Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Tuesday 5th January

In this Bulletin…

- H1N1 plasma treatments in China raise concerns;
- Huge oil spill threatens China’s Yellow River; and
- India’s intensely cold temperatures kill dozens.

But first we have our Shen Yun quote of the day

For more information, please visit:
www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

Our SOH focus on China is next

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If you live in China and have recovered from H1N1, the Chinese regime wants your blood to treat patients who are in serious condition with the virus.

The practice is causing concern among experts and hospital staff, and some suggest that officials are using the opportunity to collect blood to make money.

According to a team leader of China’s H1N1 treatment team, plasma therapy is not considered safe enough to be used as a routine treatment.

A virologist from the US Army says there are only two reasons to use plasma therapy; the virus is too widespread or it has mutated.

For more on this story, go to The Epoch Times.

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A new melamine-tainted milk safety scandal has broken out in Shanghai, China.

Authorities in Shanghai have closed a dairy company and arrested three executives, after milk products were found to contain high levels of the toxic industrial chemical melamine.

According to the state-run Shanghai Daily, melamine was found in milk powder and condensed milk made by the Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. Ltd.

In a similar incident last month, Chinese authorities also arrested three employees of the Shaanxi Jinqiao Diary Company for producing melamine-tainted milk.

Watch this story at NTDTV.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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China has given water warnings as pollution from a broken diesel oil pipeline in the north has reached the Yellow River.

Workers battled to contain the oil upstream but officials say they discovered traces in the Yellow River itself about 124 miles from the source of the accident.

Three counties nearby have warned people against taking and drinking water from the river because it is contaminated.

State-run media reported that about 150,000 litres of diesel poured into the Wei River after a construction accident occurred last week.

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Maoist rebels in India are recruiting hundreds of children, targeting 10 to 15 year olds from poor families.

In efforts to strengthen their influence in the heartlands of India, they are recruiting children, often by force.

Experts say the recruitment drives are taking place in bordering areas of eastern and central Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh and Orissa States.

Human rights agencies say that rebels threaten death to children’s families if they refuse to join.

A former director general of police says the Indian government needs to step in and help get these children back.

Watch this story at NTDTV.

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

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Dozens of people have died in a cold wave that is sweeping through northern India.

According to press reports, the majority of deaths have happened in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

The cold is affecting the homeless and elderly and local authorities have been asked to arrange shelter for those most at risk.

The cold wave has disrupted life across northern India with temperatures dropping to zero degrees Celsius in several places, including in the city of Amritsar in Punjab.

Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are among the northern states which have been hit hardest by the intensely cold weather.

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Both governments of Australia and India are condemning the recent killing of an Indian student in Melbourne, Australia.

India’s Foreign Minister SM Krishna has urged the Australian authorities to speedily book the people responsible for the killing of Indian student Nitin Garg.

Garg was stabbed to death on his way to work at a fast food restaurant in Melbourne on Saturday night.

In the past year there have been a number of attacks on Indian students throughout Australia, causing outrage in India.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd reassured the Indian government that Australia is not a racist country.

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