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☆ Opinion | Trump: Protector of Women — or Predators?
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-23 | by ( Maureen Dowd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Donald Trump proclaimed that he would be the protector of women. That seems to involve anointing creeps from whom women need protection. If you want to see women flying high, dominating the landscape and unmasking a fake wizard, see “Wicked.”In Oz, women are defying gravity. In America, many have been grounded, under the thumb of a wicked wizard. Trump set his restoration’s macho tone in a return to Madison Square Garden for an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Trump, Marc Caputo, Republican Caesar who’s, he’s Organizations: Madison, Garden, CNN, Republican Locations: America

☆ A historian says the naval battle in 'Gladiator II' only got one thing wrong
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-23 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The scene is rooted in real-life naval battles that began during Julius Caesar's reign in Rome. Ridley Scott's "Gladiator II" takes a few creative liberties and diverges from history to up the ante for audiences. "Gladiator II" is set 15 years after Russell Crowe's Maximus Decimus Meridius died in the Colosseum in the 2000 movie "Gladiator." Staged naval battles really did happen in RomeA naval battle taking place at the Colosseum in "Gladiator II." AdvertisementThe sharks featured in "Gladiator II" are most likely an addition from Scott, who tends to include animals in his movies.

Persons: Julius Caesar's, Ridley Scott's, Russell Crowe's Maximus Decimus Meridius, Geta, Joseph Quinn, Caracalla, Fred Hechinger, Paul Mescal, Maximus, Connie Nielsen, Lucius, Neil Corbould, Alison Futrell, Futrell, Emperor Claudius, Scott Organizations: Paramount, National Geographic, University of Arizona Locations: Rome, Denver , Colorado

☆ Starring on 'The White Lotus' changed Fred Hechinger's life. Now, he's playing an unhinged emperor in 'Gladiator II.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-23 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The actor said that starring on "The White Lotus" changed his life. Hechinger's Caracalla is sick and twisted — a 'dangerous concoction'Fred Hechinger, Pedro Pascal, and Joseph Quinn in "Gladiator II." "Gladiator II" is also a study of what unchecked power does to a civilization. Advertisement'The White Lotus' gave Hechinger his big breakFred Hechinger as Quinn on season one of "The White Lotus." Hechinger prides himself on playing varied roles, whether he's a menacing emperor in "Gladiator II," a concerned grandson in "Thelma," or a school staff member in "Nickel Boys."

Persons: Fred Hechinger, Emperor Caracalla, Ridley Scott's, He'll, Hunter, Fred Hechinger's, Joseph Quinn, Paul Mescal's, Ridley, Hechinger, Hechinger's Caracalla, Pedro Pascal, Aidan Monaghan, Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe, Caracalla, Geta, Quinn, Mescal, Maximus, Connie Nielsen, They'll, HBO Hechinger, Quinn Mossbacher, he's, Nicolas Cage, Christian Bale, Thelma, he'll, Kraven Organizations: Business, Paramount Pictures, HBO, Hollywood, Marvel Comics Locations: Rome, Hawaii, Maui

☆ Denzel Washington commands ancient Rome and movie theaters with ‘Gladiator II’
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Ronda Racha Penrice | Atlanta-Based Writer Ronda Racha Penrice Is The Author Of | Black American History For Dummies. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

The biggest surprise of “Gladiator II” is not that Denzel Washington is great. Instead, it’s how pivotal his character Macrinus is to the long-awaited sequel starring Paul Mescal as the heir of Russell Crowe’s iconic character Maximus. But it’s Washington’s Macrinus who moves “Gladiator II” forward. “His grand purpose,” Washington told NBC News, “is to take over the world.”Denzel Washington plays Macrinus, Pedro Pascal plays Gen. Acacius and Connie Nielsen plays Lucilla in “Gladiator II.” Aidan Monaghan / Paramount PicturesTo select his gladiators, Macrinus leans into their rage. “Almost everything that is done in the film, I’ve done before: fight scenes, swords, riding horses,” he said, noting one exception.

