June 2010
Witness killing highlights volatile justice in Philippines
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:54
The Philippines' incoming Justice Minister Leila de Lima has vowed to speed up the trial of a powerful Muslim clan accused of carrying out the nation's worst political killings.
Google softens approach, ahead of Chinese licence review
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:54
Google has announced a "new approach" in its ongoing battle with China over censorship. The firm has been automatically redirecting Chinese users to its unfiltered search site in Hong Kong, as a way to get around censorship issues.
India's top soccer defender trials with Melbourne A-League
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:48
He's India's top defender and one of the stars of the national team, now Gouramangi Singh has attracted the attention of the Australian A-League.
Foxconn considers relocating within China to cut costs
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:54
The scandal-plagued Taiwanese-owned electronics manufacturer, Foxconn is reportedly moving some of its production away from its troubled Shenzhen plant to north and central China.
MPs push to ban the Indonesian Islamic Defenders' Front
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:54
Islamic vigilantes have threatened to declare war on Christians in a Jakarta neighbourhood - and to impose hardline religious regulations by force - as part of a continuing tide of Muslim vigilantism in Indonesia.
IAEA to investigate Burma's nuclear program
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:54
It's been a rumour for years but now the international nuclear watchdog has formally turned its attention to Burma.
Indonesian police accused of mass-buying controversial magazine
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:54
A leading Indonesian news weekly says copies of its latest edition on rampant police corruption have been bought in bulk before they reach newstands.
Tempo magazine said mysterious buyers, who looked like police, went straight to the distributors to snap up the edition - with a cover story entitled "Fat Bank Account of a Police Officer."
India's 'soft power' potential going untapped: report
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:53
They're the world's two most populous countries but that's where the simularities appear to end.
The challenges ahead for President Benigno Aquino III
Updated 30/06/2010 11:59:54
A national holiday has been declared in The Philippines to mark the inauguration of Benigno Aquino III as president.
Controversial trade deal likely for China-Taiwan
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:30
China is later today expected to sign a long-awaited Free Trade Agreement with Taiwan.
New Australian PM's cabinet shuffled, not shaken
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:30
Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith is set to have greater autonomy in shaping the country's foreign policy, after the new Prime Minister Julia Gillard declined the services of Kevin Rudd on her front bench.
Karzai reportedly meets militant Haqqani network
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:29
Afghanistan's government has dismissed as baseless media reports that President Hamid Karzai had met face-to-face with an Al-Qaeda-linked Taliban leader in Kabul.
A presidential spokesman said the report on Al-Jazeera television was part of a conspiracy to undermine a government-initiated peace plan aimed at ending almost nine years of war. The militant Haqqani network has been blamed for major attacks on Afghan and International military forces in Afghanistan. Afghan government opponents say if there is a deal with the head of the Haqqani network, other groups might take up arms in protest.
Extended interview with Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:30
Australia's Foreign minister Stephen Smith has kept his job in Prime Minister Julia Gillard's ministry.
US announces $5mil for clearing Agent Orange in Vietnam
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:29
The United Nations has announced a five-million-US-dollar project to clean up wartime contamination in Vietnam from Agent Orange sprayed by the US military.
Jakarta hotel bombing 'bagman' cleared of charges
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:26
A Saudi man accused of financing the suicide bombings at two luxury Jakarta hotels last year, has been cleared of involvement in terrorism.
G20 agree to halve budget deficits and cut spending
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:29
The latest Group of Twenty meeting wrapped up in Toronto, Canada this weekend with a promise to halve the budget deficits of richer members within two years.
Climate change panel recruits 850 scientists for new report
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:25
The Nobel prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has started work on its fifth report.
Rights group calls for ETimor impunity loophole to be closed
Updated 29/06/2010 14:04:29
The human rights organisation, Amnesty International has asked East Timor to close a legal loophole that is allowing war crimes and abuse during the Indonesian occupation to go unpunished.
Greenland allowed to hunt humback whales
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:22
There's been a controversial end to the whaling commission meeting with the International Whaling Commission giving Greenland the right to hunt humpback whales.
Long road ahead for Kyrgyz national unity
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:22
Critics say conditions for the referendum in Kyrgystan were not ideal, coming just two weeks after violence between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the south, left at least 283 people dead and an estimated 100,000 people displaced.
A different kind of crazy
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:19
Whether it's MTV, McDonald's or Starbucks the imprint of American culture is everywhere.
Australian asylum policy affecting Malaysia
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:22
A decision by the Australian government to temporarily suspend visa applications from Sri Lankans and Afghans has resulted in a substantial drop in the numbers of potential refugees arriving in Malaysia looking for passage to Australia.
North Korea's unlikely soccer hero
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:18
He drives a Humvee, can't go anywhere without his i-Pod and likes to dress like an American hip-hop artist.
Lessons from 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami still not learned
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:22
A set of reports, billed as one of the most thorough studies of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami relief effort in south Asia, are now ready to be delivered to the Australian government's international aid agency, AusAid.
Uruzgan's future plagues US-led forces in Afghanistan
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:22
The British Prime Minister David Cameron has told journalists at the G20 meeting that he wants UK troops out of Afghanistan within five years.
G20 leaders tackle national debt
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:23
Leaders of the world's biggest economies - the so-called G20 - have unveiled plans to cut national budget deficits.
New Kyrgyz constitution gives parliament more power
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:22
A referendum in the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan show a large majority approving a new constitution giving parliament more power.
Indonesian arrest reveals prisons as 'terrorism academies'
Updated 28/06/2010 13:37:22
Indonesian police have revealed new details about a terror cell they're pursuing and the arrest this week of Indonesia's most wanted man.
Poverty assessment begins as India considers Right to Food bill
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:12
The Indian government is in the midst of a massive welfare overhaul. It's trying to redefine and re-map poverty across the country. Importantly, this re-assessment takes place alongside a landmark "Right to Food" bill that, if enacted, will make access to food a legally guaranteed right of all Indians.
Multimillion dollar Australia-China grape deal almost finalised
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:12
A deal allowing Australian table grapes into mainland China is expected to be announced soon. After more than eight years of trying, industry leaders believe they've now met all China's biosecurity requirements. They're now waiting for the 86 million U-S dollar deal to be unveiled at the Shanghai World Expo.
UN panel to investigate alleged abuses in Sri Lanka's civil war
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:13
The United Nations has announced a three member panel to look into alleged human rights abuses during Sri Lanka's civil war by both the military and the Tamil Tiger rebels. After a three decade civil war, the Tamil Tigers were defeated by government forces in May last year. The UN panel aims to investigate allegations that thousands of civilians were killed in the final months of the conflict and rebels troops trying to surrender were executed. But the move has angered Colombo which says the panel members will not be allowed into the country.
Obama confirms Afghanistan pullout timetable
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:13
A day after replacing the top American general in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama has confirmed his plan to start withdrawing troops next year. Mr Obama insists his change of commander does not mean a change in strategy and that the mission in Afghanistan will continue seamlessly. However some senior Pentagon officials are openly acknowledging that the progress in the war is slower than expected.
G20 meeting begins in Toronto
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:13
Protests and intense security are greeting leaders of the Group of 20 developed and emerging nations as they gather for this weekend's summit in Canada. On the agenda of the Toronto meeting is how to shore up the recovery as the world economy emerges from its worst crisis in decades. But the unity of recent past summits is fracturing, with recoveries taking place at very different rates, putting pressure on efforts to strike the right global balance between reigning-in ballooning deficits and maintaining stimulus spending. Adding to the mix, there'll be new faces from Australia, Japan and Britain.
Julia Gillard offers olive branch to Australian mining sector
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:13
On her first day in the job, Julia Gillard has felt the warm embrace of the financial markets. Mining stocks closed higher after she indicated the government would move from consulting to negotiating with the mining industry over the super profits tax. But despite the positive outlook on mining, the industry is gearing up for more tough negotiations
Julia Gillard begins first full day as Australian prime minister
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:13
Australia's new Prime Minister will chair her first Cabinet meeting today one day after a dramatic and swift leadership spill in Canberra saw her take the nation's top job. And Julia Gillard has moved quickly on some of the concerns that led ultimately to the downfall of her predecessor, Kevin Rudd. She's offered conciliatory statements on the style of government she'll operate and on key policy matters like asylum seekers and climate change as well as the divisive plan for a new mining tax.
Computer game shows Cambodian kids how to avoid landmines
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:12
A computer game designed to help young people recognise the dangers of landmines and unexploded ordinance has just undergone initial testing in Cambodia. The developers from Michigan State University in the U-S say they hope the game will cut the number of children killed and maimed each year.
Controversial dolphin hunt documentary to be show in Japan
Updated 25/06/2010 11:01:12
Almost a year after it first screened in the United States, a documentary condemning the annual dolphin hunt in the Japanese town of Tajii in Wakayama prefecture is about to be given a limited run in Japan. Six movie theatres in Tokyo and Osaka have decided to ignore threats from nationalist protesters and will screen 'The Cove' on July 3rd. Environmental activists around the world are praising the decision as a brave move to protect freedom of speech.
Indonesia urged to release 100 pro-independence prisoners
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:41
The Indonesian government is being called on to immediately release more than 100 prisoners, who have been jailed for taking part in non-violent political protests. The group, Human Rights Watch, says most of the Papuan and Moluccan pro-independence activists locked up inside Indonesian prisons have been tortured and denied medical treatment.
Spike in number of Vietnamese women in Australian prisons
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:40
It's emerged that a disproportionate number of Vietnamese women are currently being held in Australian prisons. In the south-eastern state of Victoria, for example, Vietnamese-born women make up the fastest-growing group within the women's prisoner population They make up about one per cent of the general population but once behind bars, they account for about 14 per cent. And often there's a common thread linking their crimes: gambling.
