Latest news with #MAP
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Museum of Art & Photography installations to be exhibited at KIA Bengaluru
The Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) has partnered with the Museum of Art & Photography (MAP), Bengaluru to offer passengers a unique cultural experience in its Terminal 2 (T2). The Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) which operates KIA, stated that this collaboration aims to transform the airport into a dynamic cultural hub, allowing travellers to engage with the rich tapestry of South Asian art and heritage during their journeys. Through thoughtfully curated interactive installations, featuring the works of celebrated artists, passengers will have the opportunity to explore and connect with the region's diverse creative legacy. T2 is already home to a collection of 210 carefully curated artworks by more than 60 artists. What can passengers explore? At T2's domestic terminal, passengers can enjoy a suite of immersive digital experiences curated by MAP which include: Gallery on Demand – Step into a world of artistic exploration with a rich digital library featuring works by renowned artists such as Jamini Roy, Jangarh Singh Shyam, Jyoti Bhatt, Suresh Punjabi, and L.N. Tallur. The platform also brings MAP's extensive film ephemera collection to life through curated stories built around Bollywood posters, stills, and lobby cards. From tracing the evolution of the tawaif figure to embarking on a journey through Arabian Nights, these narratives captivate and inform. A series of short films further offers intimate insights into the lives and practices of selected artists from the MAP collection. Interactive Puzzles – Engage with iconic artworks like Universe by S.H. Raza, Last Supper by Jamini Roy, and The Lotus Sellers by N.S. Bendre through touch-based puzzles that make art both playful and thought-provoking. Digital Lamp Lighting – Rooted in Indian tradition, lighting a lamp marks the beginning of something auspicious. This interactive feature lets travellers digitally light a lamp from MAP's collection by scanning a QR code and personalising the moment with their name — a small but meaningful pause in the journey. Cumulus – Digital Collection Viewing System – Dive deep into MAP's digitised archive using Cumulus, an intuitive application that lets users search, zoom, curate, and share artefacts. With tools for closer inspection and personal collection building, it's an ideal gateway for both casual discovery and deeper research. Virtual Greetings – Send animated digital festival and occasion-based greetings inspired by artworks in MAP's collection. Travellers can also explore an exclusive retail zone featuring MAP collection-inspired home and lifestyle products — ideal for souvenirs, gifts, or a personal piece of art to take home. T2's international terminal will host an exhibition 'Bhuri Bai: My Life as an Artist', spotlighting the journey of Padma Shri awardee Bhuri Bai. Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL), said, 'At KIA, we're reimagining what it means to travel — not just as a journey from one place to another, but as an experience enriched by culture, creativity, and connection. Our collaboration with MAP is a step in realising that vision, aiming to transform Terminal 2 into a vibrant hub of discovery and engagement. By bringing art into the passenger journey in such an accessible and interactive way, we hope to offer travellers moments of pause, inspiration, and reflection. It's our way of weaving the cultural richness of the region into the overall airport experience.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Scared advertisers, flag bans and Trump: the US is in for a troubled Pride 2025
When Utah brought in its pride flag ban, organizer Chad Call was hardly surprised. On 7 May the US state became the first to explicitly prohibit the flying of LGBTQ+ flags at government buildings and schools; anyone who does so could face fines of $500 a day. 'We live in an incredibly conservative state,' says Call, executive director of Utah Pride. 'It's disappointing that this is such an important issue to our lawmakers. Unfortunately, we lead the nation in anti-LGBTQ legislation.' Similar Pride month flag bans have been signed into law in Idaho and Montana. 'Bigotry is nothing new,' says Donald Williamson, executive director of Idaho's Boise Pride. 'This community has been dealing with targeted legislation for several years now – flags are just the latest. All it does is bond us more closely together and emphasize how important festivals like Pride are.' In Salt Lake City and Boise, which are both Democrat-run, people are already resisting the bans. Salt Lake City has introduced three newly designed flags featuring the city's traditional sego lily design imposed over a pride flag, the transgender flag and the Juneteenth flag. Meanwhile, Boise's mayor issued a proclamation retroactively making the pride flag an official city flag. About 31 flag-related bills have been introduced across 17 states, says Logan Casey, policy director of independent LGBTQ+ thinktank the Movement Advancement Project (MAP). 'Some bills apply to all government property, while some apply to school settings only,' says Casey. 