ASEAN-The Association of Southeast Asian Countries ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Countries) was established on 8th August 1967 in Bangkok by the five original men1ber countries: Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Philippines. In 1984 Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN followed by Vietnam in 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar in 1997 and Cambodia in 1999. It is a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia. The main objective...

Nuke Free World During the Cold War (from 1940 to 1970) nuclear, weapons were necessary to maintain international security because they were considered a means of prevention. Nuclear weapons’ were a means of deterrence. The nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, however left such mass destruction in its wake that post, war Japan went on to adopt Three Non-Nuclear Principles, forbidding the nation from nuclear armament. The bombs killed close to...

The Nobel Laureate In 1895, a year before his death, Alfred Nobel signed the ramous will which would execute some of the objectives to which he had dedicated so much of his life. Most of Nobel’s estate, more that Swedish Kronor 31 million (today about Swedish Kronor 1,500 million) as per the stipulations of Nobel’s will had to converted into a fund and invested in safe securities. Alfred Nobel willed the...

Human Trafficking Human trafficking is just another name for modern-day slavery, wherein the victims involved are forced, coerced and deceived into labour and sexual exploitation. The figures are scary. Almost 600000 to 800000 women and children are annually trafficked across national borders. This does not account for the numbers that are trafficked within their own countries. Most human trafficking victims are actually duped into the trade by the false promises made...

Funfairs and Amusement Parks A funfair is a small or medium sized traveling fair primarily consisting of amusement rides. In some place these funfairs are called as ‘carnivals’ and in the Indian subcontinent they are called as `melas.’ A fun fair is generally a conglomeration of amusement rides and fun game stalls. In the countryside a funfair provides a brief interlude from the tough life that comes along with the unforgiving...

Bollywood Stars Shining Bright Yes ! There is no disputing that finally Bollywood has arrived and its stars are shining bright. It doesn’t matter which part of the globe you live in anymore. Bollywood movies and their stars are gaining grounds everywhere. All over the world America, Europe, Australia, the Persian Gulf and other parts of Asia as well Bollywood movies are being watched and Bollywood stars are creating the kind...

The Popularity of Soap Operas Soap operas are popular because of their undemanding nature and their perennial fascination with everyday situations. Originally soap operas were a part of American radio programs in the 1930’s. Their immense success resulted in their being made for television in the fifties. Proctor and Gamble a soap manufacturing company was the original sponsor of these shows and hence the term ‘soap’ was coined. These operas were...

Yellow Journalism In the late eighteenth century America’s “New York World” was owned by Joseph Pulitzer and the “New York journal was owned by Randolph Hearst. The term “Yellow Journalism was first coined during the newspaper wars between these two leading newspapers. In an attempt to increase sales both these papers changed the content of their newspapers, adding more sensationalized stories and increasing the use of cartoons and drawings. In 1896,...