Tokyo's Trials: Can the DPJ Change Japan
Yoichi Funabashi

The rise to power of the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) after half a century of almost uninterrupted rule by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) could bring profound changes to Japan. It now stands a better chance of becoming a two-party system, with real political competition, than at any time since 1890, when it held its first election. However, ...

Changing North Korea
Andrei Lankov

When it comes to dealing with North Korea the United States and its allies have no efficient methods of coercion at their disposal; the regime is remarkably immune to outside pressure. Its leaders cannot afford change, so they make sure their state continues to be an international threat, using nuclear blackmail as a survival tactic while their unlucky subjects endure more poverty and terror. Since outside pressure is ineffective

Asia Treading Near Overconfidence
Andres Oppenheimer

Perusing the newsstand in the Hong Kong airport, I saw something that caught my eye: most of the books were about China's -- and Asia's -- allegedly unstoppable rise to the world's foremost superpower. Among the books were New Asian Emperors, A Bull in China, China Shakes the World and China into the Future. In the magazines section, you could see The Economist's cover reading, 'Asia's astonishing rebound.' I was surprised by this outburst of buoyancy because in several trips to Asia in recent years, I had found the opposite

Asia Economy: Tamed Asian Tigers, Distressed Chinese Dragon
by Brian P. Klein and Kenneth Neil Cukier

Since the 1960s, Asian economies have focused primarily on exports. It was the key to success in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Much of Southeast Asia and China soon followed suit. Over the past decade, the region's exports have increased from 37 percent to 47 percent of GDP. By hitching their wagons to exports, however, Asian countries left themselves vulnerable to a drop-off in Western consumption

Addressing China's Fear Of North Korean Collapse
Joseph S. Nye Jr. Interview

It is by now a cliche to say that greater pressure from China can force North Korea to change. The problem is that China has two objectives: They want a de-nuclearized North Korea, but they also want a North Korea that doesn't collapse into chaos on their borders. The consequence of these cross-purposes is that the Chinese have been reluctant to use the leverage they have

Indian Ocean: Center Stage for 21st Century Struggles Between India & China
by Robert D. Kaplan

Competition between India and China suggests that the Indian Ocean is where global struggles will play out in the twenty-first century. The old borders of the Cold War map are crumbling fast, and Asia is becoming a more integrated unit, from the Middle East to the Pacific.

Tiananmen's Enduring Challenge
by Wang Dan

Twenty years have passed since our landmark demonstrations in Tiananmen Square for democracy and free speech and against corruption. And during this time, China has changed in important ways. Economic reforms have allowed millions of Chinese people to lift their families out of poverty, and many in China find their lives changed for the better. But the central causes the Tiananmen generation, students and citizens alike, took up remain unresolved: corruption, workers' rights, free speech and the need for government reform to address the needs of China's 1.3 billion people.

 

Vietnam denies blocking Facebook
Vietnamese officials deny blocking access to Facebook for the site's million users, instead blaming a technical fault.

Five shot dead on Pacific island
At least five people are killed in a shooting incident on Saipan, one of the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific.

Top South Korean model found dead
South Korean model Daul Kim is found dead at her apartment in Paris, amid speculation she took her own life.

Pacquiao returns to Manila a hero
Philippine boxing champion Manny Pacquiao returns home to Manila after his latest win, and eyes a political future.

Japan says deflation has returned
The Japanese government warns that deflation has returned to the country's economy for the first time since 2006.

Student leader on trial in China
A former leader of the Tiananmen democracy protests, handed over by Hong Kong to China, goes on trial in what his supporters call political persecution.

China 'steps up US cyber-spying'
Chinese spies are aggressively stealing secrets to help build up China's military and economic power, a US advisory panel says.

World economy 'heads for growth'
Growth and recovery are expected in 2010 in most world regions, but the upturn will be modest, the OECD says.

Obama urges North Korea to change
US President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak urge North Korea to return to nuclear talks.

Wrong turn results in 600km trip for lost Australian grandfather
An 81-year-old Australian takes a wrong turn on the way to the shops and keeps driving for 600km.

Sacre bleu! Tokyo outstrips Paris in Michelin three-star restaurants
Tokyo now has the most Michelin three-star restaurants, overtaking Paris as the world's culinary capital, says the authoritative food guide.

Rugby: England v NZ preview
England face the daunting task of taking on New Zealand as they attempt to get their uninspiring autumn campaign back on track on Saturday.

Cycling: Contador to stay at Astana
Tour de France champion Alberto Contador agrees a preliminary deal to stay with his Astana team until the end of 2010.

Defector's tale
A North Korean describes life in the secret state's army

'Black clinics'
Beijing's poor rely on illegal medical centres for care

Bryant's Australia
An apology and an 'audience with Parky'

Reaching out
Obama looks to China for help on global problems

Safe haven?
Asylum seekers face a cool reception in Japan

Lost childhood
The story of British child migrants sent to Australia

Arroyo steps down as party leader
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo steps down as leader of the largest party ahead of elections next May.

Air spat widens Thai-Cambodia row
Cambodia takes over the running of the country's Thai-owned air traffic operation, amid a deepening diplomatic row.

Separated twin looks 'fantastic'
Doctors expect the twin girls separated from being joined at the head to recover fully, and one has already woken up.

Sony aims to return TVs to profit
Sony says it aims to make its LCD TV operations profitable in the financial year starting next April as it continues to cut costs.

Tamils end asylum ship stand-off
Fifty-six Sri Lankan asylum seekers leave an Australian ship in Indonesia after a stand-off of more than a month.

Australia mulls Scientology probe
Australia's PM is to consider an inquiry into Scientology after a senator alleges it is a criminal organisation.

Korea says no to US trade talks
South Korea dampens speculation the country is willing to re-negotiate a free trade agreement with the US.

Business rebounds at China Mobile
The world's biggest mobile operator, China Mobile, says its business has returned to levels seen before the global downturn.

Eyewitness: Sumatra earthquake
Two Brits give their accounts on the devastating earthquake that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday.

Japan election: Voters' views
Five Japanese voters discuss the issues important to them and whether a change of power will be good for their country.

Xinjiang: Views from China
People from across China discuss the recent unrest

Malaysia and Indonesia try to mend ties
With Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Malaysia for a fence-mending visit with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, the BBC's Jakarta correspondent Karishma Vaswani looks at what has soured relations between the two countries in the first place.

Border town venerates Dalai Lama
Indian frontier town rejoices in Dalai Lama's visit

Cambodia teaches Pol Pot era
Cambodia's first textbook on Khmer Rouge horrors

China writes big cheque for Africa
As China pledges to invest further in Africa, the BBC's Christian Fraser examines the growing billion-dollar relationship between the two regions.

BBC News | Asia-Pacific | World Edition
Get the latest BBC News from Asia-Pacific: breaking news, views and analysis plus audio and video from Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Urgent aid needed to restore Indonesia's quake-ravaged health services - UN
Hospitals, clinics and other health services for thousands of Indonesians need urgent aid after two earthquakes ravaged west Sumatra in September, with the goal of enabling them to better withstand future emergencies, the United Nations health agency said today.

UN chief congratulates Afghan President on inauguration
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to support Afghanistan's progress towards peace, stability and development, as he congratulated Hamid Karzai on his inauguration as President for a second term.

