Queens Sikhs March Against Bias Crimes Posted 06-30-2008
Protesting two recent attacks against Sikh public school students, hundreds of Sikhs, in an action organized by the Sikh Coalition and the victims’ parents, marched through Richmond Hill, the heart of the Sikh community in New York.
Discontented Indians protest across the country Posted 06-30-2008
NEW DELHI: Discontent is sweeping through India in the form of widespread protests over land use, food, fuel and jobs. Indian citizens have long embraced their constitutional right to assemble, and they have done so with fervor this month in large protests over a variety of issues throughout the country.
Bangladesh: The New Frontier for Banks Posted 06-30-2008
Bangladesh remains one of the few remaining outposts in investment banking in Asia. But banks are steadily investing in the country and last year Citi established an investment banking presence in Bangladesh. The bank's chief country officer for the country, Mamun Rashid, explains what opportunities lay ahead for Citi in Bangladesh.
In the spirit of Ghibli Posted 06-30-2008
STUDIO Ghibli (pronounced jee-blee) can trace its beginnings to Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, which was originally a manga by Hayao Miyazaki that was serialised in the Japanese anime and manga magazine Animage from 1982 to 1994. After Nausicaa was turned into an anime by the studio Topcraft in 1984, it became a success and spurred the creation of Studio Ghibli.
Move over, sushi! Ramen finding new fans in US Posted 06-30-2008
NEW YORK - Nearly four decades after the first instant ramen noodle factory opened in the U.S., Japan's beloved comfort food finally is making inroads — even achieving cult status — in a nation where burgers and pizza still rule.
Eye-Witness: Flushing Mobs Well Organized Posted 06-30-2008
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Mobs are orchestrated by the Chinese communist regime in Flushing, New York, according to an eye witness and panel of experts at a forum in Washington, D.C. on June 26.
New Asian American Cartoon Premieres on Nicktoons Tonight Posted 06-30-2008
Described by the New York Times review as "somewhere between 'Flower Drum Song' and 'Scooby-Doo,'" "Three Delivery" promises to deliver. Apparently, the storylines and characters are set in Chinatown, San Francisco, featuring two boys and one girl who were orphaned and now work at a Chinese delivery (bear with me), but their Asian background almost seems incidental.
Officials consider English-only graduation speeches Posted 06-30-2008
HOUMA -- Cindy Vo faced the audience at Ellender High School’s graduation last month wearing a valedictorian’s vestments.The American-born daughter of Vietnamese immigrants recited a sentence in Vietnamese, dedicated to her parents as they looked on. That part of her speech has resulted in unintended consequences that may affect how local public-school graduations ceremonies function in the future.
Girl's death sparks rioting in Chinese county Posted 06-30-2008
BEIJING (Reuters) - Thousands of rioters torched police and government office buildings in southwest China on Saturday, in unrest triggered by allegations of a cover-up over a girl's death, residents and state media reported on Sunday.
To Save Olympic Sailing Races, China Fights Algae Posted 06-30-2008
BEIJING — With less than six weeks before it plays host to the Olympic sailing regatta, the city of Qingdao, China, has mobilized thousands of people and an armada of small boats to clean up an algal bloom choking the coastline and threatening to impede the competition.
Bring on the humiliation and embarrassment; crazy Japanese game shows coming to America Posted 06-29-2008
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A grown man wearing a diaper is spun around until he can barely stand, then is made to try an obstacle course carrying pitchers of milk without spilling any. Another man, dressed like an insect, flings himself onto a giant-sized "windshield" with a giant-sized "splat." Is American television going crazy? No - American television is going Japanese.
Plane soars past destination as pilots doze: report Posted 06-28-2008
NEW DELHI (AFP) — An Air India flight headed for Mumbai overshot its destination and was halfway to Goa before its dozing pilots were woken out of a deep slumber by air traffic control, a report said. The high altitude nap took place approximately two weeks ago, the Times of India reported Thursday. The report, however, drew a furious denial from Air India.
Japanese kids get first-hand look at whale slaughter Posted 06-26-2008
WADAMACHI, Japan (AFP) — As pro-whaling and pro-conservation countries square off on the other side of the globe, curious Japanese schoolgirl Yuna Suzuki, 10, got a vivid first-hand look at the issue. Yuna and a few dozen classmates from local elementary schools visited the whale slaughterhouse in Wadamachi, one of Japan's four coastal towns allowed to catch a small number of the ocean giants.
