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Deadly blasts strike Indian city
At least 29 people are killed in a series of explosions in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, a day after blasts hit Bangalore.
UK troops kill Afghan civilians
UK soldiers in Afghanistan kill four civilians and injure three others after a vehicle fails to stop at a checkpoint.
Power crisis hits Indian states
Maharashtra becomes the latest Indian state to announce measures to deal with a power crisis.
Bangalore police find eighth bomb
An unexploded bomb is found near a shopping mall in Bangalore, a day after seven explosions killed two people in the city.
Nepal Maoists rethink opposition
Nepal's former Maoist rebels say they may reverse a decision not to form the next government, party officials say.
Bush and Singh push nuclear deal
US President George Bush telephones Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the controversial civil nuclear deal.
Karzai 'impeding Afghan drug war'
An ex-US narcotics official accuses President Hamid Karzai of obstructing efforts to tackle the Afghan drugs trade.
Dead UK army dog handler is named
The British dog handler killed under fire had stayed in Afghanistan because he was worried about the lack of cover.
Arsenal will train Indian boys
One of England's leading football clubs, Arsenal, says it will train 16 of India's talented schoolboys at its facilities in London.
Does yeti exist? Does it have split ends? DNA tests to tell all
Scientists in the UK who examined hairs reputed to belong to a yeti in India say that an initial series of tests have proved inconclusive.
Scrabble owners sue Indian brothers over Facebook Scrabulous game
Hasbro, the company that owns the North American rights to Scrabble, sues the founders of Scrabulous.
Scorecard - Sri Lanka v India
Sri Lanka take on India in the first Test in Colombo, with players able to challenge umpiring decisions in a new trial system.
Pietersen admits to Trophy fears
England batsman Kevin Pietersen says he has serious reservations about travelling to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.
Unsung star
India's top boxer takes a shot at Beijing
Fossil fears
Road building threatens Jurassic age fossils in India
Branch line
Maldives banks on mobile phone future
Perilous position
When attack becomes defence in Afghanistan
Meteoric rise
Will 'untouchable' leader be India's next PM?
Ugly debate
Confidence vote reveals seamy side of Indian politics
India media condemn vote 'taint'
The Indian press says the government's vote of confidence win was "tainted" by charges of vote buying.
UK men cleared of sex abuse
Two Britons jailed in India for sexually abusing boys at a children's shelter are cleared on appeal.
Balochistan fighting kills many
At least six Pakistani troops and many rebels die in clashes in south-western Balochistan province, officials say.
India says dialogue under stress
India says its peace process with Pakistan is under stress following this month's suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul.
Bengal farmers in potato protest
Angry farmers in the Indian state of West Bengal dump potatoes crop on roads in protest against poor prices.
UN warns on biofuel crop reliance
UN chief Ban Ki-moon warns the world's leading economies not to invest too heavily in biofuel crops at the expense of food production.
Taleban 'winning propaganda war'
A leading international think-tank warns that the Afghan government and its foreign allies may lose the propaganda war with the Taleban.
Five killed in Kashmir explosion
At least five people are killed in a blast caused by suspected militants in Indian-administered Kashmir, police say.
US seeks boost to Pakistan F-16s
The US confirms plans to allocate $230m of military funding to upgrade Pakistan's fleet of F-16 fighter jets.
Pakistan troops rescue climbers
Pakistan's army rescues two Italian mountaineers stranded for 10 days on Nanga Parbat - one of the deadliest Himalayan peaks.
Nato warning on Pakistan fighters
Nato's chief says an international effort is needed to stop Taleban and al-Qaeda militants gathering in Pakistan's border areas.
Indian stocks up after key vote
Indian stocks rise more than 5% after the government wins a vote of confidence that could enable key reforms.
Protest at Pakistan share slump
Hundreds of angry Pakistani investors hold violent protests at plunging share prices.
Sri Lankan cost of war
Roland Buerk in Sri Lanka looks at the impact of the civil war on ordinary people.
Getting drier?
World's wettest town hit by changing weather
Inside opium factory
Inside the world's biggest opium factory
Uneasy allies
Pakistan's strained relationship with the United States
BBC News | World | South Asia | UK Edition
Visit BBC News for up-to-the-minute news, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC News provides trusted World and UK news as well as local and regional perspectives. Also entertainment, business, science, technology and health news.
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.
10 Years After Suharto
The rise of radical organizations such as Defenders Front for Islam, Jihadist Paramiliter, and Indonesian Mujahidin Council, confirms the new power of the conservatives in Indonesian politics.
Myanmar: Waiting for Aung San Suu Kyi
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest in Yangoon. She has not been allowed to see her doctor since January. She survives in a house that was badly damaged by Cyclone Nargis.
In Their Eyes: Assisting the Quake-Affected Children of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir
Kashmir Family Aid, founded in 2005 and based in Bend, Ore., works to counter poverty and terrorism while promoting women's rights by providing secular education to quake-affected children.
India-U.S. Nuclear Deal: A Victim of Oversell
It is evident that the India-United States civilian nuclear deal is a victim of oversell as a
China's 'Panda' Imperialism
An interesting facet of the Sino-African project is the issue of standards diplomacy in the context of the evolving relationship between booming China and not-so-booming Africa.
