Latest news with #Sung
Vancouver Sun
12-07-2025
- General
- Vancouver Sun
‘It's getting better': Vancouver's Chinatown festival brings crowds and hope for the future
Yellow and white dragon dancers snaked out of the Chinese Cultural Centre at noon Saturday, the clash of cymbals and pounding drums kicking off Vancouver's 23rd annual Chinatown Festival. The two-day event, organized by the Vancouver Chinatown Business Improvement Association, brought hundreds to Keefer and Columbia Streets in one of the city's oldest neighbourhoods for cultural performances, martial arts demonstrations, food trucks and market stalls. For Robert Sung, a third-generation Chinese Canadian raised in Chinatown, the festival is a celebration of his community's rich heritage — rooted in the settling of Chinese labourers in the 1880s — and a hopeful step toward revitalizing the neighbourhood's future. 'I remember as a kid, my mom would take me down to the butcher to get a little barbecued pork, and the butcher would cut off a small piece for me to eat right there,' Sung said. 1 of 7 Full Screen is not supported on this browser version. You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen. Today, he leads guided tours through Chinatown, offering visitors those traditional tastes while sharing stories that highlight the neighbourhood's enduring spirit amid increasing gentrification and redevelopment. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Because of this neighbourhood's proximity to downtown, there's always a fear that highrises will come in and displace longtime residents,' Sung explained. As a member of the Vancouver Chinatown Revitalization Committee, he supports city hall's bid to pursue UNESCO World Heritage designation, which could protect the neighbourhood's heritage and prevent further displacement. 'This neighbourhood also faces challenges of being next to the Downtown Eastside,' he said, noting that issues such as homelessness and addiction put additional pressure on residents and businesses. Compounding the challenges is the increase in anti-Asian crimes. Between 2019 and 2021, Vancouver police recorded one of the highest spikes in anti-Asian hate crimes in North America, many of them occurring in or near Chinatown. Businesses have been vandalized, elders harassed in broad daylight, and volunteers mobilized to walk seniors safely to and from errands. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim addressed the crowd shortly after the festival's opening, citing a successful turnaround for the neighbourhood. 'When the ABC Party was elected, we said Chinatown would be a priority,' said Sim, who added that increased police presence over the past two years has helped improve safety. 'Chinatown feels like it's getting better and better.' Sim's administration has launched a $2.16 million investment focused on sanitation, graffiti removal and beautification. And city council designated the area as a cultural district to support economic development while preserving heritage. Over $1.6 million in cultural grants have been allocated to local programs, including heritage building upgrades through the Chinese Society Legacy Program. While Sim credits police patrols and city spending for better safety, some say community-led efforts play a vital role. Amanda Burrows, who has lived in Chinatown for nine years and leads the nearby non-profit First United, said the neighbourhood has changed little beyond businesses reopening after the pandemic and a renewed sense of local pride. 'It's always been such a vibrant place.' Burrows credited community leaders, including Carol Lee , and non-profits for contributing to the neighbourhood. She said one milestone is the 2021 local opening of the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, Canada's first permanent exhibit dedicated to the stories and contributions of Chinese Canadians, by the Vancouver Chinatown Foundation. 'The efforts to support this neighbourhood have largely come from within the community,' Burrows said. This weekend's family-friendly Chinatown Festival runs Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. at Keefer and Columbia streets. sgrochowski@
Korea Herald
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
Veteran outfielder, rookie reliever earn 1st KBO All-Star selection as injury replacements
