Travel Asia

Our Laos Trip

2009-03-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Me and my brother went to Laos on March 6, 2009. It's beautiful country. I will upload beautiful fotos and interesting facts soon.
Cheer,
Site Owner

Angkor's Sunrise from another view

2008-09-11T04:52:00.000-07:00

How beautiful it is....

Jesus is a Buddhist!

2006-11-17T01:36:00.000-08:00

According to the New Testament (The Gospel of Matthew), Jesus spent his early childhood in Egypt which was at the end of the Silk Road. As a result, Egypt was prosperous and enriched with religious diversity. There was even a large Buddhist community known as the Therapeutae (Sons of the Elders) that existed in Alexandria. Today, some scholars believe that Jesus may have been inspired by the Buddhist religion and that the Gospel of Thomas and many Nag Hammadi texts reflect this possible influence.

Jesus' Israel was partof the great Roman Empire. The Empire maintained trading and cultural relations with the East and in particular India. India had been the goal of Alexander the Great's last aborted campaign. Cleopatra may have considered fleeing to India after Actiun. In short, India was far from an unknown place in Jesus' world. Some two and a half centuries before Jesus, a remarkable Emperor reigned in India. His name was Ashoka and he converted to Buddhism. Ashoka sent out missionaries to carry the Buddha's message far and wide. We know some of those missionaries made it as far west as Syria.

Jesus life-history between the ages of 13-30 is missing. It is explained that Jesus was attending to his fatherâ€™s livelihood during that period which seemed to be unlikely. Jesus was a wise and an active child and was given a high place in a temple before that missing-period. Why did he have to be in a low profile at the most active period of oneâ€™s lifetime ? There is also a tradition that holds that Jesus traveled to the East in these years. There are local traditions of Jesus' presence in Afghanistan, Iran, and even Pakistan and India. However there is no way to know when these traditions arose. Some stories go so far as to claim that Jesus survived crucifixion and returned to the East, dying in Kashmir many years later.

This is not to say that Jesus was a Buddhist. He may or may not be Buddhist but it is possible that he had been influenced by the Buddhist teachings.

The Gospel of Thomas includes teachings older than Gospels of the New Testament, such as Mark, Matthew, Luke or John, and also closer to the actual life of the historical Jesus. Gospel of Thomas was written around 62 C.E. because it commends James, the brother of Jesus, to be the legitimate heir to the early Christian movement and in addition makes no reference to the Roman sack of Jerusalem in 72 C.E. Moreover, of all of the Nag Hammadi texts, it is Thomas that has the most similarities with Pure Land Buddhism within it.

Exploring the Gospel of Thomas, we discover that Jesus believed the self and the divine to be identical and one. Furthermore, the Kingdom of Heaven is not in the future but is â€œright here.â€ and one only needs to be awakened to this perfection. Jesus, in this gospel, speaks of enlightenment, the same type that is taught by Buddha. Here, Jesus is never presented as
Lord or Savior, but rather as a spiritual guide who is equal to his students. In addition, the Gospel of Thomas does not contain a supernatural virgin birth or the doctrine of the Virgin Mary. It does not teach of original sin. It does not mention Jesusâ€™ crucifixion or resurrection. It does not teach Jesusâ€™ death as a payment of debt to â€œatoneâ€ for humanity's sins. It does not include any supernatural healings or miracles. It does not mention the so-called end-times or the wrath of God. It does not mention salvation through faith in Christ. It does not exclude women.

Teachings from the Gospel of Thomas and other Nag Hammadi texts were seen as a danger to the developing ecclesiastical and political structure because they rejected the authority of the bishops, priests and deacons. It is quite easy to see why the Church did not choose the Gospel of Thomas and other similar texts for their Bible. As a result, for political reasons these texts were banned and later destroyed for the good of Roman Empire and Church.

Reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_...u/kor/7_01.htm (Jesus lives in India)
http://jimvb.home.mindspring.com/ser1998Oct11.htm ( Was Jesus Buddhist?)
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/jesus.htm ( Is Jesus a Buddhist>)

Malaysia's Mahathir suffers mild heart attack

2006-11-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's former premier Mahathir Mohamad has suffered a mild heart attack but is in stable condition in a Kuala Lumpur hospital, his son said Thursday.

"He had chest pains late last night and early this morning, so we called his doctors and they suspected it was a minor heart attack," his son Mokhzani told foreign news agency.

"So we took him to the National Heart Institute and the tests confirmed that's exactly what he had."

Mokhzani said the 82-year-old Mahathir -- who ruled Malaysia for 22 years until handing power to current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in October 2003 -- was conscious and in stable condition.

THAILAND: Surayud to Singapore amid Shin saga

2006-11-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Prime minister to visit Singapore during rising tensions over Temasek-Shin deal

Bangkok Post
Thursday, November 9, 2006

Thailand's military-appointed prime minister departed Thursday for a one-day visit to Brunei and Singapore, with the latter expected to be the tenser of the two whistle-stops.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont was scheduled to meet Thursday morning with Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah before flying on to Singapore where he will meet with President SR Nathan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

While the stopovers are in keeping with regional diplomatic etiquette -- newly appointed leaders of member countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) try to prioritise state visits to the grouping -- Surayud's Singapore swing promises to be more than just a pleasantry.

It comes at a time of rising Thai-Singapore tensions over the January 23, 2006, purchase of Shin Corp -- the business conglomerate of the family of former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra -- by Temasek Holdings of Singapore.

The $1.9 billion sale raised serious questions about Thaksin's legitimacy as a national leader and accusations of "policy corruption," if not outright cheating on taxes.

Not only did Thaksin push through legislation three days before the sale that hiked the foreign ownership ceiling in Thai telecommunication companies from 20 to 49 per cent, his family also finessed the deal through the stock market in order to benefit from a waiver on capital gains tax, making the billion dollar sale a tax-free one for his already wealthy clan.

The sale also sparked claims that the prime minister had sold off sensitive national assets. The Shin Corp conglomerate included several government concessions including the country's largest mobile phone service, the national satellite network, a popular television station and shares in a no-frills airline.

It led to a rapid decline in Thaksin's popularity among Thailand's middle class and political elite that culminated in his overthrow by a military coup on September 19.

In the aftermath of Thaksin's fall, the Temasek-Shin Corp deal has remained a hot potato and the subject of numerous ongoing investigations in his family's dubious business dealings.

On Tuesday, the revenue department announced that Thaksin's son and daughter, Panthongtae and Pinthongsa, would be liable to pay taxes of an estimated 11 billion baht each on their purchase of Shin Corp shares from the offshore company Ample Rich days before reselling them to Temasek.

Another investigation is examining the legality of Temasek's appointment of two nominee companies to purchase an additional 47 per cent in Shin Corp after the initial 49 per cent purchase.

There are suspicions that the nominees, although Thai entities, are mere shell companies for Temasek Holdings.

If found guilty of abusing Thailand's nominee requirements, Temasek might be forced to sell 47 per cent of Shin Corp fast, and at a considerable loss, although Thai ministers have indicated that some leniency is in the cards.

Thailand is in the process of amending its legislation on nominee holdings.

"If they (Temasek) are found to be a bit incorrect they will have more time to correct it," Thai Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula told a recent gathering of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT).

As for Thursday's Thai-Singaporoe meeting, Pridiyathorn added, "I don't think we will be embarrassed to talk to them (about Temasek), but they will be embarrassed to talk to us."

All Shin Corp share transfers 'will be traced'

By Surasak Glahan

The assets scrutiny committee will trace Shin Corp share transfers over the past 10 years to look for all possible cases of tax evasion, a source said yesterday.

The committee's move follows the Revenue Department's decision to collect income tax from the huge profits which the Shinawatra siblings earned from the sale of shares in Shin Corp to Temasek Holdings of Singapore via Ample Rich.

The source said the fresh probe is urgent because the statute of limitations on tax liabilities is waived after 10 years.

But tracking down all Shin Corp share transactions during the period was not easy for the panel because the way the company did business was complicated and tricky, the source admitted.

"We will investigate every share transfer to find out if they were made at reasonable prices. We will look into all cases, not just the one involving the alleged tax evasion by Panthongtae and Pinthongta," said the source.

A tax official said the panel could exercise the department's authority involving investigations of tax payment records dating back 10 years to launch the inquiry into the share transfers.

The department is authorised to make taxpayers who fail to fully declare taxable income to pay back-taxes for the last five years, the official said.

Panthongtae and Pinthongta Shinawatra, the children of ousted prime minister Thaksin, were notified by the department on Monday that they were liable to pay tax on the difference between buying 329.2 million shares from Ample Rich at one baht per share and selling them to Temasek at 49.25 baht per share.

Both could be forced to pay tax plus interest of more than 11 billion baht.

Viroj Laohaphan, chief of a sub-committee on tax, said the assets scrutiny panel will meet officials from the tax agency tomorrow. They could look at the department's U-turn from its previous decision not to collect tax from the transaction.

Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, an adviser to the attorney-general, questioned the department's decision to tax the siblings, saying the department might be trying to save its own skin.

He said the department cannot cite the half-year tax period ending Sept 30 to tax the pair because their earnings did not fall into categories required by law to file a tax payment for the period.

In actual fact, the siblings, considered to be directors of Ample Rich, are liable to pay tax on the difference between the market price and the price they paid for the shares, he said.

Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula said he would launch a probe against a finance official who reportedly assured the Shinawatra siblings that they were not liable to income tax if they were to buy Shin Corp shares from Ample Rich through the stock exchange.

Date Posted: 11/9/2006

Stalls in Bangkok's famous weekend market demolished, incurring clash

2006-11-09T19:41:00.000-08:00

Hundreds of stalls in Bangkok's famous Chatuchak weekend market, a popular tourist destination, were demolished on Thursday morning by a bulldozer and over 100 intruders, who were engaged in confrontation with angry vendors, Thai media reported.

According to reports on Bangkok Post and The Nation's news websites, the Chatuchak market, which houses about 500 vendor stalls in northern Bangkok, was intruded by over 100 men armed with batons and knives early Thursday morning, who demolished nearly all of the stalls.

The men then briefly clashed with vendors of the stalls who rushed into the sites after hearing of the demolition. Police later intervened to stop the clash, and invited representatives from both sides to settle the dispute at the Bang Sue police station. It is not clear how many people had been injured during the clash.

The plot of land where the market is located originally belongs to the State Railway Authority (SRA). Reports quoted police as saying that the clash resulted from an conflict of interest on the plot of land between the vendors who rented the place and a developer who claimed the ownership of the land and asked to remove the vendors, who refused the demand.

