Around Asia: Heart transplants, the Pakistani election and .asia domain names

• .asia domain names approved [BetaNews]
  But don't start rushing for the domain names yet as registration will not begin for another six to nine months. As usual, trademark holders will first be awarded rights to domain names.


• India's success to help halve world poverty [Hindustan Times]
  Spectacular poverty-cutting gains made by India will help the United Nations meet its goal of halving world poverty by 2015, said Kishore Mabhubhani, a renowned Singaporean public policy specialist to the World Trade Organization (WTO).


• Singapore arrests opposition members in Myanmar protest [Reuters]
  A Singapore opposition party leader and several of his supporters were arrested on Monday as they gathered outside the presidential palace to protest the city-state's trade ties with Myanmar's ruling junta.


• Pakistan: Insurgents step up fight after Musharraf's hollow poll win [Guardian Unlimited]
  Gun battles raged in Pakistan's tribal belt yesterday as the political system was thrust into limbo after President Pervez Musharraf's controversial election victory on Saturday.


• Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia heart transplant breaks taboo [AFP]
  The saga of a Malaysian Chinese girl who underwent two heart transplants including one from a Muslim boy, has broken a taboo on organ donation and triggered a surge in pledges, reports said Monday.


• North Korean-China trade hotter than kimchi [Asia Times]
  As ice is melting between North Korea and the United States, more and more Chinese businessmen have been rushing to the border with the secretive communist country, looking to cash in on its trade and investment potential.

Photo from Pak Journey: General Pervez Musharraf has won a controversial landslide victory in Pakistan's latest elections but it remains to be seen what will come out of his power-sharing deal with the party headed by Benazir Bhutto.