US, EU must jointly resolve Mideast crisis

The photograph of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi who drowned along with his 5-year-old brother and their mother during his family's failed bid to flee civil war-torn Syria to Europe has pricked the world's conscience. Partly in response to the global outcry over the refugee issue, Germany and Austria have opened their borders to accept more refugees from the Middle East.

Self-deceiving Abe will tarnish Japan's image

Although it refused to send a representative to Beijing to attend the events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the victory of Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), Japan has been issuing some weird statements.

To walk fast, walk alone; to walk far, walk together

Nine months ago, I made a New Year's resolution to go on 20-kilometer walks at least 20 times this year after I managed to cover that distance in suburban Brussels on Jan 1.

Autonomy and assistance drive Tibet to prosperity

The now-50-year-old Tibet autonomous region has every reason to rejoice: The national regional autonomy mechanism is working well and benefiting ordinary Tibetans.

Tourists tarred with old brush

Perhaps because of some embarrassing previous incidents overseas, there was much online criticism directed at the Chinese tourists supposedly making trouble at Bangkok Airport recently.

US should shoulder responsibility to help refugees and restore order

GERMANY AND AUSTRIA have opened their borders to accommodate more refugees fleeing from war-torn countries in the Middle East after the image of drowned 3-year-old Syrian boy, Aylan Kurdi, washed up on a Turkish beach went viral on the Internet. Also, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Monday promised to increase the intake of Syrian refugees in the wake of the humanitarian crisis. Comments:

Finetuning the language of official releases

AN EXPLOSION IN SHANDONG Binyuan Chemical Co Ltd in Lijin county, East China's Shandong province, killed 13 people, some of whom were blown to bits. However, in a media release the local government said that "the relatives of the victims are in a good, stable mood", which is a common practice in official comments after a disaster. The sentence provoked nationwide criticism. Comments:

School should let students choose nap or meditation

THE PILOT PLAN of an elementary school in Foshan, South China's Guangdong province to replace its customary afternoon nap for students with zazen meditation was recently ended after being tried for only two days, due to the complaints of parents. Comments:

Hot words

English test for professional title

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Xi's visit a chance for Obama to make history

Chinese President Xi Jinping will soon pay his first state visit to the United States. The big question is: What can he accomplish during this visit?

Who will suffer most from climate change?

A few years ago, Melinda and I visited a group of rice farmers in Bihar province of India, one of the most flood-prone regions in the country. All of them were extremely poor and depended on the rice they grew to feed and support their families. When the monsoon rains arrived each year, the rivers would swell, threatening to flood their farms and ruin their crops. Still, they were willing to bet everything on the chance that their farm would be spared. It was a gamble they often lost. Their crops ruined, they would flee to the cities in search of odd jobs to feed their families. By the next year, however, they would return - often poorer than when they left - ready to plant again.