Day: June 27, 2022

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Press Releases

Hisense Praises Women Football Players through #RememberTheName Campaign, Commits to Enhancing Tournament Experience

QINGDAO, China, June 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Across the past year, many football fans’ attention has been drawn to women’s football worldwide. As the proud partner of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022™, Hisense aims to contribute to the substantial growth and professionalization of women’s football, inspire and support female players and fans who are enthusiastic about the sport, and bring more attention from the masses to the accomplishments of female athletes.

By partnering with the tournament and continuous investment in local market, Hisense has established strong relationships with European consumers. Starting with the 10-day countdown to UEFA Women’s EURO 2022™, Hisense is launching inspiration campaigns to help gain more female football players the recognition they deserve while establishing a more profound emotional connection with European consumers.

Interactive and Charity Campaign 

Hisense, as a global partner of UEFA Women’s EURO 2022™ and an international enterprise, launched the #RememberTheName campaign from June until August, both online and offline to empower and celebrate all the incredible moments of females, and enabled fans worldwide to give further encouragement and support to all women football players and females who are passionate about football.

During the tournament, Hisense and UEFA will post “Hisense Vision,” a series of digital clips on social media pages. These clips will show every football fan the most fantastic moments created by women’s footballers on every match day.

To enhance fans’ match engagement experience, audiences that join the campaigns will be able to win match tickets, official match balls used in the tournament, and other prizes.

Apart from the aforesaid, Hisense’s end market is also gathering a wider range of social forces to empower women’s sports through public welfare donations.  In the UK, consumers can earn cashback rewards of £30 to £500 if they purchase Hisense products online or in-store between June 1 and July 26. Hisense encourages consumers to donate a customized amount of cashback to a charity organization that supports the growth of women’s sports – ‘Women in Sport’, to make a valuable contribution to women who love football and build a better sporting environment for all.

Product and Management Localization in Europe

Hisense is committed to meeting the needs of local consumers through marketing campaigns and localization management. To meet the needs of different markets, Hisense has conducted extensive research and modified its products to meet local needs.

Hisense refrigerators performed well in Europe last year. These remarkable results were because Hisense understands the climate makes local produce scarce in winter; therefore, demand for fridge-freezers would rise. Thus, Hisense designed refrigerators with half and half capacity for Europe consumers, which enabled refrigerators sales to soar.

For Hisense, fully connecting with local consumers through emotional linkage and providing superior products are keys to success. Hisense will join hands with UEFA Women’s EURO 2022™ to give fans splendid women’s football match experiences and impress the world through leading-edge technology and better products.

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqdSuWg0c3w
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1846966/image_1.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1846967/image_2.jpg

Categories
Press Releases

CGTN: Why China’s development philosophy can help promote global prosperity

BEIJING, June 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As the world is faced with stiff challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, regional conflicts, and backlash against globalization, the international community is striving for maintaining development while tackling deficits in global peace and governance.

This is an age rife with challenges, but it is also an age full of hope,” Chinese President Xi Jinping pointed out as he hosted the High-level Dialogue on Global Development on Friday in virtual format.

Xi noted some countries have politicized and marginalized the development issue, built “a small yard with high fences,” imposed maximum sanctions, and stoked division and confrontation.

And he urged international community to recognize the prevailing trend of the world, firm up confidence, and act in unison and with great motivation to promote global development and foster a development paradigm featuring benefits for all, balance, coordination, inclusiveness, win-win cooperation and common prosperity.

Realizing people’s dream for a better life

Xi recounted the story and his experience of being a farmer on the Loess Plateau in the late 1960s when speaking at the event.

He said that after visiting cities, towns and villages across China and many countries in the world throughout the years, one deep impression he got is that only through continuous development can the people’s dream for a better life and social stability be realized.

Stressing placing development at the center of international agenda, Xi called for implementing the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and building a political consensus that development is valued by all people and cooperation is jointly pursued by all countries.

Pursuing common development

Under Xi’s guidance, China has been committed to building a world of common prosperity. On Friday, Xi made four proposals for promoting common development.

He called for jointly building international consensus on promoting development. “Only when people all over the world live better lives can prosperity be sustained, security safeguarded and human rights solidly grounded.”

He said the international community should work together to create an enabling international environment for development featured with open world economy and a just and equitable global governance system.

Protectionist moves will boomerang; anyone attempting to form exclusive blocs will end up isolating himself, Xi noted, adding maximum sanctions serve nobody’s interest, and practices of decoupling and supply disruption are neither feasible nor sustainable.