'Some specifically name and prohibit LGBTQ-related flags, while others only allow certain flags like the national, state, or other governmental flags – and so LGBTQ-related ones are prohibited implicitly. Ushering in a Pride month that is sure to be tumultuous, these flag bans are among a raft of fresh anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. At the time of writing, the ACLU was tracking the progress of 588 anti-LGBTQ+ bills across the country. MAP puts the figure at about 700 bills, while pointing out that in recent years most anti-LGBTQ+ bills have ultimately been defeated. Related: This doctor calls LGBTQ+ rights 'satanic'. He could now undo healthcare for millions Pride 2025 already has an acutely political focus due to the sheer scale of these legislative attacks on LGBTQ+ people, alongside the Trump administration's targeting of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and trans rights. In this precarious landscape, a swath of big-name corporate sponsors have withdrawn from Pride events, leaving organizers to urgently re-evaluate both their size and security costs. The exodus of sponsors from US Pride events, large and small, have made headlines: the loss of the likes of Anheuser-Busch, Comcast and Diageo from San Francisco Pride has accounted for – at the time of writing – a $200,000 shortfall for a $3.2m event last year attended by an estimated 1.5 million people. (La Crema and Benefit Cosmetics have recently returned as sponsors, a spokesperson said.) Some organizers say that companies retreating from Pride have been spooked by Trump's anti-DEI crusade. (The White House did not respond to requests for comment about its plans for any Pride month messaging.) Utah Pride, for instance, is short $400,000 – or close to half – of its typical sponsorship total. 'It's primarily due to the anti-DEI rhetoric happening on a federal and state level,' says Call, declining to name the companies that have withdrawn. 'We definitely have a target on our backs. But there is nothing they can do to prevent us from having Pride, unless more legislation is coming down, and that would be probably unconstitutional.' Yet some companies have said they are pulling their financial support because of the jittery economic climate. We had Pride before corporate sponsors paid us any attention Eve Keller, USA Prides 'Businesses are struggling for a lot of different reasons, like uncertainty around future tariffs,' says Elizabeth Michael, executive director of the non-profit group SoMA 501, which is organizing a Pride event in Little Rock, Arkansas. 'Putting on this event costs a lot of money, around $20,000-$40,000, and we're doing our best to scrape it together the best we can.' SF Pride had also been struggling to regain its stability after the pandemic, even before this year's turmoil. 'We are by no means financially safe,' Suzanne Ford, its executive director, says. 'I don't think any Pride in the United States is financially safe at this moment.' New York City Pride, the US's largest Pride festival attended last year by an estimated 2.5 million people, has seen the withdrawal of Mastercard, PepsiCo, Nissan, Citi and PricewaterhouseCoopers as corporate sponsors. The New York Times reported that 25% of New York's corporate Pride donors had 'canceled or scaled back their support, citing economic uncertainty and fear of retribution from the Trump administration'. Organizers Heritage of Pride now face an estimated $750,000 shortfall. Technology company Booz Allen Hamilton withdrew their backing from WorldPride, the biannual, global-themed event this year happening in Washington DC. Two corporate sponsors have withdrawn from Pridefest, Virginia's largest LGBTQ+ festival, Axios reported (organizers declined to name them). Anheuser-Busch, Lowe's, Nissan and Walmart have withdrawn from Columbus Pride in Ohio, costing the organization about $125,000 in lost donations, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Many Pride organizers say that the impact of sponsors' withdrawal will not just be felt at Pride events, but in the losses to funding, and potential scaling back, of LGBTQ+ advocacy programs throughout the rest of the year. Not all companies have turned their back on Pride. Citi still plans to have an employee presence in the New York march, and contribute to other events. Ford says that while some large businesses were still funding SF Pride events, they had requested they receive no public recognition for doing so; she declined to name them. Other event organizers said the same, claiming that companies still wanted to support Pride but privately, with their names unspoken and invisible. In Boise, Williamson says: 'so far, knock on wood,' no sponsors had withdrawn their support for the September festival, now in its 36th year. Last year, 60,000 people attended the largest Pride event in Idaho, backed by 77 corporate sponsors and 35 small business sponsors. Williamson says that so far, there are only 40 corporate and small business sponsors signed up for the festival's 2025 edition. He declined to name names. 'I don't want to jinx anything at this stage in the process.' Despite the monetary perils and anti-DEI headwinds, Pride organizers who spoke to the Guardian insisted the show will go on, especially in light of the political hostility LGBTQ+ people are facing in the US and globally. There was a certain irony to the brouhaha around the sponsor withdrawal headlines, many US organizers note. Some LGBTQ+ activists have long criticized Pride events for being too corporatist and beholden to big businesses seeking to cash in on the queer community and 'pinkwash' their reputations. 'Big sponsors supported Pride because they knew LGBTQ people had money in our wallets,' says Eve Keller, co-president of USA Prides, a national network of about 200 LGBTQ+ Pride festival organizations across the country. 