Asia A plan to use the sails of the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House to promote Australia's richest horse race, despite objections from its management, has sparked a firestorm of criticism. 08 Oct 2018 12:25PM Bookmark SYDNEY: A plan to use the sails of the World Heritage-listed Sydney Opera House to promote Australia's richest horse race, despite objections from its management, has sparked a firestorm of criticism.Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Sydney Opera House is a great billboard, but opponents of the racing promotion say it is a sell-out to the country's gambling industry.The furore erupted after the New South Wales state government over ruled the Opera House management's objections to projecting the barrier draw of the AUS$13 million (US$9 million) Everest Cup onto the Sydney Opera House sails on Tuesday night.The decision came after one of the nation's top radio "shock jocks", Alan Jones, called on the Opera House's boss to resign or be sacked for … [Read more...] about Aussies bridle at horse race ad on Sydney Opera House
Horse racing nation
Small parties try to jockey for position in Cambodia’s ‘one-horse race’ election
PHNOM PENH: Sin Sopheap’s office is in the dusty outskirts of Phnom Penh. The party he is now the president of - Reaksmey Khemara - did not even formally exist three months ago.Still, just days out from the Cambodian election, he still thinks he has a chance to win a handful of seats, handing him negotiating power and a mandate in the country’s National Assembly.“Whether we hope or not, we are nationalists, we have to show our name in the political field. Based on looking at our campaign from our activists in every city and province, we are hoping to win seven to ten seats,” he said.This is an election dubbed a “one horse race” - the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) is all but assured of an overwhelming majority. But at the starting gates on Sunday (Jul 29), 20 parties, many of them obscure and newly created like Reaksmey Khemara, will jostle for votes from Cambodians going to the polls.There is a long list of similarly sounding … [Read more...] about Small parties try to jockey for position in Cambodia’s ‘one-horse race’ election
Cambodia elections headed for a rigged one-horse race
While 20 different political parties will vie for votes at Cambodia’s national elections on July 29, the contest will be by any honest measure a one-horse race. Prime Minister Hun Sen and his ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), now in power for more than 33 consecutive years, eliminated the only serious competition ahead of the polls but will be hard-pressed to portray the elections as a legitimate expression of the popular will. The dailyReport Must-reads from across Asia - directly to your inbox The 19 other parties contesting the elections are seen by many as either proxies set up by the ruling party in an attempt to give the election a veneer of legitimacy, or too small and with too few followers to carry any seats. Hun Sen received a big wake-up call at the last national elections in 2013 when the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) won more than 44% of the popular vote, a tally that gave it 55 of 123 seats in the National Assembly. The CNRP … [Read more...] about Cambodia elections headed for a rigged one-horse race
Murder, passion and horse racing
Kincsem is the name of the most famous thoroughbred racehorse in Hungary, which became a national icon (“Kincsem” means “My Treasure” in Hungarian). It won fame around the world for not losing a single one of its 54 races, in the 1870’s – a record that has still not been broken, globally. It’s known the world over, as the “Miracle Horse”. Many books and tributes have been written about the legendary horse, and it took director Gabor Herendi seven years to write the script of this unique movie. The movie portrays the pulsating life of horse racing, and within it, a stormy love story between two rivals woven into the political fabric of the country. In the opening scene, aristocratic horse trainer Sando Blaskovich is shot dead by his former military comrade Count Otto von Oettingen, after the Hungarian Revolution. A witness to the murder, Blaskovich’s young son Erno loses everything including his palatial family home, which now … [Read more...] about Murder, passion and horse racing
Indonesia moving toward a one-horse race
With opposition leader Prabowo Subianto declaring his candidacy in a horseback appearance before the uniformed ranks of his Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Indonesia’s 2019 presidential race is shaping up into a rerun of 2014’s hotly contested campaign. But questions remain over why the party’s April 11 national convention was held behind closed doors, without the normal media coverage, and why the former special forces general suggested his candidacy still depends on who he can gather around him. The dailyReport Must-reads from across Asia - directly to your inbox For many analysts President Joko Widodo is already halfway home, soaring in opinion polls and already guaranteed support from most of his ruling coalition, including the second-ranked Golkar Party under new leader Airlangga Hartarto, the current industry minister. The only holdouts are the National Mandate Party (PAN), which ran with Prabowo in 2014 and then deserted him for a single Cabinet … [Read more...] about Indonesia moving toward a one-horse race