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8 Jakarta hotels to celebrate Easter Sunday

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Easter is synonymous with plenty of food and fun activities for kids. In conjunction with the holiday, which will be celebrated on April 16, Jakarta hotels are preparing plenty of promotions and activities.

Those looking for a place to celebrate Easter Sunday with their loved ones may want to check the list below.

The Dharmawangsa Jakarta

For the upcoming Easter Sunday, The Dharmawangsa Jakarta hotel in South Jakarta has prepared an exclusive brunch, featuring a wide array of dishes such as foie gras, seafood flambe, seafood on ice with fine de Claire oysters, Galatian Spanish beef rib-eye and more. Priced at Rp 788,000++ (S$83) per adult and Rp 488,000++ per child, the brunch is slated to run from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Jakarta Restaurant & Courtyard.

During the buffet brunch, children can join fun activities such as egg hunting, egg painting and cookie decorating.

Contact: 021 725 8181

Gran Melia Jakarta

Cafe Gran Via at Gran Melia Hotel Jakarta, South Jakarta, is offering an Easter Sunday brunch promotion. Priced at Rp 355,000++, the brunch features a wide array of dishes, including lobster thermidor, beef wellington, roast lamb leg, chocolates and sweet breads. Children below 12 years old are entitled to 50 per cent discount, as well as joining the egg decorating event.

Contact: 021 526 8080 ext. 2328/2329

The Westin Jakarta

Those wanting to enjoy Easter Sunday brunch while enjoying the capital city’s views may want to make a reservation at Seasonal Tastes restaurant at The Westin Jakarta hotel in South Jakarta. The restaurant is located on the 51st floor, allowing guests to enjoy a plethora of delectable dishes while overlooking Jakarta’s skyscrapers.

The Easter Sunday brunch is priced at Rp 488,000++ per adult and Rp 245,000++ per child aged five to 10 years old. The fare on offer includes fun activities for children, such as egg painting, rabbit feeding and more.

Contact: 021 2788 7700

Hotel Indonesia Kempinski

This Easter, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski in Central Jakarta is offering a Saturday and Sunday brunch promotion. Priced at Rp 468,000 ++ per person, guests can enjoy a wide array of dishes while children will be able to play at a mini petting zoo at Signatures Restaurant’s terrace.

In addition to Saturday and Sunday brunches, the hotel is also offering a special staycation package with prices starting from Rp 2,700,000, valid from April 7 to 16.

Contact: 021 2358 3898

Mandarin Oriental

Situated in the heart of Jakarta, Mandarin Oriental is offering two Easter Sunday brunch promotions, namely an international buffet and French-style semi-buffet brunch. The former will take place at the hotel’s Cinnamon restaurant and is priced at Rp 310,000++ per person. Meanwhile, the latter will be held at Lyon restaurant.

Priced at Rp 528,000++ per person, the French-style semi-buffet brunch features French delicacies and special menus, such as black Angus tenderloin, eggs Florentine, homemade gourmet terrines and varieties of European cheeses.

Contact: 021 2993 8823/4

Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta

Five-star Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta in South Jakarta is having an Easter Sunday brunch promotion. Priced at Rp 895,000++, the semi-buffet brunch is set to take place at Alto Restaurant and Bar from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. The menu on offer includes Italian antipasti, cold cuts, cheeses, freshly baked breads and two-course a la minute meals.

Contact: 021 2277 1888

Raffles Jakarta

Located in South Jakarta, Raffles Jakarta hotel is also offering an Easter Sunday brunch promotion. Priced at Rp 688,000++, guests can enjoy a wide array of dishes at Arts Cafe by Raffles from 12 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

In addition to the Easter Sunday brunch, the hotel will also be having fun activities for children from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. on level 14. By forking out Rp 200,000 per child, guests’ children can enjoy a transparent water ball activity, mini golf, egg hunting, egg decorating and face painting activities. The entrance fee includes access for up to two adults.

