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☆ Can European Recognition Bring Palestinian Statehood Any Closer?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Roger Cohen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The decision by Spain, Norway and Ireland to recognize an independent Palestinian state reflects growing exasperation with the Israel of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even from traditional friends, and suggests that international pressure on him will grow. It does not, however, make it inevitable that other larger European states will follow suit. This year President Emmanuel Macron of France has said such recognition is “not a taboo,” a position reiterated by the French Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. “This decision must be useful, that is to say allow a decisive step forward on the political level,” Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné said in a statement about potential recognition. “France does not consider that the conditions have been met to date for this decision to have a real impact on this process.”

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Emmanuel Macron, David Cameron, Stéphane Séjourné, “ Organizations: French Foreign Ministry Locations: Spain, Norway, Ireland, Israel, France, Palestinian, Europe, United States, “ France

☆ Holocaust Death Toll on English Channel Island Is Raised by Hundreds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Claire Moses | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A long-running debate about a small part of Britain’s Holocaust history has been settled. A panel of historians tasked with investigating the death toll in Alderney, a British Crown Dependency and one of the Channel Islands in the English Channel, has adjusted the island’s historical record, adding several hundred people to an official count from the 1940s. On Wednesday, he presented the findings with members of the panel in a packed room at the Imperial War Museum in London. It concluded that the likely range of deaths was between 641 and 1,027, with a maximum number of 1,134 people. Most of them were forced laborers from the Soviet Union.

Persons: Eric Pickles, Britain’s, — Organizations: British, Channel, Imperial War Museum Locations: Alderney, London, Soviet Union, France

☆ Sunak Announces U.K. Elections for July 4, Months Earlier Than Expected
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain on Wednesday called a snap general election for July 4, throwing the fate of his embattled Conservative Party to a restless British public that appears eager for change after 14 years of Conservative government. But the Tories have discarded four prime ministers in eight years, lurching through the serial chaos of Brexit, the coronavirus pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis. With the opposition Labour Party ahead in most polls by double digits for the last 18 months, a Conservative defeat has come to assume an air of inevitability. “Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future,” Mr. Sunak said as pelting rain drenched his suit jacket. The choice for voters, he said, was to “build on the future you’ve made or risk going back to square one.”

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak’s, Barack Obama, ” Mr, Sunak, ” Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservative, Downing, Labour Party Locations: British, Britain

☆ Opinion: Rewatching ‘Notting Hill,’ the truly unbelievable part is Hugh Grant’s house
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Opinion Laura Beers | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The Notting Hill of the 1990s was still socially heterodox and shabby chic, a neighborhood where a group of 30-something professionals could plausibly have ended up. Even in the late 1990s, such access to disposable income marked the characters in “Notting Hill” out as privileged. Yet, in the 1990s, Notting Hill, long a center of Caribbean immigrant culture and the site of the annual Notting Hill Carnival, underwent a rapid process of gentrification. Between 1995 and 1999, Notting Hill house prices rose by 75%. The colorful terraced houses of Notting Hill, which these days sell for millions of pounds.

Persons: Laura Beers, ”, George Orwell’s, Richard Curtis ’, Julia Roberts, Anna Scott, Hugh Grant, William Thacker, Roberts, Laura Beers Laura Beers, it’s, —, Curtis, Hill’s, Hugh Grant's, Winston, George Orwell, Orwell, Tony Blair’s Britain, Bill Clinton’s America, Grant’s, Tony Blair, Steve Eason, Notting, Spike, Rhys Ifans, Notting Hill, Mike Kemp, San, Spencer Platt, Rishi Sunak’s government’s, Bill, Rewatching Organizations: American University, CNN, MCA, Everett, Notting, Labour, Hulton, Getty, Movement, Housing, Federal Reserve, New York State, Hill ” Locations: American, London, West London, Notting, West, Britain, United States, Young, Notting Hill, Central London, San Francisco, Manhattan, San Matteo, Redwood City, York

☆ Kristi Noem’s dog: The internet wants you to believe this is the dog she shot. It isn’t.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Donie O'Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Indeed, when I Googled “Kristi Noem’s dog” this morning, it was one of the first pictures that popped up. It was on the “Puppy” subreddit where user “LukeWarm273” posted a photo of their dog “Blue” last year. “He’s a cutie,” one Reddit user responded. “Please join me in wishing Cricket (the dog Kristi Noem shot to death) a blessed journey to the land of beautiful puppy dog souls. The story shows a photo of Reddit user LukeWarm273's dog, Blue, next to Noem.

