Latest news with #Westerners
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Rarely performed Sondheim musical speaks volumes in our tariff era
To feel the scourge of imperialism, listen to a song that doesn't dictate feeling at all. In the musical 'Pacific Overtures,' an unlikely governor in Japan ticks off the Western imports that have wormed their way into his life since Americans forced open his country to trade in 1853. 'It's called a bowler hat,' Kayama (Nick Nakashima) sings in Kunoichi Productions' show, his eyes wary yet curious as he regards the foreign object. Two verses later: 'It's called a pocket watch.' Before long, the samurai is looking for his own bowler hat, drinking too much white wine and replacing his sword with a pistol. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics stay light and jagged, and his music sounds like waves heaving back and forth, thrashing the passage of time. Suddenly, a way of life is gone, a man transformed, and all it took was a song. That's one of the finest moments in the rarely performed show, which opened Friday, May 30, at Brava Theater. Another comes shortly before, when nobles warn Lord Abe (Lawrence-Michael C. Arias) about the growing population of Westerners in their midst. Their method is to have a storyteller deliver a fable, in the ritualized style of traditional Japanese theater, about a young king on a hunting party who thinks he's encountering a tiger, only to be confronted by a pack of beastly men. Herein, actor Ryan Marchand glides about the stage in swooshing steps, sweeping his arms in surgically precise arcs. In a drawn-out chant, his voice mines the lower depths of his body cavity, resounding like a hollow redwood, and ratchets up in pitch to transport the whole stage to some kind of liminal space, like we're listening to an emissary from the beyond. His hyper-focused gaze practically has physical force. It's as if he pictures very specifically all the long-term ramifications of opening borders to the West, and he's holding you in place till you see it, too. The show isn't an easy one, though. Often, Sondheim's score doesn't ingratiate itself with the ear. If you're not well schooled in dissonant music, it can be difficult to pick out what distinguishes his chords from a random mashing of fist against keys. And while Nick Ishimaru's direction contains some flashes of genius, including othering the infringing Americans as caricatures by costuming them in garish masks, staging feels incomplete. When Kayama and his wife Tamate (Sarah Jiang) fret about his impossible-seeming mission to keep the Americans offshore, lest they taint sacred Japanese soil, it's as if the actors haven't been told to either move or stay still, so they hover in an unsatisfying in-between state. Singers muddle their pick-ups and cut-offs. Breath support staggers, the musical equivalent of water instead of soup. In the repetitive song 'Someone in a Tree,' the actors fail to justify why one character, recalling his observation of the first meeting of the Japanese and Americans, sings that he was 'younger then' six times. Sitting in the audience, you start to dream up possibilities. Maybe he's senile. Maybe he's overexcited or fond of hearing his own voice. Maybe his listener would be indulgent at first, since she yearns to hear his tale, only to grow confused, then impatient, then exasperated. But the actors don't explore these possibilities or any other, probably better ones. Each iteration feels the same. Still, in our own era of tariffs and isolationism frankensteined to would-be imperialism (see Greenland, Canada and the Gulf of Mexico), the 1976 musical makes for a provocative revisit. Closed borders relegate the rest of the world to 'somewhere out there.' Open borders sully or sever connection with heritage. But history, 'Pacific Overtures' suggests, tends to move only in one direction. You can't put the genie back in the bottle, so open with care.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exodus of ultra-wealthy from UK triggers fine wine boom in Dubai
An exodus of wealthy Britons to the Middle East has triggered a boom in Dubai's fine wine market, Bonhams has said. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has benefited from a rapid influx of rich Westerners in recent years, bringing with them their demand for expensive drinks – despite tight rules on consuming alcohol in the region. Amayès Aouli, head of wine and spirits at Bonhams, said: 'Dubai and the wider Middle East are rapidly becoming important players in the global fine wine ecosystem – not simply in terms of bulk consumption, but as centres for high-value storage, investment, and private collecting.' Soaring taxes have been blamed for accelerating an exodus of the ultra-rich from Britain, as well as Rachel Reeves's recent clampdown on non-dom residents that stripped thousands of UK residents of tax benefits. Among those to have left are the billionaire property investor brothers Ian and Richard Livingstone, who moved their official residence to Monaco, and Goldman Sachs banker Richard Gnodde, who relocated to Milan. The billionaire media mogul Richard Desmond, meanwhile, secured a 'golden visa' for Dubai last year. The Adam Smith Institute has suggested Ms Reeves's crackdown could cost Britain upwards of £10bn per year as the decline of billionaires drags on the Treasury's revenues. The UK was expected to lose almost 10,000 millionaires in 2024, while the UAE was expected to gain almost 7,000, according to the private wealth firm Henley & Partners. Inquiries about moving abroad from the UK jumped by 183pc in the first three months of 2025, the firm has also estimated. Dubai, conversely, has become increasingly appealing to the wealthy because it does not charge income tax. Mr Aouli added: 'This influx brings with it an appetite for global luxury, including fine wine, whether for personal enjoyment, entertaining, hospitality or long-term investment.' Sales of alcohol in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman have nearly doubled