they want to be like thailand in many ways, but are also fearful of the influence of thailand.d you can see this, for example, in something like the spread of hiv/aids, which is a very serious problem in thailand, and one that the lao government is, you know, anxious to deal with before it becomes a serious problem in laos. narrator: for some laotians, the pull of the global economy is irresistible. inthavong: i think it's a question of trying to make the best of that change-- to take the good things and leave the bad aside. and it'll be interesting to see whether the social development can keep pace. fox: laos is a country that has many possible futures. it is a country that still has pristine forests and free-flowing rivers. laos is a country that may be able to structure its development in a way that is truly sustainable-- development that actually leads to an increased standard of living, but not at the expense of the environment, or of a very special and distinct culture. inthavong: narrator: although its history and geography have long isolated laos from its neighbors and

. >> and finally, thailand's growing mitd class is getting a taste for premium coffee. it's a market that has doubled in just ten years. we're not only talking about lattes and cappuccinos, but thai farmers now produce some of the world's most expensive coffee using beans processed in a very unusual way. our reporter went to saror the flavor. >> reporter: this coffee in central thailand offers a special cup of coffee that costs more than $30 a cup. that's 20 times the normal price for coffee. the coffee has its origins in malasia. its unique taste attracts coffee lovers from all over thailand. >> translator: it is really different from ordinary coffee. >> reporter: the coffee owner is also a farmer who pioneered a production of coffee in thailand. he shared with us the secret of his success. >> reporter: you can't produce the coffee without civet. the 50 centimeter long wild animals have an appetite for coffee berries. they consume the fruit but leave the coffee beans undigested in their droppings. on their journey through the animal's body, the beans react with enzymes

. >> and finally, thailand's growing mitd class is getting a taste for premium coffee. it's a market that has doubled in just ten years. we're not only talking about lattes and cappuccinos, but thai farmers now produce some of the world's most expensive coffee using beans processed in a very unusual way. our reporter went to saror the flavor. >> reporter: this coffee in central thailand offers a special cup of coffee that costs more than $30 a cup. that's 20 times the normal price for coffee. the coffee has its origins in malasia. its unique taste attracts coffee lovers from all over thailand. >> translator: it is really different from ordinary coffee. >> reporter: the coffee owner is also a farmer who pioneered a production of coffee in thailand. he shared with us the secret of his success. >> reporter: you can't produce the coffee without civet. the 50 centimeter long wild animals have an appetite for coffee berries. they consume the fruit but leave the coffee beans undigested in their droppings. on their journey through the animal's body, the beans react with enzymes

it brings together local authorities from japan with industrial parks from thailand. the idea is that firms operating under their jurisdiction will support each other during times when supplies or parts and materials are disrupted. >> translator: the scheme will not only make it possible for both countries to support each other, i also expect the project will create new businesses. >> 17 industrial parks and 15 local authorities have already showed interest in taking part in the scheme. thai prime minister will visit japan next week to learn about reconstruction efforts following the earthquake and tsunami. she'll also be looking for lessons thailand can learn for its own post flood recovery. she spoke with nhk and other japanese media ahead of a visit. >> we were quite impressed with japan how to handle and recover after the earthquake. so we would like to -- i think we saw from the news -- everything from japan very strong commitment from -- >> reporter: the prime minister referred to the floods in thailand that caused damage to many foreign companies. japanese firm

. >> in thailand.o the floods that struck thailand are precisely the kind of extreme weather events, droughts, floods, fires that climate scientists who if i heard you earlier you said you accept their science, say well what happened with increased intensity and frequency. so my question is, do you ever run awe global business, how do you plan for the unexpected supply chain disruption that's then, you know, hit you from the other side of the world? >> you know, we have operational risk management function within the company. and so when i came in i said give me the 25 biggest things that could happen to you. and you want to lay awake at night worrying about all of them, i did that for a while. then i figured what the hell. if someone told me -- it's so tragic what happened in japan, an earthquake, a tsunami and a nuclear disaster. what it tells you is you have to diversify your supply chain. and we are actively doing that. you know, to be honest with you, depending on how far your supply chain went ar

