AMTV/MUMBAI, Oct 14 – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is exploring plans for the creation of Olympic Esports Games. The ground-breaking announcement was made by IOC President Thomas Bach during today’s Opening Ceremony of the 141st IOC Session taking place in Mumbai, India, in the presence of the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
“Your presence here today, dear Prime Minister, is a testimony to [the] growing importance of Olympic sport in your wonderful country. This is why I am offering you a very warm welcome – thank you, Mr Prime Minister, for gracing us with your presence. India is an inspiring place to hold our IOC Session – a country that combines a splendid history and a dynamic present with a vigorous confidence in the future,” the IOC President said.
Thomas Bach also thanked IOC Member in India Mrs Nita Ambani for her warm welcome and generous hospitality, saying: “Already during our short time here, we could get a first impression of the excellent ways you, Nita, are promoting sport and athletes in India. What you have achieved in both business and sport is simply remarkable. Through your Reliance Foundation you are bringing the Olympic values to millions of students, giving them the opportunity to build their lives in and through sport. You are spreading the Olympic spirit across your vast country and in this way, you are making the world a better place through sport.”
Turning to esports, the IOC President noted that there are three billion people playing esports and gaming around the world. It is estimated that over 500 million of them are interested specifically in esports, which includes virtual sports and sport simulations. Thomas Bach said: “What is even more relevant to us: a majority of them are under the age of 34.”
The IOC President announced: “I have asked our new IOC Esports Commission to study the creation of Olympic Esports Games.”
The IOC has been engaging with esports since 2018 in a holistic way. “We chose an approach that would allow us to be active in the esports space while staying true to our values that have guided us for over a century. With respect to esports, our values are and remain the red line that we will not cross. Our crystal-clear position is gaining more and more respect also in the esports community. One of the leading publishers even adapted their popular game to conform fully with our Olympic values – so that players shot at targets, not at people,” the IOC President emphasised.
The first engagement of the IOC with the esports community was the organisation of the Esports Forum in 2018 in Lausanne, followed by the set-up of an Esports Liaison Group to have a platform to engage with all the esports stakeholders. In 2021, the IOC developed the Olympic Virtual Series. It was the IOC’s first pilot venture in esports.
President Bach explained: “Building on the learnings from this Olympic Virtual Series, we then launched the Olympic Esports Week in Singapore earlier this year. In Singapore, we saw proof that our holistic approach is working. We successfully brought together the Olympic and the esports communities.”
A highlight of the Olympic Esports Week was the thrilling live finals, created in collaboration with the International Sports Federations (IFs) and publishers. Over 130 players from across the globe came together to compete in the Olympic spirit on the global stage, in 10 mixed-gender category events. Players were cheered on by a full house of fans in Singapore, with all the action streamed online. Including the qualifiers, the Olympic Esports Series attracted over 500,000 unique participants. The Olympic Esports Series generated more than 6 million views of live action over all channels, with 75 per cent of views from people aged 13 until 34.
“This was a promising start. But it is just that: a start. It is like in any sport: after even a promising start, the real race still lies ahead,” Thomas Bach concluded.
In his speech he also addressed the topic of artificial intelligence (AI): “Our continued success depends on how we embrace the ever-accelerating development of digital technology and in particular AI. This makes our Olympic Agenda 2020 imperative, ‘change or be changed’, even more urgent.”
He called for a change of mindset in the Olympic Movement in order to seize this opportunity: “The younger generation has a completely new way of thinking. They are living digital lives right now. We must not ignore their thinking if we do not want to jeopardise our own future. We must empower them to guide us with their young mindset.”
The President said the IOC must be in the driver’s seat: “We have to devise a holistic analysis of the opportunities and risks of AI – and then take action immediately. I am happy to inform you that this work is already underway. If things go well, you may see some first consequences of this already in Paris.” The IOC has created an AI working group of experts to guide its efforts.
Noting that another key principle of the reforms of Olympic Agenda 2020 was that sport needs to go where the people are, the IOC President said: “This is true for both worlds – the real and the digital one. Today sport has to compete for the time and attention of young people. Therefore, we have to reach out to the youth where they are in this digital world. This is not just a technological imperative. This is also a demographic imperative.”
Continuing his opening speech, President Bach noted the growing excitement for the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the “Games of a New Era” and the first to be organised fully in line with Olympic Agenda 2020 and Olympic Agenda 2020+5 from start to finish.
Political leaders have also expressed their support for the Games. Most recently, at their Summit in India, the G20 Leaders in their Declaration said that they “look forward to the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2024 as a symbol of peace, dialogue amongst nations and inclusivity, with participation of all.”
