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24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
South Korea's former first lady Kim Keon Hee arrested on corruption charges
The wife of jailed and impeached former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested over graft charges that include bribery and stock manipulation. Former first lady Kim Keon Hee, 52, will join her husband in prison, as he faces trial following his ouster in April over a botched bid to impose martial law. Ms Kim denied all charges during a four-hour court hearing in capital Seoul on Tuesday. The Seoul Central District Court granted the special prosecutor's request for an arrest warrant close to midnight, citing a risk of Ms Kim destroying evidence and interfering with the investigation. The charges against her, punishable by years in prison, range from stock fraud to bribery and illegal influence peddling that have implicated business owners, religious figures, and a political power broker. Prosecutors allege Ms Kim broke the law over an incident in which she wore a luxury Van Cleef and Arpels pendant reportedly worth more than 60m won or £32,100 while attending a Nato summit with the president in 2022. A spokesperson for the former first lady claimed Ms Kim told prosecutors the pendant she wore was a fake bought 20 years ago in Hong Kong. Ms Kim is also accused of receiving two Chanel bags together valued at 20m won (£10,700) and a diamond necklace from a religious group as a bribe in return for influence favourable to its business interests. She is alleged to have made over 800m won (£428,000) by participating in a price-rigging scheme involving the stocks of BMW dealer, Deutsch Motors. The investigation team led by special prosecutor Min Joong-ki, who was appointed in June by new liberal president Lee Jae Myung, questioned Ms Kim for about seven hours last Wednesday before deciding to seek her arrest. Ms Kim spoke briefly to reporters as she appeared for last week's questioning, issuing a vague apology for causing public concern but also hinting that she would deny the allegations against her, portraying herself as "someone insignificant". Investigators suspect that Ms Kim and Yoon exerted undue influence on the conservative People Power Party to nominate a specific candidate in a 2022 legislative by-election, allegedly at the request of election broker Myung Tae-kyun. Mr Myung faces accusations of conducting free opinion surveys for Yoon using manipulated data that possibly helped him win the party's presidential primaries before his election as president. While South Korea has a history of its presidents being indicted and jailed, Tuesday's development marks a first instance in which both a former president and spouse have been detained. Ms Kim will be held at a detention centre in southern Seoul, separate from the facility holding Yoon, according to reports. While in office, Yoon repeatedly dismissed calls to investigate his wife, denouncing them as baseless political attacks. Song Eon Seok, the floor leader of the People Power Party, told YTN radio that he had "would like to express that I hope the special prosecutor's investigation proceeds normally and fairly in accordance with the law and regulations". The former president is on trial on charges of insurrection, which could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty over his failed martial law bid in December 2024. Yoon, who also faces charges of abuse of power among others, has denied wrongdoing and refused to attend trial hearings or be questioned by prosecutors.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘Cheat sheets' in penalty shootouts: What's on them, how 'keepers make theirs and why they can be controversial
As Alexis Mac Allister stepped up to take Liverpool's second penalty of the Community Shield shootout on Sunday, Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson lingered by the post, water bottle in hand. His eyes flicked between Mac Allister, the referee, and the list of shooters taped to the bottle he was holding. Moments earlier, Mohamed Salah had blazed his attempt over the crossbar and Jean-Philippe Mateta had scored to give Palace the advantage. A save now could be decisive. Henderson glanced once more at his cheat sheet. Beside Mac Allister's name, it read simply: 'L (left).' Mac Allister approached slowly, head down, avoiding the goalkeeper's gaze. Henderson waited, reading the rhythm of the run-up, holding his nerve until the last possible moment. Then, just as the Argentinian planted his non-kicking foot, he lunged left, diving low and strong to push the ball around the post. Mac Allister froze in disbelief. Henderson sprang to his feet, ripped off the cap he was using to shield his eyes from the sun and gave a theatrical double tip toward the celebrating Palace fans at the other end of the stadium — the very picture of a 'keeper who had done his homework and was revelling in the rewards. Henderson also denied Harvey Elliott, helping Palace to a 3-2 shootout win for their second trophy in a matter of months. In May, they beat Manchester City 1-0 in the FA Cup final, another day when Henderson proved decisive at a spot kick, diving low to his right to deny Omar Marmoush what would have been an equaliser shortly before half-time. Two weeks before Sunday's drama at Wembley, another England goalkeeper, Hannah Hampton, taped some notes inside her left sleeve; detailed references on Spain's likely penalty takers in the final of the Women's European Championship, built from scouting reports and statistical analysis. Yet, this time, it wasn't just her list that became the talking point, but also the notes from Spanish counterpart Cata Coll, who had details on England's potential takers plastered to her water bottle. Hampton has claimed since the match that she threw her opponent's notes — and the bottle they were stuck to — into the crowd after spotting it sitting by the goal. 