April 2010

Calling Australian football in ChineseAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 11:11:48

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

A tour of Philippines tent city in aftermath of typhoonAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 11:11:48

It's been over six months since Typhoon Ketsana ravaged many parts of Luzon island in the Philippines. The resulting floods and landslides left 250 people dead and damage estimated at 100-million dollars. But the costs go beyond that and even today, the effects of Kestana are still felt. Thousands of people are still without a permanent home in metro Manila and in neighbouring Rizal province, where many in low-lying squatter communities were left homeless. NGO's and other humanitarian organisations do what they can to help, including the Philippine Red Cross. Connect Asia's Sen Lam visited a 'Tent City' at the hillside location of Antipollo, where 105 families live under very trying conditions.

New US report charts how insurgencies endAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 11:11:48

The Taliban has reportedly resumed targeted killings of leaders in Pakistan's troubled Swat valley. The Pakistan army says three people have died in attacks over the last 10 days, while local media says it could be more. Pakistan declared the Swat Valley free of militants after a massive anti-Taliban operation in 2009 and says it's still confident the Taliban can't return in any organised form. Pakistan is just one of many countries in Asia facing the challenge of an insurgency. The US-based RAND Corporation has released a report looking at the history of 89 insurgencies worldwide, charting the various factors that give the advantage to either the government or the insurgents.

Ceasefire between Burmese Army and ethnic rebels on brink of collapseAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 11:11:48

A 16 year old ceasefire between the Burmese Government and rebel armies on the country's border appears to be on the verge of collapse. Burmese ethnic groups on the Chinese border are now calling on Beijing to help prevent any resumption to the country's long running civil war.The ruling military junta says it will now deal with the rebel armies by force, after they resisted efforts to lay down their weapons and join official forces in October's election.

French president aims to mend ties with ChinaAudio

Updated 30/04/2010 11:11:49

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

The challenges facing UN peacekeepersAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 11:11:49

The trademark light blue helmets of the UN peacekeepers have come to symbolise a mixed reputation. For some, they're the last line of defence for troubled nations, securing the safety of civilians trapped in warzones. For others, they're a failure unable to prevent atrocities against civilians in places like Rwanda and Srebrenica. Despite their critics, UN peacekeepers are still playing a role in East Timor and Afghanistan and the India-Pakistan border. The challenges faced by UN peacekeepers are not to be under-estimated, they step into complex warzones or conflicts and are often vastly out-numbered and out-gunned. This week in the Australian town of Queanbeyan, the International Forum for the Challenges of Peace Operations is gathering to discuss the protection of civilians.

Greek debt crisis impact on Asian economiesAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 11:11:49

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

Australia renews calls for China to reveal miltary buildupAudioTranscript

Updated 30/04/2010 11:11:49

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

Australian Government chastised for climate backflipAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 09:50:16

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

Australia to overhaul tax laws to assist Islamic finance growthAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 09:50:15

Australia will overhaul sections of its taxation laws to ensure they don't hamper the growth of Islamic banking, finance, and insurance products. Islamic finance is a boom industry, it prohibits the act of making money from money and conforms with Sharia law. It's also sometimes seen as based on a more sound set of fundamental principles than Western practices.

Another violent turn in Thailand's anti government protestAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 09:50:16

Tensions remain high in Thailand's capital after one person was killed and 19 injured in clashes between troops and anti-government protestors. Thai troops reportedly fired live rounds into the air and rubber bullets at the Red Shirt protesters to stop a convoy of demonstrators heading into the city. The anti-government Red Shirts had earlier left their fortified camp in central Bangkok to drive to a rally 50 kilometeres away. The Red-Shirts, who want the government to step down, have been camped out in Bangkok for more than six weeks. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has so far rejected their demand to dissolve parliament and call an early election.

Thai Government threatens to take Red Shirts to court over disruptionAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 09:50:16

The Thai Government has threatened to take the Red Shirt anti government protestors to court after they tried to shut down Bangkok's public transport system.

India's opposition parties pressure Government on price risesAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 09:50:15

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

An insight into the Philippines media as election approachesAudio

Updated 29/04/2010 09:50:15

Media coverage for the May 10 election is now at saturation point. As illustrated by last November's political massacre in southern Maguindanao province, journalism in the Philippines can be a dangerous mission. Free and fearless journalism is a key part of all healthy democracies and for an insight into the Philippines media, Connect Asia's Sen Lam gathered three of the nation's most respected correspondents.

Philippines prepares for first automated electionAudioTranscript

Updated 29/04/2010 09:50:15

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

The youth vote in the Philippines, the hopes and aspirationsAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:24

More than half of those eligible to vote in next month's Presidential, Congressional and local government elections in the Philippines will be under 35. To get a sense of their aspirations and what they want in their politicians, Connect Asia's Sen Lam met up with three of them at Coffee Bean in Quezon City.

Barack Obama pursues better US relations with Muslim worldAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:25

Muslim entrepreneurs from 50 countries have gathered in Washington this week as US President Barack Obama pursues his aim of better U-S relations with the Muslim world. President Obama has delivered a speech naming outstanding individual examples of Muslim entrepreneurs. He's promised a new exchange program and to work on political obstacles, like an elusive Israel-Palestinian peace. Analysts say it's a much more clever strategy than the failed free-trade emphasis of the Bush administration. But they predict politics, culture and the core question of exactly who is an entrepreneur will dog the effort.

Australian infrastructure expert warns of fresh oil crunchAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:24

One of the Australian Government's top infrastructure advisers is warning of an oil crunch, which could send the global economy spiralling back toward recession. Curtin University's Professor Peter Newman is on the Government's Infrastructure Australia council. He says peak oil when demand outstrips dwindling supply - has already hit, but the global downturn has kept prices low . Professor Newman even blames oil for causing the global recession in the first place, and he's not alone.

Philippines president denies Maguindanao massacre allegationsAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:25

Philippines President Gloria Arroyo has rejected allegations that she protected a political clan accused of orchestrating a massacre that killed 57 people in November. It was the worst political killing in the history of the Philippines. Those killed included the wife of a politician who challenged the entrenched power of the Ampatuan family as well journalists and aides. The Ampatuan political clan ruled the southern province of Maguindanao for a decade and had close ties with with President Arroyo. Almost 200 people were charged over the killings, including members of the Ampatuan family, but now a Bishop is alleging that President Arroyo protected the Amputuan clan from prosecution over the bloodshed.

Australia shelves climate schemeAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:25

The Australian government has put plans for an emissions trading scheme on hold. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is being accused of political cowardice for delaying his centrepiece climate change legislation until 2012. That's despite having repeatedly told Australians that climate change is, quote, "the greatest moral challenge of our time", unquote. It was a core declaration of his 2007 election campaign but now it seems Mr Rudd is determined not to highlight the issue as he faces re-election this year. The legislation has faced stiff political obstacles and that's the government's justification for its decision.

New book maps Sri Lanka's historyAudio

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:24

As the Sri Lankan government stares down the barrel of a possible war crimes tribunal, a new book on Sri Lanka's history attempts to map where it all went wrong. It's called "Sri Lanka 60 Years of Independence and Beyond". It explores the complex issues that underpin Sri Lanka's history since independence from British rule in 1948, when it was known as Ceylon.

UN calls for war crimes tribunal into Sri LankaAudioTranscript

Updated 28/04/2010 09:43:24

More than a year after Sri Lanka launched its final offensive against the Tamil Tiger rebels, pressure continues to mount for an international tribunal into alleged war crimes. U-N Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon plans to appoint a panel of experts to look into a tribunal something the Sri Lankan government says is unwarranted and uncalled for. Now Australian lawyers are joining forces with the International Commission of Jurists to take witness statements and prepare evidence for any war crimes tribunal. They say they hope it will help demonstrate the need for a full investigation and help protect those who might be subject to further human rights abuses.

The psychological impact on children in disaster areasAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 12:13:35

The United States has announced it will end its disaster relief mission in Haiti in June, six months after the massive earthquake struck. Up to 230-thousand people were killed and more than a million left homeless when the quake hit in January. International aid flooded in and there are currently about two-thousand American troops in Haiti along with a multitude of humantitarian organisations. They found that immediately after the quake, their meetings had to be held outdoors, as many people were too traumatised to be inside a building. Aid workers say children are especially vulnerable to psychological damage.

