Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Friday 16th October

In this Bulletin…

- Another severe lead poisoning outbreak in China;
- Thailand King’s health affecting their stock market; and
- Australia is planning new terror laws

But first, our SOH focus on China
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Another outbreak of severe lead poisoning has been reported in China, this time in central Henan Province.

According to Chinese state media, nearly 1,000 children in Jiyuan city have been found to have excessive levels of lead in their blood.

Since last month, local villagers have been protesting outside factories belonging to the Yuguang Gold and Lead Group.
Chinese state-run media reports that Jiyuan city authorities have promised to relocate families within 0.6 miles of the factories. They say children under 14 in the area will receive free tests for lead poisoning.

See more on this at NTDTV.

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Four Chinese writers have received the prestigious Hellman/Hammett award this year in recognition of their courage in the face of political persecution, reports NTDTV.

Human Rights Watch said the award recipients are writers and dissidents who courageously use their skills to expose and petition governments and officials who abuse their power to oppress the people.

Among this year’s awardees targeted for political persecution are four writers from China.

Small grants are also made to support writers with emergency medical needs after torture, incarceration, or to take flight from their countries.

Read more on this at The Epoch Times.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Thailand’s stock market share prices are falling quickly, some analysts believe because of concern about the health of Thailand’s 81-year-old King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who has been in a hospital for nearly a month.

In its latest trading session, the Stock Exchange of Thailand fell by eight per cent, what is said to be its biggest one-day drop since the height of the global economic crisis in 2008.

King Adulyadej had been admitted to a hospital with fever, fatigue and lack of appetite, which the royal household said has been ordered by doctors to remain there for further treatment.

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The North Korean navy is accusing South Korea of sending warships across their maritime border to make tensions worse.

The North warned that further incursions across the disputed border could spark retaliations and they said that on Monday alone, ships had crossed the boundary 10 times.

An official with the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North’s charge is groundless as Seoul does not acknowledge the Pyongyang-set border but instead follows the Northern Limit Line, set by US-led United Nations Command at the end of the 1950 to 1953 Korean War.

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Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man has given himself a significant pay cut to set a personal example of moderation.

Mr Ambani, who is the head of Reliance Industries, said he would cap his pay at US$3.3 million this year, about two-thirds less than what he was paid last year.

The Indian government reportedly warned firms earlier this month not to pay their bosses excessive salaries.

Forbes magazine has estimated Mr Ambani’s worth at around US$19.5 billion dollars.

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Australia has announced plans to amend its anti-terrorism legislation to give more power to the police and will also change the definition of terrorism to include psychological as well as physical harm.

The Australian government says the alterations are necessary because the country faces what it calls a significant threat of attacks by extremists and is saying it wants to toughen legislation by allowing police to search property without a warrant.

Critics have insisted the planned changes would sweep away fundamental legal safeguards, notably the need for the judiciary to approve a police request to search a suspect’s home.

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