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NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:45:15 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:45:22 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
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United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
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United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
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Portugal Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T07:45:28 | 1 | https://www.valleynewslive.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — The Australian army helicopter that crashed Friday during a multinational exercise hit the water with a “catastrophic impact” and there is no chance its four crew members survived, officials said Monday.
Australia’s fleet of more than 40 of the MRH-90 Taipan helicopters, made by French Airbus, has been grounded since the crash and there are doubts any will fly again.
They will be grounded until crash investigators determine what caused the tragedy. The government announced in January it plans to replace them with 40 U.S. Black Hawks. The Taipans’ retirement date of December 2024 would be 13 years earlier than Australia had initially planned.
Defense Minister Richard Marles said the search and rescue effort changed Monday to a victim recovery operation with no chance that Capt. Danniel Lyon, Lt. Maxwell Nugent, Warrant Officer Joseph Laycock or Cpl. Alexander Naggs had survived.
“There was a catastrophic incident and with every passing hour, it is now clear that any hope of finding (the four crew) alive has been lost,” Marles told reporters.
The helicopter crashed during a nighttime exercise with the United States and other nations near the Whitsunday Islands on the Great Barrier Reef.
Marles had said on Saturday the helicopter “ditched,” which refers to an emergency landing. But on Monday he would not rule our pilot error or disorientation in the dark causing the crash into the water. He urged against speculation about potential causes.
“There was a catastrophic impact on the helicopter when it hit the water,” Marles said.
“We will move through the process of putting the Black Hawks into service as quickly as we can … and we will not be flying MRH90s until we understand what has happened,” Marles added.
The lost Taipan had been taking part in Talisman Sabre, a biennial U.S.-Australian military exercise that is largely based in Queensland state. This year’s exercise involves 13 nations and more than 30,000 military personnel.
The exercise was continuing on Monday with some changes near the recovery operation, Australian Defense Force Chief Gen. Angus Campbell said.
Campbell thanked the United States and Canada for their help in the search and recovery efforts, which he said was “not an easy operation.”
The wreckage lay in the path of strong currents and tidal movements. It was too deep for standard diving operations.
Part of the airframe had been retrieved by Monday but most of the helicopter remained on the seabed, Campbell said.
It was the second emergency involving an Australian Taipan since March. The fleet was grounded after one ditched into the sea off the New South Wales state coast near the naval base at Jervis Bay during a nighttime counterterrorism training exercise. All 10 passengers and crew members were rescued.
Retired Maj. Gen. Fergus McLachlan was involved in integrating the Taipan into the Australian army when they arrived in 2007 and had been responsible for keeping them airworthy. He said the Taipan did not have the proven record of the Lockheed Martin-designed Black Hawks.
“We bought into an unproven system. In real terms, it was a developmental aircraft and it has never really matured,” McLachlan told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
“It was always a battle to maintain it and keep it flying,” McLachlan added. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/4-crew-members-on-australian-army-helicopter-that-crashed-off-coast-didnt-survive-officials-say/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-31T07:46:02 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/4-crew-members-on-australian-army-helicopter-that-crashed-off-coast-didnt-survive-officials-say/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T07:46:02 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a “mess” in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.
As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking things up.
Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit. He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church, and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them.
“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.”
And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind. Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes.
Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’ multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months.
His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.
“I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that ‘OK, now it’s mature’ and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members” with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers.
To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses — in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s — and in some cases their 40s — including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day.
Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter proteges of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out.
After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades’ worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway.
Francis’ most important young “legacy” appointment was that of the Vatican’s new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez ,61. Francis’ theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church.
Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis’ longer-term agenda: “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview.
Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy.
At age 49 he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August.
“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.”
Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event.
“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.”
His words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and “make a mess.”
“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.”
Realizing the radical nature of his message, Francis apologized to the bishops for what was about to come, even though in the 10 years since, he has only gone farther than anyone could have imagined at the time.
“The true reform of the church, you know, is not a revolution bringing something completely from outside,” said Becquart, the French nun, as she reflected on Francis’ agenda. “It’s a path of change that is a way to unfold tradition, but in a very dynamic way.”
___
AP reporters Helena Alvez in Lisbon, Portugal, and Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires contributed.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world | 2023-07-31T07:46:09 | 1 | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Mar-a-Lago worker charged in Trump’s classified documents case to make first court appearance
MIAMI (AP) — An employee of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, Carlos De Oliveira, is expected to make his first court appearance Monday on charges accusing him of scheming with the former president to hide security footage from investigators probing Trump’s hoarding of classified documents.
De Oliveira, Mar-a-Lago’s property manager, was added last week to the indictment with Trump and the former president’s valet, Walt Nauta, in the federal case alleging a plot to illegally keep top-secret records at Trump’s Florida estate and thwart government efforts to retrieve them.
De Oliveira faces charges including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. He’s scheduled to appear before a magistrate judge in Miami nearly two months after Trump pleaded not guilty in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.
The developments in the classified documents case come as Trump braces for possible charges in another federal investigation into his efforts to cling to power after he lost the 2020 election. Trump has received a letter from Smith indicating that he is a target of that investigation, and Trump’s lawyers met with Smith’s team last week.
An attorney for De Oliveira declined last week to comment on the allegations. Trump has denied any wrongdoing and said the Mar-a-Lago security tapes were voluntarily handed over to investigators. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform last week that he was told the tapes were not “deleted in any way, shape or form.”
Prosecutors have not alleged that security footage was actually deleted or kept from investigators.
Nauta has also pleaded not guilty. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had previously scheduled the trial of Trump and Nauta to begin in May, and it’s unclear whether the addition of De Oliveira to the case may impact the case’s timeline.
The latest indictment, unsealed on Thursday, alleges that Trump tried to have security footage deleted after investigators visited in June 2022 to collect classified documents Trump took with him after he left the White House.
Trump was already facing dozens of felony counts — including willful retention of notional defense information — stemming from allegations that he mishandled government secrets that as commander-in-chief he was entrusted to protect. Experts have said the new allegations bolster the special counsel’s case and deepen the former president’s legal jeopardy.
Video from Mar-a-Lago would ultimately become vital to the government’s case because, prosecutors said, it shows Nauta moving boxes in and out of a storage room — an act alleged to have been done at Trump’s direction and in effort to hide records not only only from investigators but Trump’s own lawyers.
Days after the Justice Department sent a subpoena for video footage at Mar-a-Lago to the Trump Organization in June 2022, prosecutors say De Oliveira asked a information technology staffer how long the server retained footage and told the employee “the boss” wanted it deleted. When the employee said he didn’t believe he was able to do that, De Oliveira insisted the “boss” wanted it done, asking, “What are we going to do?”
Shortly after the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago and found classified records in the storage room and Trump’s office, prosecutors say Nauta called a Trump employee and said words to the effect of, “someone just wants to make sure Carlos is good.” The indictment says the employee responded that De Oliveira was loyal and wouldn’t do anything to affect his relationship with Trump. That same day, the indictment alleges, Trump called De Oliveira directly to say that he would get De Oliveira an attorney.
Prosecutors allege that De Oliveira later lied in interviews with investigators, falsely claiming that he hadn’t even seen boxes moved into Mar-a-Lago after Trump left the White House.
____
Richer reported from Boston.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ | 2023-07-31T07:46:09 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/31/mar-a-lago-worker-charged-trumps-classified-documents-case-make-first-court-appearance/ |
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s lawmakers voted Friday to approve an amended but divisive law on Russian influences believed to be targeting the opposition and criticized by the U.S. and the European Union.
The law was proposed in May by Poland's ruling right-wing Law and Justice party and critics see it as primarily targeting opposition leader and former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, before a parliamentary election scheduled for this fall. Following criticism, President Andrzej Duda proposed urgent amendments to tone it down.
The lower house, or Sejm, voted 235-214 with four abstentions to reject the Senate’s veto to the draft law amended by Duda. It only now requires Duda's signature to take effect.
The amended bill calls for a commission to check whether between 2007 and 2022 politicians have taken decisions under Russia’s influence that could threaten Poland’s security. Duda has said it is needed for transparency's sake and to prevent Russia from influencing Poland’s stability in the future.
Poland is supporting neighboring Ukraine to fight against Russia's full-scale invasion and is supplying weapons, humanitarian aid and political backing for Kyiv. That has drawn harsh comments from Moscow.
The previous, more restrictive law is currently in effect, but the commission members haven't been chosen yet.
When it takes effect, the law will create a powerful committee by experts but not lawmakers to investigate Russian influence in Poland and name politicians who allegedly allowed them, thus barring them in practice from holding public positions. However, critics say it is primarily targeting Tusk, who also served as a top EU official.
Law and Justice accuses Tusk of having been too friendly toward Russia and President Vladimir Putin as prime minister between 2007 and 2014, and making gas deals favorable to Moscow before he went to Brussels to be the president of the European Council between 2014 and 2019.
Law and Justice party leader Jarosław Kaczyński and Tusk are longtime political rivals.
Critics say the law violates the Polish Constitution and could keep government opponents from holding public office by having a negative effect on their eligibility, especially in a parliamentary election later this year. Amendments by Duda, who holds a law doctorate, allowed for the commission verdict to be appealed to court.
The U.S. State Department and EU authorities have strongly criticized the law in its first version and expressed concerns about Poland’s democracy. The 27-member EU, which Poland joined in 2004, also threatened to take measures, if it became fully clear that such a law would undermine democratic standards.
When Duda proposed the amendments in June, he also bowed partially to critics and sent the bill to the Constitutional Tribunal for a review for conformity with the supreme law. That verdict is still pending.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/28/polands-lawmakers-approve-a-divisive-law-on-russian-influence | 2023-07-31T07:46:12 | 0 | https://www.mynews13.com/fl/orlando/ap-top-news/2023/07/28/polands-lawmakers-approve-a-divisive-law-on-russian-influence |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T07:46:16 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
Bet on the result of United States vs. Portugal at DraftKings! Bet now to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
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United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
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Portugal Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T07:46:22 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
Five ways Ayn Rand can save America: Empowered individuals, not government, are the key to national salvation
US will regain greatness with rebirth of academic freedom, faith in individualism and more
The United States is mired right now not only in a political crisis — but in an existential crisis.
The deep divide between left and right is accompanied by incessant attacks on foundational institutions, beliefs and values that threaten to topple the most powerful and successful society in the history of humanity.
There is hope. And it comes from one of the most powerful champions of individual liberty.
Philosopher and author Ayn Rand offered a guide for the United States to step back from its political precipice and return to greatness: a nation reunited by core common goals, ideals and prosperity.
"She believed what the Founding Fathers achieved was pretty close to perfection," Yaron Brook, chair of the California-based Ayn Rand Institute, told Fox News Digital.
"She also believed that the nation wasn’t living up to the promise of what the Founders had actually created. But she thought they did as good a job as anybody could [in] setting down the principles of how a country should govern itself."
Rand is best known as the author of "Atlas Shrugged."
Her signature 1957 novel is dubbed "a cornerstone of pro-liberty literature" by Students for Liberty.
She was an immigrant who escaped revolutionary-era Russia and found intellectual freedom and success in the United States.
"My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being." — Ayn Rand
She possessed and espoused deep faith in American exceptionalism and America’s foundational values.
She also easily predicted, with haunting accuracy, the nation’s many political crises today.
The solution is found in an unshakable faith in the individual and a rejection of collectivist ideology.
"My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being," Rand wrote. It's one of her most memorable quotes.
Here are five ways Ayn Rand can save America.
1. Pursue a foreign policy of true American self-interest
The nation’s foreign policy since World War II has been defined by a tepid use of its hegemonic power and a blind devotion to some supposed higher good beyond what’s best for the United States and its citizens.
This strategy of weakness has resulted in decades of misstated or misunderstood goals, indecisive or limited actions and in some cases failure even to name our enemies — from Korea and Vietnam to the Biden administration's embarrassing and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan.
"The result is that America is less safe and not respected," said Brook.
"We’ve seen the unnecessary deaths of tens of thousands of American troops in wars it was not in America’s self-interest to enter — and that we had the firepower to win without a single American ground casualty, if we believed in our moral right to use our strength."
FIVE REASONS AYN RAND LOVED THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: ‘THE RIGHT TO LIVE BY ONE’S OWN JUDGMENT'
Rand put the onus on the American people to do better.
"A proper solution would be to elect statesmen — if such appeared — with a radically different foreign policy," she said, "a policy explicitly and proudly dedicated to the defense of America’s rights and national self-interests, repudiating foreign aid and all forms of international self-immolation."
2. Reverse the anti-intellectual leftist takeover of academia
American academia was once heralded as the great global bastion of intellectual freedom.
It has since become a highly partisan Petri dish of largely anti-American ideology.
"Rand was one of the quickest to identify the systematic leftist takeover of our universities and the destructive consequences for generations of indoctrinated young adults," said Brook.
"Our universities have been poisoning our brightest minds into believing America is evil, success is a sin and the intellect is impotent."
"Our universities have been poisoning our brightest minds into believing America is evil, success is a sin and the intellect is impotent." — Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Institute
The result, he said, is generations of confused, resentful young Americans ungrateful and ashamed of a society that offers them freedom, wealth and opportunity at a historically unprecedented scale.
"When men abandon reason, they find not only that their emotions cannot guide them, but that they can experience no emotions save one: terror," said Rand.
"They sense that they need some fundamental answers to questions they dare not ask — and they hope that the tribe will tell them how to live. They are ready to be taken over by any witch doctor, guru or dictator."
Rand herself has become a prime target of the academia's anti-intellectualism.
"Rational discourse will return to our university halls precisely when Ayn Rand’s name is allowed to be mentioned by students without coming in for immediate abuse and denunciation," said Brook.
3. End partisan warfare caused by political pressure groups dividing the nation
President George Washington himself famously warned of the corrosive nature of party politics in his farewell address of 1796.
Party politics, he said, "agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection."
It took little time for his warning to become reality.
The nation was nearly divided by partisan politics when Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams in the election of 1800. The nation was torn apart in horrific conflict following the Abraham Lincoln election just 60 years later.
The political divide has created a cultural chasm so deep in recent years that the warring factions can’t even agree on basic scientific facts, such as the existence of two genders.
"In a mixed economy, [statism] takes the form of pressure-group warfare, each group fighting for legislation to extort its own advantages by force from all other groups," Rand warned.
"When individual rights are abrogated … one’s wishes are limited only by the power of one’s gang." — Ayn Rand
"The degree of statism in a country’s political system is the degree to which it breaks up the country into rival gangs and sets men against one another," she also wrote.
"When individual rights are abrogated, there is no way to determine who is entitled to what; there is no way to determine the justice of anyone’s claims, desires, or interests. The criterion, therefore, reverts to the tribal concept of: one’s wishes are limited only by the power of one’s gang."
4. Restore our faith in a just society
Rand believed that justice was defined by the ability of each person to strive objectively for individual achievement in line with their own capabilities.
MEET THE AMERICAN WHO UNLOCKED THE SCIENCE OF GENDER, NETTIE STEVENS, FEMALE RESEARCH PIONEER
"It is essentially the age-old notion of getting one’s just deserts," said Brook.
The same belief in individual rights as the foundation of justice was once almost universally held throughout modern western political ideology, even if imperfectly applied.
This belief has been replaced in recent years by a toxic notion that government can impose a just society from above to appease political pressure to correct injustices, both real and perceived, of the past.
Social justice, in other words.
Rand saw the crisis coming half a century ago.
"The new ‘theory of justice’ demands that men counteract the ‘injustice’ of nature by instituting the most obscenely unthinkable injustice among men," she wrote in 1973.
TIM TEBOW LAUNCHES MAJOR NEW CAMPAIGN TO FIGHT HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SAVE CHILD SEX VICTIMS
This theory included efforts to "deprive ‘those favored by nature’ (i.e., the talented, the intelligent, the creative) of the right to the rewards they produce (i.e., the right to life) — and grant to the incompetent, the stupid, the slothful a right to the effortless enjoyment of the rewards they could not produce, could not imagine, and would not know what to do with," she also wrote.
5. Pursue moral individualism as the antidote to growing and deadly collectivism
Almost all the great political tragedies in history were born from collectivist ideals, especially in the deadly 20th century.
The rise of national socialism in Germany and Marxism in the Soviet Union, China and other nations around the world caused catastrophic warfare, starvation and social upheaval — at the cost of hundreds of millions of innocent lives.
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"Ayn Rand championed the Enlightenment idea that each of us has full moral worth individually," said Brook.
"It’s an idea enshrined at the heart of American life by the Declaration of Independence’s assertion of every individual’s right to the pursuit of happiness, and given its greatest literary expression in Rand’s ‘Atlas Shrugged.’"
There is harmony of interests among rational individuals, Rand believed, in which one person’s pursuit of happiness does not put that person in existential conflict with another individual who is also pursuing his or her own happiness.
"It is man’s independence, success, prosperity and happiness that collectivists wish to destroy." — Ayn Rand
"Collectivism does not preach sacrifice as a temporary means to some desirable end. Sacrifice is its end — sacrifice as a way of life," said Rand.
"It is man’s independence, success, prosperity and happiness that collectivists wish to destroy," she said.
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"Observe the snarling, hysterical hatred with which they greet any suggestion that sacrifice is not necessary, that a non-sacrificial society is possible to men, that it is the only society able to achieve man’s well-being."
The catastrophic results that have followed this ideology suggest rather strongly that collectivist sacrifice is wrong — and that Rand’s individual "heroic being" is the person best positioned for true freedom and success. | https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/five-ways-ayn-rand-can-save-america-empowered-individuals-not-government-key-national-salvation | 2023-07-31T07:47:50 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/five-ways-ayn-rand-can-save-america-empowered-individuals-not-government-key-national-salvation |
Uber driver in Los Angeles stabbed couple over vomit in car's back seat, new lawsuit says
The couple is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages
A Los Angeles couple filed a lawsuit against Uber Technologies Inc., after they claim a driver for the company of stabbed them during a ride-share service in 2022.
Lilit Hakobyan and Khachatur Aspoyan, who filed the lawsuit, said they had ordered a ride on Sept. 25, 2022, and, once inside the vehicle, Hakobyan grew nauseous and vomitted. The driver then grew irate, refused to take them to their destination, and stabbed them both multiple times, the married couple claimed.
The couple alleges assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and negligent hiring, retention, supervision and training.
They are seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, according to City News Service.
MOB BEATS SECURITY GUARD TO DEATH OUTSIDE HOLLYWOOD NIGHTCLUB
According to the lawsuit, after Hakobyan vomited in the back seat of the car, they apologized to the driver and offered to pay the Uber driver to cover cleaning costs.
"Plaintiffs protested and begged the driver to take them to their destination and ensured that the driver would be adequately compensated for her troubles," the lawsuit says.
Instead, the driver instead "became extremely aggressive" and refused to take them home.
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The driver then pulled out a knife and stabbed both passengers multiple times, according to the complaint. Both plaintiffs required medical attention after the incident., City News Service reported
Hakobyan and Aspoyan claim they have suffered permanent skin scarring.
The incident also left them with emotional distress and loss of self-esteem, they said.
And, they no longer experience "the full enjoyment of life," according to the lawsuit. | https://www.foxnews.com/us/uber-driver-los-angeles-stabbed-couple-vomit-cars-back-seat-new-lawsuit | 2023-07-31T07:47:56 | 1 | https://www.foxnews.com/us/uber-driver-los-angeles-stabbed-couple-vomit-cars-back-seat-new-lawsuit |
FLINT, Mich. (WJRT) - The Flint City Bucks lost in the USL2 semifinals on Sunday, falling to Ballard FC, 1-0.
Taketo Onodera scored the only goal of the game in the ninth minute, to give Ballard FC a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Ballard FC advances to play Lionsbridge FC in the USL final.
The Flint City Bucks finish their season with a 13-2-1 record. | https://www.abc12.com/sports/flint-city-bucks-fall-to-ballard-fc-in-usl2-semifinal-1-0/article_9c321bc6-2f67-11ee-bb3c-3b327964451e.html | 2023-07-31T07:48:10 | 0 | https://www.abc12.com/sports/flint-city-bucks-fall-to-ballard-fc-in-usl2-semifinal-1-0/article_9c321bc6-2f67-11ee-bb3c-3b327964451e.html |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T07:48:10 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:48:16 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flutter Entertainment plc ("Flutter") (London Stock Exchange/Euronext Dublin: FLTR) and Fox Corporation ("FOX") (Nasdaq: FOX, FOXA), announce today the decision to close sports betting platform FOX Bet. A phased closure of FOX Bet's operations will take place between July 31 and August 31, 2023.
Flutter operated FOX Bet as part of The Stars Group US ("TSG US") along with the US facing operations of PokerStars. Flutter will retain ownership of PokerStars, in addition to US sports betting market leader FanDuel. FOX will retain future use of the FOX and FOX Bet brands, including FOX Bet Super 6, and intends to launch an all-new FOX Super 6 game later this summer.
FOX will continue to hold its option to acquire 18.6% of FanDuel and in addition holds a 2.5% stake in Flutter.
Notes to Editors
About FOX Bet: FOX Bet, a sports betting platform available in Colorado, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was launched in 2019 by FOX and TSG. TSG was acquired and operated by Flutter as of May 2020.
About Fox Corporation: Fox Corporation produces and distributes compelling news, sports, and entertainment content through its primary iconic domestic brands, including Fox News Media, Fox Sports, Fox Entertainment, Fox Television Stations and Tubi Media Group. These brands hold cultural significance with consumers and commercial importance for distributors and advertisers. The breadth and depth of our footprint allows us to deliver content that engages and informs audiences, develop deeper consumer relationships, and create more compelling product offerings. FOX maintains an impressive track record of news, sports, and entertainment industry success that shapes our strategy to capitalize on existing strengths and invest in new initiatives. For more information about Fox Corporation, please visit www.FoxCorporation.com.
About Flutter Entertainment plc: Changing the Game – Flutter is a global betting and gaming group with an ambition to drive positive and sustainable change in our industry. Flutter's brand portfolio includes America's number one sportsbook FanDuel, along with PokerStars, Sky Betting and Gaming, Paddy Power, Betfair, Tombola, Sportsbet, Sisal, Adjarabet and Junglee. Through these world class brands, we excite and entertain customers, while leading the way in responsible play. Our strength is the Flutter Edge, optimising the advantages of our global scale to drive business performance and positive impact for our customers, colleagues and communities. For more information about Flutter Entertainment plc, its brands and reporting divisions, please visit www.flutter.com.
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SOURCE Fox Corporation | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ | 2023-07-31T07:48:22 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/flutter-entertainment-plc-fox-corporation-announce-close-fox-bet/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:48:29 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, Singer & Songwriter ELVIN BISHOP joins forces with Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning Harmonica Master, Singer & Songwriter CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE to present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album '100 Years of Blues'. Tickets for Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, NH on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features Legendary Blues Musicians ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M. Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame guitarist, singer and songwriter Elvin Bishop and Blues Hall of Famer and GRAMMY® Award-Winning harmonica master, singer and songwriter Charlie Musselwhite present their 2022 GRAMMY® Award Nominated album 100 Years of Blues ("Best Traditional Blues Album"). The album also won the 2021 "Album of the Year" at the Blues Music Awards.
"This entire 12-track release is just two good-old-blues-boys sitting together and jamming. It's absolutely brilliant."
— AMERICAN BLUES SCENE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review).
"The simple sound of these two masters in a room playing together is absolutely joyous."
— ROCK & BLUES MUSE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
"Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite, both a few years shy of 80, are deserving of accolades."
— DOWNBEAT MAGAZINE ('100 Years of Blues' Album Review)
Legendary blues musicians Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite are fellow blues travelers and living blues giants. The two history-making musicians—both Blues Hall of Famers—have over 100 years of professional musicianship between them. They are among the most famous bluesmen in the world. Although they've known each other since the early 1960s, this was the first time that they ever teamed up to make an album together. 100 Years of Blues, released on Alligator Records, is blues at its deepest, warmest and most engaging.