. >> thailand's prime minister is currently visiting japan. in an exclusive interview with nhk on friday she pledged to continue efforts to bolster thailand's flood defenses. and she praised cooperation with japan as thailand fights to protect its position as the manufacturing hub of southeast asia. >> she also said her government is planning to give more incentives to encourage companies to invest. they include a fund worth $1.5 billion for disaster insurance. >> about the ongoing moves toward demock ratization in myanmar, the prime minister said thailand would like to play its part. >> to india now where the government has revoked the visa of a japanese woman scheduled to speak at a conference about nuclear energy. india is one of many emerging economies looking to nuclear power to meet its growing energy needs. the disaster at fukushima daiichi gave new purpose to the anti-nuclear movement in india. environmental organization greenpeace said it invited the 25-year-old woman from fukushima city to india. she was due to speak at an event mark

. >> thailand's prime minister is currently visiting japan. in an exclusive interview with nhk on friday she pledged to continue efforts to bolster thailand's flood defenses. and she praised cooperation with japan as thailand fights to protect its position as the manufacturing hub of southeast asia. >> she also said her government >> she also said her government is planning to give more incentives to encourage companies to invest. they include a fund worth $1.5 billion for disaster insurance. >> about the ongoing moves toward democratization in myanmar, the prime minister said thailand would like to play its part. >> to india now where the government has revoked the visa of a japanese woman scheduled to speak at a conference about nuclear energy. india is one of many emerging economies looking to nuclear power to meet its growing energy needs. the disaster at fukushima daiichi gave new purpose to the anti-nuclear movement in india. environmental organization greenpeace said it invited the 25-year-old woman from fukushima city to india. she was

this is in response to last year's earthquake related calamities in japan and floods in thailand. yoshihiko noda and yingluck shinawatra held a joint news conference after meeting in tokyo, referring to the floods that caused extensive damage to japanese firms in thailand. yingluck said her government will work to prevent a recurrence. >> translator: the thai government promises to japanese companies and government that we will take full-scale measures to prevent recurrence. we will take short and long-term flat control measures. >> translator: japan and thailand are strategic partners, sharing basic values. as a key southeast asian country, the development and stability of thailand is crucial to japan's national interests. >> the two leaders issued a joint statement declaring a stronger strategic partnership. and increase in mutual assistance in times of disaster and resulting reconstruction. >>> japan's emperor returned to hospital on wednesday morning to have fluid removed from his chest. emperor akihito was treated at the imperial household hospital. he had the procedure under

in the case of the climate wasn't the issue. >> thailand. >> thailand was probably more likely. i would like to think it was more likely than what happened in japan. >> you mentioned gm ventures. gm ventures invested in car sharing, i believe, with relay ride. i would like to talk about the future of car sharing and automobiles as a service and mobility as a service. >> you don't know what shape or form that mobility will take place. we are looking at autonomous cars. you know what i mean? we are trying to look at everything now. we can't afford to run around with blinders saying we are going to build just trucks. we are going to build every segment of the market and be efficient as we can in every segment of the market. if it evolves to a zip-car type or a peer-to-peer type that relay cars are involved, we want to be part of it. we have an onstar that enables that. if you want a car and you can rent it to me for $250 a day. you can rent. we wanted to be an enabler. nothing you do in the world satisfies everybody. i was criticized for being stupid on that one. what if this takes

bucha is indispensible to thailand's climate initiative. he and the other energy consultants explain the benefits of saving energy and resources. >> sometimes, it's quite simple: i tell people just to turn the computer and the lights off when they leave the office. that helps to save energy. and i tell the workers on the floor to be careful to apply the energy-saving measures in the production process as thoroughly as they can. >> the german project manager drops by in the afternoon. the production engineer shows him around the shop, explaining where and how they've already cut back power consumption. the cutting torch is not only faster than the cutting disc -- it also creates less waste. the company director adds that energy costs have been cut by 30 percent. >> in the three years of the project's duration, we've already been able to save more than one thousand tons of c-o- 2, and we've had only a pilot facility for each of the five sectors where we've been able to demonstrate this. that's a very good result. and the investment funds have

