Ancient market being restored in war-torn Homs

In the heart of the Syrian city of Homs, workers clear rubble and clean the blackened walls of the war-ravaged old market in a bid to restore its former glory.

Lower plastic surgery pricing could keep patients out of Asia

The boom days of Australians traveling to Asia for cheap cosmetic surgery may be coming to an end as Australian plastic surgeons slash their prices.

Military ends siege after suicide attacks hit Kabul

Precarious security highlighted in capital before an international conference in Brussels

IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Obama cancels meeting with Duterte after insult

US President Barack Obama canceled his first meeting with Philippines counterpart Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday after the blunt-spoken Duterte described him as a "son of a bitch", casting a shadow over a gathering of Asian leaders in Laos.

Merkel takes blame for vote defeat

German Chancellor Angela Merkel took responsibility for her party's election defeat in a German state where she has her political base, but strongly defended her migrant policy on Monday even as she vowed to win back voters' trust.

Bringing Shakespeare from page to stage

He Yue had her first exposure to Shakespeare in the late 1980s, when she stumbled across a complete edition owned by an expatriate teacher.

Delving into the history of fans and umbrellas

A recent visit to the China Fans Museum and the China Umbrellas Museum ignited a spark in me about the nature of these two traditional hand-held items. Fans are to keep one cool and umbrellas to prevent one from getting wet.

Nightly feasts of sights and sounds for visitors looking for thrills

A night on the town in Hangzhou presents a rich array of options. You can go partying at one of the trendy clubs or you can savor a moment of Zen tranquility at one of the traditionally deco-rated teahouses. The easiest choice, though, is to act like a typical tourist and take in one of the long-running shows that combine Las Vegas-style glitz with local legends and folklore.

Finding the best way to Qiandao Lake

How do you approach Qiandao Lake? Let me count the ways.

Botanical garden - a colorful treat

I keep running into Richard Nixon in the most surprising places.

Old tale inspires modern marriage market

Sitting on a small hill southwest of West Lake is Wansong Shuyuan, or Academy of Ten Thousand Conifers.