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Suspicion clouds World Cups past, present and future
June 1-15, 2014
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June 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times
Georgia Asian Times June 1-15, 2014
Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho
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GAT Calendar of Events GAT welcome submission of announcement pertaining to community related events. Please email event, date, venue, and time to gat@gasiantimes.com. GAT does not guarantee insertion of event announcement and has the right to deny any posting.
Shandong-Georgia Investment Cooperation Seminar Date: June 2, 2014 Time: 3:30 pm - 5;30 pm Venue: Omni Hotel, Atlanta For more info: Victoria Zeh, vzeh@ georgia.org GAT 25 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia ~ Awards Presentation Date: Thursday, July 10, 2014 Time: 6:30 pm Venue: Happy Valley Restaurant Sponsorship opportunities available For more info: gat25@gasiantimes. com Laotian American National Alliance (LANA) Conference “Next generation Leadership: Connections and Building Bridges� Date: August 1-2, 2014 Venue: UPS World HQ, 55 Glenlake Parkway, NE, Atlanta GA 30328 For more info: Anasone Silivongxay, email: anasone.lana@gmail.com
Bridal Extravaganza of Atlanta Date: Sunday, August 17, 2014 Time: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Venue: Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart building 2 West, 230 Spring Street, Atlanta GA 3030 For more info: www.beabride.net Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival Atlanta Date: Saturday, September 13, 2014 Time: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Venue: Clarks Bridge - Kayaking Facility, Lake Lanier, Gainesville For more info: www.dragonboatatlanta.com 10th Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: October 10-24, 2014 Venues: TBA For more info: www.atlaff.org
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June 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times
METRO ASIAN NEWS
Philippines Investment Roadshow details opportunities for Georgia companies Atlanta, May 27, 2014 — The Philippines economy is projected to grow at 7% to 10% rate in the next decade, according to numbers shared at a investment roadshow hosted at UPS Headquarters by the Philippines Embassy and Philippines Honorary Consul General in Atlanta.
“We are seeing a trend where Korean and Japanese manufacturers are relocating their manufacturing bases to Southeast Asia. Philippines is a highly targeted destination for the value that we provide,” adds Ambassador Cuisia.
Philippines has made progressive headway towards sustainable and equitable economic development with its talented workforce and human resources.
With the recent economic expansion and growth, the Filipino government has appropriated about 5% of the nations GDP to infrastructure investment, according to Dr. Bernando Viilegas, Vice President, University of Asia and the Pacific.
“We are the best value-for-money destination for investments in the Asian region,” said Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., Ambassador of the Philippines to the U.S. in his opening remarks.
The country has been in the forefront in “Private-Public-Partnership” in infrastructure developments since 1990. There are currently over 48 major PPP infrastructure projects in the pipeline.
Philippines has surpassed India as the destination of choice for call centers outsourcing business. Manila has recorded $13.2 Billion revenue in 2013. The Philippines outsourcing business is forecasted to reach $25 Billion revenue and to employ over 1.2 million professionals by 2016.
The half-day investment symposium was designed to introduce business and investment opportunities particularly in industries such as IT/BPO, Tourism, Infrastructure & Energy, Biotech and Pharmaceutical, Real Estate, and Financial Services, according to Ray Donato, Honorary Consul General of the Philippines in Atlanta.
Much of the country’s growth in the outsourcing business has been attributed to the nation’s growing young demographics and English speaking population.
“We hope businesses in Georgia would capitalize on the opportunities available in the Philippines,” said CG Donato.
MARTA to increase trains on Red and Gold lines starting Tuesday, May 27 Atlanta, May 26, 2014 — MARTA is adding more rail cars to its Red and Gold line trains as part of ongoing transit system improvements that have recently included more frequent service and shorter customer wait times. During regular weekday service, trains running on both lines will be extended from four to six cars, until further notice. The introduction of more frequent rail service has been well-received by many customers. In order to maximize system efficiency and enhance customer convenience, the length of trains and other transit system features will be adjusted accordingly. “When we added more frequent trains, we realized we’d have the opportunity to fine-tune the service, and that’s what we’re doing now,” said
Keith T. Parker, MARTA’s GM/CEO. “We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback about shorter wait times, and we’ll keep looking for other ways to make our bus and rail service more attractive by listening to customers about how we can keep making MARTA better.” Over the next few weeks, MARTA will be evaluating the appropriate balance of train lengths. The previously announced enhanced service times of five-minute waits on the trunk (before the lines split) and 10-minute waits on the branches will remain the same. In order to minimize crowding, customers are being asked to also board the trains in the middle of the platform, not just at the ends. For more information, please visit itsmarta.com or call 404-848-5000.
Georgia Asian Times June 1-15, 2014
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METRO ASIAN NEWS Georgia’s primary election results Atlanta, May 20, 2014 — Georgia Republican voters will have to wait until July for a runoff to determine its candidate against Democrat Michelle Nunn for the Georgia Senate position. Businessman David Perdue will face Congressman Jack Kingston in a July Republican runoff. David Perdue brought in 30.56 percent of the votes, Jack Kingston tallied 25.96 percent, and Karen Handel netted 21.78 percent of the votes, according to poll numbers on Georgia’s Secretary of State website.
India’s Visa/OCI/PIO/Renunciation Certificate services to be handled by new service provider Sandy Springs, May 18, 2014 — The Embassy of India in the USA has awarded the new contract for providing Visa/OCI/PIO/Renunciation of Indian Citizenship Certificate application support services to the Cox & Kings Global Services Pvt. Ltd., to be effective from May 21st, 2014, according to press release by Consul General of India in Atlanta. The current Service Provider, BLS International Limited, will be closing all its operations with regard to Visa/ OCI/PIO/Renunciation of Indian Citizenship Certificate support services in the evening of 20th May, 2014 at all locations in USA. Applications in person viz. ‘walk-in application” will be accepted by BLS International Ltd till the afternoon of 16th May 2014. Only Emergency Visa applications will be accepted by BLS till forenoon of 20th May 2014. Applications sent through mail up to 13th May 2014 and reaching the BLS International Ltd. on or before 15th May 2014 will be accepted. Thereaf-
ter, applicants, who propose to send their applications by mail, may send them, so as to reach offices of the Cox & Kings Global Services Pvt. Ltd. at jurisdictional locations on or after May 21st,2014. It may also be noted that Banker’s checks/Money order accompanying these applications are drawn in favor of the new service provider Cox & Kings Global Services Pvt. Ltd with the revised service fee. Applicants, who have already submitted their applications to BLS International Ltd, may check online status of their applications from BLS International Ltd website till May 20th, 2014. The status of these Pending applications will be available on the website of Cox & Kings Global Services Pvt. Ltd. from 21st May 2014 and can be tracked from their website. The website details and locations of the CKGS offices would be announced shortly.