Persons: Kristi Noem, It’s, Kristi Noem’s, LukeWarm273 ”, NewsGuard, LukeWarm273, “, ”, Noem, Donald Trump’s, haring, lear, ince, taff, ike, rove, ake, hotos, hough, uppy) Organizations: CNN, South Dakota Gov, United Kingdom’s, Cricket, GOP Locations: Washington, DC, ”, South Dakota

☆ U.K. Inflation Falls to 2.3 Percent, Lowest in Three Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s inflation rate slowed last month to its lowest level in about three years, approaching the Bank of England’s 2 percent target. Consumer prices rose 2.3 percent in April from a year earlier, down from 3.2 percent in March, the Office for National Statistics said on Wednesday. The rate, which declined slightly less than economists expected, was the lowest since July 2021. Food inflation also slowed to 2.9 percent, from 4 percent. The steep decline in headline inflation, closing in on the central bank’s target, signals a new phase in British policymakers’ battle against inflation.

Organizations: Bank of England’s, National Statistics Locations: Ukraine

☆ Brad Paisley and Howard Gospel Choir to be the entertainment for state dinner as Bidens highlight US-Kenya ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Betsy Klein | Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

US President Gerald Ford dances with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during a state dinner in Washington, DC, in 1976. Jason Reed/Reuters The White House's State Dining Room is seen ahead of a state dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018. Paisley first performed at the White House in 2009 during the Obama administration as part of a music series. “Tomorrow night we’ve created an experience that will feature the beautiful scenes of the White House and the Washington Monument that few get to enjoy,” White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo said. Event planner Bryan Rafanelli also helped the White House plan for the state dinner.

Persons: Brad Paisley, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, William Ruto, Rachel Ruto, “, Howard, “ Brad Paisley, Dr . Biden, Ruto’s, Biden, Ruto, ” Biden, George W, Bush, Gerald Ford, Queen Elizabeth II, Ricardo Thomas, Gerald R, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Enrique Penaranda, Penaranda, Matthew Costello, George R, Nikita Khrushchev, He's, Nina, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Mamie Eisenhower, Costello, John F, Kennedy, Habib Bourguiba, Jackie, Moufida, Bill Allen, Lyndon B, Johnson, Errol W, Barrow, Carolyn, Richard Nixon, Leonid Brezhnev, Charles Tasnadi, Betty Ford, Jordan's King Hussein, David Hume Kennerly, Betty Sherrill, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, Jimmy Carter, Deng Xiaoping, Cho Lin, Carter, Nancy Reagan, Indira Gandhi, Mikhail Gorbachev, Joe DiMaggio, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Boris Yeltsin, Naina, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Barbara, Dirck Halstead, Singer Whitney Houston, Nelson Mandela, Ron Sachs, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Mandela, Zindzi, Wally McNamee, Corbis, Bill Frist, Lynne Cheney, Dick Cheney, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Laura Bush, Prince Philip, Itzhak Perlman, Saul Loeb, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Manmohan Singh, Gursharan Kaur, Pete Souza, White, Obama, Singh, Jason Reed, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Macron, Brigitte, Jabin, Scott Morrison, Joshua Roberts, Paisley, ‘ Wake, Martin Luther, ’ ”, ” Jill Biden, we’ve, Carlos Elizondo, Cris Comerford, Bryan Rafanelli, April’s, Fumio Kishida, Yuko Kishida, CNN’s Sam Fossum Organizations: Washington CNN —, Howard Gospel Choir, White, CNN, Kenyan, Ford Presidential Library, United, White House, Historical Association, Washington Post, Getty, Barbados, AP, Indian, New York Times, Singer, South, Trump, Australian, Paisley, Japanese Locations: Kenya, United States, ”, Ghana, Africa, Russia, Namibia, Washington , DC, Bolivian, Soviet, George H.W ., toasts, Nashville, Washington