honda is planning to build another factory elsewhere in thailand. nhk world. >>> the thai government is scrambling to implement anti-flood measures before the rainy season arrives, but some observers are concerned that the measures may n be sufficient if this year's rains are anything like those experienced in 2011. >>> next, to myanmar, where there's about one week left before landmark by-elections. the government is trying to reassure the global community that voting will be free and fair. it has even accepted election monitors from the united states and asean, but opposition candidates headed by pro democracy leader aung san suu kyi still faces hurdles in some key locations. nhk world reports. >> reporter: the place is packed with 10,000 people. they've come to listen to aung san suu kyi, the country's pro democracy icon. she has visited towns and villages during the election campaign. >> translator: i'm so happy because we've been freed from the 20-year oppression of the military government. >> reporter: this month aung san suu kyi gave her firs

from thailand, here's jonah fisher. >> home at last. this incredible journey had more than a touch of hollywood about it. just before christmas, a picture on a mobile phone was all this man had to remind him of his beloved pet. a fireworks display had scared him, and he disappeared. and after a week of searching, he had almost gin up hope. he's like a member of the family. the first week he went missing, we couldn't sleep at all, he says. we'd get up in the middle of the night whenever we heard dogs barking, hoping he'd come home. but it was never the dog. weeks later, his hopes rose again when he saw a television report on a successful operation by the thai police. more than 800 battered dogs in cages was stopped as it tried to leave the country. their destination, the dinner plates of vietnam, where dog meat is considered a delicacy. the last six months in thailand has seen a sharp rise in the number of dogs stolen to order. the bruised and extremely sick animals were brought to this shelter in the thai countryside. this place has onl

nec has been hit hard by the strong yen and flooding in thailand. i projects a loss of over $1 billion for the net business year ending this month. here are the latest market figures. >> a japanese kor on thursday acquitted a man who had once been sentenced to death. the man was found guilty of murdering two people. he has denied the charges. a secret at the crime scene turned the decision around. on thursday the court handed down the not guilty verdict citing the lack of evidence that the 54-year-old prison guard was at the crime scene. he was charged with killing his daughter-in-law and her baby son and setting their residence on fire in 2002. his dan was found on a cigarette butt among 72 such butts left in an ashtray on the stairway. but no direct evidence was found at the scene. he was sentenced to life imprisonment in his first trial and to death by a higher court. but the supreme court scrapped the rulings and sent the case back for a retile. it is said the cigarette butt was discolored indicating that it may have been left there long before

in thailand, i bet i had eight r.n.s just on my section of the floor alone. that's what the hospital prides itself on, its first-class medical care, which it can offer so cheaply because everything is cheaper here. particularly labor and malpractice insurance. you can get just about any kind of treatment, from chemotherapy to plastic surgery. kim atwater from bend, oregon, was on vacation in thailand when she decided to combine sightseeing with a bit of an eye lift. were you at all nervous about having an operation done in thailand? >> yes. yes, i was somewhat hesitant of having any type of an operation in a foreign country. and it turned out to be just beyond my expectations. >> but not beyond her budget-- $1,500--and that included a private room. how would you describe the difference between this place and american hospital? >> it's much nicer than any that i've ever stayed in the united states. >> the rooms look more like hotel rooms than hospital rooms, and that's no accident. the idea was to make the whole hospital look like a hotel, and a five-star hote

