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☆ A Portrait Artist Fit for a King (but Not a President)
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Mark Landler | More About Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Few famous Britons, it seems, can resist the chance to be painted by Jonathan Yeo. Yet when it came to painting his latest portrait, of King Charles III, the artist had to go to the subject. Mr. Yeo rented a truck to transport his 7.5-by-5.5-foot canvas to the king’s London residence, Clarence House. There, he erected a platform so he could apply the final brushstrokes to the strikingly contemporary portrait, which depicts a uniformed Charles against an ethereal background. The painting, which will be unveiled at Buckingham Palace in mid-May, is the first large-scale rendering of Charles since he became king.

Persons: Jonathan Yeo, David Attenborough, Yeo, King Charles III, Clarence House, Charles Locations: West London, Buckingham

☆ Brexit border checks: Britain braces for less choice and higher prices on food imports
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The new regime for food imports is perhaps the starkest example of the painful border bureaucracy that UK and EU businesses must contend with in the wake of Brexit. An additional cost of that scale will “significantly increase food prices and reduce choice,” the federation’s CEO Phil Pluck wrote in a letter to environment and food minister Steve Barclay earlier this month. But here too Brexit hasn’t helped, ending as it did the free movement of EU workers on whom British farmers had relied for decades. In addition to Brexit-related challenges, UK farmers have been squeezed by soaring input costs, including those of fertilizer, energy and labor. “I’m not hugely in favor of subsidies, I’m in favor of fair food prices,” Maddocks said.

Persons: Eddie Price, ”, Phil, Steve Barclay, Andrew Aitchison, Andrew Opie, “, Jack Bobo, “ It’s, Price, hasn’t, ” Tom Bradshaw, “ You’re, Chris Ratcliffe, Brexit, ” Philip Maddocks, I’m, ” Maddocks Organizations: London CNN, European Union, EU, Britain, Birmingham Wholesale, CNN, Chain Federation, British Retail Consortium, University of York, Food Systems, University of Nottingham, Birmingham Wholesale Market, Bank, National Farmers ’ Union, Bloomberg, Getty, PDM Locations: United Kingdom, Britain, France, Spain, artichokes, Italy, Birmingham, Dover, Port, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, North Africa, England, Sandwich, Australia, New Zealand, English, Shropshire

☆ Massive drone strike suggests Ukraine is going after Russia's devastating glide bombs
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

AdvertisementUkraine's massive weekend drone attack on a Russian airbase deep behind enemy lines suggests Kyiv may be trying to curb the threat of Moscow's devastating glide bombs, according to new Western intelligence. Destroyed Russian glide bomb kits are visible in footage from the ground following the strike. Russia's defense ministry said in March that it began increasing production of several types of munitions — including 6,600-pound ones — that could be modified and turned into glide bombs. Saturday's strike on the Kushchyovskaya airbase isn't the first time Ukraine has gone after Russian airbases hosting fighter-bombers that can drop glide bombs. Experts have warned that Russian glide bombs pose a tremendous threat to Ukrainian forces.

Persons: —, Russia's Su, kgibcTnREI — Brady Africk, Brady Africk, Russian Su Organizations: Service, Saturday, Kyiv Independent, Ukrainian, American Enterprise Institute, Russian Defense Ministry, Getty, Institute for, Russian Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Avdiivka, Moscow, Russian, Anadolu, Ukraine, Rostov

☆ Netanyahu Again Vows to Invade Rafah ‘With or Without’ Cease-Fire Deal
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Erika Solomon | Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

A camp in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip near the border with Egypt on Sunday. One official also suggested that Israel was using the threat of an imminent military maneuver to press the armed group into a hostage deal. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain spoke to Mr. Netanyahu on Tuesday, his office said in a statement. A senior Hamas official said on social media on Monday that the group was studying a new Israeli proposal. A Hamas delegation met with officials in Egypt’s intelligence service on Monday, according to a senior Hamas official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to talk about sensitive discussions between Hamas and Egypt.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, Antony J, Blinken, Netanyahu, ”, “, Netanyahu’s, Rishi Sunak, Adam Rasgon Organizations: Hamas, State Department, Mr Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Egypt, Gazan, United States, Qatar, Israel, Jordan

