February 2009

Clinton talks tough on North Korea

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has told North Korea to stop being provocative and return to six party nuclear talks.

Rights downplayed in Clinton's China visit

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton has finished her tour of Asia by meeting political and business leaders in Beijing.

Indonesia calls for crisis fund for developing nations

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

Mr Wirajuda's visit coincided with a decision by the two nations to begin negotiations for a bilateral free trade agreement.

Triumph at Tropfest for first time filmaker

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:15

Later today Hollywood will hand out the biggest accolades the film world has to offer at the 81st Acadamy Awards.

Child abuse changes brain structure

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

A Canadian study published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience has found that abuse in early childhood can dramatically alter the way the brain copes with stress in adulthood.

AIDS virus now China's top killer disease

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

China's Ministry of Health says the AIDS virus is now the nation's top killer disease.

Vietnam's first oil refinery begins production

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

Vietnam's first oil refinery begins its first week of production today, following its highly celebrated opening on Sunday .

Australia remember bushfire victims

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

The victims of the devastating Victorian bushfires were remembered yesterday in services held across the nation ...

Scientists' discovery could lead to universal flu vaccine

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

Scientists in the United States have made a breakthrough that could lead to a universal flu vaccine.

Premier detects quiet optimism over Japan economy

Updated 23/02/2009 10:59:16

Japan may be reeling under the worst economic news in 40 years, but the leader of Australia's mineral rich state of Western Australia says he detects quiet optimism.

Taro Aso's leadership in terminal decline

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:00

As weeks go, it hasn't been a very good one for the Japanese Prime Minister, Taro Aso.

Europe fails to match US troops in Afghanistan

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:00

European members of NATO have failed to pledge more troops to Afghanistan despite pressure from the United States in the wake of its commitment to send in 17,000 extra soldiers.

Debate intensifies over Chinese firms investing in Australia

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:00

With many traditional European and American sources of investment now dry, China's financial might has come into play. But there's a big divide between those who say China can help Australia through the global financial crisis, and those who say that some investment deals are giving Chinese companies too much influence in Australia.

Indonesia's Wirajuda expects 'intense discussion' of Burma at ASEAN

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:00

Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda has asked the Federal Government to reconsider its warnings to Australians considering travelling to his country. Dr Wirajuda is in Sydney for a high level conference aimed at improving the relationship between the two nations.

Australia and Indonesia celebrate their ties, but irritations remain

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:01

Australia's relationship with Indonesia is at an all time high.

Vultures facing extinction in India

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:00

The Vulture may be a bird that is reviled by many as a scavenger but it plays a vital role in the food chain.

Internet a growing tool for drug trafficking

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:00

The so called war on drugs is 100 years old this year, yet the taking of illicit drugs is showing few signs of coming under control.

Russia gains clout in Asia with energy deal

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:00

A 22 billion dollar Pacific natural gas project will soon allow Russia to realise its long held ambition of extending its reach into Asia's energy markets.

Campaign tries to get Singaporeans spending

Updated 20/02/2009 12:39:00

To Singapore, where the Singapore Tourism Board is trying a stimulus package of its own.

Tough year predicted for Afghanistan

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:06

Military experts in the United States say winning the war in Afghanistan will require many more US and coalition troops beyond those already committed.

Fears women candidates to lose out in Indonesian elections

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:05

As Indonesia prepares for general elections on April 9th women candidates are working hard to make a difference in politics.

Hong Kong debates how to give prisoners the vote

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:06

The people of Hong Kong are debating proposals from the government to deny the vote to people in prison, who are serving sentences of over ten years. This comes two months after Hong Kong's High Court threw out the current complete ban on prisoners voting. Hong Kong also has its wider issues about voting, in particular its struggles to achieve universal suffrage.

Rebuilt towns will need fire-proofing

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:06

Rising as a phoenix from the ashes well, that's what 7,000 people displaced by this month's Victorian bush fires here in Australia, are hoping will happen to their traumatised neighbourhoods and communities.

Global financial architecture needs overhaul

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:06

This week Japan revealed its economy is in a far worse state than previously thought with new figures showing growth contracted by 3.3 percent in the fourth quarter.

Unemployment in Asia to jump to almost 100 million

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:06

The number of people out of work this year in Asia is expected to jump by another seven million, taking the total figure to almost 100 million. This latest estimate from the International Labour Organisation is its best case scenario. The reality could be much worse.

