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☆ Orlando Bloom at Cannes for 'Gran Turismo' story of gamer-turned-racer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] The 76th Cannes Film Festival - Photocall for the film "Gran Turismo" - Cannes, France, May 26, 2023. Geri Halliwell-Horner and Orlando Bloom pose at the Carlton Pier. REUTERS/Eric GaillardCANNES, May 26 (Reuters) - Actor Orlando Bloom and former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner were at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday to promote "Gran Turismo", based on a true story about a video game player who used his skills to become a professional racing driver. Archie Madekwe, who was in the 2019 folk horror "Midsommar", plays Mardenborough, who now races in Japan's Super GT series, in the film distributed by Sony Pictures. "You have this very honest, real and true-to-life story, which is, I think, something everyone can relate to," he said.

☆ On its first deployment, the US Navy's newest aircraft carrier makes historic visit near NATO's northern frontline with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

US Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrived in Oslo for a port call on Wednesday. The Ford is the first US aircraft carrier to visit Norway in 65 years, according to the US Navy. During a major NATO exercise in late 2018, USS Harry S. Truman became the first US aircraft carrier to sail into the Arctic in nearly 30 years. Rick Burgess, called it "an honor, joy, and thrill to visit Oslo and show our cherished partner the Navy's newest class of aircraft carriers." USS Gerald R. Ford in the Oslo fjord with Norwegian navy vessels on May 24.

☆ Australia taser: 95-year-old woman dies after being tasered in her nursing home
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —A 95-year-old woman who was tasered by police in her Australian nursing home last week has died, police in New South Wales said Wednesday. Clare Nowland, a great-grandmother, had been in critical condition in hospital with serious head injuries sustained when she fell to the floor after being tasered. New South Wales (NSW) Police Commissioner Karen Webb announced the charges against the unidentified 33-year-old senior constable Wednesday. Earlier this week, Nowland’s family released a statement asking for privacy, and thanking people for their support. “Clare is the loving and gentle natured matriarch of the Nowland family,” said the statement according to CNN affiliate 9 News.

☆ Stan Grant: ABC Australia apologizes to host as he steps away due to 'sickening' racist attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

He had spoken out Friday in an ABC column, detailing his recent experience of racist attacks and accusing his employer of not offering enough support. I am writing this because I will not have people depict me as a person of hate,” Grant wrote. “No one at the ABC — whose producers invited me onto their coronation coverage as a guest — has uttered one word of public support. As a member of the Australian Aboriginal community, Grant has been vocal about the country’s record on Indigenous rights. Earlier this year, the ABC lodged a complaint with Twitter about the racist comments published about him on its platform.

☆ I replaced my stolen iPhone 14 Pro Max with a 12 and feared my content would be way worse – but Beyoncé helped prove me wrong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

I downgraded to a cheaper iPhone 12 after my 14 Pro Max was stolen in March by a thief on a bike. I knew when my iPhone 14 Pro Max was stolen by a thief on a bike, I wouldn't be able to afford another $1,199 to replace it (and no, I didn't have insurance). I decided to downgrade to a used iPhone 12 Pro Max that cost just under £500, or about $620. Even directors are using them to make films after all: Vishal Bhardwaj shot "Fursat" on an iPhone 14 Pro. But speaking as someone who's always had to have the latest iPhone, I realized that last year's model can be more than just fine.

☆ Katie Taylor faces Chantelle Cameron in 'huge boxing event for Ireland'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The undisputed lightweight world champion, Taylor holds 18 gold medals – including an Olympic gold – and sits second in the Ring’s women’s pound-for-pound rankings. On May 20, national hero Taylor will face Chantelle Cameron – the undisputed super-lightweight world champion – at the 3Arena in Dublin in front of a partisan home crowd as she attempts to become a two-weight undisputed world champion. Cameron, the 32-year-old from Northampton, United Kingdom, was previously signed to MTK Global but is now signed to Matchroom Boxing alongside Taylor. Four international boxing promotions have been held across Ireland over the last six months, according to Mel Christle, chairman of the Boxing Union of Ireland. The presence of Katie Taylor headlining the bill, in her hometown, is making it a huge sporting event for Ireland,” added Christie.

