The company operating Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium has handed the venue over to the state amid falling revenues and mounting running costs. (By Edwin Lee/Flick)

In this Bulletin…

- Crops fail in southern China as drought continues;
- Beijing’s long reaching censorship affects Bangladesh gallery; and
- Philippine wind farm brings unexpected benefit.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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Beijing is starting to pay the price for staging its extravagant 2008 Olympic Games.

One year on, the company managing the iconic Bird’s nest stadium has handed it over to an unnamed state-owned financial institution.

It cost more than 400 million US dollars to build the Games’ centrepiece. But with annual maintenance costs of more than nine million US dollars, it was costing more to run than it could bring in.

The stadium has hosted only a handful of events since the Games. Most of its first year revenue came from visitors touring the venue itself. But now the number of visitors has fallen from 50,000 a day at its peak to just few thousand a day.

The Epoch Times has more on this.

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The continuing droughts afflicting southern China have stunted crops and brought water levels in reservoirs and rivers to historic lows, The Epoch Times reports.

The Jiangxi Province Hydraulics Bureau said some provinces have had little to no rain since August.

A farmer called Deng from Jing’an County in Jiangxi said they have no water and that worms were eating the rice crop. He said he has never seen a harvest lost on such a large scale before.

Many farmers have had to stop working. Ye, a farmer from Longmen County told The Epoch Times that in some places, even finding drinking water has become a problem.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast

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The Bangladesh government has bowed to pressure from the Chinese Embassy and closed down a photography exhibition on Tibetans in exile.

The photographs show Tibetans who had fled their homeland because they were persecuted under Chinese communist rule.

Days before the exhibition was due to open, Chinese officials visited the Drik gallery in the capital Dhaka. They said Bangladesh-China relations would be affected if the show was not cancelled.

The organisers refused, but an hour before it opened, Bangladesh Special Branch Police Officers barred the the public from entering the gallery.

Nonetheless, the organisers went ahead with the planned opening ceremony on the street. A guided tour of the exhibits was streamed online.

NTDTV has more on this.

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Taiwan has been experiencing considerable seismic activity over the past couple of days. On Friday, seismologists said more than 190 aftershocks had been recorded after a magnitude 6 earthquake hit central Taiwan on Thursday.

Kuo Kai-wen, director of the Central Weather Bureau’s Seismological Center said most of the aftershocks were undetectable to humans.

Kuo said further aftershocks were expected over the coming two weeks. Although some could reach magnitude 5, Kuo urged the public not to panic over the situation, which he described as a natural release of energy.

No major damage has so far been reported.

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The tit-for-tat diplomatic row between Thailand and Cambodia does not look like it will come to an end any time soon.

The dispute erupted over Phnom Penh’s naming of fugitive former Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra as an economic adviser.

Thailand said Friday it would tear up an oil and gas exploration deal with Cambodia. Something the Cambodian Cabinet spokesman, Phay Siphan said was not in the best interests of the Thai people.

Thaksin remains a hugely influential figure in Thailand, which has been rocked by years of protests by his red-shirted supporters and yellow-shirted opponents.

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A wind farm project in the northern Philippines has had an unexpected effect on the local economy. The number of tourists coming to Bangui to look at the 20 huge wind turbines has created new business opportunities in the area.

The Northwind Bangui Bay Project currently provides 40 per cent of the power needs in Ilocos Norte province.

The downside is that wind farms are not 100 per cent reliable as the amount of electricity generated depends on how the wind blows.

Northwind does earn money from selling carbon credits through a mechanism provided by the Kyoto Protocol. So the project’s developers say it will be profitable in the long term.

Watch NTDTV for more.

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

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Palestinian rescue workers help survivors of an Israeli missile strike on the Saraya central security headquarters and prison in Gaza City, December 2008. (By AmirFarshadEbrahimi/ Flickr)

In this Bulletin…

- Beijing Olympics most polluted games;
- Contaminated water suspected to reach thousands in Kailuan; and
- Amnesty report claims Israeli attacks were war crimes.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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A study conducted jointly by researchers from Beijing University and Oregon University during the 2008 Beijing Olympics found the Beijing games to be the most polluted of all Olympics.

This has raised a storm of protests and denials by China’s state-run press, reported by the Epoch Times.

According to the study, Beijing’s air pollution during the Olympics nearly doubled that of Athens’ 2004 Olympics, tripled that of Atlanta’s 1996 Olympics, and was three and a half times that of Sydney’s Olympics in 2000.

One of five authors of the study, Zhu Tong is being pressured by the Chinese Communist regime to criticize his own work, claiming the study was unscientific and questioning the claims of the scientists from Oregon University.

In an article, Zhu is quoted as saying the air quality during the Olympics was “good to excellent.” Yet the article gave no hint that Zhu worked on any other air pollution study which suggested otherwise.

China expert, Chen Xiaonong says the state-run media response to the pollution study is likely to have been ordered by the Chinese Communist Party’s Propaganda Department. When it comes to international issues, Cheng explained Chinese media cannot express their views independently.

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Hundreds of residents in Northern China’s Kailuan coalmine district, Hebei Province, have suffered from vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming the area’s water, reported The Epoch Times.

According to a Chinese News Net report, on June 30th about 1,000 people from four nearby communities suffered symptoms of poisoning, however, locals claim the number is far beyond that.

Residents say some people showed symptoms a week ago and they suspect the quality of the water supply is due to contamination from the state-owned Kailuan Group Tietuo Heavy Machinery Corp.

The company shares a well with over 4,000 households in 4 communities.

The quality of the water and cause of the incident is now under investigation.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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An independent report by human rights group Amnesty International says Israel committed war crimes and carried out reckless attacks and acts of wanton destruction in its Gaza offensive.

The report says some 1,400 Palestinians were killed in the 22-day Israeli offensive in December of 2008 and January 2009, and more than 900 of those killed were civilians, 300 of which were children.

The Israeli military says its conduct was in line with international law and attributed some civilian deaths to “professional mistakes” and allegedly dismissed criticisms that its attacks were indiscriminate and disproportionate.

However, Amnesty says Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups had endangered Palestinian civilians by firing rockets from residential neighborhoods and storing weapons in them.

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Thousands of U.S. Marines stormed deep into Taliban territory in an Afghan river valley on Thursday, initiating the largest military offensive of Barack Obama’s presidency.

U.S. Marines say Operation Khanjar, or Strike of the Sword, will be critical and is intended to seize virtually the full lower Helmand River valley, the heartland of the Taliban insurgency and the world’s biggest opium poppy producing region.

A senior Afghan Taliban commander told Reuters in Pakistan by telephone from an undisclosed location that thousands of Taliban mujahedeen are ready to fight against U.S. troops in the operation in Helmand province.

About 4,000 Marines rushed forward and thousands more were assembled to assist them in the biggest operation yet by foreign troops in Afghanistan since the 1989 Soviet withdrawal.

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In Australia, Aboriginal social and economic trends have deteriorated according to a national report conducted on indigenous and non-indigenous citizens.

In principle it showed the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous citizens has grown wider in areas like child abuse and domestic violence and that Aboriginal children are six times more likely to be abused than non-indigenous children.

It also revealed the indigenous homicide rate was seven times higher and that Aboriginal people were 13 times more likely to end up in jail.

Having started his office in 2007 with an apology to Aborigines for past injustices and a pledge his government would aim to close the gap, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called this a devastating report which was unacceptable and required decisive action.

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And now for our Shen Yun Performing Arts quote of the day
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Born in Poland, Argentine actress Ms. Novak totally immersed herself in Shen Yun Performing Arts presentation of China’s divinely-inspired cultural heritage, currently presented in the elegant surrounds of the Belgrano Auditorium in Buenos Aires.

She said that in watching the show, she had not only felt the Chinese understanding of who we all are but had also felt the love, peace and strength that was emanating from everything.

Magnificent heavenly scenes, exquisitely costumed dancers, impassioned arias, rang true in the heart of Ms. Novak, and she said it was all utterly beautiful and so very unforgettable.

SOH is a proud sponsor of the Shen Yun Performing Arts 2009 World Tour, listen to our special coverage at sohnetwork.com.

For more information on the shows please visit www.shenyunperformingarts.org.

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

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Shrine to former South Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun. (By gay-feisty/Flickr)

In this Bulletin…

- Mother and baby persecuted by police;
- Roh mourned in South Korea; and
- Amnesty slams Chinese Communist Regime.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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The mother and her two month old daughter that have been made homeless because their husband was arrested for practicing Falun Gong, a Buddha school meditation practice, have come under attack from local police because she is appealing for the fathers release while begging for food on the streets.

Shi Renxue’s husband has been in jail since January 11th. Mrs Shi told SOH reporters that now deputy chief Zhao Jiaqi from the Fangzheng police station is threatening to take away her daughter if she does not stop her efforts to expose her husband’s unfair detention.

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The new best selling book titled “The Course of Reform” based on Zhao Ziyang’s secret audio recordings has stirred the world. Not to mention the effect it has had in China and Hong Kong.

The publisher of this eye opening account of a former Chinese Communist Regime leader, has come forth to give accounts of the journey of years of hardship in the process of having the book finally on the shelves.

