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Osaka bans public smoking ahead of Expo 2025

Osaka bans public smoking ahead of Expo 2025

CNN29-01-2025

One of Japan's biggest cities is 'beautifying' itself ahead of hosting the World Expo — not by planting flowers, but by banning cigarettes.
Osaka will soon host Expo 2025, which runs from April to October, with representatives from 158 countries and regions participating in talks, demonstrations and exhibitions.
The ban on public smoking, which took effect on January 27, includes roads, parks, plazas and other public places and applies not only to cigarettes, but also to vapes. Violators will be fined 1,000 yen (about $6).
'Osaka City will expand its no-smoking areas to cover the entire city to enhance safety, cleanliness and its image as an international tourist destination,' city officials announced in a statement earlier this month. 'This initiative aims not only to beautify the city but also to ensure a safe, secure and comfortable living environment for residents and visitors.'
Current national laws largely ban smoking in establishments such as restaurants, offices and public transportation, and some cities have bans in public places. It is also illegal for people under the age of 20 to smoke and buy tobacco.
However, throughout Japan, it's common for airports, train stations and other public buildings to have dedicated smoking rooms.
The World Health Organization estimates that the number of Japanese people who use tobacco and smoke cigarettes has roughly halved over the past two decades, declining from around 32% in 2000 to around 16% in 2022.
A 2022 survey by Japan's Ministry of Health (MOH) found that 14.8% of adults smoke. The MOH has set a goal of lowering the national smoking rate to 12%.
Compare that to the United States, where in 2022, 19.8% — nearly 1 in 5 — US adults reported current tobacco product use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
After announcing the strict new rules around public tobacco use, Osaka's local government created a map showing where in the city it is still okay to light up.
Similar anti-smoking measures have been implemented in other parts of Japan, including in Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Olympics, which have remained in place ever since.
Some public figures have even been called out in the past for smoking underage.
Arguably the most famous recent example was Shoko Miyata, captain of Japan's women's gymnastics team. Miyata withdrew from the Summer Olympics in Paris last year after admitting to smoking and drinking. She was 19 at the time.
The six-month Expo 2025 runs from April 13 until October 13. The city has spent 164.7 billion yen ($1.16 billion) on the event, including major urban infrastructure projects.
CNN Travel named the Kansai region — which includes Osaka — as one of its 25 places to visit in 2025.

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Multi-Blood Monitoring System Market is expected to reach USD 3.9 billion by 2034, with a 6.4% CAGR growth
Multi-Blood Monitoring System Market is expected to reach USD 3.9 billion by 2034, with a 6.4% CAGR growth

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Multi-Blood Monitoring System Market is expected to reach USD 3.9 billion by 2034, with a 6.4% CAGR growth

