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☆ What’s the Best State to Retire In? (Hint: It’s Not Florida.)
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Michael Kolomatsky | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If you’re approaching retirement, there are important real estate decisions to make. A new study from Bankrate scored all 50 U.S. states in five separate categories to determine which were the best (and worst) to retire in. Topping the list for best retirement state was Iowa, which finished third in affordability and 11th in health care. West Virginia, the most affordable U.S. state, ranked third, followed by Missouri (fifth most affordable) and Mississippi (second most affordable, seventh best for weather). In case you’re wondering, the retirement mecca of Florida finished eighth overall, with third-place scores in both the well-being and weather categories.

Persons: that’s, Bankrate Locations: Iowa, Delaware, West Virginia, Missouri, Mississippi, Florida

☆ Should Bronx Parkland Be Used for a Cricket World Cup Stadium?
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Dana Rubinstein | More About Dana Rubinstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Mayor Eric Adams has made no secret of his desire to push New York City as a sports mecca. He struck a deal in November to build the city’s first professional soccer stadium. He has pitched the region as a site for the 2026 World Cup final. But the mayor’s latest campaign — having the city be one of the hosts for next year’s Men’s T20 World Cup in cricket — has run into significant opposition. Mr. Adams wants to allow the Dubai-based International Cricket Council to build a temporary stadium with roughly the seating capacity of Fenway Park in the middle of Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, right over the city’s largest expanse of cricket pitches.

Persons: Eric Adams, —, Adams Organizations: New, —, Cricket Council Locations: New York City, Dubai, Van Cortlandt, Bronx

☆ Why San Francisco Is a Homeless Mecca
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-san-francisco-is-a-homeless-mecca-drug-prosecutions-treatment-344aac97

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Tampa: Why Gen Z and Millennial Tourists Are Flocking to This Retirement Mecca
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Alexander Lobrano | Photographs Zack Wittman For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/tampa-why-gen-z-and-millennial-tourists-are-flocking-to-this-retirement-mecca-1e2be027

Persons: Dow Jones Locations: tampa

☆ Turkmenistan opens futuristic city dedicated to leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People attend the opening ceremony for the new city of Arkadag, dedicated to the country's former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, in Arkadag, Turkmenistan June 29, 2023. REUTERS/Marat GurtARKADAG, Turkmenistan, June 29 (Reuters) - Turkmenistan opened a new, futuristic "smart" city on Thursday dedicated to its former president Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. Only electric vehicles are allowed in the city, which features monuments dedicated to a horse of the Turkmen Akhal Teke breed and to Berdymukhamedov himself, and was built close to his native village in southern Turkmenistan. His son, President Serdar Berdymukhamedov, 41, oversaw the opening ceremony attended by foreign officials. He passed the leadership to his son but retains many powers as the chairman of the People's Council.

Persons: Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, Marat Gurt ARKADAG, Berdymukhamedov, Serdar Berdymukhamedov, Tayyip Erdogan, Marat Gurt, Olzhas Auyezov, Angus MacSwan Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, People's Council, Thomson Locations: Arkadag, Turkmenistan, Mecca

☆ Cleveland has become an unlikely hotspot for millennials in search of affordability
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

With income growth outpacing rent there, these 27 to 42 year-olds have more disposable income. In order to come up with the ranking, the BofA Institute used home address data from 46 million of adults who've been customers of the bank since 2018. Cleveland residents now pay just over 17% of their income on rent, while the average American pays 20%. Pittsburgh income growth exceeded rents by 1%. Indeed, the BofA Institute found that millennials are by-and-large staying out of the housing market this cycle, but still are window shopping for the future.

Persons: —, millennials, Anna Zhou, Zhou, Clever, they're, homebuyers Organizations: Service, Bank of America Institute . Austin, BofA Institute, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Tampa, Dallas, Cleveland, Tampa , Florida, Bank of America Institute . Austin , Texas, Midwest, Columbus , Ohio, Cleveland Cleveland, Providence , Rhode Island, Buffalo , New York, Pittsburgh

CNN —At least two people died in a shooting incident near the United States consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, according to local police and a spokesperson for the consulate. One of those killed was a consulate security guard. That person was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces, it said. “There were two fatalities, including a member of the Consulate’s local guard force as well as the assailant, who was killed by Saudi security forces,” they said. “We offer our sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased local guards member,” the spokesperson said.

Persons: “, ” Organizations: CNN, United, Saudi Locations: United States, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah Governorate, Saudi, Mecca

☆ Journey to Mecca: Scenes from the Haj pilgrimage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The contest, dominated by international concern over corruption, will have to be settled in a second round of voting with the leading candidate former first lady Sandra Torres on track to fall well short of the 50% plus one vote needed for outright victory.

