November 2008

ASIA PACIFIC BUSIENSS: 28/11/2008Audio

Updated 28/11/2008 16:28:32

BHP cancels Rio Tinto take over; China's surprise interest rate cut; East Timor determined to direct Greater Sunrise downstream processing.

Police refuse force in Thai standoffAudio

Updated 28/11/2008 21:45:37

In Thailand where the police say they are not going to force a confrontation with thousands of protesters who've blockaded Bangkok's commercial airports.

Hunt on for perpetrators of Mumbai attacksAudioTranscript

Updated 28/11/2008 21:45:37

Mujahideen, criminal elements and foreign infiltrators are all under suspicion as Indian police continue their operations in the financial centre of Mumbai in the wake of Wednesday's bomb and gun attacks.

Security bringing seiges in Mumbai under controlAudio

Updated 28/11/2008 21:45:37

In India security forces say they are now in complete control of the Oberoi hotel in Mumbai.

China cuts growth forecast and interest ratesAudioTranscript

Updated 28/11/2008 21:45:35

In a shift away from the double digit growth of recent years, China has lowered its economic growth forecast for this quarter to 8 percent. The country's top economic planner, Zhang Ping, says the global financial crisis is still spreading, and its impact is deepening in China. The People's Bank of China this week moved to cut interest rates by 1.08 percentage points to 5.58 percent, the biggest single cut since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis. While some say the cut may provide some relief to businesses and mortgage holders, it is unlikely to reverse China's economic slowdown.

Korean tension open but border closedAudio

Updated 28/11/2008 21:45:35

Most crossings of the border between North and South Korea will close on Monday - the deadline set by Pyongyang as relations harden between the neighbours.

Militants may be front for known terroristsAudioTranscript

Updated 27/11/2008 22:07:57

The group claiming responsibility for the attacks, the Deccan Mujahadeen has not been heard of previously.

Attack targets 'as iconic as twin towers'AudioTranscript

Updated 27/11/2008 22:07:57

As symbolic as the felling of the twin towers in New York, that's how one expert has described the string of co-ordinated and bloody attacks that have struck India's financial capital, Mumbai.

Terrorists on 'suicide mission': EditorAudioTranscript

Updated 27/11/2008 22:07:58

In the commercial capital of India, Mumbai, the crisis that began with terror attacks on some of the city's best-known landmarks is still far from over.

Fighting heard inside India's Oberoi HotelAudioTranscript

Updated 27/11/2008 22:07:58

Indian army commandos are inside the Taj Mahal hotel where they say they are battling heavily-armed gunmen.

Nepal's Maoists mark 100 days in officeAudio

Updated 27/11/2008 22:07:53

It's a hundred days this week since Nepal's Maoists formed government in the new Himalayan republic of Nepal. And it would seem the former rebels are finding adminstration as much of a challenge as fighting a guerilla war. Some diplomats say progress on key issues has been slow.

Thai protestors shut down second airportAudioTranscript

Updated 27/11/2008 22:07:53

Thousands of anti-government protestors have closed down a second airport in the Thai capital and are continuing to blockade the international airport in Bangkok and the parliament.

China's growth to fall to 7.5% says World BankAudioTranscript

Updated 26/11/2008 15:29:43

The global economic slowdown is cutting into growth expectations across the region.

Filmmaker sees Timor through 'Rosa's' eyesAudioTranscript

Updated 26/11/2008 15:29:42

"Rosa's Journey" is a new documentary set to air on Australian television.

UNICEF says Asia Pacific govts must act to protect health of poorAudioTranscript

Updated 26/11/2008 15:29:42

The divide between rich and poor in access to life-saving health services in the Asia Pacific is becoming more pronounced, according the the United Nations Children's Agency UNICEF.

Falun Gong supporters want review of asylum claimAudioTranscript

Updated 26/11/2008 15:29:43

Two Chinese nationals are asking for their claims for asylum in Australia be re-assessed, after the Immigration Department sent them to the Chinese Consulate in Sydney to be interviewed by officials.

Australia to help disabled in developing countriesAudio

Updated 26/11/2008 21:37:41

The Australian government has launched a strategy to provide people with a disability in developing countries, with more support.