The Chinese president also highlighted the necessity of fostering new drivers for development, saying efforts should be made to step up scientific and technological innovation as well as institutional innovation, advance modern industries, bridge the digital gap, and speed up low-carbon transition.

In terms of development, no country or individual should be left behind, Xi stressed, calling for forging a global development partnership.

“Developed countries should fulfill their obligations, developing countries should deepen cooperation, and the South and the North should meet each other halfway,” said Xi.

China’s solid promise

Bearing in mind the well-being of the entire humanity, Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) at the General Debate of the 76th United Nations General Assembly in September 2021 in steering global development toward a new stage of balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth, which has been warmly received and strongly supported by more than 100 countries.

On Friday, Xi announced China’s further pragmatic steps to give continued support to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promote global prosperity.

He said China will upgrade the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund to a Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund, adding $1 billion to the fund on top of the $3 billion already committed as well as increase input to the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund.

China is willing to work with all sides to advance cooperation in poverty reduction and eradication, food production and supply, green development, vaccines’ innovation, research and development as well as enhancing industrialization and connectivity, Xi noted.

According to the Chinese president, the country will set up a platform for experience and knowledge sharing on international development, a global development promotion center and a global knowledge network for development, for the purpose of exchanging governance experience and promoting mutual learning.

“We will host a global forum on youth development and take part in the launch of a global action plan on youth development, in a bid to pool as much strength as possible for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” said Xi.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-06-24/Xi-Jinping-hosts-High-level-Dialogue-on-Global-Development-1b84KzgwYko/index.html

Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C52LtPJmMe4

Categories
Press Releases

Petal Search wins iF Award 2022, signaling its dedication to next-generation search engine

Petal Search aims to provide search services anytime, anywhere

SHENZHEN, China, June 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Petal Search has been announced as the winner of iF DESIGN AWARD 2022 under the User Experience (UX) discipline.

Petal Search wins iF Award 2022

Founded in 1953, iF Design has become a global symbol of excellent design, and the annual iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the most prestigious design awards worldwide.

As a winner of iF award, Petal Search constantly strives to improve the user experience by continuously elevating its services so consumers can enjoy the convenience of a search journey tailored to them.

Making the search experience intuitive and efficient

With the vast number of apps used nowadays, switching between apps and attempting to find specific information can be a hassle. Seeking to address this pain point, Petal Search designed an all-in-one search experience to build better connections between users and the host of information available on their devices.

Instead of having to open individual apps, users can simply fulfil all their tasks within a single app, thanks to Petal Search. Covering over 20 verticals, users can access services from a range of different providers to find whatever they need.

With borders reopening, many also have their mind on traveling. With Petal Search, users can plan every aspect of their trip. Find interesting places to visit, book flights and hotels, and even check out the latest weather conditions, all within Petal Search.

Understanding each individual with the aid of AI

Petal Search is dedicated to continuously elevating its services so that consumers can enjoy the convenience of a search journey tailored to them.

With the help of artificial intelligence technology, Petal Search is able to better understand the intentions of each user and provide them with an enhanced search experience. While saving users the trouble of toggling between pages to find what they are looking for, Petal Search combines local and online search results to optimise each search.

As users continue to use Petal Search, the search engine starts to recognise individual habits, interests, and the context of each user’s daily life. Petal Search then predicts what each individual is going to search for and offers recommendations specific to them, ranging from frequently used apps, websites, upcoming tasks.

By displaying interactive and visual content, Petal Search allows users to locate the information they are looking for within the sea of results instantly.

Encouraging exploration and discovery

As Petal Search continues to understand it’s users, the search engine encourages them to explore and discover results beyond their initial expectations. That might be providing useful suggestions such as related products to the items they are shopping for, or interesting content related to past searches. Petal Search is able to understand each user’s unique language and offer results from different providers.

Commenting on the win, Petal Search UX design team leader said, “We’re honoured to receive this award which recognises the innovation we’ve brought to Petal Search, elevating the all-in-one search experience for consumers globally. The Petal Search team is committed to bringing further improvements and updates to the platform to enhance the experiences for our users, including new features, designs, and security measures.”

With the help of Huawei’s 1+8+N all-scenario strategy and artificial intelligence technologies, Petal Search is forging an open and inclusive platform with a vast array of content and services. Looking forward, Petal Search will continue to go the extra mile to offer its users the most optimal and enjoyable search journey.

