S. Korea’s Main Opposition Sweeps By-elections
SEOUL, South Korea –– South Korea’s main opposition party swept parliamentary by-elections, dealing a blow to President Roh Moo-hyun and his ruling party.
The conservative Grand National Party won all four seats up for grabs, increasing its representation to 127 seats in the 299-seat unicameral National Assembly.
Roh’s Uri Party has 144 seats.
The polls were viewed as a gauge of public sentiment amid political strife triggered by a leftist scholar whose pro-North Korea remarks highlighted long-standing differences in South Korean society over how to view the communist state.
“These by-elections are … a victory of people who are trying to safeguard [South] Korea,” said GNP Spokeswoman Chun Yu-ok.
Presidential Spokesman Kim Man-soo said he “respects the choice” of voters.
Voter turnouts were 40.4%, higher than 33.6% in the last by-elections in April.
India to Unveil New Thinking on Foreign Investment
NEW DELHI –– India is considering a sweeping liberalization of foreign direct investment rules that would kick-start a long-stalled program.
Kamal Nath, India’s minister for commerce and industry, has proposed allowing 100% foreign direct investment in a range of sectors, including airport construction, oil and gas infrastructure, and cash and carry wholesale trading.
The cabinet will also debate opening investment in the exploration and mining of coal, lignite and diamonds, and in the cultivation of important plantation crops such as coffee, tea and rubber.
A senior commerce ministry official warned that there was no guarantee the cabinet would approve Nath’s proposals.
India attracted $5.5 billion in 2004-05, an increase of 18%, but less than one-tenth of the inflows into China. The government estimates that $150 billion needs to be invested in upgrading the country’s infrastructure over the next 10 years.
Thailand’s Only Pandas ‘Married’
BANGKOK, Thailand –– Thousands of people in Thailand came to the wedding party of Chuang Chuang and his female partner, Lin Hui, the country’s only two resident giant pandas.
Thais dressed in panda and other animal costumes, marched and played music in a traditional Thai wedding procession to northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai Zoo.
There was a Chinese tea ceremony and a feast of cake –– a four-layer ice sculpture filled with fruits.
The pandas’ living quarters were decorated with a large, festive red ribbon and a carved dragon decoration.
Thailand rented Chuang Chuang and Lin Hui from China for US$250,000 in October 2003 for 10 years.
The pandas are expected to generate millions of dollars in revenues from Thai and foreign tourists during their stay.
Wine Sellers Say Demand in Asia Growing
SINGAPORE –– Wine is becoming a big business in Asia as the region quaffs more glasses of red, white and bubbly, and at least one Asian country is exporting homegrown wines, even to traditional winemaking countries.
In Singapore, 400 wine producers and retailers set up shop at a three-day Asian wine trade fair. There were four times more exhibitors than in 2003.
Wine for Asia organizers say the wine market in Asia is set to grow by 20% from 2003-08.
Winemakers say Asians tend to prefer wines with intense, fruit-based flavors to complement the region’s often spicy food.
“We’ve also noticed that while in Europe there’s a focus on the pairing of wine with food, here it’s often drunk on its own,” said Eric Tollemer of Bordeaux Bliss, a premium wine company.
Japan Procure 124 Patriot Missiles by 2010
TOKYO –– Japan’s Defense Agency is planning to procure 124 Patriot surface-to-air missiles by 2010, and contract a domestic manufacturer to make the bulk of the order.
The plan is part of a ballistic missile defense system being jointly developed by Japan and the United States at an estimated cost of $3 billion.
The first batch of 32 PAC-3 missiles will be U.S.-built, but the remainder will be built at home under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.
The planned ballistic missile shield will first be set up around Tokyo and then six other urban centers. Areas not protected by the PAC-3s will be dependent on missile interception from ships equipped with advanced Aegis radar, the agency said.
Talk of Shark Extinction in H.K.
HONG KONG –– Hong Kong shark’s fin merchants warned that people were being misled into believing that eating the dish is cruel and drives sharks to extinction.
Heavy pressure from green groups has forced Hong Kong Disneyland to drop shark’s fin from its wedding banquet menus. Recently, Hong Kong University has also banned the dish.
Traders said such bans “mislead the public” and “distort Chinese culture,” the Ming Pao Daily reported.
Environmentalists say millions of sharks are needlessly killed each year to supply the shark’s fin, which is normally made into a soup.
They have also denounced the practice of finning, where fishermen hack off sharks’ fins and dump the animals back into the water where they face certain death.
But traders say that they do not practice finning, and utilize all parts of the animal.
Thai Weightlifter Sets Three World Records
DOHA, Qatar –– Pawina Thongsuk of Thailand broke world records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and overall categories of the women’s 139-pound division at the world weightlifting championships.
With her third lift of 256 pounds in the snatch, the 26 year old improved by two pounds on the previous record of Hanna Batsiushka, of Belarus, at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
In the clean and jerk, Pawina lifted 309 pounds on her second try.
Pawina, the reigning Olympic champion in the 165-pound class, finished with an overall total of 564 pounds. She shattered the previous record of 545, set by China’s Liu Xia in 2003.
China’s Li Hongli won the overall men’s title with 796 pounds in the 170-pound category. Li won gold in the snatch (364), and clean and jerk (432).