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☆ Lovers From Around The World, Caught on Film
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Pia Peterson Haggarty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When pandemic lockdowns hit in 2020, photographers and artists Ance Priedniece and Jack Gunn felt like life had been put on pause. “I suppose it was this loneliness and the separation of loved ones that sparked thoughts on love around the world." Eric and Sonosan. Photograph by Chiharu and Wataru Yaginuma in Hokkaido, Japan.

☆ Defiant Man City see off Villa to close gap on Arsenal
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MANCHESTER, England, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Manchester City produced a defiant response to the Premier League's charge sheet as they comfortably beat Aston Villa 3-1 to close to within three points of leaders Arsenal on Sunday. Goals by Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez put the result beyond doubt by halftime as City got back on track following last weekend's loss at Tottenham Hotspur. Villa were left with mission impossible when Mahrez tucked away a penalty in first-half stoppage time after Jacob Ramsey was adjudged to have tripped former Villa player Jack Grealish. Champions City have 48 points from 22 games to Arsenal's 51 from 21 and can go top if they win at Arsenal on Wednesday. "It was a bad result, but we have to learn and use it in the next matches."

☆ Menswear designers debut new collections at New York Fashion Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Alicia Powell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] A model presents a creation from the A. Potts Fall/Winter 2023 collection at New York Men's Day during New York Fashion Week in New York City, U.S., February 10, 2023. REUTERS/Andrew KellyNEW YORK, Feb 10 (Reuters) - From conservative to creative, a gathering of menswear and genderless designers kicked off New York Fashion Week on Friday, showcasing their 2023 fall/winter collections. Jimmy Alexander, creator of Los Angeles-based brand All Beneath Heaven, was making his fashion week debut. New fashion brand Cross Eyed Moose, from One Jeanswear Group, is hoping to take over the accessible premium market. During NYFW more than 70 brands will be showcasing their autumn/winter 2023 designs around the city, from Feb. 10 until Feb. 15.

☆ Kane's record-breaking goal seals Tottenham win over Man City
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Soccer Football - Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - February 5, 2023 Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane scores their first goal past Manchester City's Ederson and becomes Tottenham Hotspur's all time top goalscorer REUTERS/David KleinLONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Manchester City's bid to chop Arsenal's Premier League lead to two points was scuppered as Harry Kane's record-breaking goal earned Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win over the champions on Sunday. Kane's 15th-minute effort punished some sloppy City passing and made him the north London club's all-time top goalscorer with 267, taking him past former great Jimmy Greaves whose record had stood since 1970. Tottenham then withstood a late City siege with some tenacious defending to clinch a third win in four league games over Pep Guardiola's side. Tottenham, whose manager Antonio Conte was absent after having surgery to remove his gallbladder, are fifth on 39 points from 22 games, one behind Newcastle United. "Sooner or later it is going to change, but it is strange we haven't scored one goal," Guardiola said of City's troubles with Tottenham.

☆ Here's why Israel, one of the toughest militaries, isn't arming Ukraine despite a global push to do so. It's got another fight in focus.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Israel, a major US partner, has not provided direct military aid to Ukraine. Russia allows Israel to conduct operations targeting Iran-linked forces in Syria, something it doesn't want to jeopardize. Israel, as of February 2022, was the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance — most of which comes in the form of military support. But the country has stopped short of providing direct lethal military aid to Ukraine, despite pleas from leadership in Kyiv. Even as Moscow allows Israel to clamp down on Iranian influence in Syria, Russia and Iran have increased their military ties and support throughout the Ukraine war.

☆ Chelsea smash British transfer record to sign Benfica's Fernandez
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Chelsea announced the signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica on Wednesday after days of complex negotiations between the clubs to secure the Argentina midfielder for a British transfer record 106.8 million pounds ($131.46 million). Premier League club Chelsea announced the signing on Wednesday 1000 GMT via a video on Twitter, which showed a clip of a clock ticking down, making a reference to race against time to sign the World Cup winner. It takes Chelsea's transfer spending in January alone to close to 300 million pounds and to more than 500 million pounds since last May's takeover by an investment group led by American Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital. His fee eclipses the 100 million pounds Manchester City paid Aston Villa for England midfielder Jack Grealish in 2021. On Tuesday, Chelsea sold experienced midfielder Jorginho to Premier League leaders Arsenal for 12 million pounds.

