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Last week, Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Carter celebrated their fifth anniversary by visiting Cuba, along with their mothers and a small entourage of bodyguards. The power couple better known as Beyoncé and Jay-Z did what you’d expect of tourists to the historic capital of a tropical island: Walked around Old Havana in summer clothes, taking pictures (her) and smoking cigars (him); dined out in restaurants (even though, less typically, police had to be called to keep crowds of fans at bay) and on rooftop terraces; and danced to some of Cuba’s famous music.
But tourism, of course, is prohibited under America’s 50-year-old trade embargo against communist Cuba. And living it up on “Cuba or, as the informed refer to it, ‘the island prison,’” makes Beyoncé and Jay-Z “useful idiots extraordinaire,” says A.J. Delgado at Mediaite. “While dining, partying, and enjoying the best Havana has to offer, Beyoncé and Jay-Z not only legitimize and support the repressive regime, with both their presence and their cash, but turn a blind eye, cruelly, to the perils and languishing of the Cuban people.” This is especially galling because they are “proud African-Americans,” and Cuba is “notorious for relegating its black population to second-class status, or worse.”
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The cold days of winter are finally over, and spring is upon us! Soon enough, the plants that have gone into hiding will grace us with their green leaves, but not without a little help from Mother Nature. We all know what springtime means: Lots and lots of rain. And with that rain comes umbrellas. So let’s embrace the wet season with this colorful medley of umbrellas from around the world.
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- A miner covered in soot takes a short break inside an unregulated coal mine in Sabinas, Mexico. Every day, some 30,000 men go to work in these legal, yet ill-equipped and unsafe mines in the north part of the country.
PHOTO: REUTERS/Daniel Becerril - Children admire an albino python named Cheesecake behind glass at Malabon Zoo in Malabon, Philippines. Feb. 10 begins the lunar Year of the Snake, a decidedly less auspicious symbol than its predecessor, the dragon.
PHOTO: REUTERS/Erik De Castro - A dog rests on a buffalo near Ravi River in Lahore, Pakistan.
PHOTO: REUTERS/Mohsin Raza
- A miner covered in soot takes a short break inside an unregulated coal mine in Sabinas, Mexico. Every day, some 30,000 men go to work in these legal, yet ill-equipped and unsafe mines in the north part of the country.
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It’s hard to believe that this beautiful heap of Beaux Arts majesty is 100 years old. But sure enough, Grand Central Terminal opened its doors to the commuting masses at midnight on Feb. 2, 1913, and soon became a world-renowned icon of transportation and capitalist might. In honor of Grand Central’s birthday, we take you back in time with 12 early, black-and-white snapshots of a timeless building, as well as the millions of busy travelers who have passed through it.
Photos:
- Sunlight beams into the terminal, 1930. (Hal Morey/Getty Images)
- Members of the National Boys’ Club offer Victory shoe shines to every man and women in uniform in Grand Central’s USO Lounge on April 6, 1943. (AP Photo/Dan Grossi)
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Yesterday, Google Maps released a crowdsourced view of North Korea, which before was just white space.
The big grey blob you see here? That’s Hwasong Gulag, a 212-square mile concentration camp. It houses 10,000 people, and reportedly, no one has ever escaped.
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Huskies look pretty pumped to be taking part in a training session at Feshiebridge, in Aviemore, Scotland. The Siberian Husky Club of Great Britain will hold its annual sled dog rally this weekend. PHOTO: REUTERS/David Moir
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Do you see what I see? I have arrived! The weather is frigid, for the deep south. #dc ~ @lahlauren
Our multimedia editor Lauren Hansen is in Washington D.C. this weekend, and she’s taken our Instagram account with her. She’s a delight, and you should follow along. We’re @theweekmag.
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Scotland has a new tourism campaign, and their names are Fivia and Vitamin. The adorably squat, shaggy Shetland ponies are outfitted in Scotland’s classic knitwear. Shetland ponies wearing Shetland winter woolies? Scotland, here we come.
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A Hindu devotee flips his hair in the waters of the holy Ganges river during the auspicious bathing day of Makar Sankranti in Allahabad, India. The Maha Kumbh Melad festival is believed to be the largest religious gathering on Earth, attracting more than 100 million people. The festival is held every 12 years on the banks of Sangam, and is celebrated for 55 days.
PHOTO: Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
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Top: A girl looks up to the sky after hearing the sound of shelling as she sits on a toy pony in the playground of Al-Tawheed school in Aleppo, Syria. Click through for a look at more of the week’s most captivating images from around the globe. PHOTO: REUTERS/Muzaffar Salman
Left: A mahout, or elephant rider, climbs the animal while en route to the Chitwan National Park at Sauraha in Chitwan, Nepal. Elephants and mahouts are gathering in the city to participate in the Elephant Race event, where the large mammals will play in an exhibition soccer match and various other sports and activities. PHOTO: REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar
Right: Reindeer herder Anna Jemmett from the Glenmore Reindeer Center calls out to attract a herd of roaming reindeer before feeding them in the Cairngorm Mountains near Aviemore, Scotland. The 150-strong Cairngorm Reindeer Herd is Britain’s only herd of reindeer. PHOTO: REUTERS/David Moir
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As the moon passes the sun, the ghostly tendrils of the outer atmospheric layer, the “corona,” are visible, providing scientists a moment of focused attention on our mysterious star.
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Pedestrians cross the flooded St. Mark’s Square on Nov. 20, 1952 (top) — just as they will 60 years later (bottom).
Venice is notoriously prone to flooding, particularly in autumn. But after this week’s heavy rains, nearly three-quarters of the canal-laden city was submerged, with the tidal mark reaching its sixth-highest level since 1872. Nonetheless, Italians and light-hearted tourists carry on, utilizing makeshift bridges, donning swimsuits, and lounging in the veritable pool that is St. Mark’s Square. More images of Italy’s flooded wonderland throughout history.
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AGAIN. CONGRATULATION.
On a beach in Odisha, an eastern Indian state, sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik crafts an elaborate if temporary salute to Obama’s win. Is that the Washington, D.C., skyline? We’re guessing yes.
Photos of the world reacting to Obama’s win
PHOTO: Reuters
