400-year-old translation still commands a loyal followingCHICAGO ― On its 400th anniversary, the King James Version of the Bible is universally recognized as a literary masterpiece that profoundly shaped both modern Christianity and the English language.But at the Bible Baptist Church in Mount Prospect, Illinois, it’s accorded a much higher level of reverence.“Using anything but the King James Ver

LOS ANGELES ― French Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand is asking Hollywood for its budget-weary producers, pressured directors and harried filmmakers yearning for a tax break.France has had a long and rich history of filmmaking, from the pioneering motion picture camera inventions of the Lumiere brothers to the groundbreaking work of filmmakers such as Francois Truffaut and Jean-Luc Godard. But

LOS ANGELES ― China has become such an important market for U.S. entertainment companies that one studio has taken the extraordinary step of digitally altering a film to excise bad guys from the Communist nation lest the leadership in Beijing be offended.When MGM decided a few years ago to remake “Red Dawn,” a 1984 Cold War drama about a bunch of American farm kids repelling a Soviet invasion, the

Asian diners are still tucking into sushi at restaurants around the region despite fears that elevated radiation levels in Japan could reach the food chain and contaminate raw ingredients.In Taiwan’s Sushi Express chain, notices informed customers that all seafood was imported before Friday’s quake crippled two nuclear plants on Japan’s east coast sparking fires and explosions that resulted in radioactivity leaking.“The current supply and safety of Japanese food is normal,” reads a poster on the

Find peace in the city with exotic massages including Swedish, Thai and IndianIf working hard has left you keen for a break, but you’re all out of holidays, then look no farther than Seoul. For exotic, blissful relaxation in the big city ― on a range of budgets ― let your mind travel and your body experience the pleasure of some of the world’s best massage traditions. Swedish massage at the Grand

Every Friday, Los Angelenos make a mass exodus to Las Vegas, traveling through the desert on an easy 400-kilometer drive up Interstate 15. Come Sunday, the caravan reverses, and they head home from a weekend at the casinos.If you’re visiting Las Vegas, why not follow their lead and include a road trip to Los Angeles in your vacation? Better yet, spend a day or more on the drive and explore the lan

HONG KONG (AFP) ― Acclaimed Chinese author Bi Feiyu on Thursday won Asia’s top literary prize for his “Three Sisters,” set during the Cultural Revolution.Bi edged out four other shortlisted authors to secure the $30,000 Man Asian Literary Prize with the story of three women who “strive to change the course of their destinies” in one of China’s most chaotic political periods.“When I entered the sho

STOCKHOLM (AFP) ― In one life, Per Olov Enquist has been an oppressed child, an athlete, a journalist and a depressed and destructive alcoholic, but in another life ― the one that really counts in his eyes ― he is an author, a giant in the world of Swedish literature.Spry for his 76 years, Enquist tells AFP in an interview that he is savoring “a different life,” which is also the title of his latest work, an autobiography.“The last 20 years have been a fantastic time. I’ve written a lot of books

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― U.S. celebrities are rallying their fans to raise money for survivors of the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan, with Lady Gaga leading the charge and raising $250,000 in 48 hours. The larger-than-life pop icon announced her plan Monday to raise money for Japan by selling red and white wristbands bearing the message “We Pray for Japan” for $5 a piece via her online merchand

NORTHAMPTON, England (AP) ― Surrounded by boxes in a rickety old warehouse above the family shop, Joe Church hurries to wrap plates adorned with the faces of Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton for a customer in Australia.The Church’s business, a 152-year old china and ornament seller specializing in memorabilia, has plenty of reason to celebrate the upcoming royal nuptials as its cash reg

Korean sports stars have pledged to support victims of Friday’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan, joining the nationwide effort to assist the country’s closest neighbor. Former Major Leaguer Park Chan-ho, who now plays with the Orix Buffaloes of the Japanese Pacific League, donated 10 million yen ($124,000) to aid Japan.The 37-year-old veteran pitcher noted on the team’s website that he was deeply

LOS ANGELES ― The pages of newspapers, or history books for that matter, don’t runneth over with stories of happy accidents involving chainsaws.But that’s just what put Philadelphia musicians Lucy Tight and Wayne Waxing, who tour as Hymn for Her, in possession of a musical instrument that changed the direction of their career.The incident also brought them into a surprising community that’s sprung

CAPITOLA, California ― Four years ago handyman Mark Taylor sent proposals to four community colleges for a beer home-brewing course he wished to teach.The colleges’ reaction was as flat as a glass of beer left out overnight. While they did not believe Taylor would find that much interest in a home-brewing course, he remained confident. Cabrillo College offered to let him try it out, and the first

Czech author and Holocaust survivor Arnost Lustig, who launched the first Korean translations of his work in Seoul last September, died on Saturday, aged 84. He had been battling cancer for five years.The Pulitzer-nominated and Franz Kafka Award-winning writer penned over two dozen books, many of which drew on his experience of imprisonment at Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps. In 1945,

NEW YORK (AP) ― New Orleans piano maestro Dr. John wore a bright purple suit for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday, leading a class with Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper and Tom Waits.Fellow pianist Leon Russell and “Wall of Sound” singer Darlene Love also were to be inducted at a black-tie dinner at The Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan. A tape of the ceremony is to air March

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) ― Hinduism is the world’s third largest religion and its oldest continuously practiced one, so it’s somewhat surprising there has never been a major U.S. museum exhibition on Vishnu, one of its most important deities.“Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior” is a new exhibit at Nashville’s Frist Center for the Visual Arts that aims to introduce American art audiences to th

LONDON (AP) ― Frothy, film-inspired funfest “Legally Blonde: The Musical” won three big prizes at London’s Laurence Olivier theater awards, while Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Love Never Dies’’ went home empty-handed despite seven nominations.“Legally Blonde” was named best new musical at Britain’s equivalent of Broadway’s Tonys on Sunday. Star Sheridan Smith was crowned best actress in a musical, and Ji

Identifying yourself as an eater used to be simple. You either ate meat, or you didn’t.Now? Maybe you eat meat, but only certain kinds or only on certain days ― or even certain hours. Or you don’t eat meat ― except when you do.If you’re not vegetarian or carnivore, what are you? The term “flexitarian” is catching on, although author Mark Bittman likes “smartly thought-out omnivore.”His most recent

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) ― Fractions of seconds, captured by Vivian Maier a half-century ago or more ― fleeting moments of life on the streets at a time when men wore fedoras and dragged on Lucky Strike cigarettes, when women favored babushkas, when families piled in Studebakers and Packards for Sunday drives.She and her photos seemed destined for obscurity until a young man with an eye for bargains

LOS ANGELES (AP) ― Charlie Sheen is taking his show on the road.A spokesman for the outspoken actor said tickets go on sale Saturday for shows in Detroit and Chicago next month called “Charlie Sheen Live: My Violent Torpedo of Truth.”Publicist Larry Solters said Sheen is promoting the show himself and has already begun rehearsals. Solters said he does not know the nature of the show or whether add