Older Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more sceptical #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/tech/40005194

Older Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more sceptical


Only 50 per cent of Thais believe technology makes a positive contribution to society, according to a new survey conducted in all five regions of the country.

Conducted by Asean communications agency Vero and global market research and data analytics firm YouGov, the survey found that 50 per cent of respondents believe technology has a positive impact on society, 44 per cent are neutral, and 6 per cent believe that technology has a negative impact.

“This study sheds light on how Thai people feel towards technology and identifies segments with differing perceptions, thereby allowing brands to adjust their communication strategies to match their target audience,” said Francisco Sosa Ajates, associate director at YouGov in Southeast Asia.

The same poll was also conducted in Indonesia and Vietnam, with similar demographic diversity. The response trends were similar as well, with Thais expressing more positivity towards tech than Indonesians but less than Vietnamese.

Respondents were drawn from a wide range of social classes, education levels, and age groups, with most belonging to Gen X, Y and Z.

Its results are also segmented by generation and sex to find areas where they differ or align. For example, being older, male, and higher-income all correlate with more positive feelings about tech’s impact on society.

“At a time when digitalisation is so important to the future of Thailand, and when tech companies are playing such a big role in society, there is room for tech brands to position themselves as positive contributors in making life better for people,” said Vero chief communication officer Pattanee Jeeriphab.

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Older Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more scepticalOlder Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more sceptical

This is the second annual study Vero has conducted on the dynamics between people and technology. It asked people about their perceptions and opinions on topics such as the factors that influence them to purchase technology products, their fears and concerns about technology, and the impact of Covid-19 on their behaviours and perceptions. The complete study is available for download on Vero’s website.

Older Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more scepticalOlder Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more sceptical

Covid-19’s impact on tech

YouGov asked a series of questions to better understand how Covid-19 affected tech use and life habits in Thailand. At the time of the survey, the infection rate in Thailand was relatively low, yet 40 per cent of respondents said that they use technology more today because of the Covid-19 crisis and 28 per cent said they will continue the habits adopted during the pandemic even after it is over.

Notably, 43 per cent of Thai respondents said they now do most of their shopping online as a result of Covid-19 while 24 per cent said contactless payment and delivery are very important to them.

Older Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more scepticalOlder Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more sceptical

Worries about tech

The study also asked Thai people to reveal their concerns when purchasing tech products and services. Their most common concern is the likelihood of unknowingly buying counterfeit goods, shared by 48 per cent of respondents, while 45 per cent said that after-sales service is among their primary concerns and 37 per cent said the same about the possibility of data and security breaches.

Older Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more scepticalOlder Thais growing friendlier towards tech – while youngsters grow more sceptical

How tech brands communicate

The study also sought to understand what types of information people in Thailand want from technology companies. The majority (57%) of survey respondents said they want stories about how technology is impacting health and safety.

Nearly as many (51%) want content that teaches them to use technology, while 48 per cent said they want tech brands to share content about how they are improving society, 47 per cent want content about real people using technology, 42 per cent want inspiring content, and 35 per cent want content that entertains them.

“The pandemic has created a desire for content about how to stay safe and well,” said Jeeriphab, noting that in 2020 the most-desired content revolved around real people using technology. “It is also interesting to note that being entertained is last on the list of desires for content from tech brands. Instead, the data indicates a desire to learn and gain knowledge about technology, likely because people realise that there are great benefits to being tech savvy today.”

Published : August 24, 2021

By : The Nation

Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer: Heres whats revealed and what we still dont know #SootinClaimon.Com

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https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/life/40005212

Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer: Heres whats revealed and what we still dont know


The Spider-verse is back. This time in live-action.

The first trailer has been released for “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” a continuation of a trilogy that has given us the popular superhero web-swinging around in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

But things are off to a rocky start.

The trailer was leaked online Sunday, forcing Marvel Studios and Sony to get a high-quality version out into the world Monday, before too many eager eyes got to the pirated version.

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What’s all the fuss? Fans want to know: Just how many Spider-Men are we dealing with in this movie? After all the rumors that anyone who has either been Spider-Man or ever thought about being Spider-Man is in this movie, the anticipation for the trailer was high.

And let us not forget the movie that showed us multiple spider-people in a film can work: The Academy Award-winning “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.” Miles Morales did it first.

So what does the trailer confirm? Well, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is definitely in this movie (which is no surprise) and a key player in potential multiverse shenanigans.

