Lights off as ”Earth Hour” circles the globe

PARIS: Hundreds of landmark buildings and millions of ordinary homes were switching off their lights Saturday as the annual “Earth Hour” moved around the globe in what was dubbed the world”s largest voluntary action for the environment.

Australia”s Opera House was the first of many global landmarks to go dark as the event got under way, as hundreds of millions of people prepared to follow suit to enhance awareness of energy use and climate change.

Others in their turn included Beijing”s “Bird”s Nest” stadium that hosted the 2008 Olympics, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the London Eye Ferris wheel, Times Square in New York and Brazil”s Christ the Redeemer statue.

Most were switching off their floodlighting, advertising signs and other illuminations for an hour from 8:30 pm local time.

“The amount of power that”s saved during that time is not really what it”s about,” Earth Hour co-founder and executive director Andy Ridley told in Sydney, where the movement began in 2007. “What it is meant to be about is showing what can happen when people come together.”

Ridley said a record 134 countries or territories were on board for this year”s event, which organisers have dubbed the world”s largest voluntary action for the environment.

Organisers this year also asked people to commit to an action, large or small, that they will carry through the year to help the planet. For example, Dalian city in northeastern China will spend 1.5 billion dollars planting 340 million trees and Chengdu city in the southwest will make up to 60,000 bicycles available for public rental.

The event kicked off in the Pacific, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, rolling into Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas as it followed the descending sun.

Ridley said Earth Hour, organised by global environment group the WWF, this year would also focus on connecting people online so they could inspire each other to make commitments to help protect the environment.

In Australia, organisers said an estimated 10 million people, nearly half the population, took part, with Sydney Harbour Bridge another of the landmarks to go dark.

Hong Kong”s neon waterfront dimmed, while in Singapore all decorative lights were switched off and non-critical operational lights lowered at Changi Airport for an hour. The airport said the effort would result in energy savings equivalent to the total amount of electricity consumed by a four-room apartment over three months.

In Japan, which is reeling from a huge earthquake and tsunami that struck this month, several thousand people and a hotel-turned-evacuation centre in the northeast marked Earth Day.

In Paris a minute”s silence was to be observed for Japan as the city of light went dark, with illuminations switched off at the cathedral of Notre Dame, City Hall, the two opera houses and many bridges, fountains and public places.

Another 129 French towns and cities were also taking part in Earth Hour.

In Russia some 30 cities were joining in, from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the most easterly city on the Kamchatka peninsula, through Moscow to Murmansk in the far north. Moscow was to turn off floodlighting on more than 70 buildings and bridges, including the 540-metre (1,780-foot) television tower and the 32-storey Moscow State University building.

In Athens monuments being darkened included the Acropolis, the parliament building, the presidential palace and at the temple of Poseidon near the city.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon backed Earth Hour, urging people to celebrate the shared quest to “protect the planet and ensure human well-being”. “Let us use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light,” he said.

Ridley said he never expected the Earth Hour movement to become so large. “We didn”t imagine right at the beginning… it would be on the scale that it is now. And the fact that it is so cross cultural, beyond borders and race and religion,” he said. (AFP)

Asian shares rise as oil prices fall

HONG KONG: Asian stocks rose on Friday as oil prices slipped from recent highs after OPEC said it would boost crude output if the Middle East crisis hit supplies, with traders eagerly snapping up bargains.

The euro extended its rally against the dollar as expectations grow that the European Central Bank will hike interest rates soon as it tries to take the heat out of rising eurozone inflation.

Tokyo gained 0.71 percent, or 74.05 points, to end at 10,526.76 and Sydney ended 0.57 percent, or 27.2 points, higher at 4,836.5, while Seoul closed 0.69 percent, or 13.54 points, up at 1,963.42.

Hong Kong jumped 1.82 percent, or 411.33 points, to 23,012.37 after four straight days of losses.

Shanghai closed flat at 2,878.57 as strong bank results and easing fears over monetary tightening were offset by weaker gold miners and oil firms.

