Day: May 20, 2024
The helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his foreign minister crashed on Sunday as it was crossing mountain terrain in heavy fog. We talk to Alex Vatanka, the founding Director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute. Volodymyr Zelenskyy marks five years in power as Ukraine’s president. We talk to Sergey Sanovich, a Hoover Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. And the first U.S. Black astronaut candidate from the 1960s flew on the Blue Origin space craft more than 60 years after his selection as an astronaut.
LONDON — Britain and Finland will sign a new strategic partnership on Monday to strengthen ties and counter the “threat of Russian aggression,” the U.K. foreign minister said.
The two countries will declare Russia as “the most significant and direct threat to European peace and stability,” according to a Foreign Office press release.
The agreement will be endorsed by U.K. foreign minister David Cameron and his Finnish counterpart Elina Valtonen in London.
“As we stand together to support Ukraine, including through providing military aid and training, we are clear that the threat of Russian aggression, following the war it started, will not be tolerated,” said Cameron.
“This strategic partnership, built on our shared values, will see the UK and Finland step up cooperation to bolster European security as well as seize new opportunities, from science and technology to closer energy ties,” he added.
The countries will work together to counter Russian disinformation, malicious cyber activities and support Ukraine’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernization, according to the Foreign Office.
Since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Finland has joined the NATO military alliance and shut off much of its border with Russia. Britain is a major military supporter of Ukraine.
Liam Daniel / Netflix / Elena Di Vincenzo / Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo / Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images
- The third season of “Bridgerton” has arrived on Netflix.
- Season three adapts Colin and Penelope’s story from the book “Romancing Mr. Bridgerton.”
- Here are the main cast members and the projects they’ve been in before the show.
“Bridgerton” is back with many old faces and a few new characters.
The globally watched show has a big ensemble but changes the leading characters every season to focus on a new love story. Season three, part one follows longtime friends Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) and Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) as they fall in love.
This is the first time “Bridgerton” fans know both characters in the leading couple before their romance begins since the pair have appeared in the show since season one.
To spice up London’s high society, “Bridgerton” season three introduces four new characters: Lord Kilmartin or John Stirling (Victor Alli), Lady Tilley Arnold (Hannah New), and Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis).
Here’s where you may recognize the main cast and newcomers.
Luke Newton returns as Colin Bridgerton.
Luke Newton as Colin Bridgerton in “Bridgerton” season three.
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Newton reprises his role as Colin, the third eldest sibling of the Bridgerton family.
Newton reprises his role as the dashing Bridgerton. It is his most prominent role, but fans may recognize the actor from his roles in Disney’s “The Lodge” series or “The Cut.”
Nicola Coughlan returns as Penelope Featherington.
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington in “Bridgerton” season three.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Penelope Featherington, played by Coughlan, is the youngest daughter of the Featherington family. The Featheringtons live across the street from the Bridgertons and are close friends of the family.
Coughlan is known for starring in TV comedies such as “Derry Girls” and “Big Mood.” However, she’s also had some big screen roles, like a small part in 2023’s “Barbie.”
Hannah Dodd joins the cast as Francesca Bridgerton.
Hannah Dodd as Francesca Bridgerton in “Bridgerton” season three.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Francesca Bridgerton is the sixth Bridgerton sibling who has appeared on the show before. But Dodd is a new face; her character was often away from the family home and when she did appear, she was played by a different actor, Ruby Stokes, in previous seasons.
Stokes left the role after season two to star in another Netflix series, “Lockwood & Co.” Dodd was cast to portray Francesca for future seasons.
Dodd has previously appeared in Netflix’s miniseries “Anatomy of a Scandal,” Marvel’s “Eternals,” “Fighting with My Family,” and “Enola Holmes 2.”
Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley return as Anthony and Kate Bridgerton.
Simone Ashley as Kate and Jonathan Bailey as Anthony in “Bridgerton” season three.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sharma were the leading couple of season two, and return in season three as husband and wife.
Before “Bridgerton,” Bailey had appeared in British shows like “Doctor Who” and “Crashing.” Since his success on the hit Netflix show, he has starred in more American projects like “Fellow Travelers” and the upcoming “Wicked” movie.
Fans will likely recognize Ashley from the hit Netflix British show “Sex Education,” where she played popular high-schooler Olivia. Ashley has also appeared in “Pokemon: Detective Pikachu” and last year’s live-action reboot of “The Little Mermaid.”
