India has had a long love affair with the railway. The first trains and tracks were brought to India almost two hundred years ago by the British. Since then, their usage has exploded. It is hard to imagined India without the image of winding railways and packed train cars. Almost 8.4 billion is recorded in annual passenger traffic, equivalent to each Indian citizen taking the train several times. India’s rail service boasts over 7000 railway stations, 1.3 million employees, and over 65,000 km of railway. It’s not just reserved for passengers. Railways have long been a crucial means of transporting trade. With India’s over 3 million square kilometres, they are a vital lifeline. It is no surprise then that India’s railways carry over 1 billion tonnes of freight traffic. The extensive nature of India’s rail network means that remote areas are often well-served. Mountains are no exception, and India’s three mountain railways were awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1999.

Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway

In India’s north, in the highlands of West Bengal, and in the shadow of some of the world’s tallest mountains, a train trundles along. India’s Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway was built in 1888, and connects New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, with several towns and loops in between. The route was always used for trading. Before the construction of a railway, the new settlement of Darjeeling was linked to other towns such as Siliguri by a hill cart road. India’s most famous resource was transported across this route. When tea plantations began to spring up around 1857, new routes for transportation were vital. In 1861, the hill cart road fro Darjeeling was constructed. Eighteen years later, the railway tracks were placed. Today, the route is mainly used to transport people. Commuter or tourists, passengers enjoy majestic views, from heights surpassing 2000 metres, and through the historic towns of West Bengal.

Nilgiri Mountain Rail

Far to the south of the country, another railway traverses through the highlands. Located in the Nilgiri Hill of India’s Tamil Nadu province, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway has been in operation for more than a century. It is known as the steepest railway in Asia due to its steep gradient. The height of engineering at the time was used, with a Swiss inventor creating its unique ‘Alternate Biting System’, to prevent derailment. Like the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri also exceeds heights of 2000 metres.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway passes through a diverse route. From flat plains, to dizzying heights, and even through tunnels. It starts at Mettupalayam, a small town on the banks of the Bhavani river, to the historic town of Udhagamandalam (known as Ooty for short). The five hour journey whisks travellers through the scenic heights of Nilgiri, and through the forests, where trees cling defiantly to the steep hills.

Kalka-Shimla Railway

India’s last great mountain railway is the Kalka-Shimla Railway. Shimla was once the ‘Summer Capital’ of the British Raj, filled with summer homes for colonial administrators. It also became a base for the British army in India. Today it remains an important tourist capital, and the railway remains well-used. The tracks stretch from Kalka to the old ‘Summer Capital’, in India’s north west. With a steep climb to Shimla, the trains end up 1400 metres higher than where they started. With an adjoining line connecting Delhi and Kalka, it is the safest route to the capital from Shimla. The historic railway has over 800 bridges and 103 tunnels, allowing the train to seamlessly whistle through the foothills of the western Himalyas.

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The word Ramadan comes from the Arabic word ‘Ramida’ meaning ‘scorching heat and dryness.’ It also comes from ‘ramda’ which means ‘sun-baked sand.’ In Islamic terminology it refers to the intense heat in the stomach due to thirst which Muslims experience from fasting. ‘Ramadan’ can also refer to the good deeds which scorch the bad deeds during this time.

Why do Muslims fast?

Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam and is therefore seen as act which earns God’s reward of forgiveness and thus expiates one’s sins. Ramadan is also a way for Muslims to exercise will power and control their desires. Islam teaches man to avoid excesses and to engage with their physical desires moderately, fasting is way to prove this. Ramadan is also a time to remember those who are less fortunate and a time to reflect on what it often taken for granted.

How long is Ramadan for?

Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for approximately 30 days. Therefore the timing is different across the world but the principle remains the same.

Why does Ramadan change each year?

The Islamic calendar is based on lunar months and the new month arrives when a new crescent moon is sighted after sunset. Ramadan is the ninth month in the year and comes two weeks earlier than the last. It is currently the year 1436.