Publisher Bao Pu, in an interview with The Epoch Times tells of the Communist Regime surveillance and hacking attempts on his computers. Zhao Ziyang was viciously forced out of the Regime because he refused to take part in the Tiananmen Square massacre and was not against the student’s protests.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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The death of former South Korean president Roh Moo-Hyun, has led to wide spread mourning in the nation. The former president was recently announced dead due to suicide, but the society of South Korea is not convinced that these reports are true.

The massive public procession at Roh’s public funeral was a strong showing of his place in the hearts of the Korean people.

The graft scandal in which he was implicated to be involved seemed to be the reason for his suicide. In his suicide letter he expressed that alive, he would only be a burden to the people of Korea.

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Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Irene Khan, has slammed China’s 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as a human rights disaster in their latest report.

The report, “State of the World’s Human Rights”, shows the crippling state of human rights in our world today and Irene Khan stated in a press release that “World leaders must invest in human rights as purposefully as they are investing in the economy.”

China has become a major focus for Amnesty for they are becoming acutely aware that what the Chinese Communist Regime has been saying about the upgrades in human rights in China is certainly not true. Such cases as the horrific genocide of Falun Gong practitioners and the tragedy of the 2008 Olympics are more than enough to see the true picture of cruelty and corruption within the country.

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Rescue teams have failed to save some 55 whales beached near Cape Town in South Africa, a sea rescue institute said on Sunday. Scientists shot 42 of the false killer whales on Saturday and 13 others perished, possibly from internal injuries, at Kommetjie Beach, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

Marine scientists and volunteers worked all day to try to get the whales back into the water, but many were pushed back ashore by waves. Rescuers had battled to keep the beached adults and calves wet and used earth-moving equipment to try to save them.

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

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Gao Zhisheng at his childhood home in 2007, prior to his arrest and torture. (Courtesy of The Epoch Times)

In this bulletin …

- Repression continues after the Olympics;
- China announces first bird flu outbreak; and
- Human rights activist Gao Zhisheng recounts 50 days of torture.

But first here’s our SOH focus on China.
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Recently, Dejiang County authorities forbade people from holding a dragon dance during the annual Lantern Festival under the pretense it would ‘upset social stability’.

Residents say police smashed the decorations and beat participants. This stirred up strong protest which turned violent.

Thousands of upset locals surrounded a local Party compound to seek an explanation in what was the second largest group protest in the area.

Police fired tear gas canisters into the crowd in an attempt to stifle the protest. Residents said they could not understand why a dragon dance should be banned.

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Fujian shrimp producer Huang Caipiao has been beaten by thugs after confronting them for sabotaging his dam.

He made repeated reports to police to no avail before he confronted the thugs directly.

In April 2000, the local Lianjiang authorities illegally caused millions of renminbi of losses to his business. He was never compensated though courts ruled in his favour.

He said, “There is no reason I should have no channel in which to appeal. If I go to Beijing, they capture me and take me home, or detain me for more than ten days at a time. I think I have a reason to appeal, because I am a victim.”

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Six months after the Beijing Olympics, Reporters Without Borders is urging Chinese authorities to release all dissidents arrested in connection with the games, report The Epoch Times.

According to RWB at least 17 Chinese journalists, bloggers and free speech activists have been arrested since the games ended.

Reporters Without Borders calls for repeated joint requests for their release, requests that are not just made in the course of the discreet meetings that are taking place as part of the EU-China dialogue on human rights.

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Renowned Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng recounted his experience of being tortured for 50 days in a letter released Sunday, reports The Epoch Times.

The letter outlines horrific torture suffered by attorney Gao, he vividly recounted the details of the cruelty of his torturers.

In the letter he said, “During these more than 50 days, more horrible evils were committed than I have told here. Those evils are not even worthy of any historical records by any human governments. But those records will further enable us to see clearly how much further the leaders of the CCP are willing go in the CCP’s evil crimes against humanity in order to protect its illegal monopoly on power! Those evils are so dirty and disgusting that I don’t want to mention them at this time and perhaps will never mention them in the future.”

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China’s Ministry of Agriculture issued a bird flu outbreak notice on January 10, reports The Epoch Times.

The outbreak occurred in Moyu County, Hetian area in northwest China’s Xinjiang autonomous region.

The notice stated that the virus killed 519 poultry and another 13,200 were euthanized as a precaution.

The World Heath Organization has questioned whether Beijing has covered up the outbreaks, which it did in the SARS outbreak in 2003, but Beijing rebutted the accusation on February 7.

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Weary Australian firefighters and rescuers pulled the remains of dozens of people from charred buildings on Monday as the death toll rose to 131 from Australia’s deadliest bushfires, reports The Epoch Times.

Police believe some of the fires, which razed rural towns near the country’s second biggest city, Melbourne, were deliberately lit and declared one devastated town a crime scene.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said,” “There are no words to describe it other than mass murder.”

