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☆ Amateur archaeologists found a mysterious 12-sided object from the Roman Empire that experts can't explain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

An amateur archaeology group found a mysterious dodecahedron near an ancient Roman villa. Amateur archaeologists with the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group have been excavating its remains, including a bathhouse, gatehouse, and ancient tiled mosaic floors for the last few years when they made a miraculous discovery. Though he'd never seen one in person, Rob Evershed, a member of the group, recognized the hollow, rounded object as a Roman dodecahedron. No one knows the purpose of the dodecahedronThe Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group on the day they discovered the dodecahedron. Dodecahedrons may have been custom-madeParker thinks it would've taken an expert to make the dodecahedron that the Norton Disney group found.

Persons: —, Richard Parker, Richard Watts, they've, Norton, we'd, Parker, he'd, Rob Evershed, Frances McIntosh, McIntosh, haven't, dodecahedrons Organizations: Service, Norton Disney, Group, BBC, Lincoln Museum, English Heritage, Washington Post Locations: London, Hertfordshire, England, England's Midlands, British, Britain, Roman, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Africa, Turkey

☆ Trump gives his strongman’s ambitions free rein on a day off from court
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Donald Trump used his day off from a criminal trial related to a past election to cast a dark, familiar shadow over the next one. Trump cut an unrecognizable figure from the grim ex-president who bleats a daily dirge of complaints about his hush money trial outside Judge Juan Merchan’s court. On specific issues, surveys show Trump leading Biden on most issues including the economy, immigration, and the Israel-Hamas war. “A chilling glimpse into Trump’s second term plansSix months before the election, Trump’s searing campaign rhetoric is becoming less an exercise in performative demagoguery than a blueprint for a potential second term. In the Time interview, Trump comes across as confident and determined to learn the lessons of his first term in which he claims he was let down by “bad” officials.

Persons: Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ”, Trump, bleats, Juan Merchan’s, ” Trump, he’s, Merchan, Joe Biden’s, Biden, Kamala Harris, Roe, Wade, David Axelrod, Barack Obama, Axelrod, CNN’s Erin Burnett, “, Trump’s, doesn’t, he’d, It’s, Eric Cortellessa, ” He’s, quagmire, it’s Organizations: CNN, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Capitol, shudder, White, Democratic Party, “, Columbia University, Trump, National Guard, Guard, Republican, ’, ” Locations: Wisconsin, Michigan, Manhattan, America, crackdowns, “, “ New York, North Carolina, Israel, Florida, Freeland , Michigan, Washington, China

☆ Islamophobia and India’s election: Rising Hindu nationalism leaves Muslims fearful in India’s holy city
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Rhea Mogul | Will Ripley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Varanasi, India CNN —The sun glistens on the Ganges as Hindu devotees bathe in the holy river’s waters, and the Muslim call to prayer reverberates through the dusty air. The Gyanvapi mosque, left, and Kashiviswanath Temple on the banks of the river Ganges in Varanasi, India, December 12, 2021. He believes Gyanvapi is not a mosque, but a Hindu temple, and wants to see his community worship inside the walls of the building. Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, the priest of a prominent Hindu temple in Varanasi, believes Modi’s stoking of religious tensions is ruining the fabric of Indian society. This is my country.”Read more from CNN’s India election coverage:Billions spent, jungle-trekking poll workers and voting at 15,000 feet.

Persons: Narendra Modi’s, Modi, Varanasi John Mees, Sana Sabah, trepidation, “, Modi’s, Rajesh Kumar Singh, John Mees, Syed Mohammad Yaseen, ”, Hinduism John Mees, ’, Dileep Patel, inching, Nasir Ali, Ali, ‘ Jai Shree Sri Ram ’, Vijay Bedi, CNN Ali, Muzamil, Usman, it’s, Jai Shree Ram ”, Manish Swarup, Raja Singh, we’ll, Singh, –, Jaiveer Shergill, spokespeople, haven’t, Shamsher Ali, Emperor Aurangzeb, Lord Shiva, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Pawan Kumar, ” Ali, Yaseen, ” Syed Mohammad Yaseen, turbocharge, ” Modi, Ram, Lucas Vallecillos, Swami Jitendranand Saraswati, Gyanvapi, Swami Saraswati, Amit Pandey, Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, ” Mishra, ” Read, Narendra Modi Organizations: India CNN, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, CNN, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Modi, Bhajanpura Police, United Nations, Human Rights, ” CNN, Modi’s, Hate, AP BJP, T, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Federation for Human Rights, Reuters, Guards, “ Locations: Varanasi, India, Varanasi John, today’s India, “, Hinduism, Jammu, Kashmir, New Delhi, Delhi, Mustafabad, Rajasthan, Jaipur, Gujarat, Washington, BJP, Ali, Kashi, Gyanvapi, John, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh

☆ ‘Great enigma’: Amateur archaeologists unearth mysterious Roman object
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Emily Blumenthal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Amateur archaeologists in England have unearthed one of the largest Roman dodecahedrons ever found, but mystery surrounds what it was actually used for. The 12-sided object is one of just 33 known to exist in Roman Britain, and one of approximately 130 in the world. It is considered “one of archaeology’s great enigmas,” according to the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, an amateur group based in the English region of Lincolnshire where it was found in June. “It is completely unique,” said Richard Parker, secretary of the Norton Disney History and Archaeology Group, adding that no similar objects have ever been found. Norton Disney History and Archaeology GroupParker told CNN there are no descriptions of the dodecahedron in Roman literature, and they have not been depicted pictorially in mosaics.

Persons: “, ” Andrea Martin, ”, Richard Parker, It’s, ” Parker, Parker, we’re Organizations: CNN — Amateur, Roman, Norton Disney, Archaeology Group, Lincoln Museum, Lincolnshire County, Lincoln Festival, CNN Locations: England, Roman Britain, Lincolnshire

☆ Israelis Prepare to Mark Passover, a Festival of Freedom, With Hostages Still in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Isabel Kershner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Many Israelis were in a somber mood on Monday as they prepared to usher in Passover, the Jewish festival of freedom, saying they would mark the holiday rather than celebrate it, with more than 130 hostages remaining in Gaza. The number of hostages believed to be alive is unclear, and with negotiations with Hamas captors at an impasse, there is little prospect of their imminent release. Israelis are still jittery after an exchange of fire with Iran this month, the first time Tehran had directly attacked Israel from Iranian territory. More than 250 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the start of Israel’s ground invasion in late October, the military says. More than 34,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza health officials.

Locations: Gaza, Egypt, Iran, Tehran, Israel

They used to call this waterlogged city the Most Serene Republic, but there is nothing serenissima about the opening days of the Venice Biennale. The world’s longest-running and most extravagant festival of contemporary art opens to the public on Saturday after a preview biathlon of fine art and financial profligacy that has grown more hectic than ever. You exchange tips on shows not to miss. You judge, you gossip, you wash it all down with Prosecco. Have you seen the Uzbekistan pavilion?

Organizations: Venice Biennale, Prosecco Locations: Serene, Venice, Uzbekistan

☆ What to see at the Venice Biennale 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Nicole Mowbray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —This week sees the opening of the Venice Biennale, an 8-month-long festival of art and culture staged every other year. For 2024 — the show’s 60th iteration — Brazilian curator Adriano Pedrosa has chosen the topic of “Foreigners Everywhere,” and announced an intention to spotlight artists from diverse and historically marginalized backgrounds. With the main event running from April 20 to November 24 2024, here’s our pick of what to see if you’re headed to Venice. “Willem de Kooning e l’Italia” — Willem de KooningThe show at Gallerie dell’Accademia will include 75 Willem de Kooning works, including "Screams of Children Come from Seagulls (Untitled XX)," 1975. Yoo Youngkuk Art FoundationThe first exhibition in Europe of one of Korea’s most influential artists, including many works never exhibited before outside Korea.

Persons: Adriano Pedrosa, ”, Pedrosa, —, you’re, “ Willem de Kooning, Willem de Kooning, Kooning, Gallerie, Nick, Berlinde De, Abbazia, Ewa Juszkiewicz Juszkiewicz, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Palazzo, Palazzo Cavanis, Ai, Peter Hujar, della, Carolina, Marcel Duchamp, Franchetti, Cindy Sherman, Louise Bourgeois, Sarah Lucas, Irving Penn, Palazzo Franchetti, Marco “, Zoe Saldana, Marco Perego, Corita, Maurizio Cattelan, Pope Francis, Inuuteq Storch, Louise Wolthers, “, John Akomfrah, John Akmofrah, Yoo, Yoo Youngkuk, Stampalia, M.F, Husain, Picasso, Viktoria Bavykina, Max Gorbatskyi, Ai Weiwei Ai Weiwei, Ela Bialkowska, Ai Weiwei, Palazzo Smith, Koo Jeong, Koo, Rick Lowe, Lowe's, Lowe Organizations: CNN, Venice Biennale, Palazzo, Sun, Danish, British, Bangkok Art Biennale Foundation Locations: Venice, Italy, “, Refuge, ” City, San Giorgio Maggiore, San, New York, Santa, San Marco, Marco, Giudecca, Corita Kent, American, Greenland, Europe, Korea, India, Sale, Ukraine, Continua, Bangkok, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Singapore, Houston

