Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Sunday 25th October

In this Bulletin …

- Two thousand arrested over protests about pollution;
- Strong quake hits off Indonesia; and
- Taliban vow to attack Afghan poll.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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The plight of drought in central and southern China is worsening, leaving millions of people and animals without water to drink and fields without irrigation.

The government lays the blame on climate change, but problems are also arising from dams built by man, especially the Three Gorges.

State media reported that at least 1.3 million people and over 320 thousand livestock are suffering from lack of water and more than 600 thousand hectares of crops are at risk.

Over the last 10 days the victims of drought have increased from 54 thousand to 240 thousand.

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An ongoing struggle between residents and a local ceramic factory over pollution has erupted in protesting, arrests, and riot police presence, as reported by The Epoch Times.

When a dozen resident activists of Paibian Village, Jiedong County, Guangdong Province were arrested the morning of October 22, more than 2000 went to the local regime officials, demanding their release.

Villagers complain that the exhaust from a ceramic factory has been jeopardizing the quality of life and health of local residents.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Asian leaders meeting in Thailand are discussing plans to lead the world by forming an EU-style community by 2015.

Japan’s Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama argued nations should take advantage of the region’s more rapid recovery from the recession than the West.

Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting other regional heads at Cha-Am beach resort.

The community would involve the 10-members of ASEAN with regional partners China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand, Japanese officials have said.

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

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A magnitude number 7.0 earthquake has hit deep under the sea off Indonesia’s coast, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says.

The quake was reported in the Banda Sea, near the Maluku islands to the east of East Timor.

It struck at 11:40 local time (14:40 GMT) at a depth of 92 miles (148km), USGS said. Indonesian authorities issued, but later withdrew, a tsunami alert.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most active areas for earthquakes and volcanoes.

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A senior North Korean diplomat has held face-to-face talks with an American counterpart during a rare visit to the United States, officials say.

The North Korean, Ri Gun, is the deputy negotiator in stalled talks on North Korea’s nuclear programme.

He met the US special envoy for North Korean nuclear disarmament, Sung Kim, in New York, according to a statement from the US state department.

The US is pushing for talks to resume on North Korea’s nuclear programme.

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The Taliban has threatened to launch a fresh wave of violence at next month’s presidential run-off in Afghanistan, and urged voters to boycott the poll.

The August vote passed off without major violence, but there were sporadic attacks by Taliban militants.

The warning came as campaigning opened. Incumbent President Hamid Karzai faces Abdullah Abdullah in two weeks’ time.

The Afghan electoral commission is trying to stop the widespread fraud that hit the first-round of voting.

It is sacking thousands of corrupt officials, and scrapping polling stations where the fraud was worst.

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“Asia Cast … Keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the world.”