Elvin Bishop is a Blues and Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer, a 4x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 5x-Blues Music Award-Winner. ROLLING STONE calls Bishop "a legendary guitarist" whose playing is "impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player".
Charlie Musselwhite is a Blues Hall of Famer, a GRAMMY® Award-Winner, a 15x-GRAMMY® Award Nominee, and a 33x-Blues Music Award-Winner. Musselwhite has had 14 blues albums Nominated for GRAMMY® Awards, including the 2023 GRAMMY® Award Nomination for his most recent album Mississippi Son. Musselwhite also has 20 Blues Music Awards for "Harmonica Player of the Year." LIVING BLUES MAGAZINE claims Musselwhite "plays magnificent harp with superb dexterity and phrasing" and the "results are amazing."
The stories of Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite—rich as they already are—are still being written, and this album is a new chapter. Their subtle, soulful musicianship and relaxed, conversational vocals fuel every song. Infused with their deep understanding of the blues tradition and the good-time spirit these two old pals stir up, 100 Years Of Blues is one of the finest, most memorable album recordings of either artist's career.
ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows
Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows now includes 9 NEA Jazz Masters, 47 GRAMMY® Award-Winning Artists, 40 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 435+ GRAMMY® Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for ELVIN BISHOP and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Thursday August 17 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.
ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB
The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch. In June 2023, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club was given the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its' outstanding Wine List.
PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S
An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach, provided by professional and experienced event staff, ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.
JOIN THE TEAM AT THE LABRIE GROUP FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS
Motivated by a commitment to culinary and hospitality excellence, founders Michael and Peter Labrie and their leadership team understand it is essential to seek out talented team members for each of The Labrie Group family of restaurants — Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club, The Atlantic Grill, The River House, and Rio Tequila Cantina — all in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Career opportunities and current job openings can be found at www.TheLabrieGroup.com.
Website:
http://www.jimmysoncongress.com
Contact:
Suzanne Bresette
suzanne@jimmysoncongress.com
888-603-JAZZ
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SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ | 2023-07-31T07:48:36 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/jimmys-jazz-amp-blues-club-features-legendary-blues-musicians-elvin-bishop-charlie-musselwhite-thursday-august-17-730-pm/ |
- LGES' ESG Report 2022 published today, announcing a string of sustainable business management progress made in the previous year
- 61 percent of the electricity used in the company's global production sites was generated from renewable sources… 56 percent when including non-manufacturing business sites
- The firm has strengthened the disclosure of information in scope and depth to better address growing demands from global authorities including ISSB and TCFD
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today released ESG report 2022, sharing the progress of the company's ESG management including climate change mitigation achievements. Consisting of a total of 107 pages, the third annual report details the company's vision, efforts, and progress in environmental, social, and governance areas.
As a part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2040, LGES announced that it has managed to source 61 percent of the electricity used in its global production sites from renewable energy in 2022. In terms of the company-wide electricity usage, which includes non-manufacturing business sites, 56 percent was delivered from renewable sources. LGES has been rapidly advancing the transition to renewable energy, supplying 33 percent of its electricity use from renewable sources in 2020 and 44 percent in 2021.
Previously, LGES has set a phased roadmap to successfully complete the mid-to long-term initiative to realize carbon neutrality. The company plans to supply all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, LGES intends to achieve carbon neutrality by converting all energy sources aside from electricity, including fuels and gas, to renewable energy sources at all of its business sites by 2040, and across the entire value chain by 2050.
One of the other priority tasks identified by LGES is establishing a closed-loop system of resources by reusing or recycling end-of-life batteries and managing waste generated at business sites. To this end, the company signed a contract with Li-Cycle, the largest battery recycling company in North America, to provide scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process, and in turn receive recycled nickel that can be used in manufacturing cathode materials for batteries. Furthermore, in China, LGES has completed the establishment of recycling system in 2022. Its Nanjing facility has also developed a new technology to recycle NMP solvent waste (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which accounts for about 85 percent of the hazardous waste, and improved the NMP recycling rate from 80 percent to 97 percent.
Furthermore, LGES is actively taking part in major global ESG initiatives. In May 2022, it became the first Korean company to join the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), joining the global efforts to eradicate forced labor and child labor issues in Congolese mines of cobalt, a major raw material for batteries, and secure fair minerals. Also participating as a member of the Alliance's Steering Committee, LGES is actively pursuing community improvement activities such as helping young children enroll in school, supplying solar power to local schools, and executing safety education in mines.
LGES emphasized that the company has strengthened the information disclosure throughout this year's report in line with the growing call for more transparent ESG information from various stakeholders including investors around the world. LGES is responding quickly to the demands of the international community, following the recommendations from renowned global ESG disclosure standards such as the International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).
In addition, the report's cover design reflects the characteristics of LGES as a battery company as well as its ESG slogan "Plus for Minus, Minus for Plus." The phrase represents the company's determination to realize a better future by reducing unnecessary elements and adding necessary ones in each area of Environment, Society, and Governance, like the natural flow of electrodes moving between the plus and minus poles.
"LG Energy Solution will continue to relentlessly innovate ourselves in order to contribute to the global carbon neutrality and the future of mankind," said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. "By making a difference, we will meaningfully realize our goal of becoming the 'global No.1 company' that is trusted and beloved by customers."
To view the full ESG Report 2022, go to: https://www.lgensol.com/upload/file/sustainability/2022_LGES_ESG_Report_Eng.pdf
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.
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SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:48:42 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:48:49 | 1 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
MANCHESTER, Conn., July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- DIANT® Pharma Inc. is excited to announce the US Food and Drug Administration's recent acquisition of the DIANT® LiFT system. The DIANT® LiFT system (https://diantpharma.com/the-diant-lift-system/ ) is GMP-capable equipment designed for the continuous manufacturing of lipid and polymer-based nanoparticles. In addition to providing the FDA with a high-throughput nanoparticle processing system that is scalable from R&D to commercial manufacturing, the DIANT® equipment also comes with integrated inline/online PAT that can monitor and control the process. DIANT's goal with PAT integration is to advance both the analytical and output standards across future forms of continuous manufacturing.
DIANT® technology was originally designed to synthesize liposomes and load small molecules at high throughput. However, in 2020 at the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the DIANT® technology was adapted to meet the growing and future demands that will be present in nucleic acid therapy via lipid nanoparticle delivery.
The FDA will install and operate this piece of equipment in their Beltsville, MD facility.
About
DIANT® Pharma Inc. (Manchester, CT USA) was founded in 2019 and has developed continuous processing technology for nanoparticles. DIANT® is dedicated to bringing advanced, continuous manufacturing technology to the market and to providing R&D services. Their proprietary, continuous manufacturing system for nanoparticles has a wide array of applications within the pharmaceutical space. (https://diantpharma.com/)
DIANT® provides a continuous manufacturing platform as a turnkey solution for the development and production of nanoparticles for therapeutics and vaccines.
Media Contact:
Gosia Lankosz
Marketing Manager, DIANT Pharma Inc.
Lankosz@diantpharma.com
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SOURCE DIANT Pharma Inc. | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ | 2023-07-31T07:48:56 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/us-food-drug-administration-fda-purchase-lift-system-diant-pharma-inc/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
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United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
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United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
Get your Women's World Cup gear at Fanatics!
Portugal Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T07:49:02 | 0 | https://www.wlbt.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
Reno County volunteers needed to help sort and wash clothing donations
The Volunteer Center of Reno County, a United Way Agency, is a central clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities in Reno County. Area non-profit and governmental organizations have submitted the following requests for help. To pursue one of these or one of our other many volunteer opportunities listed with THE VOLUNTEER CENTER, call 665-4960 or e-mail volunteercenter@hutchcc.edu.
GRAND STAFF MINISTRIES BOUTIQUE (Buhler) needs volunteers to help sort and wash clothing donations, help with displays, attach tags, stock the floor and help price items. They have a need Tues-Sat from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m.-5 p.m. Minimum age for volunteer positions is 15 years old.
RENO COUNTY MUSEUM is needing volunteers to help at the reception/gift shop front desk. Volunteers will greet the public, provide information about the various facilities within the museum, maintain counts of all visitors, operate the cash register and issue receipts, take admission for the children's area called The Oodleplex, and help with small office tasks. Volunteers are needed Tuesday-Friday 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-5 p.m, and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (This can be a shorter shift if needed). Volunteers must be 18 and able to work wellwith the public.
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF RENO COUNTY is seeking several individuals and families to be matched with at-risk girls and boys between the ages of 5 and 17 to serve as positive influences in their lives. Volunteers are asked to make a 1-year commitment and meet with their little brother/sister once a week for an hour. Qualifications include the ability to successfully complete the application process including background check.
KCSL (KANSAS CHILDREN’S SERVICE LEAGUE) is looking for volunteer members for the Healthy Families Advisory Council. The Healthy Families Advisory Council serves as advisors to the home visitation program. This program works with prenatal or families with newborns until the child is 3 years old. The program is focused on strengthening family functioning and stability in order to prevent children from experiencing abuse/neglect. Advisory Council Members attend a quarterly meeting to provide feedback on program operations, learn how the program is impacting the community and learn of volunteer opportunities that are needed. The Advisory Council members can provide support to Family Time socialization events that occur 6 times per year. The membership is ongoing. The position only requires a desire to give back to a local non-profit and provide support to a program working with families in Reno County. The minimum age of a member is 18.
HUTCH REC is looking for volunteers to help with the Salty Dog and Pup Triathlons August 5. Volunteers are needed to be route support at each of the events (swim, run, bike) from 6:30 a.m.- 10 a.m. Volunteers are needed at the finish line from 6:30 a.m.- 10 a.m. to set up refreshment tables, cut fruit, set out bottled water, and assist with handing out medals. Food prep volunteers are needed from 6:30 a.m.- 8:30 a.m. Clean up volunteers are needed to pick up cones, signs, bike racks, event fencing, etc. from 9 a.m.-11 a.m.
KANSAS STATE FAIR is needing volunteers to help in the administration office, in the education center, information booth, Kansas State Fair Museum, and during livestock competitions. Volunteers will receive a free admission ticket, free food tickets and a free t-shirt. Volunteers must be 16 years old and pass a background check (or be age 13-15 and volunteer with an adult). | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/lifestyle/2023/07/30/volunteers-needed-to-help-sort-and-wash-clothing-donations/70466011007/ | 2023-07-31T07:49:48 | 1 | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/lifestyle/2023/07/30/volunteers-needed-to-help-sort-and-wash-clothing-donations/70466011007/ |
Agricultural real estate market cooling after record sales due to high interest rates
After record-high sales, the agriculture real estate market began to cool in the fourth quarter of 2022 due to rising interest rates and inflation pressures, according to a Farmers National Company report.
That trend has continued into the first half of 2023 with fewer properties being offered for sale and market values that, while still strong, are dramatically off the pace seen in the first half of 2022, it said.
“These operators have enjoyed a period of high liquidity over the past five years but are now moving into a period of increasing debt service and borrowing. This will most likely result in less available cash reserve to deploy for capital expenditures and land purchases,” said Paul Schadegg, senior vice president of real estate operations for Farmers National Company.
Results from the Federal Reserve District Surveys reflect this trend between the third and fourth quarter of 2022 and now continuing into the first half of 2023. Value growth is still positive across the Midwest, but increases are now in the single digits instead of the double digits seen in 2021 and 2022, the report said.
“While investors have not always been the successful buyer of properties offered for sale, they certainly are part of the equation, helping set a floor on land values and creating a competitive market," Schadegg said. "If farm operators step back from aggressive bidding for land, investors will most likely step in to take advantage of purchasing options.”
Farm operators remain the largest group of buyers through Farmers National Company, accounting for nearly 80 percent of all land sale transactions.
Schadegg said there continues to be a strong appetite for agriculture properties from individuals considering farm expansion and investment opportunities due to an overall bullish outlook for the ag economy, which will continue to drive demand for high-quality cropland.
Commodity markets will remain the primary driver in land sale activity and value moving forward, he said.
“But with that being said, profitability is what will determine what the land market will bear. So, we must consider rising interest rates, inflation and supply chain into the overall picture,” Schadegg said. “Landowners continue to look for opportunity in the agriculture land market, deciding if this is the best time to sell at historic values or retain ownership of what continues to be a very valuable asset.”
The sales volume at Farmers National Company through the first half of 2023 continues to exceed the five-year average but is slightly off the “exceptional” pace set in 2021 and 2022, according to the report.
Motivated buyers continued to drive bidding at late spring sales, resulting in stable and strong values across all classes of land, Schadegg said.
“Looking ahead to the second half of 2023, we anticipate strong competition for high-quality land offered for sale. The overall U.S. agriculture economy is healthy with Midwestern banks reporting increased operational lending but strong loan performance and projections for a profitable 2023 growing season. Our pipeline for scheduled fall sales is beginning to fill at a typical pace with buyers and sellers of farmland requesting information on upcoming sales,” Schadegg said.
“We remain confident that the strong demand for quality (agricultural) land will continue through the year. That opinion, coupled with the stable ag economy and a supply/demand scenario favoring the land owner, will maintain the current and long-term value of farmland across the U.S,” he added.
Employee-owned Farmers National Company is the nation’s leading landowner services provider, managing more than 5,000 farms and ranches in 30 states comprising more than 2 million acres. | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2023/07/30/high-volume-farm-real-estate-market-cooling-amid-rising-interest-rates/70477280007/ | 2023-07-31T07:49:54 | 1 | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2023/07/30/high-volume-farm-real-estate-market-cooling-amid-rising-interest-rates/70477280007/ |
Monument to former Gov. Arthur Capper back at Kansas State Fairgrounds after rebuild
After being declared structurally unsound in the spring of 2021, the House of Capper has made its return to the Kansas State Fairgrounds.
The original House of Capper was built in 1916, and fell victim to time.
“It was a wood structure, and the columns were plastered together. Water had gotten into the center of the structure and the wood had rotted away,” said James Fischer, executive director of the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation. “The structural engineers had declared that it could not be inhabited with a roof on it."
During the 2021 state fair, the concrete slab and pillars were there but the roof had been taken off.
“The decision was made to take it all the way down and build it back up because in order to look similar to the original building, we had to make some changes," Fischer said.
Talks of replacing the monument started soon after the engineers ruled it unsound.
“The first discussion was, ‘What are we going to do? Are we just going to tear it down? Or do we try to rebuild it?’” Fischer said. “We wanted it to look exactly like it did when it was first built, but out of more modern materials, meeting ADA requirements and using high-quality lighting and sound systems.”
“It was kind of humbling, and rather sad, when they were taking down and demolishing the original building, but as you saw it come together with the metal and the concrete, it’s been great to be a part of this project,” Fischer said. “The foundation has been very excited to be involved.”
The House of Capper serves as a monument to former U.S. senator and Kansas Gov. Arthur Capper. Capper, who served as governor from 1915-1919, notably co-created a bill to allow the creation of cooperatives in the United States, the Capper-Volstead Act of 1922.
Cooperatives, also known as co-ops, are businesses that are owned democratically by the people who use them. Notable co-ops in the United States include Ace Hardware, Land O’ Lakes, Ocean Spray and more.
Alongside the refurbishments to the House of Capper came the new Capper Cooperative Park. The park sits next to the monument, and includes information about Capper and cooperatives through a pathway with banners.
“It’s a small, walk-through educational park,” Fischer said. “There’s very inviting landscaping, with a concrete path and storyboards to tell the story of cooperatives.”
The total cost for the project came out to $1.2 million, with nearly $700,000 of the grand total being donated by cooperatives around the state. Donors included the Kansas Cooperative Council, Skyland Grain LLC, ProValue Insurance, the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation.
Now that the house is reopened, it is back to being available for use to any who wish to use it.
“It’s available year-round for people who are looking for a small, outdoor venue for weddings and events,” Fischer said. “The previous House of Capper was available for events, as is this one.”
The House of Capper and the Capper Cooperative Park is located at 2000 N. Poplar at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2023/07/30/house-of-capper-monument-rebuilt-at-kansas-state-fairgrounds/70472758007/ | 2023-07-31T07:50:00 | 0 | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2023/07/30/house-of-capper-monument-rebuilt-at-kansas-state-fairgrounds/70472758007/ |
How was your Barbenheimer weekend? 'Barbie,' 'Oppenheimer' both worth viewing
Let's make it clear from the beginning, "Oppenheimer," a biographic drama about the man who directed the development of the atomic bomb, is not a fun movie. For a variety of reasons, however, it will be nominated for several Academy Awards, most notably editing and production, which are among the best I've ever seen.
To best appreciate what writer/director Christopher Nolan has done, it helps to read up on J. Robert Oppenheimer's triumphal and tragic life before going to the theater and be willing to accept a film that continuously jumps back and forth in time using a seemingly endless series of flashbacks. Among its unusual aspects are entire segments filmed in color while other scenes are black and white, all shot on I-MAX film with a $100 million budget. The script is based on a 2005 book considered extremely accurate in portraying a life that ended in 1967.
After a White House meeting with President Harry Truman, who authorized dropping the bomb, Oppenheimer lamented he had "blood on my hands" from unleashing such death and destruction. Truman reportedly then said he never again wanted contact with "that crybaby scientist."
Oppenheimer is portrayed well by Cillian Murphy, but the film also deals extensively with Atomic Energy Commission chairman Lewis Strauss, played by Robert Downey Jr., who lost Senate confirmation to become Secretary of Commerce after getting Oppenheimer's security clearance revoked. Strauss and others tore into Oppenheimer's wife, Kitty, being a one-time member of the Communist Party and his friendship with others involved with Russia during the McCarthy era of Washington politics.
Also prominently featured is Matt Damon as the crusty American general who chose an unlikely Oppenheimer to head the three-year bomb development effort in Los Alamos, New Mexico.
Also opening last weekend and blowing away the box office with $155 million in domestic ticket sales, $337 million when international audiences are included was an all-new look at our beloved doll character "Barbie."
Oppenheimer brought in $80 million in the U.S. and well over its production tab when foreign receipts were counted. The two highly successful films opening together brought Hollywood investors close to heaven. For the record, that tiny Christian-produced movie "Sound Of Freedom," about child sex trafficking, has topped $100 million and is well worth seeing.
While there couldn't be two more different movies opening simultaneously both, for vastly different reasons and audiences, are worthy of seeing and available at Hutchinson's B and B Theaters.
Dan Deming, former general manager of Hutchinson radio station KWBW and former Reno County Commissioner, can be reached at 620-960-6733 or dan.deming2@gmail.com. | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/opinion/columns/2023/07/30/how-was-your-barbenheimer-weekend/70466444007/ | 2023-07-31T07:50:06 | 0 | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/opinion/columns/2023/07/30/how-was-your-barbenheimer-weekend/70466444007/ |
Reader says Hutchinson library debate shows hate, intolerance on rise
With over 100 in attendance, it was standing room only at the Hutchinson Public Library board meeting 6-20-2023, and controversy over LGBTQ books and the Library’s Pride Month display was the driving force.
Most were in support of the library’s efforts.
One mother stated that far from pushing books, the children's department staff did a great job in tailoring their recommendations to her kids' interests and values.
Another speaker stated that “If you were in attendance to spread hate and negativity against library staff, or their support for Pride Month, she’d encourage you to take a long hard look at yourself.” She then asked “do the books displayed in our children's area, which preach nothing but love, kindness, and acceptance for different types of people, really disrupt your life so much?”
Contrast that with Dennis Hershberger, our district 7 State BOE representative, who, when his turn as speaker came, promptly got into a quarrel with an audience member over a poorly worded question he asked dealing with heterosexual relationships, and went on a tirade saying; “See the insanity we're dealing with! These people are telling our children they can ignore natural science. And later added “That’s what we're up against, the tearing down of our nation, and they're happy about it.”
Predictably, seven days later, our Senator Mark Steffen followed up in a Facebook post declaring our library had gone woke.
Hate and intolerance are on the rise in Hutchinson. The Library controversy, and book banning, are simply a microcosm of corrosive national politics come home to roost. Locally, we’ve been electing Christian Nationalists, under the guise of electing conservatives. The attacks on our public schools and libraries have only just begun.
Elections have consequences. If you want a brighter future, get involved, and VOTE!
Casey Swarts
Hutchinson, KS | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/opinion/letters/2023/07/30/hutchinson-library-controversy-microcosm-of-national-division-letter/70446411007/ | 2023-07-31T07:50:12 | 1 | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/opinion/letters/2023/07/30/hutchinson-library-controversy-microcosm-of-national-division-letter/70446411007/ |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T07:50:23 | 0 | https://www.wsaz.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
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United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
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United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
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Portugal Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T07:50:30 | 1 | https://www.wsaz.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
As the pope heads to Portugal, he is laying the groundwork for the church’s future and his legacy
VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Francis made the first foreign trip of his papacy, to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in 2013, he urged young people to make a “mess” in their local churches, to shake things up even if it ruffled the feathers of their bishops.
As he embarks this week on another edition of World Youth Day, in Lisbon, Portugal, Francis in many ways has taken his own advice to heart. After 10 years as pope, Francis is accelerating his reform agenda and making revolutionary changes in personnel and policy that are definitely shaking things up.
Unencumbered by the shadow of Pope Benedict XVI, who died seven months ago, and despite recovering from a second intestinal surgery in as many years, the 86-year-old Francis is opening a frenetic second half of the year with his Portugal visit. He seems aware that he has a limited sweet spot of time to solidify the changes he believes are necessary for the 21st century church, and is looking to the next generation of faithful and leaders to execute them.
“The sense I get is that this is the consolidation phase of the pontificate,” said papal biographer Austen Ivereigh. “He’s laying the basis now, laying the ground, for the future.”
And no better place to put it on display than at a World Youth Day. The international rally, which St. John Paul II launched in 1986 to galvanize young Catholics in their faith, is expected to draw up to 1 million people for the first post-pandemic event of its kind. Francis’ perennial social justice concerns about climate change, social inequality and fraternity, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine, are expected to be major themes.
Beyond Portugal, though, Francis’ multifold strategy for laying the groundwork for the future is coming together and will hit significant marks in the coming months.
His global canvassing of rank-and-file Catholics about their vision for the future comes to fruition this October with a big synod at the Vatican. The meeting is intended to give direction on such hot-button issues as the place of LGBTQ+ Catholics and women in the church, and for the first time will feature women and young people voting on proposals alongside bishops.
“I really think that for Pope Francis, he felt that ‘OK, now it’s mature’ and it would be good really to involve all the members, all the people in the synod as members” with the right to vote, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, who is one of the key synod organizers.
To then implement the vision that emerges from the synod, Francis has been naming a slew of unusually young bishops for key archdioceses — in his native Buenos Aires, Madrid and Brussels, among others. At the same time, he’s elevated several cardinals in their 50s — and in some cases their 40s — including the auxiliary bishop of Lisbon who is organizing World Youth Day.
Putting such young clerics in such important positions ensures a generation’s worth of likeminded leadership in the Vatican and archdioceses around the world. While not all are cookie-cutter proteges of Francis, many are seen as similarly pastorally minded and thus more game to implement his reforms, especially as the older generation of bishops and cardinals dies out.
After Francis is gone, the youngest of these new cardinals will have some three decades’ worth of local leadership and conclave votes to select future popes, suggesting a generational and ideological shift in the church leadership is very much underway.
Francis’ most important young “legacy” appointment was that of the Vatican’s new doctrinal czar, Argentine Cardinal-elect Victor Manuel Fernandez ,61. Francis’ theological ghostwriter ran into Vatican problems in the past over questions about his doctrinal orthodoxy, and his appointment sent shockwaves through the conservative and traditionalist wings of the church.
Fernandez sees his appointment as part of Francis’ longer-term agenda: “He is proposing a more inclusive church, more respectful of different ways of living, even of thinking,” Fernandez said in an interview.
