Twins' birth mum wants daughters to stay

 Yahoo News The birth mother of twins Krishna and Trishna who gave them up due to poverty says she wants them to remain in Australia to be educated.

The two-year-old conjoined Bangladeshi twins were separated by a 16-member surgical team during marathon surgery at Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital this week.

Lavlee Mollik, 22, handed over her girls to an orphanage in Dhaka one month after birth because she and husband Kartik, 35, were unable to care for them, News Ltd newspapers reported on Saturday.

"I want them to live in Australia and be educated in Australia. And one day when they have become very respected people I want them to call me mother."

Mrs Mollik, speaking through a translator by telephone from Bangladesh, said she was praying for her daughters' safe recovery.

She was tracked down by Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Shamokal.

But the couple are unable to care for them and Mrs Mollik wants them to live and be educated in Australia.

"We don't want them back because we don't have the ability to take proper care of them," Mrs Mollik said.

Solution to Thai - Cambodia conflict

Bangkok Post

If former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra resigns or is replaced as economic adviser to the Cambodian government, the diplomatic row between Thailand and Phnom Penh will cool down, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Friday.

If former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra resigns or is replaced as economic adviser to the Cambodian government, the diplomatic row between Thailand and Phnom Penh will cool down, Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said on Friday.

“This does not mean that I am asking the Cambodian government to do this. They would not do it. But I think this is the easiest way to ease tension between the two countries,” said Mr Suthep.

The deputy premier said he thought Thaksin traveled to Cambodia quite often because he wants to use the neighbouring country as his political base. It was easier to meet his political supporters there.

Mr Suthep thanksed Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Gen Tea Banh for coming forwardand denying that his government has an audio recording of Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya ordering the Thail embassy’s first secretary Kamrob Palawatwichai to obtain Thaksin's flight schedule, as claimed by Puea Thai party list MP Jatuporn Promphan.

Earlier in the day, Gen Tea Banh was reported as saying the Cambodian government has no secret audio recording as claimed by Mr Jatuporn.

“I think the person who exposed this case has an ill-intention or a hidden agenda. The person might want to incite war between the two countries and then put the blame on Cambodia,” Gen Tea Banh said in an interview published in the Thai-language Kom Chad Luek newspaper

Dollar forecast to peak at $US1.03

News Yahoo

The already overvalued Australian dollar will reach parity with the US dollar in the next six to 12 months and peak at about $US1.02-03, a currency strategist says.

State Street Global Advisers head of currency management Collin Crownover says the unit is already overvalued by about 20 per cent and that the figure would stretch out to 30 per cent if it reached the $US1.03 mark.

"I think we'll see about a 10 per cent appreciation from where we are now," the London-based Dr Crownover said in Sydney on Friday.

"At that point, certain dynamics come into play and that becomes an extreme overvaluation.

"Even though Australia has a much better growth profile than the rest of the G10 right now, people at that level might take pause and say even though the growth is a lot better, that's pretty rich, relevant to the valuations used for investments into Australia."

Asked whether he felt the Australian dollar would remain at parity for long he said: "Perhaps not.

"We do think it will reach parity within the next six to 12 months.

"Then the Australian dollar becomes 30 per cent overvalued and historically that's been a point at which we see significant imbalances and it's much more likely to be corrected."

Japanese whaling fleet leaves for Antartica

Japanese whaling ships left port on Thursday for Antarctic waters for their annual hunt of the ocean giants, Greenpeace said, setting the stage for high-seas confrontations with anti-whaling activists.

The factory ship Nisshin Maru and the smaller Yushin Maru 2 and 3 set sail from western Innoshima port while the Shonan Maru left eastern Shiogama harbour for their planned five-month voyage, said the environmental activist group.

Japan kills hundreds of whales a year in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary by using a loophole in a 1986 international moratorium on commercial whaling that allows the sea mammals to be hunted for lethal "research".

Anti-whaling nations led by Australia and New Zealand and environmental groups including Greenpeace have long attacked Japan for its annual whaling expeditions, criticising them as cruel and unnecessary.

Japan, which says whaling is part of its culture, makes no secret of the fact that whale meat ends up on its dinner tables.

Japan's fisheries agency declined to confirm the ships' departure, citing security reasons, and urged anti-whaling activists to refrain from violence.

"We don't say you shouldn't campaign against whaling, but there is a strict line between peaceful campaigns and violence," said Shigeki Takaya, a fisheries agency official in charge of whaling.

Militant activist group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has harassed the whalers in recent years, moving their own ships and inflatable boats between the harpoon ships and the sea mammals.

