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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asean/40020936

Vietnam’s 5 magnificent cliffs that offer heart-stopping adventure

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022

Cliffs and steep rock formations are the results of geological activities and the impact of nature. These sites also give adventure seekers a chance to test their endurance and steely spirit, as well as an opportunity to admire beautiful landscapes from high above.

In Vietnam, young adventure seekers have the chance to climb five steep cliffs. They are:

Pha Luong

The cliff on top of Pha Luong in Son La province’s Chieng Xuan district is a check-in point for many tourists. Sitting about 70 kilometres from the centre of the Moc Chau Plateau, this cliff presents a spectacular view of numerous tectonic fissures and the poetic scenery of Son La.

Though this cliff is not as precarious as it looks, it will still take three hours to climb.

The area is often crowded by people taking photographs and it can be dangerous if care is not taken.

Ma Pi Leng Pass

Ma Pi Leng is a beautiful pass in the north of Vietnam, through which you can look down on the crystal-clear waters of the Nho Que River.

Along the pass, there are many eye-catching rocky tops, with the most beautiful one sitting in the middle of the pass. From this cliff, you will get to enjoy the majestic and immense panorama of Ha Giang, and the Nho Que River winding far below.

This cliff is believed to be the most dangerous and is fenced off by a steel net. Climbing the cliff can be difficult for the most experienced climbers due to the stacks of stone slabs. Avid photographers can capture beautiful images from other cliffs or against the railing of the pass itself.

Lao Than

When travelling to Lao Cai province, most tourists stop off to explore the Sa Pa Town and neighbouring villages. However, in this northwest region, there is also an attractive destination with a rock crop that captivates many travellers. The cliff on top of Lao Than Mountain, in the centre of Bat Xat district’s Phin Ho village, has become popular among backpackers thanks to social media.

Standing on top of the Lao Than cliff, climbers will be presented with the lyrical beauty of green valleys nestled in thick white clouds.

Though it takes almost four hours to get to the top, the trek itself is beautiful thanks to the many flowering bushes on either side.

Turtle-head cliff in Ta Xua

This cliff sits along the Ta Xua mountain range in Cong Village in Yen Bai province’s Tram Tau district.

Like the cliffs in Son La and Ha Giang, this one is also very beautiful, shaped like the head of a turtle protruding from the ground.

It takes about four hours to conquer this cliff, though once you get to the top of the 2,000-metre-high mountain, you will realise that it was certainly worth it.

The cliff is surrounded by white clouds, blue skies and dense forests. Though this cliff is not considered very dangerous, its sheer height can still be scary.

The cliff surface is relatively flat and easy to walk on, though climbers are advised to stay away from the edge.

Da Chong Mountain

This rock formation on Da Chong Mountain in Quang Ninh province’s Hoanh Bo district can offer climbers an attractive surprise.

Apart from its unique shape and dozens of natural stones stacked one on top of the other, this cliff is hundreds of metres high, jutting out from the forest’s edge.

Once on top, climbers can enjoy the beauty of Yen Lap Lake surrounded by large pine forests and dotted with islets in the middle of the lake.

For young explorers, the cliffs present imposing, majestic beauty. Though the cliff can be scaled, climbers are advised to always be prepared to ensure their absolute safety.

Thanh Nga

Viet Nam News

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/russia-central-asia/40020930

UN rejects Russia’s call that vote on Ukraine ‘annexation’ should be secret ballot

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022

UN members expressed solidarity with Ukraine after voting on Monday to reject Russia’s call that a vote to condemn Moscow’s move to annex four regions should be a secret ballot.

UK’s ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodstock, said Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was overturning the “most sacred principle” in the international system and urged other member states to support the sovereignty of Ukraine with their vote.

“This assembly’s call on Russia since the start of its illegal invasion has been simple. End this war and withdraw from Ukraine,” she said.

The General Assembly decided, with 107 votes in favour, that it would hold a public vote – and not a secret ballot – on a draft resolution that would condemn Russia’s “illegal so-called referenda” and the “attempted illegal annexation”. Diplomats said the vote on the resolution would likely be on Wednesday.

