Liu and Yassky Headed for Runoff for New York City Comptroller Posted 09-16-2009
After a tight, expensive race for city comptroller between candidates with little name recognition, City Councilmen John C. Liu of Queens and David Yassky of Brooklyn appeared to be headed for a runoff election on Tuesday night.
"Mona Lisa" comes to life in high-tech art exhibit Posted 08-28-2009
BEIJING (Reuters Life!) - For centuries, Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" and her enigmatic smile have inspired as much speculation as admiration. Now she's ready to answer questions -- in Mandarin.
Where Life Revolves Around Your Cellphone, the Factory Floor, and Forged Diplomas: A Q&A With the Au Posted 12-24-2008
Chinese cities today have more than 130 million migrant workers, most of whom have relocated from more rural parts of China, writes Leslie Chang in her recent book Factory Girls: “Together they represent the largest migration in human history - three times the number of people who emigrated to America from Europe over a century.”
Time to Reboot America Posted 12-24-2008
Landing at Kennedy Airport from Hong Kong was, as I’ve argued before, like going from the Jetsons to the Flintstones. The ugly, low-ceilinged arrival hall was cramped, and using a luggage cart cost $3.
The Big Question: Why is the panda so revered, and is it China's most powerful secret weapon? Posted 12-23-2008
China has wheeled out its black and white furry secret weapon, the Giant Panda, in an attempt to cement relations with Taiwan, the island which Beijing considers an inalienable part of its territory.
China’s Goodwill Giant Pandas Arrive in Taiwan Posted 12-23-2008
A pair of giant pandas from China's fog-shrouded mountains reached an excited but wary Taiwan on Tuesday, a symbol of improved relations between the longtime political rivals who once stood at the brink of war.
'Strong-Willed Pig' named China's animal of the year Posted 12-22-2008
A pig that became a nationwide celebrity after surviving for 36 days buried beneath rubble after this year's Sichuan earthquake has been named China's most inspirational animal of 2008.
36 Hours in Ho Chi Minh City Posted 12-22-2008
HO CHI MINH CITY, or Saigon, as most locals still call it, is a relative newcomer. With only three centuries of history, compared with Hanoi’s thousand years, the city has a youthful spirit and is quick to embrace change.
Saudi court tells girl aged EIGHT she cannot divorce husband who is 50 years her senior Posted 12-22-2008
A Saudi court has rejected a plea to divorce an eight-year-old girl married off by her father to a man who is 58, saying the case should wait until the girl reaches puberty.
Rescuing Cultures of India, From A to Z Posted 12-22-2008
In an academy deep in the agrarian countryside of western India, five students were writing briskly in ruled notebooks. When they are finished, the world will have five more documented languages.
From a Hinterland, Hmong Forge a Home Posted 12-22-2008
“Sometimes I imagine that I am seeing the mountains of Laos in those green hills,” said Mr. Ly, 50, a farmer and baker who was born into the Hmong, the mountain tribe that waged a C.I.A.-backed guerrilla war against the Communist Pathet Lao in Laos in the 1960s and 1970s.
In Booming Gulf, Some Arab Women Find Freedom in the Skies Posted 12-22-2008
It was graduation day at Etihad Training Academy, where the national airline of the United Arab Emirates holds a seven-week training course for new flight attendants.
Toyota Expects Its First Loss in 70 Years Posted 12-22-2008
Toyota Motor, the Japanese auto giant, said Monday that it expected its first operating loss in 70 years, underscoring how the economic crisis was spreading across the global auto industry.
China to the Rescue? Not! Posted 12-22-2008
I had no idea that many of those oil paintings that hang in hotel rooms and starter homes across America are actually produced by just one Chinese village, Dafen, north of Hong Kong. And I had no idea that Dafen’s artist colony had been devastated by the bursting of the U.S. housing bubble.
Hell No, Kitty! Posted 12-21-2008
Taiwan is home to an unusual maternity hospital; one entirely decked out in Hello Kitty accoutrements.
Chinese Protesters: Stop Nabbing, Eating Our Cats Posted 12-19-2008
Several dozen protesters in Beijing today urged an end to the "shameful" and "cruel slaughter" of cats for food as they unfurled banners in a tearful demonstration.
Pakistan May Not Be Ready for Its Beauty Queen Posted 12-19-2008
Every once in a while, you can catch Miss Pakistan, Natasha Paracha, 24, hopping out of a cab in her rhinestone tiara, fresh from an appearance.
Kraft's Chinese Oreo Cookie Makeover Posted 12-17-2008
Video report
Man dies after retirement party hijinks Posted 12-16-2008
A 60-year-old man who was thrown into the air in celebration at his retirement party died after his colleagues failed to catch him and he fell to the floor, a Japanese newspaper reported on Tuesday.
Eliot Spitzer shows his face in Chinatown Posted 12-16-2008
If Eliot Spitzer had had to choose a venue at which to make his re-entry into society, he would presumably not have selected a former massage parlour in Chinatown on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
What Saudi women can and cannot do Posted 12-16-2008
I was recently asked if I could make a list of what Saudi women can and cannot do due to the culture, social, law and religious traditions of the Kingdom.
Captive doctor to return to UK Posted 12-14-2008
An NHS doctor who was freed following claims that she was being held captive in Bangladesh by her parents is due to fly into the UK later.
Vietnam prostitutes kept in dog cages Posted 12-10-2008
Some 130 women were held prisoner, some in dog cages, at a Ho Chi Minh City brothel, forced to work as prostitutes 18 hours per day, local media reports say.
