Covering The Multicultural Asian American Community in Georgia
www.gasiantimes.com May 15-31, 2012 Vol 9. No 9
Celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2012
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GAT Calendar of Events (For latest & updated events, visit www.gasiantimes.com)
Publisher: Li Wong Account Manager: Adrian West Contributors: Andrian Putra, May Lee, Mark Ho Photographer: Ben Hioe, Minh Doan Tel: 770.335.4593 Advertising: gat@gasiantimes.com Editorial: info@gasiantimes.com URL: www.gasiantimes.com
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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. Business Opportunity Expo & Conference Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) Date: May 15-16, 2012 Venue: 2000 Convention Center Concourse, College Park, GA 30337 For more info: www.gmsdc.org APAC 27th Annual Unity Gala Students Scholarship Award Date: Saturday, May 19, 2012 Time: 6:00 pm Venue: Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place Fees: $50/person, $500/table of 10 for non-profit organization, $1,000/corporate table of 10 For more info: Le Doan 770-722-8486 or varinees@yahoo.com 2012 USPAACC-SE Annual Meeting Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 Time: 9:30 am - 12:00 noon Venue: GE HQ, Wildwood Pkwy Atlanta For more info: www.uspaacc-se.com Asian Pacific Americans Making Waves: Stories About Love, Family & Identity by Asian Pacific Americans in the South Date: Sunday, May 27, 2012 Time: 2:00 – 4:00pm Venue: Gwinnett County Public Library– Suwanee Branch 361 Main Street, Suwanee, GA 30024 Savannah Asian Festival Date: Saturday, June 23, 2012 Time: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Venue: Civic Center For more info: eseals@savannahga.gov
19th Asian Cultural Experience (ACE) Date: Sat-Sun; July 28-29, 2012 Time: 10:00 am-8:00 pm, 11:00 am-7:00 pm Venue: Gwinnett Center Admission: $10 (adult) $6 (students) Free (child under 5 years) For more info: www.asianculturalexpericneinga.com Hong Kong Dragon Boat - Atlanta Date: Saturday Sept 8, 2012 Time: 7:00 am Venue: Clarks Bridge Olympic Rowing Facility Lake Lanier For more info: dragonboatatlanta.com JapanFest Date: Sept 15-16, 2012 Time: 10 am -6 pm; 10 am - 5 pm Venue: Gwinnett Center For more info: www.japanfest.org Vietnamese American Community of Georgia - Mid Autumn Festival Date: Saturday Sept 29, 2012 Time: 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm Venue: Hong Kong Supermarket For more info: Trish Nguyen, 678.820.8822 8th Atlanta Asian Film Festival Date: Oct 5-20, 2012 Venues: Emory University, GPC-Dunwoody, GSU-Cinefest For more info: www.atlaff.org
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May 15-31, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
METRO ASIAN NEWS What do you know about the Atlanta Regional Transportation Referendum? On July 31, 2012, residents across the 10-county Atlanta region including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties, as well as the City of Atlanta have the opportunity to vote on a referendum that would fund $8.5 billion in transportation improvements through a regional one percent sales tax.
referendum.
You probably have seen TV ads urging you to vote for the one percent sales tax. Opponents are already lining up to protest the mix of transportation projects to be funded by the tax increase, of which more than half is intended to fund mass transit.
Q. What is TSPLOST? A. Some refer to the Transportation Investment Act as a TSPLOST or a Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax. It is actually a regional tax that has specific projects rather than categories like a county SPLOST list.
GAT would like to share with our readers some of the key points of the Atlanta Regional Transportation
Q. How much money will be raised by the transportation referendum? I hear so many dif-
Q. What areas are covered in the metro Atlanta Region for this referendum? A. The region consists of the City of Atlanta and Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties.
ferent amounts. How much is it really? A. Georgia’s state economist estimates that the total amount raised would be $7.2 billion in 2011 dollars. This amount would be split into two separate pots of money: $6.1 billion for the regional projects that were selected by the Regional Roundtable (which represents 85% of the total amount). The remaining 15% would be allocated to each county and the municipalities within the counties for local projects. Q. Is this tax permanent? A. The penny tax will be in place for ten years or until the funding level is reached, whichever comes first. By law, the tax cannot be extended unless approved by voters. Q. Can the money collected be used for items not related to transportation, such as education? A. No. Unlike other state and local taxes, revenues raised from this penny tax can only be spent on the specific project list approved by the Regional Roundtable on October 13, 2011 (85% of the revenue) and on local transportation projects selected by local counties and municipalities (15% of the revenue). Q. How will the money be divided and spent throughout the region? A. The transportation money raised in our region will only fund projects in Atlanta and our 10-County region. The majority of the money would be used for regional projects. However, 15 percent of the funds raised will be distributed to counties and municipalities for them to use, as they determine, on their own local transportation and infrastructure projects. Q. What is the dollar amount of the 15% that counties and cities will get and what can it be spent on? A. The discretionary 15% funding can be spent on any new or existing airports, bike lanes, bridges, bus
and rail mass transit systems, freight and passenger rail, pedestrian facilities, ports, roads, terminals, and all activities and structures useful and related to providing, operating, and maintaining the same. The dollars can also be spent as a local match for state or federal funding. This chart can be found at http://www.atlantaregionalroundtable.com/documents/discretionary_Money.pdf. Q. Is it guaranteed that the money will be spent only on the selected projects? A. The Transportation Investment Act requires strict accountability. A Citizen Oversight Committee of nonelected officials would be appointed by the Speaker of the House and Lieutenant Governor to help ensure that projects are completed on time and on budget. An annual audit published on a public website will report progress on individual projects and keep citizens apprised of project spending. Q. Who selects the transportation projects? A. After gathering an unprecedented amount of public input from over 200,000 metro Atlanta residents, the Atlanta Regional Roundtable selected the list of projects that would be funded if the referendum passes. This list was chosen by the Roundtable using the following criteria: reducing traffic congestion, creating jobs, and improving quality of life. The 21-member Roundtable consisted of the county commission chair and one mayor from each of the 10 counties plus the Mayor of Atlanta. The Roundtable unanimously approved the project list on October 13, 2011. Q. How does this funding source connect with other funds for transportation projects? A. The TIA project list is designed to maximize federal and state dollars. Every project submitted for consideration and ultimate approval on the final list had to come from an existing plan. As a result, projects funded through TIA either complement an
Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2012
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METRO ASIAN NEWS
existing project or jump start a new phase of a plan to enhance mobility. If the sales tax is passed, it will free up funds already programmed and those will now be eligible for additional regional priorities. Q. If the projects come in under cost, what happens to the remaining dollars? A. The law requires that any excess dollars will be apportioned back to the local jurisdictions to be used on local transportation projects based on the percentage of population and lane miles in each jurisdiction. Q. I’ve heard that the money collected will not pay for the entire project in some cases – what happens to that project when TIA money runs out? A. All of the projects have been scoped to meet the funds available through this process. An annual audit will track progress and citizens will be able to monitor which projects are on budget and those that may have run into additional roadblocks. Q. What happens if the regional sales tax doesn’t pass? A. Today, local governments must provide a local match in order to receive their state local maintenance grants. If the voters turn down the transportation referendum in 2012, the local match increases to 30%. If
the project list is adopted and the voters pass the transportation referendum in 2012, the local match drops to 10%. In addition, the region cannot try again for at least two years. Jurisdictions will have to use additional sources of revenue to fund transportation projects such as grants, toll roads, local tax or bond referendums and federal money. Q. Can changes be made to the project list and if so, when is the last date to make changes? A. The Roundtable has approved the final list and no further changes can be made. Local governments are working now to determine how they will spend the 15% of funds that will be allocated to local projects. Q. Are the transportation projects chosen by the Roundtable the best solution? A. That’s for the voters to decide. The priorities set by the Roundtable will be the subject of public debate between now and Election Day and there are strong-held views on both sides. Q. Are any of my sales tax dollars going to be spent outside the region? A. No. By law, all sales taxes collected in the metro Atlanta region must be spent within Atlanta and the 10-county region.