the village is in southern thailand. >> translator: this is where my house used to stand. >> she used to live by the sea. she was in her house when the tsunami hit. all she can remember is holding a tree trunk, holding on for dear life as she was swept by the waves. some other members of her family didn't survive. tsunami victims.n orphanage for when she first arrived, saw seemed depressed. she hardly talks to anyone. her mood also effected the teachers and other children. of all the children effected by the tsunami, some were abandoned by their families. she saw children with harder situations. she learned to channel her energy towards helping them. >> she started taking care of other children. it gave new meaning to her life. on this day, saw painted a picture to the auction for tsunami victims in japan. she wrote a message of hope to the children. >> translator: we all live on the same planet. so we should do everything we can to help each other. this is my message of moral support for japanese chirp. my days in the orphanage make me stronger, and gave me confidence. >> it is a har

she plans to explain thailand's new water management policies. winning back international confidence is critical for thailand in order to maintain it place as a manufacturing hub of southeast asia. reporting for nhk world, bangkok. >>> turning now to vietnam where terrible traffic is one negative side effect from the booming economy. dangerous driving and chronic delays make getting around a chore. but that hasn't deterred one japanese delivery company from trying it luck. nhk world reports. ♪ >> reporter: sagawa express launched door to door deliveries in vietnam on march 1th. it is one of japan's major transport companies. it's now in the vietnamese capital hanoi and the business hub ho chi minh. it plans to spread further, but it needs to be smart because transportation in vietnam is different than it home market. in vietnam people use motor bikes more often than cars for getting around. so for the delivery service, this kind of motor bike will be it main means of transportation. there are around 33 million motorcycles on the roads of vietnam.

she plans to explain thailand's new water management policies. bringing back international confidence is critical for thailand in order to maintain its place as manufacturing hub of southeast asia. >> turning now to vietnam where terrible traffic is one negative side effect of the booming economy. dangerous driving and chronic delays make getting around a chore. but that hasn't deterred one japanese delivery company from trying its luck. >> reporter: this company launched door-to-door deliveries in vietnam on march 1st. it's one of japan's major transport companies. it's now operating in hanoi and the business hub. it plans to expand farther. but it needs to be smart because transport in vietnam is different from its home market. in vietnam people use motor bikes more often than cars for getting around. so for the delivery service this kind of motor bike will be its main means of transportation. there are around 33 million motorcycles on the roads of vietnam. about one in every two adults uses them to get around. they use them to transport anythi

. ♪ here in thailand, there are an estimated 20,000 displaced rohingya.t this mosque in western ngk,o pray. ong them is abu karian. he left myanmar 31 years ago with no legal protection, he keeps a low profile with his family in the busy city. in myanmar he claims he was persecuted, forced to work and beaten by the military. feinfohis li, fled to thailand. >> translator: at least five villagers were gunned down by the military in front of me because they became too weak to cay in. after my escape the military tore down my village where 2,000 people lived. i don't ow what haened to everyone. >> reporter: the hardship 't end, when kariam went to thailand. he sls fdocre living, but he said he's routinely arrested and he's also worried about his two children who have no legal access to education. aung san suu kyi is a beacon of hope for karian. he said she's the only pso who can improve his situation. he and other displaced ringya have often demonstrated in support of aung san suu kyi, especially calling for her freedom during years of house arrest. >> yes, i

. >> thailand is currently suffering from a severe shortage of rain. just months after the country experienced record flooding. 21 provinces mostly in northern thailand are officially in a state of drought. the situation started in early february and has affected many areas. the river is normally seven meters deep, but the water level has dropped to just one meter. the river is a major source of irrigation for agriculture. more than ten irrigation pumping stations along the river are out of action. the situation may deteriorate further unless the only dam in the district can be fixed. >> translator: the dam was badly damaged in a severe flash flood last year. if it can't be fixed by the end of march, we'll see lore levels of water. people who need water for their crops and daily lives will be affected. >> summer in thailand usually lasts until early may. people here look set to face several more months without adequate supplies of water. thursday marked international women's day designed to highlight the rights of women around the world. but in afghani