Contact: 021 2988 0888

Fairmont Jakarta

For the upcoming Easter Sunday, Fairmont Jakarta hotel in Central Jakarta is offering a four-course Italian set lunch and buffet brunch. The set lunch is priced at Rp 450,000++ per person and located at the Sapori Deli restaurant. Dedicated to parents, the set menu includes free-flow soft beverages, such as iced tea and Italian soda.

For this special occasion, Fairmont Jakarta has prepared an Easter Kid Zone at Sapori Deli. Available from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., the Easter Kid Zone is priced at Rp 150,000++ per child, allowing little guests to enjoy a kids menu and various entertainment, such as drawing, colouring, eggs and cookies decorating, as well as child-friendly movies.

Meanwhile, the buffet is set to take place at Spectrum. Priced at Rp 625,000++, guests can enjoy appetizers, seafood on ice, fresh sushi and sashimi, desserts, as well as a glass of sparkling wine. (kes)

Contact: 021 2970 3333

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Trump impersonator talk show promises lots of laughs and beautiful women

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New York – Donald Trump impersonator Anthony Atamanuik is returning to US television screens this month to host a late-night show in the guise of the Republican president, Comedy Central announced Monday. 

“I would get incredible ratings, some of the best ratings, huge ratings, great ratings,” said Atamanuik in character on a trailer advertising “The President Show” which will debut on April 27. 

“I’ll have the best guests, the most beautiful women. It will be so funny, the most funny show,” he added on a set made to look like Air Force One. 

The premise for the show is the US president’s desire to bypass the mainstream media — which he famously distrusts — to host a late-night show direct from the Oval Office. 

It will broadcast weekly at 11:30 pm after “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” 

“Just like a certain chief executive in Washington, ‘The President Show’ gleefully tosses out the rulebook of its predecessors,” said Comedy Central. 

Atamanuik, who has received critical acclaim for his Trump impersonations, added: “Laughing at the president is a proud American tradition and we hope not to disappoint anyone in that department. 

“But our political system is too broken for us to be content joking about one man, even though he is a disastrous silly little toddler boy,” he said. 

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Bali's biggest street party

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Ngerupuk, a street parade held on the eve of Balinese Hinduism’s Day of Silence, is without a doubt the biggest and loudest street party on the island, drawing the attention of both locals and tourists, some of whom plan their visit around the annual event.

The centerpieces of the parade are the ogoh-ogoh, menacing-looking gigantic statues. Some are built in the form of a terrifying demon, while others are inspired by the wrathful manifestation of Hindu deities.

There is also a growing trend among local youths of looking for inspiration outside Hindu lore. The appearance of a green dinosaur and red Ultraman in Denpasar as well as King Kong in Tegalalang, Gianyar, during this year’s Ngerupuk last week was a testament to that trend.

With each ogoh-ogoh accompanied by approximately 100 youths, who carried their statues on bamboo platforms alongside gamelan ensembles, an estimated 700,000 youths marched the island’s streets that night.

Taking into account the number of spectators, at least 1 million people crowded the streets during this year’s Ngerupuk. It was no wonder then that traffic, particularly in the greater Denpasar area, which includes Sanur and Kuta, was brought to a standstill for hours during the parade.

Ogoh-ogoh started becoming a staple of the parade in the early 1980s. Prior to that, Ngerupuk’s participants roamed the streets carrying bamboo torches and making loud noises with percussion instruments to scare away the demons.

A boy rides past an effigy known as “Ogoh-Ogoh” before a parade one day before ‘Silent Day’ in Denpasar on Indonesia’s resort island of Bali Photo: AFP

However, a smaller version of the ogoh-ogoh – carried at the front of the parade for large-scale Ngaben cremation ceremonies – had existed long before the 1980s. Historical footage shot by famed Canadian composer Colin McPhee at a royal cremation in Gianyar in 1933 show several small ogoh-ogoh during the procession.

In present-day Bali, the majority of ogoh-ogoh are built by members of seka teruna teruni, the youth wing of banjar (traditional subvillage). A banjar is the core unit of Balinese traditional society and its members are obliged to assist each other during time-consuming and labour-intensive Balinese Hinduism rituals. Each banjar is usually made of 50 to 100 households.

To these youths, ogoh-ogoh is more than just an opportunity to showcase their creations at a parade. It is also a rite of passage, through which they establish and foster camaraderie with their peers of the same banjar.

Constructing ogoh-ogoh usually takes one month and during that period, they spend hours in the evening together crafting the statue by weaving bamboo strips, gluing paper and carving and painting the statues.

Throughout the process they learn the labour and social skills necessary for their future role as adult members of the banjar.

Balinese people prepare an effigy known as “Ogoh-Ogoh” during parade one day before ‘Silent Day’ in Jimbaran on Indonesia’s resort island of BaliPhoto: AFP

At the end of each laborious evening session they dine and drink together, an intimate gathering punctuated by social bonding in the form of bantering, which solidifies their relationship as a single social unit.

This year the bantering expanded to Instagram, as local youths taunted their peers with hashtags #nuingetjalankebanjar (still know the direction to the banjar) and #maikebanjar (come to the banjar). The hashtags accompanied photographs of a nearly empty banjar hall with only a few youths working on the ogoh-ogoh.

The feeds, posted by youths from various banjar across Denpasar and Badung, immediately spurned hilarious posts in response, from a group of youths posing with a placard that read “[you] don’t have to go to the banjar, the ogoh-ogoh is already finished,” to a young kitchen worker with a placard that read “sorry bros, [I am] still working, [I] will buy you all palm toddy later on.” Another post included a group of girls making duck faces while holding a placard that read “come here guys, the girls are already in the banjar to cheer you all on while you make ogoh-ogoh.”

The island’s biggest street party, therefore, is a lot more than just a captivating spectacle. It also reflects the ongoing dedication of the local youths to two of the most important pillars of Balinese culture: its ritualistic art and traditional institution.

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Twin Indonesian models compete in Asia's Next Top Model

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Three Indonesians are among 14 contestants in the fifth season of Asia’s Next Top Model, which kicked off on Wednesday. In addition to Clara Tan, the Indonesian participants are twin sisters Veronika Krasnasari and Valerie Krasnadewi.

“Veronika and Valerie are the first twin models to participate in the competition,” said Fox Networks Group Asia marketing manager Lesley Simpson as reported by tempo.co.

The twins had actually auditioned for the series’ second season, but were not chosen. “We had really prepared for Season 5 and, thank God, we made it,” said Veronika, adding that both aimed to win the competition and she regarded her sister as the toughest contestant to beat and vice versa.

Veronika and Valerie are graduates of the Bandung Institute of Technology’s microbiology and bioengineering study programs, respectively. Prior to Asia’s Next Top Model, they had won several modeling contests, including Cosmopolitan magazine’s 2014 Fun Fearless Female.

The fifth season of the model show is set to run until June 28. In its first episode, Anjelica Santillan from the Philippines was eliminated, while Clara Tan received the first call-out of the season.

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'Korean poems delight global sense and sensibility'

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While the world’s eyes are gradually turning away from poetry, Korea’s poems are leaving their marks in the pantheon of international literature, acquainting readers with their ethereal elegance.

Unlike in the West, where many illustrious poets self-publish, some writers in Korea have become so popular that they earn considerable royalties, deemed “unimaginable” elsewhere, says Kim Seong-kon, president of the Literature Translation Institute of Korea.

The institute recently collaborated with famed British literary magazine Modern Poetry in Translation in introducing Korea’s prominent poems in the journal’s winter issue, titled “The Blue Vein.” The issue features the works of poets Ko Un, Yi Sang, Kim Hye-soon and Han Kang — the winner of last year’s Man Booker International Prize for her novel “The Vegetarian” — as well as those of other poets from Korea and around the globe.

