October 2007
HONG KONG: Suffrage campaigner attacked by critics
Updated 31/10/2007 20:59:53
Hong Kong's leading campaigner for universal suffrage says the barrage of criticism against him by pro-Beijing forces has all the makings of the Cultural Revolution. Martin Lee has been attacked by the media, legislators and protesters, after writing an article in the Wall Street Journal calling on world leaders to press China over its human rights record in the run up to the Beijing Olympics.
INDIA: Containing the surge of the economy
Updated 31/10/2007 20:59:57
India's powerhouse economy set a new record earlier this week, with the main share index hitting more than 20-thousand points for the first time. Foreign investors are scrambling to buy into one of the world's fastest growing economies. But market regulators are anxious to contain the surge.
CHINA: Budget blowout for Olympic Games
Updated 31/10/2007 20:59:51
The organising committee for the Beijing Olympics has just announced it's had to increase the Games budget by nearly half a billion U-S dollars. The total cost of the Olympics has now spiralled to a whopping two billion dollars, with most of that money being spent on security.
BURMA: Drug lord Khun Sa dies
Updated 31/10/2007 21:00:04
One of Asia's most notorious warlods has died. Khun Sa died in Rangoon, where he lived under the protection of the military rulers. He was 74. He once one of the world's most wanted men, with a vast drug-trafficking operation in the so-called Golden Triangle region, which includes Thailand, Laos and Burma.
ASIA: The third great energy shock
Updated 31/10/2007 21:00:01
With petrol prices heading towards 100-dollars a barrel, Asia is living through the third great energy shock of the post-war era, only this time demand from India and China means prices are unlikely to ever go down again. A new Australian study says the problem in the two earlier oil shocks was with supplies of oil, this time, it's demand growth that is unlikely to subside.
CHINA: World leader in low emission vehicles
Updated 30/10/2007 20:47:57
General Motors says China could become the world leader in low-emission vehicles. G-M has just announced a collaboration with the Chinese government to conduct research into alternative fuels, hybrid cars and energy efficiency. It's an attempt to deal with the downside of China's rapid economic growth - the air pollution, carbon emissions and congestion.
TAIWAN: President Chen insists on boosting defence
Updated 30/10/2007 20:48:01
Taiwan has pledged not to develop nuclear weapons, but insists on its right to boost its defences, to counter potential military aggression from mainland China. Following Opposition claims that the DPP government was quietly developing nuclear warheads, President Chen Shui-bian said Taiwan would not develop, introduce nor use nuclear weapons.
INDIA: World Toilet Summit opens in Delhi
Updated 30/10/2007 20:47:54
A clean toilet may be a given in Australia, but the reality is that almost half the world's population lives without access to a hygienic, safe toilet. But the World Toilet Summit is hoping to change all that. Health and sanitation experts from some 40 countries say everyone should have access to a hygenic toilet by 2025.
SOUTHEAST ASIA: Stuck between China and India
Updated 30/10/2007 20:47:54
The concept of Southeast Asia stuck between the economic giants China and India has become a staple image in Asian diplomacy. How can Southeast Asia respond to the challenge from Asia's two giants?
INDONESIA: Constitutional court rejects death penalty challenge
Updated 30/10/2007 20:48:05
Indonesia's constitutional court has dismissed a legal challenge to the death penalty brought by five convicted drug smugglers on death row, two Indonesians and three members of the so-called Bali nine. Their argument that the death penalty violates the Indonesian Constitution which guarantees the right to life was thrown out.
US:Washington's North Korea policy described as split personality
Updated 29/10/2007 21:03:22
The United States says it's moving to normalise relations with North Korea as Pyongyang works through the agreement to dismantle its nuclear weapons program. Washington says that as disarmament continues, it's ready to offer other benefits such as a formal peace treaty. But a new analysis of U-S policy says the Bush administration still has a "split personality" on North Korea.
PHILIPPINES: Estrada pardon could lead to President's fall
Updated 29/10/2007 21:03:28
Philippines president Joseph Estrada has received a formal pardon after being sentenced to life imprisonment six weeks ago for plunder. But many experts warn that by removing Joseph Estrada from the picture, President Arroyo may very well have sealed her own political fate.
SINGAPORE: Government bans gay sex
Updated 29/10/2007 21:03:32
Gay sex is still illegal in Singapore. The parliament has decided against a proposal to decriminalise sex between consenting gay men.
INDIA: Landless Indians take their protest to Delhi
Updated 29/10/2007 21:03:36
Tens of thousands of landless Indian farmers and indigenous people have arrived in the capital New Delhi as part of their month long march to demand land reform and ownership rights laws. The protestors, most of them from India's poorer castes, say they've been marginalised by India's economic boom.
AUSTRALIA: Ausaid helps develop commercial business in Pacific
Updated 29/10/2007 21:03:22
In a major change in direction, Australia's aid organisation "Ausaid" has decided to help develop commerical businesses in the Pacific. The new pilot project is called the "Enterprise Challenge Fund" and it will assist businesses to open new markets and resolve issues like compliance and transport.
