October 2009
Top anti-graft officials detained in Indonesia
Updated 30/10/2009 20:48:14
Indonesian police have arrested two deputy commissioners from the countries celebrated anti-corruption agency. The pair was suspended in September after police alleged they had overstepped their powers and also accepted bribes to drop an investigation. Their arrest is another blow to the agency which has faced a difficult year and anti-corruption analysts say the moves against its members could be part of a wider campaign to undermine the fight against graft in Indonesia.
Fiji PM looks for alternative regional forum
Updated 30/10/2009 20:48:14
Fiji is being encouraged by some Pacific Island Forum nations to include them in next year's Melanasian Spearhead Group meeting. MSG membership is restricted to Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, but since Fiji's suspension from the Pacific Islands Forum and the Commonwealth, Fiji is barred from top level regional meetings such as the PACER Plus trade tralks. Fiji will chair next year's Melanesian group meeting, and interim prime minister Frank Bainimarama has told Radio Australia's Geraldine Coutts, Fiji is considering extending observer status to many of its regional neighbours, but not New Zealand and Australia.
Chinese Vice Premier begins key visit to Australia
Updated 30/10/2009 20:48:14
China has confirmed that it intends to put relations with Canberra back on track, after months of difficulties, responding to a similar gesture from Australia. In a speech in Sydney, the heir-apparent to the Chinese Premiership, Li Keqiang has given political impetus to the difficult and stalled Australia-China Free Trade talks, he's signalled support for a new high level dialogue, and he's declared no single incident should obscure the long term strategic ties. It's precisely what Canberra had hoped for, and closely echoes a speech delivered by Australia's Foreign minister Stephen Smith.
Maritime border dispute plagues Bangladesh, Burma relations
Updated 30/10/2009 20:48:14
Tensions between Bangladesh and Burma are rising, after a military buildup along their land border, and a navy warship stand off, raised hackles on both sides. The problems lie in the fact that Bangladesh, Burma and India all lay claim to potentially lucrative oil and gas fields in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh has asked the United Nations to mediate, and Burma has approached the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, a technical body, to investigate. But the maritime dispute could go on for years.
Outside influence allegations another obstacle to Khmer Rouge trials
Updated 30/10/2009 20:48:14
The beleaguered Khmer Rouge trials in Cambodia have hit another obstacle. In a motion filed last week, two pre-trial judges, Australian Rowan Downing QC, and a Dutch national, have been accused of taking instruction from their respective governments. The Khmer Rouge tribunal has endured considerable controversy in its four years of existence, and the latest scandal is yet another setback to expedient justice for victims.
Safety fears over swine flu vaccine
Updated 29/10/2009 20:22:04
China has begun rolling out its voluntary swine flu vaccination program, with authorities encouraging those most at risk to take part. As winter approaches, the program aims to cover about five per cent of the population. But a new survey shows there's widely held safety concerns, and about half of those surveyed do not want the vaccine.
Asylum claims needs one international tribunal: expert
Updated 29/10/2009 20:22:04
A prominent refugee scholar has backed calls by an Australian judge for a single international tribunal to process asylum claims. Melbourne Law School Dean James Hathaway says states and the UNHCR are deciding refugee applications in radically different ways. And he says that's encouraging asylum seekers to travel to countries where they're likely to get a fairer hearing. The dean is echoing the concerns of Australian federal court judge Tony North, who's told Fairfax newspapers the process resembles a lottery.
Indonesia rules out forcing asylum seekers off Oceanic Viking
Updated 29/10/2009 20:22:04
Indonesia has ruled out the forcible removal of a separate group of 78 Sri Lankan asylum seekers from an Australian customs vessel in Indonesia's north. The director of diplomatic security with the Indonesian Foreign Affairs Department says that even if the asylum seekers were removed from the ship outside Indonesian waters, they wouldn't be welcomed on an Indonesian ship. Dr Sujatmiko says the asylum seekers, onboard the Oceanic Viking in Tanjung Pinang, would be resupplied with food and water, supplies which are expected to run out by Sunday.
Call for rights declaration protecting Melanesian children
Updated 29/10/2009 20:22:04
Papua New Guinea's Minister for Social Development, Dame Carol Kidu, says she's planning to hold a workshop to develop a Declaration on the Rights of the Melanesian child, as an adjunct to the Universal Declaration on the Rights of the Child. She says it should enshrine as rights such traditions as growing up in an extended family.
Sun powered race across Australian desert
Updated 29/10/2009 20:22:04
Student engineers from around the world have been putting a range of solar-powered vehicles through their paces this week, driving across Australia. Last Sunday, the participants in the biennial Global Green Challenge began their journey in the northern city of Darwin. And they were challenged to finish the race by Friday lunchtime, having covered the 3,000 kilometres to the South Australian city of Adelaide.
Greenpeace reports illegal fishing in international waters
Updated 28/10/2009 20:55:24
The crew of the Greenpeace ship Esperanza is reporting that rampant illegal fishing is taking place in the four international fishing pockets in the Pacific Ocean. The Greenpeace crew have reported violations that range from Taiwanese longliners caught illegally transshipping fish at sea, illegal fishing by a Japanese vessel in Cook Islands waters, and the illegal use of fish aggregating devices. The Esperanza is currently docked in Raratonga, Cook Islands, after months at sea monitoring the extent of illegal fishing in the region.
US army allows Sikh to join ranks
Updated 28/10/2009 20:55:24
For the first time, a Sikh will be allowed to serve in the US army while maintaining his turban and beard. Captain Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi has been granted a religious accommodation appeal, the first of its kind in 23 years. Campaigners have called for a review or abolishment of the existing policy that excludes Sikhs from service, but the US Army says it will not change its stand, at least for now.
Warming relations herald China-Taiwan trade deal
Updated 28/10/2009 20:55:24
China has signalled its willingness to begin negotiations that ultimately could lead to a free trade agreement with Taiwan. Both sides say such a deal would be purely economics but where China and Taiwan are involved - politics follows.
