Japan to press ahead with bigger whale hunt

Japan to press ahead with bigger whale hunt

Japan said yesterday it would press ahead with an expanded whaling expedition as activists charged that Tokyo had delayed the hunt to avoid international friction.

Further enraging environmentalists, Japan for the first time plans to kill humpback whales, which are internationally considered a vulnerable species and are popular with whale-watchers.

Japan's Fisheries Agency said its fleet would go ahead with the expedition but the date would be announced only shortly before for security reasons.

"We will go ahead on the day that we planned," said an official from the whaling division.

The fleet usually leaves in November. Environmental group Greenpeace alleged the hunt was delayed because of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda's current visit to the United States.

The whaling programme "is a sham and a source of diplomatic tension between Japan and countries that support whale conservation, like the United States", said Karli Thomas, leader of Greenpeace's Esperanza which will try to track the whalers.

"Prime Minister Fukuda should not just delay the whaling fleet's departure to avoid political embarrassment abroad, he should cancel Japan's entire whaling programme and decommission the vessels to end the domestic scandal of wasting Japanese taxpayers' money," she said.

The whaling official denied the charges, saying: "I don't think this has anything to do with Mr Fukuda visiting the US."

Japan has used a loophole in the two-decade international moratorium on commercial whaling that allows the killing of whales for research.

Save the dolphins, save the cheerleader

Japanese arrest warrant issued for 'Heroes' star
An arrest warrant has reportedly been issued in Japan for “Heroes” star Hayden Panettiere over her dolphin-saving attempt last month in the country, but the actress appears to have no fear.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon to Access Hollywood, Hayden branded the arrest warrant “defensive.”

“Obviously this issue has generated defensive behavior on the part of both the Japanese Authorities and Fishermen,” she said in the statement. “I have grown up hearing - and adhering to - this phrase: ‘condemnation without investigation dooms one to everlasting ignorance.’

Link to the story.

Planners had no grounds for limiting tower height, judge rules

A judge has cleared the way for a controversial Mid-Levels development - nicknamed "the toothpick" by opponents - to proceed, ruling the Town Planning Appeal Board had wrongly taken traffic and visual considerations into account in blocking it.

Mr Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung yesterday ordered the board to reverse its decision blocking the relaxation of height and plot ratio restrictions on a block of land abutting Castle Steps to make way for the development by a subsidiary of Swire Properties.

The government said it would study the judgment in detail before deciding whether to appeal.

The order, which could affect other sites zoned similarly, came after International Trader Limited (ITL) sought a judicial review of the board's decision. The company wants to build a 54-storey building on a parcel of land comprising the disputed block and several others on Seymour Road.

The board, by a majority of three to two, had continued to refuse ITL's application to remove the 12-storey limit on the site because of traffic and visual considerations.

Mr Justice Cheung found that under the original Mid-Levels West outline zoning plan, the block, which has no direct street frontage, had been zoned for unrestricted residential development but had subsequently had restrictions placed upon it because of concerns about access for fire services and refuse collection.

Looking through documents associated with the rezoning, which took place in 1995, Mr Justice Cheung found there was little to indicate that traffic issues were behind the decision to limit development on the site. Rather, it was the lack of street access that motivated the change.

That was borne out by a proper reading of the outline zoning plan and its supporting documents, he said.

The judge accepted ITL's argument that, if traffic considerations were not in play, the concerns about access no longer mattered once the site was included in a development that had direct street frontage.

"Traffic and visual considerations are not relevant planning considerations" in relation to applications for the relaxation of restrictions on such sites, the judge said.

A spokeswoman for Swire Properties said: "Now that the matter is resolved we will go ahead and build [the tower]."

Central and Western District Council member Chan Chit-kwai said the implications of the court's decision were huge. "The new development is going to create a wall effect and residents of the Mid-Levels will have to double their time for travelling to the city centre," he said.

Town Planning Board members said the case was a typical example of developers' use of judicial procedures to get round the board's decisions.

