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☆ France and EU to spend $215 million shoring up struggling wine producers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Joshua Berlinger | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Paris CNN —The French government and the European Union will spend 200 million euros ($215 million) to help the country’s wine producers, who are struggling to cope with falling prices and waning demand. High demand for the voluntary buyback program, which was announced in June, prompted authorities to stretch its budget to $200 million, the Agriculture Ministry said in a statement Friday. France was, as of 2020, the world’s second-biggest wine producer and its biggest wine exporter. EU wine exports from January to April this year are also 8.5% lower than last. The French government is also encouraging wine growers to look to alternative crops to cope with climate change and changing market forces.

Persons: rosés Organizations: Paris CNN, European Union, French Ministry of Agriculture, distillers, Agriculture Ministry Locations: France, Europe, EU, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal

☆ I'm PinkyDoll, the most popular NPC creator on TikTok. I don't care about the haters — they're just jealous I'm making money and they're not.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Fortesa Latifi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Mm, ice cream so good, yes yes yes. I first made my account last summer, and I started doing the NPC TikTok trend by accident a few months ago. I spend about six hours a day doing livestreams and making content. My other videos bring in a little income, but nowhere near as much as my NPC livestreams. I know what it's like to grow up with nothing, and I'm going to make sure he doesn't.

Persons: PinkyDoll, Sinon, livestreaming, They're, I'm, Timbaland, Haters, they're, It's, —, who's Organizations: Service, Fashion, Nova Locations: Wall, Silicon, Montreal, Québec, TikTok

Pheu Thai's Srettha Thavisin attends a press conference, after Thailand's parliament voted in favour of his prime ministerial candidacy, in Bangkok, Thailand August 22, 2023. "The picture is not all wine and roses," Thailand's central bank chief Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput said in recorded remarks played on Wednesday. Tourism, a major driver of the Thai economy, has managed a robust recovery, although arrivals and tourist spending are still below pre-pandemic levels, data shows. $96 BLN BUDGETIn this first address since winning office, Srettha on Wednesday vowed to provide solutions to fix Thailand's economy, among other measures, and manage the budget transparently. But its ability to execute will depend on the military backers that Pheu Thai has allied with to be able to form a government.

Persons: Pheu, Srettha Thavisin, Chalinee, Sethaput Suthiwartnarueput, Kobsidthi Silpachai, Srettha, Goldman Sachs, Poon Panichpibool, Sanan Angubolkul, Orathai Sriring, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Tourism, Krung Thai Bank, Thai Chamber of Commerce, Thomson Locations: Bangkok, Thailand, Rights BANGKOK, Asia's, China, Thai

☆ I'm PinkyDoll, the most popular NPC creator on TikTok. I don't care about the haters — what's important is my son is going to have a beautiful life.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Fortesa Latifi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

☆ Get Close: 10 Gems From the Pretenders
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Dear listeners,On Wednesday night, I was one of approximately 600 sardines crammed into Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom for a very special concert. We were packed so tightly, I couldn’t move an inch; even clapping felt like a precarious use of my elbows. Did I mention it is August, in New York, and the humidity has been hovering around 75 percent for days? Because we were there, in an impossibly small club, seeing the rock legends the Pretenders. The night before, Chrissie Hynde and company had played for a crowd roughly 100 times larger, opening for Guns N’ Roses at MetLife Stadium.

Persons: Chrissie Hynde, ”, Hynde, that’s, repping Organizations: MetLife Locations: New York, Washington ,, Asbury Park, N.J, Ohio

☆ I'm entering my last year of college. Here's what I wish I knew as an incoming freshman.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Moses Jeanfrancois | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

I'm entering my senior year of college, and I wish I knew some things as a freshman. I now think back to the version of me three years ago entering college as a freshman at a different school — confused about what this new life would be like. As I enter my senior year, here's what I wish I knew as an incoming freshman. I learned that a lot of college was having to take classes just to fulfill requirements. Like a lot in life, making friends in college is hard but not impossible.

