THE XE PIAN-XE Namnoy dam disaster in southern Laos last July was caused by improper construction, an independent investigation has concluded.

These days, young Koreans tend to blame their parents for their disadvantages. When they feel envious of their well-off peers, they blame their parents, muttering “Because of my incompetent parents, I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. And that made all the difference.”