“We’re all in – 100%,” US billionaire businessman Todd Boehly told Chelsea fans upon his arrival at the club in May 2022.

Fast forward almost a year, it is safe to say that the American has stuck to his word – though at some cost.

The 49-year-old said his consortium would be “acquiring the best talent” and would “invest in the club for the long-term.”

Alongside Clearlake Capital, the investment fund involved in the takeover, Boehly did just that – financing over $600 million on transfers – but as a businessman, you’d likely be expecting some return on your investment.

Except Boehly – a part-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Los Angeles Sparks – is quickly finding out that the soccer business is tricky to master.

In a season that has lurched from tragedy to farce at times – Chelsea has had four managers this season – the club has absolutely nothing to show for it when it comes to results on the pitch.

Following the Blues’ 4-0 aggregate loss to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals, Chelsea is out of all cup competitions and, lingering mid-table in the Premier League, has no chance of playing European soccer next season, which can be very financially lucrative.

Speaking after the Real defeat, interim head coach Frank Lampard said he “won’t let anyone off the hook in terms of seeing this season out,” but fans of the club could be forgiven if their attention has already turned to next season.

“We need to stop”

Chelsea was previously owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who put the club up for sale in early March 2022 following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying at the time it was “in the best interest of the Club.”

In May, the UK government added Abramovich to its list of sanctioned individuals as part of its efforts to “isolate” Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Under the current regime, Chelsea has had a policy of spend, spend, spend and, while this might show Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali’s financial commitment to the cause, the huge outlay hasn’t produced immediate dividends and has created a number of short-term and possibly long-term problems.

Chelsea’s squad has ballooned in size over the past year, and not only has this given the various managers unwanted selection headaches, but changes at the club have also had to be made to accommodate the surplus of talent.

In the January transfer window, a month famously difficult to get big deals over the line, Chelsea broke all conventions and spent big – very big.

The club brought in Enzo Fernández in a British-record $132 million deal, as well as Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoît Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto, Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana with João Félix also arriving on loan.

Following the loss against Real Madrid, Chelsea captain Thiago Silva spoke candidly to reporters on the issues that come with this kind of spending.

The veteran defender said: “I think the first step has been made, an incorrect step, but it has been made. We can’t be blaming the managers if we don’t take responsibility. It’s a hard period for the club, with a lot of indecision.

“Change of ownership, new players arriving – we had to increase the size of the changing room because it didn’t fit the size of the squad.”

There have been long-running jokes on social media about the size of Chelsea’s squad this season and a player talking so openly about the problems shows fans would appear to be not too far off in their assessments.

The Brazilian then spoke on the mentality of players who have been impacted by the swollen squad.

“A positive point is that there are amazing players in the squad, but on the other hand, there are always players that are going to be unhappy. There is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play. The manager can only pick 11 from a squad of 30-something – that’s tough.

“Some can’t make the squad, we signed eight in January, we need to stop and put a strategy in place, otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes.”

One potential problem for Chelsea is that a large number of new arrivals were signed on long-term contracts.

“You are then committed to paying the players’ wages over that six, seven, eight-year period.”

Maguire continued: “Chelsea are normally in the top three, certainly in the top four, wage commitments of Premier League clubs.”

With the problems that are persisting on the pitch, Chelsea will have to find a way to move these wages around, but Maguire said this could prove to be difficult.

“So, finding another club who’s willing to take the player off of Chelsea’s hands and pay them a level of remuneration to which the player is happy is going to be quite challenging.”

Managerial comings and goings

Boehly’s stewardship started with Thomas Tuchel in charge, then Graham Potter came and went, Bruno Saltor took over for a game, before Lampard rejoined the club on an interim basis. Lampard’s tenure has been nothing short of disastrous – Chelsea have played four games and lost all of them.

Excluding Saltor’s one game in charge, each manager has clearly had different ideologies and principles they have sought to implement, but Boehly’s patience has seemed to run thin when things don’t go to plan.

Boehly’s next managerial appointment will be key in how his time at Chelsea is defined and another disappointing spell could lead to further fan disquiet – Boehly had been confronted by Chelsea fans following the side’s 2-1 home loss against Brighton.

Problems on the pitch

The managerial merry-go-round has been accompanied by dizzying inconsistency on the pitch.

Besides Kai Havertz and Marc Cucurella, no Chelsea outfield player has started more than 20 games in the Premier League this season.

In the must-win game against Real Madrid, five signings brought in this season were warming the bench, including star players João Félix and Raheem Sterling, and big-money signing Mudryk. The new signings were also joined by Hakim Ziyech, Christian Pulisic and Mason Mount.

