Lionel Messi and his Argentina teammates were temporarily “trapped” in their Beijing hotel at the weekend after large numbers of fans gathered outside to see the star, Chinese state media reported, as police warned of scammers attempting to cash in on “Messi mania.”

Messi, who led Argentina to World Cup glory last year and is widely regarded as one of soccer’s greatest ever players, received a rapturous welcome from fans Saturday after landing at the Beijing airport ahead of a friendly match against Australia in the Chinese capital.

“Messi” soon became the top trending topic on Chinese social media platform Weibo, while video footage showed hundreds of fans swarming the team’s hotel entrance in the hope of catching a glimpse of their idol.

Argentina’s pre-match training session was delayed for safety reasons Sunday after “outrageously passionate” fans made it impossible for the team to leave their hotel, Global Times reported, citing game organizers. Photos and videos show the team eventually trained on Sunday night.

One fan was so eager to meet Messi that he spent 10,000 yuan ($1,400) on rooms at multiple Beijing luxury hotels in the hope of seeing the star, the state-run outlet said.

Despite costing up to $4,800 yuan ($670), tickets for the match Thursday at the 68,000-capacity Workers Stadium sold out within 20 minutes, according to Global Times, with resale sites advertising tickets for multiple times their face value.

Beijing police meanwhile have warned fans to beware of scams after an ad went viral on Weibo that falsely claimed to offer dinner with Messi for 300,000 yuan ($42,000) per person.

Beijing’s public security bureau debunked the rumor on its official Weibo account, joking, “If you can be scammed of 300,000 yuan, then our police will raise a glass to you.”

Several unofficial Weibo accounts also claimed to offer VIP stadium passes, front-row seats for the game and autographed Argentina jerseys at inflated prices.

Messi, 35, last visited China in 2017 with his former club Barcelona.

The seven-time Balon d’Or winner announced last Wednesday he would be joining Major League Soccer outfit Inter Miami after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain runs out this summer. The blockbuster news reportedly caused ticket prices to soar nearly 1,000% for some games in the United States.

Argentina will next travel to Jakarta for a friendly against Indonesia on June 19, though it is unclear if Messi will join the squad for that game.

WNBA icon Sue Bird finally got the send off her illustrious career deserved on Sunday as the Seattle Storm retired her iconic No.10 jersey.

In an emotional ceremony which reportedly lasted almost three hours, Bird addressed a packed crowd at the Climate Pledge Arena and was joined by a number of stars who paid tribute to her 20-year career in the league which ended last season.

The jersey retirement ceremony followed Seattle Storm’s 71-65 defeat to the Washington Mystics but the night was very much about one woman.

Bird was given a standing ovation as she took her seat court-side before the match but the official ceremony got underway shortly after the final buzzer.

“I didn’t anticipate it being that long but the truth is, I don’t know if I could have taken anything out,” she told reporters, joking about the length of her speech which reportedly lasted over an hour and a half itself.

“That’s what this has meant to me. It was just so important for me to say names, to point people out and to tell them what they meant. I’m already thinking about things I wish I would have said.”

Bird, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 WNBA draft, played her entire career with the Storm, where she won four championships, along with five selections to the All-WNBA first team and a record 12 All-Star Game appearances.

She won championships at every level, notably a record-tying five Olympic basketball golds with Team USA, and is the WNBA all-time leader in assists.

She was joined on stage by the likes of rapper Macklemore and her partner, USWNT great Megan Rapinoe, who were among many to share their memories of Bird’s career.

“There is no one like you. You’re everything on the court that everyone could ever wish to be. All of the dreams that little kids have, you’ve done it all,” a tearful Rapinoe said in her speech.

“You’re so much better off of it. You’ve given everybody this beacon for all of these years. How to be. How to carry yourself. How to treat people.”

Bird’s No.10 shirt was lifted to the rafters inside the stadium where it will continue to pay tribute to arguably the most impressive WNBA career to date.

