1 Australia Boosts Bio-Security Defenses Last Updated: Sep 16 2008 7:31AM Australia has opened a new National Center for Bio-Security to build its defenses against infectious diseases and biological weapons. Medical experts say it will help protect the country from threats such as SARS and bird flu as well as attacks by terrorists or rogue scientists. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports. The new bio-security center adds another layer to Australia's counterterrorism defenses. Its researchers will look at ways to combat biological warfare, naturally occurring diseases and the theft or misuse of sensitive research on micro-organisms. In addition, they will study the dangers posed by synthetic biology, where a virus or bacteria can be created from scratch. The center's work will concentrate on 22 bacteria, viruses and poisons that the Australian government considers "agents of concern".   Japan, China Meet In Tokyo For Talks On Food-Poisoning Last Updated: Feb 4 2008 8:45AM Officials of China and Japan have started in-depth discussions on their cooperation in resolving a food poisoning incident in Japan, linked to Chinese-made frozen dumplings. A 5-member inspection team from China, led by the deputy chief of the national quality control bureau Li Chunfeng, arrived in Japan on Sunday. The Chinese team and Japanese officials started their second round of talks on Monday morning at the Cabinet Office in Tokyo.   UN Scales Back Etimor Food Aid Last Updated: Jan 22 2008 8:25AM The United Nations is planning to scale down it's food distribution program for the tens of thousands of displaced people who are still living in camps throughout the country, following the 2006 political crisis.  Despite efforts to relocate many displaced people back to their homes, 100,000 still remain in camps across the country, 30,000 of those in are in the capital Dili.    No Improvement In N.Korea Human Rights: UN Official Last Updated: Jan 18 2008 8:52AM North Korea continues to violate human rights systematically by torturing, publicly prosecuting and oppressing its citizens, a United Nations envoy for human rights in the communist state said on Friday. "There are many grave negative situations," Vitit Muntarbhorn, a U.N. special reporter, told reporters in Tokyo. While North Korea has recently granted U.N. food agencies better access in the country, Pyongyang had yet to take any action to improve its human rights record, he said.   Cambodia Genocide Tribunal Holds Town Hall Meeting In Former Khmer Rouge Stronghold Last Updated: Jan 16 2008 8:27AM Officials from Cambodia's genocide tribunal held a town hall-style meeting Wednesday in the Khmer Rouge's former heartland to persuade neighbors of the regime's ex-rulers to help with the trials. Judges and officials from the U.N.-backed tribunal held the meeting at a Buddhist temple on a hillside near Pailin, a derelict town near the northwestern border with Thailand where ex-Khmer Rouge leaders set up homes and lived for decades as ordinary citizens until last year.   Tribunal Officials Travel To Khmer Rouge Stronghold Last Updated: Jan 14 2008 8:10AM Top officials from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge tribunal have travelled for the first time to the regime's former stronghold to allay fears of mass arrests of former rebels. Judges investigating the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime joined other court officials for the three-day visit to the western Pailin region to "meet and talk" with former rebels. Tribunal spokesman, Reach Sambath, says the aim of the meetings is to explain the role of the tribunal and its mandate to the former rebels.   Police Enforce Curfew After India Religious Riots Last Updated: Dec 27 2007 8:49AM Hundreds of federal police enforced a curfew in parts of eastern India on Thursday after clashes between Hindus and Christians in which one person was killed and 14 churches and 3 Hindu temples were damaged. Police said the clashes had ended but curfews remained in place in three towns in central Orissa. Long-running tensions between the two groups in Orissa's rural Kandhamal district came to a head on Christmas Eve, when fights broke out after Christians put up a temporary ceremonial arch to mark the holiday, police said.   Huge Search On For Hundreds Missing In Nepal Bridge Collapse Last Updated: Dec 26 2007 8:40AM Troops joined police searching Wednesday for hundreds of people missing a day after a bridge collapsed killing 16 and injuring 40 more in a steep river gorge in Nepal, officials said. Nearly 400 people were on the bridge over the Bheri river, 380 kilometers (240 miles) west of the capital Kathmandu, when disaster struck on Tuesday afternoon, witnesses said. Police said 35 people had been officially reported as missing by relatives on Wednesday and the number was expected to rise.   