High court reviewing sentence in poisoning

The nation's highest court is reviewing a death penalty case involving a 28-year-old medical student convicted of killing his roommate with poison despite his claims that it was an April Fools' Day prank that went wrong.

• Hainan makes industry advances, but further development needed
• Shanghai mulls policies for more talent
• Patients take precedence for top researcher
• IN BRIEF (Page 4)
• Anji cleans up by cleaning up
• Eager eco-warrior motivated by memories of pollution

US needs cool head to calm troubled waters

The Philippines is again enlisting support from outside forces, the United States in particular, in its dispute with China over territory in the South China Sea.

• Smaller govt spurs innovation
• Navy's attention on open seas helps guard maritime interests
• Ending corruption in students' college transfers
• Exam one of the few channels for social mobility
• Hot Words
• Cartoon
• Tsai must clarify cross-Straits position
• Simply paying ransom may send wrong mes sage
• Tragedy highlights plight of left-behind elderly
• US muscle flexing adds to tensions

Old cars preserve history

For an elite but passionate group of vintage-car collectors in Pakistan, restoring antique autos is like traveling back in time - and money seems to be no obstacle when the prize is a Lincoln convertible that belonged to an Afghan king or a Rolls-Royce once used by India's last viceroy.

• National elections delayed until 2016
• Closed-door trial of US journalist begins
• Grim secrets of trafficking camps found
• Myanmar vows to aid UN with migrant issue
• Militias take lead in campaign to reverse IS gains
• Travel ban ends for ex-Taliban inmates
• Government 'exaggerated likelihood of no-spy deal'
• Houston swamped by wild weather
• PM Cameron outlines plans in Queen's Speech
• Reforms needed before membership of NATO
• IN BRIEF (Page 12)

IT security plan 'to safeguard State secrets'

The government will issue a five-year information security plan that aims to safeguard State secrets and data in strategically important industries, a senior official from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on Wednesday.

• Duzhe seeks $81m in Shanghai listing
• Local govt debt rules eased
• Bayern cashes in on Chinese fans' frenzy for European soccer
• Changing tastes of modern Chinese households
• What's news
• Quotes of the day
• Risk awareness vital for success of trade moves, agency says
• Making it big in China's Silicon Valley
• Pedal power helping to drive Internet innovation
• Industrial sector bucks trend in April

Easier trade procedures to energize cooperation

Vice-premier urges forum to combat smuggling, counter protectionist forces

• Central Asia, East European nations boost infrastructure efforts
• Deutsche Bahn to expand procurement from China
• New platform in Guizhou to offer big data as a commodity
• Foxconn uses database to launch finance operation
• Media CEOs top pay ranking
• Deutsche Bank paying $55m settlement on incorrect reports
• Gucci discounts prompt lines as firm clears stock
• Tax debate shines light on flawed revenue base
• CSR department roles become more popular
• Telecom firms bring hope in Colombia
• Financial giants help women entrepreneurs
• IN BRIEF (Page 18)
• Philanthropists cast wide net to attract funds from donors

Nadal says shorts sparked rift with ref

Rafael Nadal enjoyed a winning start to his campaign to claim a 10th French Open on Tuesday before admitting he had requested the removal of a respected umpire in a dispute over his shorts.

• 'Butt-kicked' Bouchard confronts crisis of confidence
• Open sidelines
• Reds fan Wozniacki laments Gerrard departure
• LeBron, Cavs look unstoppable
• Mourinho pokes fun at rivals
• Juventus, Ronaldo top weekly poll
• Digest

Monsters vs humans

Raman Hui and Bill Kong team up to release a big-budget Chinese fantasy movie that took eight years to finish, Xu Fan reports.

• A Beijing garden stands witness to Sino-French relations
• Gender equality flies in face of style bias
• Jurassic is back
• Making moves in the online movie market
• Nielsen survey says Liam Neeson is big pitchman
• Grilling, South Africa style
• App brings Champagne smarts to your fingertips
• Fact box:
• Eat Beat

Tourism expo introduces Guilin to ASEAN visitors

The 2015 China-ASEAN Expo Tourism Exhibition, co-organized by the China National Tourism Administration and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region government, in Guilin from Friday through Sunday, provides an opportunity for ASEAN members to get to know the host city, an international tourist spot famed for its picturesque landscapes and historical culture.

• City boasts natural beauty, fascinating history and culture
• Yanshan uses leisure to sell tourism
• Xing'an: Waterway tells the tale of ancient town

Shanxi University extends global influence

Shanxi University has blended the cultures of China and the West since its establishment more than a century ago and is now aiming to extend its global influence.