Aid agencies assisting hundreds of thousands of displaced Pakistanis - UN
United Nations agencies and their humanitarian partners are assisting hundreds of thousands of civilians uprooted by the latest military operations in Pakistan which intensified nearly three weeks ago.

Welcoming progress, UN official urges more support for Sri Lanka's displaced
The top United Nations humanitarian official has welcomed the recent releases of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from camps in northern Sri Lanka, and underscored the need to ensure full freedom of movement for those remaining.

UN humanitarian chief continues tour of Sri Lankan displacement camps
The United Nations humanitarian chief today continued his mission to Sri Lanka with visits to camps in Vavuniya and Mannar, where a large number of the civilians displaced by the recently-ended conflict between the Government and Tamil rebels are still living.

Independent UN probe into Bhutto killing meets with former Pakistani president
The independent United Nations commission charged with examining the facts and circumstances behind the December 2007 assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto met recently with former President Pervez Musharraf.

Access to food still difficult for vulnerable Tajik families, reports UN
The 2009 harvest in Tajikistan is exceptionally good, but access to food remains difficult for vulnerable families in the Central Asian nation, according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).

Top UN official visits camps housing Sri Lanka's conflict-displaced
The top United Nations humanitarian official kicked off his visit to Sri Lanka today with a stop at camps housing some of the civilians uprooted during the country's decades-long conflict to see what progress has been made in terms of releases and the remaining problems.

Violence against Kyrgyz woman rising despite legal restraints, UN expert says
Despite the encouraging commitments by the Kyrgyz Government, women and girls are increasingly vulnerable to violence, exploitation and destitution, an independent United Nations human rights expert said today following her first mission to the country.

UN rights chief urges South Asian judges to facilitate access to justice for all
The United Nations human rights chief has called on judges across South Asia to ensure that everyone has access to justice, as part of efforts to combat the scourges of inequality and discrimination.

UN News Centre - Asia Pacific
A world of news from the world organization.

 

Looking Beyond the U.S.-Asean Summit
Although Obama may have met with leaders of Southeast Asia as a way to counter China, the economic interests of the United States, China and the rest of Southeast Asia are very much tied up with one another.

Hun Sen Upsets Thailand's Apple Cart
The Cambodian prime minister is rattling the cage of neighboring Thailand by offering its ousted ex-premier a position as an economics advisor.

The Yuan Underrated, China Overrated
Despite the appreciation that China's currency has seen, and despite the American debt it holds, China still had a long way to go if it is to step to the forefront of innovation.

Taiwan's Vision for International Climate Change Cooperation
Taiwan intends to share its environmental protection initiatives with the international community, working in multilateral collaboration to safeguard both environmental and human health.

China: Media Summit Participants Should Push for Press Freedom
Although the Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of the press, both Chinese journalists and foreign correspondents are regularly harassed, detained, and intimidated by government officials.

All in on Climate Change
Australian Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull is willing to put his leadership on the line over carbon emissions.

Indian Festivals Celebrate Communal Harmony
Despite terrorist attacks in the country, Indian festivals continue to set examples of religious brotherhood and encourage unity in diversity.

Nepali Students in New York Call for Government Accountability
Demonstrators aimed to remind Nepalis everywhere that they have to take an active role in holding their government accountable for its promises.

Short-Stay Trips to China
Even in a limited timeframe, a visit to Beijing and Xian can offer a remarkable package of destinations, from Tiananmen Square to the Great Wall.

Ten-Year Anniversary in East Timor
After 10 years of independence, which were preceded by 24 brutal years of occupation, East Timor continues its long, steady climb out of devastation.

Ghosts from Past Continue To Haunt India's B.J.P. Party
Internal struggles continue to stall India's political development, while a younger, more progressive generation tries to push toward modernity.

Encomium for the Life of Sardar Patel
India's influential statesman had a massive effect on India in terms of civil disobedience, the national liberation movement and diplomatic relations throughout his life.

The B.J.P. Refuses to Read the Writing on the Wall
After suffering defeat in recent elections, India's main opposition party is not only shielding its eyes to where it has lost support, it seems intent on perpetuating the problem.

Taiwan's Typhoon Recovery
The disaster has been a tragic but unifying moment for the people of Taiwan, with rescue workers, volunteers and the international community pulling together for an extraordinary response.

East Asia: the Acid Test for Europe's Common Foreign Policy
For all its economic clout, the European Union still has much work to do in political and security terms in Beijing and most other capitals in East Asia.

The Curious Case of Balochistan
Pakistan recently brought up the old charge against India of encouraging militancy and separatism in Balochistan, but Pakistan would be better off working with India, not pointing fingers at it.

Moves to Isolate Fiji Fail
Despite efforts of sanction against Fiji by neighboring countries, as well as significant frictions within its own borders, forces in Fiji struggle to push toward a new democratic era.

The Taliban: Danger of an Ideology
The Taliban's biggest threat to the government and army of Pakistan lies not in its military might, but rather, in its ability to spread extremist ideology to any corner of Pakistani society.

Countering Jihadi Strategies in the Subcontinent
As jihadi networks continue to modify their tactics, the resistance forces in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India need to adapt in their strategies as well.

Manmohan Singh and Congress Take Charge Again
Victories for Manmohan Singh and the ruling Congress Party in India's recent elections could open the door for key reforms.

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi on Trial
Pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi faces charges of harboring an uninvited American guest.

Obama's New 'AfPak' Strategy: The View from Pakistan
Obama's new AfPak policy cannot succeed unless the poverty upon which the militants prey is addressed.

Fiji's 1997 Constitution Revoked; New Political Chapter Begins
The Fiji Court of Appeals decision followed more than two years of legal wrangling between Fijis interim government and the deposed S.D.L. government.

India: No Clear Party Favorite as the National Polls Open
No front-runners yet as India heads for national polls.

Taliban Receptive to Talks with Afghan Government
Though a troop surge is underway in Afghanistan, efforts to engage non-radical elements within the Taliban should continue.

Political Turmoil in Pakistan Leads to Army Takeover Speculation
By spearheading a movement for the reinstatement of the nations judges, the opposition has weakened the incumbent president.

Strengthening Community Gardening in Bangladesh
Nationwide improvements in plant and seed conservation programs will engender food security and sustainable economic development on a local level in Bangladesh.

Asian News from World Press Review
World News Review

 

Japanese deflation fuels calls for action
Japan said for the first time since 2006 that the economy was back in deflation, warning of the risk that price falls may put pressure on a fragile economy

Mekong's turbulent fight for survival
The region faces a difficult balancing act between development and conservation

India 'should fund environment projects'
India's government should tap some of the $400bn it has locked up in state enterprises to invest in projects to clean up its environment and combat global warming, a top economic official said

Japan says economy back in deflation
Japan says that for the first time since 2006 the economy is back in deflation, warning of the risk that price falls may put pressure on a fragile economy

US missile strike kills eight in Pakistan
Security officials and Taliban said a suspected US drone aircraft fired two missiles at a militant stronghold in the North Waziristan region, killing eight people

Worried nations try to cool hot money
Move to curb foreign inflows via American Depositary Receipts loophole puts Asian currencies under pressure amid speculation about copycat action in the region

Muted welcome in Asia for EU appointments
News of the appointments of Herman Van Rompuy and Baroness Ashton drew a polite but muted response in Asia, where the EU is widely regarded as well-meaning but undynamic

AirAsia seeks dual listing in Asean
South-east Asia's largest low-cost airline is considering a secondary listing in Thailand, which could lead to a merger of AirAsia with its Thai and Indonesian affiliates