Multi Blood Monitoring System Market Overview 2025-2034 Luton, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global multi blood monitoring system market is witnessing dynamic expansion, with its value estimated at approximately USD 2.1 billion in 2024, and expected to grow to around USD 3.9 billion by 2034. This translates into a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.4% over the forecast period from 2025 to 2034. This growth is primarily fueled by the increasing demand for accurate, efficient, and accessible blood monitoring technologies across various healthcare applications. Download PDF Brochure: These devices are critical in the management of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions. As the global burden of such illnesses escalates, particularly among aging populations and across developing regions, the need for real-time, portable, and user-friendly blood monitoring systems has become more urgent than ever. Market Drivers and Opportunities Several underlying factors are contributing to the expansion of this market. Among the most significant drivers is the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) forecasts that by 2030, chronic diseases will account for over 75% of global deaths, highlighting the growing necessity for continuous and reliable health monitoring tools. Moreover, technological advancements in wearable devices, mobile health apps, and telemedicine have revolutionized the way blood monitoring is conducted. These innovations have led to more personalized and preventive healthcare solutions, allowing patients to self-monitor in real-time, often without the need for clinical supervision. This trend is particularly appealing to tech-savvy consumers and younger demographics who are increasingly proactive about their health. Emerging economies also present significant growth potential. With rising healthcare expenditure, expanding middle-class populations, and improving medical infrastructure, regions such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and parts of the Middle East are becoming fertile grounds for market expansion. Additionally, the integration of AI and machine learning into monitoring systems is creating opportunities for predictive diagnostics and tailored treatment strategies, revolutionizing the future of personalized medicine. Key Market Challenges Despite its positive growth outlook, the multi blood monitoring system market faces certain challenges. One of the primary obstacles is the complex regulatory landscape. Medical device manufacturers must navigate stringent approval processes, especially in developed regions like North America and Europe. These regulations, although necessary for ensuring safety and efficacy, often delay product rollouts and increase development costs. Supply chain disruptions have also impacted the market, particularly during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Delays in procuring raw materials, component shortages, and transportation hurdles have affected production timelines and product availability. Furthermore, high costs associated with technologically advanced blood monitoring devices can be a deterrent for adoption, especially in price-sensitive markets. Healthcare providers are often pressured to deliver cost-effective solutions, which can limit investments in premium monitoring systems. Another pressing concern is data security and patient privacy. With the growing digitalization of healthcare and increased reliance on cloud-based data storage, ensuring the protection of sensitive patient information has become paramount. Regulatory frameworks such as HIPAA and GDPR are placing additional burdens on companies to fortify their cybersecurity measures. 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World's most beautiful castles
World's most beautiful castles

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World's most beautiful castles

