ASIA

MALAYSIA. This Southeast Asian country has been hit with its worst outbreak of cholera in four years. Traced to the resort island of Penang, the disease has already spread to seven other states, as well as the capital, Kuala Lumpur. No deaths have been reported, but more than 900 people have been infected. The government has asked Penang's food-stall operators and street hawkers to close up shop temporarily, and assures visitors that they will not be at risk if they take simple precautions, such as consuming only boiled or bottled water and properly cooked food. But neighboring Thailand is refusing to take chances. It has ordered authorities at all airports and land border crossings to monitor closely any travelers entering the kingdom from Malaysia. Visitors are also warned that anyone suspected of infection may be sent back to Malaysia.

EUROPE

GREAT BRITAIN. Stargazers, take note: film and TV buffs traveling through Britain can now find their way to more than 180 screen meccas with the new Movie Map. Among the entries in the free guide are Montacute House in Somerset, where Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant filmed Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility; 17th century Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, which provided the interiors for the BBC's adaptation of Pride and Prejudice; and Syon Park on the outskirts of London, where The Madness of King George was filmed.

AMSTERDAM. Since the 19th century, the cafe "reading table" has been an honored tradition in the Netherlands. At the Society for Old and New Media, opening next month, the venerable custom will get a high-tech update. The table in the society's cafe is fitted with computer terminals that allow visitors to surf the Internet and sample the institution's eclectic collection of cd-roms. The society is also mounting its first interactive exhibition, a multimedia tribute to Orbis Sensualium Pictus, a 17th century textbook by Czech theologian and philosopher John Amos Comenius, who died in Amsterdam in 1670. One of the first books to combine words and pictures for the purpose of teaching, the tome has been published in more than 200 editions, and serves as the model for modern picture dictionaries.

NORTH AMERICA

WASHINGTON. For 150 years, the Smithsonian Institution has been "the nation's showcase," a sprawling complex that houses more than 139 million objects relating to the fine arts, history and the sciences. During its sesquicentennial, the Smithsonian is producing a patchwork quilt of special events that celebrate its nearly infinite variety. At the National Portrait Gallery, through Aug. 18, "1846: Portrait of a Nation" captures the flavor of America at the time of the institution's founding. The American Folklife Festival--June 26-30 and July 3-7--will present a smorgasbord of concerts and workshops. And the Smithsonian will throw itself a gala party Aug. 10-11 on the National Mall, with crafts, music and fireworks.