Hong Kong democrats fight over key political reform vote
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:41
Thousands of protestors have rallied outside Hong Kong's legislative council as lawmakers began heated debate on a compromise package of electoral reforms proposed by the Democratic Party and backed by China. At issue is the pace of implementing what China promises will be universal suffrage, or direct elections in 2017. The government of Chief Executive Donald Tsang had originally proposed expanding the number of seats in the legislature to 70, with the new seats equally divided between directly elected and functional constituenices. But in a u-turn decision on Monday, the government revised its plan by making all 10 proposed new seats in the legislature directly elected. The Democratic Party, the city's largest opposition group which proposed the modifications, agreed to support the revised plan but not all party members are on board with some prominent figures threatening to quit rather than compromise.
US commander in Afghanisan sacked over magazine interview
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:42
There have been important leadership movements in the United States. The President has removed his top commander in Afghanistan after a humiliating magazine article featured derogatory comments about the Obama Administration. His decision to replace Stanley McChrystal with another well known General, David Petraeus, has been supported from both sides of politics.
A bittersweet day for Australian soccer
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:40
Australia has won its last game at the World Cup beating Serbia two-one. The Socceroos scored two second half goals...but it was not enough to get the team through to the next round. In Australia's grouping , Germany beat Ghana, one-nil, meaning those two teams will progress to the second round. Australia finished equal on points with Ghana but missed out because of the respective goal count.
Australian troop reduction foreshadowed for Afghanistan
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:41
Australian troops in Afghanistan could begin coming home within two to four years. That's the time the Defence Force considers it will take to adequately train Afghan troops in the southern Uruzgan province. Australia would then switch to a supervisor role, heading the civilian reconstruction effort in the province. Australia has also announced the U-S will lead a new multi-national team to replace the lead role of the Dutch, when they leave Oruzgan in August.
US Ambassador to Australia welcomes Patraeus appointment
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:41
The U-S Ambassador to Australia, Jeffrey Bleich, has also welcomed the appointment of General David Petraeus as Commander of the mission in Afhganistan.
Controversial whaling proposal abandoned at IWC talks
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:41
A deal that would have overturned a 24 year ban on commercial whaling has been defeated at the International Whaling Commission conference in Morocco, delivering a victory for Australia. Some anti-whaling nations like New Zealand and the United States had supported the controversial proposal which would have seen Japan give up its whale catch in the Antarctic in return for being able to commercially whale in its own waters. But talks reached a stalemate with Australia and South American nations, arguing the plan was flawed and dangerous.
Arsenic poisoning crisis in Bangladesh
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:40
It's believed up to 77 million people have been exposed to toxic levels of arsenic from contaminated drinking water in Bangladesh. The Lancet medical journal reports the high arsenic exposure is the tragic result of a community development project in the 1970's that went terribly wrong. The UN's World Health Organisation is describing Bangladesh's arsenic crisis as "the largest mass poisoning of a population in history."
US commander in Afghanistan sacked over magazine interview
Updated 24/06/2010 11:33:58
There have been important leadership movements in the United States. The President has removed his top commander in Afghanistan after a humiliating magazine article featured derogatory comments about the Obama Administration. His decision to replace Stanley McChrystal with another well known General, David Petraeus, has been supported from both sides of politics.
India expecting highest economic growth on record
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:40
India's finance minister is predicting the country will hit "double-digit" economic growth for the first time ever within the next five years. Pranab Mukherjee made the comments in Washington. One of the keys to India's accelerating growth rate is the so-called "demographic dividend" resulting from its expanding population. But there is a new warning that population growth alone won't help India take China's mantle as the "workshop of the world".
Australian leadership spill unfolds in Canberra
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:42
There are extraordinary scenes in the Australian capital Canberra where, Kevin Rudd looks set to be dumped as Prime Minister. The meeting of the Australian Labor Party Caucus to decide Kevin Rudd's fate is happening behind closed doors in Canberra now and it includes all the party's MP's and Senators. It's a fast moving situation and the numbers seem to add up to a strong win for the current deputy, Julia Gillard, which will mark the election of Australia's first female Prime Minister.
UPDATE Australia's prime minister replaced in party room coup
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:42
A historic day in Australian politics has been unfolding in Canberra, with the ousting of Kevin Rudd as prime minister and leader of the ruling Labor Party. Mr Rudd has been replaced by his deputy, Julia Gillard. She has become Australia's first female head of government, changing the dynamics of the political fight as the country heads to a general election.
Mr Rudd's fate was sealed after underlying leadership concerns in Labor ranks burst to the surface and Ms Gillard was urged to drop her long reluctance and to challenge Mr Rudd.
She went to Mr Rudd with her challenge last night and he announced there'd be a vote.
New Australian Prime Minister announced
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:41
There's been an important announcement on the future of Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd, who's just faced a vote on his leadership by parliamentary members of the ruling Labor Party. Australia's new prime minister is Julia Gillard.
Julia Gillard, Australia's new Prime Minister
Updated 24/06/2010 15:08:40
Australia has a new prime minister. She's Julia Gillard. The country's first female head of government.
Fate of top U.S. Afghan commander in doubt
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:43
America's top military commander in Afghanistan could be facing the sack. General Stanley McChrystal has been summoned to the White House to explain his comments in a Rolling Stone magazine article in which he criticises key administration officials, including President Barack Obama. The White House is leaving open the option of sacking him but it couldn't have come at a more difficult time in the country's military commitment in Afghanistan.
Links between executions and foreign funding of counter-drug operation
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:43
A number of international aid donors including Australia and Japan have been accused of inadvertedly funding counter-drug operations that often result in people being sentenced to death and executed. According to the UK-based ngo, International Harm Reduction Association, the United Nations and the European Commission have also been funding drug enforcement operations in countries like China, Cambodia and Vietnam where the death penalty is still used. The association has just published a report on the issue.
Australia commits millions to Indonesia's deforestation ban
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:42
Environment groups are warning that the logging moratorium in Indonesia will have little impact unless it includes forestry and palm oil concessions. The Indonesian government recently announced a two year ban on deforestation, in exchange for one billion dollars from Norway but existing oil palm contracts will be exempt. The deal is part of an initiative known as REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation or Degradation. In a smaller but similar deal, Australia has committed 120 million dollars to two REDD pilot projects in Indonesia.
Vietnam's high speed rail plan rejected
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:42
Vietnam's National Assembly has voted down a 56 billion dollar high speed rail line proposed to link Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City. The proposal had been the centrepiece of the country's railways masterplan but the usually rubber stamp assembly has rejected the idea. However, despite the rare show of independence, observors have cautioned against seeing the vote as a rebuke to the country's all powerful Communist Party.
Cambodian sex trafficking victim tells her story
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:42
Somaly Mam's autobiography is a global best-seller but she gets no pleasure from her story, she tells it because she has to. Somaly Mam escaped from being sold into sex-trafficking in Cambodia, and now campaigns to save women like herself. This week she's visiting Australia.
Setbacks in Afghanistan as US summons commander
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:43
General Stanley McChrystal's been instrumental in drafting America's current troop surge strategy, and the future of his career will have some bearing on the war in Afghanistan. So what are the implications of this rift between the White House and its commander on the ground in Afghanistan?
Japan and Australia in dispute at whaling talks
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:43
Japan has raised the temperature at international talks, by accusing Australia of stalling talks at this year's International Whaling Commission meeting in Morocco. Tokyo has offered to cut its quota of whales killed in the Antarctic in the name of scientific research, if it's allowed to resume commercial whaling.
A number of anti-whaling nations are pushing for a deal, but the Japanese delegation's key spokesman Glenn Inwood says Australia has made things worse by taking Japan to the International Court of Justice.
Heavy flooding in China affects millions
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:43
Days of heavy flooding in southern China has affected more than 29 million people across nine provinces. China's Ministry of Civil Affairs says about 200 people have died and more than a million people have been evacuated. Yesterday a river dyke burst on the Fuhe river in Jiangxi province and a further 80-thousand people had to be urgently evacuated.
East Timor's president in Australia to discuss gas deal
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:43
East Timor's President Jose Ramos Horta is using a state visit to Australia to try to calm escalating tensions over the development of the Greater Sunrise oil and gas field in the Timor Sea. He's still pushing for a pipeline take the gas for processing in East Timor, rather than go with Greater Sunrise Consortium's preference of a floating processing facility. Dr Ramos-Horta's speaking very diplomatically in Canberra, but he has not backed away from the option that he thinks will help move East Timor move from poverty to sustainable prosperity.
Thousands marooned in Bangladesh floods
Updated 23/06/2010 10:25:43
Five weeks of heavy rain in the north-east of Bangladesh have left at least 150-thousand people marooned and thousands of hectares of crops destroyed. But for aid workers, the immediate challenge is how to cope with the tens of thousands of displaced families.
UN withdraws foreign staff from Afghanistan
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
The United Nations has announced plans to withdraw some of its foreign staff from Afghanistan. The decision comes just days after a UN report showed violence has dramatically escalated in the first four months of this year.
Clean energy talks begin in Manila
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
The Asia Clean Energy Forum is on this week in the Philippines capital Manila. It's the fifth time this annual event has been held, and it's now regarded as the key forum for sharing ideas about the policy, technology, and finance aspects of bringing clean energy to the Asia region. The forum attracts a range of players in the clean energy sector, including policymakers, private sector firms, academics, and non-governmental organizations.
Optimism waning over China's flexible exchange rate
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
The initial international optimism about China's weekend pledge to allow a flexible exchange rate is already waning. That's because China's central bank has also ruled out any major changes in the currency's exchange rate. The bank has been under international pressure ahead of this weekend's G20 meeting to make the yuan, which is also known as the RMB, more flexible. That leaves policymakers from the major economies in 'wait and see' mode ahead of the Toronto meeting. But analysts say the currency will only be allowed to appreciate slowly and that is a good thing, for both China and the global economy.
Thailand's Red Shirts reportedly preparing to group
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
Thailand's anti-government Red Shirt protestors are reportedly preparing to regroup, following their bloody defeat by the military last month. Hundreds of Red Shirt protestors, many of whom support ousted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, have been arrested. But many more are in hiding, with some believed to have sought refuge in Cambodia. The government of Abhisit Vejajiva is yet to lift an emergency decree blanketing one third of Thailand, fearing further unrest.