Persons: It's, I've, I'm, Mona Lisa Smile, I'd Organizations: Service, The New School Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ In London, a Summer Dinner With Roses on Every Surface
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Lauren Joseph | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Charlotte and Angus Buchanan, both 37, bought their home in northwest London’s Harlesden neighborhood in 2019, the garden was so overgrown they “could hardly see the end of it,” Charlotte recalled recently. The couple, who met in their teens, began dating in their 20s and started their design business, Buchanan Studio, in 2018. “We design restaurants, which has led to the kitchen being the way it is,” explained Angus of the professional-grade barbecue setup. In addition to restaurants, furniture, fabrics and brand identity projects, Buchanan Studio produces a few over-the-top events each year. After staging a four-day celebrity wedding, making dinner for a crowd at home feels relatively easy.

Persons: Angus Buchanan, ” Charlotte, Charlotte, Angus, ” Organizations: Buchanan Locations: Charlotte, London’s Harlesden

☆ The royal residence you might soon be able to rent
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A version of this story appeared in the August 11 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. London CNN —Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle or Balmoral might be the first places that come to mind when you think of British royal family homes. Therefore, it is likely the royal lodging will also be let out commercially. It’s where the then-prince retreated after his father, Prince Philip, died in 2021, according to British media reports at the time. The wider Carmarthenshire area has stunning castles, plush gardens, Wales’ largest beach and market towns full of local produce.

Persons: King Charles III’s, Llwynywermod, King, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Prince Philip, ” Charles, William Williams, Queen Anne Boleyn, Mark Bauer, Albertine Organizations: CNN’s Royal, London CNN, British, It’s, BBC, Brecon Beacons, Universal Locations: London, Buckingham, Windsor Castle, Balmoral, Brecon, Welsh, Carmarthenshire, Llwynywermod, Duchy, Cornwall, Wales, –, Cockit, Myddfai

CNN —The director of Rome’s Colosseum has called for an end to concerts at the nearby Circus Maximus, after a performance by US rapper Travis Scott on Monday sparked fears of an earthquake. Italy’s fire service confirmed to CNN that it received “hundreds of calls” from concerned residents who feared there had been an earthquake in the Italian capital. Now, Alfonsina Russo, director of the head of the Colosseum Archeological Park, has called for an end to performances at the Circus Maximus, the ancient Roman chariot-racing and entertainment venue. “The Circus Maximus is a monument. “Rock concerts should be held in stadiums so as not to endanger public safety.”The Circus Maximus, situated at the bottom of the Palatine Hill near the Colosseum, has become a popular concert venue in recent years.

Persons: Maximus, Travis Scott, ”, Scott, Kanye, Alfonsina Russo, Russo, Bruce Springsteen, Scott’s Organizations: CNN Locations: Rome, Italian, Palatine, ”, Giza, Egypt, Houston

☆ More Plants, More Life, More Pleasure: What Sets the Best Gardens Apart
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Margaret Roach | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Changing Your Mind-SetAlthough many people worry that having a more ecologically responsible landscape means letting go of cherished plants — their peonies, perhaps, or roses — Ms. West and Mr. Rainer are quick to clarify. “It’s about letting things in,” Mr. Rainer said. Especially flowering plants — a win for people of all ages, and for wildlife. “Imagine your site being initially 100 percent covered in planting, at 18 to 24 inches tall,” Mr. Rainer suggested. “And then you go in and mow through the spaces you want — the paths, the terraces, everything else.”

Persons: Rainer, ” Mr, Mr, ” Locations: mow

☆ Was That an Earthquake in Rome? No, It Was a Travis Scott Concert.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Elisabetta Povoledo | More About Elisabetta Povoledo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When Travis Scott asked Rome to make some noise at the Circus Maximus on Monday, Rome cheerfully complied. The 60,000-odd spectators jumped so vigorously that some locals panicked, thinking that an earthquake was underway. The concert coincided with the release of Mr. Scott’s chart-topping new album, “Utopia. The show in Rome marked Ye’s first concert appearance after a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and in interviews last year led to his expulsion from social media for a time and the loss of fashion design partnerships. Romans, including those living some distance from the site, took to social media to lament shaking windows, beds and chandeliers.

