Jack Ma appreciates Tai Chi

Jack Ma is a big fan of Tai Chi, and has previously applied it to his business approach. He said he appreciated the essence of Tai Chi culture, which can be summarized in three words. The first is "calm": no matter what happens, remain calm; "follow", as in follow the flow after knowing one's own strength; and "abandon", to abandon your burden in life.

MH370 hacked and shot down by US Military according to former airline CEO

It was shot down by the US Air Force. This is the conclusion from another former airline boss who has alleged of conspiracy in the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH370.
He said MH370 was hacked and shot down by US Military by mistake.

Link

Insider's guide to Singapore: Where to eat and drink

From bustling food markets to a secluded tropical hideaway, restaurateur Loh Lik Peng takes us on a weekend of epicurean delights

Link

Chinese military conducts full test of long-range missile ‘which can hit any part of US’

China last week launched its most comprehensive test of its latest-generation intercontinental ballistic missile, the DF-41, which can hit anywhere in the US, according to an American media website.

Homing in on an age-old tradition, rich Chinese send pigeon prices soaring

As the price flew skywards, an audience of middle-aged Chinese men erupted into cheers before the auctioneer slammed his hammer down at a record-breaking 2 million yuan – US$320,000.

Governments red-faced over ‘black site’ expose

US Senate report on CIA torture scheme sparks denials

Americans Involved in Torture Can Be Prosecuted Abroad

The United States is obliged by international law to investigate its citizens suspected of engaging in torture, but even if it does not, Americans who ordered or carried out torture can be prosecuted abroad, by legal bodies including the International Criminal Court, legal experts say.

New York Times

CIA tortured, misled, U.S. report finds, drawing calls for action

Reuters

Three foreign white trash in trouble for attacking cabbies

Myanmar mine workers search for jade, find misery

Drugs, violence & graft mar jade industry amid insatiable China demand for the gem.

Eyeing a taxi licence?

Only Singaporeans aged 30 and above can drive taxis here.

Deleted Xinhua report gives rare insight into China corruption

By stating corruption is a systemic problem, article contradicted party line that it is all down to individual moral weaknesses

America’s shameful Chinese Exclusion Act now largely forgotten

Chinese Exclusion Act passed by US Congress in 1882 stayed on the books until 1943, while Australia and Canada had similar laws

Hong Kong occupiers are losing the high ground

Michael Chugani says the conduct of some Occupy protesters in Mong Kok is a good indication of why support for the movement is waning

Scientists in Yunnan unlock secrets of ‘magical’ microbe-killing plant

Pleasant-tasting relative of Sichuan pepper, long known to tribal doctors, shows promise as a safe, effective killer of dangerous microbes

Australia MPs Want Fines for Illegal Home Buying as Prices Soar

Bloomberg

Is Harvard unfair to Asian-Americans?

For reasons both legal and moral, the onus is on the schools to make their admission criteria more transparent - not to use them as fig leaves for excluding some students simply because they happen to be Asian.

How China's shadowy agency is working to absorb Taiwan

Reuters

China, Russia and the Sinatra doctrine

For centuries, European navies roamed the world’s seas - to explore, to trade, to establish empires and to wage war.

Police probe political funding of mining magnate Clive Palmer

Australian police are investigating allegations about the misuse of A$12 million ($10.5 million) in Chinese funds during the 2013 political campaign of mining magnate Clive Palmer, The Australian newspaper reported on Monday.
Reuters

Market players welcome LTA regulation of third-party taxi apps

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) on Friday introduced a basic regulatory framework for third-party taxi-booking apps, in the latest move by a government to regulate such services that observers said have disrupted the taxi industry globally.

Philippines banning Hong Kong journalists is petty and vindictive

The Philippines has tried hard to end its diplomatic row with Hong Kong after the 2010 hostage killings in Manila. But by banning nine Hong Kong journalists from entering the country to cover next year’s Apec summit, it will only rekindle resentment and likely retaliation from Hong Kong. It is an appalling and unwise move.

