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AEG Presents Asia Pacific announces Dion Brant as new President and CEO

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9 July 2025

AEG Presents Asia Pacific announces Dion Brant as new President and CEO

Dion Brant, the CEO of AEG Presents’ Australian concert promoter Frontier Touring, has been appointed President and CEO of AEG Presents Asia Pacific, effective immediately.

Brant will continue in his role as chief executive at Frontier Touring, and will retain his seat on the company’s Board of Directors working out of Melbourne, AEG said in a statement on Tuesday (July 8).

In his new roles, Brant will report to Adam Wilkes, President and CEO of AEG Presents Europe and Asia Pacific. He will spearhead AEG Presents’ ongoing growth and development in Asia, working to further strengthen the company’s footprint and strategic direction.

Brant’s involvement with Frontier Touring began in 2013, when he was recruited by the Mushroom Group to head strategy and development across the company. He moved full-time to Frontier Touring a year later.

He worked closely with Mushroom Group and Frontier co-founder Michael Gudinski, and was a key player in negotiating Frontier’s joint venture with AEG Presents in 2019.

Brant took on the CEO role at Frontier following Gudinski’s untimely passing in 2021, after which AEG Presents took a controlling stake in the company.

“Dion is a highly respected executive who has played an integral role in our success,” Wilkes said in a statement.

“His leadership at Frontier has been transformational, proving he’s a steady hand capable of guiding our business into the future. I couldn’t be happier to name Dion to this position.”

“[Dion’s] leadership at Frontier has been transformational.”

Adam Wilkes, AEG Presents

Brant added: “I’ve worked closely with Adam for over a decade and have first-hand knowledge of the exceptional team he has built in AEG Presents’ Asia Pacific operations. And of course, our incredibly talented group at Frontier gives me the ability to split my time and take on this extra responsibility with the confidence that we’ll continue to lead the Australia and New Zealand markets.

“I look forward to getting involved and helping to maintain positive momentum from what has been a successful period under Adam’s leadership. This further opens opportunities for us to bring the Frontier Touring and Asia Pacific businesses closer together, sharing insights, building capabilities, and enhancing our offering for artists across the region.”

Brant’s appointment comes in the wake of a spate of personnel changes at the top of AEG Presents, notably a restructuring in January under which Wilkes assumed responsibility for AEG Presents’ European and Asia-Pacific operations, while Alex Hill assumed leadership of all of AEG’s global real estate and venue operations outside of the US, in the new position of President and CEO, AEG International.

Shortly thereafter, Andrew Klein was promoted to President of Global Partnerships. The company’s Global Touring division has also seen new faces at the top, with Angie Rho named Senior Vice President of the division last November, while Weston Herbert was named Vice President in January.

“This further opens opportunities for us to bring the Frontier Touring and Asia Pacific businesses closer together.”

Dion Brant, Frontier Touring, AEG Presents

In March, AEG Presents promoted seven executives to Senior Vice President roles in the Global Partnerships division, namely Andrew Bersch, Holli Branam, Samantha Fernandez, Brianne Grimley, Bret Heiman, Eric Kohler, and Alex McArthur.

Most recently, Andrew Spencer was named Chief Operating Officer at AEG Presents Europe, and Joe Jaeger was promoted to the role of AEG Presents’ Vice President, Integrated Marketing and Strategy.

A division of Anschutz Entertainment Group, AEG Presents is the world’s second-largest live music and entertainment company, behind Live Nation.Music Business Worldwide

Guatemala Hit by 5.7-Magnitude Earthquake, Map Shows

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9 July 2025

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Guatemala Hit by 5.7-Magnitude Earthquake, Map Shows

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 4 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “light,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown. All times on the map are Central time. The New York Times

A moderately strong, 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck in Guatemala on Tuesday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The temblor happened at 3:41 p.m. Central time about 10 miles southwest of Guatemala City, data from the agency shows.

U.S.G.S. data earlier reported that the magnitude was 5.6.

As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map.

Aftershocks in the region

An aftershock is usually a smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same general area. Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake.

Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles

Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These events can be of equal or larger magnitude to the initial earthquake, and they can continue to affect already damaged locations.

