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☆ Ayvalık and Cunda: Turkey's prettiest Aegean coast resorts
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Feride Yalav-Heckeroth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Alongside classic beach towns like Bodrum and Alaçatı, two of the coast’s loveliest spots are the little-known seaside town of Ayvalık and the nearby island of Cunda. Near the Taksiyarhis Memorial Museum, in a beautifully renovated historic house with large arched windows, is Moyy Atölye. For a truly Aegean dining experience inside an olive grove, Karina Ayvalık is worth the 10-minute drive south to the village of Küçükköy. “I can breathe in the Aegean air and feel history as I walk through the old streets with their historic houses. Getting lost on Cunda leads to discoveries – like the Cunda Taksiyarhis Rahmi M. Koç Museum inside a renovated Greek Orthodox church with a collection of antique cars, motorcycles and toys.

☆ Without a hint of irony over Ukraine, Putin rages against countries that meddle in other states
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev arrive for a working breakfast of the leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Moscow, Russia May 9, 2023. Vladimir Smirnov | Sputnik | ReutersRussian President Vladimir Putin slammed countries that he said were trying to "impose their dominance" and rules on others, saying Wednesday that those that do were "completely ignoring the sovereignty" of other states. Russian President Vladimir Putin on a screen at Red Square as he addresses a rally and a concert marking the annexation of four regions of Ukraine — Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia — in central Moscow on Sept. 30, 2022. Putin said Tuesday that Russia was going through "difficult times" as it continued its military campaign in Ukraine, but said national pride was growing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov looks on, next to Russian President Vladimir Putin, as they wait for the US-Russia summit at the Villa La Grange, in Geneva on June 16, 2021.

☆ One of Putin's closest friends built him a $3.2 million fishing villa in Finland, then had to scrap it when the Russian leader showed up and wasn't keen on fishing in the country: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A $3.2 million fishing villa built for Vladimir Putin sits abandoned in Finland, The Insider reported. A friend built it for Putin, but stopped when he realized the leader wasn't keen on Finnish fishing, per The Insider. The villa was funded by Viktor Khmarin, an old classmate of Putin's at Leningrad State University who now lobbies for the Russian leader, per The Insider. Khmarin had built the Finnish cottage in a bid to get Putin to spend more time with him, according to the outlet. The reported location of Khmarin's fishing villa puts it close to the Villa Segren, another property in the Gulf of Finland that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny claimed is used by Putin as a holiday retreat.

☆ Roberto Firmino: Liverpool great in tears after final match at Anfield
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

But even a draw couldn’t dampen the emotion of the occasion as Firmino was reduced to tears by the crowd’s tribute to him. Liverpool fans waved jerseys and cries of “Si Senor” reverberated around Anfield while Firmino’s teammates formed a guard of honor for him and other departing players, including James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita. Peter Byrne/PA Images/Getty Images“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the win, it wasn’t the result that you want,” Firmino said afterwards, according to Liverpool’s official website. As for every player, it’s the same,” Firmino said, according to the club’s website. Without my teammates, my family, the manager, you cannot do this.

☆ Firmino scores late goal to keep Liverpool's slim Champions League hopes alive
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Juergen Klopp's side are fifth with 66 points with one game remaining, but three points adrift of fourth-place Manchester United who have a game in hand. The home side dominated a frenzied final few minutes as chants of "Si Senor" rang out in the stadium. Liverpool's hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League appear all but over. Liverpool were missing Darwin Nunez due to a toe injury, while Aston Villa were without injured Philippe Coutinho. Gakpo pulled up his shirt to show the referee the mark, but after a VAR review, Mings was shown a yellow card.

☆ Liverpool top-four hopes hit despite late equaliser, Everton grab vital point
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Liverpool had won seven games in succession to make a late run for Champions League qualification but defeat by Villa would have guaranteed that Newcastle United and Manchester United finish in the top four. Liverpool's top-four hopes looked over with Manchester United winning at Bournemouth, but Brazilian Firmino, making his Anfield farewell after eight glorious seasons, struck an equaliser in the 89th minute after coming off the bench. Even the point leaves their chances wafer thin, though, as fourth-placed Manchester United and third-placed Newcastle United have 69 points with two games left while Liverpool have 66 with only one game remaining. Casemiro's superb acrobatic volley was enough for Manchester United to win 1-0 on the south coast and one more point from their last two games will guarantee them Champions League football. Newcastle can seal their return to Europe's elite competition after a two-decade absence if they take a point against relegation-threatened Leicester on Monday.

