Asia-Cast

Asia Cast for Wednesday 26th May

In this Bulletin…

- Mini Michael Jackson a big hit in Beijing;
- Taiwan announces anti-counterfeiting quality mark; and
- India air crash flight recorder found.

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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Taiwan has formed a special investigative team to crack down on commercial piracy, aiming to wipe out counterfeit products from China, often labelled as made in Taiwan, reports The Epoch Times.

The country says it has a well-devised framework to cope with problems related to the entry of illegal products.

And, a “Made in Taiwan” (MIT) quality mark on local products, will make them distinguishable from Chinese imposters.

Taiwan’s Vice Minister of Economic Affairs says they will detail their stance and measures on counterfeiting at a later news conference.

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Four-year-old Wang Yiming, better known as Xiao Bao has fast become a crowd-pleaser not just in Beijing but it appears, in other parts of the world. He’s appeared on various entertainment shows in mainland China and abroad.

The little boy has drawn curious crowds by pop-locking and break dancing to Michael Jackson songs, like Beat It, and Billie Jean.

Xiao Bao was born prematurely. Doctors had suggested he move his limbs to music to strengthen his weak muscles.

Eventually, his interest turned into an expensive hobby. His parents spend nearly US$3,000 dollars a month on dance lessons and outfits.

Catch a glimpse of the popular dancer at NTDTV.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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An arrest warrant has been issued for Thailand’s ousted leader Thaksin Shinawatra and he is facing terrorism charges linked to recent anti-government protests.

Many of the protesters who participated in a nine-week protest in Bangkok were supporters of Mr. Thaksin.

Thai Prosecutors have accused him of coordinating the protests. They told Reuters there was enough evidence to believe Thaksin played a role in manipulating protest events.

Mr Thaksin rejected the charges in a statement issued through a legal advisor. He said he is ready to prove he isn’t a terrorist and that accusations are politically motivated.

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The flight data recorder of an Indian jet that crashed on Saturday has been found intact by investigators. They are hoping the evidence will help uncover the cause of the crash.

The Boeing 737 from Dubai had crashed into a gorge when it overshot Mangalore airport’s hilltop runway. 158 people were killed.

Eight survivors are in hospitals being treated for burns and other injuries.

Excavators found the black box after removing parts of the plane buried at the crash site, after searching for three days.

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

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Two ships collided off Singapore’s south-eastern coast on Tuesday, spilling an estimated 2,000 metric tons of crude oil.

A Malaysian tanker collided with a bulk carrier from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Both vessels are now anchored and no injuries have been reported.

Singapore’s port authorities have sent ships to clean up the oil spill.

A spokesperson for the Malaysian tanker apologized for the spill, but related that it was a case of their tanker getting hit, and not their tanker hitting anything. He said officials have already had success in using dispersants to contain the oil spill.

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The Taiwan Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo had its 100,000th visitor Tuesday. The lucky visitor from Hunan Province was given a widescreen TV as a gift.

The 63-year-old retiree was allegedly rendered speechless when he was greeted by the pavilion’s manager and presented with the gift.

He later toured the Taiwan Pavilion, whose theme is “Mountain, Water, and Lantern of Heart and Spirit,” and received a blessing beamed from a multimedia sky lantern after tapping a touch panel.

He and his wife said they hope to visit Taiwan sometime soon.

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