SMRT told to be mindful of its core business

The committee of inquiry (COI) pointedly noted in its series of recommendations yesterday that SMRT needed to focus on its core business of train operations.

Train disruption inquiry doesn’t pull any punches

COI report faults SMRT’s inadequate maintenance for the debacle

China starts stockpiling rare earths

China has started stockpiling rare earths for strategic reserves, a state-backed newspaper said Thursday, in a move which may raise more worries over Beijing's control of the coveted resources.

Taiwan stops Japan bid to board boat

Coastguard reports Japanese patrol tried to intercept vessel carrying protesters near disputed Diaoyu Islands, but exchange of signals defused incident

Pledge to raise food standards

State Council vows big improvements in the next three years after a spate of scandals that has shattered public confidence in the food industry

Rule of law’s shocking absence laid bare

After seven trials and three judgments, a man is still locked up after 10 years without a formal conviction, a murder is unsolved and families keep petitioning

Unacceptable nearly 40% of population is made up of foreigners

Since the release of the first part of the video recording on the forum on xenophobia, some have questioned why the bloggers involved did not outright condemn xenophobic expression online and offline. The forum, called “Online|Offline”, is an initiative by several bloggers to discuss the hot issues of the day. Xenophobia was the topic chosen for the inaugural forum.

So near, yet so far away for P.L.A. garrison

The 6,000 elite PLA troops stationed in Hong Kong lead cloistered lives cut off almost completely from the city that they train so rigorously to defend

Official banquets may ban shark fin

Prohibition would give a big push to efforts to end the trade, environmentalists say - but three-year time frame seen as needless by some members of the public

Mayor elected Beijing party secretary

Promotion for Guo Jinlong, a close ally of President Hu, paves way for him to become a Politburo member this autumn at national party congress

China Develops a Taste for Napa Wine

With wines such as its 2002 Cabernet that received an eye-popping 99 points from Wine Spectator, Sloan Estate wines typically sold its wines for hundreds of dollars a bottle.

Bitter row over Macau hotel still not resolved

Bookings resume as representatives of the two main shareholders reveal more details on ownership row

Singapore government policies are the root cause, xenophobia is merely the symptom

At a recent forum on xenophobia attended by Zaqy Mohamad, Member of Parliament (MP) for Choa Chu Kang GRC, panelists expressed concern that Singapore might be turning into a xenophobic society.

Manila accused of South China Sea ‘plot’

China’s top newspaper accused the Philippines of orchestrating a plot to deliberately stir up tensions over the disputed South China Sea, and warned that Beijing’s patience should not be mistaken for weakness.

Hotel closes doors amid dispute

Ownership wrangle sees Macau New Century stop accepting new guests after attack on shareholder

Attack Raises Fears of a New Gang War in Macau

A senior figure in Macau’s gambling industry was severely beaten by six men in a restaurant at his own casino, the highest-profile case of violence in the city’s booming gambling business since Portugal handed control of the former colony back to China in 1999.

Grandparents Oral Sex

Aussie gets jail for squeezing woman’s breast

Yesterday, the 55-year-old was sentenced to 18 weeks’ jail after he was found guilty of molesting her at the farewell party.

New Zealand teacher throws 5-year-old girl into pool

Another day, another laowai douchebag causing a commotion. A Kiwi teacher working at the Shandong University of Finance and Economics has caused outrage for throwing a 5-year-old girl into the swimming pool when he thought nobody was watching (!!!). The full name of the teacher is unknown, but his surname has been given in Chinese media reports as Phillips.

Kunming Taxi Booking Service

Now can call to book taxi in Kunming at 331-2533.

Himalayan Viagra taking its toll on Nepal

Ram Bahadur Jafra and his two brothers crouch on a field, picking through blades of grass and staring at the soil. They have traveled five days by foot to a Himalayan meadow at a 4,300 meter elevation deep inside Nepal's Dolpa district. They came, as tens of thousands do each year, to harvest a highly valuable commodity from the high-altitude soil: the Himalayan caterpillar fungus -- also known as Himalayan Viagra.

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At Office, cubicles go out the Windows

Singapore asks: what do the rich like?

What’s the connection between racing car driver Lewis Hamilton, Michelin-starred chef Joel Robuchon and New York gallery owner Sundaram Tagore? The answer is Singapore.

That’s a sheep shot

Mainlanders are developing a taste for medical tourism and top of their shopping list is anti-ageing placenta injections

H.K.’s SCMP editor under fire as press freedom ‘shrinks’

The first China-born editor of Hong Kong’s flagship English-language paper admits he made a “bad call” in cutting coverage of a mainland dissident’s death, but denies he is a stooge for Beijing.

罗慧娟 Jacqueline Law passed away

Former Hong Kong actress Jacqueline Law has succumbed to pancreatic cancer. She was 45.

Visa rules tighten for foreigners

Top legislature approves new set of regulations aimed at people who come for short-term projects but remain after their employment contract ends