AUSTRALIA: Top UN job for counter-terrorism expert
Updated 26/10/2007 19:55:33
Three years ago, the UN Security Council established the Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate. Now it has a new head and he's an Australian. Mike Smith, Australia's Ambassador for Counter Terrorism, takes up his New York posting next month.
He says Southeast Asia has vastly improved its ability to understand and confront terrorism, sapping the strength of Jemaah Islamiah.
WASHINGTON: Crackdown on internet spying for dicatorships
Updated 26/10/2007 19:55:36
A U-S Congress panel has backed legislation to stop internet companies aiding authorities in China to crackdown on dissidents publishing their writings on the worldwide web. If passes, the Global Online Freedom Act will punish those American companies who cooperate with China's technological surveillance of political dissidents.
BURMA: Suu Kyi in talks with government
Updated 26/10/2007 19:55:41
Burma's generals have kept their promise to hold talks with the country's opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Labour Minister, General Aung Kyi has been given the task of improving relations with the opposition. What was said remains unknown, although it seen as a positive step. Pro-democracy activists however, remain cautious.
INDIA: Delhi's monkey menace
Updated 26/10/2007 19:55:29
Thousands of monkeys are making life difficult in the Indian capital as they roam free, routinely invading government buildings. But city planners are yet to decide what to do about the scourge of violent monkeys, especially after the city's deputy mayor died this week while fighting off a horde of the wild simians.
AUSTRALIA: ANZ bank to make Asian acquisitions
Updated 26/10/2007 19:55:29
An Australian bank has announced an aggressive new strategy to share in the spoils of Asia's economic boom. ANZ, the country's third biggest bank, will set aside one billion Australian dollars for acquisitions in Asia. New CEO Michael Smith says he wants to turn ANZ into a super-regional bank, not only in China but in India, Southeast Asia, Korea and Japan.
INDONESIA: Australian mining firm denies illegal operations
Updated 25/10/2007 19:55:31
An Australian mining company has denied reports in the Indonesian media that its mining operations in North Sumatra are illegal. Indonesia's official Antara news agency claims the PT Dairi Prima Mineral mining venture has begun exploration activities in a protected forest, without the necessary approval from the central government.
PHILIPPINES: Blood feuds cause of Mindanao deaths: report
Updated 25/10/2007 19:55:35
Killings in the southern Philippines have for the most part been blamed on the ongoing Muslim separatism and communist insurgency. But a new report released by the Asia Foundation says the major cause of day to day violence in Mindanao is not the well-publicised separatist conflict but rather localised clan conflicts.
PHILIPPINES: New law aims to curb extrajudicial killings
Updated 25/10/2007 19:55:39
The Philippines Supreme Court has approved rules to grant magistrates broader powers to force the military to investigate allegations against soldiers and officers. The rules hope to make the military more accountable, following widespread allegations of left wing activists being killed by Filipino soldiers.
AUSTRALIA: Japan accused of under reporting tuna catch
Updated 25/10/2007 19:55:43
Australia's claim that Japan has massively under-reported its catch of tuna over decades has disrupted conservation negotiations. Japan has hit back, claiming that there's also evidence of under-reporting by Australia and Indonesia.
ASIA: Giant jumbo marks aviation industry shift
Updated 25/10/2007 19:55:27
The world's biggest passenger jet has arrived in Sydney on its first commercial flight. After months of delays and billions of dollars in cost over-runs, the Singapore Airline-owned Airbus A380 jumbo landed in Australia. The historic flight marks a dramatic aviation industry shift from Europe to Asia.
FIJI: Media freedom ranking challenged
Updated 25/10/2007 19:55:27
Fiji is upset about a World Press Freedom report which has ranked the island nation's media freedom at 107th - that's quite a tumble from its previous ranking of 58. The depiction of the Fiji press as not particularly free is being criticised as unnecessarily harsh by many in the local media.
ASIA: UN nuclear watchdog forecasts sharp nuclear energy rise
Updated 24/10/2007 19:51:27
The United Nations nuclear watchdog has published a report suggesting more nations will rely increasingly on nuclear power in the coming decades. The International Atomic Energy Association's report says at the end of last year, there were 439 operating nuclear reactors worldwide, with another 31 under construction. And more are in the pipeline, with many to be built in Asia.
BURMA: Calls more diplomatic persuasion on regime
Updated 24/10/2007 19:51:31
Australia's announcement to slap economic bans on Burma follows similar decisions by the United States and European nations. But one Burma expert says while economic bans are all very well and good, in reality they don't work and quiet diplomatic persuasion is the way to go.
AUSTRALIA: Economic bans announced on Burma
Updated 24/10/2007 19:58:28
Australia has implemented the toughest sanctions it can on the Burmese regime. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has announced economic sanctions will be imposed on 418 individuals, that includes members of the State Peace and Development Council, Cabinet Ministers and senior Burmese military figures.
VIETNAM: Selective abortions blamed for glut of sons
Updated 24/10/2007 19:51:19
Authorities in Vietnam are worried about a growing imbalance in the ratio of boy to girl children. A new study has found the number of surviving male children compared to girls is considerably higher than the international average of 104 boys for every 100 girls. There are concerns Vietnamese parents are resorting to selective abortion to make sure they have at least one son.