Around 88 people were killed during the 10-week protest which ended after the military stormed the protest encampment in Bangkok's city hub.
Nations unlikely to reach agreement at whaling meeting
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
The international whaling commission meeting in Morocco has gone behind closed doors in a last ditch effort to cut a deal. Countries are holding private talks as the pro- and anti-whaling camps bicker over how to move the meeting forward. The move has angered conservation groups and some nations including New Zealand say a breakdown rather than a breakthrough at this meeting is now the most likely result.
Chinese Vice President welcomed in Canberra
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
With new agreements signed and cordial words exchanged, the visit to Australia by the man most likely to be China's next President has delighted political and business leaders of both countries. Xi Jinping's trip to Australia, as well as to Bangladesh, Laos and on to New Zealand, is reportedly part of preparing him for his ascent to China's top job, which is expected when the Communist Party Congress meets in 2012. The immediate focus in Canberra though has been on trade and investment. And while Vice President Xi has delivered much needed political impetus to the difficult Australia-China free trade negotiations, he's also offered a subtly different take on where Australia's relationship with China stands.
UN panel on Sri Lanka civil war almost finalised
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
The United Nations is this week expected to confirm a panel to investigate allegations of war crimes in Sri Lanka. It's something international observers have long been calling for. However, the government says it has already appointed its own internal commission, and is describing this latest move from the U-N as an "unneccessary interferance".
Japan's sumo scandal
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:12
A Sumo scandal is making national headlines in Japan. Dozens of top wrestlers and stable masters have admitted to laying illegal bets with gangsters on baseball games. So widespread is the illicit practice that the sport's governing body is considering the unprecedented move of cancelling next month's Grand Tournament.
India looks at compensation for Bhopal victims
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
India is preparing to push the United States to extradite the former head of an American chemical company in connection with the 1984 gas disaster in Bhopal.
The move follows public outrage after seven former managers at the Union Carbide plant were given just two-year jail sentences. At least three and half thousand people died at what is considered to be the world's worst industrial accident and more than 15-thousand people have died in the years since. Indian cabinet ministers are now recommending that the government do more to help the Bhopal victims, including issues of compensation, relief and rehabilitation.
China plans to build two nuclear reactors in Pakistan
Updated 22/06/2010 11:58:13
There are growing concerns that China and the United States are on a collision course over Chinese plans to build two nuclear reactors in Pakistan. China is expected to formally announce its plans to build the reactors in Punjab province at a meeting in New Zealand this week of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. The group includes representatives of the world's 46 countries that dominate and try to control the world's atomic trade. The US has already voiced its disapproval of China's plans, but Beijing says its nuclear co-operation with Pakistan is for peaceful purposes and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
China's vice president in Canberra for high level talks
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:28
China's Vice President Xi Jinping is in Canberra this week. The man touted as the one who'll replace Hu Jintao at the 2012 Communist Party Congress has also visited Bangladesh, Laos and New Zealand. He's now in Australia accompanied by the heads of 15 Chinese state-owned enterprises. The vice president arrived in Australia on the weekend and has already watched part of an Australian rules football match and met with the head of Australian telecommunications giant, Telstra. But it's in Canberra where the serious diplomacy will happen, as well as a big trade and investment forum. There'll also be pressure for Australia to take a stand over Tibet.
Aceh moves to tighten sharia law
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:27
In Indonesia's West Aceh province where there are moves to tighten the Iocal Islamic law, known as sharia law. When Aceh gained a degree of autonomy in 2002, the province took a tougher stance on gambling and drugs. Now morality is in the spotlight with local police handing out 20-thousand long skirts for women who wear tight jeans.The move has angered many women, mainly because skirts are impractical while riding a motorcycle, the most common means of transport. But locals are still confused about what is and what is not acceptable with the new governor refusing to support recent moves to allow stoning to death for adultery.
Indonesia's sex tape scandal revives internet censorship debate
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:27
A celebrity sex-tape scandal in Indonesia has pushed the government to revive plans to introduce internet censorship laws by the end of the year. Indonesia's Communications Minister, Tifatul Sembiring says he's drafting a new decree that will also block blasphemy, gambling, violence and online fraud. It comes after a homemade sex tape, involving three celebrities, was released online, which the Communications Minister says 'insulted the nation's constitution.
Critical whaling meeting begins in Morocco
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:28
This week, the future of whaling conservation will be decided in Morocco, with almost 90 countries meeting in Agadir for the annual international whaling commission. The meeting will discuss a proposal to let Japan resume commercial whaling in return for cutting its quota of whales taken in the Southern Ocean.
A deal on the table could see a 24-year ban on commercial hunting overturned. The package has split the anti-whaling block, with Australia now at odds with its former allies.
Cambodian homes at gold deposit site under threat
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:27
The Cambodian Government is threatening to burn the homes of around one hundred families who are living at the site of a gold deposit which was recently discovered by an Australian mining company.
Dili marathon attracts thousands of runners
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:27
First there was the Tour de Timor mountian bike race, then an international fishing competition and now the Dili Marathon has just been run. A thousand competitors from 28 countries, inlcluding Timor's national team of 20 runners, braved heat and humidy to compete in the weekend marathon. The 42-kilometre run saw competitors take in some of the capital's scenic highlights, passing by villages, the government palace, the city beachfront and a lighthouse.
China pledges yuan stability
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:28
China's central bank has revealed plans to make its currency, the yuan, more flexible but it's ruled out any major changes in the currency's exchange rate. China has come under international pressure, especially from the United States, to change its currency policy ahead of next week's G20 meeting in Toronto. The U-S has accused China of artificially keeping the value of the yuan low to help its exporters, at the expense of foreign competitors, giving it an unfair advantage. It's an issue that goes back to mid-2008, when the global financial crisis loomed and China suspended the steady appreciation of the yuan.
Indonesia proposes flying doctor service
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:27
Indonesia is proposing to establish a flying doctor service. At the moment only tourists and the very wealthy can afford to have a plane reach them in a medical emergency. Now Indonesia's health ministry says it wants to widen the service and provide air evacuations for more remote areas, where reaching a hospital can take days. Indonesia can look to Australia as a good model to follow for an air evacuation service.
New report warns more Australian private colleges to close
Updated 21/06/2010 11:17:27
A new report has found that Australia's private education institutions are plunging deeper into debt because their students are failing to pay their tuition fees. The industry's international reputation has already been tarnished by unscrupulous operators, who've been forced by authorities to close, leaving thousands of international students in limbo. And there are fears that increasing bad debt could force more private colleges to shut down.
Red Cross warns of refugee crisis in Kyrgyzstan
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:40
The United Nations estimates that 400-thousand people have been displaced by the recent violence in Kyrgyzstan. Therere also fears that the death-toll from almost a week of ethnic clashes may be ten times that of the current figure of 190. The Red Cross has described the situation as "an immense crisis." The ethnic violence between ethnic Kyrgzs and Uzbeks may have abated, but the governments of both Kyrgyzstan and neighbouring Uzbekistan now face the huge task of caring for the refugees.
Australia's plan for Asia Pacific Community under a cloud
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:39
When ASEAN foreign ministers meet in Hanoi next month, one of the issues for discussion will be the fate of the Australian Prime Minister's proposal for an Asia Pacific Community. It's been a centrepiece of Kevin Rudd's foreign policy agenda since he came to office in Australia in late 2007 but has had a slow and troubled existence, particularly with opposition from ASEAN states. And Australia appears to be bending to the sensitivities.
UN official accuses Cambodia of human rights breaches
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:40
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on Cambodia says he has serious concerns about Cambodia's human rights record. Surya Prasad Subedi has just ended a ten day mission to Cambodia, focussing mainly on the judiciary, and says he's uncovered serious shortcomings. He says it's a judicial system that's critically underfunded and fails to appropriately train people in the basics of human rights law.
US expert talks of trade implications on climate change
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:39
Respected U-S trade specialist talks about the trade implications of climate action and whether Asia really leads the world.
Bangladesh slum dwellers adapt to internet-based new media
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:39
Two Australian bloggers are in the slums of Bangladesh, as part of an Australian project to raise awareness about the lives of people in poverty. Organised by the anti-poverty agency ActionAid Australia, the two bloggers Australian university student Sharma Bremer and Joel Katz have been in Dhaka for two weeks teaching Bangladeshis how to blog and how to use Facebook and Twitter.
Melbourne train commuters under stress
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:39
Compared to the tightly packed trains of some Asian cities, commuters in Melbourne don't have much to complain about. But with some passengers falling ill in the morning rush, Melbourne's train operator, Metro is stationing ambulance medical officers at the busiest stations. In the last five years, a huge surge in commuter numbers has placed stress on Melbourne's underfunded and inefficient rail network. It's hoped first aid officers can reduce delays by quickly moving sick passengers off trains.
US trade expert says Doha best trade option to help global recovery
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:39
U-S companies are growing anxious about missing opportunities for trade and influence in Asia, if their enthusiasm for the fledgling Trans Pacific Partnership free trade plan is any indication. Even as the T-P-P talks take place in San Francisco, about a hundred U-S companies and business groups are urging the Obama administration to seal a T-P-P deal before the year ends. Now, a respected U-S trade specialist says it's the Doha Round that promises the best chance of maximising trade advantages to help global recovery.
Amnesty report scathing of Malaysia's treatment of refugees
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:40
A new human rights report has described Malaysia as a dangerous and unwelcoming place for refugees, with many often abused, arrested and treated like criminals. The report from Amnesty International says many of the tens of thousands of asylum-seekers in Malaysia face detention in appalling conditions.
Officially, Malaysia has about 90-thousand refugees and asylum-seekers but Amnesty estimates the number of unregistered refugees at more than twice that figure with many of them from Burma. Malaysia is yet to ratify the Refugee Convention and Amnesty is now calling on the government to take steps in defence of the most vulnerable.
