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☆ Coca Cola HBC withdraws some drinks in Croatia while illnesses investigated
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsZAGREB, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Coca Cola HBC said on Wednesday it was temporarily withdrawing batches of two soft drinks from sale in Croatia while the authorities there investigate cases of illness suspected to have been caused by the beverages. Earlier Croatia's state inspection office ordered the local arm of Coca Cola HBC, which distributes Coca-Cola products, to withdraw a batch of Coca-Cola Original Taste 500ml. At the weekend, a young man in the Adriatic town of Rijeka suffered throat injuries after consuming a Romerquelle Emotion drink. The individual is being treated in hospital, Health Minister Vili Beros said on Wednesday, later telling state television HRT that 13 other people across Croatia had also reported symptoms after consuming Coca Cola drinks. Coca Cola HBC said in its statement: "We are working closely with our customers throughout this process".

Persons: Arnd, Vili Beros, Antonio Bronic, Daria Sito, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Coca Cola HBC, Health, HRT, Thomson Locations: Glattbrugg, Switzerland, Rights ZAGREB, Croatia, Adriatic, Rijeka

☆ House Speaker Mike Johnson blamed the fall of the Roman Empire on its embrace of gayness — a totally baseless claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

House Speaker Mike Johnson once blamed the fall of the Roman Empire on "homosexual behavior." AdvertisementAdvertisementHouse Speaker Mike Johnson, a devout Christian, once blamed the fall of the Roman Empire on "homosexual behavior." The claim that homosexual behavior brought down the Roman Empire is not supported by historical evidence. Most historians agree that same-sex sexual activity was tolerated and even accepted during the Roman Empire, although there were still some taboos. Johnson did not elaborate on why he believed homosexuality hastened the fall of Rome.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, —, Hadrian Organizations: Service, CNN, Rome, Exodus Locations: Roman, Rome, Italian

☆ She was a Pan Am flight attendant, he was a pilot. Their inflight meeting sparked a 50-year romance
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +19 min

CNN —Flight attendant Ilona Zahn was less than impressed when she first met pilot Ian Duncan. Ilona was working the first class cabin on the Pan American Airlines flight from Rome to Tehran, traveling via Beirut and Damascus. It was, says Ilona, “a long, romantic embrace.”When their Pan Am flight returned to Rome, Ian and Ilona spent the evening walking around the city together. When their flights didn’t coincide, they’d leave letters for one another at Intercontinental Hotels frequented by Pan Am crew. Ilona DuncanWhile Ilona was enjoying her romance with Ian, she was also keen to hold onto her independence.

Persons: Ilona Zahn, Ian Duncan, Ilona, Ian, ” Ilona, “, haven’t, Ilona wasn’t, Ilona Duncan Ilona’s, ’, ‘, ”, Rome Here's Ilona, Ilona Duncan, warily, wouldn’t, he’d, –, she’d, who’d, John F, Here's Ian, He’d, They’d, Rome, ’ ”, Iona, Pan, She’d, ” Ian, Ilona weren’t, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, “ Ilona Zahn, Manhattan –, Pan Am, Duncan, Ilona Zahn Ilona, She’s, Ian’s, I’m Organizations: CNN, Pan American Airlines, CNN Travel, Boeing, Pan, Royal Tehran Hilton, John, Kennedy, Intercontinental Hotels, Pan Am, “, Playboy, Airbus, Hotel Metropole Locations: Rome, Tehran, Beirut, Damascus, Tabasco, Worcestershire, ”, Iran, Germany, London , New York, Paris, American, Trevi, New York, Sydney, Australia, London, Tokyo, Kenya, Bermuda, JFK, Pan, New Delhi, Bangkok, Hong Kong, West Hampton, Long Island, Manhattan, Long Island , New York, Las Vegas, Fiji, Samoa, France, China, Virginia, Chesapeake, “, Florida

☆ Pope, on Visit to Military Cemetery, Says There Are No Real Winners in War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Nov. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Philip PullellaROME (Reuters) - There are no real winners in any war, Pope Francis said on Thursday during a visit to a World War Two military cemetery, with conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine on his mind. The cemetery, in an area of Rome that was the scene of street fighting during World War Two, is the final resting place of about 425 soldiers from Britain and its former colonies who died while fighting in Italy. Truncated lives, lives without a future, here," he said"I thought of the parents, of the mothers who received that letter: 'Madam, I have the honour of telling you your son is a hero.' So many tears in these truncated lives," he said. So many people, young and not so young, in the wars of the world, even those closer to us, in Europe and beyond ... so many dead".

