Thai protest leader Suthep a son of the elite with an axe to grind

Suthep Thaugsuban, the leader of the Thai protests, is a political veteran with a chequered past and a hatred of what he calls the 'Thaksin regime'

Chris Harris pits the Porsche 911 Turbo S against a McLaren 12C

Declaration of air zone is a sign that Beijing thinks risk of conflict is rising

The motives are complicated, analysts say, but it could signal an end to the era of China ‘hiding its capabilities while biding its time’

Technological progress gave China confidence to declare ADIZ

Improvements in the People’s Liberation Army’s air surveillance and control systems helped give Beijing the confidence to create its air defence identification zone (ADIZ) over the East China Sea, military experts said.

Italian mafia fed man alive to pigs

A group of Calabrian mafia assassins beat a rival with a spade and fed him alive to pigs, Italian police said after rounding up 20 people for various mob crimes including five murders.

Canada let NSA spy on G20, G8 summits

Canada allowed America’s National Security Agency to spy on G20 talks in Toronto in 2010 and at the G8 summit days earlier, according to documents cited by public broadcaster CBC.

By law, the CSEC cannot target anyone in Canada without a warrant, and is prohibited by international agreement from getting the NSA to spy on its behalf.

Guardian

Producer of Pretty Woman, Arnon Milchan, admits he’s an Israeli spy

Now the Israeli businessman behind hits such as Pretty Woman, Fight Club and L.A. Confidential has finally come forth with a stunning admission - for years he said he served as an Israeli spy, buying arms on the country’s behalf and boosting its alleged nuclear programme.

Protected air space over East China Sea to remain ‘forever’

Sudden announcement of controversial defence zone was under consideration ‘for some time’ and will not be rescinded, say Beijing advisers

Shrine find suggests Buddha may have been born two centuries earlier

Discovery of timber structure dating to 6th century BC suggests sage may have lived 200 years earlier than generally believed, say scientists

Malaysia summons Singapore envoy over spying reports

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Top-secret exposé: Singapore helping US spy on Malaysia

Neighbouring Singapore is a key partner of the “5-Eyes” intelligence group which was revealed to have tapped telephones and monitored communications networks in Kuala Lumpur, according to more top secret documents leaked by intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden.

China creates air defence zone over Japan-controlled islands

Aircraft are expected to provide their flight plan, clearly mark their nationality, and maintain radio communication with Chinese authorities

Xi Jinping tipped to promote Communist Party allies to strengthen powerbase

Li Zhanshu, 63, one of Xi’s closest allies, is the front-runner to replace Han Zheng, 59, as Shanghai’s party boss, the sources said. The party boss outranks the city mayor.

Right-wing Japanese group dismisses fears of former Philippine ‘comfort women’

A right-wing historical group in Japan has criticised former comfort women in the Philippines who expressed fear at the sight of Japanese troops providing aid in their town as being the work of “professional accusers.”

Right-wing Japanese group dismisses fears of former Philippine ‘comfort women’

A right-wing historical group in Japan has criticised former comfort women in the Philippines who expressed fear at the sight of Japanese troops providing aid in their town as being the work of “professional accusers.”

Foreign trainees in Japan face exploitation

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Former bank officer jailed 11/2 years for Halloween fight which left party-goer dead

 

A Briton, who got into a fight at a Halloween party, was jailed for 11/2 years on Thursday. James Daniel Rhodes, 36, was convicted of causing grievous hurt to Mr Ronald Tan, an Australian. Mr Tan, 34, fractured his skull during the fight and died two months later.

Elliott Raymond Pitcher jailed for attacking cabby over $20 fare

A 31-YEAR-OLD commodities broker who kicked and punched a cabby over $20 in fares was jailed for two weeks yesterday.

Appointment of top audit official to Party organ signals shift in China’s anti-graft strategy

A personnel reshuffle in the Communist Party’s disciplinary forces in Shanghai appears to indicate a power transfer from local governments to the central anti-graft authorities, analysts say.

China, South Korea reject complaint from Japan over statue of assassin

China and S Korea reject complaint from Japan over proposed memorial to activist who killed colonial governor more than a century ago

Tokyo reacts to anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea

Japanese attitudes towards South Korea harden in the wake of criticism over Tokyo’s wartime actions and Seoul’s pivot to major trading partner China

Indonesia downgrades Australia ties over spying row

Australian spy chiefs give assurances that there will be no more wiretapping in Indonesia

Chinese official shamed over adultery 'contract' that fines bad behaviour

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China praises Korean assassin whom Japan calls a ‘criminal’

China and South Korea are to cooperate on a memorial to a Korean national hero who assassinated a Japanese official a century ago, provoking a diplomatic row Tuesday.

Xi Jinping shows muscle by setting up panels on economic reform, security

The creation of two new panels to oversee economic reform and national security provides perhaps the strongest sign yet that President Xi Jinping has successfully consolidated power across the government after a year in office.

Impatient Beijing subway commuters get the better of German fare machines

Superior foreign technology often fails when put to the test in China’s different market conditions

‘Little emperors’ harden up on reality TV shows

Spoiled children taken out of their comfort zones prove to be surprisingly independent

Bombing exoneration for Fujian man 12 years on exposes China legal abuses

Beaten so badly he repeatedly tried to kill himself, when Chen Keyun signed his confession to bombing a Chinese Communist party office he was not even sure what it said.

Frustrated Hong Kong women head to mainland China in search of love

Unhappy with ‘limited options’ at home, more of the city’s singles are turning to matchmaking events over the border to find a life partner

Chinese Americans protest across US over Jimmy Kimmel’s ‘kill Chinese’ skit

British banking director, Mason Robert Alford, fined $4,000 for hitting cabby

Younger buyers spice up Bentley’s cars

They prefer two-door Continental coupes and convertibles in bold, bright colours

Hackers expose Asia’s weak cyber defences

A rash of website hackings in the Asia-Pacific has exposed weak cyber defences which must be improved to help the region deal with more sophisticated and sinister threats, particularly from criminal organisations, analysts said.

Timelapse China in Motion

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Jewel - Foolish Games

CIA compelled medics to torture terror suspects: independent report

Military trumped medics’ oath to be ethical and made them complicit in abuses, independent report says; CIA and Pentagon reject findings

China's Forbidden City Built with Giant 'Sliding Stones'

The Forbidden City, the palace once home to the emperors of China, was built by workers sliding giant stones for miles on slippery paths of wet ice, researchers have found.
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Kerry says in some cases US spying 'reached too far'

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Australia Participated in N.S.A. Program, Document Says

Australia, a close ally of the United States, has used its embassies in Asia to collect intelligence as part of the National Security Agency’s global surveillance efforts, according to a document leaked by Edward J. Snowden and published in the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel.

Manila Mayor Aims to Ease Tensions With Hong Kong

A former Philippine president, Joseph Estrada, now the mayor of Manila, hopes to accomplish in the next few weeks what the national government has failed to do in three years: mend strained ties with Hong Kong over a botched hostage rescue attempt in which eight tourists were killed.

US network apologizes for child's 'Kill Chinese' quip

A US network has apologized after a child flippantly suggested to "kill everyone in China" during a late-night comedy show which infuriated Asian American activists.
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China's Real Estate Bubble

Lawsuit after six million bottles of Australian wine poured down drain

Global drinks giant Treasury Wine Estates was on Monday facing a class-action lawsuit from Australian shareholders after oversupply issues forced six million bottles of wine to be poured down the drain.

