| New Pope To Face Challenges in China Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:40 PM PST | The Vatican and Chinese authorities have long battled over China's Catholics. | Views: 0 0 ratings | | Time: 02:18 | More in News & Politics |
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| Iberia Staff Strike Grounds Over 1300 Flights Posted: 04 Mar 2013 03:01 PM PST | Some 1300 flights are expected to be grounded due to an Iberia staff walk-out over job and wage cuts. Full story: Workers at Spain's air carrier Iberia were set to ground nearly 1300 flights in a second round of five-day strikes launched on Monday. Employees are protesting against deep job and wage cuts at the loss-making airline. Iberia is part of the International Airlines Group, which last week pledged to press ahead with plans to slash just over 3800, or nearly 20 percent, of jobs at the struggling Spanish airline. Unions representing ground and cabin crews have scheduled three week-long strikes in February and March. Each day is estimated to cost Iberia about $1.3 million dollars. Although the airline said it had tried to place passengers on alternative flights or reimburse them, on Monday morning several Iberia customers faced disruption in their travel plans. [Jennifer Santiago, Passenger from Luxembourg]: "I've got a big problem with my flight because I don't know if it's cancelled, I don't have any information. I didn't even receive an email. I don't know how I'm going to get home tonight." Another passenger with plans to travel to New York said he had been put on a much later flight. Iberia has cancelled 431 flights between Monday and Friday. A further 850 flights operated by Vueling, Air Nostrum and Iberia Express will also be grounded. Union members clashed with police at Madrid's Barajas airport when the first round of strikes began on February 18. The final <b>...</b> | Views: 0 0 ratings | | Time: 02:03 | More in News & Politics |
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| Dog Helps 3-Year-Old Survive the Frosty Night Posted: 04 Mar 2013 02:55 PM PST | Fire-fighters in Poland say a dog saved the life of a 3-year old girl by keeping her warm throughout night, until rescue teams found her the next morning. Full story: The tale of a 3 year old girl gone missing in the frigid cold in Poland had a happy ending thanks to a dog. Rescue workers searched for a 3-year old girl named Julia who wandered into the forest near her village in south-western Poland. She made it through the night -- thanks to the dog who kept her warm -- and alerted rescue workers as to where to find her. [Grzegorz Szymonowski, Fire-Fighter]: "This dog is the most important part of this story, he is a hero. It is thanks to this dog that the girl survived the night." Her grandmother says the dog was the girl's best friend. [Danuta Balak, Rescued Girl's Grandmother]: "She was with this dog all the time. She didn't go anywhere without it. When she was with me, when I was looking after her, she constantly said, 'Granny, the dog needs to come in the house. And she told me to cut bread and she fed it all the time." Julia is now is being treated for light symptoms of frostbite. For more news and videos visit ☛ ntdtv.org Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me | Views: 0 0 ratings | | Time: 01:00 | More in News & Politics |
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| Wounded Imperial Eagle Flies Again Posted: 04 Mar 2013 02:47 PM PST | Eastern Imperial Eagle that almost lost her wing can fly again thanks to unique falconry training at an Israeli zoo. Full Story: A young Eastern Imperial Eagle that almost lost her wing will soon return to nature after being rehabilitated and trained to fly again in an Israeli zoo. The bird of prey, known also as Aquila heliaca, was found wounded in the southern Israeli desert. It was brought to the animal hospital of Ramat Gan Safari Park zoo with a badly fractured wing, an injury caused apparently by shooting or electrocution, the zoo said. After a complicated operation, during which a platinum nail was inserted into her wing, followed by intense physical therapy treatments, the bird recovered but still couldn't use her wings due to the long period of hospitalization. That's when the zoo decided to ask for the assistance of falconry expert Eyal Lifshitz, who started training the bird in the wide-open spaces of the nearby Ariel Sharon park. Progress was immediate. Lifshitz explained how the ancient art of falconry, which was used in the past for hunting, helped the healing process of the eagle. [Eyal Lifshitz, Falcon Expert]: "She was operated on about two and a half months ago and since then she is in rehabilitation which means that she lost a lot of her muscles so what we do now here we use old falconry methods, from hundreds of thousands of years ago to train her and to gain back her muscles." The Eagle has taken to her falconry training on a daily basis and if all <b>...</b> | Views: 1 1 ratings | | Time: 01:54 | More in Pets & Animals |