Persons: “, Washington, Paul Mescal, Russell Crowe’s, Lucius, Washington’s Macrinus, ” Washington, Denzel Washington, Macrinus, Pedro Pascal, Acacius, Connie Nielsen, Lucilla, ” Aidan Monaghan, stokes, ”, Crowe’s, —, Ridley Scott, Thelma, Louise, ” Scott “, Scott, ’ ” Washington, “ He’s, ’ ” Paul Mescal, Caesar, Janty Yates, Cuba Scott, I’ve, “ I’ve, It’s, Malcolm, Katia, John David, Pauletta, “ we’re Organizations: NBC News, Paramount Pictures, Netflix Locations: ” Washington, Cuba, Pittsburgh

☆ The finale of 'Gladiator II' is a homage to the first film. Here's what it could mean for a future sequel.
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-22 | by ( Ayomikun Adekaiyero | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThe ending of "Gladiator II" pays homage to Russell Crowe's character in "Gladiator." "Gladiator II" doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but there may still be room for another sequel. Spoilers ahead for "Gladiator" and "Gladiator II." AdvertisementRome is still a mess in "Gladiator II," set 16 years after the first film. AdvertisementMescal told Variety last week at the London premiere of "Gladiator II" that he would be "massively down" to appear in the next sequel.

Persons: Russell Crowe's, Scott, I've, Denzel Washington, Cuba Scott, Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe, Maximus, Marcus Aurelius, Lucilla, Connie Nielsen, Aurelius, Caracalla, Fred Hechinger, Joseph Quinn, Marcus Acacius, Pedro Pascal, Acacius, Aidan Monaghan, Lucius, Paul Mescal, Rome, Marcinus, Mescal Organizations: Paramount Pictures, Paramount, Variety, London Locations: Rome, Cuba, Acacius

☆ Jeep was a hot brand. Then Stellantis priced its fans out of its showrooms
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-21 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —The Jeep Gladiator was unveiled to great fanfare by then-owner Fiat Chrysler in 2018, the first pickup model for the hot brand in more than a quarter of a century. Gladiator sales have fallen steadily from the 2020 peak as a result and are down another 21% so far this year. The company’s relentless focus on short-term profits for 2023 had devastating consequences for Stellantis, Farris wrote. A car hauler transporting Jeep Wranglers drives past striking United Auto Workers members outside the Stellantis Jeep Plant in Toledo, Ohio, during the 2023 strike. One of the two factories at that assembly complex is about to lose one of the two shifts that builds the Jeep Gladiator.

Persons: Stellantis, Dodge, ”, Jessica Caldwell, Edmunds, “, Charlie Chesbrough, Kevin Farris, Carlos Tavares, Farris, Farris ’, Rebecca Cook, “ You’re, he’s, ” Farris Organizations: New, New York CNN, Fiat Chrysler, Fiat Chrysler’s, PSA Group, Gladiators, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Pacifica minivan, Toledo Assembly, Stellantis, Ford Motor, Cox Automotive, Dealers, Council, United Auto Workers, Jeep Wranglers, CNN, Challenger, Cherokee, Renegade Locations: New York, Toledo, Edmunds, Warren , Michigan, Stellantis, Toledo , Ohio

☆ Airbnb's idea to hold gladiator battles in Rome's Colosseum isn't going down well with some local lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-19 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementAirbnb is planning to host gladiator fights in Rome's Colosseum. Some local lawmakers, meanwhile, aren't happy about Airbnb's event idea. Airbnb is attempting to kick off gladiator fights in Rome's historic Colosseum after 2,000 years, but local lawmakers in the Italian city are not impressed. The event is happening because of a $1.5 million tie-up between Airbnb and the Colosseum Archaeological Park, per CNN. However, some local lawmakers are not pleased.