☆ Opinion: We all lose if the Olympic surveillance state becomes the norm
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Opinion Jules Boykoff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

He is the author of six books on the politics of the Olympic Games, most recently “What Are the Olympics For?” The views expressed here are his own. France enacted an Olympic Games Law in May 2023 that legalized the use of AI-driven video surveillance this summer and allowed experimentation with intelligent video surveillance until March 31, 2025. The law made France the first nation in the European Union to greenlight biometric surveillance systems. She told me that the Olympic Law “infringes the right to privacy, the right to be anonymous in the streets.”“Everything in this is political,” Levain said. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces unveiled plans to use HELMA-P, an anti-drone laser weapon system prototype, at the Paris Games.

Persons: Jules Boykoff, Emmanuel Macron, Jules Boykoff Jessi, –, ” Noémie, “, ” Levain, ”, Gérald Darmanin, we’ve, Amelie Oudea, Macron, Natsuko Sasaki, Laurent Nuñez, Le, Danielle Simonnet, Thomas Bach Organizations: Pacific University, Olympic Games, CNN, Olympic, Games, ISIS, Stade de France –, Law, European Union, Amnesty International, European Civic Forum, Human Rights, Ministry of, France’s, French Ministry of, Armed Forces, Paris Games, Stade de France, Paris Police, Le Parisien, Paris, Patriotes, Palais Royal, National Assembly, France Insoumise Party Locations: Paris, Palestinian, Atlanta, France, Le, Europe, Moscow

☆ Venice Biennale: Israeli representative Ruth Patir says she won’t open pavilion until hostage and ceasefire deal reached
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Nick Thompson | Benjamin Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Israel’s representative at Venice’s Biennale exhibition has said she won’t unveil the country’s pavilion until a hostage and ceasefire deal has been reached in Gaza. Artist Ruth Patir said the exhibit in the Italian city “will only open when the release of hostages and ceasefire agreement happens” in a statement shared on Instagram Tuesday. Patir said she would raise her voice “with those I stand with in their scream, ceasefire now, bring the people back from captivity. A petition signed by more than 23,000 people had recently called for Israel to be excluded from the international cultural exhibition, as calls for truce and an independently Palestinian state have grown. Israeli attacks in Gaza have since killed at least 33,797 Palestinians and injured another 76,465 people, according to the Ministry of Health there.

Persons: CNN —, won’t, Ruth Patir, Patir, Mira Lapidot, Tamar Margalit, ” Patir, “, ” Organizations: CNN, CNN — Israel’s, Venice’s, Venice Biennale, Hamas, Ministry of Health, Rights Watch, Oxfam Locations: Gaza, Italian, Venice, Israel, Patir

☆ At a Holi festival in Brooklyn, tradition and contemporary celebration create a colorful union
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Sheetal Banchariya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Hindu festival Holi has become more popular and inclusive, especially in the Indian diaspora. The Hindu festival of colors, observed as Holi in India and Fagu Purnima in Nepal, holds immense cultural significance for South Asians. "There were not many or any events celebrating Holi at that time, despite a considerable number of Indians living in Jackson Heights," she said. He said that over the years he'd seen Indians, Pakistanis, Nepalese, Bhutanese, Sri Lankans, African Americans, and Irish people attending his Holi event. Love was in the air at the Holi celebration.

