NewsTrust - Asia - Most Recent Stories: News (Independent)

Russia and China veto proposed UN resolution on Syria

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700

OpenGlobe - By C628, OpenGlobe contributors - Oct. 05 (News Report) - Russia and China vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning the Syrian government's crackdown on protestors late on Tuesday, leading Western supporters of the bill to voice their anger at the decision. The proposed resolution would have condemned the Syrian government over its crackdown on protesters, as well as referring to the possibility of "targeted measures" against Syria. The text had been rewritted three times by drafters France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Portugal in response to Russian and Chinese objections over teh use of the word "sanctions" in earlier versions, leading to the introduction of the "targeted measures" language.

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As Biden Visits China, Author David Wise on "Tiger Trap: America’s Secret Spy War with China"

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Juan Gonzalez, Amy Goodman - Aug. 18 (News Report) - Vice President Joe Biden arrived in China yesterday to begin a five-day trip aimed at reassuring leaders there of the stability of the U.S. economy and to begin building a relationship with that country’s most likely next president, Xi Jinping. The visit to the largest foreign creditor to the United States falls right after the downgrade of the U.S. credit rating by Standard & Poor’s, and just days after the Financial Times reported that Pakistan gave Chinese officials access to the wreckage of the top-secret U.S. stealth helicopter that crashed in the compound of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad during the U.S. raid in May.

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(LEAD) South Korea, U.S. to start joint naval drill in Yellow Sea on Sunday

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Yonhap News Agency - Nov. 24 (News) - South Korea and the United States will launch a joint naval drill in the Yellow Sea from Sunday with a nuclear-powered American aircraft carrier participating amid heightened tensions over North Korea's artillery attack on a South Korean island, officials said Wednesday.

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Korea Attack: Yeonpyeong Island Shelled By North Korea

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Huffington Post - By Hyung-Jin Kim, Kwang-Tae Kim - Nov. 23 (News Report) - North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire Tuesday after the North shelled an island near their disputed sea border, killing at least two South Korean marines, setting dozens of buildings ablaze and sending civilians fleeing for shelter.

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Fighting Continues in Burmese Countryside After Aung San Suu Kyi’s Release

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Center for Investigative Reporting - By Stephanie Guyer Stevens - Nov. 18 (Investigative Report) - Saturday night here in Mae Sot, a town that is home to quite possibly as many Burmese immigrants as Thais, there were fireworks going off in street corners when Aung San Suu Kyi was finally seen on BBC news, leaning over her fence and greeting thousands of people who has been allowed to gather outside her home. There was a general atmosphere in the town of relief, hope for the future and fear of what’s still unknown, and a strange feeling for many residents here of being able to voice all these emotions aloud. Despite being on Thai soil, it seems that it never feels completely safe for Burmese refugees to unlock the powerful devotion they all apparently share for Aung San Suu Kyi. Just hours before we received the news about Aung San Suu Kyi's release from house arrest, I returned to Mae Sot from the northwest of Thailand where I interviewed Zipporah Sein. (For security reasons, I can’t disclose her location.) Zipporah is now the General Secretary of the Karen National Union. She is only woman to hold one of the top five leadership positions in the largest of Burma’s ethnic groups, and the only ethnic group to never have signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military. Zipporah, a strong supporter of Aung San Suu Kyi, now finds herself in tactical counterpoint with her, since she leads a group, the Karen National Union, that has fought the Burmese military since the end of World War II, while Aung San Suu Kyi has consistently maintained a stance of nonviolence in her dealings with the military dictatorship.

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Could This Be A Crime?

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

climatestorytellers.org - By Subhankar Banerjee - Aug. 26 (Special Report) - Last month the U.S. Senate finally put an end to the climate bill. Since then several opinion pieces have been published, including articles in Yale Environment 360, Grist, TomDispatch, The Nation, and The Hill. Some of these point out why the U.S. climate movement failed, while others call for a new movement. Global warming is a crisis: for all lands, for all oceans, for all rivers, for all forests, for all humans, for all birds, for all mammals, for all little creatures that we don’t see... for all life. We need stories and actions from every part of our earth. So far, global warming communications have primarily focused on scientific information. I strongly believe that to engage the public, we need all fields of the humanities. It is to this end that I founded ClimateStoryTellers. And there is much action: globally, 350.org and Climate Justice Movement; nationally, organizations such as Center for Biological Diversity; and state-based initiatives such as New Energy Economy in New Mexico. These groups give us hope that a bold – not weak – climate movement will continue to move forward with renewed energy. Our task is to make the collective global voice louder and louder until ignoring such loud cacophony will not be an option by our governments. Global warming is not something we can solve with good behavior and healthy lifestyles. It will require major government action to control pollution–and–polluters and to start a low–carbon–society.

