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☆ Gaza hostage briefly escaped captors after building was bombed, family says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Citing Kriboy's dual Russian citizenship, Hamas said he was freed to show appreciation for Moscow, the only world power openly engaging the group during the now seven-week-old war. Like other recovered hostages, Kriboy has been kept away from the media in what Israeli authorities describe as an effort to focus on helping with their physical and emotional recovery. Kriboy's aunt, Yelena Magid, said in an interview with Israel's Kan radio that she spoke to Kriboy after his return. Kriboy's cousin, Alex Magid, gave a similar account in an interview to Israel's Army Radio on Monday, adding that the bombing of the building killed several Palestinian gunmen. Six hostages still in Gaza hold Russian citizenship, according to the Israeli government.

Persons: Roni Kriboy, Kriboy, Yelena Magid, Israel's Kan, Alex Magid, Dan Williams, Nick Macfie Organizations: Israel's Army Radio, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Gaza, Israel, Moscow

For the past two years, Greece’s government has conducted delicate negotiations with the British Museum over the future of the Parthenon marbles, the ancient Greek antiquities brought to Britain in the early 19th century by Lord Elgin. Now, Britain’s prime minister, Rishi Sunak, appears to be throwing cold water on those discussions. On Monday evening, Mr. Sunak abruptly canceled a planned wide-ranging meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis of Greece, which had been scheduled for Tuesday. Mr. Mitsotakis said on the BBC television program that sculptures had been stolen and needed to be reunified in Athens. Mr. Mitsotakis has made similar comments throughout his terms in office, and Mr. Sunak has also repeatedly stated he would not change British law to allow the sculptures, sometimes known as the Elgin Marbles, to leave the British Museum permanently.

Persons: Lord Elgin, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Mitsotakis, ”, Mona Lisa Organizations: British Museum, BBC, Acropolis Museum, Elgin Marbles Locations: Britain, Greece, Athens, “, London

☆ Paul Lynch Wins Booker Prize for ‘Prophet Song’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-26 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Paul Lynch, the Irish writer, started work on his fifth novel, he was thinking about the long civil war in Syria and the West’s apparent indifference to the people who fled the conflict. That novel, “Prophet Song,” which imagines a near-future Ireland descending into totalitarianism, then a civil war that leads to families’ fleeing the country, has won the Booker Prize, the prestigious literary award. On Sunday, Esi Edugyan, a novelist and the chair of this year’s judging panel, said that “Prophet Song” resonated with contemporary crises including the Israel-Hamas war, but that the novel had won solely on its literary merits. “This is a triumph of emotional storytelling, bracing and brave,” Edugyan said in a news conference before the announcement. Still, she added, the panel felt that “Prophet Song” was a worthy winner that “captures the social and political anxieties of our current moment.”

Persons: Paul Lynch, ’, Booker, ”, ” Edugyan, Edugyan, “ Locations: Syria, Ireland, Israel

☆ For Russia’s Pop Star Exiles, a Moral Stand and a Creative Climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Paul Sonne | Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Monetochka was on her way to becoming a superstar in Russia. She had released two hit albums of lyrical pop, secured ad deals with brands including Nike and Spotify, and was set to appear and sing a new song in the opening scene of Netflix’s first original Russian drama, a lush adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.”But President Vladimir V. Putin’s military action derailed everything. Netflix shelved the series. The big ad deals, which once comprised more than half of Monetochka’s income, disappeared. And, after making a raft of antiwar statements and fleeing Russia, she was branded a foreign agent in January.

Persons: Monetochka, Netflix’s, Leo Tolstoy’s “ Anna Karenina, ”, Vladimir V, — Organizations: Nike, Spotify, Netflix, Melrose Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Lithuania, New York, U.S

CNN —Qatar is hoping to announce a deal as soon as Tuesday to release civilian hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 attack in exchange for a pause in fighting, according to a diplomatic source and another source familiar with the talks. US officials close to the negotiations stressed that while the deal is not done, they are increasingly optimistic and believe the many weeks of difficult work is about to pay off with a hostage release. Two Israeli sources said a deal could be announced as soon as Tuesday. The release of the prisoners needs to be approved by the Israeli government but isn’t expected to be an obstacle, one said. It was not immediately clear how many more – if any – American citizens would be among the 50 hostages that Hamas initially releases.