How can you start and break the fast?

It is a requirement for Muslims to eat at sunrise to make the fast easier. The meal known as Suhoor is then followed by a prayer. Iftar, the meal to break the fast at sunset, is opened with dates and water, in accordance with the teachings of Prophet Muhammed.

Ramadan Tent in Dubai

What is Eid?

Eid-ul Fitr is the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. This also changes each year and is confirmed when the crescent moon is sighted. It is tradition to buy and wear new clothes, give money and sweets as gifts and celebrate with music. It is prohibited to fast on this day and essential to give charity and perform a special prayer.

Is Ramadan obligatory?

Ramadan is obligatory for every Muslim with the exception of pregnant women, women who are breastfeeding, or menstruating. It is also not advised for children who have not yet reached puberty, Muslims who are experiencing health problems and those travelling. Those who cannot fast are encouraged to give to charity instead.

Is Ramadan just about food?

No, Ramadan is not just about food. Muslims are also required to abstain from sexual activity from sunrise to sunset. They are also encouraged to study the Qur’an as it was during this time that it was revealed by God. It is also an important time for self-reflection prayer and charity to expiate sins.

The last 10 nights

In one of the last 10 nights of Ramadan is Laylatul-Qadr, the Night of Power. Muslims believe it is better than 1,000 nights and is the night when the angels descend to earth, God forgives sins, grants prayers and blesses those who have true faith. Some Muslims spend these days in the mosque exclusively praying.

Fasting doesn’t end there!

After Eid many Muslims fast the next 6 days, at the start of the month of Shawaal. While it is not obligatory, it is encouraged to seek God’s praise and forgiveness. Fasting during Ramadan is compulsory but voluntary fasting can also be observed throughout the year. Many people fast on Monday’s and Thursdays as the Prophet Muhammed did or to reduce sexual appetite, have sins forgiven, and gain mercy.

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Just when we think we have every corner of the world figured out, it surprises us with something new. We see a lot of photos circulating online every day but few capture the imagination quite like these.

Goqui Island can be found in Shengsi, an archipelago of almost 400 islands at the mouth of China’s Yangtze river. Something magical takes place there – an abandoned village is being reclaimed by nature. The photos were taken by Jane Qing, a Shanghai based photographer as she explored this timeless place.

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The number of female entrepreneurs is rising. In Nigeria, 41% of women are entrepreneurs. In Ecuador, the figure is 33%. In Ghana, 28%. These countries are not alone. On the number of women who are entrepreneurs, the ten leading countries are all emerging markets. On this front, the West is falling behind, as the emerging markets lead the way. Globally, 37% of enterprises in the formal sector are run by women. Emerging nations have contributed greatly to this rise in female entrepreneurship.

Big names and big sums have been dedicated to continuing this trend. Coca-Cola has invested strongly in the development of female entrepreneurship. In 2013, Coca-Cola, together with the International Finance Corporation, announced that they would pledge $100m to help female entrepreneurs succeed in business. Coca-Cola and the International Finance Corporation launched the three-year scheme, with a focus specifically on small and medium-sized businesses. This is exactly where it should be targeted. Smaller and medium-sized businesses comprise the majority of the enterprises in most emerging markets. This is also true of the West. 97% of businesses in Nigeria could be classified this way. In the European Union, they account for 65% of business turnover. With funding targeted to smaller groups, Coca-Cola and the International Finance Corporation can empower women in creating their own businesses from scratch. This allows them to be entrepreneurs from the very beginning.

The scheme is specifically for the emerging countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and aims to economically empower five million women by 2020. It is known as the 5 by 20 programme, and it has already begun to affect positive change. Coca-Cola and the International Finance Corporation have partnered with existing banks and financial institutions in emerging markets. This has allowed them to deliver the assistance more effectively. 5 by 20 has already yielded significant results. In Brazil alone, 30,000 women were helped through a recycling scheme. Partnering with the China Women’s Development Foundation, the 5 by 20 scheme aims to reach half a million Chinese women by 2020. In Nigeria, Coca-Cola have partnered with Access Bank to expand micro-finance access for women.

