Short Torque

Mexico fines Renault for environmental, licensing violations

Not your regular grandfather

Retirement for most senior citizens in China involves playing mahjong, taking care of their grandchildren and just shooting the breeze with peers at the neighborhood park.

The rise of 'fresh talent' in China's modeling industry

Having young models front luxury brand campaigns seems to have become the passe thing to do these days, with a growing number of older personalities, some of whom can even be considered geriatric, claiming the spotlight.

Film tribute to a music hero

The first Sino-Kazakh coproduction, Composer, based on the life of musician Xian Xinghai, has begun filming in Astana, capital of Kazakhstan.

Swiss designers eye Chinese market with their unique style

While Switzerland is mostly known in China for its luxury watches, young Swiss designers are also looking to build their names here.

IN BRIEF (Page 18)

Bare naked fish time

"For Hawaii locals, poke tastes like home," writes author Martha Cheng in her new book about the past year's hottest food trend. "For me, it recalls my earliest visits, when my dad and I would head straight from the beach to a Waikiki corner store and buy raw ahi (big-eye or yellowfin tuna) with our saltwater-soaked dollar bills. I grew up in San Francisco, but I had never tasted fish as fresh as this."

Celebrity chef Ramsay gives NASCAR taste of the 'F' word

DOVER, Delaware - Danica Patrick wanted more than some cooking tips when she chewed the fat with Gordon Ramsay.

Reading the future

Visitors enjoyed interacting with two oval-shaped blue-and-white robots at the 27th National Book Expo in Langfang, Hebei province. One responded to the constant greetings by saying: "I've talked all morning. I'm tired."

Book surveys Beijing's ancient architecture

Beijing's axis ranks among the world's most splendid cityscapes.

Russian Press in China released

A Russian-language academic monograph on Russian newspapers' expansion in China in the 20th century's first half was published in Moscow in late April.

War tale gets art-house look

Unlike most wartime movies full of gunfire and explosions, Ann Hui's upcoming feature Our Time Will Come - set during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong between 1941 and 1945 - is different.