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Internet reacts to King Charles III's first official portrait since the coronation: 'It looks like he's in hell'

 

Internet reacts to King Charles III's first official portrait since the coronation: 'It looks like he's in hell'

Internet divided over King Charles III portrait unveiled at the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace.King Charles III unveiled the first official portrait of himself, and it is causing quite a range of internet reactions.Artist Jonathan Yeo and Britain's King Charles III at the unveiling of artist Jonathan Yeo's portrait of the King, in the blue drawing room at Buckingham Palace, in London The monarch was at Buckingham Palace Tuesday with Queen Camila, where he pulled down a big curtain to reveal the much-expected portrait - which has a red background, much to the shock of both the royal fans and normies everywhere.Charles' first portrait comes since his May 2023 coronation.

Despite the fact that Charles made the Welsh Guards uniform for the painting, it was the bold, brash backdrop that stole the show, and that led to a tidal wave of online memes and farce.

ALSO READ| King Charles' first official portrait since coronation unveiled

Netizens think the portrait looks hell-ish

“Who approved King Charles III's new portrait cuz it looks like he's in hell?!” one quipped.

Another one wrote, “I’m sorry but his portrait looks like he’s in hell.”Without sounding rude, this is the worst royal portrait I’ve ever seen,” one chimed in.

One quipped, “The King's portrait channelling the 'Everything is fine' meme? Just me then.”

Many netizens are saying Charles looks “villainous” in the portrait.

Many think the portrait actually captured Charles' essence

Artist Jonathan Yeo dedicated three years to the creation of this portrait, meticulously crafted during four distinct sessions held at Highgrove and Clarence House. This is quite an accomplishment considering the royal subject’s demanding timetable.

The portrait seeks to encapsulate His Majesty’s “life experiences” and the evolution of his “role in our public life”.

In the artwork, Charles is portrayed wearing the distinguished uniform of the Welsh Guards, set against a dynamic backdrop and foreground filled with expressive brushstrokes in bold shades of red. A butterfly, added at the King’s behest, is depicted as if about to alight on his shoulder.

ALSO READ| Prince Harry's long-time friend asks King Charles III this

Yeo called it “a privilege and pleasure to have been commissioned by The Drapers’ Company to paint this portrait of His Majesty the King.”

Many have expressed mixed reactions to Yeo’s work, “He really captured the essence of him in the face, but the harshness of the red doesn’t match the softness of his expression,” one said.

“This painting is absolutely SPECTACULAR and so sophisticated and STRONG. Congratulations to the artist,” another piped in.

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Joe Biden plans to send $1bn in new military aid to Israel

 

Joe Biden plans to send $1bn in new military aid to Israel

White House alerts Congress to coming security package after pausing bomb shipment last week Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be 
US President Joe Biden divided the Democratic party last week after he paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns about their use in densely populated areas of Gaza © Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg  Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be 
The Biden administration has told Congress it plans to send a $1bn package of military aid to Israel despite US opposition to the Israeli military’s plans for a full assault on Rafah, the city in southern Gaza. The move by the White House comes after the US paused one shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns about their use in densely populated areas of Gaza, which risks further increasing the Palestinian civilian death toll. While that step marked the first time Biden had withheld weapons in an effort to restrain Israel’s military conduct since the war with Hamas began in October, the $1bn package in the works shows that Washington is not seeking to restrict its arms supply to Israel more broadly. The signal from the Biden administration that it wanted to proceed with the $1bn weapons package was conveyed this week, according to a congressional aide. It is expected to include mostly tank ammunition and tactical vehicles. “We are continuing to send military assistance, and we will ensure that Israel receives the full amount provided in the supplemental,” Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, told reporters on Monday, referring to $95bn foreign security aid bill for Ukraine, Israel and the Indo-Pacific enacted last month. “Arms transfers are proceeding as scheduled,” another US official said on Tuesday. The state department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Wall Street Journal first reported the Biden administration’s plans for a new $1bn weapons transfer to Israel. Biden decided to freeze the transfer of some of its most lethal bombs as it sought to deter the Israel Defense Forces from a full assault on Rafah, the city in southern Gaza where more than 1mn Palestinians are estimated to be sheltering. The US is also seeking to finalise a temporary ceasefire deal and secure the release of hostages Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found here.
The state department last week warned that US-made weapons might have been used in the conflict in a way that violated humanitarian rights. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted with defiance to Biden’s arms suspension, saying Israel would “stand alone” in the absence of support form the US, its closest ally. While some Democrats were relieved to see Biden make more aggressive use of US leverage over Israel, the president also faced a backlash from lawmakers within his party who were upset about the move, including Jacky Rosen, the Nevada senator, and John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania senator. Rosen said the US needed to provide Israel with “unconditional security assistance”.