Japan's ruling party unveils manifesto
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:40
Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan has outlined plans for fiscal reforms, including rebuilding his nation's finances and cut its huge deficit. Mr Kan, who took over from his unpopular predecessor Yukio Hatoyama last week, also wants input from fellow Japanese, calling for a full debate on tax reform, including a proposed rise in the sales tax. The ruling Democrats' popularity rose dramatically, according to opinion polls, in the week since the former Finance minister took over as leader.
NASA find hundreds of potential planets
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:39
The American space agency NASA has announced that it's found more than three hundred potential planets circling stars beyond our solar system. The planets are roughly the size of earth or slightly larger. The discoveries come from the Kepler orbiting telescope -aunched in March last year.
Asia long way off from UN millenium development goals
Updated 18/06/2010 11:58:39
Earlier this week, we heard from the former head of UNICEF about the importance of education towards achieving the Millenium Development goals. The goals, or MDGs, were identified ten years ago, after world leaders at the United Nations decided on a set of eight ideals to tackle poverty. With just five years to go until the 2015 deadline, the region remains a long way from many improvement targets, such as hunger, maternal and child mortality, disease and gender equality.
Human rights fears for Burma's election
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:06
Burma's Opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi turns sixty-five this weekend, but she'll be spending her birthday at home, as she has for the last 14 years - under house arrest. It's a situation human rights groups are hoping will change after Burma goes to the polls later this year. The election, which is thought to be scheduled for October the tenth, will be the first in 20 years. Groups like Amnesty International say the election risks entrenching human rights abuses.
Australia's human rights chief in Manila
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:06
The President of Australia's Human Rights Commission Catherine Branson QC is in the Philippines this week, to deliver the keynote address at the 14th Asia Pacific Policy Forum on human rights. She's also been meeting with Australian diplomatic and aid officials in Manila, as well as members of the Philippines Commission on Human rights. In Australia, Catherine Branson's also worked on children's rights, counter-terrorism and human rights and the rights of indigenous Australians.
Gradual progress on global climate talks
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:06
Negotiations to get a new global agreement to replace the Kyoto protocol on climate change are making progress. Confidence was deflated when last year's Copenhagen conference failed to seal a binding international deal. But Copenhagen did produce a political agreement with key commitments including limiting global temperature rise to below two degrees celcius, as well as adaptation financing for poor nations. Officials are now in the process of making those commitments work, ahead of the next UN conference in the Mexican resort of Cancun later this year. They've been negotiating in the past two weeks in Germany, where some progress has been made.
Kyrgyzstan crisis escalates
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:06
The humanitarian crisis in the Central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan appears to be worsening. The United Nations says there are now a quarter of a million Uzbeks fleeing the violence, and the death toll is approaching 200, with local authorities fearing the number could rise. Human Rights Watch reports the Kyrgyz military has joined in the violence against ethnic Uzbeks. It accuses the military of firing at Uzbek civilians and handing out weapons to Kyrgyz gangs.
UN likens Kyrgyzstan crisis to tinder box
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:06
United Nations refugee agency planes are landing in neighbouring Uzbekistan, where at least 75-thousand people have fled, before the country closed its borders.
The UN has described the situation in Kyrgyzstan as a 'tinder box', meaning that it could flare up further. The violence could have serious implications right across Central Asia.
China shows interest in mineral rich Laos
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:06
China's Vice Premier Xi Jinping has wound up a visit to Laos, the second stop on a trip taking in Bangladesh, Australia and New Zealand. Xi Jinping is considered China's heir apparent and the man most likely to succeed Hu Jintao as president in 2013. The visit is being taken as a sign of China's growing interest in the mineral rich country - an interest that has some of its neighbours worried.
The demise of Cambodia's cyclo drivers
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:05
Ten years ago nine thousand cyclo drivers made a living pedalling people and their possessions around the streets of Phnom Penh. It was the Cambodian capital's long standing foot powered taxi. But today there are just thirteen hundred cyclo drivers left.
Australian zoos push for palm oil labels to save orangutans
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:05
An organisation representing zoos in the Australian state of Victoria, wants foods containing palm oil to be clearly labelled, as part of a strategy to save orangutans or the apes of Borneo and Indonesia. The proliferation of palm oil plantations in south east Asia means they are encroaching on habitats of orang utans. Zoos Victoria believe if consumers have a choice about using products containing unsustainable palm oil, this could put commercial pressure on producers not to destroy the habitat of the endangered apes.
Sexual harassment cause of female suicides in Bangladesh
Updated 17/06/2010 15:40:06
Suicides by young women is on the rise in Bangladesh because of public sexual harassment. More than 20 women have taken their own lives in Bangladesh since the beginning of the year. It's called "eve teasing" in Bangladesh and legal aid and human rights organisations say it's pushing young girls and women to the edge of desperation.
New global group aims to stop biodiversity loss
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:53
An international meeting in South Korea has approved the establishment of a major global organisation looking at biodiversity and ecosystem services. Government delegates from 85 nations backed the proposal, which they say represents a major breakthrough in a global response to biodiversity loss, including forests, freshwaters and coral reefs. The United Nations says the current rate of species extinction as a result of human activity is more than 100 times faster than the rate of natural extinction. The new body is designed to "bridge the gulf" between scientific research and urgent political action, to stop biodiversity loss due to the human impact on habitats and species.
Greek debt should be written off says Nobel economist
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:53
The drawing of similarities between the Greek debt crisis and the early days of the sub-prime crisis has set off alarm bells around the world. As financial market nervousness spreads, foreign banks are refusing to lend to Spain. Now one of the world's leading economists says the Greek Government's debt should be written off and the country leave the Euro-zone so it can rebuild. Professor Mryon Scholes shared the Nobel Prize in 1997 for his modelling work on derivatives, variations of these products were blamed for some of the most spectacular collapses during the global financial crisis. Professor Scholes says banks in Europe will have to follow the US lead where one trillion dollars in debts have been written off and that Europe's turmoil will inevitably spread to Asia.
Cambodia hosts talks on protecting civilians from atrocities
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:53
After World War Two and revelations of the Jewish Holocaust, the world vowed never again. Yet genocide, ethnic cleansing, and other mass atrocites have continued, from the killing fields of Cambodia to the violence of Rwanda and the abuses in Darfur. Five years ago, world leaders at a UN summit agreed that it's the responsibility of each nation to protect their populations from abuse. That commitment was called R2P, the Responsibility To Protect. It has since been reaffirmed by the UN Security Council. Cambodia is hosting the first in a series of talks on the R2P, to investigate its effectiveness in the Asia Pacific region.
Indonesian loggers find work as elephant keepers
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:53
Indonesia is home to ten percent of the world's remaining tropical rainforests and officials estimate each year 10 million hectares have been lost to illegal logging. Last month the Indonesian government announced a crackdown on illegal logging as part of a one billion dollar deal with Norway to stop deforestation. But this could leave thousands of people without an income. Now, a group in northern Sumatra have taken an innovative approach, retraining former illegal loggers to work as elephant keepers.
The off field battle to host the World Cup
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:53
While the competition at the World Cup is fierce on the field, it's arguably even more ferocious off it. Members of bid teams from Australia, the United States, Korea, Japan and others are all in South Africa to lobby for the right to host the Cup in either 2018 or 2022. But with the massive investment needed to host such a major event plenty of commentators are asking where the return on that investment will come from.
Australia probes taser claims at Indonesian asylum centre
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:54
The Australian Government says it's seeking more information about claims of poor conditions and ill treatment of asylum seekers, including the use of a stun gun, at Indonesia's Tanjung Pinang detention centre, a facility which Australia funds. Asylum-seeker advocates and some Australian politicians allege that it's pressure from Canberra to try to stop asylum seekers arriving by boat from Indonesia that's caused the deterioration in conditions at Tanjung Pinang. Australia's Immigration minister Chris Evans has asked his officials to inquire, saying some deny the claims about the use of a stun gun. But the minister has distanced Australia from direct responsibility for what happens in Indonesian-run facilities.
Growing tensions on the Korean peninsula
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:54
North and South Korea have presented their cases to the United Nations in a dispute over the sinking of a warship. Seoul has asked the United Nations to take actiuons, blaming Pyongyang for the March sinking of the Cheonan, which killed 46 sailors.The North has denied involvement, saying it's the victim. After hearing separate submissions from both sides, UN officials said they had grave concern over the issue and needed to debate it further. But it appears South Korea's patience has worn thin. The country's vice Foreign Minister Chun Yung-woo says the North will be severely punished if it continues to aggravate the South.
Mahathir Mohamad warns against marginalising Malays
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:53
Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has been accused of trouble-making, for saying Malays could be marginalised in their own land, unless they unite politically. Dr Mahathir, whose book, The Malay Dilemma, generated huge controversy 40 years ago, made the speech in the Muslim-dominated state of Trengganu. Civil society groups have accused Dr Mahathir of being provocative, as race and religion are sensitive topics in the multi-racial nation. However, one of Dr Mahathir's former colleagues has jumped to his defence.
Asia's diabetes epidemic
Updated 16/06/2010 11:41:53
Thirty years ago it would have been almost laughable to suggest that diabetes would become one of the biggest public health problems to face the human race in 2010. However, the most recent global predictions by the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne suggest there are 285 million people with diabetes worldwide. And the epicentre for this epidemic is Asia.
Indian authorities say Maoist rebel leaders moving into cities
Updated 15/06/2010 10:56:32
Eight rebel Maoist camps In India have been destroyed by government forces in what's being described as a major offensive in the Borahat jungles in the north-eastern state of Jharkand. Ten rebels were killed and six policemen injured in the operation. Authorities have been under pressure following a wave of Maoist-led violence in recent months. And they're concerned that Maoist leaders may be moving out of their strongholds and into Indian towns and cities.