Q. Will bonds be issued to pay for these projects? A. Currently, the legislation is silent on the issuance of bonds. Q. Are there any items or sales that are exempt from the regional sales tax? A. Exemptions from the tax include: motor fuel; jet fuel; off-road fuel for heavy-duty, farm, or agricultural equipment; locomotive fuel; public mass transit fuel; the sale or use of energy used in manufacturing or processing tangible goods; and, building and construction materials. In addition, the tax is only levied on the first $5,000 of any transaction involving the sale or lease of a motor vehicle. Q. What about other counties outside the 10-county metro Atlanta region? A. The state has been divided into 12 regions. Each region will vote on July
31, 2012 for their regional transportation referendum. For information about the other 11 regions across Georgia, visit www.ConnectGeorgia2012.com. Q. How can I get more information about the referendum and project list in the 10-county metro Atlanta region? A. Visit www.TransformMetroAtlanta. com or www.AtlantaRegionalRoundtable.com to read more facts and information about the referendum and transportation project list. Q. When is the referendum scheduled? A. The Transportation Investment Act (TIA) referendum is scheduled for July 31, 2012 during the General Primary Election. (Source: Transform Metro Atlanta and Atlanta Regional Commission)
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May 15-31, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
BUSINESS
China, Japan, South Korea agree to start free-trade talks Beijing, May 13, 2012 (AFP) – The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea agreed Sunday to start negotiations towards creating a free-trade area this year, saying it would boost the economies of the region in a time of crisis. A free-trade area among Northeast Asia’s three major economies has been on the trilateral agenda for the past decade, beginning with an agreement among the three in late 2002 to launch a feasibility study on the issue. “The three countries agreed to launch negotiations on a China-South Korea-Japan free-trade area within the year,” said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao after meeting South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. Wen told reporters in Beijing that closer regional economic integration in response to a slow global recovery and an overall rise in trade protectionism would help unlock new growth potential. “Northeast Asia is the most economically vibrant region in the world. So there is huge potential for our three countries to have closer trade and investment cooperation,” he said. “The establishment of a free-trade area will unleash the economic vitality of our region and give a strong boost to economic integration in East Asia.” China, Japan and South Korea combined have the world’s largest economy — ahead of the European Union — when measured by purchasing power parity, which takes into account differences in the costs of living across nations.
Progress on a free-trade pact had widely expected to be on the agenda of the China-South Korea-Japan leaders’ meeting on Sunday — the fifth such summit to take place. For Japan, free-trade talks with China and South Korea will come on top of efforts to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement being negotiated by a group of countries led by the US, but excluding China. “We will promote the TPP and the trilateral free-trade area in parallel. These efforts can be mutually reinforcing to each other,” Noda told reporters. China, Japan and South Korea are pushing the trade liberalization agenda at a time when their export-dependent economies are under pressure from slowdowns in the key European and North American markets. “When the economy is in crisis, it’s more pressing to set up a free-trade zone. This is my personal proposition,” South Korea’s Lee said. “In times of crisis, if countries, for their own survival, carry out protectionist ideas, then the recovery of the economy will take a long time,” he said. In Sunday’s meeting, the three nations also signed an investment agreement concluded earlier this year after 13 rounds of negotiations stretching over five years. “To further facilitate mutual investment, it is important to have a legal framework. It will help our businesses and mutual investment,” Lee said.
Myanmar urges millions of exiles to return Yangon, May 12, 2012 (AFP) - Myanmar’s president has urged the nation’s millions-strong diaspora to return, state media reported Saturday, as the country seeks skilled workers to help smooth the passage of reform. Several million people fled Myanmar’s corrupted economy and political repression under army rule, leaving the nation desperately short of professionals to help it manage massive economic and political change. Pledging to help emigres establish businesses as resource-rich Myanmar braces for a surge of foreign investment and an expected economic boom, President Thein Sein asked migrants who left for “various reasons” to return. “Offers are being constantly extended to Myanmar citizens who have been abroad for various reasons to come back home,” he was quoted as saying by English-language state newspaper the New Light of Myanmar “Those who were abroad include technicians, experts, businessmen as well as those who are engaged in different careers. “The state would render necessary assistance to them if they have any difficulties in doing business in the nation.”
Many exiles have been emboldened to return by a surprising series of political and economic reforms since Thein Sein took office last year. The diaspora -- a significant proportion of the roughly 60 million population -- include skilled workers who have made successful lives overseas. The new military-backed civilian government that took power last year has surprised observers with a series of conciliatory gestures to its opponents. Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi took a seat in parliament after her pro-democracy party swept April by-elections and hundreds of political prisoners have been freed, although many others remain behind bars. The European Union has responded by suspending for one year a wide range of trade, economic and individual sanctions, although it left intact an arms embargo. But the United States maintained its main sanctions on Myanmar, hoping to use them to press the regime to end ongoing ethnic violence, which has marred the regime’s reformist image.
