Tours and Travels. Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip
An Afghan author’s latest book is a generational call to remember the country’s recent violent past, he says. But Taliban rules mean publishers and bookstores are wary of stocking it. From Peshawar, Pakistan, Muska Safi has the story, narrated by Bezhan Hamdard. Roshan Noorzai contributed to this report. …
Los Angeles — The U.S. film industry’s first big gathering since fires devastated Los Angeles will begin Thursday at the Sundance festival, where highlights include a glitzy new Jennifer Lopez musical and a dark Benedict Cumberbatch drama. Hollywood’s annual pilgrimage to the Rocky Mountains to premiere the coming year’s most-anticipated indie films is taking place in …
Read more “Starry Sundance fest moves ahead in wake of LA fires”
WASHINGTON — The Keke Palmer buddy comedy “One of Them Days” opened in first place on the North American box office charts on a particularly slow Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. The R-rated Sony release earned $11.6 million from 2,675 theaters, according to studio estimates Sunday, beating Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” by a hair. …
Read more “Keke Palmer’s ‘One of Them Days,’ ‘Mufasa’ race for No. 1 “
It is one of the 20th century’s most memorable images: a naked girl, screaming, running from a napalm bombing during the Vietnam War. More than a half-century later, a new documentary is calling into question who took it — and the retired Associated Press photographer long credited for the photo insists it was his, while …
Read more “New documentary questions who took famous napalm attack photo”
NABEUL, Tunisia — For years, Tunisians have been picking bright red peppers, combining them with garlic, vinegar and spices and turning them into a saucy spread called harissa. The condiment is a national staple, found in homes, restaurants and food stalls throughout the coastal North African nation. Brick-red, spicy and tangy, it can be scooped up …
Read more “Chili paste heats up dishes and warms hearts at northeastern Tunisia’s harissa festival”
LOS ANGELES — David Lynch, the filmmaker celebrated for his uniquely dark vision in such movies as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive” and the TV series “Twin Peaks,” has died just days before his 79th birthday. His family announced the death in a Facebook post on Thursday. The cause of death and location was not immediately …
Read more “David Lynch, filmmaker behind ‘Twin Peaks’ and ‘Mulholland Drive,’ dies at 78”
MUMBAI — Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was stabbed repeatedly by an intruder at his home in Mumbai on Thursday, but doctors treating him said he was out of danger after surgery. Khan, 54, was “on the path to complete recovery” after receiving stab wounds on his spine, neck and hand, the doctors told reporters. “He …
Read more “Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan out of danger after stabbing at Mumbai home”
A Kenyan company is using the age-old art of glass blowing to recycle waste into sculptures, goblets, beads and more. Juma Majanga reports from Kajiado, Kenya. …
WASHINGTON — For more than 5,000 years, humans have adorned themselves with tattoos. In a new study, researchers used lasers to uncover highly intricate designs of ancient tattoos on mummies from Peru. The preserved skin of the mummies and the black tattoo ink used show a stark contrast — revealing fine details in tattoos dating to …
Read more “Lasers help archaeologists study ancient tattoos on Peruvian mummies”
Egypt hosted a historic number of tourists last year —15.7 million, despite regional challenges — surpassing records set in 2023 and 2010. Around the city of Luxor, Cairo-based photojournalist Hamada Elrasam captured newly unearthed antiquities showcased this month. Captions by Elle Kurancid. …
London — Hundreds of Londoners headed down to the Underground on Sunday afternoon, stripped down to their underwear and travelled around a bit, trying to look as though nothing unusual was going on. As if. This was the Official No Trousers Tube Ride, an annual event with no point other than injecting a little levity into …
Read more “London subway riders bare their legs in ‘No Trousers Tube Ride’”
New York — On a quiet weekend in movie theaters, while much of Hollywood’s attention was on the wildfires that continue to rage in Los Angeles, Lionsgate’s “Den of Thieves 2: Pantera” debuted atop the box office with $15.5 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. Mid-January is often a slow moviegoing period, and that was slightly …
Read more “‘Den of Thieves 2’ is No. 1 at box office as ‘Better Man’ flops”
MAPLE GROVE, Minnesota — Ice crystals clung to the eyelashes, parka hood, beanie hat and headscarf of Ruqayah Nasser as she took a break after her first-ever snow tubing runs in a Minnesota park on a -18 Celsius January morning. She had joined two dozen other members of a group founded by a Somali-American mother in …