Top 5 hotel buffets in Singapore

SoShiok

WWII Celebration Plans by Putin and Xi to Score Points

Russia-China agreement to jointly observe war's 70th anniversary in 2015 aims to warn Japan against historical revision and could create difficulties for US-Japan alliance.

Don’t give Japan a free pass on its shameful past

Like “Holocaust fatigue”, many people thought the “comfort women” issue was ancient history, cynically dug up by Beijing to beat Japan whenever it wanted. That may be so. But just because you distrust China doesn’t mean Japan should get a free pass on rewriting its shameful past.

Rule of law in China? Still a long way to go

President Xi Jinping has announced a far- reaching plan to bolster the rule of law in China, but his efforts could be compromised by the tacit proclamation that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remains above the law.

White trash James George Palin road rage won't be tolerated

A district judge made it clear that road hooliganism must never be tolerated, in condemning the conduct of a motorcyclist, James George Palin who traumatised a couple in a road rage case.

Top 10 beach destinations for your year-end holiday

Link

The sweet life of expats in China won’t last

And we would long for bygone days when there was an A-yi who arranged your underwear drawer and a man who came in twice a week to water your plants.

US using fake mobile phone towers on planes to gather data

Devices nicknamed ‘dirtboxes’ can collect information from tens of thousands of mobile phones in a single flight

Specialty coffee for the corporate crowd

Coffee purveyor The New Black aims to change high-quality coffee-drinking habits in the CBD in a spectacular way.

‘Haunted’ flats a tough sell in Asia’s priciest real estate market

Unnatural deaths in Hong Kong can result in rental discounts of 10-20% and can be more than double that for sinister killings

US Is Fighting the Wrong Cyberwar Against China

The Diplomat

Paying in coins? There are legal limits

Link

A little old lady who quilts: Lee Suet-Fern

LInk

Grisly murders of 2 women spark backlash against wealthy expat bankers in Hong Kong

The murder of two young Indonesian women in Hong Kong, allegedly by a British expatriate, has sparked a backlash against wealthy Western bankers accused of treating the financial hub as their own personal playground.

Singapore students pay for help to apply to top universities

Consultants prepare them to gain an edge in tough admissions process

10 Hidden Bars in Singapore So Secret You Won't Believe They Exist

Link

Power-less SGX halts markets for hours

Frustrated traders stared at blank screens for at least three hours on Wednesday afternoon as a power outage shut down the Singapore Exchange’s (SGX) securities and derivatives trading systems, one of the biggest market disruptions in recent years.

Museum even more disturbing than Yasukuni Shrine

While international attention has been focused on visits to Yasukuni Shrine by Japanese leaders, the museum is really more worrying. It draws attention to the lack of recognition in Japan of the Japanese role in World War II.

Black Listed Shops at Sim Lim Square

1. Mobile Air at 01-41
2. Mobile22 at 01-42
3. Mobile Apps at 01-50
4. Cyber Maestro at 02-77
5. Gadget Terminal at 02-80
6. Camera Talk at 02-91
7. Mobile Planet at 01-41

Haruki Murakami says Japan ignoring WWII, Fukushima role

Japanese writer Haruki Murakami has chided his country for shirking responsibility for its World War II aggression and the Fukushima nuclear disaster in an interview published Monday.
Link

US defender of Japan’s past makes dubious claims about bullying

Ikuyo Toyota says Japanese kids in California are being bullied because of history, but neither she nor any of the alleged victims can be found

Time for South Korea to face up to ugly obsession with plastic surgery

Backlash hits booming market as complaints of dodgy doctors and botched procedures double

Abu Dhabi changing its oil concession strategy

Western firms risk being left out as emirate looks to Asia for new industry partners

Analysts abandon China’s Renren on failed growth

Renren Inc was touted the Facebook Inc of China when it debuted in New York in 2011. Today, it’s looking more like online flameout Myspace.

