Heaven for food lovers

Singapore is a small place but it's definite worth paying a second or third visit if you are a gourmand.

Magic mike

A Beijing-based Web sensation releases an online short film in which he mimics accents of people from different parts of the world. Xu Lin reports.

Last standing Chinese eatery in downtown Nairobi holds strong

First there were four, then three, then two and finally just one.

From slum girl to silver screen: Uganda's chess prodigy

Phiona Mutesi happened upon chess as a famished 9-year-old foraging for food in the sprawling and impoverished slums of the Ugandan capital.

Looking back, moving forward

Paris Fashion Week kicks off with tributes to past giants of French fashion, and a firm eye to the future. Associated Press reports in Paris.

Chengdu Report: Robust plans for convention and expo industry

Guided by the nation's "new normal" in economic growth, the convention and exhibition industry in Chengdu is ridding itself of formalities and paying more attention to industrial restructuring, said Mu Tao, director of the city's bureau of expositions.

A sea of lanterns

Birdman to land at beijing gathering

Beijing movie fans will have a chance to see this year's biggest Academy Award winner, Birdman, on the big screen, despite a wider Chinese mainland release of the film looking unlikely.

From Pulp Fiction to Oscar meme, Travolta's highs and lows

Since strutting onto the big screen in Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta has had a career marked by dramatic ups and downs, from comeback king to Internet meme.

Popular TV show not so funny business

The annual CCTV New Year Gala experienced a small drop in ratings this year, amid growing criticism some skits were highly offensive to disabled people, women and the southern Chinese.

Currying flavor south

On the night a friend and I visit Vedas, routinely cited as being among the best Indian restaurants in Shanghai with a clutch of awards to prove it, about half the clientele are Indian - always a good sign.

A fragrant trail of seeds and leaves

The spice trade reached a frenzied peak in the era of the Silk Road. But such commerce in cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger, pepper and turmeric is documented between historical civilizations of Asia, northeast Africa and Europe back to ancient times.