Explaining that the magazine had approached the institute first about publishing the special edition, Kim told The Korea Herald that the issue offers a glimpse of Korean poems’ “distinct” qualities.

“The debut in the prestigious magazine reflects the growing international curiosity in Korean literature,” Kim said, noting that Korean culture is emerging from its relative obscurity on the world stage.

Regarding the 46 Korean poems featured in the magazine — including those of Kim Yi-deum, Jin Eun-young, Ko Hyeong-ryul and Kim Min-jeong — the academic referred to a passage by the magazine’s editor-in-chief Alexandra Dugdale saying the poems showed “a common consciousness, an awareness of a world badly skewed, inhospitable and deathly,” a reference to the selected writers’ intellectual defiance against the historical wrongs of colonialism and dictatorship that Koreans went through.

“Many Korean movies and novels display a strong sense of social critique, but Korea’s poems have traditionally been more lyrical than political in nature,” Kim, a Seoul National University professor emeritus, said.

“Recent trends in poetry show profound personal reflections on life, free from the weight of political and social ideologies,” he added, citing Kim Nam-jo’s “My Heart Aches,” Kim Hu-ran’s “In the Shade of Sereneness” and Kim Kwang-kyu’s “The Day When My Right Hand Aches.”

He also recommended Shin Dal-ja’s “Northern Village,” Hwang Tong-kyu’s “The Pleasure of Living,” Oh Sae-young’s “Night-Sky Checkerboard” and Park Sang-soon’s “200 Grams of Sad Potatoes” as exemplary pieces.

Among the featured poems, Kim especially lauded serial poems “Crow’s Eye View” by Yi Sang (1910-37), noting that the author inspired many great poets and novelists with his stroke of genius.

The Modern Poetry in Translation was founded in 1965 by English poet and children’s writer Ted Hughes and poet, translator and academic Daniel Weissbort. Their purpose was “to get poetry out from behind the Iron Curtain into a wider circulation in English, and to benefit writers and readers in Britain and America with good works from abroad,” according to the magazine.

From left: Korean poet Yi Sang (1910-37), novelist Park Tae-won (1909-86) and essayist Kim So-woon (1907-81) Photo: Wikipidia

“Today’s poets and critics believe poetry has its special place in an era of technological upheaval and declining readership,” Kim said. “A single poem can galvanize our soul, tug at our heartstrings and revitalise our parched sensibilities.”

Arguing a society absent of poetry is “desolate and barren,” the academic said “even in this age where machines and materialism dominate, we still have our pastoral yearnings.”

One of the key challenges in promoting Korean culture is that the country lacks distinct icons relative to China and Japan, the scholar said. He added such absence renders it difficult for those abroad to differentiate Korea from China and Japan.

Acknowledging his generalization, Kim described the Japanese culture as fine-grained and feminine, and the Chinese culture as masculine and monumental.

“Korea has elements of both,” he asserted, saying the combination is the “unique charm of Korea.” Another allure of the East Asian country is its embrace of Oriental and Western lifestyles, with teahouses running side by side coffee shops and traditional buildings standing next to skyscrapers, according to Kim.

Highlighting the importance of universal values in literature as the key ingredient for worldwide success, he stressed that poetry should equally betray the unalloyed spirit of its native land.

Since February, the LTI Korea has partnered with the British daily the Guardian to feature Korean poems in the “Translation Tuesdays” weekly series. Works of seven Korean poets, including Kim Ki-taek, Moon Tae-jun, Yoo An-jin and Choi Seung-ja will be introduced this year.

Meanwhile, the institute has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Islamic Development Organisation (Hozeh Honari) in Tehran to cross-publish both countries’ poetry anthologies. A delegation of Iranian poets will visit Korea in June for the publication of Korean and Farsi poetry collections.