Obama's Asia relationship yet to be tested

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:06

While Mrs Clinton's first day in Jakarta bodes well for the US-Indonesia relationship, will it necessarily signal a shift to friendlier ground in the US-Muslim dynamic in the rest of the world?

Hillary Clinton gets a warm reception in Jakarta

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:06

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton is in Indonesia, on the second leg of her first Asian tour as America's top diplomat.

Australia welcomes new US troop deployment to Afghanistan

Updated 19/02/2009 11:58:06

The deteriorating situation in Afghanistan has prompted the US President Barack Obama to preempt several ongoing reviews of US strategy there and deploy an extra 17,000 troops.

Eleven could eventually face Khmer Rouge Tribunal

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:04

William Smith is a lawyer from Adelaide who's working as a Deputy Co-Prosecutor with the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia -- the official name of the UN-backed tribunal.

Khmer Rouge tribunal finally underway

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:04

The first defendant has gone on trial in Cambodia's UN-backed special court on Khmer Rouge war crimes and genocide.

Renaissance in Indonesian film industry

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:01

Indonesia's film industry which for years had been struggling against the tough rules and censorship of the authoritarian Suharto regime is coming out of its hibernation.

Young Indian Catholics turn away from vocations

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:01

With India modernizing at breakneck speed, more young men and women are choosing financial gain over spiritual vocations.

Vietnam and China ignore border war anniversary

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:02

It's thirty years this week, since China invaded Vietnam over a border dispute, sparking a month-long conflict that claimed over sixty-thousand lives.

Thai Police cadets spread safe sex message

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:02

New figures released by the Thai Ministry of Public Health say Thailand is likely to face as many as 12,000 new HIVAIDs infections this year.

Australia's Qantas cuts routes in Asia and the Pacific

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:03

Australia's biggest airline, Qantas, says some jobs will be lost when it axes all its domestic flights in New Zealand. Qantas is shifting its entire New Zealand domestic business to its low budget subsidiary Jetstar. The announcement comes just weeks after Qantas reported a big fall in its first half profit, and includes cuts to its China and India services.

Decent education for all, Dodson's goal

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:03

The Australian of the Year has made an impassioned plea for a decent education for all Australian children.

Nothing can salvage Taro Aso's Prime Ministership: Comentator

Updated 18/02/2009 11:53:03

Japan's government is under renewed pressure, following the resignation of Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa.

Japanese finance minister stumbles as economy staggers

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:27

With its economy already staggering from the global financial crisis, Japanese have been shocked to hear that their financial minister is in much the same shape, or was at a g-7 meeting in Rome.

Disgraced special forces head to run for Indonesian president

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:27

Ten years ago, Prabowo Subianto was the disgraced former head of Indonesia's feared special forces unit Kopassus accused of planning atrocities in East Timor and the kidnapping, torturing and killing of student activists in 1998.

Khmer Rouge torture chief faces tribunal

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:27

The victims of Cambodia's 1970s genocide have been living with the trauma for more than thirty years but today they are getting their day in court.

Clinton reassures Japan before China visit

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:27

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is in Japan, on the first leg of a week-long tour of Asia, which will also cover China, South Korea and Indonesia.

Plenty of funding but deadliest diseases still neglected

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:26

The developing world's cruellest and deadliest diseases remain severely neglected, a survey has found.

Mental health worries for China's new unemployed

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:26

China, like the rest of the world, is facing great economic challenges in the coming year such as a slowing economy, a bear market and rising unemployment.

Australian foreign minister in Islamabad, as Taliban gains strength

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:26

The Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith has met Pakistani military commanders in the volatile border region with Afghanistan.

Japan's latest economic slump possibly not the last

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:27

Japan looks set become the worst performer of all major economies this year. With its growth well and truly in the red, and getting worse, Asia's largest economy is forecast to plunge into one of the worst recessions on record.

Climate scientists warn of hotter summers than expected

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:26

A US climate scientist has warned that future climate change will be beyond anything predicted.

Islamic conference promotes equity and justice for women

Updated 17/02/2009 12:33:26

More than 250 Muslim scholars from 47 countries are in meeting in Malaysia to demand for equality and justice in the Muslim family through laws and public policy.

UN envoy in Burma

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:15

The UN human rights envoy to Burma arrived in the country over the weekend to begin a six-day visit to evaluate the current rights situation there.

Foreign Minister visits Pakistan to bolster strategic partnership

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:15

And Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith arrives in Pakistan later today for talks with the President, his Pakistani counterpart and the head of the military.

Taliban announce a 10-day ceasefire in Swat Valley

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:16

South Asia is also a region of priority for the new Obama administration.

Hillary Clinton heads to Asia

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:16

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, says she'll be aiming to make up for years of neglect when she visits Asia this week.

Two-timing Sumo falls from grace

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:15

Sumo wrestlers are held in such high esteem in Japan their every move is watched by an adoring public.

Singapore promotes 'no frills housing'

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:15

In Singapore, where housing has always been a hot political issue.

Cambodia well placed in economic downturn

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:15

Cambodia's main export industry of textiles and clothing is shrinking and the outlook for tourism remains cloudy.

Pre-election tensions surface in Indonesian coalition

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:15

As Indonesia heads towards legislative and presidential elections later this year the ruling Democrat - Golkar partnership is under a cloud.

Cambodia's torture chief set to face justice

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:15

Cambodia's UN-backed special court, commonly known as the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, opens in Phnom Penh tomorrow.

Language barrier hurts Australia's relationship with Asia

Updated 16/02/2009 11:01:15

For two decades, Australia has sought to deepen its relationship to Asia, in part because of the logic of location, in part for trade reasons, but also pulled by a global shift of power to the Asia-Pacific region.

Obama criticises corporate 'fat cats' for Vegas junkets

Updated 13/02/2009 12:27:31

And speaking of popularity, US President Barack Obama's approval ratings may be sky high but there's one part of America where he's distinctly unpopular.

Taro Aso's approval falls to new low

Updated 13/02/2009 12:27:31

The political fortunes of Japan's prime minister Taro Aso continue to look bleak his popularity tumbling to a low of 14 percent.

Rio Tinto - Chinalco deal confirmed

Updated 13/02/2009 12:27:31

The much anticipated deal between Australian miner Rio Tinto and China's Chinalco has been confirmed. The Chinese aluminium producer will inject almost $US20 billion into the world's second biggest mining company, doubling its shareholding.

Pakistan arrests terrorism suspects

Updated 13/02/2009 12:27:31

It wasn't long after the gunmen began their bloody attack on sites around Mumbai last November, that the Indian government began pointing a finger of blame at Pakistan.

Fire threat continues

Updated 13/02/2009 12:27:31

The people of Victoria wake for the sixth day of the bush fire crisis with fires still burning across the state.

The apology one year on: an extended discussion

Updated 13/02/2009 12:27:30

A year after the apology to the Stolen Generations, some indigenous groups say the Australian government has wasted the opportunity to change peoples' lives.

Australia commemorates apology, one year on

Updated 13/02/2009 12:27:30

It was an intensely emotional moment in the life of Australia when, a year ago Friday, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd rose in Parliament and said sorry to the Stolen Generations.

Govt should address Stolen Generations report: commissioner

Updated 13/02/2009 12:27:31

A year after Australia's prime minister said sorry to the Stolen Generations, there is introspection about the meaning of the apology.

Taiwan's former first lady pleads guilty to money laundering

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:24

In Taiwan, where the long-running corruption trials of former President Chen Shui-bian and his wife continue.

Geologists warn Sumatran coastal towns ill-prepared for earthquakes

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:24

Indonesia has cancelled a tsunami warning issued after a powerful earthquake off the north-eastern tip of Sulawesi.

Chinese company to increase its stake in Rio Tinto

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:24

China's biggest aluminium producer is set to increase its stake in resources giant Rio Tinto.

Congress lambasts bankers' greed

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:24

The chief executives of America's biggest banks have been feeling the full force of public fury over how they've used government bail-out money.

Sri Lankan military accused of killing fleeing civilians

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:24

Sri Lanka's military has accused rebel fighters of killing 19 civilians as they tried to flee the war zone in the north of the country.

Thai monarchy manipulted by govt: 'Exiled' professor

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:25

From the security situation in Afghanistan, to the political volatily of Thailand which later this month hosts the ASEAN summit.

International operation should reign back ambition in Afghanistan

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:25

Australia's defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon says the international operation in Afghanistan needs to reign in its ambitions. He says the International Security Assistance Force needs to focus on the core goal of building a government that can take care of its own security. His comments come as the Taliban has claimed responsibility for three attacks on government offices in the Afghan capital, Kabul, in which at least eight citizens and five suicide attackers were killed.

Police face grim task of sorting forensic evidence

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:25

One of the most difficult jobs underway falls to the police sifting thriough the rubble of bricks, cement and roofing iron, looking for bodies.

Bushfires continue to burn in Australia's southeast

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:25

The bushfire threat in parts of rural Victoria has eased with most fire alerts being downgraded after decent rain fell overnight.

Socceroos battle Japan to nil-all draw

Updated 12/02/2009 13:09:24

Australia remains unbeaten in its quest to qualify for next year's soccer world cup after a hard-fought nil-all draw against arch-rivals Japan in Yokohama overnight.

Indon government issues first islamic bond

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:48

The world's largest Muslim nation has released its first Islamic bond for individual or retail investors.

UK bank execs 'sorry'

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:48

For the first time, the Bank executives who brought Britain's banking system to its knees have publicly said they are profoundly and unreservedly sorry.

Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito visits Vietnam.

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:48

It's being hailed as a celebration of 35 years of diplomatic ties.

Timor ICG report 'unfair' says minister

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:49

A new International Crisis Group Report says East Timor's security has vastly improved, but there are still threats that remain.

Security 'fragile' one year after Ramos-Horta shooting

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:49

A year after the near fatal shooting of East Timor's president, Jose Ramos Horta, the International Crisis Group says security has improved.

Residents of bushfire towns try to put lives back together

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:49

The relief effort into Kinglake - a small Victorian town devestated by the weekend fires - hit high gear yesterday.

Bushfires still raging in Australia

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:49

The death toll from the devastating Victorian bushfires, which began on Saturday now stands at 181, but the search through the ruins of dozens of burnt out homes is continuing and painstakingly slow.

Socceroos take on Japan in Tokyo

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:48

Tonight Australia take on Japan in Yokohama and if the Socceroos win it will almost guarantee them a spot in the World Cup in 2010.

Rise in Indonesian women divorcing their polygamous husbands

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:48

Indonesia's Islamic courts show that increasingly Muslim women are opting for divorce rather than continue in polygamous marriages.

New research explains long droughts

Updated 11/02/2009 13:06:48

Australia's south-east is still in the grip of drought and scientists believe they may have a better idea of what's causing the big dry.

Residents told firefighting resources are stretched

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:01

Despite the cooler temperatures and milder weather conditions, bush fires are still posing urgent threats to several parts of country Victoria, in Australia.

Aceh tense ahead of elections

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:00

It's been more than four years since the Indonesian province of Aceh was devastated by a tsunami.. which was the catalyst for great political change.

Thai government concerned at anti-monarchy sentiment

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:00

The Thai government is taking more harsh steps to curb the growing numbers of websites that lend space to people to vent their frustrations.

Weather bureau says heatwave is a taste of the future

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:00

The weather bureau has linked the extreme heat across southern Australia with climate change.

Temasek appoints former BHP Billiton boss as CEO

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:00

Singapore's controversial sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings has got a new boss.

Calls for Anwar to step down

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:01

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is facing calls to quit after his opposition alliance lost control of a key state.

Confidential human rights dialogue criticised as too secretive

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:00

Australia's confidential human rights dialogue with China is being criticised for not being transparent and for lacking accountability. Australian and Chinese delegations are meeting for the latest round of talks in Canberra.

Disgraced father of Pakistan's nuclear programme released

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:01

The United States is seeking assurances from Pakistan it will take steps to stop its former top nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan from helping rogue states build nuclear weapons.

Victoria one of the most bushfire prone regions in the world

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:01

The bushfires in the Australian state of Victoria are the most deadly bushfires in Australian history.

Questions over whether fire warning system was enough

Updated 10/02/2009 11:19:01

And the fire warning system itself is under scrutiny and emergency organisations and the state government of Victoria, are facing questions about whether more could have been done.

Number of fire dead expected to rise

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:58

Fire and the dry Australian landscape are partners.

China declares drought emergency

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:58

China has declared an emergency over a drought, three provinces have been hit by a prolonged dry period, affecting four million farmers and around a two fifths of China's winter wheat crop.

Indonesia criticises Burma over Rohingya

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:58

Indonesia's Foreign Minister suprised many on Friday by taking a swipe at regional neigbours for their abuse of Rohingya, a Muslim minority group from western Burma.

Sri Lankan civilians flee war zone

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:58

Reports from Sri Lanka say at least 14-thousand civilians have fled the war zone in the island's north, over the past four days.

Fire grounds treated as crime scene as police investigate possible ars

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:58

The head of Victoria's Police Force says the death toll is expected to continue rising, as investigators find more bodies.

Appeals set up to help bushfire victims

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:58

A number of bushfire appeals have been set up to help the thousands of people left homeless by the fires.

Fire danger far from over

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:59

Well, the weather took a cool turn the day after the fires indeed, there were showers in some of the worst hit areas.

More than one hundred dead in Australian bushfires

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:59

People were warned that Saturday would be a very hot day, with the state on an extremely high fire alert.

East Timor's Government to regulate martial arts groups

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:56

Ten years ago this year East Timor voted for independence, and then was torn apart in violence fomented by Indonesia.

Bushfire leaves car wreck graveyard

Updated 09/02/2009 12:36:58

One of the worst affected areas is Kinglake a 30 to 40 minute drive east of Wallan where AM is broadcasting from this morning.

UN inquiry to be held into Benazir Bhutto assassination

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:06

The UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon says he will be launching a UN inquiry into the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Japanese investment guru charged with fraud

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:06

Police in Tokyo have arrested prominent Japanese businessman Kazutsugi Nami, over an alleged con which could cost investors up to four-billion dollars.

Hudson crash cockpit recordings released

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:06

Dramatic cockpit recordings have been released detailing the moments before a US passenger jet crashed into New York's Hudson River last month.

Corrupt elite threaten Cambodia's development

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:07

The anti-corruption ngo Global Witness says "a corrupt elite" in Cambodia is taking over the nation's emerging oil and mineral sectors, while international donors turn a blind eye.

Concern at environmental costs of development in China

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:07

There's concern serious human and environmental costs have been occurring in China's as a result of its rapid economic development over the past few decades.

Sri Lankan conflict continues despite international pressure

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:07

Asia's longest running conflict is resisting international pressure for a ceasefire and negotiations, with Sri Lanka's government insisting complete victory is imminent and refusing to lay down arms and talk.

Sri Lanka rejects ceasefire calls

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:07

The Sri Lankan government has rejected international calls for a ceasefire in its military offensive against the Tamil Tigers.

Rohingya asylum seekers speak of mistreatment

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:07

Almost two hundred ethnic Rohingya asylum seekers from Burma are recovering in an Aceh hospital after being rescued from a drifting boat off the coast of Sumatra this week.

Breakthough in malaria research

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:06

For years there's been a search for drugs to prevent Malaria....but a group of Australian scientists has found the best defence against the disease may lie inside the human body.

Wholistic education gains ground in Singapore

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:06

A mini revolution is taking place in Singapore's primary schools.

China shows off its submarine fleet

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:06

China has been investing the proceeds of its rapid economic growth in its military.

Australian war expert gives dire warning on Afghanistan security

Updated 06/02/2009 12:47:06

An Australian counter-insurgency expert says the United States is facing a crisis in Afghanistan and is on the brink of failure there.

Refusal to sell uranium to India 'morally questionable'

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:19

High profile Australian environmentalist Tim Flannery has criticised the Australian Government's refusal to sell uranium to India.

Australia mulls new aid framework

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:19

There's praise for Australia's aid program in a review by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the O-E-C-D, which visited Indonesia and Vanuatu to compile the report.

Some LDP members suggest Japan govt print money

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:20

With the global crisis worsening, some members of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party having lost confidence in the Bank of Japan have suggested the government print its own money from its vast reserves.

Pre-emptive spending only way to avert recession

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:19

Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull dropped a bombshell yesterday when he said the Opposition would block the Government's $42 billion fiscal stimulus package.

Opposition members defect to Malaysia's ruling party

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:20

Malaysia's coalition government says it's poised to take control of a key state, after several defections from the Opposition, which held it by a narrow margin.

Thaksin threatens to return to Thailand

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:20

Thailand will deploy more than 3,000 police in the coastal resort of Hua Hin, in anticipation of anti-government protests at an ASEAN summit in three weeks' time.

Hmong refugees face repatriation to Laos

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:20

In central Thailand Phetchabun's Province over five thousand Lao Hmong refugees are facing the prospect of repatriation back to Laos.

Indonesia and Singapore agree on western part of border

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:20

Officals in Indonesia and Singapore say they have agreed on a new maritime borderline between Indonesia's Pulau Nipah and Singapore's Sultan Shoal.