Read more “Scarves over headscarves, Muslim women’s outdoors group tackles snow tubing in Minnesota”
LOS ANGELES — After ripping through thousands of buildings, wildfires in Los Angeles were looming Saturday toward the celebrated Getty Center and its priceless collection. Nestled in the mountains above Los Angeles, the famed art museum is within a new evacuation warning zone as the Palisades Fire roars east. Dubbed a “beautiful fortress” and constructed of …
Read more “Braced with defenses against fire, Getty art center faces LA flames”
BETHANY BEYOND THE JORDAN, JORDAN — The Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, on Friday consecrated a new church at a place on the banks of the Jordan River that the Catholic Church officially recognizes as the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Parolin inaugurated and consecrated the Church of the Baptism of the …
Read more “Top Vatican diplomat consecrates Catholic church at Jesus’ baptism site”
ISLAMABAD — A high court in Pakistan prohibited authorities Friday from forcibly deporting Afghan musicians and singers until their asylum cases are resolved within the next two months. The ruling comes amid a crackdown on hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighboring Afghanistan who either lack legal permits to reside in the country or have overstayed …
Read more “Pakistan court temporarily blocks deportation of Afghan musicians, singers”
LOS ANGELES — Peter Yarrow, the singer-songwriter best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk-music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war, has died. He was 86. Yarrow, who also co-wrote the group’s most enduring song, “Puff the Magic Dragon,” died …
Read more “Peter Yarrow of folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary dies at 86”
Hollywood got dressed up as the Golden Globes returned for its annual champagne-soaked celebration of film and television workers at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The show serves as the ceremonial start to the 2025 awards season.Two wildly audacious films — Brady Corbet’s 215-minute postwar epic “The Brutalist” and Jacques Audiard’s Spanish language, genre-shifting trans musical …
Read more “Films, television shows honored at 82nd Golden Globes”
Two wildly audacious films — Brady Corbet’s 215-minute postwar epic “The Brutalist” and Jacques Audiard’s Spanish language, genre-shifting trans musical “Emilia Perez” — won top honors at the 82nd Golden Globes on Sunday. The Globes, which are still finding their footing after years of scandal and makeover, scattered awards around to a number of films. …
Read more “‘The Brutalist,’ ‘Emilia Perez’ triumph at Golden Globes”
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif — “Emilia Perez” won best musical or comedy motion picture at the 82nd Golden Globes. “The Brutalist” won best motion picture drama, and Adrien Brody took home best actor for his role in the film. “Shogun” won best television drama, and “Hacks” won for TV comedy or musical. Emilia Perez” entered the night …
Beverly Hills, California — Viola Davis’ journey to becoming one of Hollywood’s most revered actors was driven by a straightforward mantra: Embrace every role, using each as a paycheck and a chance to explore new characters while honing her skills. Davis delivered a moving, 16-minute speech while accepting the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award at the …
Read more “Viola Davis, Ted Danson celebrated in film and TV at Golden Globes event”
The Walt Disney Co.’s “Mufasa” claimed the No. 1 spot on the North American box office charts over the first weekend of 2025. The photorealistic “Lion King” prequel earned $23.8 million in its third weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount’s “Sonic the Hedgehog 3,” which has dominated the past two weekends, wasn’t far behind. …
Read more “‘Mufasa’ and ‘Sonic 3’ rule first box office weekend of 2025”
NEW YORK — Say hello to the latest dog in the American Kennel Club’s lineup of recognized breeds. Or you might say “hej.” The Danish-Swedish farmdog — yep, that’s the official name — joined the pack Thursday. The designation makes the breed eligible to compete for many best in show trophies, and it likely augurs more …
Read more “Danish-Swedish farmdog joins American Kennel Club’s lineup”
JOHANNESBURG — The dance world mourned Tuesday the internationally acclaimed South African dancer and choreographer Dada Masilo, who died in the hospital over the weekend at age 39. Masilo died unexpectedly on Sunday after a brief illness, a spokesperson for her family said in a statement. Born in Soweto, she was described as a sprite-like, energetic …
Read more “Celebrated South African contemporary dancer Dada Masilo dies at 39”