Asylum seekers create political storm for Australian PM
Updated 28/10/2009 20:55:24
Australia's Prime Minister is under mounting domestic pressure over what's been dubbed his 'Indonesia solution', which has so far been anything but a solution to the futures of two groups of Sri Lankan asylum seekers. One group, on board a boat in Merak for more than two weeks, still refuses to disembark. And there's speculation that force could yet be used to get another group of 78 people off the Australian customs vessel the Oceanic Viking. Kevin Rudd is facing increasingly disparaging headlines and he's also fending off growing criticism in his own circles.
UN staff amongst dead in Afghanistan attack
Updated 28/10/2009 20:55:24
An early morning attack by several militants on a hostel used by United Nations staff in the Afghanistan capital, Kabul, has ended with at least nine people killed, including five UN workers. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the assault, raising questions about security in the run-off presidential election due to be held on November 7.
Japanese fishermen rethink tuna catch
Updated 28/10/2009 20:55:24
Japan is often at the receiving end of criticism over its fishing policies and condemnation has been especially strong about its pursuit of tuna. Now a group of tuna fishermen in the country's north have done the unthinkable and joined calls for Japan to reduce its take of this massive fish. The fishermen of Oma use handheld lines and open boats to catch tuna in the strait between the main island of Honshu and the northern island of Hokkaido. But in recent years their catch has dropped dramatically and they blame massive trawler operators from Japan, Russia, China and Korea, who they say scoop up everything in the sea.
Australia partners with WFP to boost food aid
Updated 27/10/2009 20:06:22
Australia has just made its largest commitment to help alleviate global hunger, which now affects more than a billion people. The Australian government has signed a new, four-year strategic partnership with the World Food Programme, to help ensure long term funding to the United Nations humanitiarian agency. The value of the new agreement is being put at $AU180 million and it's the first such pact with any donor.
Anger in Australia over Bluefin tuna quota
Updated 27/10/2009 15:45:39
The Pacific Tuna fishing industry says it's not suprised by the size of the reduction in annual quotas agreed to by the bluefin Tuna industry. At a meeting in South Korea the Bluefin industry agreed to an annual cut in quotas by 20 per cent. But there's anger in Australia, the biggest fisher of the species, as it must reduce its catch by 30 per cent.
Inquiry into Tongan ferry disaster begins
Updated 27/10/2009 15:45:12
Tonga's Royal Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of the ferry, MV Ashika, has begun its proceedings. In August the government owned Ashika sank taking over 70 lives, many of them women and children. The ferry now lies in water too deep for it to be salvaged. But with financial support from New Zealand and Australia, a Royal Commission of Inquiry will try and find out what happened, and who is responsible.
Hundreds gather to show support for Burmese democracy
Updated 27/10/2009 15:45:12
The famous Sydney Opera House has provided the backdrop to a demonstration in support of democracy in Burma. Several hundred people including the wife of the Australian Prime Minister stood together on the opera house steps to show their support for Burma's imprisoned democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Indonesia 'in no rush' to process Sri Lankan asylum seekers
Updated 27/10/2009 15:45:12
Two groups of Sri Lankans are still waiting for Indonesian authorities to process their claims for asylum. The first group of more than 260 asylum seekers were headed for Australia, when they were intercepted by the Indonesian navy off the Java coast earlier this month. Another group is waiting for similar answers onboard the Australian customs vessel the Oceanic Viking, anchored of the northern Riau Islands.
Science, agriculture debate global food needs
Updated 27/10/2009 15:45:12
Recent figures show the world will need to produce 70 per cent more food in the next 40 years, to feed a ballooning population. Food multinationals and a range of experts say only private-public partnerships and markets can provide the means. The view that research and development by private companies can deliver food security has broadly dominated the annual international conference in Canberra of The Crawford Fund, an Australian fund encouraging international agricultural research. But there is a dissenting opinion.
Australia moves to quell tension with China
Updated 27/10/2009 15:45:39
Australia's hoping a speech by foreign minister Stephen Smith in Canberra will draw a line under six months of tensions with China. Mr Smith is pointing to the expected visit to Australia this week of China's vice-Premier Li Keqiang as evidence of a thaw. Eminent China watchers have been calling on the Australian government to spell out a framework for the future of the Australia-China relationship, dogged as it has been by issues from the detention of Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu, to Chinese foreign investment rejections and Australia's defence white paper.
Australian gamers struggle for recognition
Updated 26/10/2009 20:51:34
With close to 90 per cent of Australian households now owning a computer or gaming console, the video game industry has become serious business. But a lack of recognition of the size and value of the industry means it's not all fun and games for developers, as they battle tax concessions, classifications and piracy.
Trafficking victim wins rights award
Updated 26/10/2009 20:51:34
A woman who was trafficked into sexual slavery has won a human rights award in Los Angeles for her work helping other victims. Vann Sina was subjected to unimaginable horror, but has turned her life around by helping others.
Anger in Australia over Bluefin tuna quota
Updated 26/10/2009 20:51:35
The Pacific Tuna fishing industry says it's not suprised by the size of the reduction in annual quotas agreed to by the bluefin Tuna industry. At a meeting in South Korea the Bluefin industry agreed to an annual cut in quotas by 20 per cent. But there's anger in Australia, the biggest fisher of the species, as it must reduce its catch by 30 per cent.
Border dispute just part of China, India tension
Updated 26/10/2009 20:51:34
Chinese and Indian leaders have met on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Thailand in an effort to diffuse rising tensions over the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The two nations went to war nearly five decades ago over the region and it's strained their relationship ever since. More recently, India's prime minister Manmohan Singh has rebuffed China's wishes that it bar the Dalai Lama's plans to visit the state. Some observers say the tensions are a sign of a deeper rivalry over who will emerge as the dominant power in the region.
Australia, Japan pitch rival plans for new regional community
Updated 26/10/2009 20:51:34
As the ASEAN summit wrapped up on Sunday, Asian leaders heard competing plans from Australia and Japan for an EU-style economic and political bloc. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has his grand vision for an Asia Pacific Community by 2020, but now there's a rival plan offered by Japan's new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, for a so-called East Asian Community.
ASEAN chief defends human rights charter
Updated 23/10/2009 20:54:05
The ASEAN human rights charter has been attacked for having no power over member states. The United Nations has urged leaders to make the Commission credible, and ASEAN secretary general Surin Pitsuwan says it's a beginning.
