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☆ King Charles's coronation to feature 12 new pieces of music
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Twelve newly commissioned pieces of music will play at the coronation of Britain's King Charles at Westminster Abbey this May, including Greek Orthodox music, Buckingham Palace said, with the 18th century "Zadok the Priest" also to be featured. Six orchestral commissions, five choral commissions and one organ commission have been composed for the occasion, the palace said on Saturday, including a new Coronation Anthem by musical theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber. Music by Elgar, Parry, and Williams were also performed at the crowning of Charles's late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1953. Handel's coronation anthem "Zadok the Priest," which was composed for the coronation of King George II in 1727, will be played at the ceremony, the palace said. I hope my anthem reflects this joyful occasion," composer Lloyd Webber said of his coronation anthem in the statement.

☆ Charles's coronation emblem revealed, showing British king's love of nature
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] The official emblem in English language of the coronation of Britain's King Charles created by designer Jony Ive is unveiled by Buckingham Palace, London, Britain February 10, 2023 in this handout image. The emblem features flora from all the four nations that make up the United Kingdom - the rose of England, thistle of Scotland, daffodil of Wales and shamrock of Northern Ireland, which was a tribute to Charles's love of nature, Buckingham Palace said. "The design was inspired by King Charles’ love of the planet, nature, and his deep concern for the natural world," said the designer Jony Ive. "The emblem speaks to the happy optimism of spring and celebrates the beginning of this new Carolean era for the United Kingdom." Accompanying the service, there will celebrations including traditional processions, a music concert at Windsor Castle, street parties, light shows and community volunteering, Buckingham Palace has said.

☆ Church of England explores gender neutral God
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Muvija M | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Peter NichollsLONDON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The Church of England will look into the use of gender neutral terms to refer to God in prayers, but the centuries-old institution said on Wednesday there were no plans to abolish current services. "Christians have recognised since ancient times that God is neither male nor female," a spokesperson for the Church said. "Yet the variety of ways of addressing and describing God found in scripture has not always been reflected in our worship." Bishop Michael Ipgrave, vice chairman of the Church's liturgical commission, said the Church had been "exploring the use of gendered language in relation to God for several years". The Church's Faith and Order Commission – which advises on theology – will work with the liturgical commission on looking at questions around gender terms, the spokesperson said.

☆ Government bears some blame for Grenfell fire, UK housing minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A woman places a white rose during a memorial service for those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire on June 14 2018, outside Westminster Abbey in London, Britain June 14, 2022. In June 2017, Grenfell Tower, a 23-storey social housing block in west London, was destroyed by a fire started by an electrical fault in a refrigerator, Britain's deadliest fire in a residential building since World War Two. "I think that if you look at what happened to Grenfell, there were lots of factors. But it is undeniably the case that the system of building regulation was not right." Following the blaze, a public inquiry found numerous faults in the planning and administration of the Grenfell refurbishment, and hundreds of buildings were found to have similar cladding.

☆ Bank of America announced a new class of managing directors — here are all 87 names in corporate and investment banking
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Alex Morrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bank of America has announced a new class of 360 managing directors. Insider has the list of the 87 new MDs for the firm's Global Corporate and Investment Bank. It's managing director promotion day at Bank of America. On Thursday, the class of 360 managing directors across the firm were announced internally, up 15% from the 314 promoted in 2022.Insider has the list of the 87 employees who were promoted in the firm's Global Corporate and Investment Bank — the division responsible for dealmaking. That's down 17% from 105 new MDs last year in the division, likely a reflection of a difficult year in investment banking across Wall Street that saw revenues drop in excess of 50%.

☆ Three days of events planned for the coronation of King Charles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON — Buckingham Palace plans a weekend of community events and voluntarism to mark the coronation of King Charles III, looking to highlight the monarchy’s links to the nation when Britain crowns a new sovereign for the first time in 70 years. The plans were revealed Saturday when the palace released the schedule for the three-day coronation weekend, which will begin with the crowning of Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, on Saturday, May 6. The next day, the palace is inviting people around the country to take part in ’’The Big Help Out,” encouraging them to volunteer in their own communities. “The Big Help Out will encourage people to try volunteering for themselves and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas,” the palace said in a statement. “The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend.’’