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And now for our Divine Performing Arts quote of the day

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SOH Radio’s local reporter Corrine Malaske was at the Historical Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennesee where the Divine Performing Arts was held on February 9.

She spoke to Mayor Stan Joyner, his wife and granddaughter Abbey. They found the entire show very beautiful and exciting. They liked the performance with the little girl, who seems to be around Abbey’s age.

Experience the magnificence of ancient Chinese culture.To find out when the show will be coming to your local city visit www.divineperformingarts.com

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

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A Divine Performing Arts curtain call. (Courtesy Divine Performing Arts)

In this bulletin …

-Sixth confirmed case of deadly avian flu in China;
-European parliament members send strongly worded invitation to Eutelsat; and
-Rio Tinto completes Chinese smelter sale.

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A 29-year-old man from Guizhou province in China has been confirmed to be infected with the H5N1 avian flu.

According to the BBC’s report on the 25th of January, this is the sixth confirmed case of the H5N1 infection, and also the 35th since 2003.

Twenty-three people who have been infected have died.

The report also said, the authorities were monitoring others who had come in contact with the man, but no one has been found to be infected.

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With the Chinese New Year here, the globally famous Divine Performing Arts splendour shows, continue their resoundingly successful performances in all capital cities across the globe, all of which are receiving tremendous praise and standing ovations from all their audiences.

When interviewed by the Epoch Times, several people from mainland China felt heartened and inspired by the feat of the Divine Performing Arts shows.

They said the DPA shows were not only the hope of China, but also a great event and blessing for the whole world, as they are reviving the true traditional culture of China, which has been long suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party.

The Divine Performing Arts is sponsored by the Falun Gong Association and many people who have seen the Divine Performing Arts performances have expressed their veneration and gratitude towards Mr. Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Gong.

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Three members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have sent a second, more strongly worded invitation to the European satellite company, Eutelsat, over concerns that they have caved to pressure from the Chinese communist regime, reports the Epoch Times.

The France-based private company terminated broadcast of the network, New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV), into China on June, 2008, citing technical reasons.  July 10 investigative reports by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) revealed, however, that the broadcast cut was a premeditated act, owing to influence from the Chinese regime ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

On January 15, the European Parliament, one of the most powerful legislative bodies in the world, passed a resolution calling on Eutelsat to resume NTDTV’s broadcast and clarify its reasons for suspending the broadcast.

For the original story from Epoch Times: http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/content/view/10838/

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Rio Tinto has completed the sale of its half stake in the Chinese aluminium smelting business Alcan Ningxia for $125 million.

Rio, which is trying to sell up to $30 billion in assets to pay off a debt, acquired its stake in the Alcan Ningxia joint venture when it bought the Canadian-based aluminium group Alcan in late 2007.

Alcan Ningxia is capable of supplying up to 160,000 tonnes of aluminium smelting capacity a year.

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The Kosi  river, which five months ago displaced millions of people in India and Nepal, has now been diverted back to its original course.

In the middle of August 2008, the river burst its man-made embankment in Nepal close to the Indian border and went massively off-course.

Millions were affected and nearly 400 people died in the ensuing floods in India’s eastern Bihar state,and tens of thousands of people in Nepal were left homeless in the floods.

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And now for our Divine Performing Arts quote of the day
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Our Divine Performing Arts quote of the day is from a New York doctor, Mr. Arthur Becmarrtz who attended the Divine Performance Arts performance on the January 24th at Radio City Hall.

Mr. Becmarrtz  said he plans to go to China this year and thought that the show would be a great introduction to Chinese culture.

This is what he had to say about the show:

“It’s absolutely beautiful, the colour, the music. Everything is very relaxing, it’s very different.

Don’t miss out on this extraordinary show. Go to www.divineperformingarts.org and book your ticket online.

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

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Guo Quan, the recently arrested chairman of the China Democracy Party, describes his love for China like a moth that flies into fire without hesitation. (Courtesy of The Epoch Times)

In this Bulletin…

- Olympic promises come to nothing as Chinese regime blocks foreign media websites once again;
- Outbreak of deadly H5N1 bird flu confirmed in India; and
- Australian environmentalists lament government’s back-down on climate change.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China
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Overseas media websites made available in China shortly before the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are once again being blocked by the regime’s Internet firewall.

Websites such as Radio Free Asia, Voice of America’s Chinese content, the BBC’s Chinese language site and Hong Kong’s Mingpao Daily News, Asia Weekly and Apple Daily News can no longer be accessed in China.

Huang Liangtian, a Chinese editor, said the communist regime is throttling freedom of the press because they are not ready to open up to the outside world.

He said this control is used for the maintenance of so-called stability, and that superficial stability overrides everything in China; even the law and freedom.