Commonwealth suspends Fiji broadcasters
Updated 23/10/2009 20:54:05
The Commonwealth Broadcasting Association, has announced its members in Fiji are to lose their full membership. The association says it has written to full members in Fiji saying that as the country is fully suspended by the Commonwealth, its constitution means broadcasters are also suspended from full membership. In Fiji there's been a muted response to the decision.
Former senior Cambodian anti-drug officer charged
Updated 23/10/2009 20:54:05
The former head of the anti-drug trafficking bureau in the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, has been charged for possessing 100-thousand US dollars worth of methamphetamine. Touch Muysor has been suspended after a joint investigation by local authorities and America's Federal Bureau of Investigation.
ASEAN, East Asia summits begin
Updated 23/10/2009 20:54:05
The leaders of 16 Asia-Pacific countries are gathering in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin for the ASEAN and East Asia summits. On the agenda of the three day talks will be economic ties, a recovery from the global financial crisis, and climate change. But the focus of the summit opening was the launch of the regional bloc's new human rights body, the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.
No longer a fantasy, blue roses to hit Japanese market
Updated 23/10/2009 20:54:05
It's an Australian tradition to have something old, something new and something blue at a wedding. And now, in Japan, finding something blue is about to get easier with the world's first genetically-modified blue roses going on sale in November. The roses were developed by Japanese company Suntory with help from Australian biotechnology researchers.
Push for no-first-use nuclear weapons policy
Updated 23/10/2009 20:54:05
An emotionally-powerful setting has formed the backdrop to this week's meeting of an international panel charged with helping drive nuclear disarmament. The International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament has been meeting in Hiroshima, the city hit by the world's first atomic bombing in World War Two. The commission has signed off on a weighty report due for publication early next year, agreeing that a key goal should be getting the existing eight nuclear-armed states to agree to a no-first-use policy.
Australian asylum seeker political debate continues
Updated 22/10/2009 20:20:47
Australia's already volatile debate on asylum seekers continues to escalate, even as an international expert charged with thinking about Australia's international image has warned the issue could yet seriously damage the country's standing. As two more boats carrying asylum seekers were intercepted by Australian border authorities, Parliamentarians in Canberra were delving deep for some of their most rancourous exchanges on the issue yet. And Canberra denied it was negotiating a per head bounty with Indonesia to fund extra efforts to stop boats and to process those who seek refuge.
President Yudhoyono unveils surprises in new cabinet
Updated 22/10/2009 20:20:47
Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has unveiled his new cabinet. The presentation of his new team came a day after being sworn in for a second five-year term. As head of state of the world's fourth most populous nation, President Yudhoyono faces a host of challenges from encouraging ever greater economic development; cracking down on corruption; and keeping a lid on both Muslim militancy and regional separatist movements.
Opium still fuelling terrorism in Afghanistan
Updated 22/10/2009 20:20:47
A new United Nations report has found that opium poppies grown in Afghanistan are fueling a $US65 billion trade that feeds 15 million addicts around the world. The report says opium kills five times more people in NATO countries every year than all the NATO lives lost in eight years of fighting against the Taliban. And with the profits funding militant groups throughout the region, the UN is warning that a so-called perfect storm of drugs and terrorism could be heading towards Central Asia.
Question mark over marines relocation from Okinawa
Updated 22/10/2009 20:20:47
The United States' Defence Secretary Robert Gates has threatened to stop the move of US marines from Okinawa in Japan to the US Pacific territory of Guam. One of the first actions of Japan's new government was to signal a proposed change to the details of a 2006 agreement with the US to relocate the American marines base to Guam, and change the location in Okinawa of its marine airbase. But during a visit to Japan earlier this week Defence Secretary Gates said if the plan is changed, the whole deal is off... including the relocation of marines to Guam.
AFL officially launches in Fiji
Updated 22/10/2009 20:20:47
Fiji is the latest country in the Asia-Pacific to officially welcome Australian Rules football. The Australian Football League Fiji has been launched with the aim of exposing more Fijian schoolchildren to the sport and offering them an alternative to rugby. The sport's profile has already been boosted by the drafting of three Fijian-born players to Australian teams.
More forced relocations for latest Chinese water project
Updated 22/10/2009 20:20:47
China has started to relocate more than 300,000 people in Hebei and Hunan provinces to make way for the government's south-north water diversion project. It's the second largest resettlement plan following a similar move during the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. The displaced, most of them farmers, have been offered little compensation. And critics fear the water project will only offer temporary relief to the thirsty North, and cause significant environmental and social problems.
Guam alarm over marine relocation uncertainty
Updated 22/10/2009 20:20:47
Guam has a lot riding on the arrival of thousands of US marines and their families from Okinawa in Japan. The expected boost to the US Pacific territory's economy, including construction jobs and investment in infrastructure, has been eagerly awaited for years.
New policy begins with high level US-Burma talks
Updated 22/10/2009 20:20:47
The United States says it will send a rare mission to Burma in the coming weeks.
Kurt Campbell, the US assistant secretary of state for East Asia, says the trip would follow up on his talks last month with a senior Burmese official in New York - the highest-level US contact with the military regime in nearly a decade. In a statement to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Kurt Campbell repeated Hillary Clinton's warning earlier this year that US policy towards Burma was not working. This is an edited version of Mr Campbell's address.
Child abduction issue forced in Japan
Updated 21/10/2009 14:22:04
Tokyo is under international pressure to allow divorced foreign parents access to their children. The issue was thrown into the spotlight when an American man was arrested for snatching his two children from his Japanese ex-wife in the Japanese city of Fukuoka. Japan is the only G7 country that hasn't signed a 1980 convention which obliges countries to return abducted children to their country of residence. Late last week, ambassadors from countries including the United States, Britain and Australia met with Justice Minister Keiko Chiba to press the issue.
Afghan president facing run-off, or opposition deal
Updated 21/10/2009 14:22:04
A run-off election and a possible political deal with his main opponent - they're the issues Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai is weighing under intense international pressure to resolve the country's electoral crisis. His main opponent in the August 20 poll, the former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, has signalled he's ready to do a deal, though he has conditions, including curbs on some Presidential powers. A US based Afghanistan-watcher says what's really needed though is a new constitution, and a five year political program backed by the international community.
