April 2010

French president aims to mend ties with ChinaAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 19:21:57

It's been a chilly few years in diplomatic relations between France and China. In 2008, Beijing was incensed by French support for Tibetan protestors and President Nicolas Sarkozy's subsequent meeting with the Dalai Lama. But now both sides are calling for a fresh start. Mr Sarkozy and his host Hu Jintao have met in Beijing where they pledged to work together on a range of global issues. And they say they had "in-depth" talks about the Iranian nuclear standoff - as the West pushes a reluctant Beijing to agree to new sanctions.

Shanghai prepares to showcase ExpoAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 19:22:02

Final preparations are underway for the hundreds of countries taking part in the Shanghai expo, which opens on Saturday. The expo is a showcase for national governments and big corporations and centres around the theme, Better City, Better Life. But the Expo's trial run last week didn't run smoothly, with poor security, crowd control issues, and insufficient food supply. Organisers are hoping the problems will be resolved before the expo opens its doors to an estimated 70 million people over the next six months.

Thailand's Government working on road map to reconciliationAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 19:22:08


The leader's of Thailand's anti-government red-shirt protestors have apologised for Friday's shambolic storming of a hospital in Bangkok. More than two hundred re-shirts forced their way into the Chulalongkorn University hospital after hearing rumours that soldiers were preparing an attack from inside. After finding nothing, the protestors roamed the hospital grounds for an hour before leaving, raising concerns about how much control protest leaders have over the demonstrators. The Thai Government meanwhile is working on a road-map to end the crisis.

Tonga's Attorney General quits accusing Govt of protecting croniesAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 19:22:12


Tonga's Attorney General quit on Friday in a blaze of publicity, accusing the Government of interfering in the judiciary. John Cauchi says the Government has abolished the Judicial Services Commission which appoints judges, and has already installed a judge without going through proper independent procedures.
Pro-democracy leaders say Tonga is becoming a dictatorship. Outgoing Attorney General John Cauchi says cabinet also blocked the appointment of two independent special prosecutors who's job would've been to investigate a fatal ferry disaster, which may have led to the prosecution of a number of high profile cabinet ministers.

Chinese born AFL commentator aims to make the game translateAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 19:21:53

To the uninitiated, commentators of Australian Rules Football can often sound like they are speaking in a foreign language. Localised terminology and nicknames make the game hard to understand. Now a Chinese born banker is hoping to change all that.

China's big banks deliver record quarterly profitsAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 19:21:53

China's big banks, already the most profitable in global rankings, have delivered a quarter of record profits, bolstered by a year long lending binge. Chinese banks extended one-point-four US trillion dollars in loans last year, as part of the government encouraged stimulus effort during the global financial crisis.

Australia renews calls for China to clarify its military buildupAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 19:45:18


Australia's Government is renewing its call to China to explain what it intends with its continuing military buildup. A new report from the Australian Strategic Policy institute claims China seeks to supplant the United States as number one, along with the regional order under-pinned by U-S sea based alliances.
Canberra has repeatedly called on China to clarify its position, and the office of the defence minister John Faulkner issued that call again in the wake of the report.

Philippines prepares for first automated electionAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 19:45:23

More than 50 million people are preparing to go to the polls in the Philippines first nationwide, automated election. Tens of thousands of candidates are seeking election to around 18-thousand posts from president to town councillor. But with a little over a week to go before polling day on May 10th, the national election commission or Comelec is still struggling to convice many people, it's capable of producing a free and fair outcome.

Asia may escape Europe debt crisis if fallout containedAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 19:45:12


Asian economists say the region should escape any fallout from Europe's debt crisis, provided the problem can be contained in Greece and Portugal. Germany now appears to have thrown its full backing behind a financial bail-out plan that could cost as much as 150 billion US dollars. Greece has 20 days to secure more funds to avoid defaulting on its existing loans with international banks.

Ceasefire between Burmese Army and ethnic rebels on brink of collapseAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 19:45:12


A 16 year old ceasefire between the Burmese Government and rebel armies on the country's border appears to be on the verge of collapse. The country's ruling military junta says it will now deal with the ethnic militias by force, after they resisted efforts to lay down their guns and take part in October's elections, the first in Burma for 20 years.

Woodside and East Timor disagree over gas plant locationAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 20:50:31


A high stakes dispute between Australian Oil and Gas company Woodside and East Timor's Government has come to a head. Woodside operates the Greater Sunrise gas field, but negotiations over its development have been deadlocked over a disagreement about where a plant to process the gas should be based. Today Woodside announced its preferred option, a platform floating above the field rather than piping the gas for processing in Darwin. But East Timor has said before that it wouldn't accept such a plan.

Palau gets first direct air link with AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 19:07:53

A new airline has begun operations in the Pacific. It is called Pacific Flier and it has just begun services between Palau and the Australian city of Brisbane. Shane Styles, Pacific Flier's Group General Manager, has told Sean Dorney that the Government of Palau is very enthusiastic about the new service which provides the Pacific Island nation with its first direct link to Australia.

Australia to overhaul tax laws to assist Islamic finance growthAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 19:07:57


Australia will overhaul sections of its taxation laws to ensure they don't hamper the growth of Islamic banking, finance, and insurance products. Islam prohibits the act of making money from money, but even foreign exchange can traded in accordance with Sharia law, and Islamic finance is sometimes seen as based on a more sound set of fundamental principles than Western practices.

Thai Government considers taking Red Shirts to court over disruptionAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 19:08:09


In Bangkok, the government is threatening to take its fight with the Red Shirts off the streets and into the court room over the potestors' move to shut down Thailand's public transport system. Protestors who were apparently acting without the approval of their leaders, stopped around half a million people from getting to work on the Skytrain. They're also blocking major roads around the protest hub in the city centre to stop troops and police from entering the site.

Australia delays emissions trading lawsAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 19:08:15


Australia's Government is being accused of going against the spirit of the Copenhagen climate accord, with its decision to delay emissions trading legislation until late 2012. There's also concern it sends the wrong signal to countries like China, Japan and South Korea as they contemplate whether to put a price on carbon to meet their targets for cutting greenhouse emissions. Critics say the move will also be viewed poorly in low-lying regions, like Pacific island states and delta areas in Vietnam or Bangladesh. Australia now lags behind India, which has already put a tax on coal.

India's opposition parties pressure Government on price risesAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 19:08:05


Life is returning to normal in parts of India affected by a 12-hour general strike which was called over soaring food and fuel prices. Transport services were disrupted in some cities, and a handful of protests were broken up by police during the dawn til dusk nationwide bandh. India's opposition parties also forced a vote in Parliament to prevent the rollback of subsidies on fuel, which saw petrol prices increase by six percent and diesel go up by almost eight percent.

