Chinese Books Cyberstore (CBC), which may have been the largest Chinese-language online bookstore, has declared it will go into voluntary liquidation. The site, which offered over 200,000 titles, video disks, Chinese comic books, and arts and crafts, failed to secure additional funding from shareholders, who are still reeling from the international tech-stock slump. – South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
Tag: 08.02.00
BOOK CHAIN SUES NEWSPAPER
Canadian bookstore giant Chapters sues National Post after stories alleging the chain was behind in payments to a large publisher. “CEO of Chapters says that the articles painted a distorted picture of his company.” – CBC
QUEEN OF THE EMPIRE
It’s been noted recently that the art of belly dancing is dying in Egypt, that the profession is being taken over by a torrent of foreign dancers. But watch out for Fifi Abdo, one of Egypt’s top three belly dancers and perhaps the most “violent.” Abdo, who commands a fierce band of bodyguards, recently stormed the office of the censor after one of her performances had been censored for being too provocative, and is on the warpath against the “Russians” – the foreign belly dancers that she says are “giving a bad name to our traditional profession.” – Ha’aretz (Israel)
IT’S MINE TO RESTAGE
Vancouver’s Ballet BC wants to stage a work by its former artistic director, but the choreographer has refused, saying the company must hire her to restage it. – CBC
DISAPPEARING TUMMIES
The art of belly dancing is dying in Egypt, where it was born “Fewer hotels, clubs and Nile River boats are offering the live performances, and more and more Egyptian women are shunning the dance because of Islamic disapproval. As a consequence, more of the dancers performing professionally in Cairo are outsiders – from Japan, South America and the countries of the former Soviet Union. They are from almost everywhere, in fact, except Egypt.” – Los Angeles Times