'I wasn't going to let them have that advantage,' she said. Coll appeared to mock the claim on social media, posting: 'OK, OK, calm down, calm down. At least if it were true…' The concept of the cheat sheet has been around long enough now to lose its novelty, but at the elite level of the game, it has never been more precise or more public. Jordan Pickford was spotted during the England men's team's Euro 2024 quarter-final shootout win against Switzerland with a cheat sheet that contained the Swiss players' names, the direction he should dive, and sometimes a brief cue, 'stay' or 'delay'. The idea behind 'delay' is simple: against takers who stutter or watch the 'keeper, holding your position forces them to commit without the early cue they are looking for. By staying balanced and still until the last moment, the goalkeeper still has both sides covered and can even sow doubt in the mind of the taker, increasing the chance of a poor strike. Pickford saved a pivotal penalty from Manuel Akanji that day, after diving the way his research instructed him. It was enough for the win, and England's men ended up in a second straight Euros final. By the time Everton faced Manchester City in the Premier League later that year, Pickford's notes had evolved into a far richer dataset (see main photo). Alongside each name sat percentages showing where that player had previously placed their penalties, with a simple colour code — green marking the most likely direction of their shot. Next to Erling Haaland's name was an illustration highlighting how he put his penalties to the right 55 per cent of the time. Once again, Pickford's cheat sheet proved correct as he went right to keep out Haaland's penalty in the 53rd minute, saving a valuable point for Everton during their fight to avoid relegation. Though Pickford's two sets of notes were different in style, they did share one common theme: they were basic and clear, stripped down to the essentials. The value in that simplicity shouldn't be underestimated. In a shootout, where heart rate and adrenaline can spike and decision-making windows shrink to a second or less, the clearer the instruction, the easier it is to execute. Penalty preparation has been steadily building for nearly two decades. Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's small slip of paper in his sock during the 2006 World Cup quarter-final shootout against Argentina is often cited as the origin point in the modern game. It contained hand-written notes about Argentina's likely takers and was theatrically consulted before each attempt. Again, the information was simple, but the act was deliberate — a blend of preparation and intimidation. Lehmann would go on to save two of the four Argentina penalties as the tournament's host nation advanced to the semis. From a coaching perspective, analysing the opponents' penalty history is largely done to provide a series of tactics for your goalkeepers to rely on in a crucial moment when thinking clearly can be one of the hardest things to do under pressure. At its core, a cheat sheet is less about telling you where to dive and more about reducing mental clutter. In those moments before a penalty is taken, a 'keeper faces sensory overload: crowd noise, the opposing player's body language, the referee's whistle, the internal pressure to make a decisive intervention. A printed cue provides an anchor. Even if the taker changes their mind at the last second, the goalkeeper starts from a position of informed readiness rather than guesswork. There is also an undeniable psychological layer at play. When a 'keeper pauses to study their bottle or wrist, it is as much theatre as it is preparation. The action broadcasts a message to the taker: 'I already know where you will shoot.' That alone can be enough to trigger hesitation, a subtly altered run-up, or a mistimed strike. What a goalkeeper includes in these notes ultimately comes down to personal preference. Some want as much data as possible, others prefer a single cue. It's a personal preference how much information a goalkeeper takes with them on the field. Matt Freese, a goalkeeper for New York City in MLS who did a research project on penalties at Harvard University, told The Athletic that he begins preparing for opponents days in advance. He saved three FC Cincinnati spot kicks in a shootout in last year's MLS Cup play-offs to send his team through, 'I had no cheat sheet, nothing like that,' he says. 