Europe – Page 292 – Prologue Journal

Pardoned for Serving in Ukraine, They Return to Russia to Kill Again

New York Times Recruiting convicts for its army has given Russia a manpower advantage. But it is backfiring in tragic ways when former inmates are pardoned and return home to commit new crimes. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/06/world/europe/russia-convicts-war-murder.html

The Eclipse That Ended a War and Shook the Gods Forever

New York Times Thales, a Greek philosopher 2,600 years ago, is celebrated for predicting a famous solar eclipse and founding what came to be known as science. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/06/science/eclipse-prediction-ancient-greece-thales.html

Margaret Tynes, Soprano Who Soared in Verdi and Strauss, Dies at 104

New York Times Because there were few opportunities for Black singers in the U.S., she became a powerhouse in Europe, performing in operas like “Tosca” and “Carmen.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/arts/music/margaret-tynes-dead.html

Lynne Reid Banks, Author of ‘The Indian in the Cupboard,’ Dies at 94

New York Times She explored the struggles of young women in the novel “The L-Shaped Room” but found her biggest success with a children’s book about a magical cupboard. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/books/lynne-reid-banks-dead.html

U.K. Lawmaker William Wragg Admits Sharing Colleagues’ Private Data on Grindr

New York Times William Wragg said he had been scared that a man he met on the Grindr dating app had “compromising things” on him, and apologized for causing “hurt.” https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/world/europe/uk-parliament-sexting-honeytrap-william-wragg.html

Making Films About Outsiders, Increasingly in the Mainstream

New York Times Goran Stolevski, who is from North Macedonia and grew up partly in Australia, has made three features in three years, all teeming with unruly emotion. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/movies/goran-stolevski-filmmaker.html

Why Real Madrid Is Soccer’s Model Club

New York Times The club is strutting into a future different from the one envisioned by its president, Florentino Pérez. But its prospects are as bright as ever. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/world/europe/real-madrid-endrick-mbappe.html

Dwindling Ammunition Stocks Pose Grave Threat to Ukraine

New York Times What few munitions remain are often mismatched with battlefield needs as the country’s forces gird for an expected Russian offensive this summer. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/world/europe/ukraine-ammunition-shells-russia.html

Willy Wonka’s Unknown Lands a New Acting Gig in London

New York Times The internet latched on to 16-year-old Felicia Dawkins’ performance as The Unknown at a shambolic Willy Wonka-inspired event. This weekend, she’s heading to a bigger and scarier stage in London. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/theater/glasgow-willy-wonka-experience-unknown-felicia.html

Friday Briefing

New York Times The Times’s Jerusalem bureau chief on six months of war between Israel and Hamas. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/briefing/israel-hamas-war-iran-attack.html