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Crown jewels controversy: Why the coronation diamonds are seen as colonialism symbols

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

By Theresa Braine, New York Daily NewsFrom problematic components such as ivory to allegedly absconded diamonds, the sacred jewels and relics to be used in the coronation of King Charles III this weekend have ignited debate and controversy.The royals have worked to address some of the conflict by excluding the most egregious symbols of colonialism from the ceremony, but the crown jewels that will be used in the ceremony still evoke debate.Why the Koh-i-Noor diamond is so controversialThe most prominent of the controversial crown jewels is the 105.6-carat Koh-i-Noor diamond. It’s part of the crown originally made for Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother, for her 1937 coronation. The gem originated in India and was ceded to Britain in 1849 by Sikh warrior and then-owner Maharajah Ranjit Singh, as part of the Treaty of Lahore. Whether the diamond was bestowed or coerced is a matter of contention.A diamond-encrusted crown bearing the Koh-I-Noor Diamond lies on a coffin bearing the Queen Mo...

Lisa Vanderpump’s West Hollywood restaurant Pump set to close

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

By Marianne Garvey | CNNLisa Vanderpump’s Pump Restaurant is closing.“The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum confirmed the news to People.“It’s with heavy hearts that we announce that the lease at Pump Restaurant is expiring, and we will be closing its doors on July 5th, after 10 years of beautiful evenings under our olive trees,” the statement said. “While we have loved our time operating Pump, to take on another 10-year lease with a huge increase in rent by the landlords, is not something we are ready to commit to. After successfully running 37+ establishments for many years, this type of rent is untenable.”Related ArticlesEntertainment | King Charles III’s coronation: How to watch the historic spectacle Entertainment | Prince Harry backed out of hosting ‘Saturday Night Live,’ fearing harm to public image, report says Entertainment | Carrie Fisher gets her Walk of Fame ...

Four-bedroom home sells in Oakland for $1.8 million

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

22 Woodside Glen Court – Google Street ViewThe spacious property located in the first block of Woodside Glen Court in Oakland was sold on March 27, 2023 for $1,820,000, or $641 per square foot. The house, built in 2006, has an interior space of 2,841 square feet. The property features four bedrooms, three baths, a garage, and three parking spaces. The unit sits on a 0.3-acre lot.Additional houses have recently been sold nearby:A 2,098-square-foot home on the 5000 block of Dublin Avenue in Oakland sold in July 2022, for $1,700,000, a price per square foot of $810. The home has 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.In May 2022, a 2,413-square-foot home on Hedge Court in Oakland sold for $1,700,000, a price per square foot of $705. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.On Castle Park Way, Oakland, in February 2023, a 2,579-square-foot home was sold for $2,500,000, a price per square foot of $969. The home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. 

Oakland airport passenger traffic jumps as post-COVID upswing continues

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

OAKLAND — Oakland International Airport passenger traffic jumped in March, a sign that the East Bay aviation hub continues to recuperate from its coronavirus-triggered economic and travel ailments.The airport handled slightly more than 912,900 passengers in March, the highest monthly level since November 2022, according to airport officials. That’s 9.9% higher than the number of passengers that passed through the facility during the same month in 2022, the airport reported.“Travel over the spring break period was strong this year, building significantly from February to March,” said Craig Simon, the Port of Oakland’s acting aviation director.Over the most recent one-year period that ended in March, Oakland handled 11.58 million passengers. That was a vast improvement over the total for the 2022 calendar year when 11.5 million passengers traveled through Oakland Airport.Despite the improvement, Oakland Airport remains far below its pre-coronavirus levels...

These are the latest retail stores leaving downtown SF

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

(KRON) -- Thursday, Elon Musk tweeted that San Francisco "feels post-apocalyptic" in response to the number of retail stores that have recently announced closures. Many stores have cited the rising crime — which Musk hasn't been shy about commenting on either — and lack of foot traffic as many workers pivot to working from home.City supervisor Matt Dorsey and Senator Scott Weiner also weighed in on San Francisco's changing retail landscape, saying they were "disappointing" and "tragic" but not unexpected with stores citing rising crime. Even though, statistically, San Francisco's violent crime is lower than many large cities in the U.S. Security guard accused of killing man at SF Walgreens will not be charged with murder, DA says Regardless, several big brands have announced closures set for 2023. Here are some of the retailers that are pulling out of San Francisco:NordstromNordstrom officials announced the closure of their Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack locations at San Francisco C...