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Himalayan Glaciers Melting Faster Than Anywhere Else in World; Impact Could Devastate Over 1 Billion People

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Syed Iqbal Hasnain, Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez - Jul. 15 (News Report) - We look at the impact of climate change in the Himalayas region in Asia, where scientists are warning glaciers are receding faster than anywhere else in the world, with the potential to devastate over a billion people. The Himalayan glaciers have been described as the water towers of Asias as they provide a key source of water to ten major Asian river systems. We speak to the prominent Indian scientist and glaciologist Syed Iqbal Hasnain.

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China and Hong Kong: Responses to Cheonan sinking incident

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Oiwan Lam - May. 27 (News Analysis) - The release of the international investigation report on sinking of Cheonan in May 20, 2010, concluding that the South Korean warship had been bombed by a North Korean torpedo has alleviating [sic] the tension in Northeast Asia region. South Korea suspended all trade and investment with North Korea while Pyongyang denied its responsibility for the March 26 incident and called the investigation a “fabrication”.

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From Japan to Guam to Hawai'i, Activists Resist Expansion of U.S. Military Presence in the Pacific

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Amy Goodman - May. 24 (Special Report) - In Japan, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama sparked outrage this weekend when he announced he has decided to keep an American air base on the island of Okinawa. Before last year’s historic election victory, Hatoyama had vowed to move the base off of Okinawa or even out of Japan. On Sunday he said he had decided to relocate the base to the north side of the island, as originally agreed upon with the US. Hatoyama’s decision was met with anger on Okinawa, where 90,000 residents rallied last month to oppose the base. A number of activists opposed to US military bases were recently here in New York for the International Conference for a Nuclear Free, Peaceful, Just and Sustainable World. Anjali Kamat and I spoke to three activists from Japan, Guam, and Hawai'i.

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SWS exit poll shows Aquino winning race

Tue, 11 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Manila Times - By Rommel C. Lontayao - May. 11 (News) - THE exit poll conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and TV 5 showed Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd leading the presidential race by a huge margin, just like he was doing in the partial vote tallies of the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The partial results of the TV5-SWS exit poll covering 22,398 of its targeted 32,000 respondents in 802 polling precincts nationwide gave Aquino 44 percent while his closest opponent, former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, got 25 percent.

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Bhutan: South Asian Leaders Meet For SAARC Summit

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - By Sonam Ongmo - Apr. 23 (News Report) - Thimphu, the small capital of Bhutan is in a flurry of activity, gearing up for the upcoming SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit which will take place at the end of April (28-29). This is the first time that Bhutan is hosting the Summit having passed the opportunity three times in the past because of a lack of infrastructure.

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Growth may slow down as Asia begins belt-tightening

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Financial Chronicle - By Sanjay Vijay Kumar - Apr. 19 (News) - Jamal Mecklai said if the European crisis deepens, we could see a swift move back to the dollar, which will weaken all other assets, including Asian currencies.

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The Asian Rebound Continues in Full Force

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Seeking Alpha - By Jim Delaney - Apr. 19 (News Analysis) - The Great Recession has taught us all many lessons regarding unintended consequences but I doubt anyone would have thought that when the acronym for the troubled economies of Portugal, Italy, Ireland Greece and Spain, now commonly referred to as the PIIGS, was first coined there would be another use for it. After Friday’s news that Goldman Sachs (GS) was being sued by the SEC for “misstating and omitting facts” in a CDO that ultimately cost investors over $1BN, it seems as if Greece and Spain can now be replaced with Goldman’s stock symbol without changing its meaning as, if the lawsuit is successful, it will be because GS was being a greedy little piggy.

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18.5 pc rise in Nepali workers leaving for jobs abroad

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

República - Apr. 18 (News) - Increasing demand of workers in the aftermath of the global financial crisis has lead to an upsurge in Nepali job seekers for overseas destinations. Latest data show a whopping 18.5% rise in first nine months of 2009/10 as compared to corresponding period last year.

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Malaysia: New Economic Model

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Global Voices - Apr. 02 (News) - Dubbed as the New Economic Model, Malaysia's Prime Minister has finally unveiled the first part of the plan detailing the country's future economic direction. The effort is much lauded especially by policy makers in mainstream press, but the citizen media abounds with skepticism.

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Migrant Worker Abuse Detailed in Amnesty International Report on Malaysia

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

thejakartaglobe.com - Mar. 24 (News) - Migrant workers from countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Burma are lured to Malaysia by promises of high salaries but often end up being exploited and abused, Amnesty International said in a report that urged the government to better protect foreign laborers. “Migrant workers come to Malaysia to escape poverty and to provide for their families. Once they arrive, however, many workers toil in conditions that amount to labor exploitation,’’ the London-based rights group said in a report released on Wednesday.