Georgia Asian Times
May 15-31, 2012
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Premium Asian carriers hit by severe crosswinds Singapore, May 13, 2012 (AFP) Premium airlines in Asia are rethinking their strategies and slashing costs as high fuel prices, global economic uncertainty and pressure from Middle East and budget carriers squeeze profits. Singapore Airlines (SIA) reported Wednesday that its net profit for the financial year ended in March tumbled 69 percent to Sg$336 million ($268 million), weighed down by a rare loss in the fourth quarter. It was only SIA’s third quarterly loss in its 40-year history of uninterrupted full-year profit. The first took place during the SARS health scare in 2003 and the second during the global financial crisis in 2009. SIA’s Asian rival Cathay Pacific of Hong Kong has warned shareholders that its first-half results, due out in August, are “expected to be disappointing” on the heels of a 61-percent net profit fall in 2011. Both carriers are looking for more opportunities in Asia, the world’s fastgrowing aviation market, as long-haul operations take a hit from the European debt crisis and the patchy US recovery. Australian flag carrier Qantas is also attempting to refocus on Asia as part of its strategy to revitalise its lossmaking international business. “This is not just a Cathay Pacific problem,” chief executive John Slosar said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. “It is clearly an industry-wide issue, and continued high fuel prices in particular are hitting airlines hard across the globe,” he said, calling for “concerted action” to address the volatile environment. SIA’s performance is regarded as an indicator of industry trends and its reliance on business and first-class
passengers to generate high margins is now being called into question. Premium carriers such as SIA and Cathay are among the most affected by the economic headwinds because of their heavy reliance on top-paying passengers who can account for more than 50 percent of revenues, analysts said. Some analysts say SIA has not been not been quick enough to seize opportunities at the lower end of the market. “While SIA’s current slump is more a result of tough economic conditions and external factors, they are also now paying the price for standing still,” the Sydney-based Centre for Aviation consultancy said in a report. Air travellers are more price-conscious and have a wider range of choices from budget carriers to premium airlines, Shukor Yusof, an aviation analyst in Singapore with Standard & Poor’s Equities Research, told AFP. Last year, one in four of the 46.5 million passengers who passed through Singapore’s Changi Airport travelled on a low-cost airline, compared to one in five in 2010, the airport operator said. SIA is also being challenged by Middle Eastern carriers such as Etihad, Qatar Airways and Emirates, which have expanded their fleets and improved cabin services to compete with the famous “Singapore Girl” flight attendants. “They have closed the gap,” said Shukor. “They now offer services that are at par or better than SIA and at lower ticket prices,” he said, noting that SIA fares are around 20 percent higher. But Middle East carriers are equally under pressure, with Dubai’s Emirates airline group announcing a 61-percent
slump in profit in the year to March to 2.3 billion dirhams ($629 million). Cathay said its cost-cutting measures include reducing flight frequencies on some routes to Europe and the United States while expanding its profitable Asian network through sister firm Dragonair. It will deploy more fuel-efficient aircraft, speed up the retirement of older Boeing 747-400 planes, freeze hiring of ground staff and offer voluntary unpaid leave for cabin crew from June. SIA said in March it had asked its pilots to volunteer for unpaid leave for up to two years during which they can work for other airlines. It has retired the Boeing 747-400 and is pushing through with orders for new more fuel-efficient Airbus and Boeing planes. Global airline industry group IATA in March cut back its 2012 profit forecast for the industry to $3.0 billion from $3.5 billion due to persistently high fuel prices, with Brent crude staying above $100 a barrel. The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said the aggregate net profit of members based in the region tumbled 47 percent last year to $4.8 billion due to high oil prices and soft cargo demand. Fuel accounted for 34 percent of total costs, up from 30 percent the year before, AAPA said.
Its director general Andrew Herdman said that with revenues totaling $162 billion, the aggregate net profit represented “only a 3.0 percent profit margin and a poor return on invested capital.” But he said the region’s carriers were adapting. “Asia Pacific carriers are at the forefront of business model innovation, with changing dynamics rapidly reshaping the region’s industry,” he told AFP. A number of airlines are already combining the elements of both fullservice and budget models, while others are forming alliances, he noted. “New strategies involving partnerships of full service airlines and low cost carriers are breaking new ground in Asia,” he said. And SIA is not ignoring the budget market: its wholly-owned low-cost carrier Scoot is set to start flying next month to Australia. In addition, SIA owns nearly 33 percent of Tiger Airways, another lowcost carrier which holds more than a third of Indonesia’s Mandala Airlines. Shukor said SIA remains fundamentally strong, with up to Sg$6.0 billion in cash. “No airline in the world has that kind of money. That war chest will put them in a position that will allow them to manoevre and overcome any near-term turbulence,” he said.
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May 15-31, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
FEATURE
Vietnam ‘cancer-cure’ horn habit threat to world rhinos HANOI, May 8, 2012 (AFP) - For desperate Vietnamese cancer patients ground rhinoceros horn is seen as an elixir of life -- a medically unproven and illegal obsession that threatens the very survival of the world’s wild rhinos. The substance, which shares the same protein found in human fingernails, sells for thousands of dollars an ounce in Vietnam. Soaring demand has led to a bloodbath in South Africa as poachers kill record numbers of the creatures. “I was diagnosed with stomach cancer nine years ago. I’ve tried everything including rhino horn powder every day. Now, doctors have told me I’m in a stable condition,” said wealthy Hanoi-based octogenarian Nguyen Hung. “I have lots of money, I am old (and) I just love to live... I have no reason not to spend money on buying the expensive rhino horns and drinking its powder if it helps me,” said Hung, who asked his real name be withheld. Targeted medical studies have shown that rhino horn has no medical benefits. Two cancer patients taking rhino horn as part of their treatment who were contacted for this story died before interviews could be arranged. But many in Vietnam believe the horn has miracle healing properties and the communist country’s voracious appetite for the substance has become the main driver of global demand.
Tran Thi Hiep, a 60-year-old retired official who discovered a tumor on her neck six years ago and has been using rhino horn, said that traditional Vietnamese culture encourages people to try every possible treatment. “When we are sick, we should pray to the four corners of the earth for a cure,” she said, quoting a common Vietnamese saying. On Hanoi’s Lan Ong street, a bustling hub for traditional medicine, nearly every shop sells special ceramic dishes that have a coarse surface on which rhino horn is gently grated down. “Rhino horn is used to prevent and to cure cancer... You need to grind it into a powder before serving it with water or alcohol,” said Tran Thu Thao, a specialist in Vietnamese traditional medicine. A hundred grams costs up to 120 million dong ($5,000) on the black market, she said. There is also a huge trade in counterfeit horn as local demand far outstrips supply and Thao said well-known traders have months-long waiting lists for the genuine substance.