Persons: Travis Scott, Rome, Maximus, Julius Caesar, Ye, Ye’s, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen Organizations: Kanye Locations: Rome

☆ The Fight Over the Dune Shacks of Cape Cod: No Power, No Water — but Eugene O’Neill Was Here
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Jenna Russell | More About Jenna Russell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Among those inspired by the solitude and natural wonder they found there were the playwrights Eugene O’Neill and Tennessee Williams, painters Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock, novelists Jack Kerouac and Norman Mailer and poets E.E. “A grand place to be alone and undisturbed,” O’Neill once said of his hideaway there. “I’m ashamed that the Park Service would try to capitalize on it, without realizing the point of the shacks was to get away from civilization, from capitalism.”The Park Service set no limit on financial offers from bidders. The structures’ use must be private and residential, not commercial; modern upgrades are not allowed, and lease holders will bear the full costs of their upkeep. The agency declined to say how many bids were submitted by the July deadline, or when it will notify the winners.

Persons: Eugene O’Neill, Tennessee Williams, Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, E.E . Cummings, Mary Oliver, “, O’Neill, ”, Salvatore Del Deo, John F, Kennedy Organizations: Service, Coast Guard

☆ Yushi Li’s dream-like photo challenges notions of the male gaze
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Stephy Chung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Despite Chinese photographer Yushi Li’s gentle staging, her title for the photograph, “The Smothering Dream,” suggests something more sinister is at play. Although a canon of male nudes does exist, it largely comprises images shot by gay male photographers. When Li began the series in 2017, she noticed a lack of images depicting naked men as objects of desire from a woman’s perspective. She brings these ideas into “Paintings, Dreams and Love,” an ongoing project to which “The Smothering Dream” belongs. “There’s also the gaze from the algorithm, and the gaze from the screen that reflects yourself when you look at it… the internet (means) we’re subjected to the gaze more, in a way.”

Persons: Yushi, Lawrence Alma, “, ”, gazes, Li, Henry Fuseli’s, Yushi Li, Titian’s, Diana, reinterpretations, There’s Organizations: CNN, Shanghai Locations: London, China’s Hunan, Swiss

☆ Surprise winners, shock losers in 32-team World Cup group stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The stunning upsets sent twice German champions packing in their first exit from the group stage in nine editions of the World Cup. Revived Norway were a big group stage winner, brushing off a turbulent two weeks to squeeze into the knockout rounds on goal difference over New Zealand. Norway's advancement sealed New Zealand's fate, despite the Football Ferns having edged the Norwegians 1-0 for their first win at a World Cup at the tournament's opening match. South Africa are not used to dominating outside their own continent and the nation erupted in celebration after the Banyana Banyana knocked out Italy, quarter-finalists four years ago, to progress with their first ever World Cup win. China's Steel Roses, once titans of women's soccer with silver medals from the 1996 Olympics and 1999 World Cup, were shock losers in the group stage, bowing out in a 6-1 thumping by England.

Persons: Deneisha Blackwood, Read, Lorne Donaldson, we'll, Anissa Lahmari, Marta, Canada's, Christine Sinclair, Sam Kerr, Matildas, Tony Gustavsson, Kailen Sheridan, Winger Caroline Graham Hansen, Hege Riise, Banyana, Cyril Ramaphosa, Shui Qingxia, Shui, Lori Ewing, Michael Perry Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, Jamaica, Brazil, Melbourne, Australia, New Zealand, Colombia, ARM, Olympic, Football Ferns, U.S, United, debutants, England, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Jamaica, Brazil, Melbourne, Australia, SYDNEY, Morocco, South Africa, Norway, Germany, Canada, China, Perth, South Korea, Brisbane, Korea, New, Eden Park, Portugal, United States, debutants Portugal, Italy, England

☆ Fact Check-Image of Nigerian opposition leader receiving book from a separatist is altered
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An image of Nigerian businessperson and author Suraj “Jarus” Oyewale presenting his book to politician Peter Obi has been edited to replace Oyewale with Biafra separatist Simon Ekpa and is misleading people online. Facebook posts also highlight that that edited image features Nigerian activist Aisha Yesufu in the background (here), (here). He is seen presenting his book, A Mat of Roses, to Obi. In a post on X, Oyewale asked his followers to ignore the edited photo (here). The image does not show Simon Ekpa presenting a book to Peter Obi.