Aboriginal Control of Aboriginal Affairs
Pat Eatock, a Goomiegyrie and a grandmother of the Kairi (or Gyrie) nation from central Queensland, Australia, looks at Aboriginal dispossession since the 1967 citizenship referendum.
Current Indian Political ScenarioProblems That Take Priority
India currently faces three major problems that are stalling the bandwagon of its normal routine: inflation, the Gujjar agitation, and the Gorkha (Gurkha) agitation.
Papua New Guinea: The World's First Climate Change 'Refugees'
The 1,500 residents of Carteret Island, an atoll of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, are fast becoming the world's first climate change refugees.
Pakistan Through the Lens of Iraq
As General Petraeus takes over Central Command, America's options in Pakistan become much clearer when examined through the lens of the American experience in Iraq.
U.N. Security Council Seat: China Outsmarts India
The symphony of South-South cooperation at the recent conclave of foreign ministers of BRIC was jarred by China's refusal to endorse India's bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.
'Guest Workers' or Modern Slavery?
An old shop front verandah in Singapore's Little India is "home" to a group of about 50 migrant workers who have been spat out by an economy that relies heavily on so-called "guest workers."
China: The Infant Dragon
China is indeed a dragon on the uplift; any clumsiness could have devastating consequences in those regions of the world most susceptible to its influence, such as Africa.
Media Freedom Restricted in Fiji Following Another Deportation
The latest deportation and the blatant indifference of the military-backed regime to the court orders against deportations has raised serious concerns about the rule of law.
Solomon Islands: Report Slams Australian-Led Intervention
The Australian government justified its intervention, which came within months of the invasion of Iraq, by labeling the Solomon Islands a "failed state" and a potential source of terrorism.
Protecting a Free Press Requires International Cooperation
Every year since 2004, the United Nations has refused to issue press credentials to journalists from Taiwan, rendering them unable to cover the annual meetings of the World Health Assembly.
Morality and Ethics in Public Life: A Gandhian View
Corruption is rampant in India and now, without doubt, it is a matter of concern for all of us as it puts a question mark on the very existence of a respectable life and on our national character.
My Journey to Mount Everest
The Chinese government package, which supposedly included a travel permit and a ride on a government-approved bus sounded like a little too much supervision for my liking. I decided to find my own way.
Australia Grants Asylum to Iraqi Interpreters
In making the decision to withdraw from Iraq, Canberra was faced with the sticky logistical and human question of how to protect local Iraqis who had risked their lives by helping the Australian troops.
Rudd the Conqueror?
Under former Prime Minister John Howard, military spending averaged around 2 percent of gross domestic product a year. Labor's policy calls for increasing the annual spending to 3 percent per year.
Fiji High on the Agenda at Pacific Islands Forum Meeting in Auckland
At the March 26 meeting, ministers formed a contact group consisting of Australia, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Tuvalu to review progress on restoring democracy in Fiji.
Asia: Fear of Shortages as Rice Prices Keep Rising
As food prices continue to skyrocket throughout Asia, many governments are intervening to try to stabilize their domestic rice prices for fear of acute shortages and possible food riots.
An Ode to the Family
Deepak Verma's book is a poignant, straight from the heart account of what he and his wife experienced as parents of an only son who lay critically injured thousands of miles away in South Carolina.
Sri Lankan Election Begins to Solidify Government Control
The overwhelming success of a breakaway faction of the L.T.T.E. in the March 10 local government elections has prompted the group to seek additional victories at provincial level.
Terror Remains Beyond Control of Pakistani State
International terrorist plots with the invariable Pakistani hand draw upon a rich resource base for jihad that has taken root in the social system of Pakistan and is beyond the control of the Pakistani state.
Tibet: Unrest on the 'Roof of the World'
The demonstrations reflect a convergence of longstanding grievances and more-temporal issues ranging from recent tension over Tibetan cultural practices to China's rising demand for raw materials.
Jobless Rural Poor in Bangladesh Rush to the Cities
With a very small job market and barely any scope for self-employment, rural people are swelling the ranks of the city's economic migrants. And they are not just victims of Cyclone Sidr.
Carbon Cuts: Why Rich Countries Must Lead the Way
Among climate backsliders, the argument is a familiar one: for developed countries to curb emissions is futile so long as Chinese and Indian emissions continue rising rapidly.
Should India Also Develop Satellite-Killing Capability?
The fear that India will be left lagging in one more global arms race and pay a heavy ex post price looms on the minds of the country's strategic elites.
Asian News from World Press Review
World News Review
Situation remains dire for Myanmar cyclone victims, UN agencies warn
Nearly three months after deadly Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, hundreds of thousands of children and adults are in need of critical humanitarian assistance, two United Nations agencies on the frontlines of relief efforts said today.
Republic of Korea: cartoon hero becomes goodwill envoy for UN refugee agency
Robot Taekwon V, an iconic martial arts cartoon hero as famous in the Republic of Korea as Superman is in the West, has signed on as the United Nations refugee agency's Goodwill Envoy in the Asian nation.
