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☆ Blizzard China: Millions of players lose access to 'World of Warcraft' and other games as it goes dark
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Hong Kong CNN —Millions of players in China have lost access to the iconic “World of Warcraft” franchise and other popular video games, as Blizzard Entertainment’s servers in the country went offline after two decades. That was underscored in recent days, as Chinese fans expressed their disbelief over the loss of their longtime pastime in social media posts. Those deals had covered the publication of several popular Blizzard titles in mainland China, including “World of Warcraft,” “Hearthstone,” and “Diablo III,” since 2008. In a LinkedIn post Monday, Simon Zhu, president of global investments and partnerships of NetEase Games, detailed how he grew up with Blizzard games in China, including older “Warcraft” and “Diablo” titles. “Only [a] few hours before Blizzard Games servers shut down in China, and that is a very very big deal for players in China,” he wrote.

☆ Archaeologists found 38 skeletons in a 7,000-year-old mass grave. All but one had been decapitated.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyArchaeologists have discovered a 7,000-year-old mass grave in Slovakia containing 38 skeletons, with all but one decapitated. A ditch, where the mass grave was found, ran around the village over the length of approximately a mile. An unexpected discoveryA picture shows the mass grave found in Vráble-Ve`lke Lehemby in Slovakia. Prof. Dr. Martin Furholt, Institute for Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology/Kiel UniversityThese weren't the first headless bodies found in the ditch. That's why the discovery of such a huge mass of headless bodies came as a complete surprise, Fuchs said.

☆ College professors are considering creative ways to stop students from using AI to cheat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Some professors say students are using new tech to pass off AI-generated content as their own. Some professors say students are using OpenAI's buzzy chatbot, ChatGPT, to pass off AI-generated content as their own. The issue has led to professors considering creative ways to stamp out the use of AI in colleges. Blue books and oral exams"I'm perplexed about how to handle AI going forward," Aumann told Insider. Bartel agreed that students could get away with using AI very easily.

☆ Italy’s Friuli region is one of Europe’s best kept secrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Silvia Marchetti | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

With 13 natural reserves and the pristine park of the Friuli Dolomite Mountains, the region lures tourists seeking to connect with nature or explore the outdoors. There’s also the spellbinding Grotta Gigante, or Giant Cave, one of the world’s largest tourist caverns. Golden beachesThe Grotta Gigante is one of the world's largest tourist caverns. Trieste boasts an unusual segregated beach, with origins dating back several centuries. “Residents are very fond and proud of this place,” says Trieste local Maria Bonacci.

☆ The Middle Ages Were Cleaner Than We Think
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Eleanor Janega | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

For women, in particular, cleanliness was one of the very highest virtues. The daily wash usually involved collecting water in a ewer, heating it, then pouring it into a large basin to be used for scrubbing. Baths in a wooden tub would happen less often, given it was a world without plumbing. Water is heavy, and collecting it, heating it, and then getting it from the kettle into the bathtub was difficult. Baths also required space, which was at a premium in most households.

☆ Britain, Japan to sign defence pact during PM Kishida visit to London
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Alistair Smout | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Kishida and Sunak will sign the reciprocal access defence agreement, agreed in principle last May, a month after the two countries teamed up with Italy on a new fighter jet programme. The visit and agreement form part of Britain's Indo-Pacific tilt in foreign policy strategy as it builds security and trade ties in the region. Sunak and Kishida are also expected to discuss trade and Britain's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Sunak will meet Kishida at the Tower of London, a medieval fortress and one-time prison which houses the Crown Jewels and other treasures. The leaders will see some Japanese armour, which was presented to King James in 1613 by Shogun Tokugawa to mark the first trade agreement between England and Japan.

☆ Funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict seals a contradictory legacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Donna B. Doucette | Donna B. Doucette Has Been The Executive Director Of Voice Of The Faithful Since She Also Serves On The Leadership Team Of The Association Of U.S. Catholic Priests. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

It’s as if Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who is being laid to rest Thursday in Vatican City, has two legacies instead of one. Despite this promise and the potential for transparency, Benedict continued the church’s centuries-old preference for handling abuse cases privately. Benedict, for example, was the first pope to acknowledge the crimes of clergy sexual abuse and attempt to make amends institutionally. We quickly grew to a worldwide presence as the scope of the clergy abuse problem became apparent. Perhaps, using the contradictions and collisions of Benedict’s work, the Spirit has set in motion the 21st century path of the Catholic Church, which Pope Francis is calling us to embrace: synodality.

☆ Does Anyone Want to Come to My Book Signing? Please!
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Chris Kornelis | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Years after she started writing her debut novel, Chelsea Banning settled into Pretty Good Books in Ashtabula, Ohio, on a Saturday in early December for her first author signing. She waited with neatly stacked paperback copies of her book, “Of Crowns and Legends”—which she calls a King Arthur reimagining that takes place 20 years after his death. She had props, including a crown, a little statue of a knight kneeling and holding a pen, and pictures of friends dressed as her characters, in medieval garb.