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Indonesian Hemorrhoid Increase Blamed on Western Toilets

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

thejakartaglobe.com - By Nurfika Osman - Mar. 24 (News Report) - The recent development of using sitting toilets rather than squat commodes was increasing the incidence of hemorrhoids among Indonesians, a doctor said on Tuesday. Eka Ginanjar, an internist from Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, said Western-style toilets were more unnatural than traditional conveyances because they caused more pressure to the rectal area.

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Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan President, Dissolves Parliament

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Huffington Post - By Your request is being processed... Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan President, Dissolves Parliament FISNIK ABRASH - Feb. 09 (News Report) - Sri Lanka's president dissolved parliament Tuesday to make way for spring elections a day after authorities arrested a key opposition leader, crippling the only serious threat to the ruling party's stifling grip on power.

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Japanese Voters Oust Conservative Party, PM-Elect Hatoyama Critical of US "Market Fundamentalism"

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Democracy Now - By Steven Clemons, Amy Goodman, Sharif Abdel Kouddous - Sep. 01 (News Report) - In Japan, voters have ousted the right-leaning Liberal Democratic Party, or LDP, after fifty-five years of nearly uninterrupted governance. In elections on Sunday, the populist Democratic Party of Japan captured a record 308 of the 480 seats in the lower house of parliament. Democratic Party leader Yukio Hatoyama, who is expected to become Japan’s new prime minister, has questioned the role of the 50,000 American troops deployed throughout Japan and, in a recent New York Times op-ed, blamed the global financial meltdown in part on what he called US “market fundamentalism.”

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Campers for Peace

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

flypmedia.com - By Tara Kyle - Jul. 29 (Special Report) - A summer camp famous for bringing Israeli and Palestinian teens together takes on the conflicts of South Asia.

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The new old

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

himalmag.com - By Aditya Adhikari - Jul. 27 (News Report) - The 4 May resignation of Pushpa Kamal Dahal (‘Prachanda’) from the prime-ministership ushered in a period of high spirits in Nepal, even jubilation, among the Nepali Congress, the centrist Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and other political forces in Nepal opposing the Maoists. These parties (the Congress in particular) had entered a period of despondency and demoralisation following their poor showings at the Constituent Assembly elections in April 2008. During the nine months the Maoists were in government, this had developed into a frustrated helplessness bordering on rage.

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Web crackdowns spread

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

GlobalPost - By David L. Stern - Jul. 21 (News Report) - With less than six months until it takes over the chairmanship of one of Europe’s flagship human rights organizations, Kazakhstan has thumbed its nose to Western governments and introduced a draconian internet law.

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North Korea Food Aid Slashed | OneWorld.net (U.S.)

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

OneWorld - Jul. 08 (News Report) - Due to a lack of funds, the United Nations is cutting back an emergency food aid program in North Korea, where an estimated 9 million people may go hungry due to cereal shortages this year.

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Cambodia's Fearless Heroine

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Daily Beast - By Gail Sheehy - Jun. 28 (Special Report) - The Prime Minister calls her a “hustler” and a “gangster,” but Mo Sochua is a savior of women sold into sex slavery—and willing to go to prison if that’s what it takes to help them. The smile of Mo Sochua is gentle. It’s the sweet Cambodian smile, as deceptive as her birth country. The Cambodia of the headlines is a great success story: “Democracy Sprung from Bones of the Killing Fields,” or “Five Top Khmer Rouge Leaders on Trial.” But scratch the surface, says Sochua, the most outspoken human rights activist in the Parliament, and you will see Cambodia “fast regressing to a soft dictatorship.”

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Realigning Pakistan's Security Forces

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Council on Foreign Relations - By Jayshree Bajoria - Jun. 18 (News Analysis) - Growing militancy inside Pakistan has spotlighted the inability of the country's security forces to fight domestic insurgency. Militants have been expanding their reach: Large swaths of territory in northwestern Pakistan are out of government control; extremist groups across the country are working together; and suicide bombings frequently rock major cities like Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad. In May, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani described the fight against terrorism (AP) as a "war of the country's survival." The United States sees Pakistani cooperation to defeating its militants as crucial to winning the war in neighboring Afghanistan. The Obama administration, through its Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy, is now focused on strengthening Pakistan's counterinsurgency capabilities, and it is pushing for increased assistance for equipment and training for Pakistani forces. But some analysts say Pakistani authorities, especially in the military, don't see the need to convert to a counterinsurgency force and continue to view India as the country's primary threat. Questions of continuing links between some militant groups and Pakistan's security forces--the army, the Frontier Corps, and the military intelligence agency known as the ISI--remain.

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