Seoul to allow naked short selling of bonds
South Korea plans to allow naked short selling of bonds next year to attract more foreign participation in the country's underdeveloped and illiquid bond market

Karzai now needs to move to deeds
Afghanistan is still largely a feudal society hostile to any form of central government. One facet of feudalism, however, is that it implies a two-way contract

The Philippines
Not even Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao could avert the impending funding crunch in Asia's 13th largest economy

EU plan to extend shoe duties rejected
In an unusual show of defiance, EU member states reject a European Commission recommendation to extend anti-dumping duties against Chinese and Vietnamese footwear imports

India losing English advantage to China
India is rapidly losing an economic advantage, with the number of Chinese able to speak English now on a par with its rival, a British Council study shows

Pakistan makes gains in south Waziristan
Pakistan's military has said it was poised to seize control of the last town known to have been used by the Taliban for training of suicide bombers and other militants in the country's south Waziristan region

Asia currencies fall on capital control fears
Fresh concerns about the imposition of capital controls by Asian countries have triggered falls in a number of currencies against the dollar, with senior officials in India, Indonesia and Thailand speaking publicly about the possibility

FT.com - World, Asia Pacific
FT.com - World, Asia Pacific

 

US's dalliance in Beijing is short-lived
In a joint statement, United States President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao this week pledged to "strengthen communication, dialogue and cooperation on issues related to South Asia". It took Washington a matter of hours to start backtracking; any enterprise to mount ill-fated Sino-American ventures in this region could seriously disrupt American business interests. - MK Bhadrakumar (Nov 20, '09)

The elephant in India and Iran's room
Try as India and Iran may to halt the downward slide in their relations, cooperation in the all-important energy sector remains stuck in a rut. Negotiations between the two countries during the recent visit of Iran's foreign minister made "good progress", though apprehension over drawing American ire ultimately stands in India's way. - Sudha Ramachandran (Nov 20, '09)

Iraqi elections thrown off track
Vice President Tarek al-Hashemi, by using his veto to block an important election law, has thrown Iraq once again into political crisis. Parliament will have to try to sort out the mess the Sunni politician has made if elections are to go ahead in January. The scheduled draw-down of United States troops is also now in doubt. - Sami Moubayed (Nov 20, '09)

Cheers all round for Obama in Korea
After troublesome stopovers in Japan and China, United States President Barack Obama ended his swing through Asia on a high in South Korea, with US troops jubilant after a rousing speech. The feel-good factor was boosted by a glowing consensus with Seoul's leader over ending Pyongyang's nuclear program. - Donald Kirk (Nov 20, '09)

A town with a tale to tell
The more elderly inhabitants of Tawang, the town plumb in the heart of disputed territory between India and China, have lived under four national flags - British, Tibetan, Chinese and Indian. These indigenous people, the Monpas, have strong views on which country they believe would now best serve their interests. - Saransh Sehgal (Nov 20, '09)

'The devil's pipe ruins the soul of prayer'
Politicians in the days of Saddam Hussein tried to harness the music of Nasiriya. Nowadays, militiamen harass the musicians who live in the southern Iraqi city famed for its singers. Where once they strutted their stuff on the stage, singers are now reduced to humming to themselves while waiting tables. - Wisam Tahir (Nov 20, '09)

BOOK REVIEW : Constructing the Oriental image
The Sum of All Heresies by Frederick Quinn This book provides a broad exploration of the evolution of the Middle East image through European eyes from near antiquity to the present. Viewed as the embodiment of barbarity during Roman times, "Orientals" came to be seen as permanently inferior to Europeans, needing to be controlled and exploited. - Dmitry Shlapentokh (Nov 20, '09)

Capital rules weigh on Japan stocks
Concern that Japan's megabanks, such as Mizuho Financial and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial, may have to sell shares to meet new international capital-adequacy standards are helping to prevent Japanese stocks from demonstrating the stellar recovery seen in other markets. - Kosuke Takahashi

MARKET RAP : Time for a breather
Shanghai stocks resumed their starring role this week before settling back at the close, along with others around the region, amid a cloud of commentary that pointed to earnings results and commodity prices. Another view is that it was just time for a breather. R M Cutler runs his eye over the ups and downs in the week's markets

IT WORLD : Bang, bang, buck, buck
Writers of the latest "Call of Duty" game were too successful in creating something "upsetting, disturbing", earning a ban from the Russian government over scenes of a Moscow airport terrorist attack. That couldn't prevent worldwide sales worth US$550 million within five days of the game being available. Martin J Young surveys the week's developments in computing, science, gaming and gizmos.

Asia Times Online
News and business analysis from Asia

 

China Helps the Powerful in Namibia
Secret scholarships to study in China that were awarded to the offspring of top officials in Namibia have angered the public there.

Karzai Sworn In for Second Term as President
In his inaugural address, President Hamid Karzai said that the Afghan Army should assume full control of the country’s security within five years.

Obama Demands Afghan Reforms Produce Results
President Obama sent Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to Afghanistan to press President Hamid Karzai to deliver “measurable results” in return for civilian aid.

Afghan Bomber on Motorcycle Kills 16
Several children and a police officer were among the victims of the blast on a crowded market.

8 Militants Killed in Reported U.S. Strike in Northwestern Pakistan
The area of the attack is believed to hold many insurgents who fled from an army offensive elsewhere in the Afghan border region.

Pakistani Politics Take on a Nationalist Tone
The recent unpopularity of President Asif Ali Zardari and resentment of America follow a familiar script.

In Obama Interview, Signs of China’s Heavy Hand
Authorities appeared to carefully monitor how President Obama’s words were transmitted to China’s public, even in a newspaper known for its press-the-envelope approach.

Industrialized Nations Unveil Plans to Rein in Emissions
Prior to a climate change meeting scheduled for Copenhagen, industrialized countries, except the United States, are offering targets to curb greenhouse gases.

News Analysis: A Small Step to Bridging the Taiwan Strait
The final details were minor compared with the substance of the financial cooperation deal between China and Taiwan, but carried significance of their own.

News Analysis: Obama’s Pacific Trip Encounters Rough Waters
President Obama discovered that popularity did not necessarily translate into policy successes in Asia.

Pettah Journal: Ripe for the Plucking, but Fewer Dare to Try
A scarcity of people willing to do the risky work of coconut plucking threatens India’s coconut industry and illustrates the loosening of caste bonds.

Questioning a Korean Wedding Tradition
The old custom of giving cash-filled envelopes at weddings is being criticized as wasteful and, in some cases, even corruptive.

Bring on the Daisies, and Those Acts of Kindness
Young volunteers handing out long-stemmed yellow gerbera daisies in Singapore were the latest effort by the government to transform its public into ideal citizens.

Broaching Birth Control With Afghan Mullahs
Afghan religious leaders attended a workshop on birth control, birth spacing and breast-feeding last month.

Gunman Kills 4 at Pacific Resort
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (AP) -- A gunman went on a rampage on the Pacific resort island of Saipan on Friday, killing four people and wounding six others before fatally shooting himself, officials said.

Suicide Attack Is Pakistani City’s 7th in 2 Weeks
Militants killed 17 outside a courthouse in Peshawar, the seventh attack in two weeks in the city.

Obama Takes Stern Tone on North Korea and Iran
President Obama said the two nations risked further isolation if they did not rein in their nuclear ambitions.

