Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Friday 25th January

In this Bulletin…
- Italian Prime Minister resigns;
- Gore challenges lawmakers; and
- China’s economy reaches fastest growth rate in 13 years.

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After losing a confidence vote in the Senate, Italy’s Prime Minister Romano Prodi has handed his resignation to President Giorgio Napolitano.

Analysts said the demise of the 61st government since World War Two should not hurt the economy, as Prodi had been too busy surviving politically to carry out deep reforms. They said they hoped for electoral reform to cure Italy’s chronic instability.

Mr Napolitano now must decide whether to call snap elections or ask someone else to form a government.

Mr Prodi will continue as caretaker leader in the interim, a statement from the President’s office said.

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At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland yesterday, climate campaigner Al Gore challenged policymakers to step up action against the “planetary emergency” of global warming by making new laws, saying action by individuals could help only at the margins.

“In addition to changing the light bulbs, it is far more important to change the laws and to change the treaty obligations that nations have,” Gore told delegates at the annual meeting.

Gore, who narrowly lost to President George Bush in the 2000 presidential election, said he looked forward to a better U.S. climate policy after this year’s poll, although be believes none of the candidates go far enough in their climate pledges.

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According to official reports, China’s economy has expanded by 11.4% over the past year, reaching its fastest growth rate in 13 years.

Increased exports and a boom in the construction industry helped the rapid expansion during 2007.

But officials warned that overheating remained a danger, despite a slight slow-down in the fourth quarter.

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Amidst much public excitement Cambodian officials have attended the official sales launch of the first-ever skyscraper in the capital, Phnom Penh.

The twin tower development will reach a height of 42 storeys – almost three times higher than the current tallest building – and will be the first of three skyscrapers planned in the capital.

The City’s skyline has traditionally been kept low – in part to avoid overshadowing royal palaces – but the government has encouraged the new buildings as symbols of Cambodia’s development after decades of conflict.

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Local media in China’s Hangzhou City have termed recent forced demolition event in the City as the biggest in the City’s history.

Over six hundred people from city administration, public security and fire department came to removed residents from their homes to allow for demolition and new development.

One of the residents explained “I just stood aside to let them in. With so many of them here, if I went inside they would start a fight with me. My house had a living area of over 900 square metres. They simply demolished it without giving us any alternative place to live or any compensation.”

Presently, there are still more than 20 families facing the same fate.

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In a phone conversation to a Human Rights Service Centre, a human rights advocate from China’s Taiping village, explained that since the demolition of Taiping village started last week, over 1,000 people have had no water for daily living for 6 days now, due to severe pollution to water supply.

Chen Yanping, telephoned the Service Centre as the human rights advocate of the small village in an attempt to get some aid to the village.

The villagers had made several hundred inquiries to local authorities but received no assistance, and even calls to local media went unanswered.

Official from the village committee sealed off the only clean water source in the village, so villagers have been unable to get any water.

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Today the Chinese New Years Spectacular show will open to crowds in Chicago in the US, with another show running for its second day in San Francisco.

The Epoch Times reported how the show has spearheaded the renaissance of traditional Chinese culture.

San Francisco actress Kimberly Richards said that she was touched by the performances.

“The message I got was—stop the oppression,” said Richards commenting on “The Power of Awareness,” a vignette depicting police abuse in China wherein the rising indignation against injustice unites the onlookers and they stand as one to defend from harm a mother and daughter who practice Falun Gong.

For show information please visit www.bestchineseshows.com

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