“I will forever miss it, and that’s OK,” Bird said. “I think some people try to avoid missing it when they’re in my seat up here, and the reality is I’m always going to miss it.”

The Denver Nuggets are on the verge of making history and winning their first ever NBA Championship but with the defiant Miami Heat standing in their way, anything is possible.

Game 5 gets underway Monday at Ball Arena, Denver, and the Nuggets will be looking to seal the series in front of a home crowd.

With the two-man game of Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray on fire throughout the postseason, it will be a tough ask of the Heat to stop the Nuggets from claiming that elusive NBA title, but stranger things have happened.

How to watch

The game starts at 8:30 p.m. ET and will be shown live on ABC. Game 5 will also be streamed live on fubo.

‘We are ready’

With the Nuggets just one win away from a first NBA Championship, it would be easy to start the celebrations too early, but this Denver team aren’t getting ahead of themselves just yet.

“I think it’s not going to be emotional. It’s going to be a job that we need to do to be done,” Jokić explained. “I think we are ready. I think we are going to be locked in and ready to go. It’s just going to be a game that we need to win.”

The coolness of their leader on the court appears to trickle its way throughout the rest of the roster and Denver have played with an element of calm all the way through the NBA postseason.

As seen when sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers to seal the Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets seem to have mastered not letting the highs get too high or the lows get too low.

Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reiterated this sentiment on the eve of Game 5 and has urged his players not to think too much about the consequences of each specific in-game play.

“Stay in the moment and once that jump ball goes up tomorrow night, our players, every possession, every moment of that game can’t be, ‘We have to win this game.’ We have to stay true to ourselves, trust what’s gotten us to this point.”

But the Denver head coach also knows the importance of Game 5.

“Tomorrow’s game, we’re down 3-1,” Malone added. “This is a must-win for us, and hopefully, if that’s the mentality our guys can go out there and play with, we’ll put ourselves in a great position.”

The Nuggets have dominated the series so far with Murray starring each night and Jokić putting on record-breaking performance after record-breaking performance.

‘The Joker’s’ all-round dominance has him leading the way in points, assists, and rebounds throughout the NBA postseason – an incredible feat for the two-time MVP.

However, the supporting cast has also been crucial to Denver with Aaron Gordon, Bruce Brown Jr., and rookie Christian Braun all able to step up when needed.

‘Ain’t nobody got to four yet’

If there’s one team in the NBA who won’t be deterred by a 3-1 deficit, it is the Miami Heat.

The Heat have had to battle their way through the NBA Play-In tournament and then the playoffs as a No. 8 seed, and now have deservedly found themselves in an unexpected NBA Finals matchup.

Jimmy Butler’s iconic playoff performances, the Miami role players stepping up, and Heat culture’s toughness have all made this a run to remember, but it’s not over just yet for the Heat.

“Ain’t nobody got to four yet. So keep playing. Stay in the fight,” outlined Butler. “Knowing that if we get this one, we’re on our way to do something special. So we’ve got to win three before they win one.”

This never-say-die attitude has stood the Heat in good stead throughout the postseason and head coach Erik Spoelstra urged his team of “savage competitors,” to remember this.

“Everybody is counting us out. We’re used to that. But ultimately it has to be decided between those four lines. The crowd is not going to decide it. The narratives are not going to decide it.”

A defiant Spoelstra added: “Whatever the analytics are about 3-1, that ain’t going to decide it. It’s going to be decided between those four lines, whose game can get to whose game and ultimately win at the end. That’s what our guys love.”

The Heat will need to step up their performances to take the series to Game 6 and good displays from their role players will be key if they are to extend the NBA Finals.

An inflatable emergency slide accidentally deployed inside of a Delta Air Lines plane while on the ground at Salt Lake International Airport on Saturday.

“While on the ground, the same aircraft’s slide was deployed by accident.”