At the end of 2019′s “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” Spider-Man’s secret identity was revealed to the world, and now it seems Peter Parker (Tom Holland), MJ (Zendaya) and all of their closest family and friends are dealing with the consequences of that. The stress of the world knowing who he really is sends Peter to Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum, where he asks the Sorcerer Supreme (whom he got to know in the Avengers movies) if there is a spell he can cast that would make the world forget Peter Parker and Spider-Man are the same person.

Doctor Strange, who before this trailer was known to be one of the MCU’s brightest minds, somehow agrees with Peter’s plea and begins casting a spell. But when Peter says he’s concerned about the few who know his secret being in the dark again, he begins to have second thoughts. Those second thoughts distract Doctor Strange enough that the spell doesn’t cast as intended and boom: instant multiverse madness.

Magic and alternate realities are nothing new to the MCU after “WandaVision” and “Loki” on Disney Plus, but neither of those successful shows have attempted what this Spider-Man movie is apparently destined to do.

Those other Spider-Men? Are they here? With the fabric of reality now ripped, are we going to see the original $100 million opening-weekend hero that is Tobey Maguire and the guy he passed his web-shooters to, Andrew Garfield? Can three Spider-Men fit into one movie? Is that even really happening given that we do not see them in this trailer? If they are here, is it for major roles or just quick cameos?

It’s too early to know, and honestly foolish to think that we would get those answers so soon. You may just have to wait until Christmas, when this movie is released.

But the few surprises that are given in this trailer hint that such anticipation could be warranted. There’s the Green Goblin pumpkin bomb we saw rolling around, Jamie Foxx’s return as Electro (which he hinted at in since-deleted Instagram posts), and a final treat: the confirmation of the return of Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus. The villains? They are a-coming. From multiple Spider-Man movie universes.

The other Spider-Guys? Time, as fractured as it is in this universe now, will tell.

Published : August 25, 2021

By : The Washington Post · David Betancourt

Flight attendants are learning to fight back against unruly passengers – just in case #SootinClaimon.Com

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https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/life/40005273

Flight attendants are learning to fight back against unruly passengers – just in case


“You want a drink, sir?”

The passenger looked up at the male flight attendant, then slurred a request for five more drinks. The flight attendant refused, causing the drunk traveler to become irate.

He lunged out of his seat toward the flight attendant when an air marshal appeared, pummeling the unruly passenger. The man’s hands were now cuffed behind his back.

This was just a drill. The drunk passenger was from the Federal Air Marshal Service. But the dangerous behavior flight crews are dealing with in the skies today is very real.

In a nondescript office building near LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, a group of real flight attendants watched the drill in a fake airplane, beginning their four-hour self-defense training run by the Transportation Security Administration. TSA has offered these classes across the country free of charge to flight crew since 2004, but they seem more relevant than ever.

As air travel began to rebound from its pandemic rock-bottom, so has bad passenger behavior. The Federal Aviation Administration has received nearly 4,000 reports of unruly passengers in 2021, an uptick from the 146 total reports received in 2019.

“This is the most dangerous and uncertain time in our entire history,” said Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.

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Nelson says the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the profession for myriad reasons, from the fear of contracting coronavirus to the logistic issues of returning to an industry operating with a staffing shortage.

“Flight attendants are working longer days with shorter nights, wearing masks for 14, 15 hours a day . . . having a harder time getting nutrition throughout the day and charged with keeping everyone safe on the plane,” Nelson said. “Those are just the basics.”

While most flights get from A to B without incident, the new stressors are driving flight attendants to seek out TSA’s voluntary self-defense training.

“I just wanted to make sure that I’m prepared for anything that could happen,” says Katie, a flight attendant attending the training at the Federal Air Marshal Service (F.A.M.S.) New York field office. So she could speak freely, she asked that her last name and employer to be kept private.

During her 17 years working in the industry, Katie was always interested in enrolling in the class, but because it only takes place at a handful of locations across the country, it was difficult to find the right free time in her travel schedule.

During the pandemic, the monthly four-hour classes were put on hiatus until July of this year. When Katie got an email announcing class openings in the New York area, she jumped at the opportunity to attend.

“I’ve been involved in situations before,” she said. “And we have de-escalation scenarios that we try to run through to the best of our abilities, but sometimes it just gets to a level that we need a little extra defense training,” she said.

After watching the pretend scenarios in the simulated airplane, the flight attendants were taken to a room with a padded mat floor to learn how to physically and mentally prepare themselves for aggressive-passenger interactions.