in value since the pandemic and are on course to reach more than $1bn (£742m) in 2025, according to industry experts at IWSR. The UAE is also a hub for duty-free sales of wine and spirits, which were just shy of $600m (£446m) last year. Cru Wines, a London-headquartered fine wine and spirits firm, recently opened an outpost in Dubai to cater to its expat community. Gregory Swartberg, the company's chief executive, said: 'Huge numbers have come over and they obviously want to get together to drink nice wines. It's a lot of non-doms, who obviously do not qualify [for some UK tax benefits] any more.' The company does not retail wines direct to customers in the UAE, but works with clients to manage their collections and source wines for them. Only two companies are officially allowed to distribute alcohol. Alcohol consumption is legal in the UAE, which is governed under Sharia law, but is heavily regulated. Non-Muslim residents over the age of 21 are allowed to drink in their homes, but they have to apply for a licence to be able to do so. Alcohol can be sold in licensed restaurants, bars and hotels – but drinking in public is strictly prohibited and can result in severe fines and even imprisonment. Mr Aouli said: 'Licensing procedures, restrictions on marketing, and cultural sensitivities mean that success here requires patience, local relationships, and absolute regulatory compliance.' However, while demand is growing, Dubai this year reimposed a 30pc import tariff on alcohol that had previously been suspended for two years – raising the prospect of higher prices for consumers. Mr Swartberg said: 'I think people from London are a little bit annoyed at the prices of wines in restaurants here. That's definitely a strong negative.' Last week, officials in Saudi Arabia were forced to deny that the Kingdom was planning to lift a 73-year ban on sales of alcohol, after reports emerged suggesting that it would do so to boost tourism ahead of the 2034 World Cup. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exodus of ultra-wealthy from UK triggers fine wine boom in Dubai
An exodus of wealthy Britons to the Middle East has triggered a boom in Dubai's fine wine market, Bonhams has said. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has benefited from a rapid influx of rich Westerners in recent years, bringing with them their demand for expensive drinks – despite tight rules on consuming alcohol in the region. Amayès Aouli, head of wine and spirits at Bonhams, said: 'Dubai and the wider Middle East are rapidly becoming important players in the global fine wine ecosystem – not simply in terms of bulk consumption, but as centres for high-value storage, investment, and private collecting.' Soaring taxes have been blamed for accelerating an exodus of the ultra-rich from Britain, as well as Rachel Reeves's recent clampdown on non-dom residents that stripped thousands of UK residents of tax benefits. Among those to have left are the billionaire property investor brothers Ian and Richard Livingstone, who moved their official residence to Monaco, and Goldman Sachs banker Richard Gnodde, who relocated to Milan. The billionaire media mogul Richard Desmond, meanwhile, secured a 'golden visa' for Dubai last year. The Adam Smith Institute has suggested Ms Reeves's crackdown could cost Britain upwards of £10bn per year as the decline of billionaires drags on the Treasury's revenues. The UK was expected to lose almost 10,000 millionaires in 2024, while the UAE was expected to gain almost 7,000, according to the private wealth firm Henley & Partners. Inquiries about moving abroad from the UK jumped by 183pc in the first three months of 2025, the firm has also estimated. Dubai, conversely, has become increasingly appealing to the wealthy because it does not charge income tax. Mr Aouli added: 'This influx brings with it an appetite for global luxury, including fine wine, whether for personal enjoyment, entertaining, hospitality or long-term investment.' Sales of alcohol in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman have nearly doubled in value since the pandemic and are on course to reach more than $1bn (£742m) in 2025, according to industry experts at IWSR. The UAE is also a hub for duty-free sales of wine and spirits, which were just shy of $600m (£446m) last year. Cru Wines, a London-headquartered fine wine and spirits firm, recently opened an outpost in Dubai to cater to its expat community. Gregory Swartberg, the company's chief executive, said: 'Huge numbers have come over and they obviously want to get together to drink nice wines. It's a lot of non-doms, who obviously do not qualify [for some UK tax benefits] any more.' The company does not retail wines direct to customers in the UAE, but works with clients to manage their collections and source wines for them. Only two companies are officially allowed to distribute alcohol. Alcohol consumption is legal in the UAE, which is governed under Sharia law, but is heavily regulated. Non-Muslim residents over the age of 21 are allowed to drink in their homes, but they have to apply for a licence to be able to do so. Alcohol can be sold in licensed restaurants, bars and hotels – but drinking in public is strictly prohibited and can result in severe fines and even imprisonment. Mr Aouli said: 'Licensing procedures, restrictions on marketing, and cultural sensitivities mean that success here requires patience, local relationships, and absolute regulatory compliance.' However, while demand is growing, Dubai this year reimposed a 30pc import tariff on alcohol that had previously been suspended for two years – raising the prospect of higher prices for consumers. Mr Swartberg said: 'I think people from London are a little bit annoyed at the prices of wines in restaurants here. That's definitely a strong negative.' Last week, officials in Saudi Arabia were forced to deny that the Kingdom was planning to lift a 73-year ban on sales of alcohol, after reports emerged suggesting that it would do so to boost tourism ahead of the 2034 World Cup.
