June 2010

Australian PM's athiest standAudio

Updated 30/06/2010 20:43:28


As a child, she was a Baptist, now she's an avowed atheist. Australia's Prime Minister Julia Gillard this week completed the image of a thoroughly modern Australian leader by telling the nation she doesn't believe in God. Some media eyebrows were raised .. and mention was made of the tradition of church going by Australian Prime Ministers. But does it really matter to Australians and is there really a tradition of good Christian adherents filling Australia's top political job?

PNG Australia LNG ministerial meetingAudio

Updated 30/06/2010 20:43:28


Senior economic ministers from Papua New Guinea and Australia will hold the first PNG-Australia LNG meeting, in Melbourne this week. On the agenda for discussion is the setting up of a sovereign wealth fund to manage expected revenue from the PNG Liquefied Natural Gas project. Under a Joint Understanding, Australia is to assist PNG set up an effective and transparent governance regime for LNG project revenue. PNG's State Enterprises Minister Arthur Somare told our reporter in Port Moresby, Firmin Nanol that he welcomes this arrangement.

Warning over Australia's reputation in AsiaAudio

Updated 30/06/2010 20:43:28


Australia's former ambassador to Indonesia, Japan and Thailand says Australia risks being complacent about its reputation in Asia. John Mccarthy's comments at an international forum in Melbourne were echoed by the former head of Australia's Foreign Affairs department Micheal L'Estrange. However China's Ambassador went one step further, saying Australia should watch very carefully how it handles its cultural diplomacy in the region.

Attack on NATO base in AfghanistanAudio

Updated 30/06/2010 20:43:28


The new American military commander in Afghanistan says it'll be years before Afghan forces can fully take over. General David Petraeus calls the war a "contest of wills" and he says he'll now reassess controversial rules of engagement that limit the use of force by US troops in Afghanistan
Presenter: Sonja Heydeman
Speakers: Fahim Dashti, Editor of the Kabul Weekly.

IAEA to investigate Burma's nuclear programAudio

Updated 30/06/2010 20:43:24


It's been a rumour for years but now the international nuclear watchdog has formally turned its attention to Burma. The International Atomic Energy Agency is understood to be investigating a report, written by one of its own former directors. The document draws on a new dossier of material which was smuggled out of Burma, by a Burmese weapons expert. The IAEA has approached the Burmese regime asking it to explain why it appears to be manufacturing parts for nuclear weapons.

MPs push to ban the Indonesian Islamic Defenders' FrontAudio

Updated 30/06/2010 20:43:24


Islamic vigilantes have threatened to declare war on Christians in a Jakarta neighbourhood - and to impose hardline religious regulations by force - as part of a continuing tide of Muslim vigilantism in Indonesia. Now members of parliament are pushing the government to act before the situation gets worse. They've submitted a petition to President Yudhoyono, urging him to make sure the police step up and do their job.

China signs trade deal with TaiwanAudio

Updated 29/06/2010 20:37:59

China has signed a long-awaited Free Trade Agreement with Taiwan. It's been billed as one of the most significant steps towards warming relations between the long-time rivals. Taiwan hopes the deal will give a much-needed boost to its economy, but not everyone on the island thinks it's a good idea.

Mystery buyer snaps up Indonesian Tempo magazinesAudio

Updated 29/06/2010 20:37:59


A leading Indonesian news weekly says copies of its latest edition on rampant police corruption are being bought in bulk before they reach newstands.

Tempo magazine says mysterious buyers, who looked like police, went straight to the distributors to snap up the edition -- with a cover story titled "Fat Bank Account of a Police Officer".

Australian government says News Limited is right to be angryAudio

Updated 29/06/2010 20:37:59


Just reappointed to his post in the Australian government, Australia's Foreign minister Stephen Smith has quickly joined in condemning Fiji's move against foreign ownership of the country's media. Mr Smith says that in particular, Rupert Murdoch's News Limited is entitled to be angry. The decree effectively means News will have to sell the Fiji Times newspaper, which it's run for more than two decades.

New media laws in place in Fiji.Audio

Updated 29/06/2010 20:37:59


Fiji's media has begun getting used to a new set of rules governing its activities, with the gazetting of the military backed regime's new "Media Industry Development Decree 2010". When Fiji's interim Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum announced the Decree was in force he started by saying those writing it had listened to the feedback and criticism given by the country's media and public, on a draft of the decree, which was released in April. But the changes have been described as nothing more than number tweaking, and the new decree has received little support around the region.

US announces $5mil for clearing Agent Orange in VietnamAudio

Updated 29/06/2010 20:37:58

The United Nations has announced a five-million-US-dollar project to clean up wartime contamination in Vietnam from Agent Orange sprayed by the US military.
The UN said it is a far cry from what is needed to clear contaminated sites, including an airport and former US air bases.

Karzai reportedly meets militant Haqqani networkAudio

Updated 29/06/2010 20:37:58

Afghanistan's government has dismissed as baseless media reports that President Hamid Karzai had met face-to-face with an Al-Qaeda-linked Taliban leader in Kabul.
A presidential spokesman said the report on Al-Jazeera television was part of a conspiracy to undermine a government-initiated peace plan aimed at ending almost nine years of war. The militant Haqqani network has been blamed for major attacks on Afghan and International military forces in Afghanistan. Afghan government opponents say if there is a deal with the head of the Haqqani network, other groups might take up arms in protest.

Long road ahead for Kyrgyz national unityAudio

Updated 28/06/2010 19:42:40


A landmark referendum in the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan shows a large majority approving a new constitution to give parliament more power. Critics say conditions for the referendum in Kyrgystan were not ideal, coming just two weeks after violence between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the south, left at least 283 people dead and an estimated 100,000 people displaced. But with the weekend's clear outcome, will it bring national harmony to Kyrgyzstan?

Former Solomon Islands' Deputy PM rejects Mainland China optionAudio

Updated 28/06/2010 19:42:41


Election campaigning continues in Solomon Islands with one of the country's former Prime Ministers telling his supporters that if he wins government again, he'll adopt a One China policy. Since independance Solomon Islands has recognised Taiwan, one of few countries around the world to do so. But with elections just over a month away, veteran MP Frances Billy Hilly says under his leadership .. that will all change.

Fiji Times must either sell up or closeAudio

Updated 28/06/2010 19:42:41


The Fiji Times newspaper has three months to change owners, or it will be forced to cease operations. Fiji's interim attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has announced that the country's new media industry development decree came into force today. Under the decree, all the directors and at least 90 per cent of shareholders of any media organisation have to be Fijian citizens permanently residing in Fiji. The Fiji Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited, and it has been a strong critic of the coup-installed interim government. Any Fiji media outlet which fails to comply with the new rules against foreign ownership will be breaking the law.

