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☆ A Basement of Horrors in Seoul, Where Past and Present Collide
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Lauretta Charlton | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The hostel in central Seoul has a lot to recommend it. The rooms are tidy and affordable enough for K-pop fanatics on a budget and families in need of lots of space on vacation. It’s perched at the base of Namsan, the scenic, leafy mountain peak in the heart of town. Namsan, with its winding trails and springtime cherry blossoms, has long been a top destination for tourists in Seoul. Torture was common, and one of the preferred venues was the basement of the Seoul Municipal Youth Hostel, which once housed the K.C.I.A.

Persons: “ Organizations: Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Youth Locations: Seoul, There’s

☆ The future of travel: 10 concepts that will change the way we experience the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kate Springer | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +22 min

Concepts that feel plucked from sci-fi novels and films are quickly making their way into mainstream travel, shaping every step of the journey. Seamus PayneLike air travel, eco-conscious hotels are paving the way for more sustainable travel in the future. HyperloopTTUS entrepreneur Elon Musk has been talking about hyperloop technology – an ultra-high-speed transport system in a low-pressure vacuum tube – for years. Meanwhile, Toronto-based TransPod hopes to bring hyperloop technology to Canada with its eponymous tube-based transportation system powered by renewable energy. By 2025, the company plans to build a 620-mile-per-hour TransPod link between Calgary and Edmonton, connecting the two cities in 45 minutes.

Persons: Elijah Nouvelage, Indira Gandhi, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Austin Farmer, we’ll, don’t, David ”, you’ll, Alexander the Great, ” Michael Breer, KAWS, collectables –, Breer, ” Breer, You’ve, ” Jetson, Peter Ternstrom, Apollo, Cruise, ”, what’s, Boom’s, –, Seamus Payne, room2, Marcel Breuer, Tesla, charades, Yusaku Maezawa, Elon Musk, hyperloop, Virgin Hyperloop, HyperloopTT, Hardt Hyperloop Organizations: CNN, Travel, Hartsfield, Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Bloomberg, Getty, Dubai International Airport, Hong Kong International Airport, Indira, Indira Gandhi International, European Union, Emirates, Dubai International, American Airlines, United, Delta, Bluetooth, Alaska Airlines, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Specterras Productions, CNN Travel, VR, Aircraft, Federal Aviation Administration, Baidu, Hyundai, Las, CNN Travel ., Alphabet Inc, Beta, International Civil Aviation Organization, Alice, DHL, Air New, Concorde, Japan Airlines, Bauhaus, CEH Technologies, Origin, SpaceX, International Space, NASA, Galactic, Space Training Academy, Nastar Center, Boring Company, Virgin, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, China Morning Post, China Aerospace Science, Industry Corporation, European Hyperloop Center Locations: Singapore, Dubai, Tokyo Narita, Tokyo Haneda, Delhi, London Heathrow, Paris, Dutch, Europe, Florence, Palmyra, Machu Picchu, New York, Ehang, China, Boston, Las Vegas, Motional, Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, North America, Austin, Beijing, Chongqing, Wuhan, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Mexico, Air New Zealand, Denver, New York City, Frankfurt, LA, Sydney, London, New Haven , Connecticut, Hungarian, Norway, Red, Saudi Arabia, Amsterdam, Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Shanxi province, Netherlands, Toronto, Canada, Calgary, Edmonton

☆ Bhutan reducing its daily tourist fee for visitors who stay longer
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Effective this month until the end of 2024, tourists paying the daily fees for four days will be allowed to stay an extra four days. Those paying SDF for 12 days can stay for a full month. “If more tourists stay longer in Bhutan, tourism can help our economy to grow faster,” said Dorji Dhradhul, director general of the Department of Tourism. The incentive applies only to tourists who pay in dollars, and not to visitors from neighboring India who pay in rupees. Dhradhul said Bhutan wanted to gradually raise the contribution of tourism to 20% to its $3 billion economy from about 5% now.

