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☆ BTS fans pack Seoul park to celebrate 10-year anniversary
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL, June 17 (Reuters) - An estimated 300,000 people are expected to gather in the heart of South Korea's capital Seoul on Saturday as fans from around the globe commemorated the debut of K-Pop boy band juggernaut BTS 10 years ago. At the "BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA" at Han River Park in Seoul on Saturday, thousands of fans wandered under clear skies and bright sun among various exhibits including a BTS history wall, stage costumes and commemorative sculptures, many in BTS' signature purple colour. With the bands' songs playing in the background, fans danced under shady trees or bonded over their favourite band members. Later on Saturday, BTS leader RM is expected to speak to fans, followed by fireworks over the Han River, with local media estimating up to 300,000 people will be in attendance. "I'll continue to be an ARMY for 10, 20, 30 years, so I hope you as artists, singers, extend a lot of positive influence for a long, long time."

Persons: Audrey Lintner, Kim Hye, Daewoung Kim, Jimin Jung, Joyce Lee, Lincoln Organizations: BTS, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, Korea's, Seoul, Han, Sri Lanka

☆ Seoul hosts large crowds as BTS fans celebrate 10-year anniversary
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Fans of the K-pop boy band BTS dance during BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA in Seoul, South Korea, June 17, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeonSEOUL, June 17 (Reuters) - An estimated 400,000 people gathered in South Korea's capital Seoul on Saturday as fans from around the globe commemorated the 10th anniversary of the debut of K-Pop boy band juggernaut BTS. At the "BTS 10th Anniversary FESTA" at Han River Park in Seoul on Saturday, tens of thousands of fans wandered among various exhibits including a BTS history wall, stage costumes and commemorative sculptures, many in the band's signature purple colour. With hit songs playing in the background, fans danced under shady trees or bonded over their favourite band members. BTS leader RM later read out fan messages, performed and received calls from fellow members Jung Kook and V at the celebration.

Persons: Kim Soo, Audrey Lintner, RM, Jung Kook, V, I've, Kim Hye, Daewoung Kim, Jimin Jung, Joyce Lee, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, BTS, RM, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, SEOUL, South Korea's, Han, Sri Lanka

☆ Egyptian club Al-Masry criticises TV programme after prank call
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, June 17 (Reuters) - Egyptian Premier League club Al-Masry lashed out at the television programme "Al-Laaeb", broadcast on MBC Masr, after an apparent prank phone call in which their Tunisian player Elyes Jlassi was lured into discussing contract talks and criticising a rival team. Jlassi asked the programme presenter if the call was live, and the presenter assured him it was not. "The board of directors of Al-Masry club express their strong dissatisfaction with the unprofessional media performance that violates all media codes of honor during the last episode of the 'Al-Laaeb' program presented on MBC Masr," Al-Masry said in a statement. The player was lured into comments that angered Al-Masry fans and embarrassed him and our technical and administrative staff." "The board of directors of Al-Masry reserve their right to take all legal measures," the club added.

Persons: Masry, Elyes Jlassi, Jlassi, Laaeb, Elyes, Al, Osama Khairy, Shady Amir, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Egyptian Premier League club Al, MBC Masr, Zamalek, Al, MBC, Masry, Tunisia's Union Sportive Monastirienne, Thomson Locations: CAIRO

☆ The US government just declared war on crypto
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In less than 24 hours, the SEC filed lawsuits against some of the biggest players in crypto. First came Binance, the world's largest crypto exchange, and its outspoken CEO and founder Changpeng Zhao. The SEC drew a line in the sand for the entire crypto ecosystem: It's our way or the highway. Too many things that make crypto special — anonymity, decentralization — are exactly the type of things financial regulators hate. Here are two experts both issuing warnings about the stock market.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, we've, Al Pacino, Michael Corleone, Changpeng Zhao, bitcoin, it's, Gary Gensler, Goldman Sachs, Gensler, FTX's Sam Bankman, Fried, Binance, Kim Kardashian, Mike Coppola, Kim K, It's, Hafize Gaye Erkan, she's, Serta Simmons, LIV Golf, Michael Klein, Jeffrey Cane, Nathan Rennolds Organizations: Paramount, SEC, Netflix, Getty, SKKY Partners, First, Goldman, Party, PGA, LIV, LinkedIn Locations: outflows, First Republic, Republic, California, New York, London

