Features and long-form coverage of culture, travel, food, and tradition
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – The Vatican on Tuesday rolled out its latest “Click to Pray“ app, offering a personal planner among new functions for what it hopes will be an improved digital “praying experience” in a fast-paced world. In its own mini-version of a Silicon Valley-type unveiling, seven Church officials – including a cardinal – took part in a news conference to illustrate
Japan’s top rail firms are going the extra mile to attract customers as the pandemic continues to cripple the travel industry. The industry leaders, which also operate hotels, are using their rail expertise to offer train-themed room deals. In a Tokyo hotel run by the Tobu Railway group, guests can try their hand at the
Musicians all over Thailand are today mourning the passing of Bruce Gaston, the first man to successfully blend traditional Thai sounds with contemporary Western melodies. Many foreigners fascinated by Thai culture decide to live in Thailand, and Gaston was no exception. But he is the only foreigner to have received the Silpathorn Award, an honor
Not so long ago, the idea of a fast-food chain famous for its “finger-licking good” fried chicken adding plant-based meat to its menu would have raised more than a few eyebrows. But that’s exactly what happened last month and the concept has proved so popular that it looks likely to continue in the future. In August,
Turkey’s newest park is an underwater museum of fourteen shipwrecks that lie beneath the waves of the Dardanelles Strait, a glimpse into the fierce battles between Ottoman and Allied forces in World War I. Turkish photographer Savas Karakas was one of the first to board a motor boat and then dive to the seabed grave
Believed to be the birthplace of the vegetarian festival in Thailand, Phuket has decided to hold its well-known and much-loved vegetarian or Je festival from October 5 to 15 this year despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As befits the situation, this time the celebration will be held in accordance with the “new normal manner. That
Haruki Murakami fans can marvel at a vast collection of the Japanese author’s novels, scrapbooks and vinyl at a cavernous new library unveiled Wednesday at his old university in Tokyo. Murakami, 72, is one of Japan’s most famous writers, whose intricately crafted tales of the absurdity and loneliness of modern life are global bestsellers. The
Foods with insect extracts and edible insects are being sold in vending machines across Japan. One such vending machine was installed in Miyaki Town, Saga Prefecture, western Japan on Tuesday. It is said to be the first edible insect vending machine in the prefecture. It is offering 12 types of whole insects, including bamboo caterpillars,
Crowds stood admiring the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Saturday (September 18) after it was draped in silvery blue, recyclable plastic wrapping as a tribute to late artist Christo. Hundreds wandered around and underneath the Arc to marvel at the 50-meter high, 19th-century arch wrapped in 25,000 square meters of cladding. Imagined decades ago
Virtual learning during lockdown has been a brand new experience for all students and parents, with both doing their best to come up with the best way to create an effective learning environment. Not everyone is able to make the most of this technological transformation, though and many are struggling with burnout as they try
A Dutch museum on Thursday (September 16) unveiled a previously unknown work by Vincent van Gogh — a study for one of his best-known drawings, “Worn Out” — in which an old man sits in a chair with his head in his hands. Van Gogh “was really interested in the ordinary person, he was also
Culture is like a little bird in your hand. You want to keep it and nurture it. Grasping it too firmly might stifle it, while holding it too loosely could let it fly away When the world was watching Thai-born K-pop singer Lalisa ‘Lisa’ Manoban in the music video of her first solo single released