“Georgia Republicans have spoken tonight. They are concerned about the mess in Washington like you and I are,” said Perdue. Michelle Nunn garnered 75.33 percent of the Democrat votes. “Over and over on the campaign
trail, people, through their words and actions, have declared that our political leaders can do better,” Nunn said. “Georgians know that Washington is not working for them. They tell me they are tired of the political dysfunction, the finger pointing and the name-calling.” said Nunn in her remarks. In a closely watched race for an Asian American candidate in the Georgia State Representative District 105, Tim D. Hur (434 votes, 39.31%) was defeated by Renita Hamilton who scored 679 votes (60.69%). Rick Allen defeated Eugene Yu with 25,0007 votes (54%) in bid for the U.S. House of Representative (Dist.12). Meng Lim will face Chuck Morris in a run-off election on July 22 for Tallapoosa Circuit Superior Court Judge seat.
Gov. Deal announces $33 million in transportation infrastructure project Atlanta, May 28, 2014 — Gov. Nathan Deal today announced the approval of funding for 20 transportation infrastructure projects totaling $33 million in grants and loans provided through the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB). This represents the largest funding cycle for the GTIB program since its inception. The GTIB program is a revolving infrastructure investment fund established in 2008 by Georgia legislators and administered by the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA). Community improvement districts (CIDs), as well as local and state government entities are eligible for GTIB grant and loan funding. Final approval is made by the SRTA Board which is chaired by Deal.
This year, a record number of governments and CIDs applied for funds to jumpstart or complete 58 new projects. The awardees include: cities/ towns — Atlanta, Braselton, Dunwoody, Flowery Branch, Gainesville, Johns Creek, Newnan, Sandy Springs and Tyrone; CIDs — Cumberland, Fulton Industrial Boulevard, Gwinnett Place, North Fulton, Red Top and Town Center Area; and counties — Athens-Clarke, Bartow, and Grady. Grant applications were ranked based on transportation/engineering merit, economic merit, local, state and federal matching funds and project specifics, such as the project phase and feasibility. Loan applications are evaluated based on borrower type, project type and loan spend down/ repayment abilities, in addition to the merits of the project itself.
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METRO ASIAN NEWS
June 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times
the Fed, the forecaster says the nation’s central bank won’t move on interest rates until it has concrete evidence that business investment growth is here to stay. Business investment will slowly increase by year’s end, says Dhawan, leading to enhanced growth prospects in 2015. And beyond that? “2016 will mark a great year by the current recovery standard.”
GSU economist Rajeev Dhawan: Cautiously optimistic about economic growth in Georgia Atlanta, May 29, 2014 —– Strong job growth, rising home prices and continued stock market appreciation point to economic health, but global tensions and lack of business spending are cause for concern, according to Rajeev Dhawan of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. “You might assume that we are back in the late 1990s when we looked to the future with great anticipation, but I see quite a few differences between now and then,” Dhawan writes in his Forecast of The Nation, released today. Among the differences: Extremely low interest rates and a disinflationary environment. Executives and policymakers want to know when rates will rise, as evidenced by the questioning of Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen when she testified before the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee earlier in May. A sharp decline in export growth is also contributing to the forecaster’s tempered expectations. “Exports rep-
resent foreign demand for our goods, and as such, they are a reflection of our trading partners’ economic health, which is iffy to say the least.” Anxiety over Russia’s tussle with Ukraine and Germany’s dependence on Russian energy sources have unfortunately shorted growth prospects for a European economic rebound this year. Furthermore, China’s continued stagnation is impacting its suppliers in the emerging markets. All this will ultimately impact financial markets back at home. That said, Dhawan asserts the news is not all bad. “Vehicle sales cracked the 16-million mark, housing starts are still decent and home prices grew by double digits in 2013.” New home sales are rising, too, but sales of discretionary items remain flat. “Buyers are moving into new homes with old furniture.” Dhawan’s concerns will be assuaged when “we witness consistent growth in all GDP categories, including exports, and that can happen only when our trading partners are back on their feet and our businesses are investing, which leads to sustained hiring.” As for
Georgia bets cautiously on growth After a slow start to 2014 caused by January’s “snowpocalypse,” Georgia will add 20,000 jobs per quarter for the rest of the year, according to Rajeev Dhawan of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. “When you look at the positives and the negatives you get numbers that seem slightly off-kilter for state job growth,” Dhawan writes in his Forecast of Georgia and Atlanta, released today. “In the first three months Georgia added only 6,000-odd jobs, due to the weather effect. All told, my forecast calls for 65,100 new jobs in the state by year end.” The March benchmarking process revised 2013 job growth downward by a miniscule 0.2%, to 83,200, including a 2% reduction in the corporate sector triggered in part by a slowdown in hiring due to global factors such as the Russia-Ukraine standoff and a stagnant Chinese economy. The transportation sector encountered an even larger downward revision of 2.9%. Government jobs were revised slightly upwards. Consistent with national trends, retail and hospitality generated 40% of new jobs in Georgia last year. But if oil prices remain high and global
issues continue to impact the catalyst sectors (manufacturing, corporate and healthcare) the forecaster is concerned that these two sectors could suffer. “No announcements of new hotel building or malls are on the horizon, just refurbishing at the most. Momentum will slow this year for these sectors.” Dhawan predicts “significant growth” in construction due to multiple announcements of apartment building intown Atlanta and the new Falcons stadium which began with a groundbreaking ceremony last week. “Approval of the Savannah dredging project and expected lower energy prices makes me bullish on manufacturing-related employment in the coming years.” Also on the upswing are metro Atlanta home prices which rose by double digits during 2012-2013, with permits increasing by 70%. The forecaster expects the home price growth to moderate as potential purchasers take a wait-and-see approach around mortgage rates. Multi-family housing permits in metro Atlanta also increased during 2012-2013; two-thirds of the permits originating in Fulton County. Dhawan comments that, “This is no surprise, given millenials’ preference to live in town near their jobs,” a trend he anticipates will easily continue.
Georgia Asian Times June 1-15, 2014
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BUSINESS
U.S. Senate approves Savannah Harbor deepening Bill Washington, May 22, 2014 — The Savannah Harbor Expansion Project received its approval from the U.S. Senate when it passed the federal Water Resource Reform and Development Act of 2014.
support hundreds of thousands of jobs each year while generating billions in revenue for the entire Southeast. It is because of this fact the project has had overwhelming, bipartisan support from local, state and federal officials.
The bill was sent it to President Barack Obama for his approval. The House passed an identical legislation on Tuesday.
“For a decade and a half, we have completed every task set before us to get this project done. We have now cleared the last congressional hurdle, paving the way for the administration to give a green light to the state of Georgia to begin construction on what will be the largest port on the east coast for the Post-Panamax ships.”