The oil price rally sparked by turmoil in the Middle East was halted, at least temporarily, after the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said it would increase production to make up for any losses caused by unrest in oil exporter Libya.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said his country would increase output, according to commodities specialist Platts.

Jitters returned later in the day but oil prices were still well down from this week’s earlier highs.

Brent North Sea crude for April delivery was up $1.26 at $112.62 per barrel after almost hitting $120 late Thursday.

New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for April, rose 36 cents to $97.64 after earlier heading north of $100.

Global stock markets have fallen over the past week as uprisings across the oil-rich Middle East and North Africa sparked fears of surging oil prices.

This in turn fuelled inflationary worries as many countries struggle to keep a lid on prices in the wake of the global financial crisis.

“With food prices already at very high levels, the last thing the global economy needs now is soaring energy prices,” said Khoon Goh, a senior economist at ANZ Bank in Wellington.

“Such a combination will surely present a real inflation challenge for central banks around the world,” he told Dow Jones Newswires.

The troubles in Libya, where Moamer Kadhafi was clinging to his four-decade rule, kept a cap on gains, however, as the death toll from the unrest climbs higher and thousands try to flee the country.

The euro climbed against the greenback after German central bank chief Axel Weber said Thursday that interest rates “can only go one way from here”.

“Rates only know one direction at the moment — and that is north,” he said.

The single European currency changed hands at $1.3817 in Tokyo afternoon trading, compared to 1.3797 in New York late Thursday. It rose to 113.29 yen from 112.94 yen.

Sumino Kamei, senior analyst at the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, said: “The hawkish comment from Weber gave an additional fuel to speculation about the ECB’s rate hike.”

The dollar fetched 81.96 yen, little changed from 81.91 yen.

On the Tokyo exchange, car giant Toyota rose 2.18 percent to 3,755 yen despite news that it is recalling more than two million vehicles to fix floor mat and carpet defects that could jam the accelerator.

The improved sentiment saw the price of safe-haven gold lower than recent highs and it closed at $1,408.00-$1,409.00 an ounce, down from Thursday’s close of $1,414.00-$1,415.00.

In other markets:

– Singapore closed up 1.75 percent, or 52.08 points, at 3,025.16.

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp rose 0.87 percent to Sg$9.26 and Singapore Airlines gained 1.46 percent to Sg$13.86.

– Taipei rose 0.68 percent, or 58.01 points, to 8,599.65.

Chunghwa Telecom was up 0.23 percent at Tw$88.1.

– Manila gained 0.17 percent, or 6.20 points, to 3,737.04.

Aboitiz Equity rose 2.3 percent to 40.00 pesos and Philippine Long Distance Telephone gained 1.1 percent to 2,222, but Metropolitan Bank was off 0.5 percent at 56.95.

– Jakarta rose 0.13 percent, or 4.40 points, to 3,443.53.

Coal producer Bumi rose 5.4 percent to 2,925 rupiah, car maker Astra ended up 0.3 percent at 51,550 and Bank Central Asia fell 2.4 percent to 6,100.

– Kuala Lumpur closed flat at 1,489.27.

Petronas Chemicals climbed 1.4 percent to 6.30 ringgit as plantations giant Sime Darby rose 0.2 percent to 9.04 and construction firm KL Kepong slid 2.8 percent to 20.20.

– Wellington edged down 0.13 percent, or 4.44 points, to 3,363.91.

Auckland Airport fell 0.9 percent to NZ$2.24 and resins maker Nuplex edged down 2.4 percent to NZ$3.31, but Fletcher Building gained 0.6 percent to NZ$8.63.

– Bangkok edged up 0.89 percent or 8.69 points to 985.91.

Banpu added 4.00 baht to 740.00, while PTT gained 3.00 baht to 343.00.

