Month: June 2019

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The U.S. could secure an easier road to the final with a loss, but they aren’t interested in anything other than going all-out for victory

There is a strange air around the U.S. women’s national team’s World Cup group-stage finale against Sweden on Thursday.

Win or tie, and the U.S. tops Group F, getting a second-place side in the last 16 before a potential quarterfinal showdown against a European power.

Lose and, well, the same thing will probably happen.

In fact, there have been suggestions that the USWNT’s path to a second straight title may even be easier with a loss against the Swedes in Le Havre.

Naturally, the idea that the U.S. would do anything other than go all-out to defeat Sweden is anathema to everything that the team represents.

“It’s in our team’s DNA to want to win,” defender Abby Dahlkemper said. “We’re definitely entering this game 100 percent focused and wanting to win.”

Losing against Sweden would see the U.S. finish second in its group and face the runner-up from Group E – either the Netherlands or Canada – before a likely quarterfinal against Germany, who may be without star player Dzsenifer Marozsan.

Win against Sweden and U.S. would top the group but still face a second-place team, Spain, in the last 16 before a possible showdown with host France in a much-anticipated quarterfinal.

It’s hard to say one route is demonstrably better than the other but at the very least, there doesn’t appear to be much difference.

That’s at least part of the reason that U.S. head coach Jill Ellis has batted aside suggestions her team would look to do anything other than make it three wins from three in the group stage.

“You can’t overthink this and deciding to go for second or manipulate a score, I think that can be dangerous,” Ellis said.

The USWNT is looking to play seven games at this tournament and the way Ellis sees it, her side will have to vanquish the best teams sooner or later if they want to win it all.

“Whether you play team X in group play, whether you play them in the semis or finals or quarters or 16s, you’ve got to play everybody,” Ellis said.  

“I don’t think there’s plotting out a dream path or something like that. The draw is what it is and we navigate whoever is in front of us.”

The high-profile showdown between the U.S. and France has been anticipated since long before the tournament kicked off, and Ellis has clearly grown tired of the constant speculation over the potential game in Paris on June 28.

“There’s actually another game in between the quarters and this game so there’s a lot of things that can play out,” Ellis said dryly.

Indeed, France may not even reach the quarterfinal. After an insipid performance against Nigeria in its group-stage finale, France may have to face Brazil – an unusually strong third-place finisher with six points – in the last 16.

More importantly though, the top-ranked U.S. is expecting to win every game it plays this tournament, no matter which team lines up on the other side of the pitch.

“If our team can focus on our performance and play to the level that we can, then I think we are a challenge and a handful for any team we play,” Ellis said.

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Investigations have been ongoing since the Cardiff City striker and pilot David Ibbotson lost their lives in the tragic incident in January

Dorset Police have confirmed that detectives investigating the death of Emiliano Sala arrested a man on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act on Wednesday.

An unnamed 64-year-old man from the North Yorkshire area was taken into custody but later released and remains under investigation for potentially having a role in the untimely passing of the Argentine striker and pilot David Ibbotson in January.

Sala, who had secured a move from Ligue 1 side Nantes to Cardiff City, was travelling from France to Wales on Monday, January 21 when the Piper Malibu aircraft carrying both the player and pilot went down over the English channel.

A concerted effort from several organisations saw Sala’s body recovered and identified in February, and investigations into finding out exactly why the plane crashed have been ongoing since.

Speaking on behalf of Dorset Police’s major crime investigation team, Detective Inspector Simon Huxter said: “We have carried out a wide-ranging investigation into the circumstances of the death of Mr Sala and continue to work with partner agencies including the Civil Aviation Authority.

“As part of this investigation we have to consider whether there is any evidence of any suspected criminality and as a result of our enquiries we have today arrested a 64-year-old man from the North Yorkshire area on suspicion of manslaughter by an unlawful act.

“He is assisting with our enquiries and has been released from custody under investigation.

“This matter therefore is still subject to a live investigation and I would ask the media and members of the public to refrain from speculation, as this could cause additional distress to the families involved as well as potentially hinder the investigation.

“As is standard practice, we will not be releasing any further information as to the identity of the individual who has been arrested unless that person is charged to appear in court and again would discourage any speculation in relation to this.”

The individual is not the first to have been detained in relation to events around Sala’s death, with Sherry Bray, 48, and Christopher Ashford, 62, both having been taken into custody in April due to their part in leaking mortuary photos of the sadly departed Argentine.

Both will appear in court on July 10, with Ms Bray accused of three counts of computer misuse, perverting the course of justice and sending an indecent/offensive message, and Mr Ashford accused of six counts of computer misuse.

