| Message In A Bottle - 76 Years At Sea! Posted: 21 Jan 2013 12:38 PM PST | Message in a bottle washes up in New Zealand after 76 years at sea. Full Story: Taking a stroll on the beach in New Zealand, you never know what you might find. In the true spirit of adventure, Geoff Flood and his son discovered this message in a bottle. And imagine their surprise to discover it was 76 years old! [Geoff Flood, Bottle Finder]: "Who knows where it's been. How many times around the world, you just wouldn't know, would you?" But sadly the message was not a map for buried treasure, a King's ransom note, or a desperate plea from a shipwrecked sailor stranded on some distant isle. But just a simple note saying "at sea. Please take this note to the address given below." The message was signed "HE Hillbrick", and the address was for the Australian city of Perth. And although HE Hillbrick died in the 1940's, Flood was able to find his grandson, Peter Hillbrick. [Peter Hillbrick, Grandson of Note Writer]: "For this one to be floating around in the ocean for 76 years and just all of a sudden pop up in New Zealand. Where has it been? What story is it going to tell.The only connection I have with Grandfather is now that bottle. That's about all. So, it's a fascinating story." Local media report that Peter Hillbrick has decided to donate the bottle to a maritime museum in New Zealand. For more news and videos visit ☛ ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me | Views: 36 5 ratings | | Time: 01:13 | More in News & Politics |
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| Get Ready! Rio Carnival Is Nearly Here! Posted: 21 Jan 2013 10:28 AM PST | Preparations hot up for Rio de Janeiro carnival in Brazil Full Story: Preparations are in full swing at the Grande Rio Samba School for the 2013 Rio de Janeiro Carnival. Last year Grande Rio were voted the fifth best samba school in the carnival, but this time around they hope to be number one. This year Grande Rio's carnival theme song will talk about a more serious subject: oil. The majority of Brazil's oil resources are concentrated off the coast of Rio de Janeiro state, and currently the state keeps most of the oil revenue. Now Congress is trying to pass a law so the federal government can collect the oil revenue and distribute it among all 26 states in Brazil. Last November, thousands of Rio residents took to the streets to protest. Grande Rio's Artistic Director, Roberto Szaniecki, says the school will put on a great show. [Roberto Szaniecki, Grande Rio's Artistic Director]: "We have a strong theme which talks about oil and its royalties, we talk about the city of Rio de Janeiro, and we are all really enthusiastic about it, and of course we are planning a grandiose carnival celebration." Samba schools in Rio work all year-round to make sure everything is ready for the world famous two days of festivities. Their budget runs into the millions of dollars and they employ a workforce of thousands. During Carnival season, the whole country literally stops to party. [Edson Oliveira, President of Grande Rio Samba School]: "Each (samba) school has 4000 participants, that <b>...</b> | Views: 0 0 ratings | | Time: 01:49 | More in Entertainment |
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| Protesters Demand Justice In Nepal Posted: 21 Jan 2013 06:33 AM PST | Protesters take to the streets of Nepal, demanding justice and rule of law. Full Story: Demonstrators march through the city of Kathmandu, capital of Nepal. They are protesting against the Maoist government currently in control of the small Himalayan nation. The movement is called "Occupy Baluwatar", referring to the upscale area of Kathmandu where the government offices are located. Dr Sushil Koirala explains the aims of the demonstrators: [Dr Sushil Koirala, Demonstrator]: "We want rule of law, we want justice. And we want to end gender-based violence, violence against women. Violence against journalists. And we want to end impunity. And we want to have rule of law in Nepal. That's why - for peace, just we are doing this Occupy Baluwatar event." The Maoist government is accused of covering up the murder of a journalist in 2004. Nepalese people are also demanding better protection for women, especially against rape. For more news and videos visit ☛ ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me | Views: 0 0 ratings | | Time: 00:54 | More in News & Politics |
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| Georgian "Satan" Must Step Down Posted: 21 Jan 2013 05:50 AM PST | Demonstrators in Georgia say "satan" president must step down. Full Story: Protesters gather outside the presidential palace in Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. They are demanding the immediate resignation of the president, Mikheil Saakashvili. Georgian law demands the president step down after two five year terms, yet Saakashvili says he will stay for at least another 9 months. One elderly demonstrator expressed his discontent: [Gocha Gurgenidze, Rally Participant]: "He is not the President of Georgia any more. That is why I will address the Georgian people at this rally, this people, and will tell them to occupy this building. We have built this building. This Satan has nothing to do in this building any more." Saakashvili is accused of cracking down on street protests and using police to silence critics. A video has also surfaced of prisoners in Georgia being beaten, tortured and sexually assaulted. Presidential elections are slated for October, and Reuters reports that Western nations hope for stability in the run up to the elections. For more news and videos visit ☛ ntd.tv Follow us on Twitter ☛ http Add us on Facebook ☛ on.fb.me | Views: 29 2 ratings | | Time: 00:58 | More in News & Politics |
