The Witch Queen of New Orleans: Exploring Her Role in Voodoo Traditions

The Witch Queen of New Orleans is a mythical figure shrouded in mystery and folklore. Legend has it that she was a powerful sorceress who ruled over the city of New Orleans with dark magic and enchantment. Her origins are unclear, with some claiming she was a voodoo priestess, while others believe she was descended from a long line of witches. According to the ancient tales, the Witch Queen possessed a vast array of supernatural abilities. She was said to have the power to manipulate the elements, casting spells with a mere flick of her wrist. People whispered that she could control the weather, summon storms, and even bring forth darkness upon the land.

The Guangdong Association of Garment and Garment Article Industry are working with Hao's company to place the system in public venues, such as shopping centers, to collect data.

The system could be updated as data would be accumulated, such as ages, personal preferences and features specific to a region and that the company plans to relocate the server to China. China is trying to make the yuan, also known as the renminbi RMB , used more widely internationally in line with its standing as the world s second largest economy.

People whispered that she could control the weather, summon storms, and even bring forth darkness upon the land. The Witch Queen was known for her ability to heal and curse alike. It was said that she possessed a collection of rare herbs and potions that could cure any ailment.

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SHANGHAI: Europe now represents 10 percent by value of global payments in China's currency, transactions organisation SWIFT said on Tuesday (Aug 26), as more countries seek a greater share of yuan business through new clearing arrangements.

Although China's special administrative region of Hong Kong is the dominant centre for offshore yuan trading, four European countries are in the top ten, said the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. They are Britain, France, Germany and Luxembourg, it said, all of which have reached agreements with China's central bank for yuan-clearing in their countries.

Over the past year Britain's yuan payments have surged nearly 124 percent, France has jumped almost 44 percent, Germany has soared 116 percent and Luxembourg gained around 42 percent, the organisation said in a statement, although it gave no values.

China is trying to make the yuan, also known as the renminbi (RMB), used more widely internationally in line with its standing as the world's second largest economy. It has agreed RMB clearing centres in several European countries over the past year.

In the statement, Michael Moon, SWIFT's head of payments and RMB for the Asia-Pacific, said the announcements "have boosted the RMB trading activities in these countries".

Last month the yuan remained the seventh most used global payment currency - unchanged from June - with a 1.57 percent share, SWIFT said.

China keeps a tight grip on the value of its currency and limits capital flows into and out of the country due to fears they could disrupt the economy. But authorities have tried to further liberalise the yuan's movements and create a more market-oriented exchange rate.

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Guanghui Wins Approval to Import Crude as China Opens Xinjiang

Guanghui Energy Ltd., a Shanghai-listed (600256) explorer with overseas oil assets, became the first non-state company this year to be allowed to import crude as China’s government opens resource-rich Xinjiang to private investment.

The oil unit of the Urumqi, Xinjiang-based company gained approval to import 200,000 metric tons of crude this year, according to a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange yesterday. Xinjiang, with about a quarter of China’s onshore crude reserves and almost 30 percent of its natural gas, may introduce policies to open resources to private and foreign investors, two company officials said earlier this month.

With oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan and no domestic refining assets, Guanghai Energy may be the first private company to sell crude to PetroChina Co.’s refineries in northwest China, according to ICIS-C1 Energy, a commodities researcher in Shanghai.

“For non-state companies to sell crude, the government has to grant quotas,” Amy Sun, an ICIS-C1 analyst, said by phone from Guangzhou today. “This way, Guanghui may sell ESPO crude easily to PetroChina’s refineries in Xinjiang, where there is a local shortage of such feedstock.”

ESPO refers to Russia’s East Siberia-Pacific Ocean crude.

China allocates about 10 percent of its crude-import requirements to 22 non-state traders under a quota system started in 2002, part of a commitment made when it joined the World Trade Organization, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. The traders are able to import as much as 29.1 million tons this year, or about 600,000 barrels a day.