Portuguese Cardinal-elect Americo Aguiar, who is in charge of World Youth Day, is another young churchman who also understands his appointment as part of a generational turning point for the Catholic hierarchy.
At age 49 he will become the second-youngest member of the College of Cardinals when he is installed Sept. 30. He is just six months older than the current youngest cardinal, whom Francis elevated this time last year: Cardinal Giorgio Marengo, head of the church in Mongolia where Francis will travel at the end of August.
“My reading of it is that this has to do with young people, it has to do with youth, it has to do with Portugal, it has to do with World Youth Day, it has to do with all of that,” Aguiar said in an interview. “I think that his objective and his underlining was exactly to send a signal to the young people, to every young person who is preparing the day, whether in Portugal or in the world, to feel identified with this decision.”
Francis said as much in his monthly prayer intentions for August, this time dedicated to the Lisbon event.
“In Lisbon, I would like to see a seed for the world’s future,” Francis said. “A world where love is at the center, where we can sense that we are sisters and brothers.”
His words at the 2013 World Youth Day in Rio now seem prescient in outlining many of the key pastoral messages Francis has emphasized over the past decade. Delivering a spontaneous, off-the-cuff exhortation to a gathering of Argentine pilgrims that was organized at the last minute, Francis urged the young to get out into the streets, spread their faith and “make a mess.”
“I want to see the church get closer to the people,” Francis said then, speaking in his native Spanish. “I want to get rid of clericalism, the mundane, this closing ourselves off within ourselves, in our parishes, schools or structures.”
Realizing the radical nature of his message, Francis apologized to the bishops for what was about to come, even though in the 10 years since, he has only gone farther than anyone could have imagined at the time.
“The true reform of the church, you know, is not a revolution bringing something completely from outside,” said Becquart, the French nun, as she reflected on Francis’ agenda. “It’s a path of change that is a way to unfold tradition, but in a very dynamic way.”
___
AP reporters Helena Alvez in Lisbon, Portugal, and Almudena Calatrava in Buenos Aires contributed.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/ | 2023-07-31T07:52:19 | 0 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/as-the-pope-heads-to-portugal-he-is-laying-the-groundwork-for-the-churchs-future-and-his-legacy/ |
Pakistan holds funerals as government vows to hunt down those behind the weekend’s suicide bombing
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan held funerals on Monday for victims of a massive suicide bombing that targeted a rally of a pro-Taliban cleric the previous day as the death toll climbed to at least 45 and the government vowed to hunt down those behind the attack.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing, which also wounded nearly 200 people. Police said their initial investigation suggests the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate could be behind the attack.
The victims were all from the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which is headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman. He did not attend the rally, held under a large tent close to a market in Bajur, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.
The IS regional affiliate — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban. Bajur was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban government — before several Pakistani army offensives that ended in 2016 claimed to have driven them out of the area.
The cleric’s supporters had gathered in Bajut on Sunday as part of their party’s preparations for the next parliamentary elections, expected sometime in October or November after the current parliament’s five-year term ends.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to dissolve the parliament in August to pave the way for the vote. Rehman’s party is part of Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Khan later on Sunday also condemned the bombing, as condolences continued to pour in from across the country. Dozens of people who received minor injuries were discharged from hospital while the critically wounded were taken to the city of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll on Sunday was reported to be 44 but rose to 45 on Monday as a critically wounded person died at a hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. The bombing has also drawn nationwide condemnation, with ruling and opposition parties offering condolences to the families of the victims. The U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad also condemned the attack.
Abdul Rasheed, a senior leader in Rehman’s party said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the attack. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, said the attack aimed to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where on Monday he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, said police were “investigating this attack in all aspects.”
Sunday’s bombing was one of the four worst attacks in northwestern Pakistan since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/pakistan-holds-funerals-as-government-vows-to-hunt-down-those-behind-the-weekends-suicide-bombing/ | 2023-07-31T07:52:25 | 1 | https://www.kaaltv.com/news/us-world-news/pakistan-holds-funerals-as-government-vows-to-hunt-down-those-behind-the-weekends-suicide-bombing/ |
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho (AP) — Idaho mother Lori Vallow Daybell faces up to life in prison without parole Monday as she is sentenced in the murders of her two youngest children and a romantic rival in a case that included bizarre claims that her son and daughter were zombies and that she was a goddess sent to usher in the Biblical apocalypse.
Vallow Daybell was found guilty in May of killing her two youngest children, 7-year-old Joshua “JJ” Vallow and 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, as well as conspiring to kill Tammy Daybell, her fifth husband’s previous wife.
The husband, Chad Daybell, is awaiting trial on the same murder charges. Vallow Daybell also faces two other cases in Arizona — one on a charge of conspiring with her brother to kill her fourth husband, Charles Vallow, and one of conspiring to kill her niece’s ex-husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed in 2019, but her niece’s ex survived an attempt later that year.
Monday’s sentencing will take place at the Fremont County Courthouse in St. Anthony, Idaho. Judge Steven W. Boyce is expected to hear testimony from several representatives of the victims, including Vallow Daybell’s only surviving son, Colby Ryan.
The case began in July 2019, when Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, shot and killed her estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in a suburban Phoenix home. Cox told police he acted in self defense. He was never charged in the case and died later that year of what authorities determined were natural causes.
Vallow Daybell was already in a relationship with Chad Daybell, a self-published author who wrote doomsday-focused fiction loosely based on Mormon teachings. She moved to Idaho with her kids and brother to be closer to him.
The children were last seen alive in September 2019. Police discovered they were missing a month later after an extended family member became worried. Their bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell’s yard the following summer.
Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow married in November 2019, about two weeks after Daybell’s previous wife, Tammy, was killed. Tammy Daybell initially was described as having died of natural causes, but an autopsy later showed she had been asphyxiated, authorities said.
Defense attorney Jim Archibald argued during the trial that there was no evidence tying Vallow Daybell to the killings, but plenty showing she was a loving, protective mother whose life took a sharp turn when she met Chad Daybell and fell for his “weird” apocalyptic religious claims. He suggested that Daybell and Vallow Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, were responsible for the deaths.
Daybell told her they had been married in several previous lives and she was a “sexual goddess” who was supposed to help him save the world by gathering 144,000 followers so Jesus could return, Archibald said.
Vallow Daybell’s former friend Melanie Gibb testified during the trial that Vallow Daybell believed people in her life had been taken over by evil spirits and turned into “zombies,” including JJ and Tylee. | https://www.wivb.com/news/ap-idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/ | 2023-07-31T07:53:19 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/ap-idaho-mom-lori-vallow-daybell-faces-sentencing-in-deaths-of-2-children-and-her-romantic-rival/ |
KHAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistan held funerals on Monday for victims of a massive suicide bombing that targeted a rally of a pro-Taliban cleric the previous day as the death toll climbed to at least 45 and the government vowed to hunt down those behind the attack.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday’s bombing, which also wounded nearly 200 people. Police said their initial investigation suggests the Islamic State group’s regional affiliate could be behind the attack.
The victims were all from the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which is headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman. He did not attend the rally, held under a large tent close to a market in Bajur, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.
The IS regional affiliate — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — is based in neighboring Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban. Bajur was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan’s Taliban government — before several Pakistani army offensives that ended in 2016 claimed to have driven them out of the area.
The cleric’s supporters had gathered in Bajut on Sunday as part of their party’s preparations for the next parliamentary elections, expected sometime in October or November after the current parliament’s five-year term ends.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to dissolve the parliament in August to pave the way for the vote. Rehman’s party is part of Sharif’s coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Khan later on Sunday also condemned the bombing, as condolences continued to pour in from across the country. Dozens of people who received minor injuries were discharged from hospital while the critically wounded were taken to the city of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll on Sunday was reported to be 44 but rose to 45 on Monday as a critically wounded person died at a hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. The bombing has also drawn nationwide condemnation, with ruling and opposition parties offering condolences to the families of the victims. The U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad also condemned the attack.
Abdul Rasheed, a senior leader in Rehman’s party said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that “such attacks cannot deter our resolve.”
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the attack. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, said the attack aimed to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that “such crimes cannot be justified in any way.”
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where on Monday he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, said police were “investigating this attack in all aspects.”
Sunday’s bombing was one of the four worst attacks in northwestern Pakistan since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters. | https://www.wivb.com/news/ap-pakistan-holds-funerals-as-government-vows-to-hunt-down-those-behind-the-weekends-suicide-bombing/ | 2023-07-31T07:53:25 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/ap-pakistan-holds-funerals-as-government-vows-to-hunt-down-those-behind-the-weekends-suicide-bombing/ |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T07:55:40 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:55:47 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
BEIJING, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Culture and art can bring minds and the world together. With this in mind, the second episode of season three of the China Daily series Youth Power, "Unlocking the power of art: How cultural exchanges can connect the world," was broadcast online on July 30.
Gen Zers from China, Italy, Russia, South Korea and Thailand gathered at the Dalian campus of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and discussed how artistic beauty can bring the world together and how to face the challenges that artificial intelligence present to art.
What is the essence of beauty? What unique influence does Chinese art have on Gen Zers? What spiritual pursuits are reflected in Chinese art and aesthetics?
In this episode of Youth Power, each Gen Z guest brought an art piece that they believed would best represent the Chinese concept of art and beauty. In doing so they gained a deeper understanding of Chinese aesthetics, philosophy and culture.
Giacomo Bruni, an Italian studying at the China Academy of Art in Beijing, said brushes are the most important tools in expressing Chinese culture because they are central to calligraphy, writing poetry and painting.
"Like the hardness of the handle and the softness of the hair, the brush encapsulates the idea of yin and Yang," Bruni said. The brush not only encapsulates the creativity of the world, but also epitomizes the profound ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, he said.
Song De'ao, a Chinese Gen Zer, chose the official mascots for Chinese winter sports designed by a team at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts as his ideal representation of Chinese aesthetics.
Song, a member of the design team, recalled the inspiration for the mascot Xue Wa, which wears tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, and cloud patterns and longevity locks on the clothing. "The mascots reflect the lively and cheerful aesthetics in modern China," Song said.
Jiratchaya Phinyoworakul, a Thai studying at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted two features that distinguish Chinese artworks from those of other countries and cultures: cultural extensiveness and profoundness as well as a philosophy centering on harmony between humankind and nature.
The program host, Zhong Yutong, said it is through exchanges that Chinese arts increase in vibrancy and vitality.
"Chinese arts have so much to offer. And we've had wonderful exchanges with different arts and civilizations across the world."
Bruni said art Chinese art is all-encompassing, perfectly merging all types of art. He cited Chinese literati paintings, a kind of painting that expresses feelings and aspirations through natural scenery, as an example, illustrating that "they unify the intellectual world and the practical art world, which is something that is missing in Western countries".
Program guests said there is no absolute definition of art and no universally recognized standard of beauty. Lian Liia, a student from Russia, said "the standard of art is changing in the art history, but there is one thing that has never changed, namely people's pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty".
Phinyoworakul said art is tantamount to comfort. "Even little things can be art. A smile on your face, a flower, sunshine, everything can be art. Art is in our everyday life."
Concerning the combination and contradiction of traditional art and fast-developing AI art creation, Bruni said artists screen information like filters of society. They find beauty and create art, but do not mechanically record and present everything around them. However, this is not true of AI, because it cannot grasp the concept of beauty.
Sun Yuxin of China said AI could positively influence the development of art. "AI saves a lot of time for artists, and it helps them with a lot of basic work."
Gen Zers have also contributed their wisdom in helping the world appreciate the beauty of Chinese art. Promoting Chinese aesthetics through social media could help people understand it more directly, Phinyoworakul said.
Lian Liia, a student at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University in Beijing, said, "We can promote Chinese culture as a lifestyle. For example, doing calligraphy or drinking tea to experience Chinese culture in our daily life."
Youth Power, organized by China Daily and first broadcast in June 2021, aims to build a global platform of communication and exchange, focusing on the interests and ideas of Generation Z. The program comes in the form of interviews, forums and speeches, with topics related to anything of current interest in the world.
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SOURCE China Daily | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ | 2023-07-31T07:55:53 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:56:00 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
- LGES' ESG Report 2022 published today, announcing a string of sustainable business management progress made in the previous year
- 61 percent of the electricity used in the company's global production sites was generated from renewable sources… 56 percent when including non-manufacturing business sites
- The firm has strengthened the disclosure of information in scope and depth to better address growing demands from global authorities including ISSB and TCFD
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today released ESG report 2022, sharing the progress of the company's ESG management including climate change mitigation achievements. Consisting of a total of 107 pages, the third annual report details the company's vision, efforts, and progress in environmental, social, and governance areas.
As a part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2040, LGES announced that it has managed to source 61 percent of the electricity used in its global production sites from renewable energy in 2022. In terms of the company-wide electricity usage, which includes non-manufacturing business sites, 56 percent was delivered from renewable sources. LGES has been rapidly advancing the transition to renewable energy, supplying 33 percent of its electricity use from renewable sources in 2020 and 44 percent in 2021.
Previously, LGES has set a phased roadmap to successfully complete the mid-to long-term initiative to realize carbon neutrality. The company plans to supply all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, LGES intends to achieve carbon neutrality by converting all energy sources aside from electricity, including fuels and gas, to renewable energy sources at all of its business sites by 2040, and across the entire value chain by 2050.
One of the other priority tasks identified by LGES is establishing a closed-loop system of resources by reusing or recycling end-of-life batteries and managing waste generated at business sites. To this end, the company signed a contract with Li-Cycle, the largest battery recycling company in North America, to provide scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process, and in turn receive recycled nickel that can be used in manufacturing cathode materials for batteries. Furthermore, in China, LGES has completed the establishment of recycling system in 2022. Its Nanjing facility has also developed a new technology to recycle NMP solvent waste (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which accounts for about 85 percent of the hazardous waste, and improved the NMP recycling rate from 80 percent to 97 percent.
Furthermore, LGES is actively taking part in major global ESG initiatives. In May 2022, it became the first Korean company to join the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), joining the global efforts to eradicate forced labor and child labor issues in Congolese mines of cobalt, a major raw material for batteries, and secure fair minerals. Also participating as a member of the Alliance's Steering Committee, LGES is actively pursuing community improvement activities such as helping young children enroll in school, supplying solar power to local schools, and executing safety education in mines.
LGES emphasized that the company has strengthened the information disclosure throughout this year's report in line with the growing call for more transparent ESG information from various stakeholders including investors around the world. LGES is responding quickly to the demands of the international community, following the recommendations from renowned global ESG disclosure standards such as the International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).
In addition, the report's cover design reflects the characteristics of LGES as a battery company as well as its ESG slogan "Plus for Minus, Minus for Plus." The phrase represents the company's determination to realize a better future by reducing unnecessary elements and adding necessary ones in each area of Environment, Society, and Governance, like the natural flow of electrodes moving between the plus and minus poles.
"LG Energy Solution will continue to relentlessly innovate ourselves in order to contribute to the global carbon neutrality and the future of mankind," said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. "By making a difference, we will meaningfully realize our goal of becoming the 'global No.1 company' that is trusted and beloved by customers."
To view the full ESG Report 2022, go to: https://www.lgensol.com/upload/file/sustainability/2022_LGES_ESG_Report_Eng.pdf
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.
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SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:56:07 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
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SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:56:14 | 0 | https://www.wbay.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
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United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
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United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
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Portugal Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T07:56:20 | 1 | https://www.wbay.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kait8.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T07:56:34 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:56:40 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
BEIJING, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Culture and art can bring minds and the world together. With this in mind, the second episode of season three of the China Daily series Youth Power, "Unlocking the power of art: How cultural exchanges can connect the world," was broadcast online on July 30.
Gen Zers from China, Italy, Russia, South Korea and Thailand gathered at the Dalian campus of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and discussed how artistic beauty can bring the world together and how to face the challenges that artificial intelligence present to art.
What is the essence of beauty? What unique influence does Chinese art have on Gen Zers? What spiritual pursuits are reflected in Chinese art and aesthetics?
In this episode of Youth Power, each Gen Z guest brought an art piece that they believed would best represent the Chinese concept of art and beauty. In doing so they gained a deeper understanding of Chinese aesthetics, philosophy and culture.
Giacomo Bruni, an Italian studying at the China Academy of Art in Beijing, said brushes are the most important tools in expressing Chinese culture because they are central to calligraphy, writing poetry and painting.
"Like the hardness of the handle and the softness of the hair, the brush encapsulates the idea of yin and Yang," Bruni said. The brush not only encapsulates the creativity of the world, but also epitomizes the profound ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, he said.
Song De'ao, a Chinese Gen Zer, chose the official mascots for Chinese winter sports designed by a team at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts as his ideal representation of Chinese aesthetics.
Song, a member of the design team, recalled the inspiration for the mascot Xue Wa, which wears tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, and cloud patterns and longevity locks on the clothing. "The mascots reflect the lively and cheerful aesthetics in modern China," Song said.
Jiratchaya Phinyoworakul, a Thai studying at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted two features that distinguish Chinese artworks from those of other countries and cultures: cultural extensiveness and profoundness as well as a philosophy centering on harmony between humankind and nature.
The program host, Zhong Yutong, said it is through exchanges that Chinese arts increase in vibrancy and vitality.
"Chinese arts have so much to offer. And we've had wonderful exchanges with different arts and civilizations across the world."
Bruni said art Chinese art is all-encompassing, perfectly merging all types of art. He cited Chinese literati paintings, a kind of painting that expresses feelings and aspirations through natural scenery, as an example, illustrating that "they unify the intellectual world and the practical art world, which is something that is missing in Western countries".
Program guests said there is no absolute definition of art and no universally recognized standard of beauty. Lian Liia, a student from Russia, said "the standard of art is changing in the art history, but there is one thing that has never changed, namely people's pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty".
Phinyoworakul said art is tantamount to comfort. "Even little things can be art. A smile on your face, a flower, sunshine, everything can be art. Art is in our everyday life."
Concerning the combination and contradiction of traditional art and fast-developing AI art creation, Bruni said artists screen information like filters of society. They find beauty and create art, but do not mechanically record and present everything around them. However, this is not true of AI, because it cannot grasp the concept of beauty.
Sun Yuxin of China said AI could positively influence the development of art. "AI saves a lot of time for artists, and it helps them with a lot of basic work."
Gen Zers have also contributed their wisdom in helping the world appreciate the beauty of Chinese art. Promoting Chinese aesthetics through social media could help people understand it more directly, Phinyoworakul said.
Lian Liia, a student at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University in Beijing, said, "We can promote Chinese culture as a lifestyle. For example, doing calligraphy or drinking tea to experience Chinese culture in our daily life."
Youth Power, organized by China Daily and first broadcast in June 2021, aims to build a global platform of communication and exchange, focusing on the interests and ideas of Generation Z. The program comes in the form of interviews, forums and speeches, with topics related to anything of current interest in the world.
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SOURCE China Daily | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ | 2023-07-31T07:56:47 | 0 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:56:54 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
- LGES' ESG Report 2022 published today, announcing a string of sustainable business management progress made in the previous year
- 61 percent of the electricity used in the company's global production sites was generated from renewable sources… 56 percent when including non-manufacturing business sites
- The firm has strengthened the disclosure of information in scope and depth to better address growing demands from global authorities including ISSB and TCFD
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today released ESG report 2022, sharing the progress of the company's ESG management including climate change mitigation achievements. Consisting of a total of 107 pages, the third annual report details the company's vision, efforts, and progress in environmental, social, and governance areas.
As a part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2040, LGES announced that it has managed to source 61 percent of the electricity used in its global production sites from renewable energy in 2022. In terms of the company-wide electricity usage, which includes non-manufacturing business sites, 56 percent was delivered from renewable sources. LGES has been rapidly advancing the transition to renewable energy, supplying 33 percent of its electricity use from renewable sources in 2020 and 44 percent in 2021.
Previously, LGES has set a phased roadmap to successfully complete the mid-to long-term initiative to realize carbon neutrality. The company plans to supply all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, LGES intends to achieve carbon neutrality by converting all energy sources aside from electricity, including fuels and gas, to renewable energy sources at all of its business sites by 2040, and across the entire value chain by 2050.
One of the other priority tasks identified by LGES is establishing a closed-loop system of resources by reusing or recycling end-of-life batteries and managing waste generated at business sites. To this end, the company signed a contract with Li-Cycle, the largest battery recycling company in North America, to provide scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process, and in turn receive recycled nickel that can be used in manufacturing cathode materials for batteries. Furthermore, in China, LGES has completed the establishment of recycling system in 2022. Its Nanjing facility has also developed a new technology to recycle NMP solvent waste (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which accounts for about 85 percent of the hazardous waste, and improved the NMP recycling rate from 80 percent to 97 percent.
Furthermore, LGES is actively taking part in major global ESG initiatives. In May 2022, it became the first Korean company to join the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), joining the global efforts to eradicate forced labor and child labor issues in Congolese mines of cobalt, a major raw material for batteries, and secure fair minerals. Also participating as a member of the Alliance's Steering Committee, LGES is actively pursuing community improvement activities such as helping young children enroll in school, supplying solar power to local schools, and executing safety education in mines.
LGES emphasized that the company has strengthened the information disclosure throughout this year's report in line with the growing call for more transparent ESG information from various stakeholders including investors around the world. LGES is responding quickly to the demands of the international community, following the recommendations from renowned global ESG disclosure standards such as the International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).
In addition, the report's cover design reflects the characteristics of LGES as a battery company as well as its ESG slogan "Plus for Minus, Minus for Plus." The phrase represents the company's determination to realize a better future by reducing unnecessary elements and adding necessary ones in each area of Environment, Society, and Governance, like the natural flow of electrodes moving between the plus and minus poles.
"LG Energy Solution will continue to relentlessly innovate ourselves in order to contribute to the global carbon neutrality and the future of mankind," said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. "By making a difference, we will meaningfully realize our goal of becoming the 'global No.1 company' that is trusted and beloved by customers."
To view the full ESG Report 2022, go to: https://www.lgensol.com/upload/file/sustainability/2022_LGES_ESG_Report_Eng.pdf
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.
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SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:57:00 | 1 | https://www.kait8.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
MADERA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A local tire shop in Madera is currently out of business due to a fire that took place Sunday evening, according to the Madera County Fire Department.
Around 6:30 p.m. firefighters responded to 200 North D Street near 5th Street after receiving a report for an active fire.
Upon arrival, fire crews say they found the rear end of the approximate 1,000-square-foot structure engulfed in flames.
The fire was quickly spreading to the rest of the structure but due to the quick response of firefighters, they say it was contained from spreading any further.
In the end, the tire shop was deemed a complete loss by Madera County Fire. No injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/fire-burns-down-local-tire-shop-madera-co-fire-says/ | 2023-07-31T07:57:15 | 1 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/news/local-news/fire-burns-down-local-tire-shop-madera-co-fire-says/ |
At the library …
The Ascension Parish Library has several summer programs set.
Peg Ninjas
Sneak over to the library in Donaldsonville and design a wooden peg ninja. Whether you’re a fan of real ninjas or the pizza-loving turtle types, it’s time to channel your inner artist. At 4:30 p.m. Aug. 3, kids 6-11 can use wooden pegs to paint a hero (with or without a half-shell). While supplies last.
Game On!
Have an epic adventure when you level up at the library and get your game on. Play games like Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart 8 on Nintendo Switch and Wii U.
Showcase your skills at 10 a.m. Aug. 5 at the library in Galvez; at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 8 at Dutchtown; and at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 24 in Gonzales.
Class for preteen girls
Help your daughter understand the physical and emotional changes she will experience as she goes through puberty. Ascension Parish Library in partnership with Our Lady of the Lake Ascension will host Growing Up: A Class for Preteen Girls. This matter-of-fact discussion about a normal part of growing up will be at 9 a.m. Aug. 5 at the Ascension Parish Library in Gonzales. The program is for girls ages 9-11 and their parent or guardian. Registration is required before noon on Aug. 4. To register, call Our Lady of the Lake Ascension at (225) 621-2906.
