Author: NY TIMES

Karl Wallinger, a Welsh singer-songwriter who helped define college radio in the 1980s and ’90s as a member of the Waterboys and the founder of World Party, died on Sunday at his home in Hastings, England. He was 66.His daughter, Nancy Zamit, confirmed the death but did not provide a cause. Mr. Wallinger suffered a brain aneurysm in 2001 that forced him to stop performing for several years.Following on the heels of the post-punk, new wave and new romantic movements of the early 1980s, Mr. Wallinger embodied something of a throwback to the classical pop and folk styles of an…

When President Biden declared over the weekend that he was drawing a “red line” for Israel’s military action in Gaza, he appeared to be trying to raise the potential cost for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as their relationship plummets to new depths.But he never said what would happen, exactly, if Mr. Netanyahu ignored him and continued Israel’s military operation by invading the southern city Rafah, a step that Mr. Biden has said — repeatedly — would be a major mistake. It is unclear whether he hesitated because he did not want to signal what response he might be preparing, or…

Trace back the digitally altered photograph of Catherine, Princess of Wales, and its roots lie in a tragedy of another Princess of Wales, Diana, whose death in 1997 predated the creation of Facebook by nearly seven years.Diana’s fatal car accident, after a high-speed pursuit by photographers in Paris, left a lasting imprint on her sons, William and Harry. They grew up vowing not to take part in what they viewed as a pathological relationship between the royal family and the press, one in which they were the abused partners.The rise of social media gave this younger generation of royals a…

In an open letter released Monday, the NAACP urged black college athletes to “reconsider” any potential decisions to attend Florida’s public universities following news last week that the University of Florida would eliminate its diversity and inclusion programs office.Gainesville’s decision comes in response to a law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last year that prohibits the state’s public universities from using state or federal funds for diversity programs or activities. In a March 1 memo, the university announced it would eliminate 13 positions, including chief diversity officer, and reallocate $5 million for DEI initiatives.Monday’s letter, signed by NAACP Board…

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Inflation sped up slightly in February on an overall basis and a closely watched measure of underlying price increases was firmer than economists had expected.The fresh data underscores that fully returning inflation to a normal pace is likely to be a bumpy process — and backs up the Federal Reserve’s decision to proceed carefully as officials consider when and how much to lower interest rates.The Consumer Price Index climbed 3.2 percent last month from a year earlier, up from 3.1 percent in January. That’s down notably from a 9.1 percent high in 2022, but it is still quicker than the…

Airbnb said this week that it was banning the use of all indoor security cameras in its listings worldwide, an update to its current policy allowing the devices to be installed in common areas such as hallways and living rooms.In a statement on Monday, the company said that most of the listings on its site do not have indoor security cameras, but that it was making privacy a priority.Previously, security cameras were allowed in common areas so long as hosts disclosed them to guests before booking. They had to be visible, not hidden, and were not allowed in sleeping areas…

The Israel-Hamas war was prominently addressed on the Oscars stage on Sunday in an acceptance speech for “The Zone of Interest,” which follows the domestic life of a Nazi commandant whose house is just outside the Auschwitz concentration camp.The director Jonathan Glazer read from prepared remarks after the film won for best international feature, offering thanks to collaborators before turning to the conflict.“All our choices were made to reflect and confront us in the present — not to say, ‘Look what they did then,’ rather, ‘Look what we do now.’ Our film shows where dehumanization leads at its worst. It…

Itay Chen, a 19-year-old U.S. and Israeli citizen thought to have been a taken hostage on Oct. 7 was in fact killed that day, his parents said on Tuesday.The couple, Ruby and Hagit Chen, said that the Israeli military told them that it had intelligence indicating that their son, a service member, was killed while defending civilians on the border of Gaza during the Hamas-led invasion.“Our hearts are broken,” the Chens said in a statement. “We loved him so much, and we would have done anything to bring him home alive.”In an interview with The Times earlier this year, Itay’s…

Nearly 70 children were evacuated from an orphanage in the southern Gazan city of Rafah and taken to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a charity involved in the effort said on Tuesday.The charity, SOS Children’s Villages International, said it had worked “through diplomatic channels with all relevant authorities” to arrange to move the children, who were orphaned before the current war, to its orphanage in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.The German Embassy in Israel said that it had assisted in the effort after a request for help in mid-November from SOS Children’s Villages. The embassy said that evacuating the orphans…