The institute is currently working on two-way translation and publication projects with the Netherlands, Georgia, Indonesia, Singapore and other countries. The organisation also inked agreements with Action Books, an American publisher specialising in poetry, as well as the White Pine Press, for various translated publications of Korean poems.

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Sewol tribute song released

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A song dedicated to the victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry tragedy that left 304 dead was released Thursday.

The song title roughly translates to “To Touch My Longing (for You)” — and sings about the devastation of losing someone dear to you in a calm demeanour.

On April 16, 2014, the Sewol sank off the country’s southwestern coast in one of the worst maritime disasters in Korea. Most of the victims were students from Danwon High School on their way to Jeju Island for a field trip.

Songwriter and producer Kim Hyung-suk — who wrote the song with Hado — plays the piano alongside the vocals of singer Na Yoon-kwon.

Kim said he has been working on the song since the ferry went down, and wrote the words for it when the ship was finally salvaged from beneath the depths late last month.

“Ever since the Sewol tragedy, the month of April has become a cruel one. I’ve made the song in memory of the children,” he said.

Moon Jae-in, the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, provided narration for the song, which is included in the music video version released via YouTube but not in the officially released audio version of the song.

In a pre-shot interview, Moon said he had learned that two of the student victims had the same name as his daughter “Da-hye.”

“They’re not someone else’s daughter, they’re my child,” he said.

When asked to say something to “Da-hye,” he refused to do so.

In the narration, he called out the names of the nine victims whose bodies are still unaccounted for. This included four students from Danwon — Jo Eun-wha, Heo Da-yun, Nam Hyeon-cheol and Park Young-in — and 6-year-old Kwon Hyeok-gyu.

The video was posted on Moon’s official social media pages and YouTube account.

All profits from the song will be donated to the bereaved families of the Sewol tragedy.

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South Korean police will 'never side with a foreigner', says expat

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When Leo Mendoza decided to go shopping with his wife on March 30, he did not imagine that it would lead to one of the most hurtful experiences in his 16-year stay in Korea, all because he wanted to save a child’s life.

As they spotted a Korean boy about to be hit by a car in the parking lot, his Korean wife Shin Jin-young instinctively screamed to stop the vehicle, which prevented an accident.

The child’s grandparents, who were not paying attention when this happened, started to yell at Mendoza and his wife for startling the boy. The incident soon turned into a quarrel involving racist slurs and physical confrontation.

“I called the police. I expected them to prevent the man from further insulting and attacking me and my wife,” the 44-year-old Busan resident told The Korea Herald. “But they allowed the verbal abuse to continue. This part was the most hurtful to me and my wife.”

The Korean man even called him “a Polish son of b****” in front of police officers, but they didn’t do anything, Shin said.

After learning that Mendoza was from Colombia, the man said, “Colombia? It is a lower quality country than Poland. Colombian son of b****,'” she said. “I was also called a b**** numerous times.”

The police’s indifference to the couple being subject to racist remarks and swear words and their unwillingness to handle the case continued throughout the investigation process, Mendoza said.

“The senior officer kept telling us to go home and not to waste time. The officer tried to encourage us to drop the case. He even said, ‘I don’t believe that you were pushed down. You are so fat!” he said.

“The entire time at the police station was horrifying.”

The Korean man, whose identity is withheld and couldn’t be reached for comment, claims that he was the one assaulted, according to an official at the Busan Yonje Police Station. Both men have been booked and the investigation is still underway, he said.

“Our police officers tried to stop him from making racist remarks seven to eight times. But we cannot forcibly shut his mouth. We should respect both sides,” the officer said, in response to Mendoza’s claim that police showed no willingness to stop racist slurs.

After Mendoza shared his experience publicly, which received attention from the expat community here, the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said it had been a misunderstanding caused by cultural differences.