Afghanistan: more illegal armed groups disbanded with UN help
A campaign to disband illegal armed groups - that has already seen more than 40,000 weapons handed in - is to be extended to 12 more districts in Afghanistan, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Top UN official discusses cyclone response with Myanmar's Prime Minister
The top United Nations humanitarian official today held talks with Myanmar's Prime Minister to discuss progress made in assisting survivors of the deadly Cyclone Nargis which struck the South-East Asian nation in early May.
New individual ID cards fairer for refugees in Bangladesh - UN agency
New individual identification cards will improve conditions for 22,500 refugees in Bangladesh, the United Nations refugee agency said today.
Ban convenes Group of Friends' meeting on Myanmar
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today convened a meeting of the so-called "Group of Friends" established to review developments in Myanmar to discuss the upcoming visit to the country of his Special Adviser, Ibrahim Gambari.
Security Council extends mandate of UN mission in Nepal into early 2009
The United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) has been extended for another six months to allow the mission to complete its monitoring and management of the arms and personnel of the Nepal army and the former Maoist combatants from the civil war.
Secretary-General congratulates first President of Nepal
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today congratulated Ram Baran Yadav on his election as the first President of the Republic of Nepal, and called on all parties in the Asian country to cooperate in forming a new government.
In Myanmar, UN relief chief sees progress but calls for aid to reach most vulnerable
Beginning a three-day visit to assess the situation of cyclone survivors in Myanmar, the top United Nations relief official said today that relief and early recovery operations are progressing, but more aid is needed to reach remote areas.
Afghanistan making significant progress in mine clearance, reports UN official
More than 38,000 anti-personnel mines have been cleared in the past six months across Afghanistan - one of the most heavily mined countries in the world - representing 10 per cent of the total number cleared in the past 18 years, a senior United Nations official said today.
UN News Centre - Asia Pacific
A world of news from the world organization.
Press and police in Beijing ticket clash
China's attempts to avoid public relations embarrassment ahead of the Olympics suffered a blow as police were filmed manhandling journalists
Burma aid lost to regime
International aid money sent to Burma's cyclone victims is being lost through the junta's foreign exchange regulations, say United Nations officials
Livedoor founder loses appeal
Takafumi Horie, the internet entrepreneur, lost his appeal against a 2½ year jail sentence for securities fraud
Japan inflation accelerates
Inflation in Japan accelerated in June to 1.9 per cent, the fastest pace in more than a decade because of surging energy and food prices
Pakistan struggles to face enemy within
Pakistan has an increasingly powerful enemy – Islamist militants, establishing themselves as the controlling force in parts of North-West Frontier province bordering Afghanistan
Bombs rock 'India's Silicon Valley'
Bangalore, India's information technology capital, is hit by eight small bomb blasts that kill at least one person and injure almost a dozen others
Diageo in talks to buy Cobra stake
World's biggest alcoholic drinks company in negotiations to acquire 30% of the private Indian-themed lager brand, which wants fresh capital for growth
China cuts business visas for Olympics
Beijing has issued new restrictions on business visas for the next two months as the government steps up its campaign to keep out unwelcome foreigners at next month's games
Japan exports see first fall in 55 months
Japanese exports shrank for the first time in nearly five years in June as the growth in shipments to emerging markets failed to offset the impact of the US slowdown
East Asia overheats
Raising rates and cutting subsidies are bound to be unpopular, but action on inflation has been delayed for too long
Inflation brakes Asian construction
Governments are shelving billions of dollars worth of landmark infrastructure projects and shifting funds to more immediate economic assistance on food and fuel
NZ cuts rates over recession fears
New Zealand cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time in five years and said more cuts were likely amid fears the economy was at risk of a prolonged recession
OECD urges Indonesia to lift growth
The OECD has urged Indonesia to overhaul its labour laws, remove foreign investment restrictions and cut its fuel subsidies if it is to maintain current growth rates
Rice hails talks with North Korea
The US secretary of state met Pak Ui-chun, her North Korean counterpart, on Wednesday together with the foreign ministers of China, Japan, Russia and South Korea
India vows to revive economic reforms
Palaniappan Chidambaram, finance minister, says the Congress party – freed from the constraints of its former leftist allies – will build consensus for a range of economic bills
FT.com - World, Asia Pacific
FT.com - World, Asia Pacific
Press and police in Beijing ticket clash
China's attempts to avoid public relations embarrassment ahead of the Olympics suffered a blow as police were filmed manhandling journalists
Wal-Mart in pay deals with Chinese unions
Wal-Mart, the US retail giant known for fending off organised labour in its home market, has completed collective bargaining agreements with unions in two Chinese cities
China cuts business visas for Olympics
Beijing has issued new restrictions on business visas for the next two months as the government steps up its campaign to keep out unwelcome foreigners at next month's games
European partners eye Chinese funds
Institutions managing hundreds of billions of euros are eager to invest in Chinese private equity funds but struggle to find suitable managers and are wary of regulation risks
