The pilot of a hot air balloon was killed and 12 tourists onboard injured on Thursday (Apr 12) after it crashed on an island in South Korea. A policeman stands at the scene of a hot air balloon crash in South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju on Apr 12, 2018. (Photo: AFP/Yonhap) The accident occurred at around 8am when the hot air balloon crashed into a hill in the city of Seogwipo on Jeju Island, reported Yonhap News Agency. Firefighters were alerted to the incident by a witness who was collecting edible wild plants at the time of the crash, said the report. The pilot, who suffered a cardiac arrest, was rushed to a hospital but was later pronounced dead, said firefighters. The 12 passengers were also taken to hospitals. The hot air balloon, which was operated by Oreum Hot Air Tour, were heading to a ranch in the city, reported Yonhap. While investigations are underway to find the cause of the accident, authorities believe that the aircraft collided with a tree … [Read more...] about 1 dead, 12 injured in hot air balloon crash on South Korea’s Jeju Island: Report
Hill report
FBI investigating Clinton Foundation: reports
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing the foundation of former president Bill Clinton amid pressure from President Donald Trump and allegations of corruption by Republican lawmakers, US media reported Friday. The Hill, a news website covering Congress, CNN and the New York Times all confirmed that Justice Department investigators are looking into issues involving donations to the Clinton Foundation in exchange for political favors while the ex-president's wife, Hillary Clinton, was secretary of state from 2009-2013. The Justice Department would not confirm the probe, but in November it informed House Judiciary Committee chairman Robert Goodlatte that Attorney General Jeff Sessions was evaluating the need for a probe into a controversial uranium deal that involved a major donor to the foundation. The Clinton Foundation said it had already repeatedly proven such allegations wrong. "Time after time, the Clinton Foundation has been subjected to politically motivated … [Read more...] about FBI investigating Clinton Foundation: reports
Hill station blend of old, new
Nestled high up in north-ern province of the Vinh Phuc, Tam Dao is perhaps the perfect respite from the heat and humidity of Ha Noi.Tam Dao is just 86km northeast of the capital. The town, occupying 253ha, is 900m above sea level in the heart of Tam Dao National Park – the largest in the north.The 80km mountain range has three prominent peaks, which is why it is named Tam Dao. The middle peak is called Ban Thach (Stone Table) and stands a proud 1,388m. The left peak is named Thien Nhi (Sky Market) and is 1,375m tall, while that on the right, named Phu Nghia, is 1,400m above sea level.The French hill station is famed for the wraith-like mist that shrouds the town most mornings. By midday the fog lifts to reveal a mind-boggling panorama of hills and forests. The afternoons are typically cooler, while at night a chilly wind makes heavy clothing a must. In fact, each day in Tam Dao is like the four seasons of the year – summer, autumn, spring and winter.Leading up to the town … [Read more...] about Hill station blend of old, new
At least 3 dead as train derails over Washington state highway
DUPONT, Washington: An Amtrak passenger train travelling on a new route for the first time derailed on Monday (Dec 18) in Washington state, killing at least three people as cars plunged off a bridge onto a busy highway at the height of morning rush hour, officials said.The train, which was carrying 77 passengers and seven crew, derailed in DuPont about halfway between Tacoma and the state capital Olympia on a curve that passes over busy Interstate 5 at about 7.40am (11.40pm Singapore time).Several other carriages of the 14-car train also ended up on the highway, shutting down a key section of the busy artery that connects the greater Seattle metropolitan area to Olympia.A spokeswoman for Washington State police, Brooke Bova, confirmed the death toll, adding that all train cars had been searched by emergency personnel.But she cautioned that several of the roughly 100 people taken to area hospitals were in critical condition."We don't know if that number will change," Bova said of … [Read more...] about At least 3 dead as train derails over Washington state highway
Travel Picks: Top 15 destinations “on the rise”
Now that we are nearly at the end of the first month of 2012, it's time to consider new places to explore this year, which is why online travel consultant TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com) has offered a list of its top 15 destinations on the rise. 1. Tallinn, Estonia Tallinn's atmospheric Old Town is an enthralling hodgepodge of medieval streets and spires. It's a small city, and the tourist areas are safe and easily explored on foot. Buy a Tallinn Card if intending to use buses, trolleys or trams. For a look into Tallinn's past, visit Rocca-al-Mare Open Air Museum's typical rural Estonian taverns, windmills and watermills, see the onion-domed 1900 cathedral or join the bustle in historic Town Hall Square. St. Olav's spire was once the tallest in the world. 2. Riga, Latvia The Latvian capital, the largest city in the Baltics, is a fascinating mixture of proud Latvian tradition and influences of the various countries that have occupied it. Independent once again since … [Read more...] about Travel Picks: Top 15 destinations “on the rise”
President Ho Chi Minh memorial to be built in Phu Tho province
The northern province of Phu Tho will invest 60 billion VND in building a President Ho Chi Minh memorial on Phan Tra hill in the historical relic area of Hung Temple. Accordingly, the memorial will be built an on area of 8,400m2, according to the traditional architectural style. It aims to honour the great contribution of President Ho Chi Minh and show gratitude to ancestors who made contributions to building and defending the nation. This will also be a place to educate tradition and report on achievements to Uncle Ho by Vietnamese generations. The work also aims to raise the profile of and increase the value of the historical relic of Hung temple. Source: CPV … [Read more...] about President Ho Chi Minh memorial to be built in Phu Tho province
What are the secrets of the superagers?