Flight attendants are learning to fight back against unruly passengers - just in caseFlight attendants are learning to fight back against unruly passengers – just in case

The instructors demonstrated how to stand, move and approach an attacker, as well as fight or defend themselves with their hands, elbows, palms, knees, feet and shins. Some techniques are standard, like a punch to the face. Others are new, like raking an attacker’s face with your nails. The flight attendants wince at the mention of gouging an attacker’s eyes.

“Remember, this guy is attacking you,” the air marshal said, encouraging the class to keep their warrior mind-set.

Katie and the other flight attendants practiced their new techniques on the air marshals, punching bags and B.O.B.s, or “Body Opponent Bags,” life-size dummies.

“I want you to strike through him,” an air marshal told Katie’s group of flight attendants while demonstrating a palm heel strike to a B.O.B. “I want you to take his head off.”

Judith, another flight attendant in attendance who requested to keep her last name and employer private, believes unruly passengers have been an issue for the airline industry for years. It is not just the pandemic triggering the latest violence.

“I think it’s the many layers of stress,” said Judith, who has been a flight attendant for nearly a decade. “There is the stress of getting to the airport, the stress of going through the security, stress of getting up early, stress of traveling, stress of family, traveling with family.”

Stephanie Metzger, a supervisory air marshal in charge who was on-site for the training, said a big part of the class is to build self confidence, as well as give flight crew critical self-defense lessons. The right mind-set is essential for carrying out the defenses.

“This is important training for flight attendants because it prepares them with the basic skills that are needed for them to be able to address unruly passengers on board aircraft,” Metzger said.

Nelson agrees. Taking the class one time is not enough to turn flight attendants into self-defense experts, and it is not going to solve the issue of violence on planes, but “it gives just some basic maneuvers to help better protect yourself from getting hurt,” she said.

The flight attendants finished the class sweating and tired. Despite the serious nature of the course, they ended on a high note, laughing and swapping contact information with the air marshals who encouraged them to return to the class whenever they would like.

Katie hopes she will be able to take refresher courses to keep her new skills fresh in her mind going forward.

“I hope that it doesn’t get to the physical level but more and more these days it has been sort of getting to the physical level,” she said. “I think it’s really important to make sure that you’re prepared for that as well.”

Judith, who had never taken self-defense or martial arts classes before her TSA experience, found the training rewarding albeit conflicting.

“I don’t want to hurt anybody. I never want to use these techniques on a real person,” she said. “But it was surprisingly fun and very gratifying to see how a little technique can really do big changes.”

Published : August 26, 2021

Locally made Covid-19 test kit ready for FDA approval #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40005298

Locally made Covid-19 test kit ready for FDA approval


The locally-made “COVYD-19 Ab Test Kit” is ready and was submitted for Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval on Thursday. This kit is believed to match the standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is said to be easy to use as well as provide fast, accurate results. 

The Thai Khu Fah Facebook page announced on Thursday that the new Covid-19 test kits developed by the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology will be used in research institutes to determine the level of immunity before and after vaccination. 


The kit indicates the level of antibodies available against Covid-19 and requires a reading machine that is available in laboratories and general hospitals. 


“Conducting immunity tests at the population level is key to effective vaccine management, frontline personnel management and to determine what measures should be implemented for public health,” the post read.

Published : August 26, 2021

Toddlers must also be jabbed to boost herd immunity, advises virologist #SootinClaimon.Com

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40005294on.

Toddlers must also be jabbed to boost herd immunity, advises virologist


Chulalongkorn University’s virology specialist Dr Yong Poovorawan on Wednesday suggested that Covid-19 jabs be provided to children aged three and above in a bid to create herd immunity.

“Even though children may not develop severe symptoms, they should not be virus carriers,” he said.

Separately, he said the Sinovac-AstraZeneca cocktail dose provided as much immunity as two AstraZeneca doses, citing a study on 70 to 80 people.

Also, he said, the Sinovac-AstraZeneca cocktail can be administered within a three-week interval compared to the eight or 10-week interval for two AstraZeneca doses.

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Dr Yong added that 190 of the 500 medical staff who had received an AstraZeneca booster after getting two Sinovac jabs had 100 times more antibodies than they did with two Sinovac jabs.

He said that the 190 medics may be almost 100 per cent protected against the Covid-19 Delta variant but not against the Beta variant.

He added that compared to Sinovac, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines provide 17 times more immunity and AstraZeneca nine times more immunity.