Nintendo DS teaches English to Japanese kids Posted 06-26-2008
The Nintendo DS isn't just fun and games anymore for English-language students at Tokyo's Joshi Gakuen all-girls junior high school. The portable video game console is now being used as a key teaching tool, breaking with traditional Japanese academic methods.
China builds world's 7th fastest supercomputer Posted 06-26-2008
Although missing the world's most extensive rankings for the best supercomputers, a Chinese-made high performance server rivals the 7th fastest for computing speed.
Beijing rents ride Olympic wave Posted 06-26-2008
Li Xiao, a 29-year-old company executive, is apartment hunting. "My monthly rent will rise eight-fold by August, from the current 3,200 yuan ($465.93) to 25,600 yuan, far beyond my budget," Li complained, adding some of his colleagues living around the major stadiums that will host the Olympic Games are also facing similar problems.
McDonald's raises prices in China Posted 06-26-2008
There's no escaping rising inflation - signs of it are everywhere. The latest sign could be in your meal at a fast-food outlet. McDonald's, the world's largest fast food chain, yesterday raised its prices in China, for the second time this year, following measures to increase prices in January.
Mainland tourists a big boon for Taiwan Posted 06-26-2008
The imminent arrival of the first wave of tourists from the Chinese mainland has positive implications for Taiwan's tourism industry and for its economy. Analysts expect that 3,000 Chinese visitors a day would generate $2 billion in revenues, boost the island's overall hotel occupancy rate by 22 percent and its hotel room rates by 15 percent, and add 0.5 percent to GDP growth.
White tiger cubs become zoo stars Posted 06-26-2008
Jun. 25 - A rare set of white tiger triplets have become the star attractions at a zoo in Higashikagawa, western Japan. Born at the Shirotori Zoo only one month ago, the yet-to-be-named trio have become an instant hit with visitors to the zoo who can have their photo taken with the cubs.
NCW slams soaps for showing women in poor light Posted 06-26-2008
NEW DELHI: Blaming 'saas-bahu' serials for their skewed portrayal of women and ignorance of the legal system, the National Commission for Women has demanded a regulatory system to check content on television and the internet.
The bank that allows sex workers in India to say 'no' Posted 06-26-2008
For prostitutes in Asia's largest red-light district, life is bleak and dangerous. Poverty, exploitation by pimps and the threat of contracting diseases from men who refuse to use condoms are daily challenges. But a breakthrough has been made for women in Mumbai's Kamathipura area.
Aussie values 'feeding body image illnesses' Posted 06-26-2008
YOUNG Australians are seven times more likely to suffer extreme and obsessive body image problems than young people in Asian countries, research shows.
Can the luxury business survive a change in Japanese tastes? Posted 06-26-2008
Japanese consumers, who have kept the global luxury-brand business going for the past 20-odd years, have begun to realize that there might be more to life than Vuitton bags. So the luxury guys are all banking on Chinese consumers becoming just as big suckers for overpriced European brand names as their not-so-friends across the East China Sea.
China Orders Up Menus for Tourists Posted 06-26-2008
IN preparation for the Olympic Games later this summer in Beijing, the Chinese government has released an official list of suggested English translations for Chinese dishes, a road map through idiosyncratic nomenclature that officials fear will spook or confuse thousands of tourists.
Japanese athletes begin chopstick-less 'food camp' Posted 06-26-2008
TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters) - Japanese athletes have begun a spartan, chopstick-free Chinese food training programme to help them acclimatise for this year's Beijing Olympics. Japan's National Training Centre will offer basic Chinese dishes such as noodles, cold spring rolls and fried catfish once a week in a dry run for the Aug. 8-24 Games.
Remembering the Historic Importance of the Vincent Chin Case Posted 06-26-2008
I never met Vincent Chin before he died on June 23, 1982. But his death was felt by so many of us in the Detroit Asian Pacific American community nonetheless. We felt the outrage when we as concerned citizens met at the Chinatown On Leong Hall to voice our objection to the probation and $3,000 fine sentence given to Vincent’s killers and ultimately form American Citizens for Justice (ACJ) as a coalition group for justice for Vincent.
Disparities found in child welfare Posted 06-26-2008
Whether children of color are overrepresented in the child-welfare system is a topic that's long been discussed in certain circles. An extensive report released Wednesday answers the question of racial disproportionality definitively.
Divers struggle with bodies in Philippine ferry Posted 06-26-2008
SAN FERNANDO, Philippines (AP) — Divers having difficulty removing bodies from a capsized ferry were forced to use heavy weights to help pull the dead out of the upside-down vessel, Philippine officials said Thursday.