☆ When Does Life Begin?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Elizabeth Dias | Bethany Mollenkof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

“It is not black and white.”America’s fight over abortion has long circled a question, one that is broad and without consensus:When does life begin? The question of when life begins has been so politicized it can be hard to thoughtfully engage. Ancient Egypt gave the power to create new human life almost entirely to men. The scientific revolution, from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution to reproductive science, disrupted centuries of thought on human life. “When does the responsibility for a life begin and end?”

Sharon Osbourne was hospitalized Friday evening in California following "an unspecified medical emergency," according to the Santa Paula Police Department. The medical emergency was "non-life threatening," a source familiar with the matter told NBC News. “I am with you,” Osbourne tweeted in support of Morgan following the interview. Osbourne also recently spoke out about the new Harry & Meghan docuseries while on Morgan's Talk TV show, "Piers Morgan Uncensored." “I was totally bored by the whining, the whining, the whining."

Since the early days of the invasion, Mr. Putin has conceded, privately, that the war has not gone as planned. “I think he is sincerely willing” to compromise with Russia, Mr. Putin said of Mr. Zelensky in 2019. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. To join in Mr. Putin’s war, he has recruited prisoners, trashed the Russian military and competed with it for weapons. “I think this war is Putin’s grave.” Yevgeny Nuzhin, 55, a Russian prisoner of war held by Ukraine, in October.

☆ Medieval-inspired communal bakery aims to help with cost-of-living crisis
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Her solution is "The People's Oven", a monthly event where locals can come to the bakery she set up six months ago in a former warehouse near a canal in Hackney. In an area where artist and design studios in old industrial buildings rub shoulders with newly-built apartment blocks, the bakery, "Hearth", has a hipster vibe. "I came here for like the experience, also to make friends and kind of seek out a community in east London," Ren said. "For sure to help people to save some money, but also to create a sort of community in the area." Reporting by Aiden Nulty and Ben Makori; Writing by Sarah Young; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Found Norway shipwreck could be up to 700 years old
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Resting at the bottom of Mjøsa, the largest lake in Norway, a shipwreck from hundreds of years ago is in almost perfect condition, frozen in time. The lake is a source of drinking water for about 100,000 people in Norway, according to the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, so the munitions posed health risks. Since the shipwreck was found in the middle of the lake, Ødegård believed the ship had gone down in bad weather. It’s most likely that the ship used square-shaped sails, he added, that proved to be difficult to navigate for seafarers caught in extremely windy conditions. The nearly 2,200-year-old shipwreck was relatively well preserved for being thousands of years old.

☆ Harry and Meghan: the rebel royals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Weeks later, the prince takes Meghan, whose father is white and mother African-American, on a romantic holiday to Botswana. October: Harry and Meghan announce she is expecting their first child while in Australia on their first overseas tour. 2019:March: Buckingham Palace announces Harry and Meghan will set up their own household, breaking from the operation they shared with his elder brother Prince William and his wife Kate. Harry and Meghan return to Britain for celebrations to mark Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne. September: Harry and Meghan are in Britain when Queen Elizabeth dies.

☆ Dig at U.K. housing site yields major 7th century treasures
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Experts say the necklace, uncovered with other items near Northampton in central England, is part of the most significant early medieval burial of a woman ever found in the U.K. But scientists say her long-buried trove will shed new light on life in 7th century England, a time when Christianity was battling with paganism for people’s allegiance. On one of the last days of the 10-week dig, site supervisor Levente-Bence Balázs noticed something glinting in the dirt. It is adorned with tiny, astonishingly well-preserved likenesses of human heads with blue glass eyes, who may represent Christ’s apostles. Once archaeologists have finished their work, the plan is for the items to be displayed in a local museum.

☆ Historic crown to be modified for King Charles's coronation
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] An undated handout photo, issued by Buckingham Palace on December 3, 2022, shows the Imperial State Crown which will be worn by Britain's King Charles on his coronation day on May 6, 2023. The crown, which usually forms part of the Crown Jewels on display at the Tower, has been used since the coronation of King Charles II in 1661 after the monarchy was restored following the 10-year republic of Oliver Cromwell. The St Edward's Crown replaced a medieval version, thought to have dated back to the 11th Century reign of Edward the Confessor which was melted down in 1649. Charles III will be crowned with St Edward's Crown during the solemn ceremony to be held at London's Westminster Abbey on May 6, just as his late mother Queen Elizabeth II was in 1953. The St Edward's Crown, made up of a solid gold frame set with rubies, amethysts, sapphires, garnet, topazes and tourmalines, follows its original medieval forebear in having four crosses-pattée and four fleurs-de-lis.

☆ The real reason Americans call it 'soccer' is all England's fault
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Tony Manfred | Alan Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The word "soccer" comes from the use of the term "association football" in Britain, and goes back 200 years. "Association football" became "soccer." "Association football" became "soccer" in America, and what was called "gridiron" in Britain became simply "football" in America. Photo by Getty ImagesThe interesting thing here is that Brits still used "soccer" regularly for a huge chunk of the 20th century. Most British people stopped saying "soccer" because of its American connotations, however, UK broadcaster Sky Sports still used it to brand wildly-popular TV shows "Soccer Saturday" and "Soccer A.M."So, no, it's not wrong to call it "soccer" if you're American.