For Chelsea to get anywhere near its form of old, its next manager will have to find some consistency in team selections and a way to keep big players happy while they are on the sidelines.

Football is a simple game when it is boiled down to its purest form: whoever scores more goals wins – and this could help explain Chelsea’s struggles.

The Blues are on course to have their lowest scoring season in Premier League history with their current total of 30 goals. The club’s current goalscoring low for a single campaign is 46 and, with games running out, Lampard’s side will struggle to match this.

This makes Chelsea’s spending even more confusing with signings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and David Datro Fofana currently not in the side’s plans and Kai Havertz operating as a makeshift center forward.

With goals hard to come by and results not looking like improving soon, Boehly and Eghbali may have to continue to offer rallying cries in the Chelsea changing room until performances pick up.

Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Oakland Athletics have signed a binding purchase agreement for land near the Las Vegas Strip, where the team plans to construct a Major League ballpark, according to reports from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and The Athletic, citing Athletics team president Dave Kaval.

“For a while, we were on parallel paths (with Oakland), but we have turned our attention to Las Vegas to get a deal here for the A’s and find a long-term home,” Kaval told the Review-Journal on Wednesday. “Oakland has been a great home for us for over 50 years, but we really need this 20-year saga completed and we feel there’s a path here in Southern Nevada to do that.”

According to the Review-Journal, the agreement is for a 49-acre plot of land, owned by Red Rock Resorts, parent company of Station Casinos.

The Athletics, who have played in the city of Oakland since 1968, plan to build a 30,000-seat stadium, featuring a partially retractable roof, along with ancillary developments on the site, in a project that will cost $1.5 billion, Koval told the Review-Journal. He said the team would have the option to purchase eight more acres at a later date.

“It’s really exciting to have a site,” Kaval told the Review-Journal Wednesday. “We’ve spent almost two years doing our due diligence, working with community leaders, elected officials and everyone in town to really determine a location that could be a win for the A’s as well as the community and public officials.”

The new ballpark would be over a mile north of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders Allegiant Stadium, and about a mile west of the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces’ T-Mobile Arena.

In comments to The Athletic on Thursday, Kaval indicated there was still negotiation to be done.

“We’re not all the way there in Nevada,” he told The Athletic. He said they are looking for an incentive package.

“We’re working with them. And we’re having very good conversations,” Kaval said, adding that there could be a vote before the Nevada state legislature ends its session in July.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred expressed his support on the Athletics’ plans to relocate to Las Vegas. “We support the A’s turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year,” Manfred said in a statement to the Review-Journal.

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo called the prospects of the Athletics’ move to Southern Nevada “great news,” while highlighting the positive economic impact the move would have for the city and the state.

“Welcoming the A’s to Las Vegas would be great news for Southern Nevada as well as our entire state,” Lombardo said in a statement to the Review-Journal. “The prospect of bringing new jobs, more economic development and a historic MLB franchise to Las Vegas is exciting on many levels.

“As we continue to navigate this opportunity, I’m in regular communication with the A’s, Major League Baseball, legislative leadership and local and state stakeholders.”

In contrast, news of the binding purchase agreement wasn’t well received by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, who criticized the Athletics’ decision and said the city was “ceasing negotiations” with the team.

“I am deeply disappointed that the A’s have chosen not to negotiate with the City of Oakland as a true partner, in a way that respects the long relationship between the fans, the City and the team,” Thao said in a statement, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. “The City has gone above and beyond in our attempts to arrive at mutually beneficial terms to keep the A’s in Oakland.

“In the last three months, we’ve made significant strides to close the deal. Yet, it is clear to me that the A’s have no intention of staying in Oakland and have simply been using this process to try to extract a better deal out of Las Vegas. I am not interested in continuing to play that game – the fans and our residents deserve better.”

Schumacher has not been seen in public since he suffered a brain injury in a skiing accident in December 2013.

On April 15, Die Aktuelle, a weekly magazine in Germany, published a smiling picture of the 54-year-old on the front cover with the headline: “Michael Schumacher, the first interview.”

Paired with the headline is a subheading that reads: “It sounded deceptively real.”

The fake interview appears on page eight of the magazine with the headline, “My life has changed completely,” and includes fictitious quotes attributed to Schumacher, discussing his family life since the accident and his medical condition.

Only toward the end of the article does it become apparent that the interview was produced by AI.

Dennis Barkhausen, the spokesperson of the Funke-Mediengruppe which publishes Die Aktuelle, declined to comment.

Since the accident, the Schumacher family has kept updates about the health of the motorsport legend to a minimum to protect their privacy.