Manila backtracks on South China Sea accusation against China

In an embarrassing twist after foreign affairs and defence officials had accused China of preparing to build new structures on Scarborough Shoal, a group of rocks about 120 nautical miles off the coast of the main island of Luzon, Aquino said the blocks found within the shoal "are not a new phenomenon" and "some of them have barnacles attached to them."
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Kunming's illegal street racing scene

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Xi sets up special unit to probe Zhou Yongkang corruption case

Xi Jinping takes unusual step of forming special unit to investigate Zhou Yongkang graft scandal, bypassing party’s internal disciplinary system

Elite French winemakers seek elusive Chinese blend

The world's fine winemakers have exacting standards for soil, climate and cultivation to produce the perfect grape. And they are looking to recreate that unlikely blend in China -- better known for cheap mass production.
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US businessman accused of being mob boss in China

When more than 500 policemen swooped in to arrest 40 suspected gangsters in southern China last year, the alleged kingpin was a Los Angeles businessman who had hoisted an U.S. flag amid a crowd to welcome Xi Jinping, now China’s president, to California.

Conflict and clashes over China's prized caterpillar fungus

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Porsche Experience Center

Netanyahu the Nuclear Hypocrite!

Trust is a many-splendored thing

Trust enables citizens and the Government to work together to build a cohesive and adaptive society - one with good quality of life for all; where Singaporeans can call home.

Chinese inspectors uncover widespread corruption in “shock and awe” probe

Bo Xilai’s former stronghold of Chongqing among places criticised by anti-graft teams for failing to impose sufficient checks on leaders

Xi Jinping hopes traditional faiths can fill moral void in China

President Xi Jinping believes China is losing its moral compass and he wants the ruling Communist Party to be more tolerant of traditional faiths in the hope these will help fill a vacuum created by the country's breakneck growth and rush to get rich, sources said.
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Myanmar old guard clings to $8 billion jade empire

Special Report

Chinese General’s son found guilty of gang rape, sentenced to 10 years in jail

A court in Beijing found Li Guanfeng, the 17-year-old son of prominent military artist Li Shuangjiang, guilty on Friday charges of gang-raping a woman earlier this year and sentenced him to 10 years in prison.

Hacker 'mercenaries' linked to Japan, South Korea spying: researchers

A small, sophisticated international hacking group was responsible for a widely publicized 2011 spying attack on members of Japan's parliament as well as dozens of previously undisclosed breaches at government agencies and strategic companies in Japan and South Korea, security researchers said.
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China adoption agency furious over 'child exchange' report

China's adoption agency said it was "very shocked and furious" about the findings in a Reuters report that exposed how U.S. parents use the Internet to abandon unwanted children they have adopted from abroad, including China.
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US targeted Indian diplomats with sophisticated bugs

The US National Security Agency targeted the Indian embassy in Washington and the Indian UN office in New York with sophisticated surveillance equipment that might have resulted in hard disks being copied, a report said Wednesday.
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At U.N., Brazil's Rousseff blasts U.S. spying as 'meddling'

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Myanmar's Suu Kyi looks to Singapore as model - minus the materialism

Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi cemented Singapore's role as a major economic partner and model for her country on a five-day trip to the island, taking home what she said were valuable lessons on education policy and anti-graft measures.
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Foreign manpower tightening up a notch

Higher qualifying salary for those on employment permits seen adding to labour costs

Hotel-style prison awaits China's Bo Xilai: inmates

Fallen high-flyer Bo Xilai can expect hotel-style treatment at a jail for China's political elite, where he will enjoy comfortable surroundings but be constantly monitored by government agents, former prisoners say.
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Both sides were ruthless and cruel, says former communist party member

Chin Peng has been accused of being cruel and ruthless by the Malaysian government, but his actions were no worse than that of the Malayan soldiers, said a former Communist Party of Malaya member.
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Bo Xilai sentenced to life in prison

Fallen Chinese political star Bo Xilai was sentenced by a court to life in prison Sunday, following a sensational scandal that culminated in the country's highest-profile trial in decades.
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Singapore paper examines Malaysian divide over Chin Peng

Even in death, Chin Peng remains a deeply divisive figure. Putrajaya remains firm that his remains cannot be brought back to Malaysia, the opposition and MCA have urged the government to show clemency and allow bygones to be bygones.
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Arabs target Israel at U.N. nuclear meet despite U.S. warning

Arab states will push ahead with a bid to single out Israel for criticism over its assumed atomic arsenal at this week's U.N. nuclear agency meeting, despite Western pressure to refrain, a senior representative said on Friday.
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US National Security Agency linked to hacking of telecoms giant in Belgium

Belgium has denounced the “substantial and invasive” hacking of its biggest telecommunications company, saying a foreign state may have been responsible, as media pointed the finger at the US National Security Agency.

Brazil's Rousseff calls off state visit to U.S. over spying

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has called off plans for a state visit to Washington in October because of revelations that the United States spied on her personal communications and those of other Brazilians.
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Chin Peng dies in Bangkok hospital

 

 

The Malay Mail

Bangkok Post

Mr Clean catches China's graft tigers by the tail

Behind China's aggressive drive to root out corruption is Wang Qishan, a historian-turned-economist who once felt so bad about getting free parking that he reportedly sent a colleague back to pay the fee.
Link

NSA passes unsifted intelligence to Israel

The U.S. National Security Agency routinely passes raw intelligence to Israel without first removing details about U.S. citizens, Britain's Guardian newspaper said on Thursday, citing documents obtained by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.
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NSA spying on Petrobras, if proven, is industrial espionage: Rousseff

Reports that the United States spied on Brazilian oil company Petrobras, if proven, would be tantamount to industrial espionage and have no security justification, Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff said on Monday.
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Longer wait for China residency permits irk foreign firms

Foreign executives in China are upset at a new rule that allows authorities to hold passports for up to 15 working days when processing and renewing residency permits, saying it could disrupt essential business travel within China and abroad.
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New Snowden documents say NSA can break common Internet encryption

The United States (US) National Security Agency (NSA) has secretly developed the ability to crack or circumvent commonplace Internet encryption used to protect everything from email to financial transactions, according to media reports citing documents obtained by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Obama unlikely to win support on Syria

His consensus-building strategy is akin to Bush the First's, but the US, Mid-East and world today are different from 1990

Action on CNPC signals Beijing’s resolve to hit corruption hard

Hu Shuli says the Politburo’s launch of a new five-year plan to tackle corruption, just ahead of a key meeting on reform, is significant

New visa and residence regulations for China

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Kerry portrait of Syria rebels at odds with intelligence reports

Secretary of State John Kerry's public assertions that moderate Syrian opposition groups are growing in influence appear to be at odds with estimates by U.S. and European intelligence sources and nongovernmental experts, who say Islamic extremists remain by far the fiercest and best-organized rebel elements.
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American jailed for offences in hostels

An American tourist was sentenced to nine months in jail yesterday for insulting and outraging the modesty of five women at backpacker hostels.

China hunts tigers in corruption crackdown

The ultimate test for the ongoing crackdown on corruption by China President Xi Jinping is aptly captured in his own campaign phrase: “Hitting tigers as well as flies.” One year on, what tigers could he catch?

