Latest news with #Ismael
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivalry and reunions: Seven games that could be key for Rovers next season
We take a closer look at the key dates next season and which games could prove to be important for Rovers. Ismael reunion The opener on Saturday, August 9 sees Valerien Ismael return to the Hawthorns, where he had a spell in the dugout during the 2021/22 campaign. Advertisement Ismael took charge of the Baggies following their relegation from the Premier League. He was chosen as Sam Allardyce's replacement after guiding Barnsley into the play-offs. The Frenchman had a strong start, winning four of his first matches in the hot seat. However, Ismael's side won eight of their next 24 games and he departed the club after the January window. The Midlands club appointed Ryan Mason as their new boss earlier this summer and are aiming to build on their ninth-place finish. Eustace return John Eustace is set to return to Ewood Park on Saturday, November 8 when his Derby side travel to Lancashire. Advertisement It will be Eustace's first game back since his Rovers exit in February, although he did come up against his former squad at Pride Park a month later. The Rams were in danger of relegation when the 45-year-old took charge but ended up finishing in 19th place and a point above the drop zone. Derby have since signed striker Carlton Morris from Luton following the Hatters' relegation to League One. Local encounters Supporters always look out for the local fixtures when the schedule is released and Rovers are set for another couple of battles with Preston North End next season. The first is set for Saturday, November 22 when Ismael's squad make the short trip across the M65 to Deepdale. The return fixture at Ewood Park is pencilled in for Saturday, February 21. Advertisement Rovers came out on top when the sides met in January thanks to goals from Makhtar Gueye and Todd Cantwell, getting through a nervy ending after Brad Potts' strike. PNE have already brought in several fresh faces this summer including Daniel Iversen and Thierry Small. Festive focus Boxing Day is another fixture fans rush to check when the schedule is confirmed and next season's could be an interesting one. Rob Edwards is the new boss at Middlesbrough (Image: PA)Rovers head to Middlesbrough, who recently appointed Rob Edwards as their new boss after parting company with Michael Carrick. Boro were around the play-off picture for most of last season but ended up finishing in 10th place, winning one of their final five games. Advertisement Edwards arrives with an impressive CV, having taken Luton from League One to the Premier League. He had also won promotion from League Two with Forest Green before heading to Kenilworth Road. Hollywood clash New Year's Day is another highly-anticipated game and this time the fixture list threw up a clash with newly-promoted Wrexham. Phil Parkinson's side have had quite the journey, winning three straight promotions from the National League under their Hollywood owners. It looks set to be another busy summer in the transfer market for the Welsh club as they prepare for the step up from League One. Wrexham have not played a league game at Ewood Park since the early 80s and both clubs will be eager to kick off the calendar year with three points. Advertisement Eventful Easter The Easter period is always tricky and next season will be no different, as Rovers head to Birmingham before the return fixture against West Brom. The former are preparing for life back in the Championship after clinching the League One title on a record 111 points, having flexed their financial muscle to sign Jay Stansfield among others. Many are now tipping the Blues to have a real go in the second tier under their US-based owners, which includes NFL legend Tom Brady. Rovers have lost on their last couple of trips to St Andrew's, although they did win in the FA Cup in January 2023. Advertisement Leicester repeat It might be at Ewood Park this time but Rovers fans have happy memories of facing the Foxes on the final day. The club's safety in the Championship was still at risk as they headed to the King Power Stadium in 2023/24. Moreover, Leicester were preparing to lift the trophy and still had a chance of finishing the campaign on 100 points. Sam Szmodics' second-half brace secured a stunning victory on the road. It proved vital as Stoke, QPR, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Birmingham all won their respective matches.
Korea Herald
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
‘Johnny Somali' trial raises the question: How should Korea handle 'nuisance influencers'?
Calls grow for stern response to foreign creators who come to mock and harass As he arrived for his second trial hearing at the Seoul Western District Court on May 16, American YouTuber 'Johnny Somali' briefly turned to reporters, smiling and sticking out his tongue. The 24-year-old streamer, whose real name is Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has been barred from leaving South Korea and is being tried on three charges, including obstruction of business and violations of minor public order laws. Ismael represents a new kind of content creator — one that South Korea is confronting for the first time as the country increasingly attracts YouTube-driven tourism and attention-seeking influencers. Nuisance influencers, as CNN called them, deliberately stir up trouble in public to generate views and online visibility. Trouble for clicks Ismael arrived in South Korea around October last year. His disruptive behavior here, including playing loud music and obscene videos in public and livestreaming himself vandalizing a convenience store, quickly drew attention online. However, the act that sparked the most public outrage occurred on Oct. 9. On that day, he uploaded a video of himself kissing the Statue of Peace in Itaewon, central Seoul, and performing a lewd dance in front of it. The statue commemorates the victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery during World War II — a painful and enduring wound in Korea's collective memory, stemming from the country's colonialization by Japan from 1910 to 1945. He appeared to have discovered one of the most potent triggers of public outrage in South Korea: the nation's historical trauma with Japan. In another video, he held up the 'Rising Sun' flag — a symbol widely associated with Japanese imperialism — and referred to Dokdo, a group of rocky islets in South Korea's easternmost waters that are at the center of a territorial dispute with Japan, calling them 'Takeshima,' the name used by Japan to assert sovereignty over the area. While these incidents brought him nationwide attention, it was his actions at the Lotte World amusement park, a convenience store, and on public transportation — including subways and buses — that led to criminal charges of business obstruction and violations of public order laws. He is also accused of producing and distributing a deepfake video in which the face of a Korean female streamer was digitally manipulated onto footage that appeared to show her kissing him. Just as Ismael's trial began in March, South Korea saw the emergence of another YouTuber with a similar approach. American YouTuber 'Ice Poseidon' came under fire that same month for a livestream in Busan where he and his companions shouted in public, kicked trash and mocked Korean food, saying, 'Kimchi is disgusting.' While riding in a taxi, he also spoke Korean in an exaggerated, mocking tone, seemingly to ridicule the elderly driver. How to respond? As public frustration grows over disruptive foreign content creators in South Korea, online users are calling for a boycott of controversial streamers whose offensive behavior appears to be rewarded with attention — and ad revenue. 