Hong Kong has officially entitled itself as most developed financial market in the world after it jumped from fourth position to first on the World Economic Forum index of financial market development. Beating out the established UK and US leaders, it has become the first Asian financial center ever to top the index. more ›

Shanghai-based startup Qifang.cn has been named by the World Economic Forum as one of 34 visionary companies to be part of its Technology Pioneer Community "for their accomplishments as innovators of the highest calibre, and whose technologies will have a deep impact on business and society." This makes the peer-to-peer microlending platform with the sole purpose of helping poor students complete their university education the very first Chinese enterprise to gain the honour. Our several chance encounters with Qifang's CEO Calvin Chin led us to believe this guy has a grand vision of where he wants to take this next. This is one startup you can expect to hear more of in the days ahead. more ›

For too long, many domestic TV entertainment channels have profaned music and the notion of competition by giving top honors to tomboys or sissy boys for being what they are - boyish girls and feminine boys - NOT for what or how they sing. The realm of music (which if not sacred should at least require some talent) suffered most when Li Yuchun, a tomboy whose voice was the weakest of all the finalists in a national singing contest in 2005, walked away with the "Super Girl" championship. Shi Yang, a boy who dances like a young woman, became a hot idol during the "My Show" contest in Shanghai last year.

Google has been in the news recently after co-founder Sergey Brin said at the World Economic Forum in Davos said, speaking of Google's decision to comply with censorship regulations in China, that "on a business level, the decision to censor ... was a net negative." more ›