But it is not only Coca-Cola and other large initiatives promoting female empowerment through entrepreneurship. Often, the first port of call for those wanting to start a business are family and friends. In many emerging countries, many women receive loans through family and personal networks. In Nigeria, 42% of women received loans from family and friends, compared to 2% from financial institutions. In Uganda the figures are 46% and 9% respectively. It is clear that this expansion in female entrepreneurship is grassroutes in nature. But with large international corporations beginning to promote it, it can only increase.

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Mobile phone usage in the emerging countries is very high. For China’s 1.37bn population there are 1.28bn mobile phones, more than 93 connections per hundred citizens. China is not the only emerging country to see high levels of phone usage. Nigeria and Indonesia both have coverage in the 90s, and India has 77 per hundred. Brazil and Russia have more mobile phones than their population, at 137 and 155 per hundred respectively. It is clear that the use of mobile phones has become a must in some of the world’s most dynamic economies. Technology companies are taking notice.

It is estimated that by the end of this year, some 3.2bn people will be connected to the internet. and 2bn of these will be from the emerging countries. In many emerging markets, the infrastructure for widespread broadband internet services does not exist. Consequently, a large percentage of internet usage is conducted through phones.

One of the most popular apps is the social network giant Facebook. The social network has 1.44bn active users each month, and this does not take into account its other apps. Facebook acquired both Instagram and Whatsapp in recent years, and these apps have a combined 1.1bn monthly active users. Whatsapp is a hit in emerging countries, with 78% of mobile users in South Africa, 72% in Singapore, and 69% in India using the app. Facebook is very popular, with India having the world’s second largest number of Facebook users at over 100m.

‘Facebook Lite: the new app’

Facebook is aware of its success in the emerging countries, and launched Internet.org to work towards increasing internet coverage to 4.5bn. Facebook has once again shown its commitment to full connectivity with the launch of Facebook Lite. Facebook Lite is already available across Asia, and will soon be rolled out across Africa, Latin America, and parts of Europe. The new Android app retains all of the features of the original, but with certain adjustments to make it more suitable for emerging countries. Facebook aimed to create an app that can work with 2G internet connections.

The app takes up less than 1MB of space, ensuring that it installs and loads quickly. In areas with weaker or less reliable internet services, this is key. The app keeps all of Facebook’s core features. Users can scroll down their newsfeed, receive notifications, and post statuses and photos.  This is a wise move from Facebook. The number of mobile internet users in the emerging countries is growing daily. Facebook Lite will ensure that they are well connected.

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We should all cast our eyes to Kazakhstan. In 2002, it became the first former Soviet republic to be designated investment grade. We can see why. Kazakhstan’s economy grew by 4.6% in 2014. The country has a well-educated workforce, with 99.8% literacy among the population. Unemployment remains relatively low at 3.9%. With a GDP of over $200bn, Kazakhstan is the most economically successful of the Central Asian countries.

This is no coincidence. The country has strong and long-standing economic ties with some of the world’s most extensive and dynamic economies. China alone accounts for 22.7% of Kazakhstan’s exports, while Russia and Germany account for 8% each. The openness of Kazakhstan’s economy is the reason for this. The country boasts many free trade agreements, including with the United States and Russia. The agreement with the European Union has seen 40% of Kazakhstan’s exports head to these countries.

The United Kingdom has long been a strong economic partner for the country. Since 1991, the UK has invested more than $15bn in Kazakhstan. In 2012, exports from the UK to Kazakhstan were worth over half a billion dollars. This relationship continued in 2013, with the visit of Prime Minister David Cameron. He was accompanied by a delegation of thirty British businesses, determined to benefit from Kazakhstan’s growing economy. These companies brokered deals worth over $1bn with various Kazakh companies and government authorities.

