» AsianWeek Market Report
» New York City to Pay $3.5 Million to Wrongfully Imprisoned Asian Man
» Application Deadline Approaches for Ethnic Scholarship
» Asian Americans Overwhelmingly Against Outlawing Gay Marriage
» Asian Citrus Psyllids Detected in Imperial County
» Moloka‘i Film Festival 2008
» New Sculpture by Maya Lin
» Korean Men Win 5 Golds in Short Track World Cup
» Bonito Dona Ire Continues to Step The Training Up
» Asian Airlines Battle to Survive
» Asian Pacific Fund Needs Nominations
» EPA Lax on E-Waste Exports: GAO Report
» HIV Infections Up Sharply Among Hong Kong Gay Men
» Chinese Youth Conflicted About Sex, Survey Finds
Compiled by Justine Rivero, Sye-Ok Sato, and Josh Laddin
AsianWeek Market Report
| AsianWeek Market Report | ||||
| Asian Stock Indexes | ||||
| NIKKEI 225 | Tokyo | 9,005.59 | 311.77 | 3.59% |
| HANG SENG | Hong Kong | 15,323.01 | 768.80 | 5.28% |
| KRX | Busan | 2,548.79 | 76.52 | 3.10% |
| SSE IX | Shanghai | 6,426.29 | 216.78 | 3.49% |
| BSE | Bombay | 10,223.09 | 247.74 | 2.48% |
| HOSE | Ho Chi Minh | 370.80 | -11.71 | -3.06% |
| SET | Bangkok | 33.20 | 5.20 | 1.59% |
| Asian American Market Report | ||||
| Yahoo! | YHOO | 12.86 | -0.04 | (-0.31%) |
| Citigroup | C | 15.09 | 0.21 | (1.41%) |
| Amkor Technology, Inc | AMKR | 4.23 | 0.12 | (2.92%) |
| Sybase | SY | 26.60 | 1.32 | (5.22%) |
| UnionBancal Corp | UB | 73.41 | 0.06 | (0.08%) |
| East West Bank corp,Inc | EWBC | 15.05 | 0.60 | (4.15%) |
NATION
New York City to Pay $3.5 Million to Wrongfully Imprisoned Asian Man
NEW YORK — In one of the largest wrongful-conviction payouts in state history, New York City has agreed to pay $3.5 million to a Queens man imprisoned for 12 years after being found guilty of attempted murder.
The man, Shih-Wei Su, was convicted by a jury in 1992 after Queens prosecutors knowingly presented false testimony from the star witness, according to a ruling in 2003 by the United States Court of Appeals, which overturned Mr. Su’s conviction and condemned the Queens district attorney’s office.
“The settlement doesn’t buy back the time I lost and doesn’t do real justice, but the amount shows the public something is very wrong here,” said Mr. Su, now 35 and a financial consultant in Manhattan. “I did 12 years on a wrongful conviction, and no one was punished for it.”
— NY Times
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Application Deadline Approaches for Ethnic Scholarship
The Edward Davis Education Foundation, a non-profit arm of On Wheels, Incorporated, is now accepting scholarship applications for the 2008-2009 academic year. The deadline to submit is November 15, 2008.
Since its inception in 1998, the Edward Davis Education Foundation (EDEF) has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships to ethnic minority students who are pursuing a career in an automotive-related profession.
The scholarships will be presented on stage during the 13th Annual Urban Wheel Awards on January 13, 2009, at the Detroit Opera House. Held in conjunction with the North American International Auto Show, the Urban Wheel Awards is the automotive industry’s premier diversity awards ceremony that is help to honor diversity in the automotive industry.
BAY/CALIFORNIA
Asian Americans Overwhelmingly Against Outlawing Gay Marriage
Asian Americans in California overwhelmingly oppose a ballot measure that would ban gay marriage in the state, according to a survey released. The survey was the largest scientific poll of Asian American voters ever done nationally and in California and was conducted in eight languages.
Nearly 1,900 Asian Americans in California polled recently overwhelmingly oppose Proposition 8. Fifty-seven percent of Asian Americans likely to vote in the Nov. 4 election oppose the ballot measure that would reverse May’s California Supreme Court ruling that gave gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. Only 32 percent planned to vote yes. Eleven percent were undecided.
Experts in Asian American voting trends attribute the unfavorable opinion of Proposition 8 to the ability of gay-marriage proponents to frame it as a major civil rights issue. Pollsters say Proposition 8 will probably go down to the wire after trailing in the polls most of the summer. So Asian Americans, who represent 9 percent of California voters, could end up deciding the measure.