Persons: Airbnb, Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington, Tfilmvie, Lucius, Ridley Scott, Massimiliano Smeriglio, Smeriglio, Enzo Foschi, Foschi, Democratic Party of Rome didn't Organizations: CNN, Denzel, Airbnb, Democratic Party of Rome, Business Locations: candlelit, Airbnb, Rome, Barcelona, Spain, Portugal, Amsterdam

☆ ‘We are not Disneyland’: Outrage in Rome over Airbnb ‘gladiator’ battles at the Colosseum
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Rome CNN —The ancient Colosseum in Rome has witnessed some historic battles, with toga-clad crowds once packing the gigantic venue to watch gladiators slug it out against opponents including lions and baboons. On one side of the arena is holiday rental giant Airbnb and the Colosseum Archaeological Park, which oversees the ruined structure, which is one of Rome’s most visited attractions. You will become a gladiator,” promises the AirBnB advertisement. “A publicity stunt by Airbnb which, after having effectively taken possession of the historic center, completely distorting it and turning it into a large tourist park, now wants to ridicule the Colosseum,” he said Friday. Federico Mollicone, a member of her party who heads the Lower House of Parliament’s Culture Commission said he applauds the innovative idea.

Persons: ”, Ridley Scott, “, Massimiliano Smeriglio, ” Smeriglio, Smeriglio isn’t, Erica Battaglia, Vatican’s, Trevi, Enzo Foschi, ” Airbnb, Giorgia, Brothers, Italy, Federico Mollicone Organizations: Rome CNN, Paramount, CNN, Rome’s Culture, UNESCO, Democratic Party, overtourism, Italian, Culture Commission, Culture, Ministry of Culture Locations: Rome, Eternal

☆ Rare gladiator-shaped knife handle gives insight into Roman celebrity culture
▼ + stars: | 2024-11-15 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A rare knife handle in the shape of a gladiator has been discovered at Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England, shining a new light on the celebrity status of the ancient Roman combatants. The secutor gladiator depicted on the knife handle wears a helmet, holds a big shield and has his left hand out, which would have been holding a sword. The knife handle was discovered in a river at Corbridge Roman Town on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. The 2,000-year-old knife handle was found in the Tyne River at Corbridge Roman Town on Hadrian’s Wall, a defensive barrier built by the occupying Romans in northeast England. “This beautifully made knife handle is a testament to how pervasive this celebrity culture was, reaching all the way to Hadrian’s Wall at the very edge of the Roman Empire,” she added.

Persons: ”, ” Frances McIntosh, ” McIntosh, McIntosh, ” “, “, Ridley Scott’s Organizations: CNN, Heritage, East, English Heritage Locations: England, Rome, Corbridge, Hadrian’s, Northumberland, Tyne, Britain, Roman, United States

☆ Chiseled gladiators, tight leather pants, and copious amounts of olive oil: Inside Turkey’s ancient oil wrestling festival
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Scott Mclean | Umut Sevdi Tangor | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

He pours a bottle filled with a mixture of water and olive oil into the pants, and then with a few firm tugs on the waistband and a wiggle of the hips, he’s in. Koca is one of hundreds of wrestlers competing at this year’s Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival in northwestern Turkey. The sport is similar to regular wrestling, except here, the competitors are covered head to toe in olive oil. Record breakerThe annual Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival has been running for more than 600 years. Participants are doused in olive oil before taking part.

Persons: Cem Tekkesinoglu, Orhan Ghazi, ”, Abdullah Basar, ” Basar, –, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Filiz, Ferda Demir, Koca, They’ve, “, Hakan Mehmet Sahin, Basar, ‘ I’ve, ’ ”, I’ve, ” Akin, ” Guray Ervin, Tanem Zaman Organizations: CNN, Turkey CNN, Oil Wrestling, Anadolu Agency, Oil, Getty, Olympic, 663rd, “ Wrestling Locations: Edirne, Turkey, Koca, Anadolu, Republic of Turkey

☆ ‘Gladiator II’: Paul Mescal battles Pedro Pascal and a rhino in first trailer
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-09 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The first trailer for “Gladiator II” has arrived. The sequel to Ridley Scott’s 2000 blockbuster stars Paul Mescal, who takes over for Russell Crowe. Mescal plays Lucius, son of Lucilla, played by Connie Nielsen and the late Lucius Verus. The movie is also headlined by Pedro Pascal as Marcus Acacius, a Roman general and Denzel Washington as Macrinus, a cruel, wealthy man who keeps gladiators for sport. Gladiator II | Official Trailer (2024 Movie) - Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Denzel WashingtonHans Zimmer composed the soundtrack heard in the trailer and movie.

