Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Saturday 23rd August

In this Bulletin…

- Singapore on the brink of hand foot and mouth epidemic
- Russian troops remain in Georgia despite completion of pull-out
- Obama chooses Biden as running mate

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China.

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Seven foreign nationals have been sentenced to jail in China and three more remain in detention after being arrested at protest demonstrations in Beijing.

Today, a British woman, Mandie McKeown, 41, was sentenced to 10 days in jail for her part in a pro-Tibet protest held yesterday. A German and twoUnited States citizens are currently being held in custody by police after being arrested at the same demonstration.

The United States government has released a statement calling on Chinese authorities to release the foreign protesters in detention.

Reporters Without Borders has issued a press release stating that at least 22 members of the foreign press have been arrested or manhandled since the start of the Beijing games and Chinese communist government’s promise of freedom for foreign media is an illusion.

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Tropical Storm Nuri has left three dead after crossing the coast of mainland China in Guangdong province. Nuri was classified as a typhoon, until it weakened after hitting Hong Kong on Friday. Hong Kong officials have reported over 100 injuries and one person missing.

Chinese news source reports that up to 160,000 people left the region because of the storm and that 45,000 boats were recalled to shore.

Almost all flights have been suspended from Shenzhen airport amidst 90kph winds that felled over 40,000 trees in the city.

Officials currently fear that the torrential rains unleashed by the storm will cause major flooding.

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The fastest man on Earth, Usain Bolt, has Today delivered a $50,000 dollar donation to China’s red cross in aid of children affected by the May 12 Sichuan earthquake, the NBC reports. The triple gold winner Jamaican sprinter also invited 6 Sichuan children to travel to Jamaica.

Giving a kiss to a girl in a wheelchair during the gifting ceremony, Bolt says the money is a gift to the children of the Sichuan earthquake whose serious injuries means they might have forever lost the chance to run and dance, and it is a very painful period for them.

Bolt says he hopes the gift will help bring a smile to the children.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast.
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Hand, foot and mouth disease cases have almost reached epidemic levels in Singapore, according to Straits Times reports. Cases of the disease reached 553 last week, just 12 short of the Singapore Health Ministry ‘epidemic level’. The current outbreak has killed one child, Singapore’s first death from the disease in 7 years.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is usually a mild childhood illness presenting with fever and rashes on the hands, feet and mouth. However, Singapore Health Ministry officials have admitted that they are battling the particularly severe EV71 form of the disease.

Hand, foot and mouth disease is a common affliction in Asian countries and has killed 44 in China, 10 in Taiwan and 11 in Vietnam this year. A vaccine is currently being developed by drug companies in the region.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network.
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Russian troops still hold positions in Georgia over 24 hours after its military signaled that troop withdrawals were complete. Accusations have flowed from the US and Britain that Russia has not fulfilled the EU peace agreement it signed.

While troops have pulled back from positions near the Georgian capital Tbilisi, other units are still stationed at checkpoints near Poti, the country’s main shipping port on the Black Sea. Russian officials have claimed the troops are peacekeepers policing a necessary “security zone”.

Since Friday, Georgian civilians have seen Russian troops pulling back to separatist-held territory in South Ossetia.

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US Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama has announced Delaware Senator Joseph Biden as his campaign running mate and future Vice-President. Obama made the announcement on his website, with supporters also receiving direct notification by email and text messages.

Obama has apparently made the choice to enhance his perceived inexperience in foreign policy as Biden is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Biden is also touted as having strong appeal among the working class, a key demographic that Obama is seen to need to target.

Obama will contest the November 4 US Presidential election against Republican candidate John McCain, who is yet to announce his running mate.

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And now for our daily round-up of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
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Usain Bolt has claimed his third world record of the games as he helped the Jamaican team to take gold in the Men’s 4×100m relay.

American Brian Clay has taken the title of World’s Greatest athlete winning the gold medal in the Men’s Modern Decathlon.

Ethiopians have emerged as the stars of the long distance track running with Kenesia Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba both winning the 5,000m and 10,000m double for men and women, respectively.

Australian diver Matthew Mitcham has taken the last Gold medal in pool events, after scoring a perfect 10 in his last dive at the men’s 10m High Dive.

China has made a clean sweep of all individual medals in table tennis with Chinese men and women winning gold, silver and bronze.

For more in depth coverage of events at today’s Games, why not check out Inside China Today, at www.insidechinatoday.net.

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