India's cricket scandal in a spinAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 12:13:35

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

Asian Development Bank warns of Philippines economic challengesAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 12:13:35

The Asian Deveopment Bank has warned that the Philippines faces a series of daunting economic challenges.These include creating more jobs, boosting investment and winding back the government's stimulus plan. The ADB's growth forecast for 2010 was recently upped by half a percentage point to 3.8 per cent and the forecast for 2011 is 4.6 percent. The Philippines which goes to the polls in less than two weeks time was hit hard by the global financial crisis.

Philippines Senator Benigno Aquino takes lead in election pollAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 12:13:35

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

South Korea accuses Pyongyang of warship sinkingAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 12:13:35

South Korea's President Lee Myung-Bak has joined mourners at a memorial in Seoul for 46 sailors killed when their warship exploded and sank late last month.
More and more fingers are pointing at North Korea, though Pyongyang continues to deny involvement. The last part of the 12-thousand tonne ship has now been lifted from the seafloor. South Korea's Defence Minister Kim Tae-young says it was sunk by an explosion caused by a torpedo, though he didn't say where from.

Shanghai prepares to showcase ExpoAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 12:13:34

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

NATO agrees to hand back security to AfghanistanAudio

Updated 27/04/2010 12:13:35

Two bombs in Afghanistan have killed two people in an attack targeting police in the volatile southern city of Kandahar. The UN has ordered its foreign staff out of the city and told its local employees to stay at home. The attacks come as NATO foreign ministers prepare to pass control back to the Afghans. NATO foreign ministers have agreed on a plan for the US and other powers in Afghanistan, including Australia, to begin handing over security and governing duties to Afghan provincial authorities by November.

China to exert more influence within the World BankAudioTranscript

Updated 27/04/2010 12:13:35

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

Borneo's Sandakan death march commemoratedAudioTranscript

Updated 26/04/2010 11:34:31

Australians are today continuing to commemorate Anzac Day - the anniversary of the World War One Australian and New Zealand Army Corps landing at Gallipoli in Turkey on April 25, 1915. Yesterday, thousands of people across Australia attended Anzac Day memorials. In Borneo, Australians also remembered those Australian soldiers who died during the Sandakan death march in World War Two. Many describe the marches as the single worst atrocity suffered by Australian servicemen during the second world war.

Australian Prime Minister delivers first speech on ChinaAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 11:34:31

Australia's Prime Minister has called on China to end its ties with repressive regimes like Sudan and Burma and do more to contribute to a stable world order. In his first speech on China since the trial and jailing of Australian citizen Stern Hu in Shanghai, Mr Rudd said it was natural for a growing China to pursue its own interests around the world. But he said Beijing needs to support wider international efforts against "destabilising regimes". Mr Rudd was speaking at the Australian National University, where he also announced millions of dollars to establish a new Australian Centre on China in the World.

Thai Prime Minister warns anti government protestorsAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 11:34:31

Thailand's Prime Minister has vowed to clear the capital's commercial district of anti-government Red Shirt protesters. But he hasn't given a timeframe for the action and tensions are building. For three weeks the Reds have occupied the Ratchaprasong intersection, barricading the area with truck tyres and sharpened bamboo poles. They've offered to disperse if parliament is dissolved within 30 days and fresh elections held within three months' time. However Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is holding firm refusing to agree to new elections anytime before December.

India's gay film festival highlights gay rightsAudioTranscript

Updated 26/04/2010 11:34:30

In many countries across the world gay film festivals are now an established part of the film industry's annual calender, but in India it's something which until now has never been attempted in the mainstream. Mumbai has just wrapped up hosting India's largest gay film festival, screening more than 100 films from around the world in two cinemas. But many see the Kahish festival as a step forward for gays rights in India.

High economic hopes as India's monsoon approachesAudioTranscript

Updated 26/04/2010 11:34:30

Weather experts in India have issued their first official forecast for this year's monsoon, saying the country can expect a normal four-month wet season. It's good news for farmers, who've been enduring India's worst drought in nearly 40 years and for consumers, who've been paying higher prices for food. The monsoon often sets the tone for domestic spending, so there are hopes this year it'll give the economy a boost.

Filipino bikers take to the streets to promote clean airAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 11:34:30

The streets of the Philippine capital Manila are notorious for being clogged with traffic and they're neither safe nor appealing for cyclists. But many of the city's residents want that to change and they're looking to use the power of the ballot box to make it happen staging a mass ride through Manila to garner support.

Election campaigning in the Philippines in full swingAudioTranscript

Updated 26/04/2010 13:06:18

In the Philippines, the election campaign is in full swing ahead of the May 10 poll. The country's had almost a decade of rule under President Gloria Arroyo and the strains are beginning to show. In two weeks' time, voters in the Philippines will have to decide whether they want more of the same or want to head in a totally new direction. So what are the issues that the nation's 50-million plus voters will consider when they go to the polling booths?

New headscarf allows Muslim women to swim safelyAudio

Updated 26/04/2010 11:34:30

An Australian swimming teacher has designed a new headscarf for Muslim women that water safety experts say could be a great benefit to the country's migrant community. Lifesaving services in Australia say recently arrived migrants have a much higher risk of drowning and are trying to encourage more people from different cultural backgrounds to participate in water education programs. They now hope the specially designed headscarf will enable more Muslim women to learn how to swim.. and potentially how to save lives.

Cambodia's fight to stop spread of drug resistant malariaAudioTranscript

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:00

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

Three dead, others injured in Thai protest grenade attackAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:01

In Thailand at least five grenades have ripped through central Bangkok, killing three people and injuring dozens. The grenades exploded around the main barricade erected by the Red Shirt anti-government protesters in the Silom business district. The Thai Government has accused the Red Shirts of firing the grenades but they have denied any involvement. Many at the rally fear more blood will be spilt in the coming days as the army moves to crackdown on the six week old demonstrations.

Australian health reform draws regional comparisonsAudioTranscript

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:00

When Australia's Prime Minister trumpeted an historic deal this week to reform the country's health and hospitals policy, experts and interest groups quickly aired disappointment. After tough talks with state government leaders, Kevin Rudd says he's secured a system that'll be funded nationally, but run locally. Critics warn the states have secured a new layer of bureaucracy to maintain influence and billions of dollars to go with it while too much is going to money-hungry hospitals instead of primary health care.

China considers lifting ban on HIV-positive foreignersAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:01

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

Philippine presidential candidate warns of bloody revolutionTranscript

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:00

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

An interview with Philippines presidential candidate Eduardo VillaneuvAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:00

An extended interview with Philippines presidential candidate, the popular evangelist leader Eduardo Villanueva who heads the "Rise Philippines" party, known locally as the Bangon Pilipinas.

Philippines election campaign in full swingAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:00

Connect Asia's presenter Sen Lam is travelling to the Philippines to cover the presidential and parliamentary polls.

Jakarta says Australian asylum seeker policy will affect Indonesia IndAudioTranscript

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:00

The flow of asylum seekers through Indonesia and onto Australia can be an unpredictable business, but Indonesia's Foreign Minister is sure that Australian government policy does have a definite effect on the flow of asylum seekers. As for the latest Australian decision to suspend the processing of asylum seeker claims by Afghanis and Sri Lankans, Indonesia's foreign minister Marty Natalegawa says it is not clear whether it will cause a back-log in Indonesia or serve as a deterrent to others.

Calls for Australia to recognise East Timorese WW2 effortsAudioTranscript

Updated 23/04/2010 10:51:00

Australian soldiers in Dili have helped lay to rest one of the last surviving Timorese men who served with Australian commandos during the Second World War. The funeral was not a traditional military send off but the Australian flag was draped over the coffin of Rufino Correia and Australian soldiers were pallbearers. Descendants of Australian World War Two veterans say the Timorese men were crucial to the survival of the Australian troops and not nearly enough has been done to recognise them.

Brushing up on Asian artAudio

Updated 23/04/2010 10:50:59

Melbourne has always had a vibrant arts community but now a brand new gallery space in the heart of the city is offerIng art lovers a fresh focus, it's a new exhibition showcasing work from the Asia Pacific region. The Melbourne International Fine Art gallery's opening exhibition Asia Now features some familiar and some less familiar artists from the region. It comes at a time when the popularity and price of Asian art is experiencing a worldwide boom.

Sri Lanka's ruling party landlside win in parliamentary pollAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:47

Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse has cemented his hold, as official results confirm the ruling party's landslide win in parliamentary elections. Mr Rajapakse's United People's Freedom Alliance secured 144 seats in the 225-member parliament - just six votes short of a two-thirds majority. It's a majority that's needed to rewrite the constitution or push through new laws. Former military chief and defeated presidential candidate, Sarath Fonseka also won a seat, despite being in detention.

