Cultural News: Top Stories

	Top Stories United Kingdom: Ancient Rama epic pictures on display for public to appreciate for first time A rare display - Israel Museum puts Dead Sea scroll on public view Older generations plan legacy of laughs, perspective on life

	Top Stories Transcendental Lynch: A first-person account of the David Lynch weekend Maharishi School and Peace Palaces starting in Venezuela Maharishi Natural Reserve to help expand tourism in Paraguay

	Top Stories Afghanistan: Threat of ethnic clashes over grazing land India hires women border guards World: Climate solutions seen harming indigenous peoples
Positive Trends 10 Short Summaries of Top Stories United Kingdom: Ancient Rama epic pictures on display for public to appreciate for first time 17 May 2008 - Nearly 120 ancient paintings charting the life, struggles, and eventual triumph of the legendary Indian King Rama go on show to the public on Friday for the first time at the British Library in London, England. The highly detailed and lavishly illustrated pictures which date from the 17th century were formerly bound together in book form and available only for scholarly study. Originally comprising 400 paintings and 24,000 verses of text in Sanskrit, the pictures were bound in seven volumes of which the British Library has four and a half. The paintings, which originate in the Rajput court of Rajasthan have been removed from the bound volumes for conservation reasons. (more) A rare display - Israel Museum puts Dead Sea scroll on public view 14 May 2008 - One of the most important Dead Sea scrolls is going on display in Jerusalem this week -- more than four decades after it was last seen by the public. It contains one of the most famous passages ever written, which offers an idyllic vision of the future: 'They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.' A far smaller fragment of another Dead Sea scroll will be on display at the Jerusalem convention centre. The segment, also rarely shown, contains the text of Psalm 133, which reads: 'Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.' (more) Older generations plan legacy of laughs, perspective on life 13 May 2008 - Most people in the world would rather leave their heirs their perspective on life and sense of humour than money or property, according to a survey. Less than 10 per cent of 21,000 people in 21 countries surveyed said they want to pass on money while 60 per cent want their legacy to be their outlook on life. The preference for passing on human values rather than material goods held good in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. (more) Russia: Rostropovich art collection marks revival of cultural traditions 13 May 2008 - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin unveiled an exhibit from the art collection of renowned Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich on Monday at the Konstantin Palace near St. Petersburg. 'It wasn't by accident that the Konstantin Palace was chosen as the new home for the collection. It has been returned and restored practically from the ruins and today it is a symbol of the revival of our country, representing the continuity of our historic, spiritual, and cultural traditions,' Prime Minister Putin said. (more) United States: Philadelphia marks 100th birthday of Mother's Day 11 May 2008 - Philadelphia, known as the City of Brotherly Love, will become the City of Motherly Love for a day to celebrate the 100th anniversary of American Mother's Day on 11 May. Philadelphia is marking the 100th anniversary of the holiday with a Saturday ceremony that includes playing the 28,541-pipe Wanamaker Organ, a special cake, and a tribute by Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter to America's estimated 82 million mothers. While American Mother's Day takes place on the second Sunday in May, other national celebrations take place any time between mid-February (Norway) and 22 December (Indonesia). (more) Canadian survey: Mother's role is recognized as increasing valuable 10 May 2008 - If mothers were paid for cooking, cleaning, and caring for their families they could easily earn a six-figure salary, according to new calculations. In Canada the 10 most popular jobs performed by a stay-at-home mother would equate to a C$125,000 (US$124,280) salary, including overtime, and almost $75,000 for a working mother, in addition to her real salary. (more) India: Nepal's King to keep royal rights at Indian Hindu temple 9 May 2008 - Officials at the Jagannath Temple in eastern India, one of Hinduism's holiest sites, said Wednesday that political events in