The market, covering about 14 hectare, opens only for Saturdays and Sundays in daytime. It has been an attraction to both local residents and tourists, with its nearly 500 stalls selling cheap household goods, traditional instruments, ornaments and clothes.

Source: Xinhua

Bangkok beckons tourists from India

2006-11-09T19:40:00.000-08:00

kT.S. Shankar

CHENNAI: A holiday to Southeast Asia is always high on the priority list of Chennai's youngsters, especially those in the IT and ITES sector seeking to relieve themselves of stress.

Now Thailand, especially Bangkok, beckons revellers. A mere three-and-a-half-hour flight from Chennai, Bangkok promises value for money.

Besides its famous nightlife, Bangkok has newer attractions, including an animal safari and the Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden and Resort at Pattaya.

Tourists who land at the newly commissioned Suvarnabhumi Airport at Bangkok, located 25 km east of Bangkok and built at a cost of 155 million baht (local currency), get their visas on arrival.

Four flights are operated everyday by Indian (formerly Indian Airlines) from Chennai, be<109,97>sides Thai Airways, under a code-share arrangement with Air India.

For Indian tourists of all ages, the 600-acre Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden provides an interesting experience as visitors can pose for pictures with live cheetahs, tigers and birds. "It is an ecstatic feeling to hug a tiger or a cheetah, as these endangered animals are tranquilised and freely mingle with the visitors at the Garden," says T.C. Gopalan, a Chennai-based financial consultant and frequent visitor to Bangkok. Apart from the coral island on the Pattaya beach, the two-hour Tiffany Show is a must-see for tourists.

Other attractions include an elephant show, and a children's zoo keeps tourists spellbound in the backdrop of a visual treat of orchids, landscaped flower garden and a cultural show.

Japan, U.S. seek 5-party talks on N.Korea in Hanoi

2006-11-06T02:06:00.000-08:00

From:ReutersMonday, 06 November, 2006

By Linda Sieg

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan and the United States want their foreign ministers to meet counterparts from China, South Korea and Russia next week to discuss North Korea's nuclear programmes, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said on Monday.

The proposed meeting would take place on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum meeting in Hanoi, Aso told reporters after talks with U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control Security Robert Joseph.

North Korea, which conducted a nuclear test on October 9, agreed last week to rejoin six-party talks on its nuclear programmes after staying away for a year in protest at a U.S. crackdown on its international finances. Those talks bring together the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

"What is most important is that the five parties maintain close solidarity," Aso said.

Pyongyang's nuclear test drew worldwide condemnation and U.N. sanctions. China, North Korea's biggest backer, has supported the U.N. sanctions, which target trade in large conventional weapons, weapons of mass destruction and luxury goods.

Aso said the United States and Japan had agreed that North Korea should not be recognised as a nuclear power and the resumption of six-party talks should not spell an end to sanctions imposed following the October 9 nuclear test.

"Reopening the six-way talks is not the objective. The six-party talks are a means and the objective is for them to give up nuclear weapons," Aso said.

Burns, speaking separately, said Japan and the United States saw "eye to eye on the question of North Korea" and rejected a call by Pyongyang for Tokyo to stay away from the nuclear talks.

"These are six-party talks. The United States believes that one of our most important partners in this configuration is Japan," Burns told reporters. "Obviously, we all stick together and we are all partners in these negotiations."

North Korea said on Saturday that Japan should not bother to attend the six-party talks because Tokyo was refusing to recognise Pyongyang as a nuclear weapons state and because Japan was no more than a "state" of the United States.

Joseph said Tokyo and Washington had agreed that a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for sanctions on North Korea should continue to be implemented fully until Pyongyang met all of the resolution's demands, including the irreversible, verifiable and complete elimination of its nuclear programme.

"We are of one mind that this resolution provides the way ahead," he said.

The U.S. officials are expected to head for Seoul later on Monday, and from there to travel to Beijing and Moscow.

Reference : http://home.eircom.net

Ousted Thai PM 'ready to stand trial on criminal charges'

2006-11-06T01:57:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK AFP 06/11/2006 12:12

Deposed Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra is ready to stand trial and defend himself against any criminal charges, his lawyer in Thailand said.

Coup leaders who ousted Thaksin on September 19 have justified the bloodless putsch by saying widespread corruption during Thaksin's five years in office had undermined democracy.

Noppadol said that Thaksin, who left his self-imposed exile in London and flew to China last week, might consider returning to Thailand once martial law is lifted.

"Thaksin has the right to defend himself in the court. He has prepared and is ready for that, even though no direct accusation has yet to be made against him. The matters are just allegations," Noppadol Pattama told АFР.

The billionaire businessman's trip to Beijing last week came amid swirling rumors that negotiations were underway to secure permission for his return to Thailand.

Local media reported Monday that security had been stepped up along the Thailand-Laos border amid further rumours that Thaksin may try and slip back into Thailand via the Golden Triangle.

However Noppadol dismissed such reports and said that Thaksin had no plans to return to the kingdom in the near future.

"He has no immediate plan or has even approached anyone here to come back to Thailand. He will consider returning when the situation has returned to normality," Noppadol said.

"Once the martial law is lifted, it is one indication that the situation here is back to normal. Then, the former premier is much more likely to return."

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who was installed following the putsch, has said that martial law will be lifted as soon as security commanders are confident that no political movement against the new government remains.

But Thailand's junta said over the weekend that they had detected "secret cells" aiming to destabilize the post-coup political situation in the north, where Thaksin enjoys wide support, and was closely monitoring their political activities.

Thaksin was in New York at the time of the coup, and had since been living in self-imposed exile in London where he has a home.

Reference : http://www.bakutoday.net

All eyes and ears on the Dr Mahathir issue

2006-11-04T22:37:00.000-08:00

Cooler days have returned with the rain, and it has also brought the political temperature down somewhat.

The Prime Minister left for official business in China shortly after hosting a big Hari Raya gathering in his home base of Kepala Batas where he made his “doses of venom” comment.

It was Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's strongest reaction yet to the criticism by former Premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and it made people sit up and take note.

A few days after returning from China, he left again, this time for Pakistan to attend the World Islamic Economic Forum.

When he returns, he will have his hands full with preparations for the Umno general assembly.

Dr Mahathir has also been rather restrained even though the media are still hot on his heels.

Pressmen have turned up at all his public functions, be it his open house in the Mines Resort City or even when he made his periodic visits to Kedah.

In Langkawi on Wednesday, he arrived at a Thai restaurant for lunch with Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) officials to find the media waiting and several TV microphones already positioned on the table.

It has never been his style to turn reporters away but he has been markedly reticent in his responses to their queries of late.

Datuk Mukhriz said his father had spent the Raya holiday relaxing with family and old friends.

Last Sunday, Dr Mahathir went shopping and even took a ride on the LRT, causing quite a stir among the other commuters who rushed to greet him and shake his hand.

Even though the two key figures are showing restraint, others have continued their volleys.

“It's like a contest for who can be the loudest,” said a senior supreme council member, fed-up with the small fire.

The fallout from the couple of interviews that Dr Mahathir gave after meeting Abdullah caused some sort of tipping point and Dr Mahathir, seasoned politician that he is, probably knows it.

Loyalists around Abdullah took offence and have tried to push the issue to another level.

Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid told the senior man to give up his advisory posts in various government-linked bodies if he wished to continue attacking Abdullah's administration.

The party's Youth wing in Kedah went further and asked the party to suspend the former Premier's membership from the party.

More pointedly, these strident calls were coming from his home state of Kedah.

But Dr Mahathir is in no immediate danger of being forced to resign his advisory posts in Petronas, Proton or Lada, much less get booted from the party.

“It's not going to be like that. Umno has its own way of handling issues. There is no question of sacking or punishing; Tun Mahathir has a ‘special status’ in the party,” said Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib.

Said Johor Umno Youth chief Razali Ibrahim: “Mahathir has done a lot for Malays and the country. We shouldn’t worsen the situation by saying things like that.”

The more experienced segment in Umno know that punishing Dr Mahathir would only make him a martyr.

Any drastic action against an iconic figure like him has to be carefully thought over.

At the same time, Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamad Hasan frowns on what he calls “tit-for-tat” behaviour.

“Personally, I don’t agree with all this pressure to force him to quit. I’m not for this tat-for-tat sort of things. It’s not productive. In fact, it can be counter-productive and there will be no end to it.

“You have to remember he is one of the few Malays whom, anywhere you go in the world, they know who he is,” he said.

And even as many think he has gone way overboard in his manner of attack, they do not entirely disagree with some of the issues he has raised.

As such, it was of little surprise when the Umno supreme council on Thursday night decided that no action would be taken against him –for now at least.

Moreover, the Umno general assembly opens next Wednesday, and although Dr Mahathir has sidestepped questions about his attendance, his son Mukhriz said his father as well as Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali will be at the opening ceremony.

The former Premier will be among the centre-front row of VIPs listening to the presidential address by Abdullah and there is no doubt that all eyes will be on them.

The question being asked is whether the “Tun issue,” as they call it, will be the hot debate issue.

“We should address the issues rather than sweep things under the carpet. The process will make us wiser and more able to weather other storms,” said Razali who is also Muar MP.

Most think there is no avoiding discussion on Dr Mahathir’s actions in the last months but that speakers will likely voice full support for Abdullah’s leadership while expressing respect for the former premier.

Unbridled censure of Dr Mahathir is unlikely but there are bound to be speakers who, in their endeavour to impress the leadership, may attempt to take a direct jab at their former president.

According to think tank head Razak Baginda, the general assembly is not only for delegates to air their views but to get answers and direction from the leaders.

“What has happened is not an ordinary crisis, it’s not a power struggle. If I were a delegate, I would expect the leadership to provide some sort of road map out of this crisis,” said Razak.

But, said Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad, delegates should be aware of the way the leadership has handled Dr Mahathir.

“The leadership has been very benign and more open than Tun would have been if he were the one up there, being criticised. You have to give the leadership credit for that. There has been discipline and balance in their handling of him, they have not gone overboard, given him a fair hearing and answered where necessary.

“If the issue still requires answers, then the leadership should answer in the general assembly. But if people are expecting answers in the form of whacking Tun Mahathir, they are going to be disappointed. That is not the president’s style. I think the president will respond to issues brought up by delegates as well as by Tun,” said Shahrir.

As volatile as the Tun issue may be, Umno politics is also about economic opportunity. Hence, speakers will dwell on the 9th Malaysia Plan, projects and contracts, and about things not moving fast enough.

But, said an Umno insider, the Malay agenda will dominate at this year’s gathering of the most powerful political party in the country.