Ex-Military Officer in Pakistan Is Linked to 2 Chicago Terrorism Suspects
Federal authorities have long suspected connections between extremists and many members of the Pakistani military.

Bangladesh Court Upholds Death Sentences in Coup Case
The five men were convicted of killing the country’s independence leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in an army revolt 34 years ago.

Dueling Alliances Make Aid Offers to Japan Airlines
Delta offered $1 billion in aid to Japan Airlines, a proposal that American Airlines said it would top as the world’s biggest air carriers escalated a war for influence.

Japanese Bank Plans $11.2 Billion Share Sale
The sale, announced despite a jump in profit in the July-September quarter, would be the biggest ever by a financial institution in Japan.

During Visit, Obama Skirts Chinese Political Sensitivities
President Obama has avoided public meetings with liberals, free press advocates and even ordinary Chinese.

Obama Ends China Trip With Visit to the Great Wall
The usual cacophony at the Badaling section of the wall was absent as the site was largely shuttered for the presidential visit.

China Holds Firm on Major Issues in Obama’s Visit
President Obama was confronted, on his first visit, with a fast-rising China more willing to say no to the U.S.

Pakistani Military Encounters Little Fight as Militants Flee
The army has made gains after sweeping operations against militants, but lasting success may prove elusive.

Brown Vows to Continue War Effort in Afghanistan
The British government has made an unflinching commitment to continue its role as the second-largest troop provider in the coalition fighting the war in Afghanistan.

After Outcry, 2 Companies Shift Their Turbine Plans
A-Power Energy of China and the U.S. Renewable Energy Group are planning a deal after a Texas wind farm became a topic of a debate on stimulus money.

World Briefing | Middle East: Yemen: Japanese Captive Is Released
Tribesmen released a Japanese engineer they had abducted in an area northeast of the capital, Sana, a provincial official said.

World Briefing | Asia: China: Police Detain an Advocate for Victims of Tainted Dairy Items
Zhao Lianhai was taken from his home in Beijing on Friday, according to a report published in The Global Times newspaper.

Taliban Militants Fire Rockets on Crowded Bazaar Northeast of Kabul
The attack near the site of a meeting between French soldiers and local tribal leaders left 10 civilians dead, police officials said.

Chinese Solar Panel Firm to Open Plant in Arizona
The solar panel manufacturer, the first Chinese solar company to build a plant in the United States, will initially hire 75 workers.

Names of the Dead
The Department of Defense has identified 4,353 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war and 909 who have died as part of the Afghan war and related operations.

Australian Leader Apologizes to the ‘Lost Innocents’
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued an apology for child migrant programs that forcibly brought an estimated 150,000 British youngsters to the Commonwealth.

In China, Obama to Press for Tough Stance on Iran
President Obama will push China’s leaders to get on board for possible tough new sanctions against Iran.

U.S. Asks More From Pakistan in War
The Obama administration warned Pakistan that failing to expand its fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda would undercut the new strategy and troop increase for Afghanistan.

China Is Sending More Students to U.S.
American universities are enrolling a new wave of Chinese undergraduates, according to the annual Open Doors report.

U.S. Readies New Facility for Afghan Detainees
The new complex is part of a broader effort to alter America’s detention image, which has been badly tarnished by reports of abuse.

Citi Sells Stake in Japanese Call Center
The bank, which was rescued by the government, is selling off assets as part of its recovery.

Stimulus and Exports Help Ease Japan’s Recession
The economy grew at an annual rate of 4.8 percent in the third quarter and appeared to bring the country out of its worst recession in the postwar era.

High Costs Weigh on Troop Debate for Afghan War
The budget implications of President Obama’s decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan are adding pressure to limit the commitment, officials say.

China’s Role as Lender Alters Obama’s Visit
As President Obama begins his visit to China, he will likely spend more time reassuring Beijing than pushing reform.

At Least 13 Die in a Bombing in Pakistan
Insurgents continued to torment the northern city of Peshawar on Saturday, bombing a police checkpoint in the fifth attack on the city in a week.

Early Snowstorms Kill 40 Across North-Central China
The storms caused thousands of buildings to collapse and destroyed almost 500,000 acres of winter crops, the Civil Affairs Ministry said Friday.

James R. Lilley, 81, Envoy in Tiananmen Era, Dies
A native of China, Mr. Lilley worked there for the C.I.A. for years and served as the American ambassador from 1989 to 1991.

2 U.S. Soldiers and a Contractor Are Killed in Afghanistan
Two American service members and an American contractor were killed in two separate bombing attacks on Friday, according to a statement from a NATO spokesman.

Portrait of 9/11 ‘Jackal’ Emerges as He Awaits Trial
The boastful and fiercely independent Khalid Shaikh Mohammed has never fit the mold of Al Qaeda chieftain.

Obama Says U.S. Seeks to Build Stronger Ties to China
President Obama said the United States would maintain close ties with traditional allies like Japan, but that it is not threatened by a rising China.

Obama, in Japan, Says U.S. Will Study Status of a Marine Base on Okinawa
Japan’s new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, campaigned on a pledge to try to get the base off the island, where it has long been unwelcome.

China Focuses on Territorial Issues as It Equates Tibet to U.S. Civil War South
While much attention during President Obama’s visit will be focused on trade and climate change, questions of sovereignty and territory remain an obsession of Chinese foreign policy.

North Korea Issues New Threat After Naval Clash
As President Obama began a weeklong visit to Asia, the North said South Korea would “pay dearly” for its role in the skirmish.

Militants Hit Pakistan Spy Agency
The truck-bomb attack in Peshawar killed at least 11 at a regional office of the main intelligence agency.

Explosion Hits U.S. Base in Afghan Capital
A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing, which struck a United States convoy.

After Lubavitcher Tragedy, Spiritual Rebirth
The International Conference of Emissaries in Brooklyn is the first big gathering of Lubavitcher men since two emissaries were killed in a terrorist attack in Mumbai.

World Briefing | Asia: India: New Homes for Elephants
All elephants living in Indian zoos and circuses will be moved to wildlife parks and game sanctuaries where the animals can graze more freely, officials said Friday.

World Briefing | Asia: China: Temple Web Site Attacked
The Web site of the famed Shaolin Temple was attacked this week by hackers looking to criticize the lifestyle of the temple’s abbot, Shi Yongxin, according to a report on Friday.

36 Hours in Rajasthan, India
The country is modernizing rapidly, sometimes too fast, but this spectacular old region still endures.

Diplomatic Memo: Clinton Seen as Obama’s Key Link to Afghan Leader
The role thrusts Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton into the thick of a critical international problem.

On Assignment: Asia in the Blink of an Eye
Stephen Crowley of The Times has found that just one frame is not enough to convey the cascading incongruities and harmonies of a presidential tour.

China's War on Low U.S. Interest Rates
The world's No. 1 supplier of capital learns to live without U.S. consumers.

Letter from India: India's Path Was Paved by Soviet Fall
For better or for worse - for better and for worse - India embarked on a path that has today made it one of the world's most unabashedly capitalist places.

Letter From China: Going Green in China, Case by Case
Chinese regions are vying to outdo one another in a race to develop alternative-energy sources and cut pollution.

Showcase: A Room of Everyone's Own
How can an entire life fit in 100 square feet? Michael Wolf documented 100 10-by-10-foot apartments and their residents in Hong Kong, as Valerie Lapinski reports.

