North Korea bars foreign tourists from new seaside resort
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South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Passenger plane missing with dozens aboard in Russia's far east
Air traffic controllers lost contact on Thursday with an An-24 passenger plane carrying about 50 people in Russia's far east, and a search was under way, the regional governor said. Advertisement The local emergencies ministry said the plane, operated by a Siberia-based airline called Angara, dropped off radar screens while approaching its destination of Tynda, a town in the Amur region bordering China. Regional governor Vasily Orlov said that according to preliminary data, there were 43 passengers, including five children, and six crew members on board. 'All necessary forces and means have been deployed to search for the plane,' he wrote on Telegram. The emergencies ministry put the number of people on board somewhat lower, at around 40. Advertisement More to follow ...
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- South China Morning Post
‘Are you from Japan?' Foreigners must pay to pray at this temple
A temple in southwestern Japan is drawing controversy and criticism for its recent decision to charge admission only to foreign tourists, at a time when issues related to people from abroad are gaining attention in the national election. Since May, Nanzoin in Fukuoka Prefecture, known for its 41-meter (135-foot) long reclining Buddha statue, has been charging foreign visitors 300 yen (US$2) to enter, saying the funds are needed to address nuisance behaviour. An expert said that the move 'lacks transparency', as debate over the pricing policy for foreign tourists – whose numbers have reached a record high – has intensified. A sign reading 'Visitors' in English stands at the entrance to the area surrounding one of the world's largest statues of its kind, where foreigners queue up to pay a fee at a reception window. Those with proof of long-term stays in Japan for work or study are exempt. Visitors crowd a street leading to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto on Friday. Photo: Reuters As Japanese people are not charged, no explanation in Japanese appears on the sign. Staff or security guards confirm verbally, asking questions like 'Are you from Japan?' before directing them to bypass the line without waiting.
RTHK
7 days ago
- RTHK
34 dead as tourist boat capsizes in Ha Long Bay
34 dead as tourist boat capsizes in Ha Long Bay Millions of people visit Ha Long Bay each year, drawn by the Unesco World Heritage Site's blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands. File photo: Reuters A tourist boat ferrying families around Vietnam's Ha Long Bay capsized in a storm on Saturday afternoon, leaving at least 34 people dead, according to state media reports, as rescuers scrambled to locate the missing. The vessel was carrying 48 passengers and five crew members when it capsized in the Unesco World Heritage site because of sudden heavy rain, the VNExpress news site said. Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, it said. "Border guards rescued 11 people and recovered 34 bodies," it added. Rescue efforts were set to continue into the night to find the eight still missing. Ha Long Bay office worker Tran Trong Hung told AFP the storm started in the afternoon. "The sky turned dark at around 2pm (0700 GMT)," he said. There were "hailstones as big as toes with torrential rain, thunderstorm and lightning", he said. One of the rescued, a 10-year-old boy, told state media outlet VietnamNet, "I took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, then I was pulled up by a boat with soldiers." Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his condolences to the families of the deceased and called on the defense and public security ministries to conduct urgent search and rescue. Authorities would "investigate and clarify the cause of the incident and strictly handle violations", a statement on the government website said. Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, was quoted by VNExpress as saying that the thunderstorms in northern Vietnam were not caused by the influence of Tropical Storm Wipha in the South China Sea. Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, with millions of people visiting its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands each year. Last year, 30 vessels sank at boat lock areas in coastal Quang Ninh province along Ha Long Bay after Typhoon Yagi brought strong wind and waves. (AFP)
