Testimony before an inquiry into the British press could throw new light on the ties between the government and Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

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British Inquiry Questions Murdoch Lobbyist

Comedian Eddie Izzard calls a halt to his attempt to run 27 marathons in 27 days, blaming “unforeseen medical complications”.

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Izzard marathon tribute ‘on hold’

The controversy over whether Elizabeth Warren falsely claimed Native American ancestry has fascinated the news media, but voters seem largely indifferent.

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Elizabeth Warren’s Indian Claims Don’t Sway Voters

Mexican authorities have arrested a man they say shot an American freelance journalist to death at a 2006 protest, state media reported.

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Suspect held in U.S. man’s Mexico killing

What happens when people stop being polite and start getting real? According to the last few seasons of MTV's “The Real World,” they get drunk, hook up and make innumerable questionable decisions. What happens when strangers come to live on a family farm in rural Arkansas, grow their own food, give up modern-day conveniences and attempt zero waste? While it may not sound like a compelling reality show by MTV's standards, that's exactly the premise of the independent film, “The Garden Summer,” which debuted to a sold-out crowd in Charleston, South Carolina, on April 16. It also premiered in Conway, Arkansas, on May 18. Inspired by the idea of social capital, then-Georgetown graduate student Hailey Wist came up with an idea for a social experiment that would challenge people like her to live off the land. The ultimate goal was “to inspire, not preach.” Wist already had a location in mind for the experiment – a farm in the Ozarks that had been in her family for generations. Despite not knowing much about gardening, she had the assistance of her mother and aunt, both avid gardeners. All that was left to do was find people willing to give up modern conveniences to spend the summer living a bit more simply. “Will I get warm bodies?  I don't know.  Probably not,” she mused in the film’s trailer. Four willing “suburbanites” – Seth Amos, Marie Barker, Ben Williams and Emilee Cleary – eventually signed on without much persuasion. Wist said she sought out people who were strangers to each other, but who she also wanted to get to know better. In preparation of their summer, the group had to decide what produce they would grow and what they could sell at the local farmers market. They also decided that coffee, cooking oil and booze would be the only three things they would source outside of the 100-mile radius of their garden. When the group met at the farm in May to plant their garden, friendships took root immediately; everyone was getting along and having fun. However, the summer was not without challenges. When the group returned weeks later to live within Wist's parameters, it took only a week and a half before they started “airing grievances” by candlelight on the front porch of the farmhouse. Everyone obviously had a stake in the garden; their ability to eat and make money depended upon its success. As the creator of the concept, Wist became the leader by default, but being everyone's boss was not a role that came easy to her. Maintaining a garden makes for long days of hard labor. Along with the close quarters of communal living, “there was a lot to be cranky about,” Wist said. Unlike some of the other reality-based programs that portray alcohol-induced arguments over hook-ups and break-ups, the rifts featured in “The Garden Summer” were rooted in the division of labor in the garden and expectations over what “local consumption” really meant. In fact, a budding romance between Wist and Williams wasn't really featured in the film at all. Over the course of the summer, the group made friends with locals who taught them, among other things, how to make soap and butter. They also welcomed a steady stream of visitors from the “outside,” and found that showing off all they'd accomplished always gave them new energy. It certainly didn't hurt that one of those friends was James Beard award-winning chef Mike Lata, who helped them prepare a field feast with the food they'd grown. “The Garden Summer” turned five typical consumers of modern conveniences into producers and contributors to their community. While Wist remains very much a part of the Charleston food community, she admits her farm experience has been difficult to completely replicate in her real life. But if farming isn't in her future, filmmaking might be, at least according to part-time Charleston resident and actor Bill Murray. “To make a movie that is lousy is difficult,” he said after attending Wist's first screening. “So to make one that is good, it's quite an accomplishment.”

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Documentary cultivates real-life lessons

Spain’s football giants aim to dominate new media

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How Barca is selling its brand to fans

Court orders mediation for two tech giants.

