July 2008
Opposition rejects Cambodian election results
Updated 31/07/2008 20:24:51
In Cambodia, several opposition parties have rejected the results of last weekend's elections, saying the vote was rigged in favour of the ruling Cambodian People's Party.
IOC apologises for internet backflip
Updated 31/07/2008 20:24:51
Chinese Olympic organisers have reneged on their promise to offer journalists full media access during the Games, and the IOC press chief Kevin Gosper has apologised for misleading journalists on the issue.
Thaksin's wife guilty of tax evasion
Updated 31/07/2008 20:24:51
Thailand's Supreme Court has dealt a body blow to the family of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, finding Mr Thaksin's wife Pojaman Shinawatra guilty of tax evasion.
Disney's China fortunes revived
Updated 31/07/2008 20:24:51
The China fortunes of media and entertainment giant, Disney, could be revived through two deals offering it preferential status.
World Bank concerns about East Timor's budget
Updated 31/07/2008 20:24:51
East Timor's government is again under-fire for it's desire to withdraw more money from its petroleum fund to pay for the mid-year rectification budget.
Nauru signs Australian funding agreement
Updated 31/07/2008 20:24:51
The Australian government has agreed to provide more than $US27 million dollars in aid and assistance to Nauru for the next financial year.
Double blow for Thai Samak government
Updated 30/07/2008 21:02:38
A key party in Thailand's struggling coalition government has pulled out from the alliance.
Australia offers military advisers to Pakistan
Updated 30/07/2008 21:02:38
Australia will offer to send military advisers to Pakistan to help the country control Taliban insurgents operating on its border with Afghanistan.
Presenter: Sonja Heydeman
Speaker: Australian Defence Minister, Joel Fitzgibbon; Neil James, Executive Director of the Australia Defence Association, Pakistani Retired Army Lieutenant General Talat Masood.
China blocks internet access for foreign media
Updated 30/07/2008 21:02:38
China has broken one of the key promises it made to secure the Games back in 2001.
Calls for WTO reform after Doha talks fail
Updated 30/07/2008 21:02:39
International trade analysts are calling for a change in the way the World Trade Organisation does business.
East Timor's coffee growers hit by Starbucks closures
Updated 30/07/2008 21:02:38
Coffee is East Timor's primary export and its main buyer is Starbucks, the US based coffee giant, so with Starbucks set to close most of its cafes in Australia, what does this mean for the farmers in East Timor?
Rights activists sceptical about Papua inquiry
Updated 30/07/2008 21:02:38
Human rights activists in the Indonesian province of Papua have given a lukewarm reception to news of an investigation into alleged rights violations.
Japan considers new refugee policy
Updated 29/07/2008 20:32:49
Australia has announced plans to wind down its mandatory detention policy and now Japan is also proposing a shift in its controversial approach to refugees.
Social networking hits Indonesia's 2009 campaign
Updated 29/07/2008 20:32:49
A week after the call by Indonesia's president Susilo Bambang Yudhyono for fresh political blood to contest next year's general elections, two new candidates have emerged who say they want the President's job.
China denies militant group caused bus blasts
Updated 29/07/2008 20:32:49
Chinese authorities have dismissed claims by a militant Islamic group that it was responsible for the recent explosions on buses.
Pakistan vows to secure border with Afghanistan
Updated 29/07/2008 20:32:49
Pakistan has pledged to do more to secure its porous border with Afghanistan, to crack down on Pakistan-based militants.
Indian quota plan to close political gender gap
Updated 29/07/2008 20:32:49
In India, the world's largest democracy, as few as nine per cent of parliamentarians are women.
Tongan King gives up powers
Updated 29/07/2008 20:32:49
Tonga's King has announced he is giving up many of his powers and becoming more of a figurehead.
Second major Australian bank announces billion dollar losses
Updated 28/07/2008 20:50:49
Another major Australian bank has announced big losses from the global credit crunch.
EU upholds Indonesian air ban
Updated 28/07/2008 20:50:49
The European Union has maintained a ban on all Indonesian airlines flying to member nations, citing Jakarta's failure to improve safety standards.
Condoleezza Rice calls for Fiji Elections next March
Updated 28/07/2008 20:50:49
US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says her government has joined the Pacific Forum, Australia and New Zealand in demanding Fiji keep its promise to hold elections next March.
CPP sweep election amid accusations of 'cheating'
Updated 28/07/2008 20:50:49
In Cambodia, early returns show Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party took nearly 60 per cent of the vote in Sunday's election. But the opposition has accused the ruling party of widespread cheating, with thousands of names removed from voting lists.
Indian blasts prompt criticism of 'lax' authorities
Updated 28/07/2008 20:50:49
India remains on high alert after a string of bomb attacks on the weekend in two major cities.
East Timor journalists face uncertain future
Updated 28/07/2008 20:50:48
Over the weekend, East Timor held its first awards ceremony to honor the nation's journalists.
Oil companies take on China
Updated 25/07/2008 20:09:17
Two of the world's largest oil companies are taking on China in a dispute that involves Vietnam and the South China Sea.
Reform needed to halt Indonesian inflation, poverty
Updated 25/07/2008 20:09:17
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development says Indonesia must achieve significant economic reform to attract foreign investment, curb inflation and reduce growing poverty.
Cambodian campaign relatively peaceful, says observer
Updated 25/07/2008 20:10:39
Foreign observers have been keeping a close eye on Cambodian campaigning and will be out at polling stations on Sunday
Hun Sen set to be returned in Cambodian polls
Updated 25/07/2008 20:10:39
Cambodia's long-ruling Prime Minister, Hun Sen, looks set to notch up another election victory on Sunday.
Toxic clean-up comes 24 years after disaster struck
Updated 25/07/2008 20:09:16
Twenty-four years after a gas leak in the central Indian city of Bhopal killed thousands of people, the clean up of toxic waste has only just begun.
Fiji's interim finance minister denies sacking
Updated 25/07/2008 20:09:17
Fiji's interim Finance minister, Mahendra Chaudhry, had blamed reports he is to be sacked on his enemies overseas and in Fiji.
Fiji's Commodore denies sacking Chaudhry
Updated 24/07/2008 20:29:53
Fiji's Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama has denied he is trying to sack his finance minister, Mahendra Chaudhry.
Mongolian opposition MPs boycott parliament
Updated 24/07/2008 20:29:53
The Mongolian government is in limbo, after all 25 opposition Democrat MPs walked out of parliament, leaving the president without the quorum of MPs required to legally swear them in.
China designates Olympic protest zones
Updated 24/07/2008 20:29:53
Chinese authorities will allow public protests inside three designated city parks, during next month's Olympic Games.
Garuda pilot's 'deep mourning' for victims
Updated 24/07/2008 20:29:53
The Indonesian pilot who was flying Garuda Flight 200 when it crashed at Yogyakarta last March says he hopes to fly again.
Big talks, little progress at ASEAN summit
Updated 24/07/2008 20:29:53
This week's ASEAN Regional Forum, the region's major security dialogue, covered topics including North Korea and regional responses to natural disasters.
World's whistlers tune up in Japan
Updated 24/07/2008 20:29:53
Japan is hoping to blow away deeply ingrained supersititons and a little apathy by hosting the International Whistlers Convention.
Outcry over East Timor budget reshuffle
Updated 23/07/2008 20:29:51
In East Timor, eyebrows have been raised over plans to take money from the country's petroleum fund to more than double the 2008 state budget.
Indonesia to revisit Suharto-era military killings
Updated 23/07/2008 20:29:51
Indonesia is to revisit another violent chapter of the Suharto regime with an investigation into a campaign of extra-judicial killings by the Indonesian military between 1983 and 1985.