India's cricket scandal in a spinAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 19:52:14

The Indian Premier League is the world's richest cricket competition, bringing together the best international players in teams owned by some of India's wealthiest people. But now the IPL is embroiled in a sporting scandal that's dominating international headlines. Indian cricket officials have suspended the competition's chairman Lalit Modi amid allegations of bribery, money-laundering and match-fixing. Mr Modi has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. And now a politician junior minister, Shashi Tharoor has also been implicated.

President Obama speaks to Islamic business leadersAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 19:52:18


Muslim entrepreneurs from some fifty countries have gathered in Washington this week as U-S President Barack Obama seeks to progress his aim of better U-S relations with the Muslim world. In a speech that named outstanding individual examples of Muslim entrepreneurs, President Obama promised a new exchange program, while also promising to work on political obstacles, like an elusive Israel-Palestinian peace. Analysts say it's a more clever strategy than the failed free trade emphasis of Georg W.Bush's administration. But they predict politics, culture and the core question of exactly who is an entrepreneur will dog the effort.

Australian lawyers gather evidence on possible Sri Lanka war crimesAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 19:52:23

More than a year after Sri Lanka launched its final offensive against Tamil Tiger rebels, pressure continues to mount for an international tribunal into alleged war crimes. United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon plans to appoint a panel of experts to look into a tribunal, something the Sri Lankan government says is unwarranted and uncalled for. Now Australian lawyers are joining forces with the International Commission of Jurists to take witness statements and prepare evidence for any war crimes tribunal.

Infrastructure Australia council member warns of fresh oil shockAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 19:52:10


One of the advisers on the Infrastructure Australia council is warning of an impending oil crunch, which could send the global economy spiralling back toward recession. Curtin University's Professor Peter Newman says peak oil, when demand outstrips dwindling supply, has already hit. However, prices have been kept low because of the global downturn. Professor Newman also blames oil for causing the global recession in the first place, and he's not alone.

Philippines Senator Benigno Aquino takes lead in election pollAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 19:52:10

The latest polls in the Philippines show Liberal party candidate, Senator Benigno Aquino the third a double-digit lead over his nearest rival, property tycoon Manny Villar. Local media reports the lead between the two has just opened up to 12 points. Senator Aquino, popularly known as 'NoyNoy' seems now destined to follow the footsteps of his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino.

Simple telephone technology to improve communication in East TimorAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 20:46:20

An Australian engineer is developing a unique telecommunications project in East Timor that he hopes could lead to a technical revolution in the young nation. The lack of competition in East Timor's communications sector had led to high-cost telephone and internet services, making something as simple as a phone call too expensive for many of the low-income population. Engineer David Rowe has been trying to create an alternative, cheap and reliable communications network in one of Asia's poorest countries. Village Telco is a community based telecommunications network which uses a suite of applications to set up a phone service in a specific area.

India's unbearable lightness of beingAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 20:46:20

It's being called India's Snow white syndrome, a market where sales of whitening creams far outstrip those of tea and Coca Cola. In fact India's whitening cream market is expanding at an annual rate of 18-percent. That is expected to grow even further with Bollywood movie stars endorsing the products.

Thailand's UDD ditches its red shirts, Govt rejects latest poll demandAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 20:46:33


Thailand's red shirts, are red shirts no more. The anti-Government United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship are abandonding their trade-mark red-shirts
The move is a strategy to protect themselves from an anticipated military crack-down against their protest, which has been causing serious disruption and violence in the capital Bangkok for seven weeks now.

North Korea increasingly suspected of involvement in warship sinkingAudioTranscript

Updated 26/04/2010 20:46:38

South Korea's President Lee Myung-Bak has joined mourners grieving at a memorial alter in Seoul for 46 sailors killed when their 12-thousand tonne warship exploded and sank late last month. More and more, fingers are pointing at North Korea, though Pyongyang continues to deny involvement. South Korea's Defence Minister Kim Tae-young said after the lifting of the last part of the vessel that it had been riven after an explosion caused by a torpedo, though he didn't say where from. President Lee has vowed a resolute response, if its proved the North was involved.

Thailand's anti-Government protestors strengthen barricadesAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 20:46:28


The leaders of Thailand's anti-Government protestors are meanwhile dismissing the arrest of one of its members with a stolen assault rifle. The UDD says television actor Methi Amornwuthikul acted alone, and is no longer a member of the red-shirts. The red-shirts are however strengthening their barricades in the capital in anticipation of an armed crackdown. They have also stopped convoys of police from entering Bangkok from all over the country.

China welcomes increased influence at World BankAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 20:46:24


China has welcomed changes at the World Bank which will see Beijing exerting more influence at the loan-making organisation. Both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund met in Washington over the weekend, and while there was agreement on giving emerging economies a greater say, there was no progress on reforms to the global financial sector.

Indian economists look to weather forecastAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 20:34:54

In a few hours, India's weather experts will issue the first official forecast for this year's monsoon, and there's no more anticipated and analysed document from the bureau office. The preliminary outlooks have predicted a return to normal rainfall after last year's drought, which delivered a hit to agriculture and pushed up food prices. The four month monsoon often sets the tone for domestic spending.

Philippine presidential candidate warns of bloody revolutionAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 20:34:54

Campaigning for next month's national election in the Philippines is in full swing. Among the presidential candidates is the popular evangelist leader Eduardo Villanueva who heads the "Rise Philippines" party, known locally as the Bangon Pilipinas. A former ally of President Gloria Arroyo, Eduardo Villanueva says Ms Arroyo has betrayed the Filipino people and allowed corruption and inequality to flourish.

Australian PM speaks on ChinaAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 20:34:54

Australia's Prime Minister has called on China to end its ties with repressive regimes like the Sudan and Burma .. while he also says China should be able to engage robustly with the world, without fear of causing offence. In his first speech on China since the trial and jailing of Australian citizen Stern Hu in Shanghai, Mr Rudd said the changes in China were historic but that the country still had much to do to help contribute to a stable world order.

Tension remains high in BangkokAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 20:34:54

Hundreds of Thai riot police have confronted anti-government protesters in Bangkok's business district .. a day after grenades killed at least one person and wounded 86. The grenade blasts came 12 days after clashes killed 25 people .. following a failed army attempt to evict protesters from a rally site in the country's worst street violence in 18 years. Thousands of "red shirt" supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra remain in their fortified encampment in central Bangkok, vowing to stay until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolves parliament for new elections.

New Caledonian crows show ability to use toolsAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 20:34:49

Scientists from New Zealand's University of Auckland have found that some birds are able to use three tools in succession to extract food from difficult places. New Caledonia's crows in particular have remarkably complex tool manufacturing abilities.

Cambodia's fight to stop spread of drug resistant malariaAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 20:34:49

World Malaria Day is a day to recognise the global effort to provide effective control of the disease. Malaria is one of the leading causes of death in the developing world, infecting more than 500 million people a year and killing more than a million. About two years ago a new strain of drug resistant malaria emegerd in Cambodia, sparking fears it could spread and lead to widespread health problems.