NYT > Asia Pacific

 

White weddings help platinum recovery in China
Chinese brides, who value platinum partly because it goes so well with a white wedding dress, are on course to snap up enough of the metal to make up for a fall in demand from the auto components industry

China's banks face overseas pitfalls
Torture case brought in the US reveals the perils that could threaten the overseas' expansion dreams of China's government-owned entities

India losing English advantage to China
India is rapidly losing an economic advantage, with the number of Chinese able to speak English now on a par with its rival, a British Council study shows

Minsheng raises $3.9bn from Hong Kong IPO
China Minsheng Banking Corp will raise at least $3.9bn with its Hong Kong initial public offering – but without the support of a high-profile Chinese private equity fund

Fears of China property bubble
Asset price rises leading to rampant wasteful investment in the sector, undermining nation's long-term growth says Soho China head

Block on Minsheng deal costs US $1.7bn
US authorities blocked Minsheng, the Chinese bank, from acquiring a Californian lender in a deal that could have saved almost $300m of taxpayers' money and $1.4bn from an industry insurance fund, say people familiar with the matter.

China can build on the base of its sound banks
Only with proper firewalls between them can banks and capital markets function as two engines of economic growth. If one fails, the other can still carry on, writes Liu Mingkang

A wary willingness
China and America: While Barack Obama may have won Beijing's agreement to collaborate on world problems, his hosts are reluctant to take on the costs of leadership

Chinese consumers embrace gold
Chinese consumers' demand for gold reached record levels in the third quarter but high prices affected demand in other areas of the world

China blurs bipolar view of the world
The accepted bipolar view of the new world order – a line that magically divides the 'developed' from the 'developing' worlds – has always been somewhat illusory. But now, in the case of China in particular, it has become so inaccurate as to be misleading, writes James Kynge

Asia set to overtake US in green technology
Asian economies are rapidly increasing investment in manufacturing capacity and research and development into green technologies

Obama in Nixon's footsteps at Great Wall
Barack Obama made an obligatory stop at the Great Wall of China at the close of a three-day visit in which he also bumped against the Great Firewall of China

Chinese court rules against Microsoft
A Chinese court has ruled that Microsoft infringed a Chinese software maker's intellectual property rights in a surprise decision that has renewedworries among foreign patent experts about China's management of IPR disputes

Beijing remains guarded on Iran
Barack Obama, the US president, sought to convince China to increase pressure on Iran's nuclear programme – but received no public commitment that Beijing would support sanctions

China seeks reform of UN peacekeeping
A leading institute has recommended that China is given a more active role in policy planning and leadership in UN peacekeeping operations. China's participation in international peacekeeping has soared since 2002

FT.com - China
FT.com - China

 

Afghan ex-warlord escapes attack
MP and former Afghan warlord Abdul Rasul Sayyaf narrowly escapes an assassination attempt in which five bodyguards die.

Bodies of Mumbai gunmen unburied
The unclaimed bodies of nine gunmen who were killed during the Mumbai attacks a year ago are still awaiting burial.

India plans surge in solar power
India backs plans for a massive increase in the amount of electricity it generates from solar power.

Pakistan drone attack kills eight
At least eight suspected militants are killed in a US drone attack in north-western Pakistan, officials say.

Sri Lanka minorities hold talks
Political parties representing minority Tamils and Muslims in Sri Lanka hold talks in Switzerland, the first since the end of the conflict.

Bardot appeal over Nepal festival
Former film star Brigitte Bardot urges Nepal's president to stop a ritual slaughter of animals in an upcoming religious festival.

India train 'derailed by Maoists'
A passenger train in India derails, killing at least two people, after Maoist rebels blow up a railway track, police say.

Policemen die in Pakistan blast
At least three policemen have died in an explosion in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, police say.

Afghan leader 'must show results'
Western leaders urge Hamid Karzai to make concrete gains, as he is sworn in for a second term as Afghanistan's president.

Soap opera denial prompts India divorce
An Indian woman is granted a divorce on the grounds that her husband was cruel to stop her watching soap operas.

Tendulkar hits ton in stalemate
Sachin Tendulkar hits his 43rd Test century as the first match between India and Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad peters out into a draw.

Unusual feats
Two Indian cricketers smash unique records

Coaxing Karzai
Will Clinton's approach to Afghan leader pay off?

Fresh start?
West seeks new beginnings from Hamid Karzai

What we want...
Afghans tell BBC what they think president should do

On the take
How corruption permeates life in Afghanistan

Tigers die hard
What now for Tamil rebel riches and support worldwide?

UN confirms Tamil camps exodus
A senior UN official confirms Sri Lankan government claims that more than half the displaced Tamils in camps have left.

Bangladesh officers lose appeal
Five ex-army officers face the death penalty after losing a final appeal over the murder of Bangladesh's first president.

Pakistan court blast kills many
A bomb blast outside a court building in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar kills at least 19 people, medics say.

India leader charged with rioting
Police in the western Indian city of Mumbai charge the leader of a right-wing regional party with rioting during violence in the city last year.

Pakistan drone raid 'kills three'
At least three suspected militants have been killed in a US drone attack in Pakistan's North Waziristan region, officials say.

Children cost Indian man his job
A housing society official is dismissed from his post in the Indian city of Mumbai - because he has too many children.

Nine imprisoned for India riots
Nine people are convicted and sent to prison in connection with the anti-Christian riots in the eastern Indian state of Orissa last year.

Canada hears of Afghan 'torture'
A Canadian diplomat says many Afghan detainees captured by Canadian forces in 2006 and 2007 are likely to have been tortured.

Karzai sets Afghan forces target
President Karzai says he wants Afghan forces in charge within five years, as he is sworn in for a second term amid fresh violence.

Reliance to expand oil business
The Indian energy firm Reliance is planning an "aggressive" oil and gas exploration campaign.

Air India losses more than $1bn
Troubled national carrier Air India reports a net loss of 55.5bn rupees for the full-year to the end of March.

Green lessons from India
India's homegrown solution to low-carbon growth

Protecting Swat
Police return to the streets of former militant haven

Mountain medics
Sherpa hospital is lifeline in the Everest heights

Locked in conflict in India
Guest writer Mark Tully on India's Maoist rebellion

Suicide mission boy
The boy groomed by the Taliban to become a bomber

BBC News | World | South Asia | UK Edition
Get the latest BBC News from South Asia: breaking news, features, analysis and debate plus audio and video coverage from across the South Asia region.

 

Where Have All the Fish Gone?
The collapse of America’s West Coast Salmon fishery has an eerily familiar ring to it. Are the oceans dying?

Rice Shortages Could Fuel Unrest
Food shortages in southeast Asia could foreshadow a coming global food crisis.

Selling America for Designer Boots, Top Hats and Thimbles
Like a near-concluded game of Monopoly, America is selling off its last properties to maintain its lavish lifestyle.

Russia Bolstering Its Position Via Strategic Arms Sales
Russian President Vladimir Putin is strengthening his Asian alliances using a potentially dangerous tool.

Australian Stock Market Plunges
Yesterday’s tumble in Australia’s stock market traces back to problems in the U.S. housing market.

China Plays Nice With Neighbors
Beijing continues its policy of courting rather than confronting certain states. It will remember to collect those favors.

Thailand's Royal Anchor
As civil unrest continues in the south of the country, the people of Thailand look to their enduring monarch as a firm anchor in a time of increasing turmoil.

