Arts/Leisure
Around the Globe in 37 plays
From Illinois to Bangladesh: new takes on Shakespeare on London stage
The Q Brothers from Chicago bring hip-hop beats to "Othello"; actors from newly independent South Sudan evoke the revolutionary spirit of "Cymbeline." Just two of the unconventional interpretations of the Bard wowing London audiences. ...
U.S. gourmet raw food craze hits Belgium
Making "taste bombs" without cooking
Established in Europe as a health diet a century ago, vegan raw foodism returns to the old continent as an American fad ...
From Kentucky to Korea – have a bourbon!
Free Trade Agreement opens lucrative Korean market to good ole country bourbon
World demand for bourbon, a "distinctive product of the U.S." seems unstoppable. In Brazil demand has increased fivefold over the past 10 years and now South Korea is open for business. The distillers of Kentucky are smiling. ...
Inspired by Detroit: photographing abandoned buildings
"Collapse is of immense interest to the general public." That's the view of Swedish historian turned photographer Jan Jörnmark. He tells us why ...
The wide world of Beastie Boy Adam Yauch, from Brooklyn to Tibet
Yauch provided a rough and aggressive rumble that roared through the speakers. But his Beastie persona obscured the person who spent the last 20 years as a committed Buddhist and helped make "Free Tibet" a rallying cry for cyncial Gen-xers....
Forget Scotland: China stakes its claim to golf
Golf has become a global phenomenon, thanks in part to Asian growth. It has even come to Laos. But it's growing fastest in China, where new courses are sprouting like weeds. ...
The digital world reshapes the physical one
Sure, computers are everywhere. But these ideas take the digital world into whole new realms. ...
So just why are the Irish obsessed with chewing gum?
New Ewan McGregor film sparks interest in ill-conceived tours of Yemen, the Irish campaign for gum-free streets and Zimbabweans misjudge their prostitutes...
Bengali “Crossfire” reaches U.S.
An unusual photographic exhibit documents places where Bengalis have been found dead, alleged victims of a government-backed vigilante justice program. Bengalis call it "crossfire," and they've helped activist-photographer Shahidul Alam capture these haunting scenes....
James Bond, filming in Istanbul, is nuisance, boon to local shopkeepers
What happens when the James Bond franchise wants to film in the midst of a historic bazaar? Well, the locals complain. A story of old world meeting fantasy world...
New York wineries have image problems with…New Yorkers
Bet you didn't know New York is the second biggest wine producer in the U.S. But it's more popular with international tourists than with New Yorkers. That might be changing. ...
A real-life Barbie raises questions about ourselves
From a wannabe Barbie to plans for a candlelight vigil: whether news happens in Ukraine, California, Seoul or Great Britain, things have a funny way of being connected. ...
From Jakarta or Mars? The answer is Zeke Khaseli
What do you get when you cross Beck, the Flaming Lips and Indonesia? The remarkably strange stylings of this Indonesian youngster. Khaseli is a testament to the creative melting pot of our wired world, and the dawn of multi-media rock-and-roll.
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Can you limit problem gambling? Norway thinks so
In response to our story about slots in Australia and Massachusetts, one Latitude News reader wonders if there is any country where pre-commitment, goverment imposed limits on betting, works. Latitude News investigates....
Picture this: World traveler takes photos that make us care
Don Perrault says he's an ordinary guy. But his extraordinary photos of the world are raising tens of thousands of dollars for health care and educational charities. ...
Want to lower your stress levels? Try forest bathing
It lowers stress hormones, enhances the immune system and can relieve anger and depression. And that's just what researchers have discovered so far about Shinrin-yoku or the Japanese practice of “forest bathing.” ...
Those who don’t know tattoo history are happy to repeat it
Tattoo culture always crossed borders. Now it's drawing inspiration from its own past....
From Colombia: Secret Service exploits, and the sound of champeta
Secret Service agents are trained for all sorts of situations. But they perhaps were unprepared for the force of Cartagena's party culture and the local booty-shaking rhythm champeta....
Picture This: Happy birthday, Charlie Chaplin – Love, India
Indian Chaplin fans honor the comedian on his birthday. Honestly, how could we not post this story?...
Can Canadian kids handle more foul language than American kids?
Whether you see the version of Bully with three F-bombs or six, the context is far more offensive than the language. ...
Did Nigeria’s D’banj sell out when he crossed over to U.S.?
He's good with Oliver Twist, Mr. Endowed or the Koko Master. But here's why Nigeria's D'Banj won't be known as Daniel Banjo anymore....
Confronting bullying: One drumbeat at a time
Take an odd-looking former school bus, open the doors and let the drumbeat take you away. Programs in places as different as the desert Southwest and countries Down Under are using drumming to help youths beat bullying. It seems to be working....
Out, damned spot! Thais boot Shakespeare movie, spur debate
In “Shakespeare Must Die,” a dictator suppresses a local staging of “Macbeth.” But the Thai government has deemed the movie too controversial to be shown, a move that's causing harsh criticism in the country.
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Weird World Roundup: pandas, Russian patriarchs’ bling and lots of snakes
It's a weird, weird world, and every Saturday we bring you a few of the strangest stories we've come across this week...
