Asia

A Taiwanese tourist accused Hong Kong Dragon Airlines of discrimination for letting Hong Kong passengers switch to a Cathay Pacific flight while denying her the same arrangement after her flight was grounded by tire problems on Oct. 20. Dragon Airlines said that it had not discriminated against any passenger but that the Hong Kong passengers were more eligible for transfer because they did not have checked baggage. The carrier said it will continue its current practice of allowing passengers with no checked baggage to switch planes in the future.

The approval by the World Heritage Convention secretariat of Cambodia’s management plan for the Preah Vihear temple, a magnificent ancient structure from the 11th-12th century, located just on the demarcation line between Thailand and Cambodia, prompted Thailand to withdraw from the UNESCO World Heritage Convention. The temple is on Cambodian territory but some of its access and a 4.6 km² parcel of land surrounding the temple’s compound are effectively located in Thailand. Since October 2008, regular clashes occurred between Cambodian and Thai military troops.

Thai culture ministry said that foreign visitors should not be able to get Buddhist tattoos which disrespect religion. Thailand is mostly Buddhist, and Buddha statues and images are considered sacred objects of worship. The minister is concerned that tourists don't care about religion and are not aware that these tattoos can be offensive.

Source: eTurboNews; find article here>>.

Almost 150 former employees of Japan Airlines sued the company in Tokyo District Court demanding their jobs back. The airline underwent major restructuring in 2010 and cut nearly 30% of its workforce under a court-approved restructuring plan.

Source: CNN.com; find article here>>.