Kia Tigers outfielder Kim Ho-ryung and reliever Sung Yeong-tak both earned their first All-Star selections in the Korea Baseball Organization as injury replacements Thursday. The KBO announced Kim, 33, will take the place of his Tigers teammate Choi Hyoung-woo, who will miss Saturday's All-Star Game after suffering a right hamstring injury Tuesday. Choi was the top vote getter for the designated hitter spot for the "Nanum" team, made up of players from the Tigers, the Hanwha Eagles, the LG Twins, the NC Dinos and the Kiwoom Heroes. With Choi out, the runner-up in the voting by fans and fellow players, Moon Hyun-bin of the Eagles, will be the starting DH for the Nanum side. Moon had already been selected as a reserve, and with Moon moving into the starting lineup, Kim was named to the Nanum team. Kim, a longtime backup outfielder, has been thrust into the starting role this season with injuries piling up for the Tigers. He has responded with a solid .285/.366/.438 batting line in 48 games and has played strong defense in center field. Later Thursday, the league office announced Tigers reliever Yoon Young-cheol will miss the All-Star Game with some elbow issues. Yoon himself had been an injury replacement for another Tigers pitcher, starter Adam Oller, who was ruled out last Friday with right shoulder discomfort. Sung, 20, will take Yoon's spot. The right-hander has been lights out since making his KBO debut on May 20, having pitched to a 0.71 ERA over 25 1/3 innings in 21 outings. Sung began his career with a 17 1/3-inning scoreless streak -- the longest such run in franchise history and third longest in the KBO. The streak was snapped on June 24 and Sung gave up a run again two days later. In six outings since, Sung has strung together seven shutout innings. This year's All-Star Game will be played at Daejeon Hanwha Life Ballpark, the Eagles' new stadium in Daejeon, 140 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
10-06-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
Gangnam Women's Hospital advances stem cell therapy for interstitial cystitis
Gangnam Women's Hospital has been developing advanced treatments for interstitial cystitis, focusing on stem cell therapy over the past two years, with positive results in symptom relief and quality of life, it said on Tuesday. Interstitial cystitis, which affects about 2.7 percent of women according to the Journal of Urology (2014), is characterized by recurring bladder pain, pelvic discomfort and urinary urgency without infection. Nearly 90 percent of IC patients are female, according to the Korean Continence Society (2018). The disease stems from chronic inflammation and damage to the bladder lining, though its exact cause remains unclear. 'IC is frequently misdiagnosed due to its ambiguous symptoms,' said Dr. Sung Young-mo, director of Gangnam Women's Hospital. 'Advanced diagnostic tools, such as urinary organic acid analysis, are crucial for proper treatment.' While conventional therapies involve analgesics and intravesical injections, Sung emphasized the potential of regenerative stem cell therapy using the patient's own cells. 'After three rounds of treatment, many patients experience significant pain relief, longer sleep and reduced urinary frequency,' he noted. The procedure involves isolating autologous stem cells from the patient's blood via the Smart M-Cell system, then injecting them into damaged bladder areas through cystoscopy. A 2021 international study also supports the effectiveness of mesenchymal stem cells in repairing bladder tissue, highlighting their anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Houston man's ‘funny' license plate was illegally duped — leaving him paying for another driver's tolls
Jason Sung thought it was all fun and games when he bought a custom license plate "5.0 GPA" for his white Ford Mustang. "I'm not a good student, or I don't have a good grade, but I just thought it's a funny plate," Sung told ABC13 News. "I really liked it." But what started as a lighthearted joke turned into a frustrating financial headache. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) Sung noticed his Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) account auto-replenished unexpectedly, even though he rarely uses toll roads. Diving deeper into his account, Sung was shocked to find dozens of toll charges, many racked up during a period when he was out of the country and his white Ford Mustang was parked safely in his garage. Someone had a duplicate plate, down to the exact phrase, and had slapped it on a black Ford Mustang. Sung found toll charges dating back to at least January that he knows he is not responsible for. "It's just pretty much every day," he said. When he contacted HCTRA for answers, he said the toll authority checked transaction photos. A representative asked him if his vehicle was black with yellow lightning bolts on the back, but Sung's response was immediate: 'No, my car is completely white.' The photo HCTRA sent him showed a different vehicle altogether, but it had the same "5.0 GPA" license plate. "Even a person who doesn't even have a driver's license can tell you that's not a Texas plate," Sung said. The photo included the other driver's Instagram handle. ABC13 tracked down the individual behind the duplicate plate via social media. The