Persons: “, ”, Abigail Edan –, Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN —, CNN, American Locations: CNN — Qatar, Israel, Gaza

Washington CNN —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu grabbed Brett McGurk’s arm as he walked out of a tense meeting of the Israeli Cabinet over securing the release of hostages Hamas was holding in Gaza. Hamas – after refusing for days – had relented in offering identifying information about several dozen hostages, such as their age, gender and nationalities. It laid out how women and children would leave in the first phase, as well as incentives for Hamas to release more hostages beyond that. On October 24, Hamas appeared to agree to the parameters of a deal to release women and children hostages. Hamas would only guarantee 50 and refused to produce identifying information about the hostages.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Brett McGurk’s, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Hamas –, –, – couldn’t, Biden –, Xi Jinping –, Biden, McGurk, Bill Burns, Natalie, Judith Raanan, Jake Sullivan, Jon, Stephanie Hallett, Natalie Raanan’s, Burns, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Ismail Haniyeh, Israel wasn’t, Israel, Blinken, David Barnea, ”, Matt Miller, John Kirby, Kirby, CNN’s Alex Marquardt Organizations: Washington CNN, Israeli, White, Hamas, Israel Defense Forces, Al, CIA, Qatari, White House, State Department, CNN, State, National Security, US State Department Locations: Gaza, Tel Aviv, Israel, San Francisco, Qatar, Doha, Cairo, Hamas

☆ Hamas hostages release possible, pending deal by negotiators
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Alex Marquardt | Mj Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A recent draft of a possible deal to secure the release of hostages that Hamas is holding in Gaza proposes a four- to five-day pause in fighting for the initial release of 50 hostages, two sources familiar with the talks told CNN. The most recent discussions have proposed the staggered release of civilian hostages, with pauses potentially increasing after Hamas allows for an initial release of a significant number of those captured, according to the sources. Hamas indicated it would be willing to release 50 hostages over a multiday pause. One source said no agreement has been reached on how many aid trucks could enter Gaza but that more than 200 trucks was logistically challenging. The aid, including fuel and cooking oil for bakeries, would continue to flow in after the initial pauses for hostages.

Persons: Jon, Jake Tapper, Brett McGurk, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: CNN, Biden, Hamas, Middle, National Security Council, Qatari Embassy Locations: Gaza, “ State, Al, Qatar, Israel

☆ Negotiations to free hostages held by Hamas are closer than ‘perhaps any point,’ White House official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Negotiations to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas are close and the disagreements among parties have narrowed amid intensive talks, deputy national security adviser Jon Finer said Sunday. US officials have been signaling for days that Israel and Hamas are moving closer to a deal to secure the release of hostages taken during the Hamas attacks on Israel in exchange for a sustained, days-long pause in fighting. Only a handful of hostages have been released so far since the start of the war. The negotiating parties – Israel, Hamas and the US, with Qatar mediating between them – have sought to work through a number of sticking points. And so, we don’t have perfect fidelity about exact numbers of hostages, including numbers who are still alive,” he said.

Persons: Jon, “, Jake Tapper, Joe Biden, – Israel, –, ”, we’re, CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Kaitlan Collins, MJ Lee, Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Union, UN Locations: “ State, Israel, Qatar, Gaza, United States

CNN —Hamas has demanded that Israel stop flying surveillance drones over Gaza as part of its request that Israel pause its military operations in exchange for freeing hostages held by the terrorist group, according to two Israeli officials and a third source familiar with the ongoing negotiations. The Israeli military has been flying drones in the skies over Gaza for hours on end virtually every day during their military operation, using them as a primary means of surveillance to monitor the battlefield. The Pentagon has also been flying American surveillance drones over Gaza in its support of Israel’s efforts to find the hostages, which includes an estimated 10 Americans. The negotiating parties – Israel, Hamas and the US, with Qatar mediating between them – continue to grind away, as they try to reach an agreement on a number of sticking points. Other demands made by Hamas during the negotiations are more aid and fuel into Gaza, sources say, as well as allowing Palestinians who have fled south for safety to return to northern Gaza, where Israel now has control.