Persons: ”, Ridley Scott’s, Paul Mescal, Russell Crowe, Mescal, Lucius, Lucilla, Connie Nielsen, Lucius Verus, Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Marcus Acacius, Denzel Washington, Gladiator, Denzel Washington Hans Zimmer Organizations: CNN Locations: Numidia, Rome

☆ A blue painted shrine is the latest discovery in Pompeii ‘treasure chest’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Antonia Mortensen | Jessie Gretener | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Milan, Italy CNN —Archaeologists have unearthed an intricately decorated blue room, interpreted as an ancient Roman shrine known as a sacrarium, during recent excavations in central Pompeii in Italy. Italian Ministry of CultureThe walls of the room feature female figures that are said to depict the four seasons of the year, as well as allegories of agriculture and shepherding. The new discovery came amid excavations in the Regio IX area of central Pompeii, a residential area that is currently one of the most active excavation sites for new findings. The project aims to improve the structure of the area, making the “protection of the vast Pompeiian heritage… more effective and sustainable,” the culture ministry said. Italian Ministry of CultureLast week, it was reported that archaeologists in Pompeii had uncovered children’s sketches depicting violent scenes of gladiators and hunters battling animals.

Persons: Gennaro Sangiuliano Organizations: Italy CNN —, of Culture, Italian Ministry of, Italian Ministry of Culture Locations: Milan, Italy, Pompeii, Regio IX

☆ Why we need to know what time it is on the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —It’s easy to take the moon for granted as a silvery orb in the night sky, providing a soft light on most evenings. The new system of measurement that NASA and its international partners need to agree on will have to account for the fact that seconds tick by faster on the moon. But it will be crucial for astronauts living in lunar habitats and scooting around in moon buggies who need to know exactly what time it is. We are familyA digital reconstruction of a Bronze Age woman's face is on display at Scotland's Perth Museum and Art Gallery. And now, researchers know what creates their unusual fur pattern: a mutation affecting a gene called KIT, which controls hair color.

Persons: CNN —, Albert Einstein’s, Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, Joe Skipper, Chris Rynn, Julius Caesar, Gaul, Ari Kankainen, NASA’s Lucy, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Boeing, Veteran NASA, Perth Museum, Art, Culture, Kinross, CNN Space, Science Locations: North America, Europe, Southern Hemisphere, Culture Perth, Scotland, Indre, France, Finnish, Petäjävesi, Italy

☆ Drawings found at Pompeii suggest children watched gladiators fight, plus executions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Children’s sketches of violent scenes of gladiators and hunters battling animals have been uncovered at the archaeological park of Pompeii, the park’s superintendent has said. The drawings, thought to be made by children between the ages of five and seven sometime before Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, were found on the walls of a back room in the “Island of chaste lovers” residential sector of the archaeological park. The drawings depict a fight scene with two gladiators, spears in hand, facing what is likely to have been intended to be wild boars. So far, they have determined that the drawings likely came from “direct vision” of an event rather than from pictorial models.

Persons: ” Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, Naples ’ Federico, ” Zuchtriegel Organizations: CNN, Department of Child, Naples ’, University Locations: Mt, “, Pompeii, Naples

☆ Pompeii: Stunning frescoes of mythological characters uncovered at archeological site
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Ancient Romans were enjoying more than just the food during their feasts, a new discovery at the archaeological site of Pompeii has shown. Archaeologists working at the world-famous site have uncovered a banqueting hall with black-painted walls covered with frescoes of mythological characters associated with the Trojan War. The ornately decorated room provided an elegant setting for entertainment or conversation during banquets, the Archaeological Park of Pompeii, which oversees the site, said. The elaborate dining room provided an elegant setting for entertainment, according to the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. Archaeological Park of PompeiiAnother shows a downcast Cassandra, daughter of Priam, with the god Apollo.

