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☆ Keith Siegel: American-Israeli hostage appears in Hamas video for first time
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Izso | Eyad Kourdi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Hamas on Saturday published a video of two hostages, American-Israeli Keith Siegel and Israeli Omri Miran. In the video, Siegel, who appears to be speaking under duress, pleads for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate a hostage release deal with Hamas. This is the first video released of Siegel since he was kidnapped by Hamas alongside his wife from their home in Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7. Former Hamas hostage Aviva Siegel wears a T-shirt showing a her husband Keith during her visit to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on February 28, 2024. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty ImagesThis is the second hostage video released by Hamas in recent days.

Persons: Keith Siegel, Omri Miran, Siegel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Miran, “, Aviva Siegel, Keith, Fabrice Coffrini, Hersh Goldberg, Polin, Goldberg, “ Keith, ”, Ilan, Israel Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Minister’s, UN Human Rights, Nova, Hostages Families, Aviva, Independence Locations: Kfar Aza, Israeli, Geneva, AFP, Israel, Egypt, Gaza

☆ McDonald's will buy all 225 restaurants from Israel franchise following pro-Palestinian boycott fallout
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

McDonald's signed a deal to purchase all 225 of the restaurants that comprise its Israel franchise, the American fast-food chain announced, following months of dramatically lower sales due to pro-Palestinian boycott action amid the Israel-Hamas war. "An agreement to sell Alonyal to McDonald's Corporation has been signed," the McDonald's statement said Thursday. "Upon completion of the transaction, McDonald's Corporation will own Alonyal Limited's restaurants and operations, and employees will be retained on equivalent terms." "We are dismayed by the disinformation and inaccurate reports regarding our position in response to the conflict in the Middle East," McDonald's Corp. said in a November statement. "McDonald's Corporation is not funding or supporting any governments involved in this conflict, and any actions from our local Developmental Licensee business partners were made independently without McDonalds' content or approval."

Persons: McDonald's, Omri Padan, Israel —, —, Chris Kempczinski Organizations: Israel, Alonyal Ltd, McDonald's Corporation, McDonald's, Consumers, Gaza, enclave's Health Ministry, World Health Organization, McDonalds Locations: Israel, East, Malaysia, Indonesia

☆ McDonald’s buys all of its Israeli franchise restaurants amid damage from Middle East turmoil
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Maisie Linford | Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —McDonald’s will buy every one of its 225 franchise restaurants in Israel, it announced Thursday, just weeks after saying that the Israel-Hamas war was hurting its business. The fast food giant said it had struck an agreement with Israeli franchise Alonyal to buy the firm’s McDonald’s (MCD) franchise restaurants in the country. The vast majority of McDonald’s stores around the world are run by local franchise operators. Many McDonald’s operators in the wider region quickly distanced themselves from the Israeli firm’s actions. Franchise groups in Kuwait and Pakistan, for example, issued statements saying they did not share ownership with the Israeli franchise.

Persons: London CNN —, Omri Padan, Alonyal, McDonald’s, “, Chris Kempczinski, , Kempczinski Organizations: London CNN, Alonyal Locations: Israel, Kuwait, Pakistan

☆ Israel’s Druze Arabs, fiercely loyal to the state, feel let down after ‘paying with their blood’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Lianne Kolirin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

About a million-strong, the global Druze community is largely spread across Israel, Lebanon and Syria. Some 130,000 Israeli Druze live in the Carmel and Galilee in the country’s north. There have been rumblings of discontent since 2018, when tens of thousands of demonstrators gathered in Tel Aviv to protest Israel’s controversial “nation-state” law. “The (nation-state) law didn’t affect our identity – it affected our sense of belonging,” he said in a video call with CNN. “The Druze community has no dream to have a country – we don’t want it, we don’t believe in it.