What is it about castles that fascinates so many people around the globe? A lot of the allure derives from the history and human drama that played out within the walls, as well as the astonishing architecture that features on so many castles. But they're also romantic and somewhat mystical, places that spark our imagination and conjure visions of long-ago knights in shining armor and powerful warrior queens. 'Because they combine two functions, they are far more interesting than fortresses or palaces,' says Marc Morris, author of 'Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain.' 'What makes a castle a castle is that it combines the functions of defense and dwelling — it's a fortification and a stately home rolled into one. Creating a building which is both comfortable and defensible is difficult. The ingenious ways in which castle-designers reconciled this balance is always intriguing.' Although we normally associate castles with European history, it's actually an architectural form found around the world — in nations as varied as Japan and India, Morocco and Mexico. Many are now hubs of living history where modern visitors can watch jousting and other ancient combat forms, listen to medieval music or watch artisans demonstrate the arts, crafts and everyday skills of a thousand years ago. They also make great backdrops for outdoor concerts, films, theater and military performances, or for the on-location filming of movies and television shows. 'With a castle you get not only the stories of sieges, but also stories of the domestic lives of the rich and famous,' says Morris. 'Castles are places were plots were hatched, marriages were consummated, murders carried out, royal babies born, and so on. With castles, you are never short of fascinating things to talk about.' Read on to find out more about 21 of the world's most beautiful castles, fortified homes that are both a feast for the eyes and a time trip back to the bygone age during which they were created. Located about 30 minutes by bullet train west of Osaka and Kobe, Himeji rises above the Inland Sea and is considered the epitome of the Japanese feudal castle. Both a Japanese national treasure and World Heritage Site, the elegant whitewashed structure is also called 'White Heron Castle' because of its resemblance to a great bird taking flight. Completed in the early 17th century, Himeji offers daily guided tours in Japanese and English. This classic medieval castle towers above the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea. Originally built as a Byzantine citadel, it was reworked into its present Gothic form by the crusading Knights of St John when Rhodes served as the headquarters of their grand master. During the brief Italian occupation of the Dodecanese Islands, Benito Mussolini used the castle as a holiday home. Its permanent archeological exhibitions feature relics from ancient Greece and the early Christian period. Even though many people consider this Bavarian masterpiece the epitome of a German castle, it's a relatively new creation, erected in the late 1800s at the behest of King Ludwig II. The Bavarian monarch instructed his architects to design something that would reflect both the operas of Richard Wagner and the romantic ideals of the Middle Ages — as much a fantasy as Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, but with the snowcapped Alps as a backdrop and the Bavarian plains spread out beneath. Neuschwanstein is also a cinema darling, having appeared in numerous flicks over the years including 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' and 'The Great Escape.' One of the most striking castles in all of Europe, the Alcázar rides a narrow, rocky promontory overlooking the plains of Old Castile in central Spain. Although it started life as a Roman fort, the structure evolved over hundreds of years into a prototypical medieval castle with a deep moat, drawbridge, round guard towers and a robust keep, as well as lavishly decorated royal chambers. Segovia Castle is most renowned as the home of Queen Isabella and powerful Phillip II before the royal court was moved to Madrid. Another offspring of the Romantic movement that swept 19th-century Europe, Pena crowns a hilltop near Sintra, Portugal. Commissioned by King Ferdinand II on the site of a ruined monastery dedicated to the Virgin of Pena, the castle is a flamboyant blend of various historic styles including Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance details. The castle's vivid red-and-yellow color pattern — and its flashy clock tower — endow Pena with a much more playful air than the somber castles found elsewhere in Europe. Erected in the early 17th century by the Mughal ruler of Rajasthan, the Amber Fortress crowns a hilltop near Jaipur, its stout walls reflected in the waters of Maota Lake. The palace complex inside the walls revolves around