Surgeons are offering an added benefit to breast-cancer patients: removing the tumor and cosmetically repairing the breast at the same time. This "oncoplastic surgery" could minimize the number of times a patient must go under the knife.

Done right, buybacks are a boon. They reduce the number of shares outstanding, spreading the company's future profits over a smaller base -- thus increasing earnings per share. Unfortunately, firms don't always buy stock back when it is cheap, and mistimed buybacks can be deadly.

Thirty-two years after the end of its Cultural Revolution, China is buzzing with once-forbidden Western classical music activity and more than 40 million youngsters are currently studying the piano or violin. The size and caliber of this talent pool has led some American music schools to enhance their China ties.

The clogged streets and smoggy skies of Asia's cities make it hard to imagine any great drives in the region. But whether a four-day trip or an afternoon jaunt, whether you take the wheel yourself or hire a driver, your route is out there. From Thailand's wine country to the mountains and fiords of New Zealand's South Island, Weekend Journal Asia takes readers on the road. Photos