Persons: ” Gabriel Zuchtriegel, “, ”, Helen, Paris, Priam, “ Alexandros, Menelaus, Helen of Troy, Cassandra Organizations: CNN Locations: Paris, Troy, Roman, Pompeii, Vesuvius

☆ TV’s Saviors Are Here, and They’re Wearing Spandex
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Rory Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

First it was the streamers: the seismic arrival of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+ and the rest, offering television’s previously captive viewers the chance to watch seemingly whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Then TikTok joined YouTube in conclusively shattering what was once a unified small-screen audience into a billion individual fragments. On both sides of the Atlantic, ratings plummeted. Viewers drifted away. Now, in Britain, a group of bodybuilders, personal trainers and sundry gym rats have stepped unto the breach.

Persons: TikTok, —, Gladiators ” Organizations: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Apple, YouTube, Gladiators, BBC Locations: Britain

☆ Dementia and sport: These rugby players represented their country in their 20s, by their 40s, they had early onset dementia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Popham’s wife, Mel, would have a conversation with her husband and an hour later he would have “no recollection,” he tells CNN Sport. Richard Boardman, the lawyer representing the claimants, told CNN Sport that this is causing an “existential threat” to the game. “As far as the brain is concerned, it doesn’t matter what sport is played,” Michael Grey, a neuroscientist at the University of East Anglia, told CNN Sport. Nowinski, a WWE wrestler turned neuroscientist, told CNN Sport that head injury protocols need to go beyond treating concussion. The paper, which looked at 412 Scottish former international male rugby players aged 30 and above and 1,236 members of the public who had been matched for age, sex and socioeconomic status, found that the rugby players’ risk of a dementia diagnosis over time was just over twice as high.

Persons: Alix Popham, Mel, ”, Popham, ” Popham, I’ve, Alix Popham of Wales, Pat Riordan of, Stu Forster, Lenny Woodard, Woodard, “, “ I’d, I’d, ” Woodard, Brook Joyner, Richard Boardman, ” Michael Grey, Chris Nowinski, Scott McIntyre, Nowinski, ” Ann McKee, ” Boardman, Roger Goodell, University of East Anglia Boardman, Grey, –, ” Steve Borthwick of, Alun Wyn Jones, Paul Harding, ” Grey, McKee, it’s, aren’t, we’re, shouldn’t, weren’t, ” Alix Popham Organizations: CNN, CNN Sport, rugby, Rugby, Alix Popham of Wales offloads, Pat Riordan of Canada, Wales, Getty, World Rugby, Rugby Football Union, RFU, Welsh Rugby Union, WRU, Springer, University of East, National Football League Players, Wrestling Entertainment, WWE, Washington Post, Boston University CTE Center, British Medical, Exercise, NFL, NFL.com, University of East Anglia, RBS, Nations, University of Glasgow, Boston University, University of Sydney, Scottish, ’, “ Rugby, England Rugby, Boston University’s CTE, CTE Locations: France, Wales, England, Canada, Nantes, Europe, University of East Anglia, American, Woodward, Boston

☆ Flipping the bird: Why the middle finger is the most controversial digit
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Scottie Andrew | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

While throwing up a middle finger today clearly communicates a resounding “f**k you,” in classical society, historians say a middle finger was more of a ribald sexual reference. Proudly displaying a middle finger was usually a joke, an insult or a sexual proposition, Nelson and other classical researchers posit. Morris has said that the middle finger landed in the US with Italian immigrants in the late 19th century. Anti-establishment artists from Joe Strummer of The Clash to Tupac Shakur have pointed a middle finger at the ruling class in their work — and, in famous photos, literally. The singer appeared during Madonna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show and flexed her middle finger toward the camera, prompting the NFL and NBC to apologize.

Persons: ”, Max Nelson, Nelson, Aristophanes, Socrates, Suetonius, Caligula, Desmond Morris, Morris, ” Morris, It’s, ” Nelson, didn’t, Brian Palmer, Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer, Tupac Shakur, M.I.A, Madonna, assumedly Organizations: CNN, BBC, University of Windsor, Catholic Church, Slate ., San, NFL, NBC Locations: Ontario, Canada, Greece, Rome, San Quentin, California, M.I.A

☆ ‘Roman Stories’ Review: Eternal, Uncertain City
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Liesl Schillinger | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Photo: Matteo Nardone/Pacific Press/AlamyWhat does it mean to be “a Roman” in the 21st century? But the narrator of the last story in Jhumpa Lahiri’s collection “Roman Stories” has a personal stake in this question. She is an American professor in her 50s who was pulled to Rome as a young woman by a fascination with the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (whose name provides the story’s title). After marrying a Roman, she ended up staying in the city for decades. At her mother-in-law’s funeral, she wonders: Had her long residence made her a Roman?