Persons: ”, Dorji Dhradhul, Dhradhul Organizations: Authorities, Department of Tourism Locations: Bhutan, Nepal, India

☆ In 7 Great Cities, 7 Great Walks
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Christine Chitnis | The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +32 min

Urban Walks In 7 Great Cities, 7 Great Walks The pleasures of strolling through an urban landscape are manifest. Credit... Joann Pai for The New York Times Its organically styled bouquets feel as though they’ve been freshly picked from the garden. Credit... Joann Pai for The New York Times Image Astier de Villatte specializes in antiques and tableware. Three quarters of a mile into the walk, you’ll be standing atop the first of three mountains, the 1,100-foot-high Inwangsan. Credit... Petrina Tinslay for The New York Times Few cities are so abundant with forest-like parks, coastal walks and beaches as Sydney, which is best explored on foot.

Persons: Joann Pai, Sandra Sigman, ”, Sigman, de Mars, you’ll, Dominique, Boulangerie Laurent B, Bellechasse, Germain, Bac, Pierre Hermé, monsieur, Le, Rue de Babylone, Sèvres, Rue de l’Abbaye, de Furstemberg, Furstemberg, they’ve, Tournon —, Villatte, Queen Marie de ’, Palazzo Pitti, Fna, Imane, —, Rue Riad Zeitoun, Rue Djane Ben Chegra, Rue Laarassi, darija, Rue Sidi Boulabada, Rue Bab Ahmad, Rue Bin Lafnadek, Michael Park, it’s, Earl Grey scones, Hadid, Petrina, It’s, Strickland, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Ian Cheibub, Ayrton Senna, touristy, Clarice Lispector, altinha, Tom Jobim, toting Tom Jobim, Osório, Rua Vinícius de Moraes Organizations: Shops, Jardin de, The New York, Rue Saint, Mars, ., The New York Times, des Invalides, Saint, Blvd . Saint, Rue de, Rue du, Rue de Rennes, de, Compagnie Française, Français, du, Palazzo, Credit, Rue Riad, des, Rue Bahia Bab, Moors, Jewish, Rue, Rue Sidi, Tachenbacht, Rue Bin, Wall ., Korean, South Korean, Milk, Nielsen, New, Opera, Milk Beach, Gibsons, Reserve, South, Heritage, Hornby, Fort, Francisco, Rua Locations: Cities, Paris, Seoul, Marrakesh, Jardin, Jardin de Luxembourg, Rue, Esplanade des Invalides, Blvd, Raspail, bac, Rue de Bac, Bac, Rue de Babylone, Seine, Astier, Français ., du Luxembourg, Italian, Florence, medina, Moroccan, Central Park, Jemaa, ., El, unburied, El Badi, Spain, Marrakesh ., darija —, Marrakesh enfolds, Morocco, Naksan Park, Gyeongbokgung, Scoff, Inwangsan, Seongbuk district, Dongdamun, Sydney, Hermitage, Bayview Hill, Vaucluse, Watsons, Queens Beach, . Credit, Bayview, Fort Denison, Sydney Harbour’s, Milk, Camp Cove . Credit, Parsley Bay, Hopetoun, Palmerston, Moreton, Camp Cove Beach, Mosman, Balgowlah, Manly, Bay, Watsons Bay, de Janeiro, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian, Ipanema, Rio, Beach . Credit, Italy, Copacabana Beach . Credit, de, Leme, Fort Copacabana, Arpoador, Vero, Polis Sucos, Polis

☆ The Places Most Affected by Remote Workers’ Moves Around the Country
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

Source: American Community SurveyThis rising mobility was driven by remote workers who sought new housing in their same metro areas, but also by a wave of remote workers decamping to other parts of the country. The rise of remote work meant that many such workers moved into these places, too. But for New York, San Francisco, Washington and Los Angeles, significantly more remote workers left than arrived. New York Metro Area Net domestic migration of workers Prepandemic 2018-19 Pandemic 2020-21 In-person workers Remote The N.Y.C. The remote workers identified this way may range from hybrid workers who primarily work from home to permanent remote workers and self-employed people who have no nearby office to visit.