To download and experience Petal Search, please visit: https://bit.ly/3rpGYGY

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1847220/Petal_Search_wins_iF_Award_2022.jpg

Categories
Health

Travel Safety Tips for Parents

Travelling abroad this summer? Our Emergency Department and Child Advocacy team shares some tips that parents might find useful

Teach your child to say their full name and mobile and hotel. Or have it written down in a wrist band.

Take a first aid kit with plasters, pain/fever relief medication, cold pack, antiseptic creams, allergy medication, mild insect repellent, travel sickness remedies and also rapid Covid testing kits

Children on long-term medications for chronic illnesses like diabetes, epilepsy or asthma should have adequate supplies of their medications so that they do not run out while holidaying abroad.

Buying a new toy for your young child to keep them occupied in the plane? Make sure they are age appropriate and be especially careful of electronic toys with button batteries, which are very dangerous if swallowed.

Do not let children wander off alone to explore a new place and that they are never too far away from your sight. Bright or distinctive clothing can make it easier to spot them in a crowd too.

Talk to your kids ahead of time regarding a safety plan if you become separated. Let them know who is safe to talk to for help, like a security officer or store employee.

Keep a recent photo of your child with you on your phone – this will come in handy when trying to describe them if they wander off or get lost.

Ensure that the hotel or holiday home you will be staying in, is safe for younger children. Report any broken windows or mirrors, damaged electrical outlets or non-functioning smoke alarms immediately

Continue to follow safe practices to avoid contracting a holiday virus while traveling, like hand-washing and wearing a mask in public, especially on public transportation.

Source: Sidra Medical and Research Center

Categories
Market

Ashghal Wins 3 Int’l Awards from Harvard Business Council

The Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’, represented by the Roads Projects Department’s (RPD) Local Areas Infrastructure Program, won 3 global awards in 2022 from Harvard Business Council (HBC), which is based in New York, USA. Through these awards, the Council aims to honor organizations worldwide that demonstrate commitment and excellence in different categories. The Local Areas Infrastructure Program won the Health and Safety Award and Green Award both in Diamond level, and the Gold level in “Dealing with COVID-19” Award.

Ashghal won 3 awards, out of 63 winners who managed to reach the required milestones, out of 439 candidates from around the world.

On this occasion, Eng. Saoud Al-Tamimi, Ashghal’s RPD Manager, commended the Authority’s continuous accomplishments, especially with the RPD’s constant winning of globally renowned rewards for successive years in different fields.”

“The HBC awards won recently by the Department will be added to the long list of global awards. This reiterates the Authority’s commitment to adopt the best practices and demonstrates its excellence in providing top quality services, whilst safeguarding the local environment, resources, and promoting the safety of its workers,” he said.

Eng. Al Tamimi added: “Winning the diamond level in Health and Safety Award and the Green Award from HBC, in addition to the Gold award in “Dealing with COVID-19,” certifies the Authority’s ability to deal with crises and maintain its operations and project delivery with top quality and under these difficult circumstances without compromising the health and safety of workers, and whilst preserving the local environment, making the best use of resources, promoting sustainability, and spreading awareness and best practices constantly in these domains, as these are the cornerstones of Ashghal’s project implementation strategy.”

According to the Harvard Business Council, Ashghal has shown its excellence in the Health and Safety category by prioritizing the protection of its staff and the public through constant work zone audits and inspections, interviewing and coordinating with managers and workers, and engaging all staff, regardless of their job grades, in everything related to occupational safety and health. In addition, the Authority conducted risk analysis and assessment, and set out an effective method for proactive risk identification and management.

“What enabled Ashghal to achieve such a high rank in the Green Award – Diamond level was its leading position in the construction sector in Qatar, regarding spreading awareness and promoting sustainability culture, and its commitment to engaging and encouraging all stakeholders from consulting companies, contractors, suppliers, workers, and others, to adopt positive environmental practices, create solutions and new methods, and apply them throughout the different stages of project implementation,” the Council said.

As for the Dealing with COVID-19 Award (Gold level), the Authority demonstrated readiness, flexibility, and tenacity in facing such a sudden and devastating health crisis like the pandemic that has affected the whole world. Building on the “Put People First” principle, the organization continued to deliver quality services to the community while ensuring that its employees and their families stayed safe. Moreover, they demonstrated that decisive leadership is essential to foster swift response, good collaboration, timely communication, and evidence-based decisions, which are critical to mitigate any adverse effects of a crisis of such magnitude.

