Culture & Society

1,000-year-old China Song dynasty bowl sells for record $37.7m   Bowl, originally designed to wash brushes, breaks record for Chinese porcelain, auction house Sotheby’s says. A 1,000-year-old bowl from China’s Song dynasty sold at auction for $37.7m...

The house that Tateh built ... out of sand-filled plastic bottles Pablo Mediavilla Costa in Tindouf, Algeria   In the Sahrawi refugee camps in the Algerian desert, Tateh Lehbib Braica – aka ‘the crazy bottle guy’ –...

Avengers: Infinity War Is the Weimar Stage of Superhero Movies By Kyle Smith This is superpower hyperinflation. Here’s the problem with Avengers: Infinity War: too much superpower. Thor gets zapped by the energy of an entire star...

How important is Catalonia to Spain? Jon Henley   The region has a greater role in Spain’s economy than its size would suggest. Catalonia occupies just over 6.3% (32,114 sq km) of Spain’s territory, but its importance is...

Rehab center in Turkey prepares addicts for life after drugs   The Oya Bahadir Yuksel Rehabilitation Centre in Turkey's southeastern province of Gaziantep not only provides teenage addicts with treatment, but also offers them accommodation, education,...

Steeped in history but crumbling, Albania's 'slanted city'   Many of the centuries-old, fortified buildings, which won the southern Albanian town of Gjirokastra a place on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005 are at...

A look into how Hong Kong's famous 'fire dragon' is made   Makers of the ‘fire dragon’ say the humble but resilient materials for the dragon can, with expertise, be sculpted into a mighty creature. Work to...

Oscars 2018: The Winners Compiled by ANDREW R. CHOW    Jordan Peele wins best original screenplay at the 90th Academy Awards. Credit Patrick T. Fallon for The New York Times The 90th Academy Awards rewarded a...

Art enriches the workplace and can be a useful investment for employers Author: Fabienne Nicholas, Head of Consultancy, Contemporary Art Society   Art collecting is no longer just for individuals – it can set a company apart,...

Elisabeth Moss defends Scientology after fan compares it to Gilead   Actor, who was raised a Scientologist, denies that the movement is similar to the fictional regime in The Handmaid’s Tale. Elisabeth Moss has defended Scientology after...