Communist celebrates apparent snub to ‘slave-owning sorcerer’; blogger jokes grimly about ‘suspected economic crimes’ Jason Lee  /  Reuters A combination picture shows a Confucius statue outside the National Museum of China in Beijing on February 28 and a security officer standing guard near a fence after the removal of the statue Thursday. updated 4/22/2011 7:52:06 AM ET A 30-foot statue of ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius — controversially erected outside a Communist Party museum in central Beijing — has quietly been removed from its plinth following an online uproar about its location. The 17-ton statue had pride of place in front of the north gate of the recently renovated National Museum Of China, just…

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ABC News by ENJOLI FRANCIS April 21, 2011 Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip talk with The Very Rev Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, as they leave the traditional Royal Maundy Service at Westminster Abbey on her 85th birthday, April 21, 2011. Queen Elizabeth II turned 85 years old today and is now the oldest British monarch ever to rule, having served as queen for 59 years. She grew up in a world of luxury. Her parents had 83 personal servants each, five palaces, nine thrones and official duties. Queen Elizabeth II’s 85th Birthday Watch Video Royal Wedding Memories: America Remembers Diana Watch Video Royal Wedding: Prince William’s…

THE RUSH TO OKLAHOMA William Willard Howard Harper’s Weekly 33 (May 18, 1889): 391-94. In 1889 the opening to white settlement of a choice portion of Indian Territory in Oklahoma set off one of the most bizarre and chaotic episodes of town founding in world history. A railroad line crossed the territory, and water towers and other requirements for steam rail operation were located at intervals along the tracks that connected Arkansas and Texas. Two places–Oklahoma Station and Guthrie Station–seemed particularly well located for eventual urban development. In the months before the territory was opened, individuals and groups representing townsite companies scouted these locations and prepared town plans for these…

April 20, 2011 National Latino Museum Plan Faces Fight By KATE TAYLOR This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. You can order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers here or use the “Reprints” tool that appears next to any article. Visit www.nytreprints.com for samples and additional information. Order a reprint of this article now. Seven years after opening its National Museum of the American Indian, and four years before the scheduled unveiling of its museum of African-American history, the Smithsonian Institution is being urged to create another ethnic museum on the National Mall, this one to recognize the history and contributions of Latino Americans.…

April 21, 2011 By SARAH LYALL A version of this article appeared in print on April 21, 2011, on page A9 of the New York edition with the headline: Fixating on a Future Royal as Elusive as Cinderella. LONDON — The theme of the walking tour was the forthcoming royal wedding, but the object of the group’s obsession was Kate Middleton, the royal bride. In Mayfair, the guide paused at the next important landmark: the Jigsaw store on Dover Street. “Kate’s struggle to hold down a job since graduating has reportedly earned the displeasure of the queen,” declared the guide, Hana Umezawa, as earnestly as if she were explaining the Spanish Armada.…

UK 21 April 2011 Last updated at 08:20 ET Libyan government ‘sad’ about photographer deaths The Libyan government has expressed “sadness” over the deaths of two award-winning photographers killed while covering the conflict in Misrata. But spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said there were always casualties in war, saying: “People die from our side, from their side, people get caught in the middle.” Briton Tim Hetherington and US photographer Chris Hondros were killed in a grenade attack on Wednesday. Tributes have poured in for the widely respected photo-journalists. Two other jounalists were injured in the attack, including Briton Guy Martin, a Cornish photographer who was working with Panos Pictures agency. He was…

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