China's banks told to tighten mortgages
Chinese officials have warned domestic banks to tighten their mortgage lending after the US government's action to prop up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the giant mortgage agencies
Beijing parks Olympic dissent
Beijing has set aside areas in three city parks for public demonstrations during next month's Olympic Games – but would-be protesters will still need to get prior government approval
Free the Olympic spirit, detained in China
Provision of the hard infrastructure has been exemplary, but on the 'soft' side Beijing has been a disappointment, writes Victor Mallet
Rewards and risks of Chinese legal career
China Beyond the Games Part 3: One lawyer works in the plush Beijing office of a US law firm. The other is a defender of the disenfranchised. Together they represent the yin and yang of China's justice system
China's currency needs to rise further
It will be hard to achieve more consumption-driven growth as long as household income continues to decline, write Morris Goldstein and Nicholas Lardy
Tighter Olympics security sought
The top Chinese official in charge of Olympic preparations has demanded a tightening of already sweeping security measures surrounding the games
Russia and China settle border spat
Moscow and Beijing have finalised a protocol, formally demarcating their 4,300km international border – a significant step towards friendship between the two large military powers
China pressure groups learn to tread carefully
Beneath the surface of China's political system, there are stirrings from a society that wants to be more engaged in decision-making. But pressure groups are often fragile and face restrictions, as shown by one fledgling anti-nuclear movement
Two killed in China bus blasts
Bomb blasts on two buses in the southern Chinese city of Kunming have killed at least two people and injured 14, just two and a half weeks before the country is to host the Olympic Games
China Beyond the Games
As China prepares for the August 8 opening of the 2008 Olympics, FT reporters examine the social changes underway in the country
Stirrings in the suburbs
In the first of a series on social change in the country, the growing political engagement among entrepreneurial and educated Chinese is examined
FT.com - China
FT.com - China
Malaysian Ruling Party Vows to Pursue Legal Action Against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim
Anwar has vowed to move ahead with plans to lead the Malaysian government by September despite the charges
NATO Soldiers Kill 4 Afghan Civilians
Troops, fearing insurgent attack, fire at car after it refuses to stop at checkpoint
Undetonated Powerful Bomb Found at Bangalore Shopping Mall
Police commissioner describes bomb as 'high intensity' device that could have caused significant number of casualties
Pakistan Prime Minister Leaves for US Visit
Yousaf Raza Gilani vows to fight terrorism as he heads to Washington to meet with President Bush, US presidential candidates
Observers: Cambodia's Pre-Election Mostly Peaceful
However, rights groups, opposition parties accuse government of trying to steal elections through threats and cheating; government denies accusations
Rice Warns China on Abuse of Olympic Security
At joint news conference with New Zealand PM in Auckland, US secretary of state says China should showcase not just Olympics, but attitude of openness and tolerance
Qantas Denies Rust Caused Hole in Jumbo Jet
Aviation investigators say they do not yet know what caused hole to open in Qantas jumbo jet that was forced to make emergency landing in Philippines
More Deadly Bomb Blasts Rock India
Authorities report at least 29 people dead and more than 100 injured following 16 separate explosions in and around Ahmedabad
China Denies Separatist Group Claims for Bombings
Turkestan Islamic Party takes responsibility for Monday's explosion in Kunming which killed two people and for May 5 bombing in Shanghai which killed three people
Pakistani PM Visits US During Tension in Counter-Terror Alliance
Before leaving Islamabad, Yousuf Raza Gilani says that security issues will be high on agenda during visit
VOA News: Asia
Up to the minute news from Voice of America
South-East Asia : ASEAN and the temple of doom
Modest progress on Myanmar is overshadowed by the threat of war between Thailand and Cambodia FOUR months ago, when Thailand's prime minister, Samak Sundaravej, visited his Cambodian counterpart, Hun Sen, the two countries seemed capable of dealing peacefully with a long-running dispute over an ancient temple on their borders. Thailand backed Cambodia's bid to have the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple listed as a "world heritage" site and both sides agreed to keep talking over their overlapping claims to a nearby patch of land. Since then, things have deteriorated to the point where each side has sent thousands of troops to the area. This week talks between the two countries agreed no more than to try to avoid settling things by force. Cambodia asked the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting over what it called a state of "imminent war". ...
Kashmir: Spoiled by war
Nearly two decades of conflict have left Kashmir overloaded with orphans "WHEN did you last see your father?" is not a question to ask many of the 350 children in Srinagar's main orphanage. Over half are victims of Kashmir's 19-year-old insurgency, having lost one or both parents to the war between Indian soldiers and separatists. Wasim Ahmed Bhatt, 16, is more forthcoming than most. His father, a member of a local Islamist outfit, Hizbul Mujahideen, was shot dead 14 years ago while on an operation against the army. After a long struggle to feed their three children, the dead man's widow deposited Wasim at the orphanage four years ago. There he has learnt English, which he wants to study at university. He says he has no interest in fighting for Kashmir's freedom--though many, if not all, orphans seem to favour independence. ...