Last year their ship the Steve Irwin collided with a whaling ship. Activists were also accused of hurling stink bombs and rancid butter at the whalers, who allegedly deployed ear-piercing sonic weapons against them.

During their five-month hunt last season, the six Japanese ships caught 679 minke whales and one fin whale - well below the fleet's planned haul of between 765 and 935 whales, Japan's fisheries agency said.

The captain of the Steve Irwin, Canadian Paul Watson, has vowed to "be their ongoing nightmare every year until they stop their horrific and unlawful slaughter of the great whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary".

Menopause at 19

Thatslife.com.au

When Natasha was diagnosed with premature menopause, she was faced with the possibility of not being able to have children.

Natasha Linke, 25, Seaford Rise, SA

Sitting in the specialist's office, I was surprised to see my doctor in tears.

'I'm sorry, but you're suffering from premature menopause,' she said, looking from me to my mum Susan, now 56.

Mum was fighting back tears too, but I was okay. After all, I was only 19 and the implications of what had been said hadn't really hit me.

For years my periods were irregular. In the last year of high school I didn't menstruate at all.

My GP had put it down to exam stress but when my cycle didn't return, she referred me to a gynaecologist and a fertility specialist. She now explained my ovaries weren't producing any eggs.

'We don't know why this happens,' she said. 'As you don't have a family history of premature menopause, it's probably just a random occurrence. If you ever want to have children you'll need an egg donor,' she continued. 'If someone you know will donate their eggs, you can use them, or you can go on our list and get an unknown donor.'

I tried to take in what she was saying, but as I didn't even have a boyfriend, starting a family seemed a long way off.

More than being concerned, I was relieved my recent weight gain, moodiness, hot flushes and exhaustion were explained and there was a treatment for them.

'I'm going to put you on the pill to give you the hormones you need and this should help with all the side effects of your menopause,' the GP said.

Mum and my half-sister, Melissa, 29, were more concerned about my lack of eggs. 'When the time comes, I'll be your egg donor,' Melissa said.

Her generous offer made me feel relieved. I wouldn't have to worry about finding a donor.

Less than a year later I met Matthew, now 25, and I knew I wanted to spend my life with him. It was hard telling him I couldn't have children of my own but he took it in his stride. 'It doesn't matter to me,' he said.

Twelve months later we got engaged. At our wedding Melissa's daughter, Jasmine, two, was our flower girl and when Melissa had Liam four weeks later, she told me she was ready to give me the chance to become a mum too.

We had counselling sessions and then Melissa began injections to stimulate her ovaries to produce eggs. In the meantime I had to stop taking the pill and begin medication to prepare my body for pregnancy.

'I'm so grateful,' I told Melissa.

Twin awake , talking after epic surgery

Yahoo 7 News

Within hours of waking up from a medically induced coma after ground-breaking brain surgery to separate her from her twin sister, Trishna was talking and cuddling her guardian.

"She is talking, she is being Trishna, she's behaving the way she always has, she's fantastic," proud neurosurgeon Wirginia Maixner said.

Ms Maixner, the Royal Children's Hospital's director of neurosurgery, worked for 27 hours with her colleague Alison Wray to separate the conjoined twin girls Trishna and Krishna.

Trishna awoke on Thursday morning and was cuddled and comforted by her legal guardian Moira Kelly, founder of the Children First Foundation, who was instrumental in bringing the twins from Bangladesh to Melbourne for surgery in December 2007.

"She's been cuddling Moira, which is lovely, she's been talking to our speech therapist," Ms Maixner told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

"She's just come through major, major, major surgery. It is a huge operation, so she is phenomenally good at the moment."

Positive signs for separated twins Trishna and Krishna

News.com.au Results of brain scans to be known today

Guardian says tests went extremely well

Praised the efforts of the surgical team

THE first brain scans of Trishna and Krishna since they were separated have fuelled hopes the Bangladeshi orphans have come through their marathon operation in good health.

The full results of the scans will be known today, but guardian Moira Kelly said the tests had gone extremely well.

An emotional Ms Kelly said she had high hopes for the still sedated twins, 24 hours after they were separated during miracle surgery at the Royal Children's Hospital, the Herald Sun reports.

All she needed was a "raspberry" kiss from her little Krishna to know everything would be fine.

"That is my MRI - she does that and it's like she is telling me 'Moira, I'm OK, and I'm looking after Trishna'," Ms Kelly said.

This is a good day at work

News.com.au MP caught napping during NATO speech

Was representing Australia as an observer.