The bill will raise the authorized price tag of the project to $706 million, allowing an additional $54 million to the final sum. It officially allows the spending limit to be raised when the project was authorize in 1999. The Army Corps of Engineers estimated the project price tag has increased by about 8 percent due to inflation. Gov. Nathan Deal is pleased with the passage of the bill. “This landmark legislation will eliminate the last legislative hurdle and allows us to use the money we have set aside to begin construction,” said Gov. Deal. “With the understanding that we’ll have a federal-state split on funding, Georgia has lived up to its promises. We’ve now put aside $266 million — the total state share. This project is vitally important for economic development and job creation not only in the Southeast, but nationally as well.” U.S. Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson, both Georgia Republicans, released a joint statement Thursday after the measure passed the Senate 91-7. “With the passage of WRRDA, Congress has confirmed what we in Georgia already knew — the Savannah Harbor Expansion Project is crucial for our region and the nation as a whole. This economic engine will
Once the president signs the measure into law, Georgia will enter a Project Partnership Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The agreement defines how the costs of the project will be shared between the state and federal government. The project is necessary because the world fleet is moving to larger ships. The average vessel calling on the U.S. East Coast is shifting from a capacity of 4,500 twenty-foot equivalent container units — or TEUs — to approximately 9,000 TEUs. Russell Wicke, spokesman for the Corps of Engineers in Savannah, said works could begin before the end of the year. “If there are no more delays, the earliest we could expect construction to begin would be December this year,” he said. “The benefits of this project are remarkable compared to the cost. It is economically viable, environmentally sustainable and in the best interest of the nation.”
Japan’s PM eyes Singapore style casino resorts to boost tourism Singapore, May 30, 2014 -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to tour Singapore’s two lavish casino resorts today as his home country toys with the idea of liberalizing casino gambling to boost tourism and attract investment. Japan, home to 128 million people and the world’s third largest economy, is widely seen as a prize market for casino operators due to its affluent population and close proximity to wealthy Asian gamblers in the region. Brokerage CLSA estimates Japan could be the world’s third biggest gambling market after Macau and the United States, raking in revenues of at least US$40 billion annually and with many more years of growth before it starts to mature. Abe, who has so far remained silent on the issue of casino liberalization, will visit Marina Bay Sands, the three pronged waterfront resort built by US billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands and the sprawling Resorts World Sentosa, owned by Genting Singapore. Japan has been deliberating opening casinos for more than a decade but the chances have never been higher that the country will move to liberalize casino gambling. While parliament is unlikely to pass a bill in the current parliament session which ends next month, lawmakers are hopeful it will go through later in the year. Lawmakers supporting the casino bill are aiming to pass it in the fall extraordinary session, political and industry sources said today. “It’s logistically difficult for it to pass in the current session,” one political source said, while adding that supporters of the bill were still hoping to start parliamentary debate next month. “I would say it’s highly likely to pass in the fall.”
The same source saw little likelihood legislation would be delayed until next year, which could leave too little time to build the resorts in time for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. If the current bill passes, debate will move on to a second bill concerning concrete regulations, which proponents hope can be passed in 2016. International casino companies including Las Vegas Sands, Genting, MGM Resorts and Melco Crown Entertainment have all been trying to position themselves ahead of the bill passing. Genting Singapore has set up 8 subsidiaries in Japan for investment holding, leisure and related businesses, the company said on Tuesday in a notice to the Singapore stock exchange. Adelson has said he would spend US$10 billion on developing a casino resort while rivals have announced investment of around US$5 billion for a casino in either Tokyo or Osaka. Singapore’s two integrated resorts which combine casinos with dining, entertainment, and convention business are the preferred model Japan would emulate, lawmakers have said. Marina Bay Sands, which cost US$5.4 billion, has helped to boost convention business in Singapore, while Resorts World Sentosa, which houses a Universal Studios theme park and a large scale aquarium, has helped to lure record numbers of tourists since opening in 2010. Industry executives have said in private that a Marina Bay Sands type resort which lies in close proximity to Singapore’s financial district would be a good fit for Tokyo while a more leisure focused resort like Sentosa would be better suited to Osaka or a regional city
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June 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times
LIFESTYLE suburb featuring a statue of Winston Churchill, a church from Bristol and lookalikes of guards at Buckingham Palace. The imitations are open to mockery, but Bosker says that such replicas provide an easy way to convey prestige on a huge scale. “In the US we see people who copy as unimaginative thieves. In China copiers have been viewed with more nuance — copying can be a sign of skill and it can also just be a really practical solution to a problem,” she said.
Questions build over China’s architectural copies Chongqing, May 21 — Already renowned for copying Western goods from trainers to champagne, China is building up its replica reputation with a miniature Mount Rushmore, Eiffel Tower and an entire Austrian village.
project was less positive, reportedly calling the property company “pirates”. It has denied copying and said it had reached an agreement with the original developer, which declined to comment.
The reproduced structures — also dubbed “duplitecture” — can appear bizarre to outsiders but make sense to many in the country.
A really practical solution
“I think it’s a good thing. I can see things from places that I’ve never been,” said a man surnamed Fu, 32, sitting in a Chongqing park scattered with sculptures including Michelangelo’s David, Rodin’s Thinker and the gigantic heads of four American presidents. Elsewhere in the southwestern city a set of curved white buildings under construction have sparked controversy for their striking resemblance to a Beijing development by star British architect Zaha Hadid. Copying was “something China does”, a retired judge said as she walked past the site, adding: “I think it’s a good thing — we can learn from the experience of others.” The director of Hadid’s Beijing
The “duplitecture” trend developed alongside China’s real estate boom in recent decades, especially for creations conveying prestige and success, said Bianca Bosker, the New Yorkbased author of “Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China”. Among the most eye-popping examples are a copy of the Austrian alpine village and Unesco World Heritage Site of Hallstatt in the southern province of Guangdong, which even the official news agency Xinhua called “a bold example of China’s knock-off culture”. An assemblage of Parisian monuments including the Eiffel Tower and a fountain from Versailles stand in Hangzhou, as does a French village. Hebei province has an imitation Sphinx, while outside Shanghai sits Thames Town, an English-themed
“Developers wanted a way to brand their developments and the home owners wanted a way to brand their lifestyle and their economic success. “And one of the easiest solutions to that was to copy architecture that was most emblematic of a kind of aristocratic and ‘sophisticated’-seeming lifestyle,” she said, citing Versailles, Venice and the White House as popular models. That pragmatic streak also drives the mass production of knockoffs including Italian handbags, Swiss watches, French wine, Hollywood films and iPhones, while the southwestern city of Kunming once even hosted a fake Apple store. In Dafen, part of the boom town of Shenzhen next to Hong Kong, an army of artists duplicate masterpieces ranging from Vincent van Gogh to Jackson Pollock. The fakes allow Chinese to enjoy what they could not otherwise afford, said a young man strolling at an amusement park in Chongqing featuring a miniature New York, Venice-like canals and Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue rotating atop a ride. “In terms of respecting others’ creativity, it’s not okay. But for a China that’s still developing, for a certain time there’s a use for it,” he said.