ASIA: Skilled workers from China and India in demand
Updated 24/10/2007 19:51:23
Competition in the global market for highly skilled migrant labour is heating up. Industrialised countries are facing a demographic crisis as baby boomers near retirement, leaving a chronic shortage of skills and experience in the workforce.
And they're looking to Asia to fill the gaps, with graduates from China and India in huge demand.
PAKISTAN: Benazir's niece critical of her homecoming
Updated 23/10/2007 20:15:21
Pakistan is proposing banning large rallies ahead of January's parliamentary elections to avoid a repeat of last week's deadly suicide bombings during Benazr Bhutto's homecoming. Ms Bhutto has now suggested taking her campaign online.
But her opponents, including members of her family, say that won't wipe away the blood on her hands from last week's carnage.
CHINA: Reports of force against Tibetan monks
Updated 23/10/2007 20:15:25
A week after Washington controversially awarded the Dalai Lama its U-S congressional gold medal, China's anger continues to grow. Now there are reports that Chinese police in Tibet have used force against hundreds of Buddhist monks who were celebrating the honour.
BURMA: Junta invites UN human rights official
Updated 23/10/2007 20:15:29
Burma's ruling generals have finally agreed to the first visit by the UN's top human rights official in four years.
Paolo Sergio Pinheiro could now be in Burma by mid-November. The timing of the invitation comes as the U-S announces a fresh wave of sanctions against organisations with alleged ties to the junta.
ASIA: Swiss bank UBS urged to drop Chinese listing
Updated 23/10/2007 20:15:16
Rights activists are appealing to Swiss Bank UBS to end its role in launching PetroChina on the Shanghai stock exchange. Petro China is controlled by the China National Petroleum Corporation, the largest operator in the Sudanese oil industry. The activists say the corporation is providing revenue to Sudan and in turn helping to pay for the war in Darfur.
INDONESIA: Palestinian president drums up Muslim support
Updated 23/10/2007 20:15:17
Palestinean president Mahmoud Abbas is in Indonesia to drum up support from his Muslim allies in Asia ahead of a planned conference later this year on peace in the Middle East. Mr Abbas says he's optimistic of a concrete outcome, saying he's confident a resolution will be found by the end of 2008.
ASIA: Real estate boom or bust
Updated 22/10/2007 19:16:56
A new luxury apartment in Hong Kong has just sold for a record price of more than 14 million US dollars. It's a reflection of the city's booming housing market, a boom that's being seen in major cities across the Asian region. But analysts are warning the good times can't last.
CHINA: Congress Party losing rationale for existence:report
Updated 22/10/2007 19:29:49
According to a new study, the Chinese Communist Party's hold on legitimacy is tenuous and the regime is losing its rationale for existence.
CHINA: Communist Party unveils leadership line
Updated 22/10/2007 19:29:54
China's Communist Party has unveiled the leadership line-up that will steer the country for the next five years. President Hu Jintao has won a second term as party and army chief. The four new members of Chinese cabinet include only one obvious supporter of President Hu. That's left observers wondering if he'll be able to alter China's economic policy in any drastic way.
INDIA: Care for elderly at risk
Updated 22/10/2007 19:29:36
An Indian charity has issued a stark warning over the need for better government care for the elderly. HelpAge India says the young are losing interest in the tradition of caring for their elders at home.
BURMA: Curfews lifted, but people still fearful
Updated 22/10/2007 19:29:43
Burma's military government has lifted dusk-to-dawn curfews in the country's main cities of Rangoon and Mandalay. The curfews were imposed amid widespread protests by tens of thousands of monks and civilians last month. However, the whereabouts and safety of thousands of Buddhist monks who took part in the protests are unknown.
PAKISTAN: Reeling from one of deadliest attacks
Updated 19/10/2007 20:14:00
What was meant to be a triumphal return for opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was marred by bloody attacks that left at least 130 people dead.
PAKISTAN: Bhutto says she'll stay despite attacks
Updated 19/10/2007 20:15:09
Benazir Bhutto is insisting today that she'll stay in Pakistan to fight the parliamentary elections, currently set for January.
TAIWAN: Electioneering spells trouble in Taiwan
Updated 19/10/2007 20:15:14
Taiwan faces both Presidential and Parliamentary elections early next year, and already there are warnings of instability between now and the polls. The outgoing President won't be content to sit on the sidelines and seems intent on pursuing his pro-independence agenda.
INDIA: Move to phase out accident-prone buses
Updated 19/10/2007 20:16:18
Privately owned buses in the Indian capital New Delhi are back on the roads after a one-day strike early this week, in protest at stepped-up police checks on drivers and vehicles. Police have tightened up checks on Delhi's so-called Blueline buses, and say they've seized a number of vehicles for flouting safety rules, including tampering with speed control devices
ASIA: Report says bloggers face harrassment, censorship
Updated 19/10/2007 20:18:10
An annual report on world press freedom says Asian countries continue to be among the worst offenders in media censorship and the harassment of journalists. The report by media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders says media freedom remains elusive in many Asian countries - and warns that internet bloggers are increasingly being targeted for censorship and repression by governments in the region.