Disney Touts Scale, Sports and Storytelling at Upfront

 

Disney Touts Scale, Sports and Storytelling at Upfront

In its star-studded upfront presentation Tuesday evening, Disney executives and talent consistently returned to a key theme: The company’s reach and tech are unlike those of its competitors.

Among the highlights, Rita Ferro, Disney’s president of global advertising, said that one in two people worldwide now connect with a Disney property every day. Ferro also shared new Nielsen findings released earlier that day, which stated that Disney had the highest share of total TV usage of any media company in April.

“What I’ve learned from being at this company for 27 years is that Disney is unlike any other media company because ofThe emphasis on the scale of the Disney portfolio comes as the streaming ecosystem continues to build out its advertising audience. Similarly, the growing emphasis on profitability across the streaming sector has also pushed publishers to introduce bundled offerings. The combined effect has been a newfound emphasis on collaboration.

In February, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox announced their forthcoming streaming sports offering, and last week, Disney also teamed with WBD for a bundle offering with Max, Disney+ and Hulu. Earlier on Tuesday, Netflix announced the introduction of its own bundle, in tandem with Apple TV and Peacock, called StreamSaver.

While Disney would spend the majority of its upfront showcasing the breadth of new content—and new talent—coming to its platform soon, the unspoken catalyst behind many of its most important ventures was the newfound need for collaboration amid today’s viewing fragmentation. the emotional connection it has with people,” Ferro said. 

Alice Munro, Nobel Laureate and Master of the Short Story, Dies at 92

 Alice Munro, Nobel Laureate and Master of the Short Story, Dies at 92

Alice Munro, the Nobel Literature Prize winner best known for her mastery of short stories and depictions of womanhood in rural settings, has died in Ontario, Canada, at the age of 92. The news was confirmed to CNN “with great sadness” by a spokesperson at her publisher, Penguin Random House.Born in 1931 in Wingham, Ontario, Munro grew up on what she described as the “collapsing enterprise of a fox and mink farm, just beyond the most disreputable part of town” in a 1994 interview with “The Paris Review.” Amid familial struggles, Munro found an escape in reading as a child. Her early enthusiasm for renowned writers such as Emily Brontë, Charles Dickens, and Lucy Maud Montgomery, among others, reflected an appreciation for literature beyond her age.

“Books seem to me to be magic, and I wanted to be part of the magic.” she told The Guardian of her childhood reading habits. “Books were so important to me. They were far more important than life.”

As the valedictorian of her high school’s graduating class of 1949, Munro received a two-year scholarship to attend the University of Western Ontario, where she majored in journalism before switching to English.

Despite the scholarship initially being a lifeline for Munro, perpetual financial struggles forced her to work as a tobacco picker, a library clerk and even to sell her own blood while studying. After the conclusion of her scholarship, and before her graduation, she married fellow student James Munro and moved with him to Vancouver, where the couple had three children in relatively quick succession (their middle child, Catherine, died shortly after her birth due to kidney complications), and then to Victoria in 1963, where they opened a bookstore.There, Munro wholly immersed herself in literature, namely writers such as Eudora Welty, Flannery O’Connor, and Carson McCullers, whose work Munro told “The Paris Review” validated her desire to write about rural people in small towns. In addition, she was able to overcome a crippling writer’s block that had plagued her in her twenties — and had resulted in more abandoned work than finished writing.