“When China’s economy becomes developed enough, then there won’t be a market for copied goods.”
Anything foreign is good Even so the rampant imitation raises questions of national pride in a country boasting a rich history and now regaining global clout. In March Renmin University president Chen Yulu urged his countrymen to “refrain from copying European architectural styles and work harder to promote local culture”, Xinhua paraphrased him as saying, while itself warning of an “eerie copycat architectural landscape”. As China rises in stature and wealth it will increasingly seek inspiration from within, said Bosker, adding that already “there seems to be a new confidence and interest in their own indigenous styles”. At the park with the Mount Rushmore replica, a man in his 20s surnamed Mao argued that China’s neighbors mimicked its culture when it held greater sway in the past, and would do so again as the country reclaims the stage. “If people have something good then we will copy it,” he said. “This is something every country, every society does, not only China.” But a 27-year-old woman surnamed Huang, walking past the fake Manhattan with a friend, said her compatriots should embrace their own heritage. “It seems like Chinese people have this view that anything foreign is good, that anything with English writing, whether or not they can read it, is good,” she said. “China is not inferior to anyone, but nobody really cares a lot about China’s ancient past.”
Georgia Asian Times June 1-15, 2014
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FEATURE
He also allegedly hosted lavish junkets for African officials at which he handed out almost $400,000 in cash. The newspaper said Bin Hammam also paid out at least 305,000 Euros in legal and private detective fees for Reynald Temarii after he was suspended as Oceania’s executive committee member in a corruption investigation. That help allowed Temarii to appeal, which prevented his replacement (who was known to support Australia) taking his seat on the committee before the vote, the Sunday Times claimed. In 2011, Bin Hammam ran for the FIFA presidency against Blatter. Bin Hammam lost, was accused of attempting to buy votes in that election and was expelled from FIFA.
Suspicion clouds World Cups past, present and future London, June 1, 2014 — The suspicion of corruption engulfed world football on Sunday after one newspaper reported evidence of corruption in the vote that awarded Qatar the World Cup and another said international matches were fixed in the run-up to the 2010 World Cup. The allegations come less than two weeks before the kick-off of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Sunday Times reported that a vice president of FIFA, the governing body of world football, made payments totaling $5 million to senior officials in return for support for Qatar’s successful bid for the 2022 World Cup.
The paper said that it had obtained a huge cache of secret documents and emails that gave details of the alleged bribery. Under a front-page headline “Plot to buy the World Cup”, the newspaper alleged that Mohamed Bin Hammam, a Qatari who lost his FIFA position the following year, made dozens of payments to top football officials, ahead of the vote by FIFA’s 24-member executive committee in December 2010. The paper said that Bin Hamman exploited his position in FIFA to help to secure votes on the 24-member executive committee that decides who hosts the World Cup and pave the way for Qatar to defeat the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
The report comes only weeks after Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, said the decision to award the Gulf state the World Cup was “a mistake.”
That victory is under investigation by FIFA’s independent ethics prosecutor.
Jim Boyce, one of FIFA’s eight vice presidents, told the BBC on Sunday that he would be in favor of a re-vote on the host nation for 2022 if the Sunday Times allegations are proven.
According to the newspaper, Bin Hammam organized dozens of payments of up to $200,000 into accounts controlled by the presidents of 30 African football associations who influenced how the continent’s four executive committee members would vote.
The Sunday Times said that Bin Hamman declined to respond to the latest allegations and that members of Qatar’s bid committee denied any link to the former FIFA official, saying he played no secret role in their campaign.
Warm-up matches thrown On Friday, Ralf Mutschke, Fifa’s head of security, told the BBC, “We know warm-up matches were thrown in the last World Cup.” The New York Times then supplied some of the details. It said it had acquired a confidential FIFA report that concluded fixers manipulated “at least five matches and possibly more” in South Africa ahead of the 2010 World Cup. The report said South African football authorities agreed to hand responsibility for officiating at exhibition games to Football 4U International, a Singapore company that is a front for a match-rigging group. Football 4U provided referees and paid for their travel, lodging, meals and match fees, a major financial savings to South Africa’s football federation. The deal covered five matches. FIFA’s report dubbed the contracts “so
very rudimentary as to be commercially laughable” and added that South African officials were “easily duped or extremely foolish” to make the deals. At least one of the contracts was signed for Football 4U by Wilson Raj Perumal, a Singapore-based businessman who was arrested in Finland in 2011 in connection with match-fixing. He has since boasted about his exploits in his memoirs and, the New York Times reported, calls himself “the world’s most prolific match fixer.” The paper reported that before a match, a referee from Niger called Ibrahim Chaibou brought a bag with thousands of dollars in $100 bills into a South African bank. Chaibou wired the money to his wife’s bank and that evening made a series of suspect calls as South Africa beat Guatemala, 5-0, in one of the matches covered by the Football 4U contract. “We can conclude that this match was indeed manipulated for betting fraud purposes,” the FIFA report said, according to the Times. Chaibou has since retired, and the newspaper said he refused to comment on money he had made and denied fixing any match. A FIFA spokesman told the New York Times that a probe into activities surrounding the 2010 World Cup was ongoing, but no punishments or bans have been imposed.
Under threat Mutschke of FIFA told the UK’s Daily Telegraph that the World Cup was ”under threat” from match fixers. “We are not expecting fixers to be travelling to Brazil and knocking on the hotel door of players or referees, but I know there will have been approaches to players and referees,” he later told the BBC. The climate of distrust surrounds exhibition games ahead of the World Cup.
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FOCUS
such as England’s Wayne Rooney and Brazil’s Neymar.
Nike and Adidas get personal battle over World Cup football Berlin, May 28, 2014 — US sportswear group Nike is banking on its sponsorship of more of the world’s best-known soccer stars than Adidas in its battle to overtake the German firm as the sport’s top-selling brand at its World Cup this summer. Nike has signed six of the 10 most marketable footballers in the world, to just three for Adidas and one for smaller German brand Puma, according to a new ranking by sports marketing research group Repucom published on Wednesday. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, sponsored by Nike, tops the Repucom ranking, with almost 84% of people around the world saying they know the Real Madrid striker, helping to sell over one million shirts with his name on the back in 2013. In second place is Lionel Messi of Argentina, front man for the Adidas campaign who scores 76% global awareness according to Repucom – his marketability little dented by a mixed run of form for Barcelona this season. The appeal of the extrovert Ronaldo,
who took the crown as the world’s best player from Messi in January, is helped by his use of Twitter, where he has 26 million followers to just two million for the more retiring Argentine. Ronaldo probably helps sell shirts even when he isn’t wearing one – he poses nude on the cover of the latest Spanish Vogue with his model girlfriend Irina Shayk – though the branding benefits are shared as Adidas sponsors Real Madrid. “While it is primarily about performance on the pitch, a player’s appeal is about a whole range of variables. With a footballer, you see everything, on the pitch and off the pitch, week in, week out,” said Repucom founder Paul Smith. “Athletes like Ronaldo have something unique that if you could bottle and sell, you would do nothing else.” Nike tries to do just that with a glitzy ad featuring Ronaldo – and Shayk – in which boys playing soccer in the local park end up scoring a penalty in a huge stadium against their heroes, including others from the Repucom top 10
Adidas has retaliated with a new ad launched last Saturday which shows Messi dreaming about his rivals such as Bastian Schweinsteiger of Germany, Luis Suarez of Uruguay and Dani Alves of Brazil, none of whom feature in the Repucom ranking.