Australian Court Paves Way For Indian Doctor's Return Last Updated: Dec 21 2007 8:11AM A court Friday cleared the way for an Indian doctor arrested over failed bomb attacks in Britain to return to Australia when it upheld a previous ruling that the government erred in cancelling his visa. The government lost its appeal to keep Mohamed Haneef out of Australia when the Federal Court upheld a previous judge's decision that the cancellation of his visa was incorrect.     On Bangladesh Martyrs' Day, Calls For War Trials Last Updated: Dec 14 2007 8:44AM Thousands of Bangladeshis gathered on Friday at a memorial for intellectuals and professionals killed during the 1971 independence war amid demands for punishment of "war criminals". "Put the war criminals on trial and hang them," said Mohammad Selim, visiting a memorial for martyred intellectuals at Dhaka's Rayer Bazar.   Khmer Rouge Leader Appeals UN Detention Last Updated: Dec 14 2007 8:39AM THE Khmer Rouge's former head of state has appealed against his detention by a UN-backed tribunal over his alleged role in Cambodia's genocide. Khieu Samphan, 76, was the last of five top regime cadres arrested by the court in November. He has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Famed French lawyer Jacques Verges, who has defended some of the world's most notorious figures, and his Cambodian co-lawyer Say Bory filed the appeal, the tribunal spokesman said.   Malaysian PM Defends Arrest Of Activists: Report Last Updated: Dec 14 2007 8:32AM KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi defended a decision to detain five ethnic Indian activists under a tough security law as in the interests of public order, state media reported.  The five leaders of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), pushing for an end to alleged discrimination of ethnic Indians in multi-racial Malaysia, were picked up Thursday and ordered held under the Internal Security Act (ISA).   Media Activitists Angry Over Philippine's Gov't Warning Last Updated: Dec 10 2007 8:47AM Trouble has been brewing between the Philippines government and the country's media outlets over the recent siege at the Peninsular Hotel. More than 30 journalists were arrested for refusing orders to leave the hotel during the siege on November 29. Last week, the Philippine interior secretary issued a warning that any journalists who refuse to leave crime scenes will face serious charges.   Japan Hangs Three, Discloses Names And Crimes Last Updated: Dec 7 2007 9:22AM Japan hanged three murderers on Friday and revealed their names and details of the crimes in a new policy aimed at bolstering support for executions, which are running at their highest level in 31 years. The three hanged on Friday included Seiha Fujima, 47, who killed a 16-year-old girl, her mother and a sister after the girl refused his romantic advances, the justice ministry said in a statement.   Cambodia's KRouge Tribunal On Right Track: US Official Last Updated: Dec 7 2007 9:10AM Cambodia's UN-backed Khmer Rouge court is on the "right track" and the United States may eventually decide to help fund the proceedings, a top US diplomat said Friday. "Everything that I've seen reinforces my idea that (the tribunal) is making progress and is moving in a very positive direction," said Clint Williamson, the State Department's top official for war crimes issues.   Malaysian Court Denies Bail For 31 Ethnic Indians Last Updated: Dec 6 2007 8:15AM A Malaysian court on Thursday denied bail to 31 ethnic Indians facing up to 20 years in jail for the attempted murder of a policeman during anti-discrimination protests last month. "We are not allowing bail," Sessions Court judge Azima Omar told a packed courtroom. "The offences committed by the accused are serious," she said. The judge said her decision to deny bail in the case – which has heightened ethnic tensions in multicultural Malaysia – was not racially motivated. "This involves national security and has nothing to do with race," she said. "Public and national interests are at stake."   Vietnam Arrests Foreign Citizens: Political Group Last Updated: Nov 20 2007 8:22AM Vietnamese police have arrested six political activists, including citizens of the United States, France and Thailand, a U.S.-based group opposed to one-party communist rule said. A Vietnam government official declined immediate comment on Wednesday and a U.S. embassy official said it had confirmation of the arrest of one U.S. citizen and had asked Hanoi for access. Officials at the other embassies could not be reached for comment on the statement received by email from the Viet Tan (Vietnam Reform Party).   Cyclone Sidr Strikes Bangladesh (Update 2) Last Updated: Nov 20 2007 4:53PM Download here (.doc)   Cambodia Genocide Court May Widen Suspect List Last Updated: Nov 16 2007 9:44AM A judge at Cambodia's UN-backed genocide court says the court could widen its net, as evidence is gathered against other regime members. Already four suspects have been charged and a fifth arrest is expected. One of two judges tasked with investigating criminal accusations against former Khmer Rouge -- Judge Marcel Lemonde -- told AFP that the list of suspects could be expanded.   