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☆ Biden denounces ICC for ‘outrageous’ implication of equivalence between Israel and Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The prosecution team is also seeking warrants for Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, along with top Hamas leaders, Khan said. Khan, the ICC prosecutor, batted down criticisms over the tribunal’s efforts to secure the warrants. News that the ICC is seeking warrants for the Israeli leaders sent reverberations of condemnation across the world. Close US allies like Britain said the court’s efforts were “not helpful” in reaching a pause in fighting. Biden administration officials also questioned whether the ICC had the jurisdiction to seek those arrests.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Biden, Karim Khan, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar, Yoav Gallant, Khan, ”, Biden –, CNN’s Erin Burnett, cajole Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Moammar Gadhafi, Amanpour, Gallant, Antony Blinken, United States “, Mike Johnson, John Kirby, Independent Sen, Bernie Sanders –, Biden’s –, Sanders, ” Sanders, Kirby, “, Putin, ” Kirby, CNN’s Nikki Carvajal, Haley Talbot Organizations: Washington CNN, International, ICC, Israeli, Israel’s Defense, Biden, GOP, National Security, Independent, Mr Locations: Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Russian, Britain, Germany, United States, Ukraine

☆ Julian Assange’s Extradition Appeal Hearing: What Could Happen?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Megan Specia | Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A British court is set to make a final decision on Monday on whether Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder, will be granted the right to appeal an extradition order to the United States, where he faces charges under the Espionage Act. Mr. Assange has been held in a London prison since 2019, accused by the United States of violations in connection with obtaining and publishing classified government documents on WikiLeaks in 2010. His case has slowly wound through the courts since his extradition was ordered by a London court in April 2022. Priti Patel, Britain’s home secretary at the time, approved the extradition two months later. In February, the High Court heard Mr. Assange’s final bid for an appeal, and in March, the judges asked the U.S. authorities to provide specific assurances about his treatment if extradited.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange, Priti Patel, Britain’s, Assange’s Organizations: WikiLeaks Locations: United States, U.S

☆ WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can appeal extradition to U.S., UK court rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Julian Assange gestures as he speaks to the media from the balcony of the Embassy Of Ecuador on May 19, 2017 in London, England. Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images) Jack Taylor | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesLONDON — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has the right to appeal against his extradition to the U.S., a high court in London found Monday. The U.K. court also requested assurances that Assange would not face the death penalty. Assange supporters celebrateStella Assange, wife of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, speaks outside court after the ruling to grant permission for appeal, on May 20, 2024 in London, England. Peter Nicholls | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Persons: Julian Assange, Jack Taylor, Edward Fitzgerald, Assange, Benjamin Cremel, Fitzgerald, James Lewis, Stella Assange, Peter Nicholls Organizations: Getty, WikiLeaks, Reuters, of Justice, Britain's, Afp, Royal, Monday, U.S Locations: ENGLAND, Ecuador, London, England, U.S, Afghanistan, Iraq, Ecuadorian

☆ Emma Raducanu drops out of French Open qualifying to focus on building fitness
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Emma Raducanu has dropped out of this year’s French Open qualifying, opting instead to focus on building her fitness. Despite initially being entered into the qualifying draw, the Briton pulled out before matches were due to start on Monday. Raducanu has not played a competitive match since her defeat by Maria Lourdes Carle at the Madrid Open in the first round on April 24. She eventually underwent surgery on both wrists and one of her ankles in May 2023 and missed both the French Open and Wimbledon last year to recover. Raducanu had hoped to use this season to build back her form on court, but remains ranked 212 in the world.

Persons: Emma Raducanu, “, ” Raducanu, Stuart Fraser, Raducanu, Maria Lourdes Carle, Billie Jean King Organizations: CNN, Briton, Times, Madrid, Billie Jean King Cup, BBC, French, Wimbledon Locations: Great Britain, France

☆ Britain expands AI safety institute to San Francisco amid scrutiny over regulatory shortcomings
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The government on Monday announced it would open a U.S. counterpart to its AI safety summit, a state-backed body focused on testing advanced AI systems to ensure they're safe, in San Francisco this summer. The U.S. iteration of the AI Safety Institute will aim to recruit a team of technical staff headed up by a research director. In a statement, U.K. Technology Minister Michelle Donelan said the AI Safety Summit's U.S. rollout "represents British leadership in AI in action." The AI Safety Institute was established in November 2023 during the AI Safety Summit, a global event held in England's Bletchley Park, the home of World War II code breakers, that sought to boost cross-border cooperation on AI safety. The government said that, since the AI Safety Institute was established in November, it's made progress in evaluating frontier AI models from some of the industry's leading players.

