Country of beauty and contrast

A country blessed by geographical location, Venezuela represents the diversity of South America.

Building safe houses for the impoverished

Three hundred and twenty young people were working hard at the construction site on a mountain slope. They wheeled barrows of red bricks up the slope, passing the bricks in a relay and laid the bricks under the scorching sun.

Major diabetes study launched

Oxford University's Nuffield Department of Medicine has opened an office in Beijing that will help pioneer research into diabetes in China that experts hope will have global significance.

IN BRIEF (Page 22)

Geely reaffirms focus on quality standards

China's homegrown brands are expected to become more popular in the next 10 years due to an increasing emphasis on product quality, auto industry insiders say.

Domestic auto giant rolls out first SUV

The Gleagle GX7, Chinese automaker Geely's first SUV model, will be launched commercially at this year's Beijing Auto Show.

Automechanika Shanghai expects to set new records

China's auto industry is looking forward to the largest-ever Automechanika Shanghai show at the Shanghai New International Expo Centre from Dec 11 to 14 with a record 3,900 exhibitors and 70,000 buyers expected.

First China-made Beijing Benz SUV on show

Over the next five years Sino-Germen joint venture Beijing Benz Automotive Co Ltd will launch more new models to seize and dominate China's burgeoning auto market, part of its goal to make Daimler the world's biggest car seller.

Dongfeng looking abroad in bid to boost own-brand sales

Dongfeng Motor Corp, the second-biggest Chinese auto group, is planning an aggressive strategy to increase the overseas sales of its own brand, according to the company.

Hyundai ups ante on luxury services

As a way of saying thanks to the first Chinese customers of its top-of-the-line Equus and Rohens models, South Korean carmaker Hyundai awarded them a free trip to the company's home country.

Bumpy road ahead for electric autos

When China's State Council released the energy conservation and new-energy vehicles plan on April 18, it stated that pure-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles will be the new technological paradigm in the future by 2020.

Gallery Guide

Your map to where the world's top auto brands are making their marque