Protests over anti-Islam film creates new clashes in Asia, Middle East
Protests over a film produced in America that mocks Islam continued this week in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Indonesia.
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World
The art of glass making
Great Baltimore Fire of 1904
120 Pearls to film: Q&A with Kaitlin Newman
Time lapse video: Ravens fans in Federal Hill
Rough Cut: Ravens Super Bowl win over 49ers
Left behind at Sparrows Point
Matt ‘Fan Man’ Andrews: The Godfather of Ravens fans
The Silent Guardians: Cemeteries of Baltimore City
Remembering former Orioles manager Earl Weaver
Instagrammer feature with @rockinbrock
Courage and strength: Living with stage IV breast cancer
Baltimore, City of Murals
Ray Lewis retrospective: 1996-2013
Year in review: Official White House photos from 2012
Bare Hills, A Contrast in Time
Double Exposure series
50 photos from Prince William and Kate’s Far East Diamond Jubilee Tour
Britain’s Prince William and wife Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, just concluded their nine day Diamond Jubilee Tour representing Queen Elizabeth II in Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. Half way through their tour, the royal couple became embroiled in a scandal resulting in criminal charges filed against the French magazine that published topless photos of Kate. Despite the turmoil back home, the photogenic couple pressed on with the grace and dignity of modern day royalty.
‘West Side Story’ takes Maryland dancers on a European adventure
For a musical to resonate on an international level more than 50 years after its original Broadway debut demonstrates the brilliance of its creators.
With a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and choreography by Jerome Robbins, West Side Story battled its way onto Broadway from a vision of updating Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for a beatnik and ballet proficient generation. Many Tony nominations followed in 1957, resulting in a win for Robbins’ choreography, but it lost the “Best Musical” award to the wholesome River City, Iowa spectacle The Music Man. The film adaptation fared much better earning ten Academy Awards including “Best Picture” in 1961.
All of this happened long before our two subjects jetéd into their parent’s lives. Courtney Ortiz and Nicholas Sipes joined the international touring cast earlier this year bringing the original magic of West Side Story to the European stage. The following interview was conducted in August, just before a short break brought them home to the States. They head back to Germany in October and finish out 2012 in Paris.
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Prophet Mohammad film triggers anger, protests in Middle East; U.S. ambassador killed in Libya
Updated: Anger over a film about Prophet Mohammad escalated Tuesday in the Middle East when protests erupted in Egypt and Libya. While protesters shouted slogans and ripped apart an American flag in Cairo to condemn the anti-Islam film being produced in America; in Libya, protests turned violent at the compound of the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi. Four men including U.S. ambassador Christopher Stevens were killed.
Vladimir Putin soars to new heights with cranes
Vladimir Putin was sworn in as Russia’s next president despite clashes between helmeted riot police and anti-Putin protestors outside the Kremlin back in May 2012. This is Putin’s third stint as president, previously he was serving as Prime Minister.
Politics aside however, Vladimir Putin’s antics outside of the Kremlin, from adrenaline filled Judo practices to sultry shirtless horseback riding, have earned him the title of one of the most interesting men in the world. Mostly recently, he soared to new heights by flying with cranes. Here’s a look at the Russian leader in recent years.
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Getty Photographer Matt Cardy on a stranded fin whale that died off the St Austell coast
Getty photographer Matt Cardy photographed a fin whale that was stranded on a beach off the St Austell coast in England on August 13.
He says it was the first time for him photographing a distressed whale and a first time for most of the rescuers to have dealt with such a large mammal at 20 meters (65 ft). Fin whales are the second largest animal on the planet and an endangered species.
According to Cardy, he was listening to the 7 p.m. BBC headlines in his car when the broadcast reported news of the whale. A quick check of his satellite navigation, revealed that he was less than an hour away, so he headed to the beach – a random chance that he was so close that evening.
Below, he describes the surreal scene.
Pussy Riot band sentenced to two years, verdict sparks bright ski mask protests
Three members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot — Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Marina Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich — were found guilty of hooliganism on Friday after a judge decided that the band’s actions were motivated by religious hatred when they staged an anti-Kremlin protest at the altar of Moscow’s Christ the Saviour Cathedral. The judge sentenced the women to two years in jail.
“Tolokonnikova, Samutsevich and Alyokhina committed an act of hooliganism, a gross violation of public order showing obvious disrespect for society,” said the judge, reported Reuters.
The verdict has sparked protests in cities including Moscow, Oslo, Berlin, London and New York City, where supporters have dawned bright ski masks to show their solidarity with the band.
![Crisis in Syria spills over into Lebanon, violence continues between rebels and Syrian government forces [GRAPHIC CONTENT]](http://darkroom.baltimoresun.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/REU-SYRIA-CRISIS-25.jpg)
Crisis in Syria spills over into Lebanon, violence continues between rebels and Syrian government forces [GRAPHIC CONTENT]
The Syrian cities of Aleppo and Homs are under siege as government forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad try to route out Syrian rebels. Meanwhile, violence has spilled over into Lebanon, one of four neighboring countries, where many refugees have fled to escape the crisis. United Nations investigators have reported that both Syrian government forces and rebels — to varying degrees — have committed war crimes including murder and torture.
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Up, up and away: The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
In the early morning light nearly 100 hot air balloons lifted off over the skies of Bristol, England as part of the 34th annual Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. The event is one of Europe’s largest balloon functions taking place in the city seen by many as the home of modern ballooning.
The meeting takes place in the hills of Ashton Court located outside Bristol. Around a half a million people from across the country and beyond come to the Fiesta according to event officials.
Tattoo Watch 2012 continues with 40 new inked-up Olympic pictures
As this year’s Olympic athletes continue to show off their skills on the field, in the pool, on the court, in the ring, etc., they also continue to show off their skin art. So much in fact that last week’s Darkroom post on 50 more tattoos on the world’s best athletes simply wasn’t enough.