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The Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda department has prohibited all media in China from investigating and reporting the arrest of one of China Central Television’s female reporters, Li Min.

It appears that Li Min had investigated abused of power by the procurator of Xinghualing District in Shanxi Province. Following her report on the incident she was warned by the Attorney-General He Shusheng that she faced punishment if she persisted in reporting this news and her press card could be suspended.

According to a spokesman for China Central Television, Li Min’s arrest warrant was issued by the very procurator she was investigating, although they had no such power to do so.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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The founder and chairman of the China Democracy Party, Guo Quan, was arrested in November. His mother, an accomplished author, has spoken out about her son’s arrest in an interview with The Epoch Times.

Before his arrest for supposedly ’subverting state power’, Guo posted many articles in the Democratic Herald condemning the communist dictatorship in China.

Although this is not the first time Guo Quan has been arrested, it is the longest he has ever been detained. This fact is leaving his mother feeling exasperated.

Gu Xiao said that the communist authorities have not allowed her to see her son, or even verify his well being since his arrest. He has also not been allowed to see his lawyer.

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The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found in thousands of dead chickens in the East Indian state of West Bengal, authorities there say.

Tests on poultry from two villages around Englishbazar town in the Maldah district have returned positive results, a health official said.

A “few thousand” birds in the area will be slaughtered, he said.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu is regarded as highly pathogenic and can also cause disease and death in humans.

Bird flu has returned to West Bengal after an outbreak in 14 districts of the state in January this year.

The World Health Organisation says that since the virus resurfaced in Asia in 2003 it has killed more than 200 people in a dozen of countries.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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A rights coalition is asking Americans to balance their made-in-China Christmas purchases with donations to help North Korean refugees who are suffering under China’s policy of forceful repatriation, reports The Epoch Times.

The North Korea Freedom Coalition, a group representing over 60 organizations, says Chinese authorities force North Korean refugees to return to their country knowing that their punishment for fleeing includes imprisonment, torture, and death.

“It is nearly impossible to avoid buying products made in China, especially during the Holidays, but we ask Americans to offset these purchases by donating for the rescue of North Korean refugees, most of whom are women and children.” said NKFC Chairman Suzanne Scholte, the 2008 Seoul Peace Prize laureate, in a Christian Post news report.

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In Australia, environmental activists have staged protests in several cities against a plan to combat climate change announced by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Some campaigners held up white flags to signify Australia’s “surrender” to climate change, while others reportedly threw shoes at a puppet of Mr Rudd.

Under the plan, greenhouse gas emissions will be cut by at least 5 per cent by 2020 and a carbon trading scheme will be set up.

But activists say the changes will not go far enough to prevent catastrophic climate change. Many have called for emissions to be cut by at least 25 per cent by 2020, as recommended by the UN’s specialist Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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

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Chinese artist Fan Yi-Ming was unable to receive the silver award he won for his entry into NTDTV's Chinese Figure Painting Competition entitled 'The Tibetan Boy' as he is being illegally detained by the Chinese Communist Party for practising Falun Gong. (Courtesy of The Epoch Times).

In this Bulletin…

- South East Asian leaders sign trade deals ahead of delayed ASEAN Summit;
- 26 still missing in Philippine’s ferry capsize; and
- Niger rebels claim kidnap of UN Envoy

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China

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Following the recent outbreak of avian influenza in Hong Kong, news has surfaced of mass chicken deaths in the cities of Dongtai and Hai-an in Jiangsu province which occurred about a month ago.

Local residents say that due to the blockade of information by the Communist government, the lack of disease prevention plans and the lax in supervision over poultry trade, a large number of the dead diseased chickens are being sold to cities like Shanghai, Shandong and Henan.

Veterinarian worker from Hai-an Veterinary Clinic confirmed with SOH that a chicken plague occurred there a month ago and over 100,000 chickens were killed.

Dongtai city residents say that the government will be ignoring the lives and safety of the public if it fails to take action against unconscionable merchants selling diseased chickens.

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A professor from the Huaiying Teachers College, Miao Zhen-hu has been detained by police on the charge of “subverting State safety” after his students recorded his discussion in class supporting fellow Professor Yan Shi-Chun who was recently reported by two female students after criticising the government in class.

Member of Independent Chinese PEN Center, Mr Zhu Xingxing conducted a research into the influence of the culture of spying and reporting by students in class, and found that most of Grade 3 and 4 student believe that teachers cannot criticise the government, because they are paid by the government.

Mr Zhu says that these students do not have the concept that the government is funded by taxpayers, and exist to serve the public and therefore should be subjected to supervision by the public.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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New trade deals have been signed today by Southeast Asian leaders who have taken action ahead of the ASEAN summit to be held in Thailand which has been postponed to late February due to the political situation in the country.