Nepal, where the country's soon-to-be communist rulers plan to abolish the monarchy, would have no bearing on King Gyanendra's traditional special privileges at the shrine. Tradition holds that Nepal's monarchs are reincarnations of Vishnu, and they have long been treated as divine at the Jagannath Temple, allowing them to perform rituals on the temple's sacred alter with the assistance of high-ranking priests. (more) Vatican City: Pope Benedict reaches out to China at unprecedented concert 9 May 2008 - Pope Benedict reached out to communist China on Wednesday at an unprecedented concert by its national orchestra in the Vatican that the Church hopes can help end decades of icy relations with Beijing. (more) Baghdad museum receives artifacts stolen from Iraq 29 April 2008 - Iraq's National Museum on Sunday welcomed the return of more than 700 antiquities stolen during the chaos that followed the US-led invasion five years ago. Syrian authorities seized the items from traffickers over the years and handed custody last week to an Iraqi delegation in Damascus. Artifacts have been recovered before, but Syria was the first country to return such a large quantity of stolen antiquities, said Dr Muna Hassan, the head of a committee working to restore the artifacts. (more) Yemen: Socotra, jewel of biodiversity in Arabian Sea 25 April 2008 - Yemen's remote Socotra islands, which harbour many unique species of birds and plants, may gain UNESCO recognition in July as a world natural heritage site. Socotra is the largest of an island group in the Arabian Sea, it has 1,570 metre (5,150 foot) high granite mountains, deep valleys, limestone plateaux, sandy beaches, lagoons, and wind-scoured cliffs dropping into the sea. (more)
Success of Maharishi's Programmes 10 Short Summaries of Top Stories Transcendental Lynch: A first-person account of the David Lynch weekend 13 May 2008 - Musician Daron Murphy gives a first-hand account of the David Lynch Weekend recently held at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, USA. He comments on Trancendental Meditation, David Lynch, and the 'nicest, smartest, and most vibrant' meditators he met at the university event. (more) Maharishi School and Peace Palaces starting in Venezuela 9 May 2008 - Raja Jose Luis Alvarez, Raja of Latin America for the Global Country of World Peace, reported recently on Maharishi Global Family Chat about a new Maharishi School in Caracas and Maharishi Peace Palaces outside Valencia, Venezuela. (more) Maharishi Natural Reserve to help expand tourism in Paraguay 19 March 2008 - The Maharishi Natural Reserve in Paraguay, with 343 hectares of forest, will offer a new tourist attraction at the base of the spectacular saltos de Monday (the Monday Waterfalls), in the Alto Parana region of Paraguay. (more) Report of good news from Holland 21 February 2008 - During a recent Maharishi Global Family Chat, broadcast daily via satellite and over the Internet on Channel 3 of the Maharishi Channel, Dr Willem Meijles, Raja (Administrator) of Invincible Holland for the Global Country of World Peace, reported on Holland's Tower of Invincibility, and the Mother of the Domain presented some news of rising positive trends in the nation. (more) Maharishi's ashes immersed in Sangam 12 February 2008 - On Tuesday afternoon, the ashes of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi were immersed in the Sangam, where the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet. (more) Donovan is honoured for bringing Maharishi's knowledge to the world 1 February 2008 - During recent celebrations of the Global Country of World Peace, broadcast on Channel 3 of the Maharishi Channel, Dr John Hagelin and Dr David Lynch praised Donovan for bringing Maharishi's knowledge to the world and the creation of the Invincible Donovan University for which Donovan has composed a new song. (more) India's timeless Vedic heritage: Meeting the challenges of our modern age - Part I 27 January 2008 - At this time, when stress and stress-related illness have reached epidemic proportions, and the demand for creativity and peak performance is higher than ever, it is deeply satisfying to see how India's cherished meditation tradition is filling a vast void--making its way into boardrooms, classrooms, and medical practice. (more) Donovan performs and is honoured during global celebrations of Maharishi's Year of Invincibility - Part I 19 January 2008 - The fifth day of the 12 January 2008 Global Celebrations was a day of joyous inspiration, with stories and music by renowned singer-songwriter Dr Donovan Leitch, and praise and reminiscences by the leaders of the Global Country of World Peace. (more) Maharishi Gandharva Music: Questions and answers - Part II 6 January 2008 - Continuing our series of articles about Maharishi Gandharva, we present more questions and answers about this unique, life-supporting music. (more) Some frequently asked questions about Maharishi Gandharva Veda - Part I 5 January 2008 - The following questions and answers give more information about the purpose and effect of Maharishi Gandharva Veda music. (more)