Persons: Alim Abdallah, Abdallah, we’d, ” Abdallah’s, Mona, Mona Abdallah Saad, “, ” Mona, ”, Alim Abdallah Saad, Adam, Maya, ” Abdallah, CNN hasn’t, Col, Salman Habaka, Be’eri, Habaka, Gadeer Kamal, Kamal, ‘ I’m, I’m, ’, Corinna Kern, Anwar Saab, It’s, Omri Eilat, Ariel Schalit, Benny Gantz, Bejamin Netanyahu, Bibi –, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, 300th Baram Regional Brigade, Washington DC, Jewish Agency for, Reuters ‘, Saab, University of Haifa, Druze Heritage Center, National Unity, Israeli Locations: Lebanon, Israel, Yanuh, Lebanese, Syria, Carmel, Galilee, Golan, Egypt, Israel’s, Hala, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Druze, Washington, Jewish Agency for Israel, Iran, Isfiya, Yanuh Jat

☆ Countries enacting visa exemptions receive a 'huge burst in travel,' says Agoda CEO
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCountries enacting visa exemptions receive a 'huge burst in travel,' says Agoda CEOAfter enacting a visa-free policy for travelers from India and China on Dec. 1, 2023, Malaysia saw a 400% increase in travel searches, Agoda CEO Omri Morgenshtern told Squawk Box Asia.

Persons: Omri Morgenshtern Locations: India, China, Malaysia, Squawk, Asia

☆ Opinion: What could fall apart after Trump’s victory
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. CNN —In 2018, Irish journalist Fintan O’Toole proposed the “Yeats Test” to determine how bad things are in the world. Although … Haley is the last contender standing between former President Donald Trump and the Republican nomination…most Republican voters do not want an alternative to Trump; they overwhelmingly back him. Polling shows Trump even leads Haley in her home state of South Carolina.”Haley’s quest is going nowhere, wrote Daniel McCarthy. Join us on Twitter and FacebookTrump’s election-night needling of South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who endorsed the president over Haley, stood out.

Persons: Fintan O’Toole, Yeats, ” O’Toole, Donald Trump, —, William Butler Yeats, Mitch McConnell’s, Trump, doesn’t, Joe Biden, Clay Jones, Nikki Haley, ”, Raul Reyes, … Haley, Haley, Daniel McCarthy, Ron DeSantis, “, Paul Begala, South Carolina Sen, Tim Scott, Tim, ” Trump, Scott, E, Jean Carroll, Ana Marie Cox, Carroll —, Julian Zelizer, — Trump, ” Bill Bramhall, Biden, Douglas, Bruce A, Willis, John Avlon, Dean Obeidallah, Jon Stewart, Bill Burns, Lishay Lavi, Omri Miran, Roni, Alma, ” Lavi, ” Barbie, Oscar Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News Sara Stewart, Barbie ”, “ Tuesday’s Oscar, ‘ Barbie, Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Barbie, it’s, Brad Meltzer, Ken, ’, Hannah Ryan, Barbie ’, Sofia Coppola’s ‘ Priscilla ’, Priscilla Presley’s, Elvis —, Molly Manning Walker’s, Ava DuVernay’s, Noah Berlatsky, Dr, Strangelove ”, Peter Bergen, Elena Sheppard, Kyte, Nick Anderson, Narges Mohammadi, Jennifer Tucker, Wayne LaPierre, Erik German, Frida Ghitis, Elon Musk, Jill Filipovic, millennials, David S, Cohen, Greer Donley, Rachel Rebouché, David Mark, …, Lisa Benson, Suzanne Plunkett, Michelle Francl didn’t, Rosa Prince, You’re, you’ll Organizations: CNN, GOP, Republican, Trump, Polling, Florida Gov, Republican Party, ”, Twitter, Facebook, New York Daily, CIA, New York Daily News, Warner Bros, Warner Bros ., Academy, Counterpoint, NRA, Harvard, Bryn Mawr College, Boston Harbour Locations: Irish, “, Ukraine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Iowa, New York, Douglas London, Georgia, Gaza, Israel, Bergen, Boston, Pennsylvania

☆ Opinion: ‘Dear Omri…’ A love letter to a hostage husband
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Opinion Lishay Lavi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Editor’s note: Lishay Lavi’s husband Omri Miran, father of their two daughters Roni and Alma, was kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 and remains captive in Gaza. I hope that you’ll return to Roni, Alma and me. Lishay Lavi and her daughters Roni and Alma with a poster of their kidnapped husband and father Omri Miran. You told me that you love me, and then Roni tried to run to you. But do know that while some are silent, and some are hateful, many others are loud and full of love.