The rank and file in Umno are uncomfortable with what they perceive as challenges, even threats, against their ideas of Islam, race relations and Malay rights and equity.

Their fears, misgivings and hopes over these issues will manifest in the debates.

“The central role of Umno and the Malays will not be compromised. That Malay core will be on display,” said the Umno insider.

Party members may have their own views about what has happened since Dr Mahathir began speaking out. But the party has remained intact, and that will come out in clear expressions of support for the leadership.

Reference : http://www.asianewsnet.net

Militants strike in Muslim Thai south

2006-11-04T22:32:00.000-08:00

BANGKOK (Reuters) -- Militants shot a teacher couple and their daughter and set four schools on fire in Thailand's rebellious south on Saturday despite the post-coup government beginning a concerted effort for peace.

The attacks, which left the teachers and their daughter in critical condition and undergoing emergency surgery, followed an apology for past hardline government policies from Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, who went to the region to deliver it.

They also came a day after prosecutors dropped charges against 92 Muslims involved in a 2004 protest in the region which led to 78 Muslims dying in army custody and fanned the flames of antagonism when the government refused to apologize.

All Saturday's attacks were in the same district of Yala, one of three provinces near the Malaysian border where more than 1,700 people have been killed since a renewed insurgency erupted in January 2004.

Schools and teachers have been a frequent target as symbols of the government of the overwhelmingly Buddhist country in far away Bangkok and many teachers have been issued guns.

Police said the four schools in four villages were set ablaze during the night. At least one was destroyed completely.

Hours later, the teacher couple and their daughter were heading for the town of Bannang Sata on a motorcycle when they were attacked in the Malay-speaking region which was an Islamic sultanate until annexed by Thailand a century ago.

"Four militants riding on two motorcycles shot the couple and their daughter while they were on their way to take their daughter for special tutoring in town," a police officer said.

"The father shot back and wounded one of them, but they all fled the scene," he said.

Influential Muslims in the region say the apology for the hardline policies of Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted as prime minister in a bloodless coup on Sept. 19, was most welcome but unlikely to lead to a swift peace.

There has been no response from militant groups, who have never claimed responsibility for any of the violence or set out their aims.

Reference : http://www.tehrantimes.com

South Korean, US officials to visit Japan for talks on North Korea ( 11:44 a.m.)

2006-11-04T22:21:00.000-08:00

2006/11/5
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)

South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon and two senior U.S. officials were set to arrive Sunday in Tokyo for strategic talks with Japanese leaders ahead of resumed six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program.

Ban, who is also the incoming U.N. secretary-general, was scheduled to meet his Japanese counterpart Taro Aso on Sunday evening, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.

He was expected to meet Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday.

Meanwhile, Robert Joseph, U.S. undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, and R. Nicholas Burns, undersecretary of state for political affairs, were also due to arrive in Tokyo on Sunday, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.

Officials from the three allied nations were expected to talk about coordinating U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed on North Korea after its Oct. 9 nuclear test, and to discuss a strategy for handling the volatile communist state at renewed disarmament talks expected later this year.

North Korea agreed last week to return to the six-country disarmament negotiations _ which also include China, Russia, the U.S. and South Korea _ in the first easing of tension since the North's underground nuclear test last month.

Pyongyang said it would return to the talks to seek an end to a U.S.-led campaign blocking its access to international banks due to alleged illegal activity, such as counterfeiting and money laundering.

Washington had said it will discuss the financial restrictions only in the context of the six-nation talks.

But even as it agreed to return to talks, North Korea kept up its usual harsh rhetoric Saturday, denouncing U.S. leaders as "warmongers" and calling Japanese officials "political imbeciles" for saying they won't accept Pyongyang as a nuclear power.

The North also repeated its demand that Japan stay away from the six-party talks "because it is no more than a state of the U.S."

In a statement carried by the official Korea Central News Agency, or KCNA, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said most of the international community had welcomed Pyongyang's return to the talks.

"Only Japan ... expressed its wicked intention," said the statement, referring to Tokyo's stance that it will not accept a nuclear North Korea. "The Japanese authorities have thus clearly proved ... that they are political imbeciles."

Pyongyang also verbally attacked Washington in an editorial by the typically bellicose Rodong Sinmun newspaper, condemning the Americans as "fanatic warmongers who destroy peace and security on the Korean peninsula."

"The U.S. has become more fanatic in pushing for its war scheme to attack the North, taking issue with our war-deterrent measure we were compelled to strengthen to protect our sovereignty and right to survive from their serious threat," the editorial said.

The North often refers to its nuclear program as a self-defensive measure against the threat of a U.S. attack. Washington has repeatedly insisted it has no intention to attack.

North Korea's latest remarks came after the nation's No. 2 leader, Kim Yong Nam, said any progress at the revived talks on the communist nation's nuclear program will depend on the United States' "attitude," an indication a breakthrough could be difficult.

Reference : http://www.chinapost.com.tw

Japanese Researchers Find Dolphin With 'Remains of Legs'

2006-11-04T22:12:00.000-08:00

TOKYO — Japanese researchers said Sunday that a bottlenose dolphin captured last month has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of back legs, a discovery that may provide further evidence that ocean-dwelling mammals once lived on land.

Fishermen captured the four-finned dolphin off the coast of Wakayama prefecture (state) in western Japan on Oct. 28, and alerted the nearby Taiji Whaling Museum, according to museum director Katsuki Hayashi.

Fossil remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Scientists believe they later transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle and their hind limbs disappeared.

Though odd-shaped protrusions have been found near the tails of dolphins and whales captured in the past, researchers say this was the first time one had been found with well-developed, symmetrical fins, Hayashi said.

"I believe the fins may be remains from the time when dolphins' ancient ancestors lived on land ... this is an unprecedented discovery," Seiji Osumi, an adviser at Tokyo's Institute of Cetacean Research, said at a news conference televised Sunday.

The second set of fins -- much smaller than the dolphin's front fins -- are about the size of human hands and protrude from near the tail on the dolphin's underside. The dolphin measures 8.92 feet and is about five years old, according to the museum.

A freak mutation may have caused the ancient trait to reassert itself, Osumi said. The dolphin will be kept at the Taiji museum to undergo X-ray and DNA tests, according to Hayashi.
Reference : http://www.foxnews.com

Karaoke bar bombs wound five in Thai Muslim south

2006-11-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

Sat 4 Nov 2006 11:15 PM ET
BANGKOK, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Militants detonated three small bombs at karaoke bars and at a roadside in Thailand's rebellious Muslim south, wounding five people including two policemen, police said on Sunday.

The latest attack in a nearly three-year-old separatist insurgency occured late on Saturday in the Tak Bai district in the province of Narathiwat, one of three provinces near the Malaysian border where more than 1,700 people have been killed.

The 5 kg (11 lb) bombs were detonated simultaneously at two karaoke bars and at a roadside in the area.

"A bomb in one karaoke bar exploded just after the two policemen walked into the bar," one police official who declined to be identified told Reuters.

Three civilians were also wounded in the two bar bombings.

"Witnesses saw a teenage boy walk into one bar and placed a paper bag, presumably with a bomb inside, under a couch," the police official said.

The blast followed arson and shooting attacks in the neighbouring province of Yala, where militants shot a teacher couple and their daughter earlier on Saturday. Four schools were also set on fire in the attacks which came despite the post-coup government beginning a concerted effort for peace.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont travelled to the region to deliver an apology on Thursday for past hardline government policies.

Prosecutors also dropped charges against 92 Muslims involved in a 2004 protest in Tak Bai which led to 78 Muslims dying in army custody and fanned the flames of antagonism when the government refused to apologise.

Influential Muslims in the region say the apology for the hardline policies of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, ousted in a bloodless coup on Sept. 19, was most welcome but unlikely to lead to a swift peace.

There has been no response from militant groups, who have never claimed responsibility for any of the violence or set out their aims.

Reference : http://today.reuters.com

Burma's Royal Wedding

2006-11-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

This video clip was originally obtained from a private web log in Rangoon and had
been circulating within the former capital for more than a month. It depicts sections of the wedding of Snr-Gen Than Shwe's daughter, Thandar Shwe, and Maj Zaw Phyo, on July 02, 2006 and their wedding reception in Naypyidaw on July 03, 2006.

The people from Burma who struggle for their existence were interested how to celebrate the Royal wedding, how bride wore, how the people who came to wedding wore. So, there had happend a big selling of Royal Wedding's VCD secrectly in Myanmar.

People who want to bribe were also busy for their royal wedding because of thinking how to give a present or how to make the perfect wedding. Some of them were trying to buy an excellent present like diamond, cruise, house for them. So price of diamond, jewelleries were increasing too. There had also happend hunge changes of dimanond price in international diamond market because of their wedding party. Gen Than Shwe's wife, Daw kyaing kyaing wanted her daughter's wedding to be an excellent wedding in Myanmar History.

They invited just a few people to their wedding . They just invited about 500 people. They were afraid of that someone would gossip or disturb. The presents of the wedding will be equivalent of U.S $ 50 million.

Reference : YouTube, NDD

Once in a life time opportunity!!!

2006-10-31T00:38:00.000-08:00

Printable View
The world’s biggest Bell, the world’s largest book, Gravity defying rock, one legged rower and vegetable plantation floating above the water and one of the world’s earliest civilization can all be found in one place. That is Golden Land, Myanmar!!!

Would you believe you can travel around in Myanmar with US $99?

Grab this golden opportunity!!!

Our recommend schedule to travel around in Myanmar.

Routing		Approx. Departure Time	Approx. Arrival Time	Duration	Places
From	To	Approx. Departure Time	Approx. Arrival Time	Duration	Places
Yangon	Nyaung Shwe (Inle)	12:30PM	9:00 AM	3–days/ 2–Nights	Taung Gyi, Inle, Kalaw, Pindaya
(Inle) Kalaw	Mandalay	6:00 PM	8:00 AM	5-days/ 4-Nights	Amayapura, Sagain, Mingun, PyinOoLwin
Mandalay	Bagan(By Boat)	6:00 AM	7:00 PM	3 –days/ 2-Nights	Around Bagan
Bagan	Yangon	3:30 PM	7:00 AM	1–day/ 1-Night	Around Yangon

* If you want to travel around with your own schedule, we can also arrange for it.

Our services include:
- Airport pick up
- Arranging your Itinerary
- Providing free necessary information to make your trip a satisfying one.(Hotels & Guest House,Restaurant, Transportation, Currency Exchange & others)
-Accidental Insurance

*If you want to rent your own vehicle, we can also arrange with the cheapest price.
1pax - US $1440 1 pax -> Saloon
2pax - US $720 2,3, ...,10 -> Wagon
3pax - US $590 Above 10 -> Air-con bus
4pax - US $442
5pax - US $354
6pax - US $300
6 pax and above - US $300

*If you want to travel around in Myanmar conveniently, we also have the package tour with the cheapest price.

