Latest news with #AmericanIndependence
Epoch Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
NTD Photography Competition Extends Its Registration Deadline
Since registration opened this spring, the upcoming 5th NTD International Photography Competition has received entries from nearly 50 countries across five continents in just a few short months. Recently, the organizers announced that the registration deadline will be extended from the original July 31 to Sept. 30, in hopes of encouraging more talented photographers to participate. The NTD International Photography Competition is one of the international arts and cultural events organized by New Tang Dynasty Television. This competition aims to promote cultural and artistic exchange among photography enthusiasts worldwide, uphold traditional values and aesthetics, and inspire uplifting and meaningful photographs. 'So far, we've received registrations from photographers in 48 countries around the world,' said Lucy Zhou, director of the NTD Competition. 'From the UK and France to India and Iran, from Peru to Algeria—participants come from ... five continents, including [the countries of] China, the United States, and Taiwan.' Reviving Tradition The competition is dedicated to reviving traditional aesthetic principles by showcasing kindness, beauty, brightness, and the natural state. It also aims to preserve cultural heritage while providing photographers with a global platform to showcase their talents and share their visual works with a wider audience. The competition entries are divided into two categories: 'Social Relations and Humanity' and 'Landscape and Nature.' The 'Social Relations and Humanity' category includes images of human life in its natural state, portraits, folk culture, humor, human-animal interaction, and human-environment interaction. Participants are allowed to adjust brightness, color balance, and sharpness, as long as the final result appears natural. However, no elements may be added, removed, or altered in the content of the photograph. The 'Landscape and Nature' category includes scenes and subjects in their natural state, as well as architecture and landscapes. Participants are allowed to adjust brightness, color balance, and sharpness, but the final image must retain a natural appearance. Submissions that alter the natural characteristics through post-processing, or that involve adding, deleting, or modifying content elements, will not be accepted. New Awards This year's competition has introduced three new special awards: the Best Work Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of American Independence, the Best Sports Photography Award, and the Best Chinese Photographer Award. Renee Luo, photographer and judge of the NTD Photography Competition, stated that the photographic works from each country possess their own unique characteristics, which are closely tied to the region's geography and cultural heritage. Luo looks forward to seeing submissions from more countries and regions that reflect their unique cultural characteristics, and she especially encourages Chinese photographers to participate in the competition. The Prizes Each category will award the following prizes: Gold Award: 1 winner per category (2 total), each receiving $5,000 or equivalent value in photography equipment/products, plus a certificate. Silver Award: 2 winners per category (4 total), each receiving $2,500 or equivalent value in photography equipment/products, plus a certificate. Bronze Award: 3 winners per category (6 total), each receiving $1,000 or equivalent value in photography equipment/products, plus a certificate. Honorable Mention: 10 winners per category (20 total), each receiving $300 or equivalent value in photography equipment/products, plus a certificate. The three special awards—Best Work Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of American Independence, Best Sports Photography Award, and Best Chinese Photographer Award—each carry a prize of $2,000 or equivalent value in photography equipment/products, along with a certificate. The registration deadline is Sept. 30, 2025. The awards ceremony and finalist exhibition will be held in New York in January 2026.
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump's ‘Hero garden' is coming - where Abraham Lincoln will stand next to Julia Child
Americans could soon get the chance to walk by life-size statues of luminaries, including Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Muhammad Ali, after President Donald Trump's 'National Garden of American Heroes' was greenlit. Packed into the president's so-called 'big, beautiful bill' that was passed earlier this month is a 2025 executive order to build the garden to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. Trump originally proposed the garden in January 2021 as confederate statues were being torn down across the country. The initial executive order states: 'The National Garden is America's answer to this reckless attempt to erase our heroes, values, and entire way of life.' The newly passed legislation carves out $40 million to build the garden filled with statues of deceased historical figures — in either marble, granite, bronze, copper, or brass, according to the National Endowment for the Humanities. The 2021 executive order laid out nearly 250 names, including TV fixtures Julia Child and Alex Trebek, literary icons Emily Dickinson and Edgar Allen Poe, pioneers Amelia Earhart and Sally Ride, sports stars Kobe Bryant and Jackie Robinson, scientists Albert Einstein and Jonas Salk, performers Whitney Houston and Humphrey Bogart, and former presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. A White House spokesperson confirmed to The Independent the White House is planning on using the list from the 2021 executive order when considering which statues will be made for the garden. The original list includes 53 persons of color and 53 women, according to a Washington Post analysis. Notably, the 2021 list was made years before Trump's anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion push. As a result, federal agencies have since scrubbed references to several historic figures they deemed as 'DEI' material, including civil rights heroes and trailblazing Black Americans. In March, the Pentagon removed a webpage about Jackie Robinson, who famously broke baseball's color barrier. A spokesperson for the Pentagon told The Independent at the time: 'As Secretary Hegseth has said, DEI is dead at the Defense Department. Discriminatory Equity Ideology is a form of Woke cultural Marxism that has no place in our military.' Although the original plan was to open the park in time for the July 4, 2026 celebration, the president now hopes for the garden to be completed 'as expeditiously as possible,' according to the 2025 executive order. The site of the garden hasn't yet been determined, but South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden suggested the park be built in his state's Black Hills. In a March letter to Trump, he said: 'We have a plot of land available in sight of Mount Rushmore that would be ideal for this fantastic effort.' Local indigenous groups have opposed the idea.