Australian Tamil referendum polls support for independent homelandAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:47

Economic recovery after thirty years of civil war and the Tamil question will hover like ominous rain clouds over over Sri Lanka's new Parliament. President Rajapakse and the military may have defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels, but the aspirations of Tamils on the island are by no means ended. And it would seem Sri Lankan Tamils have the support of their relatives overseas. Preliminary results from a referendum held last weekend in Australia show an overwhelming majority of Australian Tamils support the creation of an independent Tamil homeland.

Social entrepreneurship in Barack Obama's AmericaAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:46

In the past 30 years, social entrepreneurship has blossomed in America. Take the example of Newman's Own, that's Paul Newman's food produce company with a social conscience which had niche appeal. It was an example of a traditional business model, transformed to emphasise social benefit alongside financial performance. Similar innovations have changed the non-profit sector in the US. Jonathan Greenblatt is a leader in that field.

Japanese spacecraft to land in South AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:46

Australia is getting ready for the landing of a Japanese spacecraft this June, carrying a small but valuable cargo. The unmanned Hayabusa spacecraft will bring with it samples from an asteroid found 300 million kilometres from Earth. It's due to land on the Woomera test range in outback South Australia. If the mission is successful, it would be the first time a spacecraft has made contact with an asteroid and returned to Earth.

IMF says Australia's economic prospects rosyAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:46

Australia has been singled out as having some of the best economic prospects in the developed world. The strong endorsement comes from the International Monetary Fund, which has also declared that the global recession is over. The IMF has released its twice yearly report on the world economy, as Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan prepares to attend meetings of the G20 and the IMF in Washington.

Australian Government evades questions on company cyber attacksAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:46

The Australian Government is continuing to evade questions about the extent of cyber attacks on big mining companies who supply China with raw materials. A recent ABC television report claimed the Rudd Government was alerted to the attacks on Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. Until now, no government ministers or officials have commented on any aspect of the claims, which were sourced to unnamed mining company and government officials. Questioned on the issue at a public engagement in Canberra, the Attorney-General Robert McClelland would speak only in generalities and in keeping with practice in Canberra, did not mention China.

New Zealand business booms in flight disruptionsAudioTranscript

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:47

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

Report warns of new jihadi coalition in IndonesiaAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:47

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

Burma military warns armed ethnic group to join official forcesAudio

Updated 22/04/2010 11:08:47

Burma's military Government is facing increasing resistance from one of the country's largest armed ethnic groups to lay down their weapons before a state imposed deadline later this month. Burma's military regime is trying to convince the non-state militias to join the official forces ahead of elections later this year.
Observers fear increasing Government pressure on the groups could lead to a breakdown in a 20-year ceasefire and widespread violence.

World's largest religious festival winds up in north IndiaAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:52

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

Road deaths during Thai new year surpass 300Audio

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:52

Anti-government protesters in the Thai capital, Bangkok called off a rally yesterday, because of an immense military presence. The Thai military stationed about 15-hundred troops along Silom Road, the city's financial centre. The military has warned it may use live ammunition in self-defence against protestors who break an exclusion line. Twenty five people died in violent street battles two weeks ago, just ahead of last week's Songkran New Year festival. The festival itself saw hundreds more people dying but in road accidents which were mostly unreported.

Expert warns biodiversity loss threatens human healthAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:52

2010 has been named by the United Nations as the International Year of Biodiversity. Scientists are warning the world is losing species and ecosystems at an alarming rate, with humans largely to blame. It has been predicted that pressures will peak at mid-century, with the human population rising to around nine-billion. Now a leading health expert warns that unless governments reverse the loss human health will suffer as a result.

Rights groups criticise Indonesian Court on blasphemy law decisionAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:53

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

Anti-bear bile farming campaigners gain prominence in VietnamAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:52

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

Cambodia's genocide trial described as expensive farceAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:53

The United Nations' chief legal counsel called for donors to help fund Cambodia's United Nations backed genocide trial. The tribunal is not funded by UN member states but instead relies on voluntary contributions. From 2006 until the end of 2009 the total cost for the tribunal was 78 million US dollars. The budget for this year and next year is estimated at 42 and 43 million US dollars respectively.
Now a former high-profile supporter of the UN-backed tribunal says further funding would be a waste of money.

Australia's Prime Minister claims win on health reformAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:53

Australia's Prime Minister has claimed a "historic" win to reform the country's health system. Kevin Rudd secured a hard-won deal with most state leaders that will put more than 5 billion dollars extra into health services. Mr Rudd had to offer large swathes of extra money to state leaders to seal the agreement. Critics say the deal is not health reform but a complicated health re-financing package.

Warnings obesity is Australia's biggest health problemAudioTranscript

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:52

Australian health experts say overweight people are becoming the country's biggest ever public health challenge. A new study has found obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of preventable diseases in Western Australia.

Taste of Australia to tantalise South East AsiaAudio

Updated 21/04/2010 10:42:52

Australian food producers are on a mission to get a bigger slice of the multi-billion dollar market in Southeast Asia. About 140 Australian firms are exhibiting at this week's Food and Hotel Asia Trade Fair in Singapore, the region's biggest food industry event. Australian products are a big hit in Asia, especially organic and gluten-free foods. Food exports to ASEAN countries in 2008 were worth almost four-billion dollars, nearly five times its exports to China.

Bomb blasts in India raise Commonwealth Games safety concernsAudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

A terrorist attack in India has again raised questions of India's capacity to hold a secure Commonwealth Games this October. Fourteen people were injured when two bombs exploded outside a premier league cricket game in Bangalore. Two more bombs were defused outside the stadium. The Australian Commonwealth Games Association says despite the latest attack, it has faith that the games will be safe

Ministers gather in Vietnam to discuss pandemic influenza responsesAudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

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

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

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

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

New research find link between ocean temperatures and salinityAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

Australian researchers have found a link between warming ocean temperatures and ocean salinity. The scientists from Australia's leading scientific organisation, the CSIRO, collected data from 3000 underwater robots. The data shows while some parts of the ocean are becoming more saline other regions are seeing more rainfall and fresher sea water. The scientists say the data is consistent with climate modelling and could indicate changes to rainfall patterns on land

Simple telephone technology to improve communication in East TimorAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

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

Europe's airspace closures cripples trade in AsiaAudioTranscript

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

Much of Europe remains a no-fly zone as air traffic authorities remain concerned about a volcanic ash cloud drifting across the continent. Asia has been severely affected by the airspace closures in Europe with passengers left to fend for themselves at terminals or scrambling for the few remaining hotel rooms. The shutdown is not only costly for airlines and airports but importers and exporters as well with about a third of the world's traded good travel by plane.

Australian business group defend China in wake of cyber attacksAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

Australia's iron ore and coal are helping fuel China's fast developing economy but the ABC's 4 Corners television programme has reported that there's been an alarming increase in cyber attacks on the big mining companies who supply China with raw materials. One of Australia's leading business groups has leapt to the defence of China, saying it would be a mistake to target it as some kind of villain.

Thai troops converge on Bangkok's financial districtAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

The Thai army has moved hundreds of soldiers into the business district of Bangkok to prevent anti-government protesters entering the area. The protests by the so-called "red-shirts" are currently focused in the city's shopping hub. The army says soldiers could use force to stop supporters of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra from carrying out a threat to march to the Silom Road office district. Silom Road is known as Bangkok's 'Wall Street', and is lined with bank headquarters and high rise office buildings.

Thai government supporters threaten to protestAudio

Updated 20/04/2010 10:50:52

Supporters of the Thai government, known as the Yellow Shirts, vowed to hold demonstrations if security forces do not clear the anti-opposition Red Shirts from the streets of Bangkok within seven days. Reports from Bangkok quote government sources as saying the aim of moving troops into place in Silom Road was not to attack Red Shirt protesters, but simply to block any attempt for demonstrators to enter the financial district.

Protests in Japan against proposed US military base moveAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:53

More than a half of the residents of an island in southern Japan have protested against a government option to relocate an American military base there. Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is reviewing a 2006 agreement with the United States to allow the Futenma Marine Corps Air station to be moved from an urban area to a quieter coastal part of Okinawa. However, local media have since reported that Tokyo is planning to transfer the base to Tokunoshima island, 200 kilometres north of Okinawa.

Reprieve for death row dogs in JapanAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:53

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

India's unbearable lightness of beingAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:53

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

Judicial concern over violence against migrant women in AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:53

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

Victims' families of Philippines massacre to appeal dropped chargesAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:53

The families of those slain in a massacre in the Philippines are outraged at a court decision to drop charges against two members of a powerful clan thought to be behind the killings. Fifty-seven people, including a including a number of journalists, were killed in Maguindano province last November in what is thought to be one of the worst episodes of political violence in the country's recent history. The lawyer representing the families of 13 of the journalists says they'll fight the decision despite some of them receiving death threats.

Japan's whale catch falls following pressure from conservation groupsAudio

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:53

Anti-whaling protesters have claimed a big success in Antarctica this year, with the Japanese whale catch almost halved. Australia is also keeping up the pressure on Japan, threatening legal action if the hunt doesn't stop.

Australian legal experts concerned over proposed people-smuggling billAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:54

The United Nations refugee agency has raised concerns over Australia's decision to temporarily stop processing visa applications from asylum-seekers from Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. The regional representative says the decision could lead to asylum seekers being stuck in mandatory detention for extended periods without effective judicial oversight. The suspension of visa applications is the latest in a string of measures Australia's federal government has taken in recent months to try and deal with the constant flow of asylum seeker boats arriving. One measure involves changes to the laws that govern people-smuggling. Some legal experts are worried planned changes could lead innocent people being unjustly punished.

Thailand's pro-government supporters threaten to protestAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:54

Thailand's leaders of a pro-government movement, the so-called Yellow Shirts, have threatened their own demonstrations in Bangkok, if the Abhisit administration does not end the political crisis in a week. The People's Alliance for Democracy are royalists and businessmen from the urban middle class who oppose ousted prime minister Thakisn Shinawatra. The warning comes after a month of protests by the anti-government Red Shirts to try to force the government's resignation, for early elections.

Canberra re-opens detention centre in Western AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 19/04/2010 10:42:53

The Australian Government's recent announcement to move asylum seekers off Christmas Island has been welcomed by locals. The Australian territory in the Indian Ocean is used to hold asylum seekers while their settlement claims are processed. But with the number of asylum seekers growing, the government says it will re-open the Curtin Detenction Centre in Western Australia.

Damage assessment teams arrive at China quake sceneAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:54

China has turned down offers of rescue workers from overseas, saying it would be too difficult to get them into the mountainous town of Yushu in time. But it has invited damage assessment teams, to help get a better picture of Yushu's immediate needs and the scale of the destruction. Access to the mountainous plateau is proving difficult, with many roads damaged by the 6.9 magnitude quake. The nearest airports have commandeered exclusively for flying aid into the region. Buses carrying rescue workers and trucks with supplies are also making a treacherous one-thousand kilometres journey along mountain passes from the provincial capital, Xining,

Asian TV 'flavour of month' at Cannes trade fairAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:53

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

Singapore urges older workers to stay in jobsAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:53

Singapore's labour movement recently launched an initiative to get older workers to return to the workforce. It has found that men start dropping out of the workforce after they turn 50, many even before reaching the retirement age of 62. A recent study on Singapore's multi-generational workforce showed that most workers agree that age should not matter, although younger supervisors did admit to feeling uncomfortable managing older colleagues.

Bespoke tailoring course for Australia's African migrantsAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:51

Despite a growing number of migrants from countries like Sudan, Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, sourcing African products and services in Australia is difficult, even in large cities. Now, a technical college in Australia's biggest city, Sydney, is offering a course in African tailoring, to shorten the huge waiting list for the city's lone tailor specialising in traditional outfits for African women.

China posts first quarter GDP growth of almost 12 percentAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:54

China's latest figures on economic performance are out, and it seems the boom times are on their way back, with close to 12 percent growth in GDP posted for the first quarter of this year. But it won't all be smooth sailing, with economists warning that Beijing has some big challenges ahead, including soaring house prices in its major cities.

Scientists trace Japanese whale meat to US restaurantAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:54

A team of investigators has tracked down whale meat caught by Japanese whalers for scientific research, which was sold to restaurants in America. The restaurant now faces huge fines, but scientists argue it's time for the International Whaling Commission to intervene and crack down on Japan.

Australia needs debate on 'honour crimes'AudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:54

Australian courts will have to deal increasingly with honour crimes and forced marriages, according to one of Australia's most senior judges. The Chief Justice of the state of New South Wales, Jim Spigelman, in a speech last night, called for a national debate on how to respond to such crimes.

Thai anti-government protestors move into central BangkokAudio

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:54

An estimated 30,000 anti-government Red Shirt supporters have settled into the commercial district of the Thai capital Bangkok, preparing for a final showdown with the government. As Thais observed the Songkran New Year holiday, the demonstrators moved into the heart of Bangkok, demanding Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and leave Thailand immediately. After five weeks, observers say the Red Shirts have packed into central Bangkok, where it'll be harder for security forces to remove them.

UN releases findings on Bhutto assassinationAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:54

The United Nations has released its report on the assassination of Pakistan's former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. The report was due out last month, but was put on hold following a request from Ms Bhutto's widower, the current President Asif Ali Zardari. Mr Zardari said he wanted input from several countries which had warned Ms Bhutto her safety was at risk if she returned to Pakistan. Despite those warnings, Ms Bhutto went home in late 2007, after eight years in exile. A few weeks later, on December 27th, she was killed in a suicide bomb attack at an election rally in Rawalpindi. The UN report into her killing has now been released in New York.

Race against time to reach China's quake survivorsAudioTranscript

Updated 16/04/2010 10:58:54

Officials in China's western Qinghai region have sent 10,000 rescue and relief workers to the town of Yushu, where thousands of people have spent a second night in freezing conditions outdoors. Wednesday's earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter Scale, killed more than 700 people. Rescuers are battling to reach those who are still trapped before they die of exposure within the rubble of their houses.

New report says persistent racism remains problem for AustraliaAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:46

It's estimated around three-million people worldwide study outside their home country. In Australia, the number of foreign students has risen from around one-hundred-thousand to half a million, over a ten year period. Now, a new Australian report has found disturbing evidence that overseas students' human rights are routinely neglected. The study was prepared at a recent workshop called "Racism and the Student Experience", co-sponsored by the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Tibetan communities hit hard by quakeAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 10:52:15

Many aid agencies have joined the International Red Cross in appealing for aid for the local communities.Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama has sent a message to the local communities, expressing his sadness at the loss of life and property. A special prayer service has been held in the Indian Himalayan town of Dharamsala.

Aid agencies warn China quake death toll will riseAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:46

Aid agencies are warning the death toll from China's Qinhai earthquake will rise, with many more people believed buried under the rubble. The worst hit areas are located on a remote mountain plateau, making the task of getting in relief supplies and rescue teams difficult.

China warns U-S against trade war threatsAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:45

Chinese Hu Jinato this week snubbed pleas from US President Barack Obama to revalue the Chinese yuan, prompting calls from the US Congress to formally label China a currency manipulator. But Beijing is warning of an all out trade war if the US moves to impose tariffs on China.

Warnings global economy at risk if US China trade war eruptsAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:45

A trade war between China and the US could be a lose-lose conflict for both countries, and close observers say it would destabilise the global economic system.

Singapore strengthens currency against inflationAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:45

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

Australian fertility clinics launch sperm advertismentsAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:45

"You've got millions: we only need one". That's the catchcry of a new Australian advertising campaign targeting sperm donors. Fertility experts say a critical shortage in the number of sperm donations is forcing IVF clinics to advertise.

Pakistan gets flexibility from major aid donorsAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:45

Pakistan's government wants more lenient conditions attached to aid it's receiving and it's getting it. Both the International Monetary Fund, and the US Government, are changing the way they deliver aid to Pakistan. The aid is vital, to shore up the Pakistani government as it faces the twin challenges of militant extremists and an economic crisis at the same time. It shows once more that while Pakistan is a crucial ally for the West, it's also a fragile one, sometimes needing special treatment.

Earthquake hits western ChinaAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 10:52:15

In China's western Qinghai province a powerful earthquake has killed at least 600 people, with the toll expected to rise. Another ten-thousand people are injured.
The quake struck the Tibetan Plateau with a force of six point nine. It levelled many of the wood and mud brick buildings, in the largely agrarian and predominantly Tibetan communities.

