AsiaCast

Asia Cast for Saturday 26th July

In this Bulletin…

- Air safety investigators examine QANTAS mid-air emergency;
- Compromises lead to possible WTO trade deal; and
- Beijing police criticized for heavy-handed tactics on journalists

But first here’s our SOH focus on China

Three toddlers under the age of three have died from children’s foot and mouth disease in Jilin City in China, confirming an outbreak of the disease.

Local officials who have just welcomed the Olympic Torch have ordered all kindergartens in the city to be closed for 3 weeks, leaving residents in a highly anxious state.

Officials have started to put up disease prevention fliers around the city, but has failed to report to the public and the outside the true extent of the outbreak.

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1 person has died and at least 17 have been injured in the latest series of aftershocks in the south-western region of China.

On July 24, a magnitude 6 earthquake struck the boarder of Xiaxi and Sichuan provinces, followed by 2 weaker aftershocks, according to Chinese state media.

The latest quakes are part of a series of aftershocks after the May 12 tremor which left nearly 100,000 people dead, missing or disabled.

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Hong Kong media covering the Beijing Olympic tickets sales have been interrupted by security personnel who tried to separate them from the massive crowds. A number of reporters were injured by police and some were detained. A video camera was also damaged during the scuffle.

Hong Kong communities have condemned the heavy-handed tactics, requesting that the Chinese communist regime keep its Olympic promise of media freedom. Mr Law Yuk Kai, director of the Hong Kong Human Rights Monitor said it is unacceptable when brute force is used against reporters who are simply carrying out their professional duties. He fears that the Chinese communist regime’s paranoia of bad-press will lead to more serious human rights infringements during the Games.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Ministers are optimistic of a trade deal after compromise proposals revived stalled trade talks at the Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) meetings in Geneva on Friday.

Talks were on the brink of collapse as various nations refused to negotiate over special treatment of developing countries and the abolishment of farming subsidies and other protectionist policies.

Compromises over sensitive trade issues was reached after WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy decided to restrict talks to seven key countries, a decision that has been hailed as a diplomatic masterstroke.

European Union Commissioner for Trade Peter Mandelson expressed that the agreement was not perfect, but would be a genuine boost to the world economy and developing nations. Ministers from around the world all agree that more work is required to arrive at a fully endorsed trade deal.

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Air safety investigators are weighing up the possible causes of the mid-air explosion that forced an emergency landing of a Qantas passenger flight in Manila.

Experts are closely examining two theories in their investigations: a minor explosion in luggage or damaged paneling.

A pressurized container has been cited as the likely cause of the first theory, with a bomb ruled out as only a remote possibility.

The second theory will look further into the maintenance record of the plane, which was called into question by Qantas engineers immediately after the emergency. In regular maintenance of the aircraft earlier this year, engineers commented that a large amount of corrosion was present.

Qantas boasts the best safety record of any international airline, never losing a plane to a crash in over half a century of operation.

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US Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama is wrapping up his unprecedented week-long international tour with talks in London.

On Saturday, Obama will meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to discuss Afganistan, Iraq, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Iran. Obama will also meet with opposition leader David Cameron and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Obama’s visit to Britain will be low-key compared to earlier legs of his tour including speaking before 200,000 in Berlin and received glowing praise from French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The November 4 US Presidential election will see Obama face off with Republican candidate John McCain.

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This is Karen Chang for the SOH Radio Network.

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