'I had all 20 guys on their roster memorised.' In most conversations I've had with fellow goalkeepers, simpler is better. You want enough to feel prepared, but not so much that you're overloaded when the whistle blows. And if, in the moment, your instincts tell you something different from the notes, go with your gut. In the game's most crucial moments, that feeling is often the correct one. Trust it. The key is to read the taker's body cues — planted foot, hip alignment, shoulders, stride cadence — and then make a decisive, well-timed move. Combine that with the hours of video studied in preparation, and you have the subtle details that can tip the scales, the details most viewers never notice but goalkeepers live by. This year, in my role as goalkeeping coach for Swedish club Malmo's under-19s side, I prepared a cheat sheet for the Ligacupen final in Sweden — insurance in case our game with Hammarby went to penalties. To give our goalkeeper the best chance of feeling secure, we met on the morning of the match, watched every penalty our opponents had taken, and broke down each shooter's tendencies. Together, we decided exactly what he wanted printed on his bottle: name, number, dominant foot, and preferred side. Nothing more. It was designed to be read at a glance, because in a shootout, complexity isn't just unhelpful, it's the enemy of execution. In the end, we didn't need the cheat sheet. We won 2-0 in normal time to secure our second consecutive cup title, but the exercise became an important reference point. It gave us clarity on how we wanted to scout opposition shooters and the tactics we could trust in the future. The evolution of these sheets mirrors the broader data revolution in football. What started as instinct and memory has become a blend of video analysis, statistical profiling and behavioural study. Elite clubs and teams now track every competitive penalty an opposing player has taken, building a database that maps preferred sides, shot heights and strike patterns. For the goalkeeper, the challenge is balancing that information with the reality of the moment. Some players will go against their pattern in a final, others will double down on their comfort zone under pressure. The goalkeeper's job is to read both the data and the person in front of them. That's why Henderson's and Hampton's shootouts were as much about presence as they were about prediction. As teams search for even the smallest advantage, this trend shows no sign of slowing. Hampton's tactics highlight that goalkeepers, coaches, and analysts are already exploring alternative ways to store and reference penalty information discreetly. It's not hard to imagine other innovations emerging — a laminated wristband hidden inside a glove or tucked in a sock, or a set of small, colour-coded symbols put on a glove to indicate preferred shooting sides. And while wearable technology, which could send subtle cues by sense of touch, remains off-limits under the Laws of the Game, rapid technological advances mean the possibility lingers in the background. But as Hampton demonstrated, even the most creative storage method is only part of the battle. The other half is guarding that information and ensuring your opponent never gets the chance to use it against you. Henderson's and Hampton's moments this summer were, on the surface, just two shootouts. However, they were also snapshots of a broader truth: the penalty is no longer just a duel between taker and 'keeper. It's a contest between preparation models, information security, and psychological nerve. One goalkeeper displayed his cues; the other ensured hers (and those of her opponent) remained hidden. They both ended up lifting the trophy. In the fine margins of modern football, that may be the ultimate reminder that in a shootout, it's the smallest scrap of information that can tip the balance between glory and defeat. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Premier League, Soccer, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Market environment in Europe remains challenging – Break-even threshold reduced – Feintool demonstrates financial strength and reliability
Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Article 53 LR The Feintool Group's business performance in the first half of 2025 reflects, on the one hand, the ongoing challenging market environment in the automotive sector, particularly in Europe, while on the other hand, it is clear that our strategy is taking effect and the measures initiated to realign Feintool are having an impact in the context of the changed market situation. Sales declined by 14.2% to CHF 334.5 million. In local currencies, the decline amounted to 11.5%. The break-even threshold was further reduced, the operating result (EBIT) before one-off costs amounts to CHF -0.8 million. The outlook for the second half of 2025 is cautious. In the medium term, the megatrends toward low-carbon energy generation, storage, and mobility are creating enormous potential for Feintool's technologies. Last year, the automotive industry already showed varying developments globally, depending on drive technology and region. This trend continued in the first six months of 2025: Feintool performed well in Asia and the US, at least in terms of units sold, although revenue growth was held back by lower raw material prices and negative currency effects. Europe, on the other hand, continued to be characterized by weak sales of electric vehicles and correspondingly low demand for laminated electrical components. Business with components for combustion and hybrid drives held up comparatively well, with Feintool being able to realize selective price increases. Demand for industrial applications remained subdued, although Feintool was able to gain market share