Published : August 26, 2021

Thailand to use 5 different vaccination formulas #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/life/40005258

Thailand to use 5 different vaccination formulas


Thailand will use five formulas to vaccinate different target groups against Covid-19, the Public Ministry revealed on Wednesday.

For the general population – adults aged over 18, the elderly, the chronically ill and women more than 3 months pregnant – 2 formulas will be used. The main formula will be a shot of Sinovac followed by a shot of AstraZeneca vaccine 3 weeks apart. Those who have already had their first dose of AstraZeneca will receive a second dose of the same vaccine 12 weeks later.

Children aged 12-18 with chronic health conditions and women more than 3 months pregnant will receive 2 shots of Pfizer vaccine, 3 weeks apart.

Frontline health workers will be vaccinated with one of 5 formulas:

– Those who have had two doses of Sinovac or Sinopharm will get a booster shot of Pfizer or AstraZeneca.

– Those who have had one dose of Sinovac, Sinopharm or AstraZeneca will get a second dose of Pfizer after a period determined by the brand of the first shot.

– A first dose of Sinovac and followed by AstraZeneca, 3 weeks apart (cross-vaccination formula).

– Two doses of Pfizer, 3 weeks apart.

– Two doses of AstraZeneca, 12 weeks apart.

Pfizer vaccine will be distributed to the 13 provinces in the Dark Red zone of high infections, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the 12 million doses of Sinovac in the August-September procurement plan will arrive in time for cross-vaccination with AstraZeneca, it added.

Data showed side effects after cross-vaccination did not vary with different brands, said Dr Chawetsan Namwat, director for emergency health hazards and diseases.

Published : August 26, 2021

By : The Nation

Clinical trials show ChulaCov19 vaccine boosts immunity against Covid and variants #SootinClaimon.Com

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40005246

Clinical trials show ChulaCov19 vaccine boosts immunity against Covid and variants


Clinical trials for the Thai “ChulaCov19” mRNA vaccine have been a success as healthy volunteers to whom it was administered are found to have good immunity after they have been vaccinated.

Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society, and the Vaccine Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University held a press conference to report on the progress of the locally made vaccine.

The volunteers’ antibodies have been greatly boosted to prevent the original strain of the virus, and four other variants, namely Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta, they said. Manufacturing and preparation for registration to be used in an emergency are underway.

Professor Suttipong Wacharasindhu, director of Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society, and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University said: “It is gratifying that the development of ChulaCov19 vaccine is advancing as planned and gaining the public’s confidence in the safety of the testing process.”

ChulaCov19 vaccine was designed and developed by a team of Thai researchers working in collaboration with Pennsylvania University’s Professor Drew Weissman, a physician-scientist who too wants to make the mRNA vaccine technology more accessible to people, especially in countries with moderate and low incomes.

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The good news from the Phase 1 clinical trial is that the subjects, after having received the second injection for seven days, showed mild to moderate side-effects, localised pain in the injected arm, fatigue, fever, and chills, but the symptoms improved within one to three days on average. Also, it was found that ChulaCov19 could boost high antibodies immunity against the original strain of the virus, Suttipong said.

In addition, the vaccine can inhibit all four mutated strains: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta by more than 80 per cent, while boosting T-cell immunity which helps to eliminate and control the pathogen in the cells of infected people as well, he added.

Vaccine temperature endurance tests showed that ChulaCov19 could be stored at 2-8 degrees Celsius refrigeration for as long as three months and can also be kept at room temperature of 25 degrees Celsius for two weeks. This makes the vaccine much easier to store than other types of mRNA Covid-19 vaccines.

Published : August 25, 2021

By : The Nation

Four subvariants of Delta discovered in Thailand #SootinClaimon.Com

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https://www.nationthailand.com/blogs/life/40005201

Four subvariants of Delta discovered in Thailand


Four new subspecies of Covid-19’s Delta variant have been found in samples analysed by Ramathibodi Hospital, health officials reported on Tuesday.

The new subspecies were found among more than 2,000 new cases sampled randomly from around the country, said Department of Medical Sciences chief Dr Supakit Sirilak.

The AY.4 (B.1.617.2.4) subspecies was found in Pathum Thani (4 cases), Buri Ram (1 case), Kamphaeng Phet (1 case), Chiang Mai (1 case), Samut Prakan (1 case), and Chonburi (1 case).

The AY.6 (B.1.617.2.6) subspecies was found in Bangkok (1 case).

