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Chavez party seeks changes for 3rd term
Venezuela's ruling party pledged Thursday to seek to reform the nation's constitution to let President Hugo Chavez seek indefinite re-election.
Proposed changes to end the two-term limit for presidents will be presented to Congress or the National Electoral Council and ultimately to voters after state and municipal elections now scheduled for November, said Freddy Bernal, a leader of Chavez's United Socialist Party.
"The purpose of this amendment is to ask the country if they want or don't want the re-election of President Hugo Chavez," Bernal said in a televised interview. "If we want peace, tranquility and development in the country, Hugo Chavez must continue being president."
Chavez, who was first elected in 1998, is barred from running again when his term expires in 2013. Venezuela's ruling party pledged Thursday to seek to reform the nation's constitution to let President Hugo Chavez seek inde... more -
When capitalism and communism collide
Ask Cathy Huang if there is any contradiction between being a member of the Communist party of China and working for big Wall Street investment banks and she won't answer immediately. Not because she is formulating a clever response but because she is genuinely wondering about a question that has never occurred to her before. Ask Cathy Huang if there is any contradiction between being a member of the Communist party of China and working for big Wall Street i... more
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Beijing tells spectators to leave banners at home
Beijing has advised spectators coming to next month's Olympics to leave their banners at home, even if they do not contravene rules forbidding the airing of political or religious views at venues.
Beijing authorities have long been concerned that its citizens will take some of the gloss off the August 8-24 Games through bad manners and on Monday released its "Spectators House Rules" along with a "Good Habit for a Good Games" campaign.
The rules, which Beijing organisers said were "virtually the same as for the Athens and Sydney Olympics", ban banners and flags larger than two metres by one metre although officials said they would prefer that even smaller signs were not displayed. Beijing has advised spectators coming to next month's Olympics to leave their banners at home, even if they do not contravene rul... more -
No repeat of Beijing banner ban at 2010 Games
Organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada are not likely to follow the lead of China, which banned spectators from bringing banners to the Summer Games in Beijing, officials said on Wednesday.
Beijing unveiled "house rules" this week for spectators coming to next month's Games, prohibiting all banners, even if they do not contravene rules forbidding the airing of political or religious views at Olympic venues.
Vancouver does not expect to do that for the Winter Games in Canada, said John Furlong, chief executive of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC).
"Clearly, what we will be trying to do is to live up to the promise that we gave many years ago that the Games of Vancouver 2010 will be about sport and celebration," he told reporters following VANOC's regular board meeting. Organizers of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Canada are not likely to follow the lead of China, which banned spectators from bringing ban... more -
Many vacant hotel rooms remain ahead of Olympics
There are plenty of rooms available for the Beijing Olympics, with domestic visitors being counted on to make up for an apparent absence of foreign guests.
Xiong Yuemi, deputy director of the Beijing Tourism Bureau, said Tuesday that 45.5 percent of Beijing's four-star hotel rooms were booked for the Olympic period. Bookings in hotels with three-star ratings or below were also under 50 percent, though Xiong didn't offer specific numbers.
She declined to tie the vacant rooms to new visa controls and bad publicity surrounding the games, which open in 3 1/2 weeks. The games are supposed to showcase a new China, but they are also exposing facets of the authoritarian state that has run the country for almost six decades.
"This is within our expectations," Xiong said of the occupancy rate.
She said the rate at five-star hotels, many of which are booked by Olympic officials, sponsors or national delegations, was 78.1 percent. All occupancy rates were calculated at the end of June, Xiong said. She said the five-star rate for the same period a year ago was 69 percent.
About 500,000 foreigners are expected to attend the games.
"There are still many domestic ticket holders who haven't booked hotels yet, Xiong said. "When the games start, the actual occupancy rate will be higher than the current reservation rate."
The Aug. 8-24 Olympics have been beset by negative publicity for months, beginning in February when Steven Spielberg declined to work as artistic adviser for the opening ceremony, citing China's policies toward Sudan and Darfur. There are plenty of rooms available for the Beijing Olympics, with domestic visitors being counted on to make up for an apparent absen... more -
China: rooms available
The Olympic Games about to start, and yet the hotels around the host city still waiting to book their rooms. With all the controversy around and the negative publicity pretty much since the year started, the question is if the 500,000 foreigners expected to attend the event will actually show up.
The games are supposed to showcase a new China, but they are also exposing facets of the authoritarian state that has run the country for almost six decades. The situation seems to be certainly more complicated than just dealing with political philosophies, like China’s policies toward Sudan and Dafur or the recent Tibet situation; there is also the unfortunate and devastating earthquake, Beijing’s chronic air pollution (that has prompted many athletes to train outside the country and enter just before their events begin) and to add one more, of course terrorism: the head of Interpol warned China that there is a “real possibility” that the Beijing Olympics will be targeted by terrorist groups.
To what was expected to be the best in Olympic history, is turning out to be the most controversial event, mixing the beauty and neutrality of sports with politics.
The event slogan is “One World, one Dream,” calling upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. If we only could take off the word “Olympic”… The Olympic Games about to start, and yet the hotels around the host city still waiting to book their rooms. With all the controversy ... more -
He was taken into Chinese custody in 1995
He was called the world's youngest political prisoner when, as a six-year-old, he was taken into Chinese custody in 1995. He has not been seen or heard of since. He was called the world's youngest political prisoner when, as a six-year-old, he was taken into Chinese custody in 1995. He has ... more
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He was called the world's youngest political prisoner
He was called the world's youngest political prisoner when, as a six-year-old, he was taken into Chinese custody in 1995. He has not been seen or heard of since.
Indeed, the only image the world has of the Tibetan-anointed Panchen Lama, who turns 19 this month, is of a ruddy-cheeked infant staring apprehensively ahead. And apprehensive he may well have been. He was called the world's youngest political prisoner when, as a six-year-old, he was taken into Chinese custody in 1995. He has ... more
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Comunism
