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Herald Malaysia
3 days ago
- General
- Herald Malaysia
Over 70,000 pilgrims expected to take part in Jubilee for Movements
The Jubilee of Movements, Associations, and New Communities is set to take place in Rome on June 7-8, with over 70,000 pilgrims expected to participate in the events that will culminate in the Mass of Pentecost Sunday with Pope Leo XIV. Jun 05, 2025 File photo of pilgrims processing to the Holy Door during the Jubilee of Hope (AFP or licensors) ROME: The Jubilee of Movements, Associations, and New Communities will take place in Rome on Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8, 2025, and is expected to draw the participation of some 70,000 pilgrims from more than 100 countries. Large groups will arrive in Rome from countries including Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Portugal, Poland, Switzerland, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, and Ethiopia. The main participants in the Jubilee will be ecclesial movements, new communities, associations of the faithful, and charismatic and missionary groups, and this will be their first opportunity to meet with Pope Leo XIV. Among the groups present will be representatives of the Neocatechumenal Way, Catholic Action, Communion and Liberation, the Catholic Shalom Community, Parish Evangelization Cells, CHARIS International, the Community of Sant'Egidio, the New Horizons Community, the International Forum of Catholic Action, the Marian Burning Youth ( Gioventù Ardente Mariana ), the Work of Mary – Focolare Movement, Renewal in the Spirit, and the Association of Salesian Cooperators. The programme On Saturday, June 7, the Jubilee will begin with a pilgrimage through the Holy Doors of the Papal Basilicas from 8 AM to 6 PM. In the afternoon, beginning at 4 PM, all participants will gather in St. Peter's Square to await the Prayer Vigil with the Holy Father, held on the eve of Pentecost. Until the start of the 'Pre-Vigil' at 6 PM, pilgrims have the possibility of enjoying a celebratory time of music and performances from groups representing movements, associations, and communities from all continents. The "Pre-Vigil" itself will begin afterward with the hope of helping the faithful present enter into a spirit of prayer. A 130-member international choir will perform, and there will be testimonies delivered by Hussam Abu Sini, an Israeli of Arab-Christian origin dedicated to peacebuilding; Nicola Buricchi, a husband and father who has overcome drug addiction; Aline Minani, director of the "Floribert Bwana Chui" School of Peace for refugee and vulnerable children on the outskirts of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo; Pedro and Maria Begoña Sánchez, missionary spouses in Ukraine and parents of 12 children. Moments with Pope Leo Later that evening in the Square, from 8 to 9 PM, the Holy Father will preside over the solemn Pentecost Vigil, which will include a Liturgy of the Word, a Renewal of Baptismal Promises, and a homily by Pope Leo. Finally, on Pentecost Sunday, June 8, at 10:30 AM, the Pope will preside over the Eucharistic Celebration for the Solemnity of Pentecost, which will take place in St. Peter's Square, marking the conclusion of the Jubilee of Movements. Tickets are not required for the Mass, which will be open to all pilgrims.--Vatican News
USA Today
19-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Mike Quinlan named Challenge Man of the Year for role in elevating U.S. Senior Challenge
Mike Quinlan named Challenge Man of the Year for role in elevating U.S. Senior Challenge From the many chapters of Mike Quinlan's golfing life came this realization for Quinlan: The game has always endured within his family. As he was set to receive the Challenge Man of the Year award later this month, Quinlan relayed memories of his relationship with golf while looking at a photo of his father, standing together with his buddies on the golf course. 'The things that he gave to me now carried on,' Quinlan said, detailing how golf became the family game among his wife and children, too. ' … everybody at one time or another held a golf club in their hand and loved the game the same way I do.' Quinlan, 72, has made contributions back to the game in many arenas, perhaps most notably serving as the current president of the Sun Country Amateur Golf Association as well as the President and Executive Director of the U.S. Senior Challenge organization, which annually runs a state team competition for senior amateurs with a college golf-like scoring component. That tournament will be played April 28-30 at Hobe Sound (Florida) Country Club. Quinlan has been a part of the latter organization for nearly 15 years and has played a substantial role in infusing the event with some much-needed energy. Notably, Quinlan helped get the Sun Country Golf Association on board to run the events – a concept he had seen several Allied Golf Associations around the country putting into practice with national events run in their state. Quinlan also helped forge a partnership with Golfweek four years ago. Despite his long association with the tournament, Quinlan still was taken aback when the U.S. Senior Challenge Board of Directors brought up his name for the Challenge Man of the Year award. 'I was humbled and really excited and a little bit embarrassed because I'm the executive director, so it seems like a rigged deal,' Quinlan joked. Quinlan lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and plays out of Albuquerque Country Club (where earlier this month he made his eighth career hole-in-one). His beginning in the game, however, dates to his native Omaha, Nebraska, where his father coaxed him onto the golf course with Cokes and Snickers candy bars. After short stints as an arborist and a small-business owner, Quinlan returned to school and then moved to Albuquerque in 1981 for a job with Sandia National Laboratories. Work and fatherhood forced Quinlan to put golf aside until his 40s, when he began to pursue it competitively. 