Persons: Philip Pullella ROME, Pope Francis, Francis, Israel, Philip Pullella, Gareth Jones Organizations: Roman Catholic Church Locations: East, Ukraine, Commonwealth, Gaza, Rome, Britain, Italy, Europe

Ryan and Duchovny did not really know each other before “What Happens Later," but you’d never know it to watch them on screen or hear their off-camera rapport. AP: You have such lived-in banter and chemistry, it’s surprising that you two didn’t really know each other before this. DUCHOVNY: I’m thankful to Meg for giving me the opportunity to work in a movie like this. RYAN: That’s exactly what it is. I’m going to google that to make sure I’m right.

Persons: Nora ”, Meg Ryan’s, Nora Ephron, Ephron, Ryan, Harry Met Sally, ”, David Duchovny, hasn't, “, ” Ryan, “ It’s, Duchovny, you’d, DUCHOVNY, I’ve, RYAN, Nora, It’s, Tom Hanks, Billy Crystal, He’s, Hal Liggett, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Hal, 5’10, 6’2, It’s Morgan Freeman, it’s Scarlett Johansson, I’m, Meg, Meg’s, there’s, COVID, you’ve, it’s, Matthew Perry’s, Harder, of Rome Organizations: Associated Press, greyhounds Locations: Seattle, RYAN

☆ House Speaker Mike Johnson partnered with anti-gay conversion therapy group before he became a politician
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Andrew Kaczynski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Speaker of the House Mike Johnson closely collaborated with a group in the mid-to-late 2000s that promoted “conversion therapy,” a discredited practice that asserted it could change the sexual orientation of gay and lesbian individuals. Founded in 1976, Exodus International was a leader in the so-called “ex-gay” movement, which aimed to make gay individuals straight through conversion therapy programs using religious and counseling methods. Exodus International connected ministries across the world using these controversial approaches. At the time, Johnson worked as an attorney for the socially conservative legal advocacy group, Alliance Defense Fund (ADF). The Day of Truth sought to counter that silence by distributing information about what Johnson described as the “dangerous” gay lifestyle.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Johnson, ”, Exodus, Truth, ” Johnson, “, God, ” Wayne Besen, ” Randy Scobey, Scobey, ” Scobey Organizations: CNN, International, Alliance Defense Fund, ADF, Lesbian Straight Education Network, Louisiana Republican, ADF’s, Exodus, Alliance Defense, Alliance Defending Locations: Louisiana, Roman, Rome

☆ Cold War US spy satellite images reveal nearly 400 undiscovered Roman forts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Satellite images taken during the Cold War have revealed almost 400 previously unknown Roman forts. AdvertisementAdvertisementSatellite images taken during the Cold War have revealed almost 400 previously undiscovered Roman forts across Iraq and Syria, archaeologists said. He mapped 116 Roman forts along a 1,000 km, or roughly 620-mile, border, suggesting that these represented a defensive line against Arab and Persian invaders due to their spacing. Antiquity/US Geological SurveyThe new research found a further 396 previously undiscovered forts, suggesting that the region was more likely a hub of global trade. Cold War imageryThe photographs used in the study came from declassified spy images from the CORONA and HEXAGON satellite programs.

Persons: —, Antoine Poidebard, Jesse Casana, Casana, PAUL J, RICHARDS Organizations: Service, French Jesuit, Survey, Dartmouth College, CIA, National Museum of, United States Air Force, Analysts Locations: Iraq, Syria, French, Soviet

☆ Rose Petals and Peacock Brains: What It Took to Be an ‘Emperor of Rome’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Jennifer Szalai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

EMPEROR OF ROME: Ruling the Ancient Roman World, by Mary BeardIf social media is to be believed, men can’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire, particularly its “alpha male” elements. Anyone similarly obsessed would do well to pick up a copy of “Emperor of Rome,” an erudite and entertaining new book by the redoubtable classics scholar and feminist Mary Beard. The “good” emperors are invariably wise, kind, prudent and generous, while the “bad” ones are dim, disgusting, decadent and miserly. Did Elagabalus really arrange to smother his dinner guests to death by dropping rose petals from the ceiling? Beard encourages us to be skeptical of all the “preposterous anecdotes,” even as she maintains that such demonizing can tell us something about how power works.

