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☆ Britain’s Conservative Party Is Being Held Captive by Bad People - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Geoffrey Wheatcroft | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

At 3 a.m. one day last December, a 78-year-old volunteer for the British Conservative Party was reportedly woken by a call from Mark Menzies, the Conservative lawmaker she worked for. The volunteer, a former campaign manager for Mr. Menzies, paid the sum out of her own savings. Mr. Menzies, who was suspended from the party last month, denies that allegation and others, which include using £14,000 from party funds for personal medical bills. Yet the affair epitomizes a Conservative Party in crisis. Lord Salisbury, Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher led the Conservative Party for more or less 15 years.

Persons: Mark Menzies, ”, Menzies, Rishi Sunak, Mr, Sunak, Lord Salisbury, Stanley Baldwin, Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, — Organizations: British Conservative Party, Conservative, Conservative Party, Tories, Conservatives, Labour Party, Tory Locations: England, Wales

☆ ‘Manhunt’ review: Tobias Menzies stars in Apple’s bland Lincoln-assassination thriller
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —What sounds like an enticing historical thriller mostly falls flat in “Manhunt,” an Apple TV+ series about the frantic search for John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Anthony Boyle as John Wilkes Booth in "Manhunt." That’s especially true of Booth, through no fault of Boyle’s, who as written possesses less depth than his flamboyantly villainous mustache. “Manhunt” sounds promising on paper, only to mirror Apple’s even-splashier World War II series “Masters of the Air” by offering a meticulously produced window into the past that only fitfully gets off the ground. “Manhunt” premieres March 15 on Apple TV+.

Persons: John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln, James L, Edwin Stanton, Tobias Menzies, “, Outlander, ’, Booth, Anthony Boyle, Lincoln, Hamish Linklater, Samuel Mudd, Matt Walsh, detours, Menzies, Stanton, Andrew Johnson, Glenn Morshower, Honest Abe Organizations: CNN, Apple, Lincoln’s, Apple’s “, Ford’s Theatre Locations: Washington

☆ For Tobias Menzies, Acting Is All About Less Is More
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Alexis Soloski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a morning in early February, the actor Tobias Menzies walked the Brooklyn Heights Promenade in the relative anonymity he prefers. Menzies wasn’t hiding. But the past few years, including multi-season stints on “The Crown” and “Outlander,” have brought him a new visibility, which still makes him uneasy. Back in 2019, Menzies had originated the stage role of Lucas, a preschool teacher falsely accused of exposing himself to a child, in a London production. A member of a local hunting club, Lucas now finds himself targeted by the community that once embraced him.

Persons: Tobias Menzies, Menzies wasn’t, “, ”, “ I’m, I’m, ” Menzies, Thomas Vinterberg, Menzies, Lucas Organizations: St Locations: Brooklyn, Ann’s, London

☆ A baggage handler lost their job after a passenger found an obscenity written on the luggage tag of his heavy bag
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Qantas passenger found an offensive word written on his bag in marker. Qantas apologized and said the baggage handler will no longer work for them. AdvertisementA baggage handler will no longer work for the Australian airline Qantas after writing an offensive word on a passenger's bag, 7News Australia reported. "Clearly the Qantas baggage handler at Perth Airport wasn't happy lifting my bag," Tilbury said in the post. The offensive word was written on a label that identified the bag as heavy, noting that "assisted lift may be required."

Persons: —, Sonny Tilbury, Tilbury, 7News, Menzies, Mr Tilbury Organizations: Qantas, Service, Australian, Perth Airport, Qantas Group, Business Locations: Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Karratha, Tilbury

☆ The Genius Behind Hollywood’s Most Indelible Sets
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Noah Gallagher Shannon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Bringing this moment of cultural collision back to life would represent as sweeping a challenge as Fisk had ever faced. The sets would represent a kind of culmination of Fisk’s careerlong obsession with reclaiming the rough contours of American history. On set, Malick refers to Fisk as “my eyes.”Fisk has a background in the fine arts, but he considers himself more strictly speaking a “worker” — the conduit of someone else’s vision. (Noirs of the 1940s are crosshatched with shadows partly to conceal threadbare sets.) In early Hollywood, most were painters, hired to illustrate literal backdrops on massive rolls of canvas hung behind the actors.