China lifting travel ban for HIV-positive foreignersAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 20:31:33

China's state media says the government is close to lifting a longstanding ban on HIV-positive foreigners entering the country. AIDS activists and human rights groups have long campaigned against the ban, which was introduced with the virus first appeared in China in the mid-1980s. Health experts say it's been ineffective in stopping the spread of HIV -- and has only increased the stigma felt by its victims.

Australian health reform draws regional comparisonsAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 20:31:33

When Australia's Prime Minister trumpetted an historic deal this week to reform the country's health and hospitals policy, experts and interest groups quickly aired disappointment. Kevin Rudd says that in tough talks with state government leaders, he secured a system that'll be funded nationally, but run locally. But critics warn the states have secured a new layer of bureaucracy to maintain influence -- and Billions of dollars to go with it -- while too much is going to money-hungry hospitals instead of primary health care. The issues are at the core of every nation's health policy dilemmas .. how to ensure efficient use of resources to keep people well and out of hospital where possible.

Report warns of new jihadi coalition in IndonesiaAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 20:31:33

Indonesia has been warned against the possible emergence of a new jihadi coalition despite a major police crackdown on a terrorist training camp in Aceh recently. Forty eight alleged terrorists were arrested and eight others killed, including Dulmatin, one of the region's most wanted men, after police raided the camp in Aceh province in February. But a new report by the International Crisis Group says despite the arrests, the threat of terrorism has not passed. It warns against new splinter groups merging to consolidate the jihadi coalition calling itself "Al Qaeda Indonesia in Aceh".

No break in Thai protestsAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 20:31:33

Thailand's army has warned Red Shirt anti-government protesters that "time is running out" to leave their rally site in Bangkok's commercial heart before a crackdown. But the Reds, who've paralysed the capital's commercial district, remain defiant and have ruled out talks with the authorities until the military withdraws. Tensions remained high after overnight scuffles broke out between the red-shirted protesters and hundreds of pro-government demonstrators, with bottles, stones and firecrackers hurled by the rival camps.

NZ business booms in flight disruptionsAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 20:31:32

Qantas, Singapore airlines and British airways have all resumed flights to Europe, as authorities open up the northern skies. However the airline industry has put the cost of lost sales due to the five day shutdown of European airspace at one-point-seven billion dollars. But there have been those who have benefitted from the flight disruptions. Hotels, road freight and teleconferencing companies have all reaped a bonus from the uncertainty. For one New Zealand salmon company, it's provided a timely entry into other markets.

Solomon Islands' PM sacks five ministersAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 20:31:32

Five Solomon Islands cabinet ministers have been sacked by the Prime Minister, Derek Sikua, just days before Parliament is dissolved. Dr Sikua has also removed three back-bench MP's as head of state owned enterprises. The dismissals follow the lack of MP's support in parliament this week, for legislation to amend the constitution and to limit an MP's ability to change political allegiance. With general elections expected before the end of July, has the Prime Minister alienated a number of his key political supporters?

Opinions split as 13 year boy begins assualt on Mt EverestAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 19:45:33


A 13-year old American boy is attempting to become the youngest person to climb Mt Everest. Jordan Romero is now at the base camp in Nepal with his team. But the expedition is drawing controversy with medical experts questioning the boy's ability to deal with the elements.

Iceland volcanic eruption opens economic opportunities for someAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 19:45:37

The airline industry has put the cost of lost sales due to the five day shutdown of European airspace at $1.7 billion dollars. But there have been those who have benefitted from the flight disruptions. Hotels, road freight and teleconferencing companies have all reaped a bonus from the uncertainty, and for one New Zealand salmon company it's provided a timely entry into other markets.

Burmese military try to convince ethnic groups to join official forcesAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 19:45:50

The Burmese junta is facing increasing resistance from one of the country's largest armed ethnic groups to disarm before a state imposed deadline later this month. The country's military rulers are trying to convince the non-state militias to join the official forces ahead of elections later this year. Observers fear increasing government pressure on the groups could lead to a breakdown in a 20-year ceasefire and widespread violence.

World's largest religious festival winds up in north IndiaAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 19:45:42

The world's largest religious festival is winding up in the north Indian holy city of Haridwar. At least 50 million pilgrims have made the trek to the city on the banks of the Ganges river since the three-month long Maha Kumbh Mele began in January. The devotees believe a dip in the Ganges will cleanse them of sin and free them from the cycle of life and death. The festival is held once every 12 years and rotates among four Indian cities

Rights groups criticise Indonesian Court on blasphemy law decisionAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 19:45:46

Human rights groups accused Indonesia's Constitutional Court of bowing to pressure from extremists by upholding the country's blasphemy law. They say the law threatens religious freedom in the world's largest Muslim nation. The 1965 law allows for criminal penalties and bans on groups that deviate from the central tenets of six officially recognised religions.

Vietnamese Assemblyman honoured in fight against bear bile farmingAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 19:58:50


A member of Vietnam's National Assembly was honoured this week for his efforts in fighting the practice of bear bile farming. According to Government figures, there are about four-thousand bears being kept illegally on farms across Vietnam. Bile is painfully extracted from the live bears through tubes, and used in traditional medicines. Assembly member Nguyen Ding Xuan has been leading a crackdown on the practice, which despite being illegal, continues to flourish.

New book highlights global threat to ape speciesAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 19:58:55


The great apes are our closest genetic relatives, yet all over the world they're under threat. The reasons vary in detail, but mostly it comes down to the loss of their habitat. When jungles and forests are torn down for agriculture or replaced with single-species tree plantations like Palm Oil, they have nowhere to live.
And all of them, from mountain gorillas to chimpanzees and orangutans, may be gone from the wild before this century is over. Paul Raffaele is a journalist who made it his mission to see all the ape species, and he's written a book about it 'Among the Great Apes.'

Ministers gather in Vietnam to discuss pandemic influenza responsesAudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 19:58:59

The World Health Organisation has warned the H1N1 swine flu pandemic might not be conquered until next year and that continued vigilance is necessary against the mutating virus. The WHO's director-general Margaret Chan says while countries may have a strong defence against swine flu, they still remain ill-prepared for mass outbreaks of the deadlier bird flu virus. Hundreds of international government and health officials are in Vietnam this week for an international ministerial conference to discuss animal and pandemic influenza.

361 killed on Thai roads during Songkran New Year holidayAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 19:59:03

25 people were killed in violent streets battles two weeks ago in the Thai capital Bangkok, with the country's worst political violence in two decades making headlines around the world. Anti-Government protests by the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, better known as the red-shirts, then went quiet while the country celebrated its biggest annual holiday, Songkran, or Thai New Year. However, during the seven day break, 361 people lost their lives on Thailand's roads, with a further 3,802 injured. But the carnage was given comparitively little media attention.