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| Banning Transplant Tourism - Israeli Doctor Sets Example Posted: 04 Mar 2013 01:23 PM PST | Transplant tourism has been banned in Israel since 2008 as a response to forced organ harvesting in China. An Israeli professor, Jacob Lavee took part in the enactment of that law that prohibits Israeli citizens from getting organs in China for transplant surgeries. He is at a conference of the International Care Association of Organ Transplants in Taiwan sharing his experience. Professor Jacob Lavee is a Director of the Heart Transplantation Unit at the Israeli Medical Center, Sheba, and the former president of Israel's Transplant Society. Lavee now serves on the Advisory Board of an American NGO "Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting." [Prof. Jacob Lavee, Former President of Israel's Transplantation Society]: "The way I got involved in all the forced organ harvesting in China was by a patient of mine back in 2005, who one day after a year of waiting in my department came to me and told me he is fed up waiting for a heart in Israel, and he was told by his insurance company to go to China in three weeks time to get a heart transplant ahead of time, and the patient actually went to China and got his heart on the very same day that he was promised ahead of time. So this set me researching, and I found out the whole gruesome story about the use of forced organ harvesting, and later on the fact that most of the organs in China are retrieved from Falun Gong practitioners, based on the research by Kilgour and Matas." After the Chinese regime stared to persecute people who <b>...</b> | Views: 3 1 ratings | | Time: 04:13 | More in News & Politics |
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| Longest Shish Kebab In Ukraine Sets Record Posted: 04 Mar 2013 07:30 AM PST | Imagine a shish kebab 160 meters long: this barbecue in Kiev is setting a new record for Ukraine. Full story: From early in the morning the delicious feast is prepared in central Kiev. Stretching the length of the street is a 160 meter long barbecue, where the longest shish-kebab in Ukraine is being cooked. [Taras Eremenko, Event Co-organizer]: "We are cooking 200 kilograms of pork. As one newspaper reported, 80 pigs have been used." The meat has been marinaded for 2 days, but the recipe is kept a secret. Whilst waiting for the feast, one audience member shares his tips on cooking meat well. [Bogdan Kowal, Event Participant]: "First you need to pick up the normal marinated meat, either lamb or pork. Always cut along the grain, so that when it is steamed, the steam will soak the meat right in the middle." The giant kebab comfortably beats the previous Ukraine record of 150 meters, but it is still way short of the world record. [Vitaliy Zorin, World Record Expert]: "The biggest shish-kebab was made in South Africa in 2008. And it was more than 2 kilometers long." And the most awaited part of the event -- tasting the kebab.. [Ivan Tarasov, Shish-Kebab Lover]: "The shish-kebab is very good. I feel different sides have different flavour: somewhere it is ruddy, somewhere tasty, somewhere softer." Organizers plan to hold the event each year, extending the length of the kebab each time. NTD News, Kiev, Ukraine For more news and videos visit ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter http Add us <b>...</b> | Views: 0 0 ratings | | Time: 01:27 | More in News & Politics |
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| Security For The Two Meetings Heightens Posted: 03 Mar 2013 07:57 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com The two meetings of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is due to start in Beijing on March 3rd . The control over rights dissidents by the mainland police has comprehensively started. Some rights activists say the monitor on them is escalated this time. Beijing activist Hu Jia wrote on twitter on March 3rd that the security of NPC and CPPCC is escalated this year. There are plain clothes police outside his front door and building. Once he opens the door, he has to face them. It never happened like this before. There has been information released on the internet that many mainland rights dissidents were controlled before the two meetings. For example, Beijing lawyer Jiang Tianyong was taken away by national security on March 3rd . Well known Shanghai netizen Li Huaping was also taken away by police that the same day. Shanghai pro-democracy activist Yang Qinheng was beaten by police for no reason on the 2nd. The Second Round of Petitions for Proving the Convention on Human Rights Before the two meetings started, the second round of mainland scholars, former officials, lawyers, and activists signed a joint letter to appeal the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) national people's congress. The congress is to prove the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. BBC Chinese web reported that around 200 people signed the second round of petition. They included former official Bao Tong, former director <b>...</b> | Views: 19 0 ratings | | Time: 02:58 | More in News & Politics |
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| Three Females Expose China's NPC System Posted: 03 Mar 2013 08:11 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com The National People's Congress (NPC) latest delegates' list is now announced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).' Three females are subject to different circumstances in the changes of their memberships in the NPC. Analyses show that the ups and downs of these females suggest the NPC membership is just a CCP＇ political reward. This is a reflection of the real side of the NPC's system in China. The CCP authority recently announced the full list of 2987 delegates of the 12th NPC. Among them, about 35% are CCP members, or 1042 people, of whom 23.4% are females, or 699 women. On March 2nd, the RFI Chinese web edition posted an article, pointing out that the changes in the new list treat three of the females very differently. They are Tie Feiyan, the new post-90s delegate; Chi Susheng, the famous lawyer who was kicked out; and Shen Jilan, the aged "reelected" delegate who never voted against anything and was called "fossil NPC delegate" by Chinese netizens. females reflect the real nature of the NPC system in China. It shows that the title of "NPC delegate" is still largely a political reward exclusively bestowed by the CCP. Guo Yongfeng, founder, Association of Chinese Citizens for Monitoring the Government: "The ＇Two Meetings＇ are simply a rubber stamp or an image project. Although the CCP has regulations over procedures, such as legislation,these are nothing more than posturing." About three years <b>...</b> | Views: 40 0 ratings | | Time: 03:58 | More in News & Politics |