Australia admits deficit possibleAudio

Updated 26/11/2008 21:37:41

Political utterances are often about what is not said.

Singapore's high court finds newspaper in contemptAudio

Updated 26/11/2008 21:37:41

Singapore's High Court has levied the highest fine yet against a media organistaion for contempt of court.

Indonesia asks Australia for loanAudio

Updated 26/11/2008 21:37:41

Australia has confirmed its considering a request from Indonesia for a loan with Jakarta also approaching multi-lateral forums like the World Bank.

Former Timorese PM to negotiate oil and gas fieldAudio

Updated 26/11/2008 21:37:41

A vocal critic of the East Timorese Government has been appointed to lead the nation's negotiations over one of its major developments.

Protestors shut down Thai airportAudio

Updated 26/11/2008 21:37:41

Thailand's ongoing political crisis has dramatically escalated with protestors taking over and shutting down Bangkok's main international airport.

Warlords emerging on south BogainvilleAudio

Updated 26/11/2008 15:29:42

A plea to rid Bougainville of weapons and for more research into deadly conflict in the south has emerged from a group of South Bougainvilleans visiting Australia.

Pakistan government disbands ISI's political wingAudio

Updated 26/11/2008 15:29:43

To Pakistan, and when an Islamist militant uprising erupted at Islamabad's Red Mosque last year, one cabinet member asked the-then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, how Pakistan's spies could report what he had for dinner, but not know what was going on around the corner from his office?

Immigration sends falun gong members to Chinese embassy

Updated 25/11/2008 21:47:39

Two Chinese nationals are asking for their claims for asylum in Australia be re-assessed, after the Immigration Department sent them to the Chinese Consulate in Sydney to be interviewed by officials.

East Timor still facing weapons control challengesAudioTranscript

Updated 25/11/2008 15:11:54

A new report by the Small Arms Survey group says East Timor still has a serious challenges regarding weapons control and management with controlling weapons.

Taiwan calls for truce with China on Diplomacy War.AudioTranscript

Updated 25/11/2008 15:11:54

Taiwan has taken its next step in trying to negotiate an end to the diplomat chequebook war its been involved in with China. Since he came to power in May Taiwan's President Ma Ying-Jeou, has made developing his government's relationship with mainland China, a priority. As part of that he says he wants to end the competition for diplomatic allegiance between the two, which has cost hundreds of millions, if not billions of dollars, to attract the allegiance of some of the world's smallest, poorest countries. But now President Ma's calling for truce. If China agrees, it could mean an end to the no-questions-asked aid payments enjoyed by many island nations.

Dalai Lama urges caution in relation to Tibet's futureAudioTranscript

Updated 25/11/2008 15:11:54

Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has urged caution to be exercised by Tibetan leaders-in-exile in planning the future of their homeland.

Protestors shut down Thai ParliamentAudioTranscript

Updated 25/11/2008 15:11:55

Thousands of anti-government protesters surrounded Thailand's Parliament today in what they said would be their final push of a six-month campaign.

Gong Li joins fellow celebrities in taking foreign citizenshipAudio

Updated 25/11/2008 15:11:52

One of China's best known international movie-stars, Gong Li, has joined a string of Chinese celebrities in taking up foreign citizenship. Gong Li's decision to become a Singaporean citizen has sparked fierce debate in China.

US economic and political clout expected to declineAudioTranscript

Updated 25/11/2008 15:11:54

America's economic and political clout will decline over the next twenty years and the world will be more dangerous with concerns over food and water security, and the spread of advanced weapons.

Reform needed to improve Chinese mine safetyAudio

Updated 21/11/2008 19:48:36

Nearly sixty men have died in China's coal mines in the past four weeks, a shocking figure that shows once again that China still remains one of the world's most dangerous places for miners toiling underground.

Australia won't tail Japanese whalersAudio

Updated 21/11/2008 19:48:36

The Australian Government has announced what's long been expected that it won't be tailing Japan's whalers in the Southern Ocean this summer with its own ship.

Defence chief worried about China military buildupAudio

Updated 21/11/2008 19:48:36

Australia's Defence chief has expressed concern about China's military buildup and says he's seeking more information about the country's long-term aims.

