All posts tagged: flock

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 …

As Jerusalem holy sites reopen, Jews, Muslims and Christians flock to pray

As Jerusalem holy sites reopen, Jews, Muslims and Christians flock to pray

Published by Sam Flores

JERUSALEM (RNS) — Thousands of Jews, Muslims and Christians flocked to the Old City of Jerusalem on Thursday (April 9) to pray at the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the day after a two-week ceasefire was announced in the war between the United States, Israel and Iran. On Feb. 28, Israeli authorities closed all three holy sites to everyone but the clergy who work there, out of fears that Iranian missiles or a siren-triggered stampede could harm large numbers of worshippers. Some Muslim and Christian leaders had demanded that Al-Aqsa and the Holy Sepulchre be open to the public, despite there being no bomb shelters in the immediate vicinity. But on Thursday, for the first time in 40 days, Old City merchants opened their shops in the hopes of making a few sales, while local people and some tourists appeared more interested in reaching the holy sites than buying jewelry or souvenirs — which included hats with images of President Donald Trump and the words “Make Israel Great Again.” …

Influencers flock to Epstein’s former island to film viral videos

Influencers flock to Epstein’s former island to film viral videos

Published by Sam Flores

A thousand miles off the coast of Florida, influencers have found the secret to instant virality. One after another, content creators are finding their way to Little Saint James, better known as the private island once owned by the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Armed with cameras, they are capitalizing on and propelling increased interest in revelations from the latest release of the Epstein files — a series of disclosures made by the Justice Department revealing partially redacted documents that were aggregated and produced during its investigation into Epstein. The disgraced financier died by suicide in his jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Out of over 15 YouTube videos NBC News reviewed of people filming their expeditions to Little Saint James, part of the U.S. Virgin Islands, at least nine were posted this year, some within days of each other. The videos have become increasingly popular and have accumulated more than 52 million views in total. Most of the videos run a similar course. Content creators fly to …

Rachel Reeves biggest blunder – new wave of voters may flock to Farage | Personal Finance | Finance

Rachel Reeves biggest blunder – new wave of voters may flock to Farage | Personal Finance | Finance

Published by Sam Flores

Rachel Reeves has blighted a generation and Nigel Farage may benefit (Image: Getty) Rachel Reeves has done so much damage to the UK, costing us tens of billions as the economy slows, businesses collapse, unemployment soars and wealthy Britons flee. The results are clear in the polling figures. She’s the most unpopular chancellor in history, while Sir Keir Starmer is the most unpopular prime minister. The chaos she’s caused isn’t just a disaster for the UK, it’s a disaster for the Labour Party, and one they thoroughly deserve. Labour was out of power for 14 years after Gordon Brown lost in 2010. Voters had simply had enough. The left should have learned a few hard lessons, but instead learned all the wrong ones. The big problem is that lefties only talk to themselves. Anyone who raises awkward truths is dismissed as an evil capitalist, racist, nationalist, or worse. When in power and forced to make tough decisions, they get a brutal reality check. Starmer’s Labour only won the 2024 election by pretending to be a …

Ring Kills Flock Safety Deal After Super Bowl Ad Uproar

Ring Kills Flock Safety Deal After Super Bowl Ad Uproar

Published by skeptic

The widespread protests in Iran have exposed both Tehran’s brutal tactics in the streets, where state authorities have killed thousands of demonstrators since early January, and extreme measures to block access to the global internet. As it has done repeatedly in the past, the Iranian regime cut off the country’s residents from the global internet during the latest anti-government uprising. But it also shut down access to the country’s intranet, known as the National Information Network, which new research found is becoming a mechanism of constant and pervasive surveillance that may ultimately be the only way Iranians can get online. The last remaining major nuclear weapons treaty between the United States and Russia just expired. So what will take its place? Artificial intelligence, of course. At least, that’s what some researchers believe. Combined with satellite imagery and human reviewers, AI-powered systems could replace in-person inspection of countries’ nuclear facilities. Obviously, there are flaws to this plan. Cryptocurrencies may be only 16 years old, but they’ve already become the money form of choice for the world’s …

Days After Its Super Bowl Ad, Ring Cancels Flock Partnership Amid Surveillance Concerns

Days After Its Super Bowl Ad, Ring Cancels Flock Partnership Amid Surveillance Concerns

Published by skeptic

Amazon’s doorbell and smart home devices arm Ring announced on Friday that it canceled a partnership with Flock Safety that it entered into last year, amid a backlash that reached a crescendo following Ring’s Super Bowl commercial on Feb. 8. The commercial was for Ring’s new Search Party feature aimed at helping homeowners find lost dogs. But instead of generating warm fuzzies among pet owners, the ad drew attention and scrutiny to Ring’s privacy practices, particularly its partnerships with groups that work with law enforcement. Flock Safety is an Atlanta-based maker of hardware and software that includes license plate readers, drones and video surveillance cameras. The company works with 5,000 law enforcement agencies, according to its website. The cancellation of the partnership comes at a moment when there have been mass protests across the US in response to the repressive and violent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other government agencies, including in cities like Minneapolis. Flock denies sharing data with ICE, and Ring said it decided to stop the partnership before it began, stressing that it had never sent videos to …

Investors flock to gold, gold miner ETFs in January in bid for safety

Investors flock to gold, gold miner ETFs in January in bid for safety

Published by Sam Flores

Feb 2 : Investors flocked to exchange-traded funds of gold, other precious metals and gold miners in January, seeking safety amid geopolitical uncertainty, expectations of further dollar weakness, and growing bets on U.S. interest rate cuts. According to LSEG Lipper data, ETFs of gold and other precious metals received $4.39 billion in January – their eighth consecutive month of inflows. Gold miner ETFs received $3.62 billion worth of inflows, the highest since at least 2009. Cumulatively, these ETFs received a record $91.86 billion worth of inflows in 2025, more than eight times the total in 2024. However, gold prices have fallen roughly 10 per cent in the past two days after hitting record highs last week, as CME Group raised margin requirements following a sharp metals selloff that was triggered by Kevin Warsh’s nomination as the next U.S. Federal Reserve Chair. Analysts at J.P. Morgan expect the rally to remain intact in the longer term, despite the recent volatility. “We remain firmly bullishly convicted in gold over the medium-term on the back of a clean, …

TikTok users flock to UpScrolled in response to new U.S. owners

TikTok users flock to UpScrolled in response to new U.S. owners

Published by skeptic

TikTok competitor UpScrolled has surged up Apple’s App Store rankings after users began turning to the new platform en masse. According to social media sentiment, many are on the hunt for alternatives to TikTok after new U.S. owners were officially instated this week, with expected algorithm changes raising questions about what content American TikTok users will be shown. UpScrolled unexpectedly climbed to the top 10 in Apple’s U.S., UK, and Australian App Stores on Sunday, with and is now the second ranked free app in the former two — while TikTok isn’t even breaking the top 25. The App Store charts at the time of writing. Credit: Mashable screenshot / App Store The app’s influx of new users overwhelmed its servers over the weekend. “Crazy load on our servers. So exciting!” UpScrolled founder and CEO Issam Hijazi posted on the platform on Sunday. “Sorry about the errors and glitches, we are increasing our capacity to handle the load. We expect things to become more stable in the next 12-24 hours.” Credit: Mashable screenshot / UpScrolled …