Persons: OF, Mary Beard, Emperor of Rome, ”, Beard, Rome ”, Julius Caesar, Alexander Severus, Alexander, Maximinus Thrax, Caligula, Elagabalus Locations: Roman, Roman Republic

☆ Long-lost Roman forts spotted in declassified spy satellite photos
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Mindy Weisberger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

That survey was among the first to photograph archaeological sites from the air, and in 1934 Poidebard reported finding 116 Roman forts. But nearly a century later, mapping Poidebard’s forts to satellite photos was challenging. Those forts were aligned north to south along what was once the easternmost boundary of the Roman Empire, according to Poidebard. But Poidebard’s survey provided only a partial view of Rome’s ancient infrastructure, the researchers found. While Poidebard’s row of forts along the Roman Empire’s eastern front looked like a military fortification, this new evidence suggested that the forts collectively served a different purpose.

Persons: Rather, Jesse Casana, ” Casana, Casana, Father Antoine Poidebard, Poidebard, Father Antoine Poidebard's, —, ” Mindy Weisberger Organizations: CNN, United, Corona, Dartmouth College, Tell, Antiquity, Scientific Locations: United States, Iraq, Syria, New Hampshire, “, Iran, French, Qreiye, Roman, Birke, Mosul, Ninawa, ”, Rome

☆ Italy's Ponza island and its cave homes are drawing Americans to live in them
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Attilio Avellino – one of his nine children, and born on Ponza – joined his father in the Big Apple in 1946. But now, after decades in the US, their descendants are back on the island – living inside their old casa grotta (cave home), which they’ve renovated to a modern standard. Homes sculpted from the rockBrigida Avellino and Loredana Romano have swapped the US for their ancestral 'cave home' on Ponza. Loredana RomanoBrigida Avellino, 70 – Attilio’s daughter – lives with her daughter Loredana Romano, 44, in one of Ponza’s most beautiful cave homes. Ponza, on the other hand, is a small island which makes Romano feel safer.

Persons: we’ll, Stanley Tucci, CNN —, they’ve, Luigi Avellino, Ponza, Attilio Avellino –, Ponza –, Loredana Romano, Loredana Romano Brigida, –, ” Romano, Attilio Avellino, Loredana Romano Avellino, I’ve, ”, Avellino, “, Romano, Silverio, Loredana, she’s, She’s, wasn’t, Romano –, Brigida Avellino, there’s, we’re Organizations: CNN, intel, Big Apple, Avellino, Loredana Romano Brigida Avellino, CNN Travel, Ponza, Apple, Alamy Locations: Rome, Ponza, Naples, New York, Loredana, Avellino, York City, Le Forna, Florida, Ponza’s, Italian

☆ Rice, beer, and urine mixed into ancient structures could help explain how they're still standing after millennia
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementIs ancient Roman concrete better than today's? Her research has found that the key could be in the specific volcanic materials used by the Romans. According to Selvaraj's research, in humid areas of India, builders used local herbs that help structures deal with moisture. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it couldn't hold up heavy loads: "You couldn't build a modern skyscraper with Roman concrete," Oleson said. Instead, researchers are trying to take some of the ancient material's specialties and add them into modern mixes.