☆ UK general election: PM Rishi Sunak calls surprise July vote as his party seeks to defy dire polls
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a snap general election for July 4 in a statement outside Downing Street on Wednesday evening, as his Conservative Party faces an uphill struggle to extend its 14 years in power. But a fall in inflation rates, announced earlier Wednesday, provided the backdrop for his announcement. The move will be welcomed by the buoyant Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, which is soaring in the opinion polls and has sought to present itself as a reformed and moderate group that is ready for power. Sunak walks back inside on Wednesday after announcing the July 4 date for the election. But Johnson’s premiership collapsed after a string of scandals, paving the way for his then-finance minister Sunak to emerge as a frontrunner for the leadership.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Downing, King Charles III of, “, ” Sunak, Keir Starmer, Buckingham, Queen’s, Starmer, ”, Carl Court, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, —, Theresa May —, King Charles III Organizations: London CNN —, Conservative Party, Conservative, Labour Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Party, Scottish National Party, European Union, Tories Locations: Britain, Buckingham Palace, Ukraine, Downing, Sunak, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Britain’s

☆ 'I was too trusting': Ex-Post Office boss apologizes after widespread miscarriage of justice in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Post Office Limited Paula Vennells (C) arrives to give evidence to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, in central London, on May 22, 2024. The scandal has been described at an ongoing public inquiry as "the worst miscarriage of justice in recent British legal history". The Post Office took 700 people to court between 1999 and 2015 based on faulty evidence resulting from central I.T. Questions remain over what Vennells and other executives knew, all while the Post Office continued to push for sub-postmaster prosecutions. Vennells joined at a time when the Post Office was losing significant amounts of money and was under pressure to improve its financial performance.

Persons: Paula Vennells, Vennells, Martin Griffiths Organizations: Post, Britain's, Fujitsu, Post Office Locations: London, I.T

Spain, Norway and Ireland said on Wednesday that they would recognize an independent Palestinian state, delivering a diplomatic blow to Israel that showed the country’s growing isolation on the world stage more than seven months into its devastating military offensive in the Gaza Strip. In closely coordinated announcements, the leaders of the three countries said that Palestinian independence cannot wait for a negotiated peace deal with Israel’s right-wing government, which largely opposes a two-state solution, has been expanding settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and is continuing to bombard Gaza without either toppling Hamas or bringing home all its hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has also frustrated world leaders — and two members of his war cabinet — with his refusal to establish a postwar plan to govern Gaza, where the health authorities say that more than 35,000 people have been killed. Simon Harris, the Irish prime minister, linked his government’s decision to Ireland’s quest for independence from Britain. “From our own history, we know what it means: Recognition is an act of powerful political and symbolic value,” he said at a news briefing.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, —, Simon Harris, ” Organizations: West Bank Locations: Spain, Norway, Ireland, Israel, Gaza, Britain

☆ Prince Harry Cannot Include Rupert Murdoch in Lawsuit, Court Rules
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prince Harry was dealt a setback in his long-running legal campaign against Britain’s tabloids on Tuesday after a high court rejected a bid to draw Rupert Murdoch into allegations about how Mr. Murdoch’s London papers dug up personal details about him and later concealed or destroyed evidence of it. Justice Timothy Fancourt ruled that lawyers for Harry and about 40 other plaintiffs could not amend their complaint against News Group Newspapers, publisher of The Sun, to include Mr. Murdoch, the 93-year-old media mogul who controls the company, as well as other senior News Group executives. “There is a desire on the part of those running the litigation on the claimants’ side to shoot at ‘trophy’ targets, whether those are political issues or high-profile individuals,” Justice Fancourt declared in the 284-page ruling. “This cannot become an end in itself. That rules out allegations of actions targeted at his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, or his wife, Meghan.

Persons: Prince Harry, Rupert Murdoch, Murdoch’s, Timothy Fancourt, Harry, Murdoch, Fancourt, ”, Harry’s, Diana, Princess of Wales, Meghan Organizations: News Group Newspapers, The, News Group Locations: Murdoch’s London

☆ Britain's inflation rate could be about to drop below the Bank of England's 2% target
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — U.K. inflation could be about to hit a major milestone, with some forecasting that a sharp fall in the April print will take the headline rate below the Bank of England's 2% target. That would represent a plunge from the current level of 3.2% and could "make or break" a June interest rate cut, economists say. Ashley Webb, U.K. economist at Capital Economics, said that if the headline rate does fall below 2% in April, as he expects, it would be "momentous." "This will be crucial in determining whether the first interest rate cut from 5.25% will happen in June (as we expect) or in August. We think inflation will fall further, perhaps even to 1.0% later this year," Webb said in a Friday note.