Persons: Sandra Torres

☆ Podcast: What's next for Putin and Ukraine after mutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin breaks his silence for the first time since a group of mercenaries threatened to march on Moscow. We look at how this Russian infighting could impact the battlefield in Ukraine and the balance of power back home. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Further ReadingJet linked to Prigozhin arrives in Belarus following mutinyZelenskiy discusses Russian turmoil with Biden, Trudeau, DudaDefying high prices, Muslim pilgrims head to Mecca for hajOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin, Zelenskiy, Biden, Trudeau, Duda Organizations: Apple, Google, Reuters, Thomson, Reading Jet, haj Our Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Belarus, Mecca

☆ Journey to Mecca: Images from the Haj pilgrimage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The partnership is "stronger, closer and more dynamic than at any time in history," Biden told reporters at a joint press conference with Modi. The press conference itself was a reflection of contrasting political traditions, marking the first time Modi has taken questions in such a format in his nine-year tenure.

Persons: Biden, Modi

☆ Defying high prices, Muslim pilgrims head to Mecca for haj
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Arafat Barbakh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The 65-year-old struggled to pay the bill despite choosing the cheapest-offered package, which included travelling to Saudi Arabia by land and sharing hotel rooms with other pilgrims. "For the sake of the holy mosque and seeing the Kaaba... everything is worth it, but the economic conditions are really tough," he added. Abu Rahal was one of more than 2 million haj pilgrims expected to attend the 2023 pilgrimage season this week in Mecca and Medina, defying global inflation and higher prices for haj services. Authorities in the kingdom said more than 1.6 million pilgrims had already arrived for the pilgrimage as of Sunday. Many pilgrims said they were happy to take the spiritual journey and buy gifts for their family members despite high prices.

Persons: Mohamed Abd El Ghany, Anas Abu Rahal, haj, Abu Rahal, Haj, Eid Al, Omar, Abdullah Abbas, Aziz El Yaakoubi, William Maclean Organizations: REUTERS, Authorities, haj, Thomson Locations: El, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Mohamed Abd El Ghany MECCA, Medina, Saudi, Mecca's, haj, Egypt

THIS IMAGE MAY OFFEND OR DISTURB Swimmers wade into the chilly Derwent River, in Hobart, Australia, June 22 2023. A 2017 show by Austrian artist Hermann Nitsch featuring an animal carcass and rivers of blood outraged animal rights groups. In an Australian exclusive, famed Austrian choreographer Florentina Holzinger retold Dante’s “Divine Comedy” in a two-hour all-female performance of sex and blood. In one scene, 20 nude dancers wet with paint and human blood writhed slowly across a blank canvas, painting with their bodies. Founded on the fortune of professional gambler David Walsh, Australia's largest private museum is dedicated to themes of sex and death.

Persons: Helen Golding, Hermann Nitsch, Florentina Holzinger, Dante’s, Ryoji Ikeda, David Walsh, Lewis Jackson, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Police, city’s Museum of, Thomson Locations: Hobart , Australia, Handout, REUTERS HOBART, Australia, Hobart, Tasmania, Sri Lanka, Sydney, Austrian, Australia's

☆ Sudan's western cities under fire as war spreads
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CAIRO, June 14 (Reuters) - Fighting rocked several vulnerable cities in western Sudan on Wednesday in an expansion of the country's almost two-month-old war as the number of people who have fled their homes rose above two million. The conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has caused a humanitarian crisis in Khartoum, as well as major cities in the Kordofan and Darfur regions. In a statement, the RSF called the fighting in El Geneina a tribal conflict, blaming the country's former regime for fanning the flames. The city of El Fashir, capital of North Darfur, has been quieter but has seen a wave of displacement from RSF-controlled Kutum. Meanwhile in El Obeid, a hub between Khartoum and Darfur in North Kordofan, residents said the army had begun launching air and artillery strikes against RSF positions.

Persons: Khamis Abbakar, General Antonio Guterres, Volker Perthes, Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah, Salah Alamin, Abdelaziz al, Nafisa Eltahir, Khalid Abdelaziz, Adam Makary, Maggie Michael, William Maclean Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, UN, U.S . State Department, REUTERS, Darfur Bar Association, Sudanese Doctors Union, Thomson Locations: CAIRO, Sudan, Khartoum, Kordofan, Darfur, El, West Darfur, El Geneina, United States, Saudi Arabia, Khartoum North, DARFUR, Nyala, South Darfur, Zalingei, Central Darfur, El Fashir, North Darfur, El Obeid, North Kordofan, Kadugli, South Kordofan, Omdurman, Port Sudan, Mecca, Cairo, Dubai

☆ Saudi Arabia is now stealing sporting headlines as prince pursues global ambitions
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Nic Robertson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Saudi Arabia has been in the headlines a lot lately – this time for trying to find its place in the sporting world. The kingdom’s golfing coup is perhaps the crowning sporting achievement so far of heir apparent Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS). Regional outlierBy the time King Salman came along, the 21st century was passing Saudi Arabia by. Saudi Arabia has led efforts to bring Syria in from the cold and tried to mediate in conflicts such as those in Sudan and even Ukraine. On oil, he has made Saudi Arabia a bolder player.