Guanghui’s quota is about 4,000 barrels a day, which is of negligible size in China’s oil market, compared with 5.8 million a day of imports, said Grace Lee, a Hong Kong-based analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence.

Shares of Guanghui Energy rose as much as 10 percent to 8.98 yuan in Shanghai trading. That would be the highest closing price since December 2013.

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China-Eurasia Expo to highlight opening-up, cooperationalong Silk Road economic belt

(Xinhua) 13:02, August 30, 2014

URUMQI, Aug. 30 -- The Fourth China-Eurasia Expo scheduled to open on Monday aims to be a bridge to facilitate the economic and technical cooperation among the countries along the ancient silk road, said an official.

Chi Wenjie, deputy secretary-general of the Secretariat of the annual expo, said on Saturday that 10 significant forums and exchange activities will be held during the six-day event with a theme of building the Silk Road economic belt through opening-up and cooperation.

The forums include the China-Eurasia Economic Development and Cooperation forum, Eurasia News Media Forum, Central Asia Technological Innovation and Cooperation Forum and the summit on the application of the Beidou navigation satellite system.

Initiated by President Xi Jinping, the Silk Road economic belt revival project could involve over 40 Asian and European countries and regions with a combined population of 3 billion.

Chi said that 48 countries and regions from Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania and Africa have confirmed their attendance to the expo.

Covering a floor area of 89,000 square meters, the expo comprises four exhibition areas to highlight overseas delegates, international cooperation, new high-tech and services trade and merchandise trade.

Chi said that international organizations will also hold a number of events during the expo, including the roundtable forum of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Mayors' Forum along the Silk Road.

Forty-four overseas high-ranking officials from United Nations Development Program, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan and other countries will participate in these forums, Chi said.

Delegates from Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrghyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and China are also expected to explore the cooperation on the fruit industry.

More than 110 ethnic textile and attire companies of Xinjiang will display their products at the expo to facilitate textile cooperation with foreign enterprises, Chi said.

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China to invest in building cement plant in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz First Vice Prime Minister Tayirbek Sarpashev (1st L) and Sun He (3rd R), business counselor with the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan, attend the ground-breaking ceremony of a cement plant in Kemin, Chui province, Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 29, 2014. A ceremony was held Friday to mark the ground-breaking event for a new cement plant with Chinese investment in northern Kyrgyzstan. The projected cement plant, believed to be largest in Kyrgyzstan on completion, will be located in Kemin, Chui province, about 13 kilometers east of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, with the investment totaling 70 million U.S. dollars, according to Sun He, business counselor with the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan. (Xinhua)

KEMIN,Kyrgyzstan, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- A ceremony was held Friday to mark the ground-breaking event for a new cement plant with Chinese investment in northern Kyrgyzstan.

The projected cement plant, believed to be largest in Kyrgyzstan on completion, will be located in Kemin, Chui province, about 13 kilometers east of the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, with the investment totaling 70 million U.S. dollars, according to Sun He, business counselor with the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan.

As economic and business cooperation serves as an important foundation to bilateral relations between the two countries, Kyrgyzstan and China have been joining hands in building a number of infrastructure projects, such as China-Kyrgyzstan gas pipeline, a highway, reconstruction of a power station in Bishkek, said Sun, who insisted that Friday's event showcased positive prospects of healthy cooperation between the two countries.

While addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, Kyrgyz First Vice Prime Minister Tayirbek Sarpashev said he was confident that the Chinese invested cement plant would not only add more jobs to Kemin, but also bring about tax revenues between 10 million to 15 million U.S. dollars upon completion a year to his country.

Zhu Rongjun, general manager of ZETH-Cement, the fully Chinese investment subsidiary registered in Kyrgyzstan and the investor of the new cement plant, said they would use advanced technology for production at the plant and promised that the plant's construction process would also be pollution free.

Upbeat about high cement demand potential in Kyrgyzstan and even in kazakhstan, Zhu said the plant would start formal construction later this year and be completed and put into production in 15 months.

