SOUTH KOREA: Henry Kissinger Is Released From Hospital in South Korea

Published: March 14, 2010

By CHOE SANG-HUN

SEOUL, South Korea — Henry Kissinger, the former United States secretary of state, was released from a hospital on Sunday after treatment for stomach pains, said a spokesman for Yonsei University’s Severance Hospital in Seoul.

Mr. Kissinger, 86, was seen off by Dr. Park Chang-il, the head of the hospital, on Sunday morning. He did not speak to reporters waiting outside.

Mr. Kissinger was brought to the hospital on Saturday morning for abdominal pains, said Lee Seong-man, a hospital spokesman. But his condition quickly improved, Mr. Lee said.

Mr. Kissinger reportedly headed for the airport to continue a trip to China. He had arrived in Seoul on Wednesday and the next day delivered a speech at the Asian Institute for Policy Studies. On Friday, he met with the South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak.

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DALIAN, CHINA: Shengya Marine World (Shengya Haiyang Shijie)

• Hours:  Summer 8:30am-5:30pm; winter 9am-4pm
• Location:  Just east of Xinghai Park
• Transportation:  Bus: no. 22, 23, 202, 709, 711, 801, K901, 502, 523, or 531
• Phone:  0411/8458-1113
• Web site:  www.sunasia.com
• Prices:  Admission (to Ocean World only) ¥100 ($13/£6.50) adults, ¥50 ($6.50/£3.25) children. Combo tickets to both Ocean and Polar World ¥150 ($20/£9.75) adults, ¥75 ($9.75/£4.90) children

Frommer's: 

Ocean World does not compare with its rival, Tiger Beach Ocean Park, but the addition of a polar aquarium and the world's longest underwater aquarium tunnel (116m/380 ft.) may make it a worthwhile stop. Call ahead for free English-speaking guides, who will explain which of the animals in the tanks are edible. Take bus no. 801 from Qingniwa Qiao (30 min.).

China National Tourism Administration: 

The Shengya Marine World is a world-class aquarium with 118-meter-long courses under the sea.  The marine world with transparent arch courses provides a fantastic and mysterious view under the sea.  It is home to more than 10,000 fish of 200 rare species from all over the world.  The service facilities in the Shengya Marine World  include an exhibition hall of model ships and boats, a rock pond, a coffee, a Western fast food restaurant, a supermarket catering to aquatic products, and bathrooms and lounges for children.

JAPAN: Ticket sales sluggish with Asashoryu gone

Sunday, March 14, 2010

By DAVE HUESTON, Kyodo News

OSAKA — Things just got really lonely at the top.

After perennial troublemaker Asashoryu quit sumo following allegations he attacked a man outside a Tokyo nightspot, Hakuho remains as the sole yokozuna and hot favorite to cart home the Emperor's Cup at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament getting under way on Sunday.

Alas, sumo without Asashoryu, who took time out from his reputed street brawling to also win the New Year's meet, could be a lot like watching a one-man show—predictable and lacking the unique pizzazz that the Mongolian firebrand brought to the sport.

Hakuho, who broke down in tears when his countryman made his bombshell announcement last month, became the ninth sole yokozuna and first since Asashoryu reigned alone at the 2007 summer meet.

The fierce rivalry (not to mention all of the juicy playoff encounters) now gone, who, if anybody, can step in to fill the shoes of the 25-time Emperor's Cup winner?

"I am so happy to be able to meet everybody here in Osaka, the city I love. Although I won the title (in January), unfortunately I must apologize for causing such a scandal," Asashoryu said at a pep rally for his former Takasago stable ahead of the 15-day meet at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium.  "I am 29 now. This year, I'll turn 30 and I want to make the best of my second stage of my life," he said.

With fans already reluctant to purchase tickets because of tighter wallets in this economic downturn, the absence of Asashoryu will only cause a further drop in attendance.