— Mercury News
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Asian Citrus Psyllids Detected in Imperial County
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) is announcing the detection of Asian citrus psyllids in Imperial County.
The insects have been found at several locations: at a residence in the community of Ocotillo, at a residence west of the community of Seeley and at a citrus orchard due south of Seeley along the international border with Mexico.
“These latest detections reinforce that Asian citrus psyllid is a dangerous pest of citrus,” said CDFA Secretary A.G. Kawamura. “We are moving quickly to try to limit the risk and protect our state’s citrus industry.”
The Asian citrus psyllid is of grave concern because it can carry the disease huanglongbing (HLB). All citrus and closely related species are susceptible hosts for both the insect and the disease. There is no cure once a tree becomes infected. The diseased tree will decline in health until it dies.
— Western Farm Press
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
Moloka‘i Film Festival 2008
Moloka‘i residents enjoyed music, hula and Hawaiian film at its best at the Molokai Film Festival held at Duke Maliu Ball Park. Performers from around Hawai‘i provided evening entertainment, and festival-goers enjoyed ono food from local vendors. Everyone from keiki to kupuna (children to elders) joined together on blankets on the ground, and as soon as the sun set, film presentations began from filmmakers around the Pacific.
This year’s Film Festival showed over half a dozen pieces and featured the work of two Moloka‘i filmmakers, Matt Yamashita and Dan Emhoff. “It’s our kuleana (business) to show films of local filmmakers,” said Master of Ceremonies and MauiFest Hawaii co-founder Uncle Boy Kala‘e.
In its fifth year on Moloka‘i, MauiFest Hawaii’s purpose is to celebrate music, arts, culture and film, says Ken Martinez Burgmaier, a filmmaker in his own right and founder of MauiFest Hawaii. “We want to bring high quality Hawaiian film to residents and visitors and also give the opportunity for local non-profits to raise money selling food and crafts to keep money in the community.”
— Molokai Dispatch
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New Sculpture by Maya Lin
SAN FRANCSICO — Mayor Gavin Newsom; Luis R. Cancel, director of Cultural Affairs of the San Francisco Arts Commission, and Dr. Gregory Farrington, director of the California Academy of Sciences, invite you to celebrate the dedication of Maya Lin’s “Where the Land Meets the Sea” at the California Academy of Sciences.
Her sculpture will be available to view Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes, presented by PG&E, which opens October 25 from 4-5 p.m. Maya Lin is an American artist who has become known for her work in sculpture and landscape art. Her best-known work is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
SPORTS
Korean Men Win 5 Golds in Short Track World Cup
The South Korean men’s team won six gold medals at the first meet of the International Skating Union (ISU)’s World Cup short track series in Kearns, Utah. Sung Si-bak won the 500 meters with a time of 41.161 seconds, while Charles Hamelin of Canada came in .059 seconds behind him in second place. Sung, who earned five gold medals in last year’s Winter Universiade, also grabbed gold medals in the 5,000-meter relay and the first round of the 1,500 meters. Lee Jung-su earned his first gold at a World Cup event in the 1,500 meters with a time of 2 minutes, 17.941 seconds by defeating teammate Lee Ho-suk, and Kwak Yoon-gy finished first in the 1,000 meters.
The performances of Lee and Kwak helped the South Korean men’s team overcome the loss of its No. 1 skater, Ahn Hyun-soo, who didn’t compete because of an injury. Meanwhile, the Korean women’s team earned one gold medal, as Shin Sae-bom won the second round of the 1,500 meters with a time of 2:21.030. Shin also earned silver in the 5,000 meters. The Korean women’s No.1 skater, Jin Sun-yu, who also struggled with an injury, didn’t appear on the ice.
— Korea Times
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Bonito Donaire Continues to Step The Training Up
IBF/IBO flyweight champion Bonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire sparred twelve rounds at the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas. In a conversation with respected WBC ring physician Dr. Allan Recto, who watched Donaire’s workout, the stylish young fighter said his title defense against South Africa’s Marti Thalami on November 1 will be his last as he plans to move up to the super flyweight division. After the workout, Dona ire weighed 116 pounds.