Persons: Fisk, Scorsese, derrick, Terrence Malick, Sissy Spacek —, Malick, ” Fisk, ”, unvarnished, David O, Selznick, William Cameron Menzies Organizations: Canadian Rockies Locations: Hollywood, French

☆ UK police make second arrest over Sycamore Gap tree felling
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Once Brewed, Northumberland National Park, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - British police investigating the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, a much-loved landmark in northern England whose dramatic silhouette featured in a Hollywood movie, have made a second arrest, they said on Friday. The tree was cut down overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in what police believe was a deliberate act of vandalism. Northumbria Police, who arrested a 16-year old male on Thursday, said a male in his 60s had also been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in custody. It was also known as the 'Robin Hood Tree' after featuring in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".

Persons: Lee Smith, Hood, Robin Hood :, –, Rebecca Fenney, Menzies of, “, James Davey, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, British, Northumbria Police, Menzies of Northumbria Police, Thomson Locations: Northumberland, Park, Britain, England, Northumbria

☆ Last photos of doomed Franklin polar expedition party go on sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition to the Arctic captivated the Victorian public with its mysterious disappearance, fruitless rescue missions and gory tales of cannibalism. Commissioned by Franklin’s wife, Jane, this set of daguerreotypes – the first successful form of photography – represents the last ever photographs taken of the 14 men and was assumed to be lost until now. Engraving showing the end of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition, taken from a painting by W. Thomas Smith exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1896. Historia/Shutterstock“Lady Franklin having the foresight to memorialize this really important and historic moment of this expedition about to begin, it is very poignant in retrospect, of course, because then they disappear,” Bierman said. But after two years without contact from the expedition, Lady Franklin pushed the Admiralty in London to send a search party.

Persons: John Franklin’s, Franklin, Sir John Franklin, Emily Bierman, Franklin’s, Jane, Sir John Franklin's, Thomas Smith, Shutterstock, Lady Franklin, ” Bierman, ”, Bierman, “, John Rae, Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ciarán Hinds Organizations: CNN, Royal Academy, Admiralty, Illustrated London, HMS, AMC Locations: London, Scottish

☆ The last photos of John Franklin’s doomed polar expedition party fetch over $545,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Editor’s Note: This article was updated with the final sale price and other details following the auction’s conclusion. London, UK CNN —Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition to the Arctic captivated the Victorian public with its mysterious disappearance, fruitless rescue missions and gory tales of cannibalism. Commissioned by Franklin’s wife, Jane, this set of daguerreotypes — the first successful form of photography — represents the last ever photographs taken of the 14 men and was assumed to be lost until now. Engraving showing the end of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition, taken from a painting by W. Thomas Smith exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1896. But after two years without contact from the expedition, Lady Franklin pushed the Admiralty in London to send a search party.

Persons: John Franklin’s, Franklin, Sir John Franklin, Emily Bierman, Franklin’s, Jane, Sir John Franklin's, Thomas Smith, Shutterstock, Lady Franklin, ” Bierman, ”, Bierman, “, John Rae, Jared Harris, Tobias Menzies, Ciarán Hinds Organizations: UK CNN, CNN, Royal Academy, Admiralty, Illustrated London, HMS, AMC Locations: London, UK, Scottish

But in Australia, relative newcomers to the game’s big leagues, the arrival of the world’s best women’s players has left old and new fans starry-eyed with possibility. Despite placing fourth – the team’s best finish at a World Cup – the ability of relative outsiders to make it that far has elevated Australia’s Matildas to hero status. Fans cheer Spain's victory while watching a live transmission of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 in Madrid. Australia fans celebrate at Melbourne's Federation Square after the Matildas scored the opening goal in their FIFA World Cup round-of-16 match against Denmark on August 7. It’s not just football, it’s different.”Spain's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Persons: Sydney CNN —, “, Luis Rubiales, Jennifer Hermoso, Gianni Infantino, ”, Matildas, Spain's, Denis Doyle, –, Australia’s, might’ve, Sam Kerr, Asanka Ratnayake, that’s, Matilda Karen Menzies –, there’s, Kerr, Australia's Sam Kerr, England's Keira Walsh, Ulrik Pedersen, they’ve, Andrea Ellis, ” Ellis, you’re, Sarai Bareman, Saeed Khan, Infantino, Joanna Lohman, Rubiales, Jorge Vilda, RFEF, Sisters, Simmi Nanduo, ” Louise Nussac, Vilda, Kelly Stroda, La, Hilary Whiteman, d’Or Féminin, Alexia Putellas Organizations: Sydney CNN, Sydney’s, FIFA, La Roja, Royal Spanish Football Federation, derisory, England, Sweden, Melbourne's, Denmark, Australia’s, UEFA European, Sunday’s, Women’s Football, FIFA Women’s Football Convention, Getty, United States Women’s National, “, Sky News, CNN, ”, World Locations: Australia, Europe, Madrid, England, Bromley ,, London, AFP, Texas, Spanish, Paris, France, Spain, La Roja