In September 2021, Corinna Schumacher discussed her husband’s condition in a Netflix documentary about his Formula One career.

“He still shows me how strong he is every day,” she said at the time.

“We live together at home. We do therapy. We do everything we can to make Michael better and to make sure he’s comfortable. And to simply make him feel our family, our bond.

“And no matter what, I will do everything I can. We all will. We’re trying to carry on as a family, the way Michael liked it and still does. And we are getting on with our lives.

“‘Private is private,’ as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible. Michael always protected us, and now we are protecting Michael.”

Schumacher’s son Mick is also a Formula One driver and is currently a reserve for Mercedes after two seasons driving for Haas.

More severe storms are threatening some 50 million people from Texas to Wisconsin after the same system left at least three people dead in Oklahoma, with a dozen tornadoes reported across three states and search-and-rescue still underway in some places.

Numerous severe thunderstorm warnings are in effect Thursday from Texas to Illinois as thunderstorms are producing large hail and strong winds.

A tornado warning is in effect in Illinois for a storm about 30 miles southwest of Peoria, and conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin through the evening hours.

Someone hurt in Pottawatomie County in central Oklahoma also died at a hospital, Gibbons said.

Get the latest on your forecast here

The same system that spawned Wednesday’s severe storms is heading east Thursday, with rain, hail, damaging winds and some tornadoes and flash flooding possible. Areas from the hill country of Texas to southern Illinois – including Dallas, Houston and Chicago, plus Little Rock, Arkansas; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Jefferson City and Springfield, Missouri – face a Level 2 out of 5 “slight risk” of severe weather, the Storm Prediction Center said.

A tornado watch is in effect for more than 14 million people in northern Illinois, eastern Iowa and southern Wisconsin, including Chicago and Milwaukee, until 8 p.m. CDT Thursday, according to the center.

A few tornadoes, wind gusts up to 75 mph and large hail up to 2 inches in diameter are possible with these storms this afternoon and evening.

Severe thunderstorm watches are in effect for central Illinois to central Texas. St. Louis; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Shreveport, Louisiana, are included in the watches, which extend into the evening. Strong winds and large hall are the primary concerns in these areas, but isolated tornadoes are also possible.

Wednesday’s worst storms were reported across Oklahoma – where eight tornadoes have been confirmed by the National Weather Service office in Norman – while Kansas and Iowa also were hit. About 17,000 homes and businesses in Oklahoma had no power midday Thursday.

A reported tornado in Cole, home to more than 600 people about 30 miles south of Oklahoma City, appears to have been one of the most significant. To resident Barry Harbison, it felt like a roller-coaster when the storm lifted his trailer home off the ground and tossed it – while he was stuck in it, he said.

The National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, plans to survey Cole, Shawnee and the Etowah-Pink-Stella area Thursday.

In addition to nine reports of tornadoes in Oklahoma, four tornado reports were recorded in Iowa and three in Kansas on Wednesday; of those, two tornadoes in Iowa and one in Kansas were preliminarily confirmed.

‘Blessed everybody is alive’

About 60 miles east of Cole, a large and very dangerous tornado traipsed through Shawnee, a city of about 30,000 people in Pottawatomie County. The storm was moving erratically north of the city around 10 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Norman said.

Shawnee Public Schools canceled classes Thursday, the district announced on Facebook.

More than 30 residents at Brookdale Senior Living, an assisted living facility in Shawnee, Oklahoma, were evacuated after the building’s windows were blown out and water seeped inside, according to Shelee Stewart, the executive director.

“We’ve been blessed everybody is alive,” Stewart told KOCO, noting there were no major injuries.

Stewart described the staff who helped guide residents to the bathrooms while the storm passed as “heroes,” adding some had minor scratches.

As crews spread out in the county to respond to the storms, the Pottawatomie County emergency management agency warned residents not to leave their homes to observe the damage, noting that hinders response efforts.

“There is tremendous amounts of ponding on areas storms have come through so please do not drive through the water!” the agency said.

“Our county was hit hard and it will take a while for every area to be checked,” the agency later said.

“If you can, check on your neighbors, but be mindful of potential gas leaks and possibly downed power lines,” Shawnee Police said Wednesday evening in a Facebook post.

Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee also canceled classes Thursday and Friday after urging students to avoid being outdoors. No injuries were reported, but the campus was significantly damaged, the university said.

“Authorities are advising students to stay in their housing units through the night,” due to downed power lines and scattered debris, the school said.

More severe storms expected Thursday

The main threats from Thursday’s severe weather will be large hail and strong winds – and tornadoes can’t be ruled out.

