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☆ Insider Today: Young men's new obsession
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-26 | by ( Joi-Marie Mckenzie | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

This week's dispatchThe New York Liberty celebrated their WNBA championship with a victory parade. In June, it was reported that the New York Liberty had the third-highest value in the league ($130 million), and brought in the most revenue last year ($18 million). Wu Tsai made a series of key investments that have paid off. AdvertisementAfter building out a state-of-the-art locker room, Wu Tsai focused on filling out an all-star bench. AdvertisementMore of this week's top reads:The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City.

Persons: —, Sarah Stier, it's, they've, Clara Wu Tsai, Joseph Tsai, Wu Tsai, Breanna Stewart, Gris Osses, Edmon De Haro, Elvis Presley's Graceland, Chelsea Jia Feng, Leila Najafi, she's, They're, Valentin Tkach, Josh Hartnett, Tyler Perry's, Bruce Springsteen, Rebecca Zisser, Taylor, she'll, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Lisa Ryan, Amanda Yen, Grace Lett Organizations: Business, Service, New York Liberty, New York, Financial, Minnesota Lynx, WNBA, Liberty, Barclays Center, BI, Warner Bros, Netflix Locations: York, Brooklyn, honeymoons, Canada, New York City, New York, Chicago

In this article AF-FRUALAIR-NZ Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTThe days of spotty — or worse, no — Wi-Fi on airplanes are numbered, said Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran. Reliable and fast Wi-Fi will become "ubiquitous" on full-service carriers, he told "Squawk Box Asia" Friday. Air New Zealand announced in December 2023 that Starlink services would be installed on two domestic aircraft in late 2024. watch nowHowever, passengers will have to wait a bit longer for those services to launch at Air New Zealand. Starlink at scaleOn Sept. 13, United Airlines said it had signed the industry's largest agreement for Starlink services to date.

Persons: Greg Foran, Foran Organizations: Air New Zealand, CNBC, United Airlines

☆ A private island for $1,000 per night — for those who are willing to get there
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-03 | by ( Marylou Costa | Leila Najafi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Tomas Ouhel, second from the right, was the first of four friends to see the Indonesian island. Source: Segara Bumi IndahThey then built staff quarters, a beachfront communal space and four more guest bungalows, which together can fit 12 people. Source: Segara Bumi IndahThe island costs $999 per night for eight people. Source: Segara Bumi IndahThe final leg of the journey is an hour and a half boat ride to Pinang Island. Source: Segara Bumi IndahHe also said the island isn't for travelers looking for a high-end vacation.

Persons: Richard Kvech, Tomas Ouhel, Stephan Kotas, Martin Mrazek, Kvech, He's, it's Organizations: CNBC Travel, Garmin, Fifan Foundation Locations: Kvech, Czech Republic, Sumatra, Bangkaru, Indonesian, Pinang, Plenty, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Medan, North Sumatra, Singkil, Indonesia's Aceh, Nias

Outbound travel from China is set to receive a much-anticipated jolt as "Golden Week" bookings show changes in where and why Chinese people are traveling. While most Golden Week travelers are choosing mid-tier accommodations, growth for five-star hotels in Europe is almost three times higher in Europe than in Asia-Pacific, company data showed. Seeking quiet and concertsAs Chinese tourists continue to move beyond organized sightseeing tours abroad, more are seeking to celebrate Golden Week in off-the-beaten-path locations, especially in Asia and Europe, according to Trip.com's data. In Europe, bookings in Spain rose 260% to the city of Granada and 144% to Seville, according to Trip.com. Hong Kong is expected to welcome as many as 1.2 million mainland Chinese visitors during the coming Golden Week holiday, up 10% from last year, according to the city's Travel Industry Council.