A symbol of status Buying and selling rhino horn is illegal in Vietnam, but enforcement is lax and prosecutions for smuggling horns into the country are few and far between -- the last was reportedly in 2005.
Traders also exploit legal grey areas, legally importing “trophy” horns from licensed shoots in South Africa that conservation groups say can then disappear into the black market because Vietnam does not conduct follow up checks. “Rhino horn is now well beyond simply a luxury item used as a symbol of status,” said Naomi Doak of conservation group TRAFFIC, adding that the horn was also in demand as a cure for a variety of even mundane ailments. The trade has become a lucrative business for criminal syndicates. “There is a lot less risk involved with smuggling rhino horn than with drugs, in terms of detection, prosecution and penalties, and you get more money for the rhino horn,” she said. “This is now seen very much as the key threat to (rhino) conservation.” An explosion in Asian demand for horn saw a record 448 rhinos poached in South Africa last year -- compared with just 13 in 2007 -- and the rate is increasing, with over 170 killed so far this year. Vietnam’s own critically endangered species of rhinoceros, the Javan rhino, was poached to extinction in 2010. A surge in hunting permit applications from Vietnam has prompted South Africa to suspend issuance and
ask Hanoi to conduct inspections to verify that exported trophies are still in the possession of the hunters. But senior police man Tran Huy Tu, who had a stroke three years ago and is himself an ardent user of rhino horn, say such efforts will likely be in vain. “Vietnamese have been going to South Africa to try and bring back rhino horns for years,” said Tu, who asked that his name be changed to avoid prosecution. Tu takes rhino horn regularly to counterbalance heavy work pressure and a large drinking habit. “I can drink a lot of alcohol but I am still sober and strong. I don’t have a headache and I do not feel tired. It has some effects, I believe,” said Tu. “It’s not legal to buy this stuff, but in Vietnam you can buy anything with money -- or lots of money,” he said.
Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2012
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EAT OUT
Not Much Love at I Luv Pho 2 “I Luv Pho 2″ opens its door for business in April. We waited for a couple of months for the business to stabilize and to “iron out” the grand opening kinks. The first store on Jimmy Carter Boulevard off Britt Road was a commercial success. Many local Vietnamese dines and introduces their non-Viet friends to the first restaurant. Although the decor of the second store resembles the first store, nothing else come close to the first store. Menu is quite extensive with a wide range of offering other than pho. Rice plates are available here. The pho at I Luv Pho 2 comes with much less tasty broth and lower quality meat. The meat is tough and grainy compared to silky smooth sliced filet mignon at the first store. My friend ordered Mi-Ko which is basically dry egg-noodles with seafood. He requested for a large bowl of soup on the side and repeated a few times to the waiter. By the time, the food arrives, the soup comes in a small bowl.
Service is slow and poor in attention by wait staff. The waiter didn’t make much eye contact nor acknowledged our orders. We have never witnessed such poor service ever offered at a restaurant. If the operator of the I Luv Pho 2 doesn’t rectify the service issue immediately, customers will definitely turned to other restaurants on Pleasant Hill Road. I Luv Pho 2 4500 Satellite Blvd Ste 1100 Duluth GA 30096 Tel: (678) 894-0532 Opens: 24-Hour
Liu Fu, a reincarnation of China Inn, is back at Johns Creek We were a bit saddened when China Inn closes its door last year. The owner reopens its business under a new name “Liu Fu” in February at Johns Creek. It caters to the largest concentration of Asian families in Georgia, according to 2010 Census Bureau statistics. The restaurant has a cozy and beautiful decor of dark woods leftover by previous restaurant operator. Liu Fu owners basically move in with their Chinese decorative items. Strange enough, the combination of East and West decors make the space looks quite stunning. The menu is basically the same as the former China Inn at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Pocket Tofu ($12) which is smashed tofu with chicken steamed and sauteed with white sauce. This is a highly recommended dish to order. Another dish not to be missed is the Sichuan Spicy Boiled Beef ($16). It is
the signature dish of the restaurant. Comes with cabbage and spicy sichuan sauces. It goes well with steam white rice. Honey Glazed Walnut Shrimp ($14) is another recommended dish for family with kids. The sweetness of the honey combines well with the crunch of walnut and shrimp. Another favorite dish to order is the sauteed string beans with pork ($11). Sweet and salty taste makes the dish savory with steamed white rice. Service is friendly and attentive. Prices are reasonable given it is located in northern Gwinnett. A great destination for business lunch and family dinner on the weekends. Liu Fu 11625 Medlock Bridge Rd, Duluth, GA 30097 (678) 957-8889
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EVENTS
May 15-31, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration May 5, 2012 Photos: Ben Hioe
Georgia Asian Times May 15-31, 2012
Page 11
FOCUS South Korean groups shine light on secretive North Seoul, May 14, 2012 (AFP) - From a small and crowded office in a Seoul backstreet, Park In-Ho shines a light on one of the most closed and secretive nations on earth. His Internet newspaper Daily NK is one of about a dozen South Korean organizations collecting news about North Korea, through sources inside the hardline communist state and contacts or staffers in neighboring China. Daily NK, one of the most active, was founded in 2004 to publicize the plight of refugees hiding out in China and to relay the voices of ordinary North Koreans inside their homeland. “We wanted to let people here and abroad know how ordinary North Koreans live and think, a subject which has often been ignored by South Korean media,” said Park, 40, the Daily NK publisher. Daily NK provides real-time news in four languages -- Korean, English, Chinese and Japanese. It has about 30 staff including five former refugees from the North, nine foreigners and three journalists based in China. Park is a former NGO activist helping North Korean refugees in China, who face repatriation and possible severe punishment at home if caught by Beijing.
