Category: Xtra

Riyadh Road Runner, made up of a variety of ages and nationalities, began with a warmup before moving to strength training and then running laps around the court.

RIYADH — For many, summer in Saudi Arabia is a time to relax on the couch, turn up the air conditioning, and watch other people play sports on TV, with those who dare to challenge this approach often ending up with heatstroke.

Yet, running clubs in the Kingdom are busier than ever, and show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.

Seema Ghannam, who regularly takes part in Riyadh Road Runner club sessions, told Arab News: “You can keep active wherever you are. There is no limit to movement anywhere you go because you already have hands, arms, and legs. This is what you are born to do, to keep moving.”

Until recent years, physical activity in the Kingdom was almost nonexistent outside of schools and designated football teams. People were discouraged by the lack of facilities, suitable outdoor spaces, and the hot weather. Now, all that is changing. From the growing number of padel courts to the new projects at Sports Boulevard, physical activity is soaring, and running is no exception.

To find out how these runners manage to keep up their routines in the heat, Arab News visited Riyadh Road Runners, established in 1978, at one of the club’s 7:30 p.m. Monday sessions at the Eid Villas Compound. Runners were doing laps, climbing stairs, and completing full-body workouts.

The group, made up of a variety of ages and nationalities, began with a warmup before moving to strength training and then running laps around the court, focusing on proper technique.

Coach Amr Hafez has the runners break up their runs occasionally with bodyweight and stair exercises to increase stamina and muscle strength. The session ends with a final lap around the whole compound. At the end of a very sweaty workout, the runners take a dip in the pool to cool down.

Ghannam, who is also a yoga teacher and swimming instructor, added running to her exercise routine two years ago. She said that she enjoys Hafez’s holistic approach to the body, training the abs, hips, glutes, and thighs.

“We focus on trying to learn different kinds of running, how to run, how to place your toes, what shoes you should use.”

Ghannam said that she enjoys running outdoors because “you want your skin and your body to get used to the temperature.” But to manage the heat, runners should choose a time that is best for them, whether at night or early in the morning.

Hafez, a national sales manager at a Saudi food company, has coached with Riyadh Road Runners for more than three years. He has three key rules when it comes to running in summer. One is to stay well hydrated, two is to control your breathing, and three — much to our dismay — is high-intensity interval training.

The coach said that when he first started running, he used martial arts moves as part of his training, a fitness trick he learned from his first running coach.

“Runners need to build all their muscles to have great ability,” he said. “Combining strength with fitness helps people develop running ability for doing long distance.”

Hafez said that he used to think running served no purpose, and was simply a means of punishment when a school coach thought someone was slacking off. He never imagined he would one day run a marathon or be teaching other people to do the same.

“Most of the team when they first started couldn’t jog even 1k,” he said.

Omar Al-Ansari, a coach with Riyadh club R7, has six marathons under his belt. R7 runs in Wadi Hanifa, where the location offers protection against the heat.

“The trails are naturally shaded by the trees, and the breeze from the lake provides a 3–4-degree difference in temperature from the rest of the city,” he said.

Like Riyadh Road Runners, R7 emphasizes staying hydrated. “Always run with water, take electrolytes to preserve what is being lost through sweating,” Al-Ansari said.

He also advises runners to wear light-colored clothing, to complete their workouts before sunrise or after sunset, and to choose a garden or wadi as a location, or exercise indoors.

“And never forget your sunscreen,” he added.

Many runners told Arab News there is no longer any excuse for being inactive in the Kingdom.

“We are seeing a broader awareness about the importance of having an active lifestyle in the country, and despite our difficult weather in the summer, there are ways to go about it,” Al-Ansari said.

Hafez offered Arab News this simple suggestion: “Start by walking and go from there.”

AN

The railway line starts from Rizhao West Railway Station and ends at Lankao South Railway Station, linking cities like Rizhao, Linyi, Jining, Heze, Shangqiu and Kaifeng, which prominently shortens the travel time between the major cities in Shandong and Henan provinces.

Train attendants pose for a photo at Heze East Railway Station in Heze City, east China’s Shandong Province, July 18, 2024. The section from Zhuangzhai in east China’s Shandong Province to Lankao in central China’s Henan Province was put into service on Thursday, marking the full operation of the 472-kilometer-long Rizhao-Lankao high-speed railway. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

A staff member helps a child board the bullet train G4007 from Heze to Zhengzhou at Heze East Railway Station in Heze City, east China’s Shandong Province, July 18, 2024. The section from Zhuangzhai in east China’s Shandong Province to Lankao in central China’s Henan Province was put into service on Thursday, marking the full operation of the 472-kilometer-long Rizhao-Lankao high-speed railway. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

Passengers pose for a photo on bullet train G4007 from Heze to Zhengzhou, July 18, 2024. The section from Zhuangzhai in east China’s Shandong Province to Lankao in central China’s Henan Province was put into service on Thursday, marking the full operation of the 472-kilometer-long Rizhao-Lankao high-speed railway.

The bullet train G4007 from Heze to Zhengzhou departs from Heze East Railway Station in Heze City, east China’s Shandong Province, July 18, 2024. The section from Zhuangzhai in east China’s Shandong Province to Lankao in central China’s Henan Province was put into service on Thursday, marking the full operation of the 472-kilometer-long Rizhao-Lankao high-speed railway. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

ALULA — The Royal Commission for AlUla has announced the launch of the area’s summer fruit season, which offers a variety of the finest local products at the farmers market in Manshiya Plaza, from July 17 to 24.

AlUla’s seasonal goods project aims to provide support to farmers and small business-owning families and increase sustainable demand for organic fruits and other products, which will provide new opportunities for economic diversification within and beyond the agricultural community.

The project will feature four annual events: the first for summer fruit products from July 17 to 24, the second for dates from mid-October to mid-November, the third for gum arabic during November, and the fourth for citrus fruits for nine days starting in early January 2025.

The fruit season seeks to empower the seasonal cycles of AlUla’s farms, known for producing the highest quality mangoes, grapes, figs, dates and citrus fruits, as well as gum arabic, a traditional plant highly valued for its medicinal and cosmetic uses.

The Manshiya market, a hub of community and agricultural life in AlUla, will host vendors and buyers of fresh local produce, boosting economic activity beyond traditional crop cycles.

The market attracts increasing numbers of visitors to its annual agricultural events, showcasing the diversity of the region’s crops and how fresh products are used in famous local dishes.

The project contributes to fostering a spirit of cooperation and partnership between AlUla’s farming community and local entities, aligning with the commission’s efforts to enhance sustainability and resilience in the economic sector.

AN

Hà Nội was honoured as a “City for Peace” in 1999 by UNESCO – an event with profound political and cultural significance. It expressed the belief and desire for peace of the Vietnamese people in general and the Hanoians in particular.

Twenty five years since then, the capital city has had multiple changes for the better. Becoming a “safe and friendly” destination, it is increasingly introduced, widely promoted, and highly appreciated by international organisations.

With a stable political system, national security, and improved cultural, economic and spiritual life of the people Hà Nội has attracted a great number of foreign investors and tourists.

The city has also made remarkable progress in promoting economic development, accelerating the process of industrialisation, modernisation and international economic integration.

Along with the government’s goal of planting 1 billion trees in 2021-25, Hà Nội is making efforts to improve the environment, both helping to reduce dust and noise while enhancing urban aesthetics.

VNS

XINHUA

A special ceremony named “Ya Abbas, Ya Abbas” was held, in the historical bazaar of Shahrud, Semnan province, east of Tehran, on July 11, 2024. This ritual is about 200 to 300 years old and has been passed down from generation to generation. The ceremony commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS) – the third Shia Imam – and his 72 companions, including his brother Abbas (AS).

IRNA

ROME, July 12 (Reuters) — Venice’s experimental payment system for tourists only had a limited impact on reducing crowds in the lagoon city, meaning prices will almost certainly be hiked next year, a politician who led the project said on Friday.
In a world first, the famed Italian destination introduced a 5-euro ($5.44) charge in April for daytrippers arriving on particularly congested days, hoping the levy would deter some people from visiting.

The pilot scheme, which has been watched closely by other European tourist hotspots, covered just 29 days and will end on Sunday, opening the way for a period of consultation to decide how to proceed with the project in future.
Simone Venturini, the city councillor responsible for tourism and social cohesion, said the initial assessment was positive and confirmed the system would be renewed in 2025, but acknowledged that there were still large crowds.

“On some weekends there were less people than the same time last year … but no one expected that all the day trippers would miraculously disappear,” he told Reuters, speaking by telephone from Venice.
“It will be more effective in the coming years when we increase the number of days and lift the price,” he added, without saying how much visitors might have to pay in 2025.
The city council is looking to discourage daytrippers, especially during weekends and holidays when visitors can top 100,000 – double the number of local residents. People with hotel reservations have not had to pay the levy.

Not everyone in Venice, which is a UNESCO world heritage site, thinks the scheme should continue.
“It has been a total failure. The city is still packed with tourists,” said opposition councillor Giovanni Andrea Martini, adding that the number of people paying the charge had fallen as word spread that the threatened fines were not materialising.
Venturini acknowledged there had been “very few, or probably no fines”, but said it had been a deliberately soft start. “In this experimental phase, rather than fining people, we have focused on informing them,” he said.

Martini advocated instead a free booking system for visitor slots to prevent lower-income families from being priced out, but that was able to track prospective tourist arrivals.
“We need to be able to warn people that if they come on certain days they are not going to have a good time,” he said, adding that the long-term goal should be to draw back full-term residents who have drained away from the city in recent years as short-term lets increasingly dominate the housing market.

HÀ NỘI — The number of hospitalisations due to electronic cigarette use has been increasing recently, with most cases involving young patients experiencing acute poisoning.

In the first six months of 2024, the Poison Control Centre at Hà Nội’s Bạch Mai Hospital has treated around 100 cases of e-cigarette poisoning.

On June 26, a 20-year-old man in Hà Nội was rushed to Bạch Mai Hospital after falling into a coma and suffering multiple organ damage due to using e-cigarettes.

Around 4 am that day, his family heard strange noises and found him convulsing and unconscious. He was immediately taken to a nearby hospital and then transferred to the Poison Control Centre in a comatose state with respiratory failure, multiple organ damage, brain and heart injuries, severe metabolic acidosis and kidney failure.

Tests on the e-cigarette he had used revealed the presence of synthetic cannabis. The young man had a history of using e-cigarettes for many years and had previously been hospitalised for e-cigarette poisoning in 2023.

Dr Nguyễn Trung Nguyên, Director of the Poison Control Centre said: “In the first six months of 2024 alone, the centre received approximately 100 cases of e-cigarette poisoning. In contrast, in the years 2022 and 2023, the centre received nearly 130 cases of hospitalisation for the same reason. Notably, many tests on patients’ e-cigarettes have returned positive results for drugs.”

A survey conducted by the Poison Control Centre on e-cigarette samples used by 120 patients revealed that 16 of these samples tested positive for drugs, accounting for 13.3 per cent. Toxicology tests on some specimens sent to the forensic institute detected drugs including ADB-Butinaca, MDMB-Butinaca, ADB-4en-PINACA, MDMB-4en-PINACA, EDMB-4en-PINACA, THC and PB-22.

According to Nguyên, hospitalisations due to the use of new tobacco products have been increasing recently. The widespread use of e-cigarettes is growing rapidly, with most cases involving young patients suffering from acute poisoning after using this type of cigarette.

Many people, especially teenagers, believe that e-cigarettes are harmless because they do not contain addictive nicotine.

“This is a misconception. E-cigarettes pose three major health risks: nicotine, artificial flavorings and drugs. Currently, the treatment costs for acute poisoning cases from drug-laced e-cigarettes range from over 10 million to hundreds of millions of đồng,” Nguyên said.

“E-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and other new types of tobacco are harmful to health. They pave the way for abuse, addiction and exposure to synthetic chemicals, leading to numerous new diseases and health issues. They also complicate the problems associated with traditional tobacco and drugs. Therefore, it is crucial not to evaluate, research or experiment with these products,” he warned.

Easily purchased online

Nguyễn Thị An, Director of HealthBridge Canada in Việt Nam, said that e-cigarette products could now be easily purchased through social media platforms like Facebook and e-commerce sites.

She said that with colleagues they had tried ordering e-cigarettes themselves and when the package arrived, it was labelled as ‘anti-acne cosmetics’ as a way for children to easily deceive their parents and teachers and purchase and use e-cigarettes.

“In our research, when we asked why students used e-cigarette products, 60 per cent said they started because their friends shared them. With a product costing only around VNĐ10,000, students can easily share and use it in class as it is very affordable. They can even buy these new-generation tobacco products by skipping just one breakfast,” she said.

An also noted that these products were incredibly easy to purchase, convenient and accessible at any time, even being sold as toys at drink stalls right outside school gates.

“That’s why we always emphasise that if new tobacco products are only banned for children under 18, it is a failure. Products labelled as ‘milk’ are clearly targeting children. Moreover, e-cigarettes with appealing flavours are obviously aimed at children.”

From an economic perspective, An pointed out that allowing new tobacco products would not provide any economic benefit and, in the long run, negatively impact the health of future generations.

A survey showed that in 2019, the rate of new tobacco product use among 13- to 17-year-olds was 2.6 per cent. This rate increased to 3.5 per cent in 2022 and 7 per cent in 2023. Specifically, among 13- to 15-year-olds, the 2023 survey indicated a usage rate of up to 8 per cent.

According to reports from nearly 700 healthcare facilities, in 2023 alone, there were over 1,200 hospitalisations due to the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. The primary symptoms upon admission were allergies, poisoning and acute lung damage.

Experts have proposed an urgent ban on the import, production, distribution and sale of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, as well as banning advertising and promotion of these products in Việt Nam.

In the long term, regulations from the resolution should be incorporated into the revised Law on Prevention and Control of Tobacco Harm, they said. — VNS

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) —China’s production and sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs) continued to maintain rapid growth in the first six months (H1) of this year, with the NEV market share steadily increasing in the domestic market, industry data showed on Wednesday.

During the period, the production of NEVs reached about 4.93 million units, rising 30.1 percent year on year, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

The sales of NEVs stood at 4.94 million units, growing by 32 percent from a year earlier, the data reveals. The market share of NEVs in China reached 35.2 percent by the end of June.

Chinese-made NEVs registered fast growth in both production and sales during the period. By the end of June this year, the production and sales of NEVs made in China exceeded 30 million units, according to the CAAM.

In June alone, the production and sales of NEVs hit 1 million units and 1.05 million units, respectively, representing an increase of 28.1 percent and 30.1 percent year on year.

In the January-June period, some 605,000 units of NEVs were exported, representing a year-on-year increase of 13.2 percent, the data shows.

Tourists rest next to a hotel pool, on the island of Naxos, Greece, June 20, 2024. REUTERS

NAXOS, Greece — The biggest reservoir on the Greek island of Naxos has dried up, useful only to the turtles that cruise its muddy shallows. Downstream, sea water has seeped into empty irrigation wells, harming the island’s prized potato crop.

Further south, on Karpathos island, authorities have imposed restrictions on topping up swimming pools, while in the northern island of Thasos, officials are seeking a desalination unit to make sea water drinkable.

Most of Greece has seen little or no rain in months. Now, as the country’s islands prepare to host a record number of summer tourists, the strain on water supplies has rarely been heavier, officials, farmers and scientists said.

“There has been an intense shortage of rainfall across the Mediterranean and, on Naxos particularly, our surface reservoirs are empty,” said the island’s mayor, Dimitris Lianos.

Millions of tourists visit Greece each year to enjoy its ancient sites, pristine beaches and turquoise waters.

But climate change impacts, including higher temperatures, erratic rainfall and wildfires threaten the future of the country’s biggest economic driver.

This year feels especially fraught. After its warmest winter on record, wildfires began unusually early, some in areas where there would normally be snow. At least six tourists, including well-known British television presenter Michael Mosley, died last month as heatwaves swept the country.

Climate experts fear the worst is yet to come. Andrea Toreti, the coordinator of the European and global drought observatory of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service, said once the effects of drought become visible, it is too late to take action.

“We need to avoid thinking in an emergency mode, (instead) looking at prevention and preparedness,” Toreti said.

SICKLY CROPS

The water shortage is stark in Naxos, a mountainous island of 20,000 people in one of the most popular – and dry – parts of the Aegean Sea. Tens of thousands of tourists flock to its shores each day during summer.

The island’s two reservoirs hold 220,000 cubic metres (7.7 million cubic feet) of useable water, a third of last year’s level and the equivalent of just a few dozen Olympic swimming pools.

Authorities have secured three portable desalination units that will treat sea water to make it safe to drink, and which mayor Lianos said should cover the shortfall for houses, hotels and pools.

But farmers will not receive any of the treated water and have to rely on wells that have been contaminated by sea water aquifers. Farmers said that this contamination occurs when the wells are empty enough for the salty water to creep in.

Stelios Vathrakokoilis grows Naxos’ famous potatoes, which are loved in Greece for their buttery taste and are protected from imitation under EU rules. His yields will be more than halved this year because of the salty irrigation water, he said.

“It’s a big disappointment because we humans didn’t succeed in anticipating that climate change would knock on our doors too,” he said as a handful of workers harvested potatoes nearby.