Russia's Putin calls John Kerry a liar on Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a liar, claiming he had denied that al-Qaida was fighting with the Syrian opposition in that country's civil war.
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Brazil's Rousseff wants U.S. apology for NSA spying

Furious about a report that the U.S. government spied on her private communications, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff may cancel a planned White House visit and downgrade commercial ties unless she receives a public apology, a senior Brazilian official told Reuters on Wednesday.
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What Japan really needs to learn from the Nazis

Any attempt to amend the Constitution would trigger vast international opposition

Anti-graft agency website lets public file complaints

People can fill out online form anonymously, detailing their suspicions about officials

US launched 231 cyberattacks in 2011

Spy services hacked computer networks, mostly of adversaries Iran, Russia, China and N Korea

Russia gives Snowden asylum

Russia rejected U.S. pleas and granted American fugitive Edward Snowden a year's asylum on Thursday, letting the former spy agency contractor slip out of a Moscow airport after more than five weeks in limbo while angering the United States and putting in doubt a planned summit between the two nations' presidents.
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What your favourite ice cream flavour says about you

Thrown to the wolves: China's children at the mercy of foreign predators

Children across China are at the mercy of foreign sexual predators who take advantage of lax background checks and inaction by schools

Local government debt to be exposed by Li’s survey

Audit likely to reveal up to US$3 trillion of debt, with any austerity measures hitting demand

Xi shaping up to be an influential PLA commander

The son of a revolutionary hero may have more chance than predecessors of winning the trust and political backing of the top brass, analysts say

Shenzhen introduces Good Samaritan law

New regulation will protect people who render assistance to those in need and deter dishonest ‘victims’ who see a chance for easy money

Supercar membership club now open

Singapore’s first supercar membership club was launched yesterday and it will offer 100 high-net worth individuals the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a super sports car for a fee. Gran Superdrive is founded by Henry Goh and his associates - a group of car enthusiasts who are also veterans of the car industry.

Thrown to the wolves: China's children at the mercy of foreign predators

Children across China are at the mercy of foreign sexual predators who take advantage of lax background checks and inaction by schools

Travelling? Activate your credit cards first

The next time you travel overseas and plan to use your credit or debit card to buy something, be sure to activate it before leaving Singapore.

Truth behind tragic secret execution of businessman Zeng Chengjie

Pressure mounts for the real facts in the case of Zeng Chengjie, accused of fraud and killed by firing squad without his family being notified

A Charity Aims to Bring Buddhist Studies Into the Modern World

Robert Y.C. Ho, a scion of a historic Hong Kong family, is the chairman of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation, which supports study in the fields of Buddhism, Chinese art and culture. The charity is named after Mr. Ho’s father, who founded it in 2005.

Game of thorns

The insider’s guide to artisanal durians.

Hong Kong gongfu masters fight back

English-language manual among ways to revive interest in Chinese martial art

Property cooling measures give foreign buyers cold feet

Singapore permanent residents (PRs) and other foreigners are buying fewer private homes. The number slipped for the second consecutive quarter in Q2 2013, according to a caveats analysis by DTZ.

Russia Cites Extradition as Sore Point With U.S.

Russian officials complained on Monday that the United States routinely disregards extradition requests by the Russian government, the latest in a series of public statements that seem aimed at laying the groundwork for granting asylum to Edward J. Snowden, the former intelligence contractor on the run from the American authorities.

30m tons of silt released from Yellow River dam

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Legco chief insists on answers to Snowden spy claims

Legco chief Tsang Yok-sing says city’s residents are ‘appalled’ at possible privacy violations and demand details of surveillance

Lawmakers vote to condemn US spying in Hong Kong

Security secretary ‘very disappointed’ there has been no solid explanation of the hacking saga

Hong Kong still waiting for US reply on Snowden hacking allegations

Hong Kong is still waiting for a reply from the United States on claims made by whistle-blower Edward Snowden that US agencies had hacked into the city’s computers, Secretary for Security Lai Tung-kwok told legislators on Thursday.

'Dirty' GSK inflated China prices with bribes

A Chinese state newspaper on Wednesday called GlaxoSmithKline, which is under investigation for bribery in China, "dirty and devious", accusing the British drug firm of inflating its prices.
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Expat teacher from Hong Kong charged with child sex abuse in Cebu

Munro, a 45-year-old Australian, is being detained in the holiday resort of Cebu.

Spain apologizes to Bolivia for presidential plane delay

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Edward Snowden has 'blueprints' to NSA

Edward Snowden has highly sensitive documents on how the National Security Agency is structured and operates that could harm the U.S. government, but has insisted that they not be made public, a journalist close to the NSA leaker said.
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Snowden documents could be 'worst nightmare' for U.S.

Fugitive former U.S. spy contractor Edward Snowden controls dangerous information that could become the United States' "worst nightmare" if revealed, a journalist familiar with the data said in a newspaper interview.
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Hong Kong lawmakers slam Washington for Snowden censure

The US is like a villain suing the victim before the victim could prosecute him. It’s completely disrespectful of Hong Kong and its citizens.

Formula makers facing an end to plump profits

Chinese mothers’ fears of contaminated milk powder may no longer benefit foreign producers

Probe puts foreign milk powder prices in spotlight

Price-fixing investigation forces overseas baby formula manufacturers to cut prices in China after brands have steadily become more expensive

Microsoft helped NSA, FBI access user info: Guardian

Microsoft Corp worked closely with United States (US) intelligence services to help them intercept users’ communications, including letting the National Security Agency (NSA) circumvent email encryption, the Guardian reported on Thursday.

NSA, Israel created Stuxnet worm together to attack Iran, says Snowden

America’s National Security Agency helped Israel code the Stuxnet computer worm used to attack Iranian nuclear facilities several years ago, according to former NSA contractor and whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

Snowden tells of ‘5 eyes’ spy network

US, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada have deep intelligence connection that goes beyond sharing data, whistle-blower says

Latin American nations fuming over NSA spying allegations

Irate Latin American nations are demanding explanations from the United States about new allegations that it spied on both allies and foes in the region with secret surveillance programs.
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NSA 'spied' on most Latin American nations

The U.S. National Security Agency has targeted most Latin American countries in its spying programs, with Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Mexico ranking among those of highest priority for the U.S. intelligence agency, a leading Brazilian newspaper reported on Tuesday.
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How to leak and not get caught

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Xi issues new rules to rein in PLA excesses

President moves to consolidate control over army and says military must take the lead to protect authority of the Communist Party

Has Xi's graft crackdown run out of steam?

Analysts say candid coverage of 'consultations' may indicate leadership lacks will to take action

Singapore’s open door to billionaires shuts out logic

Brigadier general calls the shots but his top brass will struggle with his wonky economics

Samsung Still Asia’s Most Popular Brand, Beats Apple

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Brazil to probe local telecom operators over alleged U.S. spying

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Snowden affair clouds U.S. attempts to press China to curb cyber theft

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Brazil was target of U.S. signals spying

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Fung shui masters hit out at former colleague Peter Chan

Under fire in the courts, pursued by creditors and the taxman, Peter Chan Chun-chuen is also in trouble with leaders of his former profession.

Peter Chan gets 12 years’ jail for forging late tycoon Nina Wang’s will

Former fung shui master granted individual cell in Stanley Prison after judge describes him as ‘shameless, cruel and extremely greedy’

Peter Chan: reinvention of a nobody with a big smile

He was just married, living in a public housing flat, when he met the woman who made him her HK$2.7b penthouse lover

In Okinawa, Talk of Break From Japan Turns Serious

In a windowless room in a corner of a bustling market where stalls displayed severed pigs’ heads and bolts of kimono silk, Okinawans gathered to learn about a political idea that until recently few had dared to take seriously: declaring their island chain’s political independence from Japan.

Xi Jinping seeks changes in way party cadres are selected

A slew of high-profile scandals involving senior Communist Party officials in recent months prompted President Xi Jinping to call for a fundamental overhaul of the appointment and promotion regime for cadres during a recent national conference on the promotion of meritocracy.