Inventor builds She-3PO robot Posted 12-10-2008
SHE is the perfect wife, with the body of a Page 3 pin-up and housekeeping skills that put TV’s Kim and Aggie to shame. Her name is Aiko, she can even read a map, and will never, ever, nag.
Math Gains Reported for U.S. Students Posted 12-09-2008
American fourth- and eighth-grade students made solid achievement gains in math in recent years and in two states showed spectacular progress, an international survey of student achievement released on Tuesday found. Science performance was flat.
Home Business & Finance News U.S. Politics International Technology Entertainment Sports Lifestyle O Posted 12-09-2008
A young woman in southern China has partially lost her hearing after her boyfriend ruptured her eardrum during an excessively passionate kiss, local media reported Monday.
Wie finally proves she belongs on LPGA Tour Posted 12-09-2008
Having played 90 holes over five days in pursuit of LPGA Tour membership, the final act for Michelle Wie was to sign her scorecard. Walking to the tent, one fan held up a sign that played off the marathon political season. "Yes Wie Can."
Brits Try To Free Doctor Held Captive In Bangladesh Posted 12-09-2008
A British lawyer is trying to help a U.K. resident allegedly being held by relatives in Bangladesh by using a new law that allows British courts to prevent someone from being forced into marriage.
The Indian mother who had an IVF baby at the age of 70 Posted 12-08-2008
This is the Indian woman who has become the second in the country to give birth to a child by IVF at the age of 70. Mrs Rajo Devi, old enough to be a great-grandmother, brought her daughter into the world after IVF treatment at an Indian medical centre. Both are said to be doing well.
Hello baby! Hello Kitty welcomes Taiwan newborns Posted 12-05-2008
Mommy, daddy -- and Hello Kitty -- welcome newborns at a cat-themed Taiwan maternity hospital that hopes the Japanese cartoon icon will ease the stress of childbirth as well as boost business.
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Current Headlines from Asia Times
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China has a Congo copper headache
China's US$9 billion barter deal to develop infrastructure in return for concessions on copper and cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo was seen as a win- win for Chinese companies and the African nation. But the project has fallen foul to the impoverished but resource-rich nation's Western creditors, setting China on a roller-coaster ride that could yet derail the "deal of the century". - Peter Lee (Mar 10, '10)
Beijing seeks a shift in geopolitics
Beijing is pushing hard to change the rules of the global geopolitical game, envisioning a more powerful role for China. Although its ongoing tussles with the United States over issues including Taiwan, Tibet and trade are nothing new, China wants Washington to know it wont be shy about playing hardball, given its much-enhanced global clout. - Willy Lam (Mar 10, '10)
Marjah fears return of warlords
Now that Afghan and Western troops have pushed the Taliban out of the Marjah area, locals fear the return of the warlords who once terrorized them. One notorious strongman is already preparing to resume control. If he and others like him do regain influence, it could lead to the return of the insurgents. - Mohammad Elyas Daee and Abubakar Siddique (Mar 10, '10)
Iran and Israel play cat and mouse
Iran has long threatened Israel with destruction, while Tel Aviv has not dismissed launching a pre-emptive strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities. The war-like rhetoric hints at the antagonism one day spiraling into a real conflict, but for now it seems more like brinkmanship designed to gain the upper hand on the diplomatic battlefield. - Mel Frykberg (Mar 10, '10)
SINOGRAPH : Different takes on coping with change
Chinese filmgoers flocking to the futuristic American blockbuster Avatar are leaving their government-sponsored historical epic Confucius in its wake. The two movies are reflections of how different cultures respond to times of great transformation. - Francesco Sisci (Mar 10, '10)
A good bet on cash, tourists and crime
It's been a month since Singapore's massive Resort World Sentosa opened its gates, with the city-state's first casino complex attracting thousands of tourists. Although locals are required to pay a hefty US$71 gambling levy per entry, a host of social impacts are becoming apparent, including criminal activity and cheating. - Stanislaus Jude Chan (Mar 10, '10)
SPEAKING FREELY : Imam's ghost stalks Arab summit
This month's Arab League summit hosted by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli has hit a snag. Lebanon is threatening a boycott over the mysterious disappearance of a renowned Lebanese political and religious figure 32 years ago. The inscrutable Gaddafi may have skeletons in his cupboard on this controversy. - Rannie Amiri (Mar 10, '10)
Pakistan risks IMF's $1.2bn
Disagreement between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over who should be Pakistan's finance minister, more than two weeks after Shaukat Tarin resigned from the post, may force the International Monetary Fund to hold back US$1.2 billion the government desperately needs to plug widening deficits. - Syed Fazl-e-Haider
End in sight for Bank Century circus
The US$720 million bailout of Indonesia's Bank Century has enabled the worst elements of business and politics to go after key government figures. With the Corruption Eradication Commission now taking up the investigation into the bank rescue, the circus surrounding the case may end. - Gary LaMoshi
China assesses its gold strategy
A key issue addressed by Chinese leaders at the National People's Congress this week is whether to let the country's currency rise to help restructure the domestic economy and rebalance the global economy. An important factor will be the role gold will play within the basket of China's reserves. - Russell Hsiao
No exit
Countries that make up the Group of 20 insist that there can be no exit from crisis-fighting policies until economic recovery has been fully established. But as these policies may have helped cause the problem, is escape from crisis possible with them still in place? - Hossein Askari and Noureddine Krichene
THE MOGAMBO GURU : Inflation insurance
Savers in the United States worried that the outfit supposed to insure their bank deposits is now US$21 billion in the red, and terrified as the number of "problem banks" heads towards 1,000, should be utterly panicking at the prospect of the inflation that will "save" those deposits. Panicking - and buying gold now.
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