What will you be like in your 80s? Living independently, robust in body and mind, with a wide social circle?Manage that and you will be a superager. It is a worthy aspiration, but the reality is rather different for most of us.Although we are living longer, more of those extra years are being spent in ill health, often with multiple chronic conditions.Of the 65 million people in the UK, 8.45 million are projected to live to 100, according to analysis from the Office for National Statistics.That's around one in eight of the population and a timely reminder that many of us will spend a third of our lives in old age.Ageing is a global issue - the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to almost triple to 1.5 billion by 2050.California is one of the key centres for ageing research - and it's where I met both scientists and superagers.Let's start with Irene Obera.She's 84 and the fastest woman on earth for her age. Irene has been breaking world records in Masters athletics for four … [Read more...] about What are the secrets of the superagers?
Perilous life in the north
The Lunar New Year is not a happy time in Kep A village, a rural community with 60 households in northern Ha Giang province. While most Vietnamese relish the festivities of the year’s biggest holiday, the ethnic Dao and Hmong peoples in Kep A huddle together to fight against the cold. It has gotten worst in the last ten years; due to the changing climate, temperatures have dropped so low that cattle and domestic fowl have died of cold. Robbed of their usual supply of meat, many go for days without food, and the fact that decreasing rainfall has also hindered rice cultivation adds to their woes.All of Kep A’s 375 inhabitants live below the poverty line. None have received a high school education, and as members of different ethnic minorities, some of them don’t even speak the Vietnamese language. Isolated by high mountains and sloping narrow streams, the villagers find it hard to scrape a living together even when the climate is conducive. With low … [Read more...] about Perilous life in the north
Local film to compete at Boston International Film Festival
Local film to compete at Boston International Film FestivalThe Saigon Times Daily The movie Cha cong con (Father and Son) directed/scripted by Vietnamese director Luong Dinh Dung will compete at the Boston Int’l Film Festival 2017 from April 13-17, reports Vietnamplus. This year’s film festival has attracted 3,281 films from around the world competing in 17 categories for feature films, short films, documentaries and experimental films. The organizers will name three winners in each category. Boston Int’l Film Festival is one of the biggest events in Massachusetts in the U.S. Director Luong Dinh Dung shared that he is surprised and happy as his 90-minute movie is chosen for the festival and to have a chance to promote his creation to American viewers. The director also expects Vietnamese audience will see the movie at local theaters in mid 2017. Previously, the movie “Touch” by oversea Vietnamese director Nguyen Duc Minh, telling the story about a mechanic … [Read more...] about Local film to compete at Boston International Film Festival
Central Highlands struggle to settle immigrants
VietNamNet Bridge – Sung Dao Can and his wife have cut down trees in a forest and on a hill to plant cassava and build a bare shack as they struggle to eke out a living.“I know it (deforestation) is wrong, but it is not just me. Many others have also done this to grow corn and cassava just to survive,” Can told the Nhan dan (People) newspaper.Can and his wife moved half-way across the country from their home in northern border province of Cao Bang two years ago. His family is just one of many who reside in Zone 265, a makeshift residential area at the edge of the Cu M’lan Commune in Dak Lak Province.The zone is about 30km away from the commune centre, but it takes more than two hours on bike on trails to reach it. Roughly 100 makeshift shacks with straw and wooden poles stand next to a vast area, once a thick forest, now dotted with dry tree stumps.Most of the residents here belong to ethnic minority communities, like Can and his wife, who are of Dao … [Read more...] about Central Highlands struggle to settle immigrants