SHORT SUPPLY

Countries across the Mediterranean, including Spain and Italy, are looking for ways to back up their water supplies by using desalination, but suppliers said units were in short supply this summer due to soaring demand.

Even in Thasos, which is much greener than rocky Naxos, officials said they wanted to buy a unit for future use.

Greece-based manufacturer Sychem could not fully meet customer demand this summer because of a shortage of key components and longer building times, Chief Executive Alexandros Yfantis said. New units should be available after September.

“Since the problem is all around, any temporary equipment has been already leased,” Yfantis said.

REUTERS, July 9, 2024

ANADOLU, July 9, 2024

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội’s agricultural sector has for several years focused on developing pomelo cultivation and is blessed with a special variety of the fruit.

With its inherent potential and advantages, the city is identified as a key pomelo growing region of the country.

Currently, the market demand for pomelo continues to increase. However, the export turnover of pomelo has only accounted for about 0.1 per cent of export values, to around US$1.1-1.2 billion annually.

Vũ Thị Hương, director of the Hà Nội Agricultural Promotion Centre under the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said: “Hà Nội currently has nearly 10,000ha of pomelo cultivation mainly in districts like Chương Mỹ, Phúc Thọ, Đan Phượng, Quốc Oai and Phú Xuyên.

“Hà Nội has about ten varieties of pomelo, of which the Diễn pomelo – a special variety – occupies nearly 81 per cent of the total while other varieties are also widely cultivated and bring high economic efficiency including Quế Dương pomelo, Hiệp Thuận sweet pomelo, Vân Hà pomelo, Phú Xuyên pomelo and Sài Sơn sour pomelo.”

In recent years, Hà Nội’s agricultural sector has supported localities in building pomelo production models that meet VietGAP and organic standards, providing higher productivity, ensuring greater quality and potential earnings of VNĐ400-500 million ($17,000-20,000) per hectare per year.

Farmers participating in these models receive technical guidance and growing systems based on recording their cultivation activities.

Producing pomelos under VietGAP standards not only creates safe products for consumers but also contributes to the health of producers and is beneficial for the environment and can boost exports.

Chương Mỹ District has favourable conditions for fruit tree cultivation and has encouraged residents to convert low-economic-value land to fruit cultivation, mainly pomelo.

The district has collaborated with relevant agencies to organise training courses and transfer scientific and technical advances in garden renovation, pomelo grafting and production following VietGAP standards.

Lê Hữu Diện, director of Đức Hậu – Lưu Quang Clean Agricultural Co-operative in Trung Hòa Commune of Chương Mỹ District, said: “The co-operative has nearly three hectares of pomelo meeting VietGAP standards, with much higher productivity than ordinary pomelo and which is completely purchased by enterprises.

“The VietGAP pomelo is sweeter, has less pest damage, has a golden, shiny skin, fragrant flesh, juicy segments and a lovely taste.”

Meanwhile, in the Sài Sơn Commune of Quốc Oai District, Phan Nhân Lợi’s family previously had 400 Diễn pomelo trees, but faced difficulties in selling the harvest due to low prices.

After receiving help to switch to VietGAP standards, sales became easier and the price was about 20 per cent higher than traditional methods.

Lợi said: “To grow high-quality pomelos that meet VietGAP standards, growers need to pay attention to fertilisation techniques, operate mainly organically and use composed manure to ensure good flowering and fruiting rates.”

Nguyễn Như Hảo, director of Quế Dương Safe Pomelo Production Co-operative in Hoài Đức District, believed that expanding VietGAP production models requires continuous technical training and infrastructure investment to apply mechanisation and high technology in large-scale production, build brands and establish geographical indications for local specialties.

Nguyễn Mạnh Phương, deputy director of the Hà Nội Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has approved a plan to develop key fruit trees by 2025, with a vision to 2030, choosing Hà Nội as a key area for pomelo development.

Hà Nội will continue to work with localities to select high-quality pomelo varieties suitable for each region’s climate and soil conditions, strictly follow safe production processes, and ensure quality, Phương said.

The city will also expand high-tech agricultural models and link production with market access, he said.

For further development, Hà Nội plans to support localities in implementing projects in Quang Minh Commune of Mê Linh District, Xuân Đình Commune of Phúc Thọ District and Song Phượng Commune of Đan Phượng District, over a scale of 20ha.

The city aims to maintain about 70 per cent of the area for main-season pomelo varieties and 30 per cent for off-season harvesting.

In addition to traditional varieties, the agricultural sector will refine local varieties, develop new high-quality varieties and encourage businesses to invest in pomelo processing for domestic consumption and export. — VNS

WELLINGTON — When qualifier Lulu Sun wept after reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, tears were also being shed on the other side of the world at her tennis club in a small rural town in New Zealand.

Sun, ranked 123rd in the world, cried openly on center court following her stunning 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 fourth-round win over Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, after becoming the first New Zealand woman to reach the last eight at Wimbledon.

Sun, 23, was born in the remote town of Te Anau, near the bottom of New Zealand’s South Island.

A small party broke out in the early hours of Monday morning at the local tennis club as her latest Wimbledon triumph unfolded.

Greg Sheppard, president of Te Anau Tennis Club, said he and around 20 members had been glued to the clubhouse television to witness Sun’s victory.

“It was nerve-racking and very exciting,” Sheppard told AFP.

“When she started crying, we had a few tears in the clubhouse too. It was quite emotional.

“We’re fully pumped for her. It’s unbelievable, something we have never had before. It’ll be great to see Lulu when she is next home.”
Sun is the daughter of a Chinese mother and Croatian father.

After living in Te Anau — a town she describes as having “more sheep and deer than people” — Sun moved with her mother to Shanghai before settling in Switzerland.

Until this year, she was playing under the Swiss flag having played college tennis in the United States.

Sheppard said there was immense pride in seeing Sun play so well, so far away.

