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The Grudge

Austrian novelist and playwright Elfriede Jelinek won the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday, becoming only the tenth woman to receive the honor. The feminist author is best known for her autobiographical novel, The Piano Teacher. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Delegates to a United Nations wildlife conference have agreed to ease a 13-year-old global ban on ivory trading. The decision is a victory for southern African nations, but conservationists see it as a defeat for elephants. NPR's John Nielsen reports.

Theres a certain irony to the fact that the Asian action film thats currently being so readily embraced by critics is not from Hong Kong and has not been made by any of the Hong Kong New Wave directors who achieved cult status in the late 80s and early 90s. Instead, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (opening 12/22 at the Hillcrest Cinemas) is the work of Taiwanese director Ang Lee, best known for his wry social comedies The Wedding Banquet and Eat Drink Man Woman.

You may know the work of Sooni Taraporevala from the big screen — she wrote the screenplays for Salaam Bombay and Mississippi Masala, each of which won awards. But when she's not writing, Taraporevala enjoys taking photographs. Hear NPR's Jennifer Ludden.

Blood Diamond

It took the Sugarhill Gang, and a song called "Rapper's Delight," to get the developing hip-hop art form on the radio.

The story is set in an isolated, seemingly 19th century American village. The small village is surrounded by woods that form a kind of boundary that no one seems willing to cross. Legend has it that there are evil creatures, referred to as "Those Who Don't Speak Of" who lurk just beyond the border. The elders suggest that some sort of deal has been struck with these creatures to keep them out of the village. But the villagers are not overly concerned with these creatures so long as everyone stays on their side of the border. Within the village, people seem friendly, work well together and share a close sense of community. Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix), however, starts to express a desire to leave the village to visit the outside world, where he hears that that have miraculous drugs that could help people in the village. But then a tragedy strikes, and the truce between the village and the creatures seems fragile. The peaceful community is disrupted by a shocking act of violence, and one member-a young blind girl named Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard)-may have to leave the confines of the village and venture through the woods to the city outside.

In a series of essays, commentator Steve Coll reflects on how terrorism binds voters in America, Afghanistan and Pakistan. His new book Ghost Wars chronicles the CIA's covert history in Afghanistan and Osama bin Laden's rise.