Persons: Ian Hogarth, Michelle Donelan, it's, Anthropic Organizations: LONDON, Monday, AI, Technology, Safety, U.S, Microsoft, AI Safety, Institute, Seoul, European Union Locations: San Francisco, California, United States, U.S, London, British, Bay, OpenAI, England's Bletchley, South Korea, Bletchley Park, Seoul, Britain, European

☆ Report Finds ‘Catalog of Failures’ in U.K. Contaminated Blood Scandal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Aurelien Breeden | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A “catalog of failures” by government and medical officials in Britain, most of them avoidable errors, led to blood contaminations that killed about 3,000 people and infected more than 30,000 others over two decades, according to a long-awaited report published on Monday. The report is the product of a six-year inquiry that the British government ordered in 2017 after decades of pressure from victims and their families, and it could pave the way for sizable compensation payments. The independent report puts a harsh spotlight on Britain’s state-run National Health Service, identifying “systemic, collective and individual failures” by British authorities as they dealt with the infections of tens of thousands of people by tainted blood transfusions or contaminated blood products between the 1970s and the 1990s. The authorities at the time refused to acknowledge those failings — including the lack of proper screening and testing of blood — by “hiding the truth,” the report said.

Persons: “ Organizations: Health Service Locations: Britain

☆ Assange Can Appeal U.S. Extradition, English Court Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A London court ruled on Monday that Julian Assange, the embattled WikiLeaks founder, could appeal his extradition to the United States, a move that opens a new chapter in his prolonged fight against the order in Britain’s courts. Two High Court judges said they would allow an appeal to be heard on a limited number of issues. In March, the judges said that the court would grant a request to appeal unless the American government gave “a satisfactory assurance” that Mr. Assange would be afforded protections under the U.S. Constitution, would not be “prejudiced by reason of his nationality,” and that “the death penalty is not imposed.”The U.S. Embassy in Britain provided assurances on those issues in a letter sent in April, but Mr. Assange’s legal team had argued in court that they did not all go far enough to meet the court’s request. Mr. Assange, 52, has been held in Belmarsh, one of Britain’s highest-security prisons, in southeastern London since 2019 as his fight against the extradition order has proceeded through the courts.

Persons: Julian Assange, Assange Organizations: WikiLeaks, U.S, Constitution, Embassy Locations: United States, American, U.S, Britain, Belmarsh, London

☆ Britain’s election campaign hasn’t started yet, but the mudslinging is well underway
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He lost two general elections as Labour leader in campaigns that focused heavily on his views regarding national security. The context for Sunak’s attack on Starmer is that the UK will vote in a general election at some point this year. “Of course Rishi doesn’t believe that Starmer himself is a threat to national security,” a senior Conservative told CNN. It’s just ridiculous and it clearly winds him up when we point it out.”No one knows for sure when the election campaign proper will start. Until then, Britain is braced for months of mudslinging between Sunak and Starmer.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Starmer, –, Jeremy Corbyn, Corbyn, Toby Melville, Rishi doesn’t, ”, ” David Gauke, ” Gauke, ” Starmer, “, ” Keir Starmer, Leon Neal, cynically, won’t, It’s Organizations: CNN, British, Labour Party, Labour, PM, NATO, Conservative, Conservative Party, “ Locations: Britain, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Rwanda, Gaza, Sunak

☆ 'Mary & George' creator says finale is 'true to the spirit' of the story despite diverging from history
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Eve Crosbie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The ending used is 'true to the spirit of how Mary and George lived their lives'Moore, who co-wrote the finale with Laura Grace, told Business Insider that for him, the ending was "true to the spirit" of Mary and George's lives — despite the fact that it diverges from history. Nicholas Galitzine as George Villiers in "Mary & George." "There is some level of dramatic license that we've taken, but for me, it feels very true to the spirit of how Mary and George lived their lives." As the series depicts, once Charles became king, George retained his powerful position in court until he himself was assassinated in 1628, at age 35. The finale of "Mary & George" is now streaming on Starz.