Persons: Suraj “, Oyewale, Peter Obi, Simon Ekpa, Biafra, ”, Aisha Yesufu, Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria's, Bola Tinubu, Read Organizations: Biafra, Labour Party, Democratic Party, Reuters

☆ Shui vows to revive China as Steel Roses wilt on global stage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But coach Shui Qingxia is unlikely to meet the same fate as her predecessor, Jia Xiuquan, who left his post after the Olympic exit. A victory at last year's Women's Asian Cup should be enough to earn the 56-year-old former midfielder a reprieve. But Wang Shuang, the darling of the Steel Roses squad, surprised fans in China by saying her team's elimination in the group phase was "not necessarily a bad thing". "It allows us all to see the gap between us and premier league teams, the teams in the U.S.," the 28-year-old Racing Louisville forward said. Reporting by Michael Church, additional reporting by Martin Quin Pollard in Beijing, Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shui Qingxia, Hannah Mckay ADELAIDE, Sarina Wiegman, England's, Jia Xiuquan, Shui, Wang Shuang, Michael Church, Martin Quin Pollard, Robert Birsel Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, England, Hindmarsh, World, Olympic, Asian Games, Olympics, Steel Roses, Racing Louisville, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, China, Adelaide, Australia, Netherlands, United States, India, Denmark, England, Paris, Europe, U.S, Racing, Beijing

☆ China spy agency’s social media debut calls for ‘all members of society’ to combat espionage
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Ministry of State Security oversees intelligence and counterintelligence both within China and overseas. Titled “Countering espionage requires the mobilization of all members of society,” the ministry said national security bodies should keep reporting channels, such as hotlines and online platforms, open to handle reports of suspected espionage within China in a timely manner. But those efforts have gathered pace under Xi Jinping, China’s most assertive and authoritarian leader in a generation who has made state security his top priority. Previous anti-spying driveThere have been multiple previous calls by China for the public to look for potential spies. In June last year, China announced “material rewards” of up to and above 100,000 yuan ($15,000) for tip-offs about people who endanger national security.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Xi Jinping, Greg Baker, Xiao Li, Li –, David Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, of State Security, CIA, FBI, Group, Bain & Company, Astellas Pharma, Getty Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, American, Shanghai, Japan, AFP

☆ She bought an airplane ticket she thought was a scam. Then her future husband was on board
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Like Martina, Leslie was skeptical – the price seemed too good to be true. There was a seat next to Martina, but Leslie didn’t want to overstep any boundaries by inviting himself to sit there. Martina Johnson and Leslie JohnsonOver the next week, Martina and Leslie enjoyed their respective adventures in and around Nairobi. Leslie JohnsonA few days later, once Martina and Leslie were both home in the US, Martina sent him a text. Around a year and a half after their airplane meeting, in December 2016, Leslie and Martina traveled to London together.

Persons: Martina Jones, Martina, “, ”, Leslie Johnson, Leslie, who’d, They’d, Leslie –, –, he’d, ” Leslie, He’d, Martina Jones Johnson, Leslie didn’t, nudging Martina, Martina Johnson, ’ ” Leslie, fretting Leslie, she’d, Martina's, DeRonn Kidd, Leslie texted, She’d, they’d, ” Martina, Daniel Johnson, Will, Holly, Leslie’s Organizations: CNN, Washington D.C, CNN Travel, Schiphol Airport, Familia, Newark Airport, San, Leslie Johnson Travel, Martina, Black Locations: Washington, New York City, Nairobi, Kenya, London, South Korea, Southeast Asia, New Jersey, Hudson, Amsterdam, Barcelona, he’d, ”, African, Midtown, Newark, Ohio, Michigan, San Francisco, Delaware, Costa Rica, Maldives, “ London, Columbus , Ohio