'They weren't making lasting change, they were just rainbow-washing their logos for the month of June. We had Pride before corporate sponsors paid us any attention. We're getting back to our community roots, with people wanting to connect and collaborate with each another. Pride started as a protest. We're here to show up and be heard as who we are. Pride creates joy, and queer joy is an act of resistance.' In red states, Pride marches and festivals take on an added depth and importance, says Densil R Porteous, executive director of Stonewall Columbus, which organizes the Ohio city's event, 'so people do not feel alone, especially if they're living in smaller rural communities'. Columbus's event goes under the moniker United in Pride and was attended by approximately 700,000 people last year. Porteous says the gathering helps combat 'feelings of defeat many people are feeling, and to remind us of the joy in our community and the history we're upholding. We are determined to come together and not be hidden and diminished any more.' Williamson in Boise agrees: 'It's incredibly rewarding to see tens of thousands of attenders. It's very easy to feel isolated and alone in deep red states like Idaho with people living in relatively isolated areas and incredibly regressive legislatures targeting the LGBTQ community.' We can't afford people to stay home, it's a revolutionary act to go to your Pride Suzanne Ford, SF Pride SF Pride's Ford, who is originally from the 'very red' Owensboro, Kentucky, says the scale of larger Pride festivals can also encourage LGBTQ+ people from small towns. 'The size and importance of an event like SF Pride is to say to LGBTQ people everywhere: 'You're not alone, and here in San Francisco you can be who you are. We don't tolerate you. We celebrate you.'' Ford cites Harvey Milk, the San Francisco gay rights crusader who advocated coming out as the most potent expression of LGBTQ+ strength, as a guiding light. 'I knew I was trans when I was five years old. I didn't come out till I was 46. Trans people have to be visible. We are confident, capable, loving people, and we deserve the same rights as everybody else. We don't need special favors, just a chance to exist.' Keeping attenders safe is another prime expense and focus for Pride organizers. There have been Pride security scares before, most notably at Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in 2022 when police foiled plans of a white nationalist group to riot at a Pride event. Ahead of World Pride in DC, two LGBTQ+ organizations, Egale Canada and the African Human Rights Coalition, issued warnings against traveling to the US – principally down to concern that trans and non-binary people would not be allowed to enter the country. 'People are scared to leave America in case they're not allowed back in, and scared to come here in case they're not allowed in,' said Keller. 'People do not feel safe coming to America.' It is unknown if these worsening perceptions of the US will tangibly dent its share of the LGBTQ+ tourism market, currently estimated at around $300bn, including those traveling to the US for Pride events. Due to concerns that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security had not yet issued safety advisories ahead of this year's Pride month, Porteous in Ohio recently published a call 'for heightened collective safety and public solidarity'. In the statement he wrote: 'In a time marked by increasing visibility and vulnerability, our shared responsibility is clear: we must protect the spaces we've fought to create, together.' (The FBI did not respond to repeated requests for comment about any threats to Pride events it was monitoring this year.) The difficulties facing Pride this year has led to organizers rethinking how future gatherings will be financed, perhaps involving more community donations and crowdfunding. 'Ultimately, SoMa Pride is about community,' says Michael in Little Rock. 'It's about ensuring everyone has a place to feel safe and welcome. We're optimistic about closing the funding gap. We know money is tight right now, but if a progressive, welcoming south is important to you, consider giving $5.' The LGBTQ+ community and its allies need to show up and pay up, adds Ford in San Francisco. 'If every person who came through the gates of SF Pride gave us $20 we'd be in fine shape for 2026.' If the sponsors who have withdrawn from SF Pride wish to return in the future, 'we would have to discuss with them what happened,' Ford says. 'It can't be swept under the rug. We always have to entertain the idea of rehabilitation, but we can't forget.' In Ohio, Pride organizer Porteous says they had paused relationships with some organizations, 'but if they come back to common sense we'll have a conversation. It can be about healing and reconciliation, but also just because someone says sorry, it doesn't mean you have to accept their sorry.' However vexed the current moment, 'it is vital that Pride events across the country are well-attended this year,' Ford says, in order to send a strong message of collective presence and power to all those attacking LGBTQ+ rights. 'We can't afford people to stay home, it's a revolutionary act to go to your Pride.' In Idaho, Williamson remains determined to put on a celebratory Boise Pride. 'The queer community has been here forever, and Pride is the best time to show the world that the community will still be here when all this shit is done.' • This article was amended on 29 May 2025 to correct the first name of Suzanne Ford, the executive director of SF Pride.