Last year was seen sleeping in Parliamen.

THE deadly war in Afghanistan was all a bit of a yawn for Victorian MP Fran Bailey as she enjoyed one last free trip on the taxpayer.

The serial snoozer was caught napping on the last day of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Edinburgh, where the defence alliance promised "substantially more forces" would be sent into Afghanistan.

This photo clearly shows the Member for McEwen sound asleep while representing Australia as a NATO observer.

It's not the first time Ms Bailey, 63, has fallen asleep on the job, the Herald Sun reports.

Last year in Parliament, Labor MP Anthony Albanese asked: "I wonder if someone can get the Member for McEwen a pillow." It was too much for Labor MP Daryl Melham, who interjected: "She is constantly asleep!"

Ms Bailey, who is retiring at the next election, is in Europe as part of an Australian parliamentary delegation to the NATO Assembly.

She was selected for the "last lap" jaunt by chief Opposition whip Alexander Somlyay.

Ms Bailey's spokesman said she could not be contacted yesterday because it was the middle of the night in Scotland and she would probably be asleep.

It is her second trip to Europe this year, after a mid-year study tour to Germany to investigate firefighting techniques that could be applied to her bushfire-ravaged seat east of Melbourne.

Resilent Cambodia battles history

Stuff.co.nz

Cambodia is a land of both brutality and promise.

It embodies some of the world's major social problems: inequality and unbridled growth with scant regard for human, social or environmental consequences.

It bears the scars of war, fanaticism, cruelty and what happens when the rest of the world turns a blind eye.

But it also shows remarkable resilience.

As the historian John Tully noted, it is a misfortune for a country to be known primarily for a brutal history. So it is for Cambodia, which is working to shake its tag as the home of Pol Pot, the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng.

I arrived in Phnom Penh on a two month exchange where I would be working for the Phnom Penh Post - one of two English language papers in the predominantly Khmer-speaking country.

In contrast to the expanse of Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, where I had travelled from, the Cambodian capital's airport was about the size of a Four Square.

Spying Affairs, no responsibility claims when it goes wrong

បាងកកប៉ុស្តិ Bangkok Post Jatuporn claims Kasit gave orders to spy

Cambodia has a taped conversation of Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya ordering the first secretary of the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh to get former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's flight plan for the Thai government, Puea Thai MP Jatuporn Promphan said on Wednesday.

Mr Jatuporn said Cambodian authorities also had a tape of a conversation about the flight plan between the first secretary, Kamrob Palawatwichai, and Siwarak Chutiphong, the Thai engineer employed by Cambodia Air Traffic Services accused of spying for Thailand.

Mr Siwarak was arrested on Wednesday and accused of stealing Thaksin's flight plan. Mr Kamrob was expelled the following day.

Mr Jatuporn said if the tapes were made available to other countries they would lose trust in Thailand, because this amounted to Thailand interfering in Cambodia's internal affairs.

He called on Mr Kasit to clarify the matter.

The Puea Thai MP also said Thaksin had asked the Cambodian authorities to ensure fair treatment for Siwarak in court.

If the Cambodian court gave Mr Siwarak only a suspended sentence, Puea Thai chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh would go to Phnom Penh to bring him back from Cambodia, Mr Jatuporn said.

Earlier in the day, Thaksin posted a message on Twitter saying that he had talked to Cambodian authorities about Mr Siwarak and the Cambodian government has promised him a fair trial.

"I've been in touch with them. They said they would investigate first and will treat him fairly," he said in his Thai-language posting.

Noppadon Pattama, Thaksin's legal adviser, said his boss would try his best to ensure Mr Siwarak gets humanitarian support.

Mr Noppadon said Thaksin had talked to Cambodian senior officials and asked them to ensure fair treatment for Mr Siwarak.

He believed Mr Siwarak's case would go court soon.

He said Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should stop accusing Thaksin of being the cause of Mr Siwarak's arrest. The problem was the inefficiency of the government's administration, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban said it would be good if Thaksin could use his personal friendship with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen to get Mr Siwarak's release.

"The government has been trying every means to get [Mr Siwarak] free and would not lose face if the Cambodian government releases him because of Thaksin’s influence,” Mr Suthep said.

Citing a Cambodian radio station, a local Thai daily reported this morning that Cambodia had agreed to release the alleged Thai spy and had asked Puea Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to fly to Cambodia to bring the man back.

However, Lt-Gen Chawengsak Thongsaluay, a close aide of the party chairman, said Gen Chavalit had not yet made a decision to fly to Cambodia as he needed time to verify the report.