The fugitives in China are “crucial assets”, he said, as their relatives and friends back home are the main source of information. But he would not discuss news gathering operations, to protect his sources. “Our operation is risky,” he said. Daily NK staffers in China live under constant threat from Pyongyang and are also in danger of being deported by Beijing, Park said. Inside the North, “Pyongyang regards our secret sources within its system as spies and is desperate to discover their identities”, he said. Park said the North has been closely watching Daily NK and describing its staff as “traitors”, since its extensive coverage of the currency revaluation in late 2009. This backfired disastrously, wiping out savings, fueling food shortages and sparking rare outbreaks of public unrest. Park counts the Daily NK’s coverage of the episode as its greatest scoop. Park said he began using the Internet to tell the story of ordinary North Koreans because he had no money for other outlets. The website (www.dailynk.com) now gets about 100,000 hits a day from people including government officials, scholars and journalists, he said. Apart from advertising revenue it relies on donations from the National Endowment for Democracy, a non-profit foundation sponsored by the US Congress, to fund about 30 percent of its operations. The North’s regime once exercised an iron grip on in-
formation sources, pre-tuning radios and televisions to official stations only and banning cellphones for years. There are now more than one million registered subscribers to an officially approved mobile phone service, but activists say overseas calls are banned. Security services try to clamp down on contraband CDs and DVDs and especially on smuggled mobile phones which connect to Chinese networks near the border. Users reportedly limit calls to five minutes to avoid being traced. Daily NK and other groups such as Open Radio for North Korea rely on information relayed by such phones. The campaign against external information “has not been so successful because of a growing appetite among North Korean people for news about the outside world”, said Kim Ik-Hwan, secretary general of Open Radio. “Public allegiance to the regime is getting weaker and money counts for a lot there due to corruption, which is rampant and far more serious than we think,” he said. His organization, which has a 20member crew including five defectors, relies on donations from non-governmental organizations and the NED to
fund its daily broadcasts for five hours from 10 pm. It also operates a website (http:// english.nkradio.org). Good Friends, set up in 2003 by a Buddhist NGO group, publishes an online newsletter with the stated aim of providing “a bridge between the North Korean people and the world”. “Unlike other groups which resort to criticism and pressure, Good Friends advocates cross-border exchanges and cooperation,” said Park Sun-Song, a university professor and Good Friends board member. Good Friends (http://goodfriends. or.kr/eng), which is funded by more than 4,000 private donors, “plays a role in improving inter-Korean relations,” the professor said. It nevertheless paints a devastating picture of cross-border hardships: deaths from starvation amid desperate food shortages, children forced to collect human faces to fertilize fields, widespread bribery and repression and acute electricity shortages. Park In-Ho said Daily NK seeks to change attitudes inside and outside the North. “I will continue my business until North Korea becomes a free and open society,” he vowed.
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May 15-31, 2012 Georgia Asian Times
LIFESTYLE
Economic growth sows unhappiness in China: study WASHINGTON, May 14, 2012 (AFP) - China’s economic growth of the last 20 years has generally been met with declining happiness, especially among the poorest members of society, according to a US analysis published on Monday. The study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) is based on six different surveys on self-reported satisfaction with life since 1990, a period when China’s gross domestic product per capita increased fourfold. “There are many who believe that well-being is increased by economic growth, and that the faster the growth, the happier people are. There could hardly be a better country than China to test these expectations,” said lead author Richard Easterlin, professor of economics at the University of Southern California. “But there is no evidence of a marked increase in life satisfaction in China of the magnitude that might have been expected due to the enor-
mous multiplication in per capita consumption,” said Easterlin, who is known for his work in the 1970s on how happiness is often not linked to wealth, coined the Easterlin Paradox. “Indeed people are slightly less happy overall, and China has gone from being one of the most egalitarian countries in the world in terms of life satisfaction to one of the least.” In 1990, 68 percent of those in the wealthiest income bracket and 65 percent of those in the poorest reported high levels of satisfaction. But the latter figure has fallen more than 23 percentage points in the past two decades, according to the USC analysis of surveys carried out by the Pew Research Center, Gallup, and Horizon Research Consultancy Group, among others. Only 42 percent of Chinese people in the lowest income bracket reported high levels of life satisfaction in 2010, said the PNAS report.
undercuts the increase in life satisfaction related to rising income itself,” said the study.
generally, that a return to socialism and the gross inefficiencies of central planning would be beneficial.”
Other reasons may include “home life and the need for a secure job to support it, health, friends and relatives,” it added.
Instead, leaders should take note that “jobs and job and income security, together with a social safety net, are of critical importance to life satisfaction.”
Similar trends have been observed in the former Soviet Union and East Germany during their transition periods. But the study cautioned that it would be “a mistake to conclude from the life satisfaction experience of Chi-
Meanwhile, the wealthiest Chinese who said they were satisfied with their lives grew about three percentage points, to 71 percent. “There is no evidence of a substantial uptrend in life satisfaction of the magnitude that might have been expected given the fourfold increase in GDP per capita over the study period,” said the study. While the surveys did not document the reasons for the decline, it is a wellknown phenomenon that “growth in aspirations induced by rising income
na, and the transition countries more
The study also applauded the Chinese government for taking steps in the last few years to “repair the social safety net,” which it described as “encouraging” for the country’s least advantaged citizens.
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SPORTS Toure targets new City triumphs MANCHESTER, United Kingdom, May 14, 2012 (AFP) - Manchester City’s Yaya Toure is already looking ahead to winning more trophies next season after the club’s nailbiting capture of the English Premier League crown. The Ivory Coast midfielder has been a central figure in the club’s progress but was off the field injured when two goals in extra-time gave his side a 3-2 win at home to Queens Park Rangers on Sunday. The victory saw City win their first title in 44 years, as they edged out bitter rivals Manchester United on goal difference. “We have been unbelievable,” Toure told City TV. I thank all but I think next year will be more and I hope City will become a great club in the world. I will think about the new season and I hope it will be more exciting than the last one. “I think the fans may enjoy it more because now we have fantastic players, they are growing. “They have fantastic talent and I think next year we will get more cups than this year.” Reflecting on the astonishing climax to Sunday’s match, Toure -- who went off just before half-time and then saw City fall 2-1 behind -- said: “It was unbelievable. When we had 10 minutes left I was thinking we needed a goal to try to help us. “With all this season, always doing well, to have lost the Premier League at home -- it would have been a disaster, I think I can say that. “I am very happy. I think the team deserves it, the fans deserve it, the boss deserves it. I think all this club deserves it this year.
“That was the character of the team, the winning mentality. The team did fantastically well. “We proved all the players on the pitch wanted to fight for this club, to win something for this club, to be part of history for this club.” With United winning at Sunderland, it looked as if the title was staying at Old Trafford but stoppage-time goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero ensured City ended the season as England’s top club for the first time since 1968. An elated Aguero, who finished his first season with City with 30 goals, said: “The only thing I can say is I am really happy. The truth is we can hardly believe it ourselves. “We thought the Premier League had gone. Thank God it all worked out for us. We got two goals in five minutes, it was absolutely unbelievable.” City’s lavish spending on players, courtesy of Abu Dhabi-based owner Sheikh Mansour, has, inevitably, led to accusations they “bought the title”. But former City striker and current director Dennis Tueart said they had little choice if they were to compete with the likes of United. “We had to invest in a big way to catch up,” Tueart told the BBC. “We already had a great youth set-up, a good support base and a brand new stadium, we just needed to invest at the top end. “We are lucky we have got the owners who have done that but they knew they had a strong base to build on. It is tremendous we have got the vision to have a long-term strategy, and you get the reward for that.”
