ITALY’s Franco Zeffirelli, who died Saturday aged 96, was one of Europe’s foremost film directors, turning classics by Shakespeare and Verdi into modern gems, most famously in his Oscar-nominated Romeo and Juliet (1968). With a career spanning more than 60 years and more than 40 films, plays and operas, Zeffirelli worked with a dazzling array of stars from Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor to Glenn Close and La Diva Maria Callas. “Few Italians since Fellini have had such an impact in the United States as Franco Zeffirelli,“ the New York Times said in 2009, reviewing his Met production of La Boheme. As well as his work with Hollywood A-listers, the cultural icon has also collaborated with some of the 20th century’s greatest voices, including Callas and Placido Domingo, in the world’s most prestigious venues. In the 1970s he expanded his repertoire to biblical subjects, notably in the all-star mini-series Jesus of Nazareth with Laurence Olivier, … [Read more...] about Zeffirelli: modern maestro of past masterpieces
London tea house
Prince Charles’s climate change passion wows Trump
LONDON: US President Donald Trump said Wednesday (Jun 5) he was wowed by Prince Charles's passion for fighting climate change and that he also wanted a world that is "good for future generations".Trump has rolled back environmental regulations and pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord since his surprise election in 2016.But the mercurial White House chief said he was impressed with Prince Charles's commitment to green causes when he had tea with the heir to the British throne at Buckingham Palace on his arrival for a three-day state visit Monday.Trump told ITV in an interview aired Wednesday that Queen Elizabeth II's son dominated the conversation with climate talk."We were going to have a 15-minute chat. And it turned out to be an hour and a half. And he did most of the talking. He is really into climate change, and I think that's great, I mean I want that, I like that," Trump said."He wants to have a world that is good for future generations and I want that … [Read more...] about Prince Charles’s climate change passion wows Trump
Rep’s The Dresser: a stirring, tender tribute to the theater
“Is man no more than this?” King Lear asks, confronted by the sight of a near-naked madman on the heath, on a storm-swept night, just as he’s about to lose his wits. It seems to be the question at the heart of The Dresser, a play about an actor playing King Lear and waited on by his loyal attendant. Staged by Repertory Philippines to end its season, this play by Ronald Harwood, which grows out of his own experience attending to a renowned actor, examines the little world that revolves around this singular character. The man in question is irascible and spiteful, feeble and forgetful, proud and peremptory, childish and severely egotistical. He is, in other words, an analogue of Shakespeare’s aged monarch. Never named (everyone calls him “Sir,” an illusion of superiority he probably insists on), he was a brighter figure in his heyday, but this was long ago. Nowadays he resorts to assembling a troupe of performers that traverses the … [Read more...] about Rep’s The Dresser: a stirring, tender tribute to the theater
May’s Conservatives battle Brexit ballot bloodbath
BRISTOL: British Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives are facing a battering at this month's European Parliament elections amid the Brexit impasse, presenting their candidates with quite a challenge in the campaign for votes.With May's authority hanging by a thread, Brexit postponed, voters fed up and eurosceptics deserting the party in droves, according to opinion polls, Ashley Fox, who leads the Conservatives in the outgoing European Parliament, concedes that this election campaign is "difficult"."I understand why people are angry," the 49-year-old MEP said, drinking a cup of tea in the Conservative Party offices in Bristol, southwest England.In June 2016, 52 per cent of voters were in favour of Britain leaving the European Union.Brexit was originally set to happen on Mar 29 this year. But MPs could not agree on the divorce deal May struck with Brussels and now the departure date has been set back to Oct 31.As a result, Britain must take part in the European … [Read more...] about May’s Conservatives battle Brexit ballot bloodbath
How bombings in Sri Lanka devastated a growing tourism industry
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By Mujib Mashal The New York Times Kai Schultz Tues., May 7, 2019 WERAPITIYA, SRI LANKA—Tucked away behind a ridge, surrounded by lush mountains where 45 bird species chirp, is a luxury resort that sells peace of mind for about $900 a night. The resort, Santani, opened in 2017 here in Sri Lanka, and quickly received a series of accolades for hotels and spas. Rooms spread across 50 acres were booked continuously, often by celebrities and business tycoons. The influx of jobs and cash transformed the nearby village. The owner purchased 70 additional acres and made plans for an expansion. But those plans are now on hold and cancellations are piling up — at Santani and across Sri Lanka. Last month, bombings on Easter Sunday at churches and at hotels popular with foreign tourists left more than 250 people dead. Britain, India, the United States and several other countries warned their citizens to stay away, citing the possibility of further attacks. The … [Read more...] about How bombings in Sri Lanka devastated a growing tourism industry