Persons: ”, Hans Johnson, Johnson, Nicholas Bloom, Mr, Bloom, Adam Ozimek, Ozimek, Eric Carlson, It’s, “ Organizations: San, Major Metros, metros, York, Angeles, Washington, Seattle, Raleigh, Diego, Dallas, Sacramento, Hartford, American, Survey, San Jose metros, New York Metro Area Net, Public, Institute of California, Remote Workers, American Community Survey, Stanford, Economic Locations: San Francisco, New York, San Francisco , Washington, Los Angeles, Austin, Denver, Dallas, Nashville, Jose, Calif, Austin , Texas, N.C, Portland, Ore, Va, Conn, California, Bay Area, Washington, Ocean City, N.J, Cape Cod, Salisbury, Md, Maryland, Delaware, Fla, Stroudsburg, Pa, S.C, Panama City, Duluth, Minn

☆ Two Lifelong Floridians Bolted for Los Angeles, but What Could They Afford?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Livia Albeck-Ripka | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

But their daughter lived in Los Angeles, and they loved visiting her. They connected with Brita Kleingartner, a Los Angeles real estate agent who had helped them buy the East Hollywood home where their daughter lives. In September, they drove out to Los Angeles with their dog Boosie and a budget of around $1 million. But when Ms. Vickers and Mr. Davis arrived in Los Angeles, they found its sprawl and size daunting. “So when we started seeing these views, we were kind of like, ‘Wow, this is so different from Florida.’”But the Los Angeles market was low on inventory.

Persons: Alice Vickers, John Davis, —, Vickers, Davis, Brita Kleingartner, “, Ms, Kleingartner, Davis weren’t, Mr, ’ Organizations: East Hollywood Locations: Gainesville, Tallahassee . Florida, Tallahassee, West, Seattle, Boulder, Colo, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, West Coast, Florida

☆ In San Francisco, a Week of Destination Opera
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Joshua Barone | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Frank’s partnership with Cruz, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, has been fruitful in the concert hall, but this is their first opera. Their subject is extremely familiar — the love of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera — but the treatment is less biographical and more mythic. But here, instead of the hero traveling to the underworld to retrieve a lost love, the protagonist journeys to the land of the living. In both cases, though, a creative spirit is required to cross borders, and there are dire consequences for any missteps. And rather than tell a life story — which in opera tends to result in episodic, undramatic works — Cruz hews to classical unities, with a focused plot that unfolds on the Mexican Day of the Dead.

Persons: Cruz, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera —, Eurydice, Kahlo, — Cruz hews, Diego —, Alfredo Daza, —, Frida, Daniela Mack, doesn’t, Leonardo, Jake Ingbar, Yaritza Véliz, Lorena Maza, Jorge Ballina’s, Eloise Kazan’s Organizations: Azul

Tony voters struck a perfect equilibrium with the awards for scenic design. Beowulf Boritt won for the musical “New York, New York,” a big, buoyant throwback of a show whose aesthetic is decidedly classic Broadway. “There’s no video wall in ‘New York, New York,’” he assured the audience, which sounded glad to hear it. Recognizing such different kinds of excellence, the Tonys gracefully embraced both tradition and tradition-breaking. LAURA COLLINS-HUGHESSmall is beautiful

Persons: Tony, Beowulf Boritt, ”, “, ’ ”, Tim Hatley, Andrzej Goulding, LAURA COLLINS, HUGHES Organizations: “ Locations: York , New York, ‘ New York , New York

☆ Tony Awards 2023: Highlights and winners
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/25] The cast of "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" perform onstage at the 76th Annual Tony Awards in New York City, U.S., June 11, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan Mcdermid - HP1EJ6C05QLC2See pictures and a running list of winners at the 76th Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater. BEST MUSICALKimberly AkimboBEST PLAYLeopoldstadtBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAYPrima Facie: Jodie ComerBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAYGood Night, Oscar: Sean HayesBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: Victoria ClarkBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICALSome Like it Hot: J. Harrison GheeBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: Bonnie MilliganBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICALShucked: Alex NewellBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAYThe Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window: Miriam SilvermanBEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Brandon UranowitzBEST BOOK OF A MUSICALKimberly Akimbo: David Lindsay-AbaireBEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICALParadeBEST REVIVAL OF A PLAYSuzan-Lori Parks' Topdog/UnderdogBEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICALParade: Michael ArdenBEST DIRECTION OF A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Patrick MarberBEST CHOREOGRAPHYSome Like it Hot: Casey NicholawBEST ORIGINAL SCOREKimberly Akimbo: Jeanine Tesori for music and David Lindsay-Abaire for lyrics. BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAYLeopoldstadt: Brigitte ReiffenstuelBEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICALSome Like it Hot: Gregg BarnesBEST ORCHESTRATIONSSome Like it Hot: Charlie Rosen and Bryan CarterSee picotures and a running list of winners at the 76th Tony Awards, the highest honors in American theater.cNew York, New York: Beowulf BorittBEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Tim Hatley and Andrzej GouldingBEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICALSweeney Todd: Natasha KatzBEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Tim LutkinBEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAYLife of Pi: Carolyn DowningBEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICALSweeney Todd: Nevin SteinbergOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sweeney Todd, Barber, Tony, Brendan Mcdermid, Tony Awards, Kimberly Akimbo, Jodie Comer, Sean Hayes, Victoria Clark, Bonnie Milligan, Alex Newell, Miriam Silverman, Brandon, David Lindsay, Lori Parks, Michael Arden, Patrick Marber, Casey Nicholaw, SCORE Kimberly Akimbo, Jeanine Tesori, Abaire, Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Gregg Barnes, Charlie Rosen, Bryan Carter, Tim Hatley, Andrzej Goulding, Natasha Katz, Tim Lutkin, Pi, Carolyn Downing, Nevin Steinberg Organizations: REUTERS, Prima, Victoria Clark BEST, Michael Arden BEST, SCORE, theater.c, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, York , New York