Persons: Lishay, Omri Miran, Roni, Alma, Moshe Lavi, Read, CNN —, Omri, –, ” Roni, Lavi, Oz, Tsaci, Penelope, Odysseus Organizations: CNN, Mojo, United Nations, International Committee Locations: Gaza, Kibbutz Kramim, Nahal Oz, Kramim, Israel

☆ Israel denies genocide accusations at top UN court, says war in Gaza is self-defense
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

South Africa and Israel are signatories to the 1948 Genocide Convention, meaning they are obliged not to commit genocide and to prevent and punish it. South Africa has asked the court to order Israel to suspend its military campaign in Gaza. In January 2020, the court granted The Gambia’s request for provisional measures to protect the Rohingya people remaining in Myanmar from genocide. A 2022 report by Human Rights Watch found continued abuses against the Rohingya remaining in Myanmar, despite the provisional measures. South Africa cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Israeli forces on October 28, ahead of the imminent launch of its ground offensive in Gaza.

Persons: Israel, ” Israel, Germany “, Steffen Hebestreit, ”, “, Tal Becker, Becker, Galit Raguan, Omri Sender, Hollandse, Israel ’ Israel, Malcolm Shaw, Michel Porro, Ghazi Hamad, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ” Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Ronald Lamola, Madonsela, Remko de, Gilad Noam, Christopher Staker, Staker, Nadine Schmidt, Catherine Nicholls Organizations: CNN, Israel, United Nations ’, International Court of Justice, Hamas, ICJ, UN, Holocaust, Human Rights Watch, ”, The Hague, South African, Getty, Criminal Court, ICC Locations: South Africa, Gaza, ”, The Hague, Netherlands, Germany, Africa, Israel, Myanmar, Russia, Ukraine, Lebanese, Remko de Waal, AFP

☆ First testimonies shed light on the conditions endured by Hamas’ Israeli hostages
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Rob Picheta | Joseph Ataman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —For more than six weeks, the conditions in which the Israeli hostages captured by Hamas were being held in Gaza were virtually unknown to the outside world. Over the first three days of the truce, Hamas released a total of 58 hostages, primarily women and children, and Israel freed 117 Palestinian prisoners. A Red Cross convoy carrying Israeli and foreign hostages heads to Egypt from the Gaza Strip on Sunday. Eighty-four-year-old Alma Avraham, who was among the Israeli hostages freed from Gaza on Sunday, has been admitted to the intensive care unit, Israel’s Soroka Medical Center said. CNN has previously reported that an estimated 40 to 50 of the hostages were held by Palestinian Islamic Jihad or other groups or individuals.

Persons: Adar, Yafa, “, ” Adva, Rice, Keren Munder, pita, Merav Mor Raviv, Munder, Mor Raviv, Fatima Shbair, Wichanguen, Vetoon Phoome, Alma Avraham, ”, Shlomi Codish, Yelena Magid, Roni Kriboy, Magid, ” Magid, Kriboy, Omri Almog, Chen Goldstein, Tal, ” Almog, Yam, Nadav, Israel – Organizations: CNN, Cross, Medical, Soroka Medical, Monday, Kan, Hamas, Palestinian Locations: Gaza, Israel, Egypt, Russian, Kriboy

☆ A wife waits in Israel for her husband, a hostage in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Joseph Campbell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lavi has to answer her two year-old daughter Roni's increasingly insistent questions about what has happened to her father. "At first she thought that 'Daddy went to a treatment,' because Omri is a shiatsu healer. And after today, she said, and this is what we told her until now, 'Daddy got lost.'" "I need my Omri back, I need my man back. I need all the world to understand that Omri, (was) taken from our home, in his boxers, without shoes even, and we need him back."