New taxi app takes disruption up a level

Singapore on Wednesday said hello to Hailo, a London-based taxi-booking app, and at least the fifth such third-party platform (after GrabTaxi, Easy Taxi, MoobiTaxi and UberTAXI) to hit the roads here in the last two years - a move observers say should further unnerve “traditional” taxi companies that continue to dismiss disruptive technologies.

UN rebukes Israel over Jerusalem settlements

BBC

Bar Association slams Occupy Central for flouting injunctions to clear streets

Protesters criticised by Bar for flouting court orders, as doctors sign petition to end sit-ins

Occupy leaders refuse to reveal who donated HK$1.3m that co-founder passed to HKU

Occupy Central last night declined to reveal the source of HK$1.3 million in donations that movement co-founder Reverend Chu Yiu-ming passed on to fellow organiser Benny Tai Yiu-ting.

AIIB: Yet another symbol of the changing balance of global power

The birth of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People last Friday is yet another reminder that the global balance of economic and political power is shifting. The United States is still a superpower but US-inspired regional institutions can no longer expect to have the field to themselves.

US used Nazis as Cold War spies

BBC Link

Woman Destroys Taoist Prayer Items At HDB Void Deck

Singapore inks deal to establish regional bank for infrastructure development

Link

China, 21 other countries initiate new Asian bank

Link

US pressured on 3 Nations to stay out of AIIB

Link

Taxis vs Uber saga

This is one perfect example of people’s resistance to change.

How the elite ‘fox hunt’ police taskforce scours the world for fugitives who have fled overseas

Mainland media reveal details of how a clutch of suspects, including allegedly corrupt officials and businessmen, fled before being brought to justice.

Ex-justice secretary Wong part of expert team who trained students for crunch talks

Australia poised to seize assets of corrupt Chinese

Link

Occupy protests leave Hong Kong directionless, divided and further from its democracy goal than ever

Michael Chugani says the Occupy protests have changed Hong Kong forever, but greater democracy is further away than ever

'External forces' involved in Hong Kong protests

Link

China set to introduce major legal reforms

China is set to unveil key legal reforms this week that will try to limit the influence local officials have on court cases, a move being closely watched by company executives who hope it will make the legal system more impartial.

Australia set to help China seize assets of corrupt Chinese officials

Australian police have agreed to assist China in the extradition and seizure of assets of corrupt Chinese officials who have fled with hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit funds, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported on Monday.

Presumed Guilty in China’s War on Corruption, Targets Suffer Abuses

Catherine Lim launch of latest book

Link

Shake-up ahead for car loans?

CITIBANK is upending the traditional vehicle financing model here by pre-qualifying customers for car loans - thus bypassing the motor industry, which could lose millions of dollars in finance commissions if this practice is eventually adopted by other banks.

Hong Kong’s Basic Law and political reform

Hong Kong has a Constitution which currently sets out the extent and limits of Beijing’s authority over the selection of the territory’s Chief Executive

The day China entered the nuclear age

Fifty years ago, the world woke up to news the nation - then at odds with Moscow and Washington - had detonated its own atomic bomb

Why Singapore graduates aren't getting the right jobs

A university degree may no longer be the golden ticket to an ideal job in Singapore amid a growing pool of degree holders and fast-changing economy.
CNBC

U.S. slaughter of Iraqi prisoners

U.S. army massacre at Rumaila
Link

Japan Rebuffed Over U.N. Report on Wartime Brothels

The Japanese government has asked for the partial retraction of a nearly two-decade-old United Nations report on women forced to work in Japanese military brothels, but the report’s author has refused the request, a Japanese government spokesman said on Thursday.

Corruption probe puts heat on Agile Property

Detention of chairman not the first time firm is placed in the spotlight, having been involved in sexual assault and corruption cases previously

Driving to the Terminal 1 Car Park

U.S. reviews Waldorf Astoria sale to Chinese firm

Reuters

Confederation of Trade Unions received grants from US-based NGO according to files sent to media

Signs that US is behind the protest in Hong Kong

NSA may have undercover agents in Chinese companies

New revelations from documents leaked by US National Security Agency whistle-blower Edward Snowden, which suggested the NSA may have undercover agents in mainland companies, have prompted criticism from Beijing.