Election commissioner classes set
The Ascension Clerk of Court's Office's new election commissioner classes are set for August. The Gonzales session is at 6 p.m. Aug. 15 at the Ascension Parish Courthouse, 607 E. Worthey St., and the Donaldsonville session is at 6 p.m. Aug. 17 at the Clerk of Court Elections Office, 300 Houmas St.
Animé Town Louisiana coming to Gonzales
Visit your favorite "Dragon Ball" characters Aug. 18-20 for animé Town Louisiana at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. For ticket information, visit animetownlouisiana.com.
Splash time
As the temperatures rise, we're all looking for a place to cool off. Visit the splash pads at Oak Grove Community Center in Prairieville and South Louisiana Fairgrounds in Donaldsonville from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
Volunteer Ascension planning 25th anniversary
Plans are underway for Volunteer Ascension's 25th anniversary celebration, a red carpet fundraiser, "A Silver Year and a Silver Screen" event set for Sept. 21 at the Gonzales Civic Center.
For more information or a sponsorship, call (225) 644-7655. | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/ascension/around-ascension-for-aug-2-2023/article_0e164954-2db2-11ee-bf20-df08b87ce323.html | 2023-07-31T07:57:15 | 1 | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/ascension/around-ascension-for-aug-2-2023/article_0e164954-2db2-11ee-bf20-df08b87ce323.html |
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – The Fresno Pro-Am wrapped up its second year on Sunday in front of thousands of people at Fresno City College.
And it did so with plenty of star power.
The Pro-Am, an organized summer league, held two games on Sunday: its championship game, followed by an NBA game.
Quincy Pondexter and Rudy Gay were in the starting lineup for the NBA game, a high-scoring affair where the Pro-Am all-stars beat Team NBA, 121-119.
Fresno mayor Jerry Dyer was one of the coaches for the NBA game, along with boxer Jose Ramirez. And Pondexter used Sunday’s event as a way to organize a back-to-school giveaway. | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/sports/local-sports/fresno-pro-am-wraps-up-second-year-with-nba-game-in-packed-fcc-gym/ | 2023-07-31T07:57:21 | 0 | https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/sports/local-sports/fresno-pro-am-wraps-up-second-year-with-nba-game-in-packed-fcc-gym/ |
Assess the need collection days set
Volunteers will be collecting donations for this year’s Assess the Need school supply drive Aug. 5-6 and Aug. 12-13, program organizer Livingston Parish Assessor Jeff Taylor said.
This year’s effort marks the 23rd consecutive year that Taylor has sponsored the parishwide school supply drive. Assess the Need is a not-for-profit program that provides supplies for Livingston Parish students in need of assistance.
This year’s campaign anticipates meeting the needs of more than 3,000 students in all the district’s 43 public schools, including pre-K and Head Start programs.
The supplies are provided to those students at the start of the school year. The first day of classes in Livingston Parish for the 2023-2024 school year is Aug. 11.
Collection efforts will include volunteers standing outside nine of the parish’s Associated Grocers, Inc. stores:
- Carter’s Supermarkets in Albany, Springfield, Livingston, Walker, Hatchell Lane in Denham Springs, and Vincent Road in Denham Springs;
- Oak Point Fresh Market in Watson;
- Village Markets in Port Vincent, White Hall and Head of Island.
Calling all authors
The Livingston Parish Library is accepting applications from authors and community organizations interested in taking part in the eighth annual Livingston Parish Book Festival, set for Oct. 21.
Submit your applications to www.mylpl.info/bookfestival.
Back-to school bash
Visit Walker City Hall Aug. 5 for a back-to-school bash. The event is set from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The event includes a talent show with prizes, free photo booth, inflatables, games and food trucks.
For food vendor or more info, call (225) 665-3755.
Small-business loans available for some businesses
The Office of Community Development has opened its application period for the Small Business Loan Program for small businesses in eligible parishes who were hit by natural disasters in 2020-2021, the city of Waker shared in its newsletter.
To learn more about the program contact the South Central Planning and Development Commission at www.SCPDC.org or call (800) 630-3791.
The program provides interest-free loans from $10,000 to $150,000, with up to 40% of the loan forgiven. Funds can be used for rent or mortgage wages and benefits, utilities, inventory and equipment necessary for business recovery.
Ricks to deliver final state of the parish talk
Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks will give his final state of the parish address at the Livingston Chamber of Commerce meeting at noon on Aug. 9 at Forrest Grove Plantation, 8743 Stephenson Drive, Denham Springs.
Tickets are $45 general admission and $30 for chamber member registered by noon Aug. 7. Call the chamber at (225) 665-8155 for ticket information.
Pets looking for homes
The Denham Springs Animal Shelter is looking for people to foster cats and dogs.
The no-kill shelter, at 600 Bowman St., Denham Springs, also encourages residents consider adopting a pet, which can be adopted for a $60 fee.
More than 200 cats and dogs need homes or foster parents. For information on fostering or adopting, call (225) 664-4472.
Farmers Market
The Four Seasons Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday at the city parking lot at Hummel Street and Railroad Avenue. Fresh vegetables and fruits are on sale from vendors. | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/livingston_tangipahoa/around-livingston-for-aug-2-2023/article_67f64866-2d71-11ee-8dee-0b57c4eec690.html | 2023-07-31T07:57:21 | 0 | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/livingston_tangipahoa/around-livingston-for-aug-2-2023/article_67f64866-2d71-11ee-8dee-0b57c4eec690.html |
As a mother goes, so goes her daughter.
Catherine Spangler Dehlin, a member of the 2023 class that will join the Denham Springs High athletic hall of fame, was already familiar with the induction process. After all, former Denham Springs teacher and coach Robbie Spanger, a 2017 inductee, is her mother. It's just one of the reasons the Aug. 31 induction ceremony will be special for Dehlin.
“My mom is a hall of famer as a coach, and I’ve been to many of the banquets, including hers,” Dehlin said. “I don’t know for sure, but I think we might be the first mother and daughter — there are already fathers, sons and siblings — so that’s extra special, as well.”
There are other meaningful ties, as well. Dehlin found out she would be honored from two hall of fame board members, Kathy Degeneres and Butch Wax, who were both faculty members when she was in school.
Dehlin is most remembered as a standout basketball player, but she also ran cross-country and was part of the Yellow Jackets track and field team. In 1990, Dehlin was recognized as an All-State basketball performer and as one of the Top 10 players in Louisiana. In the classroom, she maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout her high school years and was the class valedictorian.
Asked about her fondest memory of her time at Denham Springs, Dehlin recalls her junior season, when the Yellow Jackets won a quarterfinal playoff game to advance to the Sweet 16 state tournament.
“We were about to win (the quarterfinal game), and we were shooting free throws, seconds away,” Dehlin said. “A teammate of mine, Shannon Wilson, who is my best friend for life, came to me and said, ‘When it's over, find me first.’ And I did. We met at half court and hugged, and it was a tremendous memory.’”
Spangler later moved on to play collegiately at Southeastern Louisiana, where she made her mark in the classroom as well as on the court. Now married with four children, she is a certified hospice nurse and is still a valued member of the Denham Springs community.
Time has helped Dehlin put perspective on her days at Denham Springs High.
“When you’re in it, you don’t think about those things, but looking back, as a 50-year-old now — that’s where I learned to be part of a team, part of a workplace, a role player, and a leader,” Dehlin said. “All of those things were developed by playing sports at that time. I’m super thankful that it was such a valuable experience.” | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/livingston_tangipahoa/live-oak-advances-to-lhsaa-softball-tourney-with-13-1-win/article_18650b7a-2e34-11ee-898f-2be385f10c67.html | 2023-07-31T07:57:27 | 1 | https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/livingston_tangipahoa/live-oak-advances-to-lhsaa-softball-tourney-with-13-1-win/article_18650b7a-2e34-11ee-898f-2be385f10c67.html |
NEW YORK — Six straight days of 12-hour driving. Single digit paychecks. The complaints come from workers in vastly different industries: UPS delivery drivers and Hollywood actors and writers.
But they point to an underlying factor driving a surge of labor unrest: The cost to workers whose jobs have changed drastically as companies scramble to meet customer expectations for speed and convenience in industries transformed by technology.
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated those changes, pushing retailers to shift online and intensifying the streaming competition among entertainment companies. Now, from the picket lines, workers are trying to give consumers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to produce a show that can be binged any time or get dog food delivered to their doorstep with a phone swipe.
Overworked and underpaid employees is an enduring complaint across industries — from delivery drivers to Starbucks baristas and airline pilots — where surges in consumer demand have collided with persistent labor shortages. Workers are pushing back against forced overtime, punishing schedules or company reliance on lower-paid, part-time or contract forces.
At issue for Hollywood screenwriters and actors staging their first simultaneous strikes in 40 years is the way streaming has upended entertainment economics, slashing pay and forcing showrunners to produce content faster with smaller teams.
“This seems to happen to many places when the tech companies come in. Who are we crushing? It doesn’t matter,” said Danielle Sanchez-Witzel, a screenwriter and showrunner on the negotiating team for the Writers Guild of America, whose members have been on strike since May. Earlier this month, the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists joined the writers’ union on the picket line.
Actors and writers have long relied on residuals, or long-term payments, for reruns and other airings of films and televisions shows. But reruns aren’t a thing on streaming services, where series and films simply land and stay with no easy way, such as box office returns or ratings, to determine their popularity.
Consequently, whatever residuals streaming companies do pay often amount to a pittance, and screenwriters have been sharing tales of receiving single digit checks.
Adam Shapiro, an actor known for the Netflix hit “Never Have I Ever," said many actors were initially content to accept lower pay for the plethora of roles that streaming suddenly offered. But the need for a more sustainable compensation model gained urgency when it became clear streaming is not a sideshow, but rather the future of the business, he said.
"Over the past 10 years, we realized: ‘Oh, that’s now how Hollywood works. Everything is streaming,’” Shapiro said during a recent union event.
Shapiro, who has been acting for 25 years, said he agreed to a contract offering 20% of his normal rate for “Never Have I Ever” because it seemed like "a great opportunity, and it’s going to be all over the world. And it was. It really was. Unfortunately, we’re all starting to realize that if we keep doing this we’re not going to be able to pay our bills.”
Then there's the rising use of “mini rooms,” in which a handful of writers are hired to work only during pre-production, sometimes for a series that may take a year to be greenlit, or never get picked up at all.
Sanchez-Witzel, co-creator of the recently released Netflix series “Survival of the Thickest,” said television shows traditionally hire robust writing teams for the duration of production. But Netflix refused to allow her to keep her team of five writers past pre-production, forcing round-the-clock work on rewrites with just one other writer.
“It's not sustainable and I'll never do that again,” she said.
Sanchez-Witzel said she was struck by the similarities between her experience and those of UPS drivers, some of whom joined the WGA for protests as they threatened their own potentially crippling strike. UPS and the Teamsters last week reached a tentative contract staving off the strike.
Jeffrey Palmerino, a full-time UPS driver near Albany, New York, said forced overtime emerged as a top issue during the pandemic as drivers coped with a crush of orders on par with the holiday season. Drivers never knew what time they would get home or if they could count on two days off each week, while 14-hour days in trucks without air conditioning became the norm.
“It was basically like Christmas on steroids for two straight years. A lot of us were forced to work six days a week, and that is not any way to live your life,” said Palmerino, a Teamsters shop steward.
Along with pay raises and air conditioning, the Teamsters won concessions that Palmerino hopes will ease overwork. UPS agreed to end forced overtime on days off and eliminate a lower-paid category of drivers who work shifts that include weekends, converting them to full-time drivers. Union members have yet to ratify the deal.
The Teamsters and labor activists hailed the tentative deal as a game-changer that would pressure other companies facing labor unrest to raise their standards. But similar outcomes are far from certain in industries lacking the sheer economic indispensability of UPS or the clout of its 340,000-member union.
Efforts to organize at Starbucks and Amazon stalled as both companies aggressively fought against unionization.
Still, labor protests will likely gain momentum following the UPS contract, said Patricia Campos-Medina, executive director of the Worker Institute at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, which released a report this year that found the number of labor strikes rose 52% in 2022.
“The whole idea that consumer convenience is above everything broke down during the pandemic. We started to think, ‘I’m at home ordering, but there is actually a worker who has to go the grocery store, who has to cook this for me so that I can be comfortable,’” Campos-Medina said. | https://www.fox43.com/article/money/business/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-its-pushing-them-to-the-brink-sag-ups/507-102fe2a7-ad77-4f73-b19f-9a3d78169bd3 | 2023-07-31T07:58:11 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/money/business/customers-want-instant-gratification-workers-say-its-pushing-them-to-the-brink-sag-ups/507-102fe2a7-ad77-4f73-b19f-9a3d78169bd3 |
LOS ANGELES — When viewed through a wide lens, renters across the U.S. finally appear to be getting some relief, thanks in part to the biggest apartment construction boom in decades.
Median rent rose just 0.5% in June, year over year, after falling in May for the first time since the pandemic hit the U.S. Some economists project U.S. rents will be down modestly this year after soaring nearly 25% over the past four years.
A closer look, however, shows the trend will likely be little comfort for many U.S. renters who’ve had to put an increasing share of their income toward their monthly payment. Renters in cities such as Cincinnati and Indianapolis are still getting hit with increases of 5% or more. Much of the new construction is located in just a few metro areas, and many of the new units are luxury apartments, which rent for well north of $2,000.
Median U.S. rent has risen to $2,029 this June from $1,629 in June 2019, according to rental listings company Rent, which tracks rents in 50 of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Demand for apartments exploded during the pandemic as people who could work remotely sought more space or decided to relocate to another part of the country.
The steep rent increases have left tenants like Melissa Lombana, a high school teacher who lives in the South Florida city of Miramar, with progressively less income to spend on other needs.
The rent on her one-bedroom apartment jumped 13% last year to $1,700. It climbed another 6% to $1,800 this month when she renewed her lease.
“Even the $1,700 was a stretch for me,” said Lombana, 43, who supplements her teaching income with a side job doing educational testing. “In a year, I will not be able to afford living here at all.”
Lombana’s rent is now gobbling up nearly half her monthly income. That puts her in a category referred to as “cost-burdened” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, denoting households that pay 30% or more of their income toward rent. Last year, the average rent-to-income ratio per household rose to 30%. This March, it was 29.6%.
Lombana hasn’t had any luck finding a more affordable apartment. While South Florida is one of the metropolitan areas seeing a rise in apartment construction, the units are mostly high-end and not a viable option.
That scenario is playing out across the nation. Developers are rushing to complete projects that were green-lit during the pandemic-era surge in demand for rentals or left in limbo by delays in supplies of fixtures and building materials. Nearly 1.1 million apartments are currently under construction, according to the commercial real estate tracker CoStar, a pace not seen since the 1970s.
Increasing the supply of apartments tends to moderate rent increases over time and can give tenants more options on where to live. But more than 40% of the new rentals to be completed this year will be concentrated in about 10 high job growth metropolitan areas, including Austin, Nashville, Denver, Atlanta and New York, according to Marcus & Millichap. In many areas, the boost to overall inventory will be barely noticeable.
Even within metros where there’ll be a notable increase in available apartments, such as Nashville, most of it will be in the luxury category, where rents average $2,270, nationally. Some 70% of the new rental inventory will be the luxury class, said Jay Lybik, national director of multifamily analytics at CoStar.
That will leave most tenants unlikely to see a big enough reduction in rent to make a difference, industry experts and economists say.
“I think we’re in a period of rent flattening for 12 or 18 months, but it’s certainly not a big rent decline,” said Hessam Nadji, CEO of commercial real estate firm Marcus & Millichap.
“We’re building a multi-decade record number of units,” Nadji said. “It’s going to cause some softening and some pockets of overbuilding, but it’s not going to fundamentally resolve the housing shortage or the affordability problem for renters across the U.S.”
The surge in rents has made it difficult for workers to keep up with inflation despite solid wage gains the past few years and exacerbated a long-term trend. Between 1999 and 2022, U.S. rents soared 135%, while income grew 77%, according to data from Moody’s Analytics.
Realtor.com is forecasting that rents will drop an average of 0.9% this year. But while down nationally, rents are still rising in many markets around the country, especially those where hiring remains robust.
In the New York metro area, the median rent climbed 4.7% in June from a year earlier to $2,899, according to Realtor.com. In the Midwest, rents surged 5.6% in the Cincinnati metro area to $1,188, and 6.9% to $1,350 in the Indianapolis metro area.
The current spike in apartment construction alone isn’t going to be enough to address how costly renting has become for many Americans.
“For the rest of the 2020s rents will continue to grow because millennials are such a big generation and we’re very much in the hole in terms of building housing for that generation,” said Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin. “It will take many good years of new construction to build adequate housing for millennials.”
The bigger challenge is building more work force housing, because the cost of land, labor and navigating the government approval process incentivize developers to put up luxury apartments buildings.
Expanding the supply of modestly priced rentals would help alleviate the strain from so many new apartments targeting renters with high incomes, “although additional subsidies will be needed to make housing affordable to households with the lowest incomes,” researchers at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies wrote in a recent report.
Despite the overall pullback in U.S. rents, Joey Di Girolamo, in Pembroke Pines, Florida, worries that he’ll face more sharp rent increases in coming years.
Last year, the web designer left a two-bedroom, two-bath townhome he rented for $2,200 a month to avoid a $600 a month increase. This year, his rent went up by $200, a nearly 10% jump.
“That blew me away,” said Di Girolamo, 50. “I’m just kind of dreading what it’s going to be like next year, but especially 3 or 4 years from now.” | https://www.fox43.com/article/money/some-renters-may-get-relief-from-biggest-apartment-construction-boom-in-decades-but-not-all-landlord-tenant/507-2fda036b-0bb9-449c-8000-bc5b9c73122e | 2023-07-31T07:58:17 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/money/some-renters-may-get-relief-from-biggest-apartment-construction-boom-in-decades-but-not-all-landlord-tenant/507-2fda036b-0bb9-449c-8000-bc5b9c73122e |
BOWIE, Maryland — With back to school season right around the corner, you may be wondering is it too late to pursue a higher education? A 72-year-old woman from Maryland is proving it's never too late.
Diane Allen Tate went back to school at age 65, but kept her education journey a secret from even her family and friends for the last seven years.
In those years, Tate served as a primary caregiver for her mother while secretly balancing higher education classes online.
But now the secret is out of the bag--and Tate's family couldn't be prouder of her.
Tate graduated with honors and a PsyD in Behavioral Health Leadership from Walden University on Saturday.
This was the first time Tate attended an official graduation despite having an undergraduate and masters degree. She gradated Boston University in 1972 with a psychology degree. Three years later, she took home a masters degree in development psychology from Boston University. But because of the Vietnam War and her romantic pursuits, Tate was unable to walk across the stage.
Dr. Tate's family shared a few photos from the celebration, which they said they wanted to "make a big deal out of" since she kept it a secret for so long. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/community/senior-citizen-receives-doctorate-keeps-education-secret-from-family/65-d1b76026-8705-42ba-a4d0-a6288ce7c023 | 2023-07-31T07:58:24 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/community/senior-citizen-receives-doctorate-keeps-education-secret-from-family/65-d1b76026-8705-42ba-a4d0-a6288ce7c023 |
FUKUOKA, Japan — Here's why Katie Ledecky is one of the greatest freestyle swimmers in the history of the sport: She is never quite satisfied.
The 26-year-old American won the 800-meter freestyle on Saturday at the world championships to become the first swimmer to win six golds in the same event at worlds. It was also her 16th individual world title, breaking a tie with Michael Phelps for the most golds at worlds.
She also is a seven-time Olympic gold medalist and the world record holder in both the 800 and 1,500.
But that winning time — 8 minutes, 8.87 seconds, which is the seventh-quickest she'd ever swum — wasn't quite good enough in her favorite event.
“I'm just always trying to think of new ways to improve. I mean I’ve already got everything turning in my head right now. I kind of wanted to be better than I was tonight,” she said, twirling her right hand beside her right ear, trying to stir up ideas.
“I’m pretty tough on myself," she said. “But I think I have found the balance of being tough on myself but also having that grace.”
The 800 was Ledecky’s second individual gold following her win in the 1,500 free on Tuesday. She also took silver in the 400 free. Li Bingjie of China took silver in 8:13.31, and Ariarne Titmus of Australia got the bronze in 8:13.59.
“It's fun to leave a meet with your favorite event, and I just wanted to leave it all in the pool," Ledecky said.
It was only the fourth gold for the United States in the seventh of eight days in the pool. Meanwhile, Australia has been piling it on with 13 golds, matching its best at the worlds. Australia won three more golds on Saturday.
The Americans lead the overall table with 31 medals (16 silver), Australia has 20 and China 13.
Kaylee McKeown of Australia made history of her own with gold in the women’s 200 backstroke. McKeown’s victory gave her a sweep of all three backstroke events after earlier wins in the 50 and 100. She became the first swimmer to sweep all three backstrokes at the worlds.
It all made up for her disqualification earlier in the 200 IM.
“You can’t change the rules,” she said. “I got ruled out. It’s just the cards I was dealt with and I couldn’t do much more than that. So I just had to carry myself the best I could and channel all my anger and turn a huge negative into a positive.”
Regan Smith of the United States picked up the silver in 2:04.94, while Peng Xuwei of China got the bronze in 2:06.74.
Sarah Sjöström of Sweden continued her dominance with gold in the 50 butterfly. The 29-year-old won in 24.77 seconds and has now won the event five consecutive times at the worlds. The win brought Sjöström’s individual medals at the worlds to 20, equaling Phelps’ mark.
Sjöström also broke her own record in the 50 free, going 23.61 in a semifinal heat. Her old mark was 23.67 set in 2017.
“There are not too many secrets,” Sjöström said about her longevity. “Just do the work every day, go to practice, and stay humble.”
Zhang Yufei of China, who took gold in the 100 fly, claimed the silver in 25.05, while American Gretchen Walsh got the bronze in 25.46.
Japanese fan favorite Rikako Ikee finished seventh (25.78) in the 50 fly but was greeted warmly by the home crowd.
The 23-year-old Ikee won six gold medals at the 2018 Asian Games and was expected to be a favorite in the Tokyo Olympics. But she was diagnosed with leukemia in February 2019. Her comeback continues to resonate with both the Japanese public and her fellow competitors.
Cameron McEvoy of Australia led all the way to capture the gold in the 50 free in 21.06. It was his first individual gold in the worlds or Olympics.
American Jack Alexy collected his second silver of the worlds in 21.57 to go with his silver in the 100 free. Benjamin Proud of Britian, last year’s world champion, took the bronze in 21.58.
Caeleb Dressel won the event at the Olympics but did not qualify for the U.S. team. McEvoy's time was quicker than Dressel's winning time in Tokyo — 21.07.
Maxime Grousset of France won gold in the 100 fly in 50.14. The 24-year-old took the early lead and held on. Josh Liendo of Canada earned the silver in 50.34, while American Dare Rose made the podium with the bronze (50.46).
Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania equaled the world record of 29.30 in her semifinal in the 50 breaststroke.
Australia won the 4x100 mixed freestyle relay in a world record of 3:18.83. The Americans took silver in 3:20.82, with Britain getting the bronze in 3:21.68. The relay is not an Olympic event. | https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/katie-ledecky-breaks-michael-phelps-record-individual-gold-medals-world-championship/65-0052160c-95a0-43e9-9149-e7b987555e53 | 2023-07-31T07:58:30 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/katie-ledecky-breaks-michael-phelps-record-individual-gold-medals-world-championship/65-0052160c-95a0-43e9-9149-e7b987555e53 |
PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. — 630 miles from their homes in Prince William County, the Snyder Bucks 16U baseball team took the field at the LakePoint Sports Complex in Emerson, Georgia just outside of Atlanta.