But it was maternity that led to Munro’s mastery of short stories, not only because familial relationships and domestic lives served as a focal point in many of her works, but also because in her attempt to reconcile her maternal responsibilities with her desire to write, Munro could only set aside short periods of time during her day to craft stories, to the point where she would jot down ideas and drafts during her children’s naps.


Isla Fisher Breaks Silence With Personal Update After Sacha Baron Cohen Breakup

 

Isla Fisher Breaks Silence With Personal Update After Sacha Baron Cohen Breakup

A month after announcing her divorce from estranged husband Sacha Baron Cohen, Isla Fisher shared an update on her life.Isla Fisher is starting a new chapter.

A month after the Wedding Crashers star and Sacha Baron Cohen announced they were divorcing after 13 years of marriage, she expressed her gratitude for the outpouring of support.

Isla posted a snap of herself donning a purple-printed dress and green denim jacket during a sunny outdoor outing on her Instagram Stories May 14. Alongside the photo, she wrote, with a kissing emoji, "Thank you for all your kindness and support."

The former couple—who share three kids together—revealed they broke up last year in an April statement posted to their Instagram Stories alongside a photo of them in tennis gear. 

"After a long tennis match lasting over twenty years," the joint April statement read, "we are finally putting our racquets down. In 2023 we jointly filed to end our marriage."

"We have always prioritized our privacy, and have been quietly working through this change," they added. "We forever share in our devotion and love for our children. We sincerely appreciate your respecting our family's wish for privacy

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Harry and Meghan’s Archewell charity found delinquent over unpaid fees and unable to fundraise

 

Harry and Meghan’s Archewell charity found delinquent over unpaid fees and unable to fundraise


Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archwell Foundation was found delinquent because state officials failed to process a cheque sent on time, sources close to the couple have fired back.

The foundation has been told to stop soliciting or spending money on Monday as it was warned of fines or suspension amid the records mishap.The delinquency notice was sent by California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta for failing to file its annual reports and renewal fees. As stated on California’s Department of Justice website, a notice is sent to an organisation after it fails to submit complete filings for each fiscal year.

But according to MailOnline, source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claim the charity did send the $200 renewal fee cheque – but it had not been processed by the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers in California Sussex sources told the MailOnline that they had tracked the cheque and confirmed it had arrived to officials on time.

The Sussexes’ foundation was established after they stepped down from their roles as senior working royals and relocated to the US in March 2020. Delinquent charities are ordered to stop fundraising, can face penalties or have their registration suspended or revoked.

According to a letter seen by Page Six, the note adds: “An organisation that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.”Named in honour of their son Archie, now aged five, the couple said the foundation’s core purpose was “quite simply, to do good”. Their mission statement reads: “We meet the moment by showing up, taking action, and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities, both local and global, online and offline.”

The organisation’s 2021 filing, which was submitted last February, revealed that they had raised $13m (£10.3m) from benefactors, while they had given out $3m in grants.News of the filing comes after the couple spent three days touring Nigeria, where they announced an expansion of their partnership between their foundation and the GEANCO Foundation in Abuka. The initiative, which provides menstrual health products and education for women, will now include mental health resources and training for young men and women.Ahead of travelling to the West African nation, Harry visited London to attend a ceremony to celebrate the 10th anniversary celebrations for the Invictus Games but was snubbed by King Charles.

Despite both father and son being within miles of each other in the capital, the 75-year-old monarch attended a garden tea party and was reportedly “too busy” for a visit. “It’s all very sad,” a friend of the King reportedly told The Times. “While he was hardly going to roll out the red carpet the moment this Invictus trip was announced, with doctors advising him to focus on his treatment and recovery, the idea that he refused to find space in his diary…Well, let’s say recollections may vary once again.”

