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Highlights from chinadaily.com.cn

Photo: A water tributary in Jun county, Henan province, is bonedry, the result of a severe drought in the region. The province is experiencing water shortages at a time that is normally flood season.

Bilingual: Why are female fetuses so often aborted in China? Does the high frequency of abortions of female fetuses reflect a societal preference for sons? Sociologist Lisa Eklund from Lund University in Sweden has studied why families in China have a preference for sons. In China's 2005 census, almost 121 boys were born for every 100 girls. Last year's census showed that the sex ratio at birth had become more equal. But it is still too early to celebrate, in Eklund's view, because the narrowing of the gap does not necessarily mean that girls are valued more highly.