Pakistan: Red mist
Frightening and senseless threats to our correspondent from angry jihadists BY SOME reckoning, the leaders of Islamabad's Lal Masjid, or Red Mosque, ought to be in prison. For six months last year, led by two clerical brothers, Abdul Aziz and Abdul Rashid Ghazi, the mosque was a jihadist citadel. In the heart of Pakistan's capital, the brothers sent forth Islamist vigilantes. They kidnapped six Chinese women whom they accused of selling sex. They threatened to break the heads of music-cassette vendors. When President Pervez Musharraf demurred, the Red Mosquers bunkered down. A siege ensued. "We will defend ourselves even to death," said Mr Ghazi, at a press conference inside the mosque's fortified walls. He spoke truth. A year ago this month, the then General Musharraf sent in the troops. In the ensuing gun-battle, Mr Ghazi and over 100 of his followers were killed. Mr Aziz escaped in a burqa; but was soon arrested. He has been charged with kidnapping and other crimes. But most of his accomplices are still at large. They include his wife, Umme Hassan, who ran a seminary for female jihadists. Indeed, she and her fellows have since set up shop in another seminary, outside Islamabad. ...
Nepal: Guerrilla politics
The Maoists learn that not all power grows from the barrel of a gun IT HELD elections in April. But Nepal is still without a government. On July 23rd, however, it did acquire a president, Ram Baran Yadav, a peasant's son from the southern Terai plains. This follows the abolition of the 239-year-old monarchy. The former king, Gyanendra, has been granted an official forest retreat to sulk in. The election, for a Constituent Assembly, which, besides being responsible for drafting a new constitution, doubles as a parliament, was won by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). For a decade from 1996, the Maoists waged a vicious insurgency against the government. Now, they took 220 of the assembly's 601 seats but were unable to form the government. As the other parties reeled from defeat at the polls, the Maoists seem to have overestimated their own strength. Rather than forge a government of national unity, they were arrogant, publicly deriding other party leaders as "losers". ...
Australia and climate change: Greens and the black stuff
The climate-change prime minister loses some green points COALMINERS in New South Wales (NSW), Australia's most populous state, boast that they export enough of the black stuff to supply New Zealand, Indonesia and Singapore with all their electricity. Along with Queensland and Victoria, the state also digs up enough to provide Australia as a whole with 83% of its power. This dirty energy has turned Australia into one of the world's highest per person emitters of greenhouse gases. With more than 200 years' supply of black coal left, Australians have never much questioned this. But that may be about to change. The Labor government, under Kevin Rudd, outlined plans in a green paper on July 16th to cut carbon pollution with an emissions-trading scheme. Mr Rudd's promise to tackle climate change played a large part in Labor's election win last November. During its 11 years in power the former conservative coalition, under John Howard, largely ignored the issue. ...
The Sino-Russian border: The cockerel?s cropped crest
Nearly 40 years after fighting flared, a border deal is reached AFTER decades of dispute, China and Russia have at last reached agreement on where the entire length of their common border lies. On July 21st the two countries signed an accord on the last small stretch that had yet to be formally settled, putting an end to a quarrel that once came close to war. In both countries, a nationalist fringe will be nettled. With their "strategic partnership", a shared resentment of Western dominance and friendly military ties, China and Russia have long put behind them the acrimony that erupted into cross-border skirmishes in 1969. In recent years they have been tidying up the remaining odds and ends along their 4,300km (2,670 mile) frontier. The latest agreement, signed in Beijing by the two countries' foreign ministers, resolves the niggling matter of a couple of islands at the confluence of the Amur and Ussuri rivers near the city of Khabarovsk in Russia's Far East. ...
Indian politics: A tarnished triumph
The government wins a hard-fought victory over its cherished nuclear deal with America. Its image and credibility have paid a high price AFTER a rancorous, sometimes riotous, two-day debate on its most contentious policy, a nuclear co-operation agreement with America, India's government on July 22nd won a parliamentary vote of confidence. This did not ensure the survival of the vexed agreement, on which George Bush and India's prime minister, Manmohan Singh, shook hands in July 2005. It still needs the approval of several bodies, including the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). But the government's victory, by 275 votes to 256, with ten abstentions, has probably saved it from strangulation by its Indian opponents. It has also prolonged the government, at least for a bit. A governing coalition led by Mr Singh's Congress party was on July 9th deserted by its Communist allies, in response to its long-delayed decision to submit the nuclear deal to the IAEA. A tribute to nuclear-armed India's rising stature, the agreement in effect grants an amnesty on its refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), by allowing it to purchase nuclear fuel and technology regardless. But the Communists oppose the deal's subtext, closer ties with America, and therefore vowed to bring the government down. So the government called the confidence vote to thwart them. ...
The Beijing Olympics: Five-ring circus
News from the forbidden Citius, Altius, Fortius FOREIGNERS deemed potential protesters are being kept out of China during the Olympic games (August 8th-24th). Beijing is ringed with police checkpoints to keep troublemakers at bay. But the authorities have named three city parks where demonstrations, in theory, will be allowed. They are well out of earshot of the main Olympic venues and police permits will be needed (five days' notice required). Chinese rules ban any protest that threatens public security or social stability. This is routinely used to block any demonstration that citizens have the temerity to propose. Relations between China and Taiwan are much improved since Taiwan elected President Ma Ying-jeou in May. But hackles have been raised in Taiwan by a reference by China's state-run news agency to the "China, Taipei" Olympic team. Taiwan says the correct term should be "Chinese, Taipei", supposedly suggesting a merely cultural link with China--not belonging to it. Taiwanese might have other bones to pick. An exhibition at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing labels Taiwan's entries with the flag of the People's Republic. ...