US is biggest hacker, Chinese military expert says

Snowden’s latest revelations and government statistics show America is the real world police, Zhang Junshe claims

Not all smiles for some retirees in Chiang Mai

Foreigners who do not plan ahead could end up abandoned and alone, infirm and destitute

Seiji Yoshida’s lies about “comfort women” exploited by Japan’s right

Seiji Yoshida’s fabrications about kidnapping Korean ‘comfort women’ have been an excuse to keep denying the darkest aspects of nation’s past

New documentary on Edward Snowden covers NSA whistleblower’s Hong Kong revelations

Premier of a documentary about NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden offers an intimate portrait of man prepared to risk losing his freedom in order to expose government surveillance

Triads See Underworld Business Hurt by Hong Kong Protests

As thousands of pro-democracy protesters thronged Hong Kong’s major retail and business districts, blocking roads and forcing shops to close, it wasn’t just legal establishments feeling the pain.

Bloomberg Link

You Could Make $50,000 Selling Your Luxury Bag Online

Two years ago, Marie Green, a San Diego fashion stylist, was running out of closet space. She was spending $12,000 to $20,000 a year on high-end clothing, handbags, and shoes -- but couldn’t wear it all. Then she discovered the RealReal, an online reseller of luxury clothing and accessories.

Link

China's high-end car dealers go online in search of second-hand income

A government campaign in China against the high pricing of luxury cars is hitting the profit margins of auto dealers, prompting them to supplement income through the online trading of second-hand vehicles.

Reuters

China’s Plan for Regional Development Bank Runs Into U.S. Opposition

For almost a year, China has been pitching an idea to its neighbors in Asia: a big, internationally funded bank that would offer quick financing for badly needed transportation, telecommunications and energy projects in underdeveloped countries across the region.
Link

Hong Kong's 'silent majority' critical of protests

Link

Why personal secretaries to Chinese leaders are so prone to graft

The job of personal secretary to a senior leader offers ample opportunity to advance in the system and use great influence for corrupt gain

Biography of Emperor Hirohito a whitewash: US historian Herbert Bix

Herbert Bix, the respected US historian and author of Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan, has launched a withering criticism of the Imperial Household Agency for attempting to whitewash the emperor’s responsibility for the Second World War.

Hirohito a string-puller, not puppet

Last month, I received a startling e-mail from an employee at one of Japan’s largest newspapers, about a development I’d long awaited.

Precious stones and metals dealers to report cash transactions above S$20,000

A cash transaction reporting regime for precious stones and metals dealers (PSMDs) will be implemented in Singapore from Oct 15.

Court denies woman permission to divorce before completing mandatory 3-year period of marriage

Judge rules that she has insufficient grounds to do so before 3-year mark

Hwa Chong student calls sex-ed booklet by Christian group "bigoted”

Link

Umbrella Generation: Hong Kong's despairing youth split with old guard

Hong Kong's unprecedented student-led democracy rallies have highlighted a stark divide between a disenfranchised younger generation who say they have little to lose, and an older guard who favour pragmatism over protest.
Link

The umbrella revolution won’t give Hong Kong democracy. Protesters should stop calling for it.

This is about inequality, not politics, so democracy can't fix the problem.
Link

Man accused of sexually harassing protester vows to sue Occupy leaders and Apple Daily

A restaurant owner accused of sexually harassing a young female protester may try to sue the organisers of Occupy Central.

Patten aides ‘offered UK passport to Jimmy Lai’

Is Jimmy Lai Britain's MI6 agent?

US Now Admits it is Funding Hong Kong "Occupy Central"

Just as the US admitted shortly after the so-called "Arab Spring" began spreading chaos across the Middle East that it had fully funded, trained, and equipped both mob leaders and heavily armed terrorists years in advance, it is now admitted that the US State Department through a myriad of organizations and NGOs is behind the so-called "Occupy Central" protests in Hong Kong.