we begin tonight with this item sent by thailand. economists at a thai university raised their forecast for the country's economic growth this year. they have been expecting growth of 4.7%. they're now expecting 5.9%. they say the thai economy benefited from measures of last year's flooding. economists say they expect exports to grow 10.3% this year and consumering spending to grow 4.4% and nearly 20 million tourists to visit thailand this year. and bring $25 billion in revenue. >>> my laze yeah sent a team of monitoring to the philippines. it says the team will remain in the area. the team will monitor cease fire between the philippines government and the liberation front. the front has been fighting for independence since the 1970s. the group flew out from an air base in malaysia on monday and will replace a 20-member group stationed there since march 2011. malaysia is monitoring the peace agreements between the philippines and the islamic group since 2004. >>> southern sri lanka says it will reprice 13 baby elephants in to the wil

so mauritania, india, thailand... >> thailand, southeast asia. pakistan has large numbers. north and west africa, really. so we talked about mauritania, but you can come allhe w downhe west africacoas very significant numbers of enslavement. >> hinojosa: all right, now, help our audience understand the definition, because there is an image in our country, and one that, you know, in terms of the media, popular culture... i mean, i was reading your stuff, and i was writing down... well, roots, you know? that's the image that a certain generation has. >> yeah, we hold in our mind a picture from the 19th century. >> hinojosa: chained. >> african americans, cotton fields. and that was slavery at one point in time in one particular place in the world. but, you know, slavery has taken all these different forms throughout all of human histor >> hinojosa: so define it for... >> but if you take all those forms and you say, "what is the core, what is the central attributes of this," it always amounts to the same thing-- one person completely controls another person. they use violence

thailand is a buddhist country and many people believe in reincarnation between animals and humans. these dogs will not be put down even if no one comes to claim them. >> you are watching "newsday" on the bbc. >> from us, for now, thank you very much for watching. >> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by -- the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newman's own foundation, and union bank. >> at union bank, our relationship managers use their expertise in global finance to guide you through the business strategies and opportunities of international commerce. we put our extended global network to work for a wide range of companies, from small businesses to major corporations. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.

record flooding. 21 provinces mostly in northern thailand are officially in a state of drought. situation started in early february and has affected many areas of the province. one district is especially badly affected. the river is normally seven meters deep but the water level has dropped to just one meter. the river is a major source of irrigation for agriculture. more than ten irrigation pumping stations along the river are out of action. the situation may deteriorate further unless the only dam in the district can be fixed. >> translator: the dam was badly damaged in a severe flash flood last year. if it can't be fixed by the end of march, we'll see lower levels of water. people who need water for their crops and daily lives will be affected. >> summer in thailand usually lasts until early may. people here look set to face several more months without adequate supplies of water. >>> thursday marked ternational women's day designed to highlight the rights of women around the world, but in afghanistan many observers fear the situation for females in the country is getting wors

>> flyer in hand, he books the short flight to a remote part of thailand. next day he arrives on site but with mixed emotions. >> i was certainly nervous. excited, but there was a fear there. >> he is prepped for the leap of a lifetime. >> as soon as you pay, you are weighed immediately and they choose the correct bungee cord for your weight. then a gentleman puts the harness around your legs and you step onto a kind of platform. and this platform, like, raises electronically. the harness looked fine, and it was the first time i've done a jump. they basically said, don't worry. we attach everything. your job is to jump. >> as the elevator rises, he scratches his head, second-guessing his decision but still committed to the jump. >> i was full of adrenaline. it was a huge rush, so excited but also scared. my head was saying, what are you doing? why on earth would you want to do this? >> overcome with fear, a would-be jumper bows out. he is up next. wrestling with uncertainty, he steps toward the edge. >> just jump. >> just jump? >> with a quick prayer, 165 f

part of the focus here, but also there was the recent targeting of diplomats in india, georgia and thailand. all of that is top of mind. preventing a terror attack, long feared by leon panetta is an out front priority for american officials as well. the director of intelligence testified about iranian agents conducting surveillance on new york city since 2003 and he gave more evidence about that particular threat. one in 2008, during the u.n. general assembly. members of the iranian delegation were seen photographing grand central railroad tracks. he cited september 2010 and again during the u.n. general assembly, four employees of the iran broadcasting company interviewed after photographing and videotaping the water line and structure area of the wall street heli port landing pad. the obama administration has been vigilant charging two men, a member of the iran's revolutionary guard. and now officials say the plot was block backed by -- backed by the senior iranian official and first time that a foreign power has been acued of plotting a political assassination in the united states capita