Indonesian Papua : More religions, more trouble
Radical Muslim and Christian groups stoke the embers of Papua's conflict THE separatist conflict in Indonesia's Papua region--formerly known as Irian Jaya and once one of the world's great liberal causes--has become relatively quiet in recent years. Small groups of protesters still occasionally gather to wave the Morning Star independence flag and get arrested for it. But decades of repression by the Indonesian security forces, combined with the granting in 2000 of partial autonomy from Jakarta, have sapped the separatists' ranks. However, according to a recent report on the region, there is a risk that the separatist conflict may be rekindled or replaced by religious strife because of the arrival of new and more muscular forms of both Islam and Christianity. Broadly speaking, indigenous Papuans--who are dark-skinned Melanesians, like their kin next door in Papua New Guinea and Australian aborigines--tend to be Christians or animists, whereas the many migrants to the region from elsewhere in Indonesia are mostly Muslim. In recent years fundamentalist Christian groups, some started by American and Canadian preachers, have been proselytising among indigenous Papuans. Their success has also prompted the development of fundamentalist streams in the established Protestant churches. ...
Disarming North Korea: Dance of the seven nuclear veils
Only six-and-a-half to go WILL North Korea ever reliably give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons? Few among the diplomats from America, South Korea, Japan, China and Russia most closely involved in a five-year, six-party effort to denuclearise the Korean peninsula would wager on it. But on July 13th China announced their agreement to take this dogged disarmament effort another step forward. By October North Korea promises to have fully disabled its plutonium-producing 5MW nuclear reactor at Yongbyon. Work is under way to remove spent fuel-rods from the reactor; the cooling tower was blown up last month. Once its control rod is cut, it would take a year and a lot of effort and expense to restart the reactor. Some fresh fuel-rods for Yongbyon also have to be disposed of. South Korea has also offered to buy a stash of fresh fuel prepared for a now abandoned 50MW reactor; if talks broke down again as often in the past, North Korea could retool this for Yongbyon. ...
South Korea: Change of heart
A newly humble and emollient president, up to a point WITH his once-hopeful presidency paralysed by weeks of street protests against imports of American beef, Lee Myung-bak (pictured) is now trying to restore a modicum of sanity to domestic politics and--in case that idea sounds insufficiently implausible--even to his country's dealings with North Korea. A new, humbler Mr Lee, once admired as the "Bulldozer", is on display. His people last month renegotiated a beef deal with the United States, which had said that unless South Korea opened its market completely to American beef, then Congress would not approve a sweeping free-trade pact. Protesters had decried the risks of mad-cow disease, so the new deal limits imports to low-risk animals under 30 months old. That cuts little ice with many emotional protesters but--after Mr Lee last week also sacked three cabinet ministers over the fiasco--was good enough for the opposition Democratic Party to end its boycott of the National Assembly. The assembly convened on July 10th, after a six-week delay, with a backlog of work. ...
India and pollution: Up to their necks in it
Despite good laws and even better intentions, India causes as much pollution as any rapidly industrialising poor country Correction to this article A HEREDITARY Hindu priest, Veer Bhadra Mishra is wont, shortly after sunrise, to totter down the stone steps of his temple to the Ganges river, and there perform a three-part ritual. He touches the sacred water. He dips himself in it. He cups it in his hands and drinks it. ...
Singapore: Raising the bar
A rare slip-up in court by Singapore's elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew MEMBERS of Singapore's government are notorious sticklers for legal exactitude. So it has been interesting to watch the reaction after the country's elder statesman, Lee Kuan Yew--a British-trained lawyer before he became a politician--gave inaccurate testimony in the trial of two opposition leaders. In May Mr Lee testified in a hearing to decide damages against Chee Soon Juan, the leader of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and his sister, Chee Siok Chin, for defaming the former prime minister and his son, Lee Hsien Loong, who is now prime minister himself. Mr Lee senior claimed that after the London-based International Bar Association (IBA) held its annual conference in Singapore last October, its president sent a letter to the Law Society of Singapore praising the country's justice system. It has since emerged that there was no such laudatory letter. ...
Malaysia: The trials of Anwar
The opposition leader and another critic arrested SO FAR, the case against Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia's main opposition leader, has stayed pretty close to the script from 1998. Now, as then, he poses a threat to the prime minister of the day. Also as then, he faces accusations of "sodomy" (ie, homosexual sex, a crime in Malaysia) from an aide. And on July 16th, in another flashback to 1998, armed police in balaclavas pounced on Mr Anwar and took him for questioning. Last time Mr Anwar was beaten during interrogation and appeared in court with a black eye. He was jailed for 15 years but freed in 2004 after the appeal court overturned his conviction. This time Mr Anwar, who had briefly sought refuge in the Turkish embassy when the accusations surfaced, was released on bail after one night in custody. No charges have yet been filed. The prime minister, Abdullah Badawi, promised there would be no repeat of the "black-eye incident". ...