“Most of us were traveling about a nine-hour trip,” said Mike Lillard, whose 16-year-old son Weston can hit 90 mph on the radar gun.
Teams from D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia all made the trek for the 16U Prep Baseball Report National Championship in June, hoping to showcase their skills at one of the premier youth sports facilities in the country.
The long drive, all part of the price to play travel baseball.
“Generally speaking, travel baseball at this age group is somewhere in the neighborhood between $2,500 and $3,500.”
That’s per player. Per summer season. And that only covers coaches pay and tournament registration fees.
“You got your lodging,” Lillard continued. “You’ve got your meals down here.”
Then, there’s the travel. Over the course of the summer the Snyder Bucks traveled to tournaments in Richmond, Cincinnati, Boston in addition to LakePoint.
Just across that same baseball complex, the Prime Time Aces from Alexandria were logging their miles also.
“We started out in New Jersey-Philly,” said assistant coach Carson Pinkney.
“This is pretty much our second tournament down here in Atlanta,” added Cheryl Focht of Alexandria, who’s son Jeremy plays third base. “And then next weekend we will be in Richmond.”
“And then we go to Detroit,” Pinkney said.
“And then two weekends after that we go to New Jersey I think,” Focht said. “Or maybe that’s South Carolina? I’m not really sure. Its very hard to keep track of.”
According to Wintergreen Research, travel sports has become a $39 billion a year industry, and is expected to climb to $72 billion by 2029.
“And I think last year you know I probably spent about $15,000 just on travel ball,” said John Morris, a travel baseball parent from Louisville, Kentucky.
Morris’s team is one of 154 programs who traveled from across the country to play in the LakePoint tournament. Parents, cheering on their players, hoping they might just be good enough to earn an athletic scholarship. But it’s an expensive gamble.
NCAA rules limit schools to the equivalent of 11.7 Division 1 baseball scholarships a year. That tuition money is typically split up across an entire 40 player roster, meaning most D-1 baseball players end up with about 30% of their tuition paid for, although that number can be supplemented with academic scholarships too.
Division 2 is limited to nine baseball scholarships. Division 3 schools aren’t allowed to offer any athletic scholarship money at all. Statistics show just 7% of high school baseball players are good enough to make it to college ball.
But travel sports is a much safer play for LakePoint Sports, a sprawling campus that includes a baseball pavilion with eight major league size baseball fields, a 170,000 square-foot indoor basketball facility and a beach pavilion with 10 beach volleyball courts.
There’s even a wake park.
“We drive about a $100 million economic impact,” said Mark O’Brien President and CEO LakePoint Sports.
O’Brien pushes back against critics who say the travel sports industry has gotten so big it’s actually hurting youth sports in general by pushing out some kids.
“I’d say to the contrary to that,” O’Brien said. “I’d say travel and youth sports is a needed opportunity not only in our communities but in society that really brings families together. They are able to travel together. They are able to turn their travel trips into team vacations.”
“I think you're seeing some challenges in communities around the country with rec leagues and how rec leagues are managed or funded or executed, that there's a void,” O’Brien continued. “And so we're looking at how do we fill that void?”
But Jon Solomon, editorial director for the Aspen Institutes Sports and Society Program in Washington, D.C. said part of the problem is that so many families have left rec leagues for travel sports, the travel industry has helped create the void.
“You have fewer volunteers, you have less capacity, you have less resources and finances,” Solomon said.
Rec sports, or recreational sports, cost a fraction of travel sports and is all about participation, improved physical fitness. And just having fun. Not impressing college scouts.
“I understand people wanting to play travel sports, there's not necessarily anything wrong with that,” Solomon said. “But it has had a detrimental effect on the community-based leagues, there's just fewer options for kids to play.”
Solomon knows that that firsthand. His 14-year-old son Josh, a baseball fanatic, only has one rec league option in their hometown of Urbana, Maryland.
In fact, with the exception of Arlington, WUSA9 found nearly every city or county run parks and rec department in the D.C. Metropolitan area offered limited options at best for youth rec league sports.
Research from the Aspen Institute found nationwide, 3 of 10 youth sports parents said their child’s community sports program either closed, merged with another organization, or was reduced in size in recent years.
“It's hard to tamp down on capitalism once it gets rampant,” said Lillard, who hopes this is the summer his son gets a college scholarship offer after years of investing in his future through travel baseball.
“I don't like the expense,” Lillard said. “I wish we could do it for a lot less. It feels to me sometimes that we're boxing out families based on economics, and haven't quite figured out how to make that better.
Even as she cheers on her son Jeremy at Lake Point, Focht, who works as a pediatrician serving low low-income families, said something needs to change.
“No, my patients can’t do this,” Focht said. “And that is very much unfair.”
The most recent research from the Aspen Institute says things are improving. With the number of children playing community-based sports on the rise since in the last two years.
But the number of kids playing travel sports doubled in that same time period.
Lower cost options in the travel baseball world are rare, but they do exist, like the Blue Ridge Titans in Fauquier County. But that organization ends at age 14, meaning after that, even those parents have to dig deeper in their wallets, to keep their kids baseball dreams alive. | https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/youth-baseball-lake-point-sports-big-buisness-of-youth-sports-snyder-bucks-prime-time-aces/65-8c190607-3e18-4da5-a1c8-b52be3853cdc | 2023-07-31T07:58:36 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/youth-baseball-lake-point-sports-big-buisness-of-youth-sports-snyder-bucks-prime-time-aces/65-8c190607-3e18-4da5-a1c8-b52be3853cdc |
KALASIN, Thailand — It's a find millions of years in the making.
Scientists in Thailand have reportedly discovered the bones of what they believe to be a new species of dinosaur.
The new species, dubbed minimocursor phunoiensis in a paper about the find published in the journal "Diversity", is believed to be a part of the neornithischia group, and like other members of the group, it is thought to be herbivorous and bipedal. Scientists also believe it to be the oldest record of a species in the group discovered so far.
The name minimocursor phunoiensis comes from the Latin word "minimus", meaning "the smallest", and the suffix "-cursor", meaning runner.
The bones were found in the Late Jurassic Phu Kradung Formation in northern Thailand, which is considered one of the richest bone-beds in Southeast Asia. The bones are believed to be Late Jurassic or Early Cretaceous in age, meaning they are likely around 145 to 161 million years old. The bones were reportedly actually discovered in 2012, but required years of study to determine that they were of a new species.
The skeleton is also remarkably intact, according to the scientists. The paper said the holotype recreation of the dinosaur, which was pieced together over a period of five years, is over 50% complete and is one of the best-preserved dinosaurs ever found in Southeast Asia.
The paper said the holotype of the bones is made up of a "partially articulated skeleton comprising a series of vertebrae (from the last three cervical to the 10th caudal) with a few ossified tendons; left scapula and manus; entire pelvic girdle; left femur, tibia, and fibula; left tarsals and metatarsals; and a few displaced bones: right jugal, left surangular and angular, incomplete tooth (now considered lost), right femur, tibia and fibula, phalanx, and pedal ungual."
Based on how much of the skeleton was recovered, scientists were able to estimate that this specimen was likely around 60 cm, or just under two feet long. However, the researchers also believe the skeleton to be from a young specimen in the species and estimated that adults could have been up to two meters long.
Bones from two other dinosaurs believed to be of the same species were also found in the same fossil bed, although the scientists have not fully confirmed whether they also belong to minimocursor phunoiensis or not. Given the numerous remains of different sizes found at the location, scientists believe minimocursor phunoiensis was quite common to the area.
Scientists believe the discovery could help to chart the evolution of neornithischian dinosaurs and provide more data about the prehistoric ecosystem in the area.
The study was led by Sita Manitkoon from the Palaeontological Research and Education Centre at Thailand's Mahasarakham University, and aided by many other scientists and researchers.
More from 6 News: | https://www.fox43.com/article/tech/science/new-dinosaur-discovered-thailand-scientists-say/500-83176402-f464-4de9-9464-92bc005eb4c8 | 2023-07-31T07:58:42 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/tech/science/new-dinosaur-discovered-thailand-scientists-say/500-83176402-f464-4de9-9464-92bc005eb4c8 |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kwch.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T07:58:54 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:00 | 0 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:05 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
BEIJING, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Culture and art can bring minds and the world together. With this in mind, the second episode of season three of the China Daily series Youth Power, "Unlocking the power of art: How cultural exchanges can connect the world," was broadcast online on July 30.
Gen Zers from China, Italy, Russia, South Korea and Thailand gathered at the Dalian campus of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and discussed how artistic beauty can bring the world together and how to face the challenges that artificial intelligence present to art.
What is the essence of beauty? What unique influence does Chinese art have on Gen Zers? What spiritual pursuits are reflected in Chinese art and aesthetics?
In this episode of Youth Power, each Gen Z guest brought an art piece that they believed would best represent the Chinese concept of art and beauty. In doing so they gained a deeper understanding of Chinese aesthetics, philosophy and culture.
Giacomo Bruni, an Italian studying at the China Academy of Art in Beijing, said brushes are the most important tools in expressing Chinese culture because they are central to calligraphy, writing poetry and painting.
"Like the hardness of the handle and the softness of the hair, the brush encapsulates the idea of yin and Yang," Bruni said. The brush not only encapsulates the creativity of the world, but also epitomizes the profound ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, he said.
Song De'ao, a Chinese Gen Zer, chose the official mascots for Chinese winter sports designed by a team at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts as his ideal representation of Chinese aesthetics.
Song, a member of the design team, recalled the inspiration for the mascot Xue Wa, which wears tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, and cloud patterns and longevity locks on the clothing. "The mascots reflect the lively and cheerful aesthetics in modern China," Song said.
Jiratchaya Phinyoworakul, a Thai studying at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted two features that distinguish Chinese artworks from those of other countries and cultures: cultural extensiveness and profoundness as well as a philosophy centering on harmony between humankind and nature.
The program host, Zhong Yutong, said it is through exchanges that Chinese arts increase in vibrancy and vitality.
"Chinese arts have so much to offer. And we've had wonderful exchanges with different arts and civilizations across the world."
Bruni said art Chinese art is all-encompassing, perfectly merging all types of art. He cited Chinese literati paintings, a kind of painting that expresses feelings and aspirations through natural scenery, as an example, illustrating that "they unify the intellectual world and the practical art world, which is something that is missing in Western countries".
Program guests said there is no absolute definition of art and no universally recognized standard of beauty. Lian Liia, a student from Russia, said "the standard of art is changing in the art history, but there is one thing that has never changed, namely people's pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty".
Phinyoworakul said art is tantamount to comfort. "Even little things can be art. A smile on your face, a flower, sunshine, everything can be art. Art is in our everyday life."
Concerning the combination and contradiction of traditional art and fast-developing AI art creation, Bruni said artists screen information like filters of society. They find beauty and create art, but do not mechanically record and present everything around them. However, this is not true of AI, because it cannot grasp the concept of beauty.
Sun Yuxin of China said AI could positively influence the development of art. "AI saves a lot of time for artists, and it helps them with a lot of basic work."
Gen Zers have also contributed their wisdom in helping the world appreciate the beauty of Chinese art. Promoting Chinese aesthetics through social media could help people understand it more directly, Phinyoworakul said.
Lian Liia, a student at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University in Beijing, said, "We can promote Chinese culture as a lifestyle. For example, doing calligraphy or drinking tea to experience Chinese culture in our daily life."
Youth Power, organized by China Daily and first broadcast in June 2021, aims to build a global platform of communication and exchange, focusing on the interests and ideas of Generation Z. The program comes in the form of interviews, forums and speeches, with topics related to anything of current interest in the world.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE China Daily | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:07 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ |
BEIJING, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Culture and art can bring minds and the world together. With this in mind, the second episode of season three of the China Daily series Youth Power, "Unlocking the power of art: How cultural exchanges can connect the world," was broadcast online on July 30.
Gen Zers from China, Italy, Russia, South Korea and Thailand gathered at the Dalian campus of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and discussed how artistic beauty can bring the world together and how to face the challenges that artificial intelligence present to art.
What is the essence of beauty? What unique influence does Chinese art have on Gen Zers? What spiritual pursuits are reflected in Chinese art and aesthetics?
In this episode of Youth Power, each Gen Z guest brought an art piece that they believed would best represent the Chinese concept of art and beauty. In doing so they gained a deeper understanding of Chinese aesthetics, philosophy and culture.
Giacomo Bruni, an Italian studying at the China Academy of Art in Beijing, said brushes are the most important tools in expressing Chinese culture because they are central to calligraphy, writing poetry and painting.
"Like the hardness of the handle and the softness of the hair, the brush encapsulates the idea of yin and Yang," Bruni said. The brush not only encapsulates the creativity of the world, but also epitomizes the profound ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, he said.
Song De'ao, a Chinese Gen Zer, chose the official mascots for Chinese winter sports designed by a team at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts as his ideal representation of Chinese aesthetics.
Song, a member of the design team, recalled the inspiration for the mascot Xue Wa, which wears tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, and cloud patterns and longevity locks on the clothing. "The mascots reflect the lively and cheerful aesthetics in modern China," Song said.
Jiratchaya Phinyoworakul, a Thai studying at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted two features that distinguish Chinese artworks from those of other countries and cultures: cultural extensiveness and profoundness as well as a philosophy centering on harmony between humankind and nature.
The program host, Zhong Yutong, said it is through exchanges that Chinese arts increase in vibrancy and vitality.
"Chinese arts have so much to offer. And we've had wonderful exchanges with different arts and civilizations across the world."
Bruni said art Chinese art is all-encompassing, perfectly merging all types of art. He cited Chinese literati paintings, a kind of painting that expresses feelings and aspirations through natural scenery, as an example, illustrating that "they unify the intellectual world and the practical art world, which is something that is missing in Western countries".
Program guests said there is no absolute definition of art and no universally recognized standard of beauty. Lian Liia, a student from Russia, said "the standard of art is changing in the art history, but there is one thing that has never changed, namely people's pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty".
Phinyoworakul said art is tantamount to comfort. "Even little things can be art. A smile on your face, a flower, sunshine, everything can be art. Art is in our everyday life."
Concerning the combination and contradiction of traditional art and fast-developing AI art creation, Bruni said artists screen information like filters of society. They find beauty and create art, but do not mechanically record and present everything around them. However, this is not true of AI, because it cannot grasp the concept of beauty.
Sun Yuxin of China said AI could positively influence the development of art. "AI saves a lot of time for artists, and it helps them with a lot of basic work."
Gen Zers have also contributed their wisdom in helping the world appreciate the beauty of Chinese art. Promoting Chinese aesthetics through social media could help people understand it more directly, Phinyoworakul said.
Lian Liia, a student at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University in Beijing, said, "We can promote Chinese culture as a lifestyle. For example, doing calligraphy or drinking tea to experience Chinese culture in our daily life."
Youth Power, organized by China Daily and first broadcast in June 2021, aims to build a global platform of communication and exchange, focusing on the interests and ideas of Generation Z. The program comes in the form of interviews, forums and speeches, with topics related to anything of current interest in the world.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE China Daily | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:11 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:13 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
KHAR, Pakistan — Pakistan held funerals on Monday for victims of a massive suicide bombing that targeted a rally of a pro-Taliban cleric the previous day as the death toll climbed to at least 45 and the government vowed to hunt down those behind the attack.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing, which also wounded nearly 200 people. Police said their initial investigation suggests the Islamic State group's regional affiliate could be behind the attack.
The victims were all from the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which is headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman. He did not attend the rally, held under a large tent close to a market in Bajur, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.
The IS regional affiliate — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — is based in neighboring Afghanistan's Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban. Bajur was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan's Taliban government — before several Pakistani army offensives that ended in 2016 claimed to have driven them out of the area.
The cleric's supporters had gathered in Bajut on Sunday as part of their party's preparations for the next parliamentary elections, expected sometime in October or November after the current parliament's five-year term ends.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to dissolve the parliament in August to pave the way for the vote. Rehman's party is part of Sharif's coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Khan later on Sunday also condemned the bombing, as condolences continued to pour in from across the country. Dozens of people who received minor injuries were discharged from hospital while the critically wounded were taken to the city of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll on Sunday was reported to be 44 but rose to 45 on Monday as a critically wounded person died at a hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. The bombing has also drawn nationwide condemnation, with ruling and opposition parties offering condolences to the families of the victims. The U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad also condemned the attack.
Abdul Rasheed, a senior leader in Rehman's party said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that "such attacks cannot deter our resolve."
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the attack. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, said the attack aimed to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that "such crimes cannot be justified in any way."
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where on Monday he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, said police were "investigating this attack in all aspects."
Sunday's bombing was one of the four worst attacks in northwestern Pakistan since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-31/pakistan-holds-funerals-as-the-government-vows-to-find-those-behind-a-deadly-bombing | 2023-07-31T07:59:16 | 0 | https://www.wbaa.org/2023-07-31/pakistan-holds-funerals-as-the-government-vows-to-find-those-behind-a-deadly-bombing |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
View original content:
SOURCE Global Times | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:17 | 1 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
- LGES' ESG Report 2022 published today, announcing a string of sustainable business management progress made in the previous year
- 61 percent of the electricity used in the company's global production sites was generated from renewable sources… 56 percent when including non-manufacturing business sites
- The firm has strengthened the disclosure of information in scope and depth to better address growing demands from global authorities including ISSB and TCFD
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today released ESG report 2022, sharing the progress of the company's ESG management including climate change mitigation achievements. Consisting of a total of 107 pages, the third annual report details the company's vision, efforts, and progress in environmental, social, and governance areas.
As a part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2040, LGES announced that it has managed to source 61 percent of the electricity used in its global production sites from renewable energy in 2022. In terms of the company-wide electricity usage, which includes non-manufacturing business sites, 56 percent was delivered from renewable sources. LGES has been rapidly advancing the transition to renewable energy, supplying 33 percent of its electricity use from renewable sources in 2020 and 44 percent in 2021.
Previously, LGES has set a phased roadmap to successfully complete the mid-to long-term initiative to realize carbon neutrality. The company plans to supply all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, LGES intends to achieve carbon neutrality by converting all energy sources aside from electricity, including fuels and gas, to renewable energy sources at all of its business sites by 2040, and across the entire value chain by 2050.
One of the other priority tasks identified by LGES is establishing a closed-loop system of resources by reusing or recycling end-of-life batteries and managing waste generated at business sites. To this end, the company signed a contract with Li-Cycle, the largest battery recycling company in North America, to provide scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process, and in turn receive recycled nickel that can be used in manufacturing cathode materials for batteries. Furthermore, in China, LGES has completed the establishment of recycling system in 2022. Its Nanjing facility has also developed a new technology to recycle NMP solvent waste (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which accounts for about 85 percent of the hazardous waste, and improved the NMP recycling rate from 80 percent to 97 percent.
Furthermore, LGES is actively taking part in major global ESG initiatives. In May 2022, it became the first Korean company to join the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), joining the global efforts to eradicate forced labor and child labor issues in Congolese mines of cobalt, a major raw material for batteries, and secure fair minerals. Also participating as a member of the Alliance's Steering Committee, LGES is actively pursuing community improvement activities such as helping young children enroll in school, supplying solar power to local schools, and executing safety education in mines.
LGES emphasized that the company has strengthened the information disclosure throughout this year's report in line with the growing call for more transparent ESG information from various stakeholders including investors around the world. LGES is responding quickly to the demands of the international community, following the recommendations from renowned global ESG disclosure standards such as the International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).
In addition, the report's cover design reflects the characteristics of LGES as a battery company as well as its ESG slogan "Plus for Minus, Minus for Plus." The phrase represents the company's determination to realize a better future by reducing unnecessary elements and adding necessary ones in each area of Environment, Society, and Governance, like the natural flow of electrodes moving between the plus and minus poles.
"LG Energy Solution will continue to relentlessly innovate ourselves in order to contribute to the global carbon neutrality and the future of mankind," said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. "By making a difference, we will meaningfully realize our goal of becoming the 'global No.1 company' that is trusted and beloved by customers."
To view the full ESG Report 2022, go to: https://www.lgensol.com/upload/file/sustainability/2022_LGES_ESG_Report_Eng.pdf
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.
View original content:
SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:20 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
- LGES' ESG Report 2022 published today, announcing a string of sustainable business management progress made in the previous year
- 61 percent of the electricity used in the company's global production sites was generated from renewable sources… 56 percent when including non-manufacturing business sites
- The firm has strengthened the disclosure of information in scope and depth to better address growing demands from global authorities including ISSB and TCFD
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today released ESG report 2022, sharing the progress of the company's ESG management including climate change mitigation achievements. Consisting of a total of 107 pages, the third annual report details the company's vision, efforts, and progress in environmental, social, and governance areas.
As a part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2040, LGES announced that it has managed to source 61 percent of the electricity used in its global production sites from renewable energy in 2022. In terms of the company-wide electricity usage, which includes non-manufacturing business sites, 56 percent was delivered from renewable sources. LGES has been rapidly advancing the transition to renewable energy, supplying 33 percent of its electricity use from renewable sources in 2020 and 44 percent in 2021.
Previously, LGES has set a phased roadmap to successfully complete the mid-to long-term initiative to realize carbon neutrality. The company plans to supply all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, LGES intends to achieve carbon neutrality by converting all energy sources aside from electricity, including fuels and gas, to renewable energy sources at all of its business sites by 2040, and across the entire value chain by 2050.
One of the other priority tasks identified by LGES is establishing a closed-loop system of resources by reusing or recycling end-of-life batteries and managing waste generated at business sites. To this end, the company signed a contract with Li-Cycle, the largest battery recycling company in North America, to provide scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process, and in turn receive recycled nickel that can be used in manufacturing cathode materials for batteries. Furthermore, in China, LGES has completed the establishment of recycling system in 2022. Its Nanjing facility has also developed a new technology to recycle NMP solvent waste (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which accounts for about 85 percent of the hazardous waste, and improved the NMP recycling rate from 80 percent to 97 percent.
Furthermore, LGES is actively taking part in major global ESG initiatives. In May 2022, it became the first Korean company to join the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), joining the global efforts to eradicate forced labor and child labor issues in Congolese mines of cobalt, a major raw material for batteries, and secure fair minerals. Also participating as a member of the Alliance's Steering Committee, LGES is actively pursuing community improvement activities such as helping young children enroll in school, supplying solar power to local schools, and executing safety education in mines.
LGES emphasized that the company has strengthened the information disclosure throughout this year's report in line with the growing call for more transparent ESG information from various stakeholders including investors around the world. LGES is responding quickly to the demands of the international community, following the recommendations from renowned global ESG disclosure standards such as the International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).
In addition, the report's cover design reflects the characteristics of LGES as a battery company as well as its ESG slogan "Plus for Minus, Minus for Plus." The phrase represents the company's determination to realize a better future by reducing unnecessary elements and adding necessary ones in each area of Environment, Society, and Governance, like the natural flow of electrodes moving between the plus and minus poles.
"LG Energy Solution will continue to relentlessly innovate ourselves in order to contribute to the global carbon neutrality and the future of mankind," said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. "By making a difference, we will meaningfully realize our goal of becoming the 'global No.1 company' that is trusted and beloved by customers."
To view the full ESG Report 2022, go to: https://www.lgensol.com/upload/file/sustainability/2022_LGES_ESG_Report_Eng.pdf
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.
View original content:
SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:24 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
View original content:
SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:27 | 1 | https://www.kwch.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
NEW YORK, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- One Rock Capital Partners, LLC ("One Rock") today announced one of its affiliates has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Constantia Flexibles ("Constantia" or the "Company"), a leading global packaging manufacturer, from Wendel (Euronext: MF.FP), one of Europe's leading listed investment firms.