☆ Two Men Are Charged Over the Felling of the Sycamore Gap Tree
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jenny Gross | More About Jenny Gross | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two men in their 30s were charged on Tuesday in connection with the chopping down last year of the 200-year-old Sycamore Gap tree, which stood in a dip along Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. The beloved sycamore’s mysterious felling, which took place on a stormy September night, led to an outpouring of sorrow, anger and confusion at the senselessness of the act: Why would anyone cut down one of Britain’s most iconic trees? Two men, Daniel Graham, 38, and Adam Carruthers, 31, from Cumbria, England, were charged with damaging both the tree and part of Hadrian’s Wall, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, according to the local Northumbria Police. Hadrian’s Wall, about 100 miles southeast of Edinburgh and near England’s border with Scotland, was built by the Roman Army after the emperor Hadrian’s visit to Britain in A.D. 122. “We recognize the strength of feeling in the local community and further afield the felling has caused, however we would remind people to avoid speculation, including online, which could impact the ongoing case,” Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Fenney, the senior office on the case, said in a statement on Tuesday.

Persons: Daniel Graham, Adam Carruthers, Hadrian’s, “, Rebecca Fenney Organizations: UNESCO, Heritage, Northumbria Police, Roman Army Locations: England, Cumbria, Northumbria, Edinburgh, England’s, Scotland, Britain

☆ Paul Auster, Prolific Author and Brooklyn Literary Star, Dies at 77
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Alex Williams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Paul Auster, the prolific novelist, memoirist and screenwriter who rose to fame in the 1980s with his postmodern reanimation of the noir novel and who endured to become one of the signature New York writers of his generation, died of complications from lung cancer at his home in Brooklyn on Tuesday evening. His death was confirmed by a friend, Jacki Lyden. With his hooded eyes, soulful air and leading-man looks, Mr. Auster was often described as a “literary superstar” in news accounts. The Times Literary Supplement of Britain once called him “one of America’s most spectacularly inventive writers.”Though a New Jersey native, he became indelibly linked with the rhythms of his adopted city, which was a character of sorts in much of his work — particularly Brooklyn, where he settled in 1980 amid the oak-lined streets of brownstones in the Park Slope neighborhood. As his reputation grew, Mr. Auster came to be seen as a guardian of Brooklyn’s rich literary past, as well as an inspiration to a new generation of novelists who flocked to the borough in the 1990s and later.

Persons: Paul Auster, memoirist, Jacki, Auster, ” Locations: York, Brooklyn, New Jersey, brownstones

☆ Israel's strike showed Iran's air defenses were 'woefully unprepared.' Here's what Tehran may do next.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The incident in the city of Isfahan may force Tehran to upgrade its air defenses, possibly from more advanced Russian systems, to defend itself from the possibility of larger Israeli missile attacks. While Iranian air defenses failed to stop Israel's strike they have hugely improved in recent years. AdvertisementThe S-300PMU-2 is the most advanced air defense system Iran has acquired from Russia. "In practice, this could go either way, depending on the amount of Israeli missiles that would be hypothetically launched and from where." AdvertisementKhoueiry anticipates that early detection by Iranian air defenses could give these Iranian-made systems "more chances" against Israeli missiles.

Persons: —, Israel, Arash Azizi, Azizi, Freddy Khoueiry, RANE, Khoueiry, Jalaa Marey, Clemson University's Azizi, It's, it's Organizations: Service, Israeli, Economist, Business, Clemson University, Iran's, Rampage, Clemson, Moscow, Russian Locations: Iran, Russian, Isfahan, Tehran, Russia, Israel, Britain, East, North Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israeli, Lebanon, it's, Ukraine, Moscow

☆ ‘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

☆ Ukraine is defying the US over strikes on Russian oil refineries. Experts say it's a necessary risk.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

While the US dithered over aid, Ukraine had a robust argument for prosecuting the war pretty much as it pleased. "Taking out a particular refinery is not going to immediately undermine Russia's war effort," said Dailey, the RAND strategist. "But consistently putting pressure on Russia's oil sector would have a significant impact on Russia's ability to fight this war." AdvertisementVakulenko, in his article, also noted that that strikes on Russian oil refineries have "little impact on Russian export earnings." Later, Ukraine said that its attacks had reduced Russian oil production and processing by 12%.

