Content about Religion

Zhao Wenhai spends most of his time sitting in bed, even during the middle of the night, because he is afraid lying down will kill him.

Zhao, 43, was diagnosed with third-stage black lung disease, the highest severity of the illness, in 2007 after he spent six years toiling at a small gold mine in Northwest China's Gansu province between 1998 and 2003.

Zhao became a taxi driver in his native Gulang county in Gansu after he left the mine in 2003. He developed a bad cough the same year.

He lost the ability to work in 2010.

Chinese pipa player, Wu Man, finds it difficult to say no to performances and projects, because she considers spreading her native land's music and culture as her life's mission.

"I do whatever I can to make the pipa visible on the global stage, be it giving a concert or participating in a collaboration," Wu says. "The work never stops, but it's something I feel I must do."

“I’ve always been asked how important literary prizes are, and I must shamelessly say they are bloody important,” said Tan Twan Eng, on stage at a black-tie prize dinner in Hong Kong, surprising his audience.

The Malaysian lawyer-turned-writer has won the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize, the region’s most prestigious literary award, for his second novel The Garden of Evening Mists, a story set in the aftermath of the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

Does Hong Kong have no other way of instituting political reform and achieving democracy than by resorting to the confrontational approach of "Occupy Central"?

"Occupy Central" would give a clear message to authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing of strong demand for an Anglo-Saxon style of popular election to be held in Hong Kong in 2017 and 2020, as promised by the central government.

But, there are some basic points we should consider first.

Malaysia has succeeded in developing a vibrant and modern Islamic banking and financial industry over the last three decades.

The Islamic Banking Act, which came into force in 1983, paved the way for the nation to develop a vibrant and modern Islamic banking and financial industry.

Initially, the industry served as an alternative channel for Muslims to perform banking and financial transactions in accordance with Islamic practices and avoid practices that have elements of oppression prohibited by Islam.

Tuesday will mark the 10th anniversary of the start of the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. A decade ago, along with many other people, I was against this. However, the strong worldwide opposition did not prevent a US-led war being waged in Iraq on the pretext of stopping Saddam Hussein from gaining weapons of mass destruction.

The war in Iraq from 2003 to 2011 was a tragedy, not just for Iraqis but also for Americans; and indeed for the rest of the world as well.

Editor's note: China Tibet Online, a multi-language media website dedicated to providing news stories on Tibetans living in China, has recently published a bylined opinion article on the "Self-immolation Guide" produced by the Dalai Lama clique. Following is the full text of the article published by Xinhua News Agency:

To fully appreciate Nine Songs, audiences need to know more than the Chinese language and culture. Raymond Zhou reviews.

Lin Hwai-min's Nine Songs is more than a recreation of ancient rituals or an amalgam of pagan extravaganzas. It is a perfect fusion of the past and the present. As a matter of fact, it subtly portrays the progress of spiritual activities as refracted through the modern prism. Nine Songs was originally a cycle of poems by Qu Yuan, a poet of the Chu Kingdom who lived some 2,300 years ago, before China became a unified country.

Zhang Di, a 27-year-old policewoman based in Heilongjiang, received her first wedding gift last month. Instead of a traditional present such as a piece of gold jewelry, she was given a white, knee-length mink fur coat by her husband.

"Furs are a must-have for girls in Northeast China. It's like Barbie or a luxury handbag in the United States. Wearing fur is a fantastic way to stay active and chic," smiled Zhang.

Starting with Australian author Frank Moorhouse's speech 11 years ago, in which he made a link between martinis and literature, Shanghai International Literary Festival has become an annual highpoint in the city's cultural calendar.

From March 1 to 17, the upcoming 11th edition of the festival will feature 71 authors from 21 countries.

It is not uncommon in China to be besieged by members of an extended family and grilled about why you are not yet married. Spring Festival, which is round the corner, is a traditional time for family reunions and visits by relatives. But for some young people, it is also a time to "face the music" as their personal life comes up for discussions at get-togethers.