Malaysia's growing anti--gambling movement
Updated 15/06/2010 10:56:32
A growing anti-gambling movement in Malaysia has vowed to continue holding demonstrations against a controversial sports betting licence. This is despite Prime Minister Najib Razak recently saying that the permit has not been finalised. Last month reports in Malaysia that the government had granted a license to Ascot Sports- owned by firm Berjaya - in a bid to generate tax revenue was met with stiff opposition from a number of political and non-government groups.Gambling is forbidden in Islam but it's not just Muslim groups protesting against the licence in the Muslim majority nation.
Indonesian man jailed for role in Jakarta hotel bombings
Updated 15/06/2010 10:56:32
An Indonesian man has been jailed for eight years for his role in two hotel bombings last year and a failed plot to kill President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The bombings on the Marriott and the Ritz Carlton hotels last July killed seven people and injured more than 50. Amir Abdillah was found guilty of acting as the driver for notorious Malaysian-born terrorist Noordin Mohammad Top who was killed in a police raid last year. Amir Abdullah, who was also convicted of trafficking explosives in a failed attack on the President, says he's only only guilty of the charge of hiding information.
Rebuilding lives four years on from Java quake
Updated 15/06/2010 10:56:32
Four years ago, an earthquake killed nearly six-thousand people in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta and left half a million people homeless. Aid agencies now say they're using their efforts there as an example of how to respond to a natural disaster. But locals say they still need more help.
Japan's space capsule probe
Updated 15/06/2010 10:56:32
Japan's Hayabusa space capsule that landed in the South Australian outback yesterday is being sent back to Tokyo for analysis. Scientists say they'll know within two weeks whether the capsule contains material collected from a near-Earth asteroid. And an Australian scientist has played a vital role in the recovery mission.
One Goal: fast tracking education for all children
Updated 15/06/2010 10:56:32
The humanitarian campaign One Goal aims to harness the World Cup to win support for delivering education to an estimated 72-million children who're currently missing out. One Goal aims to seize the power of football to raise awareness of the importance of education. It's been underway since late last year, with the support of world leaders, including UN chief Ban Ki Moon, US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, Jordan's Queen Rania and South Africa's President Jacob Zuma. Also involved is former head of UNICEF Carol Bellamy.
The state of new media in Singapore
Updated 15/06/2010 10:56:31
The Singapore government has a reputation for low tolerance of dissent, but the arrival of the internet has created new forums for public discussion and comment.
Compared to the 'great firewall of China', internet censorship in Singapore is relatively mild, with sensitive sites including pornography, illegal drugs and fanatical religious content. But that doesn't mean the government does not watch political content on the web. The ruling PAP is using the internet to get its message across. So is new media gaining political traction in Singapore?
China might appreciate yuan before G20
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:42
The latest economic data out of China has a few surprises and some challenges for the government in Beijing. Monthly inflation has exceeded the government's target of three per cent for the first time in more than a year, a property bubble is still a risk and the trade surplus widened to almost 20 billion dollars in May. That provides more ammunition in Washington where angry Senators confronted Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner last week demanding he put more pressure on Beijing to appreciate the currency.
China plans expansion of genetically modified crops
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:42
Millions of Chinese farmers face challenges from drought, soil degradation, shrinking farm acreage and chemical pollution. Pests are also a big problem, leading to the use of dangerous pesticides. That's why the Chinese Government has invested billions of dollars into its genetically-modified seed program. Two GM crops, B-t Cotton and Papaya are already produced on a commercial scale. Now, genetically-modified rice and corn which are resistant to the most harmful bugs are being trialled. However, opponents of GM crops say pesticides will still be needed and it's been revealed that GM cotton has attracted a rapidly multiplying bug which is not deterred by the manipulation of the cotton seed.
Protecting Sonia Gandhi's image
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:42
India's ruling Congress party has been accused of curbing freedom of speech after protesting against a new book and film based on the life of party president, Sonia Gandhi.The party called for cuts to the Bollywood film, which features a woman, whose character resembles Sonia Gandhi. The party's also tried to block the English publication of a novel, even though its Spanish author says it's a work of fiction. Sonia Gandhi has recently stepped up to a more public role after years of running the Congress party from the wings, with a cabinet-ranked post that gives her greater clout in the running of both the party and the government.
Calls for Malaysian websites to shed more light on issues
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:42
In Malaysia, public discourse is being increasingly driven by the smaller operators in new media. The editor of a Malaysian online news site says websites have a responsibility to shed more light on current issues, such as the recent controversy over the use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslim publications.
Australia's Socceroos lose to Germany in South Africa
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:43
Four years of build up and expectations came tumbling down as the Socceroos fought against the might of the German team in their opening match of the World Cup in South Africa. Australia suffered a massive four-nil loss to Germany. To make matters worse, Australia may have lost one of its key players for the next game. Tim Cahill, the hero of the last World Cup, was sent off and faces an automatic one match ban. Australia was always going to be the underdog in the match with the European powerhouse and former World Cup winner, Germany. It was a rude awakening for Australian soccer fans who got up early to brave the cold at live viewing sites across the country.
Questions over teaching sex education in Indonesian schools
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:43
Indonesia has never been a strong advocate for sex education in schools but now, the government's questioning the need for any formal teaching at all, on the subject. The Education Minister, Muhammad Nuh says he objects to sex education being taught in Indonesia's secondary schools. He says children don't need formal education about sex because they'll learn it "naturally". The Minister's comments follow a recent scandal, involving the circulation of sex videos featuring high profile local celebrities.
Trans-Pacific trade talks resume in US
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:43
Talks resume in San Francisco today on a proposed trans-Pacific trade deal, with America's support apparently giving the initiative significant momentum. Washington threw its weight behind the plan at last year's APEC leaders' meeting in Singapore - another member country, along with Australia, Brunei and Chile as well as New Zealand and Vietnam.
Thai protesters still missing after Bangkok rally
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:43
Thailand's government has released a list of arrested protestors, more than three weeks after armed forces dispersed the anti government rally in Bangkok. Hundreds of people were detained in jails and military camps after the army moved in - many without charge. But even now, not everyone is accounted for.
Pakistan angry over Taliban support claims
Updated 14/06/2010 11:59:43
Pakistan has responded angrily to renewed allegations that its military intelligence agency, the ISI, is actively supporting Taliban militants in Afghanistan - and on a much larger scale than previously thought. The report, commissioned by the London School of Economics, says Taliban field commanders that it interviewed, suggested that ISI intelligence agents even attended Taliban Supreme Council meetings. The report follows one of the deadliest weeks for NATO troops in Afghanistan, with over thirty soldiers killed.
Caution urged over Laos' fast economic growth
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:51
One of Asia's poorest nations is being pulled out of poverty thanks to its natural resources. Laos is continuing to experienced positive economic growth because of a rising production of copper, gold, and silver as well as hydro-power. But the pace and scale of foreign investment in Laos is worrying some development partners, who say the country has not yet established proper mechanisms to monitor foreign companies.
Anticipation high for first World Cup whistle in South Africa
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:50
The greatest show on earth kicks off in South Africa today, with the World Cup host nation taking centre stage to play Mexico in front of 95 thousand fans Soccer City in Soweto. The big question that South Africans are asking is will the man the locals call Madiba make an appearance at the game? Nelson Mandela is almost 92 years old and played an profound role in bringing the soccer world cup to South Africa.
Community cleanup underway on Bali beaches
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:50
It may be known as Indonesia's island of the gods, but the irresponsible disposal of rubbish is taking its toll on Bali's environment, including its once pristine beaches . Now, young activists from the group - Make A Change Bali - are trying to raise community awareness about the need for an altogether different attitude to tossing out the garbage. Emma Younger reports.
Aussie convert attracts big audiences on Islamic TV
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:51
An Australian has made a name for himself in Indonesian television, for making Islamic TV cool. TV show host Wahyu Suparno Putro - formerly Dale Andrew Colins-Smith of Adelaide - has lived in Indonesia for 15 years. He converted to Islam 10 years ago and now has a huge following on one of Indonesia's major television networks, Trans-Tujuh.
Thai PM calls for national reconciliation
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:52
Thailand's Prime Minister has offered the anti-government movement a reconciliation plan, three weeks after a military crackdown on the so-called Red Shirt protesters. In a television address, Abhisit Vejjajiva presented what he called a "letter to the Thai people". He called for national reconciliation after months of turmoil which resulted in at least 88 deaths and more than 18-hundred people wounded. The prime minister's five-point plan includes a "national reform" agenda to address social and economic disparities, which caused Thailand's divisions, but also new controls on the media.
Taliban rule in Pakistani tribal areas criticised by Amnesty
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:52
Parts of Pakistan ruled by the Taliban have been described as a human rights free zone by Amnesty International. The human rights group says the radical Islamist group has established its rule in the tribal areas in the country's northwest by killing those who challenge them, and torture of teachers, aid workers and political activists. A report on the situation in the areas, which are administered separately from the rest of Pakistan, accuses the government in Islamabad of abandoning the people living there. Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia Pacific Director, says both sides ought to comply with international humanitarian law.
Afghan surge rethink under way
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:52
Fresh questions are being asked about the conduct of the war in Afghanistan, especially in the country's troubled south. The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, American General Stanley McChrystal, says the campaign in Kandahar province will now happen more slowly than originally anticipated, after frustrating progress in neighbouring Helmand. His comments came as the Taliban was being blamed for a suicide bombing of a wedding party in Kandahar ...an attack that killed as many as 40 people and injured over 70.
Australia following China's lead on mining tax?
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:51
The heated debate over Australia's proposed mining tax shows no sign of letting up. The Prime Minister has held a private meeting with Fortescue Metals Chief Andrew Forrest - one of his fiercest critics - with no real progress made. And the industry's campaign continues with ever more extreme statements. So extreme as to claim Australia is becoming more communist than China. But such claims can backfire - China is currently in the process of raising its resources tax and expanding it to more industries.