Being Chinese American and embracing the ‘Twinkie’ Posted 06-26-2008
When most people hear the word “Twinkie,” they think of the cream-filled spongy yellow cake. But, for many Asian Americans, a different image is conjured. The word is used disparagingly to describe an Asian American who has integrated so much into American society that his or her traditional Asian values are hardly apparent. Like the Twinkie, the person is yellow on the outside and white on the inside.
Bush Rebuffs Hard-Liners to Ease North Korean Curbs Posted 06-26-2008
WASHINGTON — Two days ago, during an off-the-record session with a group of foreign policy experts, Vice President Dick Cheney got a question he did not want to answer. “Mr. Vice President,” asked one of them, “I understand that on Wednesday or Thursday, we are going to de-list North Korea from the terrorism blacklist. Could you please set the context for this decision?”
|
 |
Current Headlines from Asia Times
|
 |
 |
CHINA'S MASSIVE WRENCH, Part 1 : Change in the face of foreign devils
In the 150 years since China faced the "foreign devils from the ocean" during the Opium Wars, its complex cultural values have been under constant attack, never more so than in the past three decades. And it is yielding. Millions of little "emperors" have changed the fabric of society, and Communist Party leaders, embracing the notions of change and development, accept the role that sport and, crucially, religion can play in molding a new nation. - Francesco Sisci (Jul 2, '08) This is the first article in a two-part article.
Turkey rocked by arrests
A wave of arrests of prominent persons, including two retired generals, allegedly linked to a nationalist conspiracy to unseat the government has jolted Turkey, just as a constitutional court is to decide on the political fate of the ruling party. - David Barchard (Jul 2, '08)
Seoul's summer of discontent
Labor leaders and protest organizers have vowed to continue their months-long fight over the import of US beef into South Korea, even as President Lee Myung-bak pleads with the nation to work together to overcome the crisis. - Donald Kirk (Jul 2, '08)
Iran willing to talk
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki is in New York to bolster Iran's embattled diplomacy. Mottaki has sounded off on issues ranging from the "Iran Six" and Israel to Tehran's involvement in Iraq. Ultimately, he hinted at his own flexibility by stating "the first word a diplomat learns is compromise". - Kaveh L Afrasiabi (Jul 2, '08)
Japan enters a new space age
Under a new law, Japan can now manufacture and operate its own satellites to support its terrestrial military operations, including ballistic missile defense. While a giant step forward for Japan, the development does not guarantee closer cooperation between Tokyo and Washington in their civil and defense space activities. (Jul 2, '08)
Pyongyang tests market skills with nibbles
North Korean-made chocolate, potato chips and noodles are appearing on the shelves of the country's top hotel, marking the government's determination to build an independent economy. Requests that partners sign blank-sheet contracts indicate there is a way to go before the goal is achieved. - Ting-I Tsai (Jul 2, '08)
A day in the bosom of the Dear Leader
Get past the X-ray machines, the quizzical customs officials and the rules about what to never say about the "Dear Leader", and you'll soon have crossed the Demilitarized Zone into North Korea. Seoul-native Sunny Lee made the trek, took a peek, and learned a little something about the hopes and humor of his North Korean neighbors. (Jul 2, '08)
Midwest tests Sinosteel's edge
The recent 85% increase in iron ore prices agreed between China's steelmakers and miner Rio Tinto adds edge to Sinosteel's bid for Australian ore producer Midwest. Rival miner Murchison is hanging in with its own offer while hedge-fund king Philip Falcone is also a player in a high-stakes game whose outcome may yet be decided by bureaucrats. - Alan Boyd
SPEAKING FREELY : They dare not speak its name
Gold-standard theorists are now dismissed by mainstream economists, while a mendacious facade that modern writings provide a balanced view of the topic masks avoidance of key aspects, much as the devil avoids holy water. Yet a more thorough-going debate is essential as the world enters its latest financial crisis. - A E Fekete
End of the petroleum age
The numerous proposals put forward at last week's global oil summit in Saudi Arabia to claw back high oil prices required turning a blind eye to one fundamental point - the world is running out of oil. - Michael Klare
THE MOGAMBO GURU : More bats and a bigger budget
US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's claim that "our nation has come to expect the Federal Reserve to step in to avert events that pose unacceptable systemic risk" is entirely, entirely wrong. It is supposed to protect the dollar - and has failed. So why give it more power? Do you smell corruption?
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