Persons: Lavi, Omri Miran, Nahal Oz, Joseph Campbell, Omri, Roni's, Daddy, James Mackenzie, Timothy Organizations: REUTERS, Timothy Heritage, Thomson Locations: Kibbutz Kramim, Israel, gunpoint, Gaza

☆ Opinion | Hostages Must Be at the Center of Every Conversation About This War
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Moshe Emilio Lavi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

But for my family, there will be no end to this pain and no peace until the 240 hostages that Hamas kidnapped are rescued. Omri, Lishay, Roni and Alma are not political pawns; they are human beings who deserve to be reunited as a family. But amid the chaos and complexity of this conflict, the hostages must not be forgotten. Taking hostages — civilians, including babies, children, the disabled and the elderly — is a grave violation of the Geneva Conventions. Addressing the plight of hostages is not a diversion from the broader political and military issues at the heart of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Persons: Omri Miran, Roni, Alma, Oz, Omri, Lishay, ”, Lishay Lavi, Israel, pidyon shvuyim, “, Omri — Organizations: Israel Defense Forces, Washington , D.C, Hamas, Sapir College Locations: Kibbutz, Gaza, London, Paris, Berlin, United States, Washington ,, Israel, Nahal Oz, Alma, Negev, Geneva, Qatar

☆ Israel’s soccer team loses to Kosovo as videos show some fans booing national anthem
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Jacob Lev | George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Israeli national soccer team on Sunday played its first match since the Israel-Hamas war started, losing 1-0 against Kosovo in a European Championship qualifying match. During Israel’s national anthem before the match, some fans in attendance in Kosovo appeared to boo and whistle, according to videos circulating on social media. CNN has contacted UEFA, the governing body of European football, and the Israeli Football Association for comment. The top two teams, currently Romania and Switzerland, will automatically qualify for next year’s European Championship in Germany. “Our country is more important than football,” Israel coach Alon Hazan told reporters after the match, according to Reuters.

Persons: Israel, Milot, Armend Nimani, Omri Glazer, Zymer, Roy Revivo’s, Alon Hazan, ”, Pancho Aréna Organizations: CNN, soccer team, Sunday, Kosovo, UEFA, Israeli Football Association, Pristina City, Israel, Getty, Zymer Bytyqi, ”, Reuters, Switzerland Locations: Israel, Kosovo, Pristina, Romania, Switzerland, Germany, AFP, “, ” Israel, Hungary

☆ Fact Check: Photo of cheering crowds waving Israeli flags at soldiers is AI-generated
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A picture showing crowds on balconies cheering and waving Israeli flags as soldiers march along the road was generated with AI for inspirational purposes, according to its creator, but is confusing some users online who question if the image shows a real scene. The image has been shared online with the hashtags #HamasTerrorist and #IsraelFightsBack on messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter. !” (The nation of Israel is alive) and (in Spanish) “The people from Israel stronger and more united! The original image was uploaded to Facebook by user Omri Shefi on Oct 11 as part of a set of thirteen images showing civilians and soldiers waving Israeli flags, cheering and walking through the streets. The image of the crowds on balconies cheering soldiers and waving Israeli flags was made with AI for inspirational purposes, according to its creator.

Persons: Omri Shefi, Shefi, ” Shefi, Israel, Read Organizations: Facebook, Israel, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza

After over three weeks of heavy air strikes, Israeli ground forces have entered Gaza. A map of the northern part of the Gaza Strip shows Israeli forces ground incursions at two places along the northern border and one place along the eastern border, just south of Gaza City. 3 Cutting off Gaza City from the southAlthough the military has refused to say exactly where troops are operating, images on social media appear to show Israeli tanks on the road south of Gaza City. This line may threaten Salah Ad Deen Road, the main transport artery that runs the length of the Gaza Strip. Cutting it off would effectively split Gaza in two and isolate Gaza City from the south.