Three separate agreements were signed by the leaders of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia and Singapore on the trade areas of goods, services and investment. Officials from the signatory nations have said that the deals are important to make Southeast Asia a more enticing foreign investment option amid the global downturn.

Officials from the other four member nations of ASEAN, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, who did not attend the meeting says they will sign the agreements at a later date.

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Rescue teams continue to battle rough seas to locate 26 people who are still missing after an overloaded ferry capsized in the Luzon Strait in northeastern Philippines. 27 bodies have been recovered from the sea by rescuers, many of them children.

Most of the 46 survivors clung on to debris from the capsize and swam more than half a kilometer to shore near the seaside town of Appari in Cagayan province.

The ferry, Maejan, was certified to only carry 50 passengers with a full load of cargo, but at the time of the disaster more than 100 people were crammed on to it and it was overloaded with cargo.

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Niger rebels have claimed to have kidnapped the missing UN Envoy to Niger. The Canadian diplomat, Robert Fowler, was reported missing on Monday, when his car was discovered abandoned by the side of the road on the outskirts of Niamey, capital of Niger, with the engine still running.

The kidnappers are Tuareg tribesmen of the FFR who have splintered off from the main rebel faction the Niger Movement for Justice rebelling over the uneven distribution of monies raised from Niger’s mineral wealth since 2007.

The website of the splinter group states that Mr Fowler was taken in a commando operation along with four others for collaborating with the ruling ethnic-killing regime. The government has refused to negotiate with the rebels, saying that they are drug trafficking terrorists.

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Fan Yi-ming, the Silver Prize winner of the Chinese Figure Painting Competition organized by NTDTV remains illegally detained in China by the Chinese Communist Party for his practice of Falun Gong.

During the awards ceremony on December 12, NTDTV announced that Fan was unable to attend to receive his award as he is still serving his two years re-education through labour camp sentenced, illegally handed down to him during the August Beijing Olympics.

Born in 1967 in Fujian province, Fan’s artworks have been exhibited on numerous occasions both within China and abroad, including a solo exhibition in London in 2004.

Fan’s award winning painting entitled “The Tibetan Boy” was bold and structured, and the subject was highlighted with Fan’s exquisite traditional oil painting techniques.

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Damage caused by Chinese police intimidating villagers whose land was forcibly seized. (The Epoch Times)

In this Bulletin…

- Thousands march in Baghdad Anti-American Protests;
- Taiwan bans baking ingredient from China after melamine found; and
- UN Security Council rotates 5 nations, Iran, Iceland miss out.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China

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Chinese authorities have continued attempts to drive out the family members of the leader of the family church in mainland China, Priest Zhang Mingxuan, from Beijing , despite him having received permission from authorities to live in Beijing immediately after the Olympic Games.

On Thursday, dozens of people from the authorities demanded two sons of Priest Zhang to leave Beijing and then severely beat them, leaving one with serious injuries requiring hospitalization with his head and eyes bleeding.

Prior and during the Beijing Olympics Games, family churches in the mainland were subject to serious suppression and in most instances, public security forces charged members with “using a cult organization to undermine law enforcement,” “illegal management” and other crimes.

Under a large-scale ban many family Churches were forced to stop gathering.

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Thousands of armed police have suppressed the rights defending activities of villagers at a construction site in Guangning town, Zhaoqing city, Guangdong province, the Epoch Times reported.

In July 2007, Zhaoqing authorities began resuming farmland and mountainous areas without proper documentation for the construction of a renewable plastic industrial site. Since then villagers have been protesting over concerns of environmental effects as well as inadequate compensation.

There are still a large number of police stationed in the construction site in Wuhe town to protect the start of the project. Authorities put up a notice in the village stating that those who protest for their rights will be arrested, and have also used a variety of ways to intimidate the villagers.

At present, public security forces patrol day and night in the village, and many villagers are afraid to speak. Parts of the villages’ external telephone communications have also been disrupted.

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The Chinese regime has announced that foreign media freedoms brought in for the Beijing Olympic Games will become permanent. Premier Wen Jiabao signed a decree late on Friday to extend the press freedoms, just shortly before they expired at midnight of the same day.

Several international press companies have welcomed the move but have also pointed out that the regime still blocks access in Tibet, Sichuan and arbitrarily as it sees fit on topics such as the current melamine milk scandal.

The press freedoms will not apply to domestic reporters, who are still hindered by strict journalism policies. Foreign media companies and governments have again called on the Chinese regime to end official censorship.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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Taiwan has banned all imports of ammonium powder from China effective on Friday after its health authorities detected elevated levels of melamine in several test samples,. The Taiwanese Department of Health has advised local food companies to stop using Chinese ammonium powder.