Only 13 countries on Monday opposed holding a public vote on the draft resolution, while another 39 countries abstained and the others did not vote. Russia had argued that a secret ballot was needed because Western lobbying meant that “it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly”.

Moscow has moved to annex four partially occupied regions in Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia – after staging what it called referendums. Ukraine and allies have denounced the votes as illegal and coercive.

The draft resolution to be voted on later this week calls on states not to recognise Russia’s move and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Russia vetoed a similar resolution in the 15-member Security Council last month. It has been trying to chip away at its international isolation after nearly three-quarters of the General Assembly reprimanded Moscow and demanded it withdraws its troops within a week of its February 24 invasion of Ukraine.

The moves at the United Nations mirror what happened in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea. At the Security Council, Russia vetoed a draft resolution that opposed a referendum on the status of Crimea and urged countries not to recognise it.

The General Assembly then adopted a resolution declaring the referendum invalid with 100 votes in favour, 11 against and 58 formal abstentions, while two dozen countries didn’t take part.

Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40020922

Japan lifts all restrictions on vaccinated tourists, offers discounts

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022

Japan announced that it will drastically ease entry restrictions on Tuesday, including scrapping the cap of 50,000 arrivals daily.

It will also eliminate the ban on individual tourists from Tuesday.

Before this, tourists could only enter on package tours.

Measures to stimulate domestic tourism demand, such as the national travel assistance programme, will also be initiated, to accelerate the “Living with the novel coronavirus” scheme to revive the economy.

Since February 2020, when the government denied entry to non-Japanese nationals who had been in China’s Hubei Province where infections first began to spread, Japan has imposed various limits on entry. Restrictions will now largely return to pre-Covid levels, except for requiring proof of a third dose of vaccine or a negative test result within 72 hours before leaving the last country travellers were in before coming to Japan.

“We want many people to enjoy events across the nation and hope it will invigorate Japan,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said to reporters on Sunday, expressing his expectations for the national travel assistance programme and the easing of entry restrictions.

Kishida spoke after attending the Japanese Grand Prix of the Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture.

From Tuesday, all entrants, including returning Japanese nationals, will not be tested for the virus upon entry and will not be required to self-quarantine unless they have symptoms such as fever. Visa exemptions will also resume for short-term visitors to Japan from 68 countries and regions, including the United States and South Korea.

The national travel assistance programme subsidises 40 per cent of travel expenses for public transportation and accommodations, and together with coupons for food and beverages, the maximum subsidy amount is ¥11,000 per person per day. The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to start the programme on October 20. The event discount scheme, which offers a 20 per cent discount (up to ¥2,000) on the price of tickets to movies, sports games and other entertainment will also begin.

The Japan Times

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asean/40020919

‘Cursed’ stretch of Cambodia’s National Road 3 to undergo 4th round of repairs

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022

Cambodia’s Economy and Finance Ministry has come up with mechanisms to fund the US$70-million construction of a 20-kilometre section of National Road 3 and has told a construction firm to make temporary repairs to facilitate travel.

Finance Minister Aun Pornmoniroth and Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol inspected the damaged stretch of National Road 3 on October 7.

“The Kampot-Veal Renh section of National Road 3 is 54km long, 34km of which is in good condition. The other 20km section has sustained regular damage even though we have repaired it on several occasions,” Chanthol said.

He also sent a team to examine the road and prepare a presentation on techniques that can be used to ensure that this round of repairs to the 20km section will be durable.

Pornmoniroth recommended that the construction firm make temporary repairs of the damaged road to facilitate travel before receiving the larger sum of funding to finish the construction.

Public works ministry spokesman Vasim Sorya told The Post that the ministry would have to study the area further because the land at the location was not ideal for construction and some new approach is needed to avoid having to do these same repairs again.

“Now that we’ve secured an agreement, we have to study the site because the land there is muddy,” he said. “On each project, we don’t just release the money to the contractors immediately because in general, we’ve had to deal with the Covid-19 situation and then the floods. But now that there is an agreement, we will proceed with the plans.”