☆ UK targets grain theft and energy sector with new Russian sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, May 19 (Reuters) - Britain announced a new wave of sanctions against Russia on Friday, targeting companies connected to the theft of Ukrainian grain and those involved in the shipment of Russian energy. Britain said in a statement that it was sanctioning 86 individuals and entities as part of a new crackdown on what it called "shady individuals and entities" connected to the theft and resale of Ukrainian grain. The sanctions would also target Russia's major energy and arms shipping companies, including those connected to Russia's state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, and the owner of the Russian Copper Company, Igor Altushkin. The designations came after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced new import bans on Russian diamonds and copper, aluminium and nickel. Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Kate HoltonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ukraine rebuilding would be small wager for Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Pierre Briancon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The irony is that effort had started when Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in 2014, thus ensuring that Ukraine would firmly aspire to belong to Europe. The war inflicted severe damage on Ukraine, with GDP down 30% last year according to the International Monetary Fund. Rebuilding Ukraine will require help, expertise and guidance – and a lot of time and money. And the United States, Japan and multilateral organisations such as the IMF will continue to flank Europe in its efforts to rebuild Ukraine. Nevertheless, it is in Europe’s interest to play a major part in Ukraine’s reconstruction before the country is accepted as a formal candidate member of the EU.

☆ 'As long as he's happy', Argentina boss unconcerned about Messi moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 10 (Reuters) - Argentina's World Cup-winning coach Lionel Scaloni said he does not care where Lionel Messi plays his club football as long as he feels comfortable and happy. French media on Tuesday reported that a move to a Saudi club was a "done deal", adding that the Argentina captain was in the process of finalising details before signing a contract. "Let him go to where he will feel comfortable with his team mates and the club's fans," Scaloni told Qatar's Al-Kass channel. "The matter does not affect us as a national team as long as he's happy when he joins us and we need him to be happy." Messi, who apologised to PSG and his team mates last week, returned to training on Monday.

☆ I tested 5 quick and easy ways to earn your first dollar online. This is my guide for how to do it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Zulie Rane | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Rane says that the first dollar is the hardest to earn online, and then tried five ways to do it. So I decided to write an actual actionable guide on how to earn your first dollar online. So let's get into five ways to earn your first dollar online — that I have testedWhat do you need to earn your first dollar online? Let's look at five uncommon ways to earn your very first dollar online. I recommend:Hopefully, you'll be able to leave user testing and playing games for pennies behind as you move forward toward more profitable ways to earn money online.

☆ Messi receives offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Ramiro Scandolo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUENOS AIRES, May 4 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi has received a formal offer to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal next season, a source close to Argentina's World Cup-winning captain told Reuters on Thursday. The offer from the Saudi club is the only one Messi has received so far, the source added. A second source close to Messi told Reuters the suspension was imposed after the forward told PSG he would not stay in Paris following this season and felt the club lacked a project. A source close to PSG denied this, telling Reuters Messi travelled without permission from the French club and despite there being a training session scheduled on Monday. The source did not comment on whether Messi had already told PSG he intended to leave at the end of the season.

☆ Ronaldo's Saudi title hopes revived after leaders lose
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Al-Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Saudi Arabia's Founding Day wearing local traditional clothes at Al-Nassr Football Club in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 22, 2023. Al-Nassr FC/Handout via REUTERSMay 4 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo's hopes of winning the Saudi league title with Al-Nassr were given a shot in the arm on Wednesday when leaders Ittihad lost 2-1 to Al-Taawoun. Ittihad are still in the driver's seat on 59 points, three ahead of Al Nassr, with five games left to play. Ronaldo, who has scored 12 league goals since joining Al-Nassr in January, posted a photo on Twitter with Al-Nassr's motto "ANA AALAMY" in Arabic in the early hours on Thursday. reporting by Ahmed El Khashab, writing by Shady Amir; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A millennial business owner who says TikTok helped him generate $100,000 in sales last year explains why he's taking steps to pivot to YouTube as a backup — but avoiding Instagram and Facebook
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He says a US ban of TikTok could crush his business, but he doesn't want to pivot to Instagram. The majority of his customers find him through TikTok, Spangler said, where he has over 237,000 followers across two accounts. "The immediate impact of a TikTok ban would be a loss of my primary income source." In April, Montana legislators voted in favor of a bill that would ban TikTok within state lines. But ideally, Spangler said, TikTok will avoid a ban and he won't have to rely too much on a pivot to YouTube.