courtyards flanked by exquisite examples of Rajput architecture like the Maharaja's Apartments, Sukh Niwas (Hall of Pleasure) and Diwan-i-Am (Royal Audience Hall). Although it was once fashionable to ride an elephant up the steep entrance road, visitors are now advised to walk or take a 4x4 taxi. This massive mudbrick structure on the edge of the Sahara has starred in more than a dozen movies and television shows including 'Game of Thrones,' 'Gladiator' and 'The Man Who Would Be King.' The complex features a fortified lower town along the Asif Ounila River — where people still reside — and a partially ruined hilltop citadel. Berber-style guest houses provide accommodation for visitors to a ksar originally built in the 17th century as an overnight stop for caravans traveling between Marrakech and the Sudan. Founded in the waning years of the Viking Age, Kalmar Castle traces its roots to a 12th-century defensive tower overlooking the Kalmar Strait on the Baltic Sea. Four centuries later, King Gustav and his sons transformed Kalmar into a splendid royal residence that (with the help of renovation) looks much the same today as it did in 1592. In addition to exhibitions, children's activities and guided tours, Scandinavia's best-preserved Renaissance castle also features special events like an exhibition of ancient Egyptian artefacts, which is open until November 2025. Guarding the entrance to San Juan Bay, this 16th-century Spanish citadel is one of the most impressive structures in the Caribbean. Protected by a moat (with a drawbridge), stone battlements and rugged sea cliffs, the castle has repelled numerous attacks including several assaults by French pirates and a 1595 strike by Sir Francis Drake. However, it surrendered to US forces after a fierce naval bombardment during the Spanish-American War. Since 1962, El Morro and nearby Castillo San Cristóbal (the largest fort constructed by the Spanish in the western hemisphere) have been part of the San Juan National Historic Site. The grassy 'field of fire' in front of the castle is now immensely popular for picnics and kite flying. Although it's officially called a palace, Istanbul's sprawling Topkapi compound bears all the features of a classic castle: defensible site, fortified walls, powerful gateways and a royal residence occupied by the Ottoman sultans from the late 15th century when it was originally constructed until the 1850s. Converted into a museum when the Ottoman Empire dissolved after World War I, the Topkapi offers extensive gardens, wall-top walks overlooking the Bosphorus, the Ottoman Imperial Harem where the ruler's concubines resided and the Imperial Treasury with its famous emerald-encrusted golden dagger — stolen and eventually retrieved in the 1964 heist movie 'Topkapi.' Perched on an ancient volcanic outcrop at the end of the Royal Mile, Edinburgh Castle is considered the 'most besieged place' in Britain with at least 26 major attacks during its 1,100-year lifespan. From Mary Queen of Scots to Oliver Cromwell and Sir Walter Raleigh, many famous Britons are indelibly linked the ancient edifice. Britain's oldest crown jewels (the Honours of Scotland) are safeguarded inside a castle that also provides an incredibly fitting venue for the annual Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Music concerts, living history events and weapons demonstrations are among the many events staged throughout the year inside the walls. And bygone military mascots are buried in the castle's Dog Cemetery. Despite its diminutive size, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is well-endowed with castles — more than 50 are spread across an area smaller than London's metro area. The most spectacular of these is Schloss Vianden, poised high above the Our River in northern Luxembourg. Built on the site of an ancient Roman fortress that protected the empire from barbarian invasion, the castle was constructed between the 11th and 14th centuries. Blending aspects of Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance design, it remained in royal hands until 1977 when the Grand Duke bequeathed it to the state. Vianden's biggest annual bash is an August medieval festival with dueling knights, troubadours, jugglers and artisans. The Kremlin in Moscow may be better known, but it can't hold a candle to the one in Novgorod when it comes to medieval ambiance. Located 200 kilometers (124 miles) south of St. Petersburg, Novgorod was the seat of a powerful Russian republic from the 11th to 15th century when it was finally overshadowed by Moscow. That power was concentrated inside the detinets or kremlin with its sturdy walls and heavily fortified towers. Among its landmarks today are the Cathedral of the Holy Wisdom with its silver domes, the Novgorod Museum and the Millennium of Russia monument. There's no better example of the transition from the fortified castles of the medieval era to palatial homes of the Renaissance than this enormous chateau in the Loire Valley. Commissioned as a 'hunting lodge' by King François I in the early 16th century, the massive structure (440 rooms) took 28 years to construct. While it's moat, corner towers and keep are purely decorative, the 500-year-old castle has nevertheless protected some real treasures, not least the a magnificent double helix staircase said to have been inspired by Leonardo da Vinci. One of the finest examples of Chinese castle architecture is Shuri, a hilltop fortress and palace complex on the island of Okinawa in Japan. As the royal court of the independent Ryukyu Kingdom for more than 450 years — when the islands were heavily influenced by nearby China — Shuri developed a warren of imperial living quarters, audience halls, religious shrines and an extravagant throne room reminiscent of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The compound was heavily restored after World War II, when Shuri served as the local headquarters for the Imperial Japanese Army. The castle's present-day activities range from a morning gate-opening ritual called Ukejo and multilingual audio tours of the grounds to daily dance performances and nighttime illumination. England has far larger castles (Windsor) and others that are more steeped in history (Tower of London). But none boasts that textbook form of Bodiam Castle in East Sussex. Erected in 1385 as the bastion of a former royal knight, it's the epitome of a medieval castle – thick crenelated walls supported by nine stubby towers, arrayed around a square central courtyard and reached via a wooden walkway (a drawbridge in olden days) across a wide moat. Among its many visitor summer activities are archery sessions, dressing up in medieval costumes, afternoon tea with cakes and scones and guided tours. And just seven miles away is where the landmark Battle of Hastings played out in 1066. The only royal castle in the Americas hovers high above Mexico City. Erected in the late 1700s as a summer house for the viceroy of New Spain, the castle has played many roles since then, including the palace of Emperor Maximillian and an 1847 battle between Mexican troops and invading Americans that features in the 'Marine Corps Hymn' ('From the Halls of Montezuma …'). Nowadays Chapultepec is home to Mexico's National Museum of History. The royal quarters — including the precious Malachite Room and Maximillian's flamboyant bedroom — are included in castle tours. What makes this Slovenian castle so special is its astounding location — Predjama is arrayed across a cave mouth beneath a natural rock arch on the side of a sheer cliff. The lofty setting made it virtually impregnable when it was constructed in the 13th century. Attackers laid siege to Predjama on numerous occasions, but a secret passageway (that still exists today) allowed the defenders to come and go at will. Located 62 kilometers (38 miles) from Ljubljana, the castle and its park-like grounds host the Erasmus Knight's Tournament, a medieval festival and jousting competition staged every July. This island bastion overlooking the Bay of Naples is the oldest castle on our list, tracing its roots to the 5th century BC when Greeks colonized the region. From Roman legionnaires to Napoleon's troops, many armies have occupied Aragonese over the years. The castle now belongs to the family of an Italian lawyer who purchased the fortified island in 1912 and began restoration of its battlements, churches, convents, crypts and gardens. In addition to views that stretch all the way across the bay to Mount Vesuvius, Aragonese Castle boasts outdoor cafes, a bookshop, art exhibits and outdoor movies. Prague's imposing citadel is also one of the few castles anywhere in the world that still boasts real political power — the official residence of the president of the Czech Republic. Among the other landmarks inside its spacious confines are St Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, 10 gardens and a row of 16th-century cottages called the Golden Lane that once housed the castle guards. Guided tours, offered during daylight and evening hours, last around three hours. Reportedly damaged during Syria's recently ended civil war, Krak des Chevaliers remains one of the world's great castles — and the only one on our list that has experienced 21st-century conflict. Created in the 12th century by the Knights of St. John, the celebrated Krak is considered the epitome of a crusader castle in the Middle East and one of the greatest statements of medieval military architecture. The structure features two mighty walls separated by a moat on a steep hillside between Homs and the Mediterranean Sea. It's hoped that the end to the fighting in Syria will enable restoration and repair work. This article was first published in 2019. It was updated and republished in June 2025