Persons: —, Fagu, bhalle, gulab jamun, I'd, Sheetal, Zayira Ray, Uma Kapoor, Kapoor, Manny Singh, Jarrod Fox, Festivalgoers, Akash Sheth, Sheth, Singh, Elise Young, Elise's Bodyshop, Carmen Perez, Young, who's, Vijay Satnarine, It's, Satnarine, Love, Lord Vishnu, King Hiranyakashipu, Prahlad, Hiranyakashipu's, Holika, Radha Rani, Lord Krishna Organizations: Service, BI, Morgan, Morgan Stanley's IT, Google, Hindu American Foundation, gulal, Apple Locations: Brooklyn , New York, India, Fagu Purnima, Nepal, New York, Asian, Queens , New York, Jackson Heights, Jersey, New York City, Morgan Stanley's, City, Brooklyn, Sri Lankans, African, Connecticut, Massachusetts, London, Wales

☆ What to Know About Holi, India’s Most Colorful Tradition
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( John Yoon | Hari Kumar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A rainbow haze swirls through India, where raucous laughter rings out as friends and strangers douse one another with fists full of pigmented powder. It is time for the ancient Hindu tradition of Holi, an annual celebration of spring. In 2024, crimson, emerald, indigo and saffron clouds will hover over the country on March 25 for one of its most vibrant, joyful and colorful festivals. “Playing Holi,” as Indians say, has spread far beyond India’s borders. People gather around the flames to sing, dance and pray for an evening ritual called Holika Dahan, which re-enacts the demise of a Hindu mythical demoness, Holika.

Persons: ” Locations: India, India’s, Holika

☆ Top U.S. congressional Republican and Democrat say a deal has been reached on spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer revealed the agreement in a pair of statements on Tuesday morning. The actual legislative text of the agreement, which must be finalized before lawmakers can vote on it, is still being completed. The package was expected to cover about three-quarters of discretionary government spending, due to come in at about $1.66 trillion for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Biden and House Republicans earlier this month laid out proposed budgets for the next fiscal year, which begins in October, that offered sharply contrasting priorities. Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been fighting since early last year on funding levels amid a push by hardline House Republicans to cut more spending than had been agreed to in a bipartisan deal enacted into law last June.

Persons: Charles Schumer, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Chuck Schumer, Biden, Johnson Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, Democrat, Congress, Department of Homeland Security, Democratic, U.S ., House Republicans, Russia, Republicans Locations: U.S, Mexico, Ukraine

☆ Glastonbury Festival 2024: Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA to headline event
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA will headline this year’s Glastonbury Festival in June, organizers announced on Thursday. Female artists are dominating the top sets at this year’s festival, with two nights being headlined by women on the iconic Pyramid Stage. “I’ll see you in the beautiful Somerset countryside.”Dua Lipa will make her Pyramid Stage debut as Friday night’s headliner. Yui Mok/PA Wire/PA/AP“FRIDAY NIGHT PYRAMID STAGE HEADLINE!!! Anna Webber/Getty ImagesSince the first ever Glastonbury Festival in 1970, some of music’s most popular acts have made the pilgrimage to Worthy Farm and performed at one of the world’s biggest festivals.

Persons: SZA, Shania Twain, songwriter’s, Coldplay, Yui Mok, “, Boy, Janelle Monáe, Avril Lavigne, Camila Cabello, Anna Webber Organizations: CNN, Dua, Coldplay, Festival, Glastonbury, Twitter Locations: Somerset, England, ” Dua Lipa, Lipa, Worthy

☆ A Japanese Festival of Fire and Spirits
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Chang W. Lee | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As the sun peeked out from the cloudy sky in Kyoto, Japan, monks wearing vests trimmed with pompoms and the black box-like headdresses known as tokin were being quizzed in front of Mibu Dera, one of the oldest temples in the city. These were the Yamabushi (mountain hermits), part of a Buddhist sect known as the Shugendō. To enter the temple’s sacred area, each monk had to prove he was a real Yamabushi by answering a series of questions about the sect’s beliefs, dress and tools. Only those with satisfactory responses would gain access.

Locations: Kyoto, Japan

☆ Congress unveils first six budget bills as government shutdown clock ticks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It was the fourth such funding extension this fiscal year, as Congress has struggled to settle on a long-term budget plan. This partial budget deal is a step forward in the push to secure a permanent budget plan for the rest of the fiscal year, which started Oct. 1. Still, leaders on both sides of the aisle are touting the first half of funding package as a win, though for different reasons. Meanwhile, Republicans are trumpeting victories on veterans' gun ownership and funding cuts to government agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Between now and the end of the week, the House must quickly pass and send the Senate this bipartisan package," Schumer said Sunday.