For Further Information:
Contact Person : Henry
Website : www.gracemyanmar.blogspot.com
Address : Room 555, 20/2 Seree 4 Rd. Praram 9 Soi 43, Suanluang,Bangkok 10250, Thailand
Mobile Phone : 04 1288250
Home Phone : 0-2718 2631 - 9, Ext: 555
Email : grace_tt06@yahoo.com

Booking:
Please provide the following information to us.
-Your Full Name
- Your Passport Number
- No of person who accompany with you
- Flight No
- Arrival Time & Date to Myanmar's Airport

Air India's low-cost carrier launches inaugural flight to Singapore

2006-10-29T23:24:00.000-08:00

By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 29 October 2006 2244 hrs

Air India's budget arm, Air India Express or AIE, launched its inaugural flight to Singapore on Sunday.

The first Indian low-cost carrier to fly to Changi, AIE will operate five weekly non-stop services between Singapore and Chennai in India.

AIE's average return fare can go as low as $600.

That is at least 25-50 percent lower than what is currently available on other full service carriers such as Jet Airways and Singapore Airlines.

The flight takes about 4 hours and includes free boxed meals and some in-flight entertainment.

Travel between Singapore and India is getting increasingly popular.

Just in the first nine months of this year, 1.5 million passengers travelled between the two countries.

That's an increase of 22 percent over the same period last year."

The Singapore-Chennai route also saw a 15 percent increase over the same period.

But Air India Express does not plan to just stop at Chennai.

It may consider places like Hyderabad and Bangalore, according to Air India's chairman, V Thulasidas.

But cities like Mumbai and Delhi are off-limits as these routes will be kept for the main Air India carrier.

For now, bookings are looking good for Air India Express.

Some of its flights on the Singapore-Chennai route over the next two weeks are more than 90 percent booked.

AIE hopes to increase the frequency of its flights from five times a week to daily, probably by year end. - CNA/ir

Reference : http://www.channelnewsasia.com

Typhoon Cimaron roars out of Philippines

2006-10-29T23:04:00.000-08:00

By Karen Lema

MANILA (Reuters) - Typhoon Cimaron, the strongest storm to hit the Philippines in eight years, blasted out to the South China Sea on Monday after bringing the north of the archipelago to a near standstill.

Cimaron slammed into Luzon, the Philippines' most populated island and its rice bowl, on Sunday night as a maximum category five storm or "super typhoon" -- technically the same strength as Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans in 2005.

After packing winds of nearly 200 km per hour, Cimaron weakened to a category 2 typhoon with a wind velocity of 120 kph and gusts of up to 150 kph as it moved westward towards Vietnam.

Two people were killed in the coastal province of Aurora after strong winds swept away wooden houses while three others were injured in a landslide in the northern city of Baguio, disaster officials said.

The Department of Agriculture said up to 30 percent of the rice and corn harvests could have been destroyed, causing up to 400 million pesos ($8 million) worth of damage but cautioned that the estimates were high and could be revised down.

The Philippines, a major rice buyer in Asia, produces 40 to 45 percent of its own crop in the fourth quarter.

"We are still validating the figures," Jesus Emmanuel Paras, agriculture undersecretary, told Reuters, adding that the department would issue an update later on Monday.

Classes and most public offices were closed and thousands of people living in coastal and low-lying regions were forced to flee to higher ground. Trees were uprooted and electricity lines were ripped up leaving at least one province without power.

Cimaron is expected to weaken to a tropical storm before hitting the central Vietnamese coastline on Friday, according to www.tropicalstormrisk.com.

The typhoon, the ninth to hit the Philippines this year, disrupted preparations for the Roman Catholic festivals of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on Nov. 1 and 2, when millions of Filipinos throng cemeteries to honour their dead.

Officials warned public buses not to leave for northern provinces while Asian Spirit cancelled flights to cities in the region. There were no travel advisories from Philippines Airlines or Cebu Pacific.

Cimaron crashed into the archipelago just weeks after Typhoon Xangsane raked the Philippines and Vietnam, killing at least 169 people and taking a heavy toll on electricity networks, roads and crops.

The Philippines cut its annual agricultural growth target to around 4 percent for 2006 from at least 5 percent due to the destruction wrecked by Xangsane.

Storms regularly hit the Philippines but parts of northern Luzon are mountainous and heavily logged, raising the risk of deadly floods and landslides.

In the worst disaster in recent years, more than 5,000 people died in the central province of Leyte in 1991 in floods triggered by a typhoon.

Reference : http://thestar.com.my

Hong Kong voted Favourite Overseas City

2006-10-29T01:41:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong has been voted Favourite Overseas City in the UK’s 2006 Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited Travel Awards. Organised by two of the country’s leading upmarket national newspapers and their joint website, the awards were based on 15,000 questionnaires submitted by readers of The Guardian, its Sunday equivalent The Observer, as well as the Guardian Unlimited website, which rated travel destinations, companies and products not only by the number of votes cast, but also in terms of quality of service.

Hong Kong was also the only Asian city to feature in the poll’s top 10 and its winning position marks a further improvement on last year’s third overall placing. The two newspapers and website claim readerships of affluent young professionals, with a high propensity to travel.

The UK remains a key long-haul market for Hong Kong, and the biggest single source of visitors in Europe. Total UK arrivals in 2005 reached a new high of almost 465,000, with a further increase of 8% recorded in the first eight months of 2006.

Reference : http://www.asiatraveltips.com

Hong Kong voted Favourite Overseas City

2006-10-29T01:03:00.000-08:00

Hong Kong has been voted Favourite Overseas City in the UK’s 2006 Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited Travel Awards. Organised by two of the country’s leading upmarket national newspapers and their joint website, the awards were based on 15,000 questionnaires submitted by readers of The Guardian, its Sunday equivalent The Observer, as well as the Guardian Unlimited website, which rated travel destinations, companies and products not only by the number of votes cast, but also in terms of quality of service.

Hong Kong was also the only Asian city to feature in the poll’s top 10 and its winning position marks a further improvement on last year’s third overall placing. The two newspapers and website claim readerships of affluent young professionals, with a high propensity to travel.
The UK remains a key long-haul market for Hong Kong, and the biggest single source of visitors in Europe. Total UK arrivals in 2005 reached a new high of almost 465,000, with a further increase of 8% recorded in the first eight months of 2006.

More North Korea Nuclear Tests Worry Japan

2006-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

More N. Korea Nuclear Tests Worry Japan
By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer

Monday, October 23, 2006

(10-23) 23:31 PDT TOKYO, Japan (AP) --

Japan's foreign minister warned Tuesday there was a possibility of more nuclear tests by North Korea and expressed pessimism that the North would return to disarmament talks soon.

Taro Aso praised China for sending top diplomats to Pyongyang last week for talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, but added "that does not mean we can be optimistic about North Korea's nuclear abandonment or a return to the six-party talks."

Aso, speaking to a parliamentary defense and foreign affairs committee, said Japan had to be prepared for the possibility of "second and third nuclear tests" by North Korea, which carried out its first nuclear test on Oct. 9.

"As long as I remember, no country has halted nuclear tests after the first one," Aso said. "It's only common sense to assume there would be a second and a third."

Beijing has not released details on a trip by Chinese diplomats to Pyongyang, and there have been conflicting reports about the outcome of those talks.

South Korean media reported last week that Kim expressed regret for carrying out the nuclear test, ruling out the possibility for further tests and hinting at an intention to return to arms talks.

Other reports have said that China was not optimistic that North Korea will end its nuclear program or rejoin disarmament talks soon.

North Korea has shown no public signs of backing down since its test, even after the U.N. Security Council imposed sanctions against Pyongyang.

Aso said the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program among the two Koreas, China, Japan, the United States and Russia remain the best framework for resolving the standoff, and called on North Korea to return "unconditionally."

The U.S. has sought to cut off the North's access to international banking as punishment for alleged currency counterfeiting and other illicit activity.

Pyongyang denies the charges and has boycotted the six-nation talks until the U.S. ends the crackdown.

Reference : http://sfgate.com/

Bush to attend APEC, visit Singapore, Indonesia: White House

2006-10-23T23:52:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON : US President George W. Bush will attend the annual APEC summit in Vietnam on November 18-19 and visit Singapore and Indonesia during his Southeast Asian trip, the White House said Monday.

During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi, Bush looks forward to a "robust dialogue" on ways to ensure the continued prosperity of the region, the White House said in a statement.

Officials had said earlier that Bush was expected to push for a plan to rationalise the patchwork of free-trade initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region as part of reforms for the 21-member APEC forum.

The White House said Bush would also hold meetings with Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and other bilateral talks as well in Hanoi.

Before the trip, the Bush administration will try to get Congress to pass a bill granting Vietnam permanent normal trade relations, or full market access rights that are not subject to annual review, officials said.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) is expected to approve Vietnam as its 150th member next month.

Hanoi has amended a raft of laws to bring them into line with WTO rules and has completed bilateral talks on similar legal amendments with all WTO members who had requested them, including the United States, with whom it signed a market access agreement in late May.

The White House said that while in Vietnam, Bush will also visit Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon and once capital of the defunct US-backed state of South Vietnam.

The United States was forced into a humiliating scramble out of Vietnam after a prolonged war that ended when the US-backed Saigon regime crumbled on April 30, 1975.

Bush also will travel to Singapore and Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, during his trip, the White House said without giving specific dates.

Indonesian officials had indicated that Bush's visit could take place after the APEC summit.

Bush and Yudhoyono last met for talks on the margins of the APEC summit last year in Busan, South Korea, but this would be the first time the two leaders meet in Indonesia, a key US partner in Bush's "war on terror".

APEC includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, the US and Vietnam. - AFP/ch

Reference : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/

Strong earthquake rattles central Indonesia, no reports of damage (2:05 p.m.)

2006-10-23T23:42:00.000-07:00

2006/10/24
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)

A strong earthquake rattled central Indonesia Tuesday, a meteorological agency said, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The 6.1-magnitude temblor was centered in Sangihe, an island 360 kilometers (223 miles) northeast of North Sulawesi's provincial capital Manado, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site.

It struck at 11:03 a.m. (03:03 GMT) and was the most powerful of six quakes to hit the same region in the last two days.

Local officials said they had no immediate reports of damage or casualties on the remote, sparsely populated island.

Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," a string of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

Reference : http://www.chinapost.com.tw/

Five countries plan North Korea talks in Beijing

2006-10-20T03:53:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2006, 06:30
Foreign ministers from five countries, including the United States, Japan and South Korea, will meet in Beijing tomorrow to discuss North Korea's nuclear ambitions, a Japanese daily reported today.
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, who arrived in Tokyo yesterday, is to hold talks with Shinzo Abe, the prime minister, this morning before leaving for Seoul and then travelling on to Beijing. She is seeking a unified stance on UN sanctions slapped on Pyongyang on Saturday for exploding a nuclear device.
A US official accompanying Rice said five-party talks in Beijing had been provisionally set for tomorrow but were later cancelled because of "scheduling problems."
Christopher Hill, the assistant US secretary of state, who is also in Tokyo, told Japanese reporters when asked about the reported Beijing talks that no such meeting was expected to take place, according to a US embassy official in Tokyo.
Moon will not attendBan Ki-moon, the South Korean foreign minister, has no plans to go to Beijing for such a meeting at this point, a diplomatic source in Seoul said. Quoting unspecified diplomatic sources, the Sankei newspaper said foreign ministers from the United States, Japan, South Korea, Russia and China would gather in Beijing tomorrow.
The five nations had been engaged in talks with North Korea to persuade it to abandon its nuclear programme. The talks have been stalled for a year after North Korea refused to participate, citing financial restrictions imposed on it by Washington.
Tang Jiaxuan, the Chinese state councillor, was visiting Pyongyang to try to persuade North Korea to take part in the Beijing talks, the paper said.
Japanese government officials were not immediately available for comment - Reuters.

China warns against more North Korea sanctions

2006-10-20T03:50:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2006, 11:15

China warned today against "wilfully" expanding UN sanctions put in place against North Korea after it said it had tested a nuclear device.

"We believe resolution 1718 is a balanced one. All sides need to consider how to implement resolution 1718 in a balanced way and to not to devise ways to wilfully expand the sanctions," Liu Jianchao, the foreign ministry spokesperson told a regular news conference. "Sanctions are a signal, not the goal." - Reuters

Chinese Banks Stop Transfers to N. Korea

2006-10-20T03:46:00.000-07:00

BEIJING (AP) -- Chinese banks have stopped financial transfers to North Korea under government orders as part of sanctions imposed for Pyongyang's nuclear test, bank employees said Friday, in a possibly serious blow to the country's frail economy.

China is North Korea's main trading partner and aid donor, and the disruption of financial transfers is a forceful expression of Beijing's anger at the Oct. 9 nuclear test by its isolated ally. It is a break with China's earlier reluctance to use economic pressure against the North for fear its ally's government might collapse.

All four major Chinese state-owned banks and British-owned HSBC Corp. have stopped financial transfers to the North, according to bank employees in Beijing and the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang.

"We received a circular recently that banned services from China to North Korea because of the sanctions imposed as a result of the nuclear test," said an employee of the international business department of the Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., in Shenyang. She would give only her surname, Song.

Employees of the Bank of China Ltd., the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China Ltd., China Construction Bank Ltd. and HSBC said they received similar orders and stopped transfers.

"The ban started this week," said a Bank of China employee in Dandong, a Chinese city on the North Korean border. She would give only her surname, Zhang. "We have to wait for notice from higher levels about when to resume these operations."

The bank employees said the orders didn't say how long the suspension would remain in effect.

Spokespeople for the banks' headquarters in Beijing and for China's central bank said they couldn't confirm such an order was issued and had no information on the scale of Chinese transfers to the North.

China also has stepped up inspections of cargo being trucked across the border into North Korea since the U.N. Security Council approved sanctions on the country last Saturday.

China is believed to be North Korea's main link to the world financial system. China's importance increased after Washington imposed sanctions on a Macau bank that served North Korean companies, making other financial institutions uneasy about dealing with Pyongyang.

Washington has long pressured Beijing to use its leverage as the North's main economic partner to compel Pyongyang to return to six-nation talks aimed at ending its nuclear ambitions.

But Beijing has been reluctant to use economic pressure for fear the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il might collapse, setting off a flood of refugees into China's northeast and upsetting Northeast Asia's complex military balance.

But China's anger has grown as Kim's government defied appeals not to conduct its nuclear test and an earlier plea in July not to test-fire ballistic missiles.

Reference : AP(Associated Press)

Nuclear armed Japan?

2006-10-20T03:36:00.000-07:00

Nuclear weapons in the hands of the unpredictable North Korean communists not only poses a serious threat to regional security, but also undermines the nonproliferation regime. Even before the dust begins to settle in the wake of the North Korean nuclear test, a question being frequently asked is: Who will be next to join the nuclear club?
Indeed, there is a long list of potential candidates. The International Atomic Energy Agency says that as many as 30 countries have the capability to build atomic weapons, in addition to the nine current nuclear powers.
At the top of the list is Japan, which maintains more than 40 tons of plutonium for use in energy production - a stockpile reportedly large enough to produce 3,000 to 5,000 nuclear weapons. Moreover, it has the technical capacity to build a formidable nuclear arsenal at short notice.

To the relief of its neighbors, however, the Japanese government has in the past assured them in public that it has no desire to develop nuclear weapons. While placing itself under the U.S. nuclear umbrella, since 1967 it has maintained what it calls three non-nuclear principles; a policy of not possessing nuclear weapons, not producing them, and not permitting their introduction into its territory.

But Japanese nationalist conservatives are slowly chipping away at the non-nuclear policy, demanding an open debate on nuclear armament as a security option, and thus putting South Korea and China somewhat ill at ease. Their demand comes across as even more ominous when it is seen as part of their ambition to make Japan what it used to be - a military power strong enough to challenge not only China and Russia, but also the United States.

True, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his government will not launch a public debate on nuclear armament. But his remarks do not sound entirely credible, given what his foreign minister, Taro Aso, said earlier. Aso told a Diet committee that he saw no problem with discussing in public whether or not Japan should produce nuclear weapons.

The demand for a public debate on nuclear armament cannot be brushed aside as mere political sloganeering prompted by the North Korean nuclear test, and an attempt to appease the Japanese conservative constituency. It is a serious political issue to those who are seeking to turn Japan into a "normal state," a euphemism for an assertive military power, by rewriting its pacifist constitution.
Among the conservative hawks is Abe himself, who was quoted as saying before being elected to the post of prime minister last month, that it would pose no constitutional problem to possess nuclear weapons. He was also quoted as saying that Japan needed to arm itself with nuclear weapons and that it would take only a week to produce them.

If a nuclear-armed North Korea is intolerable to Japan, a nuclear-armed Japan would be equally intolerable to its neighbors. Should it decide to launch a nuclear weapons program, it would certainly set off a chain reaction of nuclear armament in the region, almost certainly forcing South Korea and Taiwan to follow suit.
What Japan needs to do is not debate arming itself with weapons of mass destruction, but join together with the United States and other stakeholder nations and put pressure on North Korea to abandon its nuclear ambitions. It also needs to allay the growing concern of its neighbors about Japan's suspicious nuclear stance by reaffirming its non-nuclear policy. For the prime minister and the foreign minister to make conflicting remarks will do nothing except confuse their neighbors.

For its part, the United States is required to demand that Japan faithfully honor the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. After all, isn't it entitled to make such a demand given that it is the provider of nuclear protection to Japan?

Thai PM seeks peaceful solution to Muslim insurgency

2006-10-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

Thailand's new Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has said he wants to solve the insurgency in the kingdom's south by peaceful means and will reach out to Muslims in the troubled region.

Surayud, the military-backed premier installed after last month's coup, signalled he will take a different approach on the crisis to the hardline stance of the ousted government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

"Let me explain my personal strategy of trying to solve the problems in the south, by peaceful means," he said after talks with Malaysian leaders.

"We will try to talk to a lot of people. Initially I told the Malaysian prime minister that I will talk to the Muslim leaders in the south, talk to kids in schools. So that is the way I'm trying to present myself, by way of talking."

His comments came after another upsurge in violence this week in Thailand's Muslim-majority south, where a two-year rebellion has left more than 1,500 dead.

Last month's coup in Bangkok sparked hopes for peace in the region after a Muslim army general led the ousting of Thaksin, who had been widely criticized for his heavy-handed response to the violence.

The Thai government has said it hopes to hold talks with two insurgent groups early next month, and rebel leaders reportedly said they would like to hold the negotiations in Malaysia.

Malaysia has said it is willing to play a bigger role in resolving the crisis, and former premier Mahathir Mohamad revealed recently he brokered talks between Thai officials and Muslim groups late last year to try to establish a ceasefire.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said after meeting with Surayud, who was on a one-day visit as part of a regional tour, that both leaders wanted southern Thailand to be returned to peace.

"For Malaysia we would like to see southern Thailand as an area that is peaceful, where the Thais many of whom are Muslims... will be able to live in peace without fear," he said.

Malaysia also welcomed Thailand's announcement that it will restore a center for mediation in its troubled Muslim provinces, reversing Thaksin's 2001 move to close it down -- a decision linked with the rise in violence.

"In our meeting, the Thai PM has showed his dedication to solve the southern Thailand political issue," said Malaysian Defence Minister Najib Razak.

"He will restore ties with Muslim leaders in southern Thailand and take steps to start a new administration there, retaining the old administration but with new adjustments," he said, referring to the centre.

"These are positive signs that there will be a political solution there."

Thai officials had said Surayud would ask Malaysia to extradite top insurgent leaders believed to be hiding across the border -- an extremely sensitive issue in Muslim-majority Malaysia. However, neither leader commented on the issue.

They did address the thorny topic of 130 Thai Muslims who fled across the border more than a year ago, saying they left their country because of insecurity and fear of persecution by the Thai government.

Their flight triggered a diplomatic row between the neighbours and Malaysia continued to insist Wednesday that they will not be forced to return, particularly if their safety cannot be assured.

Residents in Thailand's southernmost provinces are mostly ethnic Malay and Muslim, sharing more culturally with their neighbors across the border than with the rest of Buddhist Thailand.

The region was an ethnic Malay sultanate until Buddhist Thailand annexed it a century ago. Separatist unrest has simmered ever since, although organized border crime is also thought to play a part in the recent violence.

Referece : http://www.terra.net.lb

U.S. warns North Koreans about nuclear test

2006-10-05T02:49:00.000-07:00

By David E. Sanger and Jim Yardley The New York Times

Published: October 5, 2006
WASHINGTON The Bush administration sent a direct message to North Korea on Wednesday, warning it not to set off a nuclear test, and later declared that the United States was "not going to live with" a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The later statement came in a speech by Christopher Hill, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, reported by Reuters. "We are not going to live with a nuclear North Korea, we are not going to accept it," he said.