It’s worth noting that RPD’s Local Areas Infrastructure Program has recently won 9 international health and safety awards for the third year in a row from the British Safety Council, in addition to the Communitas’ Ethical and Environmental Sustainability Award in 2022, which was awarded by the US-based Communitas Organization. The Communitas Awards aim to recognize exceptional organizations and individuals who manage to safeguard resources, and those who are changing how they do business to benefit their communities.

Harvard Business Council is an organization aimed at recognizing and rewarding those who distinguish themselves for excellence and best practices in salient areas for the environment and society, and Ashghal has undoubtedly proved to fit this description.

Source: Ashghal

Categories
Athletic

Team Qatar win two bronze medals at Asian Taekwondo Championships

Chuncheon: Qatar’s Othman Boularas and Huda Mohamed claimed the bronze medal of the Over 30 Years Pairs Category at the Asian Taekwondo Poomsae Championships concluded in Chuncheon, South Korea on Monday.

The event brought together 750 players from 35 nations.

Boularas took his second bronze medal in Men’s under 40 years event after losing to silver medallist Iran’s Ali Nadali Najafabadi in the semifinals.

Source: Qatar Olympic Committee

Categories
General

Qatar Airways and Airlink sign comprehensive codeshare agreement to enhance connectivity across Southern Africa

Doha, Qatar – Qatar Airways and Airlink have signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement to offer travellers more choices, enhanced services and greater connectivity between 45 destinations in 13 countries across southern Africa and the rest of the world.

This new codeshare agreement means travellers can enjoy the simplicity of purchasing connecting flights on both airlines using a single reservation with seamless ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage-check experience, during the entire journey

The partnership will enable customers to book attractive offers from southern Africa to popular destinations in the U.S. such as New York and Dallas, cities in Europe such as London, Copenhagen and Barcelona, and points across Asia like Manila, Jakarta and Cebu. The agreement also increases Qatar Airways’ footprint in southern Africa, with improved access to destinations such as Ggeberha (Port Elizabeth) Hoedspruit, Skukuza, George in South Africa and beyond to Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr Akbar al Baker said: “Expanding our network with Airlink gives our customers more choice of destinations and flights, that we hope will contribute to the rapid recovery of travel, which plays such an important role in southern African economies.”

“We have boosted our presence in the African market by adding eight new destinations since the start of the pandemic and fostering partnerships such as this dynamic agreement with Airlink which will greatly enhance our offering to our customers and support travel and trade.”

Qatar Airways was the only airline to launch new services in southern Africa after the pandemic, starting operations to Luanda, Harare and Lusaka last year. It resumes operations to Windhoek this month, providing another connection to Airlink’s extensive regional network via eight gateways in the region.

Airlink Chief Executive, Mr. Rodger Foster said: “This development is an endorsement of Airlink’s relevance to providing air access to the entire region through our expansive network of destinations, which when considered in conjunction with Qatar Airways’ global reach creates unparalleled connectivity opportunities. As southern Africa’s leading airline, Airlink provides comprehensive, safe, and reliable air transportation services, enabling socio-economic development by connecting people with each other and facilitating trade within the region and beyond.”

The new codeshare flights are available for sales and will commence travel on the 06 July 2022 subject to government approval.

Qatar Airways offers 21 direct weekly flights from Doha to Johannesburg, 10 weekly flights to Cape Town and four weekly flights to Durban. From South Africa, travellers can connect easily to destinations across six continents via the World’s Best Airport, Hamad International Airport.

Passengers can book their travel with both airlines, through online travel agencies as well as with local travel agents.

Qatar Airways was the only carrier to continue operations to southern Africa during the pandemic and its immediate aftermath, allowing for the movement of goods, medicines and essential travel between the region and the rest of the world. This enabled people to return home to their families, to jobs and assisted with the post-pandemic recovery of our southern Africa trade partners, and the business community.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ at the 2021 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. It was also named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021).

Qatar Airways currently flies to more than 150 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as the ‘World’s Best Airport’.

Source: Qatar Airways

Categories
General

UAE citizens granted visa-free access to the UK from 2023 through new ETA system

On Monday, the United Arab Emirates was added to the United Kingdom’s list of countries eligible for its new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system, removing visa restrictions for UAE passport holders to the UK from 2023.

Through the landmark announcement, UAE nationals will no longer require a visa to visit the UK, bringing rules in line with other key partners to the UK, including the USA and Canada. The decision will further cement the UK as one of the most popular tourist destinations for Emiratis and will hugely benefit the many UAE citizens visiting the UK each year.