Asia's Economic Integration Continues
Growth in trade between China and ASEAN is laying the groundwork for a free-trade zone throughout Asia. This trend has huge implications worthy of considering.

Bali Blasts: Terror Returns to Southeast Asia
What terrorism in Indonesia means for the Western world, Asia and radical Islam.

Asia's Dire Straits

Meltdown Ahead?

Changing of the Guard
The decline of U.S.-British control over the world’s sea gates

Why Indonesia Matters
Now that President Suharto has resigned, everything is back to normal in Indonesia, right? Wrong. Massive forces of anarchy are at work, and the potential for global economic disaster still exists. As much as one-half of world trade is at risk and radical Islam may be stalking Indonesia!

Rescuing the Rich
In Southeast Asia, currency devaluations and other austerity measures imposed by the International Monetary Fund are devastationg common workers while wealthy investors and bankers are being bailed out. Fair? No. Typical? Very!

theTrumpet.com: Southeast Asia
theTrumpet.com -- Understand your world.

 

Afghan MP Escapes Assassination Attempt in Kabul
Five bodyguards were killed. Earlier in the day, a suicide bomber killed at least 16 people in southwestern Afghanistan, while two roadside bombs killed 4 others in eastern Afghanistan.

Obama Calls on N. Korea to Return to Talks
U.S President Barack Obama is calling on North Korea to return to nuclear talks and he is warning of possible new sanctions on Iran. Mr. Obama spoke in Seoul after talks with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak.

Monira Rahman Fights for Life Free of Violence
Human rights advocate, Monira Rahman, is Making a Difference through her Acid Survivors Foundation

Bangladesh Supreme Court Upholds Assassins' Death Sentences
Five former army officers convicted of the 1975 killing of the country's independence leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman, could face the death penalty after the supreme court rejected their appeals. Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina - who is the daughter of the slain leader - had vowed to complete the politically sensitive trial when she took power, earlier this year.

DNA Results Give New Hope for 'Extinct' Siamese Crocodiles
A proposed breeding program for the critically endangered Siamese crocodile received a significant boost this month with the news that 35 crocodiles at a wildlife rescue center in Cambodia are purebred Siamese.

US, China May Set Emissions Reduction Goals
During talks in Beijing, U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao endorsed a package of energy projects, including deals on clean coal and electric vehicles. Environmental analysts say the talks offer new hope the two countries will soon offer targets on emissions reduction.

Drone Kills 8 in Pakistan
Pakistani officials say a suspected U.S. drone attack has killed at least eight people in the country's northwest.

Amnesty International Chief Blasts Australia's 'Panic' Over Asylum Seekers
The head of Amnesty International, Irene Khan, says the Australian government should close its immigration detention center on Christmas Island.

Karzai Sworn in for Second Term as Afghan President
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has been sworn in after months of political uncertainty in the wake of a fraud-marred presidential election.

UN General Assembly Condemns Human Rights Violations in Burma, North Korea
U.N. General Assembly has expressed its grave concern about on-going human rights violations in Burma and North Korea.

Retiring Sri Lankan General Contends Government Politicians Planted Coup Rumors
In his 2,200-word retirement request General Sarath Fonseka says he was misled about his promotion this year to Chief of Defense staff, finding that he had "basically no authority."

Obama Meets With Chinese Premier

UN Appeals for $144 Million to Help Storm-Ravaged Philippines

Obama says Afghan Decision to Come Soon
U.S. President Barack Obama says a decision on a revised Afghanistan strategy will come soon, and he vows the United States military commitment there will not be open-ended.

Obama Meets Half-Brother in Beijing

US, China Seen as Making Progress on Climate Change
Although President Barack Obama's visit to China did not draw huge crowds and has been criticized in the United States, experts on China say Washington and Beijing made progress in several areas, especially climate change.

Refugee Stand-Off Ends in Indonesia
Sri Lankan asylum seekers transferred to an Australian-funded detention facility on Bintan island and are promised that if recognized as refugees they will be resettled within three months

Obama Visit Offers Reminder of South Korea's Own Blurring Racial Lines
Obama Visit Offers Reminder of South Korea's Own Blurring Racial Lines

Indonesia Deports Greenpeace Activists, Journalists

British PM Defends Military Mission in Afghanistan

VOA English - Asia
VOA English - Asia

 

Hong Kong's deferred democracy: Softly, softly

One man; one vote; one forlorn hope?

ACCORDING to its chief executive, Donald Tsang, Hong Kong has reached another “critical juncture” in its political development. A reform proposal unveiled by his government on November 18th aims to increase the level of democracy “substantially” in 2012 when Mr Tsang’s successor is chosen and a new legislature elected. Pro-democracy politicians are far from convinced.

This is Mr Tsang’s second attempt at trying to persuade legislators that he and, more critically, China’s leaders, mean to fulfil promises made at the end of British rule in 1997 that Hong Kong would move towards “universal suffrage”. His previous reform package was voted down by the legislature, known as Legco, in 2005 as too timid and lacking a clear timetable for universal suffrage. ...

A hero for the Philippines: The thriller for Manila

Manny Pacquiao, boxer, national hero and political wannabe

A HUSH fell over the Philippines as a bell rang, eight time zones away, to start Manny Pacquiao’s title fight in Las Vegas. The people of Manila deserted the streets to crowd in front of television screens and watch the most successful Filipino athlete of all time enter the ring. The quiet was soon shattered by a roar which echoed throughout the country as Mr Pacquiao knocked down his opponent for a first time. A crescendo followed, reaching its jubilant climax when the referee awarded victory to Mr Pacquiao in the 12th round.

Mr Pacquiao’s defeat of Miguel Cotto, a Puerto Rican, means he has now won world championships in seven different weight divisions—a feat unprecedented in boxing history. He has become an extraordinary hero in the Philippines, where figures of international renown are scarce. Filipinos adore him for his rags-to-riches career and his unpretentious charm. The government says Mr Pacquiao will receive a special welcome on his return to the Philippines; delirious public celebrations are expected. ...

Banyan: Land of Eastern promise

India's membership of Asia remains primarily cartographic

AN EASY but instructive way to bait an Indian economist is to credit the Chinese economy with coming to Asia’s rescue and arguably the world’s. It is, claims the economist, an example of anti-India bias. Why does India not get equal credit for robust growth? In all the frothy coverage about Asia’s amazing rebound, including in The Economist, where is India? “You’d think”, the economist complains, “that India isn’t even part of Asia.”

To what degree India’s economy is part of a vibrant Asian whole has long been a preoccupation among Indian policymakers. Now the global slowdown has given the debate a keener edge, for it has disproportionately hit the commercial markets in America and Europe to which India traditionally looks. “Look East”, long an avowed tenet of government policy, is in vogue. ...

Afghanistan's anti-corruption drive: Taming the mafia state

The anti-graft pressure mounts on Hamid Karzai

IT WAS no secret what the world wanted to hear from Hamid Karzai when Afghanistan’s president was sworn in for a second term on November 19th: a commitment to get tough on corruption. Visiting Kabul for the inauguration, Hillary Clinton, America’s secretary of state, said Mr Karzai had a “window of opportunity” to show tangible results. American officials say he has just six months to tackle what one calls “Afghanistan’s mafia state”.