Indian government considers regulating surrogacyAudioTranscript

Updated 21/11/2008 19:48:35

For years foreigners have been travelling to India to find surrogate mothers to have their babies.

Vietnam debates two child policyAudio

Updated 21/11/2008 19:48:35

Vietnam's government is considering a return to a two child policy in an attempt to control population growth.

Australia tells Pacific it will gain from free tradeAudio

Updated 21/11/2008 19:48:35

Australia has moved to reassure Pacific states that they do stand to gain from the push for free trade in the region.

Japanese opposition puts stranglehold on parliamentAudioTranscript

Updated 20/11/2008 15:34:06

As Japan sinks into recession, the government is facing an intransigent Opposition, stalling key bills in parliament, aimed at rescuing the economy. The Democratic Party of Japan is boycotting debates in the Opposition-led upper house, in an attempt to force Prime Minister Taro Aso to call a snap election for the more influential lower house, which is not due until September next year. The bickering could delay a government bill to allow the injection of public funds into regional and other banks, to facilitate loans to small businesses facing a credit crisis.

Independence on the agenda for Tibet talksAudioTranscript

Updated 20/11/2008 15:34:06

Hundreds of exiled Tibetan leaders from around the world have been holding crisis talks in the Indian city of Dharamsala to discuss the future of Tibet and relations with China. The five-day public meeting is the first of its kind since Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama went into exile nearly 50 years ago. The Dharamsala talks were called by the Dalai Lama, after he announced his efforts to secure greater autonomy from Beijing have failed. The meeting in India has already seen calls for a shift in policy towards calls for full independence for six-million ethnic Tibetans.

Veteran politician elected to head Philippine SenateAudioTranscript

Updated 20/11/2008 15:34:06

There is a new president in the Philippines' Senate. Veteran Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, one of the key figures who helped oust the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, has taken over as leader of the upper house, after his predecessor resigned on Monday to head off a no-confidence vote. The new leader is an 84-year old veteran politician, widely seen as a close ally of President Gloria Arroyo.

Japan grants whale meat import licenseAudio

Updated 20/11/2008 15:34:06

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has granted an import license for Icelandic and Norwegian whalemeat to be brought into the country.

World's poorest nations meet in CambodiaAudioTranscript

Updated 20/11/2008 15:34:07

As trade officials from the 21 APEC nations gather for their high profile meeting in Peru, their counterparts from the world's poorest countires are doing the same in Cambodia.

Former Maoist apologises for supporting Khmer RougeAudioTranscript

Updated 20/11/2008 15:34:06

In Cambodia a unique travelling photography exhibition is touring the provinces, the photographs were taken by Swedish man Gunnar Bergstrom in 1978 when he was a guest of the Khmer Rouge.

Timor hopes to develop next generation of leadersAudio

Updated 20/11/2008 21:40:23

East Timor's president Jose Ramos Horta has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue as part of his nation's National Dialogue Process.

Piracy problem calls for international actionAudio

Updated 20/11/2008 21:40:23

Piracy is once again rearing its ugly head with the International Maritime Bureau describing the situation in the Gulf of Aden as out of control.

Mass rally called after anti-government protestor killedAudio

Updated 20/11/2008 21:40:23

Anti-government protestors in Thailand are calling for a major rally this Sunday in a renewed push to oust the government, a call that comes after one person was killed and more than 20 injured by an explosion in the compound the protesters have been occupying for almost three months.

Terrestrial carbon must be in Post Kyoto mix.Audio

Updated 20/11/2008 21:40:22

A leading group of climate change specialists is urging developing nations to take more action against climate change.

Financial crisis gives Asia a seat at the tableAudio

Updated 20/11/2008 21:40:23

The APEC ministers and leaders meetings in Lima, Peru, are being dominated by one over-arching concern the need to co-ordinate a response to the global financial crisis, with a new international trade agreement key.

Bionic experts meet in AustraliaAudio

Updated 18/11/2008 20:06:40

Twenty years ago, researchers in Australia revolutionised life for the deaf community, with the first bionic ear. Since then bionics has moved on with scientists hard at work on bionic eyes, therapies to help paralysed people regain movement and even treatments for diseases of the brain.