Merkel says EU must not forget U.S. spying in push for free trade

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Three Latin American leftist leaders offer asylum to Snowden

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BRICS emerging economies to expand co-operation on internet security

The cyber snooping saga pushes the major emerging economies, including China, to reduce reliance on American technology

Venezuela offers asylum to U.S. fugitive Snowden

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South American leftist leaders rally for Bolivia in Snowden saga

South America's most outspoken leftist leaders demanded an explanation and public apology from four European countries on Thursday after Bolivian President Evo Morales' plane was diverted this week on suspicions that fugitive U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden was aboard.
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Evo Morales threatens to close Bolivia's US embassy as leaders lend support

Anger at US and EU from Bolivia's left-leaning South American allies at meeting to discuss rerouting of Morales' plane
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Bolivia complains to UN after Evo Morales' plane 'kidnapped'

US refuses to comment on Morales plane but admits contact with other nations over potential Snowden flights
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Protest at French embassy over Morales jet diversion

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France apologises in Bolivia plane row

France has apologised to Bolivia for refusing to allow President Evo Morales' jet into its airspace, blaming "conflicting information".

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Latin America fumes over Bolivia incident in Snowden saga

Latin American leaders slammed European governments on Wednesday for diverting Bolivian President Evo Morales' plane on rumors it was carrying a wanted former U.S. spy agency contractor, adding a new diplomatic twist to the Edward Snowden saga.

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US spy chief apologises over 'erroneous' remark

US National Intelligence Director James Clapper has apologised for telling lawmakers the National Security Agency does not collect data from Americans' phone records and Internet use.

Strong ties bind spy agencies and Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley has tried to distance itself from the controversial US surveillance programmes exposed by Edward Snowden, but there is a long history of close cooperation between technology companies and the intelligence community.

Bolivia says Morales' plane diverted, apparently over Snowden

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Hints surface that NSA building massive, pervasive surveillance capability

Despite U.S. intelligence officials’ repeated denials that the National Security Agency is collecting the content of domestic emails and phone calls, evidence is mounting that the agency’s vast surveillance network can and may already be preserving billions of those communications in powerful digital databases.

Edward Snowden given possible lifeline as Bolivia hints it would grant asylum

Evo Morales says his country is keen to 'shield the denounced' as Snowden's father Lon compares son to Paul Revere

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Reporter endures painful medical procedures to expose private hospital scam

An undercover reporter subjects himself to prostate examinations and urethra swabbing to unveil the costly diagnoses of three Beijing hospitals

Countries' reactions to Snowden's asylum applications

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France calls for common EU stand on US spy claims

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Whistle-blower Snowden seeks asylum in China, among other nations, says Wikileaks

Fugitive whistle-blower also releases a statement, criticising the US and saying he remains ‘unbowed’ in his convictions

US bugged 38 embassies, including allies, latest Snowden leak indicates

US intelligence services spied on at least 38 foreign embassies and missions, including those of allies, according to the latest secret documents leaked by National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden.

John Kerry on defensive at Brunei conference over spying claims

Allegations that US targeted European and Asian allies put secretary of state in awkward position at security conference

Edward Snowden's letter to Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa

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Snowden blames Obama for trying to block his efforts to find asylum

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Snowden applies for political asylum in Russia

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Edward Snowden: Obama guilty of deceit over extradition

US president pledged to avoid 'wheeling and dealing' while bullying countries that might grant asylum, says whistleblower

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Barack Obama seeks to limit EU fallout over US spying claims

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France warns US spying claims threaten trade talks

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Edward Snowden threatens new US leaks, applies for Russian asylum

Former US spy agency contractor Edward Snowden broke his silence on Monday for the first time since fleeing to Moscow to say he remains free to make new disclosures about US spying activity.

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New NSA spying allegations rile European allies

The Obama administration faced a breakdown in confidence Sunday from key foreign allies who threatened investigations and sanctions against the U.S. over secret surveillance programs that reportedly installed covert listening devices in European Union offices.

US intelligence targeted Italy and France embassies

France, Italy and Greece were among 38 "targets" of spying operations conducted by US intelligence services, according to documents leaked to the Guardian newspaper by fugitive former CIA operative Edward Snowden.

NSA spying row: bugging friends is unacceptable, warn Germans

The leaders of Germany and France have rounded angrily on the US for the first time over spying claims, signalling that ambitious EU-US trade talks scheduled to open next week could become an early casualty of the burgeoning transatlantic espionage dispute.

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New NSA leaks show how US is bugging its European allies

New NSA leaks show how US is bugging its European allies

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New slides detail how NSA collects data from US internet firms

New slides on spying programme emphasise collection from tech giants, like Google or Yahoo

EU confronts Washington over reports it spies on European allies

The European Union has demanded that the United States explain a report in a German magazine that Washington is spying on the group, using unusually strong language to confront its closest trading partner over its alleged surveillance activities.

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Key US-EU trade pact under threat after more NSA spying allegations

Reports in Der Spiegel that US agencies bugged European council building 'reminiscent of cold war', says German minister

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European officials slam US over bugging report

BERLIN (AP) — Senior European lawmakers say they are shocked at reports that U.S. intelligence agents bugged EU offices on both sides of the Atlantic.

The president of the European Parliament said he was "deeply worried and shocked about the allegations of U.S. authorities spying on EU offices" made in a report published Sunday by German news weekly Der Spiegel.

Martin Schulz said if the reports were confirmed "it would be an extremely serious matter which will have a severe impact on EU-U.S. relations."

Green Party leaders in the European Parliament, Rebecca Harms and Daniel Cohn-Bendit, called for an immediate investigation into reports published by Der Spiegel and suggested that further negotiations on a trans-Atlantic trade treaty be put on hold.

They also called for existing U.S.-EU agreements on the exchange of bank transfer and passenger record information to be cancelled.

Germany demands explanation of US 'spying'

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Berlin demands US answers over EU 'bugging' claims

Germany's justice minister called Sunday for an immediate explanation from the United States over a media report that Washington bugged European Union offices, saying it was reminiscent of the Cold War.

"It must ultimately be immediately and extensively explained by the American side whether media reports about completely disproportionate tapping measures by the US in the EU are accurate or not," Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said in a statement.

U.S. taps half-billion German phone, internet links in month

The United States taps half a billion phone calls, emails and text messages in Germany in a typical month and has classed its biggest European ally as a target similar to China, according to secret U.S. documents quoted by a German newsmagazine.

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EU demands clarification over US spying claims

European parliament president 'deeply worried and shocked' by claims published in Der Spiegel that US bugged EU offices

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US senators demand answers on secret surveillance programme

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle attack intelligence officials over scope of snooping

Snowden saga puts spotlight back on Assange and WikiLeaks

The WikiLeaks founder was back in the news last week, but he has never been off the radar of the US government as it builds its case against him

EU concern over Der Spiegel claim of US spying

The head of the European Parliament has demanded "full clarification" from the US over a report that key EU premises in America have been bugged.

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US spies bugged European Union communications

The United States bugged European Union offices and gained access to EU internal computer networks, according to secret documents cited in a German magazine yesterday, the latest in a series of exposures of alleged US spy programmes.

U.S. asked Ecuador not to give Snowden asylum: Correa

Praising Biden's good manners in contrast to "brats" in the U.S. Congress who had threatened to cut Ecuador's trade benefits over the Snowden issue, Correa said during his weekly television broadcast: "He communicated a very courteous request from the United States that we reject the (asylum) request."