Hellfire Pass anniversary
Updated 21/10/2009 14:22:03
This month marks a dark milestone for Australian and other prisoners of war involved in building the so-called "death" railway between Thailand and Burma during the second World War. It was at this time 66 years ago that the project was completed, allowing the Japanese to move supplies freely through the territories it held across South East Asia.
PNG sports team stranded in Sydney
Updated 21/10/2009 14:22:04
The 2009 World Masters Games in Sydney has wrapped up, after attracting more than 28,000 competitors. But for the touch football team from Papua New Guinea, participation in the event proved harder off the field. A shortfall in funding saw the team spend their first night in Sydney on the streets.
Rebuilding begins in Samoa
Updated 21/10/2009 20:42:44
The huge task of rebuilding after last month's tsunami along Samoa's south west coast is well underway. Thousands of dollars worth of building materials are being moved out into communities.
Security fears close aid centres in Pakistan
Updated 21/10/2009 20:42:44
The United Nations World Food Programme has temporarily shut aid distribution centres in the northwest of the country, amid a heightened security threat.
Time line shortens for Australia's Afghanistan presence
Updated 21/10/2009 20:42:44
A flurry of speculation about Australia's intentions in Afghanistan has been played down by Canberra, after comments by defence minister John Faulkner were headlined as signalling plans for an early pullout. Governments of course are unlikely to wish for longer wars than necessary. But Senator Faulkner's remarks, that he'd like Australia to fulfil its commitments in Afghanistan in as short a time as possible are being scrutinised closely, particularly as pullout dates for key allies loom, and NATO countries resist doing more.
Typhoon Lupit threatens Philippines north
Updated 21/10/2009 14:22:04
The Philippines is bracing for its third typhoon in four weeks, and residents in three zones in the north are on evacuation alert. Typhoon Lupit, or Rahmill as its locally known, is about 800 kilometres off the northeast corner of the Philippines, and contains winds of up to 196 kilometres an hour. The national weather bureau says if it makes landfall as predicted on Thursday, without weakening, it will be much stronger than typhoons Ketsana and Parma which killed more than 850 people and left hundreds of thousands of others displaced.
Arroyo successor ready for Philippines presidential race
Updated 21/10/2009 20:42:44
It's only six months away from Philippines presidential election. Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who's been leading disaster relief work in the country, is also President Gloria Arroyo's appointed successor and candidate for president. He is facing some strong competitors. Among them the son of former Philippine president Corazon Aquino, Senator Benigno Aquino.
Tweeting for sales success
Updated 21/10/2009 20:42:44
Tweeting instead of talking, followers instead of customers - social networking sites like Twitter may be the newest marketing tool. Technology experts say it's here to stay and companies need to get up to speed.
Car factory drives South Korean investment in Cambodia
Updated 21/10/2009 20:42:44
South Korean president Lee Myung Bak begins a two day visit to Cambodia Thursday, prior to the ASEAN meeting in Thailand. The two countries are hoping to strengthen bilateral relations, and the South Korean ambassador to Cambodia says the country is an important recipient of overseas development aid from Seoul. But, investment dollars are also welcome, and the construction of a car assembly plant in Cambodia, thanks to South Korean investment, is a sign that greater foreign investment in Cambodia is on the way.
Petition for Thai withdrawal from Burma dam
Updated 19/10/2009 20:35:11
In a petition to the Thai government, 51 civil society organisations have called for the withdrawal of Thai interests in two hydro electric power plants in Burma's Karen and Shan states. The Hat Gyi and Ta Sang dams are being built on Burma's Salween River, supported by Thai and Chinese government and private interests, and are forcing thousands from their homes.
SKorea, EU parliaments consider trade deal
Updated 19/10/2009 20:35:11
South Korea has just signed a free trade deal with the European Union. The deal, which could be worth billions of dollars, could also have wider implications for Asia and Australia. But in both the EU, and South Korea, there is opposition from industry.
Hong Kong penthouse sets world record sale price
Updated 19/10/2009 20:35:11
A luxury apartment in Hong Kong has sold for more than $US110,000 a square metre, setting a new world record for an apartment. The sale has heightened concerns of a possible property bubble and a subsequent price plunge seen during the 1998 Asia financial crisis.
Government, opposition close to Australian climate deal
Updated 19/10/2009 20:35:12
What's touted as one of the most far reaching structural reforms of Australia's economy - a carbon pollution reduction scheme - could be in place before the global climate summit in December in Copenhagen. After months of uncertainty Australia's government and opposition have begun negotiating the final shape of the system. But big compromises are likely and critics say the scheme's already highly questionable.
Defeating Taliban remains daunting task for Pakistan military
Updated 19/10/2009 20:35:12
Pakistan's security forces remain on high alert as the military offensive in South Waziristan fuels concerns of retaliatory strikes by Taliban militants and sympathisers. Military reports say the attack on Taliban strongholds is moving slowly but resistance is not as strong as expected.
Election uncertainty conerns Afghan allies
Updated 19/10/2009 20:35:12
Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai is under mounting international pressure to accept a possible run-off in the disputed presidential election. Top US officials Sunday issued a sharp warning to Afghan leaders, saying it would be irresponsible to send in more US troops without a strong government in place. The row over the election is a setback for the United States as President Barack Obama reviews his strategy in the war against Taliban insurgents.
New firms practice sustainable logging in Solomons
Updated 16/10/2009 20:21:51
Solomon Islands' logging industry is one of the country's most important earners, however many of the biggest logging companies are foreign owned. Solomons-Australian businessman, Brian Christie, is campaigning to have control of logging returned to locals.
Australian court convicts five men of terrorism plot
Updated 16/10/2009 20:21:51
A jury in Australia's longest running terrorism trial has convicted all five men accused of conspiring to prepare for an attack in Australia. The jury in the New South Wales Supreme Court had been told how they stockpiled weapons, ammunition and chemicals to make powerful explosives. But the prosecution never tried to prove they had moved beyond a conspiracy to identify a target or hatch a specific plot. And speaking outside the court the relatives of at least two of the men still deny that their loved ones are guilty of anything.
