Although Japanese Christians make up only 1% of the country’s population, about 90% of weddings in Japan are in the Christian style, complete with the words, “you may now kiss the bride” and the big white dress. There appears to be something of a roaring trade for Europeans to act as fake priests presiding at Western-style weddings to give a performance and add to the atmosphere. These are not legal ceremonies – the couples also have to make a trip to the local registrar.

The first of a planned series of tsunami early warning buoys is being put down in the Indian Ocean. The buoy, provided by the US, (who already operate a similar system in the Pacific Ocean) is being placed between Thailand and Sri Lanka, two of the countries worst-hit by the 2004 tsunami which killed more than 200,000 people. The buoy can detect sudden increases in pressure deep under the sea and send signals to a buoy floating on the surface. Using satellite communication the buoy passes the gathered information to tsunami warning centres around the Indian Ocean to give coastal communities early warning of a tsunami.

The plan is to create a network of 24 buoys that will extend to Indonesia and Australia, along the deep and unstable fault-line that caused the 2004 earthquake.

The BBC’s South-East Asia correspondent said that system will only be effective if proper warning sirens are installed in coastal communities – so far only a few have them.

Dubai-based Emirates will become the first airline to allow passengers to make mobile phone calls on its flights. Emirates expects to launch the service on one of its Boeing 777 planes as early as January next year. The news comes just months after Ryanair announced it planned to launch a similar service in mid-2007 – subject to regulatory approval.

Spotted by webmaster Paul: gapadvice.org Independent advice on gap years, for people of all ages.

A snake charmer who made a name for himself as Malaysia’s Snake King has died after being bitten by a king cobra. Ali Khan Samsudin, 48, gained a place in the record books for locking himself in small spaces with hundreds of snakes or scorpions for days at a time. According to local press reports, Mr Samsudin was reportedly bitten 99 times in his life so he was not unduly worried when he was bitten again, however, he died before he could receive hospital treatment.

Need to convert currency?

Take a look at The Globetrotters Currency Converter – get the exchange rates for 164 currencies The Globetrotters Currency Cheat Sheet – create and print a currency converter table for your next trip.

Need help? Want a travelling buddy or advice about a place or country – want to share something with us – why not visit our Mutual Aid section of the Website: Mutual Aid

Kitty writes in: I am writing a short dissertation on the contents of people’s suitcases, the history of suitcase design and of special travel items (for example travel irons, plug adapters etc), as an indicator of cultural and social changes over the past seventy years or so. I have had real difficulty finding any material on this subject at all. I was wondering whether anyone at the Globetrotters club knows of any books published on travels trunks or suitcases, the turning points in design (for example when more people wanted to have a lightweight case, rather than making a big deal out of their journey with bringing a trunk…), or any history of packing. Kitty can be contacted by e-mail on: kittybennett@mac.com

British shoppers heading across the Atlantic to the United States have been warned by HM Revenue and Customs that they must declare gifts bought in the US totalling over £145. Officials warn that if shoppers fail to declare their gifts and pay the required duty, they risk prosecution, which is rather a pity as the US/£ exchange rate is the best it has been in years. Up to 20% duty can be levied on goods and on some items an additional VAT at 17.5% must also be paid.

If you have a travellers tale that your aching to tell. Then why not visit the “Travel Sized Bites” section of the Website and share it with the world. Travel Sized Bites

Spotted by Mac: a well compiled and complete list of LCC – Low Cost Carriers – These are the cheapest of the cheap airlines, and NOT listed or sold normally by travel agents, you will not find these airlines in Orbitz, Travelocity or Expedia.com. However you will find them in the WIKI – Wikipedia.org.