Japan's new agriculture minister maintains anti-import line
Updated 11/06/2010 11:24:51
Japan is the target of renewed lobbying by the Australian government and farm groups, who are trying to strike a trade deal between the two countries. Agriculture continues to be a sticking point in the proposed Free Trade Agreement, with the Japanese concerned that cheaper Australian food imports could destroy their farmers' livelihoods. Now, the new Japanese Government has appointed a conservative agriculture minister, considered a 'protectionist' by some.
Gas must be piped to East Timor or left in ground, says Dili
Updated 10/06/2010 12:15:23
East Timor's government is emphatic it would rather leave the Greater Sunrise gas deposits under the Timor Sea than drop its demand the gas be piped to East Timor for processing. In the long running saga of the field, Sunrise leaseholder Woodside recently lodged a "best commercial advantage" report and a draft development plan, concluding that platform-based processing was the most viable. In a sharply worded rebuff, East Timor last week listed a raft of administrative hurdles rejecting outright Woodside's claims. Speaking to Radio Australia, the country's natural resources minister has confirmed his government is not budging, while Woodside has refused to be drawn.
Founder of separatist Free Aceh Movement remembered
Updated 10/06/2010 12:15:23
There was the ending of an era in Aceh last week, with the death of the founder of the separatist Free Aceh Movement, GAM. Hasan Di Tiro died of a lung infection in hospital in Banda Aceh at the age of 84. GAM waged a long and bloody guerrilla war against Indonesian rule in the resource rich, staunchly Islamic region, which only came to an end after a peace deal forged in the aftermath of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami that claimed so many lives in Aceh. One of the architects of that peace deal was former Indonesian vice president Jusuf Kalla, who's now in Australia in his current role as head of the Indonesian Red Cross.
Russia hightlights Afghan drug trade threat
Updated 10/06/2010 12:15:24
Russia says there is another threat from Afghanistan at least as dangerous as terrorism - the drugs trade. Representatives from more than thirty countries are in Moscow for talks on trying to stem the flow of heroin and other opiates from Afghanistan. It's estimated the Taliban earn at least 300 million dollars from the opium trade - crucial funds to buy weapons and ammuninition. Russia says the toll in its country is immense, with Afghan heroin killing tens of thousands of addicts every year.
China will get briefing on Australia's mining tax
Updated 10/06/2010 12:15:23
When China's Vice President, Xi Jinping, visits Australia later this month, he'll be getting a briefing on the government's proposed super-profits tax on mining. As one of Australia's biggest customers, China is concerned about the impact of the tax and so are the miners, who are so enraged, they appear bent on bringing down the government if it doesn't make big compromises. Both sides are trading very public blows with the issue only adding to already plunging political fortunes for the once hugely popular Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.
United States urged to appoint special Burma envoy
Updated 10/06/2010 12:15:23
There's been no word from Burma itself yet, but one influential American senator, with relatively cordial links to the Burmese generals, says he expects the country to go to the polls on October 10th. Senator Jim Webb, who's a leading advocate of engagement with Burma's military rulers, postponed a visit this month after new allegations of Burmese efforts to establish a nuclear program with support from North Korea. He is urging the American Government to support the October vote, despite the exclusion of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy. Senator Webb is also calling on President Barack Obama to make good on a promise to appoint a Special Envoy to Burma.
Australian aid cuts to East Timor under fire
Updated 10/06/2010 12:15:23
East Timor's President has written a letter to the Australian Ambassador in East Timor criticising Australia's aid agency and calling for a new direction in aid spending. Jose Ramos Horta has lambasted Canberra for reducing the funding it provides for a grassroots organisation that helps local entrepreneurs, while still spending millions on highly-paid technical advisers. The Australian government recently announced it will review its technical assistance program, which Canberra expects will this year account for 38 per cent of the country's total aid spending.
World Bank warns of possible double-dip recession
Updated 10/06/2010 12:15:23
The latest worrying news out of Europe has again raised concerns about the possibility of a double dip recession. Public sector workers went on strike in Spain against the government's austerity measures and a major credit agency has warned about Britain's debt levels. It coincides with the latest global economic report by the World Bank which warns of a serious rise in poverty levels if Europe's troubles are not resolved. The report argues a crisis in confidence, or a government default could trigger a large scale recession with serious world-wide consequences.
Cambodia bans film about death of trade union official
Updated 10/06/2010 12:15:23
Authorities in Cambodia are refusing to allow a film about the murder of a prominent trade union official to be screened in the country. The documentary "Who Killed Chea Vichea?" questions whether or not the two men charged with his death were responsible, or if they were framed. It's not clear why the film has been banned. The makers of the documentary say Cambodians have the right to see it.
Japan's PM launches new cabinet
Updated 09/06/2010 12:14:02
Japan's new prime minister Naoto Kan has unveiled his new cabinet amid high hopes he'll be able to make headway in dealing with pressing economic and foreign policy issues. Mr Kan's predecessor, Democratic Party colleague Yukio Hatoyama, stepped down last week amid mounting criticism over his failure to keep his election promise of removing a major American air base from the southern island of Okinawa.
UN suggests greater humanitarian relief role for China
Updated 09/06/2010 12:14:01
The United Nations' top humanitarian official is warning that climate change is set to cause more and more humanitarian crises, through severe weather events that he says are already evident. John Holmes, who's the UN Under-Secretary General for humanitarian affairs, has also expressed cautious optimism about China's fledgling role as a contributor of skills and money to the multilateral humanitarian system. But he has slammed governments for playing what he calls political and security games, even as the cost to ordinary people is being deal with by humanitarian workers.
New Philippine president faces testing times ahead
Updated 09/06/2010 12:14:02
Benigno Aquino has been declared winner of last month's Philippine presidential election, as expected. The son of democracy heroes Ninoy and Cory Aquino, was over five-million votes ahead of his nearest rival, former president Joseph Estrada.
He'll be sworn in by the end of this month, along with vice President from a rival party, Jejomar Binay, who is an Estrada supporter.
Burma pressed on continued use of forced labour
Updated 09/06/2010 12:14:02
The International Labour Organisation says the Burmese military has given no indication that it intends to stop using forced labour. The United Nations' labour agency has been meeting in Geneva, where Burma's use of forced labour and restrictions on freedom of association have been on the agenda.
Scientists prove 'fifth element' in Japanese food
Updated 09/06/2010 12:14:01
For more than 100 years, Japan has claimed the edge over other national cuisines due to a rather unfair advantage. While the rest of the world's meals relied on the four taste variations of sweet, salty, sour and bitter, Japan claims a unique fifth element... which it calls umami.
China defends Internet censorship
Updated 09/06/2010 12:14:01
The Chinese government has defended its right to censor the internet in a policy paper published in state-run media. The 30 page white paper says regulations will be enforced to protect state security and national unity while supporting the free flow of information. Its publication comes after Beijing's high profile battle with Google saw the US based firm shut down its Chinese search engine.
Bow and arrows sideline anti-whaling activist
Updated 09/06/2010 12:14:01
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has distanced itself from anti-whaling activist Peter Bethune over allegations he carried a bow and arrow during confrontations with Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean. The 45-year-old New Zealander is expected to face his final court hearing in Japan on Thursday after he boarded a Japanese whaling fleet ship in February. He is contesting the validity of four charges and denies a charge of assault. Sea Shepherd says Mr Bethune's possession of a weapon while at sea is against the conservation group's policy. The group says it will continue to support Mr. Bethune through his legal battle in Japan, but it will not select him for future anti-whaling campaigns.
Bhopal judgement sends 'wrong message' to business community
Updated 09/06/2010 12:14:01
There has been outrage in India at this week's two-year prison terms meted out to local managers of Union Carbide, the company blamed for the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster that killed three thousand people. In the world's worst industrial accident, the lethal cyanide gas leak also maimed an estimated 25,000 people. Indian government statistics put the chronically sick at another 100,000 in 1994. Victims say they have been treated with contempt by the courts and the Indian government.
Market nerves over Europe and US spread to Asia
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:49
It's a long way from Budapest but Asian markets were battered yesterday as fear stalked share and money markets around the world. Despite generally good economic news in the region, none have been immune from the fears of contagion spreading from Europe's debt crisis. Poor jobs data from the United States last Friday helped the downhill slide after officials in Hungary compared the European country's problems to Greece.
Australian singer excels in Vietnamese opera
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:49
It's been almost four years since Australian singer Eleanor Clapham captivated television audiences in Vietnam by being the first foreigner to perform tuong and cheo or classical & popular opera. Not only was Ms Clapham the first foreigner to do so, but by all accounts, she did it well. After an absence of over three years, Eleanor Clapham has returned to Vietnam, to work on her debut album, titled The Awakening. It's a highly personal work of contemporary music, but which draws from the creative influences of classical & popular Vietnamese opera.
Diplomacy adrift with East Timor buying China boats
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:50
A military parade and blessing ceremony is planned in East Timor later this week to formally mark the arrival of two patrol boats purchased from China. The vessels will be used to combat illegal fishing and other illicit activities in East Timor's territorial waters. East Timor's 2008 decision to go with the Chinese made vessels came as China sought to exert more influence through the use of so-called soft power, in developing nations, and specifically in oil and gas rich East Timor. With the boats now moored in East Timor, Australia is saying it's a bilateral matter for East Timor and China.
Two senior Afghan officials quit over Taliban attack
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:50
Afghanistan's former head of the intelligence service and the interior minister have resigned, after a Taliban attack on last week's national peace conference. Hanif Atmar and Amrullah Saleh say they're quitting because of the lapse in security at the conference. But the events may have more to do with Hamid Karzai's determination to reach out to the Taliban and improve relations with Pakistan.
North Korea reshuffles leadership
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:50
North Korea has reshuffled its leadership, in a rare second session of parliament, attended by leader Kim Jong-Il. The 687-member parliament known as the Supreme People's Assembly usually meets just once a year. A key point of the reshuffle was the promotion of President Kim's brother in law, Jang Song-Thaek to the post of vice chairman of the National Defence Commission, making him the second most powerful man in the secretive nation.
