China's new leaders a hot topic at Davos

Discussion of China's policy agenda under new leadership is heating up, with leading government officials and international economists at the World Economic Forum saying that China should continue to push structural reforms to achieve sustainable development.

Suspects tell court they incited monks to fiery suicides

Transfer of industry urged from Beijing to Tianjin

Xinjiang improves social stability after attacks

Some things old, some things new

Throughout history, family has been considered to be the base of Chinese society. And although Western lifestyles have been adopted, the traditional family structure and values still hold a prominent position.

Matriarchs evolving with time

Designs on China

Liliane Fawcett says her gallery Themes & Variations has never attracted as much media coverage as in the past month, when it hosted its first exhibition of Chinese contemporary design.

A taste for adventure, the comforts of home

World scene

The other new China

Eleven of the world's 50 biggest cities are in China, but most Americans would be hard-pressed to name more than three.

Well-chosen words open a window on China

Attenborough shows his China film credentials

Smile, be happy

Thailand is often called the "land of smiles", not only because of its natural beauty and historical riches, but also because of its friendly people and fascinating culture. Smiling is so ubiquitous here, it is practically contagious. According to some medical experts, smiling relieves stress and boosts the immune system.

China's the goal

In eight days' time, bosses be warned: About 25 million people across China could show up to work late, or be distracted in the morning. That's how many Chinese people America's National Football League forecasts will watch the sport's spectacular, the Super Bowl..

The week that was

Open loss can't douse Li's fire

Djokovic, Murray renew their modern rivalry

Armstrong told lies to Oprah, says doping chief

Score board

Digital globes for earth study

In the main hall of the hands-on science exhibits at the Cape Town Science Center in South Africa, a lifeless, tattered globe stands under naked fluorescent bulbs, all but ignored by children passing through on school tours.

Web classes, but without profits

Be aware of the upside of boredom

Traditional Indian values play out on TV

MUMBAI, India - Mothers-in-law are not a joke on Indian TV. They are the law.

Sales require more than just fame

Beyond bribery, for parents

When losing feels like winning

Step into a casino and chances are good that slot machines are filling much of the space, as far as the eye can see. That dominant presence reflects the preference of many customers for machine gambling over human-mediated table games. Not surprisingly, electronic game machines contribute a clear majority of revenue for casinos in general.

Drilling in ice for otherworldly life

Clueless about courtship, in a texting culture

Maybe it was because they had met on the dating Web site OkCupid. But when the dark-eyed musician asked Shani Silver, a social media and blog manager in Philadelphia, out on a "date"Friday night, she was expecting at least a drink, one on one.

Now Eddie Redmayne is the talk of the town

Using the beauty of bacteria

Glamorous gams

Successful businesses are all about knowing the market and finding a niche. While there is very little that's new in the competitive world of fashion, there is always room for a fresh approach by creative new talent.

Soap beans, silver ears and peach gum

Forget about double-boiling bird's nest for that collagen fix. The eco-friendly, economically viable option is to seek out soap nuts, white fungus and peach gum for a beauty regime that starts inside out. When we were younger, and the Chinese world was still relatively undisturbed by too much wealth, our grandmothers and mothers fed us hashima and bird's nest rarely but regularly, convinced they were investments toward clear, bright, unblemished skins.

Our inner child revealed

A child's fairytales are often destroyed by reality on becoming an adult, but the exhibition Boys and Girls by six young, award-winning contemporary Chinese artists emphasizes their continued importance.

A date with Changbai Mountain

American idol live in China

City guide

City with beauty and age

Egret Island. Island of Abundant Crops. Gateway to China. Amoy. Siming ("Remember the Ming"). Few cities can boast a more colorful series of names - and a history to match - than Xiamen. Legend has it that egrets and poisonous snakes once battled for supremacy here. The birds won, which is why tourists can enjoy a view of Egret Island, and why the egret's silhouette adorns the logos of many local businesses.

Xiamen deserves an open verdict