No emergency landing was declared, nor did the plane divert due to the slide, according to the statement.

Out of an abundance of caution, one crew member was taken to the hospital for evaluation but has since been discharged, the airline stated.

The spokesperson said there were 168 passengers on board the B767-300 plane at the time of the incident.

All customers were re-accommodated on a secondary aircraft. It landed at Los Angeles International Airport Saturday evening without further incident

“We apologize for the delay to their travel plans. Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people,” the spokesperson said.

It has been an exciting weekend of Major League Baseball, with a variety of extraordinary feats on display.

From crazy catches to huge home runs, the stars were on display and showcasing their talents to the delight of the fans.

The first highlight-worthy play came on Saturday during the Baltimore Orioles’ games against the Kansas City Royals.

In the first inning of the two teams’ second game of a three-game series, Maikel García smashed the ball to the right of Oriole Park with two of his teammates already on base.

The ball looked to be just sailing over the head of Baltimore outfielder Anthony Santander and to safety when, out of nowhere, the 28-year-old reached up with his left hand and plucked the ball out of the air full stretch to complete an amazing catch.

Such was the momentum of his effort, Santander had to brace himself against the wall of the outfield as he came crashing down to earth with the ball in his mitt.

The commentators described it as a “superhero effort,” while Orioles pitcher Cole Irvin could only stand with both his arms raised in celebration at the catch for the final out of the first inning.

Santander’s catch helped the Orioles to a 6-1 victory, as Baltimore went undefeated over its three-game series against Kansas City.

Big hitting

Sunday’s MLB action saw some big hitting, some in particular coming at the opportune moment too.

First, in the seventh inning of Baltimore’s 11-3 victory over the Royals, Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson made history when he hit a home run literally out of the Orioles’ home ground, Camden Yards.

Henderson hit his home run 462 feet, the longest home run to land on Eutaw Street – which borders the stadium – during a game in Camden Yards’ 31-year history.

According to the MLB, the ball left his bat travelling at 113.8 mph and with a launch angle of 27 degrees. Henderson took a second after hitting it to admire his work.

“I felt like that one was a good one to look at a little bit,” Henderson said afterwards.

Not to be outdone, later in the day, the Colorado Rockies’ Nolan Jones went ever further and this time to win a game.

After his teammate Ryan McMahon had tied the game with his own home run in the bottom of the ninth, the heavens opened and the Rockies and the San Diego Padres had to wait for an hour and 25 minutes to conclude their game.

And when they returned, it was worth the wait as Jones smashed a 472-foot homer to right-center field to clinch the 5-4 victory for the Rockies.

It was the longest walk-off home run since Statcast tracking began in 2015, per the MLB. According to the commentators, the ball finally landed in the second row of the third tier at Coors Field.

“It’s really freakin’ fun,” Jones said afterwards. “The past couple of days not having gone the way we wanted … it’s huge.”

Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines has defended imposing weight requirements on flight attendants after reports of the new policy went viral on social media and sparked a public backlash.

State media initially reported that the airline, one of the country’s biggest, introduced a new policy in early June that threatened to ground female attendants if their weight exceeded the “standard limit.”

The rule was part of a series of broader guidelines on appearance issued to cabin crew, with the “standard” weight calculated by height, according to state-run Global Times.

For instance, an attendant measuring 158 centimeters (5.1 feet) – the average height of a Chinese adult woman – would be required to stay within 48 kilograms (105 pounds).

Flight attendants who are less than 5% over that standard will have their weight monitored monthly and undergo a review, while those weighing 10% over the standard will be immediately suspended and put on a “weight reduction plan” supervised by the company, Global Times reported

The airline also said the measure “cannot be interpreted as a simple criterion to suspend a flight attendant like some media did.”

The standard is “based on the standard human body weight reference and matched with the healthy weight range measurement for the crew” the airline said, adding that the rules are used to evaluate and manage the crew’s “health, physical shape and posture.”