'After consistently losing to a good friend for several years every weekend, my game improved significantly,' Quinlan said. 'After lots of local success, I qualified for the 2002 U.S. Senior Open – an amazing and humbling experience. I played in the group directly in front of Tom Watson, Fuzzy Zoeller and Jim Thorpe. Thousands of fans on every hole was a different forum for sure. 'My three brothers were quick to comfort me by saying they were sure I would have played better a few groups back since no one would be watching.' Quinlan's competitive career also included two U.S. Senior Amateurs and a U.S. Mid-Amateur. He qualified for the latter at the age of 56. Now in his early 70s, Quinlan has turned over U.S. Senior Amateur qualifying to 'the youngsters' of the senior circuit but enjoys competing in the Legends division in national senior amateur events. 'The enjoyment is still every bit there and I love the competition and it's just been great – a big part of my life and I love passing it on to others," Quinlan said. "It's really helped every aspect of my life, I think, the game of golf and the principles and values associated with it.'
Forbes
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Gianni Infantino Says United Kingdom Will Stage 2035 Women's World Cup
BELGRADE, SERBIA - APRIL 03: FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the 49th Ordinary UEFA ... More Congress at Sava Centar on April 03, 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia. (Photo by Tullio Puglia - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images) Speaking to the UEFA Congress in Belgrade this morning, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed that the United Kingdom will stage the Women's World Cup in 2035. No official decision on the hosts of the 12th edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup can be confirmed until the vote of the FIFA Congress, due to be held during the second quarter of 2026. Nonetheless, with two days until the official deadline for member associations to confirm their interest in bidding to host the tournaments in 2031 and 2025, Infantino said the combined bid of the England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales Football Associations was the only 'valid' bid. Infantino said 'the 35 bid is from Europe, from the home nations. So the path is there for the Women's World Cup to be taking place in 31 and 35 in some great countries, in some great nations.' There had been initial interest in hosting the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup from Saudi Arabia. However, a decision by the FIFA Council on March 5, allocated the staging of the 2035 tournament to either Europe or Africa. South Africa and a combined bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain were also interested in hosting the tournament but now seem out of contention. It appears that Infantino's wish to expand the number of nations at the finals from the current 32 to 48 in time for 2031, which he also confirmed today, has caused the other potential bidders to pull out of the running to stage the tournament in 2035. If confirmed, it will be the first-ever Women's World Cup to be staged by four host nations. The 2023 edition in Australia and New Zealand was the first to be co-hosted. The United Kingdom has not staged any World Cup since 1966 when the men's edition was hosted by England in an age when the tournament involved just 16 teams playing at eight venues. (Original Caption) 7/30/1966-England-: England captain Bobby Moore "chaired" by his team with the ... More Jules Rimet receiving it from the Queen after England won the Cup final 4 goals to 2, against West Germany. How the hosting will be split between the four nations remains to be seen. At some point in the next couple of months, a bid workshop will be created and FIFA will initiate an observer program in the country. The four Football Associations then have until the end of 2025 to submit an official bid to FIFA with details of possible venues, training bases and accommodation for the, now 48, teams competing at the finals. Reacting to Infantino's words, the CEO of the English Football Association Mark Bullingham said 'we are honored to be the sole bidder for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2035. Hosting the first FIFA World Cup since 1966 with our home nations partners will be very special. The hard work starts now, to put together the best possible bid by the end of the year.' 'Football is and always will be at the core of our country's identity," said United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer last month. 'Whether we watch on TV, play at the weekend like I do, or simply enjoy soaking up the atmosphere in the pub, it brings communities together like little else.' LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 11: Sir Keir Starmer, Leader of the Labour Party prior to the UEFA Euro 2020 ... More Championship Final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on July 11, 2021 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images) "The pride was on full display when England hosted UEFA Women's Euro 2022. It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy.' 'The FIFA Women's World Cup 2035 on home turf would be another monumental moment in our sporting history, driving growth and leaving a lasting legacy. The FAs' intention to bid has my government's full support.'