In Russia, a lack of men forces women to settle for less
This fact profoundly affects relationships in Russia. Men have a monopoly on power that they wield with impunity. From my own experience dating a Russian man, I found out for myself just how much....
The Arab Spring has a dope beat
Fight the Power? That's what Khaled M, Omar Offendum and other artists do via their hip hop-fueled protest songs. Don't believe the hype? Have a listen....
Management by singing: the power of the office choir
Work is work, not play. But in Britain, a group sings a different tune, using music and office choirs to boost morale and productivity. ...
Friday Music: Fela! returns
“Fela!”, the musical about Nigerian music star/radical politician/polygamist Fela Kuti, has come back from stints in London, Lagos and other points, and is now starting a North American tour. Through songs like “International Thief Thief (I.T.T.)” and “Zombie,” Fela established himself as a political force against the state — which struck back violently at him, ...
As Kraft and Wynn up the ante, casino causes concern in Foxborough
Who wants a casino in their backyard? We hear from both sides of the fence in Foxborough and in the rest of the world. The first of a LatitudeNews look into casino gambling worldwide. ...
Lin Who? Marbury red-hot on Chinese courts
Can a former NBA bad boy become a superstar in China? Maybe. But if nothing else, he is creating a stir among Chinese fans. After one hotly contested game, they rocked the bus he was in for an hour....
Paying billions for sports shrines
(Almost) everyone likes sports, right? But should taxpayers' money be used for a new super-stadium when there's a war going in Afghanistan. One woman in Minnesota, a Vikings football fan, wonders about whether more important issues should take precedence....
In Beijing, a fledgling indie rock scene takes off
Rock music was slow to grow in China, but seven Chinese bands will play SXSW. A look at D22, China's leading rock club, opened by a former Wall Street trader....
Book tour illuminates U.S. soldiers’ impulses to avenge, torture
It might seem unthinkable that a U.S. soldier could slaughter and burn children, but Abu Ghraib was unthinkable, too. Joshua Phillips has gone on tour with the unthinkable, promoting his book "None of Us Were Like This Before." He takes us inside this difficult topic. ...
How Kony2012 gets it wrong
Invisible Children has successfully changed the scope of humanitarian marketing. Its film, however, is rife with half-truths....
Death of Italian singer triggers debate over homosexuality
Lucio Dalla was a giant of Italian popular music. His funeral was broadcast live on Italian TV this Sunday.. But now Italians are talking about his "secret" - the fact that Dalla was gay. They're asking why he kept it a secret and what that says about Italy ...
In Pakistan, improv comedy is a form of protest
It’s open-mic night at a cultural center in the Pakistani city of Lahore. A group of young comedians takes the stage and asks the audience to suggest figures for them to poke fun at, using the tag-line “the world’s worst…” Somebody shouts out “terrorist!”...
Angler hooks orca, mapping trenches and an Indian surf festival
A fisherman accidentally hooks a killer whale in New Zealand, India hosts its first surf competition and scientists shine light on the world's deepest spot - our look back at this week's unusual stories. ...
Syrians sing for freedom
In Syria today, singing the wrong song can bring a death sentence. Here's the revolution in song, including a rousing performance of a revolutionary chant that cost the singer his life....
Soccer, stray dogs and love songs
A clash of heroic myths at Africa's Cup of Nations. How the Indian city of Kashmir is under attack from stray dogs. And a sad case of convoluted lyrics at Italy's San Remo Song Festival. Top picks from the world's media ...
The Queen of Soul
The sultry British singer Adele swept the Grammys with six wins. Listen to her greatest hits and read about Britain's surprising tradition of soul music . . . ...
Tinariwen rocks the Tuareg rebellion
It isn't every day that a separatist movement produces a great band. Listen, learn and enjoy!...
The world responds to Wikipedia shutdown
SOPA's an acronym we all love to hate after Wikipedia goes dark for a day. Europe uses it as a warm-up to fight a similar EU law. And SOPA's sponsors say they want nothing to do with the bill. ...
Radio host wants to remake Pakistan
Bombings, killings, fighting -- we're used to hearing that from Pakistan. But one man thinks that music, talk shows and the occasional militant reciting a poem -- will make a difference in Waziristan....
Spielberg brings Tintin back to life, even in Belgium
Belgians are comics crazed, and Tintin is their Superman. They feared Spielberg would turn their hero into Hollywood schlock. Here's what happened when the movie appeared.......
After the Spring, tourism falls in Egypt
No lines. No waits. Great sights. What better time to go to Egypt? But as our photo essay shows, the tourists have yet to return to Tahrir Square. ...
The whole world in a kitchen
A window on one bustling restaurant kitchen, where an international staff prepares a Thanksgiving feast for Washingtonians. ...
Trollywood: a Swedish success story
The venerable Saab automobile company is teetering on the brink of closure. But its hometown, Trollhattan, is enjoying its relatively new role of Sweden's motion picture capital ...
Pittsburgh offers a safe haven for writers-in-exile.
For writers from all over the world, Pittsburgh offers a safe haven from conflict and persecution....