☆ Police in Australia Use Stun Gun on 95-Year-Old Woman
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Australian police are investigating why an experienced officer used a Taser on a 95-year-old woman who had approached him “at a slow pace” while holding a steak knife. The woman, Clare Nowland, who is 5-foot-2 and 95 pounds, uses a walker and has dementia. She was left in critical condition after a senior constable used the weapon on her on Wednesday morning in the care facility where she lives, causing her to fall and hit her head, according to the police. “At the time she was Tasered, she was approaching police — but it is fair to say, at a slow pace,” Peter Cotter, the New South Wales Police assistant commissioner, said at a news conference on Friday. “She had a walking frame, but she had a knife.”The news conference was held after people in the community, rights activists and advocates for those with disabilities expressed outrage, asking whether the officer’s use of force had been necessary.

☆ Bats carry killer viruses. Scientists suggest ways to cope.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

“I have to think on a landscape scale.”Research in Australia also is deepening scientists’ understanding of bats. Flying foxes travel long distances in search of food, dispensing seeds and pollinating trees along the way. As deforestation destroyed habitats and further disrupted the food supply, the bats have increasingly formed year-round roosts near people, they noticed. Native gums flowering around Gympie lured the flying foxes away from horse paddocks and more urban areas. In fact, the most dangerous areas for spillover aren’t rare, pristine habitats absent of humans, scientists say.

☆ Britain launches $1.2 billion semiconductor plan after U.S. and EU splurge on chips
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Semiconductor bosses in the U.K. had expressed frustration with the lack of a concrete strategy from the government on semiconductors. watch now"By increasing the capabilities and resilience of our world-leading semiconductor industry, we will grow our economy, create new jobs and stay at the forefront of new technological breakthroughs," he added. Instead, they are focusing on other parts of the semiconductor industry, such as intellectual property and design and producing non-silicon chips. A U.K. semiconductor strategy was expected to come out last year. Semiconductor bosses in the country had expressed frustration with the lack of a concrete strategy from the government on semiconductors.

☆ Australian grandmother tasered by police in critical condition
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, May 19 (Reuters) - A 95-year-old grandmother who Australian police tasered at a retirement home is in critical condition as the homicide squad join a high-profile investigation into the incident, police said on Friday. "At the time she was tasered, she was approaching police but it is fair to say at a slow pace," Cotter said during a press conference. Nowland, who suffers from dementia, had wandered the facility for several hours and taken the knife from the kitchen. She is in a critical condition in hospital, fading in and out of consciousness, sparking a public uproar over the incident. Body cameras recorded the encounter but it was not in the public interest to release the footage because of the investigation, he said.

☆ Prince Harry and Meghan: Photo agency says it denied Harry and Meghan request to turn over photos from chase
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse Niamh Kennedy Jessie Gretener | Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Niamh Kennedy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The NYPD simply said “numerous photographers” had “made their transport challenging” following their departure from the Ziegfeld Ballroom. “We stand by our founding fathers.”The Sussexes declined to comment on the matter when approached by CNN. The Princess of Wales died in 1997 after suffering internal injuries resulting from a high-speed car crash in Paris. Once the photographs are out and the stories then put next to it, then comes the social media harassment. To see another woman in my life, who I love, go through this feeding frenzy – that’s hard.

London CNN —There’s no denying the echoes to the late Princess Diana’s 1997 death in a car crash in Paris. As their first public appearance since Prince Harry returned from King Charles’ coronation in London, it had initially seemed a pretty routine affair. Chris Sanchez, who was part of the royal security detail, told us they were immediately followed from the event by a dozen vehicles. It is important to note that these photographers have a professional responsibility to cover newsworthy events and personalities, including public figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,” the statement outlined. However, those images appear to show Prince Harry documenting the moment on his phone, so we may yet learn more about what exactly happened from their perspective in the future.

☆ Queen Elizabeth II's funeral cost over $200 million, UK government reveals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II cost the U.K. government around £162 million ($201.4 million), the Treasury said on Thursday. The U.K.'s longest-serving monarch died on Sept. 8, 2022, aged 96, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. A 10-day period of national mourning, during which most businesses and workplaces remained open but many events were canceled, was held ahead of her funeral in Westminster Abbey on Sept. 18. An estimated 250,000 members of the public saw the British queen lying in state in London during the mourning period, with many queuing in the streets of London for more than 24 hours. She was buried at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, Berkshire.

