The Pakistani-American accused of trying to explode a bomb in Times Square was able to move easily between the two countries and came from a family of wealth and privilege — a near-perfect background for an international terrorist group wanting to steal into the United States and launch an attack. Relatives and friends in Pakistan said Wednesday that Faisal Shahzad showed no sign of radicalization before he left for the United States at age 18 to study, and that he and hi…

Excerpt from:
NY bomb suspect seen as good recruit for militants

Original TV report (link includes video) Although there are various problems such as illegal immigration, foreign laborers are clearly able to find jobs in our economy. But most of the 550,000 foreign laborers are working in conditions such that they cannot even go to the hospital when they are sick

Go here to read the rest:
Foreign workers in Korea: no health insurance, worker’s compensation

Ecocide is a relatively new word used to describe a practice that results in large-scale environmental damage or destruction. It is, in short, the murder of the environment. Environmental lawyer Polly Higgins is campaigning the UN to have ecocide be considered an international crime against peace, similar to genocide and other crimes against humanity.

Read more here:
Ecocide: Ecological murder

The Australian government has funnelled billions into the school building program but there are serious doubts that the money was well spent: Almost 30 per cent of principals surveyed by the auditor-general believe they are not getting value for money from the controversial $16.2 billion school building program.And a third of schools have complained…

Read the original here:
Billions dubiously spent on school building program

A long-awaited auction of ancient treasures salvaged from the sea opened Wednesday in the Indonesian capital — and then abruptly closed because there were no registered bidders. The auction, announced barely a week ago, had been expected to fetch at least $80 million for a collection of more than 270,000 pieces of valuable ceramic pots, jewelry and crystals retrieved f…

Go here to read the rest:
Going, going, gone! Indonesia treasure auction flops

Suspected Muslim rebels ambushed an Indian army patrol searching for them in the Indian portion of Kashmir early Wednesday, killing two soldiers, the army said. The militants sprayed bullets from automatic rifles on the soldiers near the mountainous village of Chitibandi, 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Indian Kashmir’s main city of Srinagar, said Col. Vineet Sood, an army…

Read the rest here:
2 Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir fighting

Authorities in the capital of Tajikistan tore down banner advertisements for mobile phone companies Wednesday as part of a campaign to discourage reliance on cell phones in a move that has baffled the Central Asian nation’s major operators. Efforts to reduce the visibility of mobile phone companies have been accompanied by a blitz of clips on state television warning viewers…

Read the original here:
Tajiks campaign to curb mobile phone use

A state news agency says that the death toll from a landslide that occurred earlier this week at a mine near the China-Myanmar border has risen to 15 people. The official Xinhua News Agency said Wednesday that 15 Chinese nationals were killed by the landslide about 2 miles (about 3 kilometers) over the border inside Myanmar and that five people remained hospitalized in stabl…

Original post:
Landslides kills 15 near China-Myanmar border

Presidential elections will proceed next week as scheduled and a voting machine supplier has promised to correct defects that had sparked fears of chaotic failure in the Philippines’ first automated vote, officials said Wednesday. The Commission on Elections ordered the recall Tuesday of 76,000 memory cards to be used in optical counting machines after some malfunctioned in …

Go here to see the original:
Philippines to vote Monday, despite glitch

Japan had fewer youngsters celebrating Children’s Day for the 29th straight year Wednesday, highlighting concerns that the country may face difficulty finding enough workers and taxpayers to support a rapidly aging population. The number of children under age 15 as of April has fallen to 16.9 million, down 190,000 from a year earlier, according to an annual report published …

Original post:
Japan’s children population at new record low

Thais put aside their political animosity Wednesday to honor the country’s ailing monarch on the 60th anniversary of his coronation, and his rare public appearance inspired thousands lining the streets to chant “Long Live the King!” The highly revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej emerged in a wheelchair from a Bangkok hospital to preside over the ceremonies. The 82-year-old king,…

Originally posted here:
Politics cast aside, Thais honor their ailing king

Malaysian environmentalists and opposition leaders on Wednesday slammed the government’s plan to build a nuclear power plant, calling it a risky venture and saying the country has sufficient energy output to meet future needs. Energy Minister Peter Chin announced Tuesday the government has approved in principle a nuclear plant, which would start operating from 2021, as an ef…

Excerpt from:
Malaysia’s proposed nuclear plant comes under fire

In a major development on the bloody massacre of 52 people involving a powerful political clan in Maguindanao last year, Philippine Justice Secretary Alberto Agra on Wednesday overturned his previous resolution exonerating two members of the Ampatuan clan who were earlier charged for the crime along with principal suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. In a 30-page resolution, Agra reinstated the cases against suspended Gov.

The rest is here:
Ampatuans back in dock over Philippines massacre

China plans to inject nearly $1.5 billion into a western region where riots killed nearly 200 people last year, boosting its economy in hopes of reducing ethnic tension. Various regions across Xinjiang, including 82 cities and towns, will received investment from 19 provinces and municipalities around China over the next year to help improve housing, employment and education…

The rest is here:
China’s Xinjiang to get $1.5 billion boost

(Music Recommendation: Steve Reich/Music for 18 Musicians) We’ve spent the last week at Misool eco resort in the south of the Raja Ampat region, Misool is the main hook for the story, it’s a 5 star eco resort built entirely from driftwood. The resort only has eight rooms and is run by a really sound couple who clearly have their heads in the right place with regard to the potential for sustainable businesses to make headway in areas environmental …

Excerpt from:
Misool Eco Resort, Raja Ampat, February 20, 2010

Nepal’s Maoist opposition blocked streets leading to key government offices Wednesday on the fourth day of their general strike to demand the prime minister’s resignation, while the government vowed not to bow to protesters’ pressure. Protesters hoped to disrupt the government by blocking streets leading to the Singhadurbar complex which houses key offices and ministries, bu…

Link:
Nepal’s Maoists block roads to government offices

A coal ship that ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef did not damage the site’s world heritage status, but UNESCO will monitor the effects of increased shipping on the world’s largest coral reef, the U.N. cultural agency’s boss said Wednesday

Read the original:
UNESCO: Reef’s values undamaged by ship grounding

Malaysia has set up a panel to ensure impartiality in a police probe into the fatal shooting of a teenager by four officers in an incident that led to a murder investigation and a public outcry over alleged heavy-handed tactics. The eight-member panel, headed by the deputy home minister, is to ensure that the police work quickly and transparently to investigate the April 26 …

See the original post:
Panel probes Malaysia fatal police shooting of teen

I received an email this week reminding me to submit my “there’s nothing like” comments to Tourism Australia’s new campaign website. I blogged on this a few weeks ago.The problem was, once I’d clicked through to the link and started posting I couldn’t stop…

View post:
‘There’s Nothing Like Australia’ tourist campaign update

Simon Roughneen in The Irrawaddy: Analyzing the prime minister’s performance in office, particularly since the Redshirt protests began, Dr. Thitinan remarked today that although Abhisit has many qualities suitable for a leader of Thailand, he “seems to have rationalized himself into thinking that he is not just a prime minister, but the savior…

Read the original post:
Thitinan: Abhisit sees himself as saviour of the throne