AsiaCast

Asia Cast Thursday 12th July

A new movement has surfaced in Southern California, but it will probably reach all the way to Beijing by next August when the Olympics begin.

This movement began in the heart of its founder Kai Chen, during the dark days of the Cultural Revolution in China.

Chen tells the story of 15 kids that were packed up and sent to Beijing. Two remained with Chen on the Chinese National Team. Chen was selected to play basketball.

Chen’s teenage friend, Xiao, was at first selected for the national track and field team. But since his father served for the Kuo Min Tang Army, which opposed the Communist Regime, he was later expelled from the team. Xiao died soon after.

In 1979, Chen had hoped to be picked for the 1980 Chinese National Olympic Team, but because China boycotted the Moscow Olympics, his dream ended, similar to the way Xiao’s had.

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Accredited journalist Nick Wang was refused entry to Asia Forum’s meeting, ‘The Peaceful Rise of China’ featuring the Chinese Ambassador last Thursday night in Wellington, New Zealand.

The latest in a string of denied entries for the Capital Chinese News editor has left him concerned about the freedom of press in New Zealand.

Mr Wang said he has now been ejected from four events involving Chinese communist officials.

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Campaigning starts in Japan for upper house elections that are seen as a crucial test for beleaguered Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Half of the Upper House seats are being contested in the 29 July polls.
Mr Abe’s ruling coalition currently controls the house, but his popularity has plunged since he took office in September last year.

A series of ministerial gaffes and a pensions scandal have rocked his administration.

Campaigning in Tokyo, Mr Abe acknowledged that he and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party would be fighting “a very tough battle” in the polls.

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In central Philippines, a passenger ferry has sunk, leaving at least eight people dead and an unknown number missing, officials say.

The MV Blue Water Princess sank off the town of San Francisco, about 220km southeast of Manila.

At least 106 passengers were rescued, officials say. It is believed the ferry had as many as 256 people on board. The cause of the sinking is not clear.

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In Kenya, crime and violence are at crisis levels in the build-up to elections, as gangs terrorize the population and “trigger happy” police respond with impunity, human rights groups said on Wednesday.

The Kenya Human Rights Network said 300 criminals, police officers, victims of land clashes and suspected members of a banned sect were killed in the last six months alone.

Kenya, which has suffered cyclical violence each election year since 1992 when it became a multi-party democracy, is expected to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in December.

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China Aid Association revealed that the Chinese Communist regime has started a secret campaign called ¡°Typhoon Number 5¡± from February this year.
This secret campaign is a massive expulsion movement of foreign missionaries.

Just between April and June, there were more than one hundred missionaries expelled from Mainland China for engaging in illegal religious activities in China.
The Majority of the missionaries that have been expelled are citizens of the United States, South Korea, Singapore, Canada and Australia.

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The dream of owning a home is slipping further from reach of many Australians.

A survey shows more than a quarter of potential mortgagees will be in their forties or older before they can lay claim to their own piece of bricks and mortar.

The survey, released today by mortgage broker Mortgage Choice, showed 28 per cent of Australians will be 41 years or older when they buy their first home.

Mortgage Choice national manager of corporate affairs Warren O’Rourke said the research provided a fascinating insight into the lives and mindsets of upcoming first homebuyers.