Japanese whalers blow the whistle on whaling program
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:50
Australia's bid to take Japan to the International Court of Justice over its so-called scientific whaling program may be about to get a boost. Two former Japanese whalers have told ABC television's "Foreign Correspondent" program of systemic embezzlement by crewmen onboard Japan's whaling ships. They say that crew members are taking what amounts to hundreds of kilograms of prime cuts of whale meat, either for personal consumption or to sell to restaurants.
Sri Lanka threatens to execute former military chief
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:50
Sri Lanka's Defence minister Gotabhaya Rajapakse has threatened to execute Sri Lanka's former military chief, if he cooperates with any international war crimes investigation. General Sarath Fonseka, who won 40 percent of the vote in January's presidential election, is now in military detention facing court martial for alleged corruption. Defence minister Rajapakse, who's the brother of President Mahinda Rajapakse, made the threat in a BBC radio interview. His outburst came as the President urged Tamil leaders to help resolve outstanding problems, a year since the war ended.
Australia shines at Shanghai Expo
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:49
It's Australia's turn today to showcase its cultural heritage at the Shanghai World Expo. The so-called 'Australia National Day' is another chance for the Australian pavilion to promote its cultural heritage and show-off talented musicians and entertainers. Australia's Governor-General, Quentin Bryce will officiate over the formal parts of National Day and host a lunch to celebrate the contribution of women to both Australia and China.
Vietnamese students drawn to Australian education
Updated 08/06/2010 09:52:49
The very competitive and lucrative overseas-student market pumped 18 and a half billion dollars into the Australian economy last year. Most of that money came from fees and spending on goods and services by foreign students. Vietnam is in the top six as a source country for students who come to Australia, with about 19 thousand Vietnamese currently enrolled with Australian education institutions. Negative publicity over attacks on Indian students and reported student labour exploitation, have not stopped the flow to Australia.
G20 leaders compromise on budget cuts
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:48
The Group of 20 leading economies reached an uneasy compromise on the weekend over the speed of budget cuts. Meeting in the South Korean city of Pusan, the G20 finance ministers agreed that deficit cuts were needed to calm global financial markets rattled by Europe's spreading debt crisis. The United States singled out the need for Japan and European nations like like Germany to boost domestic demand. And it called on China to let its currency rise, to stimulate domestic spending.
New Japan leader pledges cooperation with US
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:48
Japan's new Prime Minister says his country's alliance with the United States will remain the lynchpin of Japanese foreign policy. Naoto Kan, who took over on the weekend as leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and the nation's top job, made the pledge when US President Barack Obama phoned, to offer his congratulations. His predecessor Yukio Hatoyama stepped down, after failing to fulful an election pledge to relocate the American military base from Okinawa. Mr Kan has pledged to resolve the issue in accordance with a recent bilateral agreement.
Mixed score card as World Cup warm up continues
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:46
It's been a day of contrasting emotions in South Africa ahead of the start of the World Cup. The President of the Republic Jacob Zuma and his FIFA counterpart, Sepp Blatter have congratulated each other on a job well done despite a ball being yet to be kicked. But there's been more sobering news for Australia after its loss to the USA in a warm up game. Australia's back up goalkeeper, Brad Jones, has returned home because of family illness.
Expert says China's energy system is faulty and unsustainable
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:46
China's immense and growing economic might could be vulnerable to the weather or rather to systemic faults in it's energy supply system, highlighted over recent years by crises brought on by extreme weather events. There was the drought in the southwest late last year and early this year, which saw a hydropower shortage. A cold spell in November 2009 saw a natural gas and thermal coal crisis and in 2008, a blizzard saw power shortages and a pre-Olympic Games fuel shortage. Economic powerhouse provinces like Guangdong have been thrown into chaos at times.
Burma accused of developing nuclear weapons
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:47
A former senior UN nuclear inspector says secret documents and hundreds of photographs smuggled out of Burma indicate that the military regime is trying to develop nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. The documents and photos were smuggled out of Burma by a defector from the Burmese military. Former IAEA inspector Robert Kelly says the evidence is the most compelling yet, that Burma is interested in nuclear weapons. Based on the findings, Mr Kelly co-authored a new report released on the weekend by the Democratic Voice of Burma. Sen Lam spoke with the DVB's assistant researcher on the report, Ali Fowle, in Vienna.
The demise of Phnom Penh's French colonial architecture
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:46
As a former French colony, Cambodia has a partial pedigree of French colonial architecture, particularly in Phnom Penh and some provincial capitals. But experts say much of Phnom Penh's colonial architecture has been destroyed in the past 20 years, and not much is being done to protect most of what remains.
Robert Gates calls on US and China to resume military ties
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:47
U-S Defence secretary Robert Gates claims the lack of military contact between the United States and China is damaging regional security in Asia. Mr Gates made the warning at a security conference in Singapore on the weekend. He appealed to Beijing to restore military relations, which it suspended in protest at recent U-S arms sales to Taiwan.
Australia to investigate Google for alleged privacy breach
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:47
The Australian Government has ordered an investigation into Google for possible breach of privacy. The Australian Federal Police is now investigating the internet search giant after it was discovered that Google was collecting information about wireless networks for its StreetView application. Google says it was a mistake.
APEC meeting calls for quick resolve on Doha talks
Updated 07/06/2010 11:36:48
When the G20 finance ministers meet again in Toronto later this month, they'll be asked to support the political momentum to speed up negotiations on the stalled Doha talks on global trade. That was the pledge made by a meeting of Asia Pacific trade ministers in Japan at the weekend. The ministers of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum also agreed to outline a plan on possible ways to reach a regional free trade area.
Burgers linked to childhood asthma
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:03
An international study of diet and asthma in children has pointed a finger at fast food burgers. The study also found that a Mediterranean diet high in fruit, vegetables and fish reduced the risk .
Foreign donors pledge record sum for Cambodia
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:04
Cambodia's annual donor conference has ended with donors pledging a record 1.1 billion US dollars for the country's development programs. The government is pleased, but there are plenty of warnings that the country needs to step up the fight against social ills including corruption and increasing landlessness.
Strong demand for Australian natural gas
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:03
The row between the Australian government and mining companies over a proposed new super profits tax has intensified with news that the big mining company Xtrata has shelved more than half billion dollars worth of investment in the country. But it's not certainly not all fear and loathing in the resources sector. The boom in demand from Asia for natural gas, is seeing a string of new projects being developed around the massive gasfields off the coast of Western Australia. Sheryle Bagwell reports from Woodside's nearly completed Pluto gas project near Karratha.
Singapore's students challenge 'elite school' reputation
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:03
It's an issue that many parents struggle with: where to send their children when they reach school-age. Parents in Singapore agonise more than most, and many were surprised by last year's Primary School Leaving Examination when neighbourhood schools trumped their cousins in the elite institutions. Over half of the best pupils attended so-called 'neighbourhood schools'. Yet many Singapore parents still find the 'elite schools' alluring, with their long histories and illustrious alumni. Now, even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong feels compelled to advise students that success does not hinge on going to an elite school.
Under-reporting of assaults on international students
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:03
A study is underway by Australia's Institute of Criminology on the extent of racially motivated attacks on foreign students in Australia. It follows a spate of attacks earlier this year which seriously damaged Australia's international reputation. But in the attempt to get more information, the study has opened a whole new controversy and sparked fears of further damage to relations for overseas students. Australia's Privacy Commissioner has relaxed normally tough restrictions and released the identity details of half a million foreign students to police, who'll match them with known crimes. The matched information -- minus names -- will then go to the Institute of Criminology for its study. But Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, says it's been done without the permission of individual students.
Australian soldier in Afghanistan suffers drug overdose
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:03
Australia's entire special operations task-force in Afghanistan is to be tested for drugs after a soldier was found unconscious due to a suspected overdose. A bottle of pills and white powder - believed to be an opiate - were discovered in the soldier's room in Tarin Kowt. Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston says he's ordered a commission of inquiry into the incident. It's an embarrassing incident for the military and raises the broader question of drug abuse among both serving and returned soldiers.
Indonesia requests information from AFP on Securency bribes
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:03
Indonesia's corruption watchdog is seeking cooperation from Australia's Federal Police to investigate allegations of bribery surrounding the central banks of Indonesia and Australia. The Corruption Eradication Commission says it's checking into claims revealed by the ABC documentary program Four Corners, that a subsidiary company of Australia's Reserve bank paid bribes to Indonesian Central bank officials. The activities of the company, Securency are now under investigation by the Australian Federal Police. Indonesian authorities are yet to be contacted by their Australian counterparts.
Australia reduces reliance on expensive aid advisers
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:03
Australia's international aid agency, AusAID, says it has wound back its heavy reliance on technical assistance, particularly highly paid advisers, to the lowest levels in ten years. The head of AusAID, Peter Baxter, has also welcomed a government inquiry into the use of advisers. Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has at the same time been distributing more of Australia's aid largesse. This time, Mr Rudd is offering help to the Maldives, on the occasion of a visit to Canberra by the President of the Indian Ocean island state.
Old problems face new leader in Japan
Updated 04/06/2010 11:40:03
The race is on in Tokyo to pick a new Prime Minister from the ruling Democratic Party of Japan. The DPJ votes today for a new leader, who will become the country's new Prime Minister, following this week's resignation of Yukio Hatoyama. Finance minister Naoto Kan is emerging as the front-runner.
Australia sorry to see Hatoyama go
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:31
Australia has praised the outgoing prime minister of Japan as a "very good friend", but says the two countries are so close that the relationship will endure irrespective of changes of government on both sides.
Era of cheap labour in China on the wane
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:30
There are increasing signs the era of cheap labour in China might be coming to an end. Honda Motor workers have secured a 24 per cent pay rise after a week of sometimes violent strike action which closed all four of Honda's plants in China. And production workers at the Foxconn factory where there has been ten suicides this year are to receive a 30 per cent pay boost. The second generation of Chinese factory workers are better acquainted with their rights than their parents may have been.