In addition, granting the UAE greater access to the UK will further strengthen the significant economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The UAE is one of the UK’s most important trading partners in the region and one of the fastest-growing markets for UK exports. Through the signing of the Partnership for the Future and the Sovereign Investment Partnership last year, the UAE and UK continue to strengthen collaboration across a variety of areas such as energy transition, sustainability, education, and cultural development.

H.E. Mansoor Abulhoul, UAE Ambassador to the UK, commented: “Achieving greater ease of travel for Emiratis seeking to visit the UK has been one of our top priorities. Their travel to the UK for leisure or business will be hugely simplified. Today’s historic achievement will also serve to strengthen the close diplomatic relationship between the UAE and the UK and spur further growth in our economies. It indicates the high regard in which the UAE is held in the UK and internationally.”

The decision, which has been extended to other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), was announced by the UK Home Office and is part of the UK Government’s move to a fully digital border by the end of 2025.

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel commented that the UAE and other Gulf states “will be among the first countries in the world to benefit from ETAs and visa-free travel to the UK.”

Prior to the ETA system, which is set to be rolled out in 2023, UAE nationals visiting the UK can continue to use Electronic Visa Waivers, which allow individuals to complete an online waiver for each visit to the UK.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation

Categories
Legal

UN Appeals for $110 Million for Afghan Quake Response

The United Nations made an urgent appeal Monday for $110.3 million to provide livesaving assistance to more than 360,000 Afghans who were affected last week by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake that killed about 1,000 people, including 150 children.

The funding is required in the next three months to meet pressing humanitarian needs, prevent more deaths and help rebuild homes and communities shattered by the disaster.

The earthquake destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes in several districts in Paktika and Khost provinces, according to aid agencies and Taliban officials.

“I’m appealing to the world — please help. We need money. We need funding. We need support to resolve this tragedy,” Ramiz Alakbarov, U.N. resident relief coordinator for Afghanistan, said in a video message while visiting an area in Paktika province hard hit by the earthquake.

More than half of the appealed funding, if provided by donors, will be spent on emergency shelters and non-food items, while about $35 million will go to emergency food and health care needs.

Several countries in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Qatar, Pakistan, India and China, have responded to the disaster with planes loaded with tents, clothes, medical supplies and food items. The United States has also pledged aid.

“U.S. humanitarian partners are already responding, including by sending medical teams to help people affected, and we are assessing other response options,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement June 22, the day the earthquake was reported.

The quake response appeal is separate from the 2022 Afghanistan humanitarian appeal of $4.4 billion, the largest single-country appeal the U.N. has ever launched. Halfway through the year, donors have pledged less than 34% of the humanitarian appeal. With a $459.6 million commitment, the U.S. is on top of the donor list.

Online funding temporarily on hold

Hours after the earthquake was reported, online campaigns appeared on social platforms calling for aid.

Over the past five days, at least 120 individual calls for funding have been launched on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, raising more than $500,000 from international donors.

However, some of the funds cannot be transferred to banks in Afghanistan due to U.S. sanctions on the Taliban.

“We’ve raised a lot of money thanks to the goodwill of people, but we cannot move the funds because of politics and bureaucracy,” Ajmal Ziarmal, who has raised more than $26,000 on GoFundMe, told VOA.

“People have lost their loved ones, their homes and everything they had, and they should not be further punished for politics,” he added.

A spokesperson for GoFundMe offered sympathies to the Afghan quake victims but said some of the funds raised on the platform are temporarily on hold.

“Where funds are temporarily on hold, it generally means that we are ensuring a clear path to a beneficiary has been established and that the fundraiser is compliant with GoFundMe’s Terms of Service and international laws and regulations,” the spokesperson told VOA.

The California-based for-profit platform has been encouraging donors to make their contributions to verified campaigners whose accounts are not subject to transfer restrictions. As of June 27, nine verified campaigners have solicited funds for the quake response.

The U.S. has issued humanitarian waivers for financial transactions with Afghanistan particularly when the aid does not directly benefit the Taliban. But aid agencies say they still face significant obstacles and delays in banking with the country.

“(T)he formal banking system continues to block transfers due to excessive de-risking, impacting payment channels and causing breakdowns in supply chains,” Martin Griffiths, U.N. emergency relief coordinator, told the Security Council last week.

Source: Voice of America