David Leveille
India Protects Its Most Valuable Tea
We’re looking for the name of a town in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. This town in the foothills of the Himalayas gives its name to one of the world’s most popular tea varieties.
‘Tallow Candle’: Hans Christian Anderson’s Fairytale Comes to Light
Can you name the city where one of Hans Christian Anderson’s earliest fairy tales was found?
Former US Women’s Soccer Coach Pia Sundhage’s New Challenge in Sweden
Former US Women’s Soccer Coach Pia Sundhage reflects on her coaching philosophy, what’s ahead for her as coach of Sweden’s national women’s team, and what she expects when her new team competes against the US in international play early next year.
Latvian Mezzo Soprano Elīna Garanča Returns to Met in ‘La Clemenza di Tito’
Monday’s Geo Quiz/Global Hit features mezzo soprano Elīna Garanča who’s appearing on stage at the New York Metropolitan Opera in the role of Sesto in Mozart’s The Clemency of Titus. Later this month Garanča returns to her hometown Riga to sing with the Latvian National Opera.
Smog Hovers Over West Asian Capital
The smog and air pollution that’s been lingering over Iran’s capital is bad enough to cause headaches and breathing problems. So the government has closed schools and offices for a few days and is encouraging residents to clear out of the city.
The Case of Fine Italian Wine Down the Drain
Police in Italy have a new and puzzling case to investigate. $16 million worth of red wine, or enough to fill about 80,000 bottles has been sabotaged. The wine is among Italy’s most celebrated varieties. It happened in a small hilly town in Tuscany about 70 miles south of Florence.
Winter Storm Cripples Russian Highway
A heavy winter storm over parts of Russia crippled one of the country’s major highways. Thousands of cars and trucks were backed up for hundreds of miles, and motorists were stranded on the roadway linking Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Aquamarine Gem Sparkles in Smithsonian
An extraordinary aquamarine gem, the largest cut piece of aquamarine ever known, will soon take its place near the Hope Diamond in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.
Scientists Mobilize to Eradicate Island Rats
Conservationists are mobilizing to eradicate a rat population that threatens a remote South Atlantic island’s sea birds. Zoologist Tony Martin from the University of Dundee, Scotland is leading one of the biggest rat busting operations ever carried out.
Russian Hockey Team Lokomotiv Back on the Ice Following Tragedy
Last year the entire Lokomotiv hockey team from Yaroslavl, Russia died in a plane crash. So this season, the team is rebuilding and getting back on its skates.
Historic Handwritten Letters Reveal The Past
An impressive collection of historic letters from international artists, scientists, and writers is being put up for auction. The collection includes a letter that Dutch artist Vincent Van Goph sent to the owner of a cafe in southern France.
An Island that Isn’t All There
We’re looking for the name of the sea that lies between Australia and New Caledonia and has been in the news recently for showing up as a curious black blob in the middle of the water.
The Circuitous Journey of the Domesticated Turkey
The turkey, or at least the commercial breeds available in the US, did not originate here. Credit goes instead to the Aztecs of Mesoamerica who first domesticated the bird 2500 years ago, and the Spanish conquistadors who escorted it along a circuitous journey to the US.
A Train Made Entirely of Chocolate
A locomotive train made entirely out of Belgian chocolate is the centerpiece of a European culinary event celebrating all things chocolate, Brussels Chocolate Week. Andrew Farrugia is the pastry chef and chocolate artist behind the 112 foot long chocolate ctrain carved out of more than a ton of chocolate.
Andean Nation Does The Numbers
There’s no national emergency going on or violence breaking out in this South American nation, but everyone’s been ordered to stay at home. The National Institute of Statistics wants to carry out an accurate census of its more than 10 million citizens — so the government has imposed a curfew.
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