Australia hopeful for future of New CaledoniaAudio

Updated 18/11/2008 20:06:40

Australia is optimistic that New Caledonia is firmly on a peaceful path to further autonomy from France, and that there are strong prospects to build on the territory's engagement with the wider Pacific region.

Parliamentary elections in Bangladesh in jeopardyAudio

Updated 18/11/2008 20:06:40

Bangladesh's first parliamentary elections in seven years could be postponed from its scheduled date of December 18th if the interim government fails to get the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its allies to participate. The BNP, one of two main political parties, and its allies want four demands met before participating.

Australia loses solar productionAudio

Updated 18/11/2008 20:06:40

The largest producer of solar panels in Australia is closing up shop and moving its operations off-shore. BP-Solar an offshoot of British giant B-P says it can't afford to make solar panels in Australia.

PNG 's Media Council investigates brawlAudio

Updated 18/11/2008 20:06:39

Papua New Guinea's Media Council has begun an investigation into the cause of a brawl at its annual awards ceremony which were meant to mark the end of a week long conference on the industry's future.

Indian labourer's children at risk on construction sitesAudio

Updated 18/11/2008 20:06:40

A welfare group in India says millions of children are growing up on construction sites, because their working parents have no access to childcare.

Talks on ETimor youth role in nation-buildingAudio

Updated 17/11/2008 21:06:43

Dozens of young people from Asia, Africa and the Middle East met in East Timor for a three-day conference looking at the role of youth in nation-building. The meeting was sponsored by the East Timorese government and the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, and aimed to help young East Timorese overcome their feelings of exclusion and disempowerment.

Tropical Storm Noul approaches VietnamAudio

Updated 17/11/2008 21:06:44

A strong tropical storm is churning towards southern Vietnam, threatening a direct hit on the densely populated Mekong Delta.

Presenter: Sonja Heydeman
Speaker: Wolfgang Shiefer - the Chief of International Cooperation and Communications at the Mekong River Commission Secretariat

Afghan President offers talks with TalibanAudio

Updated 17/11/2008 21:06:44

Afghan president Hamid Karzai has offered to provide protection to Mullah Omar, the Taliban's recluisive leader if he agrees to peace talks.

APEC Ministers meet in PeruAudio

Updated 17/11/2008 21:06:44

Ministers of the APEC governments gathering in Peru this week are under pressure to build on the G-20's command that the Doha round of world trade talks be finalised by year's end.

JAPAN: Recession to hit region but Australia the mostAudio

Updated 17/11/2008 21:06:44

Japan's economy is in recession and it's set to get worse. The Government has announced growth contracted by point-one of-one per cent in the three months to September. It also revised figures for the previous quarter saying the economy shrank by almost a full one per cent.

Muslims in China start Hajj pilgrimageAudio

Updated 17/11/2008 21:06:43

The annual Muslim pilgrimage known as the Hajj is in early December - but for some Muslims in China, the trip of a lifetime has already begun. Almost 12-thousand pilgrims are chartering direct flights from China to Saudi Arabia to take part in this year's event.

Australian Prime Minister heads to G20 summitAudioTranscript

Updated 14/11/2008 20:51:56

As more nations plunge into recession, world leaders are heading to Washington for the G20 summit which starts tomorrow. The emergency summit was called by President George Bush, and charged with coming up with both short-term solutions to the current economic crisis, and long-term outcomes to prevent a repeat of the credit crunch. Among those on the way to Washington, is Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Changes ahead for Australian skilled migration visaAudio

Updated 14/11/2008 20:51:56

Changes are in store for Australia's temporary workers visa program after cases of exploitation of workers led to a government review. And China is among several countries the Australian government has approached in a bid to halt some unscrupulous practices. Known as 457 visas, the scheme allows workers into Australia to fill skill shortages for up to four years.

Month of state elections could spell end for Indian PMAudio

Updated 14/11/2008 20:51:57

A month of state elections has just started in India and it's likely the results will be seen as a judgement of prime minister Manmohan Singh's performance on the economy. But for once the devil is not in the global financial crisis, but in India's own levels of inflation. The state elections are being contested in six states. And there could be heavy loses for Manmohan Singh's party, the Indian National Congress, ahead of general elections early next year.