SOLOMON ISLAND: Japanese researchers study WWII battlegrounds
Updated 19/10/2007 20:19:16
A team of Japanese World War two researchers is currently in Solomon Islands, studying the battlegrounds of the Second World War. The aim is to collect information on Solomon Island battle grounds and Japanese soldiers who died during the war and to return remains.
INDIA: Reports of dirty money flowing in stock market
Updated 18/10/2007 19:55:30
In India, proposals to regulate foreign share investments sent the stock market plunging this week. Mumbai's main index lost nine per cent before recovering as investors panicked about the news. The proposals are aimed at bringing India's market into line with international standards and to ensure dirty money is not being circulated through the system.
JAPAN: Cabinet approves anti-terror bill
Updated 18/10/2007 19:55:35
Japan's ruling party has approved a new anti-terror bill, giving the Japanese navy the green light to continue supporting U-S led military operations in Afghanistan. Japan supplies fuel and water to U-S led forces operating in the Indian Ocean.
But the opposition has threatened to block it, saying the move is just giving the United States and its allies free fuel.
PAKISTAN: Bhutto returns after eight years in exile
Updated 18/10/2007 19:55:41
After eight years in exile, former Paksitani prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, has returned home. She's arrived in the southern city of Karachi, vowing to restore democracy to her country. Huge crowds of supporters have lined the streets to welcome Mrs Bhutto's return. Police however are on high alert, after assassination threats by Al-Qaeda linked militants.
CHINA: Australia doubles red wine exports
Updated 18/10/2007 19:55:27
New Australian statistics out this week show the amount of red wine being exported to China has more than doubled over the past year, reaching 7 million litres. The Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation says Australian wine producers are keen to tap the growing Chinese wine market even further in the coming years.
PACIFIC: Divisions over Fiji's democracy pledge
Updated 18/10/2007 19:55:27
As the Pacific Island Forum in Tonga starts to wind down, Fiji's planned return to democracy is still the hot topic.
Yesterday, Fiji's interim leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama made a commitment to hold democratic elections by March 2009. But today there were clear differences of opinion on what Fiji said it promised.
INDIA: New all female political party formed
Updated 17/10/2007 19:45:13
India has a new political party and its members are all women. The United Women's Front is the country's first ever political party formed by women and run by women. Its aim is to focus on women's empowerment.
INDIA: Nuclear deal with Washington in trouble
Updated 17/10/2007 19:45:19
India's nuclear deal with Washington is in trouble again. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told U-S President George W.Bush says he's having trouble pushing through the landmark accord. Washington insists the deal is by no means dead.
But the Indian Prime Minister's confession is a fresh sign that he may have caved into pressure from his all powerful left wing allies.
BURMA: ASEAN warns against regime change
Updated 17/10/2007 19:45:24
U-N special envoy Ibrahim Gambari has confirmed he'll be making another visit to Burma next month. The diplomat has also used his latest mission to Asia to call on Southeast Asian nations to turn their rhetoric on Burma into real action. But the more radical suggestion of suspending Burma from membership of the 10-nation ASEAN bloc has been widely rejected.
BURMA: International Red Cross seeks access to detainees
Updated 17/10/2007 19:45:29
Burmese authorities are continuing to seek and detain those who took part last month's anti-government protests. State media reports almost three thousand people have been detained since the government began its crackdown on protestors.
Some 500 people remain in custody. The International Red Cross is now trying to gain access to the detainees..
VIETNAM: Hanoi elected to U-N Security Council
Updated 17/10/2007 19:45:01
Asia has a new representative on the United Nation's Security Council. For the first time, Vietnam has been elected as a non-permanent member with a two year term to start in January. Hanoi has celebrated the decision, describing it as a key step in its post-war global integration.
PACIFIC: Fiji vows to hold democratic elections
Updated 17/10/2007 20:56:31
Fiji has made a commitment to hold democratic elections by March 2009. Coup leader Frank Bainimarama made the pledge at the Pacific Islands Forum in Tonga. And it's been enthusiastically welcomed by Pacific leaders, who say they will work to ensure he keeps his promise.
SRI LANKA: Four activists quit rights panel
Updated 16/10/2007 19:25:21
Sri Lanka's reputation on human rights is in disarray after four members of a government rights panel quit in disgust. The four top Sri Lankan activists say they've resigned over the government's failure to stop extra-judicial killings, abductions and illegal arrests.
ASIA: Impact of rising oil prices
Updated 16/10/2007 19:37:12
Record oil prices reached in New York last night have flowed through in Asian trade today as tensions in the Middle East continue. Turkey is threatening to attack Kurdish rebels in Iraq, raising fears oil supplies could be disrupted.
TONGA: Pacific leaders forum opens
Updated 16/10/2007 19:25:16
Leaders from 16 Pacific countries have begun two days of talks at the opening of the Pacific Islands Forum summit. The restoration of democracy in Fiji following last year's coup is topping the agenda.
BURMA: Europe announces tighter sanctions
Updated 16/10/2007 19:25:25
European Union foreign ministers have approved a new set of sanctions against Burma's military junta. They include the embargo on the export of wood, gems and metals. The new punitive measures have been widely welcomed but the U-S is asking Europe to take tougher action.