Japan confirms end to Indian Ocean naval mission
Updated 16/10/2009 20:21:51
Japan has formally told the United States that it will end a naval refuelling mission for its war in Afghanistan. Instead it has proposed new, non-military support for Kabul, such as job training for former Taliban soldiers. It is part of the new Japanese centre-left government's bid to reset its security ties with Washington. It also appears to be a sign of Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's renewed emphasis on Japan's pacifist values.
Australian Greens call for swift processing of asylum seekers
Updated 16/10/2009 20:21:51
The asylum seeker issue is putting renewed political pressure on the Australian government, with the Opposition pressing for a tougher government line with boat arrivals. Those who make to Australian waters are detained and transported to Christmas Island for processing.
Australia and Indonesia vie for World Cup hosting rights
Updated 16/10/2009 20:21:51
As the countdown continues to the World Cup in South Africa next year, the competition to host the next two tournaments is about to begin in earnest. There are 10 bids for 2018 and 2022 for FIFA to choose from, including five from the Asian confederation. Australia, Indonesia and Japan are bidding for both tournaments, South Korea and Qatar for 2022 alone. In the second of two features, Richard Ewart considers the prospects for Indonesia and Australia.
UN warns severe famine issues for poor nations
Updated 16/10/2009 20:21:51
A new report from the United Nations' World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation, to mark World Food Day, has warned that food and economic crises have resulted in one sixth of the world's people going hungry and being under-nourished. Meanwhile, aid agency, Action Aid says millions have joined the ranks of the malnourished in economically liberal India in the past year. Peter Cornish from the University of Western Sydney has been leading an agricultural development project in East India, and says there's a dire situation unfolding in the area.
Tsang calls for education shake up
Updated 15/10/2009 19:54:31
Hong Kong's education sector is set for a shake up. The country's chief executive, Donald Tsang has indicated he wants more international students, as well as private institutions, participating in the country's system.
Setback for nuclear test victims
Updated 15/10/2009 19:54:31
Claims for compensation for victims of French nuclear testing in French Polynesia has just got harder, after the French Senate placed strict conditions on eligibility. About 150,000 workers took part in 210 nuclear tests over 30 years from 1966, and many have health problems which they claim are a result of radiation exposure.
Chinese military delegation in Canberra
Updated 15/10/2009 19:54:31
China and Australia have been conducting their annual strategic dialogue in Canberra. It's the first since both countries published new defence white papers this year - Australia's fuelling speculation about a possible future Chinese military threat. The chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army, General Chen Bingde has led a high level delegation to Canberra.
UN ready to process Sri Lankan asylum seekers
Updated 15/10/2009 19:54:31
The Indonesian Navy has handed responsibility for 255 Sri Lankan asylum seekers over to the country's immigration authorities. The ethnic Tamils were headed to Australia earlier this week, and were intercepted by the Indonesia navy after a direct request to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Staff from the United Nations refugee agency, the UNHCR, are already on the ground waiting to process the claims of the Sri Lankans.
Asia's bidders put their case for World Cup hosting rights
Updated 15/10/2009 19:54:31
As the countdown continues to the World Cup in South Africa next year, the competition to host the next two tournaments is about to begin in earnest. There are 10 bids for 2018 and 2022 for FIFA to choose from, including five from the Asian confederation. Australia, Indonesia and Japan are bidding for both tournaments, South Korea and Qatar for 2022 alone. In the first of two features, Richard Ewart considers the prospects for the Japanese, the South Koreans and the Qataris.
India, Fiji, under Commonwealth fire
Updated 14/10/2009 14:17:05
The president of the Commonwealth Games Federation has warned New Delhi it can't afford any more delays if it wants to be ready to host next year's Commonwealth Games. The Federation has also announced that Fijian athletes will be excluded from the 2010 Games after Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth in September.
Scathing report on Afghanistan election
Updated 14/10/2009 21:00:21
An unco-ordinated and unmanaged mess, is how one of the most experienced Afghanistan analysts has described aid efforts in the country. Dr Anthony Cordesman from the United States Centre for Strategic and International Studies has also backed claims that the recent presidential election was hijacked. And he implicates Hamid Karzai directly.
Warning on Australian immigration border control
Updated 14/10/2009 14:16:40
A former Australian immigration minister has fuelled the country's volatile debate on people smuggling and asylum seekers arriving by boat. Philip Ruddock says the Australian government has lost control of Australia's borders, that Indonesia won't and can't do all Australia wants to stop boat arrivals and that 10,000 people are waiting to be smuggled to a country like Australia.
MSG leaders hear Fiji update
Updated 14/10/2009 14:16:40
Fiji's interim prime minister Frank Bainimarama has joined the leaders of Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu for the annual Ratu Mara Somare Cup golf challenge in Nadi. He used the opportunity to give the other leaders of the Melanesian Spearhead Group a progress report on Fiji's return to democracy.
China's rich list
Updated 14/10/2009 21:00:20
The global financial crisis doesn't seem to have slowed down any of China's billionaires. A new list of China's 1,000 richest people shows their total worth comes to $US571 billion.
Estrada to run for Philippines president
Updated 14/10/2009 21:00:20
Former Philippines president Joseph Estrada, ousted in a popular uprising in 2001, later convicted of corruption and then pardoned, says he will run in next year's presidential election. The 72-year-old joins some big names, including Benigno Aquino, the son of former president Corazon Aquino, who died earlier this year.
Australia looking to send more police officers to PNG
Updated 14/10/2009 21:00:21
Australia wants to limit any new policing role in Papua New Guinea to an advisory capacity. PNG's police commissioner Gari Baki recently confirmed to Radio Australia that scoping work had been done on the idea. But Canberra is considering a range of options to get Australian Federal Police officers back into PNG probably in the second half of next year.
Asia Pacific community idea grows
Updated 14/10/2009 21:00:21
The Australian government says it's organising a regional conference for the end of this year to discuss just how to form a European-style Asia Pacific community. The plan, to integrate the region politically as well as economically, is said to have attracted the interest of governments from India to the United States. But it appears China's relationship with Taiwan has been a central issue.
Drill readies Indian Ocean for tsunami
Updated 14/10/2009 21:00:20
18 countries across the Indian Ocean conducted a tsunami practic drill Wednesday, beginning with Indonesia. The exercise, backed by the United Nations, tests the warning systems and overall readiness of countries in the region. It simulates the massive 9.15 earthquake and tsunami that killed about 230,000 people in 2004.
