Vietnam asks China to end sovereignty violations

Vietnam asks the Chinese side to respect the country’s sovereignty and end all activities violating its sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago, making practical contributions to maintaining peace and stability on the East Sea.

 

Vietnam's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Luong Thanh Nghi. Photo: VNA

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Luong Thanh Nghi made the request on March 15 in response to the Chinese side’s recent activities over Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.

 

The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) has recently offered oil and gas tenders for 19 lots in the north of the East Sea , including Lot 65/24, about one nautical mile from the Tree Island of the Hoang Sa archipelago.

 

On March 2, the Guard Ship Fleet No. 11 of China conducted a live ammunition drill in the waters of the Hoang Sa archipelago.

 

On March 7, at the fifth session of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Deputy Director of the National Administration of Tourism of China (NATC) said the NATC and the authorities of Hainan province are cooperating to expand tourist activities on the Hoang Sa archipelago.

 

On March 12, on the “Powerful Nation Forum of the People’s Network, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Director of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of China said in its 12 th five-year plan, China will build an archaeological center at the bottom of the East Sea and a working station on the Hoang Sa archipelago.

 

The Hainan authorities also plan to organize a yacht race from San Ya to the Hoang Sa archipelago on March 28.

 

According to the Vietnamese spokesman, Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos are inseparable parts of the Vietnamese territory. The above-mentioned activities of China have seriously violated Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa archipelago and international law and went against the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) signed in 2002 between ASEAN and China.

 

“These acts run counter to the common perception of the two countries’ high-ranking leaders and are not beneficial to the development of the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and China,” Nghi stressed.

 

Source: Tuoi Tre

Japan mourns tsunami dead; grapples with unfinished business

With a minute of silence, tolling bells and prayers, Japan will on Sunday mark the first anniversary of an earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands and set off a nuclear crisis that shattered public trust in atomic power and the nation's leaders.

 

Girls pray after arranging candles at a candlelight event in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture March 10, 2012. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

 

A year after the magnitude 9.0 earthquake unleashed a wall of water that hit Japan's northeastern coast, killing nearly 16,000 and leaving nearly 3,300 unaccounted for, the country is still grappling with the human, economic and political costs.

 

Paper lanterns, lit to mourn March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami victims, are released into the sea in Yamada town, Iwate Prefecture March 10, 2012, a day before the disaster's one-year anniversary. REUTERS/Kyodo

 

Koyu Morishita, 54, with his dog Muku, takes a moment of silence in front of his father's grave, who was killed during last year's earthquake and tsunami in Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture March 10, 2012, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the disasters. Koyu's father, Tokusaburo died at 84 years-old. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

Along the coast, police and coastguard officers, urged on by families of the missing, still search rivers and shores for remains even though the chances of finding any would appear remote. Without bodies, thousands of people are in a state of emotional and legal limbo.

 

Koyu Morishita, 54, lost his 84-year-old father, Tokusaburo, as well as his home and family-run fish factory in the port of Ofunato. Tokusaburo's body has not been found.

 

"I do cry a little bit every once in a while, but my true tears will come later, when I have time," Morishita said while visiting a memorial for his father at a hilltop temple above Ofunato, accompanied by his dog, Muku.

 

Like the rest of the country, Ofunato will observe a moment of silence at 2:46 p.m. (0546 GMT) when the quake struck and then again, 33 minutes later when a 23-metre (75-foot) wall of water hit the town, killing 340 of its 41,100 residents and leaving 84 missing.

 

A "bell of hope" will toll and mourners will sail out to sea to release lanterns.

 

The Japanese people earned the world's admiration for their composure, discipline and resilience in the face of the disaster while its companies impressed with the speed with which they bounced back, mending torn supply chains.

 

As a result, the economy looks set to return to pre-disaster levels in coming months with the help of about $230 billlion in rebuilding funds agreed in rare cooperation between the government and the opposition.

 

"In recent history, Japan seized rapid economic expansion from the ashes and desolation of World War Two, and we built the most energy-efficient economy in the world in the aftermath of the oil shock," Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said in an article published in the Washington Post.

 

"On the anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, we remember that today we face a challenge of similar proportions."

 

"100 PEOPLE, 100 OPINIONS"

 

Yet people are increasingly sceptical about whether the political establishment is up to the task.

 

Politicians and bureaucrats drew fire for the chaotic response to the crisis at the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant and their failure to seize the moment and tackle a myriad of ills that have dogged Japan for two decades.