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Domestic telecom carriers currently squeezed by paying Apple, Samsung

China should end smartphone subsidies to overseas vendors and give more support to local brands, industry insiders said on Tuesday, as telecom carriers pledged to cut operating expenses and Apple Inc gets ready to debut its next-generation iPhone.

Xiang Ligang, a telecom researcher in Beijing, said cutting carriers' subsidies to foreign-made handsets will not only reduce carriers' operating expense but also leave local players with more market demand.

"It will be a one-stone-two-birds move for the Chinese smartphone industry," he said.

The country's three telecom carriers－all State-owned enterprises－spend at least 20 billion yuan ($3.2 billion) each year subsidizing gadgets made by Apple and Samsung Electronics Co, according to Xiang.

Apple and Samsung are the only two overseas brands to have a sizable presence in China, the world's largest smartphone market in terms of shipments.

"High dependence on contract phone sales in the country made the two companies especially sensitive to carrier subsidy cuts," said Simon Jin, account manager at Gfk Retail and Technology China Co Ltd, an industry consultancy.

More than 43 percent of the iPhones sold in China are contract phones, and the proportion of contracted Samsung gadgets is near 50 percent, data from Gfk showed.

Chinese telecom carriers massively cut back on operating expenses this year in a bid to keep profit margins growing. The carriers shut down premium customer lounges at Chinese airports and eliminated nonessential customer services in July to restrain daily expenses.

The move was led by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, the highest-level watchdog of SOEs.

China Mobile Ltd, the nation's largest telecom carrier by subscribers, said it plans to cut about 5 billion yuan in subsidies this year as a part of its 20 billion yuan operating expense reduction campaign. The company paid smartphone makers more than 26 billion yuan in subsidies in 2013.

"Giving subsidies to high-end phones made by Samsung and Apple does not make any sense because buyers in this category are not price-sensitive," Xiang said. "In other words, they will buy a 5,000 yuan smartphone even if there is no discount."

Apple is set to unveil its next-generation iPhone in early September. Carriers are predicted to spend less on iPhone marketing because of budget squeezes.

Jin from Gfk estimated that with carriers' budgets getting slimmer, most of the subsidies will go to middle- and low-end handsets to push sales.

"Carriers' budget cuts will affect high-end handsets and devices that support earlier-generation telecom technologies," Jin said. The carriers will continue to spend big on smartphones using fourth-generation networks, the fastest technology available in the country.

Although Chinese vendors such as Huawei Technologies Co Ltd, ZTE Corp and Lenovo Group Ltd also heavily rely on carrier channels for handset sales, their profits are less likely to be hurt by subsidy cuts because most of the shipments come from low-end 4G devices.

Liu Jun, senior vice-president of Lenovo, said rapid adoption of 4G devices will offset subsidy cuts in the long run.

Lenovo is the largest contract phone provider for China Mobile and China United Telecommunications Co Ltd (China Unicom) by shipment. About half of the 13 million smartphones made by Lenovo were sold by a carrier service in the second quarter.

Samsung and Apple will face stronger challenges from local vendors after their subsidies are cut, analysts warned.

Huawei, Lenovo and vivo Communication Technology Co Ltd have built a number of devices capable of luring high-end consumers, said James Yan, a senior analyst at IDC.

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Now, 'magic mirror' that will make shopping easy for people

New Delhi, Aug 31ANI | 2 hours ago

A new "magic mirror" technology has been created that could help people in shopping by displaying a 3-D picture of their measurements, for different outfits and accessories.

According to China Daily, the system comprises a scanning room with 16 sensors, a computer creating a 3-D visual human model based on the scanning results and photographs of the human face, and a large display screen.

The system makes suggestions by matching users and garments by size and skin tone. Users can change the clothes on their visual figures displayed on the screen by hitting a button on the screen.

The product has been developed by Shanghai Yin Science and Technology Co, Belgian company DNA Interactif Fashion and US firm [TC]2.

Li Hao, a sales representative in the 3-D division at Shanghai Yin Science and Technology Co, said that model-building might take up to 15 minutes, depending on the Internet broadband width, with the server currently located in Belgium.