Persons: Israel, – Israel, Joe Biden, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al, “ It’s, –, Tzachi Hanegbi, ”, —, ” Hanegbi, Jake Sullivan, Brett McGurk, Bill Burns, McGurk, ” Biden, CNN’s Tamar Michaelis Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Pentagon, Israel’s National Security, Senior Biden, National, CIA Locations: Israel, Gaza, Washington, Qatar, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

☆ ‘The Crown’: Behind the Photo of an Embrace That Changed Princess Diana’s Life
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As he got closer, he was stunned to realize it was the princess. Brenna was successful, Malka added, because he had spent so many years working in the region. After spotting the couple, Brenna said he spent the next few days stalking the boat, including climbing a cliff to get a better view. From that elevated position, about 400 meters away from Diana, he took several photos of Diana and Dodi in an embrace. The shots were almost blurred, Brenna said, because the heat haze meant he struggled to get the pair in focus.

Persons: Brenna, Bruno Malka, Diana, Dodi, Malka, he’d, ” He’d, ”, “ Organizations: Paris Match

The upheaval at Documenta is just one example of how Europe’s art world is being torn by debates about Israel and Gaza, as some institutions have moved to postpone the shows of artists who have criticized Israel. Documenta was initially staged in 1955 as the first large-scale exhibition in West Germany of the art of the European avant-garde. It was a direct response to the Degenerate Art Show, the denunciatory exhibition of modern art staged by the Nazis in Munich in 1937. Although the mural was taken down, it set off a monthslong debate in Germany’s art world about antisemitism, Palestinian activism and Germany’s relationship to formerly colonized countries. Hoskote said Documenta was one of the art world’s greatest events, partly because it had always been a forum for new ideas.

Persons: Documenta’s, — Simon Njami, Gong Yan, Kathrin, Inés Rodríguez, —, ”, Bracha Lichtenberg Ettinger, Ranjit Hoskote, Anaïs Duplan, Ai Weiwei, ” Ai, Ai, Galerie Max Hetzler, Lisson’s, Claudia Roth, Documenta, Hoskote Organizations: Venice Biennale, Folkwang, Israel, Art Newspaper, Galerie Max, Berlin, Die Locations: Israel, Kassel, Germany, Gaza, Venice, India, Essen, Haitian, United States, B.D.S, London, Lisson, New York, Paris, West Germany, Munich, Nazi, Indonesia

CNN —President Joe Biden said Tuesday that he believes a deal can be reached to release hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, voicing optimism as officials tell CNN prolonged talks to free hostages are nearing an agreement. The broad parameters that are currently being discussed entail Hamas releasing a large group of hostages at the same time Israel frees Palestinian prisoners. Israel recently asked for 100 hostages to be released, according to a Hamas spokesman and a source familiar with the negotiations. A senior Israeli official told that CNN hostage negotiations are ongoing – and are being handled by Qatar, the CIA, and Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad. Another factor that had slowed talks was a lack of information about the hostages Hamas is holding.

Persons: Joe Biden, “ I’ve, ” Biden, “, it’s, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN’s Dana Bash, – Organizations: CNN, White, US, National, Hostage Affairs, Israel, Qassam, CIA Locations: Gaza, Israel, Washington ,, Qatar, Israeli

☆ BBC Says It Received 5 Complaints About Russell Brand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The BBC, Britain’s public broadcaster, announced on Tuesday that it had received five complaints about “inappropriate behavior” by the comedian Russell Brand during a period when he was working on its radio shows. The investigation also included other claims about Mr. Brand’s behavior in the workplace. The night before the investigation was published, Mr. In its first update on its inquiry, the BBC said two people had complained about Mr. Another complainant contacted the BBC in 2019, and two other individuals had done so in recent months, it said in a news release.

Persons: Russell Brand, Brand’s, Brand Organizations: BBC

☆ Blinken brings a notable shift in US language toward Israel as pressure mounts at home and abroad
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Paul Leblanc | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —When US Secretary of State Antony Blinken lamented the civilian death toll in Gaza on Friday, it marked a subtle but notable shift in US language toward the Israeli government. Administration officials argue they have had success in some areas as they work to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The White House said Thursday that Israel had agreed to move forward with daily four-hour pauses of military operations in areas of Northern Gaza. That’s a rise from 32% saying Israel should negotiate while fighting when the survey was last conducted about two weeks earlier. At a news conference Wednesday, Blinken sought to make that posture clear, even as pressure continues to mount at home and abroad.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, we’ll, Blinken, Israel, ” Mustafa, Al Nasr, ”, Kahlout, Netanyahu, ” Netanyahu, “ Biden, John Kirby, that’s, ” Kirby, “, –, Jennifer Hansler, Kevin Liptak, MJ Lee, Alex Marquardt Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Administration, Palestinian Ministry of Health, Al, Pediatric, IDF, Hamas, Public, Research, Israel Democracy Institute, National Security Locations: Gaza, New Delhi, Israel, Northern Gaza, Ramallah, Tel Aviv, London, Istanbul, New York, Baghdad, Rome, Washington ,, Iraq, Syria, India, Blinken

☆ Biden administration privately warned by American diplomats of growing fury against US in Arab world
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Biden administration has received stark warnings from American diplomats in the Arab world that its strong support for Israel’s destructive and deadly military campaign in Gaza “is losing us Arab publics for a generation,” according to a diplomatic cable obtained by CNN. While it’s just one cable from a regional embassy, it provides a private snapshot of the alarm over the growing anti-US wave sweeping the Middle East. President Joe Biden has been under growing pressure domestically and abroad over US support of Israel amid images of destruction in Gaza and the dire humanitarian crisis in the region. In recent days, US allies in the Arab world have made clear their deep anger at the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Still, within the administration, concerns have grown over US support for Israel.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, “, it’s, Biden’s, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe, ” Organizations: CNN, US, White, National Security Council, CIA, FBI, State Department, United Arab, Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel Locations: Gaza, United States, Israel, Oman, Muscat, Cairo, Washington, Jordanian, Egypt, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Northern Gaza

☆ Crypto lender Celsius Network cleared to exit bankruptcy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Dietrich Knauth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Crypto lender Celsius Network received U.S. bankruptcy court approval for a restructuring plan that will return cryptocurrency to customers and create a new company owned by Celsius creditors. Crypto lenders BlockFi and Voyager Digital were wiped out in bankruptcy, and cryptocurrency exchange FTX remains stuck in Chapter 11 proceedings. In addition to their stake in the new company, Celsius customers will receive a partial repayment of the cryptocurrency assets they deposited on the platform. Celsius had 600,000 customers who held about $4.4 billion in interest-bearing Celsius accounts when it filed for bankruptcy, according to court documents. The restructuring plan includes a settlement that values Celsius's proprietary crypto token, CEL, at 25 cents.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Martin Glenn, Michael Arrington, BlockFi, Arrington, Alex Mashinsky, Mashinsky, Dietrich Knauth, Alexia Garamfalvi, Lisa Shumaker, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Bankruptcy, LLC, Arrington Capital, Voyager, Nasdaq, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New Jersey, New York

“It has created great moral anxiety,” said one senior administration official. Elsewhere in the administration, officials are quietly fuming as the civilian death toll mounts. But Netanyahu and other Israeli officials have steadfastly rejected the idea of a lengthy pause in the fighting unless hostages are released. Administration officials argue they have had success in some areas as they work to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Still, steady pressure by the Biden administration on Israel to refine its war plans and define its objectives in Gaza has not yielded the level of clarity many US officials say is necessary.