“This is intended to advocate healthy living habits and maintain a good professional image and healthy physique by anchoring the reference target, rather than passively waiting for individual crew members’ physique to change significantly and then affect safety service work,” it said.

The response came after a weekend of building anger online, with Chinese social media users reacting to the initial state media reports with criticism towards what they see as a reflection of the country’s skewed gender norms.

“I just need the flight attendant to be fully qualified in professional knowledge, well-practiced in safety procedures, and wear the most suitable shoes and clothes for emergencies. Her weight is none of my business,” read a top comment on the Twitter-like platform Weibo.

Several users pointed out that being a flight attendant is a physically demanding job that should prioritize the employee’s strength and stamina instead of maintaining low weight – especially in emergency situations, where attendants are responsible for keeping passengers safe.

Others argued that airlines in many Western countries have dropped the requirement for high heels and skirts in recent years.

Last week, Australian airline Qantas released new guidelines for employees that provide one set of requirements for everyone, abandoning the previously separate regulations for male and female employees – meaning staff of any gender can now wear long hair, have makeup or no makeup if they choose, and wear flat shoes.

Alaska Airlines also launched gender-neutral uniform guidelines for flight attendants last year; Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have adopted similar policies for greater inclusivity.

Other Asian airlines have made headlines in recent years for imposing weight rules on cabin crew. In 2015, Air India asked 125 flight attendants to lose weight, while Pakistan’s national airline ordered cabin crew to abide by weight limits or face being grounded in 2019.

There are fireworks, flaming outdoor candles, a silver bell to summon the waiter – and just one elegantly set table for two.

Solo Per Due – “Just for Two” in Italian – is no ordinary restaurant, and not just because of its tiny size.

It’s an extravagant place where an exclusive meal for two costs over $500. Champagne, top wines and floral decorations cost extra, and diners have a view of an ancient Roman villa.

Its owners claim it is the smallest fine-dining establishment not only in Italy but in the world, too.

Ideal for romantic meals, it’s open year-round for lunch and dinner but has no menu. The food served is tailor-made for the tastes and wishes of clients.

The tiny dining room of under 500 square feet is part of a rural 20th-century stone mansion located near the village of Vacone, north of Rome.

Privacy, discreetness and secrecy rule. It almost feels like a speakeasy – except for the fact that it’s widely advertised and reviewed, and its location is known.

Bookings must be made by phone, in the evenings, and confirmed 10 days prior to the event. Details of the customized meal are defined at the point of confirmation.

There are strict rules. Visitors can’t pop in as they please to take a look inside before making a reservation. A meal can’t be canceled last-minute. Guests are required to arrive at a specific time agreed by the owners, who prepare and serve the elaborate food.

The arrival time is key. Guests must call when on their way 30 minutes prior to arriving and never get there too early, or they’ll find a closed entrance and nobody to greet them.

The restaurant is booked up months in advance because of its small size. The price tag isn’t for everyone – a meal costs €500 for two, or $537.

‘Not a restaurant’

The owners, a team of three local fine food entrepreneurs who have been running Solo Per Due for 33 years, refuse to share their names unless you’ve booked dinner. That’s to guarantee utter discretion and enhance the mysterious allure of the place, they say.

“This is not a restaurant – we offer a unique, intimate experience which is at the core of our decades-long reputation. So it’s not about us or who we are – we’re in the shadow. It’s all about the diners,” says one of the owners who signs himself as “Mr. Remo.”

“The people who come here are not mere clients. They’re guests who we take great care of. We coddle them and ensure that this special moment is exactly how they want it to be. Everything is tailored to their needs.”

A waiter is always on site but remains hidden unless he’s been actively summoned, so not to seem intrusive. Guests can call him with a jingle of a little silver bell.