☆ Enzo Fernandez: Chelsea sign midfielder in £106.8m British-record transfer deal from Benfica
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chelsea had been in talks to sign the World Cup winner throughout January, but Benfica had refused to do business unless the Blues paid his €120m release clause. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesChelsea have signed midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record £106.8m. The deal for the Argentine surpasses the £100m Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish from Aston Villa 18 months ago. But Chelsea agreed a deal of €121m at 9.15pm on Deadline Day after 12 hours of talks led by Chelsea's co-owner Behdad Eghbali from London. Fernandez will help to replace Jorginho, who joined Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal on Deadline Day in a £12m deal.

☆ Ticketmaster-parent exec to blame 'industrial-scale ticket scalping' in testimony
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The president of Ticketmaster parent Live Nation (LYV.N), Joe Berchtold, is expected to testify on Tuesday before Congress that "industrial-scale ticket scalping" was to blame for the company's problems late last year in managing the sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets. Ticketmaster, which has been unpopular with fans for years, has drawn fresh heat from U.S. lawmakers over how it handled ticket sales for Swift's "Eras" tour, her first in five years. Experts say that Ticketmaster commands more than 70% market share of primary ticket services for major U.S. concert venues. In November, Ticketmaster canceled a planned ticket sale to the general public for Swift's tour after more than 3.5 billion requests from fans, bots and scalpers overwhelmed its website. A previous Ticketmaster dispute with the Justice Department culminated in a December 2019 settlement extending the consent agreement into 2025.

☆ Live Nation president apologizes to Taylor Swift and her fans for ticketing fiasco and says the industry is still competitive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Live Nation president and CFO Joe Berchtold apologized to Taylor Swift and fans for the ticket debacle. Berchtold said that the company faced bot attacks during the Swift ticket sale, impacting service, and apologized to Swift and fans. This power over the entire live entertainment industry allows Live Nation to maintain its monopolistic interests over the primary ticketing market," Groetzinger said. "This is all a definition of monopoly, because Live Nation is so powerful that it doesn't even need to exert pressure," Klobuchar said. Lawrence, who's written for the New York Times on Live Nation and its impact on artists, said Live Nation often functions as three different things: promoter, venue, and ticketing company.

☆ Live Nation exec will face lawmakers about Taylor Swift concert tickets fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Parija Kavilanz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

“It goes without saying that I’m extremely protective of my fans,” Swift wrote on Instagram in November. The mergerCriticism of Ticketmaster’s dominance dates back decades, but the Swift ticketing incident has once again turned that issue into a dinner table discussion at many households. Concert promoter Live Nation and ticketing company Ticketmaster, two of the largest companies in the concert business, announced their merger in 2009. ‘Customers are the ones that pay the price’While irate fans were left scrambling to wade through the Swift ticket confusion, their collective anger caught lawmakers’ attention. To me, what happened with the Swift concert tickets was not necessarily the result of Ticketmaster being the dominant player in the industry,” he said.

☆ Ticketmaster under fire: 6 takeaways from hearing over Taylor Swift concert fiasco
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

The venues controlled by Live Nation set fees that are “consistent with the other venues in the marketplace,” he said. Entertainment industry pushes back at Ticketmaster’s dominanceMembers of the entertainment industry and one rival spoke out against Ticketmaster’s dominance in the industry. Andrew Harnik/APClyde Lawrence, a singer-songwriter on the witness panel, explained how the company acts as a promoter, a venue and the ticketing company, which eats into performing artists’ revenues. Artists, he said, have no leverage over Live Nation. Lawmaker says Ticketmaster merger should ‘be on the table’Lawmakers repeatedly questioned the US government’s past handling of the Live Nation merger with Ticketmaster.

☆ Rashford fires Man United into title race, Liverpool lose again
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Peter Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

England forward Rashford completed the turnaround eight minutes from time to score for the seventh successive match in all competitions, the first United player to do so since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008. City were furious the goal was awarded after a VAR review, with Rashford initially flagged offside before letting Fernandes take the shot ahead of him. We'll celebrate a big win but from tomorrow our focus has to be on the next game." Brighton picked up their first home league victory against Liverpool since January 1961 as they climbed above their opponents into seventh. The same players played outstanding football matches before but if things aren't properly organised then it can look like that.

