Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Saturday 24th April

In this Bulletin …

- Hong Kong sued for stopping Shen Yun performing arts;
- Grenade attacks in Bangkok turn deadly; and
- Temperatures soar in West Bengal.

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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The Hong Kong government is being sued by the presenter of Shen Yun performing arts for forcing the show to be cancelled.

The presenter is accusing the government of denying entry visas to key technical members for the Shen Yun performing arts.

Seven stage shows where to be held in Hong Kong from between January 27th and January 31st. The shows had to cancel all shows as six key production members were denied visas to enter Hong Kong.

The Epoch Times newspaper, which hosts Shen Yun, will seek to hold responsible the parties liable and get compensation for the financial losses incurred due to the cancellation of the shows.

For more on this story read The Epoch Times.

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There have been reports that Chinese officials are forcing Tibetan monks to leave the earthquake hit zone of Qinghai.

After the 6.9-magnitude quake hit the province, Tibetan monks from around the country have poured in to help the victims. They have cleared debris, distributed food, provided spiritual support for the victims and performed religious ceremonies for the dead.

However, Chinese state-media have not televised the monks’ efforts and have instead highlighted the rescue work by the armed police and the military.

Tibetan monks have been degraded by the Chinese regime for their devotion to the Dalia Lama—the exile spiritual leader whom the regime considers to be a separatist.

For more on this story watch NTD.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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A multitude of grenade attacks has killed at least one person and left dozens of others wounded, in the growing conflicts that surround Bangkok.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva called an emergency meeting with all top officials after attacks on Thursday night.

Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban claims grenades were launched from the area where the anti-government protesters are camping.

The protesters have denied all responsibility for the attacks.

Suthep says riot police and helicopters have been called in to join the Thai troops in the area, which is covered with glass since the standoff.

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North Korea announced it will seize South Korean-owned buildings located at a mountain resort, amid growing tensions between the two nations.

North Korea has been asking the South to resume tours to the facility, which has been a main source of foreign currency earnings.

The tours were first suspended after a North Korean soldier killed a South Korean soldier in 2008. South Korea is refusing to begin tours again until a joint investigation is carried out.

More tension has now come between the two nations after a South Korean navy ship sank last month. The south thinks the north was involved in the incident.

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Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasumussen has said Nato is arranging to hand control of parts of Afghanistan to the Afghan people this year.

Nato foreign ministers, and their partners in the international coalition in Afghanistan, have been meeting to make a plan to slowly transfer security and governance powers to Afghan authorities.

Nato and the US have 126,000 troops there, which rose to 150,000 in August.

The US, President Barack Obama, says the US hopes to start pulling troops out of Afghanistan by 2011.

However Nato will be making sure they create the correct conditions until the Afghan government will take full control.

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Temperatures in the Medinipur region in India’s West Bengal have soared above average reaching 116 degrees Farenheit, several degrees higher than the normal.

Weather reporter, Satyabrata Roy says the temperature is higher than normal because the western thermal wave or heat wave came from Chotanagpur and Madhubani through Bankura and Purulia. He says this is the cause for the excessive heat conditions.

Several places in Bankura have touched 47 degrees Celsius.

The local residents are suffering in the intense heat. The worst affected are the school children.

Most people who venture outdoors cover their heads with a cloth or scarf. Those who can afford it rely on sunscreen lotions and carry umbrellas.

For more on this story watch NTDTV.

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