Two of Australia’s largest grassroots Indigenous football bodies – Indigenous Football Australia (IFA) and the Australian Indigenous Football Council (AIFC) – say there’s no funding for Indigenous football in Legacy ’23, the 357 million Australian dollar ($228 million) post-tournament fund dedicated to growing soccer in Australia. By contrast, the AIFC oversees state and territory Indigenous football councils and organizes the First Nations Indigenous Football Championships and teams who play as the Indigenous Roos and Koalas. The AIFC recently signed a “Football Treaty” with New Zealand equivalent, Māori Football Aotearoa, and Gilbert wants to create a World Indigenous Football Council and Indigenous World Cup, independently of FIFA. Pickering-Parker seems more hopeful that the World Cup will bring more funding to his small team of volunteers: “Right now. If hosting a Women’s World Cup isn’t going to do it, I don’t know what else is,” she said.

Persons: “, that’s, it’s, ”, Ros Moriarty, James Johnson, Karen Menzies, John Maynard, “ I’ll, I’m, I’ll, Maynard, –, who’ve, Asanka Brendon Ratnayake, Moriarty Football, John’s, Moriarty, ” Lawrence Gilbert, Gilbert, ” John Moriarty, John Moriarty, Johnson, We’ve, It’s, Jennifer Pickering, Tai Tokerau, “ You’re, ” Pickering, Claudia Bunge, Michaela Foster, Mathias Bergeld, Phillip Pickering, Parker, Pickering, Kyah Simon, who’s, Lydia Williams, Williams, ” Williams, Matt King, Australia’s, That’s, crowdfunding, NIAG, we’ve, Menzies, we’re, … Organizations: Sydney CNN —, Indigenous Football Australia, IFA, Australian Indigenous Football Council, Indigenous, Moriarty Foundation, Football Australia, CNN Sport, FIFA, Indigenous Advisory, CNN, Aboriginal Soccer Tribe, UNICEF Australia First Nations, Aboriginal, Torres Strait, Elders, Commonwealth, First, First Nations, Reuters, Australian, soccer team, ” John Moriarty Football, New South, Nations Indigenous Football, Indigenous Roos, Treaty, Māori Football Aotearoa, Indigenous Football Council, Nations Australian, Nations, . New Zealand, ”, New Zealand Football, AFL, Australian Football League, Sydney Football Stadium Locations: Australia, New Zealand, Brisbane, New South Wales, Koalas, Tai, New, ., Norway, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Perth, “

☆ Some strikes at UK airport Gatwick cancelled, suspended - union
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Passengers wait in the queue for check-in in the South Terminal building at Gatwick Airport, in Gatwick, Britain, December 21, 2018. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File PhotoLONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - Some of the strikes planned by baggage handlers and other workers at Britain's no.2 airport Gatwick in the peak summer travel period have been suspended or cancelled, the Unite trade union said on Monday. But improved pay offers mean that DHL workers, who provide services to easyJet, have cancelled their walk outs completely after they voted to accept a 15% pay rise, the union said. Currently ASC workers have not yet suspended their walk outs, while Menzies have suspended some of them. A fourth set of workers, who are contracted by GGS, have suspended strikes between July 28-Aug.1 to allow negotiations to continue but are still due to walk out Aug. 4-8.