Constantia is the partner of choice for flexible packaging to more than 4,000 pharmaceutical, food and consumer goods customers. With a team of over 7,000 employees, the Company manufactures and provides custom packaging solutions across the globe.
"Constantia has grown through acquisition and innovation to be a leader serving its food and pharma customers," said Telmo Valido, Partner at One Rock. "We look forward to partnering with Constantia's management team to continue innovating to solve for the evolving packaging needs and sustainability requirements of the Company's customers."
"We are very pleased to welcome Constantia Flexibles to the One Rock family," added Kurt Beyer, Partner at One Rock. "We believe our strategic and operational resources will complement management's efforts to pursue Constantia's growth initiatives while maintaining the standards of quality and service valued by its customers."
"In recent years under Wendel's ownership, Constantia Flexibles transformed its business performance, developed an innovative pipeline of more sustainable products and completed multiple acquisitions," said Pim Vervaat, CEO at Constantia. "With diverse geographic and end market presence, the Company is well-positioned to continue expanding its suite of packaging solutions amidst regulatory developments and a changing climate, and we look forward to partnering with One Rock during this next chapter."
J.P. Morgan served as lead financial advisor and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor to One Rock on the transaction. Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal advisor and Evercore served as financial advisor to Constantia.
ABOUT ONE ROCK CAPITAL PARTNERS, LLC
One Rock makes controlling investments in companies with potential for growth and operational improvement using a rigorous approach that utilizes highly experienced Operating Partners to identify, acquire and enhance businesses in select industries. The involvement of these Operating Partners affords One Rock the ability to conduct due diligence and consummate acquisitions and investments in all types of situations, regardless of complexity. One Rock works collaboratively with company management and its Operating Partners to develop a comprehensive business plan focused on growing the enterprise and its profitability to enhance long-term value. For more information, visit www.onerockcapital.com.
ABOUT CONSTANTIA FLEXIBLES
Constantia is the world's third-largest producer of flexible packaging. Based on the guiding principle of 'People, Passion, Packaging', some 7,650 employees manufacture tailor-made packaging solutions at 30 sites in 16 countries. Many international companies and local market leaders from the consumer and pharma industries choose the sustainable and innovative products of Constantia Flexibles. Sustainability is a top priority in product development at Constantia Flexibles: the company was rated Level A- by Climate Change Leadership (CDP) and Gold by EcoVadis in 2022. For more information, visit www.cflex.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Julia Kaufman
Prosek Partners
pro-onerock@prosek.com
View original content:
SOURCE One Rock Capital Partners, LLC | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ | 2023-07-31T07:59:30 | 0 | https://www.wafb.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/one-rock-capital-partners-announces-acquisition-constantia-flexibles-wendel/ |
17-year-old American cyclist killed while training for mountain bike world championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Seventeen-year-old American cyclist Magnus White, who was scheduled to race at the upcoming world championships in Scotland, was killed Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle on a training ride near his home in Boulder, Colorado.
USA Cycling announced his death in a statement Sunday.
White was a rising multidisciplinary star, winning a junior national championship in cyclocross in 2021 and earning a place on the U.S. national team. He competed with the team in Europe ahead of last year’s cyclocross world championships, and he was picked to represent the U.S. again at this year’s cyclocross worlds in the Netherlands.
White began to dabble in road cycling and mountain biking this season. He was on one of his final training rides before the junior world mountain bike championships in Glasgow, Scotland, when the accident occurred.
He is survived by his parents, Michael and Jill, and his brother, Eero.
“He was a rising star in the off-road cycling scene and his passion for cycling was evident through his racing and camaraderie with his teammates and local community,” USA Cycling said in a statement. “We offer our heartfelt condolences to the White family, his teammates, friends, and the Boulder community during this incredibly difficult time.”
___
AP coverage of the Paris Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ | 2023-07-31T08:00:01 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/31/17-year-old-american-cyclist-killed-while-training-mountain-bike-world-championships/ |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T08:00:01 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T08:00:01 | 0 | https://www.wkyt.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T08:00:08 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
Bet on the result of United States vs. Portugal at DraftKings! Bet now to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
Take your pick for United States vs. Portugal on DraftKings! Use our link to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
Get your Women's World Cup gear at Fanatics!
Portugal Roster
Not all offers available in all states, please visit DraftKings for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T08:00:08 | 1 | https://www.wkyt.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
Bet on the result of United States vs. Portugal at DraftKings! Bet now to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
Take your pick for United States vs. Portugal on DraftKings! Use our link to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
Get your Women's World Cup gear at Fanatics!
Portugal Roster
Not all offers available in all states, please visit DraftKings for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T08:00:08 | 0 | https://www.kfyrtv.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
Bet on the result of United States vs. Portugal at DraftKings! Bet now to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
Take your pick for United States vs. Portugal on DraftKings! Use our link to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
Get your Women's World Cup gear at Fanatics!
Portugal Roster
Not all offers available in all states, please visit DraftKings for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T08:00:14 | 1 | https://www.azfamily.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
DEAR ABBY: I am 49 and have been divorced for 20 years. When we first separated, my ex moved in with my parents while I struggled to raise my four kids. He stayed there for seven years. He moved out until a year and a half ago. Again, my parents have allowed him back in!
While I understand that they shouldn’t have had to cease contact because of the divorce, I don’t feel it’s right for him to be living there. This has caused an ongoing rift between my family and me because I have let them know that it hurts me.
My parents pretty much told me my feelings don’t matter. I was homeless living in my car for a few weeks while it was bitter cold and snowing. But I’m not supposed to be upset that he’s nice and warm, eating prepared meals, showering and using their vehicles for next to nothing? He has had a full-time job for 10 years.
I feel my parents are disrespectful, hurtful and rude toward me. What are your thoughts about what I should do or how to handle this? -- PERTURBED IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR PERTURBED: My thought is that when you and your ex-husband divorced, your parents sided with him, and you have every right to your feelings. Being told that your feelings do not matter had to have been devastating.
The way to handle this would be to stay as far from your parents as possible and figure out how to have a rewarding life on your own. Take that path -- and spend as little time as possible looking backward because you really have no other choice. Success would be the best revenge.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069. | https://www.al.com/life/2023/07/dear-abby-i-struggle-to-make-ends-meet-while-my-ex-lives-with-and-mooches-off-my-parents.html | 2023-07-31T08:01:33 | 0 | https://www.al.com/life/2023/07/dear-abby-i-struggle-to-make-ends-meet-while-my-ex-lives-with-and-mooches-off-my-parents.html |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T08:02:02 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
Bet on the result of United States vs. Portugal at DraftKings! Bet now to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
Take your pick for United States vs. Portugal on DraftKings! Use our link to get a first deposit bonus of up to $1,000!
United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
Get your Women's World Cup gear at Fanatics!
Portugal Roster
Not all offers available in all states, please visit DraftKings for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.
© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T08:02:09 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
Looking to save a few bucks? We all are!
Here are some of the best deals around the Valley this week July 31 - Aug. 6, 2023):
- LDV Winery: All wines are on sale in August! The general public can get 25% off wines by the case and club members can get 30-40% off wines by the case. No other wine club discounts are applicable with this offer. Guests can purchase wine at the Tasting Room or order online. Learn more or buy online by going to the website.
- The Carpetbag Brigade Physical Theater is hosting two free shows in northern Arizona. The free acrobatic stilt show will be in Cottonwood at the Old Town Basketball court on August 5, commencing at 7:30 p.m. and in Prescott at the Courthouse Plaza on August 6 at 5 p.m. Both of these events are free to the public and suitable for all ages. Bring your lawn chairs!
- Match Market & Bar: Lunch and dinner options are discounted while temperatures are hot! When the temperature is over 100 degrees, guests can enjoy $2 off draft beers, wine by the glass, sangria, brussels sprouts and half salad; when the temps reach over 105 degrees, diners will receive $3 off full salads, flatbreads and mains; and if the weather creeps over 110 degrees, patrons can get $5 off sandwiches and bowls. Temperatures are based on what a thermometer on display in the restaurant shows.
- Maricopa County Animal Care and Control is offering free pet adoptions through a BISSELL Pet Foundation ‘Empty the Shelters’ event. The waived fees are available through July 31. Puppies can also be adopted for a reduced fee of $75. Adoption fees include spay/neuter, microchips, and vaccines. See adoptable pets here.
- Arizona Humane Society is offering $20 adoptions for all pets through July 31 through a BISSELL Pet Foundation ‘Empty the Shelters’ event. Adoptable pets can be found here.
- Four Peaks Brewing Co. is offering $4 pints of beer anytime the temperature is above 104 degrees, now through Labor Day.
- Red Robin offers 50% off Kids’ Meals every Wednesday. The deal is good for dine-in and online ordering using promo code “KIDSMEAL50”. Learn more here.
- Miracle Mile Deli: Homemade milkshakes and ice cream floats are $6 (June 1- August 31) and try the Hot Dog Special (hot dog, fries and a drink) for $7 throughout July.
- Live Nation’s Summer’s Live Promotion: Get 4 all-in tickets for $80 to select shows in the Valley. Pre-sales begin on July 18 followed by general on-sale from July 19 - August 1. Concerts that are part of the promotion include 3 Doors Down, 5 Seconds of Summer, All American Rejects, Avenged Sevenfold, Big Time Rush, Chevelle, Counting Crows, Boy George & Culture Club with Howard Jones and Berlin, Lil Durk, Shinedown and more. Buy tickets here.
- Dave & Buster’s is bringing back its ‘Eat and Play combo’ with entrees and play card combos starting at $20. The deal is good Monday through Friday.
- Crust Simply Italian: Get a $20 Bruschetta Board and Wine Bottle starting at 6 p.m. every Wednesday, have a Thursday date night starting at 5 p.m. with a $50 special for you and your date (appetizer, salad, entree and dessert), or get a $40 Summer Family Pack to-go with a 20" pizza, salad, garlic knots and cannolis.
- The Mission at Kierland Commons: Guac-tail Hour daily from 3-5 p.m. offers deals like half-off frozen margaritas, $2 Roasted Corn Gorditas, and $20 date specials.
- Free transportation to a heat-relief center: 2-1-1 Arizona and Arizona Public Service partnered up to offer free rides to cooling centers and emergency relief stations during summer months.
- PHX Beer Co.: This year, through the end of September, PHX Beer Co. says you can get your first pint of Monsoon IPA beer for just $1 whenever Phoenix Sky Harbor records measurable rainfall.
MORE SAVINGS: Hot summer 2023 deals and fun for families, kids in the Phoenix area
Know of a great deal we missed? Send an email to smartshopper@abc15.com. | https://www.abc15.com/news/smart-shopper/smart-shopper-deals-and-freebies-of-the-week-theater-shows-wine-and-more | 2023-07-31T08:03:56 | 1 | https://www.abc15.com/news/smart-shopper/smart-shopper-deals-and-freebies-of-the-week-theater-shows-wine-and-more |
Smith sets career high, Central Ark. dominates Lamar 45-17
BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) - Breylin Smith threw for a career-best 434 yards and four touchdowns as Central Arkansas walked over Lamar 45-17 in Southland Conference action on Saturday.
Smith set a career high last week, throwing for 405 yards and four scores as the Bears rallied to beat Sam Houston State 29-25, for their sixth come-from-behind win this season.
Smith was 30-for-37 passing with no interceptions as Central Arkansas scored on its second, third and fourth possession of the game to go ahead 21-0 in the first quarter. Smith had 325 yards passing with three scores in the first two quarters.
The Bears went into the break leading 31-10 and were ahead 45-10 at the end of the third after Smith plunged in from the 1 and Tyler Hudson gathered in a 16-yard scoring strike from Smith.
Central Arkansas (7-2, 5-1) remains atop the conference standings with Sam Houston State and Incarnate Word tied for second. The Bears only league loss was to Nichols 34-14 on October 5.
Jermaine Givens Jr. had 73 yards rushing with one touchdown for Lamar (4-5, 2-4).
Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | https://www.krgv.com/news/smith-sets-career-high-central-ark-dominates-lamar-45-17 | 2023-07-31T08:04:02 | 1 | https://www.krgv.com/news/smith-sets-career-high-central-ark-dominates-lamar-45-17 |
KHAR, Pakistan — Pakistan held funerals on Monday for victims of a massive suicide bombing that targeted a rally of a pro-Taliban cleric the previous day as the death toll climbed to at least 45 and the government vowed to hunt down those behind the attack.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing, which also wounded nearly 200 people. Police said their initial investigation suggests the Islamic State group's regional affiliate could be behind the attack.
The victims were all from the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which is headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman. He did not attend the rally, held under a large tent close to a market in Bajur, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.
The IS regional affiliate — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — is based in neighboring Afghanistan's Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban. Bajur was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan's Taliban government — before several Pakistani army offensives that ended in 2016 claimed to have driven them out of the area.
The cleric's supporters had gathered in Bajut on Sunday as part of their party's preparations for the next parliamentary elections, expected sometime in October or November after the current parliament's five-year term ends.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to dissolve the parliament in August to pave the way for the vote. Rehman's party is part of Sharif's coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Khan later on Sunday also condemned the bombing, as condolences continued to pour in from across the country. Dozens of people who received minor injuries were discharged from hospital while the critically wounded were taken to the city of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll on Sunday was reported to be 44 but rose to 45 on Monday as a critically wounded person died at a hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. The bombing has also drawn nationwide condemnation, with ruling and opposition parties offering condolences to the families of the victims. The U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad also condemned the attack.
Abdul Rasheed, a senior leader in Rehman's party said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that "such attacks cannot deter our resolve."
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the attack. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, said the attack aimed to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that "such crimes cannot be justified in any way."
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where on Monday he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, said police were "investigating this attack in all aspects."
Sunday's bombing was one of the four worst attacks in northwestern Pakistan since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.wboi.org/npr-news/2023-07-31/pakistan-holds-funerals-as-the-government-vows-to-find-those-behind-a-deadly-bombing | 2023-07-31T08:04:22 | 1 | https://www.wboi.org/npr-news/2023-07-31/pakistan-holds-funerals-as-the-government-vows-to-find-those-behind-a-deadly-bombing |
Hong Kong (CNN) — China is preparing to announce new stimulus for its stumbling economy after the vast factory sector contracted for a fourth straight month, and a gauge of activity in its services sector slipped to a seven month low.
The Chinese government is holding a press conference at 3 a.m. ET (3 p.m. local) in Beijing to discuss “measures to restore and expand consumption.” It will be attended by top economic officials and representatives of various ministries.
The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which measures activity level in the manufacturing sector, came in at 49.3 in July, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday.
That result was slightly up compared with 49 in June but the index has nonetheless contracted each month since April. A PMI reading above 50 indicates expansion, while anything below that level shows contraction.
The official non-manufacturing PMI, which looks at activities in the services and construction industries, fell to 51.5 from 53.2 in June.
That is the lowest rate since December, when the non-manufacturing PMI hit the weakest level since February 2020 at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
By the end of last year, Covid infections were sweeping through China after Beijing abruptly ended nearly three years of draconian pandemic restrictions that initially kept the virus at bay while hammering local businesses and isolating the world’s second largest economy.
The government’s PMI survey mainly covers larger businesses and state-owned firms.
“China’s official PMI data provides little encouragement that the economy is turning the corner,” said Robert Carnell, regional head of research for Asia-Pacific at ING Group.
Monday’s manufacturing and service sector figures are just latest data points that show how China’s economy is struggling.
China’s GDP grew just 0.8% in the second quarter of this year, down significantly from the still tepid 2.2% growth it registered in the first three months of 2023. Consumer spending has weakened, the housing market has slumped, and the youth unemployment rate has soared to a fresh record of 21.3%.
Much like many other parts of the world this summer, extreme weather has also posed a threat to economic growth.
In recent weeks parts of China have been hit by a double whammy of heat waves and torrential rain, threatening to strain power supplies and disrupt factory production as well as crop yields.
New measures to boost consumption
The frail data has prompted Beijing to increase efforts to shore up growth.
Five central agencies, including the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), will announce new measures later on Monday to boost consumption, according to a statement from the State Council Information Office.
On Friday, China unveiled a two-year plan to boost so-called “light industry,” which includes consumer packaged goods, consumer durables, sports and leisure equipment, and light industrial machinery, according to a statement jointly published by the NDRC, MIIT, and the Ministry of Commerce.
The goal is to speed up the industry’s growth to 4% for 2023 and 2024, after it only registered a 0.4% expansion in the first half of the year, the statement said.
In the past weeks, authorities have tried to appear more proactive in supporting the private sector, a key growth driver that has been hammered by Covid restrictions as well as a sweeping regulatory crackdown under Chinese leader Xi Jinping that targeted sectors from technology to private education.
However, these micro measures have not translated into the sort of “sizable fiscal policy stimulus” many have expected, Carnell said.
“Looking forward, policy support is needed to prevent China’s economy from slipping into a recession,” said analysts from Capital Economics.
“Unless concrete support is rolled out soon, the recent downturn in demand risks becoming self-reinforcing.” | https://www.channel3000.com/news/money/china-set-to-announce-new-stimulus-measures-as-factory-sector-contracts-for-fourth-month/article_0defe476-8c0d-5fcc-a0c1-5d525d155ed5.html | 2023-07-31T08:05:17 | 1 | https://www.channel3000.com/news/money/china-set-to-announce-new-stimulus-measures-as-factory-sector-contracts-for-fourth-month/article_0defe476-8c0d-5fcc-a0c1-5d525d155ed5.html |
KHAR, Pakistan — Pakistan held funerals on Monday for victims of a massive suicide bombing that targeted a rally of a pro-Taliban cleric the previous day as the death toll climbed to at least 45 and the government vowed to hunt down those behind the attack.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday's bombing, which also wounded nearly 200 people. Police said their initial investigation suggests the Islamic State group's regional affiliate could be behind the attack.
The victims were all from the Jamiat Ulema Islam party, which is headed by hard-line cleric and politician Fazlur Rehman. He did not attend the rally, held under a large tent close to a market in Bajur, a district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan.
The IS regional affiliate — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — is based in neighboring Afghanistan's Nangarhar province and is a rival of the Afghan Taliban. Bajur was a stronghold of the Pakistani Taliban — a close ally of Afghanistan's Taliban government — before several Pakistani army offensives that ended in 2016 claimed to have driven them out of the area.
The cleric's supporters had gathered in Bajut on Sunday as part of their party's preparations for the next parliamentary elections, expected sometime in October or November after the current parliament's five-year term ends.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to dissolve the parliament in August to pave the way for the vote. Rehman's party is part of Sharif's coalition government, which came to power in April 2022 by ousting former Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence vote in the legislature.
Khan later on Sunday also condemned the bombing, as condolences continued to pour in from across the country. Dozens of people who received minor injuries were discharged from hospital while the critically wounded were taken to the city of Peshawar by army helicopters. The death toll on Sunday was reported to be 44 but rose to 45 on Monday as a critically wounded person died at a hospital, physician Gul Naseeb said.
Sharif called Rehman to express his condolences and assure the cleric that those who orchestrated the attack would be punished. The bombing has also drawn nationwide condemnation, with ruling and opposition parties offering condolences to the families of the victims. The U.S. and Russian embassies in Islamabad also condemned the attack.
Abdul Rasheed, a senior leader in Rehman's party said the bombing was aimed at weakening the party but that "such attacks cannot deter our resolve."
The Pakistani Taliban also distanced themselves from the attack. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, said the attack aimed to set Islamists against each other. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Afghan Taliban, posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that "such crimes cannot be justified in any way."
The bombing came hours before the arrival of Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Islamabad, where on Monday he was to participate in an event to mark a decade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a sprawling package under which Beijing has invested billions of dollars in Pakistan.
In recent months, China has helped Pakistan avoid a default on sovereign payments. Some Chinese nationals have also been targeted by militants in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere.
Feroz Jamal, the provincial information minister, said police were "investigating this attack in all aspects."
Sunday's bombing was one of the four worst attacks in northwestern Pakistan since 2014, when 147 people, mostly schoolchildren, were killed in a Taliban attack on an army-run school in Peshawar.
In January, 74 people were killed in a bombing at a mosque in Peshawar. And in February, more than 100 people, mostly policemen, died in a bombing at a mosque inside a high-security compound housing Peshawar police headquarters.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.knkx.org/2023-07-31/pakistan-holds-funerals-as-the-government-vows-to-find-those-behind-a-deadly-bombing | 2023-07-31T08:05:34 | 0 | https://www.knkx.org/2023-07-31/pakistan-holds-funerals-as-the-government-vows-to-find-those-behind-a-deadly-bombing |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.weau.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T08:05:34 | 0 | https://www.weau.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T08:05:35 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
BEIJING, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Culture and art can bring minds and the world together. With this in mind, the second episode of season three of the China Daily series Youth Power, "Unlocking the power of art: How cultural exchanges can connect the world," was broadcast online on July 30.
Gen Zers from China, Italy, Russia, South Korea and Thailand gathered at the Dalian campus of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and discussed how artistic beauty can bring the world together and how to face the challenges that artificial intelligence present to art.
What is the essence of beauty? What unique influence does Chinese art have on Gen Zers? What spiritual pursuits are reflected in Chinese art and aesthetics?
In this episode of Youth Power, each Gen Z guest brought an art piece that they believed would best represent the Chinese concept of art and beauty. In doing so they gained a deeper understanding of Chinese aesthetics, philosophy and culture.
Giacomo Bruni, an Italian studying at the China Academy of Art in Beijing, said brushes are the most important tools in expressing Chinese culture because they are central to calligraphy, writing poetry and painting.
"Like the hardness of the handle and the softness of the hair, the brush encapsulates the idea of yin and Yang," Bruni said. The brush not only encapsulates the creativity of the world, but also epitomizes the profound ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, he said.
Song De'ao, a Chinese Gen Zer, chose the official mascots for Chinese winter sports designed by a team at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts as his ideal representation of Chinese aesthetics.
Song, a member of the design team, recalled the inspiration for the mascot Xue Wa, which wears tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, and cloud patterns and longevity locks on the clothing. "The mascots reflect the lively and cheerful aesthetics in modern China," Song said.
Jiratchaya Phinyoworakul, a Thai studying at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted two features that distinguish Chinese artworks from those of other countries and cultures: cultural extensiveness and profoundness as well as a philosophy centering on harmony between humankind and nature.
The program host, Zhong Yutong, said it is through exchanges that Chinese arts increase in vibrancy and vitality.
"Chinese arts have so much to offer. And we've had wonderful exchanges with different arts and civilizations across the world."
Bruni said art Chinese art is all-encompassing, perfectly merging all types of art. He cited Chinese literati paintings, a kind of painting that expresses feelings and aspirations through natural scenery, as an example, illustrating that "they unify the intellectual world and the practical art world, which is something that is missing in Western countries".
Program guests said there is no absolute definition of art and no universally recognized standard of beauty. Lian Liia, a student from Russia, said "the standard of art is changing in the art history, but there is one thing that has never changed, namely people's pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty".
Phinyoworakul said art is tantamount to comfort. "Even little things can be art. A smile on your face, a flower, sunshine, everything can be art. Art is in our everyday life."
Concerning the combination and contradiction of traditional art and fast-developing AI art creation, Bruni said artists screen information like filters of society. They find beauty and create art, but do not mechanically record and present everything around them. However, this is not true of AI, because it cannot grasp the concept of beauty.
Sun Yuxin of China said AI could positively influence the development of art. "AI saves a lot of time for artists, and it helps them with a lot of basic work."
Gen Zers have also contributed their wisdom in helping the world appreciate the beauty of Chinese art. Promoting Chinese aesthetics through social media could help people understand it more directly, Phinyoworakul said.
Lian Liia, a student at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University in Beijing, said, "We can promote Chinese culture as a lifestyle. For example, doing calligraphy or drinking tea to experience Chinese culture in our daily life."