. >>> thailand's government is working to improve the quality of its service economy in a bid to remain competitive, after the opportunity comes into effect in 2015. they have designated three areas of elderly care, spas and restaurants, have issued a campaign to raise standards to meet high international demands. the ministry says it will hold workshops to help the workforce improve their skills. in thailand, about 1 million businesses are engaged in the service sector, one of the country's key sources of revenue. >>> let's now go to rachel ferguson, who has the world weather forecast. rachel, feeling like summer across much of the united states. what's happening there? >> you're absolutely right. here seeing may-like temperatures throughout much of the u.s. and canada, however, it's not all warm. we have a winter storm taking place across the northwest, into northern california, we're seeing some really significant precipitation, it's going to be rain, of course, at the coast. up on the upper elevations, you could see about 90 centimeters of fresh snow on the cascades that's going to

. >>> japanese automaker honda says it will resume production in thailand. honda is the last japanese automaker to return to normal operations in the country. honda says it will resume output on march 26th. the automaker suspended operations last october after its largest production hub in southeast asia was flooded in over two meters of water. the plant has an annual production capacity of 240,000 vehicles. they're sold in thailand and other southeast asian countries where the company is expected at a fast pace. to recover to full capacity next month. here's a recap of the latest market figures. >> and that is the latest in business for this hour. back to catherine now. >> thanks very much, ai. >>> the world's nuclear watch dog says it's concerned about the able of nuclear power plants that a study revealed most are over 20 years old. the agency sent a draft of its annual report to member countries. the final report will be made public at its assembly. the draft said that of the world's nuclear facilities, 80% were more than two decades old at the end of la

this is in thailand. thailand is a buddhist nation. when elephants die, it's traditional for monks to give them a funeral service. and that traditionally involves ornaments and prayer. >> aw. >> this funeral is for a 65-year-old elephant. she died in an animal reserve. she had been there for four years. she had been returned to the wild after being a tourist elephant. >> aw. >> you know what? this is great. this is a nice way to pay respect to this elephant. >> that's what the elephant reintroduction foundation likes to do and working with kanab west, a film production company out of canada, they are filming a movie called "return to the forest" and this is some of that footage. >> elephants are such lovely, regal animals. to celebrate them in this way, it's nice. >> what i love about this film clip that they shared, you see how the elephants mourn the dead. >> many people may not know this, humans are the only animals that mourn the dead besides elephants. >> really? >> oh. they're there with the elephant that's passed. >> they're tou

. >>> thailand's government is working to improve the quality of its service economy in a bid to remainompetitive after the asean economic committee comes into effect in 2015. the commerce ministry designated three areas of elderly care, spas and restaurants. and initiated a campaign to raise standards to meet high international demands. the ministry says it will hold workshops to help the workforce improve their skills. in thailand, about 1 million businesses are engaged in the service sector, one of the country's key sources of revenue. >>> and let's get a check of the weather from mai shoji. >> thank you, michio. we have a troublesome aspect here in northern coast of australia. monsoonal troughs are impacting heavily the northwestern coast, especially in northern territory. we have a tropical low that will be maintaining its intensity as it travels inland. and it is not a fast moving system. so it will be accumulating lots of rainfall. we already have reports in channel island, 219 millimeters of rainfall accumulation in the past 24 hours, over a short span. heavy rain. and additiona