☆ I make fake snow for films like 'Fantastic Beasts.' It's fun to make but painstaking to clean up — now I never look at winter movies the same.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jem Bartholomew | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jon Llewellyn works at Snow Business International, a company that produces fake snow. I work at Snow Business International, where we make fake snow for all kinds of movie sets and more. There's a lot of secrecy around Christmas TV ads in the UKPeople talk, so we use code names to muddy the water. Jon LlewellynRecently, we cleaned up this entire area of fake snow on a shoot in Ireland. But it's funny because I thought it looked a bit unrealistic on the cars, even though it was real snow.

☆ Mahrez earns City win at Chelsea to narrow gap with Arsenal
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Second-half substitute Riyad Mahrez earned Manchester City a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Thursday to move to within five points of leaders Arsenal in the Premier League. Mahrez got on the end of a perfectly placed cross from fellow sub Jack Grealish in the 63rd minute after 2022 champions City upped the tempo following a lacklustre first half from the visitors. Graham Potter's Chelsea, stranded in unaccustomed 10th place after some poor performances and a series of injuries, suffered more bad luck, losing former City forward Raheem Sterling and U.S. international Christian Pulisic to injury within the first 22 minutes. Their replacements and later young subs fought hard against a powerful City side and had some bright moments with 19-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka hitting the post in the first half but could not get past an experienced defence. Reporting by Clare Lovell, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Man City squad depth makes the difference at Chelsea
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( William Schomberg | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Within three minutes, Grealish sent in a pinpoint cross for Mahrez to win the match for City. The victory at Stamford Bridge, against an injury-hit and out-of-form Chelsea, moved City to within five points of Arsenal who failed to pierce Newcastle United's defence on Tuesday in a 0-0 draw at the Emirates Stadium. Despite the array of top-name stars at his disposal, Guardiola heaped most praise on 18-year-old Rico Lewis who came off the bench at halftime to replace wing back Joao Cancelo and helped turn the game in City's favour. "This young boy has the ability and quality to not just play good, but to make his mates better. He said Mount might be available to face Manchester City on Sunday in the FA Cup and hoped Pulisic's injury was not too serious.

☆ Haaland scores twice as Man City cruise past Leeds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-28 | by ( Peter Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LEEDS, England, Dec 28 (Reuters) - Erling Haaland continued his incredible season in front of goal with a brace to help Manchester City cruise to a 3-1 victory at Leeds United on Wednesday, ensuring the champions closed the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to five points. It appeared City would go into the interval frustrated, before Spanish midfielder Rodri finally made one count in first half stoppage time, firing home after another Meslier save. The victory helped second-placed City move back to within five points Arsenal at the top of the standings, while Leeds stay 15th, two points clear of the relegation zone. "I have a (goal) target but I cannot say it," Haaland told Amazon. Leeds boss Jesse Marsch felt the timing of the goals his side conceded were their undoing.

☆ Jeremy Clarkson: UK lawmakers call on Sun newspaper to sanction columnist over 'violent misogynistic' language
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Jeremy Clarkson tweeted that he was 'horrified' at the hurt his article caused. “This sort of language has no place in our country, and it is unacceptable that it was allowed to be published in a mainstream newspaper,” it reads. This was the highest circulation of any UK national newspaper at the time. “In light of Jeremy Clarkson’s tweet he has asked us to take last week’s column down,” the page now reads. Meghan recalled how she was stressed by UK newspaper the Mail on Sunday publishing a private letter she had written to her father, Thomas Markle.

☆ What we learned from the final part of Harry and Meghan’s Netflix series
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The last three episodes of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix documentary series were released Thursday. Harry said Meghan’s popularity in particular caused problems at the palace, recalling similarities with his mother Diana, who married into the royal family and was beloved by the public. The couple recalled how media coverage started to turn negative, with Meghan increasingly associated with racist tropes such as drugs, criminality or terrorism. More controversy around Archie’s birthThe couple recalled how their desire to keep some privacy around the birth of their first child caused a significant backlash. “The amount of abuse we got … for not wanting to serve our child up on a silver platter was incredible,” said Harry.

