(29/9) China has accused Taiwan Premier, Yu Shyi-kun, of clamouring for war after he made threats to fire missiles at Shanghai if the People's Liberation Army attacks the self-ruled island in the future. Tensions between China and Taiwan have been simmering since the re-election of the island's president, Chen Shui Bian. Beijing is convinced that President Chen will push for independence during his four-year term. RSI's Bharati Jagdish spoke to political analyst, Dr Philip Yang from the National Taiwan University about the situation. >>>

(27/9) Pakistani Security Forces say they have killed a major al-Qaeda millitant on Monday, September 27. Will his death mean the beginning of the end of the terrorist network in the country? RSI's Valarie Tan put the question to Dr. Rifaat Hussein, a defence analyst from Pakistan. >>>

(27/9) The United Malays National Organisation or UMNO party in Malaysia closed its 55th general assembly in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend. Some of the key issues discussed during the meeting involved money politics within UMNO, picking good leaders and the need for Malays to stay relevant in the global marketplace. For a reaction on these issues, Yvonne Gomez spoke to Dr Kamarulnizam Abdullah of the Strategic Studies and International Relations Department at University Kebangsaan Malaysia. >>>

(22/9) Against all odds, TODAY has survived to become a newspaper of choice. Clement Mensenas talks about Round 2 of the battle, the challenge for TODAY to further raise its editorial standards. >>>

(21/9) The 2004 UMNO General Assembly began on Tuesday, 21 September in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Reports indicate that this year’s assembly will see 2,500 delegates vote in three vice-presidents, 25 supreme council members and executive committee members for Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri Umno. This year, seven candidates are vying for the three vice-presidential positions, which are just under the posts of President and Deputy President. For more on why the vice-presidents' posts are so sought after, Yvonne Gomez spoke to Professor Zakaria Haji Ahmad from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. >>>

(20/9) Counting to determine who Indonesia's next president will be has begun. Over a hundred and fifty million eligible voters went to the polls across the the archipelago to cast their votes in the country's first ever direct presidential election. Preliminary results show Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono taking the lead. Yvonne Gomez spoke to RSI's Bharati Jagdish, who was at the polling centres in Jakarta. >>>

(17/9) The role of the military has always been a contentious issue in Indonesian elections. In this year’s presidential election, one of the candidates, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is a former general. So what kind of support will he get from the military and the police? Yvonne Gomez posed this question to Dr Leonard Sebastian from the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore. >>>

(15/9) Malaysia’s Federal Court has refused to review its decision to uphold the charges against Anwar and his 6-year jail sentence for corrupt practice. So what are the factors that led to the court’s decision? RSI's Valarie Tan put the question to Chua Tian Chang, Vice President of Parti Nasional Keadilan in Malaysia. >>>

(14/9) Malaysian PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has confirmed that former DPM Anwar Ibrahim will not be welcomed back into the ruling UMNO party. How and why did speculation arise in the first place, that a deal had been struck to release Anwar or to bring him back to UMNO? Yvonne Gomez speaks to Professor Khoo Kay Kim from Kuala Lumpur-based Universiti Malaya in Malaysia to find out. >>>

(9/9) A car bomb exploded outside the Australian embassy in central Jakarta this morning. The blast killed at least nine people and injured about 170 others. Personnel at the embassy were evacuated immediately. For a groundlevel idea of the situation, Valarie Tan spoke to RSI’s Eva Mazrieva who is in Jakarta. >>>

(9/9) China has reportedly played up recent scandals in Hong Kong involving pro-democracy candidates. This has invited criticism that by doing so, China could be trying to suppress the pro-democracy movement in the special administrative region. For more on the possibility of China’s influence in Hong Kong’s legislative elections, Yvonne Gomez spoke to Assistant Professor Rowena Kwok from Hong Kong University. >>>

(9/9) Singapore and Malaysia have new leaders at the helm. In August this year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took over the leadership reins in Singapore. This came about ten months after Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Malaysia’s new Prime Minister in October 2003. Observers note that recent months have seen a new warmth in the relationship between the two neighbours after strains over a number of bilateral issues in the past. So what exactly has changed? Yvonne Gomez put this question to Mr Ashok Mirpuri, Singapore’s High Commissioner to Malaysia. >>>

(8/9) Over 100 marriages involving families of key Jemaah Islamiyah or JI leaders have been uncovered by intelligence officers. Security officers said that arranged marriages amongst JI members had created one large extended terrorist family. Its suspected that some of the members’ spouses are involved in funding or propaganda within JI. Will this mean the terrorist network would be harder to dismantle? Valarie Tan speaks to Dr Andrew Tan from the Institute of Strategic Studies in Singapore. >>>

(8/9) Indonesian vice-presidential candidate, Jusuf Kalla, has been reportedly kicked out of the country's largest party, Golkar, for running alongside Golkar rival, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Why has the party acted against Jusuf Kalla only now since they had known about his candidacy for some months now? Bharati Jagdish put this to Indonesia analyst, Dr Arief Budiman from the University of Melbourne. >>>

(7/9) In a move that could see former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim back in Malaysia’s political scene soon, the country’s Federal Court agreed today to review a 2002 corruption conviction against him. Anwar was cleared of a sodomy conviction just last week, after spending nearly six years in prison. Mr Sankara Nair, Anwar Ibrahim’s Kuala Lumpur-based lawyer describes to Yvonne Gomez the process involved in the review. >>>

(7/9) Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, has said that he is confident that further dialogue with India would produce lasting peace between the nuclear rivals despite deep divisions over Kashmir. However, the nuclear-armed rivals stuck to their entrenched positions on the key issue of control over Jammu and Kashmir. Was any real progress made at these talks? Bharati Jagdish speaks to political analyst, Dr Suba Chandran from the Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies in New Delhi. >>>

(7/9) Muslim Americans appear to be leaning towards voting for Democratic contender John Kerry in the upcoming US Presidential elections. They feel the Bush administration has trampled on their civil liberties in the name of the war against terror. By that virtue, John Kerry has garnered their support purely because he is running against George W. Bush. Howie Lim speaks to Associate Professor David Tucker from the Political Science Faculty of the University of Melbourne and asked him if Muslim American votes would be significant in this year's US Presidential Elections. >>>

(6/9) Days after his sodomy conviction was overturned by the Malaysian Federal Courts, lawyers representing former Malaysian Prime Minister, Mr Anwar Ibrahim are appealing against his corruption conviction. But what was the precise nature of the charges that brought about Mr Anwar's corruption conviction? RSI's Melanie Yip speaks to Professor Shamsul Amri from University Kebangsaan Malaysia. >>>

(6/9) Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted failings on the part of Russian Security Services. This, following the school hostage crisis in the southern Russian town of Beslan. About 340 people died in the crisis. The President has vowed a major overhaul to bolster his shaken nation's security. But experts are skeptical that authorities can prevent more deadly terror acts by Chechen separatists. RSI's Howie Lim speaks to Aldo Borgiu from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and asked him why experts were skeptical President Putin will succeed. >>>

(6/9) ASEAN will begin formal negotiations for a tripartite ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand free trade agreement next year. This was a key issue discussed at a meeting of trade and economic ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Yvonne Gomez speaks to Dr Teofilo Daquila from the National University of Singapore about why Southeast Asian economic integration is important. >>>