Adidas on the run Adidas, which has long dominated the market for soccer boots, shirts and balls, is facing a fierce challenge from Nike, the world’s biggest sportswear company that has only been a serious player in soccer for the last 20 years. While Adidas has supplied the match ball for the World Cup since 1970 and has extended its sponsorship of the competition to 2030, Nike is for the first time kitting out more teams – 10 out of 32 finalists – including hosts and favorites Brazil. Adidas, which is supplying nine teams including reigning champions Spain, as well as Argentina and Germany, expects to make a record US$2bil from soccer this year, still exceeding Nike’s US$2bil of soccer turnover. “Football is the DNA of our company. We want to clearly show that we are number one in football,” Adidas Chief Executive Herbert Hainer told journalists last week, adding Adidas expected to sell significantly more balls than at the last World Cup in South Africa four years ago and about as many shirts. Hainer acknowledged that Adidas faced a “head-to-head” race with Nike
in the soccer shoe market, but predicted Adidas would still sell 2 million pairs of special World Cup boots. Nike believes it has already overtaken Adidas in boots, including in its rival’s home market Germany. While Adidas will be supplying the German kit, many of the country’s top players now wear Nike boots, with nine members of the team that started against Poland this month sporting Nike. However, Hainer dismissed suggestions Adidas had not signed the right stars, saying 14 of the 27 members of the German squad would be wearing boots with Adidas’ trademark three stripes. Meanwhile, Puma, whose only player in the Repucom top 10 is former France striker Thierry Henry, is resorting to a stunt to attract attention: it has persuaded players such as Italy’s maverick striker Mario Balotelli, Marco Reus of Germany and Cesc Fabregas of Spain to wear one pink and one blue “Tricks” boot. “I have to be honest. The first time I saw the Tricks boots, I thought the Puma guy was mad. But when I realized he wasn’t, I was already excited,” Balotelli said. “It is exactly the reason why I chose to be with Puma; they dare to be different and everyone knows that I do as well.”
Georgia Asian Times June 1-15, 2014
EVENTS
Page 11
Philippines Investment Roadshow May 27, 2014 UPS Headquarters
Ray Donato, Honorary Consul General of The Philippines in Atlanta delivers the welcome remark.
His Excellency Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. Ambassador of the Philippines to the U.S. gave an update on the economy and the investment climate.
Dr. Bernando Villegas, VP - University of Asian and the Pacific, delivers an overview of macroeconomy and tourism in the country.
Rainero Borja, President & Country Head, Expert Global Solutions, gave an overview on the BPO and outsourcing business in the Philippines.
“The Philippines: Asia’s New Emerging Tiger” is the theme of the investmet roadshow forum at UPS Headquarters.
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June 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times
TRAVEL
Edinburg is a city that tends to inspire instant love The Castle, World Heritage-listed Georgian architecture, and an internationally revered cultural scene make it very easy to click with. But venture beyond the obvious, and thousands of secrets unveil themselves. Veering off the George IV Bridge to nosily amble down Candlemaker Row is a decision based on pure whim. But it’s rare for such fanciful detours not to bear fruit in Edinburgh. The cobbled descent is flanked by the sort of oneoffs that make the Scottish capital so rich for the habitually inquisitive. Ramen restaurant Tang’s stands next to designer knitwear store Joyce Forsyth. The Little Ox art shop and Deadhead Comics line up opposite Transreal, a bookshop specialising in fantasy novels. At the bottom of the hill, a right turn leads to the dead-end created by the supporting pillars of the bridge’s arch. Yet light twinkles behind an iron railing, leading down wooden steps into one of Edinburgh’s ubiquitous semi-hidden basements. The fairy-lit bar-restaurant hybrid, fittingly called Under The Stairs, packs in a fish tank, roaring fire, and DJ decks amongst the armchairs and fabulously prepared plates of spiced monkfish. Edinburgh’s Old Town is, to use the technical town-planning term, an absolute mess. It’s a beautiful one, but it defies all logic. Given a blank sheet of paper, not even the most warped surrealist would come up with some-
thing so preposterously all over the place. Layers of history have piled up on top of each other around the Royal Mile, the backbone that stretches from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Steep stairs plunge into urban gullies, tiny doorways lead into peaceful courtyards, and narrow closes hide all manner of unexpected treasures. Monteith’s Close hides Monteith’s, long a local favourite for contemporary Scottish cuisine. Venture into Paisley Close, and there’s the Celtic Craft Centre, where in-shop sewing machines make the kilts on sale and visitors with Scottish bloodlines research their ancestry. The Scottish Poetry Library hides down Crichton’s Close, and the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Dunbar’s Close leads through to a garden that has been faithfully primped to look as it would have done in the 17th century. A map amongst the hollyhocks, native ferns, and rowan trees shows how the Old Town looked in 1647. Such gardens were once commonplace, before many were sacrificed to a population boom and building free-for-all. Many of these closes are now underneath the City Chambers building, the City of Edinburgh Council’s grandly pompous home. The Real Mary King’s Close is now part of that subterranean warren, and guided tours head down there to give an insight into what life was once like in the densely packed tenement buildings around it.
That life, it seems, wasn’t very pleasant. In one bare, medium-sized room, we’re asked to guess how many people would sleep there. Grimly, the answer’s 10 to 12. “There were no beds, either,” explains the guide.
that he went to university as a compromise to keep his father happy when all he wanted to do was write; the knowledge that the London of Jekyll and Hyde was largely based on Edinburgh’s closes.
“Just straw and packed earth.”
Yet more steps lead down towards the Princes Street Gardens, the vast public space that connects the Old and New Towns. Again, they hide a secret – the parklands were built on top of the Nor Loch, the lake into which all the waste from the tenements would be swept. It’s fair to say that the sprawling green space, dotted with monuments and statues, is an improvement.