☆ 'I will cry 100%': Firmino braces for emotional Anfield farewell
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 20 (Reuters) - Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino expects his final game at Anfield to be an emotional affair and the Brazilian said he is bracing for a flood of tears as he prepares to leave the Premier League club after eight trophy-laden years. Firmino, who has scored 109 goals since his move from Hoffenheim in 2015, has won every major trophy with Liverpool including the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. "I am trying to focus on the game, but after it I will cry 100%," Firmino told reporters ahead of Saturday's game against Aston Villa, Liverpool's last home game of the season. "I will miss everything -- my teammates, the club, the fans, especially the fans. At his peak, Firmino was the fulcrum in Liverpool's three-pronged attack, forming a devastating partnership with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

☆ Man United beat Bournemouth to close on Champions League
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Soccer Football - Premier League - AFC Bournemouth v Manchester United - Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, Britain - May 20, 2023 Manchester United's Casemiro and teammates celebrate after the match... Read moreBOURNEMOUTH, England, May 20 (Reuters) - Midfielder Casemiro scored a brilliant acrobatic volley to give Manchester United a 1-0 Premier League win at Bournemouth on Saturday that took them closer to Champions League football next season. Fifth-placed Liverpool, who are on 66 points after a 1-1 draw against Aston Villa, face relegated Southampton on the final day. It is not easy scoring goals," United manager Erik ten Hag told the BBC. As Manchester United's game was ending, Liverpool were a goal down to Aston Villa and a defeat there would have guaranteed United's qualification for the Champions League. But even though Roberto Firmino equalised for Liverpool, Ten Hag said he was not interested in that result.

☆ Liverpool manager Klopp suspended and fined for media comments
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 18 (Reuters) - Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has been suspended from the touchline for two matches and fined 75,000 pounds ($95,000)following his comments to the media after the match against Tottenham Hotspur on April 30, the Football Association said on Thursday. After Liverpool's 4-3 home win, Klopp accused referee Paul Tierney of having something "against" Liverpool. The referee's body reviewed the audio of Tierney's exchange with the Liverpool manager and said he acted in a professional manner throughout. Liverpool are fifth in the league standings with 65 points, seven points ahead of sixth-placed Brighton and Hove Albion but having played two matches more. ($1 = 0.7923 pounds)Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Qatar takes diplomatic back seat as Saudi flexes political muscle
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Qatar has been steadily mending ties with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Qatar cast the Syrian National Coalition as a government-in-exile, handing them Syria's Arab League seat and opening the Doha mission in a villa nearby other embassies. Several Gulf states including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates began backing rebel groups fighting to oust Assad from power. As Syria's anti-Assad movement lost ground, "Saudi Arabia and the UAE shifted their policy most dramatically but Qatar has not," Kamrava said. Qatar initially opposed efforts this spring by Saudi Arabia to galvanise support to readmit Syria to the Arab League following its 2011 suspension.

You can use a Hilton free night certificate at just about any Hilton hotel, including the stunning Waldorf Astoria Grand Wailea Resort in Maui. Hilton HotelsYou can earn Hilton free night certificates with select Amex Hilton credit cards. Hilton free night reward certificates are valid at almost any Hilton hotel, including luxury Conrad and Waldorf Astoria properties. Best Hilton hotels for using a free night certificateYou'll usually get the most value from your Hilton free night certificate by redeeming it at expensive properties or luxury beach resorts. How to use Hilton free night certificatesWhen you've earned a Hilton free night certificate, you'll receive an email from Hilton Honors letting you know your award is in your Hilton account.

☆ Klopp urges Liverpool to keep pressure on after win at Leicester
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp urged his team to keep the pressure on their Premier League rivals in the last two games of the season as they make a late charge for a top-four finish. Liverpool secured Europa League football for next season after Monday's 3-0 win at Leicester City and sit one point behind fourth-placed Manchester United and third-placed Newcastle United, though both teams have a game in hand each. Klopp, whose side are now on a seven-game winning streak, said six weeks ago he had doubts about their chances of playing in Europe next season. "... You wish anyway that the opponent was just losing and you have that kind of pressure off your shoulder. Liverpool host Aston Villa on Saturday before a trip for their final match to Southampton, whose relegation has been confirmed.

