Asia News

Power cut protests continue in Burma

By AP News Thu, May 24, 2012 12:56PM UTC

Protesters hold candles during a candlelight vigil in downtown Yangon, Tuesday. Pic: AP.

YANGON, Burma (AP) — Protesters took to the streets of Burma’s biggest city for a second night Wednesday to air their complaints about chronic power cuts, in a test of the tolerance of the reformist government of military-backed but elected President Thein Sein. The protests in Yangon follow similar demonstrations

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Sea slavery in Thailand

By Bangkok Pundit Thu, May 24, 2012 10:00AM UTC

Fishing boats leave a port of the southwestern Japanese town of Taiji. Pic: AP.

BP has previously blogged about a report from Dan Rivers about slavery at sea for migrant workers in Thailand. Patrick Winn of Global Post has a 3 series report on the issue (part 1; part 2; and part 3). From Part 2: “Years ago, I saw an entire foreign crew

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Japan: An unhappy country or just asking for too much?

By Anna Watanabe Wed, May 23, 2012 10:08PM UTC

The results of the OECD Better Life Index have revealed that Australia is the “happiest” industrialized country in the world – even trumping the likes of Norway and Sweden – while Japan ranks 16th. But is Japan really that bad a place to live, or are Japanese people just complaining

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Pakistani who helped US catch bin Laden sentenced to prison

By AP News Wed, May 23, 2012 7:47PM UTC

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A government official says a Pakistani doctor who helped the U.S. track down Osama bin Laden has been convicted of high treason and sentenced to 33 years in prison. Nasir Khan says Shakil Afridi was also ordered Wednesday to pay a fine of about $3,500. If

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Indian state gives go-ahead to shoot tiger poachers on sight

By AP News Wed, May 23, 2012 5:24PM UTC

A Bengal tiger cools off in a small pond of water at Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal, Maharashtra. Pic: AP.

NEW DELHI (AP) — A western Indian state has declared war on animal poaching by sanctioning its forest guards to shoot hunters on sight in an effort to curb rampant attacks against tigers, elephants and other wildlife. The government in Maharashtra says injuring or killing suspected poachers will no longer

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