G20 talks wrap up in TorontoAudio

Updated 28/06/2010 19:42:41


To the meeting of the G20 in Toronto and talks wrapped up at the weekend with a promise to halve the budget deficits of richer members within two years and peg government spending to GDP levels by 2016. Leaders had wanted to issue a statement formally welcoming China's committment to a more flexible exchange rate but China asked for the statement to be removed. And it was a move that underscores a fundamental difference in how the latest phase of the world's economic recovery should be handled.

Australian PM reshuffles ministersAudio

Updated 28/06/2010 19:42:41


Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is set to have greater autonomy in shaping the country's foreign policy, after the new Prime Minister Julia Gillard declined the services of Kevin Rudd on her front bench. After he was toppled from the leadership last week, it was speculated Mr Rudd might be offered the foreign ministry, on the basis of his experience in the field. But that's not to be and observers are looking at what that may mean for a foreign policy that had been significantly driven by just one man, in Mr Rudd. Mr Smith also takes on responsibility for trade, in Ms Gillard's minimal reshuffle of her ministers.

Computer game shows Cambodian kids how to avoid landminesAudio

Updated 28/06/2010 19:42:39


A computer game designed to help young people recognise the dangers of landmines and unexploded ordinance has just undergone initial testing in Cambodia. The developers from Michigan State University in the U-S say they hope the game will cut the number of children killed and maimed each year.

Political shake-up in Hong KongAudio

Updated 25/06/2010 19:39:48


Hong Kong will get a political shake-up but it's a far cry from universal suffrage for China's freewheeling financial hub. Lawmakers voted to add 10 directly elected seats to the semi-autonomous territory's legislature in 2012, after a bitter split emerged between moderates and hardliners in the pro-democracy camp. Radicals condemned moderates in the Democratic Party, whose votes allowed the government's reforms to pass, claiming they'd betrayed Hong Kong by giving up on a fight -- for one person, one vote -- by 2012.

World leaders to meet in Toronto for G20 talksAudio

Updated 25/06/2010 19:39:48


World leaders are in Toronto this weekend for the G20 meeting. On the agenda is how to shore up the recovery as the world economy emerges from its worst crisis in decades. But the unity of recent past summits is fracturing, with recoveries taking place at very different rates, putting pressure on efforts to strike the right global balance between reining- in ballooning deficits and maintaining stimulus spending.

Australian deal to sell brown coal to VietnamAudio

Updated 25/06/2010 19:39:48

Environmentalists have reacted angrily to a new deal for Australia to sell brown coal to Vietnam. The deal, worth 400 million Australian dollars, has been formailised by Trade Minister, Simon Crean and a Vietnamese trade delegation in Melbourne. It will help create jobs in Australia and provide a boost to Vietnam's struggling electricity sector. But environmentalists say the deal should be stopped.

Question over Australian Foreign minister's jobAudio

Updated 25/06/2010 19:39:48

Australia's Foreign minister Stephen Smith is acknowledging he may have to stand aside from his job if the country's new Prime Minister Julia Gillard offers it to the man she ousted from the leadership a day ago, Kevin Rudd. There is no indication yet that this will happen but Mr Rudd has said he is ready to serve. And given Mr Rudd's diplomatic and foreign policy background, there's speculation about whether he'll be offered the foreign policy post. Ms Gillard meanwhile has been taking congratulatory phone calls from world leaders and appears to have struck an early, strong chord with the U-S President.

Controversial dolphin hunt documentary to run in JapanAudio

Updated 25/06/2010 19:39:43

Almost a year after it first screened in the United States, a documentary condemning the annual dolphin hunt in the Japanese town of Tajii in Wakayama prefecture is about to be given a limited run in Japan. Six movie theatres in Tokyo and Osaka have decided to ignore threats from nationalist protesters and will screen 'The Cove' on July 3rd. Environmental activists around the world are praising the decision as a brave move to protect freedom of speech.

Election campaigning underway in Solomon IslandsAudio

Updated 25/06/2010 19:39:43

With campaigning underway in the Solomon Islands' natonal election, two of the strongest contenders for the Prime Ministership, have signalled they'll be focussing most of their efforts outside the towns and cities of the island nation. Solomon Islands goes to the polls on the fourth of August. Over the next few weeks, nominations to contest the 50 seats in the house will be finalised.

Controversial whaling proposal abandoned at IWC talksAudio

Updated 24/06/2010 19:50:00

A deal that would have overturned a 24 year ban on commercial whaling has been defeated at the International Whaling Commission conference in Morocco, delivering a victory for Australia.

McChrystal resigns, Petraeus appointed to lead US in AfghanistanAudio

Updated 24/06/2010 19:50:00

The US President, Barack Obama, has accepted the resignation of General Stanley McChrystal, the man in charge of the US war effort in Afghanistan.

PM Gillard throws open door to Australian mining sectorAudio

Updated 24/06/2010 19:50:00

On her first day in the job, Julia Gillard has felt the warm embrace of the financial markets.

Australia's new PM faces first dayAudio

Updated 24/06/2010 19:50:00

Australia's has a new Prime Minister - Julia Gillard - after a dramatic party room leadership spill in Canberra.

Hong Kong democrats fight over key political reform voteAudioTranscript

Updated 24/06/2010 19:49:57

Hong Kong lawmakers have voted to enlarge the electoral base that chooses the city's leader, the first half of a package of political reforms.

UN panel will also investigate Sri Lanka's Tamil TigersAudio

Updated 24/06/2010 19:49:57

The head of a new UN panel that will investigate allegations of human rights violations in Sri Lanka says he will also be investigating the actions of the Tamil Tigers.

Indonesian political prisoners tortured: rights groupAudio

Updated 23/06/2010 20:57:51

The Indonesian government is being called on to immediately release more than 100 prisoners - jailed for taking part in non-violent political protests.

East Timor President seeks Australia's help with gas pipelineAudio

Updated 23/06/2010 20:57:52

East Timor's President Jose Ramos Horta has stepped up his campaign to get Australia to convince the developers of the Greater Sunrise gas field to build a pipeline to East Timor.

Top US general in Afghanistan could face the sackAudio

Updated 23/06/2010 20:57:52

The career of America's top military commander in Afghanistan hangs in the balance.

China's 'bat phone' and the path to powerAudio

Updated 23/06/2010 20:57:51

This week, the man who will likely take over as China's next leader visited Australia.

