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☆ 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

☆ How to watch the Draconid meteor shower
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-07 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Keep your eyes on the night skies to see the elusive Draconid meteor shower, expected to peak Monday evening into early Tuesday. However, the Draconid meteor shower is on the sparse side. A meteor streaks across the sky during the Draconid meteor shower as seen over Howick rocks in Northumberland in northeast England in October 2021. If you live in an urban area, you might want to take a drive to avoid city lights, which can make the meteor shower seem faint. Meanwhile, sky-gazers can anticipate a busy meteor shower season to close out 2024.

Persons: Michel Giacobini, Owen Humphreys, Zinner, Ridley Scott's, Darrin Zammit Lupi Organizations: CNN, PA, Meteor, Southern Hemisphere, NASA, Reuters, American Meteor Society, Taurids Locations: Howick, Northumberland, England, Fort Ricasoli, Kalkara, Malta

☆ Tiny Sprouts Spotted at the Stump of the Fallen Sycamore Gap Tree
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-01 | by ( Amelia Nierenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

On a fine, bright morning last Friday, just like so many other fine, bright mornings, Gary Pickles took a walk. Mr. Pickles, a ranger who works at Northumberland National Park in England, just south of the Scottish border, was inspecting a route that wends past Hadrian’s Wall, constructed by the Roman Army in the second century A.D. He walked past the cleft where the Sycamore Gap tree had famously jutted out into the landscape before it was illegally cut down last year, and he bent down to its stump. Astonishingly, improbably, there were eight shoots where the tree once stood. “It was like when you see an old friend,” Mr. Pickles, 54, said.

Persons: Gary Pickles, Pickles, ” Mr, “ Organizations: Roman Army Locations: Northumberland, England, Scottish

☆ Why do we toss coins into fountains?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —All over the world, and for centuries, people have thrown coins into fountains, wishing wells and rivers for good luck. Some fountains collect thousands, or even millions, of dollars worth of coins each year. George Rose/Getty ImagesWhere the money goesSome well-known fountains can collect thousands of dollars in coins each year. According to an NBC report from 2016, the Trevi Fountain accumulated about $1.5 million in coins that year. A spokesperson for the Mall of America in Minneapolis told CNN the fountains collect about $25,000 each year.

Persons: It’s, “, Trevi, Bill Maurer, Maurer, “ It’s, ”, Stefan Krmnicek —, —, Pen Rhys, Ganesha, George Rose, Basil E, ” Maurer Organizations: CNN, UC Irvine, University of California Irvine’s School of Social Sciences, Century Fox, University of Tuebingen, Bellagio, Casino, NBC, Trevi, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, of, Disney Parks Locations: Rome, England’s Northumberland County, England, Turkey, Rome's, Germany, East Asia, Shanghai, Oxford, Las Vegas , Nevada, New York, of America, Minneapolis, America

☆ Wheely, Uber's luxury competitor, launches in Dubai to take on the UAE's dominant player
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The company, founded by Russian-Swiss entrepreneur Anton Chirkunov, told CNBC it will offer rides in the United Arab Emirates city starting Wednesday, catering mainly to wealthy clients. "European families and entrepreneurs have been moving to Dubai in the last five years," Chirkunov told CNBC in an interview ahead of the launch. Wheely's platform is tailored more toward mass market usage, however, and Chirkunov thinks his platform has an opportunity to stand out. He compares the Wheely brand to the American Express Centurion and Platinum membership credit cards in terms of brand status. Wheely plans to expand its Middle East team and chauffeur network to over 1,000 in the next three to five years, the company told CNBC exclusively.

Persons: Shariff, Covid, Anton Chirkunov, Wheely, That's, Mercedes, Chirkunov, it's, chauffeurs, Duke of Northumberland, Covid lockdowns Organizations: Russian, CNBC, United Arab Emirates, BMW, Benz, Tesla, American Express, Mercedes, East, Companies Locations: Dubai, Swiss, Europe, London, Mayfair, City of London, Wheely, Paris

☆ A giant tsunami may have wiped out Stone Age populations in Britain 8,200 years ago, and scientists say a similar natural disaster could hit the islands again
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"The suggested population decline occurred immediately after the Storegga tsunami occurred," Patrick Sharrocks, the lead author on the paper detailing the research, told Business Insider via email. Evidence of the Storegga tsunami has been found in Norway, England, Denmark, Greenland, and Scotland, including the Shetland Islands. Yet it's coarser than the finer sand found elsewhere attributed to the Storegga waves. AdvertisementNumerical models "can reconstruct the Storegga tsunami but can never be fully representative of past events," Sharrocks said. Future British tsunamisFor years, scientists thought the Storegga tsunami was a unique event.