Persons: Charles Schumer, Mike Johnson, Chuck Schumer, Biden's, Schumer Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Congressional, Sunday, Congress, Democrats, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, Explosives, Republicans, House, Caucus, Republican

☆ BAFTA Award winners list
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Alli Rosenbloom | Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Christopher Nolan-directed award season favorite led the nominees with 13 nods this year and won seven awards, including director, lead actor and the coveted best film award. “Poor Things” was the other stand-out winner of the ceremony with five wins, including Emma Stone’s award for lead actress. “The Holdovers” star Da’Vine Joy Randolph continues to dominate the supporting actress category through this award season cycle. Thanking her co-star Paul Giamatti while accepting her BAFTA, Randolph said, “Gosh, I cry every time I say your name. See below for a full list of BAFTA nominees and winners.

Persons: CNN — “ Oppenheimer ”, Christopher Nolan, Nolan, ”, Emma Stone’s, “, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Paul Giamatti, Randolph, “ Gosh, Jonathan Glazer, Barbie, Maestro ”, Martin Scorsese, Tom Cruise, Michael J, Fox, Prince William, Catherine , Princess of Wales, King Charles ., “ Oppenheimer ”, Napoleon ” “, Wonka, Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer, Melinda Sue Gordon, Andrew Haigh, Justine Triet, Alexander Payne, ” Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Christopher Nolan, Cord Jefferson, ” –, “ Oppenheimer, Tony McNamara, Arthur Harari, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, “ Barbie ” David Hemingson, Josh Singer, “ Maestro ” Celine Song, Barry Keoghan, Saltburn ” Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Cillian Murphy, “ Oppenheimer ” –, Colman Domingo, “ Rustin ” Paul Giamatti, ” Teo Yoo, Emma Stone, Carey Mulligan, “ Maestro ” Emma Stone, Fantasia Barrino, Margot Robbie, “ Barbie ” Sandra Hüller, Vivian Oparah, Dominic Sessa, Jacob Elordi, Saltburn, Paul Mescal, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr, Ryan Gosling, “ Barbie, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Claire Foy, Danielle Brooks, Emily Blunt, Rosamund Pike, Sandra Hüller, Robbie Robertson, Ludwig Göransson, Jerskin Fendrix, ” Anthony Willis, “ Saltburn ” Daniel Pemberton, Jacqueline Durran, “ Barbie ” Jacqueline West, Dave Crossman, Janty Yates, “ Napoleon ” Ellen Mirojnick, Holly Waddington, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, Jack Fisk, Adam Willis, Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman, Shona Heath, James Price, Zsuzsa, Chris Oddy, Joanna Maria Kuś, Katarzyna Sikora, Jonathan Bullock, Charmaine Chan, Ian Comley, Jay Cooper, Theo Bialek, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, Neil Corbould, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Alex Wuttke, Henry Badgett, Charley Henley, Ewen Martin, “ Napoleon, Tim, Simon Hughes, Dean Koonjul, Jane Paton, Hair Kay Georgiou, Thomas Nellen, Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Kazu Hiro, Lori McCoy, Bell, “ Maestro ” Jana Carboni, Francesco Pegoretti, Satinder Chumber, Julia Vernon, “ Napoleon ” Luisa Abel, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, Jason Hamer, Ahou, Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston, Laurent Sénéchal, Thelma Schoonmaker, Jennifer Lame, Yorgos Mavropsaridis, ” Paul Watts, Rodrigo Prieto, Matthew Libatique, Maestro ” Hoyte van, Robbie Ryan, Kahleen Crawford, Susan Shopmaker, Isabella Odoffin, Ellen Lewis, Rene Haynes, Angelo Bonanni, Tony Lamberti, Andy Nelson, Lee Orloff, Bernard Weiser, “ Ferrari ” Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, Dean Zupancic, Maestro ” Chris Burdon, James H, Mather, Chris Munro, Mark Taylor, Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, Gary A, Rizzo, Johnnie Burn, ” “ Gorka, Phoebe Dynevor Ayo, Jacob Elordi Mia Mckenna, Bruce –, Sophie Wilde Organizations: CNN, Royal Festival Hall, Universal, BAFTA, Screen, Netflix, BBC, “ Society, Fox, Universal Pictures, Searchlight, “ Guardians, “ Locations: London, England, British, “

BERLIN (AP) — The 74th Berlin International Film Festival opens Thursday with the world premiere of “Small Things Like These” starring man of the moment Cillian Murphy. Festival directors Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian, who will step down after this year, expressed their aim for “open dialogue” surrounding the war. The duo’s previous film, “Ballad of a White Cow,” premiered in competition in Berlin in 2021. Kenyan-Mexican actor Lupita Nyong’o will serve as the Berlinale’s first black jury president at this year’s festival. Isabelle Huppert will return to Berlin to collect her unclaimed lifetime achievement from 2022, when the French acting icon could not attend.