in heat pump components and achieve encouraging sales growth. Feintool strategy is proving its worthIn this environment, Feintool's strategy of focusing on three core technologies and a global manufacturing network is proving to be the right approach. Feintool is excellently positioned in the fineblanking and forming technologies and is benefiting from the continued strong demand for vehicles with conventional and hybrid drives in all regions, particularly in the US. Feintool is the market leader in this traditional core business and has further strengthened its profitability thanks to an improved cost structure. At the same time, the transition to purely electric vehicles and the use of environmentally friendly energy in general is continuing worldwide, albeit more slowly than expected. Accordingly, e-lamination stamping remains the technology of the future, as does FEINforming for bipolar plates for fuel cells and electrolyzers. Feintool's successful globalization strategy is also paying off. With 18 plants worldwide, the company produces locally for the respective markets, which ensures that Feintool can meet demand in all markets at all times. In addition, it is only minimally affected by customs tariffs. The exception is Japan, where Feintool manufactures components for export, to a significant extent for Japanese manufacturers in the US. Break-even threshold further reduced Given the challenging environment, Feintool performed respectably in the first half of 2025. The Group generated sales of CHF 334.5 million, CHF 55.5 million or 14.2% less than in the same period of the previous year (H1 2024: CHF 390.0 million). In local currencies, the decline amounted to 11.5%. The operating result (EBIT) before one-off costs amounted to CHF -0.8 million. After one-off costs, the reported operating result (EBIT) was CHF -1.9 million (H1 2024: CHF 0.2 million). Despite lower sales, the operating result (EBIT) thus remained almost stable and the break-even threshold was further reduced. On the one hand, this illustrates the effectiveness of the restructuring program initiated at the Swiss site in Lyss. On the other hand, price increases for selected fineblanked and formed components and cost reductions at suppliers also affected this result. The net result for the first half of 2025 amounted to CHF -5.0 million. The Feintool Group invested CHF 29.3 million in the first half of 2025, primarily to support growth in North America and Asia (H1 2024: CHF 29.0 million). As a result of ongoing investment activity and weak profitability, free cash flow was negative at CHF -17.7 million in the reporting period (H1 2024: CHF -15.4 million). As of June 30, 2025, the Feintool Group had net debt of CHF 80.1 million (December 31, 2024: CHF 42.7 million). With equity of CHF 426.4 million, corresponding to an equity ratio of 55.5%, the Feintool Group is in a robust financial position (December 31, 2024: CHF 451.6 million; 55.7%). This financial strength enables us to act as a stable and reliable long-term partner even in a challenging market environment – a significant advantage when it comes to securing major orders and fostering lasting customer relationships. Weak demand for e-vehicles in EuropeIn Europe, the Feintool Group generated sales of CHF 199.6 million in the first half of 2025, 17.5% less than in the same period of the previous year (H1 2024: CHF 241.8 million). In local currencies, the decrease was 15.4%. The reason for the decline in sales is the massive fall in demand for laminated electrical components for electric vehicles. Overcapacity led to planned vehicle programs being postponed, reduced in scope or can-celled. This also affected major projects that Feintool was supplying, such as a leading German car manufacturer that discontinued production of an e-vehicle series at an early stage. The reorganization of the production of components for electric motors at the Feintool sites in Germany, announced in December 2024, has begun. The corresponding planning and negotiations with customers and employee representatives are at an advanced stage. The adjustment of capacities to the new situation in the European automotive sector is expected to be completed in 2027 and will enable an improvement in restructuring of the fineblanking and forming activities is proceeding according to plan. The relocation of high-volume production from Lyss (CH) to the state-of-the-art European plant in Most (CZ) will be completed by the end of the year, and the Lyss site will focus on its role as a center of excellence for fineblanking tool technology and hydrogen applications. Presence in Asia is being expanded At CHF 38.5 million, sales in Asia in the first six months of 2025 were 12.5% lower than in the same period of the previous year (H1 2024: CHF 44.0 million). In local currencies, the decrease was 9.5%. The reasons for the decline are, on the one hand, falling exports from Japan due to the import duties of 25% imposed by the US. On the other hand, end customers whose suppliers Feintool provides with components lost market share due to fierce competition in the automotive market in China. Overall, Feintool continues to see solid demand for electric motor components in China. For example, Feintool won an order for electric motor cores for one of China's largest commercial vehicle manufacturers, with an estimated lifetime volume of CHF 30 million. The