Persons: ” Amos Yadlin, Erez, “, Omri Attar, Ben Milch, Salah Ad Deen Organizations: Observers, Gaza, Israel, Hamas, Combat Engineering, Combat Engineering Corps Locations: Gaza, Gaza City, Israeli

☆ Hostages in mind, Israel moves slowly in Gaza ground offensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Jonathan Saul | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Troops freed an Israeli soldier from Hamas captivity during the ground operation in Gaza, the military said on Monday. An Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment on details of the offensive, citing sensitivity with the issue. Saying any lull in fighting would benefit Hamas, Israel rejected the calls, in the first public split between Israel and its allies since Oct. 7. ENCIRCLING GAZA CITYAfter amassing hundreds of thousands of soldiers, including reservists, on its border with Gaza, Israel made the first sustained ground incursions of the offensive on Friday. Israeli military forces are aware of the dangers with heavily built up areas in Gaza and the dangers of sending in broad forces.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Amos Yadlin, Israel, Benny Gantz, Yoav Gallant, Netanyahu, Daniel Hagari, Salah Al Deen, Abu Ahmad, Hagari, Omri Attar, I'm, Ben Milch, they're, Milch, Jonathan Saul, Nidal Al Mughrabi, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Hamas, Israeli Defence Forces, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Troops, ., Saturday, Forces, Islamic, Combat Engineering Corps, IDF, Thomson Locations: Israeli, Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Hamas, GAZA, Gaza City, Jerusalem

☆ Leipzig battle past Red Star 3-1 to tighten hold on Group G second spot
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LEIPZIG, Germany, Oct 25 (Reuters) - RB Leipzig strengthened their hold on second place in Champions League Group G with a 3-1 victory over gritty Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday. Yussuf Poulsen, the longest-serving Leipzig player who this week signed a contract extension, then forced a save from keeper Omri Glazer with a curled shot as the visitors initially struggled with the Germans' frenetic pace. Leipzig are on six points from three matches, three behind leaders Manchester City, who beat Young Boys 3-1. Red Star are on one point, the same as the Swiss side. Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Clare FallonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Raum, Yussuf Poulsen, Omri Glazer, Castello Lukeba, Osman Bukari, Leipzig's Xavi Simons, Marko Stamenic, Dani Olmo, Karolos, Clare Fallon Organizations: RB Leipzig, Champions League Group, Red Star Belgrade, Wednesday, Red Star, League, Manchester City, Young Boys, Thomson Locations: LEIPZIG, Germany, Leipzig, Swiss

In another case, a video showed a billboard in the central Israeli city of Holon displaying images of rockets and a burning Israeli flag. Israeli information security professionals are banding together to provide free cybersecurity services to Israeli companies amid a spike in hacktivist activity sparked by the war in Gaza, volunteers said. Ohad Zaidenberg, an Israeli IT specialist, is leading a group of volunteers to help Israeli companies that are being actively targeted. The organizers of the volunteers are drawing the line on members taking vigilante action against Hamas, said Omri Segev Moyal, the chief executive of the Israeli cybersecurity firm Profero. Moyal, who runs a popular Facebook group for Israeli cybersecurity professionals, said he had already removed a couple of posts calling for digital action against the Palestinian group.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, fatigues, Yossi Appleboum, Appleboum, Zoom didn’t, Ohad, ”, Omri Segev Moyal, Moyal, Profero, “, Raphael Satter, Christopher Bing, James Pearson, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Palestinian, Hamas, REUTERS, Reuters, Telegram, Thomson Locations: Israel, New York City, U.S, LONDON, Holon, Gaza, Israel's, Israeli, Washington, London

A hooded man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 10 (Reuters) - Hacktivist groups say they are hitting Israeli targets online amid the war in Israel and Gaza, disrupting and defacing websites like the Jerusalem Post. The conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors routinely attracts both intense global interest and politically minded hackers - dubbed hacktivists - who piggyback on the fighting, either to support their favored side or simply get attention. "There are dozens of victims per day, claimed by both pre-established and new (hacktivist) groups," cyber intelligence firm Recorded Future said. Examples of serious or long-term damage are still thin, but the activism shows how a subset of supporters use digital tools to bring the war online.