– Mumbai’s benchmark 30-share Sensex index rose 68.5 points to 17,700.91 after the government said Friday the country’s economy could grow by over nine percent next year but warned inflation remained a concern

India’s second biggest mobile phone firm Reliance Communications fell 5.4 percent or five rupees to 87.55 on growing concerns over the ongoing probe into a suspected multi-billion-dollar telecom scandal.

Kernex Microsystems, which makes rail safety devices, fell 4.97 percent or 4.95 rupees to 94.6 while private rail wagon maker Titagarh Wagons, plunged 13.06 percent or 49.85 rupees to 331.8.

Asian stocks up

Asian News: Asian stock markets rose Tuesday as tensions on the Korean peninsula eased a few notches.

Investors spent the previous day worried about possible North Korean retaliation against South Korean military drills on a frontline island that was shelled by the North last month. Instead, Pyongyang backed off threats to strike back and reportedly offered concessions on its nuclear program.Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock average climbed 1.5 percent to 10,370.53 after the Bank of Japan kept monetary policy unchanged at the current super loose setting after a key survey last week showed deteriorating business sentiment.Japanese exporters climbed, with Sony Corp. up 2.7 percent and Canon Inc. adding 1.6 percent.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index added 1.4 percent to 22,966.08. South Korea’s Kospi advanced 0.8 percent to 2,037.09 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.8 percent at 4,771.90.China’s Shanghai Composite Index jumped 1.8 percent to 2,904.30. Markets in Taiwan, India, and Singapore also rose.In New York Monday, low trading volumes and a lack of economic reports kept stocks confined to a narrow range Monday. Indexes finished mixed and bond yields were barely changed.The Dow Jones industrial average fell 13.78, or 0.1 percent, to 11,478.13. The broader Standard and Poor’s 500-stock index rose 3.17, or 0.3 percent, to 1,247.08. The Nasdaq composite index gained 6.59, or 0.3 percent, to finish at 2,649.56.

Bearish spell hits Asian stocks

Asian stocks fell for a second straight day, driving the MSCI Asia Pacific Index to its first back-to-back drop in three weeks, after brokerages cut ratings on Bridgestone Corp. and Singapore Airlines Ltd.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index fell 0.2 percent to 133.67 as in Tokyo, with more than three stocks declining for every two that advanced.The gauge climbed to a 2 1/2-year high this week as US economic reports boosted confidence in a global recovery, easing concerns that Europes debt crisis and Chinas measures to slow inflation will hurt growth. Japans Nikkei 225 Stock Average closed little changed, while Hong Kongs Hang Seng Index declined 1.3 percent and Chinas Shanghai Composite Index sank 0.5 percent. South Koreas Kospi Index fell 0.4 percent, while Australias S&P/ASX 200 Index gained 0.3 percent.

Anti Corruption Day being observed all over the world today

Today, an international day of Anti Corruption is being observed. It is known that corruption is great hindrance in any countrys progress.

The main reason for marking this day is to create awareness among the people of the world against corruption and corrupt people. In Pakistan, NAB and anti corruption agencies are working in order to eradicate corruption. It has always been difficult to catch the big fish who have been always involved in corruption. For the progress and development of country, eradication of corruption is necessary and people along with government institutions must stand against corruption.

Corruption has emerged as a deadly phenomenon that has been eating into the cultural, political and economic fabric of society, and destroying the very functioning of vital state organs. Corruption exists almost everywhere but it is stubbornly entrenched in the poorer countries of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, former Soviet Union countries and is deep-rooted in many of the newly industrialized and emerging countries as well. According to the report of Transparency International released on 26th October 2010, Somalia is on top of the corruption list; where as Myanmar on second and then the countries which follow, include Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, Chad, Burundi and Guinea. Central Asias top ten countries include Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. On top of corruption free countries is Denmark, then New Zealand, Singapore, Finland, Sweden and Canada. According to the corruption free list, Uk is on number 21 while US is on 22.