Premier League’s day of drama in quotes LONDON, May 14, 2012 (AFP) - Arguably the Premier League’s greatest season came to a sensational conclusion on Sunday as Manchester City won the title thanks to two stoppagetime strikes in a 3-2 victory over QPR. Elsewhere, Arsenal and Tottenham secured places in the top four, while Bolton were relegated. Here we look at the 10 best quotes from the key figures on a day of drama: “This is an incredible moment. We wanted this title and we deserve to win this title. I have never seen anything like it. Five minutes from the end I didn’t think we could win this game. It was a crazy season and a crazy last few minutes.” - Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini on an incredible title triumph. “I want to say it is the best moment of my life but if I’m honest then I would say please never again this way. Miracles do happen in Manchester. Only this time it’s on this side of the road.”
- Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany on the nerve-shredding finale. “When we were losing 2-1 I thought we were going to lose. But right now I’m dreaming and I don’t want to wake up. When you believe in yourself you win. We have fantastic players, and for this club it is a great step forward. Europe’s next.” - Pablo Zabaleta, scorer of City’s first goal, savours a dream finish. “Nobody expected that. Everybody expected City to win, but they did it against 10 men for half an hour and with five extra minutes to help them. I congratulate City on winning the league. Anybody who wins it deserves it, because it’s a long haul. It wasn’t our turn today.” - Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, whose side won 1-0 at Sunderland but were pipped for the title on goal difference, stunned by City’s late victory. “Harry (Redknapp) told me that United were champions and then
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SPORTS I went into the dressing room and someone else told me City were champions.”
this time whatever happens. I am very relaxed about it and focused on Saturday’s game.”
- Fulham boss Martin Jol sums up the chaos of the closing minutes of the title race.
- Chelsea interim manager Roberto Di Matteo is coy over his future ahead of the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
“That’s what makes our league so great. I thought Manchester United had won the title but what happened was just amazing. City have won it so good luck to them.” - Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. “I think when all is said and done we feel aggrieved with what happened today. The decisions have been difficult. The first goal was as clear a foul as you can see. We showed character to come back into the game. But I think the penalty is a soft award.” - Bolton boss Owen Coyle bemoans his team’s luck as Wanderers are relegated after a 2-2 draw at Stoke. “It is no problem and there is no news. I am happy. I have had a great time, the players have been magnificent and I will always remember
“It was an absolutely shocking, woeful display. Maybe some of the boys were thinking about their holidays already. That team needs a change and there will be change. That wasn’t an Alex McLeish team. I agree with the fans’ frustration about our display.”
Dutch striker Van Nistelrooy retires
- Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish at the conclusion of an underwhelming campaign which saw a 2-0 loss at Norwich.
MALAGA, Spain, May 14, 2012 (AFP) - Malaga’s Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy retired from professional football on Monday, ending a stellar career that included stints with Manchester United and Real Madrid.
“We will have a chat next week somewhere. You never know but Arsenal is a great club. I have been playing here for eight years and I love this club. Whatever happens that will never change. We will see. We will have a chat and go from there.”
“Yesterday I played my last match as a professional,” Van Nistelrooy, 35, told a news conference, a day after Malaga won a place in next season’s Champion’s League by winning their last league game against Sporting Gijon.
- Arsenal striker Robin van Persie on his future.
“There could be no better way to say goodbye than this, in a euphoric moment for the club,” Van Nistelrooy said. “I wanted to play in the Champions, but the moment has come to stop. I have reached my physical limit and I cannot play at the top level,” said the Dutchman, who earned the nickname “Van Gol” in Madrid. “I feel happy to have taken this decision. I thank Malaga for an unforgettable year.” During his two-decade career, Van Nistelrooy won leagues and was crowned top scorer in three countries -- England, Spain and The Netherlands, where he played for PSV Eindhoven and Heerenveen.
Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie will decide on his future with the club in the summer.
With 60 goals in the Champions League, he remains that competition’s second-highest scorer, behind his former Real Madrid teammate Raul Gonzalez of Spain who has scored 71.
He played for five seasons with Manchester United, winning the English league in 2003 and the cup in 2004, the league cup in 2006 and the Community Shield in 2003. During four seasons with Real Madrid he played a part in two Liga titles, in 2007 and 2008, and a Spanish Super Cup in 2008. In the Netherlands, he won the league twice as a striker for PSV -- but never won a title with the Dutch national team despite his 70 caps. “I am proud to have won team and individual titles, but my greatest satisfaction was the work from season to season,” Van Nistelrooy said on Monday. After a two-season stint with Hamburg, he moved to Malaga last year, where he had a low-key season. “I had challenges this year, but I realised that I could not meet them. Around February to March the moment came when I knew for sure that I was going to retire,” he said. But the finale to the Spanish league on Sunday was the favourite moment of his career. “The last is always the best. This year has been a total success,” he said. “This qualification for the Champions feels like a victory.”
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HEALTH Long commutes linked to larger waistlines: US WASHINGTON, May 8, 2012 (AFP) - People who drive long distances to work are more likely to be overweight and have poorer fitness levels than people who live closer to their jobs, a US study said Tuesday. The study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine was based on data from nearly 4,300 people in Texas near the major metropolitan hubs of DallasFort Worth -- one of the top five most congested areas in the United States -- and nearby Austin. People who drove longer distances to work were found to have larger waist circumferences, lower cardiovascular fitness levels, higher blood pressure and higher body mass index. “Longer commuting distance may lead to a reduction in overall energy expenditure,” said lead investigator Christine Hoehner of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. “This study yields new information about biological outcomes and commuting distance, an understudied contributor to sedentary behavior that is prevalent among employed adults,” she said. The long commuters, not surprisingly, also reported going to the gym or getting physical exercise less often than people who drove shorter distances to their jobs each day. Commuters who traveled more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) to work were “less likely to meet recommendations for moderate to vigorous physical activity, and had a higher likelihood of obesity,” according to the findings. The study linked commuting distances greater than 10 miles (16 kilometers) with high blood pressure. Although the research did not examine other sedentary behaviors such as television watching, but Hoehner suggested future work could examine the time spent sitting across multiple scenarios to better determine how commuting affects health.