The smell wouldn’t have aided the pursuit of a good night’s sleep either, she continues. “There was little natural light, so lamps would be lit with cheap animal fat or fish oil. And you see that bucket in the corner?” We know what’s coming, so move on. Perhaps unsurprisingly given these conditions, disease was also rife. In 1645, the plague arrived, killing 50% of the people who lived there. It’s all fascinatingly gruesome, but every room in every house has its own story to tell. And Edinburgh has long been a city that thrives on stories. Its almost unmatched literary pedigree includes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Ian Rankin, and JK Rowling. Down another close, many of the paving stones in Makars’ Court feature quotes about the city from various authors. It’s also home to the Writers’ Museum, which delves into the lives of the three writers most associated with the city. The sections on Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott focus very much on their Scottishness and the part they played in reawakening Scottish national pride, but Robert Louis Stevenson has a more magnetic, universal draw. The man behind Jekyll and Hyde and Treasure Island was a complex, sickly character – and it seems he had a love–hate relationship with his home city. He loathed the climate and rebelled against its ‘middle-class manners’, but he could still vividly recall the places from his youth while writing his last works in Samoa, the Pacific speck where he died at the age of 44. It’s the little titbits of unexpected information that stick in the memory – his wife’s comment that he never cut his hair while he was ill, and that you could tell how sick he was in a photo from the length of it; the fact
At the other end, the New Town is almost the diametric opposite of its older counterpart on the hill. The planning is rigorous and uniform, with handsome Georgian sandstone buildings lining every street and circle. Yet similar rules seem to apply – cafés, comedy clubs, and cake shops furtively huddle down stairs in the basement levels, an unpromising side lane off Rose Street reveals an excellent Californian restaurant called Calistoga, and an office building on South Charlotte Street has a small plaque on the side. I stop to read it, and it turns out to be the house where Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was born. A familiar phrase runs through the brain again: “I didn’t know that before.” It may as well be Edinburgh’s motto. For those with open eyes, an eagerness to read every plaque or engraving, and a willingness to dip through unpromising-looking archways, the stories and quirky knowledge come in floods. Reinvented Edinburgh Edinburgh has a habit of giving its old buildings a new lease of life. Many hotels, restaurants, and cultural hubs were once something very different. Opened in 1902, The Balmoral hotel (1 Princes Street, +44 131 556 2414, roccofortehotels.com) was originally a grand Victorian railway hotel known as the North British, and later renamed The Balmoral, meaning ‘majestic dwelling’ in Gaelic.
Georgia Asian Times June 1-15, 2014
Page 13
SPORTS
Van Gaal has sat comfortably – and certainly confidently – in some of the most pressurised hot-seats in world football despite occasional glitches and fall-outs.
Manchester United hires Louis Van Gaal as manager
London, May 19, 2014 — Manchester United returned to a tried and trusted trophy winner after an ill-fated adventure with David Moyes when announcing that Dutchman Louis van Gaal had been handed the job of reviving the club’s fortunes on Monday. louis.vangaalThe 62-year-old, who has masterminded league titles at some of Europe’s biggest clubs including Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and won the Champions League with Ajax Amsterdam, will begin the re-building job at Old Trafford once he has finished national duties at the World Cup. Ryan Giggs, United’s record appearance maker, will work alongside him after his four-game stint in charge following the sacking last month of Moyes, given the chance on the back of a long and worthy, but success-starved, 11-year stint in charge of Everton. “In Louis van Gaal, we have secured the services of one of the outstanding managers in the game today, United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward said in a statement that announced the Dutchman had signed a three-year contract and would start work after leading the Netherlands in the World Cup finals.
track record of success in winning leagues and cups across Europe throughout his career makes him the perfect choice for us.” Van Gaal, who has already been working behind the scenes with United officials regarding potential transfers, said: “It was always a wish for me to work in the Premier League. To work as a manager for Manchester United, the biggest club in the world, makes me very proud. “This club has big ambitions; I too have big ambitions. Together I’m sure we will make history.”
Safe Hands A year on from the bold decision to replace English football’s most successful manager Alex Ferguson with fellow Scot Moyes – mainly on Ferguson’s recommendation – the club’s owners, stung by the financial impact of failure to qualify for the Champions League, have played it safe. In Van Gaal they have recruited a manager who will command huge respect in the dressing room and in the transfer market and whose methods have stood the test of time.
“He has achieved many things in his career to date and Old Trafford provides him with a fitting stage on which to write new chapters in the Manchester United story.
He will need all his vast experience too as United attempt to repair the damage done by the 10-month Moyes era, which resulted in a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League.
“Everyone is very excited about this new phase in the club’s history. His
The magnitude of the Old Trafford job was clearly beyond Moyes but
His first task will be rebuilding the club’s defence, which will be without Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic next season, and recruiting more pace and flair to a side that laboured last season, particularly at home. Reviving striker Robin van Persie will also be key after the Dutchman suffered a disappointing campaign compared to his barnstorming impact the previous year when his goals fired United to a 20th English title. United fans will be re-assured by Van Gaal’s past feats. He was responsible for nurturing great players such as Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids at Ajax who he memorably led to Champions League glory in 1995. At Barcelona he won two La Liga titles in three seasons during his first spell from 1997-2000 while at Bayern Munich in 2010 he became the first Dutch coach to win the Bundesliga, unleashing rising German talents such as Thomas Mueller and Bastian Schweinsteiger and signing compatriot Arjen Robben. Under Moyes, United’s 2012-13 title-winning squad chronically under-performed, suffering an abysmal home record and humiliating thrashings by Man City and Liverpool. The Scot’s body language was defeatist at times and there was a suspicion that some of the club’s senior players were less than impressed with his style of play. Van Gaal, used to handling the egos of high-profile internationals, will have little time for dissenters.
Influential Giggs While Moyes made the mistake of ditching Ferguson’s backroom staff in his first days in charge, Van Gaal’s acclimatisation at Old Trafford will be aided by the fact that Giggs, a hugely influential figure at the club, will be his right-hand man. When Giggs was put in charge after the exit of Moyes he opened with a 4-0 victory over a poor Norwich City side, prompting many to suggest the Welshman should get the job on a full-time basis. The reality of United’s situation hit home in the following game – a 1-0 home defeat by Sunderland – and while Giggs may be a future United manager he will spend the next few years learning from the Dutch master. “I’m delighted that Louis has chosen Ryan as his assistant,” Woodward said. “Ryan’s association with the club spans over two decades and his knowledge and stature will be of great use to Louis. In addition, this is a fantastic opportunity for Ryan to learn his trade alongside a world-class manager whose attacking instincts and belief in youth are tailor-made for Manchester United.” Giggs said: “Louis is a world-class coach and I know I will learn a lot about coaching from being able to observe and contribute at such close quarters. “Manchester United has been a huge part of my life and I’m delighted to be able to continue that relationship in such a key role.” Van Gaal will also bring Netherlands’ goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek and scouting specialist Marcel Bout to the club as assistant coaches.