driver admitted that the plate was a fake, ordered online from Arizona. He told reporters that he had no idea the plate phrase was officially registered and said he had been pulled over multiple times for the bogus tag. When asked if he would consider obtaining a legal plate, he instead asked if Sung might change his. Eventually, the driver said he would remove the fake plate from his vehicle. Meanwhile, Sung filed a report with the Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office. Authorities told ABC13 the case is still under investigation. As for the wrongful charges, HCTRA confirmed to the news channel that they are reviewing all the transactions linked to Sung's account and will issue him a credit for tolls incurred by the other driver. For Sung, it's an expensive lesson in how a vanity plate can make you stand out, even to the wrong people. Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says — and that 'anyone' can do it License plate cloning is becoming a growing problem in the U.S., where criminals copy legitimate license plates to commit illegal activities, leaving innocent vehicle owners, like Sung, on the hook for fines, tolls and even criminal offenses. In New York City, the police impounded more than 4,000 vehicles with fake plates in the 12 months after a task force was established in March 2024, while nationwide scams, like one in Tampa involving more than 1,000 cloned cars, have racked up losses exceeding $25 million, according to the FBI. States like Virginia and Texas are seeing rising thefts and enforcement efforts, with automated license plate readers (ALPRs) recovering hundreds of stolen vehicles. Victims of license plate cloning may have to deal with problems like toll charges, parking and traffic fines, wrongful administrative fees, and in severe cases, the issues can impact credit scores. So, what can you do to protect your vehicle from cloning? Here are some strategies you can use: Regularly monitor toll accounts. Log into toll authority portals, like TxTag and E-ZPass, monthly to review trip logs and check for unauthorized trips. Use antitheft screws. Install tamper-resistant screws to make it harder for thieves to remove your plates. Don't overshare online. Don't post images of your license plate on social media or public forums. Be careful where you park. Choose well-lit areas with security cameras to help avoid theft. Use plate-monitoring services. Consider services that alert you if your plate appears in enforcement databases or is flagged. Regular monitoring and taking proactive steps like these can help protect you from the financial and legal repercussions of license plate cloning. If you do run into a stolen plate, report it to authorities immediately. Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now This is how American car dealers use the '4-square method' to make big profits off you — and how you can ensure you pay a fair price for all your vehicle costs Like what you read? Join 200,000+ readers and get the best of Moneywise straight to your inbox every week. This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
NZ Herald
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Auckland Philharmonia shine with unforgettable Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev performances
Back in 2011, the Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski stressed to me that Prokofiev's Third Concerto was not all steel-like energy, but full of joy and humour, being written in a more or less happy period of the composer's life. On this night, Alexander Gavrylyuk might well have been in total accord with him, delivering a performance of single-minded immersion, hovering over the keys, engendering expectation and exuding exhilaration, all with palpable delight. Sung's insistence on impeccable orchestral clarity was the perfect inspiration for the soloist's rushing toccatas and marching chords; and, in amongst the glitter, could one almost sense a playful wink in his cheeky grace notes? And what a thrill it was when an innocent clarinet theme returned, in full and stirring orchestral garb. In the second movement, Gavrylyuk proved himself a skilled alchemist when he took on the orchestra's perky march theme, most memorably recasting it as a moody melancholic nocturne. Sung's remarkably cohesive finale brought all the musicians together to enjoy the diverse panorama of Prokofiev's music, followed by Gavrylyuk's encore, a passionate account of the very first etude by a teenage Scriabin. It is always daunting for a critic to assess yet another performance of Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony. Yet on the night, Sung drew a rare vibrancy from familiar pages, laying out a compulsive journey from the Russian's doom-laden introduction to the triumphant glow of its final apotheosis.