Persons: LIV Golf, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ballon d’Or, Karim Benzema, Jamal Khashoggi, Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, King Salman’s, King Salman, LIV, Liberalizations, Al Hathloul, can’t, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, Yemen’s, Putin, Xi Organizations: CNN, golf’s, Dubai, Saudi Pro League, France, Washington Post, Formula, MBS, Ritz, Saudi, Washington Locations: Saudi Arabia, Saudi, Portuguese, Istanbul, Riyadh, Mecca, Dubai, Moscow, Beijing, Ukraine, Syria, Sudan, Turkey, Syrian, Iran, Asia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, Jeddah

☆ In California’s Heartland, a New Resistance Movement Is Taking Root
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Mark Arax | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The campaign unearthed such racism that Black youths canvassing the Northside for Measure P were threatened. Measure P landed on the 2018 ballot. Sales-tax measures almost always require a two-thirds vote. Celedon’s legal counsel argued that because Measure P was initiated by citizens and not elected officials, only a simple majority was needed. Measure P, in its first year alone, raised $42 million.

Persons: You’re, they’d, ” Celedon, Mayor Dyer couldn’t, don’t, ”, Northsiders, we’ve, ” Garibay, Mayor Dyer Organizations: Southside, Civic, Blackstone, Community Medical Centers, Clovis Locations: Northside, they’re

☆ Royal wedding showpiece highlights Jordan's role as West's stable ally
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Prince Mohammed last visited Jordan a year ago following years of tensions, also prompting hopes then that warmer ties would unlock more fulsome economic support. KING-IN-WAITING[1/10] Jordan's Crown Prince Hussein and Rajwa Al Saif are seen together at their royal wedding ceremony, in Amman, Jordan, June 1, 2023 in this screen grab taken from a video. At the Arab League summit in Jeddah last month, he walked alongside his father to greet Crown Prince Mohammad. Washington's desire for a stable ally in an otherwise volatile region meant it too has often turned a blind eye to Jordan's slow democratic reforms and mixed human rights record. It's the prince's wedding, not ours," said Abdullah al-Fayez, a retired servicemen living on slim savings on the outskirts of Amman.

Persons: Prince Hussein, Rajwa Al Saif, Britain's William, Kate AMMAN, King Abdullah, Jordan, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Lady Jill Biden, Britain's Prince, Princess of Wales, William, Kate, Prince Mohammed, Hamza, Hussein, Joe Biden, Prince Mohammad, Prophet Mohammed, Alia Ibrahim, Abdullah al, Suleiman Al, Khalidi, John Stonestreet Organizations: West, Saudi, U.S, Royal Hashemite, REUTERS, Georgetown, Sandhurst, League, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Saudi, West, U.S, Amman, Jordan, Jeddah, Mecca, Iraq, Syria

☆ From highs to lows, Everest record breaker sees ‘no future’ in Nepal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Kami Rita Sherpa had stood at the top of the world just days earlier, exultant at having summited Mount Everest for a record 28th time. Kami Rita has climbed Mount Everest a record 28 times. Kami Rita talks to the media at the airport in Kathmandu on May 25, 2023. The country earned $5.8 million in permit fees - $5 million from Mount Everest alone – during this year’s March-May climbing season. “This should be increased to 5 million rupees (about $38,000),” said Kami Rita, gently rubbing a bruise on his cheek.

☆ From highs to lows, Everest record breaker sees 'no future' in Nepal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Gopal Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Kami Rita Sherpa, 53, a Nepali Mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest for a record 28 times, poses for a picture at his rented apartment in Kathmandu, Nepal May 28, 2023. REUTERS/Navesh ChitrakarKATHMANDU, May 29 (Reuters) - Kami Rita Sherpa had stood at the top of world just days earlier, exultant at having summited Mount Everest for a record 28th time. The country earned $5.8 million in permit fees - $5 million from Mount Everest alone – during this year's March-May climbing season. Expeditions hiring sherpas must take out life insurance for them, but the pay out is just 1.5 million Nepali rupees (about $11,300). "This should be increased to 5 million rupees (about $38,000)," said Kami Rita, gently rubbing a bruise on his cheek.

