Pacific Rim News

Japan monitors North Korea

2006-06-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Japan dispatches ships and planes to monitor developments in North Korea as that country prepares to test a long range missile. Fukushiro Nukaga, the head of Japan's Defense Agency, told a parliamentary committee that Japan had deployed naval ships and patrol planes to monitor developments in North Korea as the country apparently prepares to test a long-range missile believed to be capable of reaching Alaska.

Australian Senate Overhaul

2006-06-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

The Government's proposal will gut the Senate inquiry structure, allowing it to avoid embarrassing scrutiny of legislation and political controversies such as the children overboard scandal. The Prime Minister John Howard rejected claims it would entrench government power and allow the Coalition to avoid scrutiny.
From News Limited.

THE Howard Government is reaching for more control over the Senate by overhauling the committee system. The Labor leader, Kim Beazley, said: "The Senate has become a great institution of accountability and, like all instruments of accountability in this country, this government is trashing it. It's … an evil act."
From Fairfax Digital network

Multi Party Fiji

2006-05-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

Fijian opposition (Labour) led by Mahendra Chaudhry decides to join Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's United Fiji Party to form a multi-party multi-ethnic cabinet

Typhoon Chanchu

2006-05-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

Typhoon Chanchu, the strongest storm on record to have entered the South China Sea in May, makes landfall between the cities of Shantou, Guangdong and Xiamen, Fujian in China.

Branch Stacking by Labor Party

2006-05-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

George Seitz, a Labour Party Member of the state Legislative Assembly in Victoria, Australia, is accused of running an elaborate branch stacking operation to manipulate results in state and federal elections and pre-selections.

Volcano Eruption in Indonesia

2006-05-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

Authorities in Indonesia issue a red alert for active volcano Mt. Merapi, evacuating 17,000 people in expectation of an eruption.

Faked Stem Cell Research

2006-05-12T14:12:00.000-07:00

Cloning scientist Hwang Woo-Suk is indicted for fraud, embezzlement and violation of bioethics law in a scandal in South Korea over his faked stem cell research.

Baidu Baike Launch in China

2006-05-11T19:22:00.000-07:00

Baidu Baike, a collaborative online encyclopedia, is launched in People's Republic of China by Baidu.com, modelled on Wikipedia but heavily self censored. Wikipedia is largely inaccessible without a proxy in China.

Australian Miners Rescued

2006-05-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

Two Australian miners are rescued after 14 days trapped in the Beaconsfield mine collapse in Tasmania.

China New Satellites

2006-05-06T18:26:00.000-07:00

The People's Republic of China plans to launch satellites for lunar surveying, probing the moon's surface, physiognomy, landform and geological structure.

Tsunami Warning for Fiji

2006-05-04T07:28:00.000-07:00

A tsunami warning was issued for Fiji and New Zealand following a magnitude 7.9 earthquake in Tonga which occurred at 04:26 May 4, local time. The warning was canceled when it was found that the earthquake did not produce a tsunami.

China Ordains Another Bishop

2006-05-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association outraged Vatican by planning to ordain another bishop, Liu Xinhong in Anhui Province. On Sunday, China has already ordained Ma Yinglin, not approved by the Holy See, as a bishop in Yunnan. Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen urged the Vatican to stop diplomatic talks with China.