Persons: Toby Melville, Menzies, Sarah Young, Eva Mathews, Savio D'Souza, Kylie MacLellan Organizations: Gatwick Airport, REUTERS, Gatwick, British Airways, DHL, Workers, Menzies, ASC, GGS, Thomson Locations: Gatwick, Britain, Britain's, TUI, easyJet, Rhodes, Greece, London, Bengaluru

☆ American Airlines worker found to have been killed by accident after an airline investigator suggested it may have been suicide, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Austin police ruled an AA worker was killed in April by accident, per the Austin American-Statesman. The tug that killed Michal Ingraham was in an incident 10 days before his death, per the report. An AA investigator had argued that Ingraham's death was a suicide, according to the newspaper. An American Airlines employee who died in April when he was involved in a crash on the airport tarmac was found to have been killed by accident, after a corporate investigator for the airline suggested it may have been a suicide, a report says. Both the Travis County medical examiner and police concluded that the worker had been killed by accident, per the report.

Persons: Austin, Michal Ingraham, Lynn, Ingraham's, Menzies, Menzies didn't Organizations: Austin American, Statesman, AA, Morning, American Airlines, Austin, Bergstrom International Airport, Police, Occupational Safety, Health Administration, OSHA, Austin Police Department Locations: Travis

☆ Cadella Marley: Bob Marley instilled a love of football in his daughter. Now she’s changing the lives of women and girls in Jamaica
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

“I’m reading it … I’m like: ‘Wait, Jamaica has a women’s football team? Six years earlier, in 2008, underfunding had led to the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) disbanding the women’s national team program. The women’s team disbanded again in 2016, but Marley never wavered in her commitment to the program. Marley’s work has helped not only improve standards and conditions for players, but also helped shift the country’s attitude towards the women’s national team. Qualifying to the knockouts will be difficult, but more history, this time a first Women’s World Cup win, is a real possibility.

Persons: Bob Marley, Cedella, “ Daddy, ” Marley, “, Ziggy, Steve, Pelé, Cadella, Joe Maher, underfunding, Marley, Ziggy Marley, Damien, –, Cedella Marley, Angela Weiss, ’, Havana Solaun, Khadija ‘ Bunny ’ Shaw, Jamaica's Khadija Shaw, Alfredo Estrella, Hue Menzies, Michael Ricketts, ”, Chinyelu Asher, ’ ” Asher, Asher, Bob Marley's, hasn’t, “ I’d, England’s Lionesses, I’ve, Bob Marley Foundation “, “ It’s Organizations: CNN — Football, CNN Sport, Soccer, Jamaican Football Federation, women’s, Bob Marley Foundation, Jamaica's, Getty, Ajax, Adidas, Friendship Sports, Havana, Manchester City, Super League, CNN, ” Reuters, Jamaica Locations: Jamaica, Caribbean, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Brazil, AFP, United States, France, Panama, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Costa Rica, Kingston , Jamaica

☆ Some workers suspend strikes at London's Gatwick -union
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, July 18 (Reuters) - A first round of strikes planned by baggage handlers working with easyJet (EZJ.L) at London's Gatwick airport has been suspended after a better pay offer, their union said on Tuesday, warning that other walkouts will still go ahead. Around 600 DHL workers who fulfil contracts for Gatwick's biggest airline easyJet (EZJ.L) have called off strikes planned for 28 July to 1 August and will now be balloted on the new pay offer, trade union Unite said in a statement. "As an act of good faith, Unite’s Gatwick DHL members have agreed to suspend their first set of strikes while they are balloted on the new offer," Unite Regional Officer Dominic Rothwell said. If members were to reject the deal, the union said it would set out fresh strike dates. Strikes planned by around 450 ASC, Menzies Aviation and GGS staff, who work for other airlines including British Airways, are still scheduled to take place from July 28 to Aug. 1 and from Aug. 4 to Aug. 8.

Persons: Dominic Rothwell, Sarah Young, Muvija, William James Our Organizations: London's Gatwick, Gatwick, DHL, Gatwick's, Gatwick DHL, Menzies Aviation, British Airways, Thomson Locations: London's, London

European travellers are already on high alert over worries about air traffic control problems arising from both the reduced air space available due to the Ukraine war, plus staffing issues and industrial action at some locations. "Given the scale of the industrial action, disruption, delays and cancellations are inevitable across the airport," Unite said in its statement. Concerns over air traffic control delays already prompted easyJet to axe 2% of its summer flight schedule, mostly from Gatwick, on Monday. On the strike-affected days, 4,410 flights are due to depart from Gatwick, equating to over 840,000 potential passengers, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Britain's busiest hub, Heathrow Airport, agreed a pay deal with security workers in June, avoiding multiple days of walk-outs throughout the summer which had been planned by Unite.

