Word: asia
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...There's poop everywhere! Y-u-c-k," says 6-year-old Jordan Lien as he and his family dine at the Modern Toilet, a popular Taiwanese restaurant chain that's expanding into China and other parts of Asia. The boy was looking at the poop-shaped lights and dish covers and the curry on toilet-shaped plates...
...third and fourth quarters of 2008 - the steepest consecutive quarterly declines on record. As incomes shrink and America adopts a more frugal mind-set, some economists do not expect shoppers to return to free-spending ways for years - or perhaps generations. Economist Stephen Roach, chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, says that "there is good reason to believe the capitulation of the American consumer has only just begun." U.S. consumer spending as a percentage of GDP reached 72% in 2007, well above the pre-bubble norm of 67%. Using that as a gauge, Roach says that only 20% of the potential...
...Building a Better Tiger Asian leaders for years have recognized the need to reduce dependence upon exports to the developed world. But as long as the engine wasn't broke, they weren't inclined to make extraordinary efforts to fix it. Now, it appears Asia's primary growth driver is, at the very least, badly bent. Meaningful reforms that diversify the sources of economic growth may be needed if the region is to avert a prolonged period of moribund economic activity...
...Afghanistan, history literally crunches underfoot. The country's location at the crossroads of Asia's major trade routes drew merchants, artisans, nomads and conquerors. The ruins of Balkh, along with those of hundreds of other ancient cities and religious sites, speak of a rich heritage that spans centuries as well as cultures. Artifacts unearthed at these centers of commerce shed light not only on Afghan history, but that of Western civilization. Ai Khanoum, established by Alexander in 328 B.C., still bears remnants of columns that wouldn't look out of place in the Parthenon. Bamiyan was the seat...
...Kyrgyzstan BYE-BYE, BASE Kyrgyzstan's parliament voted to unilaterally terminate a U.S. lease on Manas Air Base (above), the only such facility left in central Asia, depriving Washington of a crucial staging point for troops, munitions and cargo destined for Afghanistan. Moscow, which has opposed America's presence in the region, pledged over $2 billion in loans to bolster Kyrgyzstan's faltering economy shortly before the decision was made, though both parties insist that the aid was not contingent on the base's closure. U.S. negotiators hope Manas will be reopened in the future, pending further financial discussions...