Cartoon

Luxury brands need a change of approach

There can be no doubt that the luxury market in China has been experiencing a tough winter, nor that the government's anti-corruption and frugality campaign has been a major factor in this, nor that it will continue to be a drag on the market's growth in 2014.

A Japan that can't win trust

With Shinzo Abe at the forefront, Japanese politicians are trotting the globe on sympathy-seeking trips, peddling the image of Japan as a peace-loving country stuck in a hostile neighborhood.

May sense dawn on Aquino

Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III, in comparing China to Nazi Germany, has exposed his true colors as an amateur politician who is ignorant both of history and reality, says a Xinhua commentary.

Politics no stranger to the Games

Modern Olympic Games are never entirely free from politics, but their level of politicization varies. Awarding the games to Rome in 1960, Tokyo in 1964, and Munich in 1972 was meant to symbolize the post-World War II rehabilitation of the three former Axis powers. The 1988 Games were awarded to Seoul to highlight South Korea's spectacular economic success and encourage its moves toward political democratization. But spikes in tension during the Cold War led to the boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games by the United States and several other countries and to the reciprocal decision by the Soviet Union and its allies to stay away from the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Virtual world can never replace real world

Do you find it upsetting or annoying when you are in the middle of a conversation with friends or relatives, and one of them ignores you and keeps constantly checking their phone? This is not a rare phenomenon, and you are bound to meet at least one person who does this during Spring Festival.

Hot words

If "Abenomics" fails to fuel Japan's economy, then the country could face "Abegeddon" and end up with a potential Armageddon story, according to UBS.

From the Chinese Press

High-speed trains out of reach

For the love of the language

It is said that Confucius, the great teacher had over 3,000 students in China, a remarkable achievement for those days. Hundreds of years later, the ancient sage is still proving to be the main inspiration for a Chinese teacher to teach Chinese language courses to over 3,000 students in Cameroon and Tanzania.

Taiwan-born actor stars on US TV series

Yun Jin Kim as the intelligent doctor on Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Wong as the driven high schooler in The Carrie Diaries, Lucy Liu as the poker-face lawyer in Ally McBeal ...

A life made full by saving lives

He injured himself rescuing lives from fire when young, lost his love but never his heart and desire to help those in need, and found his true love and an eventual award for his "one man's marathon".

Painting a legendary life

For almost a year, Li Bin, a painter from Shanghai, has buried himself in piles of books and DVDs about the life of Nelson Mandela.