Persons: Kacper, Avi Mayer, hacktivists, Omri Segev Moyal, Israel, Profero, Christopher Bing, Raphael Satter, Zeba Siddiqui, Chris Sanders, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, CERT, Microsoft, Thomson Locations: Israel, Gaza, Jerusalem, Ukraine, Iranian, Washington, San Francisco

☆ Startup studio Fractal created 130 companies in 3 years. Founders say the deal structure has led VCs to 'blacklist' them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Melia Russell | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

www.fractalsoftware.comOf the dozens of Fractal startups that have raised a seed round of funding, about half had Bienville Capital lead the deal, according to people familiar with the matter. Others say they knew what they were getting into with a venture studio, where a large ownership position is standard. Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesThe biggest draw for some Fractal founders was its plug-and-play approach. The founder of one Fractal startup remembered a time when his company was struggling to grow its customer base. That firm is raising a new $325 million fund to provide additional funding to Fractal companies exclusively, according to a person familiar with the effort.

Persons: Fractal's, he'd, they'd, Andreessen Horowitz, Mike Furlong, Nate Baker, Bienville, —, Brendan Smialowski, Founders, Angela Lee, Furlong, Baker, Ezra Shaw, who'd, who's, It's, Lee, She's, 8VC, Bain, Jeff Greenberg, Omri Bloch, who've, didn't, Stephanie Palazzolo, Melia Russell Organizations: Flatiron Health, Bienville, Insight Partners, Bienville Capital, Getty, Columbia Business School, Alpha, Midwest, Science, Olympic Club, Tiger Global, Craft Ventures, Founders, Vertical Venture Partners, Zag, Crew Capital, Bain Capital, Universal, Foundation, Fifth Locations: Bienville Capital, New York, Bienville, Indio, AFP, Santa Monica , California, Miami, San Francisco, GreenSpark, Columbia, Barti, Aktos, Bessemer, 8VC

☆ China bookings to return to pre-pandemic level by early 2024 – Agoda
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Chayut Setboonsarng | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Overseas travel bookings from mainland China are currently at just over half of pre-pandemic levels but are on course to return to the 2019 numbers by the end of this year or early 2024, the head of online travel agency Agoda said on Thursday. The country reopened earlier this year after removing most of its pandemic restrictions, giving a big boost to outbound travel. The top overseas destinations for Chinese tourists were Hong Kong, Bangkok and the Thai island of Phuket, Agoda data showed. About 80% of Chinese tourists have returned to Thailand, Morgenshtern said, attributing that faster rate of recovery to Thailand dropping restrictions on Chinese arrivals sooner than other markets. Thailand expects about 30 million arrivals for the full year with five million from China.

Persons: Agoda, Florence, Omri Morgenshtern, “, ”, Morgenshtern Organizations: Overseas, REUTERS, Booking Holdings, Tourism Locations: BANGKOK, China, Beijing, Thailand, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Thai, Phuket, India, South Korea

☆ India is now the most populous country in the world. And it’s ready to become a tourism force
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Tara Subramaniam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A series of bold investmentsExperts say much of India’s outbound growth trajectory is being driven by improvements in infrastructure and an expansion in its aviation sector. Morgenshtern says the rise in outbound tourism from India is the result of investment not just by the government but by private airlines as well. Air India, for example, is fully owned by Indian conglomerate Tata Sons. As part of its efforts to expand its offerings, the company announced earlier this year it will be operating flights under both the Air India brand and Air India Express, having previously merged the latter with Tata’s other low-cost airline, AirAsia India. In February, Air India purchased nearly 500 new planes, the most ever bought in one order by a single airline.