Campaigning begins in Solomon Islands' electionAudio

Updated 23/06/2010 20:57:51

The Solomon Island's will go to the polls in on 4 August and has called for the nominations of candidates for the 50 seats in its national parliament.

Thousands marooned in Bangladesh floodsAudio

Updated 22/06/2010 20:48:32

At least 150,000 people have been marooned and thousands of hectares of crops destroyed by floods after weeks of heavy rain in Bangladesh's northeast. Five weeks of heavy rain caused rivers to burst their banks and flood large areas of countryside and villages.

India looks at compensation for Bhopal victimsAudio

Updated 22/06/2010 20:48:32

India is preparing to push the United States to extradite the former head of an American chemical company in connection with the 1984 gas disaster in Bhopal.
The move follows public outrage after seven former managers at the Union Carbide plant were given just two-year jail sentences. At least three and half thousand people died at what is considered to be the world's worst industrial accident and more than 15-thousand people have died in the years since. Indian cabinet ministers are now recommending that the government do more to help the Bhopal victims, including issues of compensation, relief and rehabilitation.

China plans to build two nuclear reactors in PakistanAudio

Updated 22/06/2010 20:48:33

There are growing concerns that China and the United States are on a collision course over Chinese plans to build two nuclear reactors in Pakistan. China is expected to formally announce its plans to build the reactors in Punjab province at a meeting in New Zealand this week of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The group includes representatives of the world's 46 countries that dominate and try to control the world's atomic trade. The US has already voiced its disapproval of China's plans, but Beijing says its nuclear co-operation with Pakistan is for peaceful purposes and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

East Timorese President visits AustraliaAudio

Updated 22/06/2010 20:48:33

East Timor's President Jose Ramos Horta is delivering his first major speech in Australia for two years on the challenges and prospects for democracy in his still fledgling country. It comes against a backdrop of underlying tensions between the two countries over issues like aid effectiveness and the dividing of the spoils from the lucrative Sunrise gas project in the Timor Sea. Among his engagements during a four-day State visit will be talks with Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the inauguration of a new embassy for his country in Canberra and a private discussion with the Australian Parliament's Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade committee.

Vietnam's high speed rail plan rejectedAudio

Updated 22/06/2010 20:48:24

Vietnam's National Assembly has voted down a 56 billion dollar high speed rail line - proposed to link Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. The proposal had been the centrepiece of the country's railways masterplan but the usually rubber stamp assembly has rejected the idea.

Somaly Mam visits AustraliaAudio

Updated 22/06/2010 20:48:24


Her autobiography is a global best-seller but Somaly Mam gets no pleasure from her story - she tells it because she has to. She escaped from being sold into sex trafficking in Cambodia, and now campaigns to save women like herself.

Indonesia's sex tape scandal revives internet censorship debateAudio

Updated 21/06/2010 19:42:04

A celebrity sex-tape scandal in Indonesia has pushed the government to revive plans to introduce internet censorship laws by the end of the year. Indonesia's Communications Minister, Tifatul Sembiring says he's drafting a new decree that will also block blasphemy, gambling, violence and online fraud. It comes after a homemade sex tape, involving three celebrities, was released online, which the Communications Minister says 'insulted the nation's constitution.

Close watch on China's currencyAudio

Updated 21/06/2010 19:42:04

China has indicated it will re-value its currency ... or has it? On the weekend China's central bank announced plans to make the exchange rate more flexible but it was a typically vaguely worded statement that also said there'd be no big swings in the currency, and no one-off adjustment. And so far the currency has remained just where it was - pegged by the People's Bank of China at the central parity rate of just over 6-point-8 to the US dollar. That leaves policymakers from the major economies in 'wait and see' mode ahead of the G20 meeting this weekend. Analysts say, despite what some China critics would like to see, the currency will only be allowed to appreciate slowly and that is a good thing, for both China and the global economy.

Australia hosts Chinese leaderAudio

Updated 21/06/2010 19:42:04

With no fewer than ten new agreements signed, and a lot of cordial words exchanged, the visit to the Australian capital by the man most likely to be China's next President has delighted political and business leaders of both countries. Xi Jinping's trip to Australia .. as well as to Bangladesh, Laos and on to New Zealand .. is part of the process of preparing him for his ascent, experts say, which is expected when the Communist Party Congress meets in 2012. The immediate focus in Canberra though has been on trade and investment. And while Vice President Xi has delivered much needed political impetus to the difficult Australia-China free trade negotiations, he's also offered a subtly different take on where Australia's relationship with China stands.

Afghan security crisis escalatesAudio

Updated 21/06/2010 19:42:05

Security in Afghanistan is becoming increasingly concerning with a United Nations report last week showing violence has escalated dramatically in the first four months of this year. The situation now is so dire that the UN has announced plans for the withdrawl of some of its foreign staff from the country. But where does that leave the Afghan people and a nation trying to rebuild, especially with elections coming up in a matter of months.

Australia commemorates Montevideo Maru sinkingAudio

Updated 21/06/2010 19:41:59

One of the worst maritime disasters in Australian history, the World War Two sinking of a Japanese transport carrying more than a thousand Australian prisoners of war and civilians from Papua New Guinea has finally been commemorated in Canberra today. Environment Minister Peter Garrett is the new patron of the Montevideo Maru Foundation. His grandfather was one of the 1,053 Australians who perished.

Cambodian homes at gold deposit site under threatAudio

Updated 21/06/2010 19:41:59

The Cambodian Government is threatening to burn the homes of around one hundred families who are living at the site of a gold deposit which was recently discovered by an Australian mining company.

Australia's plan for Asia Pacific Community under a cloudAudioTranscript

Updated 18/06/2010 17:05:34

When ASEAN foreign ministers meet in Hanoi next month, one of the issues for discussion will be the fate of the Australian Prime Minister's proposal for an Asia Pacific Community. It's been a centrepiece of Kevin Rudd's foreign policy agenda since he came to office in Australia in late 2007 but has had a slow and troubled existence, particularly with opposition from ASEAN states. And Australia appears to be bending to the sensitivities.

Japan's ruling party unveils manifestoAudioTranscript

Updated 18/06/2010 17:05:34

Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan has outlined plans for fiscal reforms, including rebuilding his nation's finances and cutting its huge deficit. Mr Kan, who took over from his unpopular predecessor Yukio Hatoyama last week, also wants input from fellow Japanese, calling for a full debate on tax reform, including a proposed rise in the sales tax. The ruling Democrats' popularity rose dramatically, according to opinion polls, in the week since the former Finance minister took over as leader.