Persons: —, Ann Marie Dailey, Rafael Loss, Joe Biden's, Marina Miron, Dailey, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Olga Tokariuk, Tokariuk, Donald Trump, Miron, Whittling, Celeste Wallander, Lloyd Austin, Sergey Vakulenko, There's, Sir Tony Radakin, Biden, James Patton Rogers, Patton Rogers Organizations: Service, White, Telegraph, Business, RAND Corporation, European Council, Foreign Relations, Washington Post, Department of, King's College, London's, House, Carnegie, RAND, Financial, Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, Ukraine Locations: Ukraine, Krasnodar, King's College London, Russia

☆ Israel Softened Its Demands in Cease-Fire Negotiations
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Matthew Cullen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Israeli officials said today that they had reduced the number of hostages they were asking Hamas to free in exchange for a temporary cease-fire in the war in Gaza. For months, cease-fire talks have been at a standstill as Israel had demanded that Hamas release at least 40 hostages. Now Israeli officials say they are prepared to settle for only 33, in part because they believe that some of the 40 have died in captivity. Israel’s new offer included a 40-day cease-fire and the release of potentially thousands of Palestinian prisoners, according to Britain’s foreign minister. A mid-ranking delegation from Israel is planning to fly to Cairo tomorrow to resume talks if Hamas agrees to attend.

Persons: Antony Blinken Organizations: Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel, U.S, Cairo

☆ As the U.K. Tries Moving Asylum Seekers Offshore, Ireland Pushes Back
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s newly ratified plan to put asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda has drawn objections from human rights groups, British and European courts, the House of Lords and even some members of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party. The Irish government said last week that asylum seekers in Britain who fear being deported to Rwanda are instead traveling to Ireland. Irish officials estimate that 80 percent of recent applicants for asylum crossed into the country via Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, and with which the Republic of Ireland has an open border. That suggests that Britain’s vow to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is already having something of a deterrent effect, which was Mr. Sunak’s sales pitch for the policy. On Sunday, Ireland’s prime minister, Simon Harris, said, “This country will not in any way, shape or form provide a loophole for anybody else’s migration challenges.”

Persons: Rishi, Simon Harris, ” Organizations: Conservative Party, Northern Ireland Locations: Rwanda, Ireland, Britain, Northern, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ukraine

London CNN —Prince Harry will return to the United Kingdom in May to celebrate a milestone anniversary of the Invictus Games, the biennial sporting competition he founded a decade ago. It was not immediately clear if the prince will meet with his relatives during the trip next month. Prince Harry talks with wheelchair basketball players during the launch of the Invictus Games at the Copper Box Arena in London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in March 2014. Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty ImagesThe Invictus Games were established by Prince Harry after his deployment in Afghanistan. Winter sports will also be played for the first time at the Vancouver Whistler games, including Alpine skiing and snowboarding, Nordic skiing and biathlon, skeleton and wheelchair curling.

Persons: London CNN — Prince Harry, Duke, Sussex, King Charles ’, Harry, ABC’s, “, ”, I’m, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Queen Elizabeth II, Paul’s, Prince Archie’s, Buckingham, Charles, Naruhito, Masako, Prince Harry, London's Queen Elizabeth, Max Mumby, ” Harry Organizations: London CNN, Invictus Games, London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic, CNN’s Royal, Invictus, Vancouver Whistler, First Nations Locations: United Kingdom, London’s St, Paul’s, United States, St, London's Queen, Afghanistan, Vancouver, Whistler, Canada

☆ Asylum Seekers Already in U.K. Say Rwanda Law Creates New Anxiety
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Megan Specia | Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On a cold spring day last month, Mohsen, a 36-year-old from Iran, woke before dawn and was hurried by smugglers onto a rubber boat on the coast of France. The water was calm and the sky clear, but he knew the risks of the journey he was about to make, he said. Since 2018, at least 72 people have drowned in the Channel while attempting crossings, according to the International Organization for Migration. He fled Iran, he said, because police officers came to his home last year threatening to arrest him after he took part in anti-government protests. And he boarded the boat even though he knew about the British government’s plan to deport some asylum seekers to the central African country of Rwanda, which was first announced in 2022.