“The areas of most concern are eastern North Texas (including the DFW Metro) and much of Central Texas, though areas east of I-35 will see the higher likelihood for severe storms,” said the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

Heavy rainfall could lead to flash flooding in some locations. Most areas will see 1 to 3 inches of rain, with more in isolated spots.

There is also a much broader Level 1 out of 5 “marginal risk” of storms Thursday from South Texas to the Midwest, including Memphis, Tennessee.

These areas could also see strong winds, damaging hail and an isolated tornado.

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) and the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced their intention to launch a joint bid to host the 2027 Women’s World Cup on Wednesday.

The announcement came the same day as global governing body FIFA’s deadline to submit expressions of interest to host the competition. The FIFA-set deadline to officially launch a bid is May 19.

In the announcement, US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said: “The United States has always been a global leader for the women’s game, and we would be honored to co-host the world’s premier event for women’s soccer along with Mexico.

“Hosting the 2027 Women’s World Cup provides us an incredible opportunity to cap off two historic years of World Cup soccer in the Concacaf region, helping us continue to grow the game among our confederation associations.”

Yon de Luisa, president of the FMF, added: “Women’s football in Mexico has experienced sustained growth over the last five years and its development, both on and off the field, coupled with the female empowerment it has achieved and will continue to achieve, is one of the strategic priorities of the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol.

“It is with pleasure that we are teaming up again with the U.S. Soccer Federation in the pursuit of this World Cup for our region, which will undoubtedly be historic.”

Mexico has never hosted the Women’s World Cup, while the tournament has taken place twice in the USA – in 1999 and 2003.

The USSF and FMF successfully joined forces, along with Canada Soccer, to win the hosting rights to the men’s World Cup in 2026.

Canada Soccer issued a statement in support of the USSF and FMF bid, remarking that it didn’t join this effort as a result of having hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015, two editions ago.

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup begins in Australia and New Zealand on July 20, with the final set for August 20.

Thursday’s hybrid solar eclipse will last for 62 seconds. But for a small town in rural northwest Australia, the effects could linger on for a lifetime.

That’s the hope for Exmouth and the surrounding Ningaloo Coast in Western Australia, which are hoping that April 20th’s once-in-a-decade natural phenomenon could kick off a tourism boom that lasts well beyond the eclipse.

The town – whose name is pronounced “ex-mowth” – has 3,000 residents but will swell to 20,000 this week, based on accommodation bookings and information from the local tourism authority.

Exmouth will have possibly the world’s best view of the April 20 solar event.

There will be a partial view of the eclipse beginning at 10:04 a.m. local time, then the totality – where the sun appears completely blocked out from the sky – will occur at 11:29 a.m. The partial view then ends at 1:02 p.m.

At the moment of totality, the sun, earth and moon will all align to awe-inspiring effect.

The Ningaloo area has been working on its eclipse-related tourism offerings for more than a year, according to Cook.

There’s a range of events to keep newfound friends busy, including outdoor music performances, stargazing tours, photography lessons and astronomy education programs for kids.

On top of that, the local Baiyungu community, the traditional owners of the land, have organized the first-ever Jamba Nyinayi Festival.

Held in nearby Coral Bay, the festival includes Indigenous storytelling, music, dance, food and fire and ends with a drone show on Thursday night.

Investing in the future

Exmouth is some 1,250 km (777 miles) north of Western Australia’s capital, Perth, and is geographically closer to Papua New Guinea than Sydney or Melbourne.

But now that a swell of hopeful stargazers is coming to see the eclipse, local tourism officials are hoping that these guests will fall in love with the area, then go home and tell their friends and family about it.

One of the area’s biggest draws is the UNESCO-listed Ningaloo Coast, a 604,500-hectare stretch known for an exceptional coral reef as well as for being the home of whale sharks and sea turtles.

Additional park rangers have been brought in to support the wave of new visitors. Altogether, Western Australia state spent 20 million AUD ($13.5 million) on infrastructure updates for the eclipse, which included everything from water and sanitation services to additional parking.

Local residents may be antsy about their big moment in the sun (or, briefly out of the sun), but Cook points out how many opportunities could come in the months and years beyond the solar eclipse.

“They see it as a great opportunity to showcase their town and the environment in which they live, and the great tourism opportunity it might present not just people who come this week but people who are watching from around the world.”

Temperature records are being shattered in countries across Asia as a brutal April heat wave continues to grip large portions of the continent, with little relief in sight.

In Southeast Asia, some countries posted their highest ever recorded temperatures this week, while searing heat in the Indian subcontinent has killed more than a dozen people.

Laos is the latest country to set a new all-time record as Luang Prabang reached 42.7°C (109°F) Tuesday, according to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.