Malaysian opposition picks Anwar successor for pollsAudio

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:46

Malaysia's opposition has named former law minister Zaid Ibrahim as its candidate in a critical by-election later this month. The high-profile candidate, who's running for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat, says he's prepared to take on the Opposition leadership if necessary. Zaid Ibrahim is being touted as a successor to Anwar Ibrahim, should Datuk Seri Anwar be convicted on sodomy charges. But the first hurdle will be winning a by-election that's shaping up as a crucial test for both the opposition and government.

Malaysia seeks World Heritage listing for Lost WorldAudioTranscript

Updated 15/04/2010 10:35:46

Malaysian authorities have announced they'll seek a World Heritage Listing for the Maliau Basin, a pristine wilderness area in remote northern Borneo.The decision to seek World Heritage status will effectively save the isolated and celebrated rain forests from timber and mining interests.

Warnings that China's booming property sector is heading for a bustAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:21

Beijing has set tough new limits on bank lending amid fears the country's booming property sector could be heading for a bust. China's property prices rose more than 10 per cent in February, leading to fears of an asset bubble. Now the central government is taking steps to cool down the market and rein in the banking sector after it lent a record 1.4 trillion US dollars last year. But some economists are warning the new measures may go too far. Rather than stabilising the market, they say a heavy-handed approach could cause the market to collapse.

Thai Prime Minister warns of third force destabilising the countryAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:21

Thailand's anti government Red Shirt protestors have promised fresh action in their bid to force immediate elections. The Red Shirts say it will increase pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, sparking fears of a repeat of last weekend's unrest, that left 21 people dead. It's still unclear who fired the live rounds with both the Red Shirts and the military accusing each other of the shootings. But addressing the media in Bangkok, Mr Abihist said there was a third force at work destabilising Thailand. He says terrorists wearing black clothing were behind the killings.

Foreign buyers push up Australian house pricesAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:20

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

China's toxic vegetables put Australian industry on alertAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:21

Chinese health officials have confirmed the discovery of almost 10-thousand tonnes of toxic vegetables at a market in the country's south west. The vegetables, which were found in Nanning city, the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, contained excessive pesticide residues. Local food safety authorities say they've seized about three thousand kilos of the toxic vegetables. But they say the remaining four thousand kilos have already been sold to vegetable dealers outside Nanning. The discovery of the poisonous Chinese produce, has put Australia's vegetable industry on alert.

Nuclear summit gets voluntary deal on nukesAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:21

World leaders have agreed to secure all vulnerable nuclear materials worldwide, within four years, to prevent terrorists getting hold of nuclear weapons.The statement of intent was made at the Nuclear Security Summit, hosted by the U-S President Barack Obama. The leaders from 47 nations, including Australia, have agreed to share information and expertise in detection, forensics and law enforcement.

Villagers in former Khmer Rouge stronghold call for reconciliationAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:20

The trials of Cambodia's former Khmer Rouge are going ahead but not everyone is enthusiastic. In the last stronghold of the brutal regime Anlong Veng, villagers have been invited to join in a program of national reconciliation. But respect for Cambodia's former extremist rulers is still high in the town.

Asian Development Bank urges Beijing to loosen its grip on the YuanAudio

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:21

US President Obama has told China's President Hu Jintao that the Chinese currency needs to be market oriented. President Hu Jintao has told his American counterpart, that China will base reform of the yuan on its own needs and not foreign pressure. Now, the Asian Development Bank is urging Beijing to loosen its grip on the Chinese currency, saying a more flexible exchange rate would benefit China as well as Asia-Pacific countries.

Asia's nuclear hot spots in Washington's sightsAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:21

Asia arguably, holds the key to any successful nuclear safety regime but several pressing issues have been left off U-S President Obama's nuclear summit agenda because they're deemed just too difficult.

More oil found from China reef shipAudioTranscript

Updated 14/04/2010 10:34:21

Australian authorities say the Chinese bulk carrier which ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, has deeply scarred the reef. The Shen Neng 1 was refloated on Monday, but marine authorities say the reef will take up to 20 years to recover. Oil has already washed up along some of Queensland's pristine beaches. One of those beaches is North West island, just 10 nautical miles from Douglas Shoal and home to large colonies of birds and sea turtles.

UN climate chief: new deal 'out of reach for 2010'Audio

Updated 13/04/2010 09:57:13

With a little over a year until the Kyoto Protocol expires, the United Nations' climate chief has warned that a new deal is still a long way off. The first global climate talks since last year's near-fiasco in Copenhagen were held at the weekend in Germany and afterwards, UN climate negotiator Yvo de Boer bluntly confirmed a new deal was out of reach for this year.

Indonesia, India rank low on Australian attitude surveyAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 09:57:13

A recent survey says Australians have a negative attitude to some of its nearest neighbours, including Indonesia and India. Out of 10 countries, Indonesia and India, together with Israel - scored the worst with Australians.

40 years on, Apollo 13 still fascinatesAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 09:57:11

Forty years ago today, Apollo 13 - the third Apollo mission intended to land on the moon - ran into trouble. An oxygen tank had ruptured on the Apollo 13 as the astronauts were making their way the moon. The rescue became one of the most dramatic ever seen by the world and remains one of NASA's shining moments.

Cambodia threatens to cancel Chevron's oil explorationAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 09:57:12

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

Thai stock market plunges after weekend of bloodshedAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 10:50:29

Pressure is mounting on the Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, after 21 people died in weekend clashes between troops and anti-government protestors. The army chief and Thailand's electoral body have called for the dissolution of the ruling party for allegedly misusing campaign donations during 2005 elections.

WTO rules Australia must accept NZ applesAudio

Updated 13/04/2010 09:57:12

A trade dispute over apples that's divided Australia and New Zealand for 90 years may finally have been resolved. Despite the almost open economic border between the two countries, Australia has steadfastly refused to import New Zealand apples for nearly a century. The reason is a plant disease called fireblight, which Australia says poses a threat to its orchards.

Australian Foreign Minister urges reconciliation in ThailandAudioTranscript

Updated 13/04/2010 10:49:45

Thailand's deteriorating security situation is becoming a concern to the broader Asian international community, including Australia, according to the Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith. He has urged both sides of the Thai political conflict to take urgent steps to resolve their differences.

Sri Lankan asylum seekers 'flee' Indonesian boatAudioTranscript

Updated 13/04/2010 09:57:13

30 Sri Lankan asylum seekers who were part of a group refusing to leave their boat in the Indonesian Port of Merak have fled. The asylum seekers reportedly began fleeing when they heard about the Australian government's decision to suspend new applications for Afghans and Sri Lankan asyulum seekers.

New insight into link between female hormones and breast cancerAudioTranscript

Updated 13/04/2010 09:57:13

Australian scientists say they can finally explain why breast cancer occurs when there is increased exposure to female hormones. Researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne say their finding could pave the way for new treatment methods for breast cancer.

Human rights groups angered at Australia's asylum decisionAudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:03

Human rights groups and would-be asylum seekers from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka have expressed their anger and frustration at Australia's decision to put asylum applications from both countries on hold. However the Sri Lankan government has applauded the announcement, saying Tamils have no need to leave their homeland. Many civilians, the majority from Tamil backgrounds, have sought asylum abroad to escape the dismal conditions in the wake of Sri Lanka's civil war, which ended last year after decades of bloodshed.

Australia under fire over asylum seeker clampdownAudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:03

The Australian government has drawn a barrage of criticism for its decision to stop processing new immigration claims from Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers. Analysts believe Canberra has recognised that its political opponents are making ground with the electorate, as a steady stream of asylum seekers continue to arrive by boat. Now Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's government has taken action putting a stop on new claims for the time being, citing signs of improved conditions in both Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. But refugee and human rights advocates - including the government's own Human Rights Commission - have been united in their opposition.

East Timor PM says foreign aid 'squandered on consultants'AudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:02

The Australian government is standing by its aid program in East Timor after a scathing assessment of the performance of donors by Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao. At a conference of development partners in Dili, Mr Gusmao lashed out at donors, accusing many of squandering aid budgets on their own consultants. But East Timor itself is also coming in for criticism, about its own wealth from resources and how that should be spent.

Emerging power China 'must shoulder responsibilities'AudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:03

China's President Hu Jintao is attending today's nuclear security summit in Washington - a sign, according to analysts, that Beijing is trying to put relations with the United States back on track after months of tension. China was displeased with Washington's multi-billion dollar arms sale to Taiwan and with the US President meeting the Dalai Lama. There's also been frustration over China's refusal to devalue its currency, the yuan.