Persons: —, Mary, George, King James I, Tony Curran, George Villiers, Nicholas Galitzine, schemed, Mary Villiers, Julianne Moore, Countess, Buckingham, Duke of Buckingham, King James I's, King, James, aren't, Moore, Laura Grace, George's, Rory Mulvey, didn't, Benjamin Woolley's, James I, Woolley, Charles Organizations: Service, Starz, Business Locations: Spain

☆ The UK’s royal family as you’ve never seen them before
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Alongside them are the Queen’s sister, Princess Margaret, plus Princess Alexandra and the Duchess of Kent, all holding their newborn babies. The Royal Family at Royal Lodge, 1943, conveying a reassuring sense of domesticity and calm during the war. Royal Collection TrustBeaton was the official photographer for Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. Snowdon/Royal Collection TrustAnother highlight is the earliest surviving color print of a member of the royal family. Paolo Roversi/Royal Collection TrustGET OUR FREE ROYAL NEWSLETTER • Sign up to CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on the royal family, what they are up to in public and what’s happening behind palace walls.

Persons: Elizabeth II, Prince Edward, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, Duchess, Kent, Princess Margaret’s, Antony Armstrong, Jones, Lord Snowdon, Princess Elizabeth, Cecil Beaton, “, ”, King George VI, Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Margaret, Windsor . King George VI, comfortingly, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Collection Trust Beaton, Martin Charteris, Beaton, Charles, Princess Anne, Anne, Pippin, Norman Parkinson, Snowdon, Madame Yevonde, Princess Alice , Duchess of Gloucester, Edward VIII, Andy Warhol’s, Andy Warhol, Todd, Ben Fitzpatrick, Paolo Roversi’s, Princess, Catherine, Alexandra , Princess of Wales, Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Wales, Cambridge, Paolo Roversi, Alessandro Nasini, Dorothy Wilding, Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey, Rankin Organizations: CNN, Royal, Royal Archives, Collection Trust, CNN’s Royal Locations: Royal, Windsor ., Buckingham, Wales

☆ King Charles' first official portrait is dividing the art world
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Maria Noyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Read previewIf King Charles had high hopes for how the world would react to his first official portrait, they might be dashed by now. King Charles and Jonathan Yeo met four times between 2021 and 2023 for the painting. AdvertisementIts red color is particularly evocative, Khan added. Jonathan Yeo was a 'safe choice' for a royal portrait, one critic saidKhan said he's fairly confident that drawing links to the royal family's murky past with colonialism wasn't on Yeo's agenda. AdvertisementKhan, the London-based critic, admitted that he likes at least one element of the royal portrait.

Persons: —, King Charles, Jonathan Yeo, AARON CHOWN, Queen Camilla, Yeo, Tabish Khan, Khan, he's, it's, Stanley Kubrick's, wasn't, Jonathan, Charles, There's, Richard Morris, Morris, Henry VIII, Philip Mould, HENRY NICHOLLS Organizations: Service, Business, Getty, Rhode Island School of Design Locations: British, Buckingham, Washington, London

☆ Britain says it is developing a radio-wave weapon that can take out a swarm of drones for just $0.12 a shot
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The UK has unveiled a new radio frequency-directed energy weapon under development. The Ministry of Defence said it could take out a swarm of drones for just $0.12 a shot. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementBritain is developing a new radio-wave weapon designed to take out a "swarm" of drones for just $0.12 a shot, the UK's Ministry of Defence said in a press statement. According to the MOD, the Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon, or RFDEW, uses radio waves to detect, track, and disable electronic components at a range of up to 1000 meters.

Persons: — Organizations: Ministry of Defence, Service, UK's Ministry of Defence, Business

☆ Why a New Yorker Story on a Notorious Murder Case Is Blocked in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The New Yorker magazine published a 13,000-word article on Monday about one of Britain’s biggest recent criminal trials, that of the neonatal nurse Lucy Letby, who was convicted last year of the murder of seven babies. The article, by the staff writer Rachel Aviv, poses substantial questions about the evidence relied on in court. And it raises the possibility that Ms. Letby, vilified in the media after her conviction, may be the victim of a grave miscarriage of justice. But, to the consternation of many readers in Britain, the article can’t be opened on a regular browser there, and most news outlets available in Britain aren’t describing what is in it. The New Yorker deliberately blocked the article from readers in Britain because of strict reporting restrictions that apply to live court cases in England.

