Ex-president says he's still the ruler

The Yemeni leader who resigned the presidency last month and fled to the country's south on Saturday said all actions taken since Shiite rebels stormed the capital, Sanaa, in September are illegitimate, hinting that he will seek to reclaim his power and office.

Nation's founding father hospitalized with pneumonia

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father, has been hospitalized for severe pneumonia, the Prime Minister's Office said.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Shoeshine man's Olympian gift

A humble Spanish shoeshiner on Monday surrendered the rights to a valuable Twitter account to publicize 2016's Rio Olympics for free, and he wants to do the same with the handle@japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Huge fire in US after oil train derails

A train carrying more than 100 tankers of crude oil derailed in southern West Virginia on Monday, sending at least one tanker into the Kanawha River, igniting at least 14 and sparking a house fire, officials said.

Women amputees stepping out of shadow

When Yoko Sato lost her left leg in an accident, she fell into despair. The stigma of amputation in a country that views disability as something to be pitied added to her misery.

IN BRIEF (Page 4)

Best wishes to all for the Year of the Ram

With national leaders crisscrossing communities and extending their pre-holiday greetings, and millions hitting the road and braving the crowds for family reunions at Lunar New Year's Eve dinner tables, China is officially in festive mode.

Calls for fewer fireworks

For the sake of a cleaner environment and atmosphere, people should not set off fireworks during the forthcoming Spring Festival holiday, especially in densely populated cities, says a People's Daily article.

ROK documentary will help world to view China rationally and objectively

FROM JAN 15 TO 24, KBS, a leading broadcaster in the Republic of Korea, aired a documentary series, Super China, which gave detailed information on seven aspects of China, and invited international scholars to review the changes it has brought about to the world. The documentary became very popular. Comments:

Luxury market changes with anti-graft tide

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL LAST WEEK said that the ongoing anti-graft storm may have curbed rich Chinese customers from purchasing luxurious handbags and coats, but many of them have turned to luxurious underwear instead, which is easier to hide. Sales of high-end underwear have been growing since 2012, and they accounted for 30 percent of the underwear market last year. Comments:

Festival visits an excuse for family rows

A NEWLY WEDDED couple in Jinzhai county, Anhui province, reportedly reached the brink of divorce because the husband and wife disagreed about whose family they should visit to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. Comments: