Stranded in Thailand Airports

Bangkok Bureau

After Thailand’s main international airport in Bangkok was closed down, the stranded Chinese tourists finally arrived safely in Shanghai on November 30 just before dawn broke.
Just over 2,700 Chinese tourists were trapped in Thailand. People onboard the China Eastern MU Flight 548 left the Shanghai Pudong International Airport at noon on the Saturday however they returned to the airport at 2.15am on Sunday.

Twenty-eight of the tourists aboard that flight then had to fly to Kunming, the provincial capital of southern Yunnan Province, from Shanghai.

Chinese aviation authorities sent a number of planes to Thailand to rescue the remaining Chinese tourists after the Suvarnabhumi International Airport was closed.

Zhou, a father of a stranded tourist, rushed to the Pudong airport at 1am on Sunday to meet his stranded daughter, when she arrived back from Thailand. His daughter had an internship lined up with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation but had to return home when anti-government protesters fled through Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport earlier that week.

Zhou explained how his entire family was deeply concerned for his daughter’s safety after hearing that the Thailand airport was closed. His family felt a great relief when they learnt that she could take a charter flight and return home safely.
Gao, a manager of a Shanghai food company, went to Thailand for market research and was not meant to be back in Shanghai for another week was pleased to be home sooner than expected. Gao also praised the Chinese government for organizing charter flights so quickly in such a stressful situation.

A spokesperson for the China Eastern explained how the plane returned those people who had tickets for that airline, including 26 members of the operating crew. If seats were available still, then other Chinese citizens were allowed on board the plane.
China Southern Airline’s Boeing 777 landed at Southern Guangzhou Baiyun International airport at 3:17am on the Sunday morning too, bring another 531 stranded Chinese tourists home safely. This plane was mean to arrive early but was delayed due to the disorder in the Thailand airports.

Nearly over 10,000 passengers passed through the airport since Sunday morning, causing extremely heavy traffic jams from Bangkok towards the airport.
At 5.40am another 315 Chinese tourists flew back home on the scheduled by Air China Flights CA072 into Beijing International Airport.
An hour later, 219 tourists arrived at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport by a Boeing 767 of Shanghai Airlines.

Chinese officials arranged seven different charter flights to retrieve the remaining stranded Chinese tourists in Thailand. Air China, Southern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines also sent more planes to Thailand to help bring everyone home.

The arrival of the astronauts

Amber Butler-Davis (Staff Reporter)

On September the 28th, China’s astronauts returned home after completing the country’s first space walk during their 68 hour Shenzhou VII mission. Zhai Zhigang, 41, has marked his name in history with his 15 minute space walk that occurred on the 27th of September.

Premier Wen Jiabo has described the space mission as an important milestone in the nation’s desired rise in becoming a global power. At the control center in Beijing, Wen explained how the space mission was an important step towards the development of Chinese space technology. He continued explaining how China has now become the third country in the world to independently acquire the skills for extra-vehicular activity. The mission has important implications to strengthen China’s economy, military and nation Wen said.

Congraulations and praise were given to the three astronauts and the scientist who were all involved in making the mission possible. Astronauts Zhai, Lui Boming and Jing Haipeng also received loud applauses as they step out from the reentry module after succesfully passing all compulsory medical checks. A very happy Zhai told how he was proud of his motherland and how the mission was challenging but full of successful results. Jing commented how the three days in space made him feel cared for from the country and his family. Jing is glad to be back home safely.

The leaders of South Korea, Loas, Pakistan, Sudan and Togo also gave their congratulations for the completion of the mission.

In northern Inner Mongolia, the 3,240-kilogram reentry module landed successfully at 5.37pm in the empty, flat tundra of Siziwangqi. The red and white striped parachutes, which take up nearly 1,200 square meters, which is close to half the size of a football field, were the first things spotted 10 kilometers above the ground. Shortly after the sighting of the parachutes, the module was located in the lying position by air and ground patrol vehicles.

10 minutes after landing, the hatch of the module was opened and Zhai gave the victory sign to the awaiting crowd full of family, fans, ground staff and journalists, according to a personnel from the China Central Television.

That night the astronauts were flown to Hohhot by helicopter, for further medical exams before being able to return to Beijing the following day. Medical experts said that all three astronauts were in a satisfactory condition.