Made-to-measure dining

The location is amazing. Solo Per Due is surrounded by an exotic garden with different species of palm trees from across the world, overlooking an archaeological site. The mansion sits on an estate that has the ruins of an ancient Roman villa in the grounds, which guests can visit. With its colorful mosaic floors and stone columns, it’s said to have belonged to the ancient poet Horace.

On the day of the meal, the entrance and the garden are lined with blazing candles to welcome guests.

“Once the booking is confirmed our guests will choose the exact multi-course menu, be it fish or meat, the dessert, the wines, the background music, and any floral decorations. We prepare on site only seasonal, Italian food paired with top-class wine,” says Remo.

He’s keen to stress the two golden rules: never cancel last minute, and never arrive earlier than your allotted time.

“We take care also of the two names to write on the dessert cake which is heart-shaped, of the special phrase to write on the card that will go on the flowers and of the background music chosen by the diners,” adds Remo.

Its less romantic origins

Solo Per Due was born out of need, and anger.

Remo explains that the idea of setting up a quiet, exclusive eating lair just for two people came up when he got frustrated by crowded restaurants with queues, and by the way clients are treated and seated at tables.

“It had become unbearable, every time my son and I went out for dinner we were always given the small table close to the bathroom or the kitchen, with all the nasty smells – it was the worst table. And that because there were only two of us,” he says.

So he thought of how to create a special experience where a couple could be pampered and treated as royals for a once-in-a-lifetime meal.

It’s not a spot for business meetings. Lovers and spouses flock here to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays and marriage proposals.

There’s a dreamy, fairytale like ambience. Dinners are candlelit, the lights are switched off. It’s Italian food with a nouvelle cuisine spin.

Heart-shaped ravioli, oysters, scampi, carpaccio of meat and tiramisù with little white chocolate hearts are among the fancy dishes ordered by clients.

The romantic decor of the dining room has a glamorous feel, with a classic Pompeiian red palette, a red and gold tablecloth, and silver cutlery.

Back in time

It is richly furnished with old prints, busts of historical figures, wine bottles, mirrors in opulent golden frames, and flowers everywhere: on the chairs, furniture and table.

There’s a piano and a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace great for cold winter nights, antique furniture, and two plush red sofas to relax before dinner with an aperitif or afterwards with a nightcap.

During the summer guests can opt for an alfresco meal, enjoying the scenery of olive groves and vineyard-dotted valleys as they sit below a vine-shaded pergola.

There are extravagant extra services too. Upon request, a private driver can be arranged to pick up guests, and fireworks can be staged in the garden. For those wanting to spend the night, the owners will be happy to advise on accommodation options nearby.

On TripAdvisor Enthusiastic guests describe Solo Per Due describe it as “a movie set,” an “extreme Epicurean experience” and a “surreal dreamy ambiance.” However, one unhappy client writes it is a “touristy place” of low quality and not worth the money.

Three words a crowd of Florida beachgoers didn’t expect to hear during their Sunday in the sun: “It’s a bear!”

A bear was spotted splashing through the Gulf of Mexico before running up the shore at Destin, a coastal city in northwestern Florida’s Panhandle region, just before noon local time on June 11.

Barron took out his phone and started recording as multiple people were walking through the ocean.

One man was just a few feet away from the bear as it started to swim up and shake the water off its fur.

In the video, a child is heard shouting the alert as the bear runs towards the sand.

“The crowd was in shock,” Barron said.

Florida resident Steffani Saddler was on a boat returning from scuba diving when she too spotted the unfamiliar figure in the water.

The bear is seen floating in the water, slowly drifting to the shore covered in blue umbrellas as people enjoy a day at the beach.

“I guess he’s on vacation too,” Saddler joked. She said the bear safely made it to the shore and then ran off.

Dozens of heat records have fallen in Siberia, as temperatures climbed above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius).

Despite only being early June, records are tumbling across parts of Siberia as extreme heat pushes into unusually high latitudes.