Violence increases as Pakistan military threatens
Updated 13/10/2009 19:52:53
The Taliban has taken responsibility for a spate of deadly attacks in Pakistan in the past few days, including an attack on military headquarters. The militants appear to be pre-empting a planned offensive by the army along the Taliban frontier stronghold.
Another quarter of growth for Singapore economy
Updated 13/10/2009 19:52:53
Around the world, there's growing optimism the global economic downturn is coming to an end. Several countries have begun to produce positive growth figures. Singapore's economy is the latest to be revived, with official figures showing the country is climbing out of recession and it might be thanks to swine flu.
Cambodia wants Thai border dispute on ASEAN agenda
Updated 13/10/2009 19:52:53
Cambodia has proposed its border dispute with Thailand be put on next month's ASEAN summit agenda. Thailand says the dispute should be dealt with through bilateral negotiations. Cambodia and Thailand have been at odds over the land around the Preah Vihear temple for decades, but tensions spilled over into violence last year when the site was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.
Malaysian political parties fight for ethnic vote
Updated 12/10/2009 20:40:49
Malaysia's ruling coalition has ended a losing streak with a resounding by-election victory in the electorate of Bagan Pinang. Barisan Nasional says it did well among all ethnic groups - including Chinese and Indian voters whose support the party is struggling to reclaim.
Another election win for Sri Lanka's ruling alliance
Updated 12/10/2009 20:40:49
Sri Lanka's ruling coalition has won yet another local election. In the weekend poll in the southern province, the home of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance won almost 70 per cent of the vote. The alliance has won eight out of eight local elections, a strong political mandate for Mr Rajapaksa who's promised changes, including greater inclusion for the Tamil minority, if he wins a parliamentary majority in national elections.
Australia to prosecute illegal labour firm
Updated 12/10/2009 20:40:50
Australia is set to launch its first prosecution against an illegal labour hire operation, as pressure continues over exploitation of workers, in an array of different industries. Trade unions are demanding Canberra use powers put in place two years ago to stop what they call modern-day slavery... with a renewed focus on the fruit and vegetable growing industries after a newspaper report. The story detailed shocking living and employment conditions with possibly hundreds of gullible and vulnerable foreign workers the victims of an extensive and apparently expanding racket.
Music to educate Cambodia's youth
Updated 12/10/2009 20:40:49
There's long been a focus on land mine education in Cambodia, but the message is now being delivered in a new way. Young people from three villages in north-western Battambang province are part of a pilot program to create hip hop and rap music carrying the mine risk message.
Tourists needed in tsunami-devastated Samoa
Updated 12/10/2009 20:40:49
Nearly a fortnight after a tsunami hit Samoa, leaving 143 people dead and homes and businesses destroyed, the island nation is eager to get back on its feet, beginning with its tourism industry. The effect of the tsunami on tourist numbers is a concern - visitors were among the dead, and many popular resorts were damaged or destroyed.
Burma's Suu Kyi meets Western diplomats
Updated 09/10/2009 20:34:38
Burma's jailed pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has held a rare meeting with senior Western diplomats in Rangoon. She spent the one-hour meeting this morning in talks with the American, British and Australian ambassadors to Burma.
Samoa holds national day of mourning for tsunami victims
Updated 09/10/2009 20:34:38
First to Samoa, where a national day of mourning has been held to remember the 140 people killed in last week's tsunami. A funeral service was held in in the capital Apia, where Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele addressed thousands of mourners. Afterwards, the bodies of 11 people, including four children, were laid to rest in a mass grave.
Indonesian pop star chosen as UN ambassador
Updated 09/10/2009 20:34:38
If you're listening to Asia Pacific in Australia, you might not be familiar with Indonesian pop-star Anggun, but she's a huge deal in Asia, and has a strong fanbase in Europe, where she settled after several Number One hits at home. After moving to France in the mid-90s, Anggun began churning out a series of chart-topping albums, including Snow on the Sahara. The 1998 album is still one of the biggest selling albums by an Asian artist outside Asia.
GM deal to sell Hummer to China 'imminent'
Updated 09/10/2009 20:34:38
The American motor giant, General Motors, is reportedly just inches away from a deal to sell the iconic Hummer sports vehicle line to a Chinese firm. GM said four months ago it was starting talks with Tengzhong, a heavy industrial machinery company based in southern China. Both companies said they were hoping to strike a deal by the end of last month, and an announcement is now believed to be imminent.
Former Indonesian corruption czar in murder trial
Updated 09/10/2009 20:34:38
Indonesia's former top corruption fighter has gone on trial, accused of masterminding a gangland style hit. Antasari Azhar was the head of the country's Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK). That was until his arrest over a shooting that prosecutors say, was the result of a love triangle involving a female golf caddy. President Yudhoyono's government has made much of its campaign to eradicate corruption from politics and business, and the high-profile trial is being widely seen as a major setback.
UN climate talks end without agreement
Updated 09/10/2009 20:34:38
The latest round of UN climate talks have failed to deliver a consensus between the world's developing and developed nations. Delegates from 180 countries wrapped up talks today after two weeks of intense negotiations. The task of hammering out a financing plan to help poor nations green their economies moves now to Barcelona - the last round of talks before the Copenhagen summit in December.
Fresh tremors rattle Vanuatu islands
Updated 08/10/2009 21:03:41
Two strong aftershocks has rattled the Pacific this evening, hours after a series earthquakes briefly sparked a tsunami warning, sending thousands of islanders fleeing to higher ground. Two tremors were recorded off Vanuatu at around 7.30pm this evening, but the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii says no warning has been issued.
Surprise fall in Australian unemployment
Updated 08/10/2009 21:03:40
Two days after Australia's Reserve Bank decided the economy had picked up enough to raise interest rates, the latest Australian figures on jobs have come out - and they've been surprisingly good. Defying all predictions, the unemployment rate didn't go up, nor did it stay level. It fell by 0.1 of a percent, to 5.7 percent. As Australia bucks global trends on jobs and interest rates, the dollar's also continued to rise in value.