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June 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times
SPORTS
Japan beat Malaysia to claim maiden Thomas Cup title New Delhi, May 25, 2014 — Japan clinched their first ever Thomas Cup badminton title with a thrilling 3-2 win over Malaysia in the final of the men’s premier team championships in New Delhi on Sunday. World number 25 Takuma Ueda overcame a spirited resistance from the 66th-ranked Daren Liew before taking the fifth and decisive tie 21-12, 18-21, 21-17 at the Siri Fort complex in the Indian capital. The Japanese, whose best performance in 12 previous Cup appearances had been a semi-final berth in 2012, ensured the sensational 3-0 rout of five-time defending champions China on Friday did not go to waste. World number one Lee Chong Wei gave Malaysia a winning start with a 21-12, 21-16 win over the fourth-ranked Kenichi Tago in the opening singles. But Kenichi Hayakawa and Hiroyuki Endo drew level for Japan, fighting back after losing the first game to beat Tan Boon Heong and Hoon Thien How 12-21, 21-17, 21-19 in an hour and 16 minutes.
Kento Momota, the hero of Japan’s win against China when he beat world number six Du Pengyu in the third match, once again put his side in front with an impressive win over Chong Wei Feng. Momota, the 20-year-old world number 14, demolished the Malaysian number two Chong 21-15, 21-17 in just 38 minutes. Malaysia’s doubles pair of Goh Shem and Tan Wee Kiong brought their team back into contention by beating Keigo Sonoda and Takeshi Kamura 19-21, 2117, 21-12 to make it 2-2. Malaysia, who won the last of their five Thomas Cup titles in 1992, had also lost in the final in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
Gareth Bale score legions of fans in Indonesia Jakarta, June 1, 2014 — Real Madrid midfielder Gareth Bale wooed hundreds of Indonesian fans today in a personal promotional tour of Jakarta on the back of his team’s Champions League glory.
His performance was widely seen as vindication for Real, which reportedly paid a world-record €100 million to have the player transferred from Tottenham.
Fans cheered wildly as the Welshman kicked a ball from a stage into a crowd of around 1,000 at the massive Gelora Bung Karno sports stadium in the Indonesian capital.
British media reported that Bale would receive about £2.5 million for the two-day Indonesian tour and would be “treated like royalty” in Indonesia, a football-crazed nation of 250 million people.
He thanked the crowd for turning up and said it was “an honor to be invited” to the event, which included a coaching clinic for young people.
Fans paid three million rupiah to take part in a meet-and-greet session with Bale yesterday, and women swooned at the sight of the footballer.
“Hopefully a lot of young people in the crowd here today can work hard, practice football and be a professional one day,” he said.
“He’s handsome, he’s good looking and he’s the best football player,” said 18-year-old Astuti, who goes by one name.
Bale is enjoying a boost to his fame following Real’s win in last Saturday’s Champions League final, in which he scored a crucial goal in extra time to defeat Atletico Madrid.
Georgia Asian Times June 1-15, 2014
Page 15
HEALTH Study finds bacteria can linger on plane for a week Washington, May 21, 2014 — Dangerous bacteria — the kind that cause vomiting and potent infections — may be able to survive on airplane surfaces for up to a week, researchers said yesterday. bacteriaResearchers at Auburn University tested the ability of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli O157:H7 to survive on surfaces commonly found in airplanes. These disease-causing bugs made their homes on armrests, seat back pockets and other common surfaces, said the research presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. For their study, scientists applied the pathogens to an armrest, plastic tray table, metal toilet button, window shade, seat pocket cloth, and leather obtained from a major airline. Then they exposed the surfaces to “typical airplane conditions,” and discovered that MRSA lasted the longest — a total of 168 hours, or seven days — on a seat-back pocket. E. coli lived for 96 hours, or four days, on an armrest. “Our data show that both of these bacteria can survive for days on the selected types of surfaces independent of the type of simulated body fluid present,” said lead researcher Kiril Vaglenov. That means they “pose a risk of transmission via skin contact,” Vaglenov added. Researchers are also testing other bacteria, such as the kind that causes tuberculosis, along with cleaning strategies and antimicrobial surfaces that might help fight them.
Scientists discover why olive oil lowers blood pressure Washington, May 20, 2014 — The secret to the Mediterranean diet may be in the salad.
heart failure and heart attacks,” said Philip Eaton, professor of cardiovascular biochemistry at King’s College London.
olive-oilEating unsaturated fats, like those in olive oil, along with leafy greens and other vegetables creates a certain kind of fatty acid that lowers blood pressure, scientists said yesterday.
While most experts agree that the Mediterranean diet — which consists of lots of vegetables, fish, grains, red wine and fatty nuts and oils — brings health benefits, there has been little scientific consensus about how or why.
These nitro fatty acids are formed when consuming spinach, celery and carrots that are filled with nitrates and nitrites, along with avocado, nuts and olive oils that contain healthy fats. Nitro fatty acids appear to inhibit an enzyme known as soluble epoxide hydrolase, which regulates blood pressure, said the research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal. The study was based on experi-
ments in lab mice, and was funded by the British Heart Foundation. “The findings of our study help to explain why previous research has shown that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts can reduce the incidence of cardiovascular problems like stroke,
Some have touted red wine as a driving force behind the ability of Europeans to eat high fat cheeses and meats while maintaining better overall health than Americans. But research published last week found that a key antioxidant in red wine, resveratrol, did not help people in Italy live longer or avoid cancer or heart disease.
2 meals a day may be best for Type 2 diabetics, study shows Eating a hearty breakfast and lunch might benefit people suffering from Type 2 diabetes who are now encouraged to go with up to six small portions a day, according to a new study. diabetes“We compared the efficiency of the classic model with five or six small meals a day with that of two larger meals, breakfast and lunch, having more or less the same daily calorie count,” said Hana Kahleova, a researcher at Prague’s Ikem institute, earlier this week. The research focused on a sample of 54 men and women aged 30-70 who
suffer from obesity and Type 2 diabetes, which is not insulin dependent.
it would require a significant adjustment of the insulin dosage.
Within three months, those who ate larger meals twice a day lost 1.4 kilos more than those who followed the classic model, Kahleova said.
She added that more extensive research was now needed to confirm the results of the study.
“Levels of sugar, insulin and glucagon on an empty stomach also fell more rapidly in patients who ate in the morning and at midday, and their sensibility to insulin also improved.” But she warned that “anyone taking insulin cannot start on this diet without consulting a doctor”, saying
“We cannot draw general recommendations based on this single study,” she said.
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June 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times
Misc Asia
China-U.S. tensions mount over spying charges Beijing, May 20, 2014 — China’s Foreign Ministry summoned the US ambassador to China on Monday, urging that the United States drop charges against five Chinese military officers for allegedly stealing trade secrets from American companies, state news agency Xinhua reported.