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Apple, Samsung Fight Over Patents

There’s a whole dance of vulnerability and restraint that goes on when a concert performer walks out in front of an audience: the formal attire and hush of the hall on the one hand, the emotional revelations of performance on the other. Audiences are generally hungry for as much of the revelation part as they can get and are thus eager to look behind the scenes; today, blogs, Twitter and other social media are helping lift the curtain more and more, and making such access a part of the performer’s job. Read full article > >

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Pianist Jeremy Denk, a classicist for the 21st century, at Sixth and I Synagogue

Pakistani authorities restore access to the social media website Twitter after a brief ban for what officials called “offensive” content”.

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Pakistan restores Twitter access

James Crockman listens to 17 police and fire frequencies from Breaking News Network’s New Jersey office to cull spot items for subscribers like news media outlets.

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Character Study: James Crockman, the Human Antenna of the Breaking News Network

After crisis talks with Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, African Union mediator Thabo Mbeki says the president is committed to security agreements with South Sudan.

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Sudan’s Bashir ‘ready for peace’

An explosion in a road tunnel being constructed in central China’s Hunan province kills at least 20 people, state media say.

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China tunnel explosion ‘kills 20′

CAIRO — Egypt’s military chiefs are expected to issue a constitutional declaration redrawing the powers of the presidency before polls open Wednesday for the country’s first presidential vote since autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak was overthrown, according to state media reports. Read full article > >

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Egypt’s generals to redraw powers of presidency on eve of vote to fill post

Warning: The following contains minor spoilers for “The Avengers.” Odds are if you had never heard the word “shawarma” before this month, you have by now. Towards the end of the box office juggernaut “The Avengers,” Iron Man – played by Robert Downey Jr. – asks the rest of the superhero team if they've ever tried shawarma because he heard there is a good restaurant for it nearby. In an extra scene that hardcore fans know was shot mere weeks ago, we witness Thor, Captain America, Bruce Banner and the rest of the heroic clan quietly enjoying shawarma after casually saving the world. The cameo has worked its movie magic for the Middle Eastern wrap of spit-roasted meat. Media from Los Angeles to Boston have reported that shawarma sales are “skyrocketing.” Pierre Dagher, the owner of Shawarma Mediterranean Grill in Centennial, Colorado, said that a group of high school kids ran into the restaurant after seeing “The Avengers” and immediately told him of the scene. Dagher, who has been in business for 18 months and hasn't seen the movie yet, said business has been brisk in the past week or so. At a different Shawarma Mediterranean Grill in Miami, Florida, owner Mike Besereni told us that he can't say the same about a marked increase in business, but regular customers at his five-year old establishment now often mention “The Avengers” when they come in. Besereni was happy to hear it: “Oh yeah, definitely – free advertising! Donnie Gabai of Atlanta's decade-old Pita Palace, on the other hand, said the movie's impact has been significant for his business, especially over this past weekend. “We've definitely seen an increase of people [coming in and] talking about it,” he said. Several large groups of visitors to the Shawarma Café & Grill in Carmichael, California treated the restaurant like a tourist attraction. “[Sunday] I was supposed to shut down my restaurant at 6pm, but we stayed open until 8,” said owner Armen Sargsyan. “Right away after the movie, people Google searched and found my restaurant. They took pictures, they were so excited to be there,” he said. “They called their friends and more people came, and more people came.” Elat Burger in Los Angeles, however, is the one which might be considered a bona fide tourist attraction for the rest of the summer, if not beyond. It's the official location of “The Avengers” shawarma eating scene in question. The owner, who answered the phone when we called, was quite busy and didn't want to be identified. He would tell us that business has been booming, and that there was quite a lot of commotion around the place when the likes of Downey, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth and Scarlett Johansson showed up to shoot the scene. At that point, we had to end our conversation. He had to get to his customers – none of whom were wearing iron suits this time … that we know of.

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The lunch of heroes: ‘The Avengers’ sparks interest in shawarma

For alleged privacy infractions.

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Facebook Sued for $15B