Last Saturday, temperatures reached 37.9 degrees Celsius (100.2 Fahrenheit) in Jalturovosk, its hottest day in history, according to the climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, who tracks extreme temperatures across the globe.

A slew of temperature records have fallen in Siberia since then.

Several all-time heat records were broken on Wednesday, including in Baevo, which reached 39.6 degrees Celsius (103.3 Fahrenheit), and Barnaul, which hit 38.5 degrees Celsius (101.3 Fahrenheit).

Yet another brutally hot day in Asia with 47C in China and 39C in Siberia where more records fell:

all time

38.0 Zdvinsk
35.6 Tomsk tie

monthly

38.2 Kupino
36.7 Kolyvan
36.3 Ermakovskoe
35.3 Tastyp

In India Highlands

29.9C Cherrapunji new monthly record pic.twitter.com/f2fY77AH6z

— Extreme Temperatures Around The World (@extremetemps) June 8, 2023

A scientific analysis may be done to asses how much influence climate change is having on this event, but we know that global warming is causing more extreme temperatures, especially in the higher latitudes.

A particularly intense and prolonged heat wave in 2020, which saw the Arctic Siberian town of Verkhoyansk hit 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), would have been “almost impossible” without human-caused climate change, an analysis by a team of international scientists found.

Siberia tends to see large monthly and yearly temperature fluctuations, but the last few decades have seen a strong warming trend.

As wildfire season takes hold in the Northern Hemisphere, Siberia – along with Canada – has also been grappling with significant and intense wildfires. Fired that raged across Russia’s Ural Mountains in May, killed at least 21 people.

Extreme heat is likely to worsen wildfires.

It’s not just Siberia that has seen record heat this week. It has spread across Central Asia. In early April, Turkmenistan saw temperatures of 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit), which was “a world record for that latitude,” Herrera said.

Since then the heat hasn’t stopped, with rolling heat waves gripping the region.

On Wednesday, temperatures of more than 45 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) were recorded in China, 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 Fahrenheit) in Uzbekistan and 41 degrees Celsius (105.8) in Kazakhstan.

It’s “a historic heat wave, which is rewriting world climatic history,” Herrera said on Twitter.

The Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN will hold its first-ever joint military exercise in the South China Sea, its chair Indonesia said on Thursday, the latest multilateral security drills at a time of rising tension and uncertainty in the region.

The decision was taken at a meeting of military commanders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Indonesia, which will host the exercise in the North Natuna Sea, the southernmost waters of the South China Sea.

Indonesia’s military chief, Admiral Yudo Margono, told state-run news agency Antara the exercise would be in September and would not include any combat operations training. The purpose, Margono said, was strengthening “ASEAN centrality.”

ASEAN’s unity has for years been tested by a rivalry between the United States and China that is being played out in the South China Sea. ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia have competing claims with Beijing, which asserts sovereignty over vast stretches of ocean that include parts of Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Indonesian military spokesperson Julius Widjojono said the exercise was related to the “high risk of disaster in Asia, especially Southeast Asia.”

A conduit for about $3.5 trillion of annual ship-borne trade, the South China Sea has seen constant tension of late as China presses its claims with a huge deployment of coast guard and fishing boats as far as 1,500 km (932 miles) off its coastline.

China claims sovereignty via an expansive “nine-dash line” based on its historic maps, which an international arbitration court in 2016 ruled had no legal basis.

ASEAN has been pushing for a long-awaited maritime code of conduct with China to be completed and several of its members have had run-ins with Beijing in recent months.

Vietnam criticized China’s deployment of a research vessel near several gas blocs in its EEZ, while Beijing was accused of sending suspected maritime militia into waters where navies of India and ASEAN countries held an exercise.

The Philippines chided China’s coast guard for “dangerous manoeuvres” and “aggressive tactics” and plans to hold joint patrols with the United States, on top of an inaugural trilateral coast guard exercise they held with Japan this week.

China maintains its coast guard is performing regular operations in what is Chinese sovereign territory.