Base used as a bargaining chip with new administration

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:20

So is the imminent closure of the US base in Kyrgyzstan a blow for the US-led NATO campaign in Afghanistan?

Kyrgyzstan moves to close key US base

Updated 05/02/2009 12:04:20

As the US prepares to send thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan, the American forces may be without one of its key bases to support its military operations there.

North Korea may be preparing missile test

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:31

The United States says that any test firing of a long-range missile by North Korea would be seen as a "provocative" act.

Pyongyang attention seeking with missile moves

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:31

Reports of the North Korean missile launch preparations come in the same week that Pyongyang vowed to keep its nuclear weapons, until it no longer felt threatened by the United States.

Obama out to sell his stimulus package

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:31

United States President Barack Obama is embarking on a media blitz to end the political gridlock that's delaying his massive economic stimulus plan.

Australian efforts to stave off economic woes

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:32

Facing what it calls a global recession, Australia's government is going deep into defecit as tax receipts plummet and the government spends Billions to try to stave off the worst.

Buddy Holly's influence lives on

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:30

The balladeer Don McLean described it as the day the music died.

Farmers count cost of heatwave

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:30

When the heat got too much for the Australian Open last week organisers could at least close the roof of the tennis stadium but there was no such luck for Victorian farmers.

Schools a place of fear for many students

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:30

The school year starts this week for Australian children, and for many, it's back to the crowded school bus and sleepy afternoons at home, slaving over undone homework.

Refugees claim brutal treatment at hands of Thai authorities

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:31

Indonesian authorities are warning Australia to brace for an influx of asylum-seekers from Sri Lanka, as the war there intensifies.

India's outsourcing industry survives Satyam's fall from grace

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:31

At the start of this year, India was rocked by revelations that the huge software and outsourcing group Satyam had overestimated its profits to the tune of around 1-billion US dollars. But while the massive fraud threw India's name-brand outsourcing industry into disrepute, analysts say the industry's fundamentals remain strong.

Japan's aid pledge to its Asian neighbours

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:31

Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso is pledging 17 billion US dollars over three years in aid to its Asian neighbours as part of overseas development assistance.

Prediction of economic recovery for Asia

Updated 04/02/2009 11:26:31

The International Monetary Fund says Asia could make a rapid economic recovery next year once the world economy regains its footing.

Red Cross condemns bombing of Sri Lankan hospital

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:32

At least nine people have been killed during repeated shelling of a crowded hospital in northern Sri Lanka.

Children forced into labour in North Korea: Rights group

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:32

A new human rights report has accused North Korea of forcibly mobilising North Korean children as cheap labour and of diverting food aid.

Australia's Trade Minister Simon Crean: Extended interview

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:32

Australia's Trade minister Simon Crean warns of dire implications as protectionist sentiment grows in uncertain economic times.

Protectionism a growing concern, Australian trade minister

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:32

Australia says a free trade agreement between ASEAN member nations will finally be signed at a leaders and trade ministers meeting on February 27 in Thailand. It's been delayed since December. But news of the planned signing comes as a sentiment grows against free trade because of the global economic meltdown.

Massive increase in Chinese unemployment

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:32

A rise in unemployment is an inevitable consequence of the global financial crisis, but in China, the sheer numbers of people losing their jobs is staggering.

Japan's geishas tire of pushy tourists

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:28

They're one of the great tourist drawcards to Japan but the geisha of the ancient capital Kyoto complain that foreign visitors are becoming a menace.

Small contributions could save millions of lives: Ethicist

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:29

It's estimated that each day, up to 27,000 children around the world die from extreme poverty and preventable illness.

Polio still a threat in India

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:29

The polio virus was eradicated in most parts of the world decades ago, but in India, polio is still a threat, especially in the country's poorest regions.

Poppy growing on rise in Southeast Asia

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:31

A new report from the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime says opium poppy cultivation is on the rise in Southeast Asia.

Calls for regional conference on plight of Rohingyas

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:31

Thailand has called for a regional conference to address the plight of the Rohingyas.

Hospital hit by two shells in Tamil Tiger stronghold

Updated 03/02/2009 12:14:31

The United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross say a hospital in Sri Lanka's northeast has been hit by two shells, killing two people and wounding five. It's unclear who fired the shells but the government blames the Tamil Tigers. Part of the hospital has in the past received Australian funding, including aid money to build a blood bank.

Subscribe to podcast

Listen to latest program

+61 427 72 72 72