Hill did not suggest what the American response would be and gave no hint of an economic or military response. But he said of North Korea: "It can have a future or it can have these weapons. It cannot have both."

Hill's comments, made at the newly created U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, contrasted sharply with Washington's muted initial reaction on Tuesday to North Korea's announcement that it would conduct an underground nuclear test "in the future."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that a test would be "provocative," and the National Security Council released a statement saying that it would "severely undermine our confidence in North Korea's commitment to denuclearization."

Hill said the direct message to North Korea, delivered to its mission at the United Nations, was in keeping with Tuesday's responses.

Some inside the administration complained that the responses were so soft that North Korea would read them as an invitation to proceed.

In an emergency meeting held at the White House on Tuesday, senior aides discussed responses ranging from embargoes on North Korean goods to trying new ways to engage the country in talks. But no conclusion was reached, and the administration's long-running debate about how to deal with the North continued Wednesday.

Meanwhile, American officials were pressing China to intervene, though it is unclear how much influence the Chinese have; Beijing asked the North not to conduct a missile test in July, but it did so anyway.

On Wednesday, China urged North Korea to exercise restraint and pursue a course of diplomacy rather than "taking actions that may intensify the situation."

That message was a clear statement of disapproval from the country considered North Korea's strongest regional ally as well as its chief economic patron.

"We hope that North Korea will exercise necessary calm and restraint over the nuclear test issue," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said in a statement on Wednesday. He called on "all relevant parties" to "address their concerns through dialogues and consultations instead of taking actions that may intensify the situation."

China was host to six-nation talks over the nuclear crisis until North Korea broke them off a year ago in a dispute with Washington.

China has sought to bring both sides back to the talks with itself, Japan, South Korea and Russia, but North Korea's announcement of its plans for a nuclear test has again raised tensions.

In Russia the foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, spoke with his South Korean counterpart, Ban Ki-moon, and "stressed the unacceptability" of a North Korean test, according to a statement. A test, the ministry's statement said, "can only aggravate this situation."

The Foreign Ministry in South Korea, one of the North's biggest providers of aid, said a nuclear test could alter its policy of engagement, The Associated Press reported.

"If North Korea pushes ahead with a nuclear test, North Korea should take full responsibility for all consequences," said a spokesman, Choo Kyu-ho, after South Korean security ministers held an emergency meeting.

In a telephone conversation, Hill said he wanted to convince North Korea that it could not follow Pakistan's model. Pakistan tested a nuclear weapon in 1998 and endured three years of sanctions, but emerged after the Sept. 11 attacks as an American ally. "This ain't Pakistan," he said.

The timing of North Korea's announcement comes at what had been a hopeful diplomatic moment in East Asia. On Wednesday morning, China announced that the new Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, would visit Beijing on Sunday, the first official visit between leaders of the two Asian powers since 2001.

Relations between the countries have deteriorated since then, largely over former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a memorial honoring Japan's war dead, including convicted war criminals from World War II.

After China, Abe will travel to South Korea to meet with President Roh Moo-hyun.

David E. Sanger reported from Washington, and Jim Yardley from Beijing. Steven Lee Myers contributed reporting from Moscow.

WASHINGTON The Bush administration sent a direct message to North Korea on Wednesday, warning it not to set off a nuclear test, and later declared that the United States was "not going to live with" a nuclear-armed North Korea.

The later statement came in a speech by Christopher Hill, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, reported by Reuters. "We are not going to live with a nuclear North Korea, we are not going to accept it," he said.

Hill did not suggest what the American response would be and gave no hint of an economic or military response. But he said of North Korea: "It can have a future or it can have these weapons. It cannot have both."

Hill's comments, made at the newly created U.S.-Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins University, contrasted sharply with Washington's muted initial reaction on Tuesday to North Korea's announcement that it would conduct an underground nuclear test "in the future."

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that a test would be "provocative," and the National Security Council released a statement saying that it would "severely undermine our confidence in North Korea's commitment to denuclearization."

Hill said the direct message to North Korea, delivered to its mission at the United Nations, was in keeping with Tuesday's responses.

Some inside the administration complained that the responses were so soft that North Korea would read them as an invitation to proceed.

In an emergency meeting held at the White House on Tuesday, senior aides discussed responses ranging from embargoes on North Korean goods to trying new ways to engage the country in talks. But no conclusion was reached, and the administration's long-running debate about how to deal with the North continued Wednesday.

Meanwhile, American officials were pressing China to intervene, though it is unclear how much influence the Chinese have; Beijing asked the North not to conduct a missile test in July, but it did so anyway.

On Wednesday, China urged North Korea to exercise restraint and pursue a course of diplomacy rather than "taking actions that may intensify the situation."

That message was a clear statement of disapproval from the country considered North Korea's strongest regional ally as well as its chief economic patron.

"We hope that North Korea will exercise necessary calm and restraint over the nuclear test issue," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said in a statement on Wednesday. He called on "all relevant parties" to "address their concerns through dialogues and consultations instead of taking actions that may intensify the situation."

China was host to six-nation talks over the nuclear crisis until North Korea broke them off a year ago in a dispute with Washington.

China has sought to bring both sides back to the talks with itself, Japan, South Korea and Russia, but North Korea's announcement of its plans for a nuclear test has again raised tensions.

In Russia the foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, spoke with his South Korean counterpart, Ban Ki-moon, and "stressed the unacceptability" of a North Korean test, according to a statement. A test, the ministry's statement said, "can only aggravate this situation."

The Foreign Ministry in South Korea, one of the North's biggest providers of aid, said a nuclear test could alter its policy of engagement, The Associated Press reported.

"If North Korea pushes ahead with a nuclear test, North Korea should take full responsibility for all consequences," said a spokesman, Choo Kyu-ho, after South Korean security ministers held an emergency meeting.

In a telephone conversation, Hill said he wanted to convince North Korea that it could not follow Pakistan's model. Pakistan tested a nuclear weapon in 1998 and endured three years of sanctions, but emerged after the Sept. 11 attacks as an American ally. "This ain't Pakistan," he said.

The timing of North Korea's announcement comes at what had been a hopeful diplomatic moment in East Asia. On Wednesday morning, China announced that the new Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, would visit Beijing on Sunday, the first official visit between leaders of the two Asian powers since 2001.

Relations between the countries have deteriorated since then, largely over former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a memorial honoring Japan's war dead, including convicted war criminals from World War II.

After China, Abe will travel to South Korea to meet with President Roh Moo-hyun.

David E. Sanger reported from Washington, and Jim Yardley from Beijing. Steven Lee Myers contributed reporting from Moscow.

Referece : www.iht.com

Japan - Samuri

2006-10-05T02:27:00.000-07:00

The samurai (or bushi) were the members of the military class, the Japanese warriors.

Samurai employed a range of weapons such as bows and arrows, spears and guns; but their most famous weapon and their symbol was the sword.
Samurai were supposed to lead their lives according to the ethic code of bushido ("the way of the warrior"). Strongly Confucian in nature, Bushido stressed concepts such as loyalty to one's master, self discipline and respectful, ethical behavior.
After a defeat, some samurai chose to commit ritual suicide (seppuku) by cutting their abdomen rather than being captured or dying a dishonorable death.
Below follows a short history of the Japanese warrior:

Heian Period (794-1185)
The samurai's importance and influence grew during the Heian Period, when powerful landowners hired private warriors for the protection of their properties. Towards the end of the Heian Period, two military clans, the Minamoto and Taira, had grown so powerful that they seized control over the country and fought wars for supremacy against each other.

Kamakura Period (1192-1333)
In 1185, the Minamoto defeated the Taira, and Minamoto Yoritomo established a new military government in Kamakura in 1192. As shogun, the highest military officer, he became the ruler of Japan.

Muromachi Period (1333 - 1573)
During the chaotic Era of Warring States (sengoku jidai, 1467-1573), Japan consisted of dozens of independent states which were constantly fighting each other. Consequently, the demand for samurai was very high. Between the wars, many samurai were working on farms. Many of the famous samurai movies by Kurosawa take place during this era.

Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573 - 1603)
When Toyotomi Hideyoshi reunited Japan, he started to introduce a rigid social caste system which was later completed by Tokugawa Ieyasu and his successors. Hideyoshi forced all samurai to decide between a life on the farm and a warrior life in castle towns. Furthermore, he forbade anyone but the samurai to arm themselves with a sword.

Edo Period (1603 - 1868)
According to the Edo Period's official hierarchy of social castes, the samurai stood at the top, followed by the farmers, artisans and merchants. Furthermore, there were hierarchies within each caste. All samurai were forced to live in castle towns and received income from their lords in form of rice. Masterless samurai were called ronin and caused minor troubles during the early Edo Period.
With the fall of Osaka Castle in 1615, the Tokugawa's last potential rival was eliminated, and relative peace prevailed in Japan for about 250 years. As a result, the importance of martial skills declined, and most samurai became bureaucrats, teachers or artists.

In 1868, Japan's feudal era came to an end, and the samurai class was abolished.
Reference : www.japan-guide.com

Filipino beauty queen among passengers in hijacked plane

2006-10-04T23:11:00.000-07:00

The Philippine candidate for the recently concluded Miss Globe International 2006 was one of the 107 passengers aboard a Turkish plane hijacked over Greece air space, ABS-CBN reported Tuesday.

Jamie Liz Castillo, 20, called her parents from Italy where the plane was safely landed to inform them about the incident. Her parents said Castillo was crying during the call.

Castillo, a math major from De La Salle University in Manila, was the Mutya ng Pilipinas titlist for 2003.

Castillo was with her fellow candidates from India, Singapore and Malaysia when the incident happened. Officials declared that the crisis was over but Castillo and other passengers remain stranded in Italy.

Her group was not able to contact the organizers of the pageant.

News agency Reuters reported that two Turks had hijacked the plane in protest at Pope Benedict XVI’s pending visit to Turkey. The plane was flying from the Albanian capital Tirana to Istanbul when the hijackers took control of the aircraft.

The official said the plane, carrying 107 passengers and a crew of six, entered Greek air space and was soon escorted out by the Greek fighter jets.

The Italian air force later said it had intercepted the Turkish flight, which then landed at Brindisi airport in Italy.

Thai coup leaders announce new PM

2006-10-02T03:41:00.000-07:00

HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY: A former general was named Thailand's interim prime minister, and is charged with leading the nation back to democracy

Thailand's military rulers unveiled a stop-gap prime minister and constitution yesterday, fulfilling a promise to step back in favor of civilians within two weeks of their coup against Thaksin Shinawatra.