Persons: Trip.com, Oscar Wong, Vietnam —, Ito, John Legend Organizations: National, Alibaba Group, United, United Arab, Goldman Sachs Equity Research, ASEAN, Golden, city's Travel Industry Locations: China, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, United States, Chile, Croatia, Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, Finland, Norway, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Europe, Trip.com, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Tokyo, Kyoto, Yokohama, Phu, Granada, Seville, Golden, . Hong Kong

☆ 'Coolcations' had another big summer. Here are the places travelers went
▼ + stars: | 2024-09-27 | by ( Leila Najafi | Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Extreme temperatures are driving travelers to seek cooler destinations. From January to June 2024, flight searches increased 705% to Lapland, Finland, according to Expedia. The online travel agency said flight searches are also up to Canada, specifically Banff (65%) and Lake Louise (55%), its data showed. "We live in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles where we experience extreme heat for most of the summer, reaching highs well above 100," she said. "We want to be comfortable when we are traveling to experience all a city has to offer and take a break from the extreme heat at home."

Persons: Lake Louise, Vrbo, Stephanie Greitzer Organizations: U.S . Environmental Protection Agency, Expedia, CNBC Travel Locations: Lapland, Finland, Canada, Banff, Lake, Breckenridge , Colorado, White, , New Hampshire, Pocono, , Pennsylvania, Whistler, San Fernando, Los Angeles

☆ The 10 under-the-radar places a luxury travel planner is recommending to her clients this year
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-08 | by ( Leila Najafi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I'm a luxury travel planner, and these are destinations I think will be popular this year. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . I'm a luxury travel advisor, and I book five-star hotels and luxury vacations around the world for wealthy and high-profile clients. My clients always ask me about under-the-radar luxury destinations that feel exclusive and are not overly crowded by tourists. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Europe, Sardinia, Corsica, Costa Navarino, Japan, Ticino, Switzerland

☆ In Switzerland, self-driving pods could transport freight in underground tunnels
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Mark Tutton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —In Switzerland, an ambitious proposal could see the construction of an expansive underground network through which self-driving pods would transport freight across the country. The project, called Cargo Sous Terrain (“Underground Cargo” in English), is intended to reduce the reliance on trucks for moving cargo. “In the US, currently we are facing a big shortage of truck drivers and underground freight transport will resolve this issue as well.”In recent years, there have been other proposals for underground freight transport networks around the world. Cargo Sous TerrainA key challenge is working out how to transport freight above ground from the tunnels to stores in cities – without adding to road traffic. CST is “at the forefront” of underground freight transport thanks to its step-by-step approach, he says.

Persons: ”, Patrik Aellig, Gallen, Najafi, Elon Musk, Philipp Noser Organizations: CNN, Swiss, Center for Underground Infrastructure Research, Education, University of Texas, Ruhr University of Bochum, Credit Suisse, Siemens, City Locations: Switzerland, Geneva, St, Härkingen, Zurich, Arlington, Germany, CargoCap, Smart, Hamburg, Hyperloop, Coop

☆ Spurs not in talks with investors, says chairman Levy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur are not in negotiations with any bidders over a potential takeover of the Premier League club, chairman Daniel Levy has said. Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi, chair of MSP Sports Capital, was reported to be preparing a $3.75 billion takeover bid for Spurs in February. Tottenham exited the FA Cup and Champions League last month, meaning their 15-year trophy drought continues and Levy has found himself targeted by a section of fans at home games. We have 30,000 shareholders and most of them are fans who own the shares," Levy told the Cambridge Union in a wide-ranging interview released on YouTube on Wednesday. Levy, 61, added that he hoped supporters would see him as someone who always acted in Tottenham's best interests.

☆ ‍Soccer-Qatar's Al Thani submits new $6 bln bid for Manchester United - Sky News
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 25 (Reuters) - Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has submitted a new bid to buy Manchester United which is believed to be worth around 5 billion pounds ($6.12 billion), Sky News reported on Saturday. Sheikh Jassim, a son of Qatar’s former prime minister, launched the bid in February. A spokesperson representing Sheikh Jassim said at the time that the bid was completely debt free, via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation. Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus also placed a bid on Thursday and told Reuters that he was willing to pay a premium for the English soccer club. United are the fourth richest soccer club in the world, according to analysis by Deloitte .