UN official accuses Cambodia of human rights breachesAudio

Updated 18/06/2010 17:05:34

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Cambodia says he has serious concerns about Cambodia's human rights record. Surya Prasad Subedi has just ended a ten day mission to Cambodia, focussing mainly on the judiciary, and says he's uncovered serious shortcomings. He says it's a judicial system that's critically underfunded and fails to appropriately train people in the basics of human rights law.

Indonesian loggers find work as elephant keepersAudioTranscript

Updated 18/06/2010 17:05:33

Indonesia is home to ten percent of the world's remaining tropical rainforests and officials estimate each year 10 million hectares have been lost to illegal logging. Last month the Indonesian government announced a crackdown on illegal logging as part of a one billion dollar deal with Norway to stop deforestation. But this could leave thousands of people without an income. Now, a group in northern Sumatra have taken an innovative approach, retraining former illegal loggers to work as elephant keepers.

Indian authorities say Maoist rebel leaders moving into citiesAudioTranscript

Updated 18/06/2010 17:05:33

Eight rebel Maoist camps In India have been destroyed by government forces in what's being described as a major offensive in the Borahat jungles in the north-eastern state of Jharkand. Ten rebels were killed and six policemen injured in the operation. Authorities have been under pressure following a wave of Maoist-led violence in recent months. And they're concerned that Maoist leaders may be moving out of their strongholds and into Indian towns and cities.

New energy needed to reach Millenium Development Goals: Helen ClarkAudioTranscript

Updated 17/06/2010 13:56:26

The United Nations Development Program Head, Helen Clark, says new energy needs to go into reaching the Millennium Development Goals in the lead up to a major meeting of world leaders in September. Ms Clark, was speaking via a satellite link to a Lowy Institute Conference looking at progress with the Millennium Development Goals in the Asia-Pacific Region. The conference which is taking place in Sydney has brought together some of the world's leading aid thinkers and is looking at bringing new ideas into the effort to reach the goals before the 2015 deadline.

Malaysia bows to pressure to protect border refugeesAudioTranscript

Updated 17/06/2010 13:56:26

Under strong international pressure, Malaysia has begun protecting refugees in its borders. But a new report shows refugees there still have it very tough - with no legal recognition, and no rights, they're open to abuse, beatings, and trafficking. Malaysia still hasn't ratified the Refugee Convention - and Amnesty International's report calls on the government, once again, to take steps in defence of the most vulnerable.

UN likens Kyrgyzstan crisis to tinder boxAudioTranscript

Updated 17/06/2010 13:56:26

United Nations refugee agency planes are landing in neighbouring Uzbekistan, where at least 75-thousand people have fled, before the country closed its borders.
The UN has described the situation in Kyrgyzstan as a 'tinder box', meaning that it could flare up further. The violence could have serious implications right across Central Asia.

Kyrgyzstan crisis escalatesAudioTranscript

Updated 17/06/2010 13:56:26

The humanitarian crisis in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan appears to be worsening. The United Nations says there are now a quarter of a million Uzbeks fleeing the violence, and the death toll is approaching 200, with local authorities fearing the number could rise. Human Rights Watch reports the Kyrgyz military has joined in the violence against ethnic Uzbeks. It accuses the military of firing at Uzbek civilians and handing out weapons to Kyrgyz gangs.

Sexual harassment cause of female suicides in BangladeshAudio

Updated 17/06/2010 13:56:17

Suicides by young women is on the rise in Bangladesh because of public sexual harassment. More than 20 women have taken their lives in Bangladesh since the beginning of the year. It's called "eve teasing" in Bangladesh and legal aid and human rights organisations say it's pushing young girls and women to the edge of desperation.

The demise of Cambodia's cyclo driversAudioTranscript

Updated 17/06/2010 13:56:25

Ten years ago nine thousand cyclo drivers made a living pedalling people and their possessions around the streets of Phnom Penh. It was the Cambodian capital's long standing foot powered taxi. But today there are just thirteen hundred cyclo drivers left.

China's growing influence in Laos has some neighbours worriedAudio

Updated 16/06/2010 19:50:33

Chinese Vice Premier Xi Jinping is paying a visit to Laos - the second stop on a trip taking in Bangladesh, Australia and New Zealand. The visits are attracting more than the usual interest in such diplomatic whistle stop tours because Xi Jinping is considered China's heir apparent and the man most likely to succeed Hu Jintao as president in 2013.

Bangladesh slum dwellers adapt to internet-based new mediaAudio

Updated 16/06/2010 19:50:32

Bangladeshi slum dwellers have responded positively to two Australians who have been sent there to teach them how to use social media. Joel Katz, an English teacher and Sharna Bremner, a university student, have been based in the capital Dhaka for the past week and a half, where they've been teaching youths living in poverty how to use new media such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The money for the two week project was raised by donations from the Australian social media community, and it was organised by the anti-poverty agency ActionAid Australia.

North Korea threatens force if censured by UNAudioTranscript

Updated 16/06/2010 19:50:32


The North Korean ambassador to the UN has held a rare news conference in New York, and he used it to issue a threat to the United Nations that the North would take military action if the UN condemned the reclusive nation for the sinking of a South Korean warship in March. The United States responded by labelling North Korea a "criminal state" but dismissed the threat as just another example of the regime's provocative behaviour.

Cambodia hosts talks on protecting civilians from atrocitiesAudioTranscript

Updated 16/06/2010 19:50:33

After World War Two and revelations of the Jewish Holocaust, the world vowed never again. Yet genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other mass atrocites have continued, from the killing fields of Cambodia to the violence of Rwanda and the abuses in Darfur. Five years ago, world leaders at a UN summit agreed that it's the responsibility of each nation to protect their populations from abuse. That commitment was called R2P, the Responsibility To Protect. It has since been reaffirmed by the UN Security Council. Cambodia is hosting the first in a series of talks on the R2P, to investigate its effectiveness in the Asia Pacific region.

Indian authorities say Maoist rebel leaders moving into citiesAudioTranscript

Updated 16/06/2010 19:50:33

Eight rebel Maoist camps In India have been destroyed by government forces in what's being described as a major offensive in the Borahat jungles in the north-eastern state of Jharkand. Ten rebels were killed and six policemen injured in the operation. Authorities have been under pressure following a wave of Maoist-led violence in recent months. And they're concerned that Maoist leaders may be moving out of their strongholds and into Indian towns and cities.

Australia alarmed at domestic violence levels in the PacificAudio

Updated 16/06/2010 19:50:33


Australia says urgent and determined action is needed to tackle growing levels of domestic violence in the Pacific. Australia's Attorney General Robert McClelland says both New Zealand and the United States have expressed alarm at the problem.