“I reckon if you dug a hole, you’d probably come out in Wimbledon. We are right on the other side,” he joked.
The draughtsman said he struggled to get any work done on Monday.

“I got home around 7am and charged my phone up, I’d run out of battery twice. My phone has been ringing red hot,” said Sheppard, who anticipates another sleep-interrupted night when Sun plays Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the last eight on Tuesday.

Sun will be bidding to become only the second New Zealand woman to reach the last four at a Grand Slam, after Belinda Cordwell at the 1989 Australian Open.

“Hopefully it will be closer to the start of the night or at the other end, where we can have a cooked breakfast to go with our next match watching,” said Sheppard, who remembers Sun as a 13-year-old winning games against the club’s top men.

Her most recent appearance at the club, which has around 120 members, was an exhibition in 2018 and they will invite Sun to a tournament in December.

“We’ll be hoping she comes along, shows us a trophy or a medal or two,” said Sheppard.

“I don’t know if we’ll get a hit of tennis out of her, it would be quite cool if we did.”

AN – AFP

RIYADH — A number of athletes have recently been granted Saudi citizenship after a royal order issued on Thursday.

The decree aims to grant Saudi citizenship to people whose distinguished expertise serves the nation in various fields, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

It is also in line with Saudi Vision 2030, which aims to create an environment that attracts, invests in, and retains exceptional creative minds, SPA added.

The athletes given Saudi citizenship included three women: American footballer Maryam Al-Tamimi, French tennis player Maysan Hussein, and Muay Thai fighter Tasneem Al-Qassab.

Al-Tamimi was picked by head coach Monica Staab for the women’s national team. She is registered with the Saudi Football Federation and was influential in securing her former side — the Sharqiya Flames — first place in the Eastern Province League in 2021. She has since signed for Al-Ittihad in a deal that runs until 2025.

French teenage tennis player Hussein, who is 15 years old, was also given citizenship. She has won several girls’ championships in Saudi Arabia.

She finished 41st in the Asian Tennis Federation’s U14 competition and won the Mahdia Open Tennis Championship in Tunisia in the U16 category.

She was also runner-up in the women’s singles at the 2023 Saudi Games.

Syrian Muay Thai fighter Al-Qassab, also a teenager, was among those granted citizenship. She won the 2021 Saudi Women’s Championship, held in Riyadh, and came third in the Virtual World Championship, held in the same year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she represented Saudi Arabia.

AN

CAIRO — Palestinian karate champion Mais Elbostami went to bed thrilled after winning a competition in the Gaza Strip. She awoke the next day to a different world.

“I’d won first place,” the shy 18-year-old told AFP from a Cairo suburb, where her family now lives after escaping the war and where she is training in the hope to one day represent her country internationally.

She said she “hadn’t even hung up the medals” she won on October 6 before Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

Immediately, she and her family fled south from their home in the northern Gaza Strip as Israel launched a relentless retaliatory military campaign.

Over the past nine months, the war has reduced much of the besieged Palestinian territory to rubble and killed more than 38,000 people, according to Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry.

Amid the hell of bombing and displacement, “every hour that passed felt like it aged you by a year,” said Elbostami.

Death was all around her.

“In the first 10 days alone, I lost my coach Jamal Al-Khairy, and his granddaughter who used to train with me,” she said.

When the family made it to the Egyptian capital in April, Elbostami had two things on her mind: making sure relatives back home were safe, and getting back to her karate training.

Despite being trapped in Gaza, Palestinian national team coach Hassan Al-Raiy put her in touch with the Egyptian team, and within two weeks she was back on the mat.

“My coaches here in Egypt have practically adopted me, and they’re working with me so I can get good enough to compete in the next championships,” she said.

Whenever she can, she spars on the mat. But with limited resources and gym time, Elbostami has also had to train in the streets and gardens around her house.

She often finds her mind wandering to Gaza’s Mediterranean shore.

“Training back home was different. Every Friday my teammates and I would go and train by the sea,” she said.

Karate is known for its strong focus on discipline and self-control, and this has helped the young karateka to “detach from reality” — living as a refugee from a brutal war — even for a little while.

“My emotions sometimes get the best of me. There are times I can’t get through a full session” without remembering “fleeing on foot as air strikes fell all around us,” she said.

Elbostami tries to focus on her goal — “to represent my country and raise its flag in international competitions.”

She has a long way to go, and her first stop on that journey is Egypt’s own national championships in August.

“It’s a tough challenge,” she said, because Egyptian karate athletes have historically outperformed their Palestinian counterparts.”

“But it will bring my level up, too.”

Elbostami’s Egyptian coach, Mamdouh Salem, told AFP that the teenager was an “athlete with a lot of potential, dedication and persistence.”

“We’re working on her technique, but ultimately karate is more a game of skill than talent — I expect Mais will excel.”

He said he wants to help her raise the Palestinian flag around the world.

“If we can’t fight with them” in Gaza, “we can at least help them represent their country abroad,” he said, echoing widespread Egyptian solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

Her Gazan teammates, coaches and most of her relatives may remain trapped in Gaza — and she said dozens of them have been killed — but against all odds, Elbostami has survived.

“So I don’t have any excuse to keep me from achieving my goal,” she said.

“I’ll do everything I can to highlight the Palestinian cause. Every championship and every time I represent Palestine, it’s for my country, for the martyrs and for the wounded.”

AN – AFP

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Add another chapter to England’s tortuous history with penalty shootouts.

Three years on from losing the European Championship final on penalties, England’s players radiated confidence as they beat Switzerland in a shootout to reach the semifinals of Euro 2024.

Trent Alexander-Arnold blasted the ball into the top corner for the winner as England swept all of its penalties to win the shootout 5-3 after a 1-1 draw in extra time on Saturday.

“The team showed a lot of character, a lot of belief, heart and spirit out there,” Alexander-Arnold told the BBC. “We knew it was going to be tight but whatever it takes, no matter what, we win and that’s all that matters.”

