Asia Beat: Apr 23 2008

published by Asianpost on Mon, 04/28/2008 - 17:38

MANILA, Philippines


A video posted on YouTube showing Philippine doctors laughing while removing an object from a patient might lead to charges against the surgeons and cost them their medical licenses. At one point, a hand appears with a cellphone camera taking a close-up picture of the surgery. As a doctor gingerly pulled out a 15cm long canister from the male patient’s rectum, someone shouted, “Baby out!” amid loud cheers. The short video angered the unidentified patient, who planned to press charges after his one-night stand with a male partner had been made public.


PHNOM PENH, Cambodia









Prince Norodom Ranariddh

A court in Cambodia has charged fomer prime minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh with adultry. He is the first high-ranking offical to face charges under new legislation, which was passed last year. The offence carries a maximum prison sentence of 12 months.

 

In the past, he has admitted to a long-standing extra-marital relationship with a classical dancer. The prince is already facing 18 months in jail. Last week he was found guilty of defrauding his former party Funcinpec over a land deal. But Ranariddh’s supporters say the charges are politically motivated because had fallen out badly with Prime Minister Hun Sen

HANOI, Vietnam


Vietnam has conducted its first large-scale trial of a locally produced vaccine against the H5N1 strain of bird flu on 30 volunteers. The trial was implemented on healthy volunteers aged 18-45. The vaccine, was developed from monkey kidney cells. If everything goes as scheduled, the H5N1 vaccine will be produced in Vietnam in 2009 at a price of $2 per dose. Bird flu virus strain H5N1 has killed five people in Vietnam since early this year, according to the Vietnamese ministry of health.


BANGKOK, Thailand


Solar energy has found a unique outlet in Thailand with one innovator using the sun’s rays to roast chicken at his roadside stall, drawing the attention of Japanese researchers and hungry motorists. Sila Sutharat’s , 50, has devised a concave collection of small mirrors that reflect the morning sun’s rays onto his chickens. The Thai innovator the sun can roast a 1.6-kg chicken in 10 minutes for an average of 50 birds each morning, selling at 160 baht ($5) each.


COLOMBO, Sri Lanka


Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is keen to play the peacemaker in war-torn Sri Lanka. Claiming that he enjoys the trust of both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers, Ravi Shankar says he does not need any invitation to act to try ending one of the world’s longest running armed conflicts. Ravi Shankar, 51, is the founder of Art of Living, which enjoys millions of followers worldwide. He has visited Sri Lanka thrice, the last time in September.


HONG KONG









Angela Tong

A 33-year-old man has plead guilty to slapping the face of Hong Kong’s Ugly Betty actress Angela Tong and telling her not to be nosy, local media reported. Andy Chan Man-chun claimed he was paid US$350 by another man to slap the actress to teach her a lesson while she was out shopping on Jan 20. Tong, who portrayed Ugly Betty in Hong Kong to promote the American comedy’s second series on local television, was not injured by the assault but her assistant received scratches while struggling with Chan. Chan will be sentenced May 5.

SINGAPORE 


A sweet-talking swindler who conned 50 elderly women into giving him their jewellery has been arrested, news reports said. The 53-year-old was reported to have collected more than US$36,764. He would approach his victims and claim to have been a former neighbour, the Straits Times said.

 

He would then persuade the women to part with their valuables by promising to exchange them for ones of more value. If convicted of cheating, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

CHENNAI, India


The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has filed a Right to Information request with the Ministry of Railways asking what action it has taken to protect elephants from being knocked down by speeding trains.


 

On Feb 11, three elephants including a pregnant jumbo were killed after they were hit by a speeding train near Coimbatore. The elephant herd was crossing the rail track in the early hours of the morning.  According to Sandeep Tiwari of the Wildlife Trust of India, more than 110 elephants have been killed in train-hits since 1987. This year at least six such deaths have been recorded so far.

HONG KONG


A high-profile millionaire Hong Kong businessman is facing jail after being convicted of groping two male taxi drivers. Stephen Gan Fock-wai, known as the Prince of White Flower Oil for his company’s health food products, was found guilty of fondling the taxi drivers’ thighs and private parts as they drove him home. Gan, 46, who is unmarried, won celebrity status by singing on TV advertisements for his company’s products.

 
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