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Police investigate vessel with 11 decomposed bodies washed ashore in Caribbean
Police have launched an investigation into a vessel that washed ashore on an Eastern Caribbean island that contained human remains of at least 11 people in an advanced state of decomposition. The Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) said it received a report at about 10:45 a.m. Monday that a suspicious vessel had been discovered along the coastline of the island of Canouan near Little Bay and Cherry Hill. Officers from the Canouan police station responded and discovered the remains of 11 people on the boat. Police said the boat measured 45 feet long, 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep, and it was found grounded in the area. The remains of the people onboard were in what police called an 'advanced state of decomposition,' and some of the remains were not fully intact. Investigators recovered several passports from the boat, which appear to be from the West African country of the Republic of Mali. While passports have been recovered, police have not officially identified any of the bodies, and the investigation remains ongoing. 3 The mysterious vessel filled with 11 decomposing human remains that washed ashore in the Caribbean on May 26, 2025. RSVG Police Force 3 Police said the boat measured 45 feet long, 12 feet wide and 6 feet deep, and it was found grounded in the area. RSVG Police Force The RSVGPF said it is working closely with regional and international partners to confirm the origins of the boat and the identities of those onboard. The human remains have since been transported to the island of St. Vincent, where they are being held at the Kingstown mortuary for further forensic and investigative procedures. 'This incident is deeply concerning, and we understand the public's interest in the matter,' police said. 'We assure you that the RSVGPF is treating this investigation with the utmost seriousness and sensitivity.' 3 The island of Canouan where the boat washed up on May 26, 2025. Andia/Universal Images Group via Getty Images The department added that it is committed to pursuing every lead and ensuring all appropriate protocols are followed. The US State Department issued a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory for the country of Mali in July 2023. The State Department's reasoning for not traveling to the country is due to crime, terrorism and kidnapping. 'Violent crime, such as kidnapping and armed robbery, is common in Mali. Violent crime is a particular concern during local holidays and seasonal events in Bamako, its suburbs, and Mali's southern regions,' the advisory states. 'Terrorist and armed groups continue plotting kidnappings and attacks in Mali,' the advisory on Mali adds. 'They may attack with little or no warning, targeting nightclubs, hotels, restaurants, places of worship, international diplomatic missions, and other locations frequented by foreigners. Attacks may target Malian government offices and infrastructure, in addition to locations frequented by Westerners.'
Iraqi News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Baghdad will be named the Capital of Culture for the Islamic World 2026 shortly by the Minister of Culture
Baghdad - INA Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani confirmed today, Thursday, that Baghdad will soon be announced as the Capital of Culture of the Islamic World for 2026. He emphasized the need for everyone to cooperate in making Baghdad a clean city intellectually, mentally, emotionally, and environmentally. The Prime Minister's representative, Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, said in a speech during the Baghdad Arab Tourism Capital conference, attended by an Iraqi News Agency (INA) correspondent: "Tourism is not a project of a body or a ministry. Rather, tourism begins with the individual, then the institution, society, and the state. The private sector partners with the public sector, and culture and antiquities intertwine, creating significant attractions." He added, "These elements open their arms to those coming from every deep valley, because this blessed land contains springs of civilization whose roots history has planted deep within the earth, so that city upon city and civilization upon civilization arose. The deeper we go into the earth, the more we find Iraqi civilizations, the civilizations of Mesopotamia , whose roots are unknown in antiquity. Some say they are only a few thousand years old, but rather they are deep within this land." He pointed out, "Perhaps some might think that because I am the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Antiquities, because I am an Iraqi, more glorious than Iraqi civilizations, these words are the words of Westerners who have explored, researched, and studied, including the British, Italians, Germans, French, Americans, and Spanish, who wrote and loved this, and who believe that eternity lies in this land because the thought there is authentic, and because the roots of thought there are deep-rooted." Al-Badrani explained that, 'Since the government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani began its program, which focused most of its attention on services, we sought to present the Ministry of Culture with the ancient and authentic culture of Iraq. We removed the dust of the past few years, which hindered cultural activities due to the calamities and illnesses that Iraq experienced. We actually succeeded in getting culture back on its feet strongly.' He pointed out that, 'In the field of tourism, we saw that Baghdad had to recover day after day, so we promoted tourism activities, which had been paralyzed for more than four decades since the Iran-Iraq war and the subsequent siege, followed by the occupation, and the subsequent sectarian strife that followed the occupation, and then the occupation of large parts of Iraq by terrorist organizations.'
