Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Wednesday 23rd April

In this Bulletin…

- Chinese arms shipment may be recalled;
- UN official announces escalated death toll in Darfur; and
- US health officials confirm new evidence of drug contamination in China.

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A ship carrying weapons destined for Zimbabwe may return to China after being prevented from unloading in South Africa, a Chinese official has said.

Zambia’s president has called on other African countries not to let the ship enter their waters, in case the arms escalate post-election tensions.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the weapons were ordered last year and were “perfectly normal”. But she said the ship’s owners were considering bringing the ship back.

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John Holmes, U.N. under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, has announced that as many as 300,000 people may have died in the five-year conflict in Darfur, a dramatic increase over earlier estimates of 200,000.

But Sudan’s U.N. Ambassador Abdalmahmoud Abdalhaleemhas says the figure was grossly exaggerated and the United Nations cautioned reporters that the number was not a scientific estimate.

Holmes explained “A study in 2006 suggested that 200,000 had lost their lives from the combined effects of the conflict. That figure must be much higher now, perhaps half as much again”.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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Health officials in the US said they had new evidence linking a contaminant to deaths and allergic reactions in patients who took the blood-thinner heparin, rejecting assertions by Chinese officials that the chemical was not to blame.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said new data from animal and other studies showed the contaminant could trigger side effects like those now reported in the deaths of 81 heparin patients.

Baxter International Inc in February recalled most of its heparin products, made with ingredients from China. The company said there were five deaths in which a reaction from the company’s brand of heparin may have contributed.

It was the latest in a string of recalls involving China, ranging from contaminated pet food to excessive lead in paint that saw millions of toys swept from stores last year.

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According to Chinese state-run media heavy rains have caused a mudslide near the Three Gorges Dam.

The mudslide hit a school which had over 900 teachers and students inside, and 37 homes have been affected. But no casualties have been reported so far.

According to the local weather forecasts, continues rain is expected over the next few days, which may lead to even more mudslides.

But all this points to a bigger question about the effect the Three Gorges Dam has had on the local environment here. Hydrologists believe the earth has become more fragile as construction of the dam continues.

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And now for our original SOH news direct from China
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Wang Qiangyuan, an overseas student at US Duke University was expelled from his alma mater in China due to his calls for Chinese students to treat the Tibet incident with restraint.

Also, his parents explained that they were forced to leave their home and work due to threats from people upset at Wang’s comments.

Wang Qiangyuan explained that the conspirators of the campaign are the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, and its close connection with the Chinese Embassy.

The police are investigating the organization.

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Hotels in parts of China such as Dongguan, are reporting falling occupancy rates as a result of industry and businesses relocating out of the service areas.

According to Hong Kong “Sing Tao Daily” of the 90 star-level hotels in Dongguan, more than half of the four-star hotels are closing down. At the same time, five-star hotels are forced to drop their prices, which is in turn putting pressure on lower end hotels.

Hotel operators are reporting that it is very difficult to achieve six or seven percent of occupancy rates.

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And now for our daily update on the NTDTV Divine Performing Arts “New Year Spectacular” show.
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Today the Divine Performing Arts Spectacular will open for two days of shows in Seattle, Washington.

Mr. Michael Pili Pang, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts in Hawaii attended the first ever Hawaii performance of the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular at the Neil Blaisdell Center.

The ethnically and culturally diverse crowd reflected the diverse makeup of the people of the Hawaiian Islands, filling the 2000 seat theater to full capacity.

Mr Pang said he was impressed by the dance. “The execution of the traditional movements and the fusion of the movements with the music were excellent,” he said.

For more information about the Divine Performing Arts world tour, please visit: www.divineperformingarts.org

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This is … from the SOH Radio Network.

“Asia Cast… keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the World.”