Former NBA star Yao Ming on ivory trade ban: I believe in the good in people

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Former NBA star Yao Ming on ivory trade ban: I believe in the good in people

2018-01-02 13:17 Last Updated At：17:41

“When the buying stops, the killing can too.”

That’s one of the key slogans in Yao Ming’s WildAid campaign against the killing of sharks, elephants, and rhinos. As China’s most iconic celebrity, the former NBA basketball star and current chairman of the Chinese Basketball Association, has been a champion of animal rights and wildlife protection for 12 years now.

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Yao Ming interviewed by CGTN(CGTN screenshot)

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Yao Ming interviewed by CGTN(CGTN screenshot)

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China’s New Year law banning the commercial sale and processing of all raw ivory comes into effect on Monday, and Yao Ming talked about what this monumental move means to him in an exclusive interview with CGTN.

In 2014, Yao Ming led a major advertising campaign with WildAid to try to get Chinese people to stop buying ivory. He even traveled to Kenya and South Africa to learn more about the poaching crisis and made a documentary called “The End of the Wild.”

But his journey as a WildAid ambassador really began in 2006, with his hugely successful campaign against the consumption of shark fin soup. Just two years after he swore to never eat shark fin soup again, consumption in China reportedly decreased by 50-70 percent.

In the interview, Yao Ming said that China’s ivory ban is a big step for the country, which is the biggest ivory market in the world. He said the ban shows China is committed to becoming a strong nation that is also socially responsible.

Over the last 40 years, the number of wild elephants has dropped from 1.3 million to just 350,000. According to WildAid, 30,000 elephants are killed each year for their tusks. China’s ivory ban will send a message that ivory is now taboo, and people must continually spread the message that the killing of elephants for their tusks is wrong.

“We are better than that,” said Yao. “I believe in the good in people, and that if people know the facts, they will make the right decision.”

Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.