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South Sudan's Olympic basketball team receives heroes' welcome at home

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      China

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      South Sudan's Olympic basketball team receives heroes' welcome at home

      2024-08-10 10:45 Last Updated At:11:07

      South Sudan's men's basketball team have received a heroes' welcome in the country's capital Juba after returning from France.

      The team made history by beating Puerto Rico 90 points to 79 in their first-ever Olympics, and put up a spirited performance against the tournament favorites, the United States.

      With the defeat to the U.S. and Serbia, they ultimately bowed out in the group stage. But that didn't stop the Bright Stars becoming a source of joy for the world's youngest nation.

      Many residents in Juba have decided to be off from work, and have come in large numbers to welcome the team that has returned from the Paris Olympics.

      As players get out of the plane in Juba, thousands of supporters are awaiting their Olympic basketball stars.

      "I came at six o'clock in the morning. I am very happy, I have been waiting, and now the team has arrived. I want them to stay for a week or two with us before they return to their respective clubs," said James Magok, a resident.

      "The basketballers are back in town and we are so proud of them. Though they did not make it to the last stage, we are so grateful that they managed to represent us at the global stage and put our name on the map," said Arek Abraham, South Sudan's candidate for the 71st Miss World beauty pageant.

      From Juba Airport, the team drove across the city then headed to the basketball stadium.

      South Sudan's government says the impact of the basketball team goes beyond sport.

      "Let me tell you this, you have turned the trend of what is happening in our country, now the young people, the youth that I am responsible for, you have changed them and you have united them," said Rebecca Nyandeng, Vice President of South Sudan.

      South Sudan basketball players say what keeps them going is the unwavering support they get from fans at home.

      The next competition for the Bright Stars is Afro Basketball in November where the team will meet Mozambique, Mali and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

      South Sudan's Olympic basketball team receives heroes' welcome at home

      South Sudan's Olympic basketball team receives heroes' welcome at home

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      Festive consumption heats up in China as Spring Festival approaches

      2025-01-21 20:59 Last Updated At:21:47

      As the Spring Festival holiday approaches, rural fairs and popular markets in China are seeing a surge in activity as vendors prepare to meet the increased demand for goods and services during the eight-day celebration.

      The Spring Festival, which marks the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year, is the biggest annual holiday in China, when people across the country return to their hometowns for Lunar New Year celebrations and family reunions. This year, it falls on Jan 29, ushering in the Year of the Snake.

      In Zaozhuang City of east China's Shandong Province, the rural market is already filled with a strong festive atmosphere. People are busy buying couplets and other goods for the Spring Festival, with stalls displaying a dazzling array of products and vendors' shouts filling the air.

      The market, which has a history of over 100 years and is held on the forth and ninth days in China's lunar months, has attracted residents from nearby to join in the lively celebrations.

      In Luoyuan County of Fuzhou City in east China's Fujian Province, the locally produced yellow croakers are in high demand. Fisherman said 20 million yellow croakers have been freshly harvested and are now available for purchase.

      "The fish were put into the lake in spring of 2023 and have now grown to an average weight of about 8 liang (about 0.4 kilograms) each," said Huang Jianfeng, a local fish farmer.

      Meanwhile, gold sales continued to boom despite the soaring price, about 634 yuan (over 86 U.S. dollars) per gram as of Monday, as many Chinese consumers buy gold products before the Spring Festival for good luck, or for investment.

      Staff at a gold store in Shenzhen of south China's Guangdong Province said that this year is a lot busier than before.

      "There has been a great increase in the number of customers and sales this year. At the beginning of last year, we could still cope with the guests. But we feel that we are obviously too busy this year," said Cai Yihan, staff member of a gold store in Shuibei, Shenzhen's renowned gold and jewelry district.

      The demand for fresh flowers has also reached its annual high in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

      In its provincial capital Kunming's Dounan Flower Market, which accounts for 70 percent of China's national fresh-cut flower trade, its sales peak is expected to last for about three weeks.

      This year, new varieties like tulips are gaining popularity and are likely to become the most sold in China, according to the Van den Berg Roses Planting Base in Kunming, a rose grower brand from the Netherlands.

      In addition, due to reduced exports from the Netherlands, the main source of tulip imports, China's domestic tulip prices have risen by one fourth compared to last year.

      The increased market demand has led to a significant boost in income for local flower farmers.

      "The strong market demand has led to a 5 percent increase in income for local farmers compared to previous years," said Guo Xinggang, production manager of the Van den Berg Roses Planting Base.

      Festive consumption heats up in China as Spring Festival approaches

      Festive consumption heats up in China as Spring Festival approaches

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