Hong Kong's film industry turns to China mainland for survivalAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 19:58:46

Hong Kong's film industry is still reeling from the success of the weekend's annual film awards. The action thriller Bodyguards and Assassins took out eight prizes, including Best Film and Best Director. It's been a tough few years for the local film industry, with box office sales declining and fewer films being made. Just two decades ago, the island had the world's third biggest film industry and Hong Kong action films were wildly popular around the world. Now the industry's hoping the growing market on the Chinese mainland could help return Hong Kong cinema to its former glory.

Reprieve for death row dogs in JapanAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 20:43:28

Dog-lovers in Japan are dismayed because increasingly many pet puppies are being disposed of once they grow up, most ending up at the pound where more than 70 per cent are put down. The idea of adopting a dog from the pound has not caught on in Japan where many strays are seen as second-hand goods. Now a group has been formed in Japan to try to save dogs from death row.

Victims' families of Philippines massacre to appeal dropped chargesAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 20:43:33


State prosecutors in the Philippines are asking the Government to reconsider a decision to drop murder charges against two members of a powerful clan linked to a massacre last November. 57 people, including a including a number of journalists, were killed in Maguindano province last November, in one of the worst episodes of political violence in the country's recent history. The families of those killed are outraged at a court decision to drop charges against Zaldy Ampatuan and his uncle Akmad Ampatuan. They believe the decision was motivated by President Gloria Arroyo's need to protect her political allies ahead of national elections in May. The lawyer representing the families of 13 of the journalists says they'll fight the decision, despite some of them receiving death threats.

Heavily armed Thai military moves into Bangkok's financial districtAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 20:43:37


Hundreds of troops have been deployed in the Thai capital Bangkok's Silom Road financial district. Silom Road is known as Bangkok's 'Wall Street', and is lined with bank headquarters and high rise office buildings. The area had intially been declared off limits to anti-Government red shirt protestors, but now troops have moved in to secure the area amid fears it may become the next battle ground.

European volcanic ash cloud creates air chaos in AsiaAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 20:43:24


The airline industry's peak body says the crisis brought on the huge cloud of volcanic ash drifting across much of Northern Europe has created a huge mess.
The closure of much of Europe's airspace has had major effects in Asia, with passengers left to fend for themselves at terminals, scramble for the few remaining hotel rooms or head home. Meanwhile, the costs to the airlines, travel and perishable goods industries are mounting.

Bomb attacks at Bangalore cricket match raise concerns over C'WealthAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 20:43:24


A terrorist attack in India has again raised the question of the country's capacity to hold a secure Commonwealth Games. At the weekend a double bomb blast outside an International premier league cricket game in Bangalore injured 14 people. Two more bombs were defused outside the stadiums. Indian premier league organisers say security will be tight for the remainder of the tournament. But they've moved the finals, due to begin on Wednesday, from Bangalore to Mumbai. The Australian Commonwealth Games Association says despite the latest attack, it has faith that the Commonwealth games will be safe.

Aust legal system may face challenges over migrant attitudes to womenAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 19:39:43


The chief justice of Australia's state of New South Wales state says violence against women among new migrant cultures is an increasing challenge for Australia's legal system. Justice Jim Spigelman told a social justice forum that Australian courts will have to deal with more cases of honour crimes and forced marriages. But advocates say it's a mistake to think migrant cultures are getting special legal treatment. Instead, they need services that can guarantee justice.

New book showcases feminism in AsiaAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 19:39:37

While the women's movement in the West has had plenty of headlines over the years, similar movements in Asia are every bit as active, and now a book on the Asian region's feminist movements has just been published by Routledge. It has specialist chapters on twelve countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Burma, China, India and Pakistan.

Australian protest over Japanese whaling may be end up being futileAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 19:39:37


Anti Whaling protestors have claimed a big success in Antarctica this year, with the Japanese whale catch almost halved. Australia is also keeping up the pressure on Japan threatening legal action if the hunt doesn't stop. But a forum in Canberra has been told the efforts to punish Japan may end up pointless.

UN releases scathing report over Pakistan's Bhutto assassinationAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 19:39:48

A United Nations commission of inquiry into the 2007 assassination of former Pakistani-prime minister Benazir Bhutto has found her death might have been avoided if better security measures had been in place. The commission also accuses intelligence agencies of severely hampering the subsequent investigation, and says the police of deliberately failed to fully investigate her killing. The head of the commission is urging Pakistani authorities to launch a new criminal investigation and bring those responsible for Ms Bhutto's death to justice.

Chinese rescue teams still finding survivors 48 hours after quakeAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 19:39:53


Chinese rescure teams are still pulling people alive from rubble in the town of Jiegu more than 48 hours after Wednesday's 6.9 magnitude quake hit Qinghai province. However, the focus is shifting on how to keep more than 10,000 injured survivors alive in freezing temperatures with minimal medical supplies and poor sanitation.

Foreign buyers suspected of pushing up Australian house pricesAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 19:41:24

A gap in data on foreign investment in residential property in Australia has led to speculation over whether overseas buyers are pushing up house prices. Changes to foreign investment laws mean for the past 12 months, overseas investors have not had to inform Australian authorities about their purchases.
The federal opposition says there is anecdotal evidence that foreign buyers may be pricing Australian citizens out of the market, but the government says it's unlikely.

China posts first quarter GDP growth of almost 12 percentAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 19:41:28


Following-on from Singapore's strong growth figures, China's economy has also turned-in an impressive performance, posting nearly a 12 per cent rise in GDP for the first quarter of the year. But economists warn there are problems Beijing will have to deal with, the most immediate being a housing price bubble.

Thai anti-Government protestors move to central Bangkok locationAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 19:41:35


Thailand's red shirts have converged on Bangkok's commercial district as they prepare for a final showdown with the government. They're demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and leave the country immediately. On Saturday 23 people were killed in violent street battles. Both sides continue to blame eachother for the unrest and they appear no closer to reaching a political solution.

Airports commandeered in China's Qinghai province for quake reliefAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 19:41:39


Relief supplies are beginning to trickle into Yushu county in China's mountainous Qinghai proivince after Wednesday's earthquake. Access to the mountainous plateau is proving difficult, with many roads damaged by the 6.9 magnitude quake. The nearest airports have commandeered exclusively for flying aid into the region. Buses carrying rescue workers and trucks with supplies are also making a treacherous one-thousand kilometres journey along mountain passes from the provincial capital, Xining,

Report points to persistent racism remaining a problem for AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 19:41:15

Worldwide at the moment it's estimated around three-million people, many of them in their late teens and early twenties, study outside their home country. Over the past decade in Australia, the number of foreign students has risen from around 100,000 to half a million, changing the dynamic of big cities like Melbourne and Sydney. But a new nationwide report on the safety of overseas students has found disturbing evidence that their human rights are routinely neglected. The study was prepared at a recent workshop called 'Racism and the Student Experience', co-sponsored by the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Asian co-productions hot property at international TV fairAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 19:41:20


Television broadcasters from Asia and around the world have descended on Cannes this week for the MIP-TV fair, the world's biggest audio-visual entertainment trade show. It's where broadcasters go to buy the coming year's small screen hits. As the globall recession bites, producers of television shows have had to become increasingly creative to cut costs. Much of the innovation is coming from Asia, with co-productions involving many countries increasingly popular, and China managing to sell a format for a reality show to the United States.