In his inauguration speech, he said ministers in his administration must be “competent and just”. But heeding Western concerns about their behaviour does not come naturally to Mr Karzai. He has been in a combative mood since the West’s much-resented demand that he accept that his re-election was marred by massive vote-rigging. In a recent American television interview he batted back questions about corruption in his government with his oft-repeated line that foreign donors must clean their own act up and stop development funds from being wasted. Such wastage, however, is at least lawful, unlike the Afghan government’s practice of selling jobs to officials who then repay themselves through extortion. Nor is it akin to the impunity the well-connected enjoy. ...

Sri Lanka's retired army chief: General intentions

The war’s winners fall out

WHEN Sarath Fonseka sought permission this month to retire as chief of Sri Lanka’s defence staff from December 1st, President Mahinda Rajapaksa replied through his secretary that the general, who had led his government’s victory against the Tamil Tigers, could consider himself retired with immediate effect. So General Fonseka had to vacate his office in less than two days. He was told his large security detail would be slashed. He must quit his official residence. The impromptu farewell ceremony for him was so hastily arranged, apparently, that the commanders of the army, navy and air force could not attend.

His retirement, more than a month before the end of his term, fuelled rampant speculation that General Fonseka would stand against Mr Rajapaksa at the presidential election he wants to call next year, nearly two years early, to capitalise on the government’s defeat of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May. ...

Australia's child-migration horror: Better late than never

Kevin Rudd says sorry for a past evil

CEREMONIES in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra are typically attended by visiting royals, heads of state and other dignitaries. On November 16th several hundred ordinary, middle-aged Australians, with pain in their faces and tears in their eyes, packed the hall to witness a ceremony devoted to them. It seemed a miracle that many were there at all. Shipped from Britain as youngsters, or plucked from broken homes and single mothers in Australia, some suffered childhoods spent in orphanages where violence, sexual abuse and humiliation were rife. Some of their peers killed themselves.

After years of campaigning, survivors gathered to hear Kevin Rudd, the prime minister, offer a formal apology for this “great evil”. It was the second such apology Mr Rudd has offered in under two years. Early last year, he began his government’s first term by apologising to the “stolen generations”: children, many of mixed race, taken by the authorities from aboriginal families. In all, by 1970 over 500,000 “stolen”, migrant and non-indigenous children had been placed in church, charity and government institutions. ...

Barack Obama in Asia: Scaling the Asian wall

The president pays Asia the compliment of courtesy; rewards are not immediate

IT TOOK Barack Obama nearly a year in office to get to East Asia. When he did, it was for an intensive nine-day obstacle course, which he tried to negotiate with the placatory charm and openness to dialogue that have marked his diplomacy. Unsurprisingly, it went down well, but produced little of substance.

The centrepiece of the trip was China, which he visited at a critical juncture in the world’s most important bilateral relationship. China handled the visit with ambivalence. It was keen to encourage Mr Obama’s friendly approach and his willingness to recognise China as a fellow great power. But it was also clearly nervous of a charismatic young president far better than China’s standoffish leaders at appealing to ordinary citizens (“voters”, as they are known in America). ...

Banyan: Barack Obama's Asian adventure

The president seems better at reassuring America's enemies than its friends

ASIANS complain that when George Bush chose Iraq and terrorism as his main arenas in foreign affairs, it was at their expense. Barack Obama intends his first Asian trip as president, which begins in Tokyo on November 13th, as proof of change. As well as Japan, the tour takes in Singapore, China and South Korea. Engagement in the region, he says, is critical to America’s future. Advisers even suggest that what he achieves there will help define Mr Obama’s presidency. Of course, they say that about a lot of things on his plate. But to judge by ordinary folk, the region wishes him well. Many Indonesians think of Mr Obama as one of their own. In Japan students of English have emptied the bookshops of his collected speeches.

Some activity suggests there is indeed a new engagement. In July, the American secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, signed ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Co-operation. The ten-member Association of South-East Asian Nations had been largely ignored by Mr Bush. This weekend Mr Obama will meet ASEAN’s leaders as a group, which is a first. His administration reached out to the thuggish junta in Myanmar, reversing a policy of isolation, and on November 10th said Mr Obama’s special envoy to North Korea would go to Pyongyang for talks with the obstreperous nuclear state (after close consultation with South Korea and Japan first). The president has taken pains to define China as a “strategic partner”, one without whom America has little hope of tackling everything from the global economic crisis to climate change and nuclear proliferation. And Mr Obama’s energetic support this year for the G20, with its Asia-heavy membership, can be read as a tacit acknowledgment that in economic and political terms the world’s centre of gravity has shifted away from the G8 group of wealthy nations. ...

Japan's government: Out of tune

The Democrats’ debut has been worryingly unharmonious—and the “bond vigilantes” are starting to make groaning noises, too

YUKIO HATOYAMA, Japan’s prime minister, likens his role to that of a conductor trying to achieve “harmony”—one of his favourite words—from a pickup orchestra (for which read, novice cabinet). So far the result has been cacophony. Ministers have waged war in public and have floated ideas that, in some cases, are downright ludicrous. At times they have even challenged Mr Hatoyama’s authority.

To his supporters, this reflects a refreshingly open debate in a new ruling party after decades of cloistered dealmaking. When Mr Hatoyama’s Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) swept to power in September, it was largely because of voters’ frustration at half a century of rule by the “iron triangle” of Liberal Democratic politicians, bureaucrats and big business. Mr Hatoyama promised a more open and genuinely democratic style of government. ...

Fiji and Oceania: Coconut dictator

A coup leader who is tough on the outside, softer underneath

FIJI’S military strongman, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, has thumped down his fist. He will restore relations with Australia and New Zealand only in 2014, he says, having booted out their High Commissioners on November 4th. He justified the expulsions by saying the countries were interfering in his efforts to replace judges he sacked when he abrogated the constitution in April.

This latest diplomatic crisis, as with previous such episodes, led to a ratcheting up of repression at home: Brij Lal, a persistent critic of the regime and a distinguished historian of the Indian diaspora, was taken to a military barracks, harassed and thrown out of the country. This week, the authorities started jamming anti-government bloggers, who have proliferated since the coup of December 2006. ...

Singapore and immigration: A PR problem

Immigration becomes the hot political issue in a model city-state

AT CHINA’s 60th anniversary bash last month, Zhang Yuanyuan, a China-born, permanent resident of Singapore, was caught on camera professing her love for her native country. The clip caused a storm in the island state; it was the latest sign of resentment towards incomers and evidence that immigration is becoming the city-state’s dominant political issue.

Faced with an ageing population and low fertility, Singapore’s government has long courted foreigners to plug gaps in the workforce. In 1990, citizens made up 86% of Singapore’s 3m people. Today, the share is 64% of 5m-odd. More than one in three people are foreigners (permanent residents, known as PRs, and non-residents). ...

China's state-owned enterprises: Nationalisation rides again

Do state firms have too much power? A case in Hebei stirs debate

THERE are so many examples of Chinese farmers enraged by industrial polluters that Hou Youliang, a 61-year-old cancer sufferer, might have struggled to get anyone to listen to his complaints about nearby iron mines. But Mr Hou’s grievance relates to a big state-owned enterprise. In recent months, worriers about China’s increasingly muscular state sector have grown more vocal. Mr Hou’s travails have given them fresh ammunition.