Six party nuke talks resume on ASEAN sidelines
Updated 23/07/2008 20:29:51
North Korean nuclear disarmament talks are underway; the first such meeting between foreign ministers from Japan, the US, China, Russia and the two Koreas, since the talks began five years ago.
India's government survives confidence vote
Updated 23/07/2008 20:29:51
India's Congress-led government has survived a parliamentary vote of confidence by a margin of just 19 votes.
Chinese high-speed train links Olympic cities
Updated 23/07/2008 20:29:51
An ultra high speed train - claimed to be the fastest in the world - has been put to the test in northern China, linking Beijing with the Olympic co-host city of Tianjin.
Strong policy needed to avert Vietnam financial crisis
Updated 23/07/2008 20:29:51
The Asian Development Bank has warned Vietnam could be facing an economic meltdown like the one suffered by Thailand in 1997.
Burma's billion-dollar cyclone repair bill
Updated 22/07/2008 20:37:04
A new report concludes that more than $US1 billion is needed over the next three years to help the people of Burma rebuild after Cyclone Nargis.
Sri Lanka rebels offer ten-day ceasefire
Updated 22/07/2008 20:37:04
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have declared a unilateral ceasefire for the duration of the South Asian leaders summit; while the government has rejected the gesture.
Presidential rumours fly in Fiji
Updated 22/07/2008 20:37:04
The New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, says Fiji coup leader and self-appointed interim Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama may promote himself to President.
Talks fail to resolve temple dispute
Updated 22/07/2008 20:37:04
Crisis talks between Thailand and Cambodia have failed to resolve a military standoff between the two countries.
Crunch time for India's government
Updated 22/07/2008 20:37:04
India's Congress-led government is fighting for its survival, after its communist allies withdrew their support over a nuclear agreement with the United States.
Beijing's tourism boom yet to take shape
Updated 22/07/2008 20:37:04
As China's capital, Beijing, gears up for the summer Olympic Games and the Paralympics, the expected tourism boom is yet to take shape.
Court orders Bangladesh government to justify emergency rule
Updated 21/07/2008 20:43:26
Bangladesh's High Court has ordered the government to show that its ongoing state of emergency is legal.
Bus blasts prompt Olympic terror fears
Updated 21/07/2008 20:43:26
In China, police are calling explosions on two public buses in Kunming, in Yunnan province, a deliberate, man-made act of sabotage.
ASEAN talks underway in Singapore
Updated 21/07/2008 20:43:26
Political prisoners in Burma and the Thai-Cambodia border crisis have dominated early talks between Southeast Asian foreign ministers.
Obama vows foreign policy shift to Afghanistan
Updated 21/07/2008 20:43:26
US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has arrived in Iraq, vowing to pull out US troops within sixteen months and make Afghanistan his foreign policy focus if he wins office.
Pacific Forum slams Fiji's election delay
Updated 21/07/2008 20:43:26
In Fiji, there's been a negative reaction to the decision of interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama to delay the elections he had promised to hold next March.
Cambodians fight for Phnom Penh's architectural legacy
Updated 21/07/2008 20:43:25
Property developers are flooding into Phnom Penh, and a dedicated group of young architects is trying to hold on to the city's architectural legacy.
PNG demands Indonesian apology over alleged border raid
Updated 18/07/2008 20:37:49
Nearly 200 Papua New Guinea villagers have been left homeless after Indonesian soldiers allegedly burnt their homes.
Australia won't intervene in bombers' execution
Updated 18/07/2008 20:37:49
A presidential pardon is the only legal option left for the three Indonesian men on death row for the 2002 Bali bombings.
Thai-Cambodian ties deteriorate over temple dispute
Updated 18/07/2008 20:37:49
Thai-Cambodian border tensions have moved up a notch, after soldiers pointed their weapons at each other for the first time.
NGO activist questions government commitment to elections
Updated 18/07/2008 20:37:49
A well-known Fiji NGO activist says she's not sure if the interim government is actually serious about holding elections at all.
Fiji's interim government says no elections next year
Updated 18/07/2008 20:37:49
Fiji's interim attorney-general Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum is non-commital about when he thinks elections can be held.
US navy ship brings health services to East Timorese
Updated 18/07/2008 20:37:49
East Timor's fledgling health services are still in great need of support from outside nations; now a United States navy hospital ship has offered to lend a hand.
China's growth tipped to fall below 10 per cent
Updated 17/07/2008 20:40:41
According to a prominent market economist, China's growth rate will fall to below ten per cent this year because of the weakness in the United States.
Thai Muslim rebels sent to 're-education' camps
Updated 17/07/2008 20:40:41
Thailand's military is employing a new strategy to combat Islamic separatists in the country's troubled Southern provinces.
US backflips on Chevron's Burma sanctions
Updated 17/07/2008 20:40:41
The United States has reversed a decision to impose sanctions on energy giant, Chevron, over its operation in military-controlled Burma.
Breakthrough in Philippines peace talks
Updated 17/07/2008 20:40:41
There has been a breakthrough in stalled peace negotiations between the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Diplomatic row over PNG dance troupe
Updated 17/07/2008 20:40:40
Papua New Guinea may lodge a complaint about Canada with the United Nations, after a PNG dance troupe was deported from Vancouver.
Fiji announces major overhaul of media laws
Updated 17/07/2008 20:40:40
An emergency meeting of Fiji's media council has been called in response to the interim government's announcement of new media regulations.
Indonesian military strongman enters presidential race
Updated 16/07/2008 20:23:58
A controversial former Indonesian military commander, Prabowo Subianto, has announced his candidacy for next year's presidential election.
Pacific foreign ministers wrap up Fiji talks
Updated 16/07/2008 20:23:58
The Pacific Forum "Fiji Ministerial Contact Group" has finished its meetings and consultations in Fiji.
Political furore follows Anwar's arrest
Updated 16/07/2008 20:23:58
The arrest of Malaysia's opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim has set the stage for a political showdown echoing the events of ten years ago.
East Timor's Olympic dream in tatters
Updated 16/07/2008 20:23:58
Severe shortages of money, facilities and equipment, as well as in-fighting among sports associations, means East Timor faces more obstacles than most in achieving its Olympic dream.
Australia warned of climate change refugee crisis
Updated 16/07/2008 20:23:58
On the day the Australian Government has released its green paper on climate change the World Bank is warning future climate change refugees present the government with a major policy challenge.
ICC puts China's Sudan ties in spotlight
Updated 15/07/2008 20:33:45
China has long stared down criticism of its relationship with Sudan, but its resolve will be tested as the International Criminal Court seeks the arrest of Sudan's President for genocide in Darfur.
China must commit to deeper emissions cuts: UN advisor
Updated 15/07/2008 20:33:45
One of the world's leading international economists says it's time all nations, including China, commit to reducing emissions faster.
Australia says Fiji election talks productive
Updated 15/07/2008 20:33:45
In Fiji, foreign ministers are meeting to ensure the country is on track to meet its pledge to hold elections in March next year.
Wiranto too weak to stop East Timor abuse: Downer
Updated 15/07/2008 20:33:45
Indonesia has for the first time acknowledged its role in the devastating violence of East Timor's independence vote eight years ago, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono formally accepting the report of the Commission of Truth and Friendship.
Electricity campaign for world's poorest
Updated 15/07/2008 20:33:45
An Indian energy research institute has launched a campaign to provide lighting to over a billion people who don't have access to basic electricity.
International forces suffer deadliest day in Afghanistan
Updated 14/07/2008 20:28:00
Coalition forces have suffered their biggest loss in a single day since the start of military operations against the Taliban in late 2001.