. >> in the last six months thailand has rescued 2,000 dogs that were destined to the dinner table. >> home at last, our incredible journey has more than a touch of hollywood about it. just before christmas a picture on the mobile phone is all that he has to remind him of his pet. a fireworks display that scared tel-tel. and after a week of sirging he almost gave up hope. >> he's like a member of the family. the first week he went missing, we couldn't sleep at all whenever we heard dogs barking hoping he'd come home. weeks laters his hopes return again when he saw a report on a successful mission by the thai report. the dogs destination the dinner plates where dog meat is considered a delicacy. in some cases extremely sick animals were brought to to this shelter in the thai country side. there are already more than 2,000 rescue dogs here. some of them were originally stray, picked up off the streets but looking at the condition, the collars even on some of them, it's clear that at least a quarter are stolen domestic pets. in hope rather than expectation he traveled to the shelter. the

but it has since been overtaken by thailand and vietnam. in 2011, myanmar claimed top spot in one category in the worldwide competition. collated rice. >> translator: i believe our rice industry will continue to expand. it won't be long before we reclaim our position as the world's largest exporter of rice. >> reporter: rice from myanmar costs 30% less in thailand and vietnam but the quality of myanmar's grains continues to improve. convinced it will be major opportunity. the key will be to continue improving the product, and that's where his company steps in. high-tech sensors in the camera in the rice mills instantly filter out tainted grains. he says this kind of technology will help raise the rice from myanmar. >> this type of machine is an essential component of rice processing. when it comes to exports, it will be one of our company's main assets. >> reporter: but his plants are under threat. copycat machines sold at one-third of the price are penetrating myanmar from neighboring china. he is trying to explain that japan's standards a

the korean culture center opened wednesday at the university in thailand's northeast. it features academic materials, cultural exhibitions and displays related to korean life. the opening comes at a time when trade and cultural ties between south korea and thailand are flourishing. at the opening, university officials led the provincial governor and korean delegation on a tour of the facilities. hong kong's ocean park on wednesday unveiled a new section that re-creates the territories as it appeared decades ago. the section features rick shaws, street games, trams, a double decker bus and leaves reminiscent of what kailoo and and hong kong island looked like in the 1950s. an official said the new addition will help people appreciate hong kong's history. park authorities plan to unveil a polar adventure attraction this year and add an all season waterpark and an ice skating rink sometime in the future. >>> ballooning enthusiasts are up and away at the international hot air balloon fiesta that opened on thursday in the malaysian city of putra jira. the balloons are in no

. >>> turning to thailand. years of economic growth have made many thai's richer, but not everyone in the kingdom is enjoying the boom. for many, the poverty trap is deepening. now a private foundation in the countryside is giving underprivileged children an opportunity they might otherwise never have. here are the details. ♪ >> reporter: enjoying themselves like children should. the youngsters sing and dance and everyone enjoys watching. this is at a shelter, 160 kilometers west of bangkok. these young children may look happy now, but before they moved in here, they either had a troubled past or lived an unfortunate life. it is operated to give young children a new start an opportunity to go to school. making things like these key rings teaches them skills. their handiwork also goes on sale earning money to supplement donations that fund the center. this eight new year's day came here some months ago. >> i am painting my mom's face. >> she and her brother have found a new family at the shelter. but even so, th

interests as well in one of the thailand attacks. in the event that there's a strike in iran and possibly even if just iran believes that that's imminent, there could be attacks in the homeland. it's not agiven but it's definitely possible. >> i want to ask you about those. you just mentioned the word shadow war. in your testimony you said clearly america and its allies are already involved in a shadow war with iran. it is no longer clear that iran seize carrying out an attack in the united states as crossing some sort of red line. how so? >> well, not only has there been tit for tat attacks, whether it's viruses targeting iran's centrifuges, but now we had the plot at the end of last year where iranian agents tried to target the saudi ambassador here in washington at lunchtime at a prominent restaurant where we know from the intercepts that they were aware that this would kill innocents, including u.s. senators who frequent that restaurant, and that didn't bother them at all. so it appears some iranian leaders now see an attack in t

