Despite his health conditions, the Arab artist, Mohamed Abdo, was keen to attend his honor at the Media Excellence Award ceremony for the National Day 2022, in return for his patriotic works during his artistic career. And following the artist Abdo went on stage, accompanied by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Information for Communication and the Official Spokesperson, Dr. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Maghlouth, he improvised a speech in which he thanked the organizers of the ceremony, and said: “This is the country that found me an orphan.” The lesson choked him, and he did not complete his speech.
Michelle Obama (58) candidly says that she mightn’t stand her husband for ten years. Not everything in their marriage, read: household, was divided fairly. Nevertheless, a balanced division of tasks leads to better career opportunities for women and a better sex life. Two sociologists give tips on how to spontaneously (!) get everyone in the house to help and put an end to the bickering. “It is not the intention that the woman always hand out reminders and shopping lists.”
On Monday, the Boston Bruins became the first NHL team to play a third outdoor game in front of their fans. On February 18, the Carolina Hurricanes will be the 23e circuit team to present this popular event. Seattle, the league’s newest addition, will join the roster next January. And Montreal in all this?
The project is no longer in the cards, according to the response I got from the Canadian. If the organization is not really to blame, it remains that it is a blow for the image of the city.
Montreal is considered the cradle of hockey,
The Stanley Cup was the prerogative of Montreal teams in its first years of existence, at the end of the 19e century, and the Canadian continued this tradition for a long time.
The Bleu-Blanc-Rouge is the oldest organization in the National League, having been established in 1909.
This was before the founding of the league, which was founded in 1917 at the old Windsor Hotel on Peel Street.
Jean Drapeau must shudder
That Montreal has not yet been the scene of an away game is an aberration.
We know the cause. Our sports facilities are tough.
The face of the Olympic Stadium has hardly changed since it opened for the 1976 Olympics.
The canvas has been permanently screwed down for moons.
His replacement is scheduled for next year and once more. We’ll believe it when we see it.
Sadder still, the stadium has lost its sporting vocation.
The Expos have moved to Washington, the Alouettes have moved to Percival-Molson Stadium and CF Montreal is only playing its first local game of the season there while waiting for weather conditions to allow them to play at Saputo Stadium.
At the height of the pandemic, the stadium served as a vaccination center once morest COVID-19.
Jean Drapeau must be turning in his grave if he sees what his great stadium has become.
It’s shameful for Montreal.
Two stadiums too small
Let’s go to the Saputo stadium. With its 20,801 seats, there are fewer seats than at the Bell Centre, which can accommodate up to 21,302 spectators.
Percival-Molson Stadium’s capacity has been reduced to 20,025 in recent years. But we can assume that by making adjustments, we might cram up to 25,000 fans, as was the case following the renovations made in 2010.
But once more, it would not be enough for the Canadian to play there.
And, let’s face it, the stadium is as old as the earth and the conditions of accessibility are poor.
Why not on Île Notre-Dame?
That said, there are places in Montreal that would lend themselves to hosting an outdoor hockey game.
Think of the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit where there are plenty of bleachers. The site offers a splendid view of downtown Montreal. There would also be on the other shore, in Old Montreal.
But it is said that the costs would be too onerous.
How to explain then that, just last year, the NHL presented two games, without spectators, in the alley of 18e hole at Edgewood Golf Club in Lake Tahoe?
Behind Hamilton and Regina
Hamilton and Regina, which are not part of the NHL, were also the scene of this great happening.
Edmonton, which had been the site of the very first game in November 2003 once morest the Canadiens, will live the experience once more next October.
I don’t know what Geoff Molson and the mayor of Montreal think of it, but it has the effect of a nasty slap in the face for our city.
Someone should see to it, because for the moment, Montreal is no longer the cradle of hockey.
Painful to watch, the CH
We suspected that the Canadian would hit a wall at some point. But what we’ve been seeing for three weeks is haunting and painful, as my friend Jacques Laperrière said in an advertisement for Anacin tablets.
Martin St-Louis’ squad has only won one in its last 10 games (1-8-1) and it needed all its little change to defeat the Arizona Coyotes in overtime.
More enthusiasm
It’s true that injuries to Sean Monahan, David Savard and Kaiden Guhle didn’t help.
But something else broke.
The Habs no longer play with the enthusiasm and resilience that characterized them during the first two months of the season.
As hard as they were to face during that time, they’re easy prey now.
Suzuki needs to pull itself together
Nick Suzuki is going through a bad patch. But as captain and as the highest paid player on the team, he has duties to perform.
He cannot feel sorry for himself and blame his slump on his youth.
If he’s hurt, let him take a break.
Cole Caufield is young, too, but he finds a way to produce.
There are also veterans in this formation who don’t give much.
We know them, we all have the same names on our lists.
By their counter-performances, they do not help Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes to get rid of them, but good.
If the Canadian continues to accumulate poor performance in the second half of the season, hopefully it will earn him the lottery for first choice in the repechage and the very session of this event.