Persons: —, they've, Carlos Rodriguez, Navarro, John Oleson, Domenico Stinellis, Vitruvius, Admir, Rome —, Marie Jackson, Jackson, Rodriguez, Moises Castillo, Cecilia Pesce, They'd, Pesce, Mark Schiefelbein, Thirumalini Selvaraj, Selvaraj, Oleson, Masic Organizations: Service, Spain's University of Granada, University of Victoria, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Utah, AP, University of Sheffield, Vellore Institute of Technology, Army Corps of Engineers, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science, Educational Media Group Locations: Canada, Portland, Rome, Copan, Honduras, England, India

Is ancient Roman concrete better than today's? Most modern concrete starts with Portland cement, a powder made by heating limestone and clay to super-high temperatures and grinding them up. The ancient builders mixed materials like burnt limestone and volcanic sand with water and gravel, creating chemical reactions to bind everything together. Now, scientists think they’ve found a key reason why some Roman concrete has held up structures for thousands of years: The ancient material has an unusual power to repair itself. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it couldn't hold up heavy loads: “You couldn’t build a modern skyscraper with Roman concrete,” Oleson said.

Persons: they’ve, ”, Carlos Rodriguez, Navarro, John Oleson, Vitruvius, Admir, Rome —, Marie Jackson, Jackson, ” Jackson, Rodriguez, Cecilia Pesce, They’d, ” Pesce, Thirumalini Selvaraj, Selvaraj, Oleson, Masic Organizations: —, Spain’s University of Granada, University of Victoria, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Utah, University of Sheffield, Vellore Institute of Technology, Army Corps of Engineers, Associated Press Health, Science Department, Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science, Educational Media Group, AP Locations: Canada, Portland, Rome, Copan, Honduras, England, India

☆ Ryder Cup: Golf fan goes viral as he celebrates Europe’s victory by jumping into a lake on the course
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —As Europe’s victory at the Ryder Cup was confirmed, one fan couldn’t help but make a splash – quite literally. Tommy Fleetwood ensured that Europe would triumph against the USA on a tense final day when he took the 16th hole of his singles match against Rickie Fowler. The excitement proved too much for some, including a spectator who was green-side for the all-important moment. The fan darted across the hole and made a beeline for the water hazard, removing – and then dropping – his cap before taking the plunge. Maddie Meyer/PGA of America/Getty ImagesThe celebrations followed Europe’s 16.5-11.5 victory in Rome, meaning the USA’s quest for an away Ryder Cup triumph stretches to 30 years.

Persons: Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, caddie, Ian Finnis, Sanders, Marco Simone Golf, Rome's Marco Simone Golf, Maddie Meyer, Viktor Hovland, Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Robert MacIntyre, Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry Organizations: CNN, Ryder, USA, KFC, Marco Simone Golf Club, PGA, America Locations: Europe, Rome, USA

☆ Pope Francis appeals against polarization ahead of big Church meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

About 18,000 people, mostly young Christians from around the world, attended, reading prayers for victims of war, injustice and sexual violence and calling for defence of the environment. Hundreds were later starting a three-day retreat north of Rome ahead of the opening of the synod. Various groups have arrived in Rome to hold news conferences, presentations and protests to illustrate their views, suggestions and demands. The prayer vigil was attended Christian leaders including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spiritual head of the worldwide Anglican communion, and Bartholomew I, the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch of Orthodox Christianity. In his homily at that event, he called for "an ever more symphonic and synodal Church".

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Bartholomew I, Philip Pullella, Giles Elgood Organizations: CITY, Catholic Church, Peter's, Churches, Thomson Locations: St, Rome, Istanbul, Christianity

☆ Volume turned up as Ryder Cup ready for lift-off
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Around 150,000 fans will descend on the spectacular course over the next three days -- the majority of them roaring on Europe in what their captain Luke Donald hopes will be "the loudest Ryder Cup" ever. At the ceremony in the fan zone, cheers erupted as Europe's players were introduced by former world number one and four-time Ryder Cup player Donald -- the loudest reserved for England's Tommy Fleetwood and talisman Rory McIlroy. The lure of the Eternal City and the magic of the Ryder Cup means there will be plenty of stars and stripes mixed in with the yellow and blue of Europe over the next three days, with hundreds having made the trip across the pond. "You are the heartbeat of this event, you are our 13th man, let's make this the loudest Ryder Cup ever," Donald, who began his speech in Italian, said as he signed off. The opening game features Spain's Jon Rahm and England's Tyrrell Hatton against world number one Scottie Scheffler and rookie Sam Burns, followed by Scandinavian duo Viktor Hovland and newcomer Ludvig Aberg versus Open winner Brian Harman and world number seven Max Homa, both also rookies.