Flops 10 Short Summaries of Top Stories Afghanistan: Threat of ethnic clashes over grazing land 8 April 2008 - There are increasing fears of an imminent outbreak of ethnic conflict in central Afghanistan over access to grazing land between Kuchis and Hazaras. The estimated 2-3 million Kuchis (nomads) have traditionally moved all over the country with their camels, sheep, goats, and donkeys in search of greener pastures. The Hazara have warned that Kuchis will not be allowed to graze animals in 'their' areas. (more) India hires women border guards 4 April 2008 - India is enrolling women for the first time in a combat role. They will be deployed along the country's borders with Pakistan to the west, and Bangladesh in the east, which New Delhi says are the most common entry points for militants plotting attacks against the country. (more) World: Climate solutions seen harming indigenous peoples 2 April 2008 - Large-scale solutions to help slow global warming often threaten the very indigenous peoples who are among those hardest hit by a changing climate, the UN University said on Wednesday. Biofuel plantations, construction of hydropower dams and measures to protect forests, where trees soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide gas as they grow, can create conflicts with the ancestral lands of indigenous peoples. (more) Chinese minority faces cultural extinction 13 March 2008 - The culture and language of China's second smallest minority, the Shamanistic Hezhen who number less than 5,000, are rapidly slipping away and they need more state aid, a community leader said on Thursday. Fewer than 20 Hezhen still speak their mother tongue fluently, according to the United Nation's cultural body UNESCO, and Chinese officials have named it one of the country's most threatened languages, along with the old imperial tongue Manchu. The only Chinese minority group with fewer members are the Lhoba of Tibet. (more) Tibet's language, customs fading away 9 March 2008 - Tibet's language, customs, and traditions are fading away and Tibetans live in fear as they become an insignificant minority in their Himalayan homeland, the Dalai Lama will say in a speech on Monday. (more) Yemen: Despite progress, still an uphill struggle for women 9 March 2008 - Yemeni women, especially those living in rural areas, continue to have high illiteracy rates, insufficient medical care and face gender discrimination, specialists said at an event held in Sanaa on 8 March to mark International Women's Day 2008. (more) Benin: More than 40,000 children trafficked each year 5 March 2008 - A new study released jointly by the Ministry of Family and Children and the UN in Benin shows that more than 40,000 children aged between 6 and 17 were trafficked in 2006. (more) Racial inequality persists in US 5 March 2008 - Black Americans still trail whites on such basics as income, education, and health, a study showed on Wednesday. Across a range of economic indicators including measures of employment, poverty, housing, income, and wealth, blacks were much worse off than whites. Three times as many US blacks as whites live below the poverty line, defined as an income of $20,000 for a family of four. The disparity between the races on unemployment narrowed slightly, but blacks were still twice as likely to be jobless. (more) UK children 'becoming more materialistic': poll 28 February 2008 - British adults believe children are being damaged by increased commercialisation and a negative media portrayal of their age group, a poll found this week, but experts believe grown-ups are to blame. (more) Singapore: Chinese New Year exodus as cultural rituals abandoned 30 January 2008 - Rather than spending New Year at home with extended families in what is traditionally the year's one guaranteed family reunion, Chinese Singaporeans, some 77 per cent of the population, are fleeing their New Year in droves. Experts say the trend of abandoning traditional wider family obligations for short breaks overseas has accelerated as the economy booms and as Asia's budget airline networks encourage soaring leisure travel. (more)