All posts tagged: boost

BTS concerts boost South Korean economy by £27m as foreign fans flock to band’s reunion

BTS concerts boost South Korean economy by £27m as foreign fans flock to band’s reunion

Published by Daniella Wilson

On The Ground newsletter: Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly dispatch from our international correspondents Get a weekly international news dispatch South Korea recorded nearly £28m in spending by foreigners attending concerts by K-pop group BTS, who recently returned to the stage after four years. Figures released by the credit card company Hana Card showed that some 30,000 overseas visitors spent about 55.5bn won on airfare, accommodation, food, and retail during the three days that BTS performed at Goyang Stadium earlier this month, according to The Korea Times. The band composed of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook had been on a hiatus since 2022 while the members completed their country’s compulsory military service. The members pursued solo projects during that time but returned as a group last month with their new album Arirang. The comeback was marked by a free concert at the historic Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on 21 March. They launched the accompanying Arirang World Tour on 9 April in Goyang, just outside …

Tories win seat from Reform in council by-election in boost for Kemi Badenoch | Politics | News

Tories win seat from Reform in council by-election in boost for Kemi Badenoch | Politics | News

Published by Sam Flores

The Conservatives have gained a seat from Reform UK in a council by-election in the latest sign of a bounce for Kemi Badenoch’s party. The Tories took the Cramlington South West ward on Northumberland County Council with 34.2% of the vote, up nine points. Reform was down 13 points to second place with 26.1% of the vote share. The Liberal Democrats came third with 23%, while the Greens were fourth on 14.3%. It comes as the Tory fightback is underway following their 2024 general election defeat. The research found that 22% of voters backed the Conservatives, up 3% from the previous poll. Meanwhile, Reform’s lead had narrowed with Nigel Farage’s party on 25%, down 5% from the week before. Labour was third on 21%, while Zack Polanski’s Greens were fourth on 13% and the Lib Dems were on 12%. It comes ahead of next month’s local elections where Reform is expected to make major gains, while Labour is facing a drubbing. Source link

Parents could see ,500 boost to tax credit under new Democratic bill

Parents could see $5,500 boost to tax credit under new Democratic bill

Published by Sam Flores

State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet addresses supporters of her campaign for Congress during a primary election night watch party in Saginaw, Michigan, on Aug. 6, 2024. Andrew Roth | AP Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Mich., said Wednesday she will introduce a new bill to expand the earned income tax credit to provide a credit of up to $5,500 per child to parents of young children. The bill, shared exclusively with CNBC, is dubbed the “Working Parents Tax Relief Act” and would provide qualifying single or joint filers claiming the EITC an additional credit of up to $5,500 for up to three children under the age of four. The bill would also increase the maximum qualifying income to claim the EITC to nearly $100,000 annually if the filer has children under the age of four, and it would require the Treasury Department to create a monthly payment system for the enhancement. It comes as Democrats campaign across the country on a message of affordability, arguing that Republicans and President Donald Trump have failed to lower costs …

Indonesia, France agree to boost defence industry ties

Indonesia, France agree to boost defence industry ties

Published by Sam Flores

Jakarta, while defending a non-aligned diplomatic posture, last year joined the BRICS bloc of emerging economies that includes Russia and US-rival China.  Prabowo has also signed a trade deal with US President Donald Trump and joined his so-called “Board of Peace”, although has insisted his country would not pay the US$1 billion joining fee for permanent membership. Indonesia is a major arms buyer from France, with then-Defence Minister Prabowo inking a US$8.1 billion deal in 2022 to purchase 42 French-made Rafale jets.  Prabowo, a former military general who was elected president in 2024, has sought to modernise Indonesia’s ageing military assets. On Monday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted Indonesian counterpart Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin and announced a “Major Defence Cooperation Partnership”. A joint statement underlined the countries’ “shared commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific”. Indonesia is strategically located on the Malacca Strait – the world’s busiest chokepoint for oil and petroleum liquids, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). The vast majority of China-bound oil travels through Malacca Strait. Jakarta on Tuesday …

Céline Dion’s concerts set to give Paris multimillion-euro boost

Céline Dion’s concerts set to give Paris multimillion-euro boost

Published by Sam Flores

Celine Dion’s fans are not the only ones excited about the megastar’s new tour in Paris – hotels, restaurants and shops are hoping for a multimillion-euro boost from concertgoers in the French capital. The 58-year-old Canadian singer announced last month that she was returning to the stage for 16 concerts after a lengthy break prompted by a rare health condition. She could prove the latest in a series of stars to bring with them significant economic uplift from music fans, following Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour and as the South Korean mega-group BTS embarks on its tour. The Eiffel Tower was lit up to honour the return of the singer – who sings both in French and English – and with the city covered in billboards and posters, Parisian businesses are hoping the tour will prove a major money spinner. Dion’s tour could bring an additional 300 million to 500 million euros ($351-$585 million) into the city, said Alexandra Dublanche, president of Choose Paris Region, the organisation that promotes the wider Paris area. This includes ticket sales, hotel …