Persons: Cillian Murphy, Murphy, “ Oppenheimer, ”, “, Blinders, Tim Mielants, Eileen Walsh, Michelle Fairley, Emily Watson, Magdalene laundries, Mariette Rissenbeek, Carlo Chatrian, ” It’s, haven’t, Ayo Tsalithaba, Suneil Sanzgiri, Maryam Moghaddam, Sanaeeha, Berlinale, AfD’s, Kristin Brinker, Lupita Nyong’o, Brady Corbet, Jasmine Trinca, Ann Hui, Christian Petzold, Albert Serra, Oksana Zabuzhko, Kristen Stewart, Adam Sandler, Stephen Fry, Lena Dunham, Marvel’s Sebastian Stan, Martin Scorsese, Golden Bear, Isabelle Huppert, Hong Sang Organizations: BERLIN, Berlin, West Bank, Palestinian, Germany, Kenyan Locations: Ireland, Gaza, Germany, Israeli, American, Israel, Tehran, Berlin, Berlin’s, AfD’s Berlin, Mexican, Ukrainian, Czech, Poland, French, South Korean

☆ India Counts Down to Opening of Grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

"The construction of the Ram Temple is an instrument to unite the country," Modi said in a message published on newspaper front pages ahead of a spectacle that will be watched by millions of Indians at home and abroad. India's Hindus say the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram, and was holy to them long before Muslim Mughals razed a temple at the spot to build the Babri Masjid, or mosque, in 1528. Nearly 8,000 people are expected to attend the invitation-only ceremony, from top business leaders to movie stars and sportspersons. More than 10,000 police personnel have fanned out across the city of 3 million people to provide security and keep out gatecrashers. The temple opens to the public on Tuesday and its management expects at least 100,000 visitors a day for the first few months.

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Rajesh AYODHYA, Lord Ram, Narenda, Modi, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, YP Rajesh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Supreme Court, Indian Express, YP Locations: India, Ayodhya, Ram

☆ Religious Spectacle to Mark Opening of Ram Temple by India's Modi
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

It is also being seen as the virtual launch of the deeply religious strongman Modi’s re-election campaign for general elections due by May. India's majority Hindus say the site is the birthplace of Lord Ram, and was holy to them long before Muslim Mughals razed a temple at the spot and built the Babri Masjid or mosque there in 1528. Some of India’s top business leaders, movie actors and sportspersons have also been invited for the consecration, organisers said. The inauguration has also sparked a political controversy with major opposition parties, including the main opposition Congress, declining invitations to attend saying it had been converted into a political, Modi event. “The construction of the temple is going on as per the direction of the Supreme Court, so we welcome it.

Persons: Saurabh Sharma, Rajesh AYODHYA, Lord Ram, Narendra Modi, Modi’s, Modi, ” Modi, “, ”, Prithvi Datta Chandra Shobhi, Zufar Ahmad Faruqi, Shivam Patel, YP Rajesh, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Supreme Court, Krea University, Islamic, Foundation, YP Locations: India, Ayodhya

☆ BAFTA Film Awards nominations 2024: See the full list of nominees
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Thomas Page | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The nominees for the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards have been announced, with “Oppenheimer” leading the charge with 13 nominations. There were few surprises from the British Academy, with strong awards season favorites faring well, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” with 11 nominations and Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” with nine. Standing out from the crowd was “The Zone of Interest,” Jonathan Glazer’s unique film about the Holocaust, which achieved nine nominations. “Barbie” received nods in five categories, including Margot Robbie for best actress, but did not land a best picture nomination. The awards ceremony, hosted by actor David Tennant, will be held at the Royal Festival Hall, in London, on February 18.