US wants to recolonize Hong Kong.

Link

China ‘unlikely’ to give in to HK protesters: Shanmugam

Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam also pointed out the anti-China bias in Western media reports, and urged the people of Hong Kong to consider the implications of a change from the Basic Law.

Evil US Government behind Hong Kong Protests

Previous cables show links between United States agencies and the Hong Kong protest movement

Link

Shoppers’ paradise on Hainan Island gives Hong Kong a run for its money

Massive mall on Hainan is drawing away from city mainlanders keen to snap up luxury goods at duty-free prices while enjoying beach holiday

British White Trash James George Palin

James George Palin punched and shattered the window of a Volkswagen, in a road rage incident on Nov 16 2013, was sentenced to three weeks’ jail yesterday. But Briton James George Palin, 33, is appealing against the sentence and is out on $15,000 bail.

Graft crackdown has paralysed China’s energy industry

Battle against corruption has hit the workings of the state energy sector to such an extent that decisions are becoming torturously slow

Chinese internet regulator sacked and expelled from party over graft

Gao Jianyun was official in high-level taskforce chaired by President Xi Jinping

China's CITIC wins interim injunction in Mineralogy dispute

Link

Clive Palmer's Mineralogy bid to curtail CITIC rights halted by court

But Justice James Edelman said it was a grave concern that Mineralogy had issued notices to CITIC just days after giving an undertaking not to do so. “The spirit of those undertakings were not abided by,” he said.
Link

China's anti-graft drive puts the squeeze on Macau junkets

Macau's casino junket operators are feeling the squeeze as China's anti-corruption drive has blown a hole in the world's biggest gambling hub. Some are shifting players elsewhere, like the Philippines and Vietnam; others are quitting the business.
Link

Luck running out for Singapore's two casinos?

Singapore's two casinos have encountered slowing growth lately, partly due to a more tepid economic outlook. But the root of the sector's problem remains the Government's heavy hand in the industry.

Have Singapore’s casinos lost their mojo?

Singapore's casinos opened their doors in 2010 with great expectations for the market's potential growth, but some analysts believe the party may be over.
Link

The 14 Most Breathtaking Places To Visit In China

Link

The tale of Alibaba and GSK a sign of China’s rise on world stage

Alibaba’s successful IPO and GSK’s record fine for bribery highlight China’s new global clout

PLA reshuffle strengthens Xi Jinping’s hand in corruption fight

Two key ‘princelings’ are set for promotion as president targets corruption and aims to turn world’s largest army into a battle-ready force

China’s VAT reform to impact developers in cooling market

Property and construction sectors likely to see introduction of 11pc value added tax next July, forcing them to overhaul business practices

Defiant Singaporeans watch banned political documentary in Malaysia

To Singapore, With Love Hundreds of defiant Singaporeans protesting censorship gathered in Malaysia to see a documentary banned by regulators in their home country as a threat to national security.

GSK Statement of Apology to the People of China - Full Text

Link

China fines British drugmaker GSK $489 million, jails ex-China head

Reuters

Reuters

Jiaozi Snow Mountain

Link

Wine investors demand refund after firm's 'empty promises'

This company was previously known as the Australian Wine  Index. Same people just different company name now. Run by Australian crooks. People in the wine industry would know the many horrible stories in AWI last few years. Some couldn't even withdraw their own wines from AWI.

World War III Will Erupt over Sea Disputes

A Chinese state-controlled newspaper has run an opinion piece by a military expert urging Beijing to develop its naval forces, for a third world war might break out over sea disputes, with China on the frontlines.
Link

Iron ore miners battle for survival as ‘perfect storm’ hits

High-cost Australian miners are battling for survival as plunging iron ore prices push many to breaking point, with analysts seeing no significant short-term recovery as Chinese demand for steel wanes in line with sliding property prices.

'Forced labor' rife in Malaysian electronics factories

Nearly a third of some 350,000 workers in Malaysia's electronics industry - a crucial link in the international consumer supply chain - suffer from conditions of modern-day slavery such as debt bondage, according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Link

Snowden: NSA collects mass data on New Zealanders

Link

QS world university rankings 2014

Link

Are Australian Properties Marketed Truthfully to Singapore Investors?

