China has rejected India's invitation to a G20 tourism summit to be held in Kashmir due to the region being a "disputed territory." New Delhi, however, stated that it was "free to hold meetings on its own territory." India is the chair of G20 this year by rotation and is organising a chain of meetings with its allies across the country leading to the final event of the summit in the capital city in September. Several countries have not yet registered for the event, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
India and China are frequently at odds in the Himalayan sector’s Jammu and Kashmir and the union territory of Ladakh along the shared border, resulting in the deaths of their troops over a number of clashes. Both India and China stationed tens of thousands of troops armed with artillery, tanks and fighter jets along the Line of Actual Control through 2020 and 2021.
The travel industry has been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, vaccine rollouts have continued, and many countries have started to open their borders. According to a report by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), international tourism suffered its worst year on record in 2020 due to the pandemic, with global arrivals down by 74%, causing a $1.3tn loss in exports.
One of the first red kites to be part of a reintroduction programme in the early 1990s has died. The bird, called Aragon, was found injured outside a school in Witney, Oxfordshire, earlier this year and is believed to have been one of the oldest red kites in the UK at 29 years old. Red kites were one of only three globally-threatened species in the UK by the 1980s, but the reintroduction project has helped their numbers recover significantly. Aragon is thought to be part of the second batch of chicks brought over from Spain in 1994.
Drew Pritchard, the star of Salvage Hunters, has slimmed down his dealer's business model to only having three employees and the warehouse. His famously beautiful shop on Conwy High Street is gone. Pritchard is sharing everything he has learnt from being in business for nearly 30 years, in his book How Not to Be an Antiques Dealer, which covers an overview of what the business is all about. He advises new antiques dealers to focus on the nuts and bolts of how money is made in the trade, saying: “A shop is a very expensive gilded anchor”. The world of antiques is not as romantic as one might imagine. It is a world of early starts, long journeys and no-nonsense deals. Pritchard's remarkable success, and the televisual fame that has accompanied it, have inspired many to try their hand at what he does. “I have a lot of imitators – and some of them are now doing Drew Pritchard better than me.”
Katie Taylor faces Chantelle Cameron in ‘huge boxing event for Ireland’ as national hero attempts to become a two-weight undisputed world champion
CNN
23-05-20 12:22
Irish boxer Katie Taylor will make her professional fighting debut in her native Ireland on 20 May, opposing world champion Chantelle Cameron in Dublin's 3Arena stadium. However, the event, which is one of the most eagerly awaited boxing bouts of the year, is also being seen as a key moment for the sport in the country. Boxing promotions were suspended in Ireland after gunmen killed one person during a weigh-in for a fight in a Dublin hotel in 2016.
Before the incident, MTK Global, the boxing agency that trained Cameron and with ties to Daniel Kinahan, had been involved in Irish boxing. The US Treasure Department has described Kinahan as the leader of the “a murderous organisation involved in the international trafficking of drugs and firearms" and in 2021, MTK Global ceased operating.
Four international boxing promotions have since taken place in the country, but Taylor's fight is by far the biggest. With tickets costing up to €1,500 ($1,616) for VIP packages, the chair of the Boxing Union of Ireland, Mel Christle, says the bout between Taylor and Cameron could be the biggest event of of its kind ever held in the country.
A dummy wearing a Sevilla shirt with midfielder Joan Jordán's name on it was found hanging from an overpass in Seville two days before the Seville derby with Real Betis. The incident is similar to one suffered by Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior in January when a dummy with his name on it was hung from an overpass before a derby against Atletico Madrid. Vinícius, who is Black, has also been targeted by verbal racist attacks during games. Jordán has suffered from fan violence related to the derby. In January 2022, Jordán was struck in the head by a PVC pipe during a Copa del Rey match at Betis’ Benito Villamarin Stadium.
Around 118 wind turbines, generating 700MW of power, will be installed over the coming years in the Maestrazgo cluster in Teruel province, Spain, amid controversy about the potential impacts on the landscape and ecosystem. The turbines, some up to 650ft tall, will supply cities and resorts along the Valencian coast rather than local villages. The project’s developer, Forestalia, has pledged to boost employment, but some parties fear that tourism, which already underpins the rural economy, will be harmed. Critics consider the scheme to mirror the extraction of resources from Spanish colonies and to benefit foreign investors at local expense.