Benched following England’s first two Euro 2024 games, Alexander-Arnold “could have easily thought his tournament was done,” England manager Gareth Southgate said. “I kept talking to him. He’s going to have moments, there’s still a big part to play.”

Bukayo Saka, whose penalty kick was saved to decide the final shootout in 2021, and who was racially abused on social media in the aftermath, also stepped up to score. The 22-year-old had also equalized earlier to ensure the game went to extra time.

The other shootout scorers were Cole Palmer and Jude Bellingham, 22 and 21 respectively, and Ivan Toney, who returned in January from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules.

England was in the lead in the shootout after goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved from Manuel Akanji, who took Switzerland’s first penalty kick.

Southgate’s own England career was defined by a semifinal shootout miss against Germany when England hosted the 1996 European Championship.

When he became manager in 2016, England hadn’t won a shootout in 20 years. It’s won three of four shootouts in Southgate’s eight-year tenure as manager, but lost the most important one in the 2021 final.

England goes on to play Turkey or the Netherlands in Dortmund on Wednesday for a spot in the final.

Switzerland, which has never reached the semifinals of a major tournament, exits the European Championship on penalties in the quarterfinals for the second time running after defeat to Spain three years ago. “I’m really sad for the players,” coach Murat Yakin said.

It was the second game in a row that England left it late to win, after beating Slovakia 2-1 in extra time in the last 16.

The quarterfinal went to extra time after England forward Saka scored with a shot off the post in the 80th minute to cancel out Breel Embolo’s goal five minutes earlier for Switzerland. It was the first shot on target for England in what was otherwise a cagey and cautious performance from the 2021 runner-up.

The team’s drab tactics have drawn criticism from fans, including some who threw plastic cups in Southgate’s direction after a 0-0 group stage draw with Slovenia.

“When it’s as personal as it’s been in the last few weeks, on a human level it’s quite difficult,” Southgate said on Saturday, going on to defend England’s “streetwise” approach to winning games.

The Swiss had the better chances to win in extra time, including Xherdan Shaqiri hitting the frame of the goal direct from a corner and Zeki Amdouni forcing a save from Pickford in the 119th.

England was without captain and striker Harry Kane for the shootout after he collided with Southgate on the touchline while challenging for a ball and appeared to be hurt. He was replaced by Toney. Kane had cramp, Southgate said.

Taking charge of his 100th game, Southgate has now taken England to at least the semifinals in three of the four major tournaments on his watch.

“We’ve never been to a final outside of England, we’ve never won a Euros,” Southgate said. “So there’s two bits of history we’d like to create.”

KUALA LUMPUR — The Saigon Professional Chefs’ Guild (SPC) that represented Việt Nam at the third Global Culinary Challenge Malaysia, has brought home the championship title and many other prizes.

The record haul of 13 golds, 27 silvers and 28 bronzes earned by the 40 Vietnamese chefs demonstrates their professionalism as well as international diners’ love of Vietnamese cuisine, said Lê Thị Kiều Oanh, a member of the delegation.

Oanh expressed her hope that Vietnamese chefs will have more opportunities to promote traditional foods to international friends in the time ahead.

This is the second contest the SPC has participated in Malaysia following the 2024 Penang Culinary Competition from June 27-29, where they also won a record number of prizes, including 18 golds, 26 silvers and 24 bronzes.

The Global Culinary Challenge Malaysia took place from June 25 to July 5 with the aim to promote Malaysian culinary skills and food culture and, at the same time, provide a platform for the participating chefs from all around the world to interact and share experiences. VNA/VNS

STUTTGART, Germany — Substitute Mikel Merino headed Spain into the semifinals of the European Championship as they snatched a 2-1 win over Germany in extra time on Friday.

Florian Wirtz’s equalizer in the last minute of regulation time sent the gripping quarterfinal to extra time after Dani Olmo — who set up Merino’s winner — netted the opener early in the second half.

“It was the game we expected,” Merino said, “because we were facing one of the best teams in the world. This could have been a final, and it sure played out that way. This was a game between elite teams, a constant back and forth, and we showed that we have a great team.”

Spain defender Dani Carvajal was sent off late in extra time for a second yellow card and will be suspended from Tuesday’s semifinal against Portugal or France.

Fellow defender Robin le Normand will also miss that match after picking up another booking.

The result ended the career of Germany’s Toni Kroos, who announced he would retire at the end of the tournament.

The quarterfinal pitted the teams who have played the best soccer at Euro 2024, and it didn’t disappoint.

There was a blistering pace from the start with crunching tackles and end-to-end action.

Kroos was lucky not to be booked for a mistimed challenge that upended Spain midfielder Pedri.

Another hefty challenge moments later saw Pedri leave the field injured and in tears as he was replaced by Olmo in the eighth minute, the fastest replacement in the history of the Euros.

From the resulting free kick, Lamine Yamal almost became the youngest ever goal-scorer at the tournament, but the 16-year-old’s effort flashed past the right post.

Yamal did have a hand in the opener as he cut inside from the right and rolled the ball across for Olmo to hit it first time into the bottom left corner.

It was Yamal’s third assist of the tournament, the most by a teenager at a Euros.

Substitute Nico Füllkrug hit the post in a late desperate onslaught by Germany, which was rewarded just in the nick of time.

Joshua Kimmich nodded Maximilian Mittelstädt’s cross back to Wirtz, whose effort went in off the far post.

Both teams had more chances to win in extra time before Merino leapt high to head in Olmo’s cross and send the Spanish fans behind the goal into a frenzy.

AN – (AP), July 05, 2024, 22:24

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese fashion designer Nguyễn Minh Tuấn has showcased his latest collection at Thailand Fashion Week 2024, with several international beauty queens and models walking the runway.

The Minh Tuân No.2 bridal collection is a fusion of the refined elegance of traditional East Asian attire and the grand, majestic beauty of European wedding gowns.