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Ecuador cools on Edward Snowden asylum as Assange frustration grows

President Correa revokes Snowden's temporary travel document amid concerns WikiLeaks founder is 'running the show'

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French hand back plundered bronzes to China

French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault on Friday handed back to China two rare bronzes plundered from Beijing's Old Summer Palace during the Second Opium War in 1860.

The Snowden affair: Whatever happened to the blame game?

Edward Snowden's revelations about top-secret U.S. surveillance programs and his globe-trotting flight from prosecution have created an international furore, but there is one place the outcry has been muted: Capitol Hill.

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Is search for Snowden turning into sideshow?

Whisked out of a luxury Hong Kong hotel, vanishing into a mysterious wing of a Moscow airport, Edward Snowden’s continent-jumping, hide-and-seek game seems like the stuff of a pulp thriller — a desperate man’s drama played out before a worldwide audience trying to decide if he’s a hero or a villain.

U.S. request for Snowden arrest was ‘sloppy’

Lawmaker Ip Kwok-him, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said the US government was “shameless” for heaping accusations against Hong Kong to dodge questions about cybersnooping in the city and on the mainland. “The US government is talking nonsense,” he said.

China accuses US of cyber security hypocrisy amid Snowden dispute

China accused the United States on Thursday of "double standards" and hypocrisy in the area of cyber security as tension flared between Beijing and Washington over the flight of fugitive former spy agency contractor Edward Snowden.

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No reply from US on hacking claims disappointing, says security minister

Hong Kong’s security minister on Wednesday repeated calls by the government for the United States to clarify claims made by Edward Snowden that it had been hacking into computers in the city.

Request for Asylum from Edward J. Snowden

I, Edward Snowden, citizen of the United States of America, am writing to request asylum in the Republic of Ecuador because of the risk of being persecuted by the government of the United States and its agents in relation to my decision to make public serious violations on the part of the government of the United States of its Constitution, specifically of its Fourth and Fifth Amendments, and of various treaties of the United Nations that are binding on my country.

As a result of my political opinions, and my desire to exercise my freedom of speech, through which I’ve shown that the government of the United States is intercepting the majority of communications in the world, the government of the United States has publicly announced a criminal investigation against me. Also, prominent members of Congress and others in the media have accused me of being a traitor and have called for me to be jailed or executed as a result of having communicated this information to the public.

Some of the charges that have been presented against me by the Justice Department of the United States are connected to the 1917 Espionage Act, one of which includes life in prison among the possible sentences.

Ecuador granted asylum to the founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, in relation to this investigation. My case is also very similar to that of the American soldier Bradley Manning, who made public government information through Wikileaks revealing war crimes, was arrested by the United States government and has been treated inhumanely during his time in prison. He was put in solitary confinement before his trial and the U.N. anti-torture representative judged that Mr. Manning was submitted to cruel and inhumane acts by the United States government.

The trial against Bradley Manning is ongoing now, and secret documents have been presented to the court and secret witnesses have testified.

I believe that, given these circumstances, it is unlikely that I would receive a fair trial or proper treatment prior to that trial, and face the possibility of life in prison or even death.

— Edward J. Snowden

‘Happy ending’ massages not considered prostitution by Chinese court

Are massage parlour “happy endings” illegal?

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Hani terraces garner UNESCO status

The rice terraces of Yuanyang (元阳), which have been under continuous cultivation for thirteen centuries, were officially granted World Heritage status on June 22. The mountainous paddy fields in southeast Yunnan became the fifth such area to be recognized in the province.

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Yuanyang's rice terraces

In US, Asian immigrants 'better off than whites'

Asian immigrants tend to live in highly segregated enclaves in the United States and their income level is often higher than that of white Americans, said a US study out Wednesday.

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Japan dumbfounded by ex-PM over China island row claim

Japan's top government spokesman on Wednesday declared himself dumbfounded after a recent prime minister said he understood China's claim to islands at the centre of a bitter row between Tokyo and Beijing.

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Hong Kong chief hits back in war of words on Snowden cyberspying claims

Chief executive says US must address Snowden’s hacking claims, as justice chief denies accusation that city stalled over request for fugitive’s arrest

Australian spy bosses brief government on possible Asian fallout over Snowden

Australia's main intelligence and spying agencies have briefed the government on the PRISM internet surveillance program amid fears former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden may release information damaging to Australia's relations with Asian neighbours, local media reported on Wednesday

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China Brushes Aside U.S. Warnings on Snowden

She reiterated official Chinese criticism of the United States for public statements that have accused China of cyberattacks against American interests. “I’d like to advise these people to hold up a mirror, reflect and take care of their own situation first,” she said.

For Snowden, a Hasty Exit Started With Pizza Inside a Hong Kong Hideout

For Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who has acknowledged leaking numerous documents about American surveillance operations around the world, the path to a sudden departure from Hong Kong late Sunday morning began over a dinner last Tuesday of a large pizza, fried chicken and sausages, washed down with Pepsi.

Snowden’s last 72 hours in Hong Kong: dramatic events prompted whistleblower’s flight

New details have emerged about Edward Snowden’s final days in Hong Kong, including the identity of the man who escorted the whistle-blower to Chep Lap Kok airport on Sunday morning to board a Moscow-bound flight.

Top China paper hits back at U.S. accusations on Snowden

China's top state newspaper praised fugitive U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden on Tuesday for "tearing off Washington's sanctimonious mask" and rejected accusations that it had facilitated his departure from Hong Kong.

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China outsmarted US in Snowden chess game

China interceded to allow Edward Snowden’s dramatic flight from Hong Kong, calculating that infuriating the United States for now was necessary to prevent longer-term corrosion to their relationship, analysts and media said on Monday.

Snowden sought Booz Allen job to gather evidence on NSA surveillance

Edward Snowden tells the Post he took a job at NSA contractor Booz Allen Hamilton to collect proof of surveillance programme.

China Said to Have Made Call to Let Leaker Depart

The Chinese government made the final decision to allow Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor, to leave Hong Kong on Sunday, a move that Beijing believed resolved a tough diplomatic problem even as it reaped a publicity windfall from Mr. Snowden’s disclosures, according to people familiar with the situation.

Key questions never asked in graft probe of ex-railways chief Liu Zhijun

Length of probe into Liu Zhijun indicated scale of misdeeds, but murky details of a web of corruption were not clarified in swift trial

Anti-graft campaign in China claims another big fish

A former vice-governor of Sichuan province, who for years was the aide of the Communist Party’s former top security official, has been placed under investigation.

Snowden leaves Hong Kong on Commercial Flight to Moscow

US whistle-blower Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong and is due to arrive in Moscow by this evening, the South China Morning Post can confirm.

The former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, who was last known to be hiding in Hong Kong, took off from the city’s airport at 10.55am on Sunday morning and was en route to Moscow’s Shermetyevo International Airport. He is scheduled to arrive at 5.15pm.

The Post was able to confirm that Snowden had been on an Aeroflot SU213 flight and headed to Moscow. Moscow will not be his final destination. Possible final destinations are either Iceland and Ecuador, according to previous media reports.

The Russian embassy in Beijing would neither confirm nor deny Snowden is on a flight to Moscow. The Russian consulate in Hong Kong declined to comment.