Canada's hopes of avoiding relegation from the HSBC World Rugby Sevens series remain alive following a 21-19 win over Uruguay at the HSBC London 7s. Brock Webster's try with a subsequent conversion secured the victory in what was a play-off between four teams – with Japan already relegated, Canada, Uruguay and Kenya are vying to avoid the same fate. Kenya are strong favourites, leading the standings after wins over both Canada and Tonga. Regardless of Kenya’s fixture against Uruguay, whether Canada progress could go down to points difference, depending on the result when they play Tonga. Dropping out of the top tier would be devastating for Rugby Canada, who were targeting increasing its depth and provide more playing opportunities across both codes. The winning team at Twickenham will become the twelfth core team on the Series next season.
Canadian men's rugby 7s team rally past Uruguay to keep World Series hopes alive
CBC
23-05-20 16:26
Canada 21-19 Uruguay: Brock Webster’s late try and conversion lifted Canada to a comeback win in the HSBC London 7s, preserving their hopes of escaping relegation from the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Canada needed a result against Uruguay to stay alive in the four-team relegation playoff that is part of the 11th and final stop on the men’s circuit this season and could face a catastrophic setback to their programme as dropping out of the sport’s top tier would vastly increase the degree of difficulty for Olympic qualification. The top two sides after the round-robin play will face off to see who retains core status on the World Series next season. Dropping out of the sport's top tier could hamper the Canadian programme's drive to deepen its pool of talent and opportunities for sevens and 15s players to interchange while also providing opportunities for young Canadian players to develop on the World Series.
Hong Kong's Vivian Kong Man-wai just missed winning back-to-back épée titles for the first time in her career after losing 14-13 to South Korean fencer Sera Song at the World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Kong returned to the top of the rankings two weeks ago but was unable to displace the reigning world champion. Nonetheless, Kong — who came second — had survived a stern test from Xiao Ruien of Canada, a familiar foe in the semi-finals, reaching back-to-back finals for the first time since January 2019.
The Independent has gathered some of the most eye-catching and thought-provoking images from culture, news, politics, sport, and lifestyle. The images include striking shots of the Popocatepetl Volcano in Mexico, and cattle grazing in front of the German Parliament building in Berlin, as well as photographs from events such as the closing ceremony of Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and the Brussels Pride parade. Some of the images in the collection are oddly bewildering, like a raven perching on the roof of a barn in the midst of smoke from a nearby wildfire in Canada.
Manchester City have secured their third Premier League title in a row and fifth in six seasons. Despite an initial struggle to integrate Erling Haaland into the team, manager Pep Guardiola made tactical tweaks that took City’s dominance to a new level. These included allowing Joao Cancelo to leave on loan in order to send a message to the rest of the squad and give him space to evolve City’s style and moving defender John Stones into midfield to bring more control and defensive stability to their game. Guardiola also committed to using five centre-backs, using Rodri in an unconventional role, and benched creative midfielder Kevin De Bruyne for a month in order to spur him back to form. Finally, Guardiola changed his tactics in response to City’s games against key rival Arsenal, using long balls and Haaland as a target man to bypass Arsenal’s press, with De Bruyne operating as a support striker. The article suggests these decisions make City among the greatest teams of all time.
Barcelona based speakeasy, Bobby's Free, is taking over Abajo, the subterranean cocktail lounge attached to the Tinc Gana restaurant in Tokyo's Ichigaya neighbourhood. Jerome Quilbeuf, who runs Tinc Gana, has teamed up with Bobby's Free owner, Eric Basset, to create a pop-up that lasts until 10 July. The original Bobby's Free started life as an Irish pub which Basset revamped into a speakeasy in 1975, complete with a secret door hidden in a 1920s barbershop. Bobby's Free's Tokyo incarnation abandons velvet banquettes and vintage fixtures in favour of a cooler, urban vibe. Its menu is designed like a prohibition themed cocktail menu, with three sections: "Signatures", "Forgotten Classics" and "New Classics". To enter the Tokyo bar, curious drinkers must get past the imposing doorman, who will deny any knowledge of the bar until the password is given (which can be found on its Instagram page).