Sky News
31-03-2025
- General
- Sky News
At least 91,000 new affordable homes could be built with cladding money, social housing providers say
Social housing providers are warning their ability to build new affordable and social rent homes is plummeting, thanks to the soaring costs of the post-Grenfell Tower cladding crisis. Some 72 people were killed in the 2017 tragedy, but eight years on, as many as 12,000 buildings are thought to be wrapped in the kinds of flammable materials that led to it. Work hasn't even begun on half of the affected buildings, with an estimated 7,000 at-risk blocks not yet identified by the government. It's thought the bill to remove those products across the country will run to the tens of billions. But Housing Associations - not-for-profit organisations who provide social rented housing - are excluded from most government funding. Instead the money for much of their remediation is coming from social tenants' rent and being diverted from other projects. The National Audit Office thinks it will have to spend £3.8bn in total to remove non-ACM, combustible cladding on buildings over 11m high. New research suggests that's the cost-equivalent of building 91,000 much-needed new affordable homes. It's as we're seeing a huge drop in the number of new social rent and affordable homes being built by these providers. Across England, the National Housing Federation (NHF) says affordable housing starts have decreased by 39% to 43,439 - the lowest number since 2016. In London affordable housing starts have collapsed by 90% in the year to March, compared to the year before. The housing association Peabody says they have already spent £300m on cladding remediation, and that bill will keep rising. At one of their sprawling development sites in east London, tower blocks spring from the ground. But only phase one of the 10-year project (905 new homes) is secure. Plans for the other 2,500 flats have been put at risk - precisely because of funds being diverted to building safety. "If we don't if we don't find a way of funding the future phases, then I'm afraid we would have to stop at the end of phase one," their chief executive Ian McDermott said. The numbers are stark: "Normally we build about 2,000 homes a year. This year we will build fewer than 100 homes. "It's at a time when one in 21 children in London are living in temporary accommodation, so the need for social housing has never been greater." The data seems to pour cold water on the government's pledge to build 1.5 million new homes by the end of this parliament. "The numbers are going in the wrong direction," said Rhys Moore, executive director of the NHF. "I think it is now widely accepted that there is no way to meet the 1.5 million homes target without a significant increase in social and affordable house building." Earlier this month, a committee of MPs warned the government hadn't taken the risks seriously enough and called for a formal assessment to be published by the end of the year on the way remediation costs are impacting house building targets. Mr Moore is calling on the government to expand the Building Safety Scheme to include housing associations: "What we think is indefensible is that some of the poorest families in the country, social tenants, are having to pick up the costs with their rents, to make those buildings safe." Giles Grover, from End Our Cladding Scandal, agrees with that call: "Our campaign position has always been that social housing providers should have full and equal access to the funding." But unlike the housing associations and NHF, he's concerned about too much of their focus being on development. Throughout the cladding crisis some housing associations have faced criticism for their handling of building safety issues, particularly with regard to shared owners. Mr Grover said: "We do need to make sure that social housing providers focus on their core purpose, which is making those homes decent, making those homes safe, and actually treating people like vulnerable, shared owners with a lot more respect." If there's a safety issue, he said, "let shared owners sublet, let them sell - or buy back their flats. Because right now associations are just carrying on, wanting to be tinpot developers". A Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government spokesperson said: "We are determined to make Britain's homes safer and deliver change for residents who have suffered for too long, and it is right that developers pay their fair share. "This government will deliver 1.5 million homes as part of our Plan for Change and just this week we committed £2bn to deliver thousands of new social and affordable homes. We continue to work closely with industry so we can deliver on our housing ambitions."