US to Hong Kong: Don't delay Snowden extradition

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US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

According to information provided by Edward Snowden to the Post, computers owned by Pacnet in Hong Kong were attacked by the US National Security Agency in 2009, but the operation has since been shut down

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NSA targeted China's Tsinghua University in extensive hacking attacks, says Snowden

Tsinghua University, widely regarded as the mainland’s top education and research institute, was the target of extensive hacking by US spies this year

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US spies on Chinese mobile phone companies, steals SMS data: Edward Snowden

The US government is stealing millions of text messages in their hacking attacks on major Chinese mobile phone companies, Edward Snowden has told the Post

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Snowden reveals more US cyberspying details

Text messages mined, while servers at Tsinghua University attacked

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U.S. seeks Snowden's extradition, urges Hong Kong to act quickly

The United States said on Saturday it wants Hong Kong to extradite Edward Snowden and urged it to act quickly, paving the way for what could be a lengthy legal battle to prosecute the former National Security Agency contractor on espionage charges.

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China fury at new Snowden claims as US seeks extradition

China on Sunday attacked the United States as an espionage "villain" after former spy Edward Snowden raised new allegations about the far-reaching extent of US cyber-snooping against Chinese targets.

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US is 'biggest villain' for IT spying

The United States is the world’s “biggest villain” for IT espionage, China’s official media said on Sunday after new allegations of anti-Beijing snooping emerged.

US hacks Chinese mobile phone messages: Snowden

The United States government is hacking Chinese mobile phone companies to gather data from millions of text messages, former intelligence technician Edward Snowden told the South China Morning Post in a report published on Saturday.

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British spy agency taps cables, shares with U.S. NSA - Guardian

Britain's spy agency GCHQ has tapped fibre-optic cables that carry international phone and internet traffic and is sharing vast quantities of personal information with the U.S. National Security Agency, the Guardian newspaper said on Friday.

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China’s big challenge is social, not financial

China may be a long way from its “Minsky moment”. Rising leverage has prompted many to predict the kind of financial meltdown theorised by economist Hyman Minsky. But China’s closed, state-controlled system is well placed to postpone such market panics. The bigger challenge is managing social tensions arising from slowing growth.

Different kind of clubbing back then

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Club Street was named for Chinese clan groups and businessmen’s clubs

Spyware claims emerge in row over Chinese dissident at NYU

When Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng arrived in the United States in May last year he was given a fellowship at New York University, use of a Greenwich Village apartment, and a pile of gifts from supporters, including smartphones and an iPad.

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Not act of nature but man-made: NEA chief

The haze triggered by fires raging across Sumatra is not an act of nature, but man-made, National Environment Agency (NEA) chief executive Andrew Tan said yesterday.

Palestinian children tortured, used as shields by Israel - UN

A United Nations human rights body accused Israeli forces on Thursday of mistreating Palestinian children, including by torturing those in custody and using others as human shields.

Palestinian children in the Gaza and the West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, are routinely denied registration of their birth and access to health care, decent schools and clean water, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child said.

"Palestinian children arrested by (Israeli) military and police are systematically subject to degrading treatment, and often to acts of torture, are interrogated in Hebrew, a language they did not understand, and sign confessions in Hebrew in order to be released," it said in a report.

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Officials to get tough on polluters as public anger rises over environmental scandals

Legal interpretation spells out tougher action against polluters in move seen as addressing seething public anger over environmental disasters

Friends fear right-wing connections will hit Chen Guangcheng’s credibility

Friends fear Chen Guangcheng’s credibility will suffer because he has become too politicised

Edward Snowden speaks out on webchat

Edward Snowden uses a webchat to excoriate the Obama administration and Dick Cheney and declare that his message will not be silenced

Snowden vows more disclosures about US surveillance

Defiant and apparently unbowed by threats of prosecution, former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden vowed Monday to release more secrets about U.S. intelligence surveillance systems that he described as “nakedly, aggressively criminal.”

Huawei, ZTE see vindication amid US cyber-spying scandal

No Chinese telecoms equipment makers named as co-operating with US surveillance system

New Leak Indicates U.S. and Britain Eavesdropped at ‘09 World Conferences

A new set of classified documents disclosed Sunday suggested that Edward J. Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who has provided a trove of documents to The Guardian newspaper, had obtained a wider range of materials about government surveillance than had been known, including one document revealing how American and British intelligence agencies had eavesdropped on world leaders at conferences in London in 2009.

America’s prying eyes have been focused on China ‘for years’

State media denounce a long-running US campaign of hacking and espionage

Britain’s spying claims outrage Russia, Turkey and South Africa

Allegations that GCHQ spied on foreign delegates embarrassing for UK as it hosts G8 summit

Guardian: NSA leaker Snowden live chats in hiding

Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency leaker, is defending his disclosure of top-secret U.S. spying programs in an online chat Monday with The Guardian and attacking U.S. officials for calling him a traitor.

GCHQ intercepted foreign politicians' communications at G20 summits

Exclusive: phones were monitored and fake internet cafes set up to gather information from allies in London in 2009

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France condemns attack on Chinese wine students

France's interior minister has condemned as racist an assault on six Chinese students by drunken locals in the Bordeaux wine-producing region that left one seriously injured.

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Chinese tourists carving out a bad reputation abroad

Child’s graffiti on an Egyptian temple has sparked debate about bad behaviour and the need for mainlanders to spruce up their image

China must investigate links between White House and businesses

The mainland government should launch an immediate investigation into connections between US companies and the White House, a cyber security expert in Shanghai says.

Chinese army newspaper hits out at US Internet surveillance programme

China’s official army newspaper on Sunday branded the United States Internet surveillance programme exposed by former spy Edward Snowden as “frightening”, and accused the US of being a “habitual offender” when it comes to network monitoring.

Hong Kongers 'don't want Snowden extradited to US'

Half of Hong Kongers believe the city's government should not extradite former US spy Edward Snowden, according to a poll published on Sunday a day after hundreds protested in his support.

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Six Chinese students in France attacked in violent ‘xenophobic’ act

One victim suspected to be ‘daughter of retired Chinese political figure’, says French newspaper

Hong Kong rally backs Snowden, denounces allegations of U.S. spying

A few hundred rights advocates and political activists marched through Hong Kong on Saturday to demand protection for Edward Snowden, who leaked revelations of U.S. electronic surveillance and is now believed to be holed up in the former British colony.

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Six Chinese students in France attacked in 'xenophobic' act

Six Chinese oenology students were attacked in the early hours of Saturday in France's wine-producing southwest region of Bordeaux, the interior ministry said, describing the violence as an act of xenophobia.

America owes explanation for hacking, says editorial

The United States should explain to internet users around the world why it accessed their private conversations, credit cards and emails, one of China’s leading dailies said in an editorial on Thursday.

Edward Snowden: Classified US data shows Hong Kong hacking targets

Top-secret US government records shown to Post by whistle-blower give details of computer IP addresses hacked by NSA in HK and mainland

Snowden claims raise alarms on internet security upgrades in China

US whistle-blower Edward Snowden’s claims about Washington surveillance will prompt China to upgrade its internet security, experts said on Thursday.

Protesters rally in Hong Kong to support Snowden

Hundreds of protesters staged a rally in rain-hit Hong Kong Saturday to urge the city's government not to extradite former spy Edward Snowden, and slam the United States for its surveillance programmes.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets up cyberdiplomacy office

The mainland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set up an office to deal with diplomatic activities involving cybersecurity, a spokeswoman announced yesterday.

Hong Kong lawmakers demand answers on cyberspying

Alleged hacking of computer networks unites lawmakers; US consulate issues security warning to Americans living in Hong Kong

NSA cyber spying on China not a surprise, but it's not ho-hum, either

NSA chief says leaks about US cyber spying on China, and techniques for doing it, will impair intelligence-gathering. Others play that down, saying the more significant hit will be to relations with China and to US global work on behalf of a free and open Internet.