Many other Bridgerton family actors return in season three.
The Bridgerton family (L-R): Gregory Bridgerton (Will Tilston), Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), Hyacinth Bridgerton (Florence Hunt), Lady Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell), Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley), Francesca Bridgerton (Hannah Dodd), Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson).
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Several of Anthony, Colin, and Francesca’s siblings — Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie), Benedict (Luke Thompson), Gregory (Will Tilston), and Hyacinth (Florence Hunt) — all return in season three along with their mother, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell). The only absent sibling is Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor).
“Bridgerton” is the biggest role for many of the actors who portray the Bridgerton family. Some “Dunkirk” fans may recognize Thompson since he was a background actor in the Christopher Nolan movie.
Jessie and Gemmell have appeared in several popular British series, including “Doctor Who,” “Line of Duty,” “Eastenders,” and “Tracy Beaker.”
“Bridgerton” was the second role for Tilston and Hunt, who play the youngest Bridgertons. Hunt starred in “Cursed” in 2020, and Tilston appeared in “Goodbye Christoper Robin” in 2017.
Polly Walker returns as Lady Featherington.
Polly Walker as Lady Portia Featherington in “Bridgerton” season three.
Liam Daniel / Netflix
Lady Portia Featherington is the matriarch of the Featherington family who consistently devises schemes to ensure her family’s success.
Walker has been acting for years on TV and movies. Fans may recognize her from her appearances in Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Emma,” “Clash of the Titans,” or “John Carter.”
Victor Alli plays John Stirling, a new member of London’s high society. He’s also referred to as Lord Kilmartin.
Victor Alli as John Stirling in “Bridgerton” season three.
Netflix
John Stirling, the Earl of Kilmartin, is a new character in season three and is Francesca Bridgerton’s love interest.
“Bridgerton” is Alli’s biggest role to date. But before this, he’s had small roles in “Andor,” “Belfast,” and “Death on the Nile.”
Daniel Francis plays Lord Marcus Anderson, a character who doesn’t appear in the books.
Daniel Francis as Lord Anderson and Adjoa Andoh as Lady Agatha Danbury in “Bridgerton” season three.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Lord Marcus Anderson, played by Francis, is a member of the Ton, London’s high society. He first appears in “Bridgerton” season three, episode two, as the brother of fan-favorite character Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh).
Fantasy fans are most likely to recognize Francis. He previously appeared in the most recent season of “Wheel of Time” and in a few episodes of the ABC series “Once Upon a Time.”
Jessica Madsen returns as Cressida Cowper.
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Jessica Madsen as Cressida Cowper in “Bridgerton” season three.
Laurence Cendrowicz / Netflix
Cressida Cowper debuted in society in “Bridgerton” season one, but her mean, shallow personality stopped her from finding a husband. Madsen reprises the role in season three, and the character appears to have befriended Eloise Bridgerton.
Some fans may recognize Madsen from her appearances in the 2017 horror prequel “Leatherface” or the 2019 action movie “Rambo: Last Blood.”
Sam Phillips plays Lord Debling, a potential love interest for Penelope.
Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington and Sam Phillips as Lord Debling in “Bridgerton” season three.
Netflix
Lord Debling is a newly created character in the TV series, played by Sam Phillips. He’s a suitor for Penelope.
Phillips has appeared in another big British hit series on Netflix, “The Crown.” He played the Queen’s equerry in seasons three and four.
Hannah New plays Lady Tilley Arnold, a mysterious new Ton member.
Hannah New as Lady Tilley Arnold in “Bridgerton” season three.
Liam Daniel/Netflix
Lady Tilley Arnold first appears in “Bridgerton” season three, episode two, as a new love interest for Benedict Bridgerton.
New is best known for starring as Eleanor Guthrie in the Starz series, “Black Sails.” She has also appeared in “Maleficent” and the FX miniseries “Trust.”
Martins Imhangbe and Emma Naomi return as Will and Alice Mondrich.
Emma Naomi as Alice Mondrich and Martins Imhangbe as Will Mondrich in “Bridgerton” season three.
Liam Daniel / Netflix
In season one, Imhangbe and Naomi first appeared as Will and Alice, a happy working-class couple. They ran a gentleman’s club in season two. But in season three, they unexpectedly move up in society.