US panel gives nod to new obesity drug WASHINGTON, May 10, 2012 (AFP) - A panel of experts on Thursday urged US regulators to approve what could be the first new anti-obesity drug on the market in more than a decade -- Lorcaserin, made by Arena Pharmaceuticals. The committee voted 18-4 in favor of the drug, which works to control the appetite through receptors in the brain, after trial data showed it helped nearly half of patients studied lose up to five percent of their body weight. The Food and Drug Administration is scheduled to decide June 27 whether or not to approve the drug. The US regulator does not have to follow the advice of its advisory panel, though it often does. In February, FDA advisors also urged the approval of Qnexa, made by Californiabased Vivus. The FDA is to decide on that drug in mid-July. Lorcaserin was rejected in 2010 by the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee, which advises the FDA, over concerns that it formed breast tumors in rats. However, those effects did not appear in trials on overweight and obese humans, and the panel’s latest vote showed strong support that its benefits outweigh the risks. “The advisory committee’s positive vote supports our belief in Lorcaserin as a potential new treatment option for the medical management of overweight and obesity,” said Jack Lief, Arena’s president and chief executive officer.
“We will continue to work with the FDA as the agency completes its review of the lorcaserin new drug application.” Among those taking a 10 milligram dose of Lorcaserin, the most common adverse events were headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue and dry mouth. “It is not very impressive, the weight loss, but it is better than a placebo,” said Michael Aziz, an internist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “However, when people stop the drug they gain the weight back.” About two thirds of US adults are overweight or obese, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “There is a need for a drug that can address the obesity issue. But we are really not covering the root of the problem which is lifestyle changes and eating right. Many people are just looking for a quick fix,” added Aziz. US patients looking for a pill-based solution currently have little to choose from when it comes to weight loss drugs. One drug, known as Xenical (Orlistat) by Roche and over the counter as Alli by GlaxoSmithKline, works by preventing the body from absorbing fat, though its tendency to cause gastrointestinal side effects such as oily, loose stools have curbed its popularity among patients. Xenical was approved in the United States in 1999.
Phentermine, approved in 1959, is also on the market for controlling appetite, and makes up one of the two key ingredients in Qnexa. The other is topiramate, an anticonvulsant that can be used in conjunction with other drugs for weight loss. Some doctors already prescribe the combination as an off-label use for helping patients manage their weight. Studies have shown dieters could lose up to 10 percent of their weight when taking Qnexa, along with regular exercise and following a healthy diet. “We really don’t have anything left except phentermine,” said Jacob Warman, Chief of Endocrinology at The Brooklyn Hospital Center. “There’s Alli, that fat blocker but there are so many side effects that we really don’t use it,” he added. “So basically, we really do need a drug that causes weight loss and the FDA the last few years has been very tough in denying applications, many because of cardiac risks.” If Lorcaserin is approved, an Arena spokeswoman said the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai has a US division with exclusive rights to commercialize Lorcaserin in the United States. The European Medicines Agency began reviewing the investigational drug in March.
Gene points to Achilles’ heel in MRSA superbug PARIS, April 22, 2012 (AFP) - Asian outbreaks of a notorious antibiotic-resistant super-germ are being driven by a gene that helps the bug colonise the nostrils, lungs and skin and evade the immune defences, scientists said on Sunday. So-called methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major worry for hospitals because of its ability to hole up in wounds, tubes and surgical devices, infecting patients whose immune system is already weak. MRSA outbreaks happen in waves as new strains of the bacterium take over from older configurations.
But how these epidemics become established is a process that genetically has until now been unclear.
At present, sasX is prominent in Asian strains of MRSA that have been detected, but it is likely to spread beyond the region, according to the report.
Reporting in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers in the United States and China say they found the key gene, sasX, in samples taken from 807 patients who had been treated for S. aureus in three Chinese hospitals over the past 10 years.
The gene is located in a so-called mobile genetic element, meaning that it is in a segment of DNA that can easily transfer from an old strain to a new one.
Once extremely rare, sasX became more and more common, nearly doubling in frequency from 21 percent of samples in 2003 to 39 percent in 2011, they found.
Michael Otto of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
However, sasX “is a promising target” for drugs or vaccines, says the study, led by
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Misc Asia
Nepal’s kung fu nuns practice karma with a kick
KATHMANDU, May 8, 2012 (AFP) – It is a hot, cloudless morning on a hillside on the outskirts of Kathmandu and dozens of nuns arrange themselves into lines around a golden Buddhist shrine. In unison, each slams a clenched fist into their opposite palm, breathes deeply and waits, motionless in the rising heat. But these devotees are not here to pray or to meditate, for they have gathered to undergo a rigorous and aggressive martial arts routine as the world’s first order of kung fu nuns. The sisters of the Amitabha Drukpa Nunnery — aged from nine to 52 — come from across Nepal, India, Tibet and Bhutan to learn the ancient Chinese discipline of kung fu, which they believe will help them be better Buddhists. Every day, they exchange their maroon robes and philosophical studies for a intense 90-minute session of hand chops, punches, shrieks and soaring high kicks. “The main reason for practicing kung fu is for fitness and for health, but it also helps with meditation and self-defence,” said 14-year-old Jigme Wangchuk Lhamo, who was sent to the nunnery from Bhutan four years ago. “When we practise kung fu we are
doing something which gives us not only strong bodies but also strong minds.” Buddhist nuns in the Himalayas have traditionally been seen as inferior to monks, with the women kept away from physically demanding exercise and relegated to menial tasks like cooking and cleaning. But the 800-year-old Drukpa — or dragon — sect is changing all that by mixing meditation with martial arts as a means of empowering its women. The nuns, in contrast to most Buddhist groups, are also taught to lead prayers and given basic business skills, as well as running a guest house and coffee shop at the abbey and driving jeeps to Kathmandu to get supplies. Kung fu came to the nunnery only four years ago when its spiritual leader, His Holiness the 12th Gyalwang Drukpa, visited Vietnam, where he saw nuns receiving combat training that was previously used by Viet Cong guerrillas. He was so impressed that he brought four of the Vietnamese, all women in their 20s, to Nepal to add kung fu lessons to the nuns’ yoga classes and lessons in the nuances of good and bad karma. “Our nuns… are very new to modernisation and are timid and lack
self-confidence,” the Gyalwang Drukpa wrote in a recent blog post. “I am not saying that I am a great teacher or a great leader but the path that I have decided to take in order to promote gender equality, so as to bring about the nuns’ improvement, gives me great encouragement to work harder and live longer.” Jigme Konchok Lhamo, 18, who came to the order from India, says kung fu has quickly made the nuns more assured and has begun to address the power balance between men and women in Buddhism. “His Holiness wants the nuns to be like the men, with the same rights in the world,” she said. “That is why we get the chance to do everything, not just kung fu. “We also have the chance here to learn many things, like tennis and skating. And we have the chance also to learn English and Tibetan, and musical instruments. “In the past only men could do some of the dances. Now we have the chance to take part. Before nuns could not do anything and now we have the chance to do anything the monks can do.” The nunnery is enjoying a surge in popularity since introducing the kung fu lessons and now has some 300 nuns practicing martial arts techniques.
