Rihanna

Sudan traditionally prized plumpness in women, but rising rates of diabetes, combined with global images of beauty, are convincing middle-class women in Khartoum to head to the gym to lose weight.

Four years ago, a group of 20-year-olds from South London who craft quiet, soulful electronic music suddenly made a huge noise. They called themselves The xx, and their debut album was an unexpected hit.

In the movies, blonde is more than just a hair color: it’s a moral judgment.

It’s still not clear if Chris Brown will face charges for allegedly assaulting and threatening his girlfriend, pop star Rihanna. But the incident provides an occasion to talk about the high rates of physical violence between teenaged romantic partners.

New York Times Motherlode Blog author Lisa Belkin discovered that the sound of the lullaby is changing. What songs do you croon to cajole the little ones to bed?