Former Chinese diplomat warns of trade war with United StatesAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 19:24:07


China has warned that a trade war will erupt if the United States imposes tariffs on China. The U-S Congress has labelled Beijing a currency manipulator. But former Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wang Yingfan says that if the US acts, China will be forced to retaliate.

Malaysian opposition names heir-apparent to fight by-electionAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 19:24:12

The high-profile opposition candidate for a critical Malaysian by-election says he's prepared to take on the leadership if necessary. Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim is running for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat in polls later this month. He's being touted as a successor to opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in the event that Anwar is convicted on sodomy charges.

Thailand's governing Democrat Party confident it can surviveAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 19:24:17


Thailand's governing Democrat Party says it's confident it can fight off efforts to have the party declared illegal. On Tuesday, Thailand's Election Commission recommended Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's Democrat Party be dissolved over allegations of receiving illegal campaign donations. The recommendation will now be decided by Thailand's constitutional court. Democrat Party spokesman Dr Barunaj Smutharaks says he is confident the party will survive the legal process.

Quake death toll expected to rise in China's remote Qinghai regionAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 19:24:22


The death toll from Wednesday morning's earthquake in China's remote Qinghai province is expected to continue rising. The seven-point-one magnitude quake struck just before 8 am local time, and immediately brought buildings crashing down in the town of Yushu. The worst hit areas are located on a remote mountain plateau, making the task of getting in relief supplies and rescue teams difficult. However, the province is also sparsely populated, so relief organisations are hopeful the disaster won't be on the scale of the Sichuan earthquake two years ago, which killed more than 90-thousand people.

Singapore records surge in economic growth encouraging recoveryAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 19:23:57


Singapore has recorded a record surge in economic growth, fuelled by rising demand for its manufactured goods from its neighbours and China. GDP for the first 3 months of this year rebounded so much it's prompted the island's central bank to take the highly unusual step of strengthening the currency to keep inflation in check.

Escape route for President may end Kyrgyzstan political crisisAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 19:24:02


The prospect of safe passage out of the country appears to have given the President of Kyrgyzstan pause to contemplate resigning, a move that could bring the country's immediate political turmoil to an end. Kurmanbek Bakiyev has been in hiding in the South of the country since last week when the Government was overthrown amid mass protests and clashes with security forces that left more than 80 people dead. The President says he'll consider cedeing power if the new government guarantees the safety of himself and his family.

Washington nuclear summit faces large Asian obstaclesAudioTranscript

Updated 13/04/2010 18:54:25


United States President Barack Obama has welcomed the leaders of 46 nations to a nuclear summit in Washington. President Obama has a lofty goal of ridding the world of nuclear weapons, but the hurdles are high and numerous. Several pressing issues have been left off the nuclear summit agenda, because they're just too difficult.

China takes tough action to deflate property bubbleAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 18:54:29

Beijing has set tough new limits on bank lending amid fears the country's booming property sector could be heading for a bust. China's property prices rose more than 10 per cent in February, leading to fears of an asset bubble. Now the central government is taking steps to cool down the market and rein in the banking sector after it lent a record $US1.4 trillion dollars last year. But some economists are warning the new measures may go too far. Rather than stabilising the market, they say a heavy-handed approach could cause the market to collapse.

ADB report upbeat about economic prospects for India and ChinaAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 18:54:33


The Asian Development Bank has released its latest assessment for developing Asia, and is upbeat about the economic future of China and India. The Bank says the region's economies have weathered the global financial crisis much better than the United States and Europe. It's also forecasting a continued strong recovery in Asia this year, with an enviable grow rate of 7.5 percent. But the bank also acknowledged the need for China to adopt a more flexible exchange rate.

Thai Prime Minister warns of 'third force' destabilising the countryAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 18:54:38


Speculation continues to swirl in Thailand about who was behind the killing of 21 people during Saturday's violent protests in Bangkok. While the anti-Government Red Shirts and the military accuse each other of firing weapons, Thailand's Prime Minister Abihist Vejjajiva says a third force is at work destabilising the country. In a press conference, he said terrorists wearing black clothing were behind the killings. With dangerous splits emerging in both the miiltary and within the Red Shirts, the suggestion is not being dismissed.

Cambodia threatens to cancel Chevron's oil explorationAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 18:54:25

Civil society groups in Cambodia have voiced their concern over a recent threat by Prime Minister Hun Sen to cancel an oil exploration license with Chevron. The Cambodian leader has warned he'll terminate Chevron's offshore drilling rights if the company doesn't start producing oil by the end of 2012. It's prompted fears Cambodia could lose a committed and valuable investment partner.

WTO may end 90 year trade dispute between Australia and NZ over applesAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 19:13:47


A 90 year old trade dispute between Australia and New Zealand over apples may finally have ended. For almost a century and despite an almost open economic border between the two neighbours, Australia has steadfastly refused New Zealand apple imports. The reason is a plant disease called fireblight, which Australia says poses a threat to its orchards. New Zealand has always claimed the disease can't be spread by mature fruit, and in 2007 took its complaint to the World Trade Organisation, and the WTO appears to have ruled that Australia must bring down its trade barriers to New Zealand apples.

Salvage experts speed up refloat efforts of stricken Chinese shipAudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 19:13:53


Predictions of rough weather in Australia's north eastern state of Queensland have galvanised the salvage operators onboard the stricken coal carrier, the Shen Neng One. The ship has been wedged on the Great Barrier Reef for more than a week now and authorities had been taking a slow and steady approach to dealing with the threat of more oil spilling. But with storms expected over the next 24 hours, the salvage experts now want to refloat the ship as soon as possible so that it doesn't break up in the World Heritage area.

Thai Government and protestors accuse each other of firing weaponsAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 19:13:43


11 coffins were carried through the streets of the capital Bangkok on Monday by red-shirted protestors, the bodies of some of the 21 people killed in a weekend of violence. After hours of vicious street battles, four soldiers and 17 civilians were dead. An uneasy peace has descended for now, with both the Government and protestors agreeing to a truce during the upcoming Songkran holiday, the Thai New Year. Thai Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayakorn insists no live bullets were fired by the army during Saturday's clashes.

Survey of Australian attitudes ranks India and Indonesia poorlyAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 19:13:43


A recent survey says Australians have a negative attitude to some of our nearest neighbours. Out of ten countries, Indonesia and India, along with Israel, score the worst.