“Bridgerton” is the biggest role for both Imhangbe and Naomi. Before the show, Imhangbe was largely a stage actor in England, and Naomi appeared in smaller British TV shows.
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Cannes, France — Filmmakers Nada Riyadh and Ayman El Amir spent so much time following an all-girl theatre troupe in a remote Egyptian village that at one point someone tried to sell them a house.
“He thought we were always there so we might as well live there,” Riyadh told AFP after the premiere of their documentary at the Cannes Film Festival.
“The Brink of Dreams” follows a group of teenage girls in rural southern Egypt over four years, between rehearsals, as they navigate the tough decisions that will determine their adulthood.
Majda dreams of studying theatre in Cairo, Monika wants to become a famous singer and Haidi is being pursued by the hottest guy in the village.
In their feminist street performances, they boldly rail against the patriarchy, challenging members of the crowd on issues such as self-fulfillment and early marriage.
But soon life takes over and the teenagers from Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority find themselves confronted with these concepts for real.
The camera discreetly captures conversations in the family shop, between a father and daughter, or two lovers, as neighbors and animals go about their daily lives.
“In the beginning there was a lot of people always looking at the camera. Everybody was self-conscious,” said Riyadh.
But “once the trust had been built between them and us, we had that chance to blend in.”
Riyadh said the documentary, which is screening in a sidebar section of the festival, was driven by her and co-director Amin discovering the troupe in 2017.
The film “is intentionally feminist in every way but I think it was also dictated by what this inspiring group of women was already doing,” she said.
It’s “mind-blowing because they’re demanding answers about very important things and opening a dialogue with everybody in their community.”
Co-director Amin said the main challenge was editing down 100 hours of footage to tell this coming-of-age tale and convey a seldom seen side of Egypt.
“Most mainstream films in Egypt tell stories about living in gated compounds and shopping in malls,” Amin said.
“It’s very rare to see stories that take place in the south outside of Cairo or Alexandria and see girls like those girls on screen.”
The documentary has a French distributor, but the filmmakers also hope to show the film widely in Egypt, including in the rural south.
Until then, six of the actors in the film got to attend the Cannes premiere, after a last-minute rush to get them their first passports and visas on time.
Monika, the aspiring singer, has two children now. But on the red carpet, the DJ played the catchy song that she made with a popular Egyptian producer called Molotof for the film’s final credits.
SAVANNAH, Ga. — An argument between two women led to a gunfight that left 11 people hurt in a busy tourist area of Savannah, Georgia, late Saturday, one of five weekend shootings in the city, two of which were fatal, authorities said.
Two people were injured in separate shootings Friday. Two more shootings Saturday resulted in two deaths. Then came the gunfire just before midnight Saturday near Savannah’s Ellis Square.
The shooting broke out as two women argued in an area business, according to Police Chief Lenny Gunther, who didn’t name the establishment.
“One shot rang out. That triggered other individuals to shoot,” he said. “We had multiple individuals discharge their weapons to shoot at each other, which resulted in multiple people getting shot.”
Ten of the 11 injured were hit by gunfire. Authorities did not say what caused the 11th injury. Victims were treated at the scene and “several” were taken to a hospital, police said. None of the injuries appeared life threatening.
Mayor Van Johnson said a proliferation of guns was a factor in the shootings and that reasonable gun control laws are needed. He also stressed the need for gun owners to keep their weapons from being stolen and for people carrying guns to know how and when to use them.
“We have to insist on smart gun laws,” Johnson said at a Sunday news conference. “And then, on the other end, we have to insist that people act responsibly with those weapons.”
The mass shooting happened a week ahead of the tourist-heavy Memorial Day weekend. Gunther sought to assure people that police staffing will be sufficient to keep the public safe.
Ellis Square is in Savannah’s historic district, an area popular among tourists and locals. It was developed in 2010 and is known for a large fountain and a life-sized statue of songwriter Johnny Mercer.
The first two of Savannah’s weekend shootings happened Friday. Each of those resulted in a non-life-threatening injury and an arrest. On Saturday, police answering a call about a home invasion found a dead juvenile at the home. Initial reports are that shots were fired after a resident confronted an armed intruder.
Still another shooting was reported at a Savannah intersection Saturday night that left one man dead and a juvenile injured.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi attends a meeting with Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev on the Azerbaijan-Iran border Colorado Springs Gazette
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