☆ China's temple visits skyrocket amid economic uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Economic uncertainty has driven temple visits and tourism to new heights, according to analysts and travel websites. Temple visits have surged this year more than fourfold from a year ago, according to recent data from Qunar and Trip.com, another travel site. Social media has also fueled the boom in temple tourism, as young people like to share their experiences on social networks, she added. Anhui Jiuhuashan Tourism Development, which runs the Jiuhua Mountain scenic area in central Anhui province, also shattered quarterly sales records. A small temple at Wudang Mountain in China's Hubei province pictured on October 27, 2004.

Persons: Hong Kong CNN —, ”, Qunar.com, Soeren, Yang Yan, Ryan Pyle, supplicants, “ Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Nanjing Securities, Social, Communist Party, Caitong Securities Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, Qunar, Nanjing, Sichuan, Shan, Anhui Jiuhuashan Tourism, Anhui, Jiangxi province, Wudang, China's Hubei, Hangzhou

☆ Companies are worried about a recession, but they’re hanging on to employees anyway
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Minneapolis CNN —US companies wary about their economic prospects are battening down the hatches. Recent job market data shows more and more businesses have taken to “labor hoarding” and maintaining headcounts even as demand softens. Employees work at CannaCraft's March and Ash retail cannabis store in San Diego's Mission Valley neighborhood. Grey Duck’s sales picture will become clearer in the next three months, Bossen said. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to keep that staff employed and productive, even if things slow down,” he said.

Persons: ”, Dana Peterson, ” Peterson, it’s, Ash, Tiffany Devitt, CannaCraft, Ash CannaCraft, “, Devitt, Stephen Juneau, they’re, Matt Bigelow, Gusset Jean, Bigelow, ‘ Waddle, Rob Bossen, Grey, Eli Nord, Bossen, “ We’re, waddle Organizations: Minneapolis CNN, Conference Board, Conference, Business, CNN, Golden State, of Labor Statistics, Bank of America, Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, USA Brands, Gusset Jean Co, Vermont, Company Locations: Minneapolis, ”, headcount, California, Golden, Diego's, CannaCraft, Sonoma County, Juneau, Vermont, Johnson , Vermont, Roseville , Minnesota, China, Roseville

☆ For its 2024 Olympics, Paris wants the Seine river swimmable
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Manuel Ausloos | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

PARIS, June 5 (Reuters) - On a sunny spring day, Dan Angelescu was testing the water quality of Paris' Seine river by the bridge Alexander III - a scenic view for next year's swimming marathon and triathlon Olympic trials. Angelescu has been working for the city since 2017 on its longtime project to make the Seine swimmable. The 2024 Games are a good opportunity to fast-track it in order to host some sporting events in the famous river - as was done at the first Paris Olympics of 1900. Stephane Vidalie, who lives in Neuilly-Plaisance in the east of Paris, was happy to no longer send wastewater into the Marne river, a tributary that joins the Seine just outside Paris. Bastien Coignon, a member of a kayak club in Sevres, west of Paris, said he had been waiting for this.