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Cannes kicks off with Greta Gerwig’s jury and a Palme d’Or for Meryl Streep

 

Cannes kicks off with Greta Gerwig’s jury and a Palme d’Or for Meryl Streep

The Cannes Film Festival opened Tuesday with the unveiling of Greta Gerwig’s jury and the presentation of an honorary Palme d’Or for Meryl Streep, as the French Riviera spectacular kicked off a potentially volatile 77th edition.

A 10-day stream of stars will soon begin flowing down Cannes’ famous red carpet beginning with the opening night film, “The Second Act,” a French comedy starring Lea Seydoux, Vincent Lindon, Louis Garrel and Raphaël Quenard. During the opening ceremony, Streep will be given her honorary Palme.A person walks along the Croisette ahead of the Cannes film festival, in Cannes, southern France, Sunday, May 12, 2024. The 77th edition of the film festival runs from May 14 until May 25. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

In the days to come, Cannes will premiere George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” Francis Ford Coppola’s self-financed “Megalopolis” and anticipated new movies from Paolo Sorrentino, Yorgos Lanthimos, Andrea Arnold and Kevin Costner.

But much of the drama surrounding this year’s Cannes has been off screen.After French actor Judith Godrèche earlier this year accused two film directors of rape and sexual abuse when she was a teenager, the French film industry has been dealing with arguably its defining #MeToo moment. On Wednesday, Godrèche will premiere her short “Moi Aussi.”Asked about #MeToo expanding in France, Gerwig told reporters in Cannes on Tuesday that it’s progress.

“I think people in the community of movies telling us stories and trying to change things for the better is only good,” Gerwig said. “I have seen substantive change in the American film community, and I think it’s important that we continue to expand that conversation. So I think it’s only moving everything in the correct direction. Keep those lines of communication open.”

Gerwig, coming off the success of “Barbie,” is president of the jury that will decide Cannes’ top award, the Palme d’Or. Thierry Fremaux on Monday praised her as “the ideal director” for Cannes, given her ability to work across arthouse and studio film and her interest in cinema history. And, Fremaux said, “We very much liked ‘Barbie.’”Joining Gerwig on the jury is Lily Gladstone, star of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” French actor Eva Green, Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, French actor Omar Sy, Lebanese actor and director Nadine Labaki, Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter Ebru Ceylan and Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino.

“I thought I just got over my imposter syndrome last year,” said the Oscar-nominated Gladstone. “But I’ll start all over again.”

The jurors were asked how the many real-world concerns outside the festival might affect their deliberations. One film in competition, Ali Abbasi’s “The Apprentice,” stars Sebastian Stan as a young Donald Trump. And Labaki was asked if the war in Gaza might be on her mind.

“I truly believe that one of the tools to really change something in the situation we all live in right now, which is a situation I think is not that great, is really through art and through cinema,” said Labaki. “It may propose a more tolerant way of seeing things and seeing each other as human beings.”

Filmmakers, Favino said, play the important role of reminding the world of where it can find beauty.“This is why I decided that I could be here without feeling guilty as a human being,” said Favino. “Because if we look for beauty, then we might look for peace.”

Other concerns are also swirling around this year’s Cannes. Festival workers, fed up with short-term contracts that leave them unqualified for unemployment benefits in between festivals, have threatened to strike.

On Monday, the Iranian filmmaker Mohammed Rasoulof, whose film “The Seed of the Sacred Fig” is premiering next week in competition in Cannes, said he had fled Iran after being sentenced to eight years in prison and flogging. The film is said to be a critical depiction of the Iranian regime.

As Cannes continues, though, many will be focused on the stars parading the festival’s famous red carpet. They’ll include Emma Stone, Anya Taylor-Joy, Demi Moore, Selena Gomez, Nicolas Cage and Barry Keoghan. At the closing ceremony on May 25, George Lucas is to receive an honorary Palme d’Or.

