Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Thursday 2nd July

In this Bulletin…

- More details on Shanghai building collapse;
- Japanese business confidence improves, but outlook still bleak; and
- Judging begins in the 2009 Epoch Times International Photography Competition.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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Details are emerging of what caused an almost completed block of apartments in Shanghai’s new Lotus Riverside Court development to fall over, The Epoch Times reveals

According to Chinese bloggers, the chairman of the Japan Structural Consultants Association said that the steel bars reinforcing the concrete were too few and too small in a report aired on Japanese TV.

Other bolggers who had worked in the construction industry detailed the use of substandard materials in China – as evidenced by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

Due to state control of the media, bloggers are often a more reliable source of what is going on in China.

One worker was killed in the accident which happened just after 5:30 am on June 27. The development’s remaining 11 buildings are being inspected.

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In Hong Kong tens of thousands of people marked the 12th anniversary of the city’s transfer to Chinese rule with a march calling for more democracy.

The protesters included many young people demanding one person, one vote and others supporting a variety of causes.

Hong Kong residents cannot directly elect the territory’s chief executive or half of the legislative members.

The rally has become an annual event at the 1 July handover anniversary, organised by pro-democracy legislators and activists. Under it’s one country, two systems policy, Beijing  agreed to give Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy for 50 years after the handover.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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The North Korean ship that the United States Navy had been tracking on suspicion of transporting weapons to Burma has turned around, US officials have said.

They said they did not know where the ship was now heading, but South Korean media said it was going home.

The UN passed a tough sanctions resolution, Number 1874, allowing for inspections of air, ship and land shipments in and out of North Korea.

The resolution followed North Korea’s nuclear and missile tests in May.

The Kang Nam 1 ship set sail from North Korea on June 17 and appeared to be bound for Burma, as US ships followed it down the coast of China. It has been described as a known weapons trader. Burma denied any connection with it.

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A recent survey in Japan has suggested that business confidence has improved for the first time in two-and-a-half years.

The confidence index for major manufacturers rose to minus 48 from a record low of minus 58 in March in the Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan survey.

Factories have begun to come back to life, amid signs Japan may be through the worst of its steepest recession since World War II.

However, Japan has been hit hard by falling global demand and a collapse in exports, and overall, firms remained gloomy about the future, the survey showed.

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

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A strike called by the hard line faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference has brought normal life in Srinagar in India’s Kashmir region to a standstill, says NTDTV.

The disputed Himalayan region has seen a number of violent protests and strikes over the alleged rape and killing of two Muslim women in the town of Shopian

Two civilians were killed and several, including police personnel, were injured when police opened fire to break up protests in the Baramullah district of Kashmir on Monday.

Four police officers and a forensic science official have been suspended for allegedly destroying evidence while investigating the crimes against the woman in May.

Authorities deny any systematic violations and say all reports are investigated and the guilty punished.

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The first round of judging for the 2009 Epoch Times International Photography Competition has recently been completed. 157 photos from 25 countries have been selected from over 12,000 entries.

The competition attracted entries from 89 countries around the world.

It is being judged by a panel of prestigious photographers, photo editors and painters.

The theme of the Epoch Times International Photography Competition is to reflect real life stories, people, culture, and natural scenes, and in a manner that expresses the spirit of justice, positive messages, kindness and beauty. The entries will be evaluated based on traditional aesthetics so as to restore traditional aesthetic values and expressions.

You can follow the competition on The Epoch Times website.

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And now for our Shen Yun Performing Arts quote of the day

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It was a packed house for the third Shen Yun Performing Arts show held at the Auditorio Belgrano in Buenos Aires on June 29, where the crowd saluted performers with a standing ovation and were treated to three encores.

Ms. Russing, a Professor of Argentinian Folkloric Dance, was in the audience to experience the magic.

She said the performance conveyed happiness and was surprised by the ending. She added that she was grateful for the way traditional Chinese culture was explained in the show.

SOH is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour, listen to our special coverage at sohnetwork.com.

For more information on the shows please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

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