Over 300 people gathered in front of the big television screen in Hong Kong’s Times Sqaure in Causeway Bay to watch the landing of the module. One spectator commented how they were really proud of the astronauts and how the Chinese can now reach a high level in the international community.
Hong Kong Space Museum curator Chan Ki-hung said the Shenzhou VII mission was as successful as those for Shenzhou V and VI. Chan also stated how the biggest breakthrough in this mission was the China-made spacesuits that the astronauts wore when they did their spacewalk.
In addition to the spacewalk, this 68-hour mission included collecting research samples in space and sending a Chinese satellite into orbit that took photographs from between 4 meters to 2 kilometers.

Historic Firsts for Singapore

Amber Butler-Davis (Staff Reporter)

In 2008, Singapore has witnessed some historic firsts. Besides from hosting the first ever night race in Formula 1 here are the top five events that have occurred in Singapore to date.

Firstly, I have to mention the launch of Johnnie Walker Black Label. Amazingly the Duty Free Shops in the Changi Airport Terminals 1, 2 and 3 have partnered with Johnnie Walker, to become the first and only retailers to unveil the long awaited for limited edition Black Label. This Johnnie Walker pack is to commemorate the Formula One night race which was also held in Singapore at the Changi Airport. The midnight black carry case for the pack was designed to resemble Singapore’s iconic skyline. The carry pack has also been styles so it incorporates elements of aerodynamics which are inspired by the Vodafone, McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 race car. These limited edition Johnnie Walker Black packs are only available at DFS in Singapore, New Zealand, Mumbai and Abu Dhabi. However the special-edition commemorative bottle will only be in Singapore.

Next in line we have the Oris AirAsia Grand Prix Challenge and Roadshow with Cortina. You would have been able to watch this event at the Millenia Walk Centre on September 17 – 30. With AT&T Williams F1 team as the official partners, a life-size F1 stimulator car was brought in so the public could experience the adrenaline rush one can get from driving on a Formula One race car. Not only was this stimualtor brought in for thrills but the top three racers with the fastest lap time will be entered into the GP Challenge and they will race against Nico Rosberg. The winner of the race received attractive prizes from Oris.

Oris also launched and exhibited its latest collection of Williams inspired timepieces. These pieces included the Team Chronograph Silver, WilliamsF1 Team Chronograph Black, WilliamsF1 Team Day Date Silver and WilliamsF1 Team Day Date Black. Cortina Watch, which is the official agent of Oris, supported the challenge with a roadshow that showcased a range of Oris timepieces. Once again these pieces were also inspired by the world of motor sport. The pieces on display included the new TT3 Chronograph collection in Pink Gold and Black.

The deal breaker for tourists to purchase one of these watches from the Oris F1 collection was that they will receive it in a three-piece leather watch box which was worth $300. However, if the purchaser was a Citibank card member they not only got the $300 three-piece watch box they also received a Oris AT&T Williams F1 polo shirt and cap.

In third place we have the 2008 Bulgari Watch Exhibition which was held at the Paragon Atrium on September 18-28. During the 10 day event, the contemporary luxury brand showcased the Bulgari Diagono collection which celebrates the company’s 20th anniversary. Watches for both men and women were on display at the exhibition. The watches, which can be distinguished by the creative and contemporary style characteristics of Bulgari made their venture in Singapore with delight from the many watch connoisseurs and avid collectors.

Coming in fourth place is the Gerald Genta Mickey Racing Singapore at the Hour Glass For F1. Gerald Genta has produced a Mickey Racing Singapore watch which has been valued at $19,700. The lovable Walt Disney character has been inseparably linked with this watch brand since 1980, when he cut a fine figure of Mickey in the center of the silver coloured carbon style embossed dial base.

This recent watch will show the infamous Mickey Mouse donning racing suit, his arm points to the retrograde minutes that are marked out on semi-circle facing him. You also have the chequered flag appearing behind Mickey and this is interrupted to leave space for the jumping-hour display emphasised by a rhodium-plated metal decorative fillet. Meanwhile, the classical central seconds hand completes an exceptionally readable overall layout.

The model also depicts the head of the famous Merlion, which is painted in red at the top of the dial where the arc begins. This is to tribute Singapore. The watch is presented in a lovely case with brushed steel bezel and a polished steel fluted band, which is worn on a rubber strap. You can distinguish the Mickey Racing Singapore automatic watch by the special engraving on the back of it.

Last but not least we have the Singapore Beer Festival which was held at the Fort Canning Park on October 2-5. Here thousands of beer lovers and fun enthusiasts raised there glasses or mugs to celebrate their love of beer. A wonderful selection of local and international entertainment acts kept every amused while drinking the day away.

