http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/ Latest news stories from around the world. Radio Australia News nospam@your.abc.net.au nospam@your.abc.net.au 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 China's premier, Wen Jiabao, has described the earthquake in the southwestern province of Sichuan as the 'most destructive' since the founding of modern China in 1949. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246719.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 china earthquake The United States president, George W Bush, has been accused of suggesting that the Democratic party frontrunner Barack Obama would appease terrorists if elected to the White House. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246514.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 united-states iran elections Heavy rain is forecast for the weekend over Burma's cyclone affected south-east, adding to the humanitarian crisis facing the more than 2.5 million people in urgent need of assistance. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246716.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 burma cyclones relief-and-aid-organisations Australia's immigration minister says he has nearly finalised the cases involving a large number of long-term detainees who have been held for up to six years. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246333.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 pacific australia immigration The Australian government says there will be no repercussions on Australian authorities for wrongly arresting and detaining Indonesian fishermen, and destroying some of their boats. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246935.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 australia indonesia defence-and-national-security A senior United Nations human rights official has accused Afghan and international forces of a lack of transparency and accountability over the deaths of civilians in armed raids around the country. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2247031.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 afghanistan defence-forces Australia's top central banker says an overheated Chinese economy is having an impact on Australia's inflation rate. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2247091.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:55+11:00 australia china business-economics-and-finance Singapore has honoured the Australia Federal Police commissioner, Mick Keelty, for his efforts in fighting crime between the two countries. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246718.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:54+11:00 australia singapore security-intelligence international-law Two Australian men have appeared in court in the Queensland state capital, Brisbane, charged over a multi-million-dollar offshore tax avoidance scheme. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246717.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:53+11:00 australia vanuatu tax Papua New Guinea's prime minister, Sir Michael Somare, has ordered a stalled investigation trying to trace hundreds of millions of missing dollars from PNG's finance office be restarted. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246334.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:54+11:00 papua-new-guinea public-sector The Philippines government and the rebel communist-led National Democratic Front have met for informal peace talks. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246511.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:53+11:00 philippines forms-of-government Six members of the Ahmadiya Islamic sect in Indonesia are seeking asylum in Australia, saying they can no longer live safely in Indonesia after being declared heretics and threatened with a government ban. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246232.htm 2008-05-16T14:41:54+11:00 indonesia australia religion-and-beliefs The New Zealand prime minister, Helen Clark, has failed to get any concessions from Japan on its whaling program during her visit to Tokyo. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246512.htm 2008-05-16T13:08:55+11:00 new-zealand japan conservation The Australian High Commission in Fiji has stopped processing visa applications after a second death threat was made against High Commissioner, James Batley. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2245541.htm 2008-05-16T13:08:50+11:00 fiji australia The Australian opposition leader, Brendan Nelson, says the new Labor government's first budget is a fraud on the Australian people. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246330.htm 2008-05-16T13:08:54+11:00 australia budget Indonesia's government plans to transfer more than $US1.5 billion in cash to the poor, to offset the impact of rising fuel prices. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246120.htm 2008-05-16T13:08:54+11:00 indonesia energy poverty Japan says it has signed an agreement to help Vietnam build its first nuclear power plant. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246329.htm 2008-05-16T13:08:54+11:00 vietnam japan nuclear-issues Malaysia's transport minister says he will try to resolve a airfare war between the national carrier and budget airline AirAsia. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246331.htm 2008-05-16T13:08:49+11:00 malaysia singapore regulation China has issued an urgent appeal for earth-moving equipment to help rescue efforts in the country's south-west following Monday's earthquake. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246292.htm 2008-05-16T09:59:02+11:00 china earthquake The United Nations is organising an emergency summit on Burma's cyclone disaster, which will be held in Asia. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246168.htm 2008-05-16T09:59:01+11:00 burma asia cyclones relief-and-aid-organisations In Japan, environmental group Greenpeace says it has uncovered evidence of wide-spread theft of whale meat from the country's scientific whaling program. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246332.htm 2008-05-16T08:19:16+11:00 japan conservation United States Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice has met the Tongan Prime Minister Dr Fred Sevele in Washington, to discuss relations between the two countries. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246121.htm 2008-05-16T08:19:11+11:00 tonga fiji united-states A little-known Muslim group has claimed responsibility for a set of coordinated bomb blasts that tore through a packed shopping area in the western Indian tourist city of Jaipur earlier this week. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246284.htm 2008-05-15T22:21:18+11:00 india pakistan bangladesh Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has discussed Burma and whaling in his first telephone conversation with his Japanese counterpart. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246243.htm 2008-05-15T22:21:18+11:00 australia japan burma The budget Malaysian long-haul airline AirAsia X says it will expand its Australian operations, as a fare battle with other carriers heated up. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200805/s2246297.htm 2008-05-15T22:21:17+11:00 malaysia singapore china australia