When quakes and aftershocks occurred

Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Central time. Shake data is as of Tuesday, July 8 at 8:17 p.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Tuesday, July 8 at 9:42 p.m. Eastern.

Maps: Daylight (urban areas); Natural Earth (roads, labels, terrain)

Stealthy Fold-Out Camper Pickup Cap for Outdoor Trailster: Unplug and Explore

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9 July 2025

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Stealthy Fold-Out Camper Pickup Cap for Outdoor Trailster: Unplug and Explore

Different yet familiar, the new Trailster Truck Camper from Arizona’s Unplug Outdoor Company is yet another spin on the pickup camping topper, a particularly low profile, lightweight spin. The Trailster stands at cab height on the bed like a heavy-duty expedition-grade cap, but rather than the simple fixed body of other caps, it features an integrated fold-out tent ready to sleep the overland crew.

When clamped atop the bed rails and all closed up, the Trailster looks like any other aluminum-bodied pickup cap, quite similar to the Go Fast Platform Topper or Westin EXP Truck Cap. Truth be told, it looks like any metal cap, including stainless steel variants like the RSI SmartCap and Rough Country Truck Bed Cap.

Like those alternatives, it provides full weather protection and lockable security over top the truck bed, protecting all contents. It can also be equipped with front and rear windows for better visibility and a brake light.

The Trailster fits the spectrum of midsize and full-size truck beds and sits at roughly cab height for a low-profile style and ride

Unplug Outdoor Co

Unlike those other truck caps, the Trailster hides a rather big secret, a second function that turns it into something beyond a basic fixed shell. Integrated into the roof is a fold-out hardtop tent that functions similarly to the iKamper Skycamp or Porsche 911 tent. The strut-assisted roof folds sideways to near-vertical position, and the extended floor folds out, pulling up the tent body along with it, to complete the sleeping space. The 7.5-foot (2.3-m) telescoping ladder extends to the ground to support the expanded floor area and, of course, deliver access up to the tent.

The tent itself is crafted from 280-g polyester ripstop blackout canvas with a 2,000-mm waterproof rating. A 2-in (5-cm) memory foam mattress is part of the standard kit, and Unplug also offers a 4-in (10-cm) inflatable mattress as an upgrade. The amount of sleeping space depends on the size of the truck’s bed since the Trailster cap is designed to fit precisely, with floor areas ranging between 78 x 48 in (198 x 122 cm) on 5-foot short beds to 84 x 84 in (213 x 213 cm) on 8-foot beds.

The tent itself comes with a variety of storage, a 2-in foam mattress, an anti-condensation mat, a heat/A/C port and a tablet holder

Unplug also equips the tent with a heating/AC port for air-blown climate control, an anti-condensation mat below the mattress, and an available winter liner to bolster insulation. A variety of internal pockets and sleeves helps campers stay organized, day and night, and a 12-in tablet sleeve on the ceiling works for watching movies or TV shows.

Outside, the Unplug Trailster includes a pair of T-track roof rails for mounting up racks and accessories and two L tracks on each side for additional mounting flexibility. The rear hatch door opens upward for access into the pickup bed.

Though the tent causes the Trailster to sit lower than other caps, it still leaves plenty of bed space open for gear and cargo haul

The Trailster is similar to the style of roof-integrated fold-out tent we’ve seen recently on the Tonke VW Buzz camper van and Jeep Wrangler ARTT concept, albeit built into a removable pickup cap instead of the OEM roof. This type of integrated camper design offers a lighter, lower-profile ride than either a pop-up pickup topper or a rooftop tent mounted atop a traditional pickup cap.

The smallest 5-foot-bed Trailster weighs in at 215 lb (96 kg), which is comparable to what some heavy-duty truck caps weigh on their own, no tent included. That’s also well lighter than the 300-lb+ (136-kg+) figures we’re used to seeing for pop-up pickup camping toppers with above-cab alcoves and comparable to non-alcove camping toppers like the Radica Moonlander and Ovrlnd Bivy.

Once packed up, the Trailster rides like a regular metal bed cap

Compared to a standard fixed, cab-height shell, the Trailster offers much more spacious, dedicated sleeping accommodations than simply throwing a sleeping pad down in the truck bed. Campers also don’t have to remove cargo from the pickup bed to make room for sleeping.

We also see a few disadvantages. The framed tent floor is integrated into the upper body of the Trailster cap, lowering the internal height over the pickup bed and decreasing overall cargo volume. The design also eliminates the side hatch doors that other caps include for easy cargo access, particularly helpful in grabbing cargo stored at the front of the truck bed.

A closer look at the integrated tent floor

The Trailster starts between US$5,500 and $6,500, depending on size, which is cheaper than most pop-up pickup camping toppers we’ve looked at over the years. Comparing it to a combination of rooftop tent and pickup cap, on the other hand, will ultimately depend on the models being compared, but its pricing certainly falls within the range of options.

Source: Unplug Outdoor Co

Challenging Clients

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9 July 2025

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Client Challenge

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi and Saudi Crown Prince MBS engage in productive discussions in Jeddah | Recent developments in Israel-Iran conflict discussed

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9 July 2025

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi and Saudi Crown Prince MBS engage in productive discussions in Jeddah | Recent developments in Israel-Iran conflict discussed

Tehran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi visits Saudi Arabia for the first time after Iran’s 12-day war with Israel.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Jeddah in the first visit by a top Iranian official to the Gulf kingdom after Israel’s war with Tehran.

Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Araghchi’s talks with Prince Mohammed and other Saudi officials on Tuesday were “fruitful”.

The visit after the 12-day intense conflict between Israel and Iran, which saw the United States bomb three Iranian nuclear facilities before mediating a ceasefire, suggests that the war did not derail the rapprochement between Tehran and Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia’s official news agency, SPA, said Araghchi and Prince Mohammed “reviewed bilateral relations and discussed the latest regional developments and the efforts being made in that regard”.

“The Crown Prince expressed the Kingdom’s aspiration that the ceasefire agreement would contribute to creating conditions that promote security and stability in the region, emphasizing the Kingdom’s stance in supporting dialogue through diplomatic means as a path to resolving disputes,” SPA said.

It added that Araghchi expressed his gratitude to the kingdom for “condemning the Israeli aggression”.

The top Iranian diplomat also met with Saudi Minister of Defence Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz and Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Israel launched a massive bombardment against Iran on June 13, without direct provocation, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists as well as hundreds of civilians.

Iran retaliated with missile barrages that left widespread destruction in Israel.

After the US targeted Iran’s nuclear sites, Tehran responded with a missile launch against a US airbase in Qatar. Shortly after that attack, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

While Arab countries condemned the attack as a violation of Qatar’s sovereignty, Iran appears to be pushing to repair relations with Gulf states.

Ties between Tehran and Riyadh were strained for years over disagreements around regional conflicts and mutual accusations of spreading instability.

But the two countries agreed to restore formal relations as part of a deal brokered by China in 2023, and top Saudi and Iranian officials have been in regular contact.

Before the outbreak of the recent war, Saudi Arabia had welcomed Iran’s nuclear talks with the US, saying it supported efforts to resolve regional and international disputes.

On Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he believed Tehran could resolve its differences with the US through dialogue, but trust would be an issue after the attacks on his country.

In an article published by the Financial Times earlier on Tuesday, Araghchi accused Israel of preferring conflict over diplomacy.

“Iran remains interested in diplomacy, but we have good reason to have doubts about further dialogue,” he wrote. “If there is a desire to resolve this amicably, the US should show genuine readiness for an equitable accord.”

Trump announces plans for high copper tariffs as he expands trade conflict

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9 July 2025

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Trump announces plans for high copper tariffs as he expands trade conflict

Trump says steep copper tariffs in store as he broadens his trade war

Marseille under threat from wildfire as one thousand firefighters protect the city

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8 July 2025

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Marseille under threat from wildfire as one thousand firefighters protect the city

Watch: Planes douse flames as wildfire rages near Marseille

A thousand firefighters have been mobilised to battle a wildfire that has reached the outer edge of Marseille, France’s second largest city.

“The marine firefighter battalion is waging guerrilla warfare, hoses in hand,” said the city’s Mayor Benoît Payan, referring to Marseille’s fire and rescue service.

The prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône area, Georges-François Leclerc, urged local residents to remain indoors and said firefighters were “defending” the city.

He said that while the situation was not static, it was “under control”.

At least 400 people have been evacuated from their homes, according to French media. Nine firefighters are said to have been injured.

About 20 buildings were at least partly hit by the fire and hundreds of homes have been saved by firefighters, Leclerc said.

At its peak, the fire spread at a rate of 1.2km (0.7 miles) per minute, Payan said, according to French broadcaster BFMTV. This was due to a unique combination of wind gusts, dense vegetation and steep slopes.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who was on a state visit to the UK, expressed support for fire crews and called for residents to follow safety instructions.

“Our thoughts are with the injured and all residents,” he wrote on X.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau arrived in Marseille on Tuesday evening, where he met local officials.

Marseille Provence airport has partially reopened after being closed since midday. Julien Coffinier, the airport’s president, said he had “never experienced a situation of this magnitude”.

Getty Images Smoke rises above the port of Marseille — Huge plumes of smoke rose above France’s second biggest city

Residents have been advised to stay inside, close shutters and doors, and keep roads clear for emergency services.

The fire, which broke out earlier on Tuesday near Pennes-Mirabeau, north of Marseille, is said to have covered about 700 hectares (7 sq km).

Local authorities said the blaze was sparked by a car that caught fire on the motorway, and that it could continue to spread as strong winds are set to blow until late this evening.

“It’s very striking – apocalyptic even,” Monique Baillard, a resident of the town, told Reuters news agency. She said many of her neighbours had already left.

Payan asked residents to remain “extremely vigilant” and to limit their movements.

Footage posted online showed huge plumes of smoke above Marseille as fire raged in a hilly area to its north.

The Bouches-du-Rhône area has not recorded a single drop of rain since 19 May, according to BFMTV.

A police officer tries to put out a fire in a car near Marseille

Getty Images A police officer tries to put out a fire in a car during a wildfire — A police officer tries to put out a fire in a car near Marseille

Elsewhere in France, another wildfire that started near Narbonne on Monday remains active, fanned by winds of 60km/h (40mph). Some 2,000 hectares have burnt, local officials said.

Wildfires were also reported in other parts of Europe, including the Catalonia region of north-east Spain, where more than 18,000 people were ordered to stay at home because of a wildfire in the eastern province of Tarragona.

Emergency units were deployed alongside 300 firefighters as high winds overnight fanned the flames, which have spread across nearly 3,000 hectares (7,413 acres) of land.

Several other parts of Spain – which experienced its hottest June on record – were on high alert for wildfires.

In Greece, some 41 wildfires broke out across the country on Monday. Of those, 34 were contained early while seven remained active into Monday evening, according to the fire service.

Much of western and southern Europe was hit by a scorching early summer heatwave, sparking fires that saw thousands evacuated from their homes.

Trump stands firm on Aug. 1 tariff deadline despite ongoing stock decline

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8 July 2025

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Trump stands firm on Aug. 1 tariff deadline despite ongoing stock decline

Markets extended their downward slide on Tuesday as investors remained wary about the looming tariff deadline, with the S&P 500 dipping 0.07%.

After a celebratory June, which saw the S&P 500 reach record highs, July is off to a gloomy start. The threat of tariffs looms once again for investors, as President Trump insists he will stand by a new negotiation deadline of Aug. 1 for the bruising campaign of levies that he announced in April.

Stocks continued their downward dip from Monday, with the S&P 500 falling 0.07%, driven by modest drops in blue-chip companies like Amazon and Microsoft. And lest wary onlookers hope for another delay, Trump posted on Truth Social that Aug. 1 would be the final opportunity for U.S. trade partners to come to the table, after previously stating the deadline was not “100% firm.”

“No extensions will be granted,” he wrote on his social-media platform. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Trump’s second term in office has been an economic rollercoaster, with stocks falling dramatically after his Liberation Day tariff announcement in April before recovering after he backed off from the steep demands. But even as markets ticked back up, the original extension of July 9 remained as a ticking time bomb. And while Trump signed an executive order on Monday to push the deadline once again to Aug. 1, it wasn’t enough to calm investors.

