the South Asian Symphony Orchestra is composing a melody of unity. This unique ensemble, a vibrant mix of musicians from