Presenter: Zulfikar Abbany
Speaker: Professor Kamal M. Chenoy, Comparative Indian Politics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi

Historic Tibetan meeting may push for independenceAudioTranscript

Updated 14/11/2008 20:51:55

Hundreds of leading Tibetans in exile will gather in India next week, for historic talks that could radically alter the course of their decades-long struggle against Chinese rule in Tibet. The meeting was called by Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, to will look at new ways in dealing with Beijing. Many of the more radical exiles believe the "middle way" of the Dalai Lama, and his attempts to secure "meaningful autonomy" have failed, and calls for independence may be back on the agenda.

Court rules against ETimor mid-year budgetAudioTranscript

Updated 14/11/2008 20:51:55

East Timor's Court of Appeal has ruled that the $400 million mid-year budget is illegal. The government had sought to take an extra $290 million from the nation's petroleum fund than its own finance ministry had deemed sustainable. The budget had been appealed against by the main opposition Fretilin party; the court of appeal has now ruled in Fretilin's favour, and the party is now calling on the government to reassess spending for the rest of the year.

Red Cross says it's caught in the middle, KoreaAudio

Updated 13/11/2008 21:24:51

In response to Pyongyang's announcement that it is shutting down the Red Cross office in the border village of Panmunjom, the South Korean Red Cross says it is a non-political organisation and has been caught up unfairly between the arguing sides.

North Korea to close southern borderAudioTranscript

Updated 13/11/2008 21:24:51

North Korea says it will close its border and cut non-military phone links with South Korea, in protest against what it calls South Korea's 'confrontational stance'. Pyongyang also announced that it is shutting down the Red Cross office in the border village of Panmunjom and cut its cross-border telephone lines. The border closure will threaten a South Korean-funded industrial complex built just north of the border. If implemented, the border closure will be a blow to inter-Korean relations, which have deteriorated since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak came to office.

Afghan progress through the eyes of a woman parliamentarianAudioTranscript

Updated 13/11/2008 21:24:51

News of an acid attack against a group of school girls in the Afghan city of Kandahar this week has served as a reminder of the human rights perils for that country's women. Seen through the eyes of one Afghan woman, who sits in the country's parliament, the attacks are not just against women but against the very idea of progress in Afghanistan.

Iranian diplomat abducted in Peshawar, Pak Afghan borderAudioTranscript

Updated 13/11/2008 21:24:51

The security situation in Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar, which borders Afghanistan, appears to be worsening after the abduction of an Iranian diplomat. The incident comes a day after a US aid worker was killed in the city, and just two months after another foreign diplomat, the Afghan consul-general, Abdul Khaliq Farahi, was also abducted.

Women still not getting the top jobs, reportAudioTranscript

Updated 13/11/2008 21:24:49

A new report finds women still less likely than men to get the top political and decision-making roles. The World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2008 says it's a waste of talent.

ETimor leprosy experts train Australian health workersAudioTranscript

Updated 13/11/2008 21:24:49

The disfiguring disease leprosy may have been almost eradicated worldwide, but it's still endemic in a handful of countries, including East Timor. There very few cases of leprosy in Australia, even though a small number still occur in remote regions each year. Australian doctors see the disease so rarely, diagnosing leprosy is often a struggle, and recently, a team of medical workers from northern Australia visited East Timor, to learn from their colleagues there on how to spot the disease.

Maldives to buy new homeland before islands sinkAudioTranscript

Updated 12/11/2008 20:49:15

Global warming is a threat to many island nations in the Asia Pacific region. Not least, the Maldives, which is the lowest nation in the world, and is made up of over a thousand islands and coral atolls in the Indian Ocean. It's a major tourist destination. But it's under threat from the rising sea levels. And it's first democratically elected president, Mohamed Nasheed, who's just been sworn in to office, has a plan to buy a new homeland.

Tough talking ahead for G20 meetingAudioTranscript

Updated 12/11/2008 20:49:15

President Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will be among the leaders converging on Washington on Saturday for the G20 meeting on the financial crisis. They'll have some hard talking to do. Most of that will take place behind closed doors and most of it will be targeting the United States.