“In Korean culture, we try to appease each side and help them reconcile before things get inconvenient for both sides,” an official from Busan Metropolitan Police Agency said. “Busan police will be more careful and better respond to cases involving foreigners from now on.”

Photo: Facebook/Leo Mendoza

Local experts said cultural differences do exist in the way police handle complaints.

South Korean police is known to shun active intervention in “trivial” offences, often encouraging involved parties to settle. Many citizens, too, expect the police to mediate, rather than pursue their case as a real crime when they report it, they said.

Nevertheless, when Mendoza shared his story on his Facebook page, warning that South Korean police “never side with a foreigner against a fellow Korean,” many expats sympathized with him.

Some shared their own memories of being “mistreated” by police or discriminated against in Korea only because they are foreigners.

Riza Yomey, a university student from the Philippines who has lived in Korea for seven years, also said she could not rely on Korean police.

In 2015, she said she got into an argument with a Korean owner of a food stall in Seoul over payment for food she purchased. After the man called her “liar” and publicly humiliated her, she headed to the police station to report the man.

“Police advised me to forget about it. The senior policeman even looked irritated that we would not let it go. They told us to just give up because it will get complicated,” she said. “That experience made me realise that police don’t care about foreigners.”

“I would never report a crime or ask for help from the police again. I don’t expect them to help a foreigner like me. They always side with Koreans,” she said.

A US national, who has lived in South Korea for 10 years, said he now considers moving back to his country because of the racism and xenophobia he and his family have suffered here.

“It is not just from the police. Although Korea has made headway, the idea of Korea exceptionalism is still alive and well,” said the man, who asked not to be named.

“In everyday life, there are school children commenting at my 3-year-old son’s looks, people coming up to my wife on the street and saying ‘oh the babies’ dad is a foreigner right?'” he said.

“I’ve been spit at, been called a dirty foreigner more times than I can count.”

South Korea, one of the most homogenous countries in Asia, lags behind in international standards in terms of racism and diversity, experts say. There is still no law banning discrimination based on race, religion or sexuality.

The country has seen a notable rise in the number of multicultural families only in the past decade. As of the end of January, 1.52 million foreign nationals reside in Korea, about 3 per cent of the entire population of 52 million.

According to a 2015 survey on 4,000 adults by the Ministry of Gender and Family Affairs, 25.7 per cent of the respondents said that they didn’t want people of different races as neighbours.

In his visit to South Korea in 2014, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on racism, Mutuma Ruteere, urged South Korea to enact an antidiscrimination law to curb racism and xenophobia, given the country’s history of ethnic and cultural homogeneity.

Efforts to enact a bill aimed at rooting out discrimination on such grounds as gender, disability, age, race, marital status and religion have all failed for the past decade, in the face of fierce resistance from conservative and Christian groups opposing equal rights for sexual minorities.

Read also: Students explain the meanings of their Chinese names to fight racism

Koreans in general seem to have a relatively low understanding of racial issues, although the country has joined the international Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1978, a human rights campaigner said.

“So law enforcement agencies and government officials should have a better understanding of human rights and racism than anyone else to curb racial discrimination in the country,” said Yang Eun-sun, public engagement manager at the Korea office of Amnesty International. “There should be more education, systems and domestic law to raise awareness.”

Mendoza agreed with Yang.

“No country can stop racism and hate. But every country can make a legal system that protects the victims of racism and hate,” he said.

The chief of the Yonje Police Station later called Mendoza and offered an apology, which Mendoza accepted and described as “understanding and professional.”

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Jackie Chan, Chinese astronauts win 2016 influence awards

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Movie star Jackie Chan, architect I.M. Pei, astronauts of China’s Shenzhou-11 space mission and other leading figures from various fields were honoured on March 31 for being 2016’s top influencers.

Martial artist and actor Chan said he would act until he is 70 years old after receiving a special award of You Bring Charm to the World, an annual honour given by Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV to those who have greatly influenced people in the country and beyond.