Persons: —, Patrick Sharrocks, aren't, Marc Guitard, Sharrocks, Dave Tappin Organizations: Service, Business, University of York, University of Leeds, Howick, British Geological Survey, BBC Locations: Norway, Europe, Howick , Northumberland, England, Denmark, Greenland, Scotland, Shetland, Howick, British, Britain

☆ Rare postage 'gem' featuring the world's first adhesive stamp to be auctioned for up to $2.5 million in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The oldest piece of mail to use a pre-paid Penny Black stamp is set to be auctioned in New York. The British Penny Black was the first-ever adhesive postage stamp. The letter cover has a sale estimate of $1.5 million to $2.5 million, per Sotheby's. AdvertisementThe oldest surviving piece of mail to use a pre-paid postage stamp is set to be auctioned at Sotheby's in New York. The document, known as "The Genesis of Philately," is one of the earliest known examples of the Penny Black stamp.

Persons: Penny, British Penny Black, —, William H, Penny Black, William Mulready, Allen Kane, Sotheby's, William Blenkinsop Jr, Blenkinsop, Blenkinsop —, Richard Austin Organizations: Service, British Penny, Gross, Smithsonian National Postal Museum, CNN Locations: New York, British, Irish, Northumberland, England, London, Dalston , Carlisle

☆ Damage to ancient Hadrian’s Wall confirmed after famous UK tree ‘deliberately felled’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —When a famous British tree was “deliberately felled” in September, pictures showed the trunk lying, horizontal, over part of Britain’s Roman-built Hadrian’s Wall. On Tuesday, Historic England – a government body that oversees preservation of ancient landmarks – confirmed part of Hadrian’s Wall where the felling took place has been damaged. The Sycamore Gap tree was widely photographed and admired prior to the felling. It also confirmed plans to work with the National Trust – a UK charity which also helps look after the site – “on a plan to repair the damage” to Hadrian’s Wall. Meanwhile, the National Trust is welcoming ideas from the public for “the future of the site and the tree” with people asked to get in touch with their suggestions.

Persons: Kevin Costner’s, Robin Hood, Hadrian’s Wall, Ian Forsyth Organizations: CNN, Getty, Historic, UNESCO, Heritage, National Trust Locations: British, Britain’s, Northumberland, England, Hadrian’s, Historic England, Roman

☆ Arctic puffins evolved into a new species six generations ago, but they might be less fit to survive, a new study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Maiya Focht | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Scientists analyzed Atlantic puffin genes and found they had been interbreeding in recent history. The hybrid group formed when two of three subspecies of Atlantic puffins began mating six generations ago, around 1910, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances. It's important to study the genetic changes happening in puffins right now so we can best plan for how to protect, "such an iconic species," Kersten said. That likely corresponds to the breakup of an ancient glacier over the Arctic, Kersten told Insider. Kersten and his colleagues hypothesize that this happened because climate change made the northern habitat unsuitable for puffins.

Persons: Annemarie Loof, Oliver Kersten, Kersten, Evie Easterbrook, they're Organizations: Service, puffin, University of Oslo Locations: Atlantic, puffins, Farne, Northumberland, UK, United Kingdom, Norway

☆ A teenage was arrested over the chopping down of a beloved 300-year-old tree along Hadrian's Wall
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The tree, which featured in "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves," was located along Hadrian's Wall. Local authorities said they believe the world-renowned Sycamore Gap Tree was deliberately felled. The tree, known as the Sycamore Gap Tree, rose to global prominence when it appeared in Kevin Costner's 1991 blockbuster movie "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". AdvertisementAdvertisementThe ‘Sycamore Gap' tree lying on the ground, along Hadrian's Wall, in northeast England in an aerial photo shared on September 28, 2023. The National Park advised visitors to avoid the area while it was being made safe and the investigation is underway.