☆ Our ancestors may have evolved to walk upright in trees rather than on the ground, new study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Humans’ ability to walk upright on two legs may have evolved in trees, rather than on the ground, according to scientists studying wild chimpanzees in Tanzania. Rhianna Drummond-Clarke/AAASThe team recorded every time that the chimpanzees were upright, and whether it occurred while they were on the ground or in the trees. In addition, more than 85% of the times that the chimpanzees walked upright occurred in the trees, rather than on the ground. “A long-held assumption has been: Less trees means more time on the ground, more time on the ground means more time upright,” Piel said. Rhianna Drummond-Clarke/AAASThe next question for researchers is why the Issa Valley chimpanzees spend more time in trees despite being around fewer trees than other chimpanzee communities, Piel said.

☆ Andrew Flintoff hospitalized after accident during 'Top Gear' filming
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

London CNN —Former England cricket captain Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has been hospitalized after an accident during filming of the popular motoring show “Top Gear.”The incident occurred at the Dunsfold Aerodrome track in Surrey, southern England, which features regularly in the BBC show. “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track yesterday morning – with crew medics attending the scene immediately,” a BBC spokesperson told CNN on Wednesday. Flintoff is not the first “Top Gear” host to be injured during filming. In 2006, Richard Hammond nearly died after losing control of a Vampire dragster that he had been driving at speeds of up to 288 miles per hour. In 2017, he was hospitalized after the electric supercar he was driving crashed and burst into flames.

Nikita Chibrin says he still remembers his fellow Russian soldiers running away after allegedly raping two Ukrainian women during their deployment northwest of Kyiv in March. He deserted from the Russian military in September and fled to Europe via Belarus and Kazakhstan. Chibrin’s military documents, seen by CNN, show his commander was Azatbek Omurbekov, the officer in charge of the 64th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade. Omurbekov, known as the “Butcher of Bucha” is under sanctions by the European Union and the United Kingdom. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the mass killings while reiterating baseless claims that the images of civilian bodies were fake.

CNN —Peru’s former President Pedro Castillo has denied allegations of conspiracy and rebellion, following his dramatic ouster and arrest last week. And at least 47 individuals were hospitalized as a result of protests in the cities of Lima, Apurímac, Huancavelica and Arequipa, Peru’s Health Ministry tweeted. Travel disruptedTrains to and from Machu Picchu will be suspended from Tuesday due to Peru’s protests, railway operator PeruRail said in a statement. Peru’s National Police said that, as of Monday evening, there were blockades on national roads in at least 11 regions of the country. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect a revision by the Peruvian National Ombudsman of the known death toll from Peru's recent political protests.

☆ The US may have lost in the World Cup, but soccer is more popular than ever in America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +36 min

The Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. They made history as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Less spoken about is that they also rate better on television than the men do in the World Cup. We’ll just have to wait and see, though with the US, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 World Cup, soccer isn’t going away anytime soon.

☆ England's subs can be key against France, says Hoddle
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - England's depth on the substitutes bench could tip the balance in their favour in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against France, according to former manager Glenn Hoddle. But Hoddle, who led England at the France 1998 tournament, says England's ability to make attacking changes when things get tight could be the key to the outcome. It could be a game that England have to come back into, which is something they've not experienced yet. While England's depth is underlined by the fact that they have had eight different scorers so far, France possess arguably the greatest match-winner in Kylian Mbappe. "They've got the most outstanding player of the tournament in Kylian Mbappe, and England are going to have to stop him."

DOHA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - All eyes will be on Kylian Mbappe once again as France take on England in a mouthwatering World Cup quarter-final clash but the defending champions must hope their lack of options from the bench will not be exposed on Saturday. WALKER v MBAPPEOne of the strengths that has emerged through the tournament is England’s depth. Their tally of 12 goals – equalling their World Cup best set from three more matches in 2018 – has been achieved via eight players. While the goalscorers grab the headlines, Southgate made sure he complimented his defenders after the last 16 match as his side chalked up a third successive World Cup clean sheet for the first time in 20 years. One thing that should be a given is that England will not be overawed by the occasion after their recent runs to the last four of the 2018 World Cup and final of Euro 2020.

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