SC issues stay order against transfer of Gawadar port land

The Supreme Court of Pakistan ahs issued stay order against the transfer of Gawadar Port land, News Trends reported on Wednesday. The court remarked that the transfer of Gawadar port land to any private company could not be allowed.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhary, issued the stay order on the petition of Watan Party. Watan Party’s counsel Barrister Zafarullah told the court that although 600-kilometr of land was given to Singapore Authority International on a lease of 40 years after an agreement but even after three years of agreement no work has been started. On this occasion the Chief Justice questioned that in presence of the Attorney General of Pakistan why is the government hiring private lawyers. He said that the services of private lawyers could only be hired if the Attorney General has a difference of opinion on any issue with the government. Hence it is against the stature and prestige of Attorney General and proves distrust on him. The hearing of the case has been adjourned fro three weeks.

12th Digicon6 Awards: China’s ‘See Through’ wins big, India gets regional grand

Tokyo: TBS DigiCon6 announced the winners for 12th TBS DigiCon6 Awards in a grand ceremony held at Marunouchi Building Hall on November 19, 2010. The event

was indeed a historic one for Asian Animation industry where creativity and effort got recognition and appreciation at the centre stage.

Attended by the who’s who of the Asian animation industry, the Golden Digicon6 Award was won by China’s official entry See Through, made by Jokelate.

India’s Wilson Periera made by National Institute of Design’s young turk Dhaneesh Jameson, won Asian Regional Grand Prize.

China’s representative Yang Yu, who was present at the ceremony on behalf of Jokelate, commented, “I am sure this award means a lot to the creative effort

put together by Jokelate and he would be very excited to know about his victory. This award is not going to be an end to his work and efforts but will be a

motivation for him to work further in his life.”

This year TBS DigiCon6 received over 2,000 entries from Japan and other Asian
regions such as China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines,
Taiwan and Thailand. TBS DigiCon6 Asia jury selected the awards winners for six
categories and announced them at the ceremony. TBS DigiCon6 Japan jury selected the awards winners for nine categories and announced them, too.

An elated Dhaneesh added, “I really feel proud and honored to have won this prize and to represent the country. The film was well received at Digicon6 than

any other festivals that I have been till now. I got the biggest compliment for my film from the well known Korean director Kwak Jae-yong and I was

speechless when he said he personally got my film subtitled in Korean and watched it over 5 times!”

TBS DigiCon6 was organized in 2000 by Tokyo Broadcasting System Inc, one of major television stations, to discover and support new talent. It has been

inviting digital contents creators, both professionals and amateurs, to submit their original works in the competition, and it is widely recognized for its

achievement.

Complete list of 12th TBS DigiCon6 Awards winners:

12th TBS DigiCon6 Awards Winners
Golden DigiCon6 Award – See Through – Jokelate CHINA
Silver DigiCon6 Award – Googuri Googuri – Yoshiko Misumi JAPAN
Bronze DigiCon6 Award – Kung Fu Bunny 3 – Counterattack- Li Zhiyong CHINA

Encouragement Awards:
Fumiko’s Confession – Hiroyasu Ishida JAPAN
Temple Rider – Radio Television Hong Kong / Simage Animation & Media Ltd. HONG KONG
CONTAINED – Henry Zhuang & Harry Zhuang SINGAPORE

12th TBS DigiCon6 JAPAN Regional Awards Winners
Grand Prize – Fumiko’s Confession – Hiroyasu Ishida JAPAN

Outstanding Performance Awards:
The Light of Life – Daihei Shibata JAPAN
Googuri Googuri – Yoshiko Misumi JAPAN

Encouragement Awards:
UTOPIAN – TOKUNAGA MARIKO JAPAN
Dreamer – Naohisa Ikuta JAPAN
SUNRISE Award – Rainy Holiday – Kaneko Osamu JAPAN
Adobe Systems Award – ab-rah KOHEI YOSHINO JAPAN
Hewlett-Packard & ATI Award – Amagoi Suzuki Ippei JAPAN
Mitsubishi Estate Award – Travel of Art – YU MASHIMO JAPAN
BS-TBS Award – Sepia Clock – Gaku Kinoshita JAPAN
Hole Makino Atsushi JAPAN