PNG concerns over Indonesian border crossings
Updated 14/07/2008 20:28:00
Papua New Guinea has raised concerns that Indonesian soldiers are allegedly violating border agreements between the two countries.
East Timor victims demand justice
Updated 14/07/2008 20:28:00
The recommendations of the East Timor Truth and Friendship Commission may not be enough for those who suffered during the struggle
Malaysian opposition MPs storm out of parliament
Updated 14/07/2008 20:28:00
Malaysian opposition MPs walked out of parliament after the lower house speaker rejected their motion for a debate of no confidence in Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.
Western diets blamed for China's rising obesity
Updated 14/07/2008 20:27:59
A new study has found that obesity levels are rising sharply in China - with more than a quarter the adult population said to be overweight.
Journalist murder overshadows Cambodia's elections
Updated 14/07/2008 20:28:00
The killing of 47-year old opposition newspaper reporter and his son appears to be a targetted assassination.
Vietnamese mourn leading dissident monk
Updated 11/07/2008 20:21:12
Thousands of mourners turned out for the funeral of Vietnam's top dissident Buddhist monk, Thich Huyen Quang.
East Timor minister answers budget critics
Updated 11/07/2008 20:21:12
East Timor's Finance Minister says the nation's Petroleum Fund is not sustainable, even with conservative and prudent management of the investment of oil revenues.
Indonesia accepts 'moral obligation' over East Timor abuses
Updated 11/07/2008 20:21:12
The Indonesian government says it recognises its 'moral obligation' to act on the findings of the East Timor Truth and Friendship Commission.
Hunt for Asia Pacific 'superfoods'
Updated 11/07/2008 20:21:12
The hunt is on for the new 'superfoods' from the Asia Pacific - some of which have been part of the Asia Pacific diet for centuries.
Mixed report card for Solomons' government
Updated 11/07/2008 20:21:12
The Solomon Islands' opposition has indicated that it will use this months sitting of parliament to challenge the current government of Doctor Derek Sikua.
India's ruling party scrambles to form coalition
Updated 10/07/2008 21:06:30
India's ruling party is furiously trying to cobble together a parliamentary coalition, after the left parties made good on their threat to quit the coalition if a controversial nuclear deal with the US went ahead.
Billions 'missing' from Indonesian oil, gas revenue
Updated 10/07/2008 21:06:30
Indonesia's corruption watchdog has opened an investigation into the disappearace of 23 billion US dollars in state oil and gas revenues.
Reports Malaysian PM to stand down in 2010
Updated 10/07/2008 21:06:30
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd under fire for not meeting Malaysia's opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim; meanwhile, increased media speculation Prime Minister Badawi will announce plans to resign in June 2010.
Thai government in disarray as Foreign Minister resigns
Updated 10/07/2008 21:06:30
Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama has been forced to resign, days after a top court found he violated the constitution by backing Cambodia's bid to put a disputed temple on the World Heritage list.
Cricket gaining ground in Asian nations
Updated 10/07/2008 21:06:30
Cricket is making significant inroads into Asia's non-traditional cricketing nations, including China and Malaysia
Asian workers abused in Saudi homes: report
Updated 10/07/2008 21:06:30
A US-based human rights group says Saudi Arabian families are abusing female migrant workers to the point of slavery.
Hong Kong's 'conscience of the nation' bows out
Updated 09/07/2008 20:34:17
Hong Kong's leading democracy advocate, Anson Chan, has announced that she will not be seeking a second term in September's Legislative Council elections.
Government inaction blamed for Papuan cholera outbreak
Updated 09/07/2008 20:34:18
Human rights activists say a cholera outbreak in the highlands of Indonesian Papua has left 159 dead and is spreading.
Thailand party ban could topple new government
Updated 09/07/2008 20:34:18
A senior member of the governing People Power Party has been banned from politics after being found guilty of electoral fraud, and he could take the party down with him.