Persons: Robin Hood :, —, we've, Kevin Costner's, John Parker Organizations: Service, Getty, Park Authority, National Trust, Arboricultural Association, Sky News, Guardian Locations: England, Northumbria, Northumberland, England’s Northumberland

☆ UK police make second arrest over Sycamore Gap tree felling
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Once Brewed, Northumberland National Park, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - British police investigating the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, a much-loved landmark in northern England whose dramatic silhouette featured in a Hollywood movie, have made a second arrest, they said on Friday. The tree was cut down overnight between Wednesday and Thursday in what police believe was a deliberate act of vandalism. Northumbria Police, who arrested a 16-year old male on Thursday, said a male in his 60s had also been arrested in connection with the incident and remains in custody. It was also known as the 'Robin Hood Tree' after featuring in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves".

Persons: Lee Smith, Hood, Robin Hood :, –, Rebecca Fenney, Menzies of, “, James Davey, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, British, Northumbria Police, Menzies of Northumbria Police, Thomson Locations: Northumberland, Park, Britain, England, Northumbria

☆ Sycamore Gap: 16-year-old boy arrested after famous tree ‘deliberately felled’
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( James Frater | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The tree - at a spot known as “Sycamore Gap” – was located on the historic UNESCO World Heritage listed Hadrian’s Wall, which was constructed around 1,900 years ago to guard the furthest northwestern frontier of the Roman Empire. The tree before it was felled. Andre Poling/ullstein bild/Getty ImagesSycamore Gap was considered one of the most photographed trees in England and was voted as English Tree of the Year in 2016. The National Trust heritage charity – which co-manages the site – said it was “shocked and saddened” by the tree’s felling. The sycamore tree, seen here in 2021, was a striking presence on the wild landscape around Hadrian's Wall.

Persons: London CNN —, Kevin Costner’s, Robin Hood, Andre Poling, ”, Andrew Poad, Kevin Taverner, Kevin Waring Organizations: London CNN, ” Police, UNESCO, Getty, National Trust, Park Authority, Police, CNN, Northumbria Police, North Locations: Northumberland, England, Roman, Hadrian's, Northumbria

☆ Britain's Sycamore Gap tree felled in 'deliberate act of vandalism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] General view of the Sycamore Gap tree that was felled, in Northumberland, Britain, September 28, 2023. REUTERS/Lee Smith Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Britain's Sycamore Gap tree, a much-loved landmark whose dramatic silhouette featured in a Hollywood movie and was photographed by tourists from around the world, was cut down overnight in what police called a "deliberate act of vandalism". It was also known as the 'Robin Hood Tree' after featuring in the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". "An investigation was immediately launched following this vandalism, and this afternoon we have arrested one suspect in connection with our enquiries." The National Trust, who look after the site alongside Northumberland National Park, said it was "shocked and desperately saddened", while local lawmaker Guy Opperman said everyone was "bereft".

Persons: Lee Smith, Hood, Robin Hood :, Kevin Waring, Guy Opperman, Opperman, Farouq Suleiman, Kylie MacLellan, William James Our Organizations: REUTERS, Police, Northumbria Police, Trust, Thomson Locations: Northumberland, Britain, England, Northumbria

☆ Camping 101: Things to know before you set out on the road
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The downside of car camping is the fact that these campgrounds are often packed to the rafters with other campers. While RV camping may seem like a recent phenomenon, it’s actually been around for more than 100 years. Among the websites that list RV campgrounds and post very useful user ratings are RVshare/Hipcamp, RV Life and Good Sam. Other than maybe car camping, it requires the least expense and equipment. The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management has set aside areas for free camping in national forests, national grasslands and BLM-managed lands.

Persons: Millennials, It’s, Pierce, Arrow, Marchi, that’s, Sam, Hemingway, glamping, Joe Yogerst, ” Organizations: CNN, Kampgrounds, Financial, Great Britain Tourism Survey, Goods, Marchi Mobile, Trail, Hollywood, Autocamp, California redwoods, Getty, U.S . Forest Service, Land Management Locations: U.S, Canada, American, Great Britain, Cavan, Germany, Patagonia, Himalayas, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe, Cape Cod, Desert, Glamping, Northumberland, England, Elena, Rio, Big Bend, McCarty, Kenai, Parks

☆ Michelin starred hotels around the world, from Italy to Vietnam
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Chris Dwyer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +24 min

Courtesy CoteArgentinian maestro Mauro Colagreco was the first ever non-French chef to earn three Michelin stars in France, at Mirazur on the famed French Riviera. Gastronomic restaurant Plénitude by chef Arnaud Donckele marked an extraordinary debut by being awarded the pinnacle of three Michelin stars just six months after opening. Since 2021, they have held three Michelin stars for their cuisine, which celebrates peerless produce from their sustainable farm just seven miles away. Lung King Heen, Four Seasons Hong KongLung King Heen was the first Chinese restaurant to hold three Michelin stars. Capella Hotels & ResortsFinally to Vietnam, where Michelin published its first ever guide in June 2023.

