Asia Cast

Asia Cast for Monday 26th April

In this Bulletin…

- Death toll from China earthquake underreported;
- Political disputes dominate Thai and Japanese domestic affairs; and
- Indian zoo keeping it cool as summer hots up.

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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SOH has spoken to survivors of the recent earthquake in China’s Qinghai Province who said the official death toll has been substantially underreported.

The town of Jieshi was hit particularly hard by the quake. A rescue worker who was there said 3,000 bodies were recently cremated. Over twice the official death toll.

Besides Tibetan victims, many migrant workers from the Han and Hui races were killed in the quake. According to The Epoch Times a local rescuer said that the local regime did not count them among the death toll because these people normally live in poor conditions.

Listen to our Inside China Today podcast for more on the rescue effort.

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Farmers and fishermen in Taiwan say they will hold the president to his word that a proposed trade pact with China will not allow currently banned produce into Taiwan.

A regional farmers’ association told Taiwan’s Central News Agency they believed the president would live up to his promise to protect Taiwanese agricultural products.

A local fishing group said as long as the government screened out inferior Chinese goods, competition would only stimulate local farmers and fishermen to improve the quality of their products.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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Tens of thousands of protesters attended a rally in Okinawa, Japan Sunday to demonstrate against a US air base.

Most of the US military facilities in Japan are located in Okinawa. The demonstrators are protesting the relocation of a US air base from one of Okinawa’s cities to a quieter coastal area. They want the base out of the prefecture entirely.

The issue of relocating US bases threatens the political future of Japan’s prime minister. He has found himself caught between Washington and his left-leaning political allies in the dispute.

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Thailand’s prime minister has said security forces will retake the centre of Bangkok. But he has not said when, or how, it would be done.

The prime minister appeared on national television with the head of the Thai army on Sunday.

Anti-government Red Shirt protesters have occupied a vast protest site for weeks. They now fear a crackdown after their offer of a compromise was rejected.

The elite-backed Yellow Shirts, are meeting to discuss their next step after vowing to take action if the government fails to deal with the rival Reds.

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

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Dozens of schoolgirls in Afghanistan have become mysteriously ill in the past week. Authorities say it is the result of mass poisoning by Insurgents.

Thirteen girls were taken ill in the Afghan province of Kunduz, Sunday. Two separate incidents earlier last week left around 70 girls complaining of nausea and dizziness.

Health officials said an inquiry into the suspected poisoning had begun. None of the girls were reported to have become seriously ill.

According to Reuters, the Taliban, who oppose female education, have denied carrying out an attack.

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A zoo in India is having to take extra steps to keep its animals comfortable during a summer heatwave.

The Tata Steel Zoological Park’s director said the temperature there was getting up to 45-degrees Celsius. That’s 110-degrees Fahrenheit.

The zoo has installed shades, coolers and is also using water sprays to help keep the animals cool.

To avoid dehydration, the animals are receiving diet supplements and medicine under the vet’s supervision.

You can see some of what the zoo’s been up to on the NTDTV website.

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