The internationally-famous Quanjude Reataurant, the largest roast duck restaurant in Beijing is scheduled to open its first branch in Taiwan in the middle of this year.
Quanjude roast ducks are so famous that tourists from around the world will usually find time out to enjoy the delicious roast ducks at Quanjude whenever they travel to Beijing.

Pope Benedict XVI urged people to spread joy through smiles and acts of kindness, saying it was an antidote to the ills of society. He said “joy is the true gift of Christmas, not expensive gifts that cost time and money, but joy.”The pope said joy liberates people.

As people in Taiwan welcomed the Year of the Dog, sales of pet dogs are also heating up.
Pet sellers estimate that the Taiwan market for pet dogs and related products amounts to more than NT$20 billion a year, with an average 1.6 million pet dogs being sold on the market per year.

In the past, religious believers in Russia were thought to be mostly women, the elderly, and those with an incomplete secondary education. However, data shows a rise in religious affiliation among youths, men, and those with higher education.

The authority said, about 300 million people living in China’s vast countryside drink unsafe water tainted by chemicals and other contaminants. Media reported the most common threat to water, after drought, is chemical pollutants and other harmful substances that contaminate drinking supplies for 190 million people.

Spurred by China’s increasing role in the global economy—and efforts by the Chinese and American governments—high schools across America are offering an Asian alternative to the traditional Spanish and French.
Chinese is much harder for English speakers than the major European languages.

Time magazine has named Bill and Melinda Gates and rock star Bono its “Persons of the Year,” citing their charitable work and activism aimed at reducing global poverty and improving world health.
The magazine said 2005 was a year of extraordinary charity in which people donated record amounts in response to extreme natural disasters, from the tsunami in South Asia to Hurricane Katrina.

Even moderate levels of physical exercise prevent heart disease and prolong life, and the degree of benefit increases as the level of physical activity rises. One expert said 3 years of extra life, it’s a very clear message that makes it easy to grasp what might be the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle.

Pope Benedict, in his first Christmas address, on Sunday urged humanity to unite against terrorism, poverty and environmental blight and called for a “new world order” to create economic imbalances.He also urged people not to let technological achievement blind them to true human values.

Over the years, studies have repeatedly shown that antibacterial soaps are not better than plain old soap and water.The researchers found no difference in the number of microbes that turned up on the hands of people who used either antibacterial soap or regular soap.