Maroc
4 days ago
- Politics
- Maroc
MAP Seals Cooperation Agreements with Three Mediterranean News Agencies
Maghreb Arab Press Agency (MAP) signed three cooperation agreements in Marrakech on Thursday, with the Italian News Agency (ANSA), the Syrian News Agency (SANA) and the Bosnia-Herzegovina News Agency (FENA) respectively, as part of the 33rd General Assembly of the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN). Inked by MAP Director General Fouad Arif and ANSA CEO Stefano de Alessandri, the first agreement establishes a framework for the reciprocal exchange of the two agencies' news services, and authorizes the provision of dispatches in English to enrich the respective international news offer. It also provides for the possibility of joint projects in favor of institutional and economic communication in the two agencies' respective countries. The second agreement, initialed by Arif and SANA Agency Director General Ziad Al-Mahamid, establishes a framework for the free, reciprocal exchange of multimedia content, including text, images, videos and computer graphics. The agreement further tackles direct, secure access to both agencies' editorial platforms, as well as priority given to each for coverage of events in their respective countries, in addition to facilitating correspondents missions' on the field, organizing professional visits and joint training in editorial, technical and digital fields. The third agreement, signed by Arif and FENA Managing Director Ilija Musa, focuses on free exchange of the two agencies' online content. It also includes a logistical cooperation component, facilitating joint coverage of events and official visits, as well as reciprocal access to multimedia content and likely exchanging newsletters, books, archives and professional expertise. Furthermore, this partnership encourages exchanges of visits between managers and journalists from the two agencies, as well as arranging targeted training related to their professional activities. At the 33rd General Assembly of this Mediterranean Alliance, held in Marrakech on May 28-29, MAP was elected president of AMAN for the 2025-2026 period. Held under the theme "Football and Media in the Mediterranean: Building Bridges Beyond Borders," this Assembly was an opportunity to highlight the large-scale projects implemented in Morocco, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, as part of hosting the 2030 Football World Cup. MAP: 29 mai 2025
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
WonderChain: A Real-Life Web3 Project Gaining Momentum Ahead of the 2025 Bull Market
The First Web3 Reward Ecosystem That Converts User Actions Into Assets Singapore, May 30, 2025 -- As the global crypto market prepares for a potential bull cycle in mid-2025—driven by Bitcoin halving and increasing institutional interest—projects delivering real-world applications are emerging at the center of investor focus. Among them, WonderChain is gaining increasing attention as a Web3 project that bridges blockchain with everyday life. From Travel to Commerce: A Lifestyle-Based Web3 Ecosystem WonderChain introduces a new model in the Web3 landscape by integrating travel, real-life activities, and global commerce into a single, seamless ecosystem. The project incentivizes user behavior such as location check-ins, reviews, and participation in events by rewarding them with credits or utility tokens. These rewards can then be used to purchase rare and regionally unique items through a decentralized commerce system. Unlike traditional reward platforms, WonderChain leverages blockchain infrastructure—including account abstraction and smart contract-based token mechanisms—to facilitate intuitive and accessible user flows. The service allows users to sign in with familiar Web2 credentials, eliminating the typical barriers of wallet installation or seed phrase management. Deflationary Token Economy and User-Driven Commerce WonderChain's token model is designed to support both usability and sustainability. Users can convert their earned tokens into credits for use within the ecosystem, while tokens used as gas fees within the ecosystem are automatically burned, reinforcing a deflationary structure that aims to support long-term token value. At the commerce level, product listings and curation are managed through a DAO-based participation model. User reviews and evaluations influence what is sold, shifting decision-making power from centralized operators to the community. In addition, WonderChain emphasizes the role of rarity and localization by offering limited-quantity items linked to regional identity and demand. This transforms user engagement into a new form of digital ownership and value recognition. Early Global Partnerships and Market Outlook Ahead of its beta launch slated for mid-2025, WonderChain has already begun securing strategic partnerships in Southeast Asia and other key regions. Notably, the project signed an MOU with Indonesian mobile ad platform Cashtree (with over 22 million users), and is expanding partnerships with retail group MAP, mobile payment platform Dana, and telecom provider Telkomsel. Industry experts have described WonderChain as a 'practical