 

"If there are 100 people, there will be 100 opinions," said Morishita. "We are hoping that someone can lead us and show us hope and dreams. But that doesn't exist."

 

After a brief truce, politicians resumed business as usual: parliamentary squabbles that gave Japan its sixth leader in five years and now threaten to block important tax and welfare reforms and stall progress in dealing with other business.

 

"There is no leadership," said Hiroaki Oikawa, 56, another Ofunato resident who lost his two fish factories and his home.

 

Nine people from three generations of his family now live under one roof in temporary housing. Oikawa resumed operations at one of his factories last September and he is leading efforts to rebuild a shopping arcade.

 

"There are no politicians to whom we can leave things."

 

Anti-nuclear demonstrations planned across the country for the anniversary also serve as a reminder that many want bolder action than the government's preferred scenario of a gradual reduction in reliance on nuclear power.

 

Not a single community has agreed to restart reactors taken off line since the disaster, meaning all of Japan's 54 reactors may be shut by the middle of the year.

 

Slow progress in drawing up plans for the tsunami and radiation tainted region is deepening the misery of survivors, about 326,000 of whom are still homeless, including 80,000 evacuated from the vicinity of the Fukushima plant.

 

While the government declared the plant's reactors had reached "cold shutdown" in December, its dismantling and the clean-up of an area the size of Luxembourg will take decades at an incalculable cost using technologies yet to be developed.

 

Taxpayers, facing proposed sales tax increases to help fund the country's debt, will need to cough up tens of billions of dollars to prop up Fukushima plant operator Tokyo Electric Power -- widely attacked for ignoring the possibility of a disaster and for what critics say has been arrogance since.

 

($1 = 81.4000 yen)

 

REUTERS

The best live action video game trailers

There’s a new trend in video game promotion. Before a major game is released, an over-the-top, big budget live action trailer appears to amplify its hype.

 

 

More often than not, these trailers have little to do with the game they portray. But who are we kidding? We love them anyway.

 

Who wouldn’t want to see their favourite video game franchise turned into a movie, even if it’s a bad movie? It gives gamers an unprecedented opportunity to see what their favourite video games would look like in the real world.

 

 

Mass Effect 3

Bioware’s final title in their epic space trilogy was released on Tuesday March 6th. This short trailer shows humans cowering in fear at the impending Reaper invasion. It then follows the game’s main character Shepard, as he fights for Earth’s freedom.

 

 

Halo: Reach

Less explosions and action and more atmosphere and scene-setting, Halo Reach’s live action launch trailer chronicles the creation of a super soldier. This trailer humanized the game’s characters and made gamers believe that there was a little more under their dark helmets.

 

 

Halo 3

Niel Blomkamp, the director of District 9, was supposed to helm the ill-fated Halo movie a few years ago. Although that movie was never made, these Blomkamp directed shorts surfaced a few years ago, leading up to the release of Halo 3.

 

 

 

Resistance 3

This western inspired live action trailer evokes a feeling of desperation and helplessness. It doesn’t totally represent the atmosphere of the final game, but it’s certainly compelling, dark and chock-full of violent imagery.

 

 

 

The Legend oF Zelda: A Link To The Past

 

This extremely Japanese live action commercial (it’s not really a trailer) for the classic Super Nintendo title, The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to The Past, is both amazing and ridiculous. Link, Princess Zelda, Ganon engage in a thriller-esque dance battle.

 

Insane? totally. But also ridiculously entertaining. This is something that could have only existed in the 90s.

 

canada.com

Canadians split on who's to blame for robocalls: poll

OTTAWA — Canadians are deeply split over allegations the federal Conservative party ran a "co-ordinated" robocalls campaign in the last federal election to deceive voters — but most seem to agree that byelections should be held in ridings where the practice occurred, a new poll has found.

 

Canadians are deeply split over allegations the federal Conservative party ran a "co-ordinated" robocalls campaign in the last federal election to deceive voters — but most seem to agree that byelections should be held in ridings where the practice occurred, a new poll has found. About 200 protesters called Canadians Against Electoral Fraud took to Parliament Hill Monday to protest against the ongoing "robocalls" issue. Photograph by: JULIE OLIVER, OTTAWA CITIZEN

 

The national survey, conducted for Postmedia News and Global TV, comes after a two-week storm of controversy that erupted when Postmedia News revealed that fraudulent phone calls were placed in the Guelph, Ont., riding directing voters to the wrong polling stations.