Persons: Mohsen Organizations: Channel, International Organization for Migration Locations: Iran, France, Britain, Rwanda

☆ Suddenly, Chinese Spies Seem to Be Popping Up All Over Europe
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Andrew Higgins | Christopher F. Schuetze | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

One of the men, a young Briton known for his hawkish views on China, worked as an aide to a prominent member of the British Parliament. Another, a German citizen of Chinese descent, was an assistant to a member of the European Parliament representing Germany’s far right. While from different countries and seemingly divergent backgrounds and outlooks, both men became ensnared this week in accusations of espionage on behalf of China — and a widening pushback in Europe against malign Chinese influence in politics and commerce. In all, six people in three separate cases have been charged this week in Europe with spying for China: two in Britain and four in Germany.

Locations: China, German, Germany’s, Europe, Britain, Germany

☆ Julian Assange’s mission was to change the world - but at what cost?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Claudia Rebaza | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Julian Assange leaves a Melbourne court after facing charges of computer hacking in 1995. WikiLeaks/ReutersUnder a global spotlightAs WikiLeaks continued its disclosures, Assange found himself the latest cause célèbre – his every movement intensely scrutinized. … He liked the fuss that (the disclosures) caused but he was oddly incurious actually about the documents.”Others offer alternative explanations for Assange’s eccentricities. There were mounting calls for Assange to leave WikiLeaks and, when he didn’t, many cut ties with it. Outside the confines of his diplomatic shelter, the world questioned whether Assange was trying to circumvent justice.

Persons: London CNN — Julian Assange, ”, He’s, Chelsea Manning, Joe Biden, Assange’s, Anthony Albanese, Assange, “, ” –, Julian Assange, Ian Kenins, Sarah Palin’s, Atika Shubert, Shubert, ” Shubert, célèbre, Fidel Narvaez, “ Assange, ” Narvaez, James Ball, Joe Raedle, ” Ball, Ball, …, Narvaez, Hans Crescent, Lenin Moreno, Moreno, Abu Hamza al, Masri, Stella Assange, Daniel Leal, Stella, “ I’m, Nick Vamos, It’s, Alice Jill Edwards, Agnès Callamard, El País, Der Spiegel, Jameel Jaffer, Xiaofei Xu, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: London CNN, WikiLeaks, Court, Ecuadorian, Army, Australian, Pentagon, NASA, University of Melbourne, Fairfax Media, of Scientology, Republican, CNN, Chelsea, Apache, Reuters, Guardian, Ellingham, Hans, London’s Metropolitan Police, US Justice Department, of Justice, Britain's, Getty, Peters & Peters, Prosecution Service, Human Rights, UN, Amnesty, The New York Times, Columbia University Locations: United States, Australian, London’s, Australia, Townsville, Queensland, cybercrime, Melbourne, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq, London, Afghanistan, ”, Sweden, Ecuador, UK’s, Belmarsh

☆ Ship with 400 tons of food aid destined for Gaza has left Cyprus
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Zeena Saifi | Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The United Arab Emirates has now partnered with an aid agency to send crucial assistance to Gaza via the Israeli port of Ashdod. A UAE official told CNN Saturday that the vessel laden with critical food aid left on Saturday through a relationship with American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA). Itayam told CNN the 400 tons of aid would undergo Israeli security clearance upon arrival. The plan is for most of the food aid to be delivered to northern Gaza, but Itayam said that depending on the security situation, ANERA might consider sending a shipment to the south as well. The United States has already begun construction of the pier, intended to help deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Persons: Jerusalem CNN —, Jennifer, ”, Itayam, Kerem Shalom, ANERA, Grant Shapps, “, ” Matthew Hollingworth Organizations: Jerusalem CNN, United Arab, UAE, CNN, American, East Refugee, West Bank, Mohenad, ANERA, of, Britain’s Royal Navy, United, Pentagon, Royal Navy, ”, British, Food, Integrated Locations: Jerusalem, Gaza, Cyprus, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Ashdod ., Larnaca Port, Israel’s Ashdod, Kerem, Territories, UAE, Cardigan, United States, ”

☆ Why Gaza Protests on U.S. College Campuses Have Become So Contagious
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Amanda Taub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But campus protests overseas have been sporadic and smaller, and none have started a wider student movement. In Britain, for example, small groups of students temporarily occupied university buildings on the campuses of the University of Manchester and the University of Glasgow. The protest wave may yet spread to foreign universities. On Wednesday, students set up a protest encampment on the campus of Sydney University in Australia. On Friday classes were canceled at Sciences Po, an elite university in Paris, because of a student protest there.