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Donald Trump says he wants to stage UFC fight on White House grounds
US president Donald Trump said Thursday that he's thinking of staging a UFC match on the White House grounds with upwards 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of American independence. 'We have a lot of land there,' said Trump, a UFC enthusiast who has attended several of its mixed martial arts matches in recent months and is close friends with Dana White, the league's president. Trump announced his plan in Iowa during the kickoff for a year's worth of festivities to celebrate America's 250th birthday on 4 July 2026. The Republican president also announced a culminating festival on the National Mall in Washington, and a separate athletic competition featuring high school athletes from across the country. 'So every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250. And I even think we're going to have a UFC fight,' Trump said. ″Think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there,' he said, adding that it would be a 'full fight' with 20,000 to 25,000 people. A White House spokesperson said they had no details to share beyond the president's announcement, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt later said Trump was 'dead serious' about those plans. Trump has recently enjoyed standing ovations and cage-side seats for several UFC fights, including an appearance immediately after his 2024 reelection and another just last month alongside White for two championship fights.
National Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Trump considers UFC fight at the White House to celebrate 250th Independence Day
President Donald Trump said Thursday that he's thinking of staging a UFC match on the White House grounds with upwards 20,000 spectators to celebrate 250 years of American independence. Article content 'We have a lot of land there,' said Trump, a UFC enthusiast who has attended several of its mixed martial arts matches in recent months and is close friends with Dana White, the league's president. Article content Article content Article content Trump announced his plan in Iowa during the kickoff for a year's worth of festivities to celebrate America's 250th birthday on July 4, 2026. Article content Article content The Republican president also announced a culminating festival on the National Mall in Washington, and a separate athletic competition featuring high school athletes from across the country. Article content 'So every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honor of America 250. And I even think we're going to have a UFC fight,' Trump said. Article content ″Think of this on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there,' he said, adding that it would be a 'full fight' with 20,000 to 25,000 people. Article content A White House spokesperson said they had no details to share beyond the president's announcement. Article content Trump has recently enjoyed standing ovations and cage-side seats for several UFC fights, including an appearance immediately after his 2024 reelection and another just last month alongside White for two championship fights. Article content
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Trump Plans To Host A UFC Event On White House Grounds Next Year
President Donald Trump on Thursday said he plans to host a UFC mixed martial arts event at the White House grounds and multiple other special events across the country next year—including an athletic competition called the 'Patriot Games'—as part of a celebration marking 250 years of American independence. President Donald Trump has been seen at multiple UFC events in the recent years, the the promotion's ... More president Dana White has been among his most prominent supporters. POOL/AFP via Getty Images Speaking to supporters at a rally in Iowa on Thursday evening, Trump said he plans to host 'some incredible events' across the country next year to mark the 250th anniversary of its independence. 'We're going to have a UFC fight. We're going to have a UFC fight — think of this — on the grounds of the White House,' the president told his supporters, adding: 'We have a lot of land there.' Trump said UFC President Dana White will build the setup for the event and added it's going to be a 'championship fight, full fight, like 20,000 to 25,000 people, and we're going to do that as part of '250' also.' White reshared a video of the president's announcement on Instagram and wrote, 'This will be EPIC,' while the official UFC page asked followers, 'Who would you like to see headline the event?' Trump has been a regular attendee at UFC fighting events in recent years. Most recently, the president attended the UFC 316 event last month, held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Trump was also in attendance at UFC 314, which took place in April at Miami's Kaseya Center, alongside Elon Musk and several cabinet members. White has been a long-time supporter of Trump and has spoken at several of his rallies and events. During his announcement on Thursday, Trump praised the UFC President and said, 'Dana is great, one of a kind.' What Other Events Are Being Planned For The 250th Anniversary Celebration? In addition to the UFC event, the president said he plans to host a youth athlete competition called the 'Patriot Games' as part of the 'America 250' celebration. The event will feature 'top high school athletes from all 50 states' will be 'nationally televised.' The Patriot Games will be helmed by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Trump also announced the launch of the 'year-long Great American State Fair,' which the White House said will 'begin in Iowa and travel to state fairs across the country' before culminating with a 'festival at the National Mall' next year. Populist Capitalist: How The UFC's Dana White Epitomizes Business In The Trump Era (Forbes)