Frustration builds at UN climate talks in Thailand
Updated 08/10/2009 21:03:40
There's growing frustration in Thailand, as a major climate change conference nears its end. Representatives of 180 countries are in Bangkok, following up last month's negotiations in New York. After this meeting there's one more regional negotiating round in Barcelona, before the main Copenhagen summit in December. That's the deadline set by the UN for finalising a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol.
Two killed as powerful typhoon hits Japan
Updated 08/10/2009 21:03:41
A powerful typhoon hit Japan's main island early this morning, killing two people and injuring around 30 others. There's been widespread flooding, forcing around 11,000 people into emergency shelters.
Indonesian military airlifts aid to desperate villages
Updated 08/10/2009 21:03:41
The Indonesian military is using helicopters to get aid to isolated parts of West Sumatra which have been in an increasingly desperate wait for help more than a week after the area was struck by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake. Food, water and medicine are being flown out to areas where roads were destroyed or blocked by landslides.
Social enterprise targets Tibetan yak cheese
Updated 08/10/2009 21:03:40
Traditionally the aim of a business is to maximise profits for its owners. But there's another kind of business - social enterprise - where the aims are to maximise social or environmental gains as well as keep the balance sheet in the black. Social enterprises deliver everything from electric cars to organic vegetables and now even gourmet Yak cheese made by Tibetan nomads in Western China.
Pakistan urges US to stay distance in Afghanistan
Updated 07/10/2009 20:09:03
Pakistan has urged the United States to learn from past mistakes and make a long-term commitment to the country and the region. Foreign minister Shah Qureshi made the appeal as President Obama continues high-level talks in Washington on whether to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan. Mr Qureshi says the region will suffer if Washington pulls out of Afghanistan as it did after the Soviet defeat in the late 1980s.
Former Tamil fighters 'seeking aslyum in Australia'
Updated 07/10/2009 20:09:02
Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Australia has alleged that large numbers of Sri Lankans seeking asylum in Australia are former members of the Tamil Tiger rebel movement. His claim comes as Australia launches a regional campaign aimed at curbing the rising numbers of people attempting to enter Australia by boat in search of residency.
Remote Indonesian communities still awaiting quake aid
Updated 07/10/2009 20:09:03
A week on from the 7.6 magnitude quake that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the United Nations says aid is now on the way to most places in need. But, like other parts of Asia and the Pacific which have suffered so much from the typhoons, floods and tsunami of the past nine days, some remote Sumatran communities are still waiting for assistance.
Starvation reports from flood-hit southern India
Updated 07/10/2009 20:09:03
Nearly a week after late monsoon rains sparked India's worst floods in a century, thousands of troops and relief workers are still trying to reach marooned villages in the worst-hit southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The waters are now receding, revealing wrecked roads and bridges, and a thick layer of mud where this time a week ago the sugar and corn harvests were about to be brought in. The government's desperately trying to shelter more than two million people, amid reports that in some areas, people are now starving.
Coastal Thai communities fight ocean incursion
Updated 07/10/2009 20:09:02
Thailand is currently hosting global climate change talks, but has its own environmental problems to deal with. The dramatic erosion of the coastline in the Gulf of Thailand has led to local communities seeking to regenerate vital mangroves destroyed 30 years ago in the name of economic progress.
Cambodia's garment industry hard hit by economic crisis
Updated 07/10/2009 20:09:02
While economists are talking up a slow recovery from the global economic crisis, its effect continues to haunt developing countries.
Corruption concerns as quake aid pours into Indonesia
Updated 06/10/2009 21:16:46
Heavy rain that's been hampering the distribution of aid to Indonesia's earthquake survivors has abated today, and the weather's cooled off. It's making the job of removing millions of tons debris and recovering bodies easier, although the worst-hit town of Padang continues to be shaken by aftershocks. But as foreign help pours into the country, there are worrying reports that an opportunistic minority are taking advantage of the situation.
Australia's Reserve Bank lifts interest rates
Updated 06/10/2009 21:16:46
Australia has become the first OECD country to raise interest rates since the onset of the global economic crisis, with the Reserve Bank lifting the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3 and a quarter percent. Governor Glenn Stevens says the economy's rebounded better than expected from the global economic crisis, and that the emergency period that made record low rates a necessity is now over. He also pointed to continued strong growth in China, and the positive impact that's having on other regional economies.
Asia's floods destroys harvests, threatening food security
Updated 06/10/2009 21:16:46
Millions of farming communities in South East Asia face severe hardship in the wake of the past fortnight's severe floods. In India alone, one and a half million people have been displaced by monsoonal floods and there - as in the Philippines and the Mekong - harvests were destroyed just as they were ready to be brought in. It's stretching aid agencies to the limit, and threatening food security and a possible new regional spike in prices.
Mongolia signs landmark multi-billion dollar coal deal
Updated 06/10/2009 21:16:45
Mongolia has signed a multi-billion dollar deal with the Canadian firm Ivanhoe Mines and the Anglo-Australian giant Rio Tinto, to develop one of the world's richest copper deposits. The deal, finalised at a ceremony in the capital Ulaanbaatar, is one of the biggest investments in Mongolia since the country adopted capitalism two decades ago.
US considers Afghan strategy on 8th anniversary of conflict
Updated 06/10/2009 21:16:45
October 7th marks eight years since the start of the US-led military operation in Afghanistan. It comes as election workers are conducting a partial recount of votes from August's elections. The polls were supposed to cement Hamid Karzai's presidency, but fraud allegations have left the final result in limbo. Meantime President Barack Obama's meeting security advisors this week to reassess the war strategy, amid calls from the top US commander on the ground to send more soldiers.
Rain hampers aid in Indonesia as quake survivor hunt called off
Updated 05/10/2009 21:28:37
Heavy rain in Indonesia's disaster zone of Padang has been hampering the delivery of relief to thousands of increasingly desperate survivors of last Wednesday's earthquake. The Disaster Management Agency says time has run out for finding survivors, and that the international aid pouring into Indonesia will be focused on finding the bodies of those who died, and on helping the living.
Chinese premier begins North Korea visit
Updated 05/10/2009 21:28:37
China's Premier Wen Jiabao has been warmly welcomed in North Korea, embracing reclusive leader, Kim Jong-il, who made a rare public appearance at the airport.