Persons: Dan Angelescu, Alexander III, Angelescu, Pierre Rabadan, Rabadan, Manuel Ausloos, Stephane Vidalie, Colombe Brossel, Bastien Coignon, Clotaire Achi, Juliette Jabkhiro, Alex Richardson Organizations: Paris Olympics, Olympic, Games, REUTERS, Manuel Ausloos SYSTEM, Thomson Locations: Paris, Seine, Austerlitz, Sevres, France, Neuilly, Plaisance, Marne, Olive

Data showed Chinese temple visits more than quadrupled this year compared with 2022, while sales of lottery tickets jumped in April to their highest in a decade. In stark contrast, the youth unemployment rate hit a record 20.4% in April, and multiple indicators showed economic recovery is losing steam following an initial bounce after China lifted its zero-COVID policy. "The surging stocks reflect a major macro-economy change this year - rising youth employment pressure," said Shi Pengfei, consumer analyst at Beijing-based Spring Capital. "I don't expect the youth unemployment rate to see an inflection point soon as the graduation season approaches," he said. China's main stock benchmark (.CSI300) has handed back most gains since last November after a reopening rally and is down 1% year-to-date, as the economic recovery missed expectations and geopolitical tensions rose.

Persons: Shi Pengfei, Jason Xue, Tom Westbrook, David Holmes Organizations: Investors, Shan Tourism Co, Development, China Sports Industry Group, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI, SINGAPORE, China, Anhui, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ A family transformed a 1930s schoolhouse into an adorable cottage with an original cloakroom and chalkboard — see inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Kelsey Neubauer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

In 2021, the Hallett family paid $70,000 for a schoolhouse in upstate New York, near the scenic Finger Lakes region. The schoolhouse after its renovation. Livingston Begy for Empire Realty GroupThe schoolhouse is in Springwater, New York, according to the Realtor.com listing and blog post, which is a rural town that's a 45-minute drive south of Rochester and a 90-minute drive southeast of Buffalo.

☆ Manhattanhenge is coming to New York City tonight. Here's where to see it best.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Manhattanhenge is happening in New York City on Monday. It's the phenomenon where the setting sun perfectly aligns with the city's street grid. The astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson coined the term. The term Manhattanhenge was coined by the popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, a native New Yorker. The Tudor City Overpass in Manhattan and Hunter's Point South Park in Queens are two more scenic spots, he says.

☆ 4 things 'Succession' gets wrong about business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

HBO's hit show "Succession" airs its series finale Sunday night, with Waystar Royco's future in the balance. It captures the spirit of boardroom drama, but takes some liberties with corporate law, experts said. On HBO's hit show "Succession," the beats of a proxy fight are sometimes just as intense as a scheming betrayal from a once loyal lackey. Over four seasons, the show has laid out a thesis about the all-encompassing gravitational force of Logan Roy, the media mogul behind the fictional news and entertainment conglomerate Waystar Royco. "But the failure of the board to engage in any succession planning at all, is a first thing to note," she said.

☆ Indian official drains reservoir to retrieve phone dropped while taking selfie
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Kunal Sehgal | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —A government official in India who drained a reservoir to retrieve a phone he dropped while taking a selfie has been suspended from his job. Vishwas had been out with friends last Sunday afternoon when it slipped from his grasp at the scenic spot in the central Indian state of Chhattisgarhwith. He also said that he had asked others at the reservoir to try to retrieve the phone, but they had been unable to reach it as there was too much water. His suspension order, seen by CNN, also claims that Vishwas did not receive permission to drain the water. In his video statement, however, Vishwas insists the water he drained was from the overflow section of the dam and “not in usable condition” anyway.

☆ Finland is paying for people to come visit so they can learn how to be happy. Here's why.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Finland is paying for people to visit the country so they can learn how to be happy. The Visit Finland organization will fly 14 people to the country's lake district for a masterclass. The country's happiness masterclass, run by the Visit Finland organization, takes place in the scenic lake district at the Kuru Resort next month. Visit Finland plans to cover all travel and accommodation expenses, including a private room and access to a traditional Finnish sauna and spa. Visit Finland's happiness masterclass has received a flood of interest, organizers say.