AUSTRALIA: Christopher Hill optimistic on Pyongyang dismantling
Updated 16/10/2007 19:25:30
The United States says it can see the finish line for the regional crisis provoked by North Korea's nuclear bomb program.
The U-S chief negotiator with North Korea, Christopher Hill says much of North Korea's nuclear program will be dismantled by the end of the year.
NEW ZEALAND: Anti terror raids arrest more than a dozen
Updated 15/10/2007 20:09:54
New Zealand police have arrested at least 17 people in a series of anti-terrorist raids across the North Islands. More than 300 police were involved in the operation, reportedly aimed at Maori sovereignty and environmental activists. Police launched the raids after receiving information that a number of people had taken part in military-style training camps
EUROPE: Calls grow for EU to take tough stand on Burma
Updated 15/10/2007 20:09:58
The European Union's foreign ministers are meeting to discuss what to do about Burma. Burma's generals already face an E-U travel ban and a freeze on assets. Now the E-U is mulling over whether to take tougher sanctions as Europe faces growing criticism over its softly soflty approach.
CHINA: Economic challenges facing Congress
Updated 15/10/2007 20:10:02
The economic issues besetting China's leadership would pose enormous challenges for politicians anywhere. In China they could prove to be impossible dreams.
CHINA: Hu Jintao opens key congress with reform pledges
Updated 15/10/2007 20:10:06
Chinese President Hu Jintao has used his opening speech at the Communist Party Congress to talk about China's problems with wealth distribution, pollution and healthcare.He's even told delegates that the Community Party is falling short of meeting the country's needs. All this from the leader who needs to shift the balance of power in the party so he can finally take control in his own right.
AUSTRALIA: Japan consumers call for ban on GM crops
Updated 15/10/2007 20:09:49
A delegation representing Japanese food buyers has arrived in Australia to lobby state governments to maintain bans on genetically modified crops. They plan to deliver a petition to state premiers to extend the moratoriums on GM crops. Australia remains Japan's last hope for maintaining its supply of non-GM canola.
AUSTRALIA: Foreign policy issues for election
Updated 15/10/2007 20:09:49
It's day one of the official Australian election campaign. Domestically, some of the big issues on the agenda are the economy and industrial relations. Internationally, Sydney's Lowy Institute says nuclear power, Iraq and climate change are the key global issues for this campaign.
ASIA: Maternal mortality rate on rise
Updated 12/10/2007 19:32:23
Seventeen years ago, when more than half a million women lost their lives during pregnancy, labour or childbirth, the United Nations set itself a target. That target was to bring down the number of maternal deaths by 75 percent.
But a new U-N report released today shows that in 2005, that number dropped by less than one percent. But the news is not all bad,
INDONESIA: Heading to Bali as Ramadan ends
Updated 12/10/2007 19:32:19
This weekend Muslims all over the world will end the fasting month of Ramadan, and begin celebrating the festival of Eid al-Fitr. For Indonesia, also a public holiday and for the wealthy, it's a chance to spend the national two-week holiday in a popular destination like Bali, where the island's luxury hotels are booked solid.
AUSTRALIA: Canberra to review awarding of Viet vet medals
Updated 12/10/2007 19:32:19
Australian Vietnam veterans see the Battle of Long Tan as the quintessential episode of their involvement in the conflict.
But for years, they've been angry and mystified as to why commendations for bravery awards were downgraded or ignored completely. The Federal Government today announced a review of the awarding of medals for the 1966 battle.
CHINA: Preview of five day congress
Updated 12/10/2007 19:32:29
Final preparations are under way for a five day congress that will, in effect, deliver the country's leadership team for the next five years. The man presiding over the Chinese Communist Party's 17th national congress will be party leader and President Hu Jintao. But while Mr Hu will soon be able to run China the way he wants, nobody's certain what the secretive leader's vision for the country really is.
BURMA: UN deplores military crackdown
Updated 12/10/2007 19:32:33
The United Nations Security Council has for the first time agreed on a formal statement deploring the Burmese military government's crackdown on pro-democracy protests. The agreement came after China lifted its objections to a statement first drafted by the US, UK and France.
AUSTRALIA: Bali bombing five years on
Updated 11/10/2007 19:54:09
Indonesia and Australia are marking the fifth anniversary of the Bali bombing, which killed 202 people, 88 of them Australians.
Five years on, Australia is remembering that act of Muslim extremism but its also considering a relationship with Indonesia that has changed significantly.
INDIA: UN launches initiative to fight human trafficking
Updated 11/10/2007 19:54:16
The United Nations has launched an international campaign to help combat human trafficking. The initiative, launched in New Delhi, brings together government officials, law enforcement agencies, business leaders and even celebrities to raise awareness and promote international co-operation.
MALAYSIA: Astronaut blasts into space
Updated 11/10/2007 19:54:20
The end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan later this week will be marked by feasting and celebrations in many countries, including Malaysia. But for one Malaysian in particular, a 35 year old orthopedic surgeon from Kuala Lumpur, this year will be especially memorable, even if he's a long, long way from home.
