Stortford united kingdom

A biographical drama based on actual events, A United Kingdom stars actors Rosamund Pike ( Gone Girl ) and David Oyelowo ( Selma ). Set in the late 1940s, the movie, which opened the London Film Festival (LFF) in October , is the story of Seretse Khama, the king of Bechuanaland—now Botswana—whose marriage to an English woman of little nobility of her own sparked diplomatic upheaval in both Britain and Africa. The interracial union between Khama and his British bride, Ruth, threatened to undermine the political ties between Britain, which ruled Bechuanaland at the time, and its neighboring South Africa, then in the midst of reintroducing apartheid. Khama's marriage was also met with resistance in his country over his decision to take a bride outside of his culture. However, Seretse and Ruth were undeterred. Faced with exile from Bechuanaland and a years-long separation, Khama led Botswana to political independence and became its first president. Ruth, meanwhile, … [Read more...] about Exclusive: Watch Rosamund Pike in Interracial Marriage Drama ‘A United Kingdom’

MADRID: In 1946, with war-ravaged Europe exhausted and in disarray, Britain’s wartime leader, Winston Churchill, gave a speech in Zurich in which he emphasised the need to “recreate the European fabric” in order to restore peace and freedom to the continent. “We must build a kind of United States of Europe,” Churchill declared. It was a foundational moment for what would become the European Union, even if Churchill’s views of the United Kingdom’s place in Europe were rather more nuanced. Subsequent attempts to construct a united Europe have never lived up to the grand vision that Churchill advanced that day. UNITED STATES OF EUROPE READ: Commentary: Boris Johnson’s COVID-19 illness has made him more powerful Nonetheless, the idea of a cohesive Union remained, with the United States of America seen as the ideal model for what Europe might someday become. Indeed, in 2006, a year after French and Dutch voters rejected the ill-fated European Constitution, Belgium’s … [Read more...] about Commentary: Make America united again. The world needs it

The red carpet rolls out Wednesday night for David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike, the stars of Amma Asante's A United Kingdom , which tells the real-life story of the controversial marriage between Botswanan royal Seretse Khama and his British bride Ruth, to mark the start of London Film Festival, taking place from October 5 to 16. Over the next two weeks, the best of Britain and Hollywood will descend upon the British capital including this year's Oscar winner for Best Actress, Brie Larson, as well as Jeremy Renner, Liam Neeson, Sigourney Weaver and Nicole Kidman. In total, 248 feature films will play at LFF and 74 countries will be represented. Here, Newsweek highlights just a small selection of the most anticipated films to watch out for: A United Kingdom Who: Amma Asante (director); David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike (cast) What: In the late 1940s, Seretse Khama (Oyelowo) is about to take the throne in his native Bechuanaland (now Botswana) but his union with a … [Read more...] about London Film Festival: Six Films You Should See

BRUSSELS: The European Union is willing to move in negotiations on future EU-UK relations, but Britain must make a bigger effort to do the same in talks next week, the EU trade chief said on Thursday (May 28). EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan told EU lawmakers that the negotiations had not made much progress to date. "Perhaps the United Kingdom has come to the conclusion that there's not going to be a deal. I hope not because we want a deal, but speed is of the essence because time is short," he told the trade committee of the European Parliament, before the next round of negotiations next week. Britain told the EU on Wednesday it needed to break a fundamental impasse to clinch a Brexit trade deal by the end of the year and said an agreement on fisheries might not be ready by July. "We hope that we will see a bigger effort than we've seen to date from the United Kingdom side to move on certain issues, because we stand ready to move on ours, to move forward some of the … [Read more...] about EU can move on Brexit, but needs UK to budge, EU trade chief says

LONDON: The United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll has hit 53,077, according to a Reuters tally of official data sources that underline the country's status as one of the worst hit in the world. The Reuters tally comprises fatalities where COVID-19 was mentioned on death certificates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland up to Jun 5, and up to Jun 7 in Scotland. It also includes more recent hospital deaths. The Office for National Statistics (ONS), which updates the figures on a weekly basis, said on Tuesday the number of deaths involving COVID-19 in England and Wales up to June 5 rose to 47,820. The large death toll has prompted criticism of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of the pandemic, with opposition parties and some scientists saying Britain was too slow to impose a lockdown or protect the elderly in care homes. The number issued daily by the government, which measures deaths where patients had tested positive for coronavirus, stood at 41,969 as of 1600 GMT on … [Read more...] about UK COVID-19 death toll hits 53,077: Reuters tally