“Thailand Fashion Week 2024 is an international fashion showcase event that is held biennially in Bangkok, Thailand. It features the work of fashion designers worldwide across couture, homme, femme, accessories, footwear and jewellery. I believe this is a great opportunity to introduce the Minh Tuan No.2 collection and the latest footwear from the Minh Tuấn Couture brand to an audience of fashion industry experts, buyers and media from around the world,” Tuấn said.

According to the designer, each piece in the collection is created from a diverse range of inspirations and not only aims to elevate the alluring charm of the bride, but also carries within it the stories of the intertwined cultures.

The traditional high collar details, inspired by the Vietnamese áo dài (Vietnamese traditional dress) and Chinese dress, lend a refined and modest elegance to the designs, while the plunging necklines and off-the-shoulder elements add an alluring touch. The European-style mermaid silhouettes, combined with intricate embellished patterns, create a striking look for the wedding day. Additionally, the headpiece designs and 3D sculptural elements offer options for modern, fashion-forward brides.

The main materials used in this collection are high-quality, luminous fabrics complemented by exquisite lace, delicate chiffon and lustrous satin.

Its dominant colour is pristine white, symbolising purity and elegance, but shades of silver and ivory are also used, lending a soft and natural beauty that complements Asian skin tones. These colour choices not only accentuate the bride’s beauty but also represent the fusion of the two cultural aesthetics.

“It is not just a bridal collection, but a celebration of the unique beauty and style of each individual bride. This is dedicated to those who wish to bring a fresh new breath, a culturally-infused elegance, to their most special day,” the 31-year-old fashion designer said.

Prestigious beauty pageant titleholders and models from around the world have participated in the launch of Minh Tuan No.2 collection, include Miss Universe 2005 – Natalie Glebova, Miss Global 2023 – Ashley Melendez, second runner up Miss Global 2023 – Chonnikarn Supittayaporn, Miss Grand Dominican Republic 2024 – Maria Félix, Global Teen Ambassador for the Minh Tuan Couture brand – Hanny Gia Hân and many other international models from the Thailand Fashion Week 2024.

Tuấn graduated as the valedictorian from the Fashion Design programme at HCM City University of Technology in 2016. The designer has previously created outfits that helped Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên win the Miss Grand International 2021 title.

His designs have been selected by many international beauties, such as Mireia Lalaguna Royo – Miss World 2015, and Natalie Glebova – Miss Universe 2005. In April 2023, he created two dresses for American actress Caylee Cowan to wear on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. At the end of December, Drita Ziri – from Albania – wore a Minh Tuấn dress when she was crowned Miss Earth 2023. — VNS

REUTERS

KABUL, Afghanistan — Frozan Ahmadzai is one of 200,000 Afghan women who have the Taliban’s permission to work.

She should have graduated from university this year in pursuit of her dream of becoming a doctor, but the Taliban have barred women from higher education and excluded them from many jobs.

Now, instead of suturing, she sews in a basement in Kabul. Instead of administering medication, she makes pickles.

Half of Afghanistan’s population now finds itself locked out of the freedom to work at a time when the country’s economy is worse than ever.

Few jobs are still available to women. They include tailoring and making food, which the 33-year-old Ahmadzai now does along with women who once were teachers or aspired to be one.

Women’s participation in the workforce in Afghanistan, always limited by conservative cultural beliefs, was 14.8 percent in 2021, before the Taliban seized power and imposed harsh restrictions on women and girls.

They include banning female education beyond sixth grade, barring women from public spaces like parks, and enforcing dress codes.

Women’s participation in the workforce was down to 4.8 percent in 2023, according to World Bank data.

Ahmadzai’s eyes flare when talking about the new reality for Afghan women.

“We are only looking for a way to escape,” she said, referring to the work in the basement. It’s a step, at least, beyond being confined at home.

But profits are slim for her and her 50 colleagues in the collective. In a good month, the pickle-making and tailoring businesses bring in around 30,000 afghanis ($426).

The women also have other complaints familiar to anyone in Afghanistan: The rent and utility bills are high. The sewing machines are old-fashioned. The electricity supply is erratic.

Local retailers don’t compensate them fairly.

They don’t receive support from banks or local authorities to help their businesses grow.

Just obtaining permission from the Taliban to work is challenging for women, though under Afghan labor laws, the process for work permits ought to be the same for both sexes.

The ministry responsible for issuing permits has banned women from its premises, setting up a female-only office elsewhere.

It’s to “speed things up and make things easier” for women, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Samiullah Ebrahimi.

There, women submit their paperwork, including their national identity card, a cover letter and a health certificate from a private clinic.

That’s assuming they have the documents along with the money to cover any costs.

It also assumes they can move around without being harassed if unaccompanied by a male guardian.

Last year, a top United Nations official said Afghanistan had become the most repressive country in the world for women and girls.

Roza Otunbayeva, head of the UN political mission in Afghanistan, said that while the country needed to recover from decades of war, half of its potential doctors, scientists, journalists and politicians were “shut away in their homes, their dreams crushed and their talents confiscated.”

The Taliban have a different view.

They have tried to provide women with a “safe, secure and separate” working environment in line with Islamic values ​​and Afghan traditions in sectors where women’s work is needed, according to ministry spokesman Ebrahimi.

They can work in retail or hospitality, but it must be a female-only setting.

He said women don’t need degrees for the majority of permissible work including cleaning, security screening, handicrafts, farming, tailoring or food manufacturing.

It’s heartbreaking for Ahmadzai and her colleagues to see their expertise go unused. Several also were training to be makeup artists, but beauty parlors have been closed.

Some jobs for women remain in education and health care, so Ahmadzai has pivoted to a nursing and midwifery course so she can become a medical professional. But not a doctor. The Taliban don’t want more female doctors.

The challenges for Afghan women of obeying Taliban edicts while helping to support their families while living conditions worsen is a strain on health, including mental health.