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| Top Chinese Scholars: Communist Party is Above the Law Posted: 20 Jan 2013 11:17 AM PST | Top legal scholars in China want reforms to the judicial system. On Wednesday, Beijing-based financial magazine Caijing hosted a forum on the subject. Speakers boldly pointed out the problem facing the country is that the Communist Party is above the law. Professor Cui Ming from the Chinese People's Public Security University started with a call to abolish regional branches of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee. PLAC in short, the organ is the Communist Party's wide-reaching security organ, credited with damaging the rule of law over the past decade. Others, including Dean of Law School at the Beijing Institute of Technology , Xu Xin, and Assistant Professor at China University of Political Science and Law, Wang Jianxun, said judicial independence is the key to reform. But Professor in Public Administration from the Renmin University of China says systematic problems will prevent judicial independence. [Prof. Mao Shoulong, Academe of Public Policy, Rennmin University of China] "Even without the PLAC, other organs will control the judiciary. The way the court and procuratorate are run, and the illegal elements within the Public Security Bureau pose bigger problems. They follow orders of superiors [instead of the law]. That's the case with judges. It's how the system works." Professor Mao says there is one way to subject the Communist Party to the rule of law. [Prof. Mao Sholong, Academe of Public Policy, Rennmin University of China] "Change the Party, have <b>...</b> | Views: 103 10 ratings | | Time: 01:58 | More in News & Politics |
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| China's Call to War with Japan Posted: 20 Jan 2013 10:54 AM PST | China's People's Liberation Army, or PLA, has been ordered to prepare for war in a training directive issued this week. The order comes from the General Staff headquarters, which oversees the army. eng.chinamil.com.cn Forces should train to, quote, "fight and win battles," the directive said. The strong words are in striking contrast to previous ones. Those had focused more on coordination within different branches of the PLA. In particular, the use of the word "dazheng," Chinese for "fighting wars," has not been seen before. Japan was not mentioned in the directive. But this commentary in the People's Liberation Army Daily conjures up images of the Japanese invasion of China during World War II. It goes on to suggest Japan is gathering other East Asian countries to quote, "contain China." eng.chinamil.com.cn Some Chinese military officials have urged a quick strike to assert China's sovereignty over the contested Diaoyu, or Senkaku, Islands. This is the metaphor they use: "kill a chicken to scare the monkeys." But some political commenters think that the talk of war is empty. That's because the Chinese regime has more to lose than gain in an all-out war. [Lan Shu, NTD China Analyst]: "The Diaoyu Islands offer very little material interests, except it can hype up nationalism sentiments. The CCP will lose and ten ASEAN countries will immediately team up with the United States and Japan. China has not engaged in direct military conflict since 1979 with Vietnam. Right now <b>...</b> | Views: 2072 66 ratings | | Time: 02:22 | More in News & Politics |
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| 300 People Hunger Strike Against Prison Guards' Atrocities Posted: 20 Jan 2013 07:24 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com 300 prisoners in Heilongjiang Women'sPrison have started a hunger strike against Prison Guards Atrocities. Oversea media Minghui.org reported that drunken prison guard Qu Jialiang beat up illegally detained Falun Gong practitioner Lu Yinghua around 8pm on Jan 6th . Lu Yinghua had a heart attack whiles attacked and was sent to hospital. The report says the beating incident shocked all detainees. Around 10pm, no one was asleep and everyone shouted to see the prison chief. Prison guards didn'tdare to go in, and waited for instructions on handling the situation. The next day, nearly 300 prisoners carried out a hunger strike. In order to cover up the crime of prison guard Qu Jialiang, the prison already deleted the surveillance videos. According to reports, Heilongjiang Women'sPrison has tortured Falun Gong practitioners mentally and physically, in order to force them to give up their freedom of belief. The means of torture include abuses, humiliation, force feeding, drug abuse, beatings, outdoor freezer, as well as prolonged sleep deprivation, solitary confinement and other tortures. Meetings of Li Chengpeng and Netizens in Guangzhou Province Canceled Famous Mainland Chinese writer Li Chengpeng planed to meet netizens in Guangzhou Province on Jan 20th . However, the meeting was canceled in emergency. According to Guangzhou netizens who went for the meeting, they were prohibited from entering the site <b>...</b> | Views: 1 1 ratings | | Time: 02:56 | More in News & Politics |
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| Lawyers Request Railway Ministry to Release Ticket Data Posted: 20 Jan 2013 07:22 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com The annual travel rush for Chinese New Year travel is fast approaching. Difficulties buying a ticket home have resurfaced as a focus of public discussion. Recently, two Beijing lawyers sent a petition to the Ministry of Railways. They demanded for information regarding sale and reservation of train tickets to made public. A railway official openly claimed that there are no longer tickets for reservation. The officials remarks were questioned and have been refuted by netizens. On January 19, lawyer Xiao Wenbin and Ma Gangquan sent an open petition to the Railways Ministry. They requested the Ministry to publically release train ticket information for the Spring Festival travel rush. The rush is from January 26 to March 6. The letter requested the following information; total number of tickets for sale and for reservation; proportion of tickets sold through all distribution channels; rules for ticket sale, as well as other rules. Xiao Wenbin, Lawyer at Mo Shaoping Law Firm, Beijing: "Lots of people couldn'tget tickets each year during the travel rush. I think the actual tickets for sale might be too few. Instead, tickets are left for profiteering or for reservation by people who are connected with the company. If so, that would be unfair. That'swhy we asked them to release data about the tickets for sale or reservation." Xiao Wenbin hopes that this petition may help inspire more public awareness for a <b>...</b> | Views: 19 0 ratings | | Time: 03:40 | More in News & Politics |