Outgoing UN climate chief offers little hope for deal this yearAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 20:33:57

As the clock ticks towards the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol, the United Nations' top climate official has warned that a new deal is still a long way off. UN climate negotiator Yvo de Boer says a new treaty is out of reach this year, despite a summit scheduled for Cancun, Mexico in December. Mr de Boer was speaking on the sidelines of weekend talks in Bonn, Germany, where 175 nations have agreed on a plan to help revive the ailing negotiations. But many participants are still licking their wounds after the divisive Copenhagen summit last year, and some analysts say the prospects of a legally binding deal are increasingly slim.

Thai stock market plunges after weekend of bloodshedAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 20:34:01

The escalation in the violence in Thailand is damaging the country's economy. Already its estimated its cost tourism one billion dollars and today the stock market plunged more than five per cent, its biggest fall in 17 months.

Australia stands by its aid program following criticism from East TimoAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 20:34:39

The Australian government is standing by its aid program in East Timor after a scathing assessment of the performance of donors by the country's Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. Opening a conference of development partners in Dili, Mr Gusmao lashed out at donors who he says spend their aid budget on their own consultants. East Timor observers say there are continuing issues with so-called boomerang aid that fills the pockets of contractors from donor countries.

Anti-government protesters defy emergency decree in ThailandAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 20:34:39

Security forces in Thailand have used water cannons and tear gas to subdue protesters who stormed a satellite station after authorities blocked an anti-governemnt television channel. In defiance of a government emergency decree, tens of thousands of Red Shirt protesters have staged demonstrations in and around Bangkok. Authorities have also issued more arrest warrants for Red Shirt leaders, as the mass anti-government rallies enter their second month.

Sri Lanka's ruling party claims victory at parliamentary pollsAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 20:34:40

In Sri Lanka, the ruling party has declared victory at the parliamentary polls, as preliminary results show a comfortable win over the country's divided opposition. But president Mahinda Rajapakse has conceded it's unlikely his party will secure the two-thirds majority required to wield the power to change the constitution during the party's elected term. Offical results may not be available for some time, as voter intimidation and violence at polling stations has led to an order from the Election Commissioner to stop counting votes from two areas. Thursday's election saw one of the lowest-ever voter turn outs in Sri Lanka, with early estimates indicating only around 50 per cent of all eligible voters participated in the nation wide poll. The lowest turnous were in the Tamil-dominated areas in the north and east of the country which are home to thousands of internally displaced people, or IDPs.

Australia's government under fire for asylum seeker clampdownAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 20:34:40

Australia's government has drawn a barrage of criticism after announcing it's suspended the processing of Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum claims for three and six months respectively. The government's denied its action is in response to ongoing criticism from the opposition for failing to stem the ongoing stream of asylum seeker boats. It's instead citing signs of improved conditions in Sri Lanka and Afghanistan for its decision. The opposition says the action is aimed at influencing opinion polls in what is, an election year.

ASEAN finance ministers discuss integrated free trade areaAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 20:34:30

Deadly protests in Bangkok and the forthcoming election in Burma dominated an ASEAN ministerial meeting that wound up on Friday in Hanoi. Nonetheless, the bloc's finance ministers did get a fresh opportunity to discuss their goal of establishing an integrated free-trade area within five years. But some analysts believe the proposed time-frame is unrealistic and unachievable.

Pro-democracy Iranian students in Australia claim intimidationAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 20:34:30

Pro-democracy Iranian students in Australia say they're the target of a campaign of harassment and intimidation here in Australia. Several students say they've received threatening phone calls in the middle of the night, and one woman says her family back in Iran have been told she's banned from returning home.

India and Australia sign education cooperation agreementAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 19:36:00

Australia and India have signed an agreement to boost cooperation in the education sector. It's a sign the damage done to the countries relationship by a spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia is on the mend. But during the signing ceremony India's minister for education refused to say if New Delhi would lift a travel advisory warning students not to travel to Australia

Australian Tamils vote for seperate Tamil state in Sri LankaAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 19:36:00

Voting is still underway at the moment in Sri Lanka's parliamentary election. It's the first parliamentary poll since a 30-year war with Tamil Tiger separatists ended nearly a year ago. President Mahinda Rajapakse and his ruling United People's Freedom Alliance are expected to win. The Sri Lankan government is warning Australia it could become a breeding ground for separatists if more Tamil asylum seekers are taken in. Sri Lankan Tamils in Australia are also taking part in their own vote at the moment - in a referendum. The question they will answer is whether they still want an independent and sovereign state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Similar votes by the Tamil diaspora in other countries, have shown an overwhelming majority still aspire to having their own state, depite the military defeat of the Tamil Tigers last year.

Unrest in Kyrgyzstan could affect ChinaAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 19:36:00

The international community is watching anxiously to see what happens next in the apparent overthrow of the president of Kyrgyzstan. Protesters are back on the streets of the capital Bishkek but the security forces, so far, are nowhere to be seen. Yesterday at least 65 people were killed as security forces clashed with anti-government protests in the centre of the capital. The President has been forced to flee to his home region .. the new government says it wants to negotiate to get him to relinquish power. The self-proclaimed new administration is promising to hold fresh elections within six months, and to clean up corruption. And it says there'll be no change to the status of Russian and U-S military bases in the country. Chris Weafer, chief strategist with URALSIB Capital in Moscow says there are fears the instability in Kyrgyzstan may spill across the border and affect China.

Australia's PM won't be at world nuclear summitAudioTranscript

Updated 08/04/2010 19:35:55

Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev are being applauded for helping build momentum for nuclear disarmament. In the Czech capital Prague, the leaders of the two countries that together have most of the world's 23-thousand nukes are signing a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. It follows the announcement earlier this week of a more restrained doctrine on the use of U-S nuclear weapons and comes ahead of next week's Nuclear Security Summit of some 40 leaders in Washington to work on reducting the threat of nuclear terrorism. But Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd won't be there, fuelling concern he's undermining his own nuclear disarmament commitments.

Singapore media laws not a good example for Fiji says academicAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 19:35:56

Fiji's coup leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama has described consultations on the proposed new media decree as constructive. The media decree will bring an end to more than 12 months of censorship by emergency law. But a draft shows censorship will still exist, just under another name, and that penalities for breaching new media laws could send reporters to jail for up to five years. The new laws also forbid ownership of media outlets by foriegners - a move which is seen as aimed at the Fiji Times, a Rupert Murdoch owned newspaper which has been critical of the interim government. Fiji's interim attorney-general, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum says this is the sort of media law that applies in several other countries. But Mr Sayed-Khaiyum's holding up Singapore as an example of a country with a good set of media laws is being disputed. Professor Gary Rodan, of the Asia Research centre at Australia's Murdoch University, says the ban on foriegn ownership of media in Singapore has led to increased levels of government control of information.