order, which will start in the second half of 2025, underscores Feintool's strong strategic and technological position. The long-term order won last year in the field of hydrogen mobility, which involves the large-scale production of bipolar plates for a leading Chinese manufacturer of fuel cells, is currently in the ramp-up phase. In Japan, business with seat adjuster components in particular has developed well. Construction work on a new plant in the Pune metropolitan region in India began in the first half of the year. Feintool will initially produce seat adjuster components for leading automotive manufacturers at the plant, which is scheduled to start operations as early as 2026. Feintool is the global leader in these fineblanked components. In a second expansion stage, high-precision formed parts for hybrid applications might also be manufactured. Strong position in the USAt CHF 98.0 million, sales in the US in the first six months of 2025 were 7.3% lower than in the same period of the previous year (H1 2024: CHF 105.7 million). In local currencies, the decrease was 3.0%. The decline is primarily due to lower raw material prices, which account for around half of product prices, and the weak US dollar. In terms of number of units sold, the volume was significantly higher than in the prior-year period. In the US region, Feintool was able to build on the excellent performance of the previous year. Supported by its clear number one position in fineblanking and forming as well as its financial strength, Feintool won new orders for combustion and especially hybrid applications and, as in previous years, was able to further expand its market share. The expansion of the Nashville site was completed and the plant is currently ramping up to full capacity. The costs associated with installing the equipment temporarily reduced the margin in the reporting period. Short-term outlook cautious, medium-term outlook optimistic The outlook for the second half of 2025 is cautious. Feintool does not expect the market trend to change significantly. Our largest market, Europe, is likely to remain challenging. Feintool's main focus will be on sustainably improving the Feintool Group's cost structure in Europe. Business in Asia and the US should continue to develop well, and the general market shift towards Asia will become more pronounced. Against this backdrop, Feintool is convinced that the establishment of a new production site in India will pay off in the future. In the medium term, Feintool is optimistic that the global megatrends towards low-carbon energy generation, storage and mobility will remain intact. These megatrends create enormous potential for the Feintool Group's technologies in structurally growing markets. With this in mind, Feintool reaffirms its goal of achieving an EBIT margin of over 6% in the medium term. Overview of Key Financial Indicators 01.01.-30.06.2025in CHF mio. 01.01.-30.06.2024in CHF mio. Change Change in local currency Net Revenue Feintool Group 334.5 390.1 -14.2% -11.5% Segment Europe 199.6 241.8 -17.5% -15.4% Segment USA 98.0 105.7 -7.3% -3.0% Segment Asia 38.5 44.0 -12.5% -9.5% Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) * 23.1 27.2 -15.0% -10.3% Operating result (EBIT) * -1.9 0.2 -960.4% -748.0% Segment Europe -2.4 -3.6 32.5% 32.5% Segment USA 7.4 7.9 -6.7% -2.6% Segment Asia 1.7 3.9 -55.9% -54.0% Consolidated net profit -5.0 -3.2 -56.1% -58.2% Free Cashflow -17.7 -15.4 * incl. one-off effect 30.06.2025in CHF mio. 31.12.2024in CHF mio. Change Balance sheet total 768.8 810.7 -5.2% Equity capital 426.4 451.6 -5.6% Net debt 80.1 42.7 87.9% 30.06.2025 30.06.2024 Change Employees 3 118 3 274 -156 Apprentices 80 85 -5 Webcast and conference callThe presentation of the half-year results 2025 will take place online on 13th August 2025 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM (Swiss time). CEO Lars Reich and CFO Thomas Erne will present the half-year results for 2025 and provide an outlook for the remainder of the financial year. Registration can be accessed under the following link: Link to the webcast: All documents relating to the half-year results 2025 are available at About FeintoolFeintool is an international technology and market leader in electrolamination stamping, fineblanking, and forming. We manufacture high-quality precision parts in large volumes from steel. We supply the automotive industry, energy infrastructure equipment providers, and all manner of high-end industrial manufacturers. Feintool's products perfectly complement the megatrends for renewable energy generation, storage, and usage. Our core technologies deliver measurable cost-efficiency, consistent quality, and improved productivity. Feintool constantly expands the horizons of its production methods and develops intelligent solutions, innovative tools, and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes in line with customer needs. Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Switzerland, the company has 18 production sites, 3,100 employees and 80 vocational trainees in Europe, the USA, China, Japan and India. Feintool is publicly listed and majority-owned by the Artemis Group. Feintool International Holding AGIndustriering 83250 LyssSchweiz Media contact Joël HafnerPhone +41 32 387 51 The press release can be downloaded from the following link: Press Release (PDF)Sign in to access your portfolio
