Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Tuesday 18th May

In this Bulletin…

- Negative impact of genetically modified crops on China’s fields;
- North Korea recalls parliament; and
- Iran’s nuclear fuel swap with Turkey.

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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China’s fruit orchards and cotton fields are suffering from an infestation of mirid bugs; a direct result from use of genetically modified crops (GMOs), say Beijing scientists.

Farmers had stopped spraying insecticides on genetically-modified cotton resistant to bollworms when the crop was first used in 1997.

But, forgoing yearly spraying of fields has generated major mirid bug infestations in the GMO cotton fields.

Findings show how controlling one pest can trigger the spread of others, scientists say, urging the need to study such scenarios before adopting large-scale farming strategies.

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A Chinese man in his 20s attacked six women in a crowded marketplace in Guangdong Province on Sunday, reported The Epoch Times.

He struck at the women’s faces, shoulders and chests with a kitchen cleaver before fleeing. He then killed himself after jumping off a three-story building.

None of the women died, and five are hospitalized with two in serious condition.

This is the seventh attack of its kind in China in the past month and a half. Previous attacks targeted young school children.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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The last five days of clashes in parts of Bangkok resembling battle zones have left 38 killed. Smoke from piles of burning tires billow in the sky, while red-shirt protestors occupy the streets where usually shoppers and visitors were.

An estimated 5,000 red-shirt protestors have refused to leave Bangkok’s commercial district after the government set deadline.

And, analysts fear violence may become worse now that the red-shirt’s leader has died several days after being wounded by sniper fire.

A Thai army spokesperson said hundreds of children are being used as human shields in barricaded forts by red-shirt protestors.

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North Korea has called for a rare second session in parliament. Analysts say it could provide an opportunity to reveal crucial personnel changes or new economic projects with China.

This comes two months after a meeting in which it changed the constitution to boost leader Kim Jong-il’s powers.

State-run media said the extra session would be held on June 7. The brief message did not say what was on the agenda for the new session of the rubber stamp Supreme People’s Assembly.

Kim did not attend the last parliamentary session, on April 9.

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

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Doctors say a 64-year-old Mumbai man has the world’s rarest internal organs. Most of the organs in his torso are arranged in a mirror-like fashion, reversed or misplaced.

They stumbled onto the find when the man was scheduled for removal of a tumour in his right kidney.

Scans and X-rays of the tumour revealed something was not quite right, prompting more scans. They found the condition comes closest to a rare congenital disorder called Situs Inversus.

Without foreknowledge of the man’s condition, they say it would have been most difficult to proceed with his kidney surgery.

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The outcome of a deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil has Iran shipping out over a ton of enriched uranium in exchange for fuel rods for a nuclear research reactor.

The deal could stop new UN sanctions on Tehran, say diplomats, but critics think it will do little to slow Iran’s nuclear progress.

Iran’s foreign minister said that despite the deal, Iran would not reverse its decision to produce 20 percent enriched uranium. It would bring their scientists much closer to making weapons grade fuel.

The deal is based on an agreement Iran made last October.

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