Japanese Prosecutors Drop Rape Case Against 4 US Marines In Light Of Evidence Last Updated: Nov 15 2007 8:11AM Japanese prosecutors have dropped a case involving allegations that four U.S. Marines raped a 19-year-old woman in southwestern Japan, an official said Thursday. "The decision was made in light of the evidence," an official at the Hiroshima District Public Prosecutors' Office quoted Deputy Prosecutor Keiichi Yamakawa as saying. "In view of the nature of the case, we will refrain from offering specific reasons for dropping the case."   China Coal Mine Gas Leak Kills 32 Last Updated: Nov 9 2007 8:18AM Thirty-two miners were killed in a coal mine gas leak in southwest China's Guizhou Province and three others are missing, state media reported on Friday. The gas leak at Qunli Coal Mine in Nayong County occurred on Thursday afternoon when 86 miners were working in the shaft, the official Xinhua News Agency quoted rescuers as saying. The rescuers saved 52 miners, the report said.   Malaysia's PM Warns Rights Activists To Abide By The Law Last Updated: Nov 9 2007 8:03AM Malaysia Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has warned rights activists to abide by the law or face tough action as opposition groups plan to push ahead with a street rally on Saturday calling for free and fair elections. Wrapping up a three-day annual assembly of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), Mr. Abdullah, the party president, issued a stern warning to rights activists who have not been granted a police permit to demonstrate.   [Japan] Police Decide Not To Seek Arrest Of 4 U.S. Marines For Alleged Rape Last Updated: Oct 26 2007 8:25AM Police have decided to forgo seeking arrest warrants for four U.S. Marines from the Iwakuni base in Yamaguchi Prefecture on suspicion of gang-raping a 19-year-old Japanese woman in Hiroshima earlier this month, investigative sources said Friday. Hiroshima police have investigated the case but have decided against trying to arrest the Marines because they have found in the woman's testimony some ambiguities about the situation, according to the sources.   Myanmar Agrees To Human-Rights Body Last Updated: Jul 30 2007 8:31AM MANILA, Philippines (Reuters) -- Southeast Asian foreign ministers overcame differences on Monday on setting up a human-rights commission after military-ruled Myanmar dropped objections to the plan, participants said. The issue had created a rift within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and threatened to divert attention from the group's efforts at economic integration.   Fiji Govt Considers Sacking Nurses Last Updated: Jul 30 2007 8:18AM The Fiji Nursing Association says the interim prime minister, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, should make the first move to meet the nurses on their grievances. General Secretary Kuini Lutua has told the Fijilive website they are waiting for the interim prime minister to call a meeting with them. She says if he calls to meet with them today they will do so.   Japanese Gov't Takes Wait-And-See Stance On U.S. Resolution Last Updated: Jun 27 2007 8:16AM The Japanese government adopted a wait-and-see approach Wednesday to a nonbinding resolution passed overnight by a U.S. House of Representatives committee demanding an apology from Japan for its wartime sex slavery, reiterating that it has not changed its stance from a 1993 government apology over the issue. But some ruling and opposition lawmakers expressed their belief that the resolution was not based on facts, while Japanese supporters of the so-called comfort women welcomed the resolution and urged the government to take concrete measures to settle the issue. '   Australian Police, Soldiers Deployed In Aboriginal Communities Last Updated: Jun 25 2007 7:20AM Police and soldiers began deploying to outback Australia on Monday as part of a radical plan to end child sex abuse in Aboriginal communities which has been criticised as a return to the nation's paternalistic past. Prime Minister John Howard last week announced he would use police backed by military logistics to seize control of indigenous camps in the Northern Territory to protect women and children.   Author Knighthood Leads To Muslim Demonstrations In Asia Last Updated: Jun 20 2007 7:57AM Britain's decision to award author Sir Salman Rushdie a knighthood has led to demonstrations in Muslim countries across Asia. Sir Salman's novel the Satanic Verses angered the Muslim world in the late 1980's. In Pakistan, the parliament has passed a unanimous decision condemning the award.   Malaysia Vows Severe Punishment For Human Trafficking Last Updated: Jun 14 2007 7:52AM Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Thursday promised severe punishment for human traffickers after the country's inclusion on a US blacklist of countries engaged in smuggling people. Malaysia has been placed on Washington's "Tier 3" list of worst offenders, joining Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Sudan, but Abdullah said Malaysia was already working to stamp out the practice.   