'Many people keep watching, commenting, and even subscribing while criticizing them. But that attention is exactly what feeds YouTubers like Somali,' one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 'People should stop giving them any attention, and immigration authorities should prevent them from entering Korea.' As of May 28, Ice Poseidon, the streamer who sparked outrage in Busan, had 695,000 subscribers on YouTube. Johnny Somali's YouTube channel has been suspended, making it difficult to determine his current following. At the same time, South Koreans are calling for the authorities to respond sternly in Ismael's case to establish a precedent for dealing with similar incidents in the future. While Ismael was eventually prosecuted, though without physical detention, some people say the initial response from South Korean law enforcement was too lenient, allowing him to persist in harassing locals and disturbing public order. 'I hope a fair and firm ruling is delivered in Johnny Somali's case to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,' said Seo Kyoung-duk, a liberal arts professor at Sungshin Women's University known for his efforts to promote Korean culture abroad. 'A strong punishment should be imposed to set an example,' he wrote on Facebook. In response to an inquiry from The Korea Herald, an official from the Korea Immigration Service reiterated the general principle that, under Article 46 of the Immigration Control Act, a foreign national may be subject to deportation if their actions are deemed harmful to national interests or public safety. 'A comprehensive review of specific facts, including whether any laws were violated, is necessary before making a determination,' the official added. Ismael's third trial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13. If convicted and sentenced to prison, he would have to serve his term in a local prison. Separately, immigration authorities could review whether to impose a deportation order and a reentry ban, according to legal experts.
The Star
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Inter jerseys fly off shelves in Marseille before PSG's Champions League final
PARIS (Reuters) -In Marseille, the only French city with a European Cup to its name, an unexpected fashion trend has emerged - Inter Milan jerseys are flying off the shelves as Olympique de Marseille supporters back the Italian side against their bitter rivals Paris St Germain in Saturday's Champions League final. Inter shirts have been selling fast in the port city, which celebrated OM's Champions League triumph in 1993. "It's crazy, everyone wants the Inter jersey. All year long, there's no demand, nobody wants this jersey. And now, it's like the whole city of Marseille has turned Interista. We're really going to pray for Inter to win," Ismael, a vendor at a major sports shop in Marseille, told French TV channel BFM. The son of former OM president Bernard Tapie, who led the club to the 1993 title, said he would support Inter as well. "A true OM supporter can't be happy if PSG wins the Champions League. For France, it would be good for PSG to win it. But me, I'm supporting Inter Milan. Ask any real OM fan — we're all fully behind Inter," Laurent Tapie was quoted as saying by French media. In 2020, OM fans celebrated at the Old Port when PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. French clubs have played in seven European Cup finals, losing six of them between Stade de Reims (2), PSG, St Etienne, Monaco and Marseille. (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ed Osmond)
Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Inter jerseys fly off shelves in Marseille before PSG's Champions League final
PARIS - In Marseille, the only French city with a European Cup to its name, an unexpected fashion trend has emerged - Inter Milan jerseys are flying off the shelves as Olympique de Marseille supporters back the Italian side against their bitter rivals Paris St Germain in Saturday's Champions League final. Inter shirts have been selling fast in the port city, which celebrated OM's Champions League triumph in 1993. "It's crazy, everyone wants the Inter jersey. All year long, there's no demand, nobody wants this jersey. And now, it's like the whole city of Marseille has turned Interista. We're really going to pray for Inter to win," Ismael, a vendor at a major sports shop in Marseille, told French TV channel BFM. The son of former OM president Bernard Tapie, who led the club to the 1993 title, said he would support Inter as well. "A true OM supporter can't be happy if PSG wins the Champions League. For France, it would be good for PSG to win it. But me, I'm supporting Inter Milan. Ask any real OM fan — we're all fully behind Inter," Laurent Tapie was quoted as saying by French media. In 2020, OM fans celebrated at the Old Port when PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. French clubs have played in seven European Cup finals, losing six of them between Stade de Reims (2), PSG, St Etienne, Monaco and Marseille. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Recorder
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
TDAP hosts seminar on export potential of Balochistan's handicrafts
QUETTA: The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), in collaboration with the Quetta Chamber of Commerce & Industry (QCCI) and Taraqee Foundation, organised a seminar titled 'Export Potential of Local Handicrafts of Balochistan' at QCCI Hall. Focused on empowering women entrepreneurs, the event highlighted export opportunities in the handicraft sector. As part of its ongoing efforts to promote trade from underserved regions, TDAP has already conducted seven awareness sessions for women and supported their participation in key trade platforms like WEXNET, offering 100% subsidized participation. This seminar marked TDAP's third sector-specific event aimed at building export readiness in Balochistan. Based on the above theme, Zain ul Abideen from TDAP shared insights on export procedures, market trends, and opportunities through events like TEXPO and OIC Trade Fairs. Ismael of Taraqee Foundation addressed key challenges artisans face and proposed strategies to overcome them. Concluding remarks were given by Fouzia Kasi, who emphasized stronger institutional support and dedicated facilitation for women-led enterprises. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