Link

Senior officials told to quit EMBAs as part of President Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption drive

Three senior officials halt course at top Shanghai business school, which can cost about 600,000 yuan (HK$756,000) a year, over fears fee payments may lead to bribery, Beijing Times reports

Tougher mainland scrutiny of foreign teachers after child sex scandal fears

Teachers in China face checks and need five years’ experience after one foreign teacher had criminal record for child pornography and another was on the run from child-sex charges

Lai Siu Chiu recounts her four decades in law

She was appointed as a Judicial Commissioner of the Supreme Court in 1991, the first female to hold the post and also the youngest at the time.

US and UK spy agencies ‘have access to German telecoms’

US and British intelligence services are able to secretly access information from German telecoms operators, according to a German newspaper report.

Shanghai civil service rolls out non-Apple smartphone programme

Coolpad, a domestic manufacturer, is chosen for replacement programme aimed at boosting security.

German magazine Der Spiegel reported last year on leaked documents from the US National Security Administration that claimed the NSA had built a backdoor in Apple software that allowed data to be sent or retrieved from handsets.

Segway files suit against copycats

Segway, maker of the self-balancing “people mover” that has struggled to expand beyond a niche market since its splashy debut 13 years ago, is suing its growing number of imitators.

Rethink urged as Singapore bans documentary about political exiles

Censors’ decision on documentary about people who fled the nation from the 1960s to the 1980s draws calls from artists and activists for U-turn

Tan Pin Pin's film To Singapore, With Love not to be shown in public

Tan Pin Pin's film To Singapore, With Love not to be shown in public

Shui On Land leads with 30pc price cuts to woo homebuyers in Chengdu

Shanghai-based developer Shui On Land slashed the price of a residential project in Chengdu by 30 per cent to speed up sales, Chinese media reported on Friday.

Yahoo describes secret court battle with US government over surveillance

Yahoo said on Thursday that the US government threatened to fine the company US$250,000 a day if it did not comply with demands to go along with an expansion of US surveillance by surrendering online information, a step the company regarded as unconstitutional.

Bureaucracy may be wing chun kung fu master’s biggest foe

Ip Chun has helped the martial art pioneered by his father, Yip Man, thrive. But help from the authorities has been severely lacking.

Cutting executive pay at state-owned firms only part of Beijing’s plan

Hu Shuli says the reform will rationalise the roles of the many employees who are both official and executive, amid overall restructuring

7 great restaurants in Singapore that open till late

Link

New generation of Chinese tycoons putting good causes before money

We begin a fortnightly series profiling the mainland’s economic elite by looking at the China Entrepreneur Club, where their voices can be heard

White Trash Peter Aaron Jeremicjczyk charged with hitting woman singer

An Australian expat, Peter Aaron Jeremicjczyk, was charged in court yesterday for allegedly punching a local jazz singer in the face.

Highly anticipated plans to reform China’s rigid national university entrance exam unveiled

Proposals, to be tested by Shanghai and Zhejiang students in 2017, means admissions will rely less on two-day exam, and more on regular high school tests, Ministry of Education says.

Sacrebleu! French drinkers admit they know little about wine

To the French, wine is more than just a drink. They make it, they quaff large quantities of it and they produce some of the finest in the world. It is officially designated part of the nation’s cultural and gastronomic heritage.

China's Xi urges army to create strategy for information warfare

Link

UN issues fresh call to Japan over WWII 'comfort women'

A UN watchdog issued a fresh call Friday to Japan to take full blame for forcing women from Korea and elsewhere in Asia to work as sex slaves during World War II.
Link

Productivity goes negative as China slips towards middle-income trap

Link

China property launches to deepen inventory overhang, price declines

Property launches in China are set to surge in the latter half of the year with developers sticking to their schedules despite mounting inventories, spelling double trouble for a market hammered by months of falling prices.