Fears of disease in tsunami-hit Samoan islands
Updated 05/10/2009 21:28:37
It's Sunday in the Samoan islands today, and churches have been packed as people struggle to cope with the tragedy which struck last week. 176 people died and about a dozen are known to be missing following the tsunamis which struck Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga after a huge earthquake.
Millions left homeless by Asian floods
Updated 05/10/2009 21:28:37
The death toll from heavy floods in the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and India this past week has surpassed 700 and is continuing to rise. It's just over a week since Typhoon Ketsana roared through the Philippines and on through the Mekong, leaving a trail of ruin and suffering in its wake. In India, where the monsoon season's normally over at this time of year, the southern states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh got a beating from the sky at the weekend. In all five countries, it's the poorest of the poor who've been hit hardest. Millions are homeless, and relief agencies are making desperate appeals for aid.
UN urges international reforms on economic migrants
Updated 05/10/2009 21:28:36
Every year millions of people around the world relocate in search of a better life. But, contrary to popular perceptions in the West, most economic migrants aren't heading from poor countries to wealthy ones. The vast majority move within their own countries, and most of those who move abroad do so from one developing country to another. The challenge of protecting their rights and providing access to basic services like healthcare is the focus of a new report from the United Nations Development Fund - "Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development". It warns that many economic migrants are at risk of abuse, and has called for international reforms.
Australia, NZ and US provide emergency tsunami relief
Updated 02/10/2009 20:26:22
US President Barack Obama has declared American Samoa a disaster zone following Wednesday's earthquake and tsunami, and military personnel are bringing in emergency relief. Australia and New Zealand have also promised to provide whatever's needed for emergency relief and reconstruction for Samoa and Tonga.
UNICEF teams assess Pacific tsunami damage
Updated 02/10/2009 20:28:18
Hell on earth - that's how rescue workers arriving in villages on southern Samoa have described what they've seen following Tuesday's earthquake and tsunami. Distraught relatives have been picking through the rubble of their homes, searching for survivors, while aid agencies say they've seen trucks loaded with bodies leaving resort areas, wrecked buildings and the sea. Help is now on the way for the two Samoas and Tonga.
Red Cross pulls fresh survivors from Indonesian quake debris
Updated 02/10/2009 20:26:22
Australia is sending more people and equipment to Indonesia. Rescue teams are heading to the Sumatran town of Padang, to help dig survivors out of scores of collapsed buildings. Although time is running out, people are still being pulled out alive from the debris. The content of this report may distress some listeners.
Typhoons dominate first week of UN climate talks
Updated 02/10/2009 20:26:21
The damage done by Typhoon Ketsana to the Philippines has dominated the first week of the United Nations Conference on Climate Change currently underway in Thailand. Delegates from 192 countries are at the negotiations in Bangkok.
Samoa gives up hope of finding more tsunami survivors
Updated 02/10/2009 20:26:22
Help from the United States is now arriving in force in American Samoa. Congressman Faleo-mava'ega Eni Hunkin says some aid will be diverted to help neighbouring Samoa. In Samoa itself, emergency workers say they've given up hope of finding more tsunami survivors. With thousands spending another night in makeshift camps, the focus is now shifting to recovery and, in the coming months, reconstruction.
Northern Tonga still waiting for foreign aid
Updated 02/10/2009 20:26:22
The Pacific was rattled by more earthquakes today. The US Geological Survey says there were four quakes off northern Tonga and the Samoan islands, which are struggling to recover from this week's earthquake and tsunami. No damage was reported in Tonga, but northern communities are still waiting for the arrival of foreign aid.
Philippines' flood survivors brace for fresh typhoon
Updated 02/10/2009 20:26:22
Thousands of people in the Philippines are bracing for the arrival of super-typhoon Parma, which is packing winds of 230km per hour. It's bearing down on the northern part of Luzon, the country's main island. President Gloria Arroyo has placed the whole of the Philippines under a "state of calamity". Aid agencies are pleading with people not to return to their homes in the wake of Tropical Storm Ketsana, which left half a million homeless in Manila and surrounding provinces on Sunday.
Aid agencies pressed to limit by Asia-Pacific disasters
Updated 02/10/2009 20:26:22
The damage done to Sumatra's roads and other infrastructure is adding to the pressures on Indonesian authorities to ensure the well-being of survivors. Aid agencies are stretched to the limit.
New Zealand sends emergency help after Pacific tsunami
Updated 02/10/2009 20:27:34
New Zealand is working with Australia in getting relief efforts to Samoa and Tonga, and has allocated an initial $NZ1 million in funding, with more to come for reconstruction. Prime Minister John Key and the Foreign Minister Murray McCully will both arrive in Samoa on Friday.
Thousands feared dead in Sumatra earthquake
Updated 01/10/2009 20:23:15
Officials in Indonesia believe thousands of people are buried under buildings demolished by Wednesday's 7.6 magnitude earthquake in Sumatra. Rescuers spent last night in the dark and rain trying to reach those trapped in the worst-hit city of Padang, and were continuing that dismal task today when a second 6.8 magnitude earthquake toppled more buildings They included Padang's nearest hospital, where it had been hoped many of the injured could be treated.
China celebrates 60 years of Communist rule
Updated 01/10/2009 20:23:15
China has been celebrating sixty years of communist rule, with two hours of festivities in the capital Beijing, capped with the the country's biggest-ever parade of military hardware. From the top of Tiananmen Gate, President Hu Jintao praised his predecessors, saying communism has been the cause of China's rejuvenation. But with security concerns over northwest Xinjiang and Tibet, the areas surrounding Tiananmen Square were blocked... and residents told to watch the parade at home on TV.
Aid groups rush to help Vietnam's typhoon victims
Updated 01/10/2009 20:23:15
As Pacific nations and Indonesia count the cost of the damage from this week's earthquakes, the Philippines, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia have taken a beating from Typhoon Ketsana.
Australian aircraft arrive in tsunami-hit Samoa
Updated 01/10/2009 20:23:15
Australian aircraft have now arrived in Samoa with medical staff and emergency supplies. A mobile hospital is also being flown over tonight. Australia is standing by in case earthquake-hit Indonesia requires help.