Ahmadzai said one of the few positives about her work in the basement in Kabul is the camaraderie and support system there.

“Afghan women nowadays all have the same role in society. They stay at home, care for children, mind the house and don’t work hard,” she said.

“If my family didn’t encourage me, I wouldn’t be here. They support me because I work. My husband is unemployed and I have small children.”

Salma Yusufzai, the head of Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry, acknowledged that working under Taliban rule is a challenge.

The chamber has almost 10,000 members, but the lack of female representation within the Taliban-controlled administration is a challenge.

Yusufzai said the chamber supports women by giving them a platform at local markets and connecting them with the international community for participation in overseas exhibitions and other opportunities.

Chamber members include key Afghan industries like carpet-making and dried fruit. The businesses are male-owned but kept alive by women who want to support the economy, which she said would collapse without them.

She acknowledged that the chamber’s limited work was only possible through engagement with the Taliban: “If I close the door then nothing will happen, nothing will remain.”

Yusufzai once had three gemstone businesses and gave them up because of her chamber role. But she can’t own them anyway under Taliban rule, so the businesses are in her husband’s name.

“Since we are living in this country, we have to follow the rules,” she said. Her smile was tight.

“From nothing, it is better to have something.”

AN – AP

KHANH HOA – Tourism of the southcentral coastal province of Khánh Hòa has got a boost thanks to a bundle of international promotion programmes which have been put in place since the beginning of the summer.

According to the provincial Department of Tourism, the locality hosted nearly 5.2 million visitors in the first half of this year, up 88 per cent year-on-year, most of them from the Republic of Korea, China, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Malaysia. Its tourism earning surged 97 per cent against the same time last year to over VNĐ26 trillion (US$1.02 billion).

Director of the department Nguyễn Thị Lê Thanh said the number of tourist arrivals to the locality in June rose 13 per cent year-on-year to 1.3 million, including over 370,000 foreigners, up 54 per cent from the same time last year.

Total tourism revenue in the month was estimated at over VNĐ6 trillion , expanding 12 per cent year-on-year, she said.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Đinh Văn Thiệu said the four-day Nha Trang Sea Tourism Festival in June lured some 400,000 visitors, helping popularise local tourist destinations, and create a motive for tourism growth in 2024 and 2025.

The Nha Trang International Light Bay Festival – the country’s first drone light show slated for July 13 and 20 – will feature competitions among four teams from China, France, the Republic of Korea, and the UAE.

Thieu added that Khánh Hòa is planning to develop the light festival into a standout tourism offering.

During this summer, Nha Trang also hosts many sports tournaments such as the National Club Sailing Championship, the National Libera Fun Fest 2024 running tournament, the National Table-tennis Championship, and the National Youth Golf Championship.

Together with the tourism promotion events, airlines have opened new international routes to and from Nha Trang, and increased flights between the locality and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. – VNA/VNS

XINHUA

FRANKFURT, Germany — Goalkeeper Diogo Costa saved all three penalties as Portugal won 3-0 in a shootout against a brave Slovenia side who had held them to a 0-0 draw after Cristiano Ronaldo’s extra-time miss from the spot in a dramatic Euro 2024 last-16 clash on Monday.

Portugal had the lion’s share of the chances but also their brilliant goalkeeper to thank for a one-on-one save from Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko as they stumbled into a quarter-final meeting with France in Hamburg on Friday.

Costa also saved from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbic in the shootout – the first keeper to save three penalties in a Euros shootout – to send his side through despite a team performance that lacked spark for the most part.

“This is probably the best game of my life,” Costa said.

“I focused on doing what I had to do. I went with my gut feeling. Of course we had analysed the penalty takers, but players change how they shoot. I’m very happy and very excited to have helped the team.”

Ronaldo in particular will come under the spotlight as he wasted several opportunities to go with a penalty miss in extra-time that left him in a flood of tears and needing to be consoled by team mates.

“Even the strongest people have their (bad) days. I was at rock bottom … when the team needed me the most,” Ronaldo said in a post-match interview before bursting into tears again.

“Sadness at the start is joy at the end. That’s what football is. Moments, inexplicable moments,” he said.

“I feel sad and happy at the same time. But the important thing is to enjoy it. The team did an extraordinary job.

“We fought right to the end and if you look at it, if you analyse the game, I think we deserved it because we had more authority.”

SPOT KICK

Portugal were awarded the penalty late in the first half of extra time when Diogo Jota’s storming run into the box was illegally stopped by defender Vanja Drkusic, who had already been booked and was lucky not to receive a second yellow card.

They have a reliable penalty taker in their team in Bruno Fernandes but captain Ronaldo elected to take it and his effort was superbly saved to his left by Slovenia’s Jan Oblak, who pushed the ball onto the post.

Ronaldo, aiming to become the oldest scorer in Euros history at 39, had looked out of sorts all through the match, missing several headed chances.

He also insisted on taking all four free-kicks Portugal were awarded in shooting range, with none of them particularly threatening for Oblak.

Slovenia defended superbly and every time they had a scrap of possession they sent the ball long to forwards Andraz Sporar and Sesko to try and make something of it.

It was a ploy that worked well and Sesko had two one-on-one opportunities in the game, both from Pepe mistakes.

His first was scuffed wide and the second, some seven minutes from the end of extra time, was well saved by Costa.

That miss will no doubt haunt him and when it came to the pressure of the shootout Slovenia wilted in the face of excellent goalkeeping, much to the relief of Ronaldo, who to his credit scored the first penalty for Portugal.

Slovenia go home having played out four draws in Germany, but having qualified for the knockout rounds of a major tournament for the first time in their history.

“Unfortunately, it did not work out for us. I’m lost for words, the atmosphere here is amazing and that’s what makes it that much more difficult,” Oblak said.

“There’s nothing more to add. You see what happened in extra time, we had the opportunity to score, but we were probably missing a bit of luck.”

REUTERS