G8 emissions targets a 'backward step'
Updated 09/07/2008 20:34:18
The G8's target to cut global greenhouse emissions by half by 2050 is being criticised as a step backward, and major developing nations China and India remain opposed to joining the club.
Tsunami reconstruction endangers Aceh's reefs
Updated 09/07/2008 20:34:17
New research shows Aceh's post-tsunami reconstruction effort has been bad news for its coral reefs' survival.
Australia warns of dangers of smuggling drugs internally
Updated 09/07/2008 20:34:17
The Australian Government has warned of the dire risks involved in smuggling drugs internally, after a number of recents arrests and hospitalisations.
Indonesian fishermen face trial delays
Updated 08/07/2008 20:59:25
The lawyer representing Indonesians accused of illegal fishing in Australia says his clients will now spend many months in detention until their case is heard.
Budget, gun laws fuel East Timor protests
Updated 08/07/2008 20:59:25
Student protestors returned to the streets of Dili for a second day, defying police warnings their demonstrations were breaking the law.
Long-awaited Thaksin case opens in Thailand
Updated 08/07/2008 20:59:25
Thailand's Supreme Court has begun hearing evidence in a corruption case against the billionaire-former-prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Cambodian bloggers take on mainstream media
Updated 08/07/2008 20:59:18
Cambodia suffers from low rates of literacy and still very low internet accessibility, but that hasn't stopped a nascent blogging movement taking shape.
Australia, NZ included in Fiji ministerial meeting
Updated 08/07/2008 20:59:19
The Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum says Australia and New Zealand will be allowed to take part in ministerial meetings in Fiji next week.
Anger as PM ally secures lucrative contract
Updated 07/07/2008 21:05:40
East Timor's opposition is accusing the Prime Minister of awarding a lucrative contract to one of his friends.
Malaysia hosts D8 summit of Muslim nations
Updated 07/07/2008 21:05:40
Malaysia is playing host to the D8 summit, an economic alliance to improve the position of developing Muslim countries in the global economy.
Few expect breakthrough from G8 summit
Updated 07/07/2008 21:05:40
Climate change, African poverty and the rising cost of food and fuel are all on the G8 agenda, but few are holding out hope for a real breakthrough.
Pakistan blast marks Red Mosque anniversary
Updated 07/07/2008 21:05:40
Investigations are continuing into Sunday's suicide bombing that killed 19 people.
Car bomb kills at least 40 in Kabul
Updated 07/07/2008 21:05:40
At least 40 people are dead and hundreds injured after a car filled with explosives plunged into the gates of the Indian embassy in Kabul.
Former Nauru President Rene Harris dies
Updated 07/07/2008 21:05:40
One of Nauru's most controversial politicans, former President Rene Harris, has died after suffering a heart attack.
Fears of Asian arms race unfounded
Updated 04/07/2008 20:21:02
A new Canberra study says there's little real evidence of an Asia-wide arms race.
India's Communists demand end to nuke deal
Updated 04/07/2008 20:21:02
India's communist party has issued a final ultimatum to the government over its controversial proposed nuclear deal with the US.
Australia's draft carbon scheme unveiled
Updated 04/07/2008 20:21:02
The Australian Government has been urged to commit to a carbon trading scheme without delay.
New internet technology promises 'education revolution'
Updated 04/07/2008 20:21:01
For the past two years, around 30 million people in Asia and Europe have enjoyed the benefits of one of the world's fastest internet services and it promises to revolutionise science and medical education in the future.
State of economic emergency in Marshall Islands
Updated 04/07/2008 20:21:02
The impact of the rising cost of fuel is so dire in Marshall Islands the government has declared a state of economic emergency.
Homeless rounded up ahead of Cambodian elections
Updated 03/07/2008 21:09:52
Cambodia's so-called "rehabilitation centres", where authorities have been quietly imprisoning some of the city's most marginalised people, remain open and the city appears determined to keep the streets "clean" ahead of this month's elections.