☆ Twitter employees bonuses nixed as fear spreads that Elon Musk's promised stock grants are worthless
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Elon Musk for months has said "excellent" Twitter employees will be rewarded for their efforts. Employees at Twitter are frustrated by Elon Musk's unkept promises. The latest is paid parental leave, which is now just two weeks, down from a previous paid leave policy of 20 weeks. Outside of that leave period, Twitter employees will be able to take unpaid leave up to the amount mandated by state law. In California, where Twitter is still based, workers are legally entitled to 12 weeks of protected, but unpaid, parental leave.

French sports daily L'Equipe reported on Tuesday that Qatari-owned PSG had suspended Messi for two weeks and decided against exercising an option to renew his contract for a third season after he made an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia. Messi is a Saudi ambassador for tourism and his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, signed for Saudi club Al-Nassr in December in a deal reported to be worth around $220 million per year. Messi's trip to Saudi Arabia resulted in him being suspended without pay and banned from training with his team mates by PSG, L'Equipe said. Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb confirmed Messi's trip to the Kingdom. "I am happy to welcome Saudi Tourism Ambassador Lionel Messi and his family on his second vacation in Saudi," Al Khateeb wrote on his Twitter account.

☆ Veracruz state: Home of the flying Voladores, Mexico's top coffee and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Tim Leffel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Voladores of Veracruz in Mexico have a history that goes back at least 1,400 years. “The flying ritual has never had a learning age, it is a project of a lifetime,” he says. Nearly all of the Voladores train in or around Papantla, where the flying schools prepare young people to take over for those who are eventually aging out. Coffee, ancient ruins and an overlooked capital cityMen with ankle ropes flying deftly around a pole are not the only export from this state, though. The big draw, however, is Mexico’s second most important archaeological museum after the one in Mexico City.

CAIRO, April 21 (Reuters) - There are some aspirational prizes being doled out to winners of Ramadan tournaments in Egypt this week, with a team decked out in Liverpool's kit being awarded England's Premier League trophy for their success -- while another is set to receive UEFA Champions League silverware. The losers were presented with a replica of the African Champions League trophy for their efforts. "I bought the two cups from a friend who owns a sportswear store for two thousand Egyptian pounds ($65)," Ibrahim Abdel Salam, one of the organising committee, told Reuters. "There are two artificial turf courts, but we prefer the dirt court," Abdel Salam said. Meanwhile in El-Beheira governorate the European Champions League trophy appeared up for grabs.

☆ Wrexham gears up for Hollywood-style promotion party
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Wrexham are on the verge of winning promotion to the English Football League having amassed a record 107 points to sit top of the National League table with two games to go. Victory over Boreham Wood on Saturday would guarantee promotion to Football League Two, the fourth tier of English soccer, and people in the northern Welsh city are gearing up for a memorable evening. . . no chance," Mark Jones said from the Turf Hotel, the pub on the corner of the team's Racecourse Ground. Games draw huge viewing audiences, even in North America and the success story has left virtually no-one in Wrexham untouched. Inside The Turf, pictures of Reynolds, McElhenney and Deadpool battle for space on the red walls with Wrexham logos and longtime supporters' names.

☆ America's best bet for banning TikTok would have terrible side effects
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

As talk of a TikTok ban builds, the leading legislation with bipartisan support is the RESTRICT Act. Here's why the RESTRICT Act has some people so worried — and what the experts say might be a better approach. The type of data TikTok collects is similar to what Facebook or Twitter collect from its users. What would actually solve the concerns about the Chinese government getting US user data is comprehensive data privacy legislation, he and other experts said. "What we're saying is that if you're concerned about the Chinese government getting user data from TikTok," Greene said.

☆ Takeaways from Biden's trip to Ireland
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Biden’s trip came as he nears a decision on running again for president. “I own property in Ireland, I’m not going to Ireland,” former President Donald Trump said during Biden’s trip. Patrick Semansky/APDiplomatic legacy: ‘Keep the peace’White House officials made little attempt at ascribing major policy objectives to Biden’s trip. Kevin Lamarque/ReutersBiden makes Ireland visit a family affairMore than anything, Biden’s trip this week had the feeling of a family spring break. Throughout the sometimes-rainy trip, Biden kept his head dry with a baseball cap from the Beau Biden Foundation.