IRAN: Tehran accused of supplying bombs to Kabul
Updated 11/10/2007 19:54:00
Within hours of the death on Monday of an Australian soldier in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan, suspicions were being aired as to whether the bomb involved in the blast might have been made in Iran.
AFGHANISTAN: Taliban kidnap tactics under spotlight
Updated 11/10/2007 19:54:04
After a 12 week ordeal, a German engineer and four Afghans kidnapped by the Taliban in July have been freed in southern Afghanistan. They've been released in exchange for five Taliban prisoners. It's the Taliban's modus operandi, use foreign abductions as a means of strengthing the insurgency. And it's working with unprecedented success.
AFGHANISTAN: Fresh efforts to cut back opium production
Updated 10/10/2007 20:14:29
Afghanistan produces more than 90 per cent of the world's opium and poppy cultivation has skyrocketed in recent years. Now President Hamid Karzai is under intense American pressure to drop his opposition to the spraying of herbicide on opium poppies as the only way to make a serious dent in supplies of the drug.
INDIA: UN atomic chief visit heightens tensions
Updated 10/10/2007 20:14:33
Tensions continue to mount in India with the country's ruling coalition still split over its nuclear deal with Washington.
But those tensions have only worsened with the visit this week of the UN's nuclear watchdog chief. Mohamed ElBaradei.
But his visit has intensified the political flashpoint .
INDONESIA: Opposition to Australian death penalty stance
Updated 10/10/2007 20:14:38
Australia's Howard Government and the Opposition oppose the death penalty in principle, but support the scheduled execution of the three Indonesians convicted of the Bali bombings that killed 202 people. That's brought a barrage of protests from Jakarta lawyers criticising Australia's inconsistency.
CHINA: Proposal to modify universal holidays
Updated 10/10/2007 20:14:26
China is looking at changing the way it takes its holidays. At the moment China has three so-called "golden weeks" for the Spring Festival, May Day and National Day holidays. But now Beijing is considering scrapping those weeks and putting more emphasis on traditional festivals in a move designed to revive old customs and attract more tourists.
NZ: Strong currency blamed for companies moving offshore.
Updated 10/10/2007 20:14:26
The volatility of the New Zealand dollar is being blamed for the exodus of local companies. White goods manufacturer, Fisher and Paykel is one of the big name local firms to move its manufacturing plants offshore.
AUSTRALIA: Asia death penalty debate divides Labor Party
Updated 09/10/2007 19:47:40
The use of the death penalty in Asia has caused a split between Australia's Opposition Leader and his Foreign Affairs spokesman, Robert McClelland.
He's called for Australia to lead a campaign in Asia to oppose the death penalty, and to speak out against the scheduled execution of the three Bali bombers on death row in Indonesia. But the Labor leader, Kevin Rudd, has rejected that call, saying he won't protest at the execution of convicted terrorists in Asia.
PAKISTAN: High death toll in Tribal region, new head of military announced
Updated 09/10/2007 19:47:44
Fierce fighting is continuing in Pakistan's tribal region on the border with Afghanistan. The Pakistan military says the death toll in Northern Waziristan has now reached 200, including 45 soldiers. Its a serious development for President Pervez Musharraf whose win in Saturday's Presidential poll is yet to be confirmed by the Supreme Court.
JAPAN: Gas stations serve up homecooked
Updated 09/10/2007 19:47:34
Driving through countryside Australia, roadside service stations aren't the first place you might think of to get a home-cooked meal. But perhaps we can take a leaf out of Japan's book where cooperative farming is part of the rural landscape. Now, cooperative farmers are providing fresh food and home-cooking at local service stations to build and maintain customer loyalty.
INDONESIA: Poor governance threatens peace in Aceh
Updated 09/10/2007 19:47:34
It's been almost a year since former rebels in Indonesia's province of Aceh came to power. But a new report by the International Crisis Group says in the last 12 months poor governance, crime and unresolved divisions with Jakarta are threatening to undermine peace in Aceh. The report also raises concern over a growing number of acts of extortion, armed robbery and illegal logging by the former GAM members.
BURMA: Military appoints liason for Aung Suu Kyi
Updated 09/10/2007 19:53:34
The Burmese junta has appointed a government minister to liase with detained opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The appointment of a so-called liason man was recommended last week by the UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari after he met Burma's military leader general Than Shwe. The military government says it has asked its deputy labour minister Aung Kyi to help smooth relations with the opposition leader.
US: Washington still skeptical about Pyongyang's nuclear intentions
Updated 08/10/2007 19:48:27
It's been 12 months since North Korea's nuclear bomb test. Following last week's summit between North and South Korea, reports from Seoul say Pyongyang is about to begin disabling its nuclear facilities from the middle of this month.Yet despite this progress, one of the America's top North Asia analysts says the Bush Administration is still ambivalent about the six Party approach to North Korea and has allowed the US alliance with South Korea to fall into disrepair.
PAKISTAN: Two years on since deadly quake
Updated 08/10/2007 19:48:32
Two years ago today, some 80 thousand people lost their lives and more than three million were left homeless after a deadly quake rocked Pakistan in the early hours of the morning. Since 2005, the Pakistani Government and international aid agencies have been working to rebuild the devastated area, mainly in Pakistan's controlled Kashmir region. Aid workers say the relief and rehabilitation effort has been a success, and they hope the Pakistan example can be used as a model for future disaster resposes.
