The Chinese media - and even more the country's social media - saw glamorous new first lady Peng Liyuan as the star of the summit.
Vet clinics inundated with cases of cats and dogs suffering health problems and rashes in 'Dirty 30' Siberian city.
He landed onto the track in minus 40C wearing only a T-shirt, shorts and slippers. He had left his compartment to go for a cigarette.
Scheme would allow epic journeys from London to the Japanese capital with major international crossing between Sakhalin and Hokkaido.
Environmentalists call for World Bank to halt funding for projects that could alter flow of rivers leading into lake with water nearing critical low.
Valery Malkov from Bratsk, Irkutsk region, was wearing only a T-shirt, shorts and slippers.
One estimate is half a million new jobs stemming from improvements to the Baikal-Amur Mainline link amid hopes of foreign investment.
Greenpeace claim authorities underestimate the scale of destruction, amid warnings of lack of resources to fight fires.
As they say, anything you Cannes do, we Kansk do better. Or at least do, too.