World Vignettes

Ragtime gets 13 Tony nominationsNEW YORK: Ragtime, a musical version of E L Doctorow's novel celebrating turn-of-the-century America, led wi...

Ragtime gets 13 Tony nominations
NEW YORK: Ragtime, a musical version of E L Doctorow8217;s novel celebrating turn-of-the-century America, led with 13 Tony nominations on Monday honouring the best of what was a bountiful broadway season. The Lion King, Disney8217;s stage extravaganza of its successful animated feature, was second with 11 nominations. Both were nominated for best musical, along with the short-lived Side Show and The Scarlet Pimpernel. Nominated for best play were Art by Yasmina Reza, Golden Child by David Henry Hwang, The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh and John Leguizamo8217;s one-man show, Freak.

Are Swiss rich?
GENEVA: The Swiss people have every reason to feel flush: The World Bank has declared Switzerland the richest country in the world with an average annual gross income of 43,000 per person. Yet the inhabitants of the Alpine state do not seem to favour conspicuous wealth 8211; they are going to great lengths to qualify the World Bank8217;s calculation. Swiss economistshave warned against false euphoria in the face of the World Bank figures. The overall sums may look rosy, they say, but the Swiss do not enjoy a high level of spending power. For example, a pack of butter costs around 2.70. And they say the foreign share of Swiss wealth should also be taken into account.

Painting stolen
PARIS: Officials at the Louvre were examining security measures after the theft of a painting by Camille Corot, estimated at 1.3 million. The theft on Sunday from a room without TV surveillance, the second at the Louvre this year, caused officials to question8217; security at the world8217;s most famous museum, said spokesman Christophe Monin. Police questioned four guards and a curator but failed to turn up clues. Tourists were temporarily trapped on Sunday inside the Louvre when a guard discovered Corot8217;s Sevres road8217; missing. Officials quickly shut the museum and police conducted body searches on hundreds of exiting visitors. The thief made off with the painting by removing pegsfrom behind the frame. Police took fingerprints from the frame and its protective glass.

What8217;s chest pain
MUNICH: Only one in four people who suffer chest pains have a genuine heart problem, a Munich Journal reports. Other possible causes include stress and eating the wrong type of food, which may lead to stomach acidity and trigger pains in the chest area. Moreoever, people who sit a lot in a slumped position are likely sooner or later to strain a nerve. This too can cause stabbing pains reaching into the pectoral cavity. If no physical reasons can be found for the chest pain, it may simply be the mind seeking a breathing space. Or, as is increasingly the case with male keep-fit enthusiasts, a strained or wrenched pectoral muscle may be at the root of the problem. This type of injury can also manifest itself through chest pains. Particularly at risk are men who take growth hormones or anabolic steroids.

Narayanan8217;s visit
MANAUS BRAZIL: President K R Narayanan, accompanied by hiswife, Usha, had gone on cruise for about four hours in River Amazon, with the exotic Amazon forest in the backdrop. Travelling on a cruise-liner on Monday, he went upto the spot where the Amazon and its tributary Negro meet. Negro is also known as the black river. The president was reminded of the holy city of Allahabad, the place of confluence of rivers Ganga, Yamuna and the mystic Saraswati. Praising the scenic beauty of Amazon, he said Manaus should be proud of having such a wonderful natural sight. The Amazon forests are known to have some rare species of birds and animals.