I’ve used this simple mobility exercise with every client I’ve ever coached to ease stiffness, boost mobility and improve posture

I’ve used this simple mobility exercise with every client I’ve ever coached to ease stiffness, boost mobility and improve posture

Published by Jenni Sidey

The internet is awash with complex mobility drills, promising scroll-stopping flexibility and range of motion, yet they require gymnast-level mobility to perform in the first place. There is, however, one simple exercise that I believe rarely gets the attention it deserves: shoulder dislocations. Don’t let the name put you off. Article continues below You may like This standing, beginner-friendly exercise helps release tightness in the chest, which can build up over the day when hunched over a keyboard. It can help mobilize and wake up your upper-back muscles, especially around the shoulder blades, to address poor posture. And with every repetition, it can help gently groove the shoulder socket to unlock improved range of motion and strength overhead. I love its restorative effect so much that I’ve prescribed it to every client I’ve ever coached, and rarely a day passes when I don’t rattle through a few reps at home or before workouts. Start your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox. Lately, I was also reminded of its …

The physical exercises that boost memory and don’t require much effort

The physical exercises that boost memory and don’t require much effort

Published by Daniella Wilson

Get the Well Enough newsletter with Harry Bullmore for tips on living a healthier, happier and longer life Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Get the Well Enough email with Harry Bullmore Many of us turn to Sudoku, Wordle or brain-training apps to sharpen our minds. But research is increasingly showing one of the best ways to boost memory, focus and brain health is exercise. Our new research reviewed data from more than 250,000 participants across 2,700 studies. We found exercise helps boost brain function – whether it’s walking, cycling, yoga, dancing, or even playing active video games such as Pokémon GO. Moving your body improves how we think, make decisions, remember things and stay focused – no matter your age. What the science says Our review adds to a growing body of research that shows regular physical activity improves three key areas of brain function: cognition, which is your overall ability to think clearly, learn and make decisions memory, especially short-term memory and the ability to remember personal experiences executive function, which …

New chip design could boost efficiency of power management in data centers

New chip design could boost efficiency of power management in data centers

Published by Jenni Sidey

In an effort to meet the rising energy demands of data centers, engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a new chip design that could improve how graphics processing units (GPUs) convert and manage power. The technology demonstrates a more efficient way to perform a critical task in electronics: converting high voltages into lower levels required by computing hardware. In lab tests, a prototype chip performed the type of voltage conversion used in modern data centers with high efficiency. The advance, published in Nature Communications, could lead to the development of smaller, more energy-efficient systems for advanced computing. A chip designed to convert high voltages into lower levels in electronics — a process known as DC-DC step-down conversion — more efficiently using a piezoelectric resonator. (CREDIT: David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering) The chip design offers a new approach to improving the performance of a circuit component known as a DC-DC step-down converter, which is found in nearly all electronics. The step-down converter acts as a protective bridge between power sources …

This simple registry tweak gave me the best productivity boost on Windows

This simple registry tweak gave me the best productivity boost on Windows

Published by skeptic

If you’re a long-time Windows user, you may have noticed that Windows 11 broke something fairly useful. If you right click a file and try to open it in Notepad++, you may have wondered where the option has gone. It’s actually buried two clicks deep under “Show more options.” It used to be right there, easily accessible and ready to go whenever we needed it. Now it’s gone and Windows doesn’t give you an easy built-in way to fix it. The answer is a single registry entry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell and takes about two minutes to add. The option is permanent until you remove it, though if Notepad++ runs a major update that reinstalls its shell extension, it could possibly overwrite or conflict with your manual entry. The likelihood of this happening, though, is pretty low. You can add any app to your right-click contextual menu, too, not just Notepad++, so buckle in and let’s give it a go. On macOS, right-clicking a file and seeing your preferred app in the menu usually just works. The …

Vance tries to boost ailing MAGA ally ahead of Hungary election

Vance tries to boost ailing MAGA ally ahead of Hungary election

Published by Sam Flores

BUDAPEST, Hungary — Vice President JD Vance repeatedly said he didn’t come to Hungary to tell people how to vote in their looming election. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content. That changed during the barnstorming finale of his speech in Budapest late Tuesday. “Will you stand for sovereignty and democracy, for truth and for the God of our forefathers?” Vance asked the Hungarian voters, cheered on by a standing ovation and whoops reverberating around the city’s MTK Sportpark arena. “Then, my friends, go to the polls this weekend, stand with Viktor Orbán, because he stands for you, and he stands for all these things.” Vance flew to Hungary ostensibly to celebrate a “Hungarian-American friendship day.” In effect, he was the star attraction at a rally for Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister and a MAGA favorite, who is trailing in the polls days before Sunday’s nationwide election. Vice President JD Vance and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán greet supporters in Budapest on Tuesday.Janos Kummer / Getty Images …