Mangal Shobhajatra on Pahela Baishakh, a festival close to the hearts of Bangalis, has been inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was made at the 11th session of the Inter-governmental Committee on Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday. 

Do Chinese people like to laugh?  Well stand-up comedy in general is a new idea to Chinese culture and expat English language comedy in China is an even bigger novelty given that the Beijing circuit is still in its infancy at around four years old. Currently the scene has two English language stand-up clubs, which hold a combination of three weekly open mics at various bars throughout the city. 

CineAsia is upon us already, the last major cinema conference of the year and a time to take stock. This show has taken on new significance in recent years as it highlights the growth of Asia as a film market and the increasing importance of the region to global cinema. The Asia-Pacific region will account for 40.4% of global box office in 2016.