Word: east
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...sometimes found in its rivers. Raked by clouds, it is also famously wet: some people joke that the name Geumpang is a contraction of gerimis panjang, the Indonesian for "constant drizzle." A no-go area during the conflict - GAM rebels passed through there on their way between Aceh's east and west coasts - it is now a peaceful place. Children walk to school past paddy fields of ripening rice, while glistening water buffalo wallow in pools...
...much of China's recent history, this difference was a liability. The country's vast, mostly agrarian West was isolated from the international economy and lagged badly behind the booming east coast in progress and prosperity. Nine years ago, Beijing sought to begin closing this development gap by investing heavily in highways, airports and other infrastructure across the western region. This has helped to kick-start growth. So has geography: Xi'an's lack of exposure to crashing global markets means it has barely been singed by the crisis. In fact, the city has benefited. It's received $230 million...
...jumped 19% compared to those in the same period a year earlier, well above the 14.8% posted in China's cities nationally. BofA Merrill Lynch estimates that retail sales in the western provinces rose 19.2% in the first half of 2009, 3 percentage points more than in the east. "Xi'an has reached a very important development stage," explains Chen, Xi'an's mayor. "Incomes are just at the first point when people can buy homes and cars...
...American town where Muslims could feel less threatened: Dearborn (pop. 100,000) has 10 mosques in the area, more than any other city of comparable size. Muslims have had a presence in the Detroit area since the 1920s, when Henry Ford brought over thousands of workers from the Middle East to operate his giant River Rouge plant. People of Middle Eastern origin make up a third of the population; public schools close for Muslim holidays. (See pictures of Muslims marking the end of Ramadan...
...intention to press the U.N. for recognition, citing frustration with stalled peace talks. But with the initiative likely to be rejected, the reality for Palestinians isn't improving. Two days later, Israel defied international demands for a freeze on settlement construction in disputed territory, approving 900 housing units in East Jerusalem...