In other signs of the situation stabilizing, the tanks that had stood outside Government House since the Sept. 19 putsch rolled back to military bases and four of Thaksin's most powerful ministers were released from army custody.

Thailand's newly appointed prime minister, retired General Surayud Chulanont, right, greets coup leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, left, after a press conference at the Government House building in Bangkok yesterday. PHOTO: AFP

Shortly after television stations announced the interim constitution, army chief and coup leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin confirmed that Surayud Chulanont, a retired general, would be prime minister under a gradual plan to restore democracy.

"I went to his house and spent half an hour convincing him to take the job while the country is in crisis. He has agreed to take it," Sonthi told reporters at a news conference.

Later, at a ceremony at Government House, Sonthi read out a short statement confirming King Bhumibol Adulyadej's approval of Surayud as Thailand's 24th prime minister in 74 years of democracy.

Happiness first

Surayud, 63, then announced that a new Cabinet would be picked in a week.

He said his government would focus on "people's happiness" above economic growth.

"We will concentrate on the self-sufficient economy that His Majesty the King advocates," he told a news conference. "We won't concentrate so much on the GDP numbers. We would rather look into the indicators of people's happiness and prosperity."

Asked why he deserved to be prime minister rather than Thaksin, Surayud said: "I don't know."

"It depends on the situation, and at this time I think that I receive the mandate from his majesty the king, so I have to take the responsibility," he told reporters in English at his first press conference shortly after taking office.

Surayud in the past has spoken out against military involvement in politics, but he told reporters he felt he had to take the job "because of the necessity to address the country's problems."

"I'm looking at the long term," he said in Thai. "I will act on my own conscience as prime minister. I will be friendly with everyone, and will try to listen to all the information if possible, and to meet with every sector of society."

Under the new constitution, he is charged with keeping the country and economy ticking over while a panel of eminent Thais draws up a new long-term constitution.

According to the generals' "democracy roadmap," this should take about nine months, at the end of which there will be a referendum and national elections.

Balancing act

Although a career military man, Surayud -- until now a senior royal adviser -- has a reputation as a reformer who recognized the need to keep soldiers out of politics in a country which has now seen 18 successful coups.

The coming months could test his patience to the limits as he tries to convince Thais and outsiders that he is marching the country back to democracy at the same time as keeping his old friends in the army happy.

Despite promises not to interfere, doubts remain about the military's neutrality, especially given that the coup leaders are staying on in a Council for National Security with the power to dismiss the interim administration.

Reference By : TAIPEI Times

Central Vietnam suffers mass destruction from typhoon Xangsane

2006-10-02T03:21:00.000-07:00

At least 16 people died, and thousands of houses collapsed or had their roofs blown off after typhoon Xangsane swept through central Vietnam Sunday, state television VTV said Monday.
The Vietnam Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention said lightning, flying debris, house collapse, electrocution and even falls into open trenches caused the deaths during the storm.

Babara Green, an Australian tourist currently in Danang said this was beyond her imagination. “Too terrible”, she commented.

Several locals told Thanh Nien this was the largest storm they had ever encountered.
Water rising

In general, the water level is still rising in the central region as of Sunday night.

Danang province suffered the most deaths with 4 perishing in the massive tropical storm.

In Lien Chieu and Son Tra districts, 47 and 10 locals were injured respectively.

Over 5,500 houses had their roofs blown off completely, nearly 10,000 trees were uprooted or felled, 780 electric posts knocked down, and over 2,500 houses submerged under water.

The typhoon ripped roofs off 90 percent of houses and nearly all state agencies and schools in Lien Chieu district.

A series of enterprises in Lien Chieu Industrial Zone have been forced to halt production due to the storm.

In Thua Thien Hue province, 43 were injured and 14,660 roofs blown off houses.
The storm has inundated the former imperial city of Hue under 0.3 to 1.5 m of water and submerged 16,760 houses there.

Most traffic routes in the city are flooded.

Some 21 state buildings in sectors like posts, education, and health either collapsed or lost their roofs altogether.

Even more danger is looming with the rising water level in the O Lau River.
A 30-year-old herdsman died in Quang Tri province after being struck by lightning. Here, 274 houses were completely destroyed, with 100 seriously ravaged.
In Quang Binh province, 6 were injured, and around 2,000m of coast in Hai Trach commune were stripped away.

Good news comes from Quang Ngai province where only 5 were slightly injured as the province has succeeded in evacuating 20,000 residents to safety.
At least 15 houses totally collapsed, 15 vessels sunk or went missing. Material damage in Quang Ngai is estimated at VND15 billion (US$937,500).

From Thursday night through Friday morning, heavy winds and downpours swept through Ly Son district, uprooting hundreds of trees and blown off roofs of over 800 houses in the district alone.

The district is still marooned as all routes in and out have been cut, with part of their embankment destroyed.

In Duc Pho district, heavy rains ripped away nearly 2,000m of dikes, leaving water to rush onto the Sa Huynh salt field.

The typhoon has inundated 33,700 ha of paddy rice and destroyed 10 reservoirs in Binh Dinh province.

Provincial authorities in Binh Dinh have earmarked VND2 billion ($125,000) for medicine and food for victims.

Nothing short of a bomb raid

Routes linking the UNESCO-recognized Hoi An Ancient Town in Quang Nam province to Danang city – a commercial hub in central Vietnam – were also devastated.

Phan Thang An, chairman of the People’s Committee of the Quang Nam’s Thang Binh district said “it is nothing short of a bomb raid” when referring to the destruction in his region.

One woman perished in Quang Nam, as a house collapsed onto her.

Most of the 5,000 residents in Quang Nam who were earlier evacuated have safely returned, only to find their homes gone.

Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung and agriculture minister Cao Duc Phat visited Hoi An ancient town Sunday afternoon to instruct and supervise works at repairing an embankment along the Hoai River, and other tourist regions along the coast.

Hung praised Hoi An’s prompt evacuation had brought about minor damage. He highlighted the safe evacuation of nearly 500 international tourists in the town.

Nearly 10,000 locals out of 15,000 who had been evacuated have returned.

Only 5 were slightly injured in the heritage town but 50 percent of houses and two churches lost their roofs to the typhoon.

However, thanks to reinforcement efforts, 47 houses bearing historical significance had been propped up and escaped damage during the raging storm.

Some 100 fishing vessels, 3 hydrofoils, and two tourist canoes were sunk.

As of Sunday afternoon, Dinh Ban district was still isolated as routes in and out were cut off.

Some 27,800 houses in the region had their roofs ripped off, with 5,740 collapsed completely.

Water in the Thu Bon River is also rising past alarm levels.

Dong Giang district in the town was also cut off from the outside in the wake of the storm.

Devastation

Reuters Sunday reported Vietnam had carried out the biggest evacuation operation in 30 years as 200,000 people in four central Vietnamese provinces had been evacuated.

The typhoon killed at least 61 when it hit the Philippines three days ago.

Xangsane is the 18th storm of this year's Pacific cyclone season.

Last year about 50 people were killed when eight typhoons and tropical storms hit Vietnam, Nguyen Tien Toan, a senior official at the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention, said recently.

National weather forecasters said the typhoon would skirt important coffee-growing areas in the Central Highlands, but that Kontum, the smallest coffee-growing province, would be affected over the next two days.

Vietnam is the world's second largest coffee grower after Brazil.

Reported by Thanh Nien reporters – Translated by Hoang Bao

Japan's highest and most famous peak

2006-09-30T07:16:00.000-07:00

Yoshinoyama (Mount Yoshino) in Yoshino Town, Nara Prefecture, is Japan's most famous cherry blossom spot. Besides an estimated 30,000 cherry trees, the area also offers a rich history and several temples and shrines.

As the base of the pilgrimage trail to sacred Mount Omine, Yoshino has been a center of Shugendo mountain worship for many centuries. The remote town also served various historical personalities as a refuge, including Emperor Go-Daigo who established a competing second imperial court there in the 14th century.

Yoshinoyama is divided into four areas, the Shimo Senbon (lower 1000 trees) at the base of the mountain, Naka Senbon (middle 1000 trees), Kami Senbon (upper 1000 trees) and Oku Senbon (inner 1000 trees) at the top of the mountain.

Together with Mount Koya and Kumano, Yoshino was designated a cultural UNESO World Heritage Site in 2004, named the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range".

Attraction place to go in Yoshinoyama

Cherry Blossoms The cherry blossoms of Yoshinoyama.

Kinpusenji Temple The most important temple of Yoshino.

Yoshimizu Shrine Temporary quarters of Emperor Go-Daigo.

Chikurin-in Temple Temple ryokan with a beautiful garden.

Mikumari Shrine Shrine with an unusual architecture.

For more detail click here.

Japan's most famous cherry blossom spot

2006-09-30T07:04:00.000-07:00

Together with Mount Koya and Kumano, Yoshino was designated a cultural UNESO World Heritage Site in 2004, named the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range".

Attraction places of Yoshinoyama

Cherry Blossoms The cherry blossoms of Yoshinoyama.

Kinpusenji Temple The most important temple of Yoshino.

Yoshimizu Shrine Temporary quarters of Emperor Go-Daigo.

Chikurin-in Temple Temple ryokan with a beautiful garden.

Mikumari Shrine Shrine with an unusual architecture.

For more detail click here

Japan - which city was chosen by US armed forces as the first ever target of an atomic bomb????

2006-09-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture and the largest city of the Chugoku Region, the westernmost region on Japan's main island of Honshu. It is home to about one million people.

On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was chosen by US armed forces as the first ever target of an atomic bomb employed over a populated area. As a result, 200,000 civilians lost their lives, and Hiroshima became a city vehemently engaged in the promotion of peace.

Hiroshima's Peace Park including the memorial museum, and the island of Miyajima (literally: shrine island), located 40 minutes from the city center by train and ferry, are among Japan's most interesting tourist attractions.

Peace Memorial Park Commemorating the drop of the atomic bomb.

Miyajima Island famous for its shrine and large torii gate.

Hiroshima Castle Reconstruction of the former castle.

Shukkeien A beautiful Japanese style garden.

Thailand Tourism Review

2006-09-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

Even as Thailand seeks to overcome the impact of the devastating December 2004 tsunami, and learn from its lessons in the reconstruction and rehabilitation process, it is important to look ahead to some major events that will shine a much more positive light on the kingdom.

2006 will mark the 60th anniversary (Diamond Jubilee) of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne, further lengthening his standing record as the world's longest-reigning monarch.