Stephen Chow tackles Dragon Ball: the movie

Homegrown comedy king Stephen Chow Sing-chi is to produce a movie adaptation of the popular Japanese manga Dragon Ball.

The film will be made by Twentieth Century Fox and is already being slated as next year's summer blockbuster. Chow, who directed Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle, is a fan of Dragon Ball. He has drawn on elements of the comic in his work, using the lead character Son Goku's signature "Kamehameha" attack move in his film Flirting Scholar.

Ngai Tat-sum, a spokesman for Chow's company Star Overseas, said Fox approached Chow two years ago about directing Dragon Ball, but Chow preferred to direct films of his own stories. Fox then offered Chow the job of producer.

The movie will star Justin Chatwin, who played Tom Cruise's son in War of the Worlds, as Goku and James Marsters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Goku's rival Piccolo. The rest of the cast is yet to be finalised.

The film will be directed by James Wong, an executive producer and writer for The X-Files and the co-writer and director of horror flicks Final Destination and Final Destination 3.

Mr Ngai quoted Chow as saying he hoped the film would have a predominately Asian cast and thought Edison Chen Koon-hei would be a good choice to play one of the popular characters, Trunks.

Dragon Ball the manga was created by Japanese artist Akira Toriyama. Loosely based on the Chinese literature classic Journey to the West, it follows the journey of Son Goku, a boy of the alien Saiyan race who has extraordinary kung fu powers, on his quest to find seven magical balls.

The comic was launched in 1984 and later made into an animated television series which aired in Hong Kong. The manga series ended in 1995 after 42 volumes.

Chow's move and the choice of an American actor to play Goku drew fierce criticism from local fans.

"Shame on Stephen Chow," exclaimed office worker To Wan-wai, 29, who grew up watching the cartoon series.

"If he wants to become a Hollywood producer that's one thing, but that doesn't mean that he can kill the fantasy of millions of fans around the world."

Another fan, Alan Leung Ming-chek, said "having a Caucasian playing Goku is just not right".

Macau chief acts to ease 'snowballing' social problems

A plan to set up a non-mandatory central provident fund was unveiled by Macau Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah yesterday as part of his package to tackle "snowballing social problems" in the former Portuguese enclave.

Mr Ho also admitted "inade- quacy" in estimating and coping with social problems that surfaced in the city's economic development. "There is lots of room for improvement when it comes to our judgment on new social developments and our ability to act early," he said.

Delivering his policy address in the Legislative Assembly, Mr Ho said the government would earmark part of its surplus as seed money for a central provident fund aimed at enhancing the quality of life for retirees.

"The government will decide whether to inject extra funding into the scheme, depending on the fiscal situation at the time," he said.

Eligible residents can choose to open personal accounts under the scheme, with funds provided by the government. They can access cash in their accounts when they retire. The so-called "non-mandatory central provident fund" would cover all permanent Macau residents, although employers might not be obliged to contribute to the fund.

The policy address did not explain what would happen to the fund in a year of deficit.

Hong Kong unionists have, since the 1960s, been calling for a central provident fund to be set up with contributions from the government, employers and employees. But the idea was not adopted because of lack of consensus in the community. The Hong Kong government introduced the Mandatory Provident Fund scheme in 2000.

Mr Ho said various problems in Macau quickly produced a snowballing effect that harmed the government and society.

The chief executive, who will step down in 2009, said 19,000 public housing flats were being planned for completion by 2012. "The lasting optimism of investors has put a different complexion on Macau's property market, causing pressure and worries to many citizens," he said. The government would also develop homes for young couples who had problems buying apartments.

Tax cuts worth a total of 1.1 billion patacas were announced, with employees continuing to enjoy a 25 per cent income tax concession.

The personal allowance will be raised from 95,000 to 120,000 patacas, and Macau residents who are first-time homebuyers will be exempted from stamp duty on the first 3 million patacas spent on property purchase.