The Department of Health has said that some Chinese ammonium powder samples contained up to 300 parts per million of melamine, which is 100 times the safe level published by the US Food and Drug Administration.

Ammonium bicarbonate, commonly known as ammonium powder, is a leavening or raising agent normally used in biscuit making.

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On Friday, UN Security Council elections have taken place with 5 nations rotating into non-permanent positions. Japan, Mexico, Uganda, Turkey and Austria have been elected with Iran and Iceland missing out. The new representatives begin in their 2-year roles from January 1, 2009.

Japan was challenged by Iran for one of the temporary Asian region seats on the Security Council. Israel has criticized the UN for allowing Iran to contest the position and stated that the UN has spared itself embarrassment for not electing Iran.

Austria and Turkey were elected by a large margin over Iceland for a European region seat. Iceland received less support in the election over fears for the nation’s stability amidst the current global financial crisis.

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The streets of Baghdad have been filled by supporters of Muslim cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr, on Saturday, to protest against the signing of an agreement between the Iraqi government and the US that will allow US troops to remain in Iraq for three more years. The protestors see the U.S. as occupiers and chanted no to the occupation.

The Iraqi government authorized the protests and additional security was provided for the thousands of peaceful demonstrators. Authorities commented that it is a part of democracy for people to protest.

Details of the agreement have been released by the Iraqi government, requiring the US to end patrols in 2009 and complete a full troop withdrawal by 2011. It also sets out conditions for US troops to be tried in Iraq for crimes committed while off duty.

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

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- IOC calls for investigation into under-age Chinese gymnasts;
- Beijing police ordered to investigate Chinese citizens who speak to foreign media; and
- Monsoon rains continues to devastate South Asia.

But first, here’s our SOH focus on China.

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed to the Epoch Times Thursday morning that it has asked the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate the fiasco surrounding under-age Chinese gymnasts.

More evidence has emerged in the last two days that He Kexin and Yang Yilin were 14 years old and not 16, as claimed by the Chinese authorities.

The Epoch Times has unearthed sources within the Chinese regime that confirm the girls’ ages.

The widely publicised blog site by hacker “stryde.hax” has detailed documents found in search engine caches that suggest He Kexin’s real birth year to be 1994, not 1992 as written on her passport. All of the links to the documents have been rapidly disappearing from live sites, sparking concerns of internet censorship.

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A lawsuit representing a hundred victims of terror in Israel and their families was filed in Los Angeles on August 21 against the Bank of China for knowingly funding Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist activities, the Epoch Times has revealed.

The plaintiffs are demanding compensation of hundreds of millions of dollars under U.S. law as the Bank of China has a branch in America.

According to the charges, the Bank of China transferred regularly, over a period of time, amounts of about US$100,000 to the private bank account of a senior Hamas official located China.

The money was used to buy merchandise which was shipped to Gaza, where it was resold by senior Hamas officials. The profits were used to fund terrorist activities.

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Tibet’s government in exile is preparing to lay down a detailed program for autonomy in the disputed region when it resumes talks with Chinese authorities in October, says the Epoch Times.

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Spokesman for the Australia Tibet Council, Dr Simon Bradshaw, said despite high hopes of successful negotiations at the earlier meeting, the talks had concluded “without concrete progress”.

“At the meeting in October I understand they will be tabling a detailed program for autonomy for Tibet to try and progress the negotiations,” he told the Epoch Times.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast.
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Beijing police have been ordered to investigate Chinese civilians who have been interviewed by western media during the Olympics official documents reveal.

The claims have been made by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and are backed up by copies of the official directives published on the media watch-dog’s website.

Reporters Without Borders said that the instructions clearly told police to investigate Chinese people who talk to foreign media. Another directive, dated the day before the games began, gave clear directions to the police on how to quickly deal with any religious demonstrations.

Reports have already been made of Chinese civilians being arrested for talking to foreign press about issues deemed sensitive by communist authorities.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network.
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In India, desperate victims of the monsoon flooding attacked government officials today, demanding food and shelter as the rains continued to spread misery among millions of people across South Asia.

Rising rivers have crumpled embankments, swamped farmlands and destroyed homes, killing almost 1,000 people since the monsoon rains began in June.

Most deaths have been reported in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, home to 170 million people.

Indian officials on Friday reported 50 more deaths, raising the toll there to 710 this season.
Monsoon rains have killed at least another 130 people in other parts of India this year, while Nepal has reported some 65 deaths and Bangladesh another 30 so far.

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The Pakistan People’s Party has nominated the widow of assassinated former leader Benazir Bhutto to be Pakistan’s next president, a party spokesman said Friday.

Asif Zardari will decide whether to accept the nomination by Saturday, information minister Sherry Rehman added.