Deal close on Muslim lands in Philippines Last Updated: May 30 2007 7:24AM There are positive signs in the Philippines that the government and the country's largest Islamic rebel group are moving closer to a deal on defining Muslim ancestral land in the south of the mainly Catholic nation.   Malaysian PM Derides West On Islam, Mideast Last Updated: May 22 2007 7:41AM Malaysia's prime minister on Tuesday accused Westerners of prejudice against the Islamic world and said Western support for Israel was the biggest reason fuelling Muslim hostility. "Much of the prejudice against Islam in the West stems from a lack of understanding of the true nature of Islam as a religion professed by 1.4 billion people in the world," Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.   Call For Sanctions On Tonga Last Updated: May 17 2007 7:34AM A prominent pro-democracy activist in Tonga says Australia and New Zealand should impose sanctions on Tonga for alleged human rights abuses by security forces. Betty Blake, from Tonga's Community Paralegal Taskforce, says 41 per cent of people interviewed in a recent study had suffered physical abuse by security forces since riots in the Tongan capital last November.   S Lanka Rejects Aid Conditions Last Updated: May 16 2007 7:22AM Sri Lankan president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, has defied moves by Britain and the United States to halt some aid to the island over human rights concerns. He says the state will go it alone if necessary. Britain suspended around $US3 million of debt relief aid to the government earlier this month, citing human rights and defense spending concerns amid renewed civil war between the state and Tamil Tiger rebels.   Bali Nine Begin Appeal Against Death Sentence Last Updated: May 2 2007 7:25AM Six Australians facing the death penalty in Indonesia have had appeals against their sentences heard in court. Scott Rush has joined with Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in a constitutional challenge to the death penalty as Geoff Thompson reports from Jakarta. Tan Duch Thanh Nyugen, Matthew Norman and Si Yi Chen all appeared at Denpasar's District Court today.   Solomons Inquiry Into 2006 Riots Last Updated: Apr 27 2007 7:17AM An inquiry into riots in the Solomon Islands capital, Honiara, will begin next week. Our Pacific correspondent, Campbell Cooney reports, the inquiry comes nearly 13 months after the event. In April last year, rioters destroyed Chinese owned businesses in Honiara, set fire to police vehicles and injured a number of police, following the appointment of Snyder Rini as prime minister.   Australia And US To Swap Refugees Last Updated: Apr 18 2007 7:16AM Australia and the United States have announced a plan to swap up to 200 asylum seekers every year. Migrants held by the US in Guantanamo Bay will be resettled in Australia, while Canberra will send people held in its offshore detention camps to the US. The move is aimed at deterring would-be refugees by preventing them from reaching their destination of choice.   Chinese Community Frustrated In Solomons Capital Last Updated: Apr 18 2007 7:11AM Wednesday marks the first anniversary of the riots which destroyed the business district of Solomon Islands capital, Honiara. The Chinese community were the main targets of the riots and became the victims of a power struggle between Guadalcanal and Malaita for control of the government.   Jailbreak In Aceh Last Updated: Apr 10 2007 8:27AM Nearly half the prisoners in jail in the Indonesian province of Aceh have reportedly escaped after a mass breakout involving more than 100 convicts.   Mr. Hu Goes To Moscow, Again Last Updated: Apr 8 2007 9:15AM Download here (.doc)   Burma Releases 9 Protestors In Rangoon Last Updated: Feb 27 2007 11:09AM Burma's military government has released nine people who'd been held for five days after holding a rare protest over living conditions in the capital, Rangoon. Around two dozen people took part in last Thursday's demonstration outside a bus station, waving placards and shouting slogans.   North Korea Seeks To Stem Flood Of South Korean Pop Culture Last Updated: Feb 1 2007 3:31PM North Korea Seeks To Stem Flood Of South Korean Pop Culture SEOUL - North Korea is cracking down on South Korean pop culture which is spreading fast in the hardline communist state, a news report said Thursday.  (cont)   Tiger Chief Peace Negotiator Dies Of Cancer Last Updated: Dec 14 2006 5:36PM COLOMBO - The top peace negotiator for Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels, Anton Balasingham, died at his home in London Thursday after a battle with cancer, a close associate told AFP.  Balasingham, 68, was diagnosed with terminal bile duct cancer last month and missed the October peace talks between his Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government because of failing health.  His close associate, Nadesapillai Vithyatharan, the chief editor of two Tamil language newspapers, said Balasingham left hospital at the weekend and his funeral would be in London.   1