Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Monday 18th January

In this Bulletin…

- Toxic Chinese business practices;
- Green tea could protect against lung cancer; and
- Scientists warn another deadly tsunami likely.

But first we have our Shen Yun quote of the day

[audio]

For more information please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

Our SOH focus on China is next

**********************

Toxic products from China have once again come under the spotlight in the US. A recent investigation by The Associated Press found cadmium in children’s jewellery from China.

Chinese manufacturers are using metals like cadmium as a substitute for lead. It’s cheap and, as yet, not subject to the same health regulations as lead. But all of that could be about to change.

Cadmium causes cancer. It can also affect the kidneys and brain development in children. The US government has said it’s mounting an investigation into children’s jewellery imported from China.

Some major US retailers have already removed products found to be unsafe from their shelves.

**********************

Yahoo has been called reckless by its partner in China. The announcement was in response to Yahoo’s support of Google over alleged cyber attacks from China.

Yahoo said it was aligned with Google that the violation of internet privacy should be opposed.

But on Saturday the Alibaba Group said it didn’t agree with Yahoo’s stance.

It is not yet clear what the outcome of Google’s ongoing dispute with Beijing over the cyber attacks will be.

Yahoo is also reported to have been targeted by hackers in China but has never confronted it head on as Google is doing.

The US state department said on Friday it was going to demand an explanation from Beijing over Google’s allegations.

**********************

And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

**********************

Government-owned Taiwanese banks are getting ready to open their doors in China. The large numbers of Taiwanese investors with stakes in Chinese businesses means their customers are already there.

The move comes after an agreement on how Taiwan and China will cooperate on financial regulation matters came into effect on Saturday.

The Taiwan Cooperative Bank, said Sunday that had already found a suitable location for a new branch in China’s Jiangsu Province.

Other Taiwanese banks are drawing up plans for opening branches and exploring business opportunities in China.

**********************

A Taiwanese study into lung cancer has suggested that green tea may provide some protection against the disease.

The findings were presented at a recent US cancer research conference. The study showed that drinking at least one cup of green tea a day reduced the risk of lung cancer in both smokers and non-smokers. But people carrying certain genes received the most benefit.

Some health experts have linked the low rates of many cancers in Asia with the widespread consumption of green tea. Other studies looking at the health benefits of drinking green tea have produced conflicting results.

One thing everyone agrees on though is that smoking damages your health.

**********************

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

**********************

The Afghan government has said it will be outlining a new plan to forge peace with the militants it is currently fighting.

A government spokesman conceded that their previous effort had failed. The new plan involves providing economic incentives to those who carry guns for the Taliban.

The spokesman said that in the past the government had not provided proper security to those that left militant groups. He said the Afghan government has recognised the need to provide economic opportunities and jobs to those leaving the extremist groups and rejoining society.

The scheme is due to be announced before the end of the month.

**********************

A team of scientists have warned that an earthquake capable of generating a massive tsunami could strike off the Indonesian island of Sumatra

They say the city of Padang is in the firing line. And the event could be as deadly as the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The group’s lead scientist has given accurate predictions about earthquakes in the region before. The warning was issued in a letter to the journal Nature Geoscience.

They said the danger comes from pressure having built up over the last two hundred years in one section of an active earthquake zone.

**********************

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