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Despite growing political pressures, AISD schools celebrate Pride week: 'You've got a place'
In the library at Lamar Middle School in North Austin, about a dozen students danced to Chappell Roan's 2023 dance-pop single 'HOT TO GO!' during their lunch period Thursday. The students, with their hands up in the air, performed the song's signature dance moves, as colorful plastic beads scattered across the floor. The Lamar students were spending their lunch period making bracelets with rainbow-colored beads donated or left over from an event held last year as part of Austin school district's Pride Week. For sixth grader Amelia Velasquez, the fact that the district has a Pride Week is cool. 'You can feel like you've got a place, you've got your people,' Velasquez said. 'I feel like we deserve more than a week. Maybe a month.' This year, the Austin district celebrated its 11th year of Pride Week, a weeklong event that carried the theme of 'beYOUtiful.' However, unlike previous years, the district didn't use its money for Pride celebrations or décor, and it shifted its events to only those organized by Parent Teacher Associations or held outside instructional time. The week marked a readjustment for a district that has long promoted its inclusivity and welcoming of LGBTQ+ students and families at a time when both state and federal governments have launched campaigns to ban diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in K-12 schools. This year, the Austin district publicly promoted its Pride Week, which it celebrated Monday through Friday, as it has in past years, with suggested themes for each day, similar to a spirit week. For example, on Tuesday, which was 'Differences are beaYOUtiful' day, the district promoted wacky sock day. In past years, the district has also passed out swag bags with Pride flags and stickers to campuses and hosted a Saturday event with food trucks and student performances, neither of which occurred this year. The district did not spend its money on Pride-related materials, and any events had to take place outside instructional time, spokeswoman Cristina Nguyen told the American-Statesman. The district isn't holding its Saturday event this year in part due to its $110 million deficit and the political environment, she said. 'In an ever changing environment, we have to evaluate the ways we've done things in the past,' the district said in a statement on its website. 'Providing a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment for all students is a year-round practice and commitment in Austin ISD. So while the way we celebrate Pride may change, our values do not.' The district still celebrating a Pride Week, regardless of the style it takes, is positive, said Susanne Kerns, a parent who has helped organize the Saturday Pride event in the past. 'They are just choosing to show their support through prioritizing safety vs prioritizing a flashy celebration,' Kerns said. For many of this year's campus-level events, organizing efforts fell on PTAs, said Laurie Solis, president of the Austin Council of PTAs. But with only a few weeks' notice, it was difficult to organize them across the district, she said. 'Right now, this is very grassroots and local,' Solis said. For example, at Brentwood Elementary School, the PTA planned a parade, which the group has held every year, PTA president Erin Zehr said. Inclusion is important to the Brentwood community and parents want to make sure that families and students get a chance to celebrate what makes them different, she said. 'I would suggest that to feel seen is to feel safe,' Zehr said. 'I would hope that all of us regardless of political stance hope kids feel safe.' Jake Morgan, who has sponsored the Bowie High School Gender and Sexuality Alliance club for three years, worries about students in different Austin campuses having equal access to Pride events. 'It's frustrating as someone who works with these kids to see people giving in to fear,' Morgan said. 'I think right now we're going to have to stand strong against this fear. I would really like to see the district stand strong with us.' Kelly Wrobleski, who has taught in Austin for 20 years, also worries about students in various campuses accessing Pride events. Wrobleski sponsors McCallum High School's Spectrum club, a Gender and Sexuality Alliance group. At McCallum, the students organized a Pride-centered art show and student panels during lunch hours, but some campuses may not have an organized LGBTQ+ community, Wrobleski said. However, the district is still advertising Pride Week and student still have space to host event, she said. 'I think there are certain education battles we have to fight and makign sure that we all have stickers at school isn't necessarily one,' Wrobleski said. On Monday, hundreds of activists rallied at the Texas Capitol to push back against the more than 200 bills that LGBTQ advocacy organization Equality Texas has identified as harmful to the community it fights for. Texas lawmakers this session have filed bills seeking to limit discussion of gender and sexuality in the classroom, including Senate Bill 12 by Conroe Republican Sen. Brandon Creighton, which would eliminate DEI in K-12 schools and put restrictions on student clubs. The bill would follow a 2023 ban on DEI at all public Texas universities, which reshaped equity-based student support practices in higher education, led to university staff layoffs and dismantled offices meant to support minority students. On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump issued executive orders eliminating DEI programs in federal offices and recognizing only two sexes. Johnathan Gooch, spokesman for Equality Texas, said it's important for young LGBTQ people to have community spaces to talk about the challenges they face. Preparing students for the state workforce means equipping them to interact with Texas' diverse 31 million residents, but schools are facing more scrutiny over teaching history, he said. 'It is much braver to find a way to continue that tradition than to throw up your hands and say, 'It's too stressful, it's too politicized,'' Gooch said. 'It is important for young queer people.' The Austin district keeping up its Pride Week celebrations during the school year is a good step, but there's more to do to ensure equity, such as anti-bias training for teachers, said Kevin Gillion, an Austin High School teacher who has taught Spanish for 21 years. He sponsors the high school's GSA club. 'There remains a heavier need for programs to directly support students who identify with traditionally marginalized communities — not only LGBTQ+,' Gillion said. The Council of PTAs will likely be involved in Pride events for future years, and other events as the district faces tighter budget challenges, Solis said. Each individual PTA will need to determine what's best for their campus, she said. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin ISD schools celebrate Pride week amid growing political tension
