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☆ Medvedev rolls past Hanfmann to reach Rome semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 18, 2023 Russia's Daniil Medvedev celebrates after winning his quarter final match against Germany's Yannick Hanfmann REUTERS/Guglielmo... Read moreMay 18 (Reuters) - World number three Daniil Medvedev produced a dominant performance against German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann to reach his first Italian Open semi-final, cruising to a 6-2 6-2 victory on Thursday. "It is always a danger to say this if you lose the first round and you think, 'Why did I say this'. Medvedev soaked up Hanfmann's powerful hitting and controlled the baseline exchanges, dominating with his big first serve to wrap up the win in an hour and 20 minutes. "I knew I had to put as many balls into the court as possible because he plays aggressively. Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Hyderabad Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Fireworks video does not show Naples, predates Napoli’s Serie A win
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A video likely from Split, Croatia and dating to at least 2020 has been falsely linked to recent celebrations in the Italian city of Naples after local team Napoli secured their first Serie A football title in 33 years. "Scenes in Naples tonight after Napoli win their first league title for 33 years," read posts on Twitter and Facebook sharing the video (here), (here) and (here). Torcida and the Instagram user who shared the video in 2020 did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment. The claim surfaced online after fireworks lit up the Neapolitan sky on May 4 as Napoli won its first Series A football title since 1990, Reuters reported (here). The video of fireworks can be traced to 2020 and is unrelated to Napoli’s 2023 Serie A win.

☆ Birthday boy Alcaraz beats Coric to reach Madrid final
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - May 5, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his semi final match against Croatia's Borna Coric REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, May 5 (Reuters) - Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz celebrated his 20th birthday by storming into the Madrid Open final with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Borna Coric on Friday to stay on track for his fourth title of the season. "It means a lot to me, playing a final again here in Madrid. I have great memories since I came here to play Under-12s," Alcaraz said. After wrapping up the first set on serve, Alcaraz grabbed an early break and raced to a 4-2 lead in the next, dictating terms against a fading Coric. Russia's Karatsev later plays German Struff 10 days after easing past him in the final round of qualifying.

☆ Dream big, think big - Alcaraz wants to become one of the greats
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The 'Big Three' of Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic have dominated men's tennis for nearly 20 years, collectively winning 64 Grand Slams. While only Djokovic and Nadal of the three are still active, Alcaraz said reaching their level will be a daunting task. "Well, my dream in tennis right now is to become one of the best players in history," Alcaraz told reporters after beating Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-5 in the Madrid Open quarter-finals on Wednesday. "In this world, you have to dream big and you have to think big, as well," Alcaraz said. "I want to be part of the best tennis players in history and I'll work for it."

☆ Alcaraz downs Khachanov to reach Madrid semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Fernando Kallas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/5] Tennis - Madrid Open - Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain - May 3, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his quarter final match against Russia's Karen Khachanov REUTERS/Juan MedinaMADRID, May 3 (Reuters) - World number two Carlos Alcaraz stayed on course for his fourth title of 2023 by powering into the semi-finals of the Madrid Open with a 6-4 7-5 win over Russian Karen Khachanov on Thursday. Alcaraz managed to break the Russian's serve in the seventh game, closing the first set 6-4. Alcaraz has reached 18 consecutive wins in Spanish clay-court tournaments since losing to Rafael Nadal in Madrid two years ago on his 19th birthday. In the women's singles, Russian Veronika Kudermetova beat American Jessica Pegula 6-4 0-6 6-4 and reach the Madrid Open semis. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh Lawson and Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The best of Milan Design Week 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Marianna Cerini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Milan CNN —The design world’s largest annual fair enjoyed a return to full pre-pandemic form with its 2023 showcase, transforming the city of Milan with hundreds of exhibitions, site-specific installations, pop-ups and public projects. Almost everywhere, the focus was on sustainable design, circular economy, material innovation and artistry combining craft with innovation. Some of the most interesting ideas were those that looked at waste – literally – to rethink what design can do when it uses what is already there. Shown in various stages of decomposition, the chair challenged viewers to approach products with the end of their lifecycle in mind. Top image: One of two bags design legend Gaetano Pesce created for Bottega Veneta’s Milan Design Week installation.