Over the weekend, Thailand topped 45°C (113°F) for the first time in its history, according to Herrera, using data from the Thai Meteorological Department. The northwest city of Tak reached 45.4°C Saturday, but large portions of the country have been in the upper 30s to low 40s since late March.

Earlier this month, Thai authorities issued a health alert for several provinces as the heat index was forecast to reach 50.2°C in the Bang Na district of the capital Bangkok. The heat index is what the temperature “feels like” and considers both air temperature and humidity to measure its impact.

On Tuesday, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha expressed concern over “dangerously high temperatures in various parts of Thailand” and said in Bangkok’s Bang Na area, temperatures “could reach 52.3°C,” according to a statement from the prime ministers office.

Neighboring Myanmar set an April temperature record on Monday as Kalewa, in central Sagaing region, reached 44°C (111°F), Herrera tweeted.

April and May are typically the hottest months of the year for South and Southeast Asia as temperatures rise before monsoon rains begin and bring some relief.

But the heat in Thailand has been compounded by an intense smoggy season that has caused pollution levels to spike.

The tourist hotspot of Chiang Mai in the north ranked as the world’s most polluted city for seven straight days as smoke from forest fires and widespread crop burning deteriorated the air quality. At least one hospital in the city said it had reached “full ward capacity” as patients sought medical treatment for respiratory issues.

The scorching temperatures have also been widespread across China.

On Tuesday, the country saw temperatures as high as 42.4°C (108°F) in Yuanyang, in the southeast – only 0.3°C from the country-wide record for April, according to Herrera.

On Monday, more than 100 weather stations in 12 provinces broke their April temperature record, according to climatologist Jim Yang.

Although not record-breaking in most cases, the heat has also been prevalent – and deadly – across South Asia. Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh have all seen temperatures topping 40°C (104°F) for many days.

According to India’s Meteorological Department, 48 weather stations recorded temperatures over 42°C on Tuesday, with the highest at 44.2°C in the eastern state of Odisha.

In western Maharashtra state, at least 13 people died from heatstroke after attending a state award ceremony on Sunday. More than 1 million people attended the event in Navi Mumbai and between 50 to 60 people were hospitalized, according to a city police official.

Meanwhile, at least two states, Tripura in the northeast and West Bengal in the east, ordered schools to shut this week, as temperatures rose more than 5 degrees Celsius above normal, state governments said, Reuters reported.

The Indian Ministry of Labor issued an advisory to all states and regions to ensure the safety of workers – especially outdoor laborers and miners – in the extreme heat. That includes providing adequate drinking water, emergency ice packs, and frequent rest breaks.

Heat waves in India usually take place between March and July, but in recent years these hot spells have become more intense, more frequent and longer.

Last year, India experienced a searing heatwave, where parts of the country reached more than 49°C (120°F). As the impacts of the human-caused climate crisis accelerate and global temperatures continue to rise, scientists say heat waves will only become more common.

A 2022 study found that dangerous heat waves will be between three and 10 times more often by the turn of the century.

In the tropics, which encompasses much of Asia, people could be exposed to dangerous heat most days of the year, the study found. Days of “extremely dangerous heat” – which is defined as 51°C (124°F) – could double and experts say those levels of heat push the limits of human survivability.

Extremely hot temperatures across South and Southeast Asia are expected to continue. Meanwhile, cooler conditions are on the way for much of China as temperatures are forecast to fall from around 10°C (18°F) above average to 10°C (18° F) below average this weekend.

Global fans reacted with shock and grief over the death of 25-year-old K-pop star Moon Bin, a member of the popular boy band Astro.

His music label, Fantagio, confirmed Moon Bin’s death Thursday, and said he has “suddenly left us and became a star in the sky.”

“All Astro members, Fantagio colleagues, executives and employees who’ve been together for a long time are deeply mourning the deceased in such great sadness and shock,” the music label said, adding Moon Bin “always loved and thought of the fans more than anyone else.”

The star was found dead in his home in southern Seoul by his manager at around 8:10 p.m. Wednesday night, according to an official at Gangnam Police Station.

Social media filled with condolences as fans expressed their upset at the celebrity’s death, the latest to cast a spotlight on the often intense pressures celebrities face in the competitive and stressful Korean entertainment industry.

The hashtag #moonbin on Twitter was trending globally with over 2.6 million tweets, some posts written in English, Spanish, Indonesian, Tagalog and Thai.

Meanwhile, social media videos showed fans in Chile setting up a memorial for the late star, lining a wall with white and purple balloons, the theme colors of Astro.