The system could be updated as data would be accumulated, such as ages, personal preferences and features specific to a region and that the company plans to relocate the server to China.

The Guangdong Association of Garment and Garment Article Industry are working with Hao's company to place the system in public venues, such as shopping centers, to collect data.

The system could also help garment makers to reduce their huge stocks by allowing them to showcase older designs no longer available in stores.

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After 20 years at Western multinationals such as Coca-Cola Co. KO -0.19% and NikeInc., NKE +0.93% Wayne Chen was offered a senior management role at China VankeCo. 000002.SZ +1.51% , a Shenzhen-based residential-property developer that is the world's largest by revenue.

Mr. Chen, a Shanghai native who had moved to the U.S. about 15 years ago, said he didn't plan to leave Hay Group, a U.S. management-consulting firm where he was a Shanghai-based managing director.

But Vanke persisted, winning him over with talk of providing housing for China's aging population and establishing a global footprint in cities such as San Francisco, Singapore and New York. He started working for Vanke in February as chief human resources officer, one of about a dozen China-born, Western-educated executives to join the company during the past five years.

Mr. Chen is an example of what is called a "sea turtle" or "haigui" in Mandarin: a Chinese native who has returned home after stints in the West. Sea turtles, also a homophone for students returning from overseas studies, are highly prized by Chinese companies because they understand the nuances of Chinese culture and can draw upon Western practices to help their new bosses expand, especially overseas.

"Chinese companies are looking to skill up so they can go international in the next 10 years, and want to get these executives into their business," said Max Price, a Beijing-based partner at recruiters Antal International.

The number of sea turtles has been increasing over the past several years, though that growth has slowed recently. Last year, some 350,000 sea turtles returned to China, about a 30% rise over the prior year, compared with a 56% rise in 2009, according to China's Ministry of Education, which tracks the phenomenon.

The number of Chinese "sea gulls"—who fly back and forth between China and the West—is also growing, according to Wang Huiyao, president of the Center for China & Globalization, who has studied the overseas Chinese population as well as the returnees.

Some executive returnees are attracted by salaries and benefits that can be as much as 50% higher than those offered at Western multinationals, compensation experts say. They are also finding an increasing number of Chinese companies have global ambitions and sophistication on par with Western peers, and often offer Chinese natives better positions with greater scope for decision-making.

Generally, sea turtles "are leaving for power'' after they have reached career ceilings at Western multinationals, said Benjamin Zhai, a managing director at Russell Reynolds Associates Inc., a big U.S. search firm. One Chinese state-owned enterprise recruits sea turtles by saying, "Come join us because we don't have a glass ceiling," according to Alan Pang, head of talent in greater China for consulting firm Aon Hewitt.

Working for a Chinese company in China means that "you're making global decisions rather than having these decisions made for you" by Western headquarters, said Guo Xin, a sea turtle who joined Beijing-based recruiting firm Career International as chief executive in July 2011 after leaving U.S. consulting firm Mercer. "I don't prize a bigger title or more money, but job satisfaction."

Chinese companies are also gaining an edge as foreign multinationals such as technology power Microsoft Corp.MSFT -0.75% and car maker Audi AGNSU.XE +0.48% face investigations in China over their business practices, recruiters say.

To be sure, many sea turtles who have worked at Western companies for years experience culture shock when they join a Chinese company. "The success rate is less than 50%," said Kitty Zheng, a Beijing-based recruiter for Spencer Stuart, another major U.S. search firm.

These days, China's increasing problems with pollution are also a deterrent.

Freeman H. Shen, a Shanghai-based sea turtle who is a top executive at Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., a Chinese car maker, said some of his friends have good careers in China but "want to move out of China because of the air-quality thing."

These executives are moving to the U.S. with a Chinese company because they believe their children will have a better chance of getting into a good U.S. college if they complete high school there, said Mr. Shen, Geely Holding's group vice president for corporate development and mergers and acquisitions. In his own case, Mr. Shen's two children are ages 5 and 11 years old; they attend an international school in Shanghai with many American children.