Fiery parliamentary debate over PNG Ombudsman
Updated 03/07/2008 21:09:52
There were calls in Papua New Guinea's parliament today to do away with the Ombudsman Commission.
Rudd's Asia plan 'dead in the water'
Updated 03/07/2008 21:09:53
A Singapore foreign policy expert says Australia's vision for an Asia Pacific Community is "dead in the water", with no Asian leader backing Kevin Rudd's call for a new regional institution.
Philippine arrests over alleged coup plot
Updated 03/07/2008 21:09:53
In the Philippines, yet another elaborate coup attempt against president Gloria Arroyo has allegedly been uncovered.
Indonesian bomb plot allegedly linked to JI
Updated 03/07/2008 21:09:53
Indonesian police have arrested ten men suspected of planning to bomb western targets in the capital Jakarta.
Could China be the new force in world sport?
Updated 03/07/2008 21:09:52
The performance of Chinese players in recent gland slam tournaments has caused excitement in the world of tennis.
Cambodian opposition banking on youth vote
Updated 02/07/2008 20:37:23
Cambodia's youth vote could prove decisive in this month's election, with the opposition Sam Rainsy party banking on a mood for change among the young.
Australia to pay for Vietnam anti-corruption training
Updated 02/07/2008 20:37:24
Australia will provide up to $AU500,000 to help train senior members of Vietnam's Communist Party and government officials in anti-corruption prevention and detection methods.
American beef back on South Korean shelves
Updated 02/07/2008 20:37:24
Things are going from bad to worse for South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak - American beef is back on the shelves but fears about mad cow disease and opposition to the US Free Trade Agreement have spawned a large, loud and angry protest movement.
State of emergency as riots sweep Mongolia
Updated 02/07/2008 20:37:24
In Mongolia, five people have died and hundreds are wounded after riots swept through the capital, amid anger over alleged vote rigging in the weekend elections.
Rock'n'roll gaining ground in India
Updated 02/07/2008 20:37:23
Hindi film songs have long been the music of choice in India, but now the rock-and-roll is gaining ground in the big cities and some of the most popular bands hail from a small hill station in the country's isolated north east.
Could Asia tap into the 'ring of fire'
Updated 01/07/2008 19:35:20
As high fuel prices continue to affect Asia's economic health, there's growing interest in exploiting the earth's own geothermal energy. Analysts believe countries in the so-called Pacific "ring of fire" could derive enough energy to fully power their domestic economies. But there are high costs involved, and tapping into "volcano power" is potentially fraught with danger.
Gloomy economic forecast for Asia
Updated 01/07/2008 19:39:15
Record oil prices, collapsing consumer sentiment, the credit crunch; could it all spell doom for the world economy? In its latest report, a leading economic agency - the Bank for International Settlements - warns the world economy may be at a tipping point and facing a bleak future. In Asia, most commentators believe inflation is the biggest threat while an atmosphere of uncertainty is affecting stock markets.
PNG women given 'ineffective' contraceptives
Updated 01/07/2008 19:35:20
In Papua New Guinea, a leading gynaecologist says thousands of women have been given low grade birth control pills which cannot prevent unwanted pregnancies.
Cambodian de-mining bringing human toll down
Updated 01/07/2008 19:35:20
Over 30 years of civil war, several million landmines were planted in Cambodia. One NGO that's been working to get rid of them for the past sixteen years, now says casualties have fallen significantly in recent years.. from the 2,000 annually in the early 1990s, to less than 500 a year. The UK-based Mines Advisory Group or MAG employs about hundreds of personnel across six provinces in Cambodia.
War in southern Philippines 'increasingly likely'
Updated 01/07/2008 19:39:15
Relations between the Philippine government and insurgents in the south have been steadily worsening in recent months, and an international monitoring agreement in the south is due to expire within weeks.
And there are concerns that any new deal won't meet the demands for self-determination wanted by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or MILF.