Australian population minister rules out immigration cutsAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 19:59:29

Australia's new Population minister, Tony Burke, has been repeatedly pressed on what Australia's ideal population might be. But he says it's not just about a population target. He's stressing a good policy will cover many different issue, from urban planning, to water to internal migration. Speaking to our Canberra correspondent , the minister has also brushed aside a flurry of calls in the wake of his appointment for Australia to cut its immigration intake.

World Bank forecasts 8,7 per cent growth in East AsiaAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 19:59:29

The World Bank has singled-out the need for greater integration in East Asian economies and for countries to prioritise their responses to climate change. In its twice yearly update for the region, the Bank has upgraded its growth forecast for East Asia and the Pacific for this year to 8-point-7 per cent. It also says with structural reform, the region can maintain its trajectory despite low growth rates in developed economies over the coming decade. The bank's Chief Economist for the region, Vikram Nehru says while China is driving growth, the recovery from the global financial crisis really took hold in the final three months of last year.

Little faith in new Malaysian inter-religious initiativeAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 19:59:29

Christian groups in Malaysia lack faith that a new government-backed panel to mediate religious disputes will be effective. A Senior Minister has announced an inter-faith panel to advise the government on religious disputes amid concerns that race relations in the diverse nation are deteriorating.

Singapore grapples with large immigrant populationAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 19:59:29

A Singaporean cabinet minister has appealed to citizens to avoid developing irrational fears toward new immigrants. There's been a large influx of guest workers in recent years, with non citizens now comprising around a third of the city state's population. Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua says Singaporeans ought to prepare for, rather than resist, an increased willingness among people worldwide to travel and relocate. She says Singapore itself grew out of a society of immigrants from different countries. Dr Michael Barr, head of the department of International Relations at Flinders University in South Australia, an expert on Singaporean politics, saysthe fact that the government is talking about the issue shows how concerned people are.

Fiji draft media decree receives unfavourable reviewAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 19:59:28

Fiji's draft media decree has received an unfavourable review from the industry in the Pacific. The country's military backed government says the new decree will mean an end to the censorship regulation enforced over a year ago. But leaked copies of the draft show the censorship changes from bein part of emergency regulations, to being part of Fiji's law.

Australia appoints a Minister of PopulationAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 20:34:16

Australia's Prime Minister has declared himself in favour of a "big Australia" and now he's appointed a minister for population to figure out just how big. The task is to formulate a population policy within 12 months, though of course the government must face an election before that. Critics say that, given Kevin Rudd's view, the government has no intention of seriously consulting on what Australia's population should ideally be. But given Australia's infrastructure and environmental constraints, and its growing immigration intake, there is considerable political steam in the population issue.

Why is China's mining industry so dangerous?AudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 20:34:16

Another mining accident in China highlight once again the country's terrible industrial safety record. But while dramatic rescues in the biggest recent disaster are a huge relief, economic priorities are still trampling over workers' safety.

Concerns about violence in Sri Lankan electionAudio

Updated 06/04/2010 20:34:16

There are concerns about possible violence in the final days of Sri Lanka's parliamentary election campaign. Nearly 20 thousand troops have gone on alert to reinforce police ahead of Friday's vote. On Monday, gunmen shot dead a ruling party activist when they sprayed bullets into a crowd. President Mahinda Rajapakse, who leads the United People's Freedom Alliance, is widely expected to consolidate his January re-election by gaining a clear majority in Parliament on Friday. The private Centre for Monitoring Election Violence reports there have been 325 incidents of election-related violence so far, with firearms used in 46 of them., it added. Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, the Centre's co-convenor, says the general election might not be attracting the same level of passion as the presidential poll three months ago.

Auction houses doing big business in AsiaAudio

Updated 06/04/2010 20:34:15

On Wednesday, the British auction house Sotheby's will put a giant blue diamond weighing more than five carats up for sale in Hong Kong. It's yet another sign of the healthy state of affairs the big auction houses have enjoyed in Asia in defiance of the global economic crisis. Business in the region is doing so well, Sotheby's recently hoisted a Chinese flag outside its New York headquarters... while its smaller competitor Bonham's has opened a new office in Tokyo, as part of its deliberate policy of expanding its Asian presence. And the good times are expected to continue well beyond any economic recovery in the US and Europe.

Marshalls nuclear test victims denied last chance to plead caseAudio

Updated 06/04/2010 20:34:15

A United States High Court has rejected a request for the Supreme Court to hear an appeal from the indiginous people of Marshall Islands to sue for irradiating land during nuclear tests. The US government claims that only four atolls were affected by nuclear testing -- Biniki, Enewetak, and two downwind atolls, Rongelap and Utrik.
They were the sites for 67 American nuclear tests in the 50s and 60s which left the islands radioactive for generations. But US scientific reports show that nuclear fallout and exposure has affected all of the Marshall Islands' atolls. One report says the blasts were equal to exploding a 1-point-six Hiroshima-sized atomic bomb every day...for 12 years.

Red Shirt protestors push security forces back in BangkokAudio

Updated 06/04/2010 20:34:16

Anti government protestors in Bangkok have overwhelmed or succeeded in bypassing the efforts of security forces to curb the demonstrations. The so-called Red Shirts have taken their call for fresh general elections into business and financial areas of the Thai capital. The government has said while it has issued arrest warrants against the protest leaders there are no plans to crack down against the demonstrations.

South Korea tries to curb internet addictionAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 19:40:50

The South Korean government is introducing new measures to try and curb the rising number of citizens addicted to the internet. It comes as a couple whose three-month-old daughter died of malnutrition while they were raising a virtual child in an online game go on trial on charges of negligent homicide. The case has not only prompted action from the South Korean government, but also reignited debate as to wether internet addiction can reduce a person's culpability for committing a crime.

China expected to revalue currencyAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 19:40:51

There's rising expectations China will move to revalue its currency after Washington decided to hold off a report which could have seen Beijing branded a nation that manipulated its exchange rate for trade purposes. The gesture by US policymakers is seen as giving China more time to strength the yuan by itself, something it's consistently refused to do.

Australia reacts to China's iron ore boycott threatAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 19:40:51

Tensions between Australia and China over sky-rocketting iron ore prices have escalated with the central Chinese authority for the sector calling for a two month boycott of the world's biggest iron ore producers. That means the Anglo-Australian companies Rio Tinto and B-H-P Billiton, and Brazil's Vale. The Association says the three are running a price monopoly, because recent short term deals they've done with other Asian buyers have pushed prices up to one hundred per cent higher. Australia says there's no monopoly, just an imbalance of demand and supply that China should help redress. China is already buying heavily into Australia's iron ore sector wherever it can, but still demand outstrips supply. Analysts say a boycott would be costly for Australia, though the Australian government doesn't believe it'll happen.

Wine increasingly popular with Asian womenAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 19:40:46

Now to the torrid affair between Asian women and wine. It turns out, women in Asia have a seemingly unquenchable thirst and an increasingly sophisticated palate for a good wine. Just last year, China outpaced America as the number one client for Bordeaux outside the European Union... much of that consumption by women. More Asian women are not only uncorking the bottles but also seeking careers in the wine-making industry. Well Jeannie Cho Lee is one of them. She's a Hong-Kong based wine critic and the first ethnic Chinese woman to earn the notoriously difficult title of Master of Wine.