Former 'hell hole' re-opens for asylum seekersAudio

Updated 16/06/2010 19:50:33


The detention of asylum seekers has been a politically charged issue in Australia for many years, more so during an election year. The next chapter is being played out in out in Australia's remote north-west with the re-opening of the Curtin Detention Centre, which is housing 200 Afghan asylum seekers. Residents and businesses in the nearby town of Derby have welcomed the re-opening of the centre, once known as a 'hell hole'.

Indonesian man jailed for role in Jakarta hotel bombingsAudioTranscript

Updated 15/06/2010 18:45:17

An Indonesian man has been jailed for eight years for his role in two hotel bombings last year and a failed plot to kill President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The bombings on the Marriott and the Ritz Carlton hotels last July killed seven people and injured more than 50. Amir Abdillah was found guilty of acting as the driver for notorious Malaysian-born terrorist Noordin Mohammad Top who was killed in a police raid last year. Amir Abdullah, who was also convicted of trafficking explosives in a failed attack on the President, says he's only only guilty of the charge of hiding information.

Asia not immune to Europe's economic woes: Nobel laureateAudio

Updated 15/06/2010 18:45:18

The drawing of similarities between the Greek debt crisis and the early days of the sub-prime crisis has set off alarm bells around the world. In addition, A second international rating agency has downgraded Greek government bonds to junk status. As financial market nervousness spreads, foreign banks are refusing to lend to Spain. One of the world's leading economists has warned that Europe's turmoil will inevitably spread to Asia.

Australia probes taser claims at Indonesian asylum centreAudioTranscript

Updated 15/06/2010 18:45:18


Australia's government says it's seeking more information about claims of poor conditions and ill treatment of asylum seekers - including the use of a stun gun - at Indonesia's Tanjung Pinang detention centre. Australia funds the centre. Australia's Immigration minister Chris Evans says he's asked his officials to inquire.

Countries lobbying to host future World CupsAudioTranscript

Updated 15/06/2010 18:45:17

While the competition at the World Cup is fierce on the field - it's arguably even more ferocious off it. Members of bid teams from Australia, the United States, Korea, Japan and others are all in South Africa to lobby for the right to host the Cup in either 2018 or 2022. But with the massive investment needed to host such a major event, plenty of commentators are asking where the return on that investment will come from.

Maori negotiators and NZ Government reach historic land rights dealAudio

Updated 15/06/2010 18:45:17


The New Zealand Government and Maori negotiators have agreed to settle their differences over the contentious issue of foreshore and seabed rights. The historic deal opens the way for Maori to claim 'customary title' if they have exclusively occupied an area since 1840.

Morals police in West Aceh target women over clothingAudio

Updated 14/06/2010 18:57:36


In indonesia, the morals police in West Aceh recently handed out 20 000 long skirts to women who were wearing tight jeans, which are regarded by some as too revealing. It was part of a tightening of the Islamic law known as Sharia Law.

Asteroid mission may unravel solar system secretsAudio

Updated 14/06/2010 18:57:36


Japanese scientists will know in about a week or two whether they have managed to unravel some of the secrets of the solar system that have been locked away for billions of years. In about a week, they'll start analysing the results of their Hayabusa asteroid mission. It left Earth in 2003 to visit the asteroid called Itokawa, named after a famous Japanese rocket scientist. Hayabusa spent three months on Itokawa in 2005 collecting the first samples ever obtained from an asteroid. It's hoped a small capsule that's returned home will contain all the samples collected from the asteroid, possibly providing an insight into the early history of the solar system and how our planets were formed billions of years.

Thai protesters still missing after Bangkok rallyAudioTranscript

Updated 14/06/2010 18:57:36

Thailand's government has released a list of arrested protesters, more than three weeks after armed forces dispersed the anti government rally in Bangkok. Hundreds of people were detained in jails and military camps after the army moved in - many without charge. But even now, not everyone is accounted for.

Pakistan angry over Taliban support claimsAudioTranscript

Updated 14/06/2010 18:57:36

Pakistan has responded angrily to renewed allegations that its military intelligence agency, the ISI, is actively supporting Taliban militants in Afghanistan - and on a much larger scale than previously thought. The report, commissioned by the London School of Economics, says Taliban field commanders that it interviewed, suggested that ISI intelligence agents even attended Taliban Supreme Council meetings. The report follows one of the deadliest weeks for NATO troops in Afghanistan, with over thirty soldiers killed.

Questions over teaching sex education in Indonesian schoolsAudioTranscript

Updated 14/06/2010 18:57:21

Indonesia has never been a strong advocate for sex education in schools but now, the government's questioning the need for any formal teaching at all, on the subject. The Education Minister, Muhammad Nuh says he objects to sex education being taught in Indonesia's secondary schools. He says children don't need formal education about sex because they'll learn it "naturally". The Minister's comments follow a recent scandal, involving the circulation of sex videos featuring high profile local celebrities.

China currency pressure as economy threatens to overheat.Audio

Updated 11/06/2010 19:26:55

The latest economic data out of China has a few surprises and some challenges for the government in Beijing. Inflation has exceeded the government's target of three per cent for the first time in more than a year and the trade surplus widened to 20 billion dollars in May.

Thai PM calls for national reconciliationAudioTranscript

Updated 11/06/2010 19:26:55

Thailand's Prime Minister has offered the anti-government movement a reconciliation plan, three weeks after a military crackdown on the so-called Red Shirt protesters. In a television address, Abhisit Vejjajiva presented what he called a "letter to the Thai people". He called for national reconciliation after months of turmoil which resulted in at least 88 deaths and more than 18-hundred people wounded. The prime minister's five-point plan includes a "national reform" agenda to address social and economic disparities, which caused Thailand's divisions, but also new controls on the media.

Former Taiwan president has sentence reducedAudio

Updated 11/06/2010 19:26:55

Taiwan's high court has reduced the life sentence of the former president who was convicted of corruption and money laundering charges. Chen Shui-Bian will now serve 20 years behind bars. The Taipei District Court had sentenced the former leader to life and fined him more than six million dollars. After three years of high profile court proceedings that also involved his wife, son and numerous aides, Chen has described the charges as politically motivated and will appeal to the Supreme Court - his last chance to overturn the verdict.