☆ Biden basks in Ireland’s welcome as he highlights personal and political ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

A day earlier, Biden jokingly questioned why his predecessors left Ireland for a better life as he visited a local market and deli in Dundalk. In his talks with Irish leaders Thursday, Biden is expected to discuss a number of global issues, including the war in Ukraine. Later, Biden will address the Irish Parliament in a speech expected to touch on the close ties between the US and Ireland, both political and personal. Three years later, Ireland voted decisively to end what, at the time, was one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the world. The Irish identity Biden is exploring this week with visits to two ancestral hometowns is intrinsically linked to his own Catholicism.

☆ Three major risks that have the banking industry on edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The toll of the WFH eraCommercial real estate — offices, apartment complexes, warehouses and malls — has come under substantial pressure, my colleague Julia Horowitz reports. Commercial property valuations could fall by roughly 20% to 25% this year, according to Rich Hill, head of real estate strategy at Cohen & Steers. About $270 billion in commercial real estate loans held by banks will come due in 2023. The proportion of commercial office mortgages where borrowers are behind with payments is rising, according to Trepp, which provides data on commercial real estate, and high-profile defaults are making headlines. That might seem simplistic, but it’s especially relevant for an industry as uniquely reliant on trust as banking is.

☆ Soccer Ronaldo angered by blow to title hopes of Al-Nassr, opponents hail 'checkmate'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 10 - Al-Nassr suffered a huge blow to their hopes of winning the Saudi Professional League after a goalless draw with lowly Al-Feiha, and Cristiano Ronaldo left the pitch in anger after a frustrating performance on Sunday. Leaders Al-Ittihad did not waste the opportunity to widen the gap with Al-Nassr to three points with the last seven remaining, with a victory 2-1 against Al-Wehda. "There are seven games left, we will try to recover, and we realize that it’s not easy after we lost two points, but everything is possible." The image captioned "checkmate", drew more than 1.9 million views, compared to fewer than 100,000 views for other page posts. Reporting by Ahmed Mostafa, Osama Khairy and Shady Amir; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Why sex workers are protesting in Amsterdam
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Jessie Gretener | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The reduced hours come amid an ongoing campaign by the city council to move sex workers into an “erotic center” outside the heart of the city. She also spoke about welfare concerns for all sex workers, explaining how it could impact their ability to get home safely. A protest organized by sex workers interrupted a city council meeting on Thursday that was discussing location options for the proposed erotic center. Sex workers disagree, with Red Light United arguing that the erotic center could create an environment for more crime and “shady” behavior. Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty ImagesRestrictions for sex workers is just one bullet point on Amsterdam’s re-branding attempt.

☆ Trump claims Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is backed by George Soros. Here's why that attack is an antisemitic trope.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Haven Orecchio-Egresitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Trump said Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg is backed by the billionaire philanthropist George Soros. To be clear, there is no evidence that George Soros has donated to Bragg. "George Soros and Alvin Bragg have never met in person or spoken by telephone, email, Zoom etc.," Vachon told Insider via email. Neither George Soros nor Democracy PAC contributed to Alvin Bragg's campaign for Manhattan District Attorney." To the far right, Soros represents a member of that cabal, said Lorber, an analyst at Political Research Associates.

☆ Ronaldo hands team mate winning penalty as gesture of respect
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 19 (Reuters) - Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning long-range free kick but handed the task of converting the winning penalty to a team mate as a gesture of respect, as Al-Nassr came from behind to beat Abha 2-1 in the Saudi Pro League on Saturday. The Portuguese forward, who has now scored nine goals in his first season in Saudi Arabia, handed the ball to Brazilian Anderson Talisca, who had just returned from injury. "This is mutual respect and we are one team and we act like a family," Talisca told the Saudi Sports Company (SSC) TV through an interpreter. "We all cooperate and the most important thing is the team. Reporting by Osama Khairy and Shady Amir, writing by Ahmed Mostafa, editing by Nick Mulvenney and ...Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Disneyland reopens Toontown, designed to be inclusive of 'every single guest'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Sarah Whitten | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Parkgoers at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, will finally be able to return to Mickey's Toontown this weekend after a yearlong closure for refurbishment. The reimagined Toontown honors the space that first opened in 1993, keeping existing structures like Mickey and Minnie's houses in tact, albeit with a paint touch-up. But there's also quite a bit of new infrastructure for kids to explore — with an eye toward inclusivity. "We wanted Toontown to not only be exciting, but also decompressing and relaxing and welcoming." With that in mind, the Imagineers have introduced more green spaces within the land, places to have picnics, sit and unwind, or play freely.

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