News

Olympian Gu competes ‘to inspire young girls’

Published

2 years ago

09/06/2022

MNN

Gu Ailing, the United States-born Olympic skiing gold medalist, who is also known as Eileen Gu, said that she competed for China to inspire the nation’s young girls to get interested in the sport.

The freestyle skier won three medals at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games in February. She shared her thoughts on Tuesday at an event in New York, where she was among those honored as being among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2022, and she discussed her motivation and the possible roles she may play after the Olympics.

She said that she decided to compete for China in order “to inspire young girls”.

“It was to spread the sport among people who may have never heard of it before, especially those young girls who may not have that kind of representation.” She added that it was “really my sole reason”.

Asked whether she had second thoughts about her decision to represent China in the Olympics, considering the current tension between the US and China, Gu said not at all.

“No, I don’t have any regrets,” she said, because every day on her social media she receives messages from hundreds of young girls worldwide who call her their inspiration.

Gu has 1.6 million followers on Instagram, many of them young girls. They send her messages saying things such as “because of you, you inspired me to break my own boundaries and to try something that I never (knew) was possible before” and that she encouraged them “to be a better person”.

That “positive reinforcement cycle” motivated Gu.

“It’s not like an idol and fan, it’s friends moving together” to celebrate each other’s success, she said.

There are more than 300 million people participating in winter sports in China now, whereas skiing was a minority sport not many years ago.

“Sports are a shared experience transcending gender, age, race, background and culture,” Gu said, adding that they can bring about cultural exchanges, communication and uplift one another, generating a cycle of positivity.

“My biggest goal has always been to leave a positive legacy and to leave the world a little bit better than the way that I found it,” Gu said.

Gu also announced that she would be the ambassador for the US Winter Olympic Games bid in Salt Lake City in 2030. Gu said, “This is a beautiful example of globalism and the capacity that we can use skiing, we can use sports, we can use the winter sports to connect people.”

“Having somebody with Eileen’s fantastic profile worldwide, particularly with the youth, is just a dream come true for us,” Fraser Bullock, president and CEO of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, told Time.

Gu said she understands that with fame and success comes greater responsibility, and toward one group in particular: young victims of bullying worldwide.

Gu said their voices need to be heard. Otherwise, it is “incredibly detrimental during the formative years of their lives”, she said.

“The biggest form of self-care that I’ve had for myself is to find my voice and to use it for causes that matter to me and to encourage people… to make the world better in their own way,” said Gu.

Another area in which Gu is considering exerting her influence is in gender inequality in sports. Statistics indicate that girls under age 18 are six times more likely than their male counterparts to drop out of sports.

Gu, who was born in San Francisco and will attend Stanford University in the fall, has also had tremendous success in the business world.

She models for some of the world’s biggest fashion, jewelry and makeup brands and is the face of major Chinese businesses such as China Mobile, Anta, Bank of China and JD.

Source: China Daily

World

Hamas plans to suspend Gaza ceasefire negotiations if Israel attacks Rafah

Published

15 hours ago

02/05/2024

Hamas said on Wednesday that ceasefire negotiations with Israel would be suspended if Israel attacks the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, said in an interview with Lebanon-based al-Manar TV that Hamas would halt all indirect negotiations with Israel if it launches military operations against Rafah.

Accusing Israel of seeking “to blackmail all the parties by its threats of attacking Rafah,” the official said “the resistance is still having its power to defend our people.”

On Monday, a Hamas delegation left Cairo and said they would return with a written response to the latest truce proposal.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is on his seventh visit to the Middle East, on Wednesday urged Hamas to accept the truce deal which would see 33 hostages released in exchange for a larger number of Palestinian prisoners and a halt to the fighting, with the possibility of further steps towards a comprehensive deal later.

“Israel has made very important compromises,” he said. “There’s no time for further haggling. The deal is there. They (Hamas) should take it.”

A senior Hamas official said on Wednesday that Hamas was still studying the proposed deal but said Israel was the real obstacle.

Israel is holding off sending a delegation to Cairo for follow-up truce talks, pending a response from Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, an Israeli official told Reuters.

Israel’s military chief of staff Herzi Halevi on Wednesday said that the country’s offensive operation in Gaza “will continue with strength” and that Israel was “preparing for an offensive in the north.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said that Israel will enter Rafah and eliminate the Hamas battalions there “with or without” a deal with Hamas.

With an Israeli ground operation in Rafah on the horizon, United Nations (UN) aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Tuesday that Israeli improvements to aid access in Gaza “cannot be used to prepare for or justify a full-blown military assault on Rafah.”

More than one million people face famine after six months of the conflict, the UN has said.

As night fell on Wednesday, Israeli planes and tanks pounded several areas across Gaza, residents and Hamas-linked media said.

Medics in Gaza said at least 27 Palestinians were killed in strikes on Wednesday, with others likely hurt or killed in areas they were unable to reach.

To speed the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave, the U.S. military has so far constructed over 50 percent of a maritime pier that will be placed off the coast of Gaza, according to the Pentagon.

However, U.S. lawmakers have questioned whether the pier is a worthwhile endeavor. On the one hand, it will cost the American taxpayers at least $320 million to operate the pier for only 90 days; on the other hand, the U.S. military personnel could become targets of Hamas militants, Republican Senator Roger Wicker told Reuters.

Source(s): CGTN

News

Solih reassures MDP dedication to protecting workers’ rights

Published

1 day ago

01/05/2024

Former President and Advisor of the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to safeguarding workers’ rights.

In a post on social media, Solih extended his congratulations to all Maldivian workers on International Labour Day, highlighting the advocacy of MDP for crucial policies like safeguarding workers’ rights and implementing a minimum wage. He also assured that the party remains dedicated to upholding the rights of workers

The world celebrates International Labour Day annually on May 1.

Source(s): PsmNews

News

Efforts underway to limit Hajj pilgrimage rates

Published

1 day ago

01/05/2024

Maldives Hajj Corporation (MHC) has initiated significant steps to substantially lower the prices of Hajj pilgrimage trips, aligning with President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s presidential pledge to reduce costs for travellers from Maldives.

In a post shared on social media, Managing Director Mohamed Shakeel announced the establishment of the “Hajj Fund,” aimed at reducing pilgrim expenses while creating income-generating opportunities for the corporation, thus strengthening its financial stability. He underscored that efforts are currently underway to minimise Hajj trip costs, with an increase in real estate investments.

Minister of Islamic Affairs Dr. Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed affirmed that restructuring the Hajj Corporation would substantially decrease Hajj pilgrimage rates. He further emphasised the Ministry’s proactive measures under the new administration to address this issue. This year, the Hajj Corporation has disbursed USD 4,537 with over 7,000 individuals on the waiting list. The government has officially allocated 100 quotas to the Maldives to mitigate the waiting list and alleviate high pilgrimage costs incurred.

Minister Shaheem stated that if additional quotas are to be granted, private entities will be engaged in organising pilgrimage trips, adhering to the list compiled by the Hajj Corporation.

Source(s): PsmNews