Persons: Lucy Letby, Rachel Aviv, Letby Organizations: Yorker Locations: Britain, England

☆ Ukraine's getting more longe-range missiles that leave the Russians with 'nowhere to hide'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The number of missiles isn't publicly known, but ATACMS missiles average about $1.3 million each. These air-dropped missiles can fly at low altitudes to avoid detection and have been used to strike Russian naval headquarters and vehicle-repair depots in the occupied Crimean peninsula. The arrival of Storm Shadow missiles — and, several months later, ATAMCS — presented new challenges for Moscow, but Ukraine has received so few it has had to bee choosy over what to target. Indeed, Kyiv has used the American missiles in recent weeks to strike Russian airfields and troop gatherings. Missiles like ATACMS and Storm Shadow "will enable Ukraine to neutralize Russia's advantages and eventually enable them to regain the initiative," he added.

Persons: —, Ben Hodges, John Hamilton The, Jake Sullivan, Grant Shapps, Ben Stansall, Dan Rice, you've, Rice, ATAMCS —, Serhii, Hodges, Moscow's, Jack Watling, Watling Organizations: Service, US, Business, US Army, Army Tactical Missile System, White, MGM, Tactical Missile Systems, Biden administration's, Republicans, Congress, Kyiv, General Staff, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Storm, Shadow, Farnborough, American University Kyiv, Artillery Rocket Systems, Getty, Missiles, Russian Defense Ministry, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Ukraine, New Mexico, Washington, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Italy, France, Crimean, Russia, Russian, Moscow, Donetsk Oblast, Berlin, Avdiivka, Anadolu, Kharkiv

☆ Royal Mail: Meet Czech billionaire Daniel Křetínský who wants to buy Britain’s postal service
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It has been operating a postal service in England since the reign of Henry VIII. EP Group has until May 29 to convert its £3.5 billion ($4.4 billion) non-biding offer into a formal bid for IDS. The likely sale would come after a difficult few years for Royal Mail, which was privatized in 2013. ‘As British as it gets’The potential buyout of Royal Mail has stirred anxieties about the consequences of the iconic British institution coming under foreign ownership. “Royal Mail is an important national asset that would benefit from being able to take a longer-term view,” the firm said.

Persons: Henry VIII, Daniel Křetínský, Křetínský, Patrik Tkáč, Rishi Sunak, Kemi Badenoch, Dave Ward, ”, ” Ward, Jonathan Reynolds, ” Ivana Kottasová Organizations: London CNN — Royal Mail, Distribution Services, IDS, Royal Mail, UK Department for Business, Trade, CNN, Bloomberg, Equity Investment, Newsweek, West Ham United Football Club, Reuters, Communication Workers Union, Labour Party, Royal, Labour Locations: England, Czech, British, United States, FNAC, France, United Kingdom, West

☆ Rishi Sunak has a new target: Sex education
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ben Birchall/PA‘Utterly disgraceful’The new draft guidance from the government, published Thursday, takes aim at the way sex and relationships are taught to English children in both primary and secondary schools. Under the new approach, children can’t be taught sex education before the age of nine, while “explicit discussion of sexual activity” will be delayed until children are 13. Gender identity, or the fact that people can change gender, is meanwhile “highly contested and should not be taught” at all, according to the Department of Education. But education specialists worry that school pupils have become the latest victim of that push. “But when a political ideology comes into it, it becomes more difficult for the whole of the education world to move behind it,” he added.

Persons: Rishi Sunak’s, “, –, Sunak’s, Pepe Di’lasio, ”, ” Di’lasio, Ben Birchall, can’t, ” Paul Whiteman, Di’lasio, Sam Freedman, Britain’s, Gillian Keegan, Keir Starmer, Jane Barlow, Sunak, Brianna Ghey, ” Whiteman, Keegan, it’s, we’ve, we’re Organizations: CNN, Association of School and College Leaders, Department of Education, National Association of Head Teachers, Institute, Government, The Sun, Labour, BBC Locations: England’s, England, Starmer

