"We have no choice. Smoking is cheaper than food.?

?A 16-year-old boy from the Philippines points to one reason why Asia is the last battlefield for the global tobacco industry.

"I am not connected to work at all.?

?A 26-year-old Japanese obsessed with Internet games admits to his complete indifference to work. A new group of people called "NEET?(Not in Employment, Education or Training) has emerged in Japan, surpassing 520,000 in number. Economists are worried that the country will see a steep slide in the number of workers.

"In many respects it seems Japan's strategy has undergone great changes. Japan seems to be returning to a militaristic track.?

?Wang Chun, an expert on military affairs, express concern about Japan's present course.

"No competition is as fierce as political campaigns. Young handsome politicians are popular with people. But the public have complicated feelings about those who have had plastic surgery. In our country, many people hope that presidents who have double-eyelid surgery can supervise the country more carefully through a pair of bigger eyes.?

?A recent political trend discussed in a South Korean newspaper.

"The longer the virus spreads among animals, the higher the rate of human infection from the disease... the world may face the danger of its worst ever epidemic.?

?An official of World Health Organization expresses concern about bird flu, which has caused 42 deaths, 15 in Viet Nam in the past two months.

"It's not only a technical issue about giving people two more holidays, this is an essential ritual that continues our tradition of remembering our ancestors and loving our families.?

-Zhang Guoliang, member of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), appeals at this year's CPPCC meeting for the Qingming and Mid-autumn festivals to be turned into official national holidays.

"We cannot say that there are bubbles in the Chinese real estate industry. But housing in Beijing and Shanghai is becoming inaffordable.?

-Li Yining, professor of Peking University, commenting on property prices in China's major metropolises.

"We almost never talk to each other. Sometimes when I want to say something, he seems to be so cold that I don't want to talk any more. It has nearly driven me to a mental break down.?

?A middle-aged woman testifying to the "silent violence?experts say is increasingly common in Chinese families.