☆ Soccer-Qatar's Al Thani submits new $6 billion bid for Manchester United, Sky Sports News reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

March 25 (Reuters) - Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has submitted a new bid to buy Manchester United which is believed to be worth around 5 billion pounds ($6.12 billion), Sky Sports News reported on Saturday. Sheikh Jassim, a son of Qatar’s former prime minister, launched the bid in February. A spokesperson representing Sheikh Jassim said at the time that the bid was completely debt free, via Sheikh Jassim's Nine Two Foundation. Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus also placed a bid on Thursday and told Reuters that he was willing to pay a premium for the English soccer club. United are the fourth richest soccer club in the world, according to analysis by Deloitte .

☆ Ratcliffe's INEOS confirm bid for Manchester United
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Feb 18 (Reuters) - Manchester United have received a bid from Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS for "majority ownership" of the Premier League club, the chemical firm confirmed on Saturday, adding that it would look implement a fan-centred approach. British billionaire Ratcliffe, a life-long United fan and founder of INEOS, has previously openly expressed his interest in buying the Old Trafford club. "We would see our role as the long-term custodians of Manchester United on behalf of the fans and the wider community," INEOS said in a statement. "We are ambitious and highly competitive and would want to invest in Manchester United to make them the number one club in the world once again." "We want a Manchester United anchored in its proud history and roots in the North-West of England, putting the Manchester back into Manchester United and clearly focusing on winning the Champions League," the statement said.

☆ Soccer’s new M&A binge will mostly benefit players
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Streisand Neto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Qatari consortium is set to make a $6 billion offer for Man Utd, home to stars including Marcus Rashford, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The Financial Times reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi is preparing a $3.8 billion swoop on Harry Kane’s Tottenham Hotspur. The Qataris’ reported Man Utd offer of $6 billion would value the New York-listed club at 8.6 times trailing revenue. Man Utd, whose financial advisers are U.S. investment bank Raine Group, has set an initial Feb. 17 deadline for bids. The Financial Times on Feb. 15 reported that Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi was preparing a $3.8 billion offer for Tottenham Hotspur.

☆ Son of former Qatari PM bids for Manchester United
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Anirban Sen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester United v West Ham United - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - July 22, 2020 General view of the corner flag inside the stadium before the match, as play resumes behind closed doors following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Martin Rickett/Pool via REUTERS. Feb 17 (Reuters) - Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, a son of Qatar’s former prime minister, on Friday launched a bid to buy Premier League soccer club Manchester United, whose American owners launched a formal sale process late last year. A deal for United is expected to shatter records for the sale of a sports business. Sheikh Jassim is the son of Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who is one of the richest men in the Gulf state. However, Qatari state investors, who own a stake in French champions Paris Saint-Germain, could face challenges structuring a takeover of Manchester United, as rules forbid two clubs with the same owner taking part in the lucrative Champions League.

Manchester United, INEOS, Tesla and Musk did not reply to requests for comment. "For potential buyers, football clubs like Manchester United are considered trophy assets driven by the perception of exclusivity. The size of that bid has fuelled speculation Manchester United will attract significantly more. Manchester United is the fourth richest soccer club in the world, according to analysis by Deloitte. A small portion of Manchester United shares is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

☆ Billionaire Najafi set to launch $3.75bn takeover bid for Spurs - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi, chair of MSP Sports Capital, is set to launch a $3.75 billion takeover bid for Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday. Najafi is also a minority shareholder in the National Basketball Association team Phoenix Suns. Tottenham, currently managed by Antonio Conte, have 39 points after 23 games in the league this season and sit two points outside the top four. Other Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool are also seeking investment, with Qatari investors preparing to make a bid to buy United while Jim Ratcliffe's company INEOS formally entered the bidding process last month. Reporting by Emma-Victoria Farr and Manasi Pathak; Editing by Alison Williams and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Billionaire Najafi set to launch $3.75bn takeover bid for Tottenham Hotspur- FT
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iranian-American billionaire Jahm Najafi, chair of MSP Sports Capital, is set to launch a $3.75 billion takeover bid for English soccer club Tottenham Hotspur, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing two people with direct knowledge of the plans. MSP Sports Capital is working with a consortium of investors to structure the bid, the report said, adding that it is weeks away from formally approaching Spurs owner Joe Lewis and the football club's chair Daniel Levy. Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Alison WilliamsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ South Korea envoy in Iran summoned over Yoon's 'enemy' remarks -media
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Yoon, speaking with South Korean troops stationed in Abu Dhabi early this week, said South Korea and the UAE are under "very similar" circumstances, each facing North Korea and Iran as "the enemy, biggest threat." His remarks prompted a rare spat between Seoul and Tehran, at a time when relations have already been testy over frozen Iranian funds in South Korea and suspected arms dealings between Iran and North Korea. Iran's deputy foreign minister on legal affairs, Reza Najafi, summoned Yun Kang-hyeon, the South Korean ambassador on Wednesday to protest against Yoon's "interventionist remarks," the official IRNA news agency said. Najafi also accused South Korea of pursuing an "unfriendly approach" toward Iran, singling out its frozen funds. Iran has repeatedly demanded the release of some $7 billion of its funds frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions.

