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SYDNEY， May 20 (Xinhua) -- The countdown has begun for the world's largest light， music and ideas festival， Vivid Sydney.


The 23-night extravaganza kicks off on May 27 in the Australian city of Sydney and will feature more than 80 light installations， 1，500 hours of programmed music and 170 creative events.


New South Wales (NSW) state tourism minister Stuart Ayres said in a note on Friday the festival is the biggest major event NSW state puts on all year.


"For the first time， the world of Australian indigenous art will be celebrated on the Sydney Opera House sails， installations will illuminate the Royal Botanic Garden and Taronga Zoo， while our first indoor venue， The Galeries on George Street will also join the festival，" Ayres said.


"We also have two world-firsts at Darling Harbour with the Vivid Laser-Dragon Water-Theatre's 13-meter robotic arm， and Intel's 'Eyes on the Harbour' Real Sense water theatre face projection."


Destination NSW chief executive Sandra Chipchase said it would also be the longest Vivid yet.


"Vivid Sydney's world-class line up has something to inspire and entertain everyone， from families wanting a night out to visitors looking for new ways to explore the city after dark，" Chipchase said.


"At the same time， music lovers and those seeking to ignite their creative juices through thought-provoking discussions and creative collaborations will find inspiration at Vivid."


The work of 30 Chinese artisans will also be showcased at Sydney's Taronga Zoo for the festival.


The artisans from the city of Zigong in China's Sichuan Province worked hard to construct 43 animal shaped lanterns for the festival.


KHARTOUM Brian Dawkins Eagles Jersey , April 13 (Xinhua) -- Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir on Monday appeared confident of winning the presidential race as he cast his vote in Khartoum on the first day of the country's general elections.


Bashir cast seven ballots; one for the presidency, three for the national parliament and three for the state legislative councils.


After casting his vote at the polling station of San Francis School in Khartoum, Bashir raised his index finger Carson Wentz Eagles Jersey , which was soaked with the electoral ink, hailing his supporters and saying "Allahu Akbar."


Meantime, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) praised the high turnout as a practical response to the opposition's calls to boycott the elections.


"These crowds you see in this polling station represent the Sudanese people rather than the supporters of the ruling party Zach Ertz Black Jersey ," Al-Haj Adam Yousif, a leading NCP member and former Sudanese vice-president, told Xinhua.


However Jake Elliott Black Jersey , he saw no problem if some political forces boycotted the elections. "This is a kind of political exercise. Everybody has the right to express what he sees right without violation to the law," he noted.


He added that this year's elections constitute an important transition in Sudan's political history and usher in a flourishing future for the country through the peaceful handover of power.


It is widely believed that Bashir, the ruling party's candidate Alshon Jeffery Black Jersey , would face weak competition in the race and is likely to get re-elected.


Bashir is competing against 15 other candidates; some of them represent small parties with little popular support, while the rest are running as independents.


According to the Sudanese National Elections Commission (NEC), 44 political parties are taking part in the elections out of 88 registered parties.


Major opposition parties Nelson Agholor Black Jersey , including the National Umma Party, led by Al-Saddiq Al-Mahdi and the Sudanese Communist Party, are boycotting the elections in addition to the armed groups which are fighting the government at Darfur Jay Ajayi Black Jersey , Blue Nile and South Kordofan regions.


Regional organizations such as the African Union, the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development in Africa (IGAD) and the Arab League are monitoring the elections, according to the NEC.


Some countries are also monitoring the elections including China Brian Dawkins Black Jersey , Russia and Nigeria as well as seven neighboring countries and 210 Sudanese organizations.


The elections will run till Wednesday while a vote count is set to begin the next day. The final results of the elections are scheduled to be announced on April 27.




SYDNEY， June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Australian authorities have seized two Vietnamese fishing vessels and detained 30 crew members for allegedly fishing illegally in Australian waters.


The vessels， apprehended in an Australian marine reserve 600 km northeast of Cairns in Queensland State are now being escorted back to the Australian mainland for further investigation， the Australian Border Force (ABF) said in a statement on Saturday.


The authorities apprehended the vessels on Thursday after they were spotted by surveillance aircraft， the statement said.


The ABF alleged the vessels contained diving gear to support 10 divers in the water at once， and contained six tonnes of sea cucumber believed to have been caught illegally.


The australian authorities said the apprehension of foreign fishing vessels operating illegally in Australian waters is paramount for the sustainability and economic health of the nation's fishing resources.


"Australia's fisheries are some of the best managed in the world and as such they are the target of illegal fishers，" Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) general manager for fisheries operations Peter Venslovas said.


"However， through regular surveillance， monitoring and patrols， those seeking to do the wrong thing will be caught."


The apprehension follows two other fishing vessels being apprehended in April， one in the Torres Strait suspected of fishing for sea cucumber， and another in Western Australia state suspected of fishing for shark fin.


Last month four Indonesian sailors were convicted for illegally fishi.