Monster Mash: Minaret defies Swiss ban; Cleveland Orchestra nears strike; nude Olympic hockey sculpture

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-- Thumbing his nose: A Swiss man has built a minaret on top of a warehouse in defiance of the country’s recent law banning such structures. (The Wall Street Journal)

-- Labor unrest: Musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra could strike as contract negotiations with management intensified this week. (The Cleveland Plain-Dealer)

-- Eye-catching: A sculpture depicting a nude hockey player will greet athletes at a gay meeting place at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. (Outsports)

-- Digital discovery: A new computer process can distinguish artistic fakes and imitations. (BBC News, via ArtForum)

-- Star turn: William Petersen is set to star in the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s production of Samuel Beckett’s ‘Endgame,’ which will open in April. (Playbill)

-- Staying on: Cate Blanchett and Andrew Upton have extended their contracts as co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company through 2013. (Sydney Morning Herald)

-- Political statement: Spain has unveiled a new video installation by artist Daniel Canogar to celebrate the country’s presidency of the European Union. (Reuters)

-- PR stunt? Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes performed a concert at the Apple Store in New York’s Upper West Side. (The New York Times)

-- And in the L.A. Times: Remembering the Fountain Theatre’s Bennett Bradley; Dubai tower officially opens; the musical ‘Come Fly Away’ sets a Broadway date.

-- David Ng