Donghu Lake, or East Lake, in the east of Wuhan, Hubei province, has become popular among tourists and locals alike since the completion of greenway along the lake in February this year.

The 102-kilometer greenway, with trees planted on the lakeside, connects islands, lakeside parks and nearby small ponds. The green stretch has been attracting families, marathon runners as well as elders, who would like to soak in the beauty of the place, go for walks or just limber up.

The greenway project began in 2015. “Before, the road was used mainly by cars and big trucks that made the road bumpy and dusty. Now it has entirely changed,” Zhang Lan, who lived by the lake, told Xinhua News Agency.

The transformation was quick. Paved walkways, new benches and trees provided a “welcoming space” to people from all ages.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, or UN-Habitat, and the Wuhan Land Use and Urban Spatial Planning Research Center started the greenway project to promote urban public spaces in China. It was focused on turning the largest urban lake in China into an integrated and people-friendly green space in the center of metropolitan Wuhan.

The UN-Habitat is the UN program for human settlements and sustainable urban development.

Since then, the greenway, with a 1.5-meter-wide walking lane and 6-meter-wide cycling lane, has hosted several marathons and cycling competitions, besides drawing nearly 40 million visitors since 2016, according to the administrative committee of the Wuhan East Lake Scenic Area.

Greenways have been transforming cities across the country. The figures from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development show that a total of 56,000 kilometers of greenway had been developed in China by the end of 2018.

Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, is one of the first cities in the country to build a greenway, with an 80-km road specially designed for cycling in its Zengcheng district in 2008. Now, Guangzhou has a 3,500-km greenway network connecting 500 scenic spots in and around the city, Guangzhou’s Forestry and Landscaping Bureau has said.

It said Guangdong province took the lead in building the first greenway network in China in 2010, connecting parks and nature reserves in different cities, such as Zhuhai, Zhongshan and Dongguan, in the Pearl River Delta.

Ma Xiangming, an urban planning engineer at Guangdong Urban and Rural Planning and Design Institute, said the greenways have given a big push for tourism in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to a report in the Southern Metropolis Daily.

“Developing greenways along the river or lake banks helps protect environment as well as serve as leisure destinations,” said Ma, who participated in the planning of the greenway network in the Pearl River Delta.

In Shanghai, along the city’s mother river, the Huangpu, a 45-km greenway was completed in 2018, turning the banks of the river into a long, green park.

“We wanted people to get closer to the mother river,” said Zhu Xiaojun, director of the Huangpu District Greenery Management Station’s planning and construction department.

Shanghai is currently working on connecting the separate stretches of greenway along the Suzhou Creek, another river that flows through the city. A part of it-in the Changning district-is expected to be completed by end of this year.

Fang Yan, director of Shanghai’s Landscaping and City Appearance Bureau, said, “Greenways have enabled citizens in big metropolitan cities to enjoy nature by connecting the once isolated green spaces.”

Zhao Jianrong, deputy supervisor at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development’s urban construction department, lauded the local governments in a news conference in March, saying they have played an active role in developing greenways, which helps to protect environment by changing people’s lifestyles.

“Greenways provide the right environment for cycling and walking. Once people experience healthy ways of getting around, it will be easier for them to maintain a greener lifestyle,” Zhao said.

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Transport infrastructure projects under the Belt and Road Initiative have the potential to “substantially” boost trade and reduce poverty in participating economies, as well as to generate a positive impact for the wider global economy, said a report released by the World Bank Group on Wednesday.

To achieve the full potential of the BRI, the report called for joint efforts from China and other participating economies to adopt deeper policy reforms, and adhere to high quality standards of transparency, environmental, social and debt sustainability.

“If fully implemented, BRI transport infrastructure can reduce travel times for economies along transport corridors by up to 12 percent, reducing trade costs,” the report said, after assessing the network of proposed transportation projects in about 70 countries along land and maritime BRI corridors that connect Asia, Europe, and Africa.

The full implementation of proposed projects is estimated to increase trade by between 2.8 and 9.7 percent for economies along the corridors. For low-income corridor economies, foreign direct investment could rise by as much as 7.6 percent, said the report.

Non-BRI economies will also benefit from access to improved rail links and ports in the participating economies, raising trade worldwide by between 1.7 and 6.2 percent.

Increased trade is expected to raise global real income by 0.7 to 2.9 percent, not including the cost of infrastructure investment, according to the report.

Moreover, around 32 million people could be lifted out of moderate poverty as a result of the initiative, with another 7.6 million to be lifted from extreme poverty, mostly in corridor economies, the report said.