Persons: “ Oppenheimer ”, Martin Scorsese’s, Jonathan Glazer’s, “ Barbie ”, Margot Robbie, “, ”, Lily Gladstone, David Tennant, “ Oppenheimer, Napoleon ” “, Wonka, Michael J, Andrew Haigh, Justine Triet, Alexander Payne, ” Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Glazer, Cord Jefferson, ” Christopher Nolan, Tony McNamara, Arthur Harari, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, “ Barbie ” David Hemingson, Josh Singer, “ Maestro ” Celine Song, Barry Keoghan, Saltburn ” Bradley Cooper, “ Maestro ” Cillian Murphy, “ Oppenheimer ” Colman Domingo, “ Rustin ” Paul Giamatti, ” Teo Yoo, Carey Mulligan, “ Maestro ” Emma Stone, “ Barbie ” Sandra Hüller, Vivian Oparah, Dominic Sessa, Jacob Elordi, Saltburn, Paul Mescal, Robert De Niro, Robert Downey Jr, “ Oppenheimer ” Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Danielle Brooks, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Emily Blunt, Rosamund Pike, Sandra Hüller, Robbie Robertson, Ludwig Göransson, Jerskin, ” Anthony Willis, “ Saltburn ” Daniel Pemberton, Jacqueline Durran, “ Barbie ” Jacqueline West, Dave Crossman, Janty Yates, “ Napoleon ” Ellen Mirojnick, Holly Waddington, Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer, “ Barbie, Jack Fisk, Adam Willis, Ruth De Jong, Claire Kaufman, Shona Heath, James Price, Zsuzsa, Chris Oddy, Joanna Maria Kuś, Katarzyna Sikora, Jonathan Bullock, Charmaine Chan, Ian Comley, Jay Cooper, Theo Bialek, Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, Neil Corbould, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, Alex Wuttke, Henry Badgett, Charley Henley, Ewen Martin, “ Napoleon ” Simon Hughes, Hair Kay Georgiou, Thomas Nellen, Sian Grigg, Kay Georgiou, Kazu Hiro, Lori McCoy, Bell, “ Maestro ” Jana Carboni, Francesco Pegoretti, Satinder Chumber, Julia Vernon, “ Napoleon ” Luisa Abel, Jaime Leigh McIntosh, Jason Hamer, Ahou, Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, Josh Weston, Laurent Sénéchal, Thelma Schoonmaker, Jennifer Lame, Yorgos, ” Paul Watts, Rodrigo Prieto, Matthew Libatique, Maestro ” Hoyte van, Robbie Ryan, Kahleen Crawford, Susan Shopmaker, Isabella Odoffin, Ellen Lewis, Rene Haynes, Angelo Bonanni, Tony Lamberti, Andy Nelson, Lee Orloff, Bernard Weiser, “ Ferrari ” Richard King, Steve Morrow, Tom Ozanich, Jason Ruder, Dean Zupancic, Maestro ” Chris Burdon, James H, Mather, Chris Munro, Mark Taylor, Willie Burton, Richard King, Kevin O’Connell, Gary A, Rizzo, Johnnie Burn, ” “ Gorka, Phoebe Dynevor Ayo, Jacob Elordi Mia Mckenna, Bruce Sophie Wilde Organizations: CNN, British Academy, Royal Festival Hall, “ Society, Fox, “ Guardians, “ Locations: London, British, “

☆ Biden to meet with Speaker Johnson, Sen. Schumer on Ukraine, Israel aid as shutdown looms
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden will host Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer at the White House Wednesday afternoon to discuss his deadlocked supplemental funding bill for aid to Israel and Ukraine. Other leaders on the invite list are Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. "I'm going to tell the President what I'm telling all of you and we've told the American people: border, border, border," Johnson told reporters Wednesday. Biden initially requested a $105 billion supplemental funding package from Congress in October to aid Israel and Ukraine in their respective wars, along with securing Taiwan's defense systems and the U.S. southern border. Recent congressional squabbles have led to a near government shutdown, the ousting of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Congress' holiday recess being cut short.