☆ A world in three islands on the Mediterranean
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Pavlo Fedykovych | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

CNN —In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea lies a small country made up of three inhabited islands and irresistible allure. Across its three inhabited islands – Malta, Gozo and Comino – you’ll find every sun-soaked aspect of the perfect vacation. The solution: Marsaskala, towards the southeastern tip of Malta island. Mellieħa Bay and St. Paul’s BayBugibba is a classic seaside resort town in St. Paul's Bay. The population is a modest two people, there are no cars, and no signs of globalization – just the untouched Mediterranean.

☆ Hundreds rally in Pakistan-ruled Kashmir against India G20 meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Abu Arqam Naqash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan, May 22 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people rallied in Pakistan-administered Kashmir on Monday to protest arch rival India's decision to host a G20 tourism meeting in its part of the disputed Himalayan region, said a government official. Several protesters demonstrated in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and other cities, chanting: "Go India go back and boycott, boycott G20 boycott!" He termed the G20 gathering as illegal, and an attempt by India to seek legitimacy over its control of the disputed region. The G20 tourism working group meeting is the first international event in the region since the conversion. India at present holds it presidency, and is set to host its annual summit in New Delhi in September.

☆ I'm a butler on a luxury cruise where tickets cost up to $150K. I've traveled to Antarctica and enjoyed perks like submarine rides — here's what my job is like.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Claire Turrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Nehad Popovic, the cruise butler for the Scenic Eclipse. Since then, I've traveled to the Arctic and Antarctica, among other destinations, as a cruise butler. Scenic EclipseI started as a steward on fairy-tale river cruises across EuropeIn September 2014, I applied to Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours to be a restaurant steward on its river cruises. In March 2015, I started stewarding the river cruises for Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours. Moving from steward to butler gave me more opportunitiesAfter two years as a steward, I was promoted to cruise butler.

☆ ‘Succession’-Worthy Vacations: Where Should Shiv, Kendall, Greg and More Go After the Finale?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Matthew Kronsberg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

PLOT LINES Planning a trip can be as complex as planning a succession, as Shiv, Roman and Kendall surely know. Photo: Claudette Barius/HBOWHEN, ON May 28, “Succession” reaches its finale, fans will be left to muse on where the Roys will head next in their family drama and what scenic spots they might seek out to recover from all the filial backstabbing—or to engage in even more. So many enviable locations figured in the series, from the Juvet Landscape Hotel near Valldal, Norway, where the Roys conferred with rival Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgård) to La Foce, one of Lady Caroline’s (Harriet Walter) nuptial-weekend villas. So we asked Bellini Travel founder Emily FitzRoy (who consulted on Italy locations for the show) and other luxury planners to imagine real-life escapades for the “Succession” cast—or you, if you have the budget—after the end credits roll.

☆ Fossils reveal butterfly 'tree of life' and origins
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The world’s largest butterfly tree of life is helping researchers determine where the winged insects originated when they first appeared on Earth about 100 million years ago. Scientists first uncovered in 2019 how this single shift to daytime activity served as the evolutionary turning point for all butterfly species. Together, the researchers collected DNA from nearly 2,300 species from 90 countries that represent all butterfly families. “We used multiple fossils for the study in order to calibrate particular parts of the tree,” Kawahara said. “Europe doesn’t have many butterfly species compared to other parts of the world, and the ones it does have can often be found elsewhere,” Kawahara said.

☆ The Premier League Crucible Produces Something New: Ideas
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Rory Smith | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Manchester City had been in possession of the ball for a minute, no more, but to the denizens of the Santiago Bernabéu, it felt like an hour or more. Pep Guardiola’s team moved it backward and forward and then backward again. They would have known as they prepared for their Champions League semifinal that there would be phases when there was little they could do beyond watch City move the ball around. The idea that a visitor, no matter how talented, should come to the Bernabéu and look as comfortable as Manchester City did, in that spell on Tuesday night, was clearly one of them. Guardiola’s team looked so thoroughly at home that it might as well have had its feet on the coffee table and a wash in the machine.

☆ Weird and wonderful trains that break the rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Ben Jones | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Here’s a selection of unusual railways that break the rules in order to reach the places other trains can’t roll. The single rails carrying the trains are supported by a series of 486 steel portals weighing almost 20,000 tonnes in total. It is the oldest continuously operating pier railway in the world. Six miles of the route are along a rural railway line, with the rest in bus mode. Katoomba Scenic Railway, AustraliaNot far from the wonderful city of Sydney is a railway experience unlike anything else in the world.

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