Electric vehicles sales are already trending up, accounting for 8% of all car sales in April, up from 1.1% a year earlier. DEMAND UNCERTAINTYDespite the government's EV push, uncertainty remains over how tough its vehicle emission standards will be. The challenge is the expansion of public chargers, especially in regional areas, where the power infrastructure to support fast chargers is often scarce or absent. The country's public chargers tend to be underpowered, with 0.5 kilowatts of public charging per EV versus an average 2.4 kw worldwide. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsExpansion of public chargers is slow as operators face long delays connecting to the grid.

☆ Prince Harry and Meghan involved in ‘near catastrophic car chase’ involving paparazzi in NY
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Max Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were involved in a “near catastrophic car chase” involving paparazzi in New York City on Tuesday night, his spokesperson says. The couple were followed by a “swarm” of paparazzi, but there was no car accident, according to a law enforcement source. The incident happened after Harry accompanied Meghan to the Women of Vision Awards, held at the city’s Ziegfeld Ballroom. Paparazzi on the scooters and bikes zoomed down the sidewalk to keep up, the source explains. The late Princess of Wales died in 1997 after suffering internal injuries resulting from a high-speed car crash in Paris.

☆ 'Cannibalized' parts show how the British navy is struggling to keep its 2 new aircraft carriers in fighting shape
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Royal Navy is taking parts from one of its aircraft carriers and using them on its other one. New warships often have problems, especially complicated vessels like aircraft carriers. HMS Prince of Wales, which was commissioned in 2019, has been sidelined since August because of a broken propeller shaft. HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales sail together for the first time in May 2021. (HMS Queen Elizabeth's escorts during its maiden deployment included a US Navy destroyer and a Dutch navy frigate.)

☆ Australia's InvoCare gets higher $1.3 bln offer from TPG, shares jump
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 15 (Reuters) - Australia's InvoCare Ltd (IVC.AX) said on Monday it had received a higher A$1.86 billion ($1.26 billion) offer from TPG Global, weeks after the private equity firm revoked its A$1.81 billion pursuit for the funeral services provider. Shares of InvoCare rose 11.5% to A$12.36 by 0050 GMT, while the broader market (.AXJO) was up 1.4%. Last month, TPG withdrew its buyout bid after it was not granted access to the New South Wales-based company's books following its A$12.65 per-share indicative offer — a 41.3% premium at the time. InvoCare said on Monday it had agreed to provide TPG a chance to undertake a five-week due diligence on an exclusive basis to deliver a binding offer. The company intends to recommend shareholders vote in favour of TPG's latest offer if it becomes a binding deal, InvoCare added.

☆ Wikipedia cofounder slams Elon Musk for caving to Turkey's government and censoring tweets, says Wikipedia fought similar demands and won
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Twitter announced it would "restrict access to some content in Turkey" right before the country's presidential election. Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales criticized Twitter CEO Elon Musk's decision to restrict content. Twitter's Global Government Affairs account had tweeted about the changes ahead of Turkey's presidential election held on Sunday. Turkey's highest court determined that blocking the website was unconstitutional, and access to Wikipedia was restored in January 2020, The New York Times reported. Before Musk, Twitter agreed to around 50% of government requests.

☆ 'Free speech opportunist' Elon Musk caved to government pressure to censor tweets ahead of the Turkish election. Critics argue SpaceX dealings with the country's right-wing leader may have caused the
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Elon Musk's reputation as a free speech absolutist took another hit on Saturday after Twitter sided with the Turkish government and censored the accounts of political opponents ahead of a contentious election. Targeted Turkish dissidentsThe details of the legal request and which specific accounts were targeted were not made public. Yakut had previously shared information about Erdogan's governmental dealings and alleged the Turkish leader had been involved in the disappearance of his son-in-law, Turkish Minute reported last week. "I'm sure this is just a coincidence," users on Twitter posted, some sarcastically, circulating news of Musk's business dealings with Turkey. Musk and representatives for Twitter, SpaceX, and the Republic of Turkey did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Swedish singer Loreen wins Eurovision Song Contest for 2nd time at event feting Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Swedish singer Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with her power ballad "Tattoo," at a colorful, eclectic music competition clouded for a second year running by the war in Ukraine. Loreen, 39, previously won Eurovision in 2012 and is only the second performer to take the prize twice, after Ireland's Johnny Logan in the 1980s. Under the slogan "united by music," Eurovision final fused the soul of the English port city that birthed The Beatles with the spirit of war-battered Ukraine. Now in its 67th year, Eurovision bills itself as the world's biggest music contest — an Olympiad of party-friendly pop. "Now, the music industry, the world, knows that if you appear at Eurovision, you could be in for a great thing," said Steve Holden, host of the official Eurovision Song Contest podcast.