Persons: Biden, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Netanyahu, Joe, John Kirby, that’s, ” Kirby, weren’t, “ They’re, We’ve, ” Blinken, Israel “, Kirby, “, Blinken, Israel, we’ve, Mark Regev, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Regev, CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: Tokyo CNN, CNN, State Department, US Agency for International Development, “, USAID, United States Government, State, ” National Security, Israel Defense Forces, West Bank, Israel, Democratic Party, ABC News, ABC Locations: Washington, Tokyo, Gaza, –, Israel, ”, Tel Aviv, Turkey, Egypt, States

☆ Climate Protesters Damage a Celebrated Velázquez Painting in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the suffragist Mary Richardson walked into the National Gallery in London with a concealed hatchet in March 1914, she headed for the “Rokeby Venus,” one of Diego Velázquez’s most celebrated paintings, and slashed it repeatedly. Now, over a century later, Velázquez’s nude appears to have been damaged again. Just before 11 a.m. on Monday, two climate activists belonging to Just Stop Oil, a British group that wants to prevent new oil and gas licensing, struck the glass that protects the painting 10 times with emergency hammers. It was initially unclear whether they had damaged the painting. Over the past year and a half, Just Stop Oil has made headlines through attention-grabbing stunts in British museums, including protests in which members glued themselves to John Constable’s “The Hay Wain” and threw tomato soup over Vincent van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” — two other artworks in the National Gallery collection.

Persons: Mary Richardson, Rokeby, Diego Velázquez’s, ” —, John Constable’s “, Hay Wain ”, Vincent van Locations: London, British

☆ Four Men Charged in the Case of the Missing Golden Toilet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Four years ago, a fully functioning 18-karat gold toilet was stolen from an art exhibition at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. On Monday, Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service announced that it had authorized charges against four men in connection with the theft of the golden loo — an artwork by the Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, titled “America,” which had been on display as part of an exhibition at the palace, which is in Oxfordshire, England. The Crown Prosecution Service said in a news release that it had charged James Sheen, 39, with burglary, conspiracy to transfer criminal property and transferring criminal property; Michael Jones, 38, with burglary; and Fred Doe, 35, and Bora Guccuk, 39, with conspiracy to transfer criminal property. The four men will appear at a court in Oxford, England, on Nov. 28 for the first stage in potentially lengthy criminal proceedings. Britain’s courts system has a severe backlog in cases.

Persons: Winston Churchill, Maurizio Cattelan, James Sheen, Michael Jones, Fred Doe, Bora Guccuk Organizations: Prosecution Service, Crown Prosecution Service Locations: Blenheim, Italian, Oxfordshire, England, Oxford

☆ Poland’s Art World Awaits a Culture War Counteroffensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just weeks after becoming Poland’s culture minister, in 2015, Piotr Glinski began a yearslong effort to shift his country’s cultural life toward the political right. He ousted liberal museum directors, replacing them with conservatives. He created new institutions to celebrate traditional culture and nationalist heroes. Many artists and cultural leaders opposed Glinski’s actions, and there were protests throughout his term, including outside Poland’s National Museum after a leader he had appointed removed sexually suggestive artworks from the walls. Pawel Sztarbowski, the deputy director at the Powszechny Theater, in Warsaw, said that Glinski had tried to “return Poland to an imaginary past.”

Persons: Piotr Glinski, Sztarbowski, Glinski, ” Organizations: Law, Justice, Roman Catholic Church, Poland’s Locations: Warsaw, Poland

☆ An Apparent Cyberattack Hushes the British Library
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The British Library in London is normally a place of quiet study, its reading rooms filled with authors, academics and students often surrounded by piles of books from the library’s collection of about 170 million items. The library’s Wi-Fi has also stopped working, and staff members haven’t been allowed to turn on their computers. Its gift shop is open for business, but only for anyone with cash to buy trinkets such as British Library-branded pencils. Library users, many of whom include writers with pressing deadlines, are beginning to be affected. Books are only available if they are stored at the main library location.

Persons: it’s, ”, haven’t, — Organizations: British, University of Cambridge Locations: London

As token prices plummeted last year, the sector saw other stunning meltdowns that put several industry moguls into authorities' crosshairs. Changpeng "CZ" ZhaoThe U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Binance and its CEO Zhao in June for allegedly operating "a web of deception." Kwon faces multiple charges of fraud in the U.S. and was arrested in Montenegro earlier this year for allegedly forging documents, authorities said. He has pleaded not guilty to U.S. fraud charges that he misled customers and artificially inflated the value of his company's proprietary crypto token. Barry SilbertSilbert is the boss of crypto group Digital Currency Group whose subsidiary Genesis Global Capital filed for bankruptcy in January.

