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Economy

12updates

trumpover2026

Live Updates: Iran war "re-escalation risks," new Trump threat keep oil prices high as diplomacy staggers on

New York and New Jersey attorneys general have launched a probe into FIFA’s ticket pricing and seating practices for the 2026 World Cup at MetLife Stadium. The investigation follows complaints over soaring prices, misleading seat categories, and changes to stadium maps after sales began.FIFA faces intense scrutiny as ticket prices soar ahead of the 2026 World Cup(AFP)New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport on Wednesday (local time) said that they are subpoenaing documents from FIFA over its pricing practices.The development comes ahead of the FIFA 2026 World Cup matches and the skyrocketing ticket prices at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, CNN reported.This isn't the first time that officials have questioned FIFA over its ticketing prices. Earlier this month, California Governor Rob Bonta also sought information from the tournament organiser to assess whether California law may have been violated during the sales process.California law provides strong protections for consumers, including strict prohibitions on marketing practices that are likely to mislead them. Businesses and organisations also cannot justify misleading practices by pointing to fine print or other terms that a reasonable consumer would not have seen or understood. Recent reports have raised concerns that FIFA sold tickets based on seating categories displayed on stadium maps and later altered those seating categorisations before assigning precise seat locations.New York, New Jersey AGs slam FIFASlamming the tournament organiser, New Jersey AG Davenport said, "Being honest about ticket sales is not complicated," and added, "But FIFA has turned buying a ticket to the World Cup into a gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity, and impossibly high prices.”Her counterpart, AG James, said New Yorkers “deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets” and that “fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchase will be the ones they receive.”FIFA has previously stated that its "pricing strategy spans a broad range of price points and categories, reflecting market demand for each match."Ticket prices, seating to be probedThe issue revolves around prices and seating, with the attorney generals stating that "fans may have been misled about the locations of the seats they were purchasing, and FIFA’s public statements and ticket releases may have contributed to soaring prices.”They will examine the tournament organiser's ticketing system and seating maps for MetLife Stadium, renamed New York New Jersey Stadium during the tournament, which they claim were altered after fans had already purchased tickets. Initially, the venue was divided into four seating categories, from Categories 1 through 4, with lower-numbered categories offering better locations.However, after ticket sales began, FIFA created "new zones" and added a front section in each category. Fans complained that buyers of tickets for seats in the new zones “were excluded from those seats and instead assigned less-desirable seats, including seats far from the field or behind the goals.”According to The New York Times, ticket prices for group matches in the US began at $60 for a few tickets but went up to over $600. Additionally, face-value tickets for the final were as much as $10,990.Fans fume over soaring ticket pricesReports suggest that football fans were already fuming over the high prices, which quickly soared exponentially higher on resale platforms, including up to two million dollars for the final.In response to the outrage, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced last week an initiative to sell tickets for $50 to city residents. The tickets, which were made available through a lottery system, are expected to cover all matches at MetLife Stadium, excluding the final, and will also include round-trip bus transportation to the venue.Mamdani’s initiative is the first and only programme by a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to provide residents with exc

LiveMintMay 27

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Science

4updates

russianstarswhatever

'Whatever Russia is testing, it's sophisticated': 2 Russian satellites get within 10 feet of each other in orbit