Leading his ministry’s technical experts to inspect National Road 3 back on March 29, Chanthol, citing an earlier study, said the funds needed to make the 20km section solid and technically up to standards would cost about $70 million.

“This 20km section has many problems. We have not made it durable so far because this road was not studied in detail,” he said.

Chanthol added that the section had been constructed four times already, but earlier projects did not involve a careful study of the problem or any plans to mitigate the recurrence of the damage.

The Phnom Penh Post

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40020915

New Zealand cattle fed ‘Kowbucha’ to reduce climate-destroying methane burps

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2022

In a research farm in New Zealand, more than a dozen calves line up and eagerly drink their daily milk formula blended with Kowbucha, a wittily named probiotic that studies show reduces burps – or methane emissions.

The regular feeds are part of a series of trials being carried out by New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra since 2021 to gauge how effective the probiotic is in reducing methane emissions.

The “true eureka moment” came when early trials suggested that calves emit up to 20 per cent less methane when they receive the probiotic supplement, said Shalome Bassett, principal scientist at Fonterra Research and Development Centre.

“So New Zealand has key targets it needs to meet by 2030 and also by 2050 and this is a great solution that would be easy for farmers to adopt and help us meet some of those key targets,” said Bassett.

Ongoing trials have shown similar, promising results, she said. If that continues, Fonterra hopes to have Kowbucha sachets in stores by the end of 2024, Bassett said, before farmers have to start paying for animal burps. Fonterra said it did not yet have any pricing information for the sachets.

New Zealand has pledged to cut biogenic methane emissions by 10 per cent on 2017 levels by 2030 and by up to 47 per cent by 2050. On Tuesday, the government confirmed plans to price agricultural long-lived gases and biogenic methane that mainly comes from cow and sheep burps separately, in a plan that farm groups have raised concerns about.

The government also released its proposed plan on agricultural emissions pricing, which when introduced in 2025 will make New Zealand, a large agricultural exporter, the first country to have farmers pay for emissions from livestock. Agricultural emissions account for around half of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Ahead of that, farmers, businesses and scientists are working on ways to cut emissions without reducing herd number, given agricultural products make up more than 75 per cent of the country’s goods exports.

Apart from Kowbucha, some feed additives available abroad have shown proven results. Royal DSM’s Bovaer feed additive can reduce methane emissions by 30 per cent in dairy cows and by more in beef cattle.

Fonterra said Kowbucha likely provides an easier solution generally as farmers only have to feed it to calves when they are being reared, given it is expected to have a lasting impact.

New Zealand is also considering whether supplements that have had success abroad can be adapted locally. Much of the science overseas focuses on altering barn animals’ food and is harder to implement in a country where animals largely live outdoors and eat grass.

“The easiest way to reduce emissions is to reduce production or have fewer animals basically, so that’s a real challenge when we’re trying to also produce food and keep our export returns at the level that we want them,” ANZ agricultural economist Susan Kilsby told Reuters.

For Fonterra, however, research remains key as it aims to cap farm emissions at 2015 levels. In addition to Kowbucha, it is also trialling other feed additives and seaweed.

“It’s definitely important for us to be leading in this space. Our farmers need a solution and New Zealand needs a solution,” said Bassett.

Reuters

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asean/40020904

Malaysian Parliament dissolved to make way for general elections

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022

Malaysia’s King Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah has consented to the dissolution of Parliament, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said.

In a special televised announcement, the PM said on Monday that Parliament will be dissolved to make way for the 15th general election to be held within 60 days.

“I had an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sunday afternoon. He consented to the dissolution of Parliament on Monday in accordance with Articles 40(2)(b) and 55(2) of the Federal Constitution,” he said.

The king recommended that the heads of the state except for Sabah, Sarawak, Melaka and Johor take the necessary action to dissolve their respective state assemblies so state polls can be held on the same date as the general elections.

It is reported that Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Negri Sembilan have refused to hold state polls concurrently with the general elections if they are held this year.

Penang has 13 parliamentary constituencies, Kedah (15), Selangor (22) and Negri Sembilan (eight).

“It should be conducted at the same time to ensure that the rakyat [public] is not burdened, aside from ensuring the smoothness of the democratic process and to save costs,” said Ismail Sabri.

“The dates for nomination and polling as well as other related matters will be decided by the Election Commission.”

Ismail Sabri said that getting the people’s mandate is the best method to ensure political stability and the formation of a solid, stable and respected government.

“The dissolution is being carried out to silence questions of the government’s validity such as claims of a ‘backdoor government’,” he added.

Ismail Sabri said he hopes voters will use their power to choose a government that is able to resume the implementation of the 2023 budget and maintain political stability.

He also said he hopes voters will choose a government that preserves the unity and harmony among different religions, races and ethnicities.

The Star

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/europe/40020897

Kyiv, other Ukraine cities hit as Putin orders revenge for Crimea bridge

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022

Russia fired cruise missiles at cities across Ukraine during rush hour on Monday morning, killing civilians and knocking out power and heat, in what President Vladimir Putin declared to be revenge for Ukrainian attacks including on a bridge to Crimea.

The missiles tore into busy intersections, parks and tourist sites in the centre of downtown Kyiv with an intensity not seen since Russian forces tried to capture the capital early in the war.

Explosions were also reported in Lviv, Ternopil and Zhytomyr in western Ukraine, Dnipro and Kremenchuk in central Ukraine, Zaporizhzhia in the south and Kharkiv in the east. Ukrainian officials said at least 10 people were killed and scores injured, and swaths of the country were left without power.

In a televised address, Putin said he had ordered “massive” long-range strikes against Ukrainian energy, command and communication targets, using missiles fired from air, sea and land, in response to what he described as terrorist attacks, including Saturday’s explosion at the Kerch Strait bridge.

“The Kyiv regime, with its actions, has put itself on the same level as international terrorist organisations. With the most odious groups. To leave such acts without a response is simply impossible,” Putin said, threatening more strikes in future if Ukraine hits Russian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Monday’s rush hour attacks were deliberately timed to kill people as well as to knock out Ukraine’s power grid. His prime minister said 11 major infrastructure targets were hit in eight regions, leaving swaths of the country with no power, water or heat.

Germany said a building housing its consulate in Kyiv had been hit in Monday’s strike, though it had not been used since the war started on Feb. 24. The European Union condemned Monday’s “barbaric and cowardly attacks” on Ukraine, among a chorus of denunciations from Western countries.

By mid-morning, Ukraine’s defence ministry said Russia had fired 81 cruise missiles, and Ukraine’s air defences had shot down 43 of them.

Zelenskiy later filmed a video message on a mobile phone on an empty central Kyiv street. He said the strikes had two main targets: energy infrastructure and people.

“Such a time and such targets were specially chosen to cause as much damage as possible,” he said.

Prime Minister Denys Shmygal promised to restore utilities as quickly as possible. 

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted: “Putin’s only tactic is a terror on peaceful Ukrainian cities, but he will not break Ukraine down. This is also his response to all appeasers who want to talk with him about peace: Putin is a terrorist who talks with missiles.”

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40020896

Indian security forces foil bid to smuggle mobile phones to Bangladesh

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022

India’s Border Security Force (BSF) on October 8 seized 317 mobile phones that were found floating in the Pagla River near the eastern border with Bangladesh in a suspected smuggling attempt.


The seizure was made by the troops of 70th Battalion under South Bengal Frontier.

In a statement, the BSF said that on the basis of information received from intelligence sources, the troops noticed that some plastic packages, tied to banana stems, were floating in the Pagla River towards Bangladesh.

Vigilant security personnel immediately acted on the info and ferreted the packages out of the river. The packages contained 317 pieces of mobile phones of different companies with an estimated total value of 3.88 million rupees (1.78 million baht). The seized goods were handed over to the Police Station English Bazar for further legal action.

The Commanding Officer of the 70 Battalion stated that the BSF is taking strict measures to prevent smuggling along the India-Bangladesh Border. As a result, the people involved in activities like smuggling are experiencing a lot of difficulties and some of them are getting apprehended as well.

The Statesman

Asia News Network

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https://www.nationthailand.com/world/asia-pacific/40020880

Gratitude for tsunami aid sizzles at Tokyo grilled fish festival

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022

In a suburb of Tokyo the sights, sounds — and smells — of autumn are alive and well as the Meguro no Sanma Matsuri festival sizzles into action.

Skilled chefs cooked sanma Pacific saury over a charcoal grill in Meguro Ward where participants got a free taste of the prized seasonal fish on Sunday.

Appetites were strong – this was the first time the event has been held since the pandemic started.

And given the drop in saury catches, the organisers had considered cancelling the festival for the third straight year. But the fishing community of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture was eager to provide saury as a mark of gratitude for the Tokyo suburb’s help in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake-Tsunami, which devastated the town. Kesennuma and Meguro had allied as friendship cities just a year before the disaster struck.

This gratitude made the event possible, even if a month later than usual.

Because of the smaller catches — last year the total haul was only one-tenth of what it was 10 years earlier — only 1,000 saury were available, instead of the usual 5,000. The event still drew about 9,000 applications, showing its enduring popularity.

The Japan News/Yomiuri Shimbun

Asia News Network

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Kim Jong-un oversees N Korean ‘tactical nuclear exercise’

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2022

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a tactical nuclear exercise to assess his country’s “war deterrent and nuclear counterattack capability” in response to recent joint military training by South Korea and the United States, Pyongyang’s state media said on Monday.

Kim “guided” drills conducted from September 25 to October 9 while US and South Korean troops staged a large-scale naval exercise in the waters off the peninsula involving the nuclear-powered Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North’s military staged “ballistic missile launching drills under the simulation of loading tactical nuclear warheads”, it reported.

The North’s military also held a series of live-fire “striking” exercises, including “super-large” calibre missile firing drills targeting major ports of its enemies on Sunday, with long-range artillery and aviation units mobilised.

“This is the verification of the operation posture of our war deterrent and, at the same time, an occasion that proved the reliability of the thorough preparedness of the state nuclear defence posture,” Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA in its English-language report.

Kim also made clear that he is not interested in talks with the US and South Korea, instead vowing to strengthen his regime’s nuclear force.

“We have no content for dialogue with the enemies and felt no necessity to do so,” Kim said, as Pyongyang’s state-controlled media carried reports on his public activity for the first time in about a month.

The announcement came on the 77th founding anniversary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party.

Seoul and Washington have sought to beef up their combined combat readiness by staging joint naval exercises recently in a show of force against Pyongyang’s provocations.

North Korea has long denounced such moves as rehearsals for an invasion, calling on Washington to end its “hostile” policy. The allies stressed that the exercises are defensive in nature.

Concerns are growing that North Korea may conduct a nuclear test in the near future, with the South’s state intelligence agency saying that it may be slated for between October 16 and November 7.

At a key party congress in January last year, Kim urged efforts to be redoubled on the development of tactical nuclear weapons that can be loaded with “smaller and lighter” warheads.

Last month, the North’s rubber-stamp parliament approved a new law that opens the door for pre-emptive nuclear strikes by its military. Kim stated that the new law makes the country’s nuclear power status “irreversible”.

The North conducted a string of key weapon tests, including the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan on October 4. The US soon redeployed the aircraft carrier to the East Sea and launched another round of joint naval training with South Korea and Japan.

The KCNA also accused South Korea’s military chief of revealing his “will for confrontation” in “unreasonable and provocative remarks”.

“Under such inevitable circumstances,” the KCNA said, the ruling party’s Central Military Commission discussed the security situation on the peninsula and decided to conduct the military drills “under the simulation of an actual war at different levels in order to check and improve the reliability and combat power of our state war deterrence and send a strong military reaction warning to the enemies”.

The Korea Herald

Asia News Network