The Malaysian Insider

TOKYO, Nov 22 — A foreign dignitary bowing to Emperor Akihito?

The Japanese at first paid no particular attention when United States President Barack Obama deftly executed an awe-inspiring 90-degree bow and simultaneous handshake upon being greeted by the monarch at the Imperial Palace here last weekend.

After all, this is a society where bowing is a way of life and an indispensable social skill.

So the Japanese were taken aback when pictures of Obama’s gesture drew vitriolic remarks from conservative American commentators and on US radio talk shows and blogs.

LAHORE, Nov 22 — Pakistan will face a “demographic disaster” if it does not address the needs of its young generation, the largest in the country’s history, whose views reflect a deep disillusionment with government and democracy, according to a report released here yesterday.

The report, commissioned by the British Council and conducted by the Nielsen research company, drew a picture of a deeply frustrated young generation that feels abandoned by its government and despondent about its future.

An overwhelming majority of young Pakistanis say their country is headed in the wrong direction, the report said, and only 1 in 10 has confidence in the government. Most see themselves as Muslim first and Pakistani second, and they are now entering a work force in which the lion’s share cannot find jobs, a potentially volatile situation if the government cannot address its concerns.

HONG KONG, Nov 22 — It is of no surprise that people first noticed Chrissie Chau only when she stripped and walked through throngs of young office workers downtown, wearing only a bikini.

Chrissie did it for a slimming salon’s television commercial, which catapulted her to the top of a growing pack of teen models - or lang mo, as they are commonly known.

These pretty young women have captured the public’s imagination with their seductive and, at times, revealing poses. At the same time, they have triggered a debate about the effects of model worship on the young in Hong Kong.

GENEVA, Nov 21 – After a year’s delay, scientists at the world’s biggest accelerator have restarted an experiment to recreate “Big Bang” conditions that had sparked suggestions the earth would be sucked in by millions of black holes.

Scientists at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) have established circulating particle beams in both directions in the underground Large Hadron Collider, a step that is already beyond where the experiment stalled during a first attempt in September 2008, CERN spokesman James Gillies said.

The high-profile experiment, through which tiny particles are smashed in a bid to learn more about the birth of the universe, failed just nine days after it was launched due to a technical problem that took longer than expected to fix.

UPDATED

KABUL, Nov 21 – A rocket hit the outside wall of the Serena luxury hotel in the Afghan capital on Saturday wounding one Afghan soldier on the street outside, another soldier at the scene told Reuters.

A police source said two people were wounded. An employee of the hotel said there was no damage to the hotel.

No more details were immediately available.