A fan who commented on the video shared on Twitter said: “Rest in peace Moonbin… You had words of [comfort] for others. I wish you had talked about your pain… Rest sweet angel.”

“You’re a star in the sky now and watching over the people you love. Hearts and thoughts go out to his loved ones and all AROHAs,” MTV Asia tweeted, referring to name Astro’s fans call themselves.

“We lost a bright light, who was really contributing to the lives of his family and his friends and his fans and that bright light is gone,” said CedarBough Saeji, assistant professor of Korean and East Asian Studies at Pusan National University.

Saeji, a self-confessed Moon Bin fan, said amid the discussion on the pressures of Korean society and its celebrity industry, it was also important to remember the accomplishments of the young star.

“Moonbin was phenomenally talented dancer and singer. In recent years, he’d started writing some of the material for Astro as well. And he’d also been acting in a bunch of web dramas that had been quite popular. There’s really no limit to how far he could have gone if he continued his career and continue to mature as a performer,” Saeji said.

Child stars

Many K-pop icons start training as young teens, honing their singing, dancing and acting skills for years before they are even allowed a chance to debut their first song.

K-pop idols are known to be subject to intense pressure from their strict management, which has been linked to a mental health crisis in the industry.

South Korea has the highest rate of youth suicide among the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations.

In 2021, the suicide rate in South Korea was 26 out of every 100,000 people, and while the country’s overall suicide rate is falling, deaths of those in their twenties are rising, according to the country’s Health and Welfare Ministry.

Moon Bin debuted with Astro in 2016. The other members of the group are Jinjin, MJ, Cha Eun-woo and Yoon San-ha.

He also performed as part of a subgroup called Moon Bin & Sanha, which toured in Asia in recent months.

Prior to his death the duo had been expected to perform next month in Busan, as part of the port city’s bid to promote the 2030 World Expo, and in Jakarta on May 13.

Moon Bin entered the entertainment industry as a child actor, making his debut in 2009 in the Korean Broadcasting System TV drama “Boys Over Flowers.” The series was widely popular and its dubbed version aired globally, gaining lots of fans from Southeast Asia.

His sister, Moon Sua, is also a K-pop celebrity, performing as part of the girl group Billlie.

How to get help: In the US, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also can provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.

Deadly heat waves fueled by climate change are threatening India’s development and risk reversing its progress on poverty alleviation, health and economic growth, a new study has found.

Heat waves have already critically impacted the country, leading to power outages, increased dust and air pollution, and accelerated glacial melt in the north of India, researchers from the University of Cambridge said in the study published in the journal PLOS Climate on Wednesday.

Since 1992, more than 24,000 people have died because of heat waves in India, the study said.

And the impacts are expected to get worse as heat waves become more frequent, intense and lethal due to the climate crisis.

“India is currently facing a collision of multiple cumulative climate hazards,” said the researchers.

“Long-term projections indicate that Indian heat waves could cross the survivability limit for a healthy human resting in the shade by 2050.”

The study shows that millions more people in India are vulnerable to climate change than first thought. More than 90% of the country could be severely impacted by heat waves, falling into an extreme heat “danger” zone, according to the heat index, the study found.

The heat index is how hot it feels and considers both air temperature and humidity to assess the heat’s impact on the population.

Last year, India experienced a searing heat wave, during which parts of the country reached more than 49°C (120°F).

In 2022, India experienced its hottest April in 122 years and its hottest March on record, the study said. And it experienced extreme weather on 242 out of 273 days between January and October 2022, the researchers found.

Such repeated heat stress will upend millions of lives and livelihoods.

“Estimates show a 15% decrease in outdoor working capacity … during daylight hours due to extreme heat by 2050,” the study found. “The increased heat is expected to cost India 2.8% and 8.7% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and depressed living standards by 2050 and 2100, respectively.”

By mid-century, 70 Indian cities are expected to have more than 1 million inhabitants, according to the study.

Extreme heat will pose a threat to the energy security and health of those people, and reverse progress in inequality and poverty reduction, the researchers found.

“My family in Kolkata is suffering from current heat waves leading to frequent load shedding,” said the author of the study, Dr Ramit Debnath, in a reference to enforced power outages that reduce strain on the grid. “The climate-energy nexus is becoming more relevant,” he added.

Typically, it’s the poorest and most vulnerable who will suffer the most.

Heat waves will “have unprecedented consequences on the low-income population” the study said. As an example, the authors point to the rapidly urbanizing capital New Delhi, which “has a high level of construction activities, mostly involving a low-income labor force, who are also at severe risk from heat wave impacts.”