☆ Britain urges parties, volunteering to accompany 3-day coronation of King Charles III
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Buckingham Palace plans a weekend of community events and voluntarism to mark the coronation of King Charles III, looking to highlight the monarchy's links to the nation when Britain crowns a new sovereign for the first time in 70 years. The plans were revealed Saturday when the palace released the schedule for the three-day coronation weekend, which will begin with the crowning of Charles and Camilla, the queen consort, on Saturday, May 6. The ceremony at Westminster Abbey will be preceded by a procession from Buckingham Palace to the abbey. The palace is asking neighborhoods around the nation to take part in the "Coronation Big Lunch'' on Sunday, May 7 — the latest incarnation of the block parties that have become a staple of big royal celebrations. "The aim of The Big Help Out is to use volunteering to bring communities together and create a lasting volunteering legacy from the coronation weekend.''

☆ I make fake snow for films like 'Fantastic Beasts.' It's fun to make but painstaking to clean up — now I never look at winter movies the same.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jem Bartholomew | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jon Llewellyn works at Snow Business International, a company that produces fake snow. I work at Snow Business International, where we make fake snow for all kinds of movie sets and more. There's a lot of secrecy around Christmas TV ads in the UKPeople talk, so we use code names to muddy the water. Jon LlewellynRecently, we cleaned up this entire area of fake snow on a shoot in Ireland. But it's funny because I thought it looked a bit unrealistic on the cars, even though it was real snow.

☆ Factbox: Highlights from Prince Harry's memoir 'Spare'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MADRID, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A Spanish-language version of "Spare", the much-awaited memoir of Britain's Prince Harry, went on sale in book stores in Spain on Thursday, days ahead of its official launch date. The book reveals details about Harry's relationship with his father, King Charles, his elder brother, Prince William, and other members of the British royal family that have never previously been published. As is usual for the royal family, spokespeople for Charles and William have declined to comment. William called Meghan "difficult", "rude" and "abrasive", Harry writes. CAMILLAHarry says that he and Prince William had asked their father not to marry Camilla Parker-Bowles, who is now Britain's queen consort.

☆ Incoming GOP congressman George Santos reportedly lied about his employment, his education, losing four employees in the Pulse shooting, his residence, and his religious background
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

An incoming GOP congressman from Long Island has several gaps in his resume, according to news reports. Santos has begun to address the falsehoods in interviews with the New York Post and City & State New York. But representatives from the school told the Times they had no record of his enrollment, despite searching multiple variations of his name. Santos has said that he never claimed to be Jewish, just "Jew-ish," despite describing himself as a "proud American Jew" during his campaign. The Republican Jewish Coalition now says he lied to them.

☆ Christmas will feel very different without Queen Elizabeth, says Britain's Kate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Britain's Catherine, Princess of Wales records an introduction for "Royal Carols: Together At Christmas" broadcast at Westminster Abbey in London, Britain December 14, 2022. Kensington Palace/Handout via REUTERSLONDON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Britain's Princess of Wales paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth at a carol service in Westminster Abbey, saying the royal family's first Christmas without the late monarch would "feel very different". King Charles, accompanied by Queen Consort Camilla, joined his son Prince William, Kate and other members of the family at the service in the abbey, where Elizabeth's funeral was held in September. Kate, who is William's wife and became Princess of Wales after Charles ascended to the throne, hosted the event and dedicated it to Elizabeth and "all those who are sadly no longer with us". "So, whilst Christmas will feel very different this year, we can still remember the memories and traditions we shared," Kate said in an introduction to the service.

☆ Incoming GOP congressman reportedly lied about his employment history, where he went to college, losing four employees in the Pulse nightclub shooting, and possibly his residence
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An incoming GOP congressman from Long Island has several gaps in his resume, according to a NYT report. He appears to have lied about his employment history, his college degree, and possibly his residence. He also claimed to have lost four employees in the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting. And according to a New York Times investigation, he may have a historically large amount of questions to answer about his resume. But representatives from the school told the Times they had no record of his enrollment, despite searching multiple variations of his name.

☆ Netflix Harry and Meghan docuseries shows Prince Williams isn't the only one they alienated
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Debwaldman Is A Writer | Editor In Edmonton | Alberta. She Is Working On A Memoir About Suicide | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

I had no intention of watching the Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” the first three episodes of which dropped Dec. 8. I want to admire Harry and Meghan. The fact is, I’ve always liked Meghan and Harry. I’m not sure if the point of “Harry & Meghan” was to make people feel sorry for them, but that’s certainly one of the messages I got, and I found it cringeworthy. I want to admire Harry and Meghan.