Persons: Ashley Webb, What's, Webb, —, BOE Governor Andrew Bailey, BOE, Ben Broadbent, James Smith, ING's Organizations: Bloomberg, Getty, Bank of England's, Capital Economics, Bank of England, European Central Bank, ING Locations: Kingston, London, U.K

☆ Russia Starts Tactical Nuclear Drills, in a Warning to Ukraine’s Allies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia sent a pointed reminder on Tuesday that it could use battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, releasing video of its forces beginning exercises to practice their use, two weeks after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered the provocative drills. Video released by the Russian Defense Ministry showed a caravan of military vehicles moving down a wooded road, as well as mobile Iskander missile systems — which can deliver conventional or nuclear explosives — getting into position to launch, with their warheads blurred out. The footage also showed a supersonic strategic bomber armed with missiles and an attack aircraft being prepared for takeoff. In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said the exercise, carried out near Ukraine, was aimed at preparing the force for the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons. The goal is to “unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials,” the ministry said.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, “, Emmanuel Macron, David Cameron, Britain’s Organizations: Russian Defense Ministry, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, France

☆ Briton Charged With Aiding Hong Kong’s Intelligence Service Is Found Dead
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Megan Specia | More About Megan Specia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former British marine charged with spying for Hong Kong’s intelligence service has died, according to a police statement released on Tuesday evening. The man, who was named by the Thames Valley Police as Matthew Trickett, was found dead in a park in Maidenhead, a town west of London, on Sunday. Mr. Trickett was one of three men charged last week under Britain’s National Security Act with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service, and their case was expected to return to court on Friday. In the wake of the charges last week, Britain summoned the Chinese ambassador for a reprimand. Mr. Trickett, 37, who was a British immigration enforcement officer and a former Royal Marine, was also the director of a private security firm, MTR Consultancy.

Persons: Hong, Matthew Trickett, Trickett Organizations: Thames, Police, Britain’s National, Hong, Royal, MTR Consultancy Locations: British, Maidenhead, London, Hong Kong, China, Beijing

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia facing labor shortages amid war; Poland arrests nine on charges of Russian-ordered sabotage
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Russia is currently experiencing a labour shortage in no small part due to the war in Ukraine, with some sectors experiencing significant problems recruiting workers, Britain's Ministry of Defense said Tuesday, noting that the situation could lead to a "mobilisation of labour." In other news, Poland has arrested nine people in connection with acts of sabotage committed in the country on the orders of Russian services. Ukraine's ally Warsaw says it has become a target for Russian intelligence services because it is a hub for military hardware supplies for Kyiv. "We currently have nine suspects arrested and charged with engaging in acts of sabotage in Poland directly on behalf of the Russian services," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told private broadcaster TVN24 late Monday, Reuters reported.

Persons: Warsaw, Donald Tusk Organizations: Britain's Ministry of Defense, Kyiv, TVN24, Reuters Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Poland

☆ Matthew Trickett: British man accused of spying for Hong Kong’s intelligence services found dead in park
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Sharon Braithwaite | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —A man charged by British police for allegedly spying for Hong Kong’s intelligence services, has been found dead in a park outside of London. Trickett had appeared alongside two other suspects at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 13, charged with national security offences. “Trickett was on court bail, awaiting court proceedings, which required him to register at a police station regularly,” the police said. Relations between Hong Kong and its former colonial ruler Britain have soured in recent years following mass pro-democracy protests in the Chinese city in 2019 and 2020. The British government has criticized Hong Kong’s Beijing-backed crackdown on almost all opposition in the years following the protests, while Hong Kong authorities have bristled at Britain providing a safe haven for pro-democracy leaders sought by the Hong Kong police.

Persons: Hong, Matthew Trickett, Trickett, “ Trickett, Trickett’s, John Lee, Hong Kong’s, Louisa Cieciora, Lee, Lucas Lilieholm, Chris Lau, Jerome Taylor Organizations: London CNN, British, London . Police, Thames, ’, The Times, Embassy, Hong, Hong Kong, Police, Hong Kong Economic, Trade Office, Economic, Trade Locations: London, Maidenhead , Berkshire, Sunday, Westminster, Hong Kong, Britain, Hong Kong’s Beijing

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

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