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| CCP's Statistics to "Serve Its Political Needs" Posted: 20 Jan 2013 07:19 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently announced the latest economic data. This included last year's GDP, the Gini coefficient, and the working-age population' figure. Economists question the authenticity of those numbers, saying "they are more fictional than fantasy stories." Other experts remark that China's NBS has to "adjust" the statistics to accommodate the truth of "economic slowdown," yet to avoid giving an inflated number. In other words, the statistics have to meet the political needs of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Lately, some media reports queried again how real the CCP's official economic data is. The article presented the following questions: Is there any complex political considerations about "China's special national situation" behind the statistics? Has it reflected the boastfulness and the selfishness of the CCP's bureaucracy? According to the data published by China's NBS, three numbers were reported to have dropped. They are annual GDP growth, the Gini coefficient, and the figure for working-age population. Analyzing these statistics in depth, the economic circles have noticed the regime's real political purpose behind it. The NBS officially announced that China's GDP grew by 7.8% in 2012. Taiwan-based China Times newspaper cited an incumbent mainland Ministry official that most provinces had estimated a double digit GDP growth. However, the final number for <b>...</b> | Views: 9 0 ratings | | Time: 04:27 | More in News & Politics |
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| US Recognizes Japanese Authority Over Diaoyu Islands Posted: 20 Jan 2013 07:15 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com The Diaoyu Islands dispute heats up as both China and Japan military aircrafts confronted each other earlier this year in the skies around the disputed islands. The Chinese military seems ready for a war, and the international community is paying close attention. On the 18th, the US acknowledged Japanese administration of Diaoyu Islands and opposed any unilateral actions. The US also dispatched an AWACS aircraft (Airborne Warning and Control System) to survey the islands. It is commented that the Communist regime never cares about sovereignty. Claims of war is only to divert domestic crisis. The Communist regime has been surveying the Diayu Islands since this January. That act threatened Japan. On the 18, the regime rescued crew members from a third country's (South Korea) sinking boat from the waters of the disputed islands. This act was commented as a sovereignty declaration of the Diaoyu (Senkaku) Islands. Global Times, the Communist regime mouthpiece, recently warned a possible military conflict between China and Japan and the regime military ordered to prepare for war. Political commentator Wen Zhao believes the Communist regime is far from ready. Wen Zhao: "Their act is to test the US and Japan. The Communist regime actually controls the friction between the regime and Japan. The threat of a war is related to its domestic politics. The first goal is to pressure Japan and force Japan to negotiate <b>...</b> | Views: 106 3 ratings | | Time: 04:22 | More in News & Politics |
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| Gao Zhisheng's Permission to See Family Posted: 20 Jan 2013 07:12 PM PST | Follow us on TWITTER: twitter.com Like us on FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com Recently, it was the second time that Lawyer Gao Zhisheng was permitted to meet his family since being jailed in Shaya Prison, Xinjiang, more than a year ago. However, during the meeting, Gao's family members were not allowed to ask anything about Gao's life in prison. Only family business could be discussed. The prison told Mr. Gao's family that Gao doesn't have the right to acquire public information. Hu Jia, activist in China, has asked people to send post cards to Gao Zhisheng and other activists who are being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Regime. It's been more than 9 months since Gao Zhisheng's family visited him last time. On January 12, 2013, Mr Gao's father-in-law and younger brother were given the permission to visit Gao again. This time they were only allowed to talk through the phone across the glass. During the 30 minutes' talking time, the prison guards were watching over them closely. After Mr Gao's father-in-law and brother had visited Gao in prison, they narrated the whole meeting process to Mr Gao's wife, Geng He. Geng He: "Gao Zhisheng looked fine. He walked out and it seemed that his limbs were not injured. He was shaved bald and wasn't very skinny." Before the meeting, Gao's family was warned that they couldn't inquire about Gao Zhisheng's case or anything related to the prison. They were only allowed to talk about family business. Otherwise, the meeting would be suspended <b>...</b> | Views: 7 0 ratings | | Time: 04:08 | More in News & Politics |
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