☆ UK royal war: Harry and Meghan's new Netflix episodes to land
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Michael Holden | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dylan MartinezLONDON, Dec 15 (Reuters) - The final three episodes of Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's Netflix documentary series air on Thursday, with more criticism expected to be directed at the British royals just as King Charles and his family gather for a Christmas carol service. "I wonder what would have happened to us had we not got out when we did," Harry says in a trailer. Newspapers have also cited former unnamed royal aides challenging the couple's narrative in the documentaries, saying there were inaccuracies in their accounts. Both Buckingham Palace and William's office, Kensington Palace, have said they would not be commenting on the documentaries. The service will also be dedicated to the late Queen Elizabeth, whose funeral was held in the Abbey in September.

☆ How one family’s struggle illustrates problems with the program meant to help Afghans who helped the US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Jim Sciutto | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —For more than a year, I have been trying to help a family leave Afghanistan for safety and a new life abroad. However, SIV approval does not equal freedom for him and other Afghans with similar status – far from it. And last week, Congress removed language from the National Defense Authorization Act that would have extended the program for another year. To get to one of those countries, Afghans need passports – a relative luxury for many. The State Department tells CNN it had been managing to get only about 250 Afghans and their family members out of the country per week.

☆ Canadian dollar seen higher as analysts eye peak interest rates: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Fergal Smith | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The loonie has weakened over 7% against the U.S. dollar since the start of 2022, with almost all of the decline coming since mid-August. Canada's economy grew at an annualized rate of 2.9% in the third quarter, much stronger than both analysts and the Bank of Canada were expecting. The BoC has raised its benchmark interest rate by 350 basis points since March to 3.75%, its highest level since 2008, in an attempt to cool inflation. Along with a more stable path for U.S. interest rates it "should help the loonie rally closer to fair value," Zhao-Murray said. Measures of fair value include purchasing power parity (PPP), or the exchange rate that equalizes the purchasing power of separate currencies.

☆ Christmas vacations: 15 of the best places to go
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Cnn Staff | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

The Bath Christmas Market has a multitude of wooden chalets selling distinctively British handmade crafts in a quaint Georgian setting. Bogotá, ColombiaA woman dressed as Santa Claus sits next to a Christmas tree and a Christmas star at Bolivar Square in Bogota. Salzburg and Oberndorf, AustriaThe Christmas Market and associated festivities in Salzburg are really something to sing about. Dating back to 1570, Strasbourg claims to be the oldest Christmas market in France and one of the oldest in Europe. damianalmua/Adobe StockThe traditional Christmas colors of red, green and white take on an entirely new meaning in New Zealand.

Persons: CNN —, Santa Claus, Claus, ”, Allan Baxter, Jesus, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Centre –, Austen, Melchior, Gaspar, Balthazar, Roy Rochlin, Bergdorf Goodman, Wangari Maathai, Fernando Vergara, “ Ruta, John’s, Miguel de Allende, Mary, Joseph, “ posada ”, Mozart, White Organizations: CNN, Bath Abbey, Jane Austen Centre, The, Royal, Catholic, Rockefeller, Getty Images Rockefeller, New York, Radio City, Columbus Circle, Fashion’s, Saks Fifth, Macy’s Herald Square, Kenyan, Park, Nuremberg, Toy Museum, Bolivar, Downtown, Malta Toy Museum, Quebec City, Adobe, Nord Expe, Mexico Piñatas, UNESCO, ”, Santa Locations: England, Philippines, Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland, Santa, Bethlehem , Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, New York City, Bethlehem, Moravian, Bath, “, Fernando , Philippines, Asia, San Fernando, Catholic Philippines, Manila, of Bethlehem, Barcelona, Spain, Santa Eulalia, New York City New York, Central Park, Macy’s, Nairobi, Kenya, Nuremberg, Germany, German, Bogotá, Colombia, Bogota, Christmastime, Malta, Downtown Valletta, Quebec City, Canada, Petit Champlain, Quebec, Old Quebec, Sentier, Nord, Miguel, Mexico, posadas, ponche, Piñatas, Salzburg, Oberndorf, Austria, ” Salzburg, Bavaria, Strasbourg, France, Europe, Queenstown , New Zealand, New Zealand, Queenstown, Wakatipu

☆ Historic crown to be modified for King Charles's coronation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] An undated handout photo, issued by Buckingham Palace on December 3, 2022, shows the Imperial State Crown which will be worn by Britain's King Charles on his coronation day on May 6, 2023. The crown, which usually forms part of the Crown Jewels on display at the Tower, has been used since the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 after the monarchy was restored following the 10-year republic of Oliver Cromwell. The St Edward's Crown replaced a medieval version, thought to have dated back to the 11th Century reign of Edward the Confessor which was melted down in 1649. Charles III will be crowned with St Edward's Crown during the solemn ceremony to be held at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6, just as his late mother Queen Elizabeth II was in 1953. The St Edward's Crown, made up of a solid gold frame set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines, follows its original medieval forebear in having four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis.