Claims Fiji government censorship is affecting work of PINAAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 19:40:46

A senior member of the Pacific's peak media body, the Pacific Islands News Association, has called for major changes in how the Suva-based organisation is run. PINA Vice-President John Woods, who's also editor of the Cook Islands News, has highlighted serious internal issues --saying he's been isolated by PINA's executive for demanding to see its accounts. He has also called for the organisation to be re-located outside of Fiji and away from censorship of its military authorities, which he says is preventing the body from doing its job. Ahead of a call to PINA members to take heed of the problems in the secretariat in Suva, Mr Woods spoke exclusively to reporter Clare Arthurs.

Australia-Indonesia school link program up for reviewAudio

Updated 02/04/2010 21:31:41

A program set up two years ago to help school students from Australia and Indonesia better understand each others' countries is coming up for review. The Australian Government set up the BRIDGE program two years ago with the aim of helping Australian teachers get a better understanding of life in Indonesia as well as the practice of Islam. For Indonesian teachers, it provides opportunities to learn about life in contemporary Australia. A decision about whether the program will continue to get funding will be made later this year.

Did Japan allow nukes on its soil during the Cold War?Audio

Updated 02/04/2010 21:31:41

Successive generations of Japanese have been brought up believing that the horrors of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki meant that Japan would forever remain nuclear free. But a former Japanese Prime Minister has confirmed the existence of a secret Cold War pact allowing nuclear-armed United States warships into Japanese territory. The pact has been denied for decades by successive Japanese governments, but the new centre-left administration has vowed to lift the lid on 50 years of secret deals with Washington.

Afghan President criticised by former senior UN officialAudio

Updated 02/04/2010 21:31:41

Afghanistan's President, Hamid Karzai, has accused western foreign observers of fraud, in last year's controverial presidential poll. Mr Karzai also accused the West of wanting to weaken his presidency and parliament. His comments come in the midst of a power struggle with parliament, over the appointment of monitors in parliamentary elections scheduled for September. President Karzai's once close relationship with the US-led alliance was shaken last year, over allegations that he was re-elected through fraud. Mr Karzai singled out the former deputy head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, Peter Galbraith for criticism.

Cook Islands Bishop says government is undemocraticAudio

Updated 02/04/2010 21:31:40

A senior Cook Islands church leader has criticised the country's current government as undemocratic and illegal. Bishop Tutai Pere, a senior pastor of the Apostolic Church, and a former chairman and President of the Cook islands Religious advisory Council, says democracy has collapsed in the five months since prime minister Jim Marurai declared he would run the country with the support of only five MPs. He refuses to call Parliament, so the remaining 18 MPs cannot carry out their threat to depose him in a vote of no confidence. As as he is still the prime minister, the Queens Representative, the Cook islands equivalent of the Governor-General, is constitutionally obliged to follow his advice on whether or not to call Parliament. Bishop Pere says the situation in Cook Islands has some similarities with the coup-installed military government of Fiji led by Fiji military leader, Commodore Frank Bainimarama.

Concerns about ongoing Chinese Pacific investmentAudio

Updated 02/04/2010 21:31:40

A New Zealand University Academic says his country's government should be wary of China's continued investment in the Pacific. China regularly provides financial assistance to countries such as Tonga, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Auckland University's Associate Professor of Political Studies, Stephen Hoadley says there is a concern Pacific Island governments such as Fiji are going to Beijing for loans instead of working towards maintaining a democracy.

Asia grapples with rising health care costsAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 20:28:33

The proportion of spending on healthcare by many governments in Asia lags far behind levels in the US and Europe. Health policy makers are grappling with delivering services for an upsurge in lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, while still putting in place services to deal with other ailments usually associated with poor water and sanitation. Just how to fund all of this has been discussed by health experts at a meeting in Singapore over the past two days.

Racism widespread in Hong Kong claims activistAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 20:28:33

Racism towards non-Chinese people in Hong Kong has been blamed as contributing to the death of an Indo-Malaysian woman ten years ago. 33 Year old Harinder Veriah died in the Rurttonjee Hospital in 2000, after an epileptic seizure. Her husband, British journalist Martin Jacques, has just been awarded a substantial sum in compensation, after a long legal battle with the Hong Kong Hospital Authority. He says if his wife had been white or Chinese, she would be alive today, alleging that she received sub-standard treatment because of the colour of her skin. Fermi Wong, founding director of Unison, a charity that serves Hong Kong's ethnic minorities, says local racial attitudes mean this sort of thing happens quite regularly.

Indian census gets underway amid data use concernsAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 20:28:33

In India the enormous task of conducting a nation wide census has begun, amiod concerns over how the information it gathers could be used. More than two million data collectors are spreading out across the vast nation to spend almost one year recording the details of more than one billion people. For the first time, the officials will record peoples fingerprints, which will be used to develop and issue Unique Identity Numbers for Indian citizens, a move that has raised concerns from privacy advocates.

Vietnamese internet users being spied on says GoogleAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 20:28:33

Internet giant Google claims tens of thousands of Vietnamese web users are being spied on. It says the cyber attacks appear to be targetting opponents of bauxite mining in Vietnam. Vietnamese political blogs have also reportedly been hacked into. The leading web security firm McAfee says the perpetrators of the Vietnamese attacks may have political motivations and allegiance to the Vietnamese government. The incidents follow cyber attacks in China against Google, that the US-based firm said was a bid to hack into the email accounts of Chinese human rights activists., tells Sen Lam of Radio Australia's Connect Asia program

Ferry Inquiry describes decision to operate Ashika as "scandalous"Audio

Updated 01/04/2010 20:28:29

The Tongan Royal Commision of Inquiry into the sinking of the ferry Princess Ashika has described the purchase and operation of the 30 year old ferry as "scandalous". In August last year, the Ashika sank taking over 70 lives, just weeks after it had been bought. Over nearly five months of public hearings the inquiry into the sinking heard it described as a rust bucket, and since February six people have been arrested and charged over its sinking -- with charges ranging from operating an unseaworthy vessel to manslaughter. This week the Commission released its final report, and while it does not make any recommendations about further prosecutions, nor does it place final responsibility for the tragedy, it does makes some strong criticisms of how the Pacific nation manages maritime and government issues.

Australia urged to offer permanent residency to top PhD studentsAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 20:28:29

Australia's top eight universities have warned the country's economic development could suffer if the government doesn't do more to attract top research talent. They say there's a global war to entice the best, and they've recommended Canberra hold out the prospect of permanent residency in Australia for those who complete their PhD's in Australia. The universities' recommendation comes as the Rudd government reviews its skilled migration program.