Persons: Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, it’s, Heiko Nieder, carne ”, Ben Benoliel, Alex Nietosvuori, Ally Thompson, Hjem, morel, Cigliutti Enrico Crippa, Piazza, Crippa, Ferran Adrià, Mauro Colagreco, Côte, Raymond Blanc, Paul Wilkinson Chef Raymond Blanc, Lady Gaga, Queen Elizabeth II, ”, ” Blanc, Luke Selby, Plénitude, Cheval Blanc, France Plénitude, Sylvie Becquet, Blanc Paris, chef Arnaud Donckele, Chopin, Maxime Frédéric –, Aled Williams, Gareth Ward, Il Ristorante Niko Romito, Ristorante Niko Romito, Niko Romito, Romito, Giacomo Amicucci, Kyle, Katina, Michel Bras, Le Saint, Martin, Château Saint, France Le Saint, Chef Jean, Luc Lefrançois, Saint, –, sommelier Vincent Arhuro, King Heen, Hong Kong Lung King Heen, Heen, who’s, Chan Yan Tak, Rome Cavalieri, Pergola, Heinz Beck, Hatta, Ushikubo, Raby Hunt, Raby Hunt's Michelin, James Close, Maria, Chef Maria, Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Germany Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Lorenz, Young, Reto, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, John D, Waku, Ghin, Tetsuya Wakuda, There’s, Tetsuya, they’re, kinome, It’s, Denmark There's, Jean Marchal, Maria Coppy, Jakob de Neergaard, iberico, Sven Wassmer, “, Lumnezia, Douglas, Koki, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Bill Bensley, Chris Dwyer Organizations: CNN, Michelin, Duomo, Capella, Rosewood, of, Notre Dame, Resorts, Dubai Michelin, Resort Dubai, Reale, peerless, ”, Le Saint, Hong, Hong Kong Lung, Seasons Hong, Rockefeller, Sands, Royal Suite, Royal, Swiss, Koki, Capella Hotels, Capella Hanoi Locations: Bangkok, Piedmont, Hanoi, Tokyo, Zurich, Switzerland, Northumberland, Hadrian's, Swedish, England, Wall, Piazza Duomo, Alba, Italy, Japan, Spanish, Capella Bangkok, Thailand, France, Mirazur, Thai, Rosewood Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Chaat, Oxfordshire, ”, Cheval Blanc Paris, of Light, City of, Powys, Wales, Bulgari, Dubai, UAE, Italy’s Abruzzo, SingleThread, California, Healdsburg, Sonoma, Toya, Le, Provence, French, Vence, Marseille, Seasons Hong Kong, Yunnan, Peking, La, Rome, Eternal, County Durham, Darlington, romaine, Berlin, Germany, Brandenburg, Young Swiss, Europe, Marina, Sands, Singapore, Australia, Shizuoka, Hokkaido, d’Angleterre, Copenhagen, Denmark, Marchal, Hibana, Capella Hanoi, Vietnam

☆ Screen to shield sacred moment of King Charles' coronation unveiled
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The three-sided screen will shield Charles when he is anointed with holy oil, consecrated in Jerusalem, on his hands, breast and head, shortly before he is crowned at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6. Buckingham Palace said it was historically regarded "as a moment between the sovereign and God" with the screen there to protect its sanctity. "Now this three-sided screen provides absolute privacy." "It is such a private, sacred moment," she told Reuters "It's a mystic moment." "It's utilising stuff that might have been used as firewood but actually we're using it for something very special," Gutfreund said.

☆ UK car production is at its weakest since 1956. And the industry is losing the EV race
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —UK car manufacturing hit a 66-year low in 2022, as the closure of two plants, a global shortage of semiconductors and the effect of Covid lockdowns in China on auto supply chains crippled output. “The relationship between the UK and the EU, especially as you electrify, is still fundamental to the success of UK car manufacturing,” he said. UK factories made a record 234,066 electric vehicles in 2022, almost a third of all UK car production. Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover, owned by India’s Tata Motors (TTM), are also positive about the prospects for electric vehicle manufacturing in the United Kingdom. “Our continued investment in our UK facilities … will herald an exciting new era of electric car production in the UK,” the company said.

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