NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (International) BACK

RAVI SHANKAR’S RAGA FOR OLYMPIC INAUGURAL: Gaurav Mazumdar was the first Indian to play at the Vatican. Now, this composer and sitarist, and disciple of the world renowned Pandit Ravi Shankar, will perform the 15 minute “haunting piece” Orion at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Athens. The piece has been specially composed by Ravi Shankar himself and is based on the raga Nada Bharavi. It will premiere in Athens. A 40 member orchestra put together by American composer Philip Glass with artists from US, Brazil, Canada, Greece and Australia will play the Olympic theme composition in which the sitar will play the main melody.

Myanmar offers e-visa service: MYANMAR has been isolated due to its history and foreign policies, this must be acknowledged. However, the country is quickly closing the gap, thanks to information technology.  Myanmar is now one of the very few countries in the world to offer online visas.

Myanmar is the first country in South East Asia to offer this service and launched the e-visa service on January 21, 2004. To apply, tourist and business travelers need to access www.visa.gov.mm, which has instructions in English and will soon offer it in six more languages. After completing the application form for processing, the approved applications are returned via Email, mostly within 24 hrs. Travelers will have to show a print-out of the approved application form at the Immigration counter upon their arrival in Myanmar. The fees for different visas are detailed on the page and applicants can pay the charge directly at arrival at the port of embarkation.

MYANMAR TOURISM ROADSHOWS IN INDIA: Myanmar Tourism Board brought a group of 10 Travel Agents and 5 Hoteliers to Delhi to woo the Indian tourist. Last year only 6200 Indians visited Myanmar. They hope to more than double this number this year, now that Myanmar Airways International has started three weekly flights Delhi to Yangon. Each participant from Myanmar made a presentation educating the audience about their products and the tourism potential of Yangon, Mandalay, Bagan and Inlay Lake. India Invites had the honour of taking care of some agents from the group.

Sherpa sets a new record for the fastest ascent of MT Everest:

Pemba Dorje Sherpa climbed the mountain in eight hours and 10 minutes on Friday, tourism ministry official Purna Bhakta Tandukar confirmed.

Last year, Pemba Dorje was involved in a bitter dispute with another climber, Lakpa Gelu Sherpa, over who had set the previous fastest time. The tourism ministry had to intervene and found in Lakpa Gelu's favour. Pemba Dorje's task was made easier because some 90 climbers, taking advantage of recent good weather, had been ahead of him, working a path to the top, hardening the soft snow.

"If there are many people who went ahead of you, then the path is well set and you don't have to work extra to make the road for yourself," said Ang Phurba Sherpa, who climbed Everest in 1979, In addition, climbers often leave behind fixed ropes and ladders that other climbers can take advantage of to speed their ascent.

Lakpa Gelu claimed the record with a time of 10 hours and 56 minutes on 26 May but was challenged by Pemba Dorje, who had set a new record of 12 hours and 45 minutes only three days earlier.

Pemba Dorje's latest attempt came as part of a team led by veteran climber, Appa Sherpa, who broke the record for the number of ascents on Monday with his fourteenth climb.

More than 1,300 people have climbed the 8,850-metre (29,035-feet) mountain - about 200 climbers have died on it.  Source: BBC

MORE NEWS ON MT EVEREST: The weekend of 15/16 May saw a virtual traffic jam on the highest mountain in the world. Sixty climbers and their Nepalese Sherpa guides scaled the peak – the first batch to do so in 2004. The weather held out helping the mountaineers from the US, Chile, Malaysia, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, New Zealand and Canada to succeed in their attempt. The earlier week had reported hurricane strength winds, which prevented some climbers in their endeavors. Nepal's authorities have given permission to 13 teams to climb the mountain this spring season.

LUFTHANSA HELD GLOBAL SALES CONFERENCE IN DELHI: This year Delhi was chosen as the venue for Lufthansa’s global sales conference as passenger traffic in and out of India for Lufthansa has grown 20% in the past 3 years, which is higher than any other country. Today Lufthansa has a market share of 14% out of India. Starting June Lufthansa will bring in its new Business Class service on Board its Airbus 340-300, which will be available on New Delhi – Munich flights. This sector will also have on board broadband Internet connection for all classes.    BACK