Food prices in the EU have risen 16.6% YoY, according to Eurostat, despite lower energy prices easing overall price pressures. This has prompted both retailers and governments to adopt ever more unconventional tactics, such as price controls, to shield the public against spiralling prices, constitute for one of the worst cost of living crisis in a generation. While some price rises may be warranted, some are not, leading the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs who represent 46 consumer organisations, to urge governments to adopt strong policies to protect consumers.
New Zealand’s men won all three of their games on the first day of the London Sevens at Twickenham and extended their unbeaten streak to 23 matches. Samoa was the only other team to go through pool matches unbeaten, with both Samoa and Australia vying to win the fifth and last automatic qualification berth at the Paris Olympics next year. If Australia reaches the semi-finals in London, it will qualify, whilst Samoa could qualify if it wins the event.
Spain’s Maria Perez breaks women’s 35km race walk word record by an astonishing 29 seconds
CNN
23-05-21 12:46
Maria Perez, a Spanish race walker, has broken the women's 35km race walk world record by an astonishing 29 seconds at the European Race Walking Team Championships. Her time of two hours, 37 minutes and 15 seconds was more than eight minutes ahead of her nearest challenger. The previous record was set by Peru's Kimberly Garcia in March of this year.
Animal rights activists protested in Madrid against the Spanish archipelago, the Canary Islands next year where a €7m large-scale octopus farm aiming to confine millions of the solitary predators in pools is due to be built. Nova Pescanova, the seafood company supporting the project successfully bred five captivity-born generations of octopus in a pilot project in northern Spain. Farming octopus is regarded as a first step towards sustainable food production as global demand for the Mediterranean delicacy has expanded. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization state the United States recognised a 23% increase in exports, as China experienced a 73% surge between 2016 and 2018.
Reality TV stars Jamie Laing and Sophie Habboo have celebrated their marriage with a second, more lavish ceremony in Seville, following the official registry office wedding in Chelsea, London in April. Instagram posts from guests showed Habboo, 29, wearing a white gown and a bun hairstyle, and Laing, 34, in a black tuxedo, sharing romantic moments and dancing to live music at the celebration near a central fountain. Former Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, Love Island’s Zara McDermott and Spencer Matthews were among the guests seated at banquet tables adorned with flowers and balloons.
Canada defeated Kenya 12-7 in a relegation playoff final on Sunday to remain a core team on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Kenya was reduced to six men when John Okeyo received a sin-bin for an international knock-on. The Kenyans’ relegation means that from next season, only 12 teams will compete in the elite sevens competition. Japan became the first team to be relegated after last week’s tournament in Toulouse, France. The other three teams - Uruguay, Canada and Tonga - will have to take part in their respective regional sevens championships to qualify for the 2024 Challenger Series and climb their way back to the top tier. The Canadians’ 12th status on next season’s world series ensures the country remains on course for the 2024 Olympics. Canada, Kenya and Uruguay finished with 2-1-0 records in the relegation round-robin. Tonga finished 0-3-0.
Jeremy Clarke, long-serving columnist for The Spectator, has died at the age of 66. He is known for his Low Life column, which chronicled the struggles of human life, including his own terminal cancer. Although reluctant to take on the mantle of the legendary Soho flaneur Jeffrey Bernard, he took over the Low Life column in 2001 and excelled in storytelling about issues ranging from alcohol and drug abuse, broken relationships, domestic violence, petty crime, and football hooliganism, many of which featured in Clarke's own life experiences. He brought empathy for all those whose lives struggled to follow untroubled paths, including his father, a heavy drinker who ended up as the uniformed car park attendant of a nudist beach. Clarke also had a fascination with the literature and battlefield geography of the First World War, in which four of his great uncles died. His last column, on “the pros and cons of kissing” appeared on 6 May 2023. He is survived by his wife Catriona, his son Mark, and three stepdaughters from Catriona’s first marriage.
Spain achieved a new milestone last week when renewable energy sources, including wind, solar and water, met the country's electricity needs for nine hours. The Iberian peninsula is among the world's leaders in renewables adoption, as such energy accounts for a third of electricity generation worldwide. The shift is also profitable and reduces costs, according to El País: in Spain, the addition of solar panels reduces demand for other types of energy when the sun is out, cutting costs and adding power to the grid.