Corrupt Chinese hiding in Western nations elude Beijing's 'fox hunt'

Link

Australian billionaire politician apologizes for TV tirade over China

Australian mining magnate and politician Clive Palmer has apologized to China's ambassador to Australia for a tirade in which he referred to the Chinese government as "bastards", setting off a firestorm in Canberra and Beijing.

Reuters Link

AP Link

The Gulf of Tonkin episode and the misuse of power

That and other cases raise fears about how a future US president may use military muscle

Big foreign worker dorms faring poorly

Construction firms choosing cheaper option of housing workers on site

Chinese tourists suffering from Paris-syndrome sickness

Grittier side of Paris falls short of their romanticised ideal

Chinese seek freedom, edge at US high schools

Link

China's elite tighten their belts as crackdown bites

China's big spenders are reining in overt shows of wealth, shelving shopping trips in Hong Kong and Macau gambling sprees in the face of the Communist Party's anti-corruption and frugality drive, analysts say.
Link

Diaoyu Islands: The Truth

 

 

CIA concedes it spied on U.S. Senate investigators, apologizes

The CIA conceded on Thursday that it had improperly monitored computers used by the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee in an investigation of interrogation tactics and secret prisons for terrorism suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Central Intelligence Agency spokesman Dean Boyd said in a statement that the agency's inspector general had determined that "some CIA employees acted in a manner inconsistent" with an understanding between the agency and the Senate panel.
Link

CIA director John Brennan lied to you and to the Senate. Fire him.

Private apologies are not enough for a defender of torture, the architect of America’s drone program and the most talented liar in Washington. The nation’s top spy needs to go.
Link

Osaka police hide 81,000 crimes to clean up image

Osaka police have admitted they did not report more than 81,000 offences over a period of several years in a desperate bid to clean up the region's woeful reputation for street crime.
Link

Karting track to be built inside Turf Club

It’ll be first permanent CIK- certified facility here, able to hold international races

Japan Rejects UN Call to Take Responsibility for Wartime Sexual Slavery

Japan has rejected a call by the UN's human rights watchdog that it should accept full blame for pressing Asian women into wartime sexual slavery in military brothels, in what was clearly the largest case of human trafficking in the 20th century.
Link

UN watchdog urges Japan to accept blame for 'comfort women'

The United Nations has called on Japan to accept full blame for pressing women from Korea and other Asian nations into sexual slavery during World War II.
Link

U.N. panel tells Japan to compensate 'comfort women'

A United Nations human rights agency is calling on Japan to guarantee independent investigations of wartime sex slavery and provide a public apology and compensation to the women who were victims.
Link

China commerce minister chastises US after WTO victory

China's commerce minister hit out at the United States on Thursday, urging it not to be a "rule-breaker" after the World Trade Organization (WTO) handed Beijing initial victory in a trade dispute.
Link

Magnate allays fears of Iskandar building glut

This comes against a backdrop of roll-out of mammoth projects by big Chinese developers

Why complicate the COE system even more?

130 hp power limit for Cat A too complex to implement

US law still reigns supreme in global economy

Some bristle at BNP Paribas fine and Fatca but are helpless in face of worldwide use of greenback

Bruised and grumbling, foreign banks bend to U.S. rules

Financiers may grumble that the United States is acting like an imperial power in punishing foreign banks for dealings far beyond U.S. territory, but in the end they are more likely to bow to Washington than kick against its dollar muscle.

In an expletive-charged broadside, the executive was quoted as saying: "You ... Americans! Who are you to tell us, the rest of the world, that we're not going to deal with Iranians?"

Link

‘Bamboo ceiling’ hampering Asians in Australia

A “bamboo ceiling” exists in Australia for Asians entering positions of power in business, education and politics, the country’s race discrimination commissioner has suggested.

Part of Unit 731 War Crimes Museum, with evidence of human experimentation, to open next year

The research lab where biological warfare was tested during the second Sino-Japanese war is being cleared in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

Is Batu Pahat in Johor the next Iskandar?