Youth Power, organized by China Daily and first broadcast in June 2021, aims to build a global platform of communication and exchange, focusing on the interests and ideas of Generation Z. The program comes in the form of interviews, forums and speeches, with topics related to anything of current interest in the world.
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SOURCE China Daily | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ | 2023-07-31T08:05:41 | 0 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T08:05:47 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
HANZHONG, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hanzhong in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on his way back to Beijing on Saturday. During his visit to the municipal museum, Xi emphasized making good use of museums. He also called for efforts to expand the influence of Chinese culture.
"I was in Hanzhong in 2008 after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake to oversee the relief work. Hanzhong has always been in my heart over the years," Xi told local residents. Xi said he was delighted to see huge changes of the city since then.
With an exhibition area of nearly 2,000 square meters, the Hanzhong Museum in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province is not the grandest museum in China, but it is a historical telescope allowing visitors to have a retrospective view of Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) history dating back to as far as 2,000 years ago.
Unlike many other museums across the country built to house more recent historical relics, the Hanzhong Museum itself embodies the history that encompasses three heritage sites with the ancient Hantai (Lit: Han palace), once the royal residence of the founder of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, at its core.
Heritage sites-turned museum
Including the ruin of ancient Hantai, a notable feature of the Hanzhong Museum was it built in 1985 consisting of two other Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25) heritage sites, the Baijiang altar and the "Yin Ma Chi," a pool facility common in ancient times for accommodating horses.
Visitors are first greeted by the ancient Hantai once they enter the museum, which is seven meters high. The millennium-old architecture was constructed using typical man-made rammed earth and its design characters show architectural aesthetics prominent in China's Qin (221BC-206BC), Han and Southern Song (1127-1279) dynasties.
Liao Shuguang, an architectural expert of ancient Chinese buildings, told the Global Times that the ancient Hantai's functions would change "according to history's change." It was once home to Liu Bang, but was later renovated in the Southern Song Dynasty to become a backyard garden with a gazebo on the building's roof.
Although the ancient Hantai changed roles, its historical importance remained unchanged as it witnessed Liu's founding of the Han Dynasty, one of the powerful dynasties in the Chinese history to have "unified yet diverse" cultural and political beliefs, historian Tao Zhongjun, told the Global Times.
"Including the belief of a 'unified country,' the Han Dynasty left behind a diverse legacy including the governing Confucius mindset and Silk Road exchanges with the western region of Asia and the world. They continue to inspire us today," Tao noted.
Aside from the ancient Hantai, the Baijiang altar, another major element of the museum, was built in 206BC. It was where the then governor Liu Bang would praise the talent and wisdom of his loyal officer Han Xin.
Museum expert Li Zhiming told the Global Times that such heritage sites turned cultural spaces are "living proof of Chinese history," and a good way of making use of the museum is to "properly maintain it while enriching its collection that possesses local cultural characters."
The art of Shudao
Hanzhong was a major stop along the ancient road system Shudao that connected China's Guanzhong Plain with the Chengdu Plain.
The Baoxie plank road, an ancient mountain road that traversed the Qinling Mountain, was also located in Hanzhong and brought an abundant supply of Shudao cultural artifacts.
Inside the Hanzhong Museum, there is a gallery dedicated to the ancient plank road. Shi Men Shi San Pin, also known as the 13 cliff stone carvings of the Shi Men, are a part of the museum's collection.
As an important section of the Shudao, Shi Men was a tunnel at the southern end of the Baoxie plank road. The walls of the tunnel as well as the cliffs of the Baoxie river, were carved with numerous historical inscriptions among which the 13 pieces collected by the museum were the "rarest of the rare," relic expert Xiang Zhengming told the Global Times.
Amongst the 13 carving pieces, the Shi Men Song (Lit: the Eulogy of Shi Men) is a highlight. It embodies the aesthetic essence of Han Dynasty's clerical script calligraphic style. In 1936, China's large-scale encyclopedia Cihai (lit: the sea of the words) took the two Chinese characters for "sea" and "word" discovered from the carving stones to be used on the cover.
"The collection at the Hanzhong Museum holds value in which one can look into China's calligraphic art and can be useful to historians in understanding the then social and cultural scenes," Xiang told the Global Times.
Some other carved pieces have also revealed the secrets of Han Dynasty's water project construction.
Including the 13 treasures, the Hanzhong Museum holds over 5,000 pieces of cultural artifacts that tell the changing cultural history of the city and the nation.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-heritage-sites-turned-hanzhong-museum-enrich-han-dynastys-cultural-abundance/ | 2023-07-31T08:05:54 | 0 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-heritage-sites-turned-hanzhong-museum-enrich-han-dynastys-cultural-abundance/ |
Woman who died during hiking trip remembered for adventurous, selfless spirit
LAS VEGAS (FOX5/Gray News) - Thirty-four-year-old Jessica Rosalie Rhodes was one of two women found dead in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park after going missing from a hiking trip on July 22.
The temperature in the park that day reached a high of approximately 113 degrees.
“It could’ve happened to any of us, doesn’t matter how good of shape you’re in, how prepared you are,” said Julie Johnston, Jessica Rhodes’ friend and owner of Camp Rhino, where she regularly exercised. “Nobody really knows what actually happened, but nobody could’ve been in better shape or more prepared to do something like that.”
Jessica Rhodes and 29-year-old Diana Matienzo Rivera were found separated, one on the trails and the other in a canyon. They were first reported missing by another group of hikers.
Her mother, Josephine Rhodes, said she believes her daughter was trying to help her friend.
“They were trying to get back, but they just didn’t make it and she didn’t want to leave her friend down there, so she tried to help her friend,” Josephine Rhodes said. “And that’s just the type of child she is.”
Family remembered Jessica Rhodes for her strength, smile and selflessness.
“Jessica, as a child, everybody is going to tell you, was always smiling. I don’t care what it is, she was always smiling,” Jessica Rhodes’ mother said.
Jessica Rhodes was a certified nursing assistant at Summerlin Hospital and in school to become a nurse. She was also a fitness enthusiast who competed and won often.
She even won a medal for her work as a first responder during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Taking care of people, that’s what she loved to do,” Hannah Ariolae, Jessica Rhodes’ sister, said. “Her patients and stuff, she’d go above and beyond for them.”
Rhodes’ siblings, mother and her fitness family in Las Vegas are now remembering her for her adventurous spirit, and they want to encourage others to embrace the joys of life like she did.
“She just loved life. So when she went on the trail there, that’s what she liked to do,” Josephine Rhodes said.
Copyright 2023 KVVU via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ | 2023-07-31T08:05:58 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/07/31/woman-who-died-during-hiking-trip-remembered-adventurous-selfless-spirit/ |
- LGES' ESG Report 2022 published today, announcing a string of sustainable business management progress made in the previous year
- 61 percent of the electricity used in the company's global production sites was generated from renewable sources… 56 percent when including non-manufacturing business sites
- The firm has strengthened the disclosure of information in scope and depth to better address growing demands from global authorities including ISSB and TCFD
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today released ESG report 2022, sharing the progress of the company's ESG management including climate change mitigation achievements. Consisting of a total of 107 pages, the third annual report details the company's vision, efforts, and progress in environmental, social, and governance areas.
As a part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2040, LGES announced that it has managed to source 61 percent of the electricity used in its global production sites from renewable energy in 2022. In terms of the company-wide electricity usage, which includes non-manufacturing business sites, 56 percent was delivered from renewable sources. LGES has been rapidly advancing the transition to renewable energy, supplying 33 percent of its electricity use from renewable sources in 2020 and 44 percent in 2021.
Previously, LGES has set a phased roadmap to successfully complete the mid-to long-term initiative to realize carbon neutrality. The company plans to supply all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, LGES intends to achieve carbon neutrality by converting all energy sources aside from electricity, including fuels and gas, to renewable energy sources at all of its business sites by 2040, and across the entire value chain by 2050.
One of the other priority tasks identified by LGES is establishing a closed-loop system of resources by reusing or recycling end-of-life batteries and managing waste generated at business sites. To this end, the company signed a contract with Li-Cycle, the largest battery recycling company in North America, to provide scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process, and in turn receive recycled nickel that can be used in manufacturing cathode materials for batteries. Furthermore, in China, LGES has completed the establishment of recycling system in 2022. Its Nanjing facility has also developed a new technology to recycle NMP solvent waste (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which accounts for about 85 percent of the hazardous waste, and improved the NMP recycling rate from 80 percent to 97 percent.
Furthermore, LGES is actively taking part in major global ESG initiatives. In May 2022, it became the first Korean company to join the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), joining the global efforts to eradicate forced labor and child labor issues in Congolese mines of cobalt, a major raw material for batteries, and secure fair minerals. Also participating as a member of the Alliance's Steering Committee, LGES is actively pursuing community improvement activities such as helping young children enroll in school, supplying solar power to local schools, and executing safety education in mines.
LGES emphasized that the company has strengthened the information disclosure throughout this year's report in line with the growing call for more transparent ESG information from various stakeholders including investors around the world. LGES is responding quickly to the demands of the international community, following the recommendations from renowned global ESG disclosure standards such as the International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).
In addition, the report's cover design reflects the characteristics of LGES as a battery company as well as its ESG slogan "Plus for Minus, Minus for Plus." The phrase represents the company's determination to realize a better future by reducing unnecessary elements and adding necessary ones in each area of Environment, Society, and Governance, like the natural flow of electrodes moving between the plus and minus poles.
"LG Energy Solution will continue to relentlessly innovate ourselves in order to contribute to the global carbon neutrality and the future of mankind," said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. "By making a difference, we will meaningfully realize our goal of becoming the 'global No.1 company' that is trusted and beloved by customers."
To view the full ESG Report 2022, go to: https://www.lgensol.com/upload/file/sustainability/2022_LGES_ESG_Report_Eng.pdf
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.
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SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T08:06:01 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
SHENZHEN, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum was held in Qianhai, Shenzhen from July 29 to 30. More than 500 political and business representatives from ASEAN countries and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area attended the opening ceremony and related events. Six enterprises under the chambers of commerce from the Greater Bay Area reached investment and cooperation agreements with ASEAN, with the intended investment signed amounting to 3.5 billion yuan, bringing about a bilateral trade volume of 7 billion yuan.
China and ASEAN are already each other's largest trading partners. On November 22, 2021, the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN was officially announced to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
At the opening ceremony of the Forum, the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Association of Chambers of Commerce and the ASEAN-China Think Tank Cooperation Partnership were established, and the ASEAN-Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation Initiative was announced. The Initiative proposed to establish a dialogue platform for economic cooperation, strengthen industrial and investment cooperation, promote cooperation in scientific and technological innovation and transformation of technological achievements, strengthen exchange and cooperation between the business associations in the region, and encourage talent and cultural exchanges between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
Shi Zhongjun, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre, said in his welcome remark that government officials, business associations, think tanks, and enterprise representatives from China and ASEAN member states had gathered in Qianhai and would have in-depth exchanges and discussions in a number of forums and industry matching activities in two days so as to offer advice and suggestions on promoting the cooperation and development between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN countries in the fields of finance, e-commerce, digital economy, science and technological innovation, etc.
Wang Shourui, Vice Mayor of Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, said that this Forum would help build a broader and more efficient platform for economic cooperation and exchanges between ASEAN and the Greater Bay Area and further strengthen dialogues and cooperation in fields such as scientific and technological innovation, economic and trade investment, etc. Shenzhen would fully play its role as the important link between China and ASEAN, seize the opportunity brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), deepen the comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN countries in business, trade, finance, smart city, new energy vehicles, and other areas, and promote economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN so as to jointly build and share a prosperous home.
Ambassadors and government representatives from Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar, and the Philippines delivered keynote speeches. Speeches by the representatives from the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, and GRC Indonesia Construction Materials Group affirmed that Qianhai, where the Forum was held, would provide a broad market and unlimited opportunities for enterprises. They all looked forward to coming to the Greater Bay Area and Qianhai to invest, develop, and win a better future together.
Qianhai will make full use of the opportunities brought by organizing this Forum, spare no efforts to build a gateway hub for opening up to the world, actively build platforms for economic cooperation and dialogues, deepen industrial and investment cooperation, promote the transformation of technological achievements, and contribute to the economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people connectivity between the Greater Bay Area and ASEAN.
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SOURCE The 2023 ASEAN-China Greater Bay Area Economic Cooperation (Qianhai) Forum | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ | 2023-07-31T08:06:05 | 1 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/2023-asean-china-greater-bay-area-economic-cooperation-qianhai-forum-held-qianhai-shenzhen/ |
Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
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United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
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United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
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Portugal Roster
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© 2023 Data Skrive. All rights reserved. | https://www.weau.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ | 2023-07-31T08:06:07 | 1 | https://www.weau.com/sports/betting/2023/08/01/2023-womens-world-cup-portugal-united-states-betting-preview-odds/ |
BEIJING, July 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Culture and art can bring minds and the world together. With this in mind, the second episode of season three of the China Daily series Youth Power, "Unlocking the power of art: How cultural exchanges can connect the world," was broadcast online on July 30.
Gen Zers from China, Italy, Russia, South Korea and Thailand gathered at the Dalian campus of the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts and discussed how artistic beauty can bring the world together and how to face the challenges that artificial intelligence present to art.
What is the essence of beauty? What unique influence does Chinese art have on Gen Zers? What spiritual pursuits are reflected in Chinese art and aesthetics?
In this episode of Youth Power, each Gen Z guest brought an art piece that they believed would best represent the Chinese concept of art and beauty. In doing so they gained a deeper understanding of Chinese aesthetics, philosophy and culture.
Giacomo Bruni, an Italian studying at the China Academy of Art in Beijing, said brushes are the most important tools in expressing Chinese culture because they are central to calligraphy, writing poetry and painting.
"Like the hardness of the handle and the softness of the hair, the brush encapsulates the idea of yin and Yang," Bruni said. The brush not only encapsulates the creativity of the world, but also epitomizes the profound ancient Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, he said.
Song De'ao, a Chinese Gen Zer, chose the official mascots for Chinese winter sports designed by a team at the Luxun Academy of Fine Arts as his ideal representation of Chinese aesthetics.
Song, a member of the design team, recalled the inspiration for the mascot Xue Wa, which wears tiger-head hats, tiger-head shoes, and cloud patterns and longevity locks on the clothing. "The mascots reflect the lively and cheerful aesthetics in modern China," Song said.
Jiratchaya Phinyoworakul, a Thai studying at Fudan University in Shanghai, highlighted two features that distinguish Chinese artworks from those of other countries and cultures: cultural extensiveness and profoundness as well as a philosophy centering on harmony between humankind and nature.
The program host, Zhong Yutong, said it is through exchanges that Chinese arts increase in vibrancy and vitality.
"Chinese arts have so much to offer. And we've had wonderful exchanges with different arts and civilizations across the world."
Bruni said art Chinese art is all-encompassing, perfectly merging all types of art. He cited Chinese literati paintings, a kind of painting that expresses feelings and aspirations through natural scenery, as an example, illustrating that "they unify the intellectual world and the practical art world, which is something that is missing in Western countries".
Program guests said there is no absolute definition of art and no universally recognized standard of beauty. Lian Liia, a student from Russia, said "the standard of art is changing in the art history, but there is one thing that has never changed, namely people's pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty".
Phinyoworakul said art is tantamount to comfort. "Even little things can be art. A smile on your face, a flower, sunshine, everything can be art. Art is in our everyday life."
Concerning the combination and contradiction of traditional art and fast-developing AI art creation, Bruni said artists screen information like filters of society. They find beauty and create art, but do not mechanically record and present everything around them. However, this is not true of AI, because it cannot grasp the concept of beauty.
Sun Yuxin of China said AI could positively influence the development of art. "AI saves a lot of time for artists, and it helps them with a lot of basic work."
Gen Zers have also contributed their wisdom in helping the world appreciate the beauty of Chinese art. Promoting Chinese aesthetics through social media could help people understand it more directly, Phinyoworakul said.
Lian Liia, a student at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University in Beijing, said, "We can promote Chinese culture as a lifestyle. For example, doing calligraphy or drinking tea to experience Chinese culture in our daily life."
Youth Power, organized by China Daily and first broadcast in June 2021, aims to build a global platform of communication and exchange, focusing on the interests and ideas of Generation Z. The program comes in the form of interviews, forums and speeches, with topics related to anything of current interest in the world.
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SOURCE China Daily | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ | 2023-07-31T08:06:12 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/gen-zers-see-power-art-connecting-world/ |
BEIJING, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 31st FISU World University Games, the first major international sports event held in China in the post-epidemic era, officially kicked off in Southwestern city Chengdu, with the cauldron ignited in the stadium on Friday evening. Analysts said the significance of this event, which symbolizes solidarity and friendship, goes beyond sports itself and will further promote exchanges and understanding between young people from different countries.
Chengdu, a fascinating tourist destination known for its historic sites, adorable pandas, hospitable locals and delicious Sichuan cuisine, now adds the grand sports event to its name card. Observers believe that the Chengdu Universiade will help bring together people in the wider international community who love peace, stability and prosperity.
After a splendid fireworks display in the countdown segment themed on sun and immortal birds from Chinese mythology, at 8 pm on Friday night, the ceremony started with an opening singing performance led by a girl from the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. She became known to the public in February 2018 when Chinese President Xi Jinping visited her family, a poverty-stricken household in Sanhe village.
University sports delegations from countries and regions entered the stadium along the march pass paved with Sichuan brocade patterns. Spearheaded by flagbearers Hu Zhenzhuo and Guo Hanyu, the Chinese mainland delegation, consisting of over 700 people, marched on last as the host nation delegation to the warmest standing ovation.
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region sent its largest-ever delegation to the Chengdu Universiade, which received a jubilant and sustained cheer from the audience as they marched into the stadium.
Athletes from Macao Special Administrative Region and Chinese Taipei athletes also received wild and warm cheers.
Delegations from 113 countries and regions are participating in the Chengdu FISU Games, which runs from July 28 to August 8, with over 6,500 athletes competing in 18 sports. The Chinese delegation, which consists of more than 700 people, includes 411 athletes from more than 100 universities.
In order to minimize the impact of the pandemic and guarantee the participation of students, FISU raised the maximum age of participants from 25 to 27.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Chengdu Universiade Huai Jinpeng and FISU Acting President Leonz Eder delivered their speeches on the rostrum surrounded by delegation flags.
"Thank you, Chengdu!" Leonz Eder said in Chinese.
Chinese President Xi Jinping then declared the Chengdu Games open at the Dong'an Lake Sports Park Stadium to the largest cheer of the night.
Ye Guangfu, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-13 manned spaceflight, appeared at the opening ceremony as the main torchbearer and ignited the cauldron along with 30 other torchbearers.
Power of youth
At a banquet to welcome guests attending the World University Games opening ceremony on Friday, President Xi said that the World University Games has always been a celebration of youth, solidarity and friendship, according to the Xinhua News Agency.
Xi called on young people from around the globe to join hands to promote world peace and development, expressing hope that young people worldwide take the opportunity of the Chengdu Universiade to enhance mutual understanding and inject new impetus into human progress.
FISU Universiade, which was first held during the Cold War in 1959, not only wants young people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but also seeks to promote young people communicating across cultural, political and religious barriers through sports, Ren Hai, a professor at the Olympic Research Center of Beijing Sports University, told the Global Times.
Through sports, young people can learn that they should not only cherish their own culture, but also respect other cultures, as the world should be diverse and inclusive, Ren said, "This coincides with the Chinese idea of 'seeking common ground while reserving differences'."
Sincerity and hospitality
Chengdu, as a cultural city with over 2,300 years of history, has long been a hub of exchanges connecting China to the rest of the world, like "a pearl on the southwestern Silk Road," President Xi said at the welcome banquet on Friday.
On Friday, Xi encouraged people to tour the city of Chengdu and experience and share firsthand the multifaceted manifestations of the Chinese modernization.
Chengdu is the third city on the Chinese mainland to host the biennial FISU Summer Games, following Beijing in 2001 and Shenzhen in 2011. It is also the first time a city in China's western region has hosted a comprehensive international sports event.
It's worth noting that out of the 49 venues of the Chengdu FISU Games, only 13 were newly constructed, and the other 36 venues are repurposed and upgraded buildings. Throughout the process, green and energy-saving measures were promoted, along with prioritizing the use of environmentally friendly building materials.
Chengdu enjoyed sunny weather on Friday, with special Panda-themed vehicles deployed on the streets.
German swimmer Henning Bennet Mühlleitner told the Global Times on Friday that what he found most impressive about the Chengdu Games was "how everything in China is focused on the physical games, although the Games have been holding back for two years due to the pandemic."
"I feel in good hands, organization-wise, not only by the German team but also by the officials… The volunteers have been very supportive and thoughtful," Mühlleitner said.
"There's no other country in the world with China's capacity and willingness to make such great efforts for a FISU Summer Games, which doesn't seem as profitable compared with other major sporting events," Wang Dazhao, a Beijing-based sports commentator, told the Global Times.
Nevertheless, according to Wang, what China hopes to gain from hosting the Games is a platform for youth to promote cultural exchanges and world unity.
Before the opening, accredited media journalists received a bilingual written script in Chinese and English from students at the local Shishi High School, introducing the cultural diversity of Chengdu that ranges from the Jinsha Site Musem to the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.
Local people have received blind-box gifts from the organizers, which include venue maps, Chinese-English catchphrase leaflets and even sports equipment ranging from skipping ropes to frisbees, Global Times learned.
The move has invigorated the local people's enthusiasm for the international sports event, as tickets for several events such as athletics, swimming and badminton have sold out.
Hosting the FISU Games also drew a huge influx of visitors this week. A source from the civil aviation authority told the Global Times that flight numbers in the previous month in Chengdu alone reached over 200,000, with the average number of daily flights at Chengdu's Shuangliu and Tianfu international airports surpassing 1,700.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ | 2023-07-31T08:06:18 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-chengdu-universiade-kicks-off-with-spirit-inclusiveness/ |
HANZHONG, China, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hanzhong in northwest China's Shaanxi Province on his way back to Beijing on Saturday. During his visit to the municipal museum, Xi emphasized making good use of museums. He also called for efforts to expand the influence of Chinese culture.
"I was in Hanzhong in 2008 after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake to oversee the relief work. Hanzhong has always been in my heart over the years," Xi told local residents. Xi said he was delighted to see huge changes of the city since then.
With an exhibition area of nearly 2,000 square meters, the Hanzhong Museum in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province is not the grandest museum in China, but it is a historical telescope allowing visitors to have a retrospective view of Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) history dating back to as far as 2,000 years ago.
Unlike many other museums across the country built to house more recent historical relics, the Hanzhong Museum itself embodies the history that encompasses three heritage sites with the ancient Hantai (Lit: Han palace), once the royal residence of the founder of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, at its core.
Heritage sites-turned museum
Including the ruin of ancient Hantai, a notable feature of the Hanzhong Museum was it built in 1985 consisting of two other Western Han Dynasty (206BC-AD25) heritage sites, the Baijiang altar and the "Yin Ma Chi," a pool facility common in ancient times for accommodating horses.
Visitors are first greeted by the ancient Hantai once they enter the museum, which is seven meters high. The millennium-old architecture was constructed using typical man-made rammed earth and its design characters show architectural aesthetics prominent in China's Qin (221BC-206BC), Han and Southern Song (1127-1279) dynasties.
Liao Shuguang, an architectural expert of ancient Chinese buildings, told the Global Times that the ancient Hantai's functions would change "according to history's change." It was once home to Liu Bang, but was later renovated in the Southern Song Dynasty to become a backyard garden with a gazebo on the building's roof.
Although the ancient Hantai changed roles, its historical importance remained unchanged as it witnessed Liu's founding of the Han Dynasty, one of the powerful dynasties in the Chinese history to have "unified yet diverse" cultural and political beliefs, historian Tao Zhongjun, told the Global Times.