Concluding his opening presentation, the IOC President addressed Prime Minister Modi directly again, saying: “For this commitment, I would like to thank the host and chair of this G20 Summit, the Prime Minister of India, His Excellency Narendra Modi. We have a certain idea how difficult it is to reach a consensus in these divisive and confrontational times we are living in. Congratulations and thank you, Prime Minister Modi, for your leadership and your great support for the Olympic Games.”
6月11日华盛顿讯，美国最高法院今晚驳回了阿拉巴马州使用氮气处决一名男子的请求。此前，两家下级法院已裁定此方法违反宪法中禁止残酷和非常规惩罚的条款，并阻止了该州执行死刑。 就在49岁的杰弗里·李（Jeffery Lee）定于当地时间今天下午6点被执行死刑的几个小时前，阿拉巴马州提交了紧急处决令申请。 美国最高法院大法官克拉伦斯·托马斯（Clarence Thomas）、塞缪尔·阿利托（Samuel Alito）和尼尔·戈萨奇（Neil Gorsuch）表示持反对意见，并主张批准该州推翻下级法院裁决的请求。 杰弗里·李因在1998年一起当铺抢劫案中杀害两人而被定罪；虽然他暂时免于被处以氮气死刑，但该州仍可尝试其他执行方式，目前尚不清楚该州将以多快的速度寻求可行的替代方案。 该州总检察长史蒂夫·马歇尔（Steve Marshall）表示：“今晚的裁决是对正义的背离，这并非针对我们，而是针对吉米·埃利斯（Jimmy Ellis）和伊莱恩·汤普森（Elaine Thompson)，他们遭到了杰弗里·李残忍且毫无理性的杀害。我要让他们的家人知道，我们将永不停歇地为吉米和伊莱恩寻求正义。” 阿拉巴马州州长凯·艾维（Kay Ivey）在一份声明中表示，该州仍可重新安排对杰弗里·李执行死刑。 艾维指出：“尽管最高法院未允许州政府按杰弗里·李所选的方式执行死刑，令我感到失望，但我仍致力于确保其受害者最终获得正义。”…
6月10日纽约讯，据美国哥伦比亚广播公司（CBS）报道，在美国经济形势的严峻情况下，许多教师被迫从事第二份工作。 报道称，一位现年54岁，从小就立志成为一名教师，来自新泽西州普莱恩菲尔德的克里斯汀·里格尔（Christine Regal）说：“我就是喜欢和孩子们在一起，我爱这些孩子。我教书已经26年了，至今仍与许多学生保持着联系。” 据报道，在巴洛小学（Barlow Elementary School）任教二年级的里格尔称，为了维持生计，她这份对教育事业的热爱，需要她从事多份兼职工作来补贴家用。里格尔在学校负责监管学生的早餐和午餐时段，放学后还要为学生提供辅导，同时还在“芝士蛋糕工厂”（Cheesecake Factory）餐厅兼职工作。 里格尔在谈及经济困境时说：“我感觉各方面的开销都在重创我的钱包，就在上周末，给车加油就花了我70美元。昨晚我去买菜，只买了两袋东西就花了160美元。这些就是让我感到吃力的地方。” 里格尔表示，暑假期间她将继续做服务员以赚取额外收入。此外，她还得为教学用品预留预算；为了补充班级所需的物资，她每年通常会自掏腰包花费高达1500美元。 目前单身的里格尔表示：“幸运的是，我有一位搭档老师，我们分担所有工作；但我知道她也感受到了压力，我们已经沟通过了——我们可能得放慢节奏，尤其是考虑到她的情况，因为她刚生了宝宝。” 里格尔在谈到她“大概”会在60岁时退休时说：“我会继续努力工作、不断存钱，然后祈祷等我到了60岁时，情况会有很大的改观。” 据报道，沃尔顿家族基金会（Walton Family Foundation）与盖洛普（Gallup）于3月联合发布的年度《面向未来的教学》（Teaching for…