Ministers showcase strong ties between Australia and IndonesiaAudioTranscript

Updated 12/11/2008 20:49:15

Australia and Indonesia have again showcased their strong bilateral relationship, during annual ministerial talks in Canberra, covering issues from the global financial crisis to people trafficking and climate change. And while addressing the media after the talks, Indonesia's Foreign Minister, Hassan Wirajuda, eloquently explained his country's debate on the death penalty, which Australia opposes.

Social networking sites take off in ChinaAudio

Updated 12/11/2008 20:49:12

In recent years, social networking websites have taken off all over the world, and China is no exception. With more than 200 million regular internet users in China, the American-based networking giants - MySpace and Facebook - are keen to get a slice of the lucrative market. But they are being kept out by local operations and, adding to their frustration, many Chinese sites are a close mimic of their would-be American competitors.

East Timorese occupation victims face fresh wait for justiceAudio

Updated 12/11/2008 20:49:12

East Timor's parliament has again postponed a debate over a report that recommends justice and reparations for victims of crimes committed during Indonesia's occupation of the country. President Jose Ramos-Horta has said he wants all investigations and prosecutions for gross human rights violations committed during the occupation dropped. But human rights advocates say that decision should be left up to the country's citizens.

Ousted Thai PM and wife barred from BritainAudioTranscript

Updated 11/11/2008 21:09:11

The former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife have been barred from re-entering Britain, after the UK government revoked their visas at the weekend. The couple had been living in London after skipping bail in August and avoiding facing corruption charges back home. Last month, Mr Thaksin was given a two-year prison sentence by a Thai court in absentia. Yesterday, reporters tracked him down in Beijing, where he said he planned to "keep travelling". Legal experts agree that Mr Thaksin could easily be brought back to face justice in Thailand, if the government seriously wished to do so.

Financial crisis overshadowing food crisis, reportAudioTranscript

Updated 11/11/2008 21:09:11

A leading Australian think tank has warned that the global economic crisis has distracted the world from a precarious world food situation. Although food prices have come down from the peaks of some months ago, the food situation remains daunting, according to a new report called 'A Food Secure World: How Australia Can Help'. A key recommendation is that Australia substantially increase aid for agricultural research in Africa.

Children self harm six months after Sichuan earthquakeAudioTranscript

Updated 11/11/2008 21:09:11

Six months after China's Sichuan Province was devastated by a massive earthquake aid organisations say they are still very much needed to help the reconstruction. The quake killed 70,000 people, left five million homeless and over 8,000 children orphaned. Among the most tragic outcomes are the instances of self-harm by children disturbed by their experiences.

Islamic financial institutions seek greater reachAudioTranscript

Updated 11/11/2008 21:09:10

With Islamic banks holding steady in these gloomy times, institutions are looking to expand beyond the Gulf and into the Asia Pacific region, including Australia.

Samoans protest against jailing of associate trade ministerAudio

Updated 11/11/2008 21:09:10

More than a thousand people have marched through the Samoan capital Apia to protest against the jailing of the country's associate trade minister, Joe Keil, in the United States. Mr Keil was arrested in September and charged with falsifying his travel documents. He's been released on bail but his arrest has angered the government of Samoa and many of its people.

Afghan parliamentarians on fact finding mission in CanberraAudioTranscript

Updated 10/11/2008 20:39:01

Gruesome tales of conflict are the daily news diet from Afghanistan. But the country does have a parliament and some of its members are being dispatched to observe and learn from more mature parliaments around the world. One such delegation is currently visiting Australia and has begun an intense programme on the workings of the parliament in Canberra.

Lawyers for Bali Bombers plan lawsuit against Indonesian govtAudioTranscript

Updated 10/11/2008 20:39:01

Lawyers for the Bali Bombers say they will file a lawsuit with Indonesia's Attorney General's office, accusing the government of human rights violations. The Bali Bombers, Imam Samudra, Amrozi, and Muklas, who were convicted for their roles in the 2002 Bali Bombings, were executed by firing squad just after midnight on Sunday morning. Their legal team says the executions were not conducted in accordance with the law.