☆ Of course audiobooks count as reading
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Judi Ketteler | Judi Ketteler Frequently Writes About Self-Awareness. She Is The Author Of | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

This year, I joined nearly 6.5 million other people and set a reading challenge via Goodreads. I love to read, but these days by evening — the time of day I’ve always allotted for reading — I’m falling asleep. Not only is this argument insufferable, made — and I’m just guessing — by insufferable people, it’s also the worst kind of ableism. Either way, listening and reading both engage audiences in the same act of absorbing a story. This idea that listening to books is cheating still circulates, especially when people share their reading lists and brag about their reading challenges — which is when “counting” takes on an even more literal meaning.

☆ Prague Christmas market returns after COVID but with fewer lights
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A Christmas tree is illuminated as the traditional Christmas market opens at the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, November 26, 2022. REUTERS/David W CernyPRAGUE, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Thousands of people poured into Prague's medieval Old Town Square at the weekend for the lighting of a 25-metre (80-foot) Christmas tree and the reopening of the annual market after a two-year COVID-19 shutdown, but the energy crisis meant fewer lights than usual. The city has decided to not turn the lights on all day long as in the past but only from 4 p.m. until midnight. "We don't want to take away from people the festive atmosphere of Christmas and New Year ... but we are aware that energy should not be wasted." Reporting by Jiri Skacel Writing by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

When the United States' national men's team faces England at the Qatar World Cup later on Friday, one thing will be missing: medieval knights. Soccer’s governing body FIFA has told English soccer fans to ditch imitation chain mail, shields and swords or miss the game, according to the Times of London. England fans have worn similar outfits at previous tournaments while watching other sports. Press photos and social media footage show that England fans wearing Crusader gear were allowed into the stadium to watch their team's match against Iran. "As soon as you know anything about crusading history, you know it would produce a reaction like this in the Islamic world," he said.

☆ Qatar World Cup bans English soccer fans from dressing as medieval Crusaders
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Patrick Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

England fans pose for a picture with English footballer Trevor Sinclair at 4TheFans Fan Park ahead of the match. When the United States' national men's team faces England at the Qatar World Cup later on Friday, one thing will be missing: medieval knights. Soccer's governing body FIFA has told English soccer fans to ditch imitation chain mail, shields and swords or miss the game, according to the Times of London. England fans have worn similar outfits at previous tournaments while watching other sports. Press photos and social media footage show that England fans wearing Crusader gear were allowed into the stadium to watch their team's match against Iran.

This time round, Charles III hosted the first state visit of his reign and welcomed South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to the UK. The South African state visit was Charles’s first big diplomatic test. But this week, the prominence of the Prince and Princess of Wales during the state visit indicated that the couple have been elevated into crucial central roles. PHOTOS OF THE WEEKHere’s a few of our favorite shots from the first state visit King Charles hosted as monarch. Stefan Rousseau/WPA Pool/Getty ImagesThe state visit also allowed UK PM Rishi Sunak the opportunity to welcome Ramaphosa to 10 Downing Street for a bilateral meeting.

☆ Black Friday faces green backlash in Belgium
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jakob Van Calster | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That?s why today - on Black Friday - we are closed and we are giving nature a hand." REUTERS/Christian LevauxGHENT, Belgium, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Black Friday deals have prompted a backlash in Belgium where some businesses rejected promotions and chose to close for the day or even offered to repair used clothes for free. At the Xandres clothing store, in the Flemish city of Ghent, a sign on the window read "Green Friday - closed on November 25 - get your clothes repaired for free". On Friday company staff were fixing customers' clothes at the company's headquarters. In coming days, customers can collect their repaired clothing at the company's stores.

☆ England soccer fans have been warned not to dress up as medieval Christian crusaders in Qatar, the first Islamic country to host the World Cup, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

England fans have been banned from dressing up as Christian crusaders at World Cup matches. It has been ruled that fans outfitted as crusader knights, including chain mail and carrying plastic swords, is "offensive" to Muslims, The Times reports. The Times reports that two English fans dressed as crusaders were turned away from the England game against Iran on Monday. The announcement came hours before England plays the USA at the 60,000-seater Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, north of Doha, at 2 p.m EST. Dressing as a medieval knight sporting the flag of St George has become popular among football fans attending England games in recent years.

☆ Inside a $2.5 million Michigan castle that harkens back to medieval Europe with its secret passageways, wooden drawbridge, and wine cellar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Robert Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The LeBlanc Castle is a custom 10,000-square-foot property about 30 minutes north of Detroit. The castle, set on more than 6 acres, has been on the market for three months asking $2.5 million. To this day, he has not spent a single night at the five-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion a 30-minute drive north of Detroit known to locals as The LeBlanc Castle. It harkens back to the 15th-century Scottish medieval era with its secret passageways, wooden drawbridge, and other classical features like a moat. Since taking possession of the castle, Gatecliff said he has updated several pieces of the home's infrastructure.

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