Culture

The core idea behind Diwali is the triumph of good over evil, reflected in its rituals like diyas and rangoli. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains worldwide are celebrating Diwali this year on November 12.

France has banned the sale, possession and transport of all fireworks during the upcoming Bastille Day festivities. The government issued a decree on Sunday prohibiting “pyrotechnic articles” for the 14 July celebrations

The world’s oldest toys date back thousands of years – but determining whether ancient children played with them, and how, remains a mystery archaeologists are piecing together. O Over the two decades

From fairytale and formal to satirical and subversive – the art and photography that depict Her Majesty the Queen reveal some interesting truths. Holly Williams takes a look.W When Cecil Beaton photographed

The move is one of the harshest restrictions imposed on Afghanistan’s women since the Taliban seized power last year. Afghanistan’s supreme leader has ordered the country’s women to cover their faces in

A new true-crime series explores an unexplained 2001 death – but how does it compare to the gripping 2004 documentary of the same crime, asks Caryn James.A Amidst an apparently endless flood