News

Success of Beijing Winter Olympics, Paralympics injects energy to global unity, cooperation

Published

2 years ago

08/04/2022

MNN

After seven years of efforts, China successfully held the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in February and March, sending out a message of unity, cooperation and hope to the world during challenging times.

Successful hosting of Beijing Olympic, Paralympic Winter Games brought confidence and hope to a world overshadowed by instability, said Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Friday, after conferring awards on representatives of those who have made outstanding contributions to the Games.

148 units and 148 individuals, including one awarded posthumously, were honored for their outstanding contributions to the Games.

Global unity and cooperation shine at the Games

Chinese people, along with people from other countries, have once again presented Olympic Games that will go down in history and shared the glory of Olympics, said Xi at the beginning of his speech.

“The Games promotes civilization exchange, drives global unity and cooperation, brings confidence and hope in a turbulent world,” he said.

Noting that China honored its promise to the international community by presenting the world with a streamlined, safe and splendid Games, he highlighted several aspects, such as development of winter sports, efforts against the COVID-19 pandemic, and the fruitful legacy of the Games.

A total of 346 million Chinese have participated in winter sports activities and a series of varied mass ice and snow events have been held since the preparations of the Games started, according to Xi.

“With a COVID-19 positive rate of only 0.45 percent in Winter Games’ closed-loop, China provided beneficial experience for pandemic response and hosting of international events,” Xi said when hailing China’s targeted and effective COVID-19 prevention and control efforts.

“The motherland and the people are proud of the hard work and achievements of all participants in the Games,” he added.

Spirit of the Games will continue

Summarizing the Beijing Winter Olympic and Paralympic spirit, Xi stressed bearing in mind the big picture, being confident and open, rising to the challenges, pursuing excellence and creating a better future together.

The Games are major landmark events held at a critical time when the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups in China are moving toward the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, he said, calling for continued efforts in well managing and utilizing the legacy of the Games.

Successful hosting of the Games drives development in all areas and brings profound effects to socio-economic development, he said.

Xi also called for promotion of Olympic spirit and said China will contribute more wisdom and strength to the progress of human civilization.

Source: CGTN

News

Maldivian FM meets Qatari PM; both commit to stronger ties

Published

18 hours ago

12/05/2024

Maldives and Qatar reaffirm the commitment to strengthening the partnership between the two countries on Sunday, in a meeting between Maldivian Foreign Minister Moosa Zameer and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar.

Zameer, who is on an official visit to Qatar, met with Al Thani on Sunday morning.

At the meeting, Zameer reflected on the growing Maldives-Qatar partnership, and thanked Qatar for the generous assistance in Maldives’ socio-economic development.

According to a statement released by the Maldivian Foreign Ministry, both Zameer and Al Thani reiterated the commitment to deepen bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

Zameer also conveyed appreciation for Qatar’s role in the mediation process on the Gaza crisis.

Both reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the partnership in the multilateral fora on matters of global concern.

Zameer was accompanied at the meeting by Secretary, Bilateral, Dr. Hala Hameed, Ambassador-at-Large, Dr. Fazeel Najeeb, and Assistant Director, Lamha Saleem.

This year will mark the 40th anniversary of bilateral relations between the Maldives and Qatar.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Zameer is also scheduled to meet with other senior officials from the Qatari government to explore opportunities to enhance cooperation in various sectors between the two countries.

Zameer’s latest trip comes at the heels of a similar visit to India last week.

Source(s): sun.mv

News

President recognises forefront services of nurses

Published

18 hours ago

12/05/2024

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has praised the dedicated efforts of nurses, stating that they fulfil a national obligation by providing forefront services. He made the remarks on a social media post, commemorating International Nurses Day.

In the post shared on social media, President Dr. Muizzu recognised the unwavering commitment of nurses, characterising their contributions and services as a valuable, significant responsibility for humanity. The president additionally commended the dedication of nurses for ensuring the provision of cutting edge care.

The International Nurses Day is annually celebrated on May 12, aiming to acknowledge the pivotal role nurses play, as they are the backbone of the healthcare system. The theme for International Nurses Day 2024 is “Our Nurses. Our Future. The economic power of care.” The purpose of selecting the theme was to emphasise the significance of reshaping perceptions of the economic and societal advantages of the nursing field, such that nursing can be seen as an investment rather than a cost.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Government launches Hope Island for crime-exposed kids

Published

18 hours ago

12/05/2024

The Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology has announced the launch of Hope Island, a rehabilitation initiative aimed at children exposed to crime.

Speaking at a collaborative press briefing involving agencies under the homeland ministry, Minister Ali Ihusaan outlined the planning efforts for Hope Island. He emphasised the provision of fundamental education and religious guidance for the children residing there. He also highlighted the implementation of psychosocial intervention and sports programmes on the island.

Additionally, Minister Ihusaan disclosed that children would reside on Hope Island until they turn 18 years, and serve a designated term in either the Maldives Police Service (MPS) or the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). Subsequently, he said that they would be granted opportunities to pursue their chosen careers.

Furthermore, Minister Ihusaan announced a reduction in the age of criminal responsibility to 15 years, with previous advocacy for lowering it to 12 years. He cited instances of 12-year-olds engaging in criminal activities and revealed ongoing legal initiatives, in collaboration with the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO), to effect the change.

Moreover, Minister Ihusaan revealed plans to direct 12-year-old offenders to Hope Island for rehabilitation, with a dedicated facility established to mitigate exposure to criminal influences. He also disclosed intentions to develop a separate island specifically for this rehabilitation facility.

Source(s): PsmNews