Oddly it was a newspaper run by China’s official news agency, Xinhua, that broke Mr Hou’s story on October 15th. The state enterprise in question, China Minmetals Corp, is, like Xinhua, controlled by the central government. Normally Xinhua would avoid openly confronting the centre’s other bastions of power. Minmetals, clearly shocked by the breach of etiquette, summoned journalists the following day to issue a furious rebuttal of the allegation—made by the newspaper, Economic Information Daily—that two mines controlled by a Minmetals subsidiary had polluted Mr Hou’s village. ...

Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen: A new way to annoy a neighbour

Cambodia appoints as a government adviser Thailand’s opposition leader

SINCE last year, Cambodian and Thai troops have intermittently clashed over a disputed border temple. But now Cambodia has found a more elegant way to annoy its rival: appointing as economic adviser to the prime minister, Hun Sen, Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai premier who was ousted by a coup in 2006 and convicted in absentia of abusing his power. Thailand’s government wants Mr Thaksin in jail. Cambodia has refused to extradite him, arguing that his crime is political. Infuriated, Thailand last week withdrew its ambassador. Cambodia did the same. Thailand has torn up a joint maritime oil-exploration treaty. On November 15th, anti-Thaksin “yellow shirts”, who have stirred up trouble on the disputed border, plan to rally in Bangkok to protest against Cambodia’s decision to coddle their nemesis.

Speaking at his opulent government guesthouse in Phnom Penh, a stone’s throw from the Thai embassy, where extradition papers lie waiting, Mr Thaksin affects not to know what all the fuss is about. He says that giving sound advice to Cambodia will benefit Thailand’s larger economy and the whole region. He describes Hun Sen as a pal of 20 years who “dares to say the truth to the world” about his ill treatment. Actually, the two men have not always seen eye-to-eye. But both see themselves in a similar light, as bluff sons of the soil, surrounded by royalist enemies. ...

Military strategy in Afghanistan: Tactical retreat?

NATO commanders want to withdraw from vulnerable outposts

BEARDED fighters gleefully picked through the ruins of an abandoned American base in Kamdesh, in the mountains of Nuristan in eastern Afghanistan. The fortified ramparts were deserted. The Taliban showed off arms left by the Americans, including ammunition belts for grenade launchers and Claymore mines. One leader declared: “We have defeated the US forces, with the help of God.” These scenes were part of a Taliban video released this week to the al-Jazeera television network. If plans being considered by NATO to withdraw from other remote outposts go ahead, there will be more propaganda triumphs for the Taliban to brag about.

Eight American soldiers and several members of the Afghan security forces were killed in Kamdesh last month as they fought a desperate battle to prevent hundreds of Taliban fighters from overrunning two outposts. But within days of repelling the attack, the Americans left the exposed positions anyway. Commanders said they had always intended to withdraw under new plans to leave remote districts and concentrate on major population centres. Yet the retreat is evidence of the pressure that Western forces are feeling. And in a war of perceptions, it undeniably handed the Taliban a propaganda victory. ...

India's wretched state of Manipur: Not free to starve

A poet from Manipur celebrates nine years of trying to kill herself

IROM CHANU SHARMILA, 37, a poet and aspirant suicide, was this week unable to attend a cultural festival held in her honour in Imphal, capital of India’s north-eastern state of Manipur. She was in hospital, being force-fed lentil soup through a tube inserted into her nose.

The festival and an attendant fast, joined by hundreds of Ms Sharmila’s sympathisers in recent months, were to mark an anniversary. On November 2nd 2000 the poet, known as the “Iron Lady”, embarked on a “fast unto death”—a threat respected as an act of protest in India, often used to great effect by Mohandas Gandhi. Yet Ms Sharmila’s case, like the wretched condition of Manipur, the most violent of seven troubled north-eastern states, is a national embarrassment. ...

Financial scandals in Thailand: Getting their man

Market panics, old and new

IT TOOK 13 years for Thai justice to catch up with Rakesh Saxena, an Indian-born banker who fled to Canada in 1996. Once there, Mr Saxena (pictured left) dug in his heels during what became Canada’s longest-ever extradition case. Eventually, on October 30th, all his appeals exhausted, Mr Saxena arrived back in Thailand to face criminal charges over his role in the insolvency of Bangkok Bank of Commerce (BBC) in 1996. The sorry tale of BBC, which was milked by bank executives and politicians under the nose of regulators, was, in retrospect, a dry run for the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis that began in Bangkok.

For Thailand, putting Mr Saxena on trial provides a bookend of sorts to the crisis. It also threatens to ensnare several politicians aligned to the present government who had dealings with BBC and may prefer Mr Saxena’s silence. Prison officials have made a show of securing his cell to prevent anyone getting to him. Regulators hope to tie up loose ends from BBC’s collapse under the weight of $3 billion in bad loans. Its president was jailed in 2005 for fraud. But many others escaped censure. ...

Indonesia's anti-corruption commission: The gecko bites back

Yudhoyono: second term, first crisis

THIS was to have been Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s second honeymoon. Inaugurated for a second presidential term last month after a landslide election victory in July, he should have been basking in his recent international popularity and preparing for a regional summit in Singapore. Instead, he has been consumed by the fallout from a political scandal. On November 2nd he set up a team to look into an investigation by the police of members of the Corruption Eradication Commission, known as the KPK. The commission’s high-profile prosecutions had helped improve the country’s corrupt image and boosted the president’s standing.

Mr Yudhoyono was responding to mounting public pressure and street protests that followed the arrest of two KPK deputy chairmen on dubious charges of abuse of power and extortion. This was the culmination of a months-long feud pitting the KPK against the national police and the attorney-general’s office. The two KPK officials, Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto, were accused of taking bribes from Anggoro Widjojo, a corruption suspect, so that he could flee abroad. They say their arrests were part of a plot to frame them and weaken the KPK. ...

Banyan: Having it both ways

Despite protestations to the contrary, China needs NATO to fight in Afghanistan

ONE day early this summer, when it was still possible to claim progress in Afghanistan, Robert Gates, America’s defence secretary, was at an Asian security gathering, reeling off the names of countries who had contributed to it. The list—Canada, Mongolia, Poland—went on and on, while the harrumphing of a Chinese general in the third row grew ever louder. Eventually, he held back no longer. “Why no China?” he demanded. “Where is China on this list?”

Where indeed? The question seemed odd. Unlike the other countries on Mr Gates’s list, China has no military presence in Afghanistan. Though China has peacekeepers as far afield as Haiti and Sudan, it is allergic to sending them to neighbouring countries. Perhaps, this columnist later inquired of the general, he meant the modest intelligence that China shares with the United States on jihadists with connections in Xinjiang, China’s restive, preponderantly Muslim, western region? No, he replied testily. “I mean the mine. Our copper mine.” ...

Politics and the war in Sri Lanka: To which victor the spoils?

The mysterious ambitions of Sri Lanka’s victorious army commander

NOT even six months has elapsed since the protracted war with Tamil Tiger rebels ended in a bloody climax, leading to the Sri Lankan government’s triumph. But already the leaders of the military campaign are sparring ahead of an election due next year. For weeks the press has been speculating about friction between the administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka, the hawkish army general who commanded troops in the final assault against the Tigers.

Jittery over rumours, spread mostly by opposition parties, that General Fonseka will challenge Mr Rajapaksa in the election, the government in October banned reports about his political ambitions. A communique from the army’s spokesman warned the press that several laws would be used against those who published “false reports” using the names of serving senior army officers. ...

The Economist: Asia
Asia