2013: the things to watch

The world's sporting spotlight will fall on a young teenage golfer from China at Augusta in April, but an unheralded compatriot could steal the limelight this month at the Australian Open.

Olympic king Bolt seals legend status

Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt cemented his status as a true legend of track and field by claiming a second Olympic treble gold medal haul at the London Games. Bolt followed up his podium-topping showing in Beijing in 2008 by becoming the first sprinter to defend the 100m and 200m titles.

Former champion Hatton now seeking a Chinese star

Former world champion Ricky Hatton says he hopes to find his successor in Asia, with the popular Briton homing in on the region in the hope of unearthing the next big thing in boxing.

The case that rocked the world

The Lance Armstrong scandal left a huge gap in cycling's record books and further tainted the sport in a year when Britain experienced Olympic bliss in the wake of Bradley Wiggins' Tour de France title.

Benitez cools title talk as Blues improve

Interim coach Rafael Benitez says Chelsea has no thoughts about a title challenge despite closing on the Manchester clubs after a fourth straight victory.

Clippers top Jazz for 17th straight victory

Caron Butler drained six three-point shots and scored 29 points on Sunday as the Los Angeles Clippers wrapped up a perfect December with a 107-96 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Another new partnership for ambitious Guangzhou Auto

In the latest move to ambitiously expand its business territory, Guangzhou Automobile Group Co, the nation's six-largest automaker in annual sales, recently joined with two domestic partners to tap the market potential of central China.

Shanghai study: Feasible 'green' mobility saves fuel

Available lightweight materials and energy-efficient tires could make the vehicle industry more sustainable in the near term, according to a study by the China Automotive Technology and Research Center that was commissioned by German chemicals company Lanxess, a major supplier to the sector.

Survey finds durability of Chinese brands improving

Domestic car brands showed significant improvement in durability for a second consecutive year and continued to narrow the gap with international brands, according to a recent survey by research firm JD Power Asia Pacific.

IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Nation's top tech zone stresses green industry

Zhongguancun, China's first high-tech development zone, is heeding the central government's call to build a green, sustainable economy by highlighting enterprises specializing in energy conservation and environmental protection.

Prevention program continues

Through hepatitis control and prevention efforts over the past decade, vaccination rates of hepatitis A and hepatitis B have been on the rise annually in China, topping 90 percent in 2011, according to the latest data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.