CPI hits 6.4 percent in June

BEIJING - China's inflation in June has jumped to its highest level in three years, a higher-than-expected rise fueled by escalating food prices that challenged the government's recent efforts to tighten monetary policies.

CPC leaders: Tibet in its best period now

Around China

IN BRIEF (Page 2)

Sorting out the storms

Many around the world may have experienced typhoons, hurricanes or cyclones - or at least know of them from news, films and books. These are destructive natural forces that, when occurring at sea, cause large waves, heavy rain, and high winds, disrupting international shipping and sometimes causing shipwrecks. When they hit land, they damage or destroy vehicles, buildings and bridges - and transform loose debris into deadly projectiles.

From the Ground Up

Zaha Hadid, one of the world's leading architects, says she faces less bias as a woman in China than in Europe. As one of the most high-profile figures in her profession, she says she has had to fight against prejudice for most of her career, particularly in her adopted home of the United Kingdom. "I can't say it is all ironed out. The irony is I don't confront it in the Arab world or in China or Japan. It is more in the Anglo-Saxon world. I don't know what it is like to be a man. I am sure life would have been a lot easier," she says. "I think the English are scared of women. I don't know. I can't explain it. It is inexplicable."

Hurd uses history to predict China's future

Melody of life

When circumstance put an end to Julien Gaudfroy's first great love, the former musician discovered his passion for the Chinese language. Before carving out a career as a media personality in Beijing, the Frenchman was a professional cellist, studying at the prestigious Paris Conservatory with top classical players and conductors.

French expats set up Chinese language school

This week, have a little champs and say 'Vive la France!'

Polo princes

China's monarchy has been gone for a century, but the sport of kings took Tianjin by storm last weekend as the Metropolitan Polo Club hosted the first international under-18 game played in China. The Goldin Gold Cup 2011 actually began a day earlier, when two teams of professionals - Le Polo Club du Domaine de Chantilly and Hong Kong Goldin-slogged it out on a slow field still waterlogged after a storm.

Chinese laud Yao

BEIJING - Although iconic center Yao Ming's possible retirement is yet to be officially announced, Chinese hoops celebrities and fans have already begun to recall the giant's outstanding career - along with some of his fellow NBA players.

Bolt steals Paris limelight; Semenya wins

Evans looking up; Wiggins crashes out

Score board

A shanghai splash

Host China is ready to challenge the world

Stars to watch

The week that was

In potter mania, fans own the magic

Same-sex couples increase adoptions

Let's stay together

Germany finds itself still debating women's role

For China, hard (and shiny) currency

Japan's elders ask for the chance to tame a reactor

Finding one's orientation might begin in the genes

Social networking, at work

Findings

'Murderabilia' booms with auctions and Internet sites

Basking in Russia's love long after his triumph

Egging the issue

It wasn't quite the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand - the bang that started World War I - but a CNN web writer's potshot at century eggs last week had foodies firing back from every corner of the Chinese cultural world.

Accidental discovery now national favorite

Shaoxing wine and fennel beans

Denim goddess

She's half-Vietnamese and half-Polish, and the exotic mix manifests itself in a tall, slim and stylish body with smooth long locks and a mega-watt smile. When Michelle Siwy, 34, showed up at her fashion show in Beijing, many thought she was one of the models.

Strings from another age

The instrument sold for 115 million yuan ($23.2 million) at a Beijing auction two months ago. Yet an auction expert still felt it was undervalued. The 1,200-year-old guqin Da Sheng Yi Yin (大圣遗音) or "musical legacy of the sage", was made by the Lei family workshop in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD).

Downsizing with conscience

The ways of the I-Ching

City guide

The quiet wilderness

Hangzhou's West Lake draws more than 30 million people a year, making it one of the country's top attractions.

Departure gate

Airline news and deals