Persons: Matteo Nardone, Virgil, Aeneas, Caesar, Mussolini, Fellini, Sophia Loren, ”, Dante Alighieri, she’d, “ Organizations: Pacific Press Locations: American, Rome, Italian, America

☆ Thunderclaps, first tee charging and fancy dress: Fans bring noise and color to the Ryder Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

It looked more like the start of a city marathon than fans heading into a golf tournament, but such is the Ryder Cup’s unique brand of appeal. Fans from both sides of the Atlantic have come in their droves, bringing noise and color to the 44th edition of the event at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, Italy. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns alongside England’s Tyrrell Hatton, the Masters champion admitted to having butterflies long before tee off. “It increasingly got higher until we hit that tee shot on the first hole. US golfer Collin Morikawa passes a group of Team USA fans dressed as Evel Knievel.

Persons: Ryder, Marco Simone Golf, whoops, Jon Rahm, Nicolas Colsaerts, ”, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, Brian Harman, “, Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns, England’s Tyrrell Hatton, ” Rahm, Alex Burstow, Europe’s, Rahm’s “ Rambo, Collin Morikawa, Evel Knievel, Paul Ellis, Michael Jordan, Novak Djokovic, Gareth Bale, Carlos Sainz, Djokovic Organizations: CNN, Marco Simone Golf Club, Reuters, Iceland men’s soccer, UEFA European Football, European, Team Europe, Team USA, Getty, Ryder, Ferrari Locations: Rome, Italy, Iceland, Belgian, Swedish, Ireland, Sweden, AFP

☆ Do Some Men Love Ancient Rome for the Wrong Reasons?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( David Potter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

But while the image of this empire in the modern world is of an immutable military might, in reality the imperial system survived because it was flexible. It was far more adaptable than the flailing democracy it replaced in the first century B.C., or the modern British and French empires, which later claimed Rome as a model. In two new books, Tom Holland and Adrian Goldsworthy, both accomplished novelists as well as historians, offer lucid accounts of the challenges inherent to managing this complex imperial enterprise. Holland’s “Pax” concerns itself with a period of relative imperial tranquillity between the suicide of the Roman emperor Nero in 68 A.D. and the death of the emperor Hadrian in 138. Goldsworthy explores the relations between Rome and its most powerful neighbor, the successive Persian regimes ruling what is now Iran and Iraq, from their first encounters in the first century B.C.

Persons: Adrian Goldsworthy, Tom Holland, Nero, Hadrian, Goldsworthy, ”, Vespasian Organizations: Adrian Goldsworthy PAX Locations: ROME, PERSIA, Roman, Central Europe, North Africa, Rome, Iran, Iraq, Palestine

☆ Italy's antitrust investigates inflated prices for Colosseum tickets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

ROME, July 18 (Reuters) - Italy's antitrust authorities are going into combat over Rome's Colosseum, opening an investigation into ticketing operations that have seen tourists paying inflated prices to visit the ancient Roman arena where gladiators once fought. The antitrust authority said tickets were being bought "en masse through the use of automated purchasing systems". A ticket normally costs 18 euros ($20) but the official website on Tuesday showed there were just three places left until Aug. 7. Carlo Rienzi, the head of consumers rights body Codacons, said "secondary ticketing" was costing Italy millions of euros. "We ask the government to introduce new provisions capable not only of blocking secondary ticketing, but also of imposing very heavy penalties on those sites," Rienzi said in a statement.