Persons: Ryder, Marco Simone Golf, Frecce Tricolori, Yara, Zach Johnson's, Marco Simone, Luke Donald, Donald, Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, LIV, Brooks, Johnson, Carly Paoli, Tom Grennan, Spain's Jon Rahm, England's Tyrrell Hatton, Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg, Brian Harman, Max Homa, McIlroy, Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Martyn Herman, Toby Davis Organizations: Country Club, Italian Air Force, Ryder, Rights, 44th Ryder, U.S, Marco Simone Country Club, Italy's, Eternal, decibel, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Whistling Straits, Europe, Saudi Arabia, 0535GMT, Scandinavian, St Peter's

☆ Milan Fashion Week: Stars and style align at the Spring-Summer 2024 shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Marianna Cerini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Milan CNN —Milan Fashion Week picked up where London left off last Wednesday, at least weather-wise. Both hit their strides with highly well received collections, as did a number of other familiar faces to Italy’s fashion capital. Overall, however, the festivities showed a consistency of form that continues to make the Italian city Paris’s greatest rival to the fashion scene throne. Cinematic sets and performative showsAlongside the clothes, many brands made their sets a main talking point at fashion week. Lodovico Colli di Felizzano/WWD/Getty ImagesRyan Gosling and Juila Roberts were among the star-studded crowd to pile into the Gucci show.

Persons: Milan, Gucci, Sabato de Sarno, Tom Ford’s, Peter Hawkings, Ford’s, Versace, Giulio Tanzini, Julia Roberts, Ryan Gosling, Gabrielle Union, Jessica Chastain, Paul Mescal, Jodie Comer, Emma Watson, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Prada, Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Anna Wintour, Kim Jones, Karl Lagerfeld, Rome, Tom Ford, georgette, Brigitte Bardot, Priscilla Presley, Lorenzo Serafini, Max Mara, Ian Griffiths, Carlyne Cerf, Dudzeele, Katie Grand, Lucia Liu, Gabriella Karefa, Johnson, Franco, Jeremy Scott, Cerf, Lucia Liu’s, Donatella Versace, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Natalia Bryant, Precious Lee, Claudia Schiffer, lacy, Simone Bellotti, Francesca Murri, Matthieu Blazy, Blazy, Italy —, —, Paolo Fichera, Cavalli, Fendi, Shawn Kolodny, Pietro S, Beate Karlsson, Avavav, Sabato de Sarno's, Gregoire Avanel, Tom Ford's, Gaspar Ruiz, Pietro D'Aprano, Mattieu, Alfonso Catalano, Kim Jones nodded, Fendi Jones, Daniele Venturelli, Zakirova, Lodovico Colli di, Juila Roberts, Roberto Cavalli, Isidore Montag Organizations: Milan CNN — Milan, London, Bottega Veneta, Diesel, Prada, Britain’s Land Army, Dolce, Gabbana, Bally, Fondazione Prada, Accademia di Brera, Getty, Gucci Locations: British, Milan, Bottega, Hollywood, Fendi, organza, Los Angeles, Cannes, Bottega Veneta, Italy, French, Belgian, —, Missoni, Milan’s, Sunnei, Stockholm

☆ Eighty years on, Italian victims of Nazi crimes finally to get compensation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Crispian Balmer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A study funded by the German government and published in 2016 estimated that 22,000 Italians were victims of Nazi war crimes, including up to 8,000 Jews deported to death camps. However, it did not offer reparations for war crimes. "They didn't look at war crimes and this was a mistake. In 1994, a cupboard was found in the offices of Rome's military prosecutors packed with files documenting hundreds of war crimes that had never been prosecuted. In 2012, the International Court of Justice backed Berlin, but Italian courts continued to hear compensation cases, saying no limit could be imposed on war crimes.