Chan said he once planned to retire at age 40 because he thought his body couldn’t afford the tough action scenes in films. But with support from Chinese audiences and the country’s growing movie market, he has also done other roles tailored for his age.

“I will act as long as I can move my body. I will try different roles rather than martial arts only, in my own style,” he said while accepting the award at Tsinghua University in Beijing.

Liu Changle, chairman and CEO of Phoenix TV, said Chan has created a brave and unbeatable Chinese on world screens.

“Chan is a special envoy who has spread Chinese culture in the world with his martial arts,” said Liu.

The You Bring Charm to the World award ceremony was held in Beijing on March 31. The winners include actress Yao Chen. Photo: China Daily/ Asia News Network

Chan also sang a birthday song at the award ceremony for fellow winner Pei, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on April 26 in New York. The Chinese-American architect didn’t attend the ceremony due to age but received the award at his house in New York.

Chen Siqing, the president of Bank of China, said that Pei is a legend for the Chinese given that his landmark designs are standing as buildings across the world.

Pei has designed two buildings for Bank of China in Beijing and Hong Kong. His most recognised work is the new Louvre museum in Paris.

In an acceptance speech read by his nephew, Pei said he was proud of his Chinese blood even after spending 80 years abroad. Architecture has no borders and it brings beauty to the world, according to Pei.

Chinese actress Yao Chen was given an award for bringing attention to the issue of refugees. Yao has visited those affected by war, poverty or illness in countries across the world since 2010, including Lebanon, Pakistan, Ethiopia and the Philippines. In China, she is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Yao recalled her visit to Syria three years ago, when she told a little girl that the war would end soon. However, Yao said she felt that she cheated the girl because the war is ongoing.

Actor Jackie ChanPhoto: China Daily/ Asia News Network

“It’s not only about showing our compassion,” she said, adding that it was about what celebrities were doing to make the world a better place.

“Although there seems no end, I still have hope in mind to help change things,” said Yao, who has more than 80 million fans on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

Astronauts of the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft and Chinese table tennis players were also honoured for their contributions in their respective fields. They were hailed as the best presentation of the Chinese spirit by the public who selected them for the award.

Four scientists also won the award because of their research, including Zhao Zhongxian, who discovered an iron-based superconductor that can work at high temperatures, and Yan Ning, a female scientist in her 30s whose research on the functions and structures of membrane proteins can offer big help to cancer patients.

In its 11th year, the award ceremony is held annually to honour more than 100 celebrities and leading figures from all walks of life for their contribution to society. This year, a total of 11 people and groups won the award from the fields of sports, science, literature, architect, movies and public affairs.

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Rich cultural line-up at Little India

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Indian Cultural Fiesta set to showcase traditions, rituals and arts of 16 Indian ethnic associations

THIS year’s Indian Cultural Fiesta will feature 16 Indian ethnic associations and societies from different regions in India.

The Little India Shopkeepers and Heritage Association (Lisha), together with these groups, will be presenting the Indian cultures, practices, traditions, rituals and arts to visitors. The fiesta will be held at Campbell Lane and the Indian Heritage Centre (IHC).

Some of the participating groups include the Singapore Gujarati Society, Assam Association Singapore, Bengali Association Singapore, Young Sikh Association and Marwari Mitra Mandal.

To kick off the activities on April 7, there will be a cultural concert at Campbell Lane by local celebrities, arts groups and ethnic groups comprising Indians and multi-racial artists.

The launch will be graced by Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng and is expected to draw audiences from various communities.

As part of the fiesta, an exhibition from April 7 to 13 at IHC will let visitors discover informative exhibitions showcasing authentic cultures and traditions of the multiple ethnic Indian communities.

This year, the associations and societies participating in the exhibition are focussing on the theme of weddings to showcase the significant practises of each ethnicity.