☆ ECB policymaker says choice between 25 or 50 basis points rate hike in May will be close call
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailECB policymaker says choice between 25 or 50 basis points rate hike in May will be close callBoris Vujčić, governor of the Croatian National Bank, discusses Croatia joining the euro, the next European Central Bank rate hike decisions and the continued challenge of inflation.

☆ Irish driver Breen dies after testing crash in Croatia
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 13 (Reuters) - Ireland's top rally driver Craig Breen has died after an accident in a pre-event test for the Croatian round of the world championship, his Hyundai team said in a statement on Thursday. The team gave no details of the accident just after midday local time but said co-driver James Fulton was unharmed. He was a world championship regular over the years, although rarely for a full season, and while not a winner he finished second in six rallies. Craig was a world class driver and a world class person," said Motorsport Ireland president Aiden Harper in a statement of condolences. Breen is the first fatality in the world championship since German junior co-driver Joerg Bastuck in the 2006 Rally of Catalunya.

Humanity will prevail," Zelenskiy said, leading a ceremony at which the Ukrainian flag was raised in Bucha. Zelenskiy described Bucha as a "symbol of the atrocities" of Russian occupying forces. Fighting rages on in the east and south of Ukraine, where Russian forces hold swathes of territory captured after they invaded on Feb. 24, 2022. Ukrainian forces have dug in and held out for now in the city of Bakhmut and are expected to launch a counteroffensive soon. This is part of Russia's planned strategy to destroy Ukraine as a state and Ukrainians as a nation," he said.

☆ Exclusive: Google to win EU antitrust okay for maths app deal, sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, March 22 (Reuters) - Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) Google is set to gain unconditional EU antitrust clearance for its acquisition of Croatian maths app Photomath, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Investors in the Croatian company include Menlo Ventures, LearnCapital, Goodwater Capital, GSV Ventures and Cherubic. The European Commission, which is scheduled to decide on the deal by March 28, and Google declined to comment. The app has been downloaded more than 300 million times worldwide and is available in more than 30 languages. Reporting by Foo Yun Chee Editing by David Goodman, Elaine HardcastleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A 27-page report breaks down where the money is flowing in sports tech and the investors to watch. Here were 5 key takeaways.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Ashley Rodriguez | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Investment bank Drake Star broke down dealmaking in 2022 and what it means for the year ahead. Sports tech M&A activity in 2022, from Drake Star's Global Sports Tech Report 2022. Drake Star Global Sports Tech Report 2022The fourth quarter saw a surge in M&A volume with 67 deals, the most in the sector's recent history. More sports tech companies could explore public listings in the second half of the year. "Some of the IPO ready sports tech companies are expected to explore IPO/SPAC listings."

☆ U.S. seizes website selling malware that stole computer data
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Zeba Siddiqui | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN FRANCISCO, March 9 (Reuters) - U.S. authorities said on Thursday they seized an internet domain that was selling malicious software criminals used to steal data from and take control of victims' computers. The site sold NetWire, a type of malware called a 'remote access trojan' (RAT), which is "a sophisticated program capable of targeting and infecting every major computer operating system," the statement said. It allows covert surveillance, creating a "'backdoor' for administrative control and unfettered and unauthorized remote access to a victim’s computer, without the victim’s knowledge or permission," according to court records filed in Los Angeles the statement cited. It was unclear how many times the malware had been bought off the seized website. The seizure comes as U.S. authorities work on improving collaborations with other countries on investigating cybercrimes, which are often cross-border.