Internet addiction 'led to South Korean baby's death'AudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:03

New measures are being introduced in South Korea seeking to fight the problem of internet addiction, following the trial of a couple for negligent homicide, after their three month daughter died of malnutrition. Prosecutors allege the pair - Kim Jae-beom and Kim Yun-jeong - were too busy raising a virtual child in an online game to feed their own baby. Last Friday the couple pleaded guilty; they'll be sentenced later this week. The case has ignited a furious debate in South Korea over whether internet addiction, like drugs and alcohol, might be used as a defence against culpability.

Toll from anti-government protests in Bangkok rises to 21Audio

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:03

Anti-government demonstrations in Thailand turned deadly over the weekend, in one of the worst episodes of political violence the country has seen in decades. At least 21 people were killed in clashes between Red Shirt protesters and security forces; hundreds more were injured. Last night an uneasy informal truce settled over the city but supporters of Thailand's former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra say they'll keep up their protest campaign until Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva steps down and fresh elections are called.

Summer rain brings central Australia to lifeAudio

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:02

Central Australia is carpeted with green, thanks to recent heavy rain. Over the summer, the town of Alice Springs received more than its average rain for the year in just one week. Now the normally arid bush landscape has been transformed, and the desert is full of life.

ASEAN hopes for free trade area 'unrealistic'AudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:03

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

Tight security ahead of US nuclear summitAudioTranscript

Updated 12/04/2010 09:55:03

World leaders have begun arriving in the United States capital for an unprecedented two-day summit to secure nuclear stockpiles and keep weapons material out of the hands of terrorists. It's the biggest gathering of world leaders hosted by a US president since World War II.

Sri Lanka's ruling party takes early lead in pollsAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:08

Sri Lanka has held its first parliamentary polls since government forces defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels nearly a year ago. Monitoring groups report a low turnout of about 40 percent, especially in the Tamil-dominated northern and eastern areas, and some incidents of violence. President Mahinda Rajapakse's party is expected to win, because of a split opposition and while his United People's Freedom Alliance should have no trouble getting over half the 225 seats, a two-thirds majority seems unlikely. President Rajapaksa has been criticised for cronyism and suppressing dissent.

An insight into Afganistan's TalibanAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:07

It's the inside story on the Taliban, written by a former senior member, Abdul Salam Zaeef, who at one point was the Taliban spokesman for the world's media.
Felix Kuehn is an Afghanistan scholar, who along with Alex Strick von Linschoten, collaborated with former Taliban ambassador, Abdul Salam Zaeef on his memoir, My Life With The Taliban.

Thai capital braces for more protestsAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:08

Thai authorities have moved to arrest anti-government Red Shirt protest leaders involved in the storming of parliament this week. The government has also disrupted dozens of websites and a television station loyal to the Red Shirts' cause. They are the first measures taken by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva after he declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, to cope with the mass anti-government rallies in the capital. Thousands of Red Shirt protesters, many of whom want the return of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have vowed to defy orders to disperse. The escalating unrest has caused Mr Abhisit to cancel plans to attend an ASEAN summit of regional leaders in Vietnam.

Australian Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu won't appeal China jail termAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:08

Former Australian Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu will not challenge the 10 year jail sentence he received last week for taking bribes and handing out inducements for secrets from Chinese steel companies. His lawyer Jin Chunqing made the announcement after speaking to his client in the Shanghai detention centre last night.

The hang debuts at Sydney's inaugural Asian SymposiumAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:07

The inaugural Asian Symposium is currently being held in Sydney. It offers ancient dances and music never heard before by the Australian public, including a newly-created instrument called the Hang.

Pro-democracy Iranian students in Australia claim intimidationAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:07

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

India and Australia sign education cooperation dealAudioTranscript

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:08

Australia and India have signed an agreement to boost cooperation in the education sector. The agreement was signed in Melbourne between Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Julia Gillard and India's Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal. India and Australia have identified "the safety and wellbeing of students" as a matter of "high priority" in the bilateral efforts to build a broad partnership. It comes after a spate of attacks on Indian students in Melbourne strained relations between the two countries.

Sinagpore's business community eyes the ageing populationAudio

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:08

Singapore's rapidly ageing population has sparked a buzz in the services sector, with an eye on the so-called "silver dollar". Most recently, a property developer in neighbouring Malaysia revealed plans to build a retirement village in Johor state, just across the causeway. Due to its close proximity to Singapore and lower cost of living, the developer expects demand from Singaporeans to be strong. While Singapore's business community continues to look for new business opportunities in the retiree market, a social debate has also been triggered.

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

Updated 09/04/2010 11:02:08

The United States and Russia have signed an agreement to reduce their nuclear weapons stockpile. It's being described as historic, not just for the relationship between the former enemies but for world security.The signing follows the announcement earlier this week of a more restrained doctrine on the use of U-S nuclear weapons and next week, Washington will host forty world leaders at the Nuclear Security Summit, on reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism. But one leader who won't be there is Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, fuelling concern he's undermining his own nuclear disarmament commitments.

New research sheds light on how birds flockAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:54

For as long as there have been birds in the sky, people have wondered how they organise their flock to fly as one. Now, an international team of researchers has discovered there is a kind of hierarchy of leadership at work. They've found that each bird contributes to decisions about the movement of the flock, although their influence on the group is determined by their standing in the hierarchy.

How to respond to an emergency situationAudioTranscript

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:54

Terrorism, earthquakes and natural and man-made disasters we live in a world that can be very dangerous indeed. So do you ever think about how you might respond to an emergency? Your intuitive response could mean the difference between life and death. And just how would you respond to an emergency evacuation?

Australia's Sri Lankan Tamils to vote on a referendumAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:55

Sri Lankan Tamils in Australia are also preparing their own vote today in a referendum. The question they will answer is whether they still want an independent and sovereign state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Similar votes by the Tamil diaspora in other countries, have shown an overwhelming majority still aspire to having their own state, depite the military defeat of the Tamil Tigers last year.

Sri Lanka goes to the pollsAudioTranscript

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:55

Sri Lanka votes today for a new parliament. It will be the first parliamentary poll since a 30-year war with Tamil Tiger separatists ended nearly a year ago. President Mahinda Rajapakse and his ruling United People's Freedom Alliance are expected to win. President Rajapakse was returned to office, after an election in January.The Sri Lankan government is warning Australia it could become a breeding ground for separatists if more Tamil asylum seekers are taken in.

Singapore grapples with large immigrant populationAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:54

In Singapore, a cabinet minister has appealed to citizens not to have irrational fears toward new immigrants. There's been a large influx of guest workers in recent years and non-citizens now make up about a third of Singapore's population. The Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua says Singaporeans ought to embrace an increased willingness among foreigners to relocate.

Indonesia claims deal with Sri Lankan asylum seekersAudioTranscript

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:55

There are mixed signals coming out of Indonesia over whether the standoff between the Indonesian government and a boatload of Sri Lankan asylum seekers has been resolved. For six months, the asylum seekers have refused to leave the Indonesian port of Merak until they're given a new country to live in. Now, the head of Indonesia's diplomatic security says all 181 asylum seekers on board the boat have gone ashore and accepted an offer of temporary accommodation. The asylum seekers however, maintain they were told they had five days to consider their options.

An insight into voter apathyAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:54

Sri Lanka is holding parliamentary elections today. Next month, the Philippines hold presidential and general elections, while in the UK, voters are choosing a new government too. It's been found that in developed countries, people who don't vote, tend to be the young and the poor. In India, the opposite is true, with the poor more likely to vote than the rich and the middle class. Australia, due to have a general election later this year, has one of the world's highest voter turnouts, because voting is compulsory.

Little faith in new Malaysian inter-religious initiativeAudioTranscript

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:54

Christian groups in Malaysia say they're not convinced that a new government-backed panel to mediate religious disputes will work. Several churches in Malaysia have been firebombed in recent months. Now, a senior minister has announced an inter-faith panel to help advise the government on religious disputes amid concerns that relations between the country's diverse faith communities are deteriorating.

Leading World Bank economist says regional boom can continueAudioTranscript

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:54

The World Bank has upgraded this year's forecasted growth for East Asia and the Pacific. In its twice yearly update for the region, the Bank says it wants economies in East Asia to become more closely integrated and to make climate change a priority. But it says that as long as some much-needed reforms are carried out, the regional boom can continue despite lower expected growth in developed economies over the next ten years.