Persons: Charles Schumer, Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, Hakeem Jeffries, we've, Johnson, Biden, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Chip Roy, John Kirby, Antony Blinken Organizations: U.S, Capitol, White, Democratic, Congressional, Democrats, Conservative, National Security, Ukraine, Economic Locations: Israel, Ukraine, U.S, Russian, Texas, Davos, Switzerland

☆ Bringing a Diversity of Hip-Hop Dance to the Concert Stage
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Brian Seibert | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fifty years into the history of hip-hop, street to stage transfers remain tricky. Hip-hop dance is diverse and globally dominant, but when it’s put on concert stages, something often gets lost. Over the past two weekends, the city’s newest theater, the marble cube of the Perelman Performing Arts Center, hosted “Motion/Matter,” a festival of street dance. The four dancers of Supa Rich Kids — from Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Spain, led by Oulouy — began caked in white powder, two inert on the ground, the third dragging the limp body of the fourth. Then they changed into wild outfits, screamed “African party!” and pulled members of the audience into the dance.

Persons: it’s, “, ”, Supa, Oulouy —, James Brown Organizations: Perelman Performing Arts Center, “ Afrikan Party Locations: Africa, Europe, Asia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Spain

☆ Opera Greets the Morning at the Prototype Festival
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Zachary Woolfe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

“These people are not drunk,” a choir in quirkily customized blue robes sang on Saturday, “because it’s nine in the morning.”Watching these smiling performers in the light-flooded Space at Irondale in Brooklyn, I was surprised to discover that this startlingly contemporary sentence was a translation of a biblical verse, Acts 2:15. And it was an appropriate sentiment at, yes, about 9 a.m. In “Terce,” presented as part of this year’s Prototype festival of new opera and music theater, about three dozen choir members were praying, as Christians have done at that hour from the era of the early church. The work adapts and takes its name from the traditional liturgy for 9 o’clock, the time when the Holy Spirit is believed to have appeared to the apostles on Pentecost.

Persons: Terce, ”, Pentecost Locations: Irondale, Brooklyn

☆ Copa América 2024: CONMEBOL announces 14 host cities as tournament returns to the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —CONMEBOL, South America’s soccer federation, has announced the 14 cities that will host matches at the 2024 Copa América as the tournament returns to the United States for the first time since 2016. Ecuador was originally designated as the tournament host but pulled out in November 2022 due to economic and security concerns, as well as a lack of viable stadiums. CONMEBOL has encountered obstacles in hosting the last three editions of the Copa América held in South America. Now, for the third edition in a row, the host nation has been changed after the US took over organizing duties from Ecuador. Argentina won the postponed 2020 edition of the Copa América, which was moved to Brazil.

Persons: América, Atlanta United’s Mercedes, Michael Zarrilli, ” Ezequiel Fernández Moores, Copa América, Fernández Moores, Amanda Perobelli, ” Fernández Moores, “, Lionel Messi’s, Henry Romero, he’s, hasn’t, Messi, ” Sean Gregory, –, ” Organizations: CNN — CONMEBOL, Miami Gardens, Kansas City, Atlanta United’s, Benz, Copa América, CONMEBOL, CONCACAF –, Copa, Reuters, State, América, FIFA, USA, Canada, NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, US, National, Inter Miami, Host Chile, Copa America, –, Leagues, “, TIME, FIFA Club Locations: South, United States, Vegas, Arlington (, Charlotte, Orlando, Miami, Santa Clara, Atlanta, East Rutherford ( NJ, Houston, Austin, Inglewood, CA, Glendale, AZ, Kansas, South America, Ecuador, Peru, North America, Central America, Caribbean, American, America, Argentine, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, California, United, Mexico

☆ DeSantis board accuses Disney of controlling previous one with gifts
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Dawn Chmielewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It found the board was "inverted to serve Disney," which held voting control of the prior board of supervisors. The Central Florida Oversight Board will meet Wednesday to vote whether to accept the report, which was prepared for the board by a group of experts. In what Disney described as retaliation, the Florida legislature in February replaced the old board with a new Central Florida Oversight District, whose five supervisors are handpicked by DeSantis. In April, Disney sued Florida in federal court, claiming DeSantis and his allies of "weaponizing" state government to punish Disney for exercising its free speech rights. The DeSantis-appointed oversight board counter-sued in state court, seeking to void the "backroom deals" favorable to the entertainment giant.

Persons: Octavio Jones, Ron DeSantis, Walt Disney's, Disney, DeSantis, flagrantly, John Classe, Dawn Chmielewski, Ken Li, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Walt Disney, REUTERS, Walt, Disney, DeSantis, Central, Central Florida Tourism, Florida Oversight, Reuters, American Express, Florida, Thomson Locations: Orlando , Florida, U.S, Florida, Reedy, Central Florida, New York

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