☆ U.S. third-quarter economic growth revised up; goods trade deficit widens in October
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Gross domestic product increased at a 2.9% annualized rate, the Commerce Department said in its second estimate of third-quarter GDP. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast GDP growth would be raised to a 2.7% rate. Gross domestic income (GDI) had contracted at a 0.8% pace in the second quarter. Profits from current production decreased $31.6 billion in the third quarter after rising $131.6 billion in the second quarter. Inventories subtracted from GDP growth in the third quarter.

This time round, Charles III hosted the first state visit of his reign and welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the UK. The South African state visit was Charles’s first big diplomatic test. But this week, the prominence of the Prince and Princess of Wales during the state visit indicated that the couple have been elevated into crucial central roles. PHOTOS OF THE WEEKHere’s a few of our favorite shots from the first state visit King Charles hosted as monarch. Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty ImagesThe state visit also allowed UK PM Rishi Sunak the opportunity to welcome Ramaphosa to 10 Downing Street for a bilateral meeting.

☆ King Charles welcomes South Africa’s Ramaphosa for first state visit
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

King Charles hosted his first state visit since becoming British monarch on Tuesday, welcoming South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Buckingham Palace. Charles, 74, rolled out the traditional pomp and ceremony for the first time as head of state, as Britain seeks to bolster its relations with its biggest trading partner in Africa. Ramaphosa is scheduled to visit Westminster Abbey to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and see the memorial stone for former South African President Nelson Mandela. The Prince and Princess of Wales stand with South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa (C) at the Corinthia Hotel in London. The last state visit to Britain by a South African leader was that of President Jacob Zuma in 2010 when he was met by Charles and Camilla at the start of the trip.

☆ The 10 people transforming money — including leaders from Goldman Sachs, Esusu, and Mos
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Wemimo Abbey, Cofounder, EsusuAlyssa Schukar/InsiderWemimo Abbey is cofounder of Esusu, which is expanding how Americans build credit by getting rental payments factored into credit scores. "We started Esusu on three core premises: No matter where you come from, the color of your skin and your financial identity shouldn't determine where you end up in the wealthiest country in the world — and dare I say, anywhere in the world," Abbey told Insider.

The true-crime drama tells the story of the Chippendales dance troupe and its founder. How to watch 'Welcome to Chippendales'You can watch "Welcome to Chippendales" exclusively on Hulu. For $14 a month, subscribers can bundle ad-supported Hulu with Disney Plus and ESPN+, or for $20 a month, subscribers can bundle those services with ad-free Hulu. After the first month, Hulu with ads is $8 a month and Hulu without ads is $15 a month. "Welcome to Chippendales" is based on the novel "Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders" by authors K. Scot Macdonald and Patrick MontesDeOca.

☆ Colorado homebuyers are gaining the upper hand in cities like Denver, where prices fell 10% since spring, but properties in ski towns are not getting any cheaper
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Colorado ski towns are struggling with low housing inventory, which is keeping prices high. The numbers suggest that while the Denver housing market appears to have peaked in April, median sale prices are still up year-over-year. Other popular ski towns like Frisco, Dillon, and Aspen have also passed similar laws. Other popular ski towns like Glenwood Springs and Estes Park are having similar struggles, the report suggests. Meanwhile, the average price of single-family homes in Estes have increased by 14.8% since October 2021 while the price of condos have jumped by 11.8%.

☆ ‘Revolver Special Edition’ Review: The Beatles’ Best
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Allan Kozinn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Until about a decade ago, it was generally agreed that “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967) was the Beatles’ creative peak, with “Abbey Road” (1969) a close runner-up. But in recent years, “Revolver,” released in August 1966, has started to eclipse “Sgt. Pepper,” not only as a fan favorite, but also as the band’s most innovative album. The new “Revolver Special Edition,” released by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe on Oct. 28, makes a solid case for that reconsideration.

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