Kate Bush’s 1985 hit has been reborn as the song of summer, and is everywhere from TikTok to the top of the charts as it is discovered by a new generation. The story of how the extraordinary song came into being is fascinating.
Amidst growing unease with Austrian-Hungarian political dominance in the nineteenth century, Ljudevit Gaj, a visionary 26-year old Croatian linguist and writer, laid the foundations for a vision of a single, united, Slavic group.
The recent Jubilee celebrations in Britain have centred around a queen who has shown us the value of a philosophy based on self-discipline, forbearance and moral integrity.
Many Indian philosophies are popular today, but Kali, the vital and existential goddess, stands in splendorous opposition to more placid religious traditions.
Art apologists tell us what to think but not how to look when they label controversial collections.
The burned-out rubble of a centuries-old Ukrainian monastery will likely be a stark reminder of war’s many horrors for years to come.
The Taiwanese are largely united in their avowal of Taiwan as a democratic, more inclusive model that China itself should aspire to. But they are far from united in their interpretation of Taiwan’s history, or how that should shape the island’s future.
Jubilees are a mild method of expressing national pride — an exceptional chance to exhibit effusiveness for the individual occupying the throne.
Brave and nimble Ukrainians are strongly resisting the Russian advance but more weapons are needed against Moscow’s military might.
Sweden’s application in the wake of the war in Ukraine has given Turkey the chance to bring up old grievances.
It is often claimed that ‘humiliating’ a vanquished state only ensures hostility later down the line. The reality however is far more complex.
The Shanghainese have proved throughout their history that even the most solid prisons are ones they don’t care to tarry in long. Let’s hope they can escape very soon.
The Cannes Film Festival offers a unique perspective on the world and what it thinks and fears.
Despite the heavy baggage of the twentieth century, the country must now step up to its NATO responsibilities.
Although tainted by the history of Fascism, the Manifesto and La cucina futurista deserve to be remembered as a brave, bizarre and fascinating attempt to aestheticise gastronomy – even if the ‘abolition of pasta’ was always doomed to fail.
Countless musicians have been uprooted by war or persecution — to the benefit of conservatoires, orchestras and concert halls around the world. A newly formed Ukrainian refugee orchestra is set to follow in their footsteps.
Finland and Sweden are all but certain to seek NATO membership in the coming months. This is unlikely to be a straight forward process. Public opinion and recent history will dictate what kind of NATO members they will become.
Both the far-right and far-left have been seduced by Putin in a love match that not even war can uncouple.
The novelist’s grand finale was unnerving but his quest for his people’s native spirit lives on.
Digitalised defence systems and new technology are important, but they do not eliminate the age old realities of warfare.
The French Republic had to be built but then it had to be preserved. Its very attempts to conserve itself in the face of constant instability however, is what creates the tension and magic of France.
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