Can China save rthe world?AudioTranscript

Updated 10/11/2008 20:39:01

China's massive economic stimulous package is being digested around the world. The rate of China's growth will make or break some industries among its trading partners, including Australia. But Beijing's four-trillion yuan package has at least sent a glimmer of hope to stock markets throughout the region.

Islamic banking rapidly expandingAudio

Updated 10/11/2008 20:38:56

Islamic banking is an industry now worth almost a trillion US dollars and it's considered to be one of the fastest growing sectors in the world of finance.

Warmer relations with China dashed after Taipei protestsAudioTranscript

Updated 10/11/2008 20:38:56

Three official groups from China have shelved plans to visit Taiwan, citing safety concerns in the wake of last week's violent protests targeting Beijing's top envoy to the island. The visit by Chen Yunlin to Taiwan was the highest level meeting between Beijing and Taipei in 60 years. But hopes it might lead to warmer relations were dashed by the mass protests in Taipei.

Planned Fiji media laws a mysteryAudio

Updated 07/11/2008 20:51:31

Fiji's media outlets are still waiting to find out what is in planned, new industry legislation which would regulate their activities. The Interim government is not giving away much detail.

Families of Bali Bombers told to 'get ready'Audio

Updated 07/11/2008 20:51:31

It's been a long week of waiting for the families of the three Indonesian men convicted for the Bali bombings of 2002. But they have now been told to prepare themselves for the executions, which could take place in the next few days.

Criminal allegations against Chinese official visiting AustraliaAudio

Updated 07/11/2008 20:51:31

There has been an attempt to bring criminal charges against a high ranking Chinese official, who is due to meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd while visiting Australia. Zhou
Presenter: Karon Snowdon
Speaker: John Della, representative of Falun Dafa, or Falun Gong, in New South Wales, Australia; Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University, Stephen Smith, Australian Foreign Minister

Power shift in cricketAudio

Updated 07/11/2008 20:51:30

The battle for world cricket supremacy, in the men's and women's, is being played out by the same two countries. In India, the home side looks set to take the world crown in men's cricket from Australia. While across the Indian Ocean, the Australian women's team is playing host to their Indian counterparts in a number of one day internationals. But the changing fortunes of the men's side is being seen as a reinforcement of the shift in power in the game and how it's run.

Food scandal spreads to eggs in Hong KongAudio

Updated 07/11/2008 20:51:30

China's food scandal widens with authorities in Hong Kong finding high levels of melamine in eggs imported from the mainland.

Bhutan crowns new kingAudio

Updated 06/11/2008 21:35:33

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has crowned its new king in a colourful ceremony. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the world's youngest monarch, and is now also the head of the world's youngest democracy. Significantly, Bhutan's drive towards democracy has come mainly from the monarchy and not from the people.

Indonesians excited over Obama victoryAudio

Updated 06/11/2008 21:35:33

Although many thousands of kilometres from the campaign trail, Indonesians have been captivated by Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

Calls for Obama to attend G20 summitAudio

Updated 06/11/2008 21:35:33

Some observers say the Obama presidency could also bring a new chance for Australia to advance its efforts with Washington over Indonesia. But for now it's the economy, the economy, the economy. And there's significant pressure for Barack Obama's immediate engagement at an up-coming summit of the Group of Twenty top finance ministers and Central Bank Governors.

China watching Obama's first movesAudio

Updated 06/11/2008 21:35:34

America's new President-elect faces the most daunting set of challenges for an incoming leader since the 1930's. His first order of business will be the economy. But as the administration gets into its stride next year, America's relationship with China, as an emerging power, could be one of the most important for the United States.

World's largest floating bookshop docks in East TimorAudio

Updated 06/11/2008 21:34:55

The world's oldest passenger liner the MV Doulos has pulled into port in East Timor. The ship has had four different roles over her 94 year life span, and is docked in Dili's main harbour in her most recent incarnation as the world's biggest floating bookshop.

Economic gloom forceast for AustraliaAudio

Updated 05/11/2008 22:07:45

Australia's budget position has dramatically slipped, as the global financial storm cuts a swathe across the world. Canberra has issued revised economic forecasts, showing that three-quarters of the government's budget surplus has evaporated.