Thailand declares state of emergencyAudio

Updated 08/04/2010 10:11:55

Thailand has declared a state of emergency in the capital Bangkok, after protestors stormed parliament, in a dramatic escalation of their bid to bring down the government. The prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, says the demonstrations can no longer be considered peaceful. The so-called Red Shirts, some of whom want the return of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, had forced their way into the Thai parliamentary compound. Some MPs had to be evacuated by helicopter. It's the fourth time in two years, that emergency law has been declared in Bangkok.

Washington's new nuclear policy. Does it go far enough?Audio

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:54

The United States has announced a new defence policy, which will significantly narrow the circumstances in which it would use nuclear arms. But quite how far does it go, towards making the world safer from nuclear disaster?

Pests and diseases in Chinese apples concerns local growersAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:54

Apple growers say proposed quarantine rules won't protect their industry from diseases and pests from imported apples from China. The government agency Biosecurity Australia has given a green light to fresh apples coming from China, in its latest risk analysis of imports to this country. It's been proposed that the apples meet quarantine conditions including orchard control and surveillance, as well as closer scrutiny of individual regions once China nominates them for export.

Australia's new population minister talks up new policyAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:55

Australia's new Population minister Tony Burke, has been repeatedly pressed on what Australia's ideal population might be. But he says it's not just about a population target. He's stressing a good policy will cover many different issues from urban planning, to water to internal migration.

How big is Australia? Kevin Rudd initiates population policyAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:55

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

Arrest warrants out for Thailand's Red Shirt leadersAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:54

Anti-government protestors in Thailand have defied a government ban to march through more areas of Bangkok, shutting down parts of the city. The government had ordered the Red Shirts not to demonstrate along eleven key routes. But the protestors, many of whom support the ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, fanned out into Bangkok's finance district. The move followed scuffles between riot police and protesters. No-one was hurt but it marked the first clash since the protests began almost a month ago. Arrest warrants have now been issued for ten of the Red-Shirt leaders.

Calls grow in Sri Lanka for release of detained general FonsekaAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:54

Protesters have rallied in Sri Lanka, demanding the release of opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka. General Fonseka remains in detention, a day ahead of Sri Lanka's general election. His supporters say the government has shut down free speech in the lead up to the poll. But, the government is confident voting will be free and fair.

Concerns rise over Philippine's electronic voting machinesAudio

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:54

There are rising concerns in the Philippines over the use of electronic voting machines, which will be used in the May general elections. The machines are meant to prevent vote-rigging. Now there are fears that if there's any technical failure, the process may threaten rather than reinforce the credibility of the ballot.

China's mining industry under spotlightAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:54

Chinese TV news been dominated in recent days by the dramatic images of more than 100 men being brought out of their flooded mine, after being trapped deep underground for over a week. At least 30 more miners are still stuck below ground, and rising water and gas levels are hampering rescue efforts. The mass rescue offered a rare bright moment for China's appallingly unsafe mining industry, which is under pressure to maximise profits.

China considers new way of investing abroadAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:54

China is considering a broad overhaul of its rules governing how Chinese companies invest abroad. An official inquiry was commissioned, after the collapse of the landmark deal between Chinese concern, Chinalco and the Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto last year. The inquiry's final report calls for the approvals process to be streamlined, and for more emphasis on public relations - to overcome negative perceptions about Chinese investment.

US push on nuclear first strike treatyAudioTranscript

Updated 07/04/2010 10:37:55

US President Barack Obama has unveiled a defence policy to significantly overhaul the rules governing the use of nuclear weapons. In the landmark move, US policy on using nuclear weapons, Washington promises to narrow the circumstances in which it would use nuclear arms. However, the U-S warns that countries breaking the rules will remain potential targets. The review comes two days before the U-S and Russia sign a landmark treaty which will commit them to reducing nuclear stockpiles by about a third.

Philippines police and government links to Mindanao massacreAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:30

Last November 58 people were slaughtered on a remote hilltop in Mindanao, in the southern Philippines. Among the dead were more than 30 journalists, making this the worst single killing of reporters in recorded history. Accused of ordering the massacre was a Mindanao warlord, Andal Ampatuan, a close friend of the President, Gloria Arroyo. An investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Foreign Correspondent TV program, has confirmed that Ampatuan's vast private militia was armed by the Philippines military, and police were involved.

Auction houses turn to Asia for growthAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:29

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

Australia reacts to China's iron ore boycott threatAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:30

Tensions between Australia and China over fast-rising iron ore prices have escalated, with China calling for a two-month boycott of the world's biggest iron ore producers. China's Iron and Steel Association says the Anglo-Australian companies Rio Tinto and B-H-P Billiton and Brazil's Vale are running a price monopoly.
It says recent short term deals they've done with other Asian buyers have pushed prices up by 100 percent. But Australia has denied there is a monopoly, adding that China should understand the market dynamics of supply and demand.

US avoids currency fight with ChinaAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:30

The United States appears to be doing all it can to encourage China to revalue its currency, something Beijing has steadfastly resisted for years. Washington has delayed a report that was expected to label Beijing a 'currency manipulator' until AFTER a sensitive visit by the Chinese President, Hu Jintao, next week. For its part, the Chinese central bank says much is riding on President Hu's visit, in terms of the timing of a possible re-valuation.

Australian authorities say China ship oil spill containedAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:30

Australian authorities are battling to prevent a badly damaged Chinese coal carrier stranded on the Great Barrier Reef from breaking up and spilling tonnes of oil into the reef's pristine waters. The Shen Neng 1 was reportedly travelling at full speed on Saturday when it hit a submerged sandbank off the eastern state of Queensland, causing a three kilometre oil slick. Maritime Safety authorities say so far the amount of oil which has spilt from the ship is minimal and efforts to disperse the oil have worked. But they still remain concerned that the carrier, which is being hit by to to three metre swells and grinding against the reef, may break up.

Environment expert warns of Australian reef disasterAudio

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:30

The ship's Chinese owners could face a hefty fine up to one million U-S dollars over the incident on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The Australian Government says it's investigating how the vessel came to be in a restricted zone of the Great Barrier Reef which is totally off limits to shipping. So was the accident preventable?

Pakistan rocked by two suicide attacksAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:30

In the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, where at least seven people have been killed in an attack on the US consulate. The attack followed an earlier suicide attack about 80 kilometres north-east of Peshawar, which killed 46 people. The U-S Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she is both outraged and saddened by the assault on the consulate, referring to the three Pakistani security guards who died. Four militants were killed but there are no reports of American casualties so far.

Is China's energy intensity target on track?Audio

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:30

The world's clean energy market has experienced massive growth and nowhere is this more evident than China. New research shows in 2009, China overtook the United States to become the leading investor in renewable energy technologies. China invested 34 billion US dollars in clean energy last year, almost double the US figure. China had aimed to reduce its energy intensity by 20-percent each year, on the 2005 levels. Premier Wen Jiabao says China has a 2020 target to reduce greenhouse emissions intensity by about 40 percent over 2005 levels.

Fallout continues from resignation of Pakistan's Attorney GeneralAudioTranscript

Updated 06/04/2010 11:27:30

Pakistan's judiciary seems set on another collision course with President Asif Ali Zardari, after the weekend resignation of the Attorney-General. Anwar Mansoor resigned after accusing the government of failing to co-operate in anti-corruption cases. His resignation came just days before he was scheduled to deliver a report into alleged money laundering by President Zardari, accusing the Law Ministry of hindering efforts to get documents to pursue the case.

Indigenous students help Australian police solve modern day problemsAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:30

Australian police in central Queensland have turned to Aboriginal culture to help solve some modern day problems. They've developed a program which sees Indigenous boys head bush, to re-connect with their traditional culture. The program which enforces values of hard work and respoect is proving so successful it's now being expanded to other areas.

Iran says China will Tehran nuclear meetingAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:31

China is reportedly supporting an Iranian initiative for the peaceful use and development of nuclear energy worldwide. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili says China has agreed to take part in a nuclear disarmament conference in Teheran later this month. He says experts and officials from sixty countries have been invited to the 2-day Teheran meeting, on April 17th, called "Nuclear energy for Everyone, nuclear arms for No One." Iran rejects western accusations it's seeking to develop nuclear bombs, saying its atomic work is aimed at generating electricity, so it can export more of its oil and gas.

China ship breakup threatens Australia's Great Barrier ReefAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:31

Australia's world heritage listed Great Barrier Reef is under threat after a Chinese ship ran aground on the weekend. A salvage team is scrambling off north-eastern Australia, to come up with a plan to keep the vessel from breaking up and spilling more oil into the ocean. The 230 metre bulk coal carrier, Shen Neng-One hit a sandbank on Saturday. Local authorities have used aircraft to spray dispersants around a ribbon of oil three kilometres long and about 100 metres wide. Aside from the environmental concerns, many people want to know how the Chinese ship came to be sailing through such a sensitive area, away from the usual shipping lanes.