 

Since then, political debate on Parliament Hill has been dominated by the robocalls — which opposition parties claim occurred in dozens of ridings — and Elections Canada has begun a major investigation after being deluged with thousands of complaints.

 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his senior campaign team have denied categorically any involvement in the affair, and no evidence has emerged publicly to suggest they are connected.

 

The Tories say they are victims of "baseless smears" by the Liberals and New Democrats — who contend that the Tories are stonewalling as they push for answers.

 

As this political jockeying was going on, Ipsos Reid conducted a blended telephone and online poll this week of 3,154 Canadians to determine their views.

 

In the survey, people were told there had been accusations that some people working for the Conservative party in the last election "made calls to supporters of other parties and either pretended to represent their party of choice and deliberately harassed them or to deliberately confuse them about which polling stations to vote at on election day." The pollster also told respondents that Harper and senior Tories had said they had "nothing to do with these calls."

 

The survey found that 50 per cent of Canadians agree with the statement that "these accusations are true and the Conservative Party had a co-ordinated campaign to deceive Canadian voters with misleading telephone calls in the last federal election."

 

By comparison, 47 per cent disagreed with the statement, while the remainder said they did not know.

 

Ipsos Reid president Darrell Bricker said in an interview Friday the results are reflective of the current political landscape.

 

"The country is divided on this. There is a group of the population that thinks they probably were involved in some kind of shenanigans.

 

"It's reflective of the fact that if you don't like the Conservatives you probably think they are guilty of this."

 

At the same time, said Bricker, the Tories maintain a strong level of support among Canadians who don't believe they were involved in misleading robocalls.

 

"It hasn't fractured their core. It hasn't fractured that group that voted for them.

 

"As far as the public is concerned, the charges haven't been proven. For a large amount of the population, there's more work that needs to be done here by the opposition parties."

 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is shown in a file photo. A new poll shows Canadians are deeply split over allegations the Conservative party ran a "co-ordinated" robocalls campaign in the last election to deceive voters.

Photograph by: Chris Wattie, Reuters

 

Meanwhile, the pollster appeared to find that many Canadians believe the robocalls have become a part of the political system and are not confined to one party.

 

When asked about the robocalls, 54 per cent agreed with the statement that "this is just politics as usual and something that all parties do in one way or another." By comparison, 45 per cent disagreed with that statement.

 

Bricker said this finding suggests many Canadians believe the opposition parties themselves are not "pure" on the issue — something which could weaken their own credibility as they attack the governing Tories on the controversy.

 

"High dudgeon and outrage, particularly from some of the people seen as being potentially equally culpable, is a difficult position to sustain."

 

As the controversy over the issue unfolded in recent days, there have been suggestions it might be necessary to hold byelections in ridings which saw narrow wins, and where claims of vote suppression may have tainted the results.

 

The Ipsos Reid poll suggests there would be strong public support for such a move. Sixty-eight per cent of those polled said if the Conservatives are found to have conducted the misleading robocalls, there should be new elections "in the ridings where it happened." By comparison, 32 per cent disagreed with that course of action.

 

The poll also found that four per cent of Canadians "strongly" believe that in last year's election campaign they personally "received a call that deliberately tried to confuse" them about the location of their polling station. Another seven per cent also agreed "somewhat" with the statement that this happened to them personally.

 

Bricker said he was surprised by these specific findings related to voters' own experiences and believes they are likely too high. He said he thinks that, in fact, many of those people were merely recalling any phone call they received during the 2011 election — a result known in the polling business as "false positives."

 

For the March 6-8 survey, a representative randomly selected sample of 1,001 adult Canadians was interviewed by telephone, and 2,153 interviews were conducted online.

 

Ipsos Reid merged the two samples. The margin of error is two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

 

 

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News

Crunchy Vietnamese Cabbage Salad With Pan-Seared Tofu

Time: 30 minutes

3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

 

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

 

2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

 

Zest and juice of 1 lime

 

1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced

 

1 garlic clove, minced

 

4 tablespoons peanut oil

 

1/2 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into slabs, 3/4 inch thick

 

6 cups shredded cabbage

 

1 large carrot, grated

 

1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted, salted peanuts, plus more to serve

 

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus more to serve.

 

1. To make vinaigrette, whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar,

 

1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce, lime zest and juice, jalapeño and garlic. Whisk in 3 tablespoons peanut oil.

 

2. Pat the tofu dry with paper towels. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick. When it shimmers, add the tofu. Cook 3 minutes without moving, until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce. Move the tofu to a cutting board, and brush both sides of each slice generously with this mixture. Cut tofu into bite-size pieces.

 

3. In a large bowl, toss together tofu, cabbage, carrot, peanuts, cilantro and vinaigrette. Garnish with more peanuts and cilantro.

 

Yield: 4 servings.

NEW YORK TIMES

‘Zeng’ weaving craft being revived by ethnic groups

Local authorities in the mountainous district of A Luoi in the central province of Thua Thien Hue are of late doing their utmost to restore the ‘Zeng’ weaving craft of minority groups in the area, so as to   preserve a traditional craft as well as to help the local community find a means to earn their livelihood.

 

Mai Thi Hop teaching ‘Zeng’ weaving to a young girl (Photo: SGGP)

 

Around the A Luoi region, stories abound of a wonderful woman named Mai Thi Hop of the Ta Oi minority group, who did her best to revitalise the traditional ‘Zeng’ weaving craft in her community.

 

‘Zeng’ cloth is a sophisticated marriage of colours in a wealth of motifs, using a black background with colored stripes and beads, woven into various artistic geometric patterns.

 

Having learnt the art of weaving ‘Zeng’ cloth from her mother since a child, to make clothes for her family or village people, Hop was not content that such a beautiful craft was being wasted and could be lost in the future.

 

She was determined to bring back to life this traditional craft form, despite encountering various problems, from explaining its usefulness to the young, to persuading Ta Oi elders into giving lessons to people from other ethnic groups, which actually goes against Ta Oi’s customs and rules.

 

By explaining that ‘Zeng’ weaving may disappear if no one attempted to save it and that it could help fight against poverty, she at last received unanimous approval from the village elders.

 

In 2004, Hop opened a small workshop in A Luoi Town for people of Co Tu, Pa Hi, Pa Ko, and Ta Oi ethnic groups to learn ‘Zeng’ weaving and earn a living by selling their own products. From only four people in the beginning, her workshop now has around 40 workers with an average income of VND1.2 to 1.5 million (US$58 to $72) per month, which is quite high in the area.

 

Mai Thi Tang from A Tin Hamlet of A Dot Commune in A Luoi District, a two-year weaver of ‘Zeng’ fabric, said that at first she did not known the craft, but watching many households in her hamlet generating such a high income, she and her mother turned to the craft.

 

Other ethnic groups like Co Tu, Pa Ko, Van Kieu, Pa Hi also came to learn and helped expand ‘Zeng’ weaving craft to neighboring areas. According to Ho Thi Loan, a Co Tu living in A Phu Vinh Commune, because of this craft her family now can earn an extra sum of VND1.5 to 2 million ($72 to 96) per month, making their financial state more stable.

 

At present, A Luoi District has three large-scale workshops for ‘Zeng’ weaving craft in Phu Vinh, A Dot Communes and A Luoi Town. It is the high quality and creativity that help A Luoi’s ‘Zeng’ cloth becoming much sought-after, said Hop.

 

In fact, ‘Zeng’ cloth is usually made with colorful patterns of legendary stories, plus it is quite fashionable and durable, hence the favourite of both residents as well as tourists, domestic and foreign alike.

 

Ho Van Ngoan, Head of A Luoi’s Office of Culture and Information, said that local authorities always encourage ethnic groups to preserve and develop this weaving craft. They have already approved of a fund to support training and expansion of ‘Zeng’ weaving, with a pattern preservation project also lined up in the near future.

 

By Phan Le

Source: SGGP

Vietnam among 4 candidates to host 2019 Asian Games

Vietnam is one of the four candidates competing in hosting the 2019 Asian Games, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) has confirmed.

 

A view of My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam

 

OCA says the candidates are Vietnam, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Chinese Taiwan.

 

It adds that Vietnam’s hosting city is Hanoi. Meanwhile, Indonesia has selected Surabaya City, Chinese Taiwan chose Kaohsiung, and UAE has two cities namely Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

 

associated facilities. It concluded that Hanoi was ready for the playoff round, set for March 25 to 31.

 

In the round, the three competing teams are the runners up from the three third round groups. They will play in a round-robin format. The playoff winners will take on Senegal, which finished fourth in the CAF U23 Championship.

 

Source: Sai Gon Giai Phong