Look for the Great Diamond of Spring in May's night sky and discover the rich realm of galaxies within. (Image credit: Yoshiyoshi Hirokawa via Getty Images) With the evening moon appearing as a crescent phase for much of this upcoming week, we now have an opportunity to view some of the fainter sky objects that now occupy our spring evening sky.Looking high overhead and toward the south just after nightfall, there is a broad star pattern formed by four stars. The near-third magnitude star, Cor Caroli (in the constellation of Canes Venatici the Hunting Dogs), is the faintest of the four that comprise a large diamond frame that can be found high in the sky and due south at around 10 p.m. local daylight time. The other stars in the diamond are second magnitude Denebola (marking the tail of Leo, the Lion), first magnitude Spica (the spike of wheat in the hand of Virgo) and zero-magnitude Arcturus (in Boötes the Herdsman).In his popular constellation guide, "The Stars — A new Way to See Them," author Hans A. Rey (1898-1977) called it the "Virgin's Diamond," after the constellation of Virgo, though others refer to it simply as "The Great Diamond."But it's not sanctioned. . . Of course, the Diamond is not an official constellation but is an asterism. The constellations shown on modern star atlases are all officially approved by the International Astronomical Union (I.A.U.), but while constellations are official, asterisms are not. An asterism is often defined as a noteworthy or striking pattern of stars within a constellation, but that is not always the case. The Big Dipper is not a constellation itself, but an asterism which is part of the larger constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear. The Great Diamond in the night sky. (Image credit: Created in Canva Pro)Some might wonder why the constellation patterns differ from other similarly designed charts and are not standardized. The two main reasons are that different people see constellations in different ways and that, as far as astronomy today is concerned, constellations are not considered star pictures but as specific sky areas. The official constellation boundaries were drawn up in 1930. Before that time, no two atlases agreed as to the limits, and much confusion resulted.So, while the Diamond is not "official," it still is recognized as a landmark star pattern of the spring season.And even here, some see this pattern differently. If, for example, we don't include Cor Caroli, then the Diamond becomes "The Spring Triangle."Stellar statsHere are some noteworthy details about each star, going from brightest to faintest:Arcturus: A brilliant star that sparkles with a golden yellow or topaz hue, it is the brightest star in the constellation Boötes the Bear Driver. In late spring and early summer, Arcturus is usually the first star you see after sunset, soaring high in the southern sky. It ranks as the fourth brightest star in the sky and is a giant, fully 26 times the diameter of the sun and 170 times as luminous.Its main claim to fame is that it opened Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition of 1933 by shining on a photoelectric cell and moving through space at 76 miles (122 km) per second, which means that over the centuries, it changes its place in the sky more rapidly than any of the other bright stars.Spica: In Greek and Roman tradition, the constellation of Virgo was identified with the goddess of justice, Astraea, who ruled the world during the fabled Golden Age. In the old allegorical star books, the goddess holds some spikes of wheat in each hand and her brightest star — Spica — glows in one of the ears of grain hanging from her left hand. Spica is the 16th brightest star in the sky and is 250 light-years away. It is not one star but two, positioned so close to one another that they are egg-shaped rather than spherical, and can only be separated by their spectra; the two components orbit each other every four days. The primary star is about 20,000 times more luminous tha

Space.comMay 15

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Economy

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whateverdoingdrop

‘Whatever you are doing, drop it right away’ - R Ashwin can't keep calm after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi carnage in PBKS vs RR

Ravichandran Ashwin poked fun at CSK pacer Anshul Kamboj during Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay's oath-taking ceremony. Notably, Kamboj is CSKs highest wicket-taker in IPL 2026. C Joseph Vijay took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Ravichandran Ashwin left the internet in splits when the former India spinner hilariously joked with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacer Anshul Kamboj, just hours before their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash against Lucknow Super Kings (LSG). It's a busy Sunday for the people in Tamil Nadu.Following Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam's (TVK) historic electoral victory, C Joseph Vijay took oath as the 13th Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. The actor, who is a superstar in Tamil cinema, formed a coalition government, which also includes Congress. But what caught Ashwin's eye is the security person, standing beside Vijay, a lookalike to Kamboj.Without wasting an opportunity, Ashwin took to X (Twitter) and poked fun at his former teammate at the franchise. "Duty always comes first, but on a must-win match day #CSKVLSG, it's a bit too much. It's a day game, get a cab & get to Chepauk ASAP, Anshul Kamboj. Big game," Ashwin wrote.Notably, Kamboj has been CSK's best bowler in IPL 2026 so far and also broke LSG's opening stand, by getting better of dangerous Mitchell Marsh.More to follow…About the AuthorKoushik PaulKoushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at koushik.paul@htdigital.in .Get Latest real-time updatesStay updated with the latest Trending, India , World and US news. HomeNewsTrendsR Ashwin ‘spots’ Anshul Kamboj at CM Vijay's oath ceremony, tells CSK star to ‘get a cab & get to Chepauk ASAP’More

LiveMintMay 10

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