PAKISTAN: Musharraf faces wait on legal challenge
Updated 08/10/2007 19:48:35
Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf has sworn in the nation's former top spy to succeed him as army chief. The appointment of General Ashfaq Kiyani takes Pakistan a step closer to civilian rule. It comes after General Musharraf swept to a landslide victory in Saturday's controversial presidential vote. But the president will have to wait nine days to learn whether his win will become reality. That's when the Supreme court says it will make a decision on the raft of constitutional challenges to his bid for a new five year term.
SOLOMON ISLS: Prime Minister to boycott Pacific leaders meeting
Updated 08/10/2007 19:48:19
The Prime Minister of Solomon Islands, Manessah Sogavare, will be boycotting this year's Pacific Islands' Leader's Forum in Tonga. Manessah Sogavare says he won't be attending next week's Pacific Island's Leader's Forum in Tonga. He says he's unhappy with a review of RAMSI, the Solomons' regional assistance mission.
INDIA: Attacks by vigilante groups on the rise
Updated 08/10/2007 19:48:23
There's been a growing number of vigilante attacks in India carried out by ordinary citizens, who say police are powerless to fight crime. Cases of violent justice handed out by angry mobs are not uncommon in India, but over the past two months there's been a sharp rise in the number of such incidents taking place in cities across the country.
FIJI: US calls for a return to democracy
Updated 05/10/2007 19:43:22
Fiji's military regime has announced it will lift emergency measures this weekend, which were reintroduced last month to gag deposed prime minister Laisenia Qarase. The United States has now made it clear it expects a better committment from Fiji to return to democracy in early 2009.
BURMA: Canberra announces humanitarian aid
Updated 05/10/2007 19:43:27
Australia has announced it'll provide humanitarian help inside Burma to victims of the military crackdown. Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, has announced aid worth four-point-three million dollars. But Australia's dealings with Burma have been criticised by the development lobby group, AidWatch, which says Australian aid is being used to train Burmese intelligence officers.
PAKISTAN: Court ruling allows Musharraf to run in poll
Updated 05/10/2007 19:43:32
Paksitan's Supreme Court has decided that President Pervez Musharraf will get another chance at running the country. The court has given him the all clear to participate in tomorrow's elections so he can secure another five year term. But the court has also ruled the announcement of the results will have to wait pending the opposition's legalc challenge.
JAPAN: Tea farmers set up in Australia
Updated 05/10/2007 19:43:18
The Japanese have been drinking green tea since the early ninth century and now Australia is contributing to their national crop. Since the 1960's sales of green tea in Japan have soared, so much so that plantations in the United States and Australia are critical to meeting the demand.
INDONESIA: Switch to costly polio vaccine to prevent outbreaks
Updated 05/10/2007 19:43:18
The re-emergence of a strain of polio in Nigeria has shifted attention to a dilemma over which vaccine to use. Indonesia and Mexico have announced plans to stop using a cheaper, live vaccine in favour of a neutralised one which is widely used in industrialised countries and which is less likely to cause outbreaks.
BURMA: U-S calls on China and India to sever ties with junta
Updated 04/10/2007 19:48:14
For the second time in a week America's First Lady Laura Bush has called on Burma's military junta to step aside and for the UN Security Council to issue a strong resolution in response to the ongoing military repression. Mrs Bush issued a statement to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations at whose hearings high profile Senators demanded the U-S apply pressure to China and India to sever ties with the regime.
KOREA: International investors talk up Pyongyang possibilities
Updated 04/10/2007 19:48:25
Pyongyang has agreed to disable the three main nuclear facilities at its Yongbyon site and provide a full declaration of all its nuclear programmes by the end of the year. And that could point the way to North Korea taking a step out of its isolated position in the international community -- and becoming the 'next big thing' for international investors.
KOREA: Summit ends with call for permanent peace
Updated 04/10/2007 19:48:31
After three days of talks in Pyongyang, South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong Il say they want a formal end to the Korean War. They've signed a joint statement saying they want an international summit to disccuss a treaty to replace the 1953 armistice. But some observers say the talks were a big disappointment.
INDIA: Booker prize winner Desai visits Bali
Updated 04/10/2007 19:47:59
Indian writer Kiran Desai is the youngest woman ever to take home the 50-thousand-pound Booker Prize which she won last year for her second book, "The Inheritance of Loss". The judges described her book as "a globalised novel for a globalised world" and Desai dedicated it to her mother Anita, who's been nominated three times for the Booker without winning. Kiran Desai has been visiting Bali for the annual Ubud Writers and Readers Festival.
ASIA: 50 years from Sputnik, Asia takes space race lead
Updated 04/10/2007 19:48:02
It's been 50 years since the Soviet Union made history with the launch of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. At the time, the space age was led by Russia and the United States. Later on, Europe got involved and the end of the Cold War saw unprecedented cooperation on the launch and manning of the International Space Station. But with falling space budgets in the U-S, and the collapse of the USSR, the space age torch has been picked up by Asian countries like China, Japan, India and South Korea.