Dr. Recto said that Donaire “looked sharp” in sparring, as well as working the punch-mitts with father and trainer Bonito Donaire Sr. Among his regular sparring partners is outstanding amateur lightweight Adam File. Dr. Recto noted that Donaire was “peaking at the right time and he is prepared. He’d be ready even if the fight is tomorrow.” He said Donaire’s confidence was “truly remarkable.”
Donaire has said that he will adapt to what Thalami brings, saying that “if I need to box him, I’ll box him; if I need to out fight him, I’ll out fight him.” The Donaire-Mthalane title fight will be held at the Mandalay Bay Resort Hotel and Casino.
COMMERCE
Asian Airlines Battle to Survive
Cathay Pacific Airways announced Friday that it is suspending all recruitment activities, its first official move to cut costs in the intensifying credit crunch.
The Hong Kong-based airline has continued hiring throughout this year, while airlines in North America and Europe have frozen hiring and even asked for voluntary furloughs from their employees. As recently as a week ago, Cathay was still hiring new flight attendants for its bases in North America.
Cathay Pacific’s hiring suspension comes after a 0.7 percent decline in passenger traffic in September (traffic grew 0.5 percent in August) and a loss of HK$663 million (US$85 million) in the first half. Despite the negative traffic growth, Cathay Pacific increased its passenger capacity by 14.2 percent in September. In the same month, it added its 119th aircraft, an Airbus A330, to its fleet.
— Business Week
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Asian Pacific Fund Needs Nominations
SAN FRANCISCO — Today the Asian Pacific Fund issued a call for nominations for the third annual Chang-Lin Tien Education Leadership Awards, which honors two Asian Americans for their professional accomplishments and leadership qualities. The awardees will each receive an unrestricted grant of $10,000. Nominations are by invitation only and are due by October 31. Award recipients will be announced in January 2009.
The award honors the legacy of Dr. Chang-Lin Tien, the first Asian American to head a major American research university and a founding board member of Asian Pacific Fund. The award was created to inspire more Asian Americans to aspire to this level of leadership. Dr. Tien served as chancellor of UC Berkeley from 1990 to 1997. During his tenure, he strengthened undergraduate education, fostered diversity on the Berkeley campus and raised nearly $1 billion for the University of California, Berkeley.
GLOBAL
EPA Lax on E-Waste Exports: GAO Report
The Environmental Protection Agency is doing little to stem the export of electronic waste to India, China and Nigeria, where disposal practices of the toxic materials endanger public health and environment in those countries, concluded the General Accounting Office in a recent report.
The U.S. dumps more than 150,000 tons of electronic waste in India every year (I-W, Aug. 1). Laborers—including children—who dismantle the products by hand, are exposed to a variety of noxious and carcinogenic substances, including lead, mercury, cadmium and dioxin.
The GAO recommends that the EPA expand its hazardous waste regulations to cover other used electronics and work with Customs and Border Protection and other agencies to improve identification and tracking of exported e-waste.
— India West
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HIV Infections Up Sharply Among Hong Kong Gay Men
HONG KONG — Up to a third of gay and bisexual men in Hong Kong may be infected with HIV by 2020 if prevention programs to reduce new infections and promote safe sex fail to work, experts warned.
The number of gay and bisexual men confirmed with the virus has risen sharply every year since 2003. Four percent of Hong Kong’s gay and bisexual men are HIV-positive and genetic analyses of virus samples found three HIV strains circulating in the local community.
Chen Zhiwei, director of the AIDS Institute, which conducts HIV/AIDS studies in Hong Kong and on mainland China, called for faster testing techniques. “If we rely on antibody tests, we have to wait for the immune system to kick in. And in the window period, the guy may have transmitted the virus to many people,” he told Reuters. Chen recommended the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which can detect viruses in the blood—very soon after infection and well before the body starts producing antibodies.
— Reuters
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Chinese Youth Conflicted About Sex, Survey Finds
BEIJING — A new survey of China’s first generation born under the one-child policy has found they are more open but still conflicted about sex and don’t approve of one-night stands.
The survey, carried out by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on people born between 1976 and 1986, found that their average age for first sexual experience was 22.8 years, the China Youth Daily said.
But more than 96 percent of the surveyed first had sex with their partner, rather than just a one-night stand. Nearly 20 percent first had sex before the age of 20. Most did not approve of one-night stands, and almost three-quarters said they would never try homosexuality, the report added.
“The survey found that on the one hand they had sex earlier but on the other it was in a stable relationship,” the newspaper said. “This shows the contradictions felt in the first generation of single children toward sex.”
— Reuters