“Fresh Off The Boat” : ABC orders first Asian-American comedy series based on Eddie Huang’s memoir May 19, 2014 — ABC Network has ordered a new comedy series for its 2014-2015 lineup based on NYC chef Eddie Huang’s memoir “Fresh Off The Boat.” The announcement marked the series to be the first to feature an Asian American family on a network television sitcom in 20 years. “Fresh Off the Boat” stars Randall Park as Louis, Constance Wu as Jessica, Hudson Yang as Eddie, Forrest Wheeler as Emery and Ian Chen as Evan. The series is executive produced and written by Nahnatchka Kahn (“American Dad”) and exec produced by Jake Kasdan.
Eddie-Huang-Fresh-Off-The-BoatABC-Pilot“Fresh Off the Boat” takes place in the 1990’s and follows 12-year old, hip-hop loving Eddie, who has just moved to suburban Orlando from D.C.’s Chinatown with his parents. “Fresh Off the Boat” is based on Chef Eddie Huang’s memoir of the same name. The half an hour comedy follows the misadventures of Eddie as a 12 year old kid with his immigrant family experiencing culture shock as they move to Florida in pursuit of the American Dream. Huang is on board as a producer.
cyber.spysChina’s Defense Ministry also denied that the government or military had ever engaged in cyber spying on businesses. It instead called on the US to immediately stop spying on China, warning that the charges have seriously damaged trust between the two countries. Officials in Washington have argued for years that cyber espionage is a top national security concern. The indictment, which was made earlier on Monday, was the first criminal hacking charge that the United States has filed against specific foreign officials, and follows a steady increase in public criticism and private confrontation, including at a summit last year between US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping. “When a foreign nation uses military or intelligence resources and tools against an American executive or corporation to obtain trade secrets or sensitive business information for the benefit of its state-owned companies, we must say, ‘Enough is enough,’” US
Attorney General Eric Holder said at a news conference. Federal prosecutors said the suspects targeted companies including Alcoa Inc, Allegheny Technologies Inc, United States Steel Corp, Toshiba Corp unit Westinghouse Electric Co, the US subsidiaries of SolarWorld AG, and a steel workers’ union. Indictment filed Officials declined to estimate the size of the losses to the companies, but said they were “significant.” The victims had all filed unfair trade claims against their Chinese rivals, helping Washington draw a link between the alleged hacking activity and its impact on international business. According to the indictment, Chinese state-owned companies “hired” Unit 61398 of the People’s Liberation Army “to provide information technology services” including assembling a database of corporate intelligence. The Chinese companies were not named. The Shanghai-based Unit 61398 was identified last year by cyber security firm Mandiant as the source of a large number of espionage operations. All five defendants worked with 61398, according to the indictment.
Georgia Asian Times June 1-15, 2014
Page 17
Misc Asia
Gen Prayuth has previously warned that if protests continued he would have no choice but to use force. In his address he repeated the warnings, saying resistance would only slow the process of bringing “happiness” back to the Thai people.
Thailand Junta leaders rules out elections for a year Bangkok, May 30, 2014 - Thailand’s junta leader, General Prayuth Chanocha, has ruled out any early general election for the country in a nationally broadcast address late Friday evening. Gen Prayuth, in his first address since the May 22 coup, said it will take about a year and three months to accomplish reforms needed before a nationwide vote. In a televised address, Gen Prayuth called on all sides to co-operate and stop protesting. He repeated warnings against any resistance to the military. The Thai army seized power on May 22, and detained senior politicians for several days. The U.S. and other foreign governments have urged Gen Prayuth to allow elections to be held as soon as possible. Sporadic protests continue in Bangkok and other cities, which challenge the military junta’s legitimacy. Gen Prayuth said: “The (ruling military regime) have a timeframe of one year and three months to move towards elections, “Enough time has been wasted on conflict.”
He said a first phase of about three months would focus on “reconciliation” with a cabinet and new draft constitution put in place. As a second step reforms would be introduced, over year-long period and only after this could elections be held. He said “a legislative council will be established in order to select a prime minister, appoint a Cabinet to oversee the administration and draft a [new] constitution, as well as set up a reform council to reform all issues that the society desires, acceptable to all groups.” The general also repeated a warning against trying to protest the military’s takeover, saying such acts will impede his goal of bringing happiness back to the people of Thailand. General Prayuth seized power just days after declaring martial law and summoning leaders of the major political parties and protest groups to try brokering a solution to Thailand’s long political impasse. “Give us time to solve the problems for you. Then the soldiers will step back to look at Thailand from afar,” he added.
The coup saw scores of politicians, including Thailand’s previous two acting prime ministers, detained. Academics were also summoned to turn themselves in to the military, but most have been released after apparently promising not to engage in politics and to remain in the country. The partly elected Senate, the only functioning legislative body, was disbanded. A dozen provincial governors and numerous top police officials have also been removed from their posts. In a series of decrees from the National Council for Peace and Order, which General Prayuth now leads, citizens have been warned not to gath-
er in public in groups larger than five people. The media is under censorship with soldiers monitoring content being broadcast on the major television channels. International news channels, such as BBC and CNN, have been blacked out on cable TV networks. A night curfew remains in effect nationwide. Also on Friday, hundreds of troops sealed off a major Bangkok intersection during the evening rush hour to prevent a possible protest. Thailand’s military stepped in after six months of political deadlock as protesters tried to oust the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
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June 1-15, 2014 Georgia Asian Times
EAT OUT
CAFE Q - Serving Tasty Sichuan Flavors Cafe Q has been opened for business since Fall 2009 and has remained a popular dining spot for Asians living in the Johns Creek area. Located in a corner of a small shopping center on Medlock Bridge Road, it features a small dining room with modern looking atmosphere. This authentic family-owned Sichuan restaurant attracts regular Chinese customers who are craving for cooking that offers blend of hot spices and layers of textures. You have to try the Sichuan Hot Boiled Beef — filet beef served in a mix of vegetables in hot chili oils and sauces. You may substitute the beef with fish filet. This dish is best eaten with steamy white rice. Stir fried Cumin Beef is another recommended dish. The smokiness of the cumin flavor goes well with the dried chili peppers along with bamboo slices.
For those who wants to forgo the spicy Sichuan peppers, try the Pocket Tofu — essentially it is tofu blends with chicken served with bok choy in a white creamy sauce. Pork Intestines with Three Peppers is for those adventurous diners. Strip slices of pork intestines are sautéed to perfection with cuts of bell peppers and spicy variety to provide a complex layer of numbing flavor. Waiters are friendly and attentive to request. Avoid weekends lunch or dinners as Chinese families would gather for family meals.
Cafe Q Sichuan Bistro 10475 Medlock Bridge Road Ste 105 Johns Creek GA 30097 Tel (770) 813-0063