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French Open 'Merci Rafa' T-shirts Resurface Online at Sky-high Prices

25 May 2025, France, Paris: Former Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal waves to the audience during his honoring ceremony at the Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open tennis tournament (Roland-Garros). Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
25 May 2025, France, Paris: Former Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal waves to the audience during his honoring ceremony at the Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open tennis tournament (Roland-Garros). Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
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French Open 'Merci Rafa' T-shirts Resurface Online at Sky-high Prices

25 May 2025, France, Paris: Former Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal waves to the audience during his honoring ceremony at the Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open tennis tournament (Roland-Garros). Photo: Frank Molter/dpa
25 May 2025, France, Paris: Former Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal waves to the audience during his honoring ceremony at the Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open tennis tournament (Roland-Garros). Photo: Frank Molter/dpa

French Open organizers handed out 10,000 brick-red T-shirts for Sunday's tribute to 14-times Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal on Monday and while most people took the souvenir home, several tried to sell them online for up to 500 euros.

The "Merci Rafa" T-shirts turned the stands into a living canvas, while high in the upper tiers, fans in white shirts formed a mosaic: "RAFA" flanked by hearts and the characters "14 RG".

T-shirts were up for sale on Monday morning with prices ranging from 150 to 500 euros, to the disappointment of the French tennis federation (FFT), Reuters reported.

"That some people are taking the opportunity to make money off the 'Merci Rafa' T-shirt, I find that a bit deplorable, but we weren’t going to take the T-shirt back in the end," FFT president Gilles Moretton told reporters.

"We did something unique, and with uniqueness sometimes comes this kind of drift. I saw some prices that scared me."

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Varieties

Massive Asteroid Set to Pass ‘Close’ to Earth

The rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029 (Shutterstock)
The rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029 (Shutterstock)
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Massive Asteroid Set to Pass ‘Close’ to Earth

The rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029 (Shutterstock)
The rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029 (Shutterstock)

An asteroid named after a god of chaos is heading toward Earth — but there is no need to panic just yet, according to The Independent.

The massive rock is arriving for a historic flyby rather than a disaster, according to NASA. The encounter is still a few years away, but when it finally arrives, it will be so close that spotting it won’t even require a telescope.

Known as 99942 Apophis, the rare asteroid is expected to “safely pass” within 20,000 miles of Earth in 2029, representing one of the closest approaches ever recorded for a celestial object of this size.

“Even though Apophis does not pose any immediate risk to Earth, an asteroid of its size passing so close to our planet is a very rare event,” NASA astronomers stated. “Scientists across the globe are excited to use this opportunity to study Apophis in detail.”

At roughly 1,115 feet wide, the asteroid will pass closer to Earth than the satellites orbiting in geosynchronous altitude, according to NASA.

It will be the closest approach of an asteroid of this size that humans have ever been aware of in advance, according to the European Space Agency.

The rare timing of the flyby — falling on Friday, April 13, in many parts of the world, has already sparked a mix of excitement and superstition across social media.

The asteroid was named after the ancient Egyptian god of evil and destruction. The name was proposed by its discoverers — astronomers Roy Tucker, David Tholen and Fabrizio Bernardi of the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona — because Apophis is the Greek name for the Egyptian god known as Apep.

NASA reports that an asteroid of this scale passes this close to Earth only once every few thousand years on average, making it a potentially unprecedented event in recorded human history.

Varieties

Elusive Wolf in South Korea Captured, Returned to Zoo after 9 Days on the Run

In this photo provided by Daejeon Municipality, a veterinarian examines the condition of the male wolf, named Neukgu, at Daejeon O-World theme park in Daejeon, South Korea, Friday, April 17, 2026. (Daejeon Municipality via AP)
In this photo provided by Daejeon Municipality, a veterinarian examines the condition of the male wolf, named Neukgu, at Daejeon O-World theme park in Daejeon, South Korea, Friday, April 17, 2026. (Daejeon Municipality via AP)
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Elusive Wolf in South Korea Captured, Returned to Zoo after 9 Days on the Run

In this photo provided by Daejeon Municipality, a veterinarian examines the condition of the male wolf, named Neukgu, at Daejeon O-World theme park in Daejeon, South Korea, Friday, April 17, 2026. (Daejeon Municipality via AP)
In this photo provided by Daejeon Municipality, a veterinarian examines the condition of the male wolf, named Neukgu, at Daejeon O-World theme park in Daejeon, South Korea, Friday, April 17, 2026. (Daejeon Municipality via AP)

A wolf that escaped from a zoo in the South Korean city of Daejeon was recaptured on Friday after nine days on the run, bringing to a close a saga that gripped the public as the elusive animal evaded earlier capture attempts.

After a number of sightings following the escape of the 2-year-old male wolf, the animal, named Neukgu, was spotted near a highway interchange about 4 km (2.5 miles) from the zoo on Thursday, according to a zoo official.

A search team then successfully recaptured Neukgu at 12:44 a.m. on Friday (1544 GMT on Thursday) using a tranquilizer gun operated by a veterinarian, Reuters reported.

Neukgu was ⁠transported back to ⁠the O-World zoo and was undergoing a health check, the official said, adding his vital signs were normal though vets found and removed a fishing hook from his stomach.

The zoo and an associated theme park were closed after his escape and will take some time to reopen, the official said.

Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo ⁠welcomed the wolf's safe return and thanked the search party, pledging in a Facebook post to "prepare measures for animal welfare and civil safety in the process of reorganizing (the zoo)."

Neukgu's escape in Daejeon, about 170 km (105 miles) south of the capital Seoul, had captured the nation's attention.

South Korean online message boards were abuzz with news of the recapture, with some posts calling Neukgu an "honorary ambassador for the zoo" and vowing to visit him once it reopened.

Neukgu appeared to have slipped out of the zoo last week ⁠by burrowing under ⁠a fence, a zoo official said at the time.

A nearby elementary school was closed as a precaution, while more than 100 personnel searched for the animal, in an effort that included the use of drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras.

The episode even spawned a cryptocurrency meme coin named "Neukgu", which appeared on decentralized cryptocurrency exchanges a week ago.

President Lee Jae Myung also weighed in on the social media platform X last week, urging authorities to ensure a safe outcome.

Born in 2024, Neukgu is part of a program to restore the Korean wolf, a species considered extinct in the wild.

 

Varieties

Madinah Tops Saudi Cities in Hotel Occupancy in 2025

The hospitality sector in Madinah recorded a strong performance in 2025. (SPA)
The hospitality sector in Madinah recorded a strong performance in 2025. (SPA)
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Madinah Tops Saudi Cities in Hotel Occupancy in 2025

The hospitality sector in Madinah recorded a strong performance in 2025. (SPA)
The hospitality sector in Madinah recorded a strong performance in 2025. (SPA)

The hospitality sector in Madinah recorded a strong performance in 2025, ranking first among cities in Saudi Arabia in hotel occupancy rates, the Saudi Press Agency said on Friday.

The figures reflect growing demand for the destination and the continued growth in tourism activity associated with visits to the Prophet’s Mosque and the region’s historical landmarks.

The growth is supported by continued development in tourism infrastructure and increased investment in accommodation.

It also reflects ongoing efforts to enhance the experience of visitors and Umrah performers, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 goals to develop the tourism sector and improve service quality for pilgrims and visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque.