| Cannes Film Festival Annual Party Attracts Many Celebrities Posted: 26 May 2012 04:59 AM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me On Wednesday, some of the most sought after celebrities attended Swiss jeweler de Grisogono's annual Cannes Film Festival party. Located at Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc in neighboring French city Antibes, this Cannes party is one celebrities love attending. [Irina Shayk, Russian Model]: "You know Cannes is always some exciting moment in every people('s) life (lives). I think it's beautiful women, beautiful dresses, jewelry, it's just a really exciting place to be." Alec Baldwin, an American actor, arrived hand-in-hand with his fiancee Hilaria Thomas. He is currently working on a documentary about Cannes. Chris Tucker, an American actor and comedian, shared his feelings about working with Robert DeNiro on his upcoming film "The Silver Linings Playbook." [Chris Tucker, American Actor and Comedian]: "Oh I loved it (working with Robert DeNiro in upcoming film). Yeah I was nervous, I was messing up some lines and he was like (imitating DeNiro) 'It's ok, it's ok. Do it again, do it again. I was like 'Ok!'" Taio Cruz completed the event with a performance of his songs "Hangover" and "Break Your Heart". | Views: 1 0 ratings | | Time: 01:03 | More in Film & Animation |
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| Kanye West's Short Film Premiered at Cannes Film Festival Posted: 26 May 2012 04:51 AM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me Unlike anything he has attempted before, Kanye West produced, wrote, and directed a short art film, "Cruel Summer." The film, inspired by his GOOD Music record label, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last Wednesday, May 23, and will be open to the public Friday. West promised that the movie will be "a fusion of short film and art installation" and an "immersive seven-screen experience." The Doha Film Institute (DFI) and Emirati director, Mohammed Saeed Harib, served as creative and cultural advisor. Saeed Harib mentioned that this movie is an experience for everyone working on the project. [Mohammed Saeed Harib, Emirati Director]: "It's an experience, let me tell you this is a visual experience, a musical experience, and a creative experience. You know this is not a movie, this is an experience and I think for us, everybody working on this project - we knew there was something pioneering about it." He also mentioned that the film is one of the few examples of productions that were made in the Middle East. [Mohammed Saeed Harib, Emirati Director]: "This is one of many films that were made in the Middle East, you know we had Mission: Impossible not so long ago and having Kanye West come over I think people are realizing there's something to showcase in the Middle East." Actress Razan Jammal, who stars in the film, agreed that the Middle East offers potential <b>...</b> | Views: 2 1 ratings | | Time: 02:24 | More in Film & Animation |
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| Russian Language Bill Sparks Protest in Ukraine Posted: 26 May 2012 03:31 AM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me The speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, known as the Rada, expressed embarrassment on Friday one day after proceedings in the chamber dissolved into a fist fight among deputies. The deputies were fighting over a bill drafted by Ukraine's ruling party, which aims to make Russian an official language - equal to Ukrainian - in many parts of the country. Ukraine has a population of 43 million, with 27 regions in total - the law is proposed for the 13 regions where there are sizeable numbers of Russian-speaking citizens. The violent scuffles broke out between deputies from President Viktor Yanukovich's ruling Regions party, and lawmakers from pro-Western opposition parties, who want to preserve Ukraine's cultural and political independence from its powerful neighbor Russia. Speaker Vladimir Litvin said he was ashamed by the spectacle, which was caught on video that immediately went viral across the world. [Vladimir Litvin, Ukrainian Upper Rada Speaker]: "We need to harness the courage and buffoonery (shown in the brawl) and go the people, because everyone says 'they are acting on behalf of the people' so we need to go to the people and tell the truth, and they will support or not support (us). We cannot keep torturing the country. The whole world is laughing at us." The draft bill proposes using Russian as an official language equal to Ukrainian in some civic <b>...</b> | Views: 7 0 ratings | | Time: 03:09 | More in News & Politics |
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| Giant Photo of Queen's Family Unveiled on River Thames Posted: 26 May 2012 03:25 AM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me A giant picture of Queen Elizabeth II and her family was unveiled on the River Thames on Friday ahead of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations on June 3. Rigged up onto the face of the Sea Containers building, the 330 x 220 foot canvas weighs almost two tons and is the largest ever photograph of the Royal Family. The image is of the Royal Family at the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977, taken by an unknown photographer. A manager from the graphic design agency overseeing the project says that the giant picture is a celebration of the royal occasion. [Stephen Hanover, Overseeing Project]: "A perfect opportunity for when the flotilla rolls in, to celebrate in style with a picture of the Silver Jubilee in the background." The giant picture began as a small image of which the resolution was increased to enable the creation of a larger banner. The image was then printed on to a number of sections - 42 in total - over one week. The sections were then fabricated so as to be suitable for application on to the scaffolding. [Stephen Hanover, Overseeing Project]: "You can imagine, a banner this size - to produce it in so many sections; the weight of the pieces of the material are very very high. We have to transport them up to the thirty meter height of the building, so internally, because the building in being refurbished, it's a bit of a logistical nightmare to get the pieces in <b>...</b> | Views: 1 0 ratings | | Time: 02:22 | More in News & Politics |
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| How Will China's Leaders Rule on Bo Xilai Case? Posted: 26 May 2012 12:49 AM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me Chinese leader Hu Jintao has decided to prosecute Bo Xilai on charges related to his wife's alleged murder of British national Neil Heywood—instead of on more serious political charges. If this is true, who benefits most from it? And what does Hu Jintao's faction risk to make this decision? | Views: 0 0 ratings | | Time: 11:38 | More in News & Politics |
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| Amnesty International Releases 2012 Human Rights Report Posted: 26 May 2012 12:09 AM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me On Thursday, Amnesty International released its 2012 annual report. It says that in 2011, the human rights situation deteriorated in China with more onslaughts of persecution across the Mainland... making it arguably one of the worst years since the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The report focused on violations of freedom of speech, the persecution of activists and illegal land grabs and demolitions. It also referenced human rights violations in Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and Tibet. It says this year was especially bad due to the Arab Spring movement in the Middle East and North Africa back in February. The Chinese Communist Party, or CCP, was fearful that those protests would spread to China and challenge its rule. Harassment, intimidation, arbitrary and illegal detention, and enforced disappearances towards dissent intensified. In the report, Amnesty says that ethnic minority regions were under heightened security in China. The authorities increased ongoing efforts to bring all religious practices under state control... including harsh persecution of individual religious practitioners. One of the persecuted groups mentioned was the Falun Gong meditation practice, which has been targeted for elimination by the CCP since 1999. The report referenced a transformation campaign by Chinese authorities, aimed at making Falun Gong practitioners give up their faith <b>...</b> | Views: 4 0 ratings | | Time: 02:14 | More in News & Politics |
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| Human Rights Watch: "Urgent" Rights Abuses Committed by Chinese Security Body Posted: 25 May 2012 10:26 PM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me US-based human rights NGO Human Rights Watch released a report in early May stating that "there are serious problems in the Chinese Communist Party's Chengguan system which need to be urgently solved". This has been followed up on May 23rd with a 76-page report, which goes into greater detail on the range of human rights abuses associated with the Chengguan system. Officially, the Chengguan, or City Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau, is defined as an auxiliary police agency which manages the execution of civil laws or regulations in urban areas. Yet despite not handling criminal matters, the unit has rapidly gained a reputation for severe abuses since its inception in 1997. The separately-run Chengguan are often seen as a tool of local officials, who can use them at will to suppress dissent or accomplish other political tasks. There are thousands of officers working for the agency, in 656 Chinese cities. Human Rights Watch's report records dozens of cases in which Chengguan have allegedly violated human rights by illegally detaining or beating victims. Often victims are street vendors or those with similar work. These are favored targets for harassment and extortion by Chengguan officials. Some of the listed victims told HRW that it is quite normal for them to be physically beaten, while some of them were extralegally arrested or had arbitrary <b>...</b> | Views: 41 1 ratings | | Time: 02:19 | More in News & Politics |
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| China Urged to Stop Repatriating N. Korean Defectors Posted: 25 May 2012 10:06 PM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me US Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen urged the Chinese regime to stop sending North Korean defectors back to the reclusive state. Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, joined South Korean lawmaker Park Sun-young in a rally on Thursday in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul. [Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chair, US House Cmte. on Foreign Affairs]: "To the cold-hearted regime in Beijing we call out to you, as Moses did to Pharaoh over three thousand years ago: Mr. Hu [Hu Jintao], let these people go! Let these people go! Let these people go! Let these people go! Let these people go!" The rally follows months of campaigning after South Korean media reported Chinese authorities had detained about 30 North Korean refugees and planned to send them back to North Korea. Ros-Lehtinen and Park called on Chinese leader Hu Jintao to allow North Korean defectors to pass through China so they can go to democratic nations like South Korea. [Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chair, US House Cmte. on Foreign Affairs]: "Mr. Hu, let all North Korean refugees have safe passage to South Korea and other democratic nations! Tell Pyongyang to immediately release all South Korean and Japanese abductees!" Ros-Lehtinen arrived in Seoul on Tuesday for a four-day visit. Her party met with South Korean president Lee Myung-bak and other ministers to <b>...</b> | Views: 12 1 ratings | | Time: 01:37 | More in News & Politics |
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| Informal EU Summit Focuses on Pushing Growth and Jobs Posted: 24 May 2012 11:04 PM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me Leaders of EU countries met for an informal summit on Wednesday evening to discuss growth and jobs in Europe. It was the first summit for newly elected President of France and the first summit to focus directly on growth. Here's more. European leaders agreed that growth measures should go hand-in-hand with dealing with deficits as they left an informal EU summit in the early hours of Thursday. Three main pillars for stimulating growth have been identified: fiscal consolidation, structural reforms for competitiveness and targeted investment. The summit is the first one dedicated specifically to boosting economic growth and creating jobs in the euro zone; it was closely watched by the European Parliament and civil society. [Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament]: "This is the 24th summit we've had since the beginning of the crisis in 2008 and it is the first summit that is specifically dealing with employment and growth." The summit took place during difficult time when European economic growth is at a standstill. [Francois Hollande, President of France]: "Today the European growth is at zero in 2012, and there is recession in the euro zone. And the expectations for 2013 are relatively pessimistic as the total growth for the European Union is around 1%." Severe concerns are mounting about the Greek economy and the Spanish banking sector. Prime <b>...</b> | Views: 8 1 ratings | | Time: 02:05 | More in News & Politics |
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| The 300 Finger Prints Widely Supported Posted: 25 May 2012 10:07 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com 300 villagers in Hebei signed a letter with their finger prints to call for the release of Falun Gong practitioner Wang Xiaodong. This shocked high-level Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials, and was widely supported by the society. Many celebrities include intellectuals, lawyers and human rights activists commented that the public in China can't accept good people being persecuted anymore. There would have many people speak out for Falun Gong. The Epoch Times interviewed one intellectual who said that intellectuals in Beijing attempt to echo the sentiments of the 300 finger print event. They plan to call for the central regime to solve the Falun Gong issue by giving Falun Gong legal rights. He also said Jiang Zemin's repression of Falun Gong was politically wrong. The central regime must send an apology and make sufficient financial compensation to Falun Gong. Activist lawyer Tang Jingling said that the regime's suppression of Falun Gong is against the law. CCP violates human rights and they are real criminals. Tang stated that Zhouguantun villagers are brave. If more and more people stand up bravely, this country can have real freedom and human rights. Shanghai activist Mao Hengfeng shows her respect to 300 villagers who urge for the release of Falun Gong practitioners. She said perhaps one day in Shanghai, the citizens will do as Hebei villagers did, sign petitions openly supporting Falun Gong <b>...</b> | Views: 1 0 ratings | | Time: 03:03 | More in News & Politics |
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| CCP Politics and Law Committee Downsized: Preparing for Democracy? Posted: 25 May 2012 10:06 PM PDT | Shanghai, Chongqing and other places have produced new provincial Standing Committee members. Among which there are no positions of "CCP Politics and Law Committee Secretary" nor "military Standing Committee". The outside world speculates that in the CCP 18th session, there should not be these positions. So, will the ideas of CCP future management change? After the18th session, will China go toward democracy? Analysts have pointed out that global democratic movements are in full swing. If China does not change, not only will the CCP and China be over, but the lives of CCP leaders will have no guarantee. The new leaders for Shanghai were recently announced. Not only have Jiang Zemin's confidants not entered the CCP Standing Committee. There are also no positions of CCP Politics and Law Committee secretary. There is also no military Standing Committee like in other provinces. Hu Jun, a representative of "Rights Movement", said that injustices committed by CCP Politics and Law Committee are causing the collapse of China. At the same time, it makes the CCP feel a survival crisis. Hu Jun: "The suppression to human rights activists, especially towards Falun Gong, made the system of Politics and Law Committee keep growing. Afterwards, it has a serious damage to China's legal system and law construction. So with maintaining stability, it will certainly be a most important malignant tumor, seeing the end of the CCP. Now the CCP itself is also aware of this thing. Civil resentment <b>...</b> | Views: 1 0 ratings | | Time: 04:05 | More in News & Politics |
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| Reality Version of "A Bite of China" Posted: 25 May 2012 10:03 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com The issue of unsafe food is very serious in Mainland China. Recently, netizens have listed all unsafe foods that had been exposed in past years to satirize the CCTV's documentary series, "A Bite of China." Netizens said that the documentary series portrays life in a country full of delicious food, but many are concerned that these foods are not safe to eat. How satirical it is! Some commentators said that under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Chinese have been forged to be immunized against all kinds of poisons. Some netizens even made a video criticizing the endless stream of unsafe food. Every night, CCTV broadcasted the 7-episode documentary series, "A Bite of China" (its Chinese title can be directly translated into "china on the tip of the tongue") recently, which attracted many people's attention. The series introduces Chinese food culture. Focusing on the pursuit of Chinese food and life, it uses a series of stories to show Chinese etiquette, ethics, taste and other cultural characteristics that were brought about by food during the thousands years' history. The food producers In the documentary are unsophisticated farmers. For instance, an old lady who has made shrimp paste all her life, a lotus farmer who digs lotus root in the lake at midnight, an old man who fishes in the early morning on the glacial lake, a fisherman who fishes in the vast sea are featured. Since the <b>...</b> | Views: 13 1 ratings | | Time: 05:06 | More in News & Politics |
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| Bo-Wang Case Handed to 4-Member CCP Team Posted: 25 May 2012 09:58 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com According to sources, Bo Xilai and Wang Lijun's cases have been handed over to a four-member team belonging to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee which aims to conclude and announce the case. Analysis show that currently the power to process the proceedings entirely lies within Hu and Wen's hands. The recent military unrest also shows Hu's determination to take down Zhou Yongkang. Boxun reported on the 24th that he received information divulged by people with ties to the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China. The information said that the investigation of the Bo-Wang case is divided into two phases. The first phase is led by He Guoqiang, the secretary of Politburo Standing Committee and secretary of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The other three members include Chang Mawen, deputy secretary of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection; Li Yuanchao, head of Central Organization Department and Meng Jianzhu, minister of Public Security. Sources said the first phase is to investigate problems which lie within Bo and Wang Lijun themselves, which must be finished before August. It aims to reach a conclusion in June or July. Current Affairs commentator Xia Xiaoqiang points out that all four members are Hu Jintao's people. Xia Xiaoqiang: "Men Jianzhu and He Guoqiang are basically standing on Hu and Wen's side now. From this point, we <b>...</b> | Views: 23 0 ratings | | Time: 04:16 | More in News & Politics |
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| US Annual Report: China's Human Rights Situation Worse Posted: 25 May 2012 09:54 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com On May 24th , the US State Department released the 2011 Human Rights Report. The Report criticized countries' human rights records, including China, Korea, Vietnam and Iran. 142 pages of the report covered China's human rights which showed the situation continued to deteriorate. However, the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) mouthpiece People's Daily rejected the US criticism. It claimed that the US totally discredited China's human rights, interfering China's internal affairs. Analysts point out the CCP has always chanted "against interfering in China's internal affairs". Instead the CCP takes "one party's dictatorship" for granted. The US State Department released the 2011 Human Rights Report. Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State addressed a press conference. She said the uprising in the Middle East and positive changes in Burma, shows us that "people were demanding their universal human rights." The China's human rights section of the report was 142 pages. It said China was a paramount authority; the country's human rights situation has deteriorated, particularly for freedom of speech and freedom to assemble. As it does every year, the CCP retaliated to the US's criticism. They claimed the US disregarded improvement of human rights conditions in China. They also said the China related content in the report was filled with prejudice. The CCP believed the description of human rights in China was <b>...</b> | Views: 12 2 ratings | | Time: 03:35 | More in News & Politics |
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| 23rd Anniversary of June 4: Dissidents Face Summonses Posted: 25 May 2012 09:51 PM PDT | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com The 23rd anniversary of June 4 is coming. Preparation of commemoration activities by overseas democracy and human rights organizations is almost ready. However, in mainland China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is deploying its annual monitoring force. Recently, dissidents and human rights activists all over China were being summonsed and arrested. The Chinese public believe that the autocratic regime is extremely weak now. For the 23rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, many democracy and human rights activists overseas have started planning activities to commemorate this historic event. In April, the Committee in Commemoration of June 4 in Melbourne announced that the massacre 23 years ago has led to today's extreme corruption in China's officialdom. It is a morally bankrupt society, with severe destruction of natural and cultural environments. The committee is hosting June 4 commemoration activities in Melbourne and invites domestic and overseas Chinese to attend and offer advice. It is now only 10 days until June 4. Organizations in Germany have decided to rally in front of China's consulate in Frankfurt on June 4. This is to protest against the CCP's despotism, and appeal for political reforms. Organizations include Federation for a Democratic China; Forum for a Democratic China and Asia; Independent Chinese PEN Center; Chinese Tibetan Friendship Society Europe; Associations in <b>...</b> | Views: 6 0 ratings | | Time: 03:47 | More in News & Politics |
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| US Assault Ship Docks in Hong Kong Posted: 25 May 2012 09:56 PM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me The US Navy assault ship, the USS Makin Island, arrives to dock in Hong Kong on Friday, May 25th. The ship joins the amphibious transport dock USS New Orleans, which arrived two days earlier. The visit comes amid a seven-week stand off between Chinese forces and the Philippines over the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. China, the Philippines and several other countries all have competing territorial claims in the sea, which carries 5 trillion dollars worth of ship bourn trade annually and boasts 10 percent of global fish recourses. The US also claims national interests in the South China Sea, and recently took part in military exercise with the Philippines, to the anger of the Chinese regime. The USS Makin Island wasn't involved in these exercises, but Captain Pringle says the ship stands ready to ensure peace in the region. [Captain Cedric Pringle, Commanding Officer]: "The navy's position is consistent with the US position. Our policy is that we hope that the claims involved and the claimants involved resolve them peacefully." Reporter: "and if they don't? " "Well, we're always obligated to ensure peace and stability throughout the region." Despite the looming tensions in the region, some crewmembers with connections to Hong Kong are taking time to relax. [Sergeant Kong, US Navy]: "But I grew up in the United States, for so many years not <b>...</b> | Views: 92 3 ratings | | Time: 01:39 | More in News & Politics |
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| Tel Aviv Showcases Innovations in Agriculture Posted: 25 May 2012 09:52 PM PDT | For more news and videos visit ☛ english.ntdtv.com Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me With food security a growing concern and agricultural land in short supply, the Agritech Exhibition in Tel Aviv, Israel, is introducing some agricultural innovations. Here's a quick look at some of this year's exhibits. Managing your garden by remote-control might sound like a gardener's dream. Today it can be done as easily as checking your email. [Sharon Ben-Bassat, Sales Manager, Calgon Company]: "The user logs on through the internet with their name and password, and can change the volume of irrigation from his armchair. We are connected to meteorological websites so we can adjust the irrigation based on the amount of water that the plant has lost." Follow-up and management of the irrigation can be done through a Smartphone. While many view organic agriculture as a symbol of modernization, Palestinian company Canaan Fair Trade proves the opposite. This company represents 43 small agricultural farms which have been using sustainable methods to cultivate olives and other fruit for hundreds of years. [Nasser AbuFarhat, CEO, Canaan Fair Trade, Genin]: "Most of our traditional farms are still organic by nature. So it's a matter of fulfilling the regulation and documentation for the certification that gives the small farmers an edge and an added value in the international market. Well I think that the main thing that we do is to combine between environment and <b>...</b> | Views: 4 0 ratings | | Time: 03:08 | More in News & Politics |
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