☆ Platypus returns to Australian national park for first time in half a century
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( James Redmayne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A platypus is released by CEO of Taronga Zoo Cameron Kerr and Scientists back into Sydney's Royal National Park for the first time in over fifty years, in Sydney, Australia, May 12, 2023. ... Read moreSYDNEY, May 14 (Reuters) - The platypus, a species unique to Australia, was reintroduced into the country’s oldest national park just south of Sydney on Friday in a landmark conservation project after disappearing from the area more than half a century ago. Four females were released on Friday into the Royal National Park, which was established in 1879 and is the second oldest national park in the world. No confirmed platypus sightings have been reported in the park, located about 35 kilometres or one hour’s drive south of Sydney, since the 1970s. The platypuses, which live along Australia's east coast and in Tasmania, were collected from various locations across south-eastern New South Wales state and subjected to various tests before relocation.

LIVERPOOL, England, May 13 (Reuters) - The grand final of Eurovision 2023 kicked off on Saturday with last year's winner Kalush Orchestra performing on video in Ukraine and live in Liverpool, the northern English city hosting on behalf of the country that is fighting Russia's invasion. The 26 acts that qualified for the grand final span musical styles from ballads to heavy rock to rap, starting with Austria's Teya & Salena performing "Who The Hell is Edgar? [1/6] Mimicat from Portugal performs during the grand final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, Britain, May 13, 2023. Pam Minto, a 37-year-old support worker from Liverpool, said she was proud of her city and hoped it was doing Ukraine proud. Ukrainian Anastasiia Iovova, a 31-year-old teacher who is currently living in Leeds, northern England, said Liverpool felt like home abroad.

☆ In major milestone, wind power was Britain's largest source of electricity in the first quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm, in waters off the coast of Wales. The U.K. is home to a mature offshore wind sector. Wind power was Britain's biggest source of electricity in the first quarter of 2023, overtaking natural gas and highlighting the increasingly important role renewables are set to play in the years ahead. According to researchers at Imperial College London, wind turbines provided 32.4% of Britain's electricity in the first three months of the year. Wind turbines, according to the analysis, produced 24 terawatt hours of electricity.

☆ After a Gale Blew Off Their Roof, They Decided It Was Time for a More Durable Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Ruth Bloomfield | Photographs Leia Morrison For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The weather in Wales is notoriously wild and windy, and Tracey and Paul Morris’s family home by the sea was feeling the strain. Decades of wind and rain rolling in from the North Atlantic Ocean had left the 1920s house suffering from damp and both wet and dry rot. After a section of its roof blew off during a gale, they decided to cut their losses, and replace it with something much more durable. “A fortress was what we wanted. Something really robust, with clean lines and open-plan space,” said Mrs. Morris.

☆ U.K. Protest Law in Spotlight as Police ‘Regret’ Some Coronation Arrests
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Megan Specia | Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The law, called the Public Order Act 2023, came into effect days before the coronation, giving the police in England and Wales extended powers to detain and charge those they suspect of mounting or of preparing potentially disruptive protests. Saturday was widely seen as the first test for the legislation, which was brought forward last year after a wave of climate protests and has drawn condemnation from rights groups and legal experts. Leila Choukroune, a professor of international law at the University of Portsmouth, said the new legislation is reflective of a growing trend in democracies around the world where governments have introduced measures to legally justify limits on personal freedoms, including the right to protest. “This is why it’s really worrying and why the U.K. and what’s just happened is an example, a very concrete example, but just one example,” she said. “There is this trend for the past 20 years to legally justify the limitation on human rights — from freedom of speech to freedom of movement during the pandemic to the right to protest today.”

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