After 16 years at Western multinationals, he intends to stick with Geely, which became his first Chinese employer in 2009, because "Geely has opportunities for me,'' said Mr. Shen, who has brought 10 high-level sea turtles to the company or its units during the past four years.

Those who stick it out often cite powerful personal motivations.

Joan Ren, a partner at Shanghai private-equity firm Ample Harvest Finance, said a chance to make a bigger impact at a local company influenced her 2012 decision to leave General Motors Co. in Shanghai, where she was a top manager of its Chevrolet division.

Li Sanqi, 60, was part of the first wave of Chinese to study in the West. Mr. Li said when he came back to China in 1985, he couldn't find many jobs that adequately used his engineering background.

He left again and launched a number of technology startups in the U.S. over the next two decades, returning in 2009 with telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies Co.

"I was impressed," said Mr. Li, who is now chief technology officer in Huawei's products and solutions division. "I know it would have been hard in the 1980s and 1990s for a Chinese company to become this big."

Mr. Chen, of Vanke, said the Chinese property developer is giving him many opportunities to make use of his Western job experience. He is revamping Vanke's executive hiring and promotion system to put less weight on certain aspects of the interview and more on past performance and online assessment tools. Such criteria were used successfully at his Western employers, according to Mr. Chen.

However, those who crossed her path were said to face her wrath, as she could unleash a curse so powerful that it would haunt them for eternity. Despite her formidable reputation, the Witch Queen was not feared by all. Some saw her as a protector of the city, a guardian of its spiritual and supernatural realm. It is said that she used her magic to defend New Orleans from evil forces and to maintain the delicate balance between the mortal and mystical worlds. Tales of the Witch Queen spread throughout the city, passed down from generation to generation. Her name became synonymous with New Orleans itself, evoking a sense of enchantment and mystery. Many claimed to have encountered her in the dark corners of the French Quarter or in the haunted cemeteries that dot the landscape. Today, the legend of the Witch Queen of New Orleans lives on. Tourists flock to the city in search of her mystical presence, hoping to catch a glimpse of her magic. Whether she ever truly existed or was merely a creation of the vivid imaginations of the people, her story continues to captivate and enchant all who hear it. The Witch Queen of New Orleans remains a symbol of the city's rich and diverse supernatural heritage, forever intertwined with its past and present..

Reviews for "The Witch Queen of New Orleans: Her Influence on American Folklore"

1. John - 2 stars - "I really didn't enjoy 'The Witch Queen of New Orleans'. I found the storyline to be confusing and hard to follow. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult for me to connect with them. Additionally, I felt that the pacing was slow, and there were many unnecessary scenes that added little to the overall plot. Overall, the book failed to engage my interest and left me feeling unsatisfied."

2. Sarah - 1 star - "I was incredibly disappointed with 'The Witch Queen of New Orleans'. The writing style was bland and uninspiring, making it a struggle to get through. The dialogue felt forced and unrealistic, creating a disconnect between the characters and the reader. Furthermore, the plot was predictable, and I found myself bored throughout the entire book. I would not recommend this novel to anyone looking for an exciting and engaging reading experience."

3. Emily - 2 stars - "Unfortunately, 'The Witch Queen of New Orleans' did not live up to my expectations. The world-building was lackluster, leaving me with many unanswered questions about the magical elements within the story. The main character lacked depth and felt one-dimensional, making it hard for me to invest in her journey. Additionally, the romance subplot felt forced and unnecessary, adding little value to the overall plot. Overall, I found this novel to be underwhelming and would not recommend it to others."

4. Michael - 3 stars - "While 'The Witch Queen of New Orleans' had an interesting premise, the execution fell short for me. The pacing was inconsistent, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed and hastily resolved. The villain's motivations were also unclear and poorly developed, making it hard for me to understand their actions. Although the book had its moments, I ultimately found it to be a mediocre read that lacked the depth and complexity I was hoping for."

The Witch Queen of New Orleans: A Beacon of Power and Transformation