☆ Umbrellas and Lounge Chairs Cover Italy’s Beaches. To Some, They’re a Plague.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Eric Sylvers | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

About half of Italy’s coastline with sandy beaches is privately managed. Photo: Fabrizio Villa/Getty ImagesWhen Roberta Milani goes to the beach with her husband and three children, she doesn’t want to see hundreds of matching umbrellas and reclining chairs in neat rows hogging the sand and blocking her view of the sea. That can be a challenge in many parts of Italy. By law, Italian beaches are public land, but that doesn’t necessarily mean people can freely access them. The government has long given over the management of much of its 5,000-mile coastline to businesses that plant umbrellas and chairs in the sand almost up to the water and charge beachgoers to use them.

☆ Kane an inspiration for Spurs' squad, says Mason
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kane headed home in first-half injury time to score his 209th Premier League goal, one more than Wayne Rooney but still some way behind record-holder Alan Shearer's tally of 260. "Naturally we'll all talk about Harry's goals and Harry when he plays games of football he will continue to score goals. We know that," Mason told reporters after Spurs' victory snapped a four-game winless run on Saturday. "But also that elite mindset, that example that he sets every day in and around the place, it's great to be around. When you've got your captain, your leader, your goalscorer, probably one of our best players setting that example, that's what I want."

☆ Billionaires and CEOs descended on Beverly Hills to talk recession, bank failures, and more. Here's the inside track.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On the agenda today:But first: The big takeaways from the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference Mike Blake/ReutersThe big-money set jetted into LA last week for the Milken Global Conference. Biggest opportunityCampbell: The pullback in lending by banks is raising the hopes of those in the private credit industry. Read more:'Junk fees'Getty ImagesIt goes by many names: an administrative fee, a transaction fee, even a "regulatory compliance" fee. Akash Nigam, the founder and CEO of Genies, who is spending $2,400 a month on ChatGPT accounts for all his employees.

☆ Man City climb four points clear of Arsenal in title race
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

City's victory, coupled with an Arsenal loss on Sunday to Newcastle United, would all but clinch the Premier League title for the treble-chasers who stretched their winning league run to 10 games. Liverpool notched up a sixth straight Premier League win to maintain their pursuit of a top-four spot. KANE HEADERKane headed Tottenham in front in first-half injury time to move up to second place in the all-time Premier League goalscorers list. The win vaulted Spurs to sixth in the table with 57 points from 35 games, six points behind fourth-placed United, who have played two games fewer. Wolves climbed 10 points clear of the relegation zone with 40 points, while Villa remained in eighth after their second consecutive loss.

☆ A Visit to Italy’s Gorgeous Lake Garda Brings Its Controversial History Into View
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Tara Isabella Burton | Photographs Paolo Prendin For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

But history is complicated on the shores of Lake Garda, a 143-square-mile body of water just west of Verona. In many ways, Garda—its crisp blue water reflecting the nearby Alps—feels like a curiously liminal space. Its northern shores were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until after World War I; even today, German-language street-signs dot the villages along its northern coast. Traces of Venetian architecture abound, remnants of the Venetian Empire’s conquering of several lakeside strongholds. On the southern shore, the beautiful town of Sermione boasts the extant grounds of a Roman villa named after the poet Catullus.

☆ Top-four finish not in Liverpool's hands, says Klopp
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Other teams are in much better positions, as long as they win games we have no chance," Klopp told reporters ahead of Saturday's clash against ninth-placed Brentford. We have 59 points and United has 63, so we can get 71 maximum (at the end of the season). The way they played over this season, the top four teams, no one looks like losing more games than they win, Klopp said. James Milner is expected to leave Liverpool after eight years at the end of the season and Klopp described how highly he valued the 37-year-old midfielder. Klopp said Diogo Jota and captain Jordan Henderson will be assessed ahead of the match while Roberto Firmino remains sidelined.