They have given demonstrations of their skills to thousands of pilgrims in Nepal and have toured India and Britain. The nuns say the repetitive nature of Shaolin kung fu, which comes from the Buddhist temple of Shaolin in China’s Henan province, helps them to learn control and focus. The benefits are obvious for young women who are expected to meditate in the same position for up to six hours at a time and sometimes undertake retreats during which they must remain silent for months. Jigme Migyur Palmo, a soft-spoken 21-year-old nun, who came to Kathmandu three years ago from her home in Ladakh, in northern India, said kung fu works in harmony with her spiritual life. She watched Jackie Chan kung fu movies when she was younger and now wants to be as good as the Hong Kong film star. “I came to Kathmandu to learn Buddhist philosophy and now I don’t want to go home, I want to stay here my whole life,” she said.
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Misc Asia
South Korea expo draws tens of thousands on first day Japan to go nuclear-free for first time since 1970 TOKYO, May 4, 2012 (AFP) – Japan is set to go without nuclear energy for the first time since 1970 from Saturday, when the last operating reactor shuts down for maintenance, heightening fears of a looming power crunch this summer. Only one of Japan’s 50 reactors — at the Tomari nuclear plant in northernmost Hokkaido — is operating at present, but it is scheduled to stop for maintenance work which will last more than 70 days. Resource-hungry Japan relied on nuclear energy for about one-third of its electricity demand until a massive earthquake and tsunami in March last year caused reactor meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. Utility firms managed to make up much of the power shortfalls after the nuclear accident by imposing scheduled blackouts on offices, factories and households while cranking up the use of thermal plants and gas turbines. Since the disaster there has been lingering public distrust over nuclear energy and all but the one reactor at the Tomari plant are suspended for extra safety checks. Workers at the Tomari plant will move the control rod into reactor No. 3 at about 5:00pm (0800 GMT) on Saturday, which will lower power generation to zero, a spokesman at Hokkaido Electric Power Co. (HEPCO) said. The long-term future of the reactor — and Japan’s nuclear energy policy — remains uncertain. The government of Prime Minister
Yoshihiko Noda has said two of the offline units at the Oi nuclear power plant, western Japan, are safe enough to restart and that they could help prevent power shortages in the hot summer months. But it remains unclear if or when the government will gain approval from regional authorities to resume the reactors. The Oi plant’s operator, Kansai Electric Power, which supplies mid-western Japan, including the commercial hubs of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, has said it could face an electricity shortfall of almost 20 percent if temperatures soar in July. And the utility said it could remain up to 16 percent short in August as increased air conditioner usage zaps the electricity produced by its thermal fuel plants. Kyushu Electric Power, covering an area further west, as well as HEPCO in the north, also said they will not be able to meet summer demand without nuclear energy. Increased use of thermal fuel plants hikes costs for utility firms, as well as greenhouse gas emissions for the country. Critics of atomic energy point to continuing efficiencies that have allowed the world’s third largest economy to all but shrug off previous dire warnings of shortages. A series of anti-nuclear power demonstrations are planned on Saturday, the Children’s Day national holiday in Japan, calling for a safer future for younger generations.
YEOSU, South Korea, May 12, 2012 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people flocked to South Korea’s 2012 international expo Saturday on the first day of the three-month show with the theme of “The Living Ocean and Coast”. The southern coastal city of Yeosu opened Expo 2012 to the public after four years of preparation and $10 billion investment, with 104 participating nations showcasing their oceanic culture and science.
On Saturday, the site, formerly a dusty cement terminal, was teeming with tourists -- mostly South Korean -- with long queues forming at major exhibitions by countries including the US, Japan and China. Japan focused on the deadly quaketsunami disaster that hit its northeastern coast last year, playing an animated film about people trying to rebuild their lives while protecting sea life.
Ten international organisations and eight firms are also staging exhibitions at the 25-hectare (60-acre) seafront area, which features pavilions, a giant aquarium and a floating stage for performances.
The US exhibition featured a water screen display showing President Barack Obama expressing a commitment to protecting maritime ecosystems and resources.
Organisers said they expected a total of 10 million visitors by the end of the expo in August, including up to 800,000 foreigners, mostly from China and Japan.
Singapore showcased how the city state transformed itself into a lush green metropolis, displaying miniature versions of its urban gardens and its eco-friendly offshore landfill that is home to hundreds of animals and plants.
“There’s no rush... our goal is drawing genuine visitors by word of mouth, not trying to boost attendance with usual free tickets and other artificial measures,” Cho Yong-Hwan, an organising committee spokesman, told reporters. Expo 2012 Yeosu is being held between the headline World Expos, which are staged every five years. The last was in Shanghai in 2010. Tourism in Yeosu -- home to 300,000 people -- has been limited due to poor transport links and outdated infrastructure despite a scenic coastline and hundreds of nearby islands. The government has poured in billions of dollars to build new roads and railways since the port city won its expo bid in 2007. Organisers predict the event will create some 80,000 jobs and bring economic benefits worth 19 trillion won ($17 billion) -- outweighing the massive spending.
Australia, the world’s largest island continent, played a live video from the Great Barrier Reef, allowing people to see underwater scenes of the world’s biggest coral reef site and chat with divers. “It’s far smaller than the Shanghai expo in scale, but it’s impressive enough,” said Chinese tourist Jenny Gao, walking under a 218-metre-long (715-foot-long) gallery -- twice as long as a soccer pitch -- displaying LED images of the ocean. Chinese visitors have snapped up more than half of the tickets on advance sale and organisers have filled some 1,000 of the 13,000 volunteer helper posts with Chinese living in South Korea to better serve them. “More Chinese have become interested in expos since the Shanghai event... I will be happy to recommend my friends and parents to visit,” said Gao.
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