☆ How to watch the USWNT’s crucial Women’s World Cup game against Portugal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The US Women’s National Team (USWNT) will be looking to book its place in the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup against Portugal on Tuesday. The team’s final group stage game takes place at Eden Park in Auckland, New Zealand, and kicks off at 3 a.m. Eastern Time (7 p.m. local time). You can also stream matches by signing in with your TV provider at foxsports.com or on the Fox Sports app. “When you’re at the top, you’re always looking to get better,” US forward Megan Rapinoe said ahead of the final group stage game. The Oranje will come up against tournament debutant Vietnam which is still waiting for its first goal at the Women’s World Cup.

Persons: Lindsey Horan’s, you’re, Megan Rapinoe Organizations: CNN, US Women’s National, Portugal, Fox, Fox Sports, Telemundo, Peacock, Seven Network, Optus Sport, BBC, ITV, FIFA, Vietnam, Steel, Haiti, England Locations: Eden, Auckland , New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Vietnam, Portugal, Vietnam Vietnam, China, Denmark, Haiti, England, Danes

☆ Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Rey and more celebs are popping up in surprising spaces
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

So why are stars with the means to hide away suddenly out and about in unexpected public places? Something to sip on…David Letterman visits a Hy-Vee store in Iowa on Friday, July 21, 2023. From Hy-VeeDavid Letterman could totally have been forgiven for visiting Des Moines, Iowa, recently and staying in his hotel room. Instead, the former late-night host was bagging groceries at a Hy-Vee grocery store and using his famous voice on the store’s PA system. “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan has recruited some heavy hitters for his action thriller series “Special Ops: Lioness,” about a special forces unit led by a tougher-than-nails CIA operative named Joe played by Zoe Saldaña.

Persons: Keyser, ”, David Letterman, Vee David Letterman, Letterman, Rahal Letterman Lanigan, Lana Del Ray, “, Ed Sheeran, Symoné, Rodin Eckenroth, Miranda Maday, Keke Palmer, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mike Pont, Carly Rae Jepsen’s, it’s, Jepsen, “ It’s, “ There’s, Can’t, … Zoe Saldana, Joe, Greg Lewis, Taylor Sheridan, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman Organizations: CNN, Hy, Vee, Waffle, Air & Space Museum, Getty, Paramount, Yellowstone Locations: Iowa, Des Moines , Iowa, ”, Alabama, Nashville, Los Angeles , California, America, New York City

☆ China was once a women’s soccer superpower. This year’s World Cup is a first step in reclaiming that status
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Simone Mccarthy Andrew Mcnicol Candice Zhu Cnn | Simone Mccarthy | Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The rapid development of women’s soccer programs across Europe and the Americas has fielded a new generation of powerful teams-to-beat. I hope through these matches, we can form a clearer picture of the current position of Chinese women’s soccer,” she told state media earlier this month. China scores against New Zealand during a group match at the 1991 Women's World Cup in Guangzhou. That’s even as more than thirty years ago, when China hosted the first ever-women’s World Cup in its southeastern Guangdong province. But as norms change, seeing China’s women’s team competing on the world stage at events like the World Cup would also “inspire girls” to play, Peng added.

Persons: Shui, ”, Xiao Yuyi, Rajanish, Xi, –, China's Zhang Ouying, Carla Overbeck, Vincent Laforet, Wang Shuang, Germain, Zhang Linyan, Chan Yuen Ting, Chen guo, Chan, Denmark’s Amalie Vangsgaard, Zhang, they’d, China's, Gary Day, William Bi, “, it’s, Qi Peng, China’s, Peng Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, AFC Asian, womens, FIFA, Americas, Roses, Denmark, Haiti, AFC, Asian, America, Rose Bowl, Veterans, Paris Saint, Swiss, Grasshopper Club, League, Jiangsu, CNN, New Zealand, Sports, AP Soccer, Xi, Sport Management, Manchester Metropolitan University, “ Locations: Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, United States, Europe, China, England, South Korea, Mumbai, India, Pasadena , California, France, “, Guangzhou, Guangdong, Beijing