In Kazakhstan the oil industry is the main driver of the economy, and it has already seen substantial foreign investment. BG Group and Shell have long operated in the country, and in 2013, British drilling company Dando Drilling International entered into a joint venture with the Kazakhstan government. Oil may be the strongest sector, but the government have been expanding the economy’s horizons. A targeted diversification drive has seen investment in areas as wide as transport, telecommunications, minerals, and pharmaceuticals. These emerging sectors are already enticing foreign investors. SUN Gold Ltd increased its investment stake in a gold mine to $400m. Surrey Satellite Technology signed a deal to further develop Kazakhstan’s satellite programme.

Kazakhstan’s economic outlook and international economic engagement is strong. Its rapidly growing economy will ensure that it will see increasing levels of investment over the next few years. When the annual International Exposition, Expo 2017, arrives in the capital Astana, the eyes of the world will be on Kazakhstan, and with good reason. With Kazakhstan poised to become a high-income economy before the end of the decade, it surely is one to watch.

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The ‘career or kids’ dilemma facing women today is a key factor in Germany’s baby drought, as not having children becomes the norm in Germany. Germany has the world’s lowest birth rate, according to a new study produced by German auditing firm BDO in partnership with the Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI). Regrettably like most of the advanced and Western world, Germans are dying faster than they’re breeding.

The country’s fertility rates are among the lowest in the world even below Japan. The future of Germany as an economic powerhouse is threatened. The German population will have a drop of around 20 million by 2060, according to estimates from the German government statistics agency, Destatis.

Chancellor Merkel said at Davos” we will lose a net six million workers over the next 15 years.” This is before the freefall. Will the European balance of power change? Most likely.. Britain and France will overtake Germany’s GDP as they replenish their population and workforce much more efficiently. Britain and France have a birthrate 50 percent higher than Germany’s despite having many socioeconomic similarities to the country, such as education levels. Britain’s birthrate was 152nd out of 208 countries, at 12.68 babies per 1,000 people. The British population is expected to overtake Germany’s within 45 years.

The recent study shows that, on average, 8.2 children were born per 1,000 inhabitants over the past five years. Britain and France are in far better shape, with an average of 12.5 births per 1000 from 2008-2013. Portugal and Italy has an average of 9.0 and 9.3 children, respectively.

On the other extreme end of the spectrum is Niger which has 50 children born per 1,000 inhabitants. If the entire global population achieved an 8/1000 rate of procreation, the Earth would decrease in population by a billion in less than 150 years.

In part, this 8/1000 rate is because Germany has an ageing population and many are now too old to have children, but compounding the misery of this low birth rate lies the “total fertility rate.” This rate can be explained as women face a stark choice: career, or kids. For years, relatively few women in Germany worked, especially if they also had children.

Let’s have a look at the average number of children a woman might have in her lifetime. In Germany it has stood at around 1.4 since 1970. The rate of 1.4 is unsustainable, the breakeven rate is say around 2.1, and 1.4 is just two-thirds of that. This means that each generation is one-third smaller than the one before. In contrast France’s total fertility rate is 2.0, similar to levels in Scandinavia, the UK and the US.

The future problems with these figures is easy to comprehend. Germany needed higher birth-rates to ease the reliance on immigration. Germany is increasingly closing in on a dependency ratio of 1:2; this means two people in Germany are dependent upon one citizen’s income. Now the frightening prospect for Germany is with such a low birth-rate this figure becomes even more unsustainable. Germany could end up with a dependency ratio of 1:3 if it does not address these problems. The impact such a scenario would have on Germany’s welfare budget and taxation is unimaginable.

Is Immigration the Answer?

This sharp lack of procreation has resulted in a restricted welcome for immigrants in Germany. A new study shows that Germans are becoming more mature in their treatment of immigrants.

A researcher Stephan Sievert has also recently dwelled on this disturbing trend summarising thus:

Germany has had the lowest birth rate in Europe in recent years, it has now surpassed countries outside the continent.