Go Connor Bedard go !
image source,Archyde.com
After three years of continuous blockade, China has basically lifted the previous restrictions on entry and epidemic prevention.
The governments of mainland China and Hong Kong announced the first phase of customs clearance arrangements on Thursday (January 5). The seven ports of the two places will all resume operations on January 8, with 60,000 people each able to cross the border in a single day.
From Sunday (January 8), 50,000 residents of each of the two places can make an appointment to enter the territory of the other side through their respective official online systems. When crossing the border, they need to have a negative nucleic acid test certificate within 48 hours.
The joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council of China also announced earlier on Thursday that visas for mainland residents to travel to Hong Kong for tourism and business will resume.
The four ports of Hong Kong Airport, Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, China-Hong Kong Ferry Terminal and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will also be fully open. Through ticket control, regarding 10,000 people can transit through these ports every day.
There will be no limit on the number of Hong Kong people in the Mainland going south and returning to Hong Kong, and mainlanders in Hong Kong going north, and no appointment is required.
This is the first time since the global pandemic of the new crown epidemic that the two places have resumed large-scale quarantine-free customs clearance. Hong Kong officials said that this is a “big step” for the “gradual, orderly, and comprehensive” restoration of normal customs clearance between the two places.
“We’re pretty close to 100% (return to normal),” Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao told the media on Sunday.
Traffic and Quarantine
From Sunday, Hong Kong’s air services will resume regular flights, and the cross-border Jinba service of the two ocean terminals and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will also be strengthened-the four ports included in this aspect will use the ticketing mechanism to control the number of people crossing the border. It is estimated that there are regarding 10,000 people in one direction every day.
The three land ports between Hong Kong and the mainland – Shenzhen Bay, Lok Ma Chau Spur Line and Man Kam To – will also fully resume border inspection services on Sunday, with a one-way limit of 50,000 people per day.
Hong Kong residents can make reservations for entry places for the next 8 weeks through the online system starting from Thursday.
The Hong Kong government also stated that the high-speed rail between China and Hong Kong will resume operation no later than January 15.
Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary for Administration, Chen Guoji, said at a press conference on Thursday: “In order to reduce the risk of cross-infection of the epidemic, both Hong Kong people entering the mainland from Hong Kong and mainlanders entering Hong Kong from the mainland must travel 48 hours before travel. Nucleic acid test, the result is negative to enter the country.”
After entering the territory of the other party, those with negative test certificates and health declarations who are asymptomatic will no longer need to be isolated or quarantined.
Since January 8, mainland China will no longer conduct nucleic acid testing for all personnel entering Hong Kong.
image source,Archyde.com
The number of new crown infections in China has risen sharply, but there is no accurate diagnosis and death data for reference.
Those who have abnormal health declarations or have symptoms such as fever will be tested by the customs for antigens. If they are positive and have no serious underlying diseases or mild cases, they can take home, home isolation or self-care. Those who test negative and have been quarantined are deemed not to need follow-up people will be able to be placed in the community.
Chen Guoji also said that Hong Kong will closely contact the relevant departments in the Mainland to review the implementation of the first phase of customs clearance, so as to determine the arrangements for the next phase.
Drugs and Medical
Lu Chongmao, director of the Hong Kong Medical and Health Bureau, said that Hong Kong’s current wave of new crown epidemics “has passed its peak”, but Hong Kong will still adopt “relaxed but not given up” epidemic prevention measures.
One of the issues that has attracted attention following the customs clearance between the two places is whether the drug and medical system will be under pressure. Lu Chongmao said that pharmacies in some areas may experience shortages of certain antipyretic drugs, but the supply of other paracetamol drugs is stable, and it is not ruled out that legislation will be imposed to limit purchases.
He said that the storage capacity of paracetamol drugs in Hong Kong’s public medical system has been increased to 5 to 6 months of daily use, which is enough to take care of patients in the public system.
Lu Chongmao said: “On the other hand, if there is a need for non-queuing, the sale and purchase will be very regulated, and if necessary, legislation may be enacted.”
He also stated that the self-funded vaccine services sold by private institutions will not affect the vaccines in Hong Kong’s public medical plan, emphasizing that mainland residents who come to Hong Kong for a short period of time cannot receive the Hong Kong government’s public vaccines.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka-chao said that at present, Hong Kong is very close to being completely open to overseas countries, and he is “confident” that Hong Kong will return to normal as soon as possible.
However, following China relaxed the new crown epidemic prevention policy last month, the number of infections has risen sharply, which has aroused concerns from the outside world. Many European and American countries have implemented quarantine measures for tourists from China.
Li Jiachao said on Thursday that the vaccination rate in Hong Kong is relatively high, and the number of people who have been infected with the new crown has exceeded 2 million. After customs clearance, the 48-hour nucleic acid test is the key control measure to ensure that mainlanders who have been infected will not enter the country.
“After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong people know how to protect themselves,” Lee said.
He said that following customs clearance, Hong Kong will be “one step away” from full return to normal.