☆ Vekic back to winning ways in Monterrey after injury woes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 6 (Reuters) - Donna Vekic nearly quit tennis amid doubts over her fitness after undergoing knee surgery two years ago, but the Croatian has made a remarkable comeback and captured her first title since 2021 by winning in Monterrey on Sunday. Having beaten several top seeds in that tournament, she lost to world number one Iga Swiatek in the final. I've been playing good tennis and I need to keep working hard and hopefully stay healthy," the 26-year-old Vekic said. Victory over world number five Garcia marked the first time Vekic had beaten a top-10 player this year and she rose eight places to number 23 in the world rankings. "It was a crazy match until the end, (Garcia) was playing so well, playing so deep," Vekic said.

☆ Meet Matija Pecotic: a real-estate investor who counts Bill Ackman as a mentor - and now a breakout tennis star on the pro circuit
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A 33-year-old real-estate investor has become a tennis star after beating a former top-10 player. Pecotic counts Bill Ackman as a mentor, and compares his game preparation to day trading. "Being mentored by Bill Ackman continued to influence that hunger," Pecotic said. The moonlighting tennis star scours match tapes and other information sources to spot his opponents' weaknesses and refine his own game. "In our world, we are all about information, put the emotions aside – analytics, analytics, analytics," he said.

☆ He’s a Harvard M.B.A. Who Works in Real-Estate Investing. But Can He Beat Novak Djokovic?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Jason Gay | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

You have to be a fairly committed tennis follower to already know the story of Matija Pecotić, but that may change soon. In February, Pecotić, a crafty Croatian left-hander born in Belgrade and raised in Malta, notched his first-ever victory in an ATP Tour main draw when he defeated former top-10 player Jack Sock at a tournament in Delray Beach, Florida. It was a nice breakthrough win. What made it stand out was that Pecotić is 33 years old—an advanced age at which men’s players not named Roger, Rafa or Novak are usually starting to decline, or at least plateau.

☆ Five storylines to watch in the 2023 MLS season
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Five storylines to follow during the 2023 Major League Soccer (MLS) season which kicks off on Saturday:LAFC'S REPEAT BIDLos Angeles FC return this season looking to retain their crown after a wildly successful 2022 during which they won the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup, becoming the first team to win the double since Toronto FC in 2017. With experience and some added depth, Union are well-placed to take the next step to landing a maiden MLS Cup. The Leagues Cup will not have any draws. - -REVAMPED PLAYOFFSEighteen clubs, or 62% of MLS's teams, will qualify for the 2023 postseason compared to 14 teams last year. The conference semi-finals, finals and MLS Cup remain single-elimination matches hosted by the higher seed.

☆ EU antitrust regulators to decide on Google's maths app buy by March 28
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BRUSSELS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - EU antitrust regulators have set a March 28 deadline for their decision on Alphabet (GOOGL.O) unit Google's acquisition of Croatian maths app Photomath, according to a European Commission filing on Wednesday. "We can confirm that we entered into an agreement to acquire Photomath in May 2022, subject to regulatory review," a Google spokesperson said. "Photomath's technology will help Google to enhance its ability to provide better math learning experiences to students, helping to build out Google's homework help offerings for users." Photomath's app uses a smartphone's camera or scientific calculator to recognize and explain symbolic math problems. Menlo Ventures, LearnCapital, Goodwater Capital, GSV Ventures and Cherubic are investors in the company.

☆ Factbox: Key ECB policymaker comments since Feb rate hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

By smoothing our policy rate hikes – that is, moving in small steps – we can ensure that we calibrate (policy) more precisely. Boris Vujcic, Croatian central bank governor, Feb. 10"I would agree that we are likely to see more rate action beyond March." Joachim Nagel, German central bank chief, Feb. 7"From where I stand today we need further, significant rate hikes." Pierre Wunsch, Belgian central bank chief, Feb. 3"I don’t think we're going to move from 50 basis points (in March) to zero. Gediminas Simkus, Lithuanian central bank chief, Feb. 3"The March rate hike is not the last one.

☆ Analysis: ECB faces new communication challenge as inflation falls
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But core inflation is proving stubborn and could still rise from last month's 5.2%. "We have to continue to emphasize that we have this medium term perspective," Klaas Knot, the Dutch central bank chief said. It has oscillated between focusing on current inflation, future inflation and core inflation. Wages are the biggest factor in that sector's prices and services inflation is still just above 4%. So wage growth of the magnitude of 5% or more could push services inflation even higher.