This is a matter of great concern as the economic repercussions of having the lowest birth rate in the world could be very damaging; Germany’s working-age population will shrink from its current 61 percent to 54 percent by 2030. Arno Probst, an executive board member of the BDO, said that as a direct consequence, Germany will face higher wage costs due to a shortage in skilled labor. “Without strong labor markets, Germany cannot maintain its economic edge in the long run,” Probst said.

Stephan Sievert warns ‘that without immigration, our population would continue to shrink, markedly.’ Last year, this demographic dip was cancelled out by record immigration – Germany’s net migration was an increase of roughly 400,000 people (1.2 million in, 800,000 out).

Germany is now worried about the sustainability of immigration rates that has helped the demographics so far. The threats like recession in the eurozone and conflicts in the Arab World combined to bring high immigration, once economies and conflicts die about these immigration rates are not likely to stay this high in the long term.

The warning this ticking demographic time bomb is giving is grave. Whatever radical views one may have about immigration with such a pathetic decline in the fertility rate, the dependency of Germany on further immigration will rise. Perhaps it is time for newer generations to think less about their personal income.
Already 400,000 thousands new migrants are expected this year with 10m foreign born nationals in the country. It is extremely difficult for a nation caught in the rut of this demographic tanker to get out. These are deeply entrenched structural issues and rooted in a desire for higher prosperity, and a lack of interest in taking responsibility to raise future generations.
These cultural and social patterns eat up society from the core. What is the point of affluence if within 100 years there will only be a quarter of the present population to enjoy barren autobahns and deserted cities? Without a burst in fertility rates we see a bleak future. This birth dearth is a nightmare for policymakers who are now throwing money at families in a bid to stem the birth dearth and encourage citizens to have more babies.

The German baby-drought is an eye opener for everyone in Europe; a plummeting population leaving dry sewers, vacant homes, ghost towns and fears of an imploding economy is a huge challenge and it is not something that a nation can ignore. Our existence is precarious: if everyone stopped procreating we’d be wiped off the planet in less than eight decades. A healthy birth rate at 2 is minimum guarantee of our survival as human race.

Today immigration and integration is at the heart of the demographic debate at the highest levels of policy. The very same European nations who are ‘whipping immigration’ will be begging for educated trained migrants in less than a decade as innovation and creativity starts depleting with a lack of new young minds. Immigrants are not that bad if they can populate the countries, which desperately need populating.

Image by © Bernd Vogel/Corbis

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The main alternative is using the pump, which often has long queues. This system is really popular and in Mexico City is  the  normal routine. The problem is that there isn’t enough water within the pump system to cater for 22 million people – the size of the Mexican population. Fred De Sam Lazaro states that with such a high number of people “it’s like filling a swimming pool with a teacup”  and pressure has been mounted on the government to find other solutions.

The pumping system is nevertheless really simple: they pump water out from the ground, put it in vans and then distribute it around houses. The only problem with this system is that people only get water once in a week, and it’s really expensive.

Luckily, people in the local community are taking matters into their own hands, using their own skills to find alternative solutions.

Enrique Lomnitz, a Mexican man that has travelled a lot between U.S. and his own country, is one of those problem solvers. He also happens to have  an industrial design degree from MIT.

Enrique founded Isla Urbana, a society that whose goal is to bring clean water to Mexico City, launching formally in 2009. He came up with a system that allows you to capture rain water. They take the rainwater from the roofs, and then pass the water through a filter pipe. This mechanism is important because in this way the water is three times cleaner than it was before. It is then piped into the water tank, and once in there they are able to add additional filters to make sure the water is completely potable.

With this system people are able to live with water from 5 to 8 months without problems.

Clara, one of those who received this experimental system, says that “ this system has changed [my]life, thanks to Isla Urbana [I] live differently now. [I] don’t have to worry about water because [I] always have it”.

