Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Monday 1st February

In this Bulletin…

- Moderate earthquake hits China’s Sichuan Province;
- Taiwan prepares to power up Asia’s biggest solar plant; and
- Concern for missing Sri Lankan journalist.

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

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Human rights groups are protesting the sentencing of a Chinese environmental activist who exposed the radioactive contamination of the Yangtze River.

Sun Xiaodi has been under constant surveillance since he met with foreign journalists in 2004 and gave then evidence of the contamination. He was reportedly detained in southern Gansu Province in June 2009 after once again trying to draw international attention to radioactive contamination in China.

Human Rights in China said Sun was sentenced to two years forced labour for leaking state secrets to foreign agencies. Sun’s daughter was also sentenced to one and a half years forced labour for helping him.

The Epoch Times has all of the details on this story.

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The US Geological Survey reported that a moderate earthquake struck China’s Sichuan Province on Sunday.

An early statement from China said the magnitude 5.2 quake brought down at least 100 homes. One person was said to have been killed and another 11 injured.

On May 12 in 2008 at least 87,000 people in Sichuan Province were left dead or missing by a magnitude 8 earthquake.

Chinese state media said the authorities in Sichuan were ‘still not sure’ if the latest quake was an aftershock from the earlier disaster.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Taiwan is hoping that its Kaohsiung County solar plant will become fully operational this month. The plant started generating power in December 2009 and is Asia’s biggest solar energy project.

The solar plant has been undergoing a period of testing to ensure that it will be ready for use at its full capacity.

Once fully operational it is expected to generate one megawatt of electricity, and reduce carbon emissions by 660 to 700 tons annually.

The Taiwanese government passed alternative energy laws in June 2009 to protect industries developing solar, bio, wind and hydro energy systems.

NTDTV has the full story on this.

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A transparent goldfish has been created by Japanese researchers. They hope the see-through fish will aid scientific research and education.

Animal dissection is a controversial issue in Japan. But because these goldfish fish have been bread without any pigment, scientists won’t have to kill and dissect them to study their internal organs. The fish are like miniature living laboratories

So far only ten fish have been bred to transparency.

But as their numbers increase, it is hoped that the fish will be available commercially for use by laboratories around the world.

You can see the fish on NTDTV; if you look carefully that is.

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

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Independent media in Sri Lanka remain under siege in the wake of the country’s recent presidential elections.

A journalist who favoured losing presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka has been missing for over a week. Prageeth Eknaligoda’s wife has pleaded for whoever is holding her husband to release him.

Local media groups have also condemned the authorities’ forced suspension of a pro-opposition newspaper and the arrest of its editor.

Media rights group Reporters Without Borders has issued an appeal for Sri Lanka’s president to put a stop to arrests and intimidation of journalists working for privately-owned and foreign media.

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Pakistan has said it’s still trying to confirm new reports that a Taliban warlord had been killed by a US drone strike. The militia have again denied that Hakimullah Mehsud is dead.

Speculation about the warlord’s death first surfaced in mid-January. It followed bombing by unmanned US planes in the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan. But within days Mehsud released two audio statements denying his demise.

Security officials said at the time he may have been wounded. On Sunday state television station in Pakistan cited unnamed sources, in a report that Mehsud had been buried on Friday

The chief Taliban spokesman dismissed the reports again on Sunday.

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