While India has a “climate vulnerability index” through which it assesses its vulnerability to the climate crisis, the authors believe this underestimates how heat waves impact the country’s development.

India has committed to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a list of 17 objectives that include cutting poverty, hunger, inequality and disease, as well as promoting health, education and sanitation.

By not understanding the true threat of heat waves on its population, India risks missing out on those goals.

The study’s co-author Professor Ronita Bardhan said the recommendations could be used to build heat resilience for low-income housing as “these communities are most vulnerable to heat impacts.”

“Heat-health packages for low-income and slum dwellers are specifically critical as we show heat waves have devastating impacts on urban sustainability,” she said.

Another practical application is urban greening strategies around highly dense areas, which “can provide relief from urban heat island effects,” Bardhan said.

The authors stress “urgency” in recommending India update its extreme weather assessment to include the heat index and its impact on India’s sustainable development.

“India has demonstrated tremendous leadership in scaling up heat action plans in the last five years by declaring heat waves a natural disaster and mobilizing appropriate relief resources,” the authors said.

But “as the heat waves in India and the Indian subcontinent become recurrent and long-lasting, it is high time that climate experts and policymakers reevaluate the metrics for assessing the country’s climate vulnerability.”

By all accounts Arsenal was very much in the running to sign Ukrainian superstar Mykhailo Mudryk during the January transfer window. As the current Premier League leader, the 22-year-old forward had the potential to be a pivotal addition in the title race.

Instead, Mudryk signed for Arsenal’s crosstown rival, Chelsea.

Now run by American businessman Todd Boehly, Chelsea swooped in to sign Mudryk for a transfer fee of $75 million with an additional $35 million expected as a bonus payment, according to Mudryk’s former club, Shakhtar Donetsk.

Mudryk’s acquisition – as well as the deadline day, British-record $132 million deal for Enzo Fernández – demonstrated what a manic January transfer window it’s been Chelsea, one in which the club’s spending has topped $350 million, according to Transfermarkt, and which has seen eight players arrive, including a raft of attackers.

Back in May, the UK government approved the sale of Chelsea to an ownership group led by Boehly in a deal worth more than $5 billion.

Chelsea was previously owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who put the club up for sale in early March following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying at the time it was “in the best interest of the Club.”

In May, UK government added Abramovich to its list of sanctioned individuals as part of its efforts to “isolate” Russian President Vladimir Putin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Boehly’s reign has already seen him get rid of coach Thomas Tuchel, who guided Chelsea to its second Champions League title in 2020/21, replacing the German with Graham Potter.

As well as Chelsea, Boehly has invested in a number of sporting franchises, including stakes in the MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers, the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks.

Since arriving at Chelsea, it’s estimated that Boehly has spent over $600 million on transfers. Barely a day has gone by in January without Chelsea being linked with a host of players.

“It also has been a little draining because it feels like every day we’re waking up to a new link or a new story.”

Wheeling and dealing

While players have arrived, Chelsea’s results have been inconsistent – for the time being – as evidenced by the club’s fans pining for days gone by and singing, “We’ve got Super Tommy Tuchel,” during their team’s 4-0 hammering by Manchester City in the FA Cup in early January.

But Boehly’s splurge on new talent has never wavered.

“We’re all in – 100% – every minute of every match. Our vision as owners is clear: we want to make the fans proud,” said Boehly in a statement, released when his purchase of Chelsea was completed.

“Along with our commitment to developing the youth squad and acquiring the best talent, our plan of action is to invest in the Club for the long-term and build on Chelsea’s remarkable history of success.”

Boehly has gone out of his way to attempt to make the transition to life under Potter as smooth as possible, bringing in many of the former Brighton manager’s coaching and backroom staff to assist him.

Meanwhile Christopher Vivell joined as Chelsea’s technical director from RB Leipzig in Germany in December.

“He [Boehly] will provide important support to Graham and the ownership group and play a vital part in advancing our overall vision for the club,” Boehly told the club’s website when Vivell was appointed.

According to Dormer, Chelsea has never adequately replaced technical director Michael Emenalo, who left the club in 2017.

“If you think about it, over different managers, it’s like they were each a different kid and they requested a different Lego set, and they’re trying to build one unified project. And that means at times, not all the pieces fit together,” said Dormer.

The January transfer window is often viewed as the worst time to buy players, given clubs don’t want to lose valuable assets and arguably hold the upper hand in negotiations. Not that that has deterred the Blues.

As well as Mudryk, Benoît Badiashile, Noni Madueke, Malo Gusto, Andrey Santos, David Datro Fofana and Fernández were all signed on permanent deals while Portuguese superstar João Félix arrived on loan from Atlético Madrid.