China plans expansion of genetically modified cropsAudio

Updated 11/06/2010 19:26:52

Millions of Chinese farmers face challenges from water shortage, farmland shrinking, soil deterioration and chemical pollutions. Pests are also a big problem - creating a need to use dangerous pesticides. That's why the Chinese Government has invested billions of dollars into its genetically modified seed program. Two GM crops, B-t Cotton and Papaya are already produced on a commercial scale. Now, genetically modified rice and corn are being trialled - which have a resistance to the most harmful bugs. But opponents of GM crops say pesticides still need to be used.

Fresh impetus for trans pacific trade dealAudioTranscript

Updated 11/06/2010 19:26:52

Talks resume next week on a proposed trans-Pacific trade deal, with United States' backing appearing to give the idea significant momentum. Washington threw it's weight behind the plan at last year's APEC leaders meeting in Singapore .. which is another member country, along with Australia, Brunei and Chile as well as New Zealand and Vietnam. Sceptics say the current membership hardly comprises a major trading force. But with other trade initiatives, big and small, continuing to founder, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or T-P-P, is being talked of by some as possibly the right formula at the right time.

Australia following China's lead on mining tax?AudioTranscript

Updated 10/06/2010 19:23:34

The heated debate over Australia's proposed mining tax shows no sign of letting up. The Prime Minister has held a private meeting with Fortescue Metals Chief Andrew Forrest - one of his fiercest critics - with no real progress made. And the industry's campaign continues with ever more extreme statements. So extreme as to claim Australia is becoming more communist than China. But such claims can backfire - China is currently in the process of raising its resources tax and expanding it to more industries.

Reports of an election in Burma later this yearAudioTranscript

Updated 10/06/2010 19:23:34

There's been no word from Burma itself yet, but one influential American senator, with relatively cordial links to the Burmese generals, says he expects the country to go to the polls on October 10th. Senator Jim Webb, who's a leading advocate of engagement with Burma's military rulers, postponed a visit this month after new allegations of Burmese efforts to establish a nuclear program with support from North Korea. He is urging the American Government to support the October vote, despite the exclusion of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Senator Webb is also calling on President Barack Obama to make good on a promise to appoint a Special Envoy to Burma.

Taliban rule in Pakistani tribal areas criticised by Amnesty InternatiAudio

Updated 10/06/2010 19:23:34

Parts of Pakistan ruled by the Taliban have been described as a human rights free zone by Amnesty International. The human rights group says the radical Islamist group has established its rule in the tribal areas in the country's northwest by killing those who challenge them, and torture of teachers, aid workers and political activists.
A report on the situation in the areas, which are administered separately from the rest of Pakistan, accuses the government in Islamabad of abandoning the people living there. Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia Pacific Director, says both sides ought to comply with international humanitarian law.

Afghan Taliban blamed for bombing a weddingAudioTranscript

Updated 10/06/2010 19:23:34

The Taliban is being blamed for the suicide bombing of an Afghan wedding party in Kandahar that's left as many as forty people dead and more than 70 injured.

Community cleanup underway on Bali beachesAudioTranscript

Updated 10/06/2010 19:23:34

Bali; a tropical paradise or a rubbish dump? The Indonesian province may be known as the island of the gods but the irresponsible disposal of rubbish is taking its toll on the environment. A lack of community awareness of sustainable waste disposal is destroying beaches that draw millions of tourists every year. A young group of activists - Make A Change Bali - are fighting to preserve the island's once pristine beaches.

Greens call for Afghanistan troop withdrawal timetableAudio

Updated 09/06/2010 19:30:15

June has so far proved a deadly month for NATO-led troops in Afghanistan with more than 20 soldiers with the international force killed over the past week. That includes two Australian troops killed by a roadside bomb. That's sparked discussion about whether a withdrawal date for Australian troops should be set - with the Greens Party saying they will will move for a parliamentary debate on the issue.

Labour activist documentary banned in CambodiaAudio

Updated 09/06/2010 19:30:15

Authorities in Cambodia are refusing to allow a film about the murder of a prominent trade union official to be screened in the country. The documentary "Who Killed Chea Vichea?" questions whether or not the two men charged with his death were responsible.. or if they were framed.

New Philippine president faces testing times aheadAudio

Updated 09/06/2010 19:30:15

Benigno Aquino has been declared winner of last month's Philippine presidential election, as expected. The son of democracy heroes Ninoy and Cory Aquino, was over five-million votes ahead of his nearest rival, former president Joseph Estrada. He'll be sworn in by the end of this month, along with vice President from a rival party, Jejomar Binay, who is an Estrada supporter.

Bhopal judgement sends 'wrong message' to business communityAudio

Updated 09/06/2010 19:30:15

There has been outrage in India at this week's two-year prison terms meted out to local managers of Union Carbide, the company blamed for the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster that killed three thousand people. In the world's worst industrial accident, the lethal cyanide gas leak also maimed an estimated 25,000 people. Indian government statistics put the chronically sick at another 100,000 in 1994. Victims say they have been treated with contempt by the courts and the Indian government.

East Timor rejects Woodside's gas processing planAudioTranscript

Updated 09/06/2010 19:30:15

East Timor's government is emphatic it would rather leave the Greater Sunrise gas deposits under the Timor Sea than drop its demand the gas be piped to East Timor for processing. In the long running saga of the field, Sunrise leaseholder Woodside recently lodged a "best commercial advantage" report and a draft development plan, concluding that platform-based processing was the most viable. In a sharply worded rebuff, East Timor last week listed a raft of administrative hurdles .. rejecting outright Woodside's claims.

Burma pressed on continued use of forced labourAudio

Updated 08/06/2010 19:54:23

The International Labour Organisation says the Burmese military has given no indication that it intends to stop using forced labour. The ILO - the United Nations' labour agency - has been meeting in Geneva - where Burma's use of forced labour and restrictions on freedom of association have been on the agenda.

Warning climate change to cause humanitarian disastersAudioTranscript

Updated 08/06/2010 19:54:23

The United Nations' top humanitarian official is warning that climate change is set to cause more and more humanitarian crises, through severe weather events that he says are already evident. John Holmes, who's the U-N Under-Secretary General for humanitarian affairs, has also expressed cautious optimism about China's fledgling role as a contribute or skills and money to the multilateral humanitarian system. But he has slammed governments for playing what he calls political and security games, even as the cost to ordinary people is being deal with by humanitarian workers.

North Korea reshuffles leadershipAudioTranscript

Updated 08/06/2010 19:54:24

North Korea has reshuffled its leadership, in a rare second session of parliament, attended by leader Kim Jong-Il. The 687-member parliament known as the Supreme People's Assembly usually meets just once a year. A key point of the reshuffle was the promotion of President Kim's brother in law, Jang Song-Thaek to the post of vice chairman of the National Defence Commission, making him the second most powerful man in the secretive nation.