Persons: Carlo Rienzi, Codacons, Rienzi, Federica Urso, Elvira Pollina, Crispian Balmer, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Thomson

Summary Russian general says has been dismissedSays top brass betrayed Russian soldiersDefence ministry silent on general's fateSoldiers dying due to lack of artillery, general saysMOSCOW, July 13 (Reuters) - A Russian general said he had been dismissed as a commander after telling the military leadership about the dire situation at the front in Ukraine where he said Russian soldiers had been stabbed in the back by the failings of the top military brass. Popov, who commanded Russian units in southern Ukraine, explicitly raised the deaths of Russian soldiers from Ukrainian artillery and said the army lacked proper counter artillery systems and reconnaissance of enemy artillery. There was no immediate comment from the defence ministry and Reuters was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the voice message. Neither Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin nor General Sergei Surovikin, a deputy commander of Russia's military operations in Ukraine, have been seen in public since the day of the mutiny. For months Prigozhin had been openly insulting Putin's most senior military men, using a variety of crude expletives and prison slang that shocked top Russian officials but that were left unanswered in public by Putin, Shoigu or Gerasimov.

Persons: Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Staff Valery Gerasimov, Ivan Popov, Andrei Gurulyov, Popov, Gurulyov, Russia's, Prigozhin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Sergei Surovikin, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Russian, Defence, Staff, Arms Army, Reuters, RUSSIAN ARMY Putin, Telegram, Gerasimov, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, Ukraine, Russian, Ukrainian, Europe, Russia

Early Tuesday, a Ukrainian missile slammed into a hotel in the coastal town of Berdyansk that had been taken over by the Russian military. ‘Colossal support’Russian military bloggers have suggested that both Tsokov and Popov were capable soldiers who inspired loyalty among their men. Tsokov, 51, appears to have been a rising star in the Russian military. Senior Russian general, Ivan Popov, raised questions about the mass deaths and injuries of Russian military personnel. The loss of more capable commanders is another sign that Russia’s “special military operation” is looking less special by the week.

Persons: CNN —, Oleg Tsokov, Tsokov, Ivan Popov, Popov, Valery Gerasimov, vilely, Sergei Shoigu, ”, Vladimir Putin, Rybar, “ Popov, General Popov, “, Wagner, Oleg Surovikin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Surovikin, Prigozhin, Defense Andrei Kartapolov, Kartapolov, specter, OGPU –, Gerasimov, “ alarmism, Shoigu, George Hall, Russia Dara Massicot, Tweeting, Massicot, ” Rybar, upbraided, viscerally, Putin Organizations: CNN, Ukraine –, Southern Military District, Arms Army, Kremlin Press, Major, Institute for, Ukrainian, of Defense, Kremlin, Russia’s Aerospace Forces, State, Defense, Defense Ministry, Senior, Ministry of Defense, Surovik, George Hall of, RAND Corporation, Russian Ministry of Defense, Russian Armed Forces Locations: Ukraine, Ukrainian, Berdyansk, Russian, Svatove, frontlines, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Senior Russian, St, Russia, Vuhledar

CNN —A senior Russian general in command of forces in occupied southern Ukraine says he was suddenly dismissed from his post after accusing Moscow’s Defense Ministry leadership of betraying his troops by not providing sufficient support. Gen. Ivan Popov was the commander of the 58th Combined Arms Army, which has been engaged in heavy fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region. He is one of the most senior officers to have taken part in the bloody Russian campaign in Ukraine. The recording was posted on the messaging app by Andrey Gurulev, a member of the Russian Parliament and former deputy commander of the Southern Military District. Another Russian commander, Gen. Sergey Surovikin, who has not been seen in public since the failed Wagner-led rebellion last month, is “resting,” a Russian lawmaker said Wednesday.

Persons: CNN —, Ivan Popov, Popov, Andrey Gurulev, ” Popov, “, Sergei Shoigu “, vilely, –, Voyenniy Osvedomitel, Oleg Tsokov, ”, Valery Gerasimov, ISW, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin’s, Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin Organizations: CNN, Moscow’s Defense Ministry, Arms Army, Telegram, Southern Military District, ”, Kremlin, Combined, Army, British Storm, 58th Combined Army, Ukrainian, Russian Defense Ministry Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia, “, Berdyansk, Washington, Zaporizhia –

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