Even at Santa Monica College you’ll find citizens taking matters into their own hands. Andres Rennella and Corey Eichenberger, are the two young founders of non-profit organisation Pure Drift. They set up the project in May, having  just returned form their last trip to Mexico. During this period they installed water filters in a local orphanage in La Morelos. Their goal over the last couple of months, while they were travelling in Mexico, South America and Central America, was to distribute water filters to the rural communities who needed them.

In order to help many Mexican citizens are donating money to the non-profit organisation. Most of the donations are used to buy filters and expenses for the travel.

The drinking problem in Mexico is a constant issue particularly due to the lack of participation of the government. The population is more aware than ever about this issue, and are finding some solutions by themselves. Who knows, maybe the people will solve the problem before the President.

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Analysing the results of the FIFA Presidential Election

Nearly the entire of Europe and Latin America (the real force in terms of players and money behind the World Cup) have voted against Blatter. The two biggest largest football continents want a reformed FIFA. FIFA most likely will face a massive dissent and a revolt as a result of recent indictments. The indictment in the US against FIFA officials alleges that corruption is rampant, systemic, and deep-rooted; it spans at least two generations of soccer officials who, as alleged, have abused their positions of trust to acquire millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks.

The Potential Future of FIFA

This control of FIFA by weaker football playing nations and corrupt officials that was displayed so arrogantly will backfire, a possibility of a new FIFA is now being discussed along the lines of ICC and probably will be now shattered by a parallel organisation that will host the Latin America and European teams in a new World Cup.

Everyone will join the new FIFA. Nike, Coca Cola, McDonald’s will not continue funding FIFA. Nike’s 40m 2014 payment is already part of the US Justice Department indictment.

The alleged rigging of FIFA’s 2011 presidential elections by Jack Warner, a former Trinidadian politician and FIFA vice-president is one classic example of rampant corruption. Mr Warner arranged for envelopes containing $40,000 in cash to be given as a “gift” to officials in return for their votes. He is alleged to have told colleagues: “There are some people here who think they are more pious than thou. If you’re pious, open a church, friends. Our business is our business.” In a statement he said he was “innocent of any charges”. He was Mr. Blatter’s front man in 2011.

The power will be held like in the case of ICC by the nations who pull the strings of the purse. Without the purse FIFA is of course paralysed. This will be the sad legacy of Blatter’s  intransigence if he does not incorporate reforms now. Who will watch a World Cup being played between Blatter’s ‘African and Asian teams? His days are numbered in my opinion, he will not complete his term.

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Indians have emerged as “an extraordinarily successful minority” in America, observes The Economist. This is based on the findings by economist Devesh Kapur, in his new book that is under review.

In his book provisionally entitled “The Other One Percent”, he and his co-authors show how Indians have outrun all other minorities in terms of Income and education.

In 2012, approximately 42% held first or higher degrees with an average household income of over $100,000. Mr Kapur estimates as that to be roughly double that of White Americans. Over two thirds hold white collar jobs.

This finding is set to expel the stereotype of Indians as “keeping shops or running motels”. There is a rise in the class of elite Indians who are most likely to be seen in Tech companies and even government jobs.  There are around 91,000 Indian-born people with PhDs living in America.

Moving to the United States is nothing new for the Indian community. They have been venturing to the ‘land of the free’ since 1820 and the 1990’s has seen a huge rise in Indian immigrants. India stands second (only behind Mexico), in the volume of immigrants arriving in America. In 2014, 70 percent of the priceless H-1b (highly skilled worker) visas were given to Indians. The United States may be second in the immigration tasks to the United Arab Emirates, but the Indian community (a considerable percentage in the overall figure) are beginning to enjoy success across a variety of industries.

With a highly successful Indian diaspora in the US, India should start forging ties with them and also creating the right conditions to prevent brain-drain from the country. Which despite the nation’s focus on developing the manufacturing sector with the ‘Make in India’ initiative, ultimately will lead to future success.

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