The imminent reciprocal tariffs are not the only expected economic policy from the White House this week, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent telling CNBC on Monday that it was going to be a “busy couple of days.” On Tuesday, Trump announced a new 50% tariff on copper, though he did not set a date that it would go into effect. To date, the White House has only hammered out deals with Britain and Vietnam, and an expected deal with India remains uncertain.

While markets remain jumpy, Trump continues to put pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that Powell should “resign immediately,” once again criticizing the central banker’s decision not to lower interest rates. Powell, however, has cited the potential impact of tariffs on inflation as a reason the Fed has kept rates steady.

Despite the volatility, stocks have not fallen as sharply as they did in April when Trump first announced his tariffs campaign, sending markets into a downward spiral. And while his Tuesday post on Truth Social insisted that Aug. 1 would be the last chance for countries to negotiate, he has repeatedly moved the goalposts in the past.

One bright spot amid Tuesday’s sea of red was Tesla, which rose 1.33% on Tuesday despite CEO Elon Musk’s public spat with Trump. In a new note on Tuesday morning, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote that Tesla has reached a “tipping point,” calling for the board to end the “soap opera.” One of his recommendations was for Musk to reduce his work, including his recent campaign to create a new political party.

After Ives posted his demands to X, Musk issued a brief reply: “Shut up, Dan.”

Introducing the 2025 Fortune 500, the definitive ranking of the biggest companies in America. Explore this year’s list.

Spain and France Ravaged by Wildfires Following Recent Heat Wave

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8 July 2025

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Spain and France Ravaged by Wildfires Following Recent Heat Wave

new video loaded: Wildfires Rage in Parts of Spain and France After Recent Heat Wave

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Reportedly, Korea Exchange offices raided in connection with HYBE IPO investigation.

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8 July 2025

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Reportedly, Korea Exchange offices raided in connection with HYBE IPO investigation.

South Korean police raided Korea Exchange offices last week (June 30) as part of an expanding investigation into alleged securities violations related to HYBE’s 2020 IPO.

Citing Korean police, Korea JoongAng Daily reported on Thursday (July 3) that the raid targeted the exchange’s Yeouido office in Seoul, where investigators secured data related to the listing review process for the K-pop giant.

Police told the news outlet that they were collecting evidence for their probe into potential capital markets law violations by HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk.

In late May, it was reported that the South Korean financial watchdog, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), intensified its probe into Chairman Bang regarding alleged arrangements with specific investors and private equity funds prior to the company’s 2020 IPO.

While this story was initially covered at the close of 2024, it gained renewed attention more than a month ago when the Korea Economic Daily published additional details.

The publication said the FSS was conducting “a fast-tracked investigation into [Chairman] Bang’s transactions with the PEFs and plans to refer the case to prosecutors for potential criminal prosecution.”

HYBE, formerly Big Hit Entertainment, went public on the Korea Exchange in October 2020 after raising 962.6 billion South Korean won (approx. $706 million). At the time, MBW noted that the 36.6% stake held by Bang was worth 3.14 trillion won (approx. $2.3bn), making him the sixth richest person in Korea, according to the Korea Herald.

According to the allegations, Chairman Bang diverted potential investors away from HYBE’s planned public offering in 2019, instead directing them toward a private equity fund controlled by an associate, JoongAng reported.

Investigators reportedly claim Chairman Bang received 400 billion won (approx. $293 million) or 30% of the private equity fund’s investment returns after HYBE completed its listing in October 2020. Authorities reportedly allege this payment was not disclosed in the company’s required securities filings, according to the news outlet.

The latest development follows an earlier raid carried out by authorities in South Korea at HYBE’s headquarters as part of a separate investigation into alleged insider trading by a former executive.

That unnamed former exec, as reported by the Korea Times, allegedly made $176,500 by buying shares in rival K-pop company YG Entertainment’s subsidiary YG Plus, after learning that HYBE was planning to invest in the stock.

HYBE’s shares closed 5% lower in Seoul trading on Friday, the lowest level in over a month.

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