☆ Fico assassination attempt exposes risks for politicians in a polarized Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Luke Mcgee | Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The horrific scenes in Slovakia following the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico are a stark and brutal reminder of the dangers facing those who seek public office. Security personnel apprehend a suspected gunman after Slovakia's Prime Minister was shot in Handlova, Slovakia on May 15, 2024. President Zuzana Caputova appoints Robert Fico the new Slovakian prime minister at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, on 25 October 2023. In 2022, Giorgia Meloni became Italy’s prime minister after running on an anti-immigration, socially conservative ticket. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot dead in July 2022 as he gave a campaign speech.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico, Zuzana Čaputová, ”, George Soros, Čaputová, Fico’s, Zuzana Caputova, Jakub Gavlak, Giorgia Meloni, Covid lockdowns, Jo Cox, DANIEL LEAL, David Amess, Shinzo Abe, Fernando Villavicencio –, – Organizations: CNN, Slovakia's, Getty, Fico, Slovakian, Parliamentary, Parliament, Political, Hamas, British Labour, AFP, Conservative, ISIS, Japanese Locations: Slovakia, Russia, American, Europe, Ukraine, Gaza, Handlova, AFP, Bratislava, Netherlands, Israel, London, Britain

☆ Flowers, socks and sparkling wine: Queen Camilla reveals some of her favorite brands
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Billy Stockwell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Royal warrants act as a stamp of approval to indicate the preferred goods and services used by the royal household and senior members of the royal family. The use of royal warrants can be traced back to medieval times when Henry II first granted a Royal Charter to the Weavers’ Company, according to the Royal Warrants Holders Association. In the 15th century, the first official royal warrants were granted, including to the King’s printer, William Caxton. A window display at Fortnum and Mason celebrates the coronation of King Charles III on April 29, 2023 in London, England. “It seems quite clear that if there are any [Environmental, Social and Governance] problems with the company, they will not get a royal warrant,” he said.

Persons: Camilla, Shane Connolly, Mason, King Charles III, Prince of Wales, Charles, Henry II, William Caxton, David Haigh, ”, Chris J Ratcliffe, Haigh, Bob Lindo, ” Haigh, Tom Athron Organizations: CNN’s Royal, London CNN, Charter, Weavers ’, Royal, Parliament, Brand, CNN, Corgi, Fortnum, Social Locations: London, England, America, East, China, Camel, Cornwall

AdvertisementWarning: Spoilers for the first four episodes of "Bridgerton" season 3 and the book "Romancing Mr. Bridgerton" ahead. AdvertisementHannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton on season three, episode two of "Bridgerton." Season 3 should've built on 'Queen Charlotte' moreQueen Charlotte and Lady Danbury are underutilized so far in season three. Cressida's story is one of the best parts of the season so farCressida Cowper is given more depth in "Bridgerton" this season. "Bridgerton" season three, part two premieres June 16 on Netflix.

Persons: —, Caralynn Matassa, Palmer Haasch, Adekaiyero —, Bridgerton, Penelope, Colin, schtick, Luke Newton doesn't, Luke, Caralynn, Jonathan Bailey, Palmer, that's, I'm, Eloise, Cressida, Debling, Lord Debling doesn't, Polin, they've, he's, Liam Daniel, Netflix Palmer, — they're, Kanthony, Anthony, Kate, Anthony didn't, Daphne, Simon, Benedict whoring, Benedict, Lady Tilley Arnold, Lady Tilley, Francesca, John, Kilmartin, Hannah Dodd, Francesca Bridgerton, Fran, Hannah, Violet, Claudia Jessie, I've, Charlotte, Lady, Laurence Cendrowicz, Lady Danbury, Queen Charlotte, Golda Rosheuvel, they'd, Danbury, Lord Marcus, Lady Danbury haven't, Lady Featherington, Lord Debling, Featherington, Polly Walker, it's, Will Mondrich, Mondrich, Jean Page's, Alice, Will, doesn't, Cressida Cowper, Lady Whistledown, we've Organizations: Service, Business, —, Netflix Locations: Polin's, Lady Danbury, Queen, Lady, India

☆ Russia Expels British Diplomat After U.K. Booted His Counterpart
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Neil Macfarquhar | More About Neil Macfarquhar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that it was expelling Britain’s defense attaché from the country, reciprocating against the British government after it threw out his Russian counterpart last week. The Russian ministry announced that further, unspecified retaliatory steps would be forthcoming because of the “unfriendly” measures taken by London. The ministry summoned a British diplomat to inform him that the attaché had been declared “persona non grata,” according to a statement. Britain had announced on May 8 that it was ordering the Russian defense attaché to leave, describing him as an “undeclared” military intelligence officer.

