The latest instalment of the Fast and Furious film franchise, Fast X, features up to 200 cars selected and modified for the picture, using a fund of around £5m ($6.9m), and an additional £10m to cover shipping, labour and modifications. The range of vehicles, chosen by Dennis McCarthy, US coordinator and Alex King, who discharges the same role in Europe and the UK, runs from the emblematic 1968 Dodge Charger driven by Vin Diesel’s character Dom Toretto, to an Alfa Romeo GT2000, and a beefed-up Mini Countryman. There is also a DeLorean Prototype driven by Charlize Theron's cyberterrorist, and an electric Dodge Charger Daytona Banshee SRT.
Novak Djokovic has said that after his defeat to 20-year-old Dane Holger Rune in the Italian Open quarter-finals, the long-awaited “shift of generations” has finally come to men’s tennis. The Big Three – Djokovic, Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer – have dominated the ATP Tour for nearly two decades but age and injury have begun to catch up with them. For the first time in 19 years, neither Djokovic nor the injured Nadal will play in the Rome final. The next generation of players led by world number two Carlos Alcaraz is like a breath of fresh air for the sport, Djokovic said.
Medieval historian Peter Heather and political economist John Rapley have authored a new book entitled Why Empires Fall. Examining the rise and fall of ancient Rome, the authors argue that the West needs to learn from history if they are to avoid a similar collapse. Some historians have claimed that Rome experienced an extended decline before the city fell. However, the book's authors argue instead that the Empire appeared to be in a position of economic strength when it saw its final collapse at the hands of barbarians. Warnings from the perspective of the past that the Western world needs to make the right political and financial decisions are made. The authors also discuss Britain's exit from the European Union whilst comparing it to the country's position in the Roman empire. The book concludes that if western politicians are able to learn from the past, there is still some hope of preventing a Roman-like collapse.
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy, has maintained Italy's Ukraine policy of arming Ukraine and promoting support for the country in Europe, despite its controversy among some Italians. Meloni's stance risks alienating Italy’s partners, including France, which disagree with its hardline policy on illegal migrants and have criticised her party's nationalist origins. However, it offers Meloni the opportunity to prove her political strength and consolidate domestic popularity by adopting uncompromisingly conservative policies, such as opposing the LGBT community.
A conference attended by thousands of academics, trade unionists, green lobbyists, campaigners and fellow travelers discussed how de-growth, a concept aimed at shrinking the economy deliberately, was necessary to avoid societal collapse. Many of the participants come from the EU, and Brussels, where the conference was held, is renowned for its progressive policy views. Several different tiers of "growth-sceptics" were represented at the conference: challenges to GDP as the primary gauge of a society’s success; post-growth supporters, who believe society can be just as happy with economies going up or down; and actual de-growers who want to shrink the pie on purpose. Political leaders in the EU have already recognised that the abstract concepts of growth as the root of all problems during the conference do not find easy applications in practical solutions. The decline of economies cannot be beneficial for any ill of society. Instead, the governments must look to making the economic system greener, not avoiding economic growth altogether.
The National Conservatism Conference has attracted backlash for its promotion of Western civilization principles linked to far-right beliefs. The conference, which ran for three days in Westminster attracted a variety of ministers and Conservative MPs. It was run by American group the Edmund Burke Foundation, which describes its aim as “strengthening the principles of national conservatism in Western countries,” and has links to an Israeli-based Zionist research organisation. The conference featured speeches on “biological reality,” and critiques of birth rates and the “disintegration of the family,” concerning critics for its opposition to identity politics and “radical gender ideology”. The conference’s treatment of non-whites, non-Christians and LGBTQ+ people among other groups were criticised, with counter-extremism group Hope Not Hate describing its content as featuring “far-right and populist conspiracy theories.”
14-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal is in danger of missing the tournament, according to reports. Nadal has held an astonishing 112-3 record at Roland Garros but has not played competitively since suffering an intractable hip problem during the Australian Open in January. Nadal, who has never previously missed the French Open, will announce whether he will be able to take part later today. His absence would offer the chance for Novak Djokovic to claim a 23rd Grand Slam title, which would push him past Nadal in the all-time standings. The French Open runs from Sunday 28 May to Sunday 11 June.
The US PGA Championship has begun at the Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, New York with the tournament’s first practice sessions taking place. Scheduled for May, the tournament was postponed to August due to the coronavirus pandemic. A winter frost delayed the start of play which is due to begin at midday with the first of the “big-name” groups expected to be teeing off at 1 pm. Major culling of trees as part of a course redevelopment has seen the creation of a new hole. Notable absences from the tournament this year are Tiger Woods, who is recovering from ankle surgery, and fans due to the pandemic.
Iga Swiatek is hopeful of recovering from a thigh injury in time to defend her title at the French Open. The Polish player withdrew from her Italian Open quarterfinal against Elena Rybakina and is taking a couple of days off to rest before flying to Paris. If fit, Swiatek will be the title favourite, but her lead over her rivals has narrowed, with Aryna Sabalenka and Rybakina ahead of her in the rankings. Sabalenka has never gone beyond the third round in Paris, but victory could make her world number one instead of Swiatek.