Afghanistan: Dawn raid
The Taliban show they are not just suicide-bombers IT IS a tough, complex and until this week largely forgotten war that American troops fight in the high valleys of Kunar and Nuristan. The region is almost too high for helicopters to reach; there are few roads and dense pine forests provide ideal cover for insurgents, with short supply lines to safe havens across the Pakistan border. The advantages of Western technology and firepower are largely nullified. They did not save the small American combat outpost at the village of Wanat in the Weygal valley. Two days after it was built, just after the 4.15am call to prayer on July 13th, intense gunfire streaked into the base from the village. Insurgents breached the defences. In fierce fighting, nine American soldiers were killed, more than in any single battle since 2005. Another 15 Americans and four Afghans were injured, out of a garrison of 45 Americans and 25 Afghans. The attackers were beaten back, and reportedly also took heavy casualties. But the "temporary" outpost has since been abandoned to the Taliban. ...
The Beijing Olympics: Five-ring circus
A weekly round-up of news from the Forbidden Citius, Altius, Fortius The Chinese authorities are taking no chances: 100,000 troops, anti-aircraft missiles, checkpoints ringing the city. Beijing's Olympics, they say, are the most threatened by terrorists in history. Evidence for this is thin. China says it has arrested 82 "suspected terrorists" in the western region of Xinjiang for allegedly plotting to sabotage the games. On July 9th two terrorists were reportedly executed there. A day earlier police killed five people in a raid on a "holy-war training group" in the region's capital, Urumqi. The suspects "wielded knives", a police spokesman said. Not exactly dirty bombs, but you have to start somewhere. What worries Chinese officials is the risk of yet more political embarrassment after a round-the-world tour of the Olympic torch was dogged by protests. Even slogans on T-shirts make them fret. Spectators at the games have been banned from wearing "I love China" T-shirts (lest, presumably, anyone thinks they can get away with "I love Tibet"). Under pressure from foreign television networks, the government has reversed its ban on live broadcasts by the foreign media from Tiananmen Square, the city's most sensitive site. But it is insisting on limited hours and no invited guests--ie, no dissidents. ...
India?s manual scavengers: Clean-up
How to abolish a dirty, low-status job PEOPLE cross the street to avoid Baby, a sweet-faced young woman dressed in a cherry-red salwar kameez. It is the wide iron pan and wire brush she carries that mark her out as someone to be avoided: these are the ancient tools of the "manual scavenger", a euphemism for those who clean up the faeces from houses that lack flushing toilets. Manual scavenging was banned in 1993 by a law that also forbade the unplumbed toilets that necessitate it. But implementation has been slow. So several hundred thousand scavengers are still at work. A recent report by Delhi University found more than 1,000 in the capital doing a job that in effect renders them dalits--untouchables, as they used to be known. After Baby has finished her morning's work--for which she earns 75 rupees ($1.73) of extra spending money a month--she scrubs herself clean with soap. But she is still treated as a pariah: "Shopkeepers drop the rice to me; they won't touch me," she says. ...
Thailand: In the dock
Legal cases mount against the former prime minister and his allies ENEMIES of Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's deposed prime minister, hope that a sudden blitz of court cases will achieve what protracted street demonstrations and even a military coup failed to do: finish off him and his allies for ever. On July 8th the Supreme Court in Bangkok began hearing the first of several criminal cases against Mr Thaksin and people close to him. In a separate case the court banned one of his lieutenants from politics for five years, which could trigger the disbanding of the pro-Thaksin People's Power Party (PPP), the winner of December's election. The Constitutional Court was also busy: it struck down an agreement the government had reached with Cambodia in a territorial dispute over a Hindu temple--a ruling that prompted the foreign minister's resignation and could eventually lead to criminal charges against the whole cabinet. ...
Afghanistan: Pointing a finger at Islamabad
Afghanistan accuses Pakistan after a car bomb kills dozens of civilians WITNESSES said a blinding cloud of dust filled the air after a car exploded at the entrance to the Indian embassy compound in Kabul, early on July 7th. The dust cleared to reveal scenes of carnage in which, as with most suicide attacks in Afghanistan, civilians were the main victims. With 41 dead and 139 injured, it was the deadliest attack in Kabul since the American-led invasion to overthrow the Taliban in 2001. Many of the victims had been queuing for Indian visas but the dead included two Indian diplomats. The Afghan security forces' improving capability seems to be helping to cut the number of successful suicide attacks in Kabul. But the bombers who do get through seem more sophisticated than before and more aware of the publicity value of high-profile targets. The Taliban denied responsibility for the latest attack. In the past they have avoided admitting culpability when large numbers of civilians have died. ...