SF man facing 8 years in prison, lifetime registration as sex offender for raping intoxicated woman

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- After being convicted of rape following a trial by jury, a San Francisco man is facing up to eight years in prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender. Nitish Sharma, 32, was convicted for the rape of a woman he was acquainted with, the San Francisco District Attorney's Office said. The woman was intoxicated at the time of the assault. Attorney apologizes after calling Bob Lee ‘the Walgreens of recreational drugs’ Sharma was out with the woman and several friends at a club in San Francisco when the woman became sick, unable to walk and talk, and began throwing up, according to the DA. Sharma took her home, where she continued to throw up.Sharma then helped her undress and get into bed. He then got into bed with her and engaged in sexual intercourse when, according to the DA, "he knew, or should have known, she was too intoxicated to resist." Sharm then left and rejoined his friends at the club.“The jury’s verdict delivers justice to the survivor and...

Tennis player Crepatte banned 3 years in match-fixing case

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

LONDON (AP) — French tennis player Baptiste Crepatte was banned for three years because of match-fixing, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said on Friday.The 28-year-old Crepatte was “involved in the fixing of three matches,” the ITIA said in a statement, noting the player contested the charges. He was also fined $15,000.Crepatte’s career-high ATP ranking was 276 reached in August 2019.“This case is the latest in a series of investigations pursued by the ITIA in conjunction with law enforcement investigations in Belgium, which has seen a number of tennis players implicated in match-fixing incidents,” the agency said.In 2019, European police agency Europol said it identified links between match-fixing gambling syndicates in Spain and Belgium that were thought to have paid off dozens of players and corrupted lower-level tennis tournaments.___AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Alcaraz celebrates 20th birthday with return to Madrid final

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

MADRID (AP) — In control during his semifinal victory at the Madrid Open on Friday, Carlos Alcaraz suddenly looked at a loss when he completed his two sets against Borna Coric.After finishing off Coric 6-4, 6-3, Alcaraz was presented by tournament organizers with a massive birthday cake which was crowned by a huge tennis ball with the number 20.Hands on hips, Alcaraz appeared stunned.But, as usual, the Spanish star rose to the challenge. He deftly sliced off a thin piece of what looked to be mainly icing to try his cake before taking a swig from his water bottle.After the crowd sung “Happy Birthday” in Spanish, Alcaraz told the packed Manolo Santana Stadium, “It truly is incredible to celebrate my birthday with all of you. Each year I celebrate my birthday here. When I turned 18, I played Rafael Nadal (in a loss), when I turned 19 I played (Cameron) Norrie (in a win), and now at 20 I advance to the final.”The second-ranked Alcaraz will play Jan-Lennard Struff or Aslan Karatsev...

Italian ex-leader Conte attacked by man protesting lockdowns

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Former Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte has been physically attacked during an official appearance in Tuscany by a man protesting against Italy’s lockdowns and other measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Italian media reported Friday.The man struck Conte in the face, and the assailant was immediately detained by law enforcement, the news agency LaPresse reported. Conte didn’t appear to have been seriously harmed.“Dissent is legitimate, but this violent demonstration falls outside the democratic context,” Conte said in a statement.Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni expressed solidarity with Conte, whose party is in the opposition, and condemned “every form of violence.”Conte was premier when Italy became the first country in the West to confirm COVID-19 cases in February 2020, putting the country under a strict lockdown in early March, and he oversaw the start of Italy’s vaccination campaign.Source

Why is Russia’s Wagner threatening to withdraw from Bakhmut?

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 10:50:02 GMT

A threat by the leader of private Russian military company Wagner on Friday to withdraw his fighters from the battle to seize a city in eastern Ukraine is another episode in his dispute with Russia’s regular military over credit and tactics in the war.Yevgeny Prigozhin, a millionaire with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has led the push to jump-start Russia’s stalemated offensive in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk province. He threatened to pull out his soldiers from the city of Bakhmut next week, citing high casualties and ammunition shortages. Russia’s nine-month campaign to take Bakhmut has made the city the focus of the war’s longest battle. Ferocious house-to house fighting there has produced some of the bloodiest encounters since Russia sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Here is a look at Wagner’s history and its role in the fighting.WHO OWNS THE WAGNER GROUP?Yevgeny Prigozhin, who received a 12-year prison term in 1981 on charges of robbery...