. >>> thailand is stepping up measures to prent aepea of last year's devastating floods. people are working around the clock as monsoon season approaches. the province of ayuttaya suffered most severe damage. many schools were forced to close for two months. now houses and other buildings are being raised up 3.7 meters above the ground. the industrial state was completely submerged. a 77 kilometer long concrete wallp to 2 1/2 meters high is under construction. it will help protect the 213 factories at the complex. the government recently approved $11.4 billion for a water management strategy that's on top of the $588 million in other measures. last autumn's floods were the worst in thailand's in five decades. more than 800 people died. seven industrial states were swamped and businesses were crippled shattering confidence among foreign investors. >>> and that wraps up our bulletin bulletin. >>> japan's fire and disaster management agency produced a video to warn of the danger of fires caused by earthquakes. household appliances started least 140 fires in the immediate aft

rice from myanmar costs 30% less than thailand and vietnam, but the quality of myanmar's grains continues to improve. kawate is convinced that it will be a major business opportunity. the key, he says, will be to continue improving the product, and that's where his company steps in. heightened senses in the rice mills take out tainted grain. kawate says this type of technology will help raise the quality of rice of myanmar from other developing countries >> translator: this type of machine is an essential component of rice processing lines. when it comes to exports, it will be one of our company's main assets. >> reporter: but kawate's plans are under threat. copycat machines sold at one-third of the price are penetrating myanmar from neighboring china. kawate is trying to fend off rivals by explaining that japan's superior standards are essential to produce top quality rice food exports. >> translator: it's a very tough battle, but i belief that customers in search of better quality will benefit from our equipment. we still have a chance. >> reporter: as a full listing of sanctions becom

thailand, cambodia. and of course the philippines being hit by floods and's,. >> many lessons to be learned. we all know that if you fete the preparation right, fewer lives will be lost and of course it also costs less. people are able to help each other. they're able to help each other at a regional level, at a national level. that is much better for us as an international community. >> the united nations humanitarian chief. thank you so much for joining us. >> thank you. >> you're watching "newsday" from the bbc. still to come on the program, we join the hunt for libya's missing. the hundreds, perhaps thousands of victims of gaddafi's crackdown. >> a nervous kate speaks publicly for the first time. some news from the u.k. now. private companies could take over the running and possibly the construction of major roads in england, and the plans outlined by the prime minister. mr. cameron said he wanted to attract investments to tackle congestion, which he said was costing the economy billions of pounds a

because that happened in thailand. why can't it happen to indonesia? why can't it happen to malaysia? finally, what happened to korea? and at the end of the day, it was felt necessary, quite correctly, to say united states better become more active in this. you can say so what? korea went into default. there were other countries that went into default. they're not easy. maybe they should have gone in earlier. >> we're going to take the two questions. i know bob rub sin here. we're going to move immediately to the next session. >> he can tell you all about what happened in the asian crisis. >> two quick questions. >> there's been a lot of quantitative easing, a lot of purchasing of debt. how do you see this unraveling? all the money that has been used to remove -- >> you're talking about the federal reserve. >> right. >> let me get the next question. so debt and unraveling. yes. >> mr. voelker, you said something to the effect that any financial innovation after atm doesn't do too much good for the economic growth. so my question is that in your perspec

or is starting with thailand let's go to the r.t. was up in some other global news in brief for you or so where three separate bombs have killed eight and left more than sixty wounded the blasts occurred in a commercial district of the jala municipality the first two were hidden not on motorcycles while the third was in a car bombings are a common tactic of islamist separatists who have been waging an insurgency in thailand for eight years leaving more than five thousand people dead. eleven people have been killed several others injured during four days of unrest in pakistan the violence was first triggered on wednesday after a politician was killed in a town of correction in the days that followed at least ten was shot dead prompting young people to take to the streets in protest police and the military forces have been deployed now to prevent any further violence. in mali rebels in the north of the country have captured the strategic town of kid girl but this comes just a week after the country's military staged a coup to overturn