TEL AVIV ― The old vocation of what Rudyard Kipling called the “White Man’s Burden” ― the driving idea behind the West’s quest for global hegemony from the days of imperial expansion in the nineteenth century to the current, pathetically inconclusive, Libyan intervention ― has clearly run out of steam. Politically and economically exhausted, and attentive to electorates clamoring for a shift of pr

In short, in spite of India’s universities churning out some two million graduates every year, there has been no Bill Gates, no Steve Jobs and no Nobel laureate among them in a long, long time.In spite of India’s universities churning out some two million graduates every year, there has been no Bill Gates or a Nobel laureate among them in a long time. The education system that rewards rote learnin

‘Safari capital’ pushes for sustainable tourism in pursuit of harmony of humans, terrain and wildlifeMAASAI MARA, Kenya ― A dozen safari cars stood bumper to bumper along a narrow dirt road on the vast savannah land. All engines were cut. Passengers held their breath. The only interruptions to the sudden silence were sounds of clicking camera shutters and calm sighs of admiration as a male lion em

Poster of “Miracle of Music” concert. (Yangho Foundation/Miracle of Music)“Miracle of Music”: The Aloysius Orchestra and pianist Chung Myung-whun will hold a charity concert at the Seoul Arts Center’s Concert Hall on July 23 at 8 p.m. The 60-member orchestra consists of Aloysius Middle School and Aloysius Technical High School, which are affiliated with Busan Boystown, a children’s shelter where 7

“Baribari Chochom Didimsae 2011”: National Dance Company of Korea has been offering this performance series since 2001 to help the public better understand and appreciate Korean dance which is often considered difficult. It presents both traditional dances and new choreography inspired from the traditional dances. It runs through July 24 at The National Theater of Korea in Jangchung-dong, central

“Self Portrait 8” by Suh Yong-sun (Hakgojae Gallery)“A Brushstroke”: Hakgojae Gallery presents 38 paintings and drawings that feature a single or only a few brush strokes. Exhibits include works by established Korean artists like Kim Hodeuk, Suh Yong-sun, Lee U-fan, Chung Hyun and international artists like Sam Francis, Giuseppe Penone and Anish Kapoor. The exhibition runs through Aug. 21 at Hakg

  Poster of the 16th Busan Sea Festival(Busan Culture and Tourism FestivalOrganizing Committee)“Busan Sea Festival”: The Busan Sea Festival will be held from Aug. 1-9 at locations including Haeundae Beach, Gwangalli Beach, Song-do Beach and Songjeong Beach, as well as at various places in the city of Busan. It is Korea’s largest sea festival, and is a liaison of Busan International Rock Festival,

Australian soft rock duo Air Supply (Southernstar Entertainment)“Air Supply Live in Seoul”: Australian soft rock duo Air Supply is to perform in Seoul on Aug. 16 at the Olympic Park Olympic Hall at 8 p.m. Guitarist and singer-songwriter Graham Russell and lead vocalist Russell Hitchcock had a succession of hits worldwide, including eight Top Ten hits in the United States, in the early 1980s. Thei

A scene from “Jack the Ripper.” (mmusical company)“Jack the Ripper”: With a story based on the unsolved murder case in London in 1888, this popular musical is on its third run in Seoul. The star-studded cast includes Ahn Jae-wook, Lee Ji-hoon, Eom Gi-jun and Super Junior’s Seong-min in the role of Daniel, Shin Seong-woo and Lee Geon-myeong for the role of Jack and Yu Jun-sang for the role of Ander

Point Blank (France)Opening July 13.Thriller. Directed by Fred Cavaye. Samuel (Gilles Lellouche) is a nurse living in Paris who is happily married to his wife, Nadia (Elena Anaya). One night, however, two unknown men break into Samuel’s apartment and kidnap his seven-months-pregnant wife. The only way to have his wife back is to get one of the wounded patients out of his hospital and deliver him t

Various Artists“Rave On”FantasyPaul McCartney may be getting a little long in the tooth, but he steals the show from younger artists on “Rave On,” a new Buddy Holly tribute record.Using a distorted vocal effect that makes him sound like a mixture between Steven Tyler and Howlin’ Wolf, McCartney and his band tear through “It’s So Easy” with a fervor that singers half his age would have a hard time

Beyonce“4” Columbia“Run the World (Girls),” the first single from Beyonce’s fourth solo album, “4,” has all the hallmarks of a signature No. 1 Beyonce smash ― a bombastic, larger-than-life sound, a call-and-response hook, a heavy dose of girl power and a fierce drumbeat.Surprisingly, though, it landed with a thud on radio, and the buzz around “4” hasn’t been encouraging ― there’s even talk that th

Selena Gomez & the Scene“When the Sun Goes Down”Hollywood RecordsThere comes a point when a Disney or Nickelodeon star tries to make the transition to official recording artist. This is Selena Gomez’s moment.Musically speaking, Gomez is no Miley Cyrus or Vanessa Hudgens ― that’s because she’s better. She’s got a decent voice, and showcased that on last year’s “A Year Without Rain,” a pop ballad th