Duration : 0:9:21

[youtube Q4BxAjWaHXY]

Duration : 0:10:1

[youtube V_r0Y1apyqw]

-Hundreds of Chinese children suffer lead poisoning near smelting plant;
-South Korea stops rocket launch; and
-Six latest bombings in Iraq kill 75.

But first, heres our SOH focus on China
**********************

Over one thousand angry people stormed a neighboring smelting plant in Shaanxi Province Monday after 615 children tested positive for abnormal blood lead levels, said The Epoch Times.

One villager whose children tested twice the normal blood lead levels, told The Epoch Times on August 17 more than one thousand women went to the smelting plant in a rage, pushed down a long wall enclosure and smashed the windshields of about 20 cargo vehicles.

A press conference held Saturday in Fengxiang County announced that lead poisoning found in the children was linked to pollution caused by the Dongling Smelting Co.

Only children under the age of 14 were allowed to test. 163 had medium-level lead poisoning and 3 had high-level lead poisoning requiring hospitalization.

**********************

Teenager Pu Liang, 14, is in serious condition after being repeatedly beaten by fellow students and the principal at a boot camp for internet addicts in China.

The boys mother told local media that she sent her son to the camp because he was spending too much time playing games online. She says after the beatings he now has chest and kidney problems.

Earlier this month a 15 year-old boy was beaten to death at another of the military-style camps for internet addicts.

Wu Yongjing, the man who set up the military-style camp, admitted youngsters were sometimes beaten and said physical punishment was an effective way to educate children, as long as it could be controlled.

**********************

According to a study published Saturday in the Journal of Geophysical Research, over the last five decades light rainfall patterns in eastern China have been decreasing, and air pollution is to blame, said NTDTV.

The decrease in light rainfall is proving to be just as damaging as the heavy rainfall sweeping across eastern China recently, with heavy rains washing away crops and lack of light rain causing devastating droughts.

A team of Chinese, American and European researchers looked at 50 years worth of data trying to see a causal relationship between air pollution and rainfall. Results showed that overall rainfall remained the same, but there has been more heavy rain and less nourishing light rain with increased pollution as the cause.

Parts of Chinas wheat-growing northern regions are currently hit by the worst drought since the 1950s.

**********************

Youre listening to Asia Cast on the SOH Radio Network

**********************

And now for the rest of todays Asia Cast

**********************

Asias largest oil company has signed a US $41 billion deal to purchase gas from a field off Australias northwest coast.

The twenty year pact with PetroChina comes despite recent tensions between Australia and China and is the largest trade deal in Australian history.

Hailing the deal, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said the agreement provides the basis for the creation of up to 6,000 jobs and the addition of billions of dollars into Australias economy.

The Chinese company has agreed to buy 2.25 million tons per year of liquefied natural gas from the yet-to-be developed Gorgon gas field, from the share owned by U.S. oil and gas company ExxonMobil.

**********************

South Korea has postponed the launch of its first space rocket-a two-stage vehicle- because of technical problems.

The rocket had been set to launch on Wednesday from the Naro space complex, however, the countdown was halted just eight minutes before lift-off.

The Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), which has been developed with the help of Russia, is seeking to place in orbit a 200 lb satellite.

South Korea has already launched 10 indigenously produced satellites on other countries rockets. In April last year, Seoul sent its first astronaut into space aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket.

**********************

Bombings shocked Baghdad killing 75 people and wounding 310 others, making Wednesday one of the deadliest days since the U.S. handed over security of the country to Iraqis.

In total there were six explosions within an hour.

Iraqi Security Forces arrested two people in western Baghdad believed to be connected to the bombings, an official with the Iraqi army told CNN.

The two suspects were driving in a car rigged with explosives before they were arrested, the official said. The two suspects were believed to be al Qaeda in Iraq.

**********************

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

Duration : 0:5:33

[youtube ZnTAF-24rPE]

The campaign is comprised of three 60 second radio ads that will run from Thursday, August 14 to Wednesday, September 3 on the Radio PA Network of AM and FM radio stations.

The ads feature the stories of three low-income Pennsylvanians who reached self-sufficiency with help from Pennsylvania’s Community Action agencies. Each ad encourages listeners to visit the findcommunityaction.org website, where community leaders can learn more about community action and reach out to partner with local Community Action agencies to help strength economic growth and guide residents out of poverty.

The campaign also includes two weeks of National Public Radio programming sponsorship on 6 stations in Pennsylvanian.

NPR Sponsorship Stations and Script

WQLN-FM, 91.3: Erie
WDUQ-FM 90.5: Pittsburgh
WPSU-FM 91.5: State College
WITF-FM 89.5: Harrisburg
WVIA 89.9: Northeast PA
WDIY 88.1, Lehigh Valley

NPR Sponsorship Script: Programming is supported by the Community Action ociation of Pennsylvania, dedicated to providing people with the means to support their families, invest in their futures and give back to the community. Information online at find community action (dot) org.

The CAAP Communications Committee worked closely with state ociation staff to craft this statewide awareness and partnership campaign.

Duration : 0:3:7

[youtube M_Mrbe9CJkI]

When the service was announced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, Verizon said it would be available during the first quarter, which ends March 31.

V Cast TV offers viewers full-length and live programming from a number of networks, including NBC, CBS, Fox and MTV. V Cast TV is the first mobile television service to use MedioFlo, a dedicated video broadcast network built and owned by Qualcomm. Qualcomm announced that Verizon would be using the network in 2005.

Duration : 0:1:36

[youtube Q9IDaTu-hXE]

Sydney, Australia Thursday, 1 March 2007

Silverchair are launching their new album ‘Young Modern’ at an exclusive event in Sydney on March 30 which is brought to you by Motorola, in partnership with 3 mobile and Nova.

Silverchair will perform songs from their new album at the Sydney event and tickets can be won from March 1st via www.chairpage.com and through promotions with Motorola via www.artistofthemonth.com.au, 3 stores nationally and on Nova. 
’Young Modern’ is in-store March 31, following the release of the ‘Straight Lines’ single on March 10, with the digital download and the real tone out now. We are really excited that the album is finally coming out this month, said the bands bass player, Chris Joannou. Well be playing some of the new songs for the first time at the launch gig so it should be fun.
 
Straight Lines was recently premiered on nearly every Australian radio network before being the #1 most added song at Australian radio the following week. The epic rock track was the first brand new Silverchair song to hit the airwaves in almost five years and was one of the standouts from the groups recent acclaimed performances at the sold out Homebake and Pyramid festivals.

Duration : 0:2:21

[youtube zlP68BDE2u0]