China's Premier on rare Burma visit
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:31
China's Premier Wen Jiabao is on a high-level visit to Burma. It's the first visit to the strategic, resource-rich country by a Chinese prime minister in 16 years. The two countries are expected to sign contracts related to the energy sector and hydropower projects. China is the Burmese military regime's key ally and trade partner, and an eager investor in Burma's huge natural resources.
Japanese MPs prepare to elect new PM
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:31
Japan's finance minister has indicated he wishes to replace Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, who resigned yesterday, over broken campaign promises and plummeting approval ratings. Naoto Kan has told the outgoing PM that he will stand in Friday's party election to choose the Democratic Party's new head, who will almost certainly become the next head of government.
India, US prepare for high-level Washington talks
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:31
India's Foreign Minister, S.M Krishna has been laying out the framework for this week's formal strategic dialogue with his American counterpart, Hillary Clinton. Mr Krishna also says New Delhi is committed to implementing the historic 2008 civil nuclear cooperation accord, which could open the door to billions of dollars in business for US nuclear plant manufacturers and a other businesses.
Mining tax debate follows Australia's Treasurer
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:30
Australia's Treasurer Wayne Swan arrives in Shanghai today as part of a trip designed to sell Australian goods and services to China. But the original goal of his visit looks set to be overshadowed by the growing debate over the government's proposed new super profits tax on Australia's mining industry.
Blindness and the blues: Cambodia's 'chapei'
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:30
Cambodia's traditional music scene has gone through something of a revival in recent years. Almost all of the kingdom's musicians were killed during the Khmer Rouge years in the Seventies and the few masters who escaped have been busy passing on their knowledge to young Cambodians. One of the most famous masters is Kong Nai, a player of the two-string guitar-like instrument known as a chapei. Radio Australia's Liam Cochrane has been in Cambodia and went on a search for the authentic sounds of the chapei.
Police in Aceh crack down on Islamic dress code
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:30
Sharia police have begun enforcing a new law on the wearing of inappropriate clothing in Indonesia's devoutly religious province of Aceh. The ban on Muslim women wearing tight or revealing clothing, which came into effect last week, immediately claimed eighteen women wearing jeans on their motorcycles.
Food security worries father of India's green revolution
Updated 03/06/2010 12:08:30
Nominated by TIME magazine as one of the twenty most influential Asians of the 20th century, M.S. Swaminathan also holds 58 honorary doctorates from 58 universities around the world. The UN Environment Program describes him as the 'Father of Economic Ecology' but perhaps Professor Swaminathan is best known for helping to feed India through the Green Revolution.
'Ibra' payment could save Australian man from hanging
Updated 02/06/2010 11:44:09
An Australian man sentenced to death in Afghanistan may be saved from execution because of a compensation payment. A former soldier who served in East Timor, Robert Langdon was employed by an American company as a security contractor when he shot dead an Afghan colleague near Kabul in May last year. In October, an Afghan court found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to death by hanging. Langdon argued he shot his colleague in self-defence during a heated dispute over convoy security. His lawyer believes the compensation payment, known as ibra, may avert the death penalty.
Australia's off-shore people processing under High Court challenge
Updated 02/06/2010 11:44:09
The Australian government's system of processing asylum seekers off shore is facing multiple challenges in the High Court. As a result, lawyers for more than a dozen Afghan and Sri Lankan asylum seekers, now being held on Christmas Island or as so-called "off-shore-classified detainees" on the mainland, have already managed to delay deportations. But the government says it's confident of winning the cases.
Afghan gathering seeks to build national accord
Updated 02/06/2010 11:44:10
A three-day peace conference or 'jirga' is opening in the Afghan capital, Kabul, to seek national consensus on how to end almost a decade of war. President Hami Karzai has invited 1,600 leaders from across Afghanistan, to ponder the weighty question of achieving enough stability, so the US-led coalition may leave. The meeting comes as Al Qaeda confirmed that its number three leader was killed in neighbouring Pakistan, together with some close relatives.
Israel deports Gaza aid ship detainees
Updated 02/06/2010 11:44:10
Israel has begun deporting the hundreds of foreigners arrested during a raid on an aid flotilla bound for Gaza. It's also vowed to block more aid ships heading for Gaza - even as a seventh vessel leaves Italy.
There's been growing condemnation over this week's military raid that left at least nine people dead, and dozens injured. The United Nations has condemned the acts that led to the deaths at sea, and it's demanding an impartial investigation.
Flotilla attack puts Israel's Asia relations under pressure
Updated 02/06/2010 11:44:10
Israel's reputation in the Asia-Pacific region has taken a hit with the attack on the Gaza flotilla. China, Indonesia, and others have released strong statements and pushing for a full investigation. In an increasingly multilateral world, where China, India, and ASEAN are all gaining profile, loss of support in Asia just adds more pressure to Israel's diplomatic relations.
Rio Tinto and mining in Australia's Pilbara
Updated 02/06/2010 11:44:09
Iron ore is the main raw material needed to make steel and the Pilbara region of Western Australia has a lot of it. Since it was first discovered in the 1960s, Pilbara iron ore has built many Australian mining companies, chief among them Rio Tinto. The multinational is now the world's second biggest iron ore producer, with most of those assets located in the Pilbara. Rio is also one of the most vocal critics of the Australian Government's proposed mining super profits tax. Last week, chief executive Tom Albanese said the tax now posed a bigger risk for Rio Tinto, than any of its projects in developing countries, and confirmed that it had now put its expansion plans in the Pilbara on hold.
Bonn climate talks start in shadow of Copenhagen
Updated 02/06/2010 11:44:09
Six months after the Copenhagen talks which failed to deliver a definitive outcome on tackling climate change, the world is trying again, this time in the German capital, Bonn. Delegates from over 190 countries are taking part, as the UN tries to revive the process for a legally-binding international treaty on climate change. But will it again pit rich nations against poor or developing countries?
Socceroos get first taste of South African match conditions
Updated 02/06/2010 11:44:09
Australia has played its first game on South African soil beating Denmark one nil, at the Roodeport Athletics Stadium in front of a crowd of newly-converted Socceroo fans. Almost all of the crowd was made up of local school kids from townships who won't get the chance to go to any games when the World Cup kicks off in eight days time. It was also the first chance for the Socceroos to encounter the horn that is set to become the sound of South Africa in 2010 - the vuvuzela.
Indonesia's offer to mediate in Middle East peace in doubt
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:58
Tensions are high in the Middle East following the clash between Israeli military and a multi-national group attempting to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza strip.
There are reports that at least nine people were killed as Israeli forces stormed a convoy of ships attempting to break the blockade. The news comes as the US was attempting to gain traction for its renewed peace efforts, with President Obama scheduled to meet separately with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in coming days. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who will be in Washington on June 9th has reportedly described the attack as a massacre. Mr Abbas had just ended a three day visit to the Indonesian capital Jakarta. There, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has repeated his offer to mediate in the peace process.
Illegally harvested timber still imported by Australia
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:58
During Australia's 2007 election campaign, the now governing Labor Party promised it would ban the import of illegally harvested timber and timber products into Australia. Since then, Forestry Minister Tony Bourke has indicated a number of times that the government intends to keep its promise even though there's still no legislation. It's been estimated that about 10 percent of timber imported in Australia was illegally harvested, much of it in the form of outdoor garden furniture, timber for building construction and plywood. Australian retailers, timber companies and environmentalists say the Rudd government needs to be decisive or risk undoing the efforts of countries like Indonesia, to curtail illegal logging.
Music education revived in Afghanistan
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:57
Traditional songs, together with all forms of music, were banned during Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Most of the country's musical instruments were also destroyed. Now, one man is living his dream of reviving Afghanistan's traditional melodies. Dr Ahmad Sarmast decided to give music back to his country, by setting up Kabul's only music school.
Going green, even after death
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:57
Have you thought about leaving this world in a coffin made of potato starch? Or do you fancy being freeze-dried? These are some of the options on offer at a recent Asian funeral fair in Hong Kong. Environmentally-friendly funerals are becoming increasingly popular the world over; particularly in Asia, where concerns over space and pollution are on the rise.
Pakistan restores access to Facebook
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:58
Authorities in Pakistan have restored access to Facebook, two weeks after the social networking website was blocked following complaints of blasphemy. The government last month blocked Facebook and allowed only partial access to YouTube and Wikipedia, because of an online competition to draw an image of the Prophet Mohammad. That drew thousands of people in Pakistan onto the streets, protesting against the sketches. The incident prompted a similar ban in Bangladesh. The Facebook bans also triggered widespread criticism and counter-demonstrations.
Australian defence chief confident about Afghanistan
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:58
Australia's defence chief has predicted a complete turnaround in the situation in Afghanistan, if the Coalition can prevail in the critical province of Kandahar. The region is the heart of the Taliban insurgency and it's where an intensive round of town hall-style meetings, or shuras, is being conducted, alongside military operations, as part of a more people-centric strategy formulated by the US under Barack Obama.
Questions over the role of Thailand's 'men in black'
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:58
The United Nations human rights chief, Navi Pillay, has called for an independent investigation into the recent deadly violence in Bangkok, and for those responsible to be held to account. The comments to the Human Rights Council in Geneva came as the Thai Prime Minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, faced parliamentary censure over the army crackdown on opposition "Red shirt" protesters that left 88 people dead. Among the most contentious issues has been the killing of six people at a Buddhist during the dispersal of the demonstrators on May 19th.
Pakistan sectarian violence blamed on radical Islamists
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:58
There has been renewed violence against the minority Islamic movement, the Ahmadiyyas, in Pakistan. More than 90 people were killed late last week in Lahore, when two Ahmadiyya mosques were attacked. The attacks were blamed on the Pakistani Taliban.
China moves against torture-tainted evidence
Updated 01/06/2010 11:42:58
China has banned courts from hearing evidence that was obtained through torture. Reports from Beijing say the government has issued new rules to stop the use of police torture to get confessions from suspects. The edict follows public outrage over a case in which a man was jailed for 10 years for a murder he did not commit, because interrogators tortured him into making a false confession.