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Revelation that 6,000 ‘super landlords’ each own 300 flats in Beijing sparks controversy

The recent revelations made by senior Beijing venture capitalist Cha Li that at least 6,000 “super landlords” each own 300 flats in the Chinese capital has sparked a controversial debate among China’s real estate professionals and property owners.

2 Living ETs Working with US Government

UFO Alien Disclosure by Canadian Minister of Defence

Leaker mysterious despite hours of interviews

Mostly through his own words, a picture of Edward Snowden is emerging: fresh-faced computer whiz, high school dropout, wanna-be Army commando, disillusioned cog in a secret bureaucracy.

Ex-CIA man’s snooping claims raise alarm bells in Hong Kong

Fresh revelations by former CIA employee Edward Snowden have raised concerns that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) may have hacked into Hong Kong’s key internet exchange, which handles nearly all the Chinese territory’s domestic web traffic.

Why Chinese University of Hong Kong? Data centre, satellite station may be targets of cyber attacks

Several advanced academic and research facilities at the Chinese University of Hong Kong may have been targeted by foreign intelligence agencies for cyber attacks.

Edward Snowden: US government has been hacking Hong Kong and China for years

We knew all along that US is the biggest cyber thief in the world.

Across Asia, officials’ e-mails may be vulnerable to eavesdropping

Government and security officials in parts of Asia have been sending sensitive information and policy documents via e-mail services offered by US Web giants, and concerns are spreading that these may have been monitored and collected by the National Security Agency (NSA).

Inside the NSA’s ultra-secret China hacking group

US is the biggest cyber thief in the world.

TAO has successfully penetrated Chinese computer and telecom systems for almost 15 years. TAO’s operators [are] tapping into thousands of foreign computer systems and accessing password-protected computer hard drives and e-mails of targets around the world.

China grapples with attacks on teachers after cheating halted on college exam

Days after dozens of Hubei teachers were attacked by angry students whose attempts at cheating on China’s highly competitive national college entrance exam were foiled, the nation is struggling to understand what exactly went wrong.

Patriot or traitor?

Amid China's Boom, Fake Wines Proliferate

Bruno Paumard, the cellar master at a vineyard in China, cannot stop laughing while describing a bottle of supposedly French wine a friend gave him two years ago.

Ex-Worker at C.I.A. Says He Leaked Data on Surveillance

A 29-year-old former C.I.A. computer technician went public on Sunday as the source behind the daily drumbeat of disclosures about the nation’s surveillance programs, saying he took the extraordinary step because “the public needs to decide whether these programs and policies are right or wrong.”

Fire officials put the nation at risk as they rake in bribes

To get a business off the ground, the right people must be paid - so safety is neglected

Anti-graft teams cause stir as they prepare to fan out across China

Inspectors' best tool may be a simple one, but some question value of party investigating itself

Former Red Guard apologises to his victims of Cultural Revolution

In an advert and letters, Liu Boqin confesses that he beat teachers and terrorised families, and now understood 'sins of the Cultural Revolution'

US spy chief clarifies internet tapping policy

US spy chief James Clapper has admitted the government collects communications from internet firms, but says the policy only targets “non-US persons”.

Internet tapping aimed at non-US people outside US, says official

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Information collected through a US government surveillance programme that taps into the servers of internet companies targets only non-US persons living outside the United States, a senior administration official said.

The US law that allows the collection of data under this programme does not allow the targeting of any US citizen or of any person located in the United States, the official said on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"This programme was recently reauthorised by Congress after extensive hearings and debate," the official said.

"Information collected under this programme is among the most important and valuable intelligence information we collect, and is used to protect our nation from a wide variety of threats."

US secretly mining data from Internet giants

US intelligence agencies are accessing the servers of nine Internet giants as part of a secret data mining programme likely to fuel fresh debate about government surveillance, The Washington Post reported.

Some of the biggest firms in Silicon Valley were involved in the programme, including Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Apple, PalTalk, AOL, Skype and YouTube, reports said.

Dr Yaacob’s incorrect and embarrassing New Zealand comparison

This morning, my eyes nearly popped out of my skull when I read in the ST that Minister for Communications and Information (MCI) had compared the MDA Licensing Regime to recommendations made by a New Zealand Law Commission Report on new media.

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AP admits its mistake in Shane Todd article

American news agency Associated Press (AP) has admitted its mistake in a story last week on the death of American researcher Shane Todd, saying it was “erroneously reported”.

Drink to good health

New findings show that the antioxidant resveratrol, which is only present in red and not white wine, is believed to help in the fight against cancer

Robberies of cashed-up Chinese tourists rise steeply in Paris

Mainlanders' preference for carrying large amounts of cash makes them easy targets

Boy’s graffiti in Egypt leaves Chinese cringing

Ding Jinhao was here.

Chinese wonder why their tourists behave so badly

From faking marriage certificates to get honeymoon discounts in the Maldives to letting children defecate on the floor of a Taiwan airport, Chinese tourists have recently found themselves at the centre of controversy and anger.

AP article on Todd's death "inaccurate, misleading and mischievous"

Singapore's Ambassador to the United States, Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, has described a recent article by the Associated Press (AP) on American researcher Shane Todd's death as "inaccurate, misleading, and mischievous".

3-D printers help China jet development take off

Use of 3-D printing means China’s aviation industry is saving money and materials and could soon rival manufacturers in the US

Sick workers pay price for Chinese growth

As China boomed around 200 men set out from Shuangxi’s rural idyll to build its infrastructure and skyscrapers. Now lung disease from dust has killed a quarter of them and 100 more are waiting to die.

Investigation officer denies he mentioned bolts, nuts or pulleys

The last day of the coroner’s inquiry into the death of American engineer Shane Todd ended with conflicting accounts from his parents and an investigation officer called to the scene of the death.

Osaka mayor: Probe comfort women issue

Japan cannot be forgiven with people like him still around.

Japan's sex slave legacy remains open wound

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New licensing scheme for news websites that reach 50,000 people a month

More controls from PAP...

Hiroshima, Nagasaki bombings called ‘divine punishment’ by South Korean daily

Well said.

Governments toughen stance on environmental protesters amid Kunming, Chengdu actions

Concerns over social stability sidelined as authorities view 'economic growth' as priority

Kunming restricts face mask and T-shirt sales ‘to prevent more environmental protests’

Kunming has banned bulk-buying of face masks and the sale of white T-shirts and has regulated photocopying in an effort to avoid another public protest after two demonstrations against a petrochemical plant had embarrassed the city’s government.

Nanjing teenager exposed as perpetrator of Temple of Luxor graffiti attack

Tourist from Nanjing carried out graffiti attack in Temple of Luxor, his parents confirm

GI liberators were big trouble in 1944 Normandy, says new book

More often than not, GIs who came as liberators were just sex-obsessed thugs, says researcher

Alarming drop in Chinese graduates landing jobs

As universities annually pump out triple the graduates they groomed a decade ago, the proportion landing jobs has fallen to an alarming new low

Guangzhou rice scare shows open government remains elusive

Cover-up of cadmium scandal reveals authorities’ reluctance to comply with 2007 rule on non-classified information

Xi warns officials they’ll be held responsible for pollution ‘for life’

Officials will be held responsible ‘for life’ if projects are found to harm environment

Whither the COE system?

Transport minister’s point about car ownership may have social implications

‘I was here’ Chinese carving on ancient Egyptian wall is decried on Weibo

 

“I tried to wipe it with a paper towel, but it didn’t come off. I didn’t dare to use water because the relic was more than 3,000 years old,” a disgraced Shen said on his Sina Weibo account. He said he apologised to the tour guide but still felt ashamed even after he was told it wasn’t his fault.