☆ Iraq launches $17 billion road and rail project to link Asia and Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Timour Azhari | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"The Development Road is not just a road to move goods or passengers. This road opens the door to development of vast areas of Iraq," Farhan al-Fartousi, director general of the General Company for Ports of Iraq, told Reuters. The Grand Faw Port, which was devised over a decade ago, is halfway to completion, Fartousi said. Passenger transport between Iraq and Europe harkens back to grand plans at the turn of the 20th century to create a Baghdad to Berlin express. But officials say the Development Road is based on something new: a period of relative stability since late last year that they hope can be maintained.

☆ Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘Sajdah’ goal celebration goes viral
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

His gesture went viral on social media, spurring a whirlpool of comments from fans across the region. “Cristiano Ronaldo’s joy with the third goal and his prostration to God in thankfulness,” tweeted Ali Alabdallah, a Saudi sports correspondent, to his 411,000 followers. Portuguese star player Cristiano Ronaldo takes a low bow after scoring a goal during the match between Al Nassr and Al-Shabab on May 23. The movement, which includes a bow to the ground and touching the grass with one’s forehead, is a celebratory gesture performed mostly by Muslim footballers. Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabia’s Al Nassr last year.

☆ The No. 1 'underrated' city in the world, according to 175 travel experts: It's the 'new hot city'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Sharael Kolberg | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

As a travel journalist for over 20 years, I recently asked 175 travel enthusiasts, experts and agents about what they think is the most underrated city to visit. "Bologna is very up-and-coming and poised to be the new hot Italian city to visit," says Tom Marchant, founder of luxury traveling company Black Tomato. "[Bologna] quite possibly has the best food scene in all of Italy," says Jeff Miller, a travel blogger at Our Passion for Travel. the "Disney World of food"), Bologna's 20-acre theme park entirely dedicated to Italian cuisine. Bologna is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its 38.5 miles of porticoes, or arched walkways.

☆ 3 Gen Zers on deciding to become full-time freelancers: ‘I wouldn't go back’ to a corporate job
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Gili Malinsky | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

A majority, 70% of Gen Zers consider freelancing to be as viable a career option as a typical office job, according to a February 2023 Fiverr survey of 7,121 Gen Zers from around the world. Gigi Robinson, 24, influencerGigi Robinson, 24, had long struggled with chronic illnesses like Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and endometriosis. When he moved to Boca Raton, Florida, at 15, he started making videos about what it was like for a Brazilian to live in the U.S. And those gained some traction. But though he'd hoped YouTube would become his full-time gig, the channel wasn't making much. He'd also started hiring freelancers to take on some of the work from his clients.

☆ Syria's Assad to attend Arab summit, bringing isolation to an end
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Ostracised by most Arab states following the crackdown on protests against his rule in 2011 and the ensuing civil war that killed 350,000 people, his government's readmission to the bloc is a signal that Assad's isolation is ending. Assad is expected to address the summit later on Friday, along with other Arab leaders. A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill last week intended to bar U.S. recognition of Assad as Syria's president and enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions. Government forces have used chemical weapons more than two dozen times during Syria’s civil war, U.N. war crimes investigators said. While Arab countries appear to have brought Assad in from the cold, they are still demanding that he curbs Syria's flourishing drugs trade and that war refugees be allowed to return.

☆ Syria's Assad to attend Arab summit, bringing regional isolation to an end
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Aziz El Yaakoubi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Syria's President Bashar al-Assad arrives to attend the Arab League Summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, May 18, 2023. Assad is expected to address the summit later on Friday, along with other Arab leaders. At an Arab summit hosted by Qatar a decade ago, the Syrian opposition sat in Syria's seat. A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill last week intended to bar U.S. recognition of Assad as Syria's president and enhance Washington's ability to impose sanctions. Government forces have used chemical weapons more than two dozen times during Syria's civil war, U.N. war crimes investigators said.

[1/2] Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi are covered with a white sheet as they arrive to appear at the High Court in Lahore, Pakistan, May 15, 2023. REUTERS/Mohsin RazaISLAMABAD, May 16 (Reuters) - Bushra Khan, the wife of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan, is facing corruption charges in the same case that led to his arrest on May 9. It was not clear when or how Khan met Bushra, but former aide Aun Chaudhry said Khan was very impressed with her spirituality. Khan and Bushra married in 2018, seven months before he was elected prime minister, in a secret ceremony. While prime minister, Khan promoted the trust at official events, and the couple are the sole trustees, according to Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.

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