☆ Real estate broker with tennis side hustle beats ex-top 10 player: 'I'm going to have to ask for another day off'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Megan Sauer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Instead, he plays tennis before work every day to maintain his skill and love for the sport. I'm going to have to ask for another day off tomorrow." This particular Cinderella story was short-lived: Pecotić lost the next day to Marcos Giron, an American ranked No. "[Stock] is a former top-10 guy with an incredible amount of tennis experience and a huge serve," he said. Sign up now: Get smarter about your money and career with our weekly newsletter

☆ Perfect Valentine: Part of Croatia's heart-shaped island up for sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

GALESNJAK, Croatia, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Part of Croatia's unique heart-shaped Adriatic islet nicknamed by tourists the Island of Love is up for sale. There are no hotels, villas, or restaurants on the islet, but many celebrities and their yachts frequent Galesnjak every summer. Proceeds from the sale would be invested elsewhere in the local community, he said. "The island has an area of 142,000 square meters and slightly over 40,000 square meters is up for sale for the price of 13 million euros," he said, adding that potential buyers are calling every day. In 2019, scientists from the Department of Archaeology of Croatia's University of Zadar discovered traces of human habitation dating back 7,000 years ago.

☆ Croatian restaurant offers one pot menu cooked by robotic chef
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Antonio Bronic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] View of a meal that the robot chef prepared at the restaurant Bots & Pots in Zagreb, Croatia, February 9, 2023. You can order any of them at a Croatian restaurant where a robotic chef is able to rustle up about 70 different one pot meals. The devices add oil and seasoning according to digital recipes made by a human chef. The robotic chef called GammaChef is "taught" digitally how to cook a meal by the restaurant's head chef, then remembers it and repeats it endlessly. "Our final goal is to create a 'no waiter, no chef, no cash' space where you order, get and pay for food without human contact."

☆ ECB must keep raising rate despite public sacrifice, Vujcic says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Balazs Koranyi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Euro zone core inflation could drop below headline price gorwth in 2023Still, that is not a signal that the ECB's job is done, the Croatian argued. "There is a possibility that headline inflation will fall to 2% much sooner than expected due to various factors ... (that) bring the headline figure down sharply, below core inflation," Vujcic said. Dutch central bank chief Klaas Knot has also warned that headline inflation could fall below underlying prices. Economists call sacrifice ratio the loss suffered in order to achieve a reduction in the long-run inflation rate. "We would have to explain to public why we are keeping restrictive monetary policy stance if headline inflation already fell," Vujcic said.

☆ Kyiv berates Croatian president for saying Crimea won't return to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KYIV, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Ukraine's foreign ministry criticised Croatian President Zoran Milanovic on Tuesday for saying Crimea would never return to Ukrainian control, describing his comment as "unacceptable." Russia seized the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and Kyiv has said it will not abandon efforts to regain control of the region. "We consider as unacceptable the statements of the president of Croatia, who effectively cast doubt on the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko wrote on Facebook. In the same statement, Nikolenko thanked the Croatian government and people for backing Ukraine's since Russia's invasion in February last year. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has openly voiced support for Ukraine.

☆ Crimea will never again be part of Ukraine - Croatian president
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SARAJEVO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, will never again be part of Ukraine, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said on Monday in remarks detailing his objection to Zagreb providing military aid to Kyiv. read moreA vocal critic of Western policy in Ukraine, Milanovic has said he does not want his country, the EU's newest member state, to face what he has called potentially disastrous consequences over the 11-month-old war in Ukraine. He added that the arrival of German tanks in Ukraine would only serve to drive Russia closer to China. "It is clear that Crimea will never again be part of Ukraine," Milanovic added. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has vowed to restore Ukrainian rule over Crimea, seized and annexed by Russia in 2014 in a move not recognised by most other countries.

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