The AY.10 (B.1.617.2.10) subspecies was found in Bangkok (1 case).

And the AY.12 (B.1.617.2.15) subspecies was found in Bangkok’s Phaya Thai district (1 case) and Surat Thani (2 cases).

All four subspecies have been recorded previously in other countries, including Britain, Spain, Denmark and the United States.

Dr Wasun Chantratita, head of Mahidol University’s Centre for Medical Genomics, said the new subspecies underlined the need for prevention via disease controls and vaccination.

Thailand logged 17,165 new Covid-19 cases on Tuesday, the fewest since July 30, with a death toll of 226.

Published : August 24, 2021

By : The Nation

Worawut, Choktawee given the reins of Thai under-23 national football team #SootinClaimon.Com

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40005286

Worawut, Choktawee given the reins of Thai under-23 national football team


Two former national players, Worawut Srimaka and Choktawee Promrat, have been appointed by the Football Association of Thailand as head coach and assistant coach of the national under-23 team.

Worawut, who had led the national under-23 team to a gold medal in the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia, said working for the Thai national football team is an honour.

The national under-23 team will compete in the 2022 AFC U-23 Asian Cup qualification in Mongolia from October 23-31.

The team is placed in group J, together with Malaysia, Laos and hosts Mongolia.

Worawut vowed to do his best in leading the team to among the top two in the group, adding he was ready to start work immediately.

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Nualphan Lamsam, manager of the Thai national football team and the under-23 team, said Worawut and Choktawee are appropriate for the job to fulfil the expectations of the association and football fans because they have the knowledge and the ability.

“Also, they have proved with their performance in international competitions,” she added.

Worawut has also led many Thai football clubs, such as Songkhla FC, Suphanburi FC and Chonburi FC.

His deputy, Choktawee, had been assistant coach of the Thai national team that was led by Kiatisuk “Zico” Senamuang and Sirisak Yodyardthai. He had led Thailand’s national under-23 team to the gold at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore.

The matches in Group J are:

Oct 25: Thailand vs Mongolia

Oct 28: Thailand vs Laos

Oct 31: Thailand vs Malaysia

Meanwhile, many football fans are keeping an eye on who will be the next head coach of the Thai national football team in place of Akira Nishino, who was sacked after the team failed to qualify for the 2022 Fifa World Cup.

Published : August 26, 2021

Day 1 Roundup: Australia tops medal standings with 6 golds at Tokyo Paralympics #SootinClaimon.Com

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https://www.nationthailand.com/life/40005280

Day 1 Roundup: Australia tops medal standings with 6 golds at Tokyo Paralympics


Australian Paralympians won 10 medals on Day 1 to put their country on top of the Tokyo Paralympic medal tally, followed by China with eight medals, including five golds.

Australia on Wednesday won six golds, topping the medal standings with 10 medals on the first day of the Tokyo Paralympics, while China is in the close second with five golds.

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Cyclist Paige Greco bagged the first gold of the Games for Australia, winning the women’s track cycling C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit event. Greco also refreshed the previous C3 class world record which she created in the qualification on the same day.

“It feels amazing,” Greco said. “I still can’t believe it. I keep looking down and seeing (the gold medal). It’s not really sunk in yet.”

Paige Greco of Australia competes during the womenPaige Greco of Australia competes during the women

It was the first of the 24 gold medals up for grabs on Wednesday as the Games kicked off after a year’s delay due to COVID-19.

Medals were also awarded in swimming and wheelchair fencing.

China swept all the four golds in wheelchair fencing on Wednesday, bringing its medal total to eight.

Wheelchair fencer Li Hao beat Ukraine’s Artem Manko to claim China’s first gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics. This was also the first gold the 26-year-old won in his Paralympic debut.

“I wanted to try my best and what we practised as usual. I was just using my pace to get every point,” Li said.

Later, Chinese swimmer Zhang Li won the fifth gold for the country in the women’s 200m freestyle-S5, after a stunning late surge in the last 50m to beat Britain’s Tully Kearney.

“I spent five years preparing for this. At the last turn I was able to see Tully Kearney, who was in the first place. I just told myself to go for it. I just kept chasing, and I finally was able to do it,” Zhang said.

The 23-year-old first competed in the Rio 2016 Paralympics, taking home three golds.  

Gold medalist Zhang Li of China poses at the awarding ceremony after the womenGold medalist Zhang Li of China poses at the awarding ceremony after the women

Published : August 26, 2021