English with Anna

Labubu maker learns from Disney Pop Mart, a Chinese toy company, has achieved global success with its character Labubu. The company’s strategy is inspired by Disney, aiming to turn short-term popularity into long-term growth. Like Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Labubu is becoming a strong intellectual property with significant potential for theme parks, entertainment, and merchandise. Pop Mart doesn’t want to have only one big hit; instead, it hopes to create five to ten characters with similar global potential...

VTubers are becoming popular in the UK VTubers are online entertainers who use animated characters, controlled through motion capture, instead of showing their real faces.They sing, play games, and interact live on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, often keeping their real identities private. In Birmingham, the first night of Vexo, short for VTuber Expo, brought together thousands of fans eager to see their favourite VTubers perform. For many fans, the event felt like a concert, but with a digital twist...

France’s tax for rich people The debate over the “Zucman tax” in France reflects wider European questions about how much the ultra-rich should contribute. The plan, proposed by economist Gabriel Zucman, calls for a 2% annual levy on fortunes exceeding 100 million euros, affecting approximately 1,800 individuals in France. Supporters argue it would promote tax justice and provmuch-needed funds for security, defence, and healthcare. Estimates suggest it could raise two0 billion euros in France and 67 billion euros across the EU...

Young Europeans and university A new report shows that young adults in Europe study at very different levels. In Ireland, two out of three people aged 25–34 have a degree, the highest in the EU. Luxembourg has 65%, and Lithuania has 58%. At the bottom are Czechia with 33% and Hungary and Italy with 32%. The report also explains that family background matters a lot. In Denmark, 70% of young people with university parents have a degree, compared to 49% of those with non-university parents. In Poland, the difference is bigger: 79% compared to only 11%...

Ethiopian bitcoin mining Ethiopia now lets companies mine Bitcoin again. The country built a big dam, which makes a lot of electricity. But many people are still not connected to the power grid. So the government sells the extra energy to Bitcoin miners. These companies pay big fees, which help build more power lines. Last year, they paid about 220 million dollars. The plan is to give electricity to everyone by 2030, but this is hard to achieve. Mining Bitcoin in Ethiopia is cheap. It costs about 20,000 dollars, but one Bitcoin sells for more than 100,000...