Prior to Fernández’s transfer, Chelsea has bought 15 players this season, spending over $600 million, according to the CIES Football Observatory. The deal for Fernández brings the club’s recent transfer outlay to over $600 million.

That’s quite an outlay, but there is also a long-term strategy at play, with Chelsea targeting young players – 11 of the players signed for transfer fees are aged 22 or under.

Dormer says with older players running out of contract and some looking past their prime, there was a definite need to “replenish” the squad. On the final day of January’s transfer window, veteran midfielder Jorginho was sold to table-topping Arsenal.

“It’s almost like you went for your eye exam and the optometrist is asking: ‘Better one or better two?’ and helping you hone in to what the 20/20 vision is for your glasses,” said Dormer. “This is something where it has been an evolutionary process of trying to figure out who are those best players.”

Dormer believes Chelsea’s squad now has the required strength in depth.

“If Reece James is injured, Chelsea’s right-hand side dramatically dips in terms of total performance,” he explained.

“And so having similar levels of player to raise the floor on the individual behind your selected starter and then also to have the ability to rotate to keep the entirety of the team healthy, particularly as teams play 40 games, 50 games, 60 games plus a season – plus internationals, plus the lack of time off.”

However, this influx of talent potentially brings problems for Chelsea.

According to UEFA regulations, a club can only register three new players to its playing squad for the Champions League’s knockout stages, meaning that four of Mudryk, Félix, Badiashile, Madueke, Fofana and Fernández will not be able to play in the tournament for Chelsea.

Money, money, money

Big spending on transfers has almost rebounded to pre-pandemic levels this year, with Chelsea leading the pack.

According to the 2022 Global Transfer Market report published by FIFA, a total of $6.5 billion was spent by clubs in 2022, up 33.5% from $4.86 billion in 2021, but still below the levels of $6.94 billion in 2018 and $7.35 billion in 2019.

With over $600 million spent on new players by Chelsea alone, there have been questions about football’s financial regulations.

Chelsea is navigating the financial fair play regulations of both the Premier League and European football’s governing body, UEFA, by the process of amortization – giving players longer contracts so the cost of a transfer is spread across a number of years.

In Mudryk’s case, the Ukrainian signed an eight-and-a-half-year deal with the Blues, meaning his almost $110 million transfer fee will cost the club roughly $13 million a year. Fernandez also signed on an eight-and-a-half year contract at Stamford Bridge, according to the BBC.

Financial football expert Kieran Maguire – who says that he’s found Chelsea’s sudden transfer spending “strange” given the usual cautiousness of Clearlake Capital, the investment fund involved in the takeover – explained that amortization can be positive in the immediate future but has long-term consequences.

“You are then committed to paying the players’ wages over that six, seven, eight-year period.

“Chelsea are normally in the top three, certainly in the top four, wage commitments of Premier League clubs.

“So finding another club who’s willing to take the player off of Chelsea’s hands and pay them a level of remuneration to which the player is happy is going to be quite challenging.”

In January, UEFA announced it was altering its Financial Fair Play rules, setting a five-year limit over which a transfer fee can be spread in order to clamp down on the practice of excessive amortization.

However, the change will come into force during the summer of 2023 and will not apply retrospectively, meaning it will not affect Chelsea’s current spending spree.

Chelsea’s productive youth academy is also helping its bottom line – in recent years, Billy Gilmour, Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guéhi and Tammy Abraham have all brought in hefty fees.

However, does such a huge influx of players at Chelsea have implications for the club’s emerging prospects.

“It makes no sense having an academy system where the kids aren’t getting a chance to play at that level,” former Stoke City manager Tony Pulis told Sky Sports.

The growing disparity between the wealth of top clubs while others struggle financially is also raising concerns.

Fair Game, an organization “committed to the same principles and determined to improve the governance of our national game for the wider interests of football,” reiterated its calls for a transfer levy to put in place for Premier League clubs, saying it could raise almost $200 million which “could help provide a vital life line to clubs below the top flight that continue to struggle with the fall out of the pandemic and the day-to-day challenges of the cost-of-living crisis.”

According to Maguire, there’s an “arms race in terms of wages as a result of aggressive trading,” though he says the Premier League is more competitive than other European leagues, as evidenced by Chelsea and Liverpool’s 10th vs. ninth-placed clash last month.

“Football is a talent industry and the talent follows the money and the big clubs have the money,” said Maguire.

“I think it’s just really a case of trying to get a degree of competitive balance so that you don’t end up as we see in La Liga and some of the other European leagues where it is effectively a procession and that’s not good. The Premier League is successful because it’s got things right.”