China becoming even more male

Courtesy / Source: China Daily BEIJING – Census figures show an increasingly imbalanced sex ratio at birth on the Chinese mainland, Deputy Health Minister Liu Qian said at a news conference on Tuesday. However, Liu did not respond to a reporter’s question about whether or when China will relax its family […]

Report shows rise in restrictions on religion

Courtesy / Source: Dawn.com WASHINGTON: Nearly a third of the world’s population lives in countries where it is becoming more difficult to freely practice religion, a private US research group reported on Tuesday. The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life said government restrictions and public hostility involving […]

China and Spread of Islam in Indonesia

Immigrants of Chinese descendant played a major role in converting the people to Islam. VIVAnews – History has it that the early wave of Chinese Muslims migration into Indonesia was not intended to spread the teachings of Islam. Welfare was the main reason they came into the archipelago. The voyage […]

Tourists flock to Swiss B&Bs

The Local, Switzerland The number of overnight stays last year at Swiss B&Bs increased by 9.3 per cent compared to 2009, exceeding expectations, said the Bed and Breakfast Switzerland association. The increase is mainly due to Swiss guests, but also on the rise were visits from German tourists. “More and […]

India’s economy: Reflections of reality

Source: The Economist A RITUAL familiar to students of the subprime and euro crises has started taking place on Indian banks’ conference calls with analysts and investors. The number-crunchers probe the lenders about their exposures to potential bad debts. Bank bosses insist that, although there are niggles, all is under […]