Organizations: University of Manchester, University of Glasgow, Sydney University, Sciences Po Locations: United States, Britain, Australia, Paris

☆ Read Everest-scaling mountaineer George Mallory’s last letters, digitized for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest, leading up to the last days before he disappeared while heading for its peak. Mallory’s words, however, are now available to read online in their entirety for the first time. The college will display a selection of Mallory’s letters and possessions in the exhibit “George Mallory: Magdalene to the Mountain,” opening June 20. APThe Everest letters outline Mallory’s meticulous preparations and equipment tests, and his optimism about their prospects. Magdalene College/APOther letters Mallory exchanged with Ruth were written at the time of their courtship, while he was serving in Britain’s artillery regiment during World War I.

Persons: CNN — George Mallory, Mallory, Andrew Irvine, George Mallory, Magdalene, Irvine, Ruth, ” Mallory, ”, Katy Green, ” Green, “, Green, Jochen Hemmleb, alpinist, Hemmleb, —, Conrad Anker, Anker, Sir George Everest, Noel Odell, Odell, ” Hemmleb, Tenzing Norgay, Sir Edmund Hillary, ” Anker, Edward Norton, Edward Norton’s, ‘, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, Magdalene College , Cambridge, College, Magdalene College, AP, Irvine Research Expedition, Royal Geographical Society, Everest, Geographical Society, Scientific Locations: Nepal, Mallory, Irvine, Tibet, China, India, Everest’s, British, summiting

☆ King Charles III will return to public duties next week
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

London CNN —Britain’s King Charles III will resume public duties next week following “a period of treatment and recuperation,” Buckingham Palace announced Friday, two months after revealing that he was being treated for cancer. But the palace spokesperson did clarify that Charles was not expected to carry out a full summer program. Charles’ last public appearance was on Easter Sunday when he went to church in Windsor with several family members. Throughout his treatment, the King has continued to carry out his constitutional duties, receiving his daily red boxes and paperwork. Charles announced his cancer diagnosis and that he would step back from public-facing duties while undergoing treatment in early February.

Persons: London CNN — Britain’s King Charles III, ” Buckingham, Queen Camilla, Naruhito, Masako, King, Millie Pilkington, Camilla, couturier Fiona Clare, “, ” King Charles III, George's, Hollie Adams, Charles, Charles ’, Rishi Sunak’s, Charles ’ rubberstamping, Benjamin Key, Catherine , Princess of Wales, Kate, Prince Louis ’, Prince William, Princess Anne, Prince Edward, Prince, Wales Organizations: London CNN, “, Westminster Abbey, Easter, CNN, St, CNN’s Royal, Naval Staff Locations: British, London, Buckingham Palace, Normandy, St, Windsor , England, Windsor, George’s, Rwanda, West Midlands

☆ King Charles is planning to add a solar farm to Sandringham
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Billy Stockwell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —King Charles III is making plans to install around 2,000 solar panels in the grounds of Sandringham Estate, in a sustainability drive that could see the entire country property powered by zero-carbon energy. The new venture, confirmed to CNN by a Sandringham Estate spokesperson, will provide renewable energy to power Sandringham House and the visitors’ center, with any surplus electricity returned to the grid. 06:03 - Source: CNNThe solar panels will be built on a secluded plot of land near Sandringham House, currently used as horse-grazing paddocks. The King’s latest venture follows the installation of a small number of solar panels on the roof of Sandringham House in early 2022. The monarch’s private residence, Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, also has some solar panels in its gardens.

Persons: London CNN — King Charles III, Charles, Highgrove, won’t, ”, Steve Gower, paddocks Organizations: CNN’s Royal, London CNN, Sandringham Estate, CNN, Sandringham House, Norfolk Constabulary Locations: London, Sandringham, Gloucestershire, Dubai

☆ Did Richard III Kill the Princes in the Tower?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Amelia Nierenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

For over 400 years, Richard III has been seen as Britain’s most infamous king — a power-hungry usurper who killed his young nephews to clear the way to the throne. In Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” the king tells an assassin, “I wish the bastards dead,” referring to the princes Edward V and Richard. “And I would have it suddenly performed.”But the king’s murderous image, drawn from history books and cemented in literature and lore, is just not true — or, at least, it has not been proven true, argues Philippa Langley, an author and independent historian. “Maybe there is evidence,” she said over a cup of tea in Edinburgh earlier this year. “But there seems to be no evidence.”