6月11日巴哈马拿骚讯，巴哈马当局表示，已逮捕5名来自美国的游轮乘客，他们被指控在该加勒比群岛袭击警务人员并拒捕。 巴哈马警方6月9日发表声明称，这3名女性和2名男性美国游轮乘客在巴哈马首都拿骚（Nassau）的港口卷入了一场涉及多名游轮乘客的打斗事件。该事件发生在6月8日晚间。 巴哈马警方官员们表示，当警员准备搜查这5名被捕嫌疑人时，在警察局内发生了“激烈的肢体冲突”。据警方声明，其中一名女子被指控投掷椅子砸碎了玻璃门；随后，一名男子被指控踢破剩余的玻璃并试图逃跑。 巴哈马当局表示，有4名警员受伤，其中1人左肩重伤，已被送往医院。 巴哈马“目击者新闻”（Eyewitness News Bahamas）播出的一段视频显示，当警员上前实施逮捕时，一名男子正从破损的门洞中爬出。巴哈马“我们的新闻”（Our News Bahamas）获得的另一段视频则显示有人被推倒在地。 巴哈马当局指控这5名嫌疑人袭击警务人员、在公共场所斗殴、拒捕、蓄意破坏以及在警局内行为不检。这5名美国游客目前仍被拘留，当地警方表示调查工作正在进行中。
6月11日华盛顿讯，美国五角大楼今天在因“空气质量问题”而发布“就地避险”指令数小时后，恢复了“正常运作”。今天上午，危险品处置小组和弗吉尼亚州应急响应团队已部署至五角大楼。 五角大楼首席发言人肖恩·帕内尔（Sean Parnell）在一份声明中表示：“今天早些时候，五角大楼内的人员获悉可能存在空气质量问题，随即采取了预防性安全措施并进行了评估。随后的检测证实不存在安全隐患，目前已恢复正常运作。” 帕内尔说道：“我们衷心感谢应急响应人员迅速采取行动，确保了所有人员的安全。” 帕内尔在初步声明中表示：“国防部正在执行标准防护规程，包括针对受影响区域发布‘就地避险’指令。应急响应团队已到位，随时准备为大楼内人员提供协助。” 五角大楼员工收到一条紧急通知，称“后续检测可能需要一到两个小时。应急响应团队已到位，随时准备在必要时为大楼内人员提供协助。” 在初步应对行动期间，五角大楼所在地美国弗吉尼亚州东北部的阿灵顿县消防局（ACFD）今天在社交媒体平台X上发文称，包括其危险品处置小组在内的应急力量正在五角大楼开展行动，协助五角大楼部队保护局（PFPA）的危险品处置小组处理一起涉及危险物质的事件。
6月11日华盛顿讯，美国劳工部（DOL）今天公布的数据显示，衡量通胀传导至消费者之前阶段的生产者价格指数（PPI）在5月份同比飙升6.5%。从环比来看，美国生产者价格指数较4月份上涨1.1%，涨幅超过了金融数据公司FactSet调查的经济学家此前预测的0.6%。 受伊朗战争引发的能源价格上涨影响，美国企业面临的通胀压力在5月份激增，达到自2022年11月以来的最高水平。 在美国劳工部发布高于预期的通胀数据的前一天，所公布的消费者价格指数（CPI）显示，美国5月份通胀年率飙升至4.2%，创下三年多来的最高水平。尽管生产者价格指数并不直接反映消费者价格的变化，但如果美国企业将成本转嫁给客户，它可能会推高整体通胀水平。 5月份的数据凸显了今年美国通胀前景的剧烈变化，其中汽油价格持续高位运行。通胀卷土重来也可能促使美联储按兵不动，一些华尔街经济学家推测，决策者加息的可能性要大于降息。 市场普遍预计，在美联储定于6月16日至17日举行的下次会议上将维持利率不变，同时密切关注最新的通胀数据。 生产者价格指数数据显示，从今年4月到5月，美国批发汽油价格飙升了超过23%，与去年同期相比涨幅近70%。虽然6月份汽油价格略有回落，但最新的生产者价格指数报告并未反映这一变化，因为该报告统计的是上个月的数据。 在剔除波动较大的食品和能源价格后，所谓的“核心批发价格”在5月份环比上涨0.4%，同比上涨4.9%。批发价格数据可以预示消费者通胀的未来走势。经济学家之所以关注这一指标，还因为其中的部分构成要素，特别是医疗保健和金融服务，会传导至美联储首选的通胀衡量指标，即个人消费支出（PCE）指数。 分析师认为，综合5月份的消费者价格指数（CPI）和生产者价格指数数据来看，个人消费支出指数实时追踪模型显示，美国5月份整体价格将上涨0.5%，核心价格将上涨0.3%。这将推动整体个人消费支出指数升至4.2%，创下自2023年4月以来的最高水平。”
6月11日伦敦讯，德国时尚公司雨果博斯 （Hugo Boss ）今天股价飙升约 8%，此前其最大股东英国零售商弗雷泽斯集团（Frasers Group ）宣布了对该公司的收购要约，总价值达 20 亿欧元。 持有雨果博斯公司26% 股份的英国弗雷泽斯集团6月10日晚间表示，将以每股 38 欧元的现金价格收购雨果博斯公司其余股份，总交易对价为 19.78 亿欧元（约合…