Persons: Crispian Balmer, Mauro Petrarca, Domenico Lancellotta, Giulio Disegni, Lucio Olivieri, Petrarca, Mario Draghi, Disegni, Fornelli, Giovanni Tedeschi, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, Nazis, International Court of Justice, Union of Italian Jewish, Allied, Rome, Nazi, Berlin, PRIDE, Italian Treasury, Reuters, Treasury, Thomson Locations: Fornelli, Molise, Italy, Germany, Berlin, Rome

☆ The early ancestors of humans were reduced to 1,300 individuals and came close to extinction, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Early human ancestors faced near-extinction between 800,000 and 900,000 years ago, scientists say. An extreme climate event might have caused the evolutionary bottleneck. The population of our ancestors might have been reduced to just 1,280 individuals for about 117,000 years. For a population of that size, you just need one bad climate event, an epidemic, a volcanic eruption and you're gone." This population decline occurred about the same time human ancestors split from Neanderthals and Denisovans.

Persons: Giorgio Manzi, Chris Stringer, Stringer, heidelbergensis, Manzi Organizations: Service, Guardian, Sapienza University of Rome Locations: Wall, Silicon, London, Africa, Eurasia

☆ Pope, in Mongolia, sends apparent message to China on Catholic aims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On his first working day in Mongolia, the government feted the pope with traditional events such a parade including men on horseback dressed as ancient Mongol warriors. Chow, who will be a made a cardinal by the pope this month, told reporters he hoped the Church in Hong Kong could be a "bridge Church" with mainland China. "This is the Church of the world, especially for the margins, and that is a good thing," Chow said. Outside the pope's meeting with Mongolian leaders, about two dozen Catholics from China waved red, five-starred Chinese flags. Reporting by Philip Pullella in Ulaanbaatar; Additional reporting by Joseph Campbell; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Pope Francis, Francis, Jesus, Saints Peter, Paul, Virgin Mary, Hong, Archbishop Stephen Chow, Chow, Oyun, ALBERTO PIZZOLI, I’ve, It’s, I’m, ”, Yang Guang, Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Zuppi, Philip Pullella, Joseph Campbell, William Mallard Organizations: Catholic, Communist Party, Saints, Mongolia's, REUTERS Acquire, Catholic Church, of, Thomson Locations: ULAANBAATAR, China, Mongolia, Beijing, Vatican, British, Hong Kong, Ulaanbaatar, Asia, of Rome, Shanghai, Kyiv , Washington, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Pope did not intend to glorify Russian imperialism in speech, Vatican says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis did not intend "to exalt imperialist logic," the Vatican said Tuesday, after a speech delivered on Friday drew criticism for references to Russia's imperialist past. "You are heirs of the great Russia — the great Russia of the saints, of kings, the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, the great Russian empire, cultured, so much culture, so much humanity," Pope Francis said in the Friday speech, as translated and transcribed by NewsFromUkraine. The pope delivered the prepared speech in his native Spanish, before making these off-script comments in Italian. The pope has previously repeatedly called for a cease-fire in the war in Ukraine and spoken against Russia's actions in the conflict. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to the religious leader for "his personal attention to the tragedy of millions of Ukrainians."

Persons: Pope, Pope Francis, Vladimir Putin, Russia —, Peter the Great, Catherine II, NewsFromUkraine, Russia, Oleg Nikolenko, Rome, Dmitry Peskov, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: Google, Vatican, Roman Catholic, Ukrainian, Kremlin, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Facebook, Tass Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Spanish

☆ Libyan PM sacks foreign minister as row over Israel meeting grows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] Libyan Foreign Minister Najla el-Mangoush attends a joint press conference at the conclusion of the Libya Stabilization Conference, in Tripoli, Libya, October 21, 2021. Mangoush had said her meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in Rome was unplanned and informal, but an Israeli official told Reuters it had lasted two hours and was approved "at the highest levels in Libya". The meeting is contentious because Libya does not formally recognise Israel and there is widespread public support across the Libyan political spectrum for the Palestinian cause of creating an independent state in territory Israel occupies. The Libya prime minister sees Israel as a possible bridge to the West and the U.S. administration," the official said. Libya's parliament based in the east, which rejects the GNU, said on Sunday it would hold hearings into the meeting with the Israeli minister.