Pervez Musharraf stood down as president on Monday as the Pakistan People’s Party and its ruling coalition partners threatened to begin impeachment proceedings.

Under Pakistan’s constitution, parliament has to elect a new president within 30 days of the resignation. An election is scheduled for September 6.

Zardari moved to the fore of Pakistan politics after Bhutto’s was killed by a suicide bomber while she was leaving an election rally in December 2007.

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And now for our daily round-up of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
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In the modern pentathlon, German Lena Schoneborn went into the 3,000 m run with a 19-second advantage, more than enough for her to take gold. Great Britain’s Heather Fell, hung on to take silver ahead of Victoria Tereshuk of Ukraine who got bronze.

Tim Brabants powered to a superb victory in the final of the men’s K1 1000m to win Great Britain’s first ever canoeing Olympic gold medal and adding to his world and European titles.

American Bryan Clay cruised to decathlon gold after a devastating display over two days to finish with 8791 points in Beijing. Andrei Krauchanka from Belarus won silver, and Cuba’s Leonel Suarez managed to grab bronze.

Steve Hooker claimed Australia’s first athletics gold of the Beijing Games when he won the pole vault with a final jump of 5.90 m. After sealing victory, the Commonwealth champion went on to set a new Olympic record of 5.96 m.

For more in depth coverage of events at today’s Games, why not check out Inside China Today, at www.insidechinatoday.net.
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“Asia Cast… keeping you across the top headlines from Asia and the World.”

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- List of labor camps released to international journalists in China
- Philippines government calls off peace deal; and
- A Malaysian-owned tanker, hijacked by pirates.

-But first, here’s our SOH focus on China

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During the Beijing Olympics, a problem has been perplexing the International Olympic Committee and many international tourists; that the audiences could not buy tickets to watch the Olympic Games, but over a half of the audience seats at some events were hardly occupied.

The English Times newspaper published an article entitled “China’s iron Olympic grip starts to slip” that had exposed an answer to the mystery: in order to prevent massive gathering the Chinese Government tightly controls ticket sales.

The tickets that the Chinese government sold to the public were secretly controlled with large amount of seats assigned to the Communist Party’s administrative departments and state-run enterprises.

These organizations complied with the Party’s regulation to withhold the sales of tickets.

The regime’s policy has also deprived the rights of the overseas Olympics fans, even sports players’ families were refused to enter. British women’s swimming gold medallist Rebecca Adlington’s Family complained that they could not buy any tickets to watch their daughter in winning the contest.

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The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) released today a list of 51 labor camps for journalists to investigate while they are in China for the Olympic Games.

CIPFG reports that there are nearly 300 labor camps in China, where torture, “re-education” (brainwashing), and forced labor take place. Tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners are said to be held there, and among them are those arrested in large purges that took place in the months before the Olympics.

The regime in China has been known to deny independent investigations of claims of torture and abuse in its labor camps, which people can be sentenced to without trial.

In the lead-up to the games, CIPFG released to journalists a guide to seven labor camps near the Olympics venues, titled “Torture Outside the Olympic Village: A Guide to China’s Labor Camps.” These camps held practitioners of Falun Gong, a spiritual practice that is heavily persecuted in China.

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And now for the rest of today’s Asia Cast
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Two elderly Chinese women are to face a year in a labour camp after attempts to hold a public protest, a relative has said.

Wu Dianyuan, 79, and Wang Xiuying, 77, had applied repeatedly for permission to protest in Beijing’s much feted but little used Olympics “protest parks”.

The penalty of “re-education through labour” allows police to imprison a suspect for up to four years of labour without a formal charge or trial.

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Philippines Government cancelled a peace deal with the country’s biggest Muslim rebel group after fighting broke out this week killing 40 people.

The peace deal, agreed by the Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front last month, was later halted by the Supreme Court pending a verdict on an appeal by Christian groups that it was unconstitutional.

However the government is willing to renegotiate, a government spokeswoman said.

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You’re listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network
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A Malaysian-owned tanker carrying crude palm oil has been hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden near Somalia, a global maritime watchdog has said.

A distress signal was received and the ship is now thought to be heading to coastal waters near Somalia.

Pirate attacks on vessels and yachts sailing the major shipping route close to Somalia have surged recently.

No direct contact has been made with the captain of the ship, said the International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre.

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And now for our daily round-up of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
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On the final day of yachting Australia picked up a silver medal in Olympic sailing at the Beijing Games.

Australian diver Melissa Wu has qualified for tonight’s final of the women’s 10 metres platform at the Beijing Olympics.

Meanwhile US beach volleyball queens Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor has successfully defended their women’s Olympic title.

For more in depth coverage of events at today’s Games, why not check out Inside China Today, at www.insidechinatoday.net.

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

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