☆ TikTok NPC streams are the latest viral trend. Here's a break down of the bizarre — and lucrative — craze.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Will Gendron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new TikTok trend has creators acting like non-playable, video game characters — or NPCs. NPC streams can be lucrative, as viewers gift creators to control their actions. It started out with a combination of words that seems a little baffling: "Mmm ice cream so good, mmm ice cream so good, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," Pinkydoll, a content creator, said during a TikTok livestream. "Yes, yes, yes, gang, gang." While her phrase "yes, yes, yes" is a response to a virtual rose.

Persons: Pinkydoll, —, Sinon, Hayley DeRoche, there's Organizations: Morning, Twitter, Creators, New York Times, Guardian

☆ How PinkyDoll Mesmerized the Internet With ‘Ice Cream So Good’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Madison Malone Kircher | More About Madison Malone Kircher | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If you watch a livestream video hosted by the TikTok creator PinkyDoll, it won’t be long before you hear her say, “Ice cream so good.”She will say those words again and again, her tongue hanging out as she noisily pretends to lick a cone. In a typical performance, Ms. Sinon, who is 27 and lives in Montreal, stares into the camera lens while delivering a set of canned phrases. As she streams, viewers send her digital gifts in the form of cartoon items like roses, dinosaurs and ice cream cones. Each item translates to a cash payment for Ms. Sinon. The gifts float onto the screen and Ms. Sinon reacts to each one with the same cartoonish mannerisms.

Persons: PinkyDoll, Sinon Locations: Montreal

☆ My Impossible Mission to Find Tom Cruise
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Caity Weaver | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

These were Keston Park’s problems — not mine and probably not Tom Cruise’s. Tom Cruise, as he and I both now knew, was most likely secretly living at another estate I had turned up in my research — one that was even closer to the airport. Tom Cruise would be crazy not to live here, I thought as I stroked the soft, sun-warmed mane of a little white donkey. Except, upon my arrival at the end of an idyllic woodland stroll, I discovered that Cruise did not live there either. I righted the gnome and ambled on, in search of another public footpath that would, I hoped, lead me to where Cruise actually lived.

Persons: Cruise, Tom Cruise’s, Tom Cruise Organizations: Mushroom Locations: Biggin Hill, Keston, Bromley, —, Biggin

This is how Komsomolskaya School Number 1 is marking the opening of a new school desk, a so-called “hero desk” emblazoned with the face and biography of one of Russia’s war dead, once a pupil at this very school. The desks are part of a pan-Russian initiative called the “New School Project” and are funded by “United Russia,” a staunchly pro-Putin party. As of early May, United Russia said there were more than 14,000 desks in 9,000 schools across the country. Local news reports suggest some schools use the desks to reward good behavior or good grades. The desks across the country are standardized: green, with military photographs, a biography, medals awarded (often posthumously) and the soldier’s date of death.

Persons: It’s, ”, Gennady Alexandrovich Pavlov, Chuvashia, Gennady Pavlov, Russia’s, Daniil Ken, ” Ken, Sergei Shoigu, Ken, Alena Arshinova, Olga, Sergey Kravtsov, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, there’s, “, ‘, Tatyana Chervenko, Chervenko, Mikhail Stepanov, ’, Stepanov, Wagner, “ Artyomovsk Organizations: CNN, New, “ United, Putin, Teachers ’ Alliance, Russian Ministry of Defense, State Duma, United, Kyiv, Russian, Russia’s Security, Novosti, Ministry Locations: Russian, Chuvashia, Russia, “ United Russia, United Russia, Ukraine, Hostomel, Kyiv, United States, State, St . Petersburg, Simferopol, Crimea, “, Leningrad, ”, Moscow, Virginia, Khabarovsk, Russia’s, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

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