Europe – Page 506 – Prologue Journal

What I’m Reading: Summer-Snobs Edition

New York Times Tales of status, those who have it and those who want it, are on my list. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/world/europe/interpreter-snob-literature.html

Thousands of Guns Turned in After 2 Mass Shootings in Serbia

New York Times The unregistered weapons were handed over to the authorities as the government vows to disarm the country after two mass shootings. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/world/europe/serbia-shooting-guns-amnesty.html

China Will Send an Envoy to Russia and Ukraine to Help Negotiate an End to the War

New York Times Li Hui, China’s special representative for Eurasian affairs, is expected to begin his trip on Monday. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/world/europe/china-russia-ukraine-war-peace.html

Eurovision 2023: How to Watch and What to Know

New York Times The international song contest — which has helped launch acts like ABBA and Maneskin — takes place in England this year. Here’s what to expect from this edition. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/arts/music/eurovision-2023-how-to-watch.html

Ukraine’s Dogged Effort to Get Weapons to the Battlefield, Not the Black Market

New York Times They can’t track every shell, but at a time of heightened scrutiny in Washington they know they can ill afford slips with the big ticket items. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/world/europe/ukraine-weapons-tracking-corruption.html

‘Brokeback Mountain’ Is Now a Play in London’s West End

New York Times Much has changed for L.G.B.T.Q. people since Annie Proulx’s short story was published in 1997. But a new theatrical version is a reminder that homophobia is far from over. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/theater/brokeback-mountain-play.html

Olympic Swimming in the Seine? How Paris Is Remaking a River.

New York Times Organizers of the 2024 Summer Games promised a waterway clean enough for Olympic swimmers and then Parisians to swim in. The job was bigger than anyone knew. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/sports/olympics/paris-olympics-seine-cleanup.html

Your Friday Briefing

New York Times The timing of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/briefing/ukraine-counteroffensive-turkey-elections.html

Zelensky, Citing Equipment Gaps, Says It’s Too Soon for Counteroffensive

New York Times Ukraine’s president played down the chance of an imminent military move, but the claim was greeted with some skepticism. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/world/europe/ukraine-russia-counteroffensive-zelensky.html

Days After Crowning the King, Archbishop Condemns U.K. Migrant Plan

New York Times The Most Rev. Justin Welby, the archbishop of Canterbury and a member of the House of Lords, told Parliament that the government’s plan to deal with immigration is “morally unacceptable.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/11/world/europe/justin-welby-uk-immigration-archbishop-canterbury.html