To get lucky, think positive

Lucky people add variety to their lives, think out of the box and are open to new experiences

Hackers Find China Is Land of Opportunity

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Japan's wartime brothels were wrong, says 91-year-old veteran

"I feel like a war criminal. It is painful to speak of such things and I would rather cover it up. It is painful, but I must speak," the slender, white-haired Matsumoto told Reuters in an interview at his daughter's home about 40 km (25 miles) from Tokyo.

Recalling the conditions in which the women lived, Matsumoto said soldiers lining up for sex would unfasten their leg wrappings and lower their trousers so as to waste no time when their turns came. "It was like they were going to the toilet," he said.

Only years later did Matsumoto come to believe his country had done something wrong. "We were taught that it was the mission of Japan, the mission of the Japanese people, to liberate Asian countries from European colonialism," he said.

"So we went to war gladly then. When I think of it now, it was monstrous, but I didn't think so then."

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Maldives resorts on the lookout for Chinese tourists on ‘fake’ honeymoons

At least two resorts have revised policies to thwart fake honeymooners

Dealing with lemons - Singapore style

Singapore’s Lemon Laws came into effect on Sept 1, 2012 via amendments to the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, the Hire Purchase Act and the Road Traffic Act. The Lemon Law provides consumers with statutory remedies against goods that fail to conform to the agreed terms of contract, or are defective, or of unsatisfactory quality at the time of delivery.

Beijing silk products fail quality tests

Study finds some silk on sale in Beijing doesn't contain any silk

Some Chinese tourists are ‘uncivilised’, says vice premier

The dire manners and “uncivilised behaviour” of some Chinese tourists abroad are harming the country’s image, said a top official who lamented their poor “quality and breeding”, according to state-run media.

Japan's atrocities Unit 731

Don’t use these 10 phrases in a conversation

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Japanese tabloids’ reports of tourist sex habits ‘vent anti-Chinese feeling’

Japanese tabloids’ claims of ban from red-light districts ‘an outlet for anti-Chinese sentiment’

Japan WWII ‘comfort women’ were ‘necessary’ - Hashimoto

A prominent Japanese politician has described as “necessary” the system by which women were forced to become prostitutes for World War II troops.

Job prospects grim for China’s 7m fresh graduates

Experts warn of mass layoffs if economy keeps slowing down

The care and feeding of SSDs

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Teen held ‘after hiring hitmen to kill father and sister who pressured him to study’

Bodies discovered in house in central China’s Henan Province

The Son also Rises: nepotism doesn’t disappear in China, it just gets a promotion

The history of graft in China has come full circle amid reports of children of powerful officials stepping into their parents’ shoes

Top 10 attractive Chinese Cities for foreigners (aliens)

10. Qingdao
09. Xiamen
08. Tianjin
07. Nanjing
06. Hangzhou
05. Kunming
04. Suzhou
03. Shenzhen
02. Beijing
01. Shanghai

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Nights livelier with opening of new bars and a lounge club at Dempsey Hill

Swing by Dempsey Hill on a weekend and you can spot trendy carousers sipping Tsingtao beer from Chinese porcelain cups at the posh 1920s Shanghai-era bar Jiu Zhuang.

The shame of Sichuan’s tofu schools

Parents who lost children in shoddy schools in the 2008 earthquake are still treated like criminals for trying to bring those responsible to book

Sale of 40 tonnes of diseased pork sparks police inquiry

Meat from diseased animals allegedly bought on farms, collected from roads, sold to restaurants

I Love You - Sarah McLachlan

I Will Remember You - Sarah McLachlan

Angel - Sarah McLachlan

Water officials go online to expose shoddy work on dam in eastern Guangdong

Trio go online to allege faulty work on 'tofu' project near Shantou contributed to earlier collapses and puts public at risk

Headmistress in Hebei held as two girls die after eating poisoned yoghurt

Principal arrested after pupils from a rival kindergarten die from drinking poisoned yogurt

Sex scandals spark alarm at number of unqualified teachers in China

An increased demand for English instructors has allowed some foreigners with fake certification to take advantage of poor controls

Rat meat sold as lamb in Shanghai

If you have ordered lamb or mutton for hotpot in Shanghai over the last four years, you might have been served rat, fox or mink, the Ministry of Public Security said on Thursday.

Global Times blasts social media's 'excessive' supervision of luxury military vehicles

 

After China’s online community posted startling photos of luxury cars bearing military licence plates - flouting new restrictions that came into effect on Wednesday, China’s nationalist tabloid newspaper The Global Times promptly fired back against what it called “excessive” supervision.

China unlikely to have cold war-style confrontation with US, says report

China will likely use its growing power to try to force its way with Japan but it is doubtful that Beijing will enter a Cold War-style confrontation with the United States, a study said on Thursday.

Chinese mothers beat Wall Street to force gold price rebound

Attempts by Wall Street funds to drive down bullion value through short selling thwarted by Asian mothers swooping in to buy for weddings

Valet staffs take $1m Ferrari for joyride at Sentosa

Xi makes The Economist cover again, but Beijing’s censors are unimpressed

Beijing may have taken umbrage at the headline of The Economist’s May 4 issue, which reads: “Let’s party like it’s 1793”.

Let's party like it's 1793

Link to The Economist

Will looking to the law solve society’s morality problems?

Government policies offering benefits to people who help those in need are good, but do not necessarily address the root of the issue

Chinese Way of Doing Business: In Cash We Trust

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Working in China comes with health risks

The country's pollution has driven away expats and made locals discontent

Norwegian jailed 6 weeks for beating up taxi driver

This is what the mother fucker looks like.

Chinese Malaysians turn against government over race policies

Voters weary of bias rally around opposition parties in first serious electoral threat to ruling coalition in more than four decades

Gamblers not so anonymous: Beijing keeps closer eye on Macau

With little fanfare, China is sending an official with a 'tough cop' reputation to be its top man in Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub, as Beijing puts tackling corruption centre stage.

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Millions in CIA "ghost money" paid to Afghan president's office: New York Times

Tens of millions of U.S. dollars in cash were delivered by the CIA in suitcases, backpacks and plastic shopping bags to the office of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai for more than a decade, according to the New York Times, citing current and former advisers to the Afghan leader.

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Chinese military cracks down on license plates and corruption

China's new leadership is seeking to dismantle a system of privilege which has allowed the drivers of military vehicles to do as they please on the roads.

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Turkey becomes partner of China, Russia-led security bloc

NATO member Turkey signed up on Friday to became a "dialogue partner" of a security bloc dominated by China and Russia, and declared that its destiny is in Asia.

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Pinault Family Gives China $40 Million Disputed Bronzes

The 18th-century dynasty bronze rabbit and rat heads had been part of the decoration of a water clock at the Summer Palace in Beijing, which was looted by French and British troops in 1860.

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Son of Chinese official jailed for trying to bribe professor

The son of a Chinese official studying in Britain has been jailed for a year for trying to bribe a university professor to help him pass his degree.

Wanting 曲婉婷 - Drenched

China soil survey reveals century-old heavy metals, banned pesticides

Soil samples across China have revealed remnants of heavy metals dating back at least a century and traces of a pesticide banned in the 1980s, an environmental official said on Wednesday, revealing the extent of the country’s pollution problems.

Why ‘no win, no fee’ is no go for Hong Kong lawyers

A medieval law punishes lawyers for taking a financial interest in cases, even though other jurisdictions allow such conditional or contingent fees