Persons: Richard III, Shakespeare’s “ Richard III, “, Edward V, Richard, Philippa Langley, ” Locations: Edinburgh

☆ Britain’s King Charles III will resume public duties next week after cancer treatment, palace says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Britain's King Charles leaves the London Clinic after receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate in London, Britain January 29, 2024. King Charles III will resume his public duties next week following treatment for cancer, Buckingham Palace announced Friday. Charles took a break from public appearances almost three months ago to focus on his treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer. The palace said Charles would make a public visit to a cancer treatment center on Tuesday in the first of several appearances he will make in coming weeks. One of his first major engagements will be hosting a state visit by the emperor and empress of Japan in June.

Persons: Britain's King Charles, King Charles III, Buckingham, Charles, ″ Charles, Rishi Sunak, Charles ', Princess, Duke, Duchess, Prince Harry, Meghan — Organizations: Clinic Locations: London, Britain, Japan, Wales, Sussex

☆ Ukraine is getting a new type of laser-guided bomb that can pummel 'soft' Russian targets, analyst says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Ukraine is getting a new type of laser-guided missile from the UK, the Paveway IV. AdvertisementUkraine is about to get a new type of laser-guided bomb that can wreck "soft" Russian targets, a military analyst said. Britain is giving Ukraine a cache of Paveway IV bombs as part of its latest aid delivery, its defense ministry told Business Insider. Paveway IV bombs are dropped from planes, and weigh in at around 500 lbs. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business, Royal Air Force Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Nvidia-backed startup Synthesia unveils AI avatars that can convey human emotions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.K. tech startup Synthesia unveiled a new range of AI-generated avatars that can convey emotions like happiness, sadness, and frustration. Nvidia -backed artificial intelligence firm Synthesia on Thursday unveiled a new wave of AI-generated digital avatars that can convey human emotions using a user's text inputs. The company said its "Expressive Avatars" can blur the lines between the virtual world and real characters. In one demonstration, the company showed three lines of text being inserted into its platform — "I am happy. The company's technology is used by more than 55,000 businesses, including half of the Fortune 100, to make digital avatars for corporate presentations and training videos, according to Synthesia.

Persons: Synthesia, Kleiner Perkins Organizations: Nvidia, Fortune, Accel, GV, FirstMark, MMC Locations: London

☆ Black royals say Hollywood erased their existence. They're fighting to change the whitewashed narrative.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Black royals have existed around the world for millennia. Mainstream TV shows and movies that depict the true history of Black royal families are few and far between. And while movies about fictional Black royals exist — "The Princess and The Frog" (2009), "Black Panther" (2018), and the latest "The Little Mermaid" (2023) — Hollywood still isn't doing enough to educate viewers that Black royals exist in the real world, according to Nigeria's Princess Keisha Omilana. - Prince Asfa-Wossen AsserateMeanwhile, Asfa-Wossen said educators are too often preoccupied with using slave narratives to recount Black history. But in order to portray Black royals as equal to their white counterparts, there must be a shift in perspective, he said.

Persons: —, Queen Elizabeth, Sierra Leone's, Sarah Culberson, Nigeria's Princess Keisha, Prince Kunle Omilana, Prince Asfa, Asserate, Princess Ariana, Prince Joel, Keisha Omilana, Halle Bailey, Ariel, Disney Keisha, Prince Adekunle, Omilana, Keisha, Kunle, Ipetu, Orjinmo, Prince Kunle, haven't, George Osodi, Fernando Catala, Princess Keisha, David White, Sarah, Sarah Culberson Sarah, Ethiopia's Prince Asfa, Manfred Roth, who's, Haile Selassie, Young, Charlotte, Liam Daniel, Wossen, Ethiopia's Prince Joel, Joel, Ethiopia Antwon Maxwell, Kassa, Ian Sansom, it's, Queen of Sheba, King Soloman's, Sheba, Menelik, Axum, don't, Tell Organizations: Service, Hollywood, BI, Immigration, Board of Canada, Paramount, Getty, Netflix, SAG, Ethiopian, King, Guardian Locations: Hollywood, Windsor, American, Nigeria, Yoruba Kingdom, British, Morocco, Lesotho, Swaziland, Europe, Africa, Mende, Bumpe, Sierra Leone, West Virginia, Ethiopia, India, Germany, Los Angeles, America

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