NO SMOKING: Second hand smoke is harming children (LIU XIJUN)

 Desert Threat

China

Despite effective efforts to control desertification, China still faces a grave challenge.

A survey conducted between 2005 and 2009 shows 2.62 million km2 of China's land was degraded. Sand encroachment has affected 1.73 million square km of land. Compared with the results of the previous survey, the area of land degradation decreased 0.47 percent, while that of sand encroachment fell 0.49 percent.

 Child cancer rates rise

China

Health experts have warned the public that pollution and environmental deterioration are behind rising cancer rates among Chinese children under 14. The Chinese mainland now has more than 32,000 children in this category suffering cancer of various kinds, which translates into a prevalence of 104 in 1 million. The most common kinds of cancer among children are leukemia, lymphoma and brain cancer.

Numbers:

183.1 Billion [$]

China's trade surplus in 2010, down 6.4 percent from 2009 

5.02 Million

The passengers Beijing's metro network now hauls daily

70%

Algerian population (estimated at 32.5 million) is under 30 years of age

2nd

The ranking Ghana has been given in the 10 fastest growing GDP across the world, according to a 2011 forecast by the Economist Intelligence Unit