Beijing boosts bereaved parents

More than 8,000 bereaved parents in Beijing have joined a free insurance program to help relieve the financial burden as they grow older and become susceptible to illness and accidents.

Parents put kindergartens to the test

During the past year, Xu Xinchang has been busy visiting kindergartens, doing research and gathering parental feedback.

Nomads embrace changes brought by education

Long ago, the nomads of Yege township in Qinghai province were noted for drinking and cutting each other with swords. But the aim was not to maim or kill. The reason was honor - the illiterate nomads settled their disputes with swords, not words.

Change likely as India goes to polls

Opposition leader Modi vows to revive $1t infrastructure program

Advisers' Thatcherite ambitions

When Indian opposition leader Narendra Modi gave a speech on the virtues of smaller government and privatization on April 8 last year, supporters called him an ideological heir to former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who died that day.

Japanese, US defense chiefs meet on boosting security ties

Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera held talks on Sunday with visiting US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, centering on improving bilateral defense cooperation.

Actions speak louder than words in military relations

Editor's Note: US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel begins his first visit to China on Monday since taking office. A Chinese military expert offers her views on bilateral military ties.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Hostages taken to Philippines' small island

Armed forces deployed to help with hunt for Abu Sayyaf militants

Thai PM's supporters head for rally

Hundreds of thousands of Thai government supporters are expected to descend on Bangkok this weekend in a symbolic show of force after months of sometimes violent protests aimed at bringing down Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

ROK test-fires ballistic missile amid tensions

The Republic of Korea has test-fired a new ballistic missile with a range of 500 km and will try to extend the range to 800 km so it can strike any site in its northern neighbor, its defense ministry said on Friday, days after Pyongyang fired a mid-range missile.

Erdogan blasts ruling that lifted twitter ban

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized a Constitutional Court ruling that lifted his government's March 20 ban on Twitter.