‘Slank U’: Indonesian presidential candidates try to harness power of music

Hugely-popular band Slank have endorsed presidential candidate Ganjar Pranowo but fans could be more fickle.

‘It’s our act of protest as artists, to be on the right side of justice’

An Italian theatre director hopes his show, Inshalom, educates people about Israel’s brutal military campaign in Gaza.

Brutality of oppression: Ai Weiwei speaks on Gaza, China and New York City

‘Speak your thoughts loudly and without considering the consequences,’ says the artist.

Uganda’s first Oscar-nominated film tells story of Bobi Wine persecution

Film retells political persecution of popstar-turned-politician Bobi Wine as he takes on the longtime Ugandan leader.

Malaysian Hindus show religious devotion at Thaipusam

Millions of people join processions to major temples to honour Lord Murugan and the struggle of good over evil.

Photos: Bird and buffalo fights return to India’s northeast

Supreme Court ended nine-year ban last year, with laws in place that it’s claimed will protect the animals.

Photos: Ethiopian regional conflict makes Orthodox epiphany ‘sad’

With barely 1,000 worshippers taking part in the procession, festivities have been muted this year.

Paul Lynch: Is Prophet Song a mirror of modern-day fascism?

The Booker Prize-winning author dissects his tale of global conflicts and tyranny.

Death threats for a Stalin vandal prompt soul-searching in Orthodox Georgia

An icon featuring Joseph Stalin on display inside Georgia’s largest cathedral causes a furore.

The dark underbelly of Pakistan’s male body image revolution

Inside the little-known world of bodybuilding, vulnerable young men face steroid abuse and sexual exploitation.

Photos: Mass Hindu wedding defies poverty and persecution in Pakistan

Ceremony in the southern city of Karachi joins 122 Hindu couples unable to afford their own weddings.

The only Palestinian factory making keffiyehs is going strong

At a time of crisis, the work of the Hirbawi brothers in Hebron has rarely been more vital.

Facing high rates of sexual violence, Colombia turns to salsa as therapy

The popular dance is being used along with other treatments to address trauma in Cali, the world capital of salsa.

Economic downturn punctures joy of festive season in Nigeria

Festivities have been muted this December in Nigeria as a cost of living crisis reaches new heights.

In Zimbabwe, a small publisher that helped launch big voices shuts down

In 25 years, the couple-run Harare-based Weaver Press published hundreds of Zimbabwean fiction and nonfiction titles.

When death metal becomes one of 84,000 ways to practise Buddhism

Taiwan’s Dharma takes the raw energy of the genre that emerged in the US in the mid-80s on a new, more blissful turn.

Photos: Who’s in charge of Tunisia’s streets? Writing’s on the wall

Street art is a space for creative expression in Tunisia, and many artists take inspiration from current events.