The Economist: Asia
Asia
China National blames price controls for cutbacks
China's biggest oil producer, China National Petroleum Corp., will reduce its work force by 5 per cent to control costs, the company said on its website yesterday, amid a profit slump blamed on government price controls. The cuts will take place over three years, according to a CNPC report on a speech by general manager Jiang Jieming. It did not say how many jobs would be cut but the official Xinhua News Agency says state-owned CNPC, parent of the publicly traded company PetroChina Ltd., employs 1.6 million people. That could mean the elimination of up to 80,000 jobs.Phone calls to CNPC's press office in Beijing weren't answered.
Famed climber 'disappeared in front of our eyes'
Just moments before famed Italian climber Karl Unterkircher disappeared down a crevasse on Pakistan's notorious Nanga Parbat peak, fellow mountaineer Simon Kehrer had crossed the same snowy patch covering the opening.
TWO WEEKS TO CHANGE THE WORLD (OR AT LEAST THE BUSINESS MODEL)
Bob Costas has a training program he undertakes before every Olympics. In the weeks and months leading up to the opening ceremonies, the veteran NBC broadcaster does an inordinate amount of reading. Even in the sporting world, where commentators are known for their ability to regurgitate the most arcane facts and figures, Mr. Costas stands out. Legend has it he once left a $3.31 tip at baseball legend Stan Musial's St. Louis restaurant - a baffling number, unless you know that the Cardinal's lifetime batting average was .331.
Kia's profit climbs despite drop in car sales
South Korea's Kia Motors Corp. said yesterday that its second-quarter profit rose 40 per cent as its revenue edged up even though it sold fewer vehicles. Kia earned 86 billion won ($87-million) in the three months ended June 30, the company said. Revenue rose 1.4 per cent to 4.2 trillion won even though the number of units sold fell 6 per cent to 272,057 vehicles. First-half sales volume also declined, dropping 6.6 per cent from the a year ago to 523,688 vehicles. Kia is an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co. 000270 (Seoul) fell 200 won to 11,700 won.
Honda posts record profit despite auto downturn
Description is not available
BEIJING LOCKDOWN
In the small Beijing suburb of Hongxialu, there's a new force in town. The government has recruited a special unit of 288 residents, mostly middle-aged or elderly, to work as ''security volunteers'' in the lead-up to the Olympics.
Exquisite dialogue - and lots of gravity-defying sex
THE LAST MISTRESSWritten and directed by Catherine BreillatStarring Asia Argento, Fu'ad Ait Aattou, Roxane MesquidaClassification: 18A***1/2Catherine Breillat's period piece The Last Mistress is the kind of film that makes you long for the days when libertines and courtesans roamed the great capitals of Europe, leaving behind trails of broken hearts and traces of syphilis everywhere. Whoring was a calling that required commitment and courage from all parties.
Taliban use ring tones to spread the word
The Taliban have created a sophisticated media network to undermine support for the Afghan government, sending threats by text message and spreading the militia's views through songs available as ring tones, according to a report released yesterday.
Two climbers live to tell tale of killer mountain
For nine days stranded 7,000 metres up on Pakistan's ''killer mountain,'' the two Italian climbers could only huddle in their tent as raging weather and the loss of their expedition leader kept them marooned on the snowy peak.
Afghanistan's readiness to vote debated
A year before Afghanistan's scheduled elections, leading watchdogs are already expressing worry about how growing insecurity, government interference and popular disaffection may distort the results.The country's election commission even raised the possibility this month of delaying the vote if security conditions remain grim.
Cellphone users skyrocket in China; fixed lines down
The number of mobile users in China now tops 600 million, the government said, as subscribers increasingly abandon fixed lines. Mobile phone users in the country increased to 601 million at the end of June, up by 8.6 million from the end of May, the Ministry of Information Industry said in a statement. From January to June, the nation of 1.3 billion recorded 53.5 million new cellphone users, it said. By contrast, fixed-line subscribers fell by 9.3 million in the first six months to 356 million, it said. Mobile service is becoming more popular after operators lowered tolls in March for making phone calls outside a user's local service area.
TNK-BP CEO leaves Russia amid dispute
Robert Dudley, the chief executive officer of BP PLC's Russian venture, left the country yesterday because of ''sustained harassment'' amid a shareholder dispute.Mr. Dudley, a U.S. citizen, has no plans to step down and has a legal right to continue running TNK-BP from abroad, he said in an e-mailed statement. Mr. Dudley, who called his relocation temporary, had problems renewing his visa as TNK-BP's billionaire shareholders demanded his dismissal.
Chavez denies inviting Russia to establish base
Venezuela's government denied yesterday that President Hugo Chavez invited Russia to open a military base in his country, disputing a report by Russia's Interfax saying that Russian troops were welcome in the South American nation.
Additional U.S. troops headed to Afghanistan
Top Pentagon leaders are expected to recommend soon that Defence Secretary Robert Gates order hundreds of additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan over the next month or so, according to a senior military official.
Speak2Me on Chinese TV
A Canadian company hopes that an American Idol-style English proficiency contest in China will give a boost to its interactive language teaching website.Toronto-based Lingo Media Corp. says that its subsidiary Speak2Me Inc. will sponsor the 2008 Jiangsu English Star Television Contest.
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