☆ South Korea, Iran summon each other's envoys as spat over Yoon remarks deepens
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Iran and South Korea summoned each other's envoys in a deepening spat over comments by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol that described the Islamic republic as the enemy of the United Arab Emirates. Yoon, speaking to South Korean troops stationed in Abu Dhabi earlier this week, said South Korea and the UAE are under "very similar" circumstances, each facing North Korea and Iran as "the enemy, biggest threat." Relations between Seoul and Tehran had already been testy over frozen Iranian funds in South Korea and suspected arms dealings between Iran and North Korea. Iran has repeatedly demanded the release of some $7 billion of its funds frozen in South Korean banks under U.S. sanctions. South Korea was once one of Iran's biggest crude buyers in Asia, but ceased imports after Washington imposed sanctions on Tehran in 2018.

☆ Iran's state media denies abolition of 'morality police' as three-day strike begins
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty ImagesSome Western media outlets are facing backlash from Iranian activists over headlines printed Sunday saying that Iran was abolishing its "morality police." Many Iranian anti-government activists now feat it will distract from three days of major strikes around the country. What's more, the higher branches of Iran's government have not confirmed it, and Iranian state media has denied any abolition of the morality police. "In reality morality police have been inactive since protests started, but there is no substantive news on their future." "This disinfo was propagated today to distract media attention from the 3 days of major protests in Iran which begin tomo.

☆ Cleric killed in restive Iranian city, protests rage on
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Amnesty International said security forces killed at least 66 people in a crackdown on protesters in Zahedan on Sept. 30. The Sistan-Baluchistan region around Zahedan is one of the country's poorest and has been a hotbed of tension where Iranian security forces have been attacked by Baluch militants. Forty prominent Iranian human rights lawyers publicly criticised Iran's Shi'ite theocracy, saying crackdowns that have crushed dissent for decades will no longer work and protesters seeking a new political order will prevail. Human Rights Watch said Iranian authorities had escalated their assault against widespread dissent and protests by filing dubious national security charges against detained activists and staging grossly unfair trials. Iran has denied allegations by human rights groups that it abuses prisoners.

☆ Iran protests Western stance on mass protests over woman’s death
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

DUBAI — Iran summoned the British and Norwegian ambassadors over what it called interference and hostile media coverage of the nationwide unrest triggered by the death of a woman detained by morality police. European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Iran should “immediately stop the violent crackdown on protests and ensure internet access. He also said that “acts of chaos” were unacceptable and that Iran must deal decisively with the unrest. Iran’s state television said 41 people have been killed since the protests broke out following Amini’s death on Sept 16. State media said 12 bank branches were destroyed in the unrest in recent days, and 219 ATMs have been damaged.

☆ Kevin Hart sold a $100 million stake in his media company to private equity firm Abry. Here are 10 more Hollywood production shops that are hot M&A targets.
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-19 | by ( Natalie Jarvey | Elaine Low | Madeline Berg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Abry Partners' $100 million stake in Kevin Hart's company HartBeat is the latest big M&A move in Hollywood. Dealmakers said production companies are valuable amid the streaming wars and demand for content. The M&A activity had top Hollywood dealmakers telling Insider in early 2022 that practically every independent production company is a target. Many production companies make work-for-hire or don't control the rights to a project once it is sold off to a studio distributor. Based on January interviews with five entertainment industry experts and insiders, Insider identified a list of 10 production companies that could be compelling acquisition targets as M&A activity continues.

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