The report－which aims to help policymakers in developing economies weigh the potential prospects of participating in BRI projects－also pointed out that the initiative entails risks common to large infrastructure projects.

The study finds that among the 43 low and middle-income participating economies for which detailed data are available, 12, with already elevated debt levels, could suffer a deterioration in their medium-term outlook for debt sustainability.

“This highlights the risks associated with BRI, but risks can be mitigated with appropriate policies,” Michele Ruta, an economist with the World Bank who led the study, said in a written interview with China Daily.

“Assuming sound public investment management, favorable financing terms, and continued growth dividends, the BRI’s impact on debt sustainability could be positive over the long term,” Michele Ruta, an economist with the World Bank who led the study, said in a written interview with China Daily.

There is thus a need to enhance the transparency of the terms and conditions of BRI projects and improve recipient economies’ ability to assess these conditions, Ruta said, adding that the improved fiscal frameworks and regulatory environments of recipient economies will also help.

The report prioritized transparency as one of the three core principles that BRI participating economies should comply with to maximize benefits and mitigate risks brought by the initiative.

Specifically, it called for more public information on project planning, fiscal costs and budgeting, and procurement to encourage community involvement and build public trust in investment decisions.

The other two core principles are to deepen country-specific reforms and multilateral cooperation.

From 2013 to 2018, direct investment by Chinese enterprises in economies involved in the BRI had exceeded $90 billion, with an average annual growth rate of 5.2 percent, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Li Qiang, regional co-managing partner of Asia at DLA Piper Global Law Firm, said Chinese investment in economies involved in the BRI is helping to fulfill the huge potential of bringing mutual benefits, citing the importance for Chinese companies to sharpen their skillset of communicating with local communities.

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ORLANDO, Fla. — President Donald Trump officially kicked off his reelection campaign Tuesday at a Florida rally where he exhorted thousands of rollicking supporters to keep advancing his political movement to put America’s “own citizens first”.

At the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida, Trump reminisced about his 2016 campaign, describing it is as a “great political movement” and “a defining moment in American history”.

And he said he had fundamentally upended Washington, staring down “a corrupt and broken political establishment” and restoring a government “of, for and by the people”.

Vice President Mike Pence offered a more direct pitch.

“We’re here for one reason and reason only: America needs four more years of President Donald Trump,” he said, prompting a “Four more years!” chant.

“It’s on,” Pence added. “Time for round two.”

Of course, Trump never really stopped running. He officially filed for re-election on January 20, 2017, the day of his inauguration, and held his first 2020 rally in February, 2017, in nearby Melbourne, Florida.

He has continued holding his signature “Make America Great Again” rallies in the months since, while also raising millions to fund a more professional, far larger campaign operation, with about 80 staffers now working at the campaign’s Virginia headquarters, in New York and in key states across the country.

AP

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Free programs are paying dividends for local people. Wang Xiaoyu reports from Nyingchi, Tibet autonomous region.

Editor’s note: This is the ninth story in a series about the Tibet autonomous region, focusing on the area’s history, poverty alleviation measures, healthcare, and the cultural and business sectors.

Last month, a surprisingly late spring snowfall dusted the home of Sherab Dorje in Kongpo’gyada county, Tibet autonomous region. However, that was the least of his family’s worries as the 4-year-old, whose cheeks were flushed after days with a high fever, suddenly collapsed and began convulsing on the floor.

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He was rushed to the local hospital, where he received medication to reduce the fever; a quick fix to relieve his potentially life-threatening breathing difficulties.

However, the treatment could not prevent the problem from recurring. While it was the third time that month that the Tibetan boy had experienced seizures, he has had convulsions since he was less than 12 months old.

Eventually, the affliction is likely to be tackled at the roots, because Sherab Dorje recently saw a doctor from Beijing who was visiting the county for two days to provide residents with free consultations and treatment.

Communities across Tibet have benefited from wide-ranging medical assistance programs that have been introduced in the past few decades.

The most notable is a project initiated in 2015 by several government bodies, including the National Health and Family Planning Commission, the predecessor of the National Health Commission.

It has sent four groups totaling 660 medical professionals to eight health institutions with the aim of improving the healthcare infrastructure and establishing well-trained medical teams.

By the start of last month, people in Tibet had access to more than 1,000 treatments that were previously unavailable in the region, and nearly 850 advanced treatment methods or medical technologies had been introduced, according to Wang Yunting, deputy director of the regional health commission.

Moreover, six large cities are now home to at least one top-tier hospital each, he added.

Medical assistance has also been provided in smaller towns and villages tucked away on the massive Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, as volunteer programs launched by social institutions have joined the efforts to improve people’s well-being and foster greater health awareness.

While the Selecao as a whole once again failed to impress at the Copa, their midfield dynamo stood out as the best of the bunch against Venezuela

Almost exactly 12 months ago, a 21-year-old midfield hopeful by the name of Arthur was watching Brazil struggle through to the World Cup knock-out stages wondering if his upcoming move from Gremio to Barcelona would prove a success, or if he would fade under the step up in class and expectations.

There are now no doubts over his ability to shine at the top level at Camp Nou. And despite his team stuttering to a 0-0 draw with tenacious Venezuela, there is similarly no question that he is the man around whom Brazil can build their plans for the next decade in the middle of the pitch.

Arthur sat out the Selecao’s first test of the Copa America through injury and his absence was keenly felt. Deprived of his razor-sharp passing, Brazil toiled and failed to impress before finally accelerating in the second half to beat Group A whipping boys Bolivia 3-0.

On Tuesday, however, the Barcelona midfielder showed no ill-effect from that horror tackle suffered in a 7-0 friendly walkover against Honduras, controlling the tempo for his side against a resolute, uncompromising Venezuela team.

And while the result for the home side was again rather underwhelming, Arthur for one showed that he has to be the first name on the team-sheet for coach Tite should Brazil hope to end their 12-year Copa drought and take this title in front of their own fans.

Inspired in goal by the impeccable Wuilker Farinez, Venezuela were never likely to be easy rivals. So it proved as Brazil huffed and puffed but failed to knock down the reinforced concrete door built in front of the net by the Vinotinto, happy to sit back and absorb intense pressure while waiting to break through the evergreen Saloman Rondon.

Arthur placed himself at the forefront of Brazil’s fruitless effort to break down the resistance. The 22-year-old was ubiquitous as a passing option and continually drove his side forward, pitching in with a handful of exquisite balls to keep the Vinotinto pegged back throughout.

He was the top passer on the home side, completing almost per cent of his attempts and repeating that near-flawless figure in the opposition half, for a total of more than 100 successful passes. The comparison with the more withdrawn Fernandinho from Friday’s opener could not be more pronounced: with Arthur there was a real urgency in the middle and Venezuela had little option but to hold on for dear life.

If those exertions did not end in goals for the Selecao, it was largely the fault of those further ahead. David Neres cut a frustrating figure throughout, failing to replicate Neymar’s class on the left side of attack and flashing into the side-netting early on to waste a sublime pass from none other than Arthur.

Philippe Coutinho, Brazil’s two-goal hero against Bolivia, was only an intermittent presence, while Roberto Firmino failed to make his presence in the area count and rarely looked dangerous. Extra zip in attack was provided off the bench through Gabriel Jesus, the Manchester City man finding the net in a move eventually called back rightly for offside in consultation with VAR. Coutinho also fell foul of VAR late on after an outstanding individual action by Everton, a disappointment that cannot hide the fact that for all their pressure, Brazil mustered exactly zero shots on target in the entire second half.

Those failings in precision in front of goal must be addressed by Brazil should they have real hopes of lifting this Copa, with Uruguay and Colombia both making early statements of their own intent with victories over Ecuador and Argentina respectively.

The core of the team, however, is there for Tite. His Copa debut may not have ended with the desired result, but a commanding performance across the pitch leaves no doubt that Arthur is essential to the Selecao’s plans. It is now up to the coach to build his line-up around this imperious midfield dynamo, as Brazil prepare for a Group A top of the table clash against Peru that promises to be far more open than these disappointing first two outings.

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The Brazilian forward passed her German counterpart on Tuesday with her 17th goal in the competition

Brazil star Marta set a record on Tuesday as she scored her 17th career Women’s World Cup goal. 

The goal came from the penalty spot 74 minutes into Tuesday’s group stage clash with Italy, which Brazil ended up winning 1-0 behind the Marta goal. 

Marta stepped up and smashed her spot-kick into the bottom right-hand corner, giving Brazil a lead they would never relinquish while making a bit of history in the process. 

Marta’s 17th goal was enough to lead her past German star Miroslav Klose, who scored 16 goals across four World Cups as a member of the German national team. 

The 33-year-old forward, who is the only footballer to score at five different World Cup editions, has scored 112 total goals in 145 appearances for Brazil. 

Marta scored three times at her first World Cup, the 2003 edition, before firing seven times at the 2007 competition, winning the Golden Shoe and Golden Ball as Brazil fell to Germany in the tournament finale. 

She then scored four more times in the 2011 World Cup and once at the 2015 edition. With Tuesday’s goal, Marta has scored twice in this year’s tournament, having also scored in a 3-2 loss to Australia in the country’s second group stage match. 

Marta’s 17th finish puts even more space between her and Birgit Prinz and Abby Wambach on the women’s side, as both scored 14 goals during their international careers. 

The forward is a six-time FIFA World Player of the Year and has helped lead Brazil to two Olympic silver medals in addition to that 2007 World Cup runners-up spot. 

With the Brazil win on Tuesday, Marta and co. forced a three-way tie on six points in Group C with Italy, Australia and Brazil all level on points. 

Despite their loss on Tuesday, Italy tops the group thanks to their +5 goal differential with Australia and Brazil both at +3. 

Australia sealed second place, though, on goals-scored having fired eight goals compared to Brazil’s six in the group stage. 

As a result, Brazil’s knockout round opponent has yet to be decided while Australia will face Norway and Italy will face the third-place team from Group A or B. 

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The former Los Blancos midfielder has backed the club’s new signing to succeed, just as his compatriot has done since his move in the summer of 2018

Former Brazil international Ze Roberto believes Rodrygo Goes has got what it takes to emulate Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid.

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Rodrygo was presented as a Los Blancos player at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday, a year after the club paid a reported €45 million to Santos for him.

Vinicius joined the LaLiga giants at the start of the 2018-19 campaign, becoming a fixture in the first team after the turn of the year before he suffered an ankle injury in March that kept him out of action until the final three games of the season.

Ze Roberto – who had a brief spell with Madrid in 1997 – believes Rodrygo has already shown the attributes needed to be a success in Spain and has backed him to follow Vinicius’ lead.

“Vinicius started his career very well in European football,” he told AS .

“He has a lot of personality and I believe that, when he gains more experience, he will become a significant player in the continent. 

“Rodrygo has everything to follow these steps. He also started very well at Santos and he seems to have a good head, like Vinicius.”

When asked if the pair could become two of the world’s best players, Ze Roberto responded: “It is impossible to predict that today. It is better to wait.”

Rodrygo arrives at the Santiago Bernabeu having played the first four games of Santos’ league campaign, scoring one goal.

The Brazilian spoke of his pride at becoming a Real Madrid player at his unveiling on Tuesday , saying: “I think everyone who knows me since I was a child knows I’ve always been a Real Madrid fan.

“I always told my dad I’d play for Real Madrid and when they came I didn’t have any doubts at all.”

Speaking about his own personal stint with Los Blancos, Ze Roberto looked back with fondness despite the short nature of his time with the club.

“I have a great affection for Real Madrid because it was the first European team that trusted my potential,” he said.

“Unfortunately, things did not happen as we wanted and I wanted to play a lot to play in the 1998 World Cup, so my time there ended up being short.”

The midfielder will be available to Ernesto Valverde next season after finally recovering from a long-term knee injury

Barcelona’s medical team have given midfielder Rafinha the all-clear after he completed his recovery from a knee injury that kept him out for almost seven months.

The Brazilian playmaker ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Barcelona’s 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in November 2018 and he had surgery to address the problem.

A statement on Barcelona’s official website confirmed the 26-year-old has been given the green light to return to full training, but it remains to be seen whether he can force his way back into the first team at Camp Nou.

Rafinha’s Barcelona career was stuttering when he sustained the injury and he made just five La Liga appearances for the club in the first four months of the 2018-19 season, having spent the previous campaign on loan at Inter.

Born in Sao Paulo, Rafinha came up through Barcelona’s youth ranks before enjoying a strong season on loan at Celta de Vigo in 2013-14 that led to him breaking into the Barca first team the following year.

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His future at the club could hinge on whether under-pressure coach Ernesto Valverde keeps his job.

Rafinha’s father, former Brazil international Mazinho, expressed his frustration with the limited first-team opportunities afforded to his son before the injury struck, saying he would be seeking a transfer if nothing changed.

The younger brother of Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago, Rafinha plays a little further forward than his sibling and is also comfortable on either wing but has spent most of his career in the middle of the park.

He has made a total of 87 appearances in all competitions for Barcelona since his debut in 2011, scoring 12 goals and registering eight assists.

In his absence, the Blaugrana won La Liga again but were beaten by Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions League despite boasting a 3-0 lead from the first leg at Camp Nou and suffered a shock defeat to Valencia in the Copa del Rey final.