Persons: attaché Organizations: Russian Foreign Ministry, Russian Locations: British, London

☆ The Concorde made its final flight over 20 years ago and supersonic air travel has yet to return. Here's a look back at its incredible history.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( David Slotnick | Talia Lakritz | Benjamin Zhang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Co-developed by Britain and France, Concorde was the first and only supersonic commercial airliner. British Airways operated its final commercial Concorde flight in 2003, ending its 27-year career. AdvertisementFor a fleeting 30 years during the 20th century, supersonic commercial air travel was a reality. That day, British Airways operated its last commercial Concorde service from JFK International Airport to London Heathrow. Thus, it would be the Concorde's last ever commercial flight in a career that started in January 1976.

Persons: — Organizations: British Airways, Concorde, Service, JFK International, London Heathrow, Air France, Business Locations: Britain, France, Concorde, London

☆ In pictures: Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Bill Gates helped usher in a personal computing revolution that brought computers to the masses. The Seattle native dropped out of Harvard University and co-founded Microsoft in 1975. After holding a number of leading roles at the company he co-founded, Gates eventually left his day job at Microsoft in 2008 to focus full time on his philanthropic organization, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates' philanthropic endeavors have garnered global acclaim: In 2005, Gates was knighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2016 he and his wife received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama. In 2021, Bill and Melinda French Gates announced they were ending their marriage after 27 years.

Persons: Bill Gates, Gates, Melinda Gates, Queen Elizabeth II, Barack Obama, Melinda French Gates Organizations: Seattle, Harvard University, Microsoft, Forbes, Melinda Gates Foundation

☆ Royal Mail owner IDS set to agree $4.4 bln Kretinsky takeover bid
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

IDS owns UK's Royal Mail, which is loss making, and international parcels network GLS. Royal Mail was privatised in 2013 in one of Britain's biggest state sell-offs in decades. It is expected the commitment to offer these contractual undertakings to the British government would be reflected in the cooperation agreement between the parties if a firm offer is made, it added. EP Group now has until May 29 to make a formal offer or walk away. EP is a 100% shareholder in VESA Equity investment which owns Kretinsky's IDS stake of nearly 28%.

Persons: Daniel Kretinsky, Keith Williams Organizations: International, Services, IDS, Royal Mail, UK's, Royal, National Security and Investment, Reuters, Equity Locations: Czech, London, Britain, British

☆ King Charles’ first official portrait by Jonathan Yeo unveiled
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Christy Choi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Buckingham Palace revealed the first official portrait of King Charles III since his coronation on Tuesday, and it’s proving to be divisive with its lurid red brushstrokes. The 8.5 by 6.5-foot painting is by British artist Jonathan Yeo, who has painted high-profile subjects throughout his career including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, actor Nicole Kidman and education activist Malala Yousafzai. Artist Jonathan Yeo's oil on canvas portrait of Britain's King Charles III. It’s what Yeo captures here.”While the celebrated artist works mainly in oils, he has dabbled in another medium: collage. The King is an artist himself, and a collection of his watercolors went on show in London in 2022.

Persons: Buckingham, King Charles III, Jonathan Yeo, Tony Blair, Nicole Kidman, Malala Yousafzai, Yeo, Charles, Prince, Wales, ”, ” Yeo, Jonathan Yeo's, Britain's King Charles III, Wales's, Charles ’, Philip Mould, — Yeo, Camilla, you’ve, “, Richard Morris, George W, Bush, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sarah Palin, Silvio Berlusconi, Mary Whitehouse Organizations: CNN, British, Welsh Guards, Company, ’, CNN’s Royal Locations: British, “, London

The day after U.K. police charged three men with assisting Hong Kong’s intelligence service, China’s ambassador to Britain was summoned for an official reprimand by the British foreign ministry in the latest sign of growing tension between London and Beijing. The British government said that it had called the ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, to its Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office after the three men appeared in court on Monday. The Foreign Office said in a statement that it had been “unequivocal in setting out that the recent pattern of behavior directed by China against the U.K.” was not acceptable. It cited cyberattacks, alleged espionage and the issuing of bounties for information leading to the prosecution of dissidents who fled Hong Kong after its crackdown on the pro-democracy movement and resettled in Britain. The three men who appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday have been charged with gathering intelligence for Hong Kong, a former British colony which is a special administrative region of China, and of forcing entry into a U.K. residential address.

Persons: Hong, Zheng Zeguang, ”, cyberattacks Organizations: Foreign, Commonwealth, Development, U.K, ’ Locations: Britain, British, London, Beijing, China, Hong Kong, Westminster

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