At the same time, Thailand will open the new Suvarnabhumi Airport, a new gateway to the country. Interestingly, it is His Majesty the King who graciously conferred the name Suvarnabhumi for the new airport. It means "Golden Land" and is highly appropriate in the context of the times.

So even as we plan ahead for these events, and the opportunities they will open up to shine a powerful positive light on Thailand, we must never forget the victims of the tsunami or the efforts of the wonderful people who eased the pain and suffering and led the recovery.

As has been widely reported, and at the risk of repeating what should be obvious, the hotels, attractions, bars and restaurants in the vast majority of the previously affected areas are ready, willing and able to provide their legendary quality standard of cost-effective, cheerful hospitality.

Tourist dollars will ensure people remain in employment, improve morale, and facilitate the healing process. The message to the world is clear _ come to Thailand and come now. The generous, warm and friendly people of Thailand need support _ now.

2006 also is a milestone year for us at Diethelm Travel Thailand. Our parent company _ Diethelm Keller Holding _ celebrates its 100 years of continuous business operations in Thailand. More than most, we can take an informed position on what has been and what will likely be.

We wish all sectors of the tourism industry a happy, safe and successful 2006 and beyond.

Most importantly, we wish His Majesty a long and healthy life. May Thailand continue to prosper and flourish under his gracious and benevolent reign.

The most magnificent Japanese castle

2006-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Himeji-Jo -- Himeji Castle is indisputably the most magnificent Japanese castle still standing in its original form. It has been home to 48 lords and the castle grounds are quite extensive.

Ask anyone who lives in Japan and they will tell you that
Himeji is far and away the best castle in Japan.
It's a must-see for any castle-lover visiting Japan!

To get there, my friends and I took the fabled Shinkansen! The distance to Himeji from Wakayama is not exceedingly far, but we saved an entire hour taking the bullet train.

Some people refer to Himeji castle as the "white heron castle" because they believe that it resembles a heron in its tall, white elegance. It was originally constructed in the 14th century by the powerful clan Norimura Akamatsu. Later the castle was enlarged and altered by successive lords. The entire castle itself is a National Treasure.

The castle grounds consist of a five-story donjon, three smaller donjons, fully defensible walls with towers, a moat, defense turrets, numerous gates and gardens and encompasses an area of 220,000 square meters!

For more detail click here.

One of the Great Castle in Japan - Osaka-Jo

2006-09-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

Osaka-Jo --- The original castle was completed in 1583. It took 100,000 workers slaving away for more than three years to complete. It has since been destroyed twice and restored twice.

The most impressive view of the castle is, unfortunately, from the outside. After being _completely_ destroyed in WWII it was reconstructed in 1931 out of concrete. The interior has some points of interest, it doesn't retain nearly as much as its former prestige.

And while it is not as grand as when it first was built, it still offers a lot in the way of information of Japanese life as it was during the times of its life in the form of video and artifactual exhibits.

Thailand Coup 2006: Thursday Tourism Update

2006-09-27T21:44:00.000-07:00

Those now in Bangkok on holiday, who have no interest in watching TV news programmes, or reading newspapers, can well be forgiven for not even being aware a military coup has taken place in Thailand. For those tourists enjoying the sunshine, sumptuous Thai food and exotic sights of Thailand's many beach destinations the situation will seem even more distant, with the most pressing issue of the day probably being whether to enjoy the sun and sea air by the pool or on the beach.

Such is the current calmness in Thailand. As news of the coup began to emerge on Tuesday evening, Thailand's tourism industry took a collective deep breath. The tourism industry in Thailand, as in many parts of Asia, has proved itself to be resilient time and time again, overcoming problems caused by wars, terrorism, SARS and the devastating Tsunami. But as we edge towards the peak Christmas, New Year, Holiday season any violence that this coup could have created would have had a massive impact on tourism to the country and of course the Thai economy.

Fore more detail click here.

Bangkok Opens New Airport Suvarnabhumi as Don Muang Closes

2006-09-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Thai Airways International has successfully migrated its operational base from Don Muang’s Bangkok International Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
THAI’s six main activities, those being Cargo and Mail Commercial, Ground Support Equipment Services, Catering Services, Aircraft Maintenance Center, Customer Services, and Operations Center, have completely transferred their equipment and personnel to Suvarnabhumi Airport, whereby a total of 1.8 million pieces have been moved.
Flg. Off. Apinan Sumanaseni, President of Thai Airways International Public Company Limited, said “As the national carrier of Thailand, those of us at THAI are rather nostalgic of Don Muang’s Bangkok International Airport after having operated there for the past 46 years. In addition, we are excited about our move to Suvarnabhumi Airport, which offers a whole new range of travel experiences, utilizing modern state-of-the-art facilities tailored to the changing needs of today’s global traveler. It is with pleasure and great anticipation that THAI announces the beginning of a new era, with flights to and from our new operational base at Suvarnabhumi Airport.”
Overnight, THAI transferred the parking location of its aircraft. A total of 22 aircraft were flown as ferry flights without passengers from Don Muang’s Bangkok International Airport to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
All airlines flying to Bangkok now fly to and from Suvarnabhumi Airport.

For more detail click here

The best ancient architecture of the world

2006-09-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

There are two preeminent ancient religious cities in Southeast Asia: Bagan in Burma and Angkor in Cambodia. Both sites are notable for their expanse of sacred geography and the number and size of their individual temples. For many visitors Bagan is the more extraordinary of the two cities and this because of the view. The ruins of the more than one hundred Angkor temples stand alone and isolated in thick jungles, and only from the top of the tallest temples it is not possible to see others in the distance. Sprawling across a vast dusty plain, the ruins of Bagan are unhidden. There being no trees to obstruct the view, one may gaze over forty square miles of countryside, upon literally thousands of temples. In the early morning, from Sulamani Temple, or in the late afternoon, from Gawdawpalin Temple, the view is among the very finest the world has to offer.

Cheapest tour for Bagan click here
For more detail information of Bagan click here

Spectacular Singapore

2006-09-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Singapore, or the Lion City, is at the crossroads of Asia. Its mix of Chinese, Indian, and Malay cultures, spiced with Western influences, creates a wonderful blend and this small country celebrates the uniqueness of each in its own special way. Today, the districts designated by the former British colonists for the ethnic groups are still in use, with Chinatown and Little India thriving as religious and cultural centres and yet, no matter what their ethnic background, each citizen calls themselves a Singaporean.

Singapore's strategic position has helped to make it the gateway of Asia, creating opportunities to grow into a major centre for trade, communications and tourism.

Fore more detail information about Singapore click here.

James Bond Island

2006-09-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

This famous landmark, called Koh Ping-gan, first found its way onto the international map through its starring role in the James Bond movie "The Man With the Golden Gun". And this is where they seem to take all of the tourists - all at one time. The entire area surrounding this island with its signature rocky pinnacle is indeed spectacular, but most of the tours bus visitors up the main highway for an hour on the same well-worn itinerary. An integral part of that tour is lunch at Koh Pannyi.

Click here to find out more information

Beyond Phuket

2006-09-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Koh Pannyi (Sea Gypsy Island)

This is a remarkable village, the whole of it built out over water on stilts and with a giant rock monolith guarding its rear. At lunch time, up to 3,000 tourists on the James Bond Island tours are brought in to eat and shop for handicrafts. As soon as the tourists leave, the community closes up its restaurants and trinket shops and transforms itself from a tourist trap into a quiet community of fishermen.

For more information click here.

Phuket Gay Festival

2006-09-27T11:27:00.000-07:00

Taking place in Patong at the beginning of February, the festival itself runs over four days with parties, a volleyball tournament and a street parade that is the highlight of the festival.

Patong Beach is the most famous beach on Phuket Island and has a wide variety of day time activities and a amazing night life.

Stay in Patong if you want to be near to exiting gay night life. In the daytime you can enjoy any of Phuket's 17 sandy beaches or walk down to the gay section of Patong Beach and enjoy the afternoon beach volleyball game.

If you stay outside Patong and want enjoy the night life in Patong you will probably spend a lot of money on tuk-tuk (local taxi) drivers taking you back and forth. Patong is the only beach with a Gay scene on Phuket Island.

If you want solitude there are several secluded islands and beaches only minutes away from Patong, so we are sure that you always will find something or somebody new to discover.

The Saturday Gay day tour from Connect is a "must" even if you not stay in Patong. Follow the link to explore photos from previous tours.

This site contains hundreds of pages on over 1000 photos from Gay Patong and GAY Phuket. Take your time to surf this site and we hope that we will see you here soon in real life.

Welcome to surf this site and if you have any questions or comments please email to us and we will answer within 24 hours.(For more detail information click here)

The World’s Largest Bell

2006-09-27T00:20:00.000-07:00

The World’s Largest Bell

King Dhammazedi's bell may or may not be lost forever, but even if it is, the world's largest accessible and ringing bell is still not in Russia.

That title is owned by Burma's Mingun Bell, which rings near the city of Sagaing, at the Mingun pagoda, some 11 km (7 miles) upriver from Mandalay, in the center of Burma, on the opposite bank of the Ayeyarwaddy and accessible only by river. A 45-minute boat trip to Mingun is very pleasant with plenty of life on the river to see.

This bell was cast by King Bodawpaya on 28 April 1808 and is about 13 feet tall. It weighs 55555 peik-thar, or 90.55 metric tons (about 200 US tons). (Peik-thar are a traditional unit of weight equalling 3.6 lbs (1.63 kg)— that's what the five characters that look like 9's on the side of the bell in the picture to the right mean.)

The pagoda itself was the main jewel in the crown of an ambitious building campaign sponsored by King Bodawpaya (ruled 1782-1819). The largest brick temple in Asia, its outline broods over the western bank of the Irrawaddy River from the hamlet of Mingun. Its base is 256 feet square and it rises some 150 feet. It is now viewed as little more than a curiosity, enhanced by dramatic fissures in its wall created by an earthquake in 1839-- visitors can even climb to the top by a modern stairway mounted on the most ruined corner fo the monument, though no access to the summit existed originally.

The Mingun is Asia's, and indeed, the world's, largest bell. Cast by Bodawpaya to complemlent the huge pagoda, it stands in its original location some 50 yeards to the northeast of the pagoda. The pagoda is still considered unfinished, since it is without a tower, but historians believe King Bodawpaya may have intended to sacrifice height for girth from the very beginning, and thus it may have been considered finished by the king himself. Pagodas were built to venerate sacred objects interred beneath them-- in fact, the word "pagoda" derives from *dagaba* (relic chamber), a term adopted into English after it was encountered in Buddhist Sri Lanka.

Visit to this website for more detail of the world's largest bell