Prize for Effort:
Hole – Makino Atsushi JAPAN
Tokyo Teleport – Takeda Yuta JAPAN
a song like a fish – Taijin Takeuchi JAPAN
A GUM BOY – Masaki Okuda JAPAN
flesh color – masahiko Adachi JAPAN

Asian Regional Awards Grand Prizes
CHINA: Kung Fu Bunny 3 – Counterattack – Li Zhiyong
HONGKONG: Temple Rider – Radio Television Hong Kong / Simage Animation & Media Ltd.
INDIA: WILSON PERIERA – Dhaneesh Jameson
KOREA: Tom N Jerry – CHOI JIN SUNG
MALAYSIA: Bo Boi Boy – ANIMONSTA STUDIOS SDN. BHD.
PHILIPPINES: Mutya – Nelson “Blog” A. Caliguia, Jr.
SINGAPORE: Calypso Agency – Jose Andres Velasco
TAIWAN: CREATION – Hsuan-Ying Lu
THAILAND: Impassable – NATTAPORN YIAMCHAWEE

Digicon6 Special: Keynote by South Korean filmmaker Kwak Jae-yong

If you thought that Sanjay Leela Bhansali was the only one who gave a lot of attention to the film’s music, think again. The acclaimed South Korean filmmaker Kwak Jae-yong discusses the use of music in his films at DigiCon6 Asia Contents Forum in Japan. Excerpts from the keynote…

I have never made any films with a particular market in mind. As a child, I loved reading Japanese novels and comics and have been influenced by them. The most important thing about writing a screenplay is that one has to be true to the story.

I love conveying my character’s emotions through the music pieces to my audience. Also while choosing the kind of music; I try to share the common feelings with audience. I think that is why my films are accepted. People start learning how to talk through emotions. Love, hate, pain all is communicated through the use of emotions rather than words. I loved listening to overseas music; I have been influenced a lot by pop music and Western content. When I try to communicate, I use emotions.

I get actors to listen to the music, thus we try to share emotions. In My Sassy Girl (2001), I controlled the speed of music. When actors nurture real feelings because of the mood created, I consider my job done. I use music as a tool to express our feelings. If you see my movies you would understand that I try to use actors who are like general people.

When I was a child, I loved Japanese Manga and animation and consumed a variety of Japanese content. Across South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore, there is a lot if diffusion of content. In My Sassy Girl, people’s reaction to the music was similar across countries. In that sense, I think that the people are the same. People are after all, people, when it comes to emotions.

APEC summit calls for free trade area

YOKOHAMA: Leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum issued a statement on Sunday, calling for steps toward creating an Asia-Pacific regional free trade area.

“We, the APEC Leaders, having agreed at our meeting in November of 2009 in Singapore to explore a range of possible pathways to achieve a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) share the following view: Trade and investment liberalization and facilitation will continue to be APEC’s core objective,” a statement issued by Japan’s foreign ministry said.

“We have agreed that now is the time for APEC to translate FTAAP from an aspirational to a more concrete vision. To that end, we instruct APEC to take concrete steps toward realization of an FTAAP,” the statement said. AGENCIES

Singapore Air to change oil-stained A380 engines

SINGAPORE/SYDNEY:Singapore Airlines will replace engines on three of its Airbus A380 planes after finding oil stains on them, almost a week after Australian rival Qantas grounded its A380 fleet due to an engine failure.

Qantas’ six A380s have been grounded since Thursday, when a Rolls-Royce engine partly disintegrated mid-flight, forcing the fully laden Airbus to make an emergency landing in the biggest incident to date for the world’s largest passenger jet.

Investigations into that incident have focused on oil leaks inside the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, the same model used to power Singapore Airlines’ and German Lufthansa’s A380 fleet.

But Singapore Airlines stressed the problems on three of its 11 A380s were precautionary and unrelated as the oil stains were different from the oil leakage in the Qantas turbines.

Singapore’s findings may deal a

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