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| Wanted Chongqing Businessman Sues Public Security Bureau Posted: 03 Mar 2013 07:55 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Chongqing businessman Li Jun was labeled as the head of the Triads by former Chongqing Party Secretary Bo Xilai. Recently, the company under his name filed law suit against Shapingba Branch of Chongqing Public Security Bureau. The lawsuit is for illegal seizure of the company's official seal, and it's property. Li Jun is currently hiding overseas, and an arrest warrant for him is still in effect. More than 30 people associated with Li, including his relatives and former employees, have been labeled as gangsters, and were sentenced in 2010. On behalf of Li Jun, Luo Hao, a legal representative of Chongqing Junfeng Real Estate Co., Ltd., filed a lawsuit against Shapingba Branch of Chongqing Municipal Public Security Bureau on February 28. Beijing lawyer Li Zhuang, as the agent and deputy general manager of the company, sent forth two lawyers to deliver the indictment. It was delivered to Chongqing Higher People's Court and the Intermediate People's Court. The High Court did not accept the appeal. The Intermediate Court kept the appeal, but indicated the acceptance is contingent upon a superior's approval. According to the indictment, Li Jun requested canceling Shapingba Public Security Bureau's two written decisions. Li also requested confirmation that seizing the company's official seal was illegal, to return 66.8 million yuan, and to compensate for the loss of 69.57 million yuan. Luo Hao, Chongqing <b>...</b> | Views: 15 0 ratings | | Time: 04:36 | More in News & Politics |
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| China's Military Spending Climbs by Over 10% Posted: 03 Mar 2013 07:52 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Before the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Two Sessions opened, the military released news on military spending. The figure in 2013 is expected to reach 750 billion yuan, a 30-fold increase compared to 30 years ago. Political observers say that growth in military spending cannot stabilize the regime, but only speed up corruption. Worse still, it will put heavy economic burdens on the Chinese people, and fuel social conflicts. On March 1, a CCP defense expert said that the military hopes the Two Sessions will approve an increase in military spending by 11%-12% this year. The expert said this is due to recent territorial disputes erupting consecutively between China and its neighbors. This means that China's military spending in 2013 will reach 750 billion yuan (US $120 billion). Critic Lan Shu says that the real reason behind it is not due to threats from its neighbors, nor the Diaoyu Islands dispute. The truth is that the CCP wants to buy off the army, to cement the ruling power. Lan Shu: "The CCP is a totalitarian dictatorship." It takes it as a tenet that "Ruling power comes from the barrels of guns". The newly appointed fifth generation of CCP leadership will firstly secure its power in the army. So it's no wonder to see a double digit growth in its military spending." CCP official website people.com.cn claimed that 90% of netizens in China think the military spending growth is reasonable. Lan Shu <b>...</b> | Views: 43 2 ratings | | Time: 04:02 | More in News & Politics |
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| Reuters Exposes Intricate Relationships in CCP's Bureaucracy Posted: 03 Mar 2013 07:49 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Just before the Chinese Communist Party(CCP)'s two conferences, Reuters has published a database on the CCP's senior personnel, organizations, social relationships and faction relationships. It took more than a year to develop this database, which has disclosed all kinds of intricate relationships in the CCP's bureaucracy. Recently Reuters has published a database "Connected China". This database systematically unveils the reality of China's bureaucracy behind appearances, by utilizing new internet technologies, like interactive charts and link. Reuters claims that it took one and half years to develop this database. The whole developing process incorporated tens of thousands of projects, like records of China officials, organizations and their activities. The types of relationships among China's officials can be as many as 30000. Zhang Weigua, Chief Editor of Hong Kong's "The Trend": "In the past 20 or so 30 years, some insider news has been disclosed here and there by CCP officials, secretaries and researchers. However, due to all kinds of limitations, it's not systematic, neither was it complete. Now Reuters has published 'Connected China' and it is a very good starting point." The materials incorporated in the database include information about CCP senior core leadership as well as about municipal local officials. It clearly illustrates who the officials have a good relationship with, who promoted <b>...</b> | Views: 21 0 ratings | | Time: 03:48 | More in News & Politics |
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