EAST TIMOR: Arrest of Railos welcomed by UN
Updated 03/10/2007 19:38:46
There's been another high profile arrest made in relation to last year's deadly riots. "Railos" or Vicente da Conceicao is alleged to have led armed civilians in attacks against East Timor's military personnel in May. The crisis saw a renewed United Nations security presence and contributed to the downfall of the Government of Mari Alkitiri.
KOREA: Talkfest continues at historic summit
Updated 03/10/2007 19:38:52
There's been more show, and only a little substance, on day two of the historic face to face meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea. North
But the significant developments in the future for the Korean peninsula could be happening elsewhere. The United States has signed up to an agreement that could end in North Korea being taken off a list of countries that sponsor terrorism.
PAKISTAN: Political strategies ahead of presidential poll
Updated 03/10/2007 19:39:19
Pakistan has announced it will drop corruption charges against former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, clearing the way for her to push for a power sharing arrangement with President General Musharraf. The amnesty deal for Benazir Bhutto comes as the General continues to solidify his position. He's just named the former head of Pakistan's spy agency as the country's new army chief, once he hangs up his military uniform and moves towards his promise of civilian rule.
INDONESIA: Islamic superheroes to the rescue
Updated 03/10/2007 19:38:42
Move over Spiderman, a new comic book featuring Islamic superheroes has been launced in Indonesia. Creators of 'the 99' say the comic is a metaphor for what is happening in the Islamic world. Created in Kuwait, the comic features 99 superheros, each who posess one of the 99 atributes of God in Islam.
Distributers in Indonesia expect the comic to be a big seller.
INDONESIA: Muslim leader blames West for rise of terrorism
Updated 03/10/2007 19:38:42
The man being touted as a future Indonesian President says the root cause of Islamic terrorism rests with the West. Din Syamsuddin is one of Indonesia's most senior Muslim leaders. In this broad ranging interview about countering islamic radicalism in Indonesia, he defends his own controversial behaviour.
CHINA: Cities headed for water crisis
Updated 02/10/2007 20:17:20
The Chinese city of Shijiazhuang is typical of many of China's big cities in the north. It boasts an annual economic growth rate of more than 11 percent and is peppered with new housing developments along its lakes. But the waterfront development comes at a price. The lakes are full of pumped groundwater which also supplies the rest of the city's water needs. Now, analysts warn some of China's cities are headed for a water crisis, as the water-table dramtically drops.
KOREA: Two leaders meet for historic summit
Updated 02/10/2007 20:17:36
For the second time in 50 years, the leaders of North and South Korea are meeting for a historic summit. It comes amidst a carnival of colour and a carefully stage managed beginning, with South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun getting out of his motorcade to walk across the border. President Roh is now under increasing pressure to deliver more than just symbolism from his two days of talks with the reclusive Kim Jong Il.
SOLS: Honiara critical of Australia at UN
Updated 02/10/2007 20:17:28
Solomon Islands has launched a scathing attack on Australia at the United Nations, saying Canberra is frustrating the country's efforts to reclaim its sovereignty and independence. Australia is the dominant presence in the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, RAMSI. Solomon Islands foreign minister Patteson Oti has called on the UN to take over RAMSI's operation from Australia, describing it as "a continued occupation."
BURMA: Canberra accused of being soft on military regime
Updated 02/10/2007 20:17:32
The UN special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari has finally met with the country's military leader Than Shwe. It's understood the UN envoy has conveyed the global outrage over the military crackdown. Australia has also taken a lead in the diplomatic war, refusing to accept Burma's nomination as Australian ambassador because he was a general in the country's military regime. But Australia's peak non-government aid body says Australia is being too soft on the military regime.
BURMA: International pressure on ruling junta intensifies
Updated 01/10/2007 20:12:27
United Nations' special envoy to Burma, Ibrahim Gambari, is in the country hoping to mediate between the military rulers and the opposition. The envoy's visit comes as one rights group estimates that up to 15-hundred people were thrown in jail last week during the junta's crackdown.
BURMA: India breaks silence on protests
Updated 01/10/2007 20:12:44
China and India have been coming under increasing pressure to use their influence over their close neighbour and trading partner, Burma. At the weekend India finally broke its silence, with New Delhi calling for 'broad-based and inclusive political reform' in Burma.
PAKISTAN: Clashes follow Musharraf's Supreme Court win
Updated 01/10/2007 20:12:53
This weekend saw a violent police crackdown on protests by journalists, lawyers and opposition in Pakistan. It followed a key victory for President Pervez Musharraf in the Supreme Court in his bid for another five-year term.
JAPAN: Postal Service becomes world's biggest bank
Updated 01/10/2007 20:16:18
The Japan Postal Service is going private in an operation that's about much more than the delivery of mail. In effect, the Post becomes the world's biggest bank, with almost $US3 trillion dollars in savings and life insurance policies.
JAPAN: Okinawans protest over school textbook rewrites
Updated 01/10/2007 20:17:06
More than 100,000 people have rallied on the Japanese island of Okinawa, furious at proposals by the government to remove references from school textbooks to military brutality towards Japanese citizens during World War II.