Regardless, the 77th Cannes will have a lot to live up to. Last year’s festival, widely celebrated for its robust lineup, produced three Oscar best picture nominees: “Anatomy of a Fall,” “The Zone of Interest” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” To help rekindle last year’s spirit, Messi, the canine star of “Anatomy of a Fall,” is back in Cannes for a series of brief French TV spots.

A good Cannes will help France keep the global spotlight through the summer. The festival will be followed by the French Open, the Tour de France and the summer Olympics in Paris. On May 21 in Cannes, the Olympic flame will be carried up the steps to the festival’s hub, the Palais des Festivals.

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Israeli tanks reach residential areas as IDF pushes further into Rafah

 

Israeli tanks reach residential areas as IDF pushes further into Rafah
Israeli tanks have advanced further into eastern Rafah, reaching some residential districts of the southern border city in Gaza.Witnesses reported seeing tanks crossing the strategically important Salah al-Din road into the Brazil and Jneina neighbourhoods.

“They are in the streets inside the built-up area and there are clashes,” one person told Reuters.

A UN official said the most advanced Israeli positions were about 2km from his office.

Hamas’s armed wing said it had destroyed an Israeli troop carrier with a missile in the eastern al-Salam neighbourhood, killing some crew members and wounding others. The Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on the unconfirmed report.

In a roundup of its activities, the IDF said its forces had eliminated “several armed terrorist” cells in close-quarter fighting on the Gaza side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. In the east of the city, it said it had also destroyed militant cells and a launch post from where missiles were being fired at IDF troops.

Between 360,000 and 500,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah in the past week after Israeli warnings to evacuate eastern and central neighbourhoods before assaults that look set to open a bloody new phase of the war.

In the north of the territory, where Israeli troops launched a series of operations over the weekend, there were reports of the most intense battles for many weeks, forcing another 100,000 to flee after receiving  from the Israeli military.instructions Israel’s international allies and aid groups have repeatedly urged against a ground incursion into Rafah, warning of a potential humanitarian catastrophe. The US recently blocked a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel that might have been used in the operation.In recent days, roads heading north and west have been choked with cars, trucks, trolleys and pony carts laden with people and their possessions moving towards an “expanded humanitarian zone” on the coast.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has so far rejected US pressure to hold off on a full-scale attack on the city, despite Washington’s threats to further restrict arms deliveries.

Medics reported heavy air activity over Rafah, with the constant sound of drones overflying streets as thousands of displaced people and residents continued to dismantle shelters, stalls and other makeshift structures.Witnesses reported that roads were much emptier than previous days in Rafah on Tuesday, though those heading west to the “expanded humanitarian zone” designated by the IDF were still very congested.The fighting has forced many big aid organisations to shut down or cut operations across Gaza, amid increasingly acute shortages of fuel, food and clean water.

Health officials said they had received a consignment of emergency fuel and that healthcare was being prioritised over other services, meaning the few remaining hospitals in Rafah have a enough fuel to maintain reduced services for about six days.Medical stocks in most facilities in Rafah were sufficient to last “a month”, UN officials said last week.

Dr James Smith, a British medic working in Gaza, said the Rafah crossing point was “completely unrecognisable”, with significant destruction following its seizure by the IDF last week. .Medical stocks in most facilities in Rafah were sufficient to last “a month”, UN officials said last week.

Dr James Smith, a British medic working in Gaza, said the Rafah crossing point was “completely unrecognisable”, with significant destruction following its seizure by the IDF last week. .De Domenico said the woman was found a short distance from the vehicle, which his colleagues have been unable to retrieve.

In a separate development on Tuesday, the international court of justicesaid it would hold hearings on Thursday and Friday to discuss emergency measures sought by South Africa over Israel’s attacks on Rafah.

The measures form part of a continuing case South Africa filed at the ICJ in December last year, accusing Israel of violating the genocide convention during its offensive against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has previously said it is acting in accordance with international law and has called the genocide case baseless.

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