China defends Internet censorshipAudio

Updated 08/06/2010 19:54:24

The Chinese government has defended its right to censor the internet in a policy paper published in state-run media. The 30 page white paper says regulations will be enforced to protect state security and national unity while supporting the free flow of information. Its publication comes after Beijing's high profile battle with Google saw the US based firm shut down its Chinese search engine.

Scientists prove 'fifth element' in Japanese foodAudio

Updated 08/06/2010 19:54:06

For more than one-hundred years, Japan has claimed the edge over other national cuisines due to a rather unfair advantage. While the rest of the world's meals relied on the four taste variations of sweet, salty, sour and bitter, japan claims a unique fifth element... which it calls umami.

Market nerves over Europe and US spread to AsiaAudio

Updated 07/06/2010 20:38:17

Its a long way from Bucharest but Asian markets were battered today as fear stalked share and money markets around the world. Despite generally good economic news in the region, none have been immune from the fears of contagion spreading from Europe's debt crisis. Poor jobs data from the United States last Friday helped the downhill slide after officials in Hungary compared the European country's problems to Greece.

Top Afghan security officials resignAudio

Updated 07/06/2010 20:38:17

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has forced his intelligence chief and interior minister to resign after a Taliban attack on last week's national peace conference. The militants managed to elude a massive security operation surrounding the three day peace conference. The resignations of the highly respected Hanif Atmar and Amrullah Saleh have been greeted with dismay by some Western security experts. But the events may have more to do with Hamid Karzai determination to reach out to the Taliban and improve relations with Pakistan - something the two men were known to oppose.

Burma accused of developing nuclear weaponsAudioTranscript

Updated 07/06/2010 20:38:17

A former senior UN nuclear inspector says secret documents and hundreds of photographs smuggled out of Burma indicate that the military regime is trying to develop nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. The documents and photos were smuggled out of Burma by a defector from the Burmese military. Former IAEA inspector Robert Kelly says the evidence is the most compelling yet, that Burma is interested in nuclear weapons. Based on the findings, Mr Kelly co-authored a new report released on the weekend by the Democratic Voice of Burma.

Caution urged over Laos' fast economic growthAudioTranscript

Updated 07/06/2010 20:38:13

One of Asia's poorest nations is being pulled out of poverty thanks to its natural resources. Laos is continuing to experienced positive economic growth because of a rising production of copper, gold, and silver as well as hydro-power. But the pace and scale of foreign investment in Laos is worrying some development partners, who say the country has not yet established proper mechanisms to monitor foreign companies.

East Timor navy buys Chinese boatsAudioTranscript

Updated 07/06/2010 20:38:13

A military parade and blessing ceremony is planned in East Timor later this week to formally mark the arrival of two patrol boats purchased from China. The Shanghai-three-class vessels will be used to combat illegal fishing and other illicit activities in East Timor's territorial waters. East Timor's 2008 decision to go with the Chinese made vessels came as China sought to exert more influence through the use of so-called soft power, in general in developing nations, and specifically in oil and gas rich East Timor. With the boats now moored in East Timor, Australia is saying it's a bilateral matter for East Timor and China.

Aceh independence hero diesAudio

Updated 04/06/2010 19:20:11

Hasan di Tiro, the founder of the rebel Free Aceh Movement which waged a decades-long war against the Indonesian government, has died at the age of 84. Once a thorn in Jakarta's side President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono paid tribute to him on news of his death. Hasan di Tiro was a businessman descended from the Acehnese royal family. He declared independence for the westernmost province of Aceh in 1976 and maintained the call for an independent state for nearly three decades. But after nearly three decades of civil war it took the massive earthquake and tsunami on December 26, 2004, which devastated Aceh and killed an estimated 170,000 in the province, to resolve the conflict.

China snub US defence overturesAudio

Updated 04/06/2010 19:20:11

U-S Defence secretary Robert Gates claims China's military is obstructing improved military ties with Washington. Doctor Gates made the comment to reporters as he flew to Singapore for a major regional security dialogue this weekend where China has declined to send a delegation of equivalent level to that being sent by the U-S. Experts say China has obstructed several high profile opportunities to put military-to-military ties with the U-S back on track in the wake of tensions over U-S arms sales to Taiwan. Doctor Gates says such sales go back decades and should not affect ties but he said if that's where China wants to play out the issue, then so be it.

Naoto Kan voted Japan's new PMAudioTranscript

Updated 04/06/2010 19:20:11

Japan's finance minister, Naoto Kan, has been formally elected as his country's next Prime Minister. The vote in parliament follows the resignation of Yukio Hatoyama after just eight months in the job. He also takes over as leader of the ruling Democratic Party, and faces the immediate task of reversing the recent slump in its popularity.

Final consensus on bank reform a faint hope at G20Audio

Updated 04/06/2010 19:20:08

The Group of 20 leading nations is being urged to focus on development for poorer nations as its finance ministers meet in South Korea. The meeting includes central bank governors and will pave the way for a leaders summit later this month in Toronto. Economic challenges, including the European debt crisis, sustainable growth and reshaping the financial system should be enough to go on with for the next two days.

Foreign donors pledge record sum for CambodiaAudioTranscript

Updated 04/06/2010 19:20:08

Cambodia's annual donor conference has ended with donors pledging a record 1.1 billion US dollars for the country's development programs. The government is pleased, but there are plenty of warnings that the country needs to step up the fight against social ills including corruption and increasing landlessness.

Indonesia requests information from AFP on Securency bribesAudio

Updated 03/06/2010 19:52:53

Indonesia's corruption watchdog is seeking cooperation from Australia's Federal Police to investigate allegations of bribery surrounding the central banks of Indonesia and Australia. The Corruption Eradication Commission says its checking into claims revealed by the documentary program Four Corners that a subsidiary company of Australia's Reserve bank paid bribes to Indonesian Central bank officials. The activities of the company, Securency are now under investigation by the Australian Federal Police. Indonesian authorities are yet to be contacted by their Australian counterparts.

Australian soldier in Afghanistan suffers drug overdoseAudioTranscript

Updated 03/06/2010 19:52:53

Australia's entire special operations task-force in Afghanistan is to be tested for drugs after a soldier was found unconscious due to a suspected overdose. A bottle of pills and white powder - believed to be an opiate - were discovered in the soldier's room in Tarin Kowt. Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston says he's ordered a commission of inquiry into the incident. It's an embarrassing incident for the military and raises the broader question of drug abuse among both serving and returned soldiers.