"Including the belief of a 'unified country,' the Han Dynasty left behind a diverse legacy including the governing Confucius mindset and Silk Road exchanges with the western region of Asia and the world. They continue to inspire us today," Tao noted.
Aside from the ancient Hantai, the Baijiang altar, another major element of the museum, was built in 206BC. It was where the then governor Liu Bang would praise the talent and wisdom of his loyal officer Han Xin.
Museum expert Li Zhiming told the Global Times that such heritage sites turned cultural spaces are "living proof of Chinese history," and a good way of making use of the museum is to "properly maintain it while enriching its collection that possesses local cultural characters."
The art of Shudao
Hanzhong was a major stop along the ancient road system Shudao that connected China's Guanzhong Plain with the Chengdu Plain.
The Baoxie plank road, an ancient mountain road that traversed the Qinling Mountain, was also located in Hanzhong and brought an abundant supply of Shudao cultural artifacts.
Inside the Hanzhong Museum, there is a gallery dedicated to the ancient plank road. Shi Men Shi San Pin, also known as the 13 cliff stone carvings of the Shi Men, are a part of the museum's collection.
As an important section of the Shudao, Shi Men was a tunnel at the southern end of the Baoxie plank road. The walls of the tunnel as well as the cliffs of the Baoxie river, were carved with numerous historical inscriptions among which the 13 pieces collected by the museum were the "rarest of the rare," relic expert Xiang Zhengming told the Global Times.
Amongst the 13 carving pieces, the Shi Men Song (Lit: the Eulogy of Shi Men) is a highlight. It embodies the aesthetic essence of Han Dynasty's clerical script calligraphic style. In 1936, China's large-scale encyclopedia Cihai (lit: the sea of the words) took the two Chinese characters for "sea" and "word" discovered from the carving stones to be used on the cover.
"The collection at the Hanzhong Museum holds value in which one can look into China's calligraphic art and can be useful to historians in understanding the then social and cultural scenes," Xiang told the Global Times.
Some other carved pieces have also revealed the secrets of Han Dynasty's water project construction.
Including the 13 treasures, the Hanzhong Museum holds over 5,000 pieces of cultural artifacts that tell the changing cultural history of the city and the nation.
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SOURCE Global Times | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-heritage-sites-turned-hanzhong-museum-enrich-han-dynastys-cultural-abundance/ | 2023-07-31T08:06:25 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/global-times-heritage-sites-turned-hanzhong-museum-enrich-han-dynastys-cultural-abundance/ |
- LGES' ESG Report 2022 published today, announcing a string of sustainable business management progress made in the previous year
- 61 percent of the electricity used in the company's global production sites was generated from renewable sources… 56 percent when including non-manufacturing business sites
- The firm has strengthened the disclosure of information in scope and depth to better address growing demands from global authorities including ISSB and TCFD
SEOUL, South Korea, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution (LGES; KRX: 373220) today released ESG report 2022, sharing the progress of the company's ESG management including climate change mitigation achievements. Consisting of a total of 107 pages, the third annual report details the company's vision, efforts, and progress in environmental, social, and governance areas.
As a part of its plan to achieve carbon neutrality company-wide by 2040, LGES announced that it has managed to source 61 percent of the electricity used in its global production sites from renewable energy in 2022. In terms of the company-wide electricity usage, which includes non-manufacturing business sites, 56 percent was delivered from renewable sources. LGES has been rapidly advancing the transition to renewable energy, supplying 33 percent of its electricity use from renewable sources in 2020 and 44 percent in 2021.
Previously, LGES has set a phased roadmap to successfully complete the mid-to long-term initiative to realize carbon neutrality. The company plans to supply all its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Furthermore, LGES intends to achieve carbon neutrality by converting all energy sources aside from electricity, including fuels and gas, to renewable energy sources at all of its business sites by 2040, and across the entire value chain by 2050.
One of the other priority tasks identified by LGES is establishing a closed-loop system of resources by reusing or recycling end-of-life batteries and managing waste generated at business sites. To this end, the company signed a contract with Li-Cycle, the largest battery recycling company in North America, to provide scrap generated during the battery manufacturing process, and in turn receive recycled nickel that can be used in manufacturing cathode materials for batteries. Furthermore, in China, LGES has completed the establishment of recycling system in 2022. Its Nanjing facility has also developed a new technology to recycle NMP solvent waste (N-Methyl-2-pyrrolidone), which accounts for about 85 percent of the hazardous waste, and improved the NMP recycling rate from 80 percent to 97 percent.
Furthermore, LGES is actively taking part in major global ESG initiatives. In May 2022, it became the first Korean company to join the Fair Cobalt Alliance (FCA), joining the global efforts to eradicate forced labor and child labor issues in Congolese mines of cobalt, a major raw material for batteries, and secure fair minerals. Also participating as a member of the Alliance's Steering Committee, LGES is actively pursuing community improvement activities such as helping young children enroll in school, supplying solar power to local schools, and executing safety education in mines.
LGES emphasized that the company has strengthened the information disclosure throughout this year's report in line with the growing call for more transparent ESG information from various stakeholders including investors around the world. LGES is responding quickly to the demands of the international community, following the recommendations from renowned global ESG disclosure standards such as the International Sustainability Standard Board (ISSB) and Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD).
In addition, the report's cover design reflects the characteristics of LGES as a battery company as well as its ESG slogan "Plus for Minus, Minus for Plus." The phrase represents the company's determination to realize a better future by reducing unnecessary elements and adding necessary ones in each area of Environment, Society, and Governance, like the natural flow of electrodes moving between the plus and minus poles.
"LG Energy Solution will continue to relentlessly innovate ourselves in order to contribute to the global carbon neutrality and the future of mankind," said Youngsoo Kwon, CEO of LG Energy Solution. "By making a difference, we will meaningfully realize our goal of becoming the 'global No.1 company' that is trusted and beloved by customers."
To view the full ESG Report 2022, go to: https://www.lgensol.com/upload/file/sustainability/2022_LGES_ESG_Report_Eng.pdf
About LG Energy Solution
LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world with over 25,000 patents. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://news.lgensol.com.
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SOURCE LG Energy Solution | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ | 2023-07-31T08:06:31 | 0 | https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/prnewswire/2023/07/31/lg-energy-solution-crosses-halfway-mark-its-journey-reach-carbon-neutrality/ |
The Vehicle, Merchandise and Accessories Collaboration is part of Gogoro and MUJI's Joint "Recycling for Good" Sustainability Initiative that Enables the Public to Recycle Polypropylene Plastic (PP) Waste for use in the new Gogoro MUJI Smartscooters.
TAIPEI, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Gogoro Inc. (Nasdaq: GGR), a global technology leader in battery swapping ecosystems that enable sustainable mobility solutions for cities, today announced a collaboration with Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa and MUJI, the Tokyo-based consumer goods and lifestyle company. The newly designed Gogoro VIVA ME and Gogoro VIVA MIX ME along with a range of merchandise and accessories were launched today at a press event in Taipei.
Created by Gogoro and MUJI, the Gogoro VIVA ME and Gogoro VIVA MIX ME offer simplified Smartscooter designs that utilize recycled polypropylene (PP) body elements. Personally curated by Fukasawa, the Smartscooters adopt the classic MUJI design elements, unique rustic color palette and simple color tone philosophy to create a new urban mobility experience that is simple and comfortable yet unique.
"The most important thing in design is that it must always uphold the spirit of integrity towards people, the environment and life," said Naoto Fukasawa, world-renowned designer, author, educator and MUJI's advisory board member. "Both Gogoro and MUJI are quite popular brands, and it is very natural for them to cooperate in this way. It's not just one plus one equals two. Instead, let one plus one see a greater value."
Gogoro pioneered the mass market manufacturing of recyclable polypropylene plastics for vehicle body panels in 2019 with the Gogoro 3 Smartscooter and then across its full range of Gogoro Viva Smartscooters including Gogoro VIVA, Gogoro VIVA MIX and Gogoro VIVA XL. This innovative manufacturing process led to Gogoro's collaboration with MUJI.
"Naoto Fukasawa offers such a fresh and unique approach to simplicity, functionality and beauty in everything he creates, so it was an honor to work with him on our new Smartscooter designs and accessories," said Horace Luke, founder, and CEO of Gogoro. "This collaboration between Gogoro, MUJI and Naoto Fukasawa establishes a strong unified voice in promoting sustainable lifestyles in Taiwan and across the region, not just for transportation but across all aspects of life. Our joint 'Recycling for Good' initiative promotes the reduction of urban pollution through encouraging the public to recycle plastics at Gogoro and MUJI stores and their reuse in our new Smartscooters."
Recycling for Good - A Joint Sustainability Initiative
Gogoro and MUJI share a vision for sustainability and a core philosophy of giving back to the Earth. In response to this year's World Environment Day theme #BeatPlasticPollution, the companies joined together on June 5, 2023 to launch the "Recycling for Good" initiative in Taiwan. "Recycling for Good" encourages people in Taiwan to participate in recycling PP (polypropylene) plastic waste at Gogoro and MUJI stores and empower them to take small actions toward building a more sustainable future.
Polypropylene objects recovered during the Recycling for Good initiative are screened, cut, granulated, reshaped and regenerated into the body panels of the newly unveiled Gogoro Smartscooters. The polypropylene body material is also made of the same material as MUJI's PP storage series.
"MUJI and Gogoro are continuing the concept of a sustainable lifestyle and together have created this new series of Gogoro Smartscooters that are optimized for life and the environment. Gogoro's commitment to being a sustainable business is aligned with MUJI's business philosophy," said Akihiro Yoshida, general manager of MUJI Taiwan. "MUJI is not just a store that sells goods, but it creates a simple and pleasant life through comprehensive sustainable thinking and takes practical action for sustainability of society and the earth."
Gogoro Sustainability
Today, more than 2.5 million Gogoro users have reduced carbon emissions by more than 680 million kilograms, and 100% recyclable polypropylene PP (Polypropylene) is used as the Smartscooter shell material to promote resource regeneration and friendly recycling. In addition, Gogoro has introduced 40% renewable energy in factories since 2022, and 100% use of green electricity in designated Gogoro stores, gradually moving towards the goal of fully using renewable energy by 2050.
Naoto Fukasawa / Product Designer
Born in Yamanashi Prefecture in 1956. Graduated from Tama Art University's Product Design Department in 1980. In the same year, he joined Seiko Epson, where he was responsible for advanced development design. In 1989, he moved to the United States, where he joined ID Two (now IDEO San Francisco). Having honed his craft for seven years, focusing mainly on Silicon Valley industries, he returned to Japan in 1996. Fukasawa established and headed up IDEO's Tokyo office, creating a Japanese design consultant base for the company. He went independent in 2003 and founded NAOTO FUKASAWA DESIGN. For more information on Naoto Fukasawa, visit https://naotofukasawa.com.
About MUJI
Mujirushi Ryohin, MUJI in Japanese, translates as "no-brand quality goods." MUJI was founded in Japan in 1980 and now has more than 800 stores around the world, carrying more than 7,000 items. With the goal of making people's daily life pleasant, MUJI is globally recognized for its high-quality products that are functional, well designed and reasonably priced. Find us online at www.MUJI.com or Instagram: @muji_global and Twitter: @muji_net.
About MUJI Taiwan
MUJI Taiwan has been operating in Taiwan since 2004, and it has been nearly 20 years. MUJI Taiwan has always been committed to connecting with Taiwan and producing local products in Taiwan, hoping to provide customers with a good life. Find us online at www.muji.com/tw/zh_tw/store, Instagram: @muji_taiwan or Facebook: www.facebook.com/muji.tw.
About Gogoro
Founded in 2011 to rethink urban energy and inspire the world to move through cities in smarter and more sustainable ways, Gogoro leverages the power of innovation to change the way urban energy is distributed and consumed. Recognized and awarded by Frost & Sullivan as the "2023 Global Company of the Year for battery swapping for electric two-wheel vehicles", Gogoro's battery swapping and vehicle platforms offer a smart, proven, and sustainable long-term ecosystem for delivering a new approach to urban mobility. Gogoro has quickly become an innovation leader in vehicle design and electric propulsion, smart battery design, battery swapping, and advanced cloud services that utilize artificial intelligence to manage battery availability and safety. The challenge is massive, but the opportunity to disrupt the status quo, establish new standards, and achieve new levels of sustainable transportation growth in densely populated cities is even greater. For more information, visit https://www.gogoro.com/news and follow Gogoro on Twitter: @wearegogoro.
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Portugal vs. United States: Women’s World Cup Group E Odds, Stats and Live Stream - August 1
In each team's third matchup in Group E action at the 2023 Women's World Cup, The United States (4 points) and Portugal (3 points) match up on Tuesday, August 1 at 3:00 AM ET.
The moneyline odds for the United States to win this game are -383, with the draw at +458 and Portugal at +1017. The over/under for this match is 2.5 goals.
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United States vs. Portugal Game Info
- Date: Tuesday, August 1, 2023
- Time: 3:00 AM ET
- Location: Auckland, New Zealand
- Venue: Eden Park
- TV Channel: FOX US,Fox Sports 1
- Total: 2.5
- United States Moneyline: -383
- Portugal Moneyline: +1017
United States vs. Portugal World Cup Betting Insights
- The two teams average three goals per game combined, 0.5 more than this match's total.
- Opponents of these two teams combine to average one goal per game, 1.5 fewer than this game's total.
- The United States has been a moneyline favorite only two other times so far this tournament, and went 1-1-0 in those games.
- The United States has played as a moneyline favorite of -383 or shorter in only one game this tournament, which they won.
- Portugal lost the only game it has played as an underdog this tournament.
- Portugal has not been a bigger underdog this tournament than the +1017 moneyline set for this game.
United States World Cup Stats
Portugal World Cup Stats
- In Women's World Cup, Telma Encarnacao has one goal (in two matches) and one assist for Portugal.
- In two Women's World Cup matches, Lucia Alves does not have a goal but has recorded one assist (fourth in the 2023 Women's World Cup).
- In Women's World Cup play, Francisca Nazareth has one goal (but no assists).
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United States vs. Portugal Recent Performance
- The United States is 8-1-0 this year versus fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +19. In 2022, it was 10-0-3 in such matches (+24 goal differential).
- The United States' last game was a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands, taking 10 shots and outshooting by seven.
- Horan scored the lone goal for her side in the match against .
- So far this year, Portugal is 2-1-2 against fellow 2023 Women's World Cup squads, with a goal differential of +5. In 2022, it was 3-2-4 in such matches (-4 goal differential).
- Portugal secured a 2-0 win versus Vietnam on July 27 in its last game. Portugal outshot Vietnam 28 to five.
- Nazareth and Encarnacao lifted Portugal with a goal apiece.
United States Roster
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Portugal Roster
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FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Aaron Rodgers is sticking by his offensive coordinator and firing his hardest throw of the summer at Sean Payton.
The Jets quarterback was bothered by critical comments Payton, the Denver Broncos' head coach, recently made about offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. Payton told USA Today for a story published Thursday that Hackett's 15-game stint with the Broncos last season "was one of the worst coaching jobs in the history of the NFL."
Payton also said there were "20 dirty hands" around Russell Wilson's career-worst season, and took some shots at the Jets -- Hackett's new team where he and Rodgers are reunited after enjoying success together in Green Bay.
"It made me feel bad that someone who has accomplished a lot in the league is that insecure that they have to take another man down to set themselves up for some sort of easy fall if it doesn't go well for that team this year," Rodgers told NFL Network on Sunday. "I think it was way out of line, inappropriate, and I think he needs to keep my coaches' names out of his mouth."
Rodgers, acquired by New York in April from Green Bay, said Hackett is "arguably my favorite coach I've ever had in the NFL." The pair teamed for two of Rodgers' four NFL MVP awards in 2020 and 2021 with the Packers.
During the interview with USA Today's Jarrett Bell, Payton also criticized the Jets being the latest NFL team "trying to win the offseason" -- something he said the Broncos under Hackett tried to do and were "embarrassed."
Jets Coach Robert Saleh said Thursday "Hackett's doing a phenomenal job here" when asked about Payton's comments. He also said the Jets are just focused on themselves, but recognizes "there's a lot of people that are hatin' on us and a lot of people looking for us to fail."
Payton on Friday said he regretted his comments in which he disparaged Hackett, and said he would reach out to Hackett and Saleh "at the right time" to do so.
"Listen, I had one of those moments where I still had my Fox hat on and not my coaching hat," said Payton, who's returning to the sideline this season after a year's sabbatical during which he worked as a studio football analyst for Fox Sports following a 15-year stint with the New Orleans Saints.
Rodgers told NFL Network he thought Payton's initial comments "were very surprising, for a coach to do that to another coach."
Meanwhile, the back-and-forth made the Jets' matchup in Denver in Week 5 on Oct. 8 a bit juicier. Payton acknowledged Friday his comments "certainly will bring more interest to the game when we play them, but that seems like years from now." | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jul/31/jets-qb-defends-oc-fires-at-broncos-coach/ | 2023-07-31T08:06:54 | 1 | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jul/31/jets-qb-defends-oc-fires-at-broncos-coach/ |
BASEBALL
Cards trade 3 pitchers
The St. Louis Cardinals are unloading valuable arms ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. The Cardinals traded former Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers. St. Louis will also send right-hander Chris Stratton to Texas. In return, the Cardinals will reportedly receive two top 30 prospects -- right-hander Tekoah Roby and infielder Thomas Saggese -- and left-hander John King. The moves come a day after the Rangers acquired ace Max Scherzer from the Mets in exchange for minor-league middle infielder Luisangel Acuna, who i one of the Rangers' top prospects. The Cardinals also sent reliever Jordan Hicks to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. In return, the Blue Jays traded minor league right-handers Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein. Hicks joins Toronto with a 3.67 ERA in 40 appearances this season. This is the second consecutive season Montgomery has been traded at the deadline. Last season, the Yankees sent the starter to St. Louis in exchange for outfielder Harrison Bader. Montgomery owns a 6-9 record with a 3.42 ERA in 21 starts with the Cardinals this season.
Angels add Cron, Grichuk
The Los Angeles Angels have reacquired slugger C.J. Cron and outfielder Randal Grichuk in a trade with the Colorado Rockies. The Angels sent minor league pitchers Mason Albright and Jake Madden to the Rockies on Sunday in the deal that brought two former Angels first-round draft picks back to the team. Cron spent his first four major league seasons with Los Angeles, hitting 59 of his 186 career home runs. He is batting .260 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI this season for the Rockies. Grichuk was selected by the Angels one pick before Mike Trout in the 2009 draft. Los Angeles traded him to St. Louis before he reached the majors and began a 10-year career with the Cardinals, Toronto and Colorado. Grichuk is batting .308 in 64 games this season for the Rockies.
Orioles demote Wells
The Baltimore Orioles are giving right-hander Tyler Wells a rest, and the question now is whether his replacement will come from the trade market or from within. The Orioles optioned Wells to Bowie on Sunday before their game against the New York Yankees. Wells is among the major league leaders with a 1.02 WHIP, and he's posted a 7-6 record with a 3.80 ERA, but he's lasted only nine innings total in three starts since the All-Star break.
Braves acquire infielder
The Atlanta Braves added veteran infielder Nicky Lopez in a trade with the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The major league-leading Braves sent left-hander Taylor Hearn to Kansas City for the 28-year-old Lopez, who can play shortstop, second base and third. Hearn was designated for assignment by Texas on July 19. He was traded to Atlanta last week for cash, and he got one out in his only appearance with the Braves on Saturday. Lopez hit .213 with 13 RBI in 68 games with Kansas City this season. He is a .248 hitter with 5 home runs and 119 RBI in 520 career games.
GOLF
Boutier wins first major
Celine Boutier became the third woman from France to win a major championship when she closed with a 3-under 68 for a six-shot victory in the Evian Championship. The outcome was never really in doubt as Boutier began the final round with a three-shot lead and opened with two birdies. Brooke Henderson of Canada had a 70 to finish second. Former University of Arkansas golfer Gaby Lopez finished in a five-way tie for third. Boutier is the first Frenchwoman to win the Amundi Evian Championship, which was designated an LPGA major in 2013. She finished at 14-under 270. The other two French women to win LPGA majors were Patricia Meunier-Lebouc in the 2004 Kraft Nabisco Championship and Catherine Lacoste, who won the 1967 U.S. Women's Open as an amateur.
Hodges wins by 7 shots
Lee Hodges shot 4-under 67 in the final round for a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the 3M Open in Blaine, Minn., and his first PGA Tour victory, setting tournament records with a 260 and a seven-shot win. The victory gets Hodges into the Masters next year and moved him to No. 33 in the FedEx Cup with one tournament left before the postseason. Hodges, who led by five at the start of the round, led by three over J.T. Poston going to the par-5 18th. Poston took a risky shot trying to make eagle and went into the water, leading to triple bogey and a 69. He went from second place alone to a three-way for second, costing him $260,000 and 92 points in the FedEx Cup. Martin Laird and Kevin Streelman also tied for second.
Playoff victory for Cejka
Alex Cejka defeated Padraig Harrington with a birdie on the second playoff hole Sunday to win the Senior British Open at Royal Porthcawl. Cejka, who closed with 5-over 76, birdied the second extra hole to claim his third senior major title after he and Harrington (75) tied at 5-over 289 in miserable wet and windy conditions. Harrington, who also finished runner-up to Darren Clarke last year, narrowly missed an eagle putt on the first extra hole at No. 18. Returning to the 18th, the Irishman duffed a chip from the back of the green and had to settle for a par. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) finished in a six-way tie for 14th. Duke shot a 78 on Sunday to finished with a 12-over 296. Glen Day (Little Rock) posted a 77 on Sunday for a 13-over 297.
FOOTBALL
Bucs' top pick injured
First-round draft pick Calijah Kancey of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was carted off the practice field Sunday with what coach Todd Bowles described as a right calf strain. Kancey was the 19th overall pick in the draft and is expected to be an immediate starter at defensive tackle after drawing comparisons in college to another former Pitt standout, three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald.
Rams sign RB Freeman
The Los Angeles Rams have signed veteran running back Royce Freeman one day after the abrupt retirement of Sony Michel. Freeman joined his fourth NFL team in six pro seasons Sunday. He was with the Houston Texans for the past 1 1/2 seasons, spending most of 2022 on the practice squad. Rams Coach Sean McVay said Saturday that they would add a veteran ball-carrier after the departure of Michel, who informed McVay of his decision that morning.
TENNIS
Swiatek dominates
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek won her fourth title of the year and her first at home by routing Laura Siegemund 6-0, 6-1 in the final of the Poland Open on Sunday. The French Open champion didn't lose a set over the course of the tournament. Swiatek has also won at Doha and Stuttgart this year.
Fritz first in Atlanta
Taylor Fritz won his sixth career title Sunday, beating Aleksandar Vukic of Australia 7-5, 6-7 (5), 6-4 at the Atlanta Open. The top seed and highest-ranked American at No. 9 tuned up for the U.S. Open with his second victory of the season on hard courts, having won the Delray Beach title in February. He appeared en route to winning this title easily, reaching the final without dropping a set and then holding two match points while leading 6-5 in the second with Vukic serving. But the Australian erased those and then won the tiebreaker to force the deciding set. Fritz, 25, recovered to take the third and deny Vukic his first ATP Tour title.
Zverev wins in Hamburg
Alexander Zverev won the Hamburg (Germany) European Open for the first time on Sunday by beating Laslo Djere 7-5, 6-3. It's the 26-year-old Zverev's first title since winning in Turin, Italy, in November 2021 and he achieved it without dropping a set at his hometown tournament. Zverev began the week denying allegations of assault after the public prosecutor's office in Berlin applied for a penalty order to be made against him. | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jul/31/off-the-wire/ | 2023-07-31T08:07:00 | 1 | https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2023/jul/31/off-the-wire/ |