(Singapore Bureau)

Safety first at the Singapore Zoo

The Singapore Zoo has added more patrols around the animal enclosures and will take extra security measures after a cleaner was killed by two white tigers on the afternoon of November 13. The zoo will be installing warning buttons around the enclosures, which the public can access in the event of an emergency. They have also asked the zookeepers and staff to report any erratic and abnormal behaviour in the animals, staff and visitors.

These extra measures were put in place a day after a Malaysian contract worker was horrible mauled to death in the enclosure of the rare white tigers. The 32 year old cleaner had been behaving in a strange manner shortly before he jumped into the tiger closure, he was seen shouting and flinging items around. Carrying a yellow pail and broom the cleaner crossed the moat and provoked the tigers by swinging the broom at them. One of the tigers swiped at Mr Nordin and the on looking crowd thought it was a show until the big cats started sinking their teeth into the back of Mr Nordin’s neck and tossing him about like a rag doll. Blood could be seen oozing from the cleaners back and he was seen thrashing about in fright for nearly five minutes. After that, he laid motionless inside the enclosure.

Over a dozen zoo keepers rushed to Mr Nordin’s rescue and was able to distract the tigers and shoo them into their feeding den. The zookeepers that helped in the incident are receiving counseling by a psychiatrist to help them over come the trauma. The Singapore Zoo, which is investigating the incident, mentioned how it is now committing its time and effort to ensure the safety and well being of the visitors, staff and animals.

M Biswajit Guha, assistant director of the Zoo, mentioned in a statement that the three white tigers are also quite “stressed out” by the incident. The tiger’s ears are more perked up and their breathing is much quicker than normal. The zoo keepers are trying to keep the tigers routine as normal as possible hoping that this will help settle them down soon. The tigers are also being kept in their den, away from curious onlookers but they should be in better spirits and be able to be released back into the enclosure by the 15th. However, the tiger enclosure will remain closed to the public until further notice.

The zoo officials explain how the tigers have never been in contact with humans since arriving at the Singapore zoo in 2001. The tigers are fed raw meat every day.
In the mean time, the contractor who employed Mr Nordin said he will be pay for the embalmimg and transportation of the body to get him back to his hometown in Kuching. Roland Tay, the undertaker who is handling the body, told The Straits Times he would donate the payment from the contractor to Mr Nordin’s family. He said the body would be flown to Sarawak on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Hamzah Isa, 24, a zookeeper who has worked in the Mandai zoo for nearly three years, said he was shocked and horrified when he heard about the tiger attack. But he did say that he did not notice any change in the victim’s behaviour when he reported for work on Thursday morning. Mr Nordin was known as a quiet man who kept to himself most of the time.

Mr Clement Ijau, 27, also from Sarawak and another cleaner who lives in the same workers’ quarters as Mr Nordin in Serangoon, commented that he did look upset early on Thursday and mentioned how he ignored the other workers in the quarters. Mr Nordin was unmarried but had mentioned how he was missing is parents back home.

The Search Continues
Manila Bureau

Four months ago a strong typhoon managed to capsize the MV Princess of Stars off the Sibuyan Island in the Rombion province. The seven-story ferry flipped over after it sailed in the path of the Typhoon “Frank” (International codename: Fengshen) on June 21 while it was making it’s way from Manila to Cebu City.
The ferry will remain underwater while divers do there best to recover the 800 people it had on board when it when down. 12 divers managed to retrieve another 12 victims on Sunday, it was not a pretty sight for all viewing. Some limbs had been detached. Flesh was decomposing but still several bodies remained intact. The bodies were recovered from the economy section, Deck C, of the Sulpicio Lines vessel.
Chief of the National Bureau of Investigation’s Disaster Victims Identification unit, Dr. Renato Bautista told a news conference in San Fernando town on Sibuyan, that there were four bodies still intact however another body was headless. Also, that some of the bodies they had managed to recover have been missing limbs and has had extensive disintegrating flesh.
In the video shown at the conference, it was clear to see that some of the bodies still had clothes on, but all personal effects can not be found.
The Philipine Coast Guard believes that the 23,000-ton ferry was carrying 864 passengers, only 57 of whom survived. Only 350 bodies have been recovered from the sunken ferry. The rest remain unaccounted for now.
In early July, the retrieval operations had to be suspended until the divers were able to remove a cargo of toxic pesticide endosulfan, which was submerged in the ship 120 feet at the deepest level.
Before the divers could begin the retrieval operation they had to clear away the debris and break open the portholes and windows of cabins to facilitate the removal of the cadavers. The officials could not say for sure how many passengers were trapped inside the ship. However, the Coast Guard said that there is still close to 500 people missing from the tragedy, most of the 500 still missing they believe to be still trapped inside the capsized vessel.
Transportation Undersecretary Elena Bautista who also heads the task force coordinating retrieval operations told the conference that they can not give 100 percent guarantee that all 515 missing are in the ship. But Sulpicio has promised to search the entire ship with a fine toothcomb.
Rodrigo Bella, project manager of Harbor Star, also one of the salvor companies contracted by Sulpicio Lines for the retrieval operations, said divers have found many other bodies inside the cabins. Bella said that the retrieval operations could still last for at least another two weeks, depending on the weather condition. He also noted that it was very dark inside the capsized vessel but promises that his divers do whatever it takes to search the entire ship and get whatever they can.
Harbor Star has 16 divers in total and the Coast Guard, which has a ship in the area, augments the team.
The divers have been using netted body bags to secure the cadavers undersea. The divers then tag the bags and send them to the NBI officials aboard the Sulpicio Lines’ MV Tacloban Princess, which is anchored a few meters from the sunken ferry.
So far, the divers have managed to scour up to 60 feet underwater. At 60 feet, the divers are able to dive up to one hour in total. However, when they get to 100 feet and beyond, they are only allowed to be undersea for 10-15 minutes. The divers have recovered a total of 350 passengers from the wreckage and despite the advanced stages of decomposition, Doctor Bautista says it will still be easy to get DNA samples from the remains to help with identification.
The NBI official said that the divers are trying to recover the whole body of victims; at least the bones including the skull are still intact. If the bodies are not intact, they are trying to recover as many bones as possible.
Doctor Bautista commented on the DNA matching, which is being assisted and funded by the Interpol, will be done in the International Commission for Missing Persons laboratory in Sarajevo in Bosnia. Samples in batches of 100 will be sent off and the results are expected within the next two or three weeks. Doctor Bautista has appealed to the family members who have not sent in their DNA samples to the NBI yet to please go to the authorities in Manila or Cebu as soon as possible.
The Princess of the Stars tragedy is one of the worst maritime disasters in recent years. The Board of Marine Inquiry (BMI), which conducted an investigation of the incident, has blamed the captain and Sulpicio Lines for the disaster. According to the BMI, it has recorded that the captain has miscalculated the risks when he was leaving Manila, despite the heavy storm warnings. The BMI has also said that Sulpicio Lines should be held part liable too because it did not try to stop the boat from leaving the port in Manila.
A mass was held in a makeshift chapel near the shore line when the retrieval operations began. However, none of the relatives were present only 150 residents on the island attended the event. During the mass, residents and local officials threw red daisies into the water and prayed for the deceased.

As they old expression goes … “there ain’t no free lunch”!

From our Hong Kong Bureau

Free Air Tickets

But how do you get one?

Air Asia recently announced an offer of a staggering One Million free air tickets but you have to read the fine print with some amusement first.

Air Asia cleverly do not announce the travel dates of the free tickets so it is impossible for a traveller to book ahead. To take advantage of this fantastic offer you would have to be lucky enough to be able to travel on the very day you are offered a free ticket … not only that but you would need to have your travel documents up to date just in case the ticket takes you to somewhere a visa is compulsory for most travellers like China for example.

When you are lucky enough to be one of the chosen few to be given free air travel to a destination of Air Asia’s choice remember to pack plenty of sandwiches as there are no hot meals provided and be such to travel light as the cost of your luggage could easily equate to full freight.

But that’s not all. The free air tickets and just that – air tickets! The traveller has to fork out for such things as airport taxes, an administration fee (whatever that is) as well as the ubiquitous fuel surcharges.

According to Tsing Tao News reporter Adele Wong, the free tickets are available for flights from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong. When flying from Hong Kong, travellers will have to fly to Kuala Lumpur even if they are heading backwards to a final destination.

A spokeswoman for the airline said that they had succeeded with similar gimmicks in the past. “We have been offering up to one million free tickets each year for the past few years now”, she said. She went on to say that Air Asia has a quick turnaround time meaning once it lands it can be prepared for take off within 25 minutes that is provided air traffic control allow a take off slot.

The airline also saves money on landing charges by using secondary airports whenever it can.

A Cathay Pacific spokesperson said it would retain competitiveness in the market place by continuing to improve its products and services.