Austrian star Helmut Berger has died at 78 years old. Known for his striking looks and captivating on-screen presence, Berger gained recognition for his portrayal of bisexual and narcissistic figures, and is credited for helping to break sexual taboos in European cinema. Berger worked as a film extra in Rome before being discovered by Italian director Luchino Visconti, his collaboration with whom is considered outstanding. Visconti is said to have called Berger "the most beautiful man in the world." Berger achieved world fame for roles including “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis” and “The Godfather Part III.”
The Vatican has recalled a postage stamp featuring Pope Francis promoting this year’s World Youth Day in Portugal due to complaints that it celebrated Portugal’s colonial empire and the nationalist dictatorship of Antonio Salazar. The stamp features Pope Francis leading a group of children up Lisbon’s Monument to the Discoveries, a giant stone and concrete monument built in 1960 to mark the 500th anniversary of the death of Henry the Navigator, which some people in Portugal repudiate due to being built by the Salazar dictatorship to promote national identity and Portugal's colonial expansion in Africa. The Vatican only formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery” in March, which theorised in the 15th century that the Pope backed Spain and Portugal's colonial-era conquests in Africa and the Americas.
Nico Denz won the 12th stage of the Giro d'Italia for his first victory in a Grand Tour, while Geraint Thomas kept hold of the pink jersey as the race prepares to head into the mountains. Denz, who rides for Bora-Hansgrohe, beat Toms Skujiņš and Sebastian Berwick at the end of the 185-kilometer (115-mile) hill leg from Bra to Rivoli in the Piedmont region. The trio pulled away from its fellow escapees and had an advantage of more than eight minutes on the general classification group on the toughest part of the stage, a second-category climb 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the finish. Thomas, who rides for Ineos Grenadiers, remained two seconds ahead of Primož Roglič and 22 ahead of João Almeida.
Third-ranked Daniil Medvedev has reached the semifinals of the Italian Open by beating German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann. Medvedev controlled play with his flat groundstrokes and big first serve, dropping only one set in four matches. He has long been successful on hard courts, but has struggled on clay in the past. However, his game on the clay courts is improving, as he reached the quarterfinals of the French Open last year and is now making big strides at the Italian Open. His semifinal opponent will be determined in the match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Borna Coric. The French Open begins in 10 days.
Car rushes Vatican gate, is fired on by gendarmes; driver apprehended after reaching courtyard
The Toronto Star
23-05-18 20:53
A car being driven by a person with "psycho-physical" problems breached Vatican security last night, driving fast past Swiss Guards before being stopped in a courtyard within the compound. Vatican gendarmes reportedly fired at the tyres of the car which managed to continue on to reach the courtyard. Once there, the driver was apprehended. It is unclear whether Pope Francis was present at the time of the incident, however, it is known he lives on the far side of The Vatican compound at the time. This is the second security breach at the location this year.
Australian airline Qantas is to expand its international capacity with the addition of new services to New York, Tokyo and Los Angeles. The firm will lease two Airbus A330s from Finnair in an effort to meet its goal of returning to 100% of pre-pandemic international flight capacity by March 2024. Flights to San Francisco are due to resume next week and a new service to New York via Auckland will launch in November. The company is aiming to recruit an additional 300 pilots and cabin crew to support its expansion. The move could also reduce airfare prices due to the additional capacity.
Oxford University has pushed back against allegations that it is restricting freedom of speech. The University issued a statement saying that both the university and its associated colleges hold “hundreds of events each term” and that freedom of speech is “alive and well at Oxford,” with a policy of allowing “difficult views” to be heard. The statement added that although student union had concerns about the activities of the Oxford Union debating society, it would continue to encourage open discussion and dialogue. The remarks followed a letter from former Oxford Union President Nick Gallagher, who said that the union had been barred from last year’s freshers fair because of action by the student union.
A man drove his car into the Vatican city-state on 10 February, breaching Vatican security at high speed through a gate before reaching a central courtyard of the Apostolic Palace. The 40-year-old driver, whose motive is yet to be ascertained, was described as being in an “unstable state of mind.” A Vatican police officer fired a gun, hitting the car. However, the man did not get near to the guest house where Pope Francis lives on the other side of Vatican City.
The Italian Open women's semifinals feature some unexpected players, with the upcoming French Open made more intriguing as a result. In the lead-up to the women's play, Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko will come up against each other, with Rybakina favoured to win based on her first victory against Ostapenko. The other match is between Veronika Kudermetova and Anhelina Kalinina; Kudermetova appears to be the solid choice to emerge victorious.
A Vatican gendarme fired a shot at the tyres of a car driven by a man displaying signs of psychiatric problems on Thursday evening after the vehicle rushed a Vatican gate before later being stopped by Vatican gendarmes in a courtyard near the Apostolic Palace. Once the driver dismounted, he was arrested. It is not thought that Pope Francis was in the vicinity of the incident.
Global actors have been seeking their own solutions to the Ukrainian conflict, given concerns of differing views within the Group of Seven, the bloc composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the US. While Western states have vowed to provide huge amounts of military aid to Ukraine, countries elsewhere have been pushing for cessation of hostilities and a negotiated peace. Many politicians hope to give diplomatic initiatives a chance and have put forward peace plans with Russia and Ukraine. This includes China’s initiative, as China has significant leverage over Russia, but it has been deemed by analysts as working to preserve Russia’s advantage and undermine Ukraine, whereas Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has touted a nonaligned “peace club” to mediate a truce, irritating Washington DC further when accusing the West of helping to fuel the conflict with its shipments of weapons.