Southeast Asian Mekong river countries meet China over dam fearsAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:31

Regional nations along the Mekong river delta are holding talks with China, amid fears that Chinese dams upstream are depleting the vital waterway, plunging it to its lowest levels in decades. Leaders from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, will meet with high level delegates from China and Burma, to sign an historic declaration on how to manage the Mekong River. It follows a two-day meeting of the Mekong River Commission - the first of its kind in its 15 year history. The record low water levels in the Mekong is threatening the livelihood of over 60 million people who depend on it for their survival.

Thai Government tries legal moves to oust Red Shirts from tourist hubAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:31

Thailand's government is threatening tough action against the so-called Red Shirt demonstrators, if they do not end their crippling protests in Bangkok's tourist hub. The government is seeking a court order, which could see protestors being jailed for up to a year, and fined 600 US dollars, if they stay. Tens of thousands of anti-government protestors, many of whom support the ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, escalated their three-week rally on the weekend, gathering in Bangkok's main shopping and luxury hotel district and agitating for immediate elections.

Video of Indonesia suicide bomber revealedAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:31

A terrorism prosecutor in Jakarta has revealed a video made by the suicide bomber who attacked the Marriott hotel last year. The recording features the live video stream from the bomber's mobile phone as he closes in on his targets, the first time such a description has been made public. Previously known footage was by closed circuit television cameras in the hotel lobby.

Australian suicide numbers upAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:31

New figures show there's been a notable increase in suicides in Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics says more than four thousand lives were lost in 2007 and 2008. Now Australian of the Year, Professor Patrick McGorry is calling for an immediate upgrade of mental health services to help arrest the rise in suicides.

Australia urged to offer permanent residency to top PhD studentsAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:30

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

China marks Tomb sweeping dayAudio

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:30

As millions of Christians around the world mark Easter Monday, another major tradition is being observed by more than a billion Chinese. Today is Qingming Festival, known in English as Ancestors' Day or Tomb-sweeping day, a chance to visit the graves of relatives who've passed away and tidy them up. In China, the festival was observed for hundreds of years until it was abolished in 1949 by the Communist government. It was reinstated as a public holiday in 2008.

Why Asian women love wineAudioTranscript

Updated 05/04/2010 11:13:30

Women in Asia have a seemingly unquenchable thirst and an increasingly sophisticated palate for a good wine. Just last year, China outpaced America as the number one client for Bordeaux outside the European Union, much of that consumption by women. More Asian women are not only uncorking the bottles but also seeking careers in the wine-making industry.

Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai accuses the west of electoral fraudAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 10:51:05

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

Japan threatens to lift the lid on secret nuclear deals with USAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 10:51:05

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

Science journal warns of China's bumpy road to environmental sustainabAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 10:51:05

China faces a long and bumpy road to environmental sustainability, according to a paper in today's edition of the journal, SCIENCE. The report says six decades of fast-track development have caused serious widespread damage to China's forests and river systems. And while more than 100 environmental laws and policies have been enacted since the early 1980s, many have yet to be implemented effectively, if they've been implemented at all.

Building a bridge between Australian and Indonesian schoolsAudio

Updated 02/04/2010 10:51:04

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

India's nationwide census beginsAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 10:51:05

The enormous task of conducting a nationwide census in India has begun. More than two million data collectors are spreading out across the vast nation to spend almost one year recording the details of more than one billion people for the 2011 census. For the first time, officials will record people's fingerprints, which will be used to develop and issue unique identity numbers for Indian citizens, a move that has raised concerns from privacy advocates.

Artists celebrate Australia's cultural engagement with regionAudio

Updated 02/04/2010 10:51:04

Asialink at the University of Melbourne this year marks 20 years of helping Australia engage with the region. And over the past two decades, Asialink has sent 600 artists and curators to the region on attachments and residencies. This week, two members of that alumni paid Connect Asia a visit in our Southbank studios.

Prince William helps to return remains of Aboriginal manAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 10:51:05

A British Royal has vowed to help Australian Aboriginal leaders in Sydney who want to help find and return the remains of an Aboriginal man who led an early resistance against British settlers. Pemulwuy was slaughtered more than 200 years ago and his skull was taken to England as a symbol of triumph. When Prince William toured Australia in January, he was presented with a petition to help get the remains back. Now he's advised by Royal Mail, that he's made it his personal mission.

Asia grapples with rising health care costsAudioTranscript

Updated 02/04/2010 10:51:05

A regional health conference in Singapore has heard that the proportion of spending on health care by many governments in Asia lags far behind levels in the US and Europe. Health experts say they're grappling with delivering services for an upsurge in lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, while still putting in place services to deal with other ailments usually associated with poor water and sanitation.

Calls grow for China to prosecute locals in Rio bribe scandalAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

The Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto has reportedly turned to former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger for help to mprove connections with China, after the controverial jailing of four of its executives this week. Mr Kissinger's Chinese connections hark back to 1971, when he helped then-president Nixon arrange a meeting with Chinese leader Mao Zedong. It remains to be seen whether Mr Kissinger can work his magic, but pressure is growing on China to prosecute those who offered the bribes to the Rio Tinto executives.

Australia accused of ignoring the Indian OceanAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

A new report says Australia has been ignoring the Indian Ocean, despite extensive and varied threats in a region with few institutions of co-operation to mediate them. The report is from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. And it says everything from poor fisheries management to India-China rivalry is fuelling instability at the same time as Australia walks a diplomatic tightrope building relations with those regional competitors. It provides a big list of things for Australia to do about all this. Australia's government says it's already acting though some obversers are sceptical.

Pakistan government in battle with judiciary over corruptionAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

The Pakistan Government is locked in a fresh battle with the judiciary over a threat by the chief justice to jail the country's top anti-corruption official. The court is demanding that the head of the National Accountability Bureau re-open hundreds of corruption cases several of which involve President Asif Ali Zardari or face being arrested. The call follows the arrest of the director general of the country's top police investigation agency following a Supreme Court order.

Local Chinese journalists accused of briberyAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

A nationwide investigation has been launched in China, into bribe-taking and blackmailing by local journalists. The investigation is being carried out by the General Administration of Press and Publication, or GAPP. Nine journalists have received heavy jail terms for seeking or accepting bribes from the owner of an illegal coal mine, to cover up a deadly explosion at the mine in 2008. China's accident-prone mining industry has been a target for Chinese journalists and fake reporters who've travelled to disaster sites demanding hush money to keep these stories out of the press.

UN report says Afghan aid is disappearing due to corruptionAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

A new United Nations report says corruption is making Afghanistan poorer and contributing to human rights problems. The report from the United Nationas Human Rights Commissioner says the world community - which donates large amounts of aid - is focusing too much on short term securtity, and not enough on long term development.

Questions raised about capacity of East Timor's police force.AudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

East Timor has marked the tenth anniversary of the founding of its own police force. At a weekend ceremony, Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao said he hoped the handover of all police responsibilities from the United Nations to the Timorese force would be finished by the end of this year. But the shooting death of a popular musician in Dili in December allegedly shot by a Timorese officer - is just one incident that's raised questions about the capacity of the force.

Australia's anti terror laws in questionAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

Australia's anti-terror laws have been called into question by lawyers after three Melbourne men yesterday received suspended sentences for funding the Sri Lankan separatist group the Tamil Tigers. The three men had pleaded guilty to providing more than a million dollars to the Tamil Tigers. One of the defendants admitted to providing Tamil Tigers with electronic devices.The men were charged under the United Nations Act for providing funds to a proscribed terrorist organisation, after Australian terrorism charges against them were dropped. Now there are calls for an inquiry held into the way terrorist related cases are initiated in Australia.

Mekon River Commission prepares to meet in ThailandAudioTranscript

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

Thailand is extending the Internal Security Act, ahead of this week's MeKong River Commission summit. The commission's first ever four day summit of leaders from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam begins tomorrow to discuss the future of the four thousand kilometre long Mekong River. The vital waterway, which runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, is suffering from overuse its water levels reported to be at its lowest in 50 years. The five Southeast Asian nations blame three Chinese dams upstream for the dropping water levels although Beijing blames it on a long-running drought.

Google claims cyber attacks on Vietnamese web usersAudio

Updated 01/04/2010 11:42:01

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