Australian aid not so reliant on expensive advisersAudioTranscript

Updated 03/06/2010 19:52:53

Australia's international development assistance agency, AusAID, says it has wound back its heavy reliance on technical assistance, particularly highly paid advisers, to the lowest levels in a decade.

India looking to improve ties with USAudio

Updated 03/06/2010 19:52:53

India's Foreign Minister, S.M Krishna has been laying out the framework for this week's formal strategic dialogue with his American counterpart, Hillary Clinton. Mr Krishna also says New Delhi is committed to implementing the historic 2008 civil nuclear cooperation accord, which could open the door to billions of dollars in business for US nuclear plant manufacturers and a other businesses.

Australians to teach Bangladeshi slum dwellers how to blogAudio

Updated 03/06/2010 19:52:49

Two Australians are being sent to Bangladesh to teach slum dwellers how to blog. Joel Katz, an English teacher and Sharna Bremner, a university student, will be based in the capital Dhaka, where they will teach youths living in poverty how to use social media, including blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The money for the two week project was raised by donations from the Australian social media community, and it is being organised by the anti-poverty agency ActionAid Australia. One of the bloggers, Sharna Bremner, acknowledges that going to Dhaka is going to be a challenging experience.

Police in Aceh crackdown on Islamic dress codeAudio

Updated 02/06/2010 19:37:24

Sharia police have begun enforcing a new law on the wearing of inappropriate clothing in Indonesia's devoutly religious province of Aceh. The ban on Muslim women wearing tight or revealing clothing, which came into effect last week, immediately claimed eighteen women wearing jeans on their motorcycles.

'Ibra' payment could save Australian man from hangingAudioTranscript

Updated 02/06/2010 19:37:24

An Australian man sentenced to death in Afghanistan may be saved from execution because of a compensation payment. A former soldier who served in East Timor, Robert Langdon was employed by an American company as a security contractor when he shot dead an Afghan colleague near Kabul in May last year. In October, an Afghan court found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to death by hanging. Langdon argued he shot his colleague in self-defence during a heated dispute over convoy security. His lawyer believes the compensation payment, known as ibra, may avert the death penalty.

Era of cheap Chinese labour on the waneAudio

Updated 02/06/2010 19:37:24

There are increasing signs the era of cheap labour in China might be coming to an end. Honda Motor workers have secured a 24 per cent pay rise after a week of sometimes violent strike action which closed all four of Honda's plants in China. And production workers at the Foxconn factory where there have been ten suicides this year are to receive a 30 per cent pay boost. The second generation of Chinese factory workers could be better acquainted with their rights than their parents may have been.

Japanese PM quitsAudio

Updated 02/06/2010 19:37:24

With his approval ratings in free-fall, Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has resigned in tears, less a year after winning a landslide election. The biggest blow to his office came after he broke a campaign promise to move the huge United States military base from Okinawa island. But with four Prime Ministers now in four years - some are starting to wonder if Japan's leadership can get to grips with the country's many problems.

Fiji's military leader angry at further criticism from Australia and NAudio

Updated 02/06/2010 19:37:20

Fiji's coup leader, and interim Prime Minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has indicated a delegation of Foreign Ministers from Pacific Islands' Forum member nations, is no longer welcome to visit his country. Earlier this week the Forum's Ministerial Contact Group was invited to Fiji. But since then, criticism of how Fiji is being run, by Australia and New Zealand, has led Commodore Bainimarama to claim the ministers will not be welcome, if all they want to do is berate him, and try and convince him to allow elections before 2014.

Study into racial attacks on foriegn students in AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 02/06/2010 19:37:20

A study is underway by Australia's Institute of Criminology on the extent of racially motivated attacks on foreign students in Australia. It follows a spate of attacks earlier this year which seriously damaged Australia's international reputation. But in the attempt to get more information, the study has opened a whole new controversy and sparked fears of further damage to relations for overseas students. Because Australia's Privacy Commissioner has relaxed normally tough restrictions and released the identity details of half a million foreign students to police, who'll match them with known crimes. The matched information -- minus names -- will then go to the Institute of Criminology for it's study. But Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, says it's been done without the permission of individual students. He believes that the research probably won't work anyway.

Asian defence ministers meet to reduce tensionAudio

Updated 01/06/2010 20:15:50

Asian defence ministers start their annual get-together in Singapore on Friday, amid growing tensions and increased military spending. The Shangri-La Dialogue has been hosted since 2002 by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and this year the keynote speaker will be South Korea's President, Lee Myung-bak. Dr Tim Huxley, executive director of the Institue's Asia branch, says it's vital that the regional defence ministers meet each other in person and open up lines of communication so as to reduce potential conflicts.

Pakistan restores Facebook accessAudio

Updated 01/06/2010 20:15:50

Authorities in Pakistan have restored access to Facebook, two weeks after the social networking website was blocked following complaints of blasphemy. The government last month blocked Facebook and allowed only partial access to YouTube and Wikipedia, because of an online competition to draw an image of the Prophet Mohammad. That drew thousands of people in Pakistan onto the streets, protesting against the sketches ... the incident prompted a similar ban in Bangladesh. The Facebook bans also triggered widespread criticism and counter-demonstrations. Geordie Guy from the non-profit organisation, Electronic Frontiers Australia, representing internet users, says Facebook faces a dilemma with such requests

Flotilla attack puts Israel's Asia relations under pressureAudio

Updated 01/06/2010 20:15:50

Israel's reputation in the Asia-Pacific region has taken a hit with the attack on the Gaza flotilla. China, Indonesia, and others have released strong statements and pushing for a full investigation. In an increasingly multilateral world, where China, India, and ASEAN are all gaining profile, loss of support in Asia just adds more pressure to Israel's diplomatic relations.

UN Security Council condemns IsraelAudioTranscript

Updated 01/06/2010 20:15:50

The United Nations Security Council has condemned the acts that led to ten deaths at sea off the Gaza Strip on Monday .. and it's demanding an impartial investigation.

American Samoa doesn't want to be decolonisedAudio

Updated 01/06/2010 20:15:45

American Samoa's Governor says he doesn't want his country to get independence. Governor Togiola Tulafono told a UN conference in Nomea that the current status as a US Territory suits them and he wants the UN to remove American Samoa from the list of territories to be decolonised.

Music school set up in AfghanistanAudio

Updated 01/06/2010 20:15:46

Traditional songs, together with all forms of music, were banned during Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Most of the country's musical instruments were also destroyed. Now, one man is living his dream of reviving Afghanistan's traditional melodies. Dr Ahmad Sarmast decided to give music back to his country, by setting up Kabul's only music school.