Mar. 8 – The Dalai Lama is now 75 and his health is deteriorating. Padma Choling, the Governor of Tibet, has stated that there is no need for Beijing to refer to the Dalai Lama in the situation of his death and subsequent reincarnation, and has insisted the final decision lies with Beijing.

The Chairman of the Tibet People’s Congress, Qiangba Puncog, has stated that the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must follow protocols laid down in the ‘traditional’ requirements of reincarnation, specified as being religious rituals, lot drawing from the golden urn in the face of the Buddha Sakyaumi, historical conventions passed down since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and approval from the Central Government. » Read rest of the article

Mar. 8 – Heavy snow has been falling in Beijing this morning as temperatures dip below -7 degrees centigrade, while a highly unusual and very late burst of winter chill envelopes the rest of North China.

Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, is recording temperatures as low as -32. The norm for mid-March is about +10.

Temperatures in Beijing this winter have consistently been below zero now for four and a half months from early November 2009, one of the longest winters on record. » Read rest of the article

Mar. 7 – A shocking report here from the Guardian, which quotes a forestry official denying the official figure of 1,411 wild tigers left in India and that the species may disappear in the wild in India within the next five years.

Be warned, the report contains graphic descriptions of poaching. Access the link here.

Mar. 2 – Hong Kong’s iconic trams, which have been running since 1904 and connect along the entire length of Hong Kong Island’s north coast, are to be fully bought out by French company Veolia Transport China. Wharf Transport Investments will sell its remaining 50 per cent stake to Veolia who has promised to preserve the heritage value of the trams.

Hong Kong trams are known for being the city’s cheapest form of transportation at a flat rate of HK$2 per ride. Some passengers fear price hikes loom in the near future as Veolia plans to re-vamp the trams. » Read rest of the article

Mar. 1 – Today and yesterday mark the first major Hindu ceremony of the year in India, Nepal, and Pakistan as people celebrate the Holi Festival, otherwise known as the Festival of Colors.

Holi is an ancient Indian festival originally known as “Holika,” and is featured with detailed descriptions in early religious works such as Jaimini’s Purva Mimamsa-Sutras and Kathaka Grhya-Sutras.

It is believed that Holi existed several centuries before the birth of Christ, however, the meaning of the festival has changed over the years. » Read rest of the article

Feb. 24 – The Maestro Sachin Tendulkar made history today, scoring the first double century ever in ODI play as India powered to 401 for 3 against South Africa in Gwalior.

The 36-year-old knocked 25 fours and three sixes to reach an inspiring 200 from just 147 deliveries, passing the previous highest score set by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar in 1997 and Zimbabwe’s Charles Coventry last year.

Kanishkaa Balachandran, writing for Cricinfo, remarked that Tendulkar’s innings featured strokes of the highest quality. “Tendulkar was in his element, flicking off his pads and driving neatly through the off side using the pace of the ball…There was just no letting up. The short boundaries and the flat pitch were too inviting for Tendulkar.” » Read rest of the article

Feb. 18 – Google’s amazing new video map allows users to browse the entire Trans-Siberian Railway. One can loiter on the platform at Yaroslavsky station before accelerating into Moscow’s suburbs, gliding across the Volga, racing through the Lower Urals, and speeding across the Barguzin Mountains before pulling up in Vladivostok a few minutes later.

The humble steed is the amazing new map-cum-video guide unveiled by Google Russia and Russian Railways. The project sews together a series of videos shot from the window of a Trans-Siberian carriage as it spans the 5,752-mile length of the world’s most famous long-distance railway. Various images and bite-sized history lessons pop up along the way, and, from time to time, the window seat footage is complemented by city video tours courtesy of the perky Yelena Abitayeva. Even the soundtrack is considered – with optional Russian radio, balalaika music, Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace read in Russian, or simply the rumbling of the train wheels. » Read rest of the article

Feb. 11 – The top apartment of a residential tower block in Mumbai will astonishingly be located at the 125^th floor of a 486 meter building if the State High-Rise Committee approves plans submitted last week by the developers.

The project will be to be located on Keshavrao Khade Marg near the Mahalaxmi Race Course and will be built by Joyus Housing Ltd, a consortium comprising three developers: Shapoorji Pallonji, Ackruti and DLF Group. » Read rest of the article

Jan. 21 – China is slowly easing communication restrictions in its once restive Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.

Yesterday the ban on international calls in the region was lifted after text messaging services were also restored a few days prior. Internet access is also partly back although only the edited versions of the Chinese web sites Xinhua, People’s Daily, Sohu and Sina can be accessed and foreign web sites are still blocked. According to the Xinjiang-based blog Far West China, only 20 text messages can be sent a day. » Read rest of the article

Jan. 20 – Mobile companies in major Chinese cities Beijing and Shanghai will soon begin scanning text messages for “illegal or unhealthy” content.

Text messages will be checked for illegal key words based on a list provided by authorities as part of an a extensive government campaign to tighten control on the internet and other forms of communication. » Read rest of the article