Charlotte Metcalfe Pursues Olympics After Daunting Brain Injury
Charlotte Metcalfe Pursues Olympics After Daunting Brain Injury

Forbes

time4 hours ago

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Charlotte Metcalfe Pursues Olympics After Daunting Brain Injury

Charlotte Metcalfe overcame a brain injury that coincided with her silver medal lift at last fall's ... More World Championships. Her ultimate goal is the 2028 Olympics. Charlotte Metcalfe says that when she first got into competitive weightlifting, she was given some advice by her coaches. They told her, "Remove all emotional attachment to pain." 'That tells you everything I think you need to know about the sport,' Metcalfe joked. The 21-year-old English powerlifter took that advice, along with other bits of weightlifting wisdom on everything from nutrition to the intensity and consistency of her workouts last year, as she prepared for the Global Powerlifting Committee (GPC) World Championships in Slovakia. Little did Metcalfe know that she wasn't just powering through pain, but had something else going on in her body. Alongside the usual burn and muscle ache after her daily routine of squats and deadlifts, Metcalfe said she felt unusual symptoms and some fatigue that just didn't feel right. Just a month before Slovakia, Metcalfe hit her head on a barbell at her local gym, initially thinking her injury was nothing to worry about. 'Weightlifting is definitely taxing,' Metcalfe said, over our recent Zoom interview. 'Each lift that you do temporarily increases intracranial pressure.' But Metcalfe said that weightlifting, just like bodybuilding and martial arts, present 'so many risks' that athletes sometimes can become desensitized. The symptoms came at different times after hitting her head, but eventually got worse. Soon enough, the pain became unbearable. Metcalfe explained that while training further, her spatial awareness started to become 'awful.' And despite experiencing recurring headaches and bouts of fatigue, she chose to compete and flew out to the continent anyway. There, on the first weekend of October, Metcalfe went on to win a silver medal at the GPC World Championships. As it turned out, the English powerlifter suffered a brain injury just weeks before that major competition. Unaware of her condition, Metcalfe had suffered a potentially deadly subarachnoid haemorrhage, or bleeding on and around her brain. 'It was a matter of risk, but does the risk outweigh the opportunities?' she said she thought at the time. Now, looking back, she feels that her decision to try to ignore her headache was a misstep. In March 2025, during an interview with the Manchester Evening News, Metcalfe went so far as to call her choice to compete 'a mistake that almost killed me.' The remedy for her brain injury entailed spending an initial 16 hours in a hospital for standard neurological tests. Thereafter, she was sent home to rest, spending the next two weeks in bed before having a follow-up brain scan. Another thing that may have led to her brain injury, she said, is the fact that over the years she had eight prior concussions. She felt that they were definitely a factor. 'Typically, when injured, I adapt,' Metcae added. 'I train around it, shift focus, and keep going. If it's upper, I train lower. But the brain injury stopped everything.' Despite her efforts to continue training and reclaim some normalcy, Metcalfe said that a terrifying episode after a 573-pound leg press forced her to stop. And when she could not lift, Metcalfe explained, 'For the first time, I felt like an athlete without a sport.' At the World Championships, Metcalfe saw a competitor achieve a 100kg deadlift and decided to push herself beyond her normal limits. Drained and in pain, and again feeling a fatigue like she'd never felt before, Metcalfe pulled off a personal best of 112.5 kg and won the silver medal in the 2024 World Championships. Metcalfe poses with her silver medal after the 2024 GPC Weightlifting World Championships in Trnava, ... More Slovakia. Despite her risky gambit, Metcalfe, who is studying to be an attorney at the University of Law in Manchester, England, admits that her sport has helped her through some of the most difficult times of her life. 'I always loved combat sports, mixed martial arts like Muay Thai, and my weightlifting came from that," Metcalfe explained. "But as a sport, weightlifting forces you to be present. It was a very grounded move for me.' Once she began a lifting routine for strength and personal fitness, she quickly moved to powerlifting at the end of 2023. Metcalfe said she took up Olympic-style lifting the following summer, and in the mix soon established an impressive set of personal bests, and others started to take notice. 'One of the guys at my gym asked me if I had ever considered competing. Up to then, I hadn't really thought about it.' Acknowledging the risks she took last fall, Metcalfe said she hopes others will be more cautious and urges young athletes to take head injuries seriously. Now, several months after her second-place finish and dealing with post-concussion syndrome, Metcalfe explained that she's altered her weightlifting and fitness routines, as well as her self-care and nutrition. As a law student, Metcalfe is set to finish law school in 2026 and find gainful employment as a barrister, a role akin to a litigation attorney, as it's called in the U.S. After being 'called to the bar,' Metcalfe plans to start her work immediately. 'I'll be 24 for (the 2028 Olympics in) L.A. Typically, weightlifters can be in their prime into their late twenties and thirties. I'll plan to be doing full-time law, and full-time weightlifting,' Metcalfe said, 'for the next five to eight years.' And yet, Metcalfe has another big goal on the horizon: making Great Britain's 2028 Olympic team. She said that to prepare for the Olympic trials, she will shift her focus from powerlifting, which emphasizes maximal strength in the squats and deadlifts, to Olympic-style weightlifting, which focuses on explosive power, speed, and technical skill, primarily through two main lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk. Along the way, Metcalfe plans to vie for a spot in the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which take place next year, from July 23 to August 2, 2026. Fellow Team GB powerlifter, Roza De Oliveira, who competed alongside Metcalfe at last fall's World Championships, thinks his teammate has what it takes to compete at the highest level. De Oliveira says Metcalfe possesses the right skillset for the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, and describes her in the following way: 'Truly believes in her own capabilities and will never second-guess herself in the process. Always consistent in her character. Filled with confidence.' 'It's not just the discipline or integrity,' De Oliveira concludes, 'but (her) refusing to compromise on who she is, no matter how hard it gets.'

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