Persons: Omri Morgenshtern, it’s, Gary Bowerman, It’s, Delhi’s Indira, Morgenshtern, Indira, Bowerman, Jyotiraditya Scindia, ”, “, Matthew Micah Wright, ” Morgenshtern, Arun Sankar, ” Bowerman, there’s Organizations: CNN, Reuters, Times, National Capital, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International, Indira Gandhi International, Creative, Imaging, Air India, Tata Sons, Air India Express, AirAsia India, India, LCC, ”, Tata, US . Air India, Indigo, Civil Aviation, CAPA India Aviation Summit, Bank Locations: India, China, Noida, Jewar, Uttar Pradesh, Times of India, Delhi, Western Uttar Pradesh, Asia, ., India’s, Europe, Africa, Morgenshtern, France, Switzerland, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, An, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Air China, Beijing, Shanghai, China Southern, Guangzhou, Northeast Asia

☆ Black Sea urchins have disappeared from the Gulf of Aqaba. Their loss could kill off an entire coral reef
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Black sea urchins. The epidemic only affects the black sea urchins, and was even killing them in the research lab's tanks, and Eilat's aquarium -- which all use freshly circulating seawater. Black sea urchins feed on the algae that grows on the reef. The first step, needed in the coming weeks, is to establish "broodstock populations" that will eventually help repopulate and reintroduce the black sea urchins into the region. But the surviving sea urchins that could be used to do so are themselves under threat.

Persons: Omri Bronstein, Bronstein, we've, Bornstein, they're, " Bronstein, Omri Omesi, Omesi, he's Organizations: CNN, Tel, Tel Aviv University, Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, Israel Nature, Parks Authority Locations: Eilat, Israel, Aqaba, Tel Aviv, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Turkey, Caribbean, Syria, Lebanon

☆ Exclusive: Fractal, a New York venture studio, is laying off staff and will stop creating new startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Melia Russell | Stephanie Palazzolo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The venture studio Fractal Software will no longer start new companies, Insider has learned. Fractal Software, a venture studio that creates startups by hatching its own ideas and hiring founders to execute, has laid off staff and will stop starting new companies, Insider has learned. At least 28 employees, about 25% of staff, have left Fractal in the past six months, according to LinkedIn. Fractal confirmed layoffs occurred starting in December, but would not specify the number of employees affected. Fractal has a few more startups in the pipeline, with a goal of launching 145 companies, two people familiar with the company's strategy said.

Persons: Omri Bloch, That's, Joe Lonsdale's 8VC, Bienville, Melia Russell, Stephanie Palazzolo Organizations: New, Software, Investors, Tiger Global, Bienville Capital, Securities and Exchange Commission, Twitter Locations: New York, 8VC, Bienville

☆ China's travel recovery gets more attention, but India's outbound market is 'booming' even faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Charmaine Jacob | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Company data showed that while outbound travel searches from most Asia-Pacific countries increased between 30% and 60% from 2019, searches from travelers in India jumped by 225%. Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia are top picks for Indian travelers. "Vietnam is within the top five destinations and it was never there in 2019," Morgenshtern said. "There's this perception that the Indian traveler's economic power is very low. It may be true domestically, but when it comes to outbound, I actually think it's on par with the Chinese when they visit other Asian countries," Agoda's Morgenshtern said.

☆ Meet the typical Adidas US customer, a 20-something who earns just under $100,000 and looks to Adidas for fashion and fitness apparel
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Adidas in 2022 reported $24.6 billion in sales across footwear, apparel, and sporting equipment. Adidas' typical customer is a millennial and Gen Z customer earning just under six figures. Today, Adidas employs over 59,000 workers and in 2022 reported $24.6 billion in sales, across categories like footwear and apparel. The typical US Adidas customer earns a mid-to-high average income of between $75,000 and $99,000, according to Start.io, a mobile marketing platform that helps partners serve relevant ads on their apps. "They're following the same lines in terms of fashion and sport," Omri Barnes, chief marketing officer at Start.io, told Insider.

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