Persons: Najla, Mangoush, Hazem Ahmed, Najla Mangoush, Eli Cohen, Abdulhamid, Muammar Gaddafi, Cohen, Antonio Tajani, Dbeibah, Libya's, Abraham, Francesco Galietti, Giorgia Meloni, Dan Williams, Francesca Landini, Gavin Jones, Angus McDowall, James Mackenzie, Peter Graff, Mark Heinrich, Conor Humphries Organizations: Libyan Foreign, Libya Stabilization Conference, REUTERS, Rome Israeli, Israeli, Reuters, Protesters, Libya's Foreign, Palestinian, Libyan, U.S, United Arab, Abraham Accords, of National Unity, GNU, UAE, High State Council, Dbeibah, Italian, Thomson Locations: Libya, Tripoli, Rome, TRIPOLI, JERUSALEM, Israel, Benghazi, Italian, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, United States, Dbeibah's, Reuters Libya, Jerusalem

☆ Italian mayors are still hoping that an Elon v. Zuck fight could boost their towns' profiles, despite the Meta CEO getting tired of Musk's shenanigans
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The mayor of Pompeii is keen to host a bout, and Florence's mayor suggested "a clash of ideas" instead. Plans for a fight between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg appear to be scuppered after the Meta CEO grew tired of the other billionaire's shenanigans. But the mayors of Italian towns and cities are still vying to host a potential bout between the pair, Euronews reported. Despite this, there have been at least seven proposals from other Italian cities, including Pompeii and Verona, to host a potential fight, according to Euronews. xenotar/Getty Images"Pompeii is the best site to host the worldwide challenge between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg," the city's mayor, Carime Lo Sapio, told Euronews.

Persons: Musk, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Elon, Carime Lo Sapio, Euronews, I've, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Meta Organizations: Elon, Telegraph Locations: Pompeii, Verona, Taormina, Sicily, xenotar, Italian, Calabria, Rome, Florence

CNN —A video of a tourist climbing into Rome’s iconic Trevi Fountain to fill her water bottle has circulated online. After filling her bottle from a spout of the fountain, she attempts to walk away, before a guard blows a whistle and paces towards her. It remains unclear what happened to the tourist after the incident, and whether she was arrested or fined. Tourists can be fined up to 500 euros for entering the fountain, which is widely considered one of the city’s best known landmarks. Around 3,000 euros ($3,200) a day are thrown into the fountain during busy tourist months, according to Rome’s tourism board.

Persons: Trevi, Rome skyrockets, surfed Organizations: CNN, Catholic, Caritas, Maserati, Vatican Museum Locations: Rome, Covid, Saudi, Italy, Australian, American

CNN —The director of Rome’s Colosseum has called for an end to concerts at the nearby Circus Maximus, after a performance by US rapper Travis Scott on Monday sparked fears of an earthquake. Italy’s fire service confirmed to CNN that it received “hundreds of calls” from concerned residents who feared there had been an earthquake in the Italian capital. Now, Alfonsina Russo, director of the head of the Colosseum Archeological Park, has called for an end to performances at the Circus Maximus, the ancient Roman chariot-racing and entertainment venue. “The Circus Maximus is a monument. “Rock concerts should be held in stadiums so as not to endanger public safety.”The Circus Maximus, situated at the bottom of the Palatine Hill near the Colosseum, has become a popular concert venue in recent years.

Persons: Maximus, Travis Scott, ”, Scott, Kanye, Alfonsina Russo, Russo, Bruce Springsteen, Scott’s Organizations: CNN Locations: Rome, Italian, Palatine, ”, Giza, Egypt, Houston

☆ Was That an Earthquake in Rome? No, It Was a Travis Scott Concert.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | More About Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Travis Scott asked Rome to make some noise at the Circus Maximus on Monday, Rome cheerfully complied. The 60,000-odd spectators jumped so vigorously that some locals panicked, thinking that an earthquake was underway. The concert coincided with the release of Mr. Scott’s chart-topping new album, “Utopia. The show in Rome marked Ye’s first concert appearance after a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and in interviews last year led to his expulsion from social media for a time and the loss of fashion design partnerships. Romans, including those living some distance from the site, took to social media to lament shaking windows, beds and chandeliers.

Persons: Travis Scott, Rome, Maximus, Julius Caesar, Ye, Ye’s, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen Organizations: Kanye Locations: Rome

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