Word: asia
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...became a buzzword, it took on a Portuguese accent. The reason was trade. By pioneering an eastbound passage around the Cape of Good Hope in the 15th century, Portugal dominated the spice routes and became a great mercantile power, establishing a presence in Africa, India, Sri Lanka and East Asia, where it had bases in Japan, China and Indonesia...
...lure away party stalwarts. Given the aura of their pedigreed leaders, the two parties still command a vast following among Bangladesh's population - a combined 80% by most estimates - and the length of the two begums' detention has drawn the ire of millions. As elsewhere in impoverished South Asia, populist dynasties hold strong. "Hasina had her shortcomings, but she is a legendary figure," says Abdur Razzaq, a prominent member of the Awami League. "Charisma is very important; it really means something...
...also engagingly honest. "In mid-March 2005, U.N. humanitarian chief Jan Egeland announced Congo had become 'the world's worst humanitarian crisis,' " he writes. "For the few Western journalists based in the capital, this was fantastic news, meaning we'd somehow edged out the tsunami in Asia and the genocide in Sudan in the race for absolute misery...
...invade Taiwan if it declares formal independence and has installed hundreds of missiles along its southern coast near Taiwan. The U.S. military, which could be drawn in to defend Taiwan in the event of a conflict, considers the Taiwan Strait to be one of the most dangerous flashpoints in Asia. Easing tensions will require more than a deal on tourism, Yang says, but he notes that Friday's agreement could help reduce provocative military maneuvers. "Both China and Taiwan conduct training exercises in the Taiwan Strait. To avoid miscalculation, to avoid accidents, those exercises have to be constrained," he says...
SCRAP METAL CSI The price of copper has quadrupled since 2003 owing to the construction boom in Asia. Here are a few items thieves are cashing in at scrap yards...