Qingdao Special: New rail station strengthens Qingdao's role in region

The Qingdao North Railway Station, the largest transport hub in Shandong, officially started operation on Jan 10.

Mongolia seeks closer integration with China, Russia

Mongolian Foreign Minister Luvsanvandan Bold has called for further cooperation with China on infrastructure and manufacturing projects, with the aim of strengthening his country's integration with neighbors China and Russia.

Egypt approves Constitution by 98.1 percent

Egyptian voters have approved a new Constitution by 98.1 percent, the elections chief said on Saturday, in what the government declared a popular endorsement of the army's overthrow of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi.

Opposition to attend 'Geneva 2'

Syria's main political opposition group in exile agreed on Saturday to attend internationally sponsored peace talks, and said for the first time three rebel fighting forces also wanted to take part.

UN chief lauds deal

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday welcomed the Syrian opposition's agreement to take part in next week's international conference in Switzerland to seek an end to the Syria conflict.

US spies to remain 'interested' in foreign affairs

Obama vows not to undermine German ties

Iran, Syria set to dominate Davos

The bloody civil war in Syria and Iran's efforts to come in from the diplomatic cold will drive the agenda next week as world leaders, business chiefs and celebrities gather in the Swiss resort of Davos.

IN BRIEF (Page 11)

Dropping 'no-war' pledge a part of Abe's strategy

A longtime no-war pledge has disappeared from Japan's Liberal Democratic Party's annual working policy revealed on Sunday, while the ruling party vowed to continue visits to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine and push ahead constitutional revision, in another move leading the country in a far-right direction, observers said.

White House fine-tunes Asia pivot to 'quench fire'

Washington is dispatching two diplomats to East Asia to fine-tune the US pivot to Asia-Pacific by "quenching the fire" between China and Japan, after recent provocative moves by Tokyo that have further threatened regional stability, observers said.

Gravity, Hustle top nods

Academy lists its darlings and makes some surprising snubs

Palestinian movie is tapped

Foreign Language Oscar nominee Omar was described by the Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Thursday as being from "Palestine", a reference the academy has carefully avoided in the past.