testbed for Web3 in everyday life,' and some recent market analyses have listed it among the top three projects expected to lead the 2025 bull market—alongside Bitcoin and Celestia. While the upcoming cycle is unlikely to be defined solely by price movements, WonderChain stands out by offering a framework where real-life actions directly translate into digital rewards and tangible commerce—bringing Web3 closer to mass adoption. Contact Info: Name: Media Relations Email: Send Email Organization: WonderChain Website: Release ID: 89160109 If you encounter any issues, discrepancies, or concerns regarding the content provided in this press release, or if there is a need for a press release takedown, we urge you to notify us without delay at [email protected] (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our expert team will be available to promptly respond within 8 hours – ensuring swift resolution of identified issues or offering guidance on removal procedures. Delivering accurate and reliable information is fundamental to our mission.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Missouri lawmakers add grade-level performance to standardized test results
State Rep. Brad Pollitt, a Sedalia Republican, presents a bill to the House Education Committee to require the reporting of grade-level equivalence data on statewide assessments (Annelise Hanshaw/Missouri Independent). Missouri parents may soon have a better understanding of whether their child is performing at or above grade level on the state's standardized test under a sweeping education bill awaiting the governor's signature. The legislation contains a provision that would require the state's education department to add a fifth category to Missouri Assessment Program results, reporting 'grade level' in addition to the current levels of 'below basic,' 'basic,' 'proficient' and 'advanced.' The new provision would include students in grades 3 to 8. CONTACT US State Rep. Brad Pollitt, a Sedalia Republican and former school superintendent, introduced the bill to make student performance more transparent to parents and lawmakers. As an educator, he learned that students at grade level score at the upper end of 'basic,' but many people incorrectly assume 'proficient' means performing at grade level, he told The Independent. 'In order to have accurate conversations about where our students are at, we need to know what grade level is,' he said. The Missouri Assessment Program, often referred to as the MAP test, began in the 1990s with five scoring thresholds. But in response to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, state lawmakers required the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to align MAP with federal performance standards. In December 2005, educators met to determine the new standards in line with the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP. They set thresholds based on the percentage of students scoring proficient on the NAEP so that the proportion of students deemed proficient on the state test would be close to the amount reported by the national test. The National Center for Educational Statistics and the NAEP's governing board have repeatedly clarified that proficiency reflects 'solid academic performance' and 'does not signify being on grade level.' But policymakers, parents and other stakeholders speak about proficiency and grade level interchangeably. And candidates for public office, misinterpreting what proficient means, have used MAP data to push anti-public-education policies. During former state Sen. Bill Eigel's run for governor last year, he told ABC17 that 'less than a third of our children are able to do reading, writing, arithmetic at grade level.' At the time, 33% of Missouri fourth graders scored proficient or advanced in reading on the NAEP, and math had higher performance levels. Despite the test's administrators explaining that this is not a measure of grade level performance, politicians and media reports still repeat the misrepresentation. 'Part of my frustration has been that people criticize public education pretty hard and say we're failing our kids because 35% of our students in third grade or fifth grade are proficient or advanced in reading,' Pollitt said. 'We may have 35% that are above grade level, but maybe 60% of our kids are at grade level. And I think that changes the conversation.' In a House committee hearing in January, lobbyists for public-education groups spoke in favor of the bill. Brandt Shields, director of governmental relations for the Missouri School Boards' Association, said a fifth category would be more 'informative' for stakeholders. 'Having only four categories is almost a crude way of trying to differentiate how those scores are interpreted,' he said. No one spoke in opposition, but the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's lobbyist warned that the change would require work groups to set the new standards, which is estimated to cost just over $1 million. The language passed by the legislature exempts the department from having to employ work groups, but Pollitt said it is up to administrators to decide. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