In fact, according to the Japan Sumo Association, whereas tickets had been sold out for nine days at last year's Osaka Basho after Asashoryu's big comeback to win the New Year's meet, tickets for the final day of competition this year that would normally be gone still remained ahead of the tournament.

"For sure, there is nothing positive about it (Asashoryu's resignation)," said stable master Fujigane, an organizer for the spring meet.

Advanced ticket reservations were largely unaffected from the end of last year through January, but the effect of Asashoryu leaving was palpable from the beginning of February, with roughly a 10 percent drop compared with last year.

In order to boost ticket sales, the JSA even continued taking phone calls for ticket reservations up until three days prior to the meet, though it usually is finished one week before the first day of competition.

Hakuho, known for his softer approach more in line with the tradition of the ancient Japanese sport, finished with a 12-3 record in January, one win behind Asashoryu.

Other than Asashoryu, few have challenged his dominance after a record-breaking year in 2009. Hakuho won three out of the six meets and set a new record with 86 wins against only four losses.

One possible headliner this time could be sekiwake Baruto.

The Estonian man-mountain has a shot at gaining promotion to ozeki for the first time after winning 12 bouts in January but is nursing an injury to his left thumb.

Whether ozeki wrestlers Harumafuji, Kotooshu and Kotomitsuki can make a run in the title race remains to be seen.

View Japan Times Article

RUSSIA: On this day: 14 March

Komsomolskaya Metro Station, Moscow

On 14 March 1954, the circle line of the Moscow underground was completed. Originally, all the existing lines were arranged in the form of the sun, spreading from the center and further away in all directions; the circle line bridged them all to provide easier access from one line to another by adding more change points.

The construction started in 1950 and was undertaken in three stages. Initially, when the underground was still on paper, there was no talk of laying the circle line, but once the second set of lines came into operation in 1938, the traffic overload at the transit stations became evident, and after the Second World War, the need for the circle line was finally admitted.

As legend has it, when Stalin saw the map of Moscow with the underground amelioration plan, he gazed at it for a while, and then put his cup on the center of Moscow, leaving a coffee ring on the paper, and said: “Here’s the major flaw in your scheme. Fix it.” Since then, all maps have the circle line marked in brown.

The first suggestions of building an underground transportation system were voiced in the late 19th century, but authorities shrugged them off. Moreover, for some church elders, the idea was an outrage: to build an underground facility was akin to inviting oneself to hell. The project was finally approved in 1912, but was put on hold until 1927 because of the First World War.

Many stations of the Moscow underground, particularly the ones on the circle line, are works of art, fashioned in the Stalinist Imperial style. The gigantic sizes, intricate forms, and lavish adornments of the stations were meant to wow people and invoke faith in the Soviet Union’s grandeur and might. For such a noble purpose, money was not an issue: stations were built using 20 types of marble and granite and decorated with mosaics, frescos, sculptures, and ceramics. The collection of works on display at every station is united by a single theme to coincide with the historical background of its location, turning the underground into a unique history museum and a popular tourist attraction.

For that matter, some may also call it an attraction even for the Russian people. The Moscow underground still bears secrets, which are very unlikely to ever be revealed. It is known that a second secret network exists, built in the Stalin era for security purposes. It connected facilities designed for the Soviet government and Stalin himself in case they had to relocate due to war or any other disaster. Some of the lines are said to even stretch outside Moscow. The construction work of this “Metro 2,” as it is called, is still in progress, but qualified as top secret, and only vague signs, such as ever-closed exits and never-used rails, suggest there is something beyond our knowledge. The underground also has a number of so-called ghost stations which were in construction but never opened or fell into disuse.

Today, the underground is growing and thriving. New stations are in development, and lines are being stretched further and further out into the Moscow region. Due to the overload of the circle line during rush hour, it has recently been decided to start work on a second circle line, about three stations wider than the existing one. With this measure, city authorities hope traffic will be divided between the two circles, making life a little easier for commuters.

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