Other sweeteners handed out by Mr Ho, to be implemented next year as short-term relief, include exemption of rates for all residential properties which are not rented, and a rise in the old-age allowance. Civil servants will be given an 8 per cent across-the-board pay rise next year.

The Macau government's surplus increased by 95.5 per cent to 19.13 billion patacas in the first nine months of this year. While revenue rose by 47.39 per cent during the period due to soaring contributions from gaming taxes, which accounted for 75.5 per cent of all government revenue, spending fell by 0.34 per cent.

Macau's swelling coffers represented 9.37 per cent of gross domestic product and 115 per cent of all government spending during the first half of the year.

While the casino-driven economic expansion has created unprecedented wealth in the city, it is concentrated in the hands of a few.

Annual GDP per capita soared by 101 per cent to 227,500 patacas between 1999 and last year, but median annual earnings increased by only 37 per cent to 80,400 patacas.

Workers outside the gaming industry have largely missed out on the boom, and resentment towards imported labour continues to grow.

Right balance needed in protecting countryside

Preservation of heritage and green open space figured prominently in the chief executive's policy address, with moves to encourage heritage protection by private property owners, and "to step up our ecological conservation efforts" by declaring our 24th country park on Lantau Island. In practice, however, there remains much to be done to achieve a balance between conservation and development.

The Town Planning Board is to consider appealing after the High Court overruled its decision to include land zoned agricultural surrounding University of Science and Technology staff quarters at Clear Water Bay in a conservation area. The court found the board had made material factual errors in its reasons for dismissing objections over three sites by the owner, who wanted to develop them. Mr Justice Andrew Cheung Kui-nung said the sites did not resemble the description by the board in its reasons. For example, they were not particularly wooded. As we report today, some board members and planners want to appeal against the ruling. Planning Department sources say the sites were woodlands before they were zoned as protected areas in 2002 to preserve the local rural character. The sites had since been altered by tree-felling and earth filling, and the owner had twice been warned about damage to the land.

The Hong Kong Institute of Planners is rightly concerned that allowing development would set a precedent whereby private land owners have diminished the conservation value of protected sites so much they are arguably no longer worth preserving.

The city has already paid a high price for uncontrolled development on rural land in the New Territories, with once-fertile farmlands converted into container storage areas and scrapyards. Upscale development like that planned at Clear Water Bay does not make damage to protected natural environment any more acceptable. Many parts of the territory face similar problems. The government would greatly enhance its stepped-up ecological conservation efforts if it gave priority to introducing measures to ensure respect for protected zonings, including incentives to landowners and effective enforcement.

UK pupils 'least globally aware'

UK children aged 11 to 16 have the lowest international awareness among their age group in 10 countries, a British Council survey says.

Ipsos Mori asked 4,170 with internet access about such things as language learning and international affairs.

Link to the article.

Malaysia police break up protest

Malaysian police have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of protesters who were marching in Kuala Lumpur to demand electoral reform.

The event was organised by a group called Bersih which is made up of opposition parties and dozens of non-governmental organisations.

Link to the article.

New focus

Dear 6AB1 fellow students,

I would like to introduce more world news to you. Starting from today, selected political and social news from all over the world will be posted on this site. You may find it difficult to comprehend the news as you may not even be interested in knowing these happenings at all. As you are all in F.6 now, I think it is the right time to broaden your horizons. I hope you all can try your best.

The first round of presentations is about to be finished. For the new round, I want you all to choose a piece of news from my website and present it to the whole class. Here are some additional requirements.

1. DO NOT simply give a summary of the news story. (You will be asked to present again in the following lesson.)
2. You need to show us that you understand the issue involved by telling your classmates your opinion.
3. Be prepared to answer my additional questions.
4. Your presentation should last more than 2 minutes.

I know it would give you some pressure. However, I do believe in one thing. Pressure motivates you to do better.

Regards,

Mr. Fu