Chavanont Intharakomalsut, secretary-general to the minister of foreign affairs, said Cambodia had pressed a charge of spying, accusing the Cambodia Air Traffic Services engineer of obtaining secret official information and being a threat to its security.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied the charge, insisting that the engineer has nothing to do with spying and that his action does not pose a threat to Cambodia’s security,” Mr Chavanont said.

Mr Suthep said the charge against Mr Siwarak was unjust because Thaksin's flight plans were not a state secret.

Thitinan Pongsudhirak - I take my hat off to you for being rationally fair

បាងកកប៉ុស្តិ​ Bangkok Post (Hun Sen seeks to 'internationalise' spat)

Indeed, Mr Hun Sen has not been nice but he may have had his reasons for not being nice to Mr Abhisit's government. And there appears little the Thai leader can do about it.

Thailand's domestic turmoil has been further complicated by the political tempest that blew through Bangkok from Phnom Penh last week. For the first time, the protracted Thai political crisis is no longer wholly domestic but has direct foreign bearings from next door.

In a flurry of seemingly orchestrated offensive manoeuvres, Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen has put the government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on the back foot. Mr Hun Sen has achieved several objectives, whereas Mr Abhisit's government has yet to define what it wants out of the retaliatory spiral that has brought contemporary Thai-Cambodian relations to its nadir.

Pous Keng Korng ពស់កេងកង

Bangkok Post បាងកកប៉ុស្តិ
The girl with a head full of baby-snakes wasn't the only screen celeb of the pre-Khmer Rouge Cambodian cinema.

To follow up on my piece in the Post about Khmer films ("A Bridge Over Troubled Waters" http://bit.ly/2kjOGn), which was naturally hampered by limited space and the inherently two-dimensional quality of the print media, I have posted the links to YouTube clips of Cambodian movies during the country's "Golden Age" of the 1960s and 1970s in this article, for your viewing experience.

Like I wrote in the previous column, the most internationally famous Khmer film, still remembered by many Thais (above 40), was Puos Keng Korng, a 1970 folkloric supernatural romance about Soraya, a half-human, half-snake girl whose mother had sex with a giant snake, and thus she was born with a head full of crawling vipers.

The film was released in Thai theatres -- and became a phenomenon in many countries around Asia. Its lead actress Dy Saveth was later cast to star in a number of Thai films opposite big-name Siamese actors in those days. (Too bad I couldn't find her picture with the legendary snake-head). For a short video clip of Pous Keng Korng, see below. There are no subtitles, but it's actually a music video with a song sung by the famous Sinn Sisamouth, and you'll get the idea.

Dy Saveth survived the Khmer Rouge reign, but the film's lead actor, Chea Yuthorn, was believed to be killed during the war.The film's director, Tar Lym Kun, fled to Canada and is believed to still be alive.

Pous Keng Korng was remade in 2001, with a Thai actor, Vinai Kraibutr, starring opposite Khmer beauty Pik Chanboramai (see trailer below). Strangely, the Thai title of the film, Ngu Keng Kong, spawned a number of B-grade copycat movies, usually with soft-core nature. Inter-species erotica has a strange pul.

But the serpent-headed beauty wasn't the only screen celeb back then before Pol Pot arrived. It's reported that around 33 out of nearly 400 films made during the pre-Khmer Rouge decade survived -- recently there was a screening event of those titles in Phnom Penh, called The Golden Reawakening. Here, check out the clip of Puthisen Neang Kong Ray (see clip below), or 12 Sisters, a Khmer tale that has an exactly similar Siamese version, called Nang Sib Song (it's often made into TV series).

The story is truly bizarre, with a touch of the exotic grotesquerie typical of our supernatural Souteast Asia: A wonderfully virile king impregnates 12 sisters, all of them his wives. But an ogress seduces the king (an ogress!) and convinces him to gouge out the eyes of the 12 sisters and banish them to a cave -- which the king duly does. Later, the sisters give birth to their babies, and all but one of them decide to eat their own children. So one boy survives, and when he becomes a young man he reveals the truth to his father, much to the hysterical thrashing-about of the wicked ogress.

Finally let's hear a song from the film Thansua Soben, which was released in a Thai theatre in 1971 (see clip below). The influence of Chinese opeara is all over, and the music is really sweet. The film tells the story of a girl who disguises herself as boy and later falls in love with a male student.

It's believed that the film's cast perished during the Khmer Rouge war.

(Thanks to Donsaron Kovitvanicha)