☆ Liverpool's Thiago to miss rest of season due to hip operation - reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 3 (Reuters) - Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara will miss the remainder of the season to undergo a minor operation for a hip issue, British media reported on Tuesday. The Spaniard has played 28 times for Liverpool in all competitions this season and only recently returned to action after two months out with a hip flexor problem. Alcantara is set to miss Premier League games against Fulham, Brentford, Leicester City, Aston Villa and Southampton as they push for a top-four finish. Liverpool are fifth on 56 points, seven behind fourth-placed Manchester United who have a game in hand. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter RutherfordOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ More to come from record-breaking Haaland, says Guardiola
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 3 (Reuters) - Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has broken several records this season but the Norway international still wants to improve his game, manager Pep Guardiola said. Haaland on Sunday became the first player in England's top flight to score 50 goals in all competitions in a season since Tom Waring did so for Aston Villa in 1931. The 22-year-old is level with Alan Shearer and Andy Cole for a record-equalling haul of 34 goals in a Premier League campaign and Guardiola said there is more to come from the former Borussia Dortmund striker. "Always I said many times with Erling the future will be tough because you compare what he's done," Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday. "If he doesn't score the goals like he's scoring the people will say he's in a bad situation but he can still improve.

☆ A billionaire bought Jeffrey Epstein's 2 private islands in the Caribbean for $60 million — less than half the initial asking price
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jeffrey Epstein's two private islands in the Caribbean have sold for $60 million. That's less than half the $125 million asking price the islands had when they hit the market last March. The islands, called Little St. James and Great St. James, together listed for $125 million in March 2022. Epstein bought the 72-acre Little St. James for $7.95 million in 1998. The FBI reportedly raided Little St. James, where Epstein was believed to have his primary residence, in the days after his death.

☆ Watch planes take off in Japan — from an onsen
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Emi Jozuka | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Opened last December, the Hotel Villa Fontaine Premier & Grand Haneda Airport has 1,717 rooms and is directly connected to Haneda International Airport Terminal 3. Tokyo has also announced plans to receive up to 60 million overseas visitors to the country by 2030. And as inbound tourism recovers, Haneda – which has been crowned the world’s most punctual mega-airport – hopes to ride that wave. Developers want to expand those routes to greater swathes of Japan as part of broader plans to help revitalize the country’s regions, according to Katsuyuki Tou, general manager of the Haneda Airport Garden. Tou explained that visitors to the multipurpose complex can already get a taste of what Japan offers.

☆ Man City now in driving seat but Guardiola still cautious
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

April 28 (Reuters) - According to some of the headlines after Manchester City's crushing defeat of title rivals Arsenal this week the sky blue ribbons can already be fastened to the Premier League trophy. But City boss Pep Guardiola is too long in the tooth to assume a fifth league title in six seasons is now a formality. It was their seventh successive league win and left them two points behind Arsenal with two games in hand, having trailed by eight not long ago. The two clubs immediately above Saints, Everton and Leicester City, meet on Monday in a true 'six-pointer'. Liverpool are seeking a fourth successive win and, belatedly, have joined the Premier League party.

☆ Turner's late goal earns Man United WSL win over Villa
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

United stay top on 47 points after 19 games of the 22-game season, six ahead of second-placed Manchester City and seven ahead of Chelsea, but the Blues have three games in hand over the leaders. It was a tough defeat for Villa, for whom striker Rachel Daly opened the scoring in the ninth minute with a brilliantly-timed looping header from a corner, but Leah Galton's first-time finish brought United back level six minutes later. The 31-year-old Daly put her side in front again eight minutes before the break, netting her 17th goal of the season to draw level with WSL top scorer Khadija Shaw of Manchester City. She almost completed her hat-trick on the hour mark but her left-foot shot clipped the crossbar, and instead United drew level as Nikita Parris headed home Hannah Blundell's cross. Reporting by Philip O'Connor Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Solis, 64, lives on the banks of Mexico's Villa Victoria reservoir, which supplies water to the bustling capital hours away but does not reach her own faucets. Villa Victoria is part of the Cutzamala System, the source of water for about six million people in Mexico City and the surrounding state of Mexico. Climate change, chaotic urban growth and inefficient infrastructure have strained Mexico's water supplies, pushing the Cutzamala System's stores to their lowest level in 27 years. Mexico City is also tapping alternative sources of water outside the Cutzamala System, including by replacing wells in the Zumpango area in the state of Mexico. But for people like Israel, who lives just a few minutes' drive from the Cutzamala System's water treatment plant and asked not to use his last name, the constitution's promise is increasingly distant.

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