Persons: EasyJet, easyJet, William James, Sarah Young, Sachin, Mark Potter Organizations: Gatwick, Menzies Aviation, DHL Services, Gatwick's, British Airways, DHL, Airlines, Financial Times, Heathrow Airport, Unite, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, London, TUI, Gatwick, Europe

☆ ‘You Hurt My Feelings’ Review: She Can’t Handle the Truth
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Wesley Morris | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

“You Hurt My Feelings” sums up the Nicole Holofcener experience: funny in its wounded bluntness. Her characters — comfortable New Yorkers and Angelenos — tend to lash out; their preferred approach to honesty is brazenness. But Holofcener is drawn more to the process of healing than she is to the wielding of hurt. By that point the movie’s already shown us what Beth’s and Don’s lives are like, together and apart. One thing that’s probably kept the marriage firm has been saying “I love this” and “it’s great,” when it’s not.

☆ Sundance Movies: Brett Kavanaugh and Steph Curry Docs, "Cat Person"
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Sundance Film Festival was back in person for the first time since 2020. In five days I saw eight films, and while I'm not a critic, I can affirm that not one of them was a clunker. Asked about the film's aspect ratio in an audience Q&A, Jalali said, "It was prettier that way." The bulk of the films I saw were more commercial, and four of them centered on relationships. And then there was "Cat Person," based on a 2017 New Yorker story about dating by Kristen Roupenian.

☆ The Sundance Film Festival stirs buzz, draws A-list stars, and screens movies that get you talking, but it can't hide the crisis facing independent filmmakers.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Alison Brower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Sundance Film Festival was back in person for the first time since 2020. A-list stars like Anne Hathaway and Jason Momoa were present to promote their buzzy films. It was impossible not to feel optimistic about the state of independent film at the opening weekend of the Sundance Film Festival. In five days I saw eight films, and while I'm not a critic, I can affirm that not one of them was a clunker. At an event like Sundance, even amid some hand-wringing over the future, the excitement is contagious.

☆ Russia releases U.S. Navy veteran into Poland
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Russia on Thursday released a U.S. citizen who had crossed into its Kaliningrad exclave in the first weeks of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine last February, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, who met the man at the border in Poland, said in a statement. U.S. Navy veteran Taylor Dudley, 35, was backpacking in Europe when he crossed the Polish-Russian border in April, Jonathan Franks, a lawyer who represents families of Americans detained overseas, said in an email to reporters. Dudley’s circumstances while in Russia were unclear and his case had not been previously publicized. Kaliningrad is a Russian province sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania and is the headquarters of the Russian navy’s Baltic Fleet.

U.S. Navy veteran Taylor Dudley, 35, was backpacking in Europe when he crossed the Polish-Russian border in April, Jonathan Franks, a lawyer who represents families of Americans detained overseas, said in an email to reporters. Dudley's circumstances while in Russia were unclear and his case had not been previously publicized. "The negotiations and work to secure Taylor’s safe return were done discreetly and with engagement on the ground in both Moscow and Kaliningrad and with full support from Taylor’s family back in the United States," the Richardson Center said. A U.S. embassy representative in Warsaw was also present at Dudley's release, according to Franks, and the Richardson Center thanked U.S. officials, as well as businessman Steve Menzies, for helping secure Dudley's return. Kaliningrad is a Russian province sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania and is the headquarters of the Russian navy's Baltic Fleet.

☆ Energy crisis spurs Britain to end its fracking ban, digging up a long-running debate
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The derrick is seen behind anti-fracking banners at Cuadrilla's Lancashire fracking site. Christopher Furlong | Getty ImagesLONDON — The U.K. government lifted its ban on fracking Thursday, citing the need to increase domestic energy supply following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The divideA 2020 review by Warwick Business School estimated fracked gas could account for between 17% and 22% of U.K. energy consumption between 2020 and 2050. A past study found that shale gas operations themselves would contribute relatively little to greenhouse gas emissions. A report commissioned by the government in April and published Thursday found it was still not possible to accurately predict geological activity as a result of U.K. fracking operations.

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