There will also be an exclusive cultural programme which will see performances by artists from India and Singapore. It will take place at Campbell Lane on April 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Additionally, a special cultural programme will be organised on April 14 and 15 to commemorate the Tamils’ Chithirai Vizha Festival.

Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) S. Iswaran will grace the opening of the festival to kick start the celebrations in conjunction with the Tamil Language Festival.

On the evening of both days, renowned artists Kalaimamani Veeramani Raju and Isaikavi Ramanan will perform at Campbell Lane with an orchestra from India.

In line with Chitirai Vizha and in conjunction with the Tamil Language Festival, Lisha, together with National Library Board’s Vaasagar Vattam, will be organising a book poster design contest. It aims to encourage young Singaporeans to read Tamil books and showcase their creativity by designing posters that will inspire their fellow age group members to read those books that they enjoyed.

Those interested can register their interest on April 15 at IHC and take part in the contest on the same day.

On April 23, Lisha’s Women’s Wing will present Tamizhil Natpum Kaathalum at the Banana Leaf Apolo’s function room.

The segment in the afternoon, will consist of a love story narrated by Dr Mannai Rajagoplan, which will combine live singing with musical instruments. This segment will bring to life the beauty of the Tamil language, poetic Tamil verses of love songs, how romantic the Tamil language could be and how beautifully it can describe friendship.

There will also be a panel discussion on Moozhgatha Shippu Friendshippa Love Shippa?

In this segment there will be 16 panellists, two guest speakers and a moderator. The concept is derived from Neeya Naana – a well-known television programme on Vijay TV.

Indian Cultural Fiesta

The Indian New Year Celebrations was first initiated in the year 2010 when the various ethnic Indian communities in Singapore were brought together to showcase the multitude of Indian traditions, customs, heritage and practices.

Last year, a cohesive decision for a change of title was made. As the numbers of the associations that participated in the Indian New Year celebrations increased, more of them that do not celebrate their new year during March and April emerged.

The Indian New Year celebrations then evolved to the Indian Cultural Fiesta, where the celebrations are held for all the Indian ethnic communities to celebrate their rich cultures, ethnicities and traditions.


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China fighter plane spotted on South China Sea island: think tank

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WASHINGTON – A Chinese fighter plane has been spotted on a Chinese-held island in the South China Sea, the first such sighting in a year and the first since US President Trump took office, a US think tank reported on Thursday.

The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), part of Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the J-11 fighter was visible in a satellite image taken on March 29 of Woody Island in the Paracel island chain.

News of the sighting came as Trump was in Florida for meetings with China’s President Xi Jinping on Thursday and Friday at which he is expected to air US concerns about China’s pursuit of territory and militarization of outposts in the South China Sea.

“This isn’t a first, but it’s the first time in a year,” AMTI director Greg Poling said of the jet sighting.

Referring to the single fighter plane visible in the image, he said: “There are likely more in the hangars nearby.”

Poling said it was unclear how long the plane had been there, but added that similar deployments on artificial islands China has built further south in the South China Sea’s Spratly archipelago could be expected now that military facilities had been completed there.

The United States has said in the past that rotational deployments of Chinese fighter jets to Woody Island were part of a disturbing trend of militarization that raised questions about Beijing’s intentions in the South China Sea, which is an important trade route.

The Chinese embassy did not respond to a request for comment. China has previously rejected US charges that it is militarizing the South China Sea, and in March, Premier Li Keqiang said defence equipment had been placed on islands in the disputed waterway to maintain “freedom of navigation.”

A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the presence of a fighter aircraft on Woody Island was not something unexpected.

“It is already heavily militarized; no surprise we would be seeing military aircraft there,” the official said.

Earlier on Thursday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he had ordered troops to occupy uninhabited islands and shoals it claims in the South China Sea, something likely to anger China, which claims most of the strategic waterway.

 

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Friday, April 7, 2017 – 15:41
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