Persons: Zhao Changpeng, Binance, Costas Baltas, Sam Bankman, Fried, he's, Zhao, Kwon, Luna, Terraform, Alex Mashinsky, Mashinsky, Barry Silbert Silbert, Letitia James, Silbert, Stephen Ehrlich Stephen Ehrlich's, Ehrlich, Justin Sun, Sun, Niket Nishant, Hannah Lang, Michelle Price, Anil D'Silva Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Zhao, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Korean, Terraform Labs, Montenegrin, Mashinsky, CFTC, U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Digital Currency Group, Genesis Global Capital, New York, FTC, Tron Foundation, Thomson Locations: Athens, Greece, China, Canada, U.S, Montenegro, New York

☆ Italy PM Meloni talks of Ukraine fatigue, migration in prank call
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reacts during a meeting of European heads of state or government in Granada, Spain October 6, 2023. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsROME, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke of international fatigue with the conflict in Ukraine and a lack of support for Italy in dealing with migration in a phone call with Russian pranksters. Asked about Russia's war in Ukraine, Meloni, speaking in English, said: "I see that there is a lot of fatigue, I have to say the truth, from all the sides. Prankster Lexus, or Alexei Stolyarov, said Meloni was at least someone who was willing to share her real opinions. Meloni, Italian prime minister for a year, split with her TV presenter partner last month after off-air video excerpts from his programme showed him using foul language and appearing to make advances to a female colleague.

Persons: Giorgia Meloni, Juan Medina, Vovan, Meloni's, Meloni, Lexus, Alexei Stolyarov, Alex Marrow, Federico Maccioni, Keith Weir, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Italian, REUTERS, Rights, Russian, Lexus, African Union Commission, United Nations General Assembly, Thomson Locations: Granada, Spain, Ukraine, Italy

☆ Pramac's Martin smashes lap record to grab pole at Thailand Grand Prix
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Title-challenger Jorge Martin of Pramac Racing secured his third pole position of the season at the Thailand Grand Prix by setting a lap record on Saturday, with VR46 Racing's Luca Marini and Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro joining him on the front row. I am strong, and this is the most important thing," the 25-year-old Martin said after his performance, including the record 1 minute 29.287 second lap. "I did not expect to do 29.2, I think that is a very good lap... The Marquez brothers, Marc Marquez and Alex Marquez topped Q1, with the Gresini Racing rider coming ahead of the six-time MotoGP champion, who also has the most wins at Buriram. Alex Marquez managed to finish seventh and Marc Marquez eighth in the final session.

Persons: Jorge Martin, VR46 Racing's Luca Marini, Aprilia's, Espargaro, Francesco Bagnaia, Martin, Marco Bezzecchi, Brad Binder, Marquez, Marc Marquez, Alex Marquez, Maverick, Fabio Quartararo, Johann Zarco, Augusto Fernandez, Quartararo, Pearl Josephine Nazare, William Mallard Organizations: Pramac Racing, VR46, Chang, Circuit, Buriram, Aprilia, Thomson Locations: Thailand, French, Bengaluru

☆ West End Theatergoers Grumble as Prices for the Best Seats Surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Alex Marshall | More About Alex Marshall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When hundreds of playgoers lined up outside Wyndham’s Theater in London this week, the mood was excited. West End prices, Hooper said, were “out of control.”Another audience member, George Butler, 28, said that he was overjoyed to have secured two tickets for 20 pounds, or about $24, each, even if they were in the nosebleeds. “Theater is becoming very elitist,” Butler said. “The minute there’s a well known person in a play, it’s unaffordable.”London’s theater world is increasingly simmering with complaints over soaring ticket prices, and a perception that they are creeping closer to Broadway levels. Even as producers insist that a fraction of tickets must be sold at steep prices to offset cheap seats for low earners, concern is growing that a night at the theater is becoming an unaffordable luxury.

Persons: Kenneth Branagh, “ King Lear, Alan Hooper, Hooper, George Butler, ” Butler, “, it’s, ” Organizations: Wyndham’s, “, Broadway Locations: London

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