Obama's next four yearsAudio

Updated 05/11/2008 22:07:45

Before the election many observers said a win for Barack Obama was a foregone conclusion. But what exactly has happened here? Have the Republicans been voted out, or Obama been voted in? And what can we expect from the 44th president of the United States in the four years to come?

Asian leaders congratulate ObamaAudio

Updated 05/11/2008 22:07:46

Barack Obama says he sees a hard task ahead and challenges in the two US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the worst financial crisis for decades. But for now letters and calls of congratulations for the President-elect have been flooding in from world leaders.

Obama elected 44th US presidentAudio

Updated 05/11/2008 22:07:46

The United States has its first African American president, with US Democrat Barack Obama taking the majority of the vote in the US presidential election. Barack Obama gave an acceptance speech in front of 70,000 supporters in his home town of Chicago.

2008 global survey on tuberculosisAudio

Updated 05/11/2008 22:07:40

Tuberculosis effects five in every thousand Cambodians and three in every thousand Filipinos and two in every thousand Indonesians. Experts at the World Health Organisation say controlling the disease will cost $US3.1 billion a year.

Pacific watches and waits for new US PresidentAudio

Updated 04/11/2008 21:56:23

By this time Wednesday afternoon
Presenter: Campbell Cooney
Speaker: Barack Obama, US presidential candidate (Democrat); John McCain, US presidential candidate (Republican); Dr Tarcisius Tara Kabutaulaka, East West Center; Jenny Hayward-Jones from the Myer Foundation's Melanesia Program

Australian legend wins Melbourne CupAudio

Updated 04/11/2008 21:56:24

Praise and adulation has been pouring forth for Australian thoroughbred training legend Bart Cummings. In his fiftieth year in the industry, Cummings has taken victory a twelfth time in Australia's premier racing event, the Melbourne Cup.

Bangladesh, Burma face off in Bay of BengalAudio

Updated 04/11/2008 21:56:24

Tensions have grown in the Bay of Bengal with Bangladesh sending warships into the disputed waters in response to Burmese efforts to explore oil there. The provocative move has added to recent strains in the relations between the two nations, which had until now been improving.

Scientists conclude drilling to blame for Java mudflowAudio

Updated 04/11/2008 21:56:24

A group of leading geologists has concluded that the Lusi mud volcano, which erupted two years ago on the Indonesia island of Java, was caused by unsafe drilling practices. The mud volcano has continued to flow since it erupted near a mine run by Lapindo Brantas, displacing over 30,000 people. Lapindo Brantas maintains an earthquake caused the accident.

Some activists in Thailand aiming to spread a message of peaceAudio

Updated 04/11/2008 21:56:23

After a week of shootings and bombings that left several people dead, a solution to the Thai political crisis seems distant, but some Thais are hoping that a new message of peace might catch on such as kissing in public.

Deposed leader addresses crowd via videoAudio

Updated 03/11/2008 21:54:43

Thailand's deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has appeared by a video link in front of 90 thousand people in Bangkok with many wearing red T shirts to show their support for the controversial leader.

Civil rights groups to protect Asian American voteAudio

Updated 03/11/2008 21:54:43

With a record turnout expected in the US elections on Tuesday, civil rights groups are working together to ensure every Asian American who wants to cast a vote gets the chance to do so.

Fate of Bali Bombers raises concerns over Bali NineAudio

Updated 03/11/2008 21:54:43

A degree of populist hysteria has played out in Australia over the imminent
Presenter: Linda Mottram
Speaker: Professor Don Rothwell, international law expert, Australian National University

Change of Malaysian leadership confirmedAudio

Updated 03/11/2008 21:54:43

Malaysia's deputy prime minister Najib Razak has won the presidency of the ruling UMNO party unopposed ahead of party elections in March. It's then, during UMNO's national congress, that prime minister Abdullah Badawi has said he intends step down. But the change of leadership is unlikely to mean a major shift in policies at the party or national level.

Muslim women facing same challenges globallyAudio

Updated 03/11/2008 21:54:43

Barcelona has hosted the third international conference on Islamic Feminism, bringing together feminists from across the world. And they found that the Muslim women, internationally, face similar challenges and obstacles.