Developing the area could signify the northward expansion of the Singapore-Johor megalopolis

10 Best Places to Eat in Malacca

Link

Snowden effect changes US-China dynamic on cybersecurity

The whistle-blower’s revelations of the extent of NSA spying gave Beijing a stronger hand in negotiations on the issue of cybersecurity

Don't text and drive

Unsold homes big drag on developers' coffers

Punishing fees seen incentivising some to reprice projects to move sales in near term

Virginia’s “comfort women” memorial reveals Asian tensions

In Virginia, US, a memorial dedicated to “comfort women” reveals that Asian Americans are not all quite so ready to forgive and forget.

An Open Letter to the Prime Minster

I had thought to keep quiet during this period of political transition while watching events unfold. But what is happening currently has perturbed me enough to want to do another commentary. I have cast it in the form of a direct letter to the PM, to convey a greater sense of urgency.

Link

For One Tiananmen-Era Student, a Very Different Path to Power

A few days after the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests 25 years ago, the Chinese government filled the airwaves with a list of the 21 most wanted student leaders accused of stirring up an antigovernment rebellion. At the top of the list was a 20-year-old student at Peking University named Wang Dan, who set up an unofficial student union to mobilize his classmates to demand democracy.

Slump in China’s wine market forces shake-out, rethink

The sudden slowdown in wine sales to the mainland is forcing merchants to refine their sales strategies, attendees at last week’s Vinexpo trade show in Hong Kong said.

Documents show Japan complicit in WWII sex slavery

Activists said Monday they had a trove of documents proving the Japanese military was complicit in the wartime system of sex slavery, despite nationalist quibbles over responsibility.
Link

US network NBC 'cut Snowden remarks' on 9/11 and US spy agencies

Russia's state-backed broadcaster said NBC "neglected" to air "critical statements" Edward Snowden made about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks during an exclusive interview.

Oliver Stone: 'America always wins'

Link

Luxury homes left empty in quiet market

Sector hardest-hit by property curbs; some sellers leasing out units instead

China Vanke says property sector’s ‘golden era’ over, demand outlook solid

The days of rapid growth in China’s real estate sector are over, but the government’s urbanisation drive will continue to drive demand for the next 15 years, the country’s biggest residential property developer China Vanke Co Ltd said.

大国崛起

The fashion cycle

Roads are the new runways for a tribe of chic cyclists, who have elevated the mode of transportation into a hipster lifestyle.

Doctor exposes China's medical corruption epidemic

Ordering an unnecessary pacemaker, urging a woman to be hospitalised for a sore throat -- a doctor's allegations of corruption spotlight troubles so endemic in China's healthcare system that patients frequently turn violent.
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Irascible general close to country’s royals

Just months before his retirement, Thai army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday took control of the country eight years after the previous military coup.

Fine Line Seen in U.S. Spying on Companies

The National Security Agency has never said what it was seeking when it invaded the computers of Petrobras, Brazil’s huge national oil company, but angry Brazilians have guesses: the company’s troves of data on Brazil’s offshore oil reserves, or perhaps its plans for allocating licenses for exploration to foreign companies.

With Spy Charges, U.S. Draws a Line That Few Others Recognize

For example, the United States spies regularly for economic advantage when the goal is to support trade talks; when the Clinton administration was locked in a high-stakes negotiation in the 1990s to reach an accord with Japan, it bugged the Japanese negotiator’s limousine. At the time, the chief beneficiaries would have been the Big Three auto companies and a smattering of parts suppliers. It is also widely believed to be using intelligence in support of trade negotiations underway with European and Asian trading partners. But in the view of a succession of Democratic and Republican administrations, that is fair game.

China warns US cyber charges could damage ties

The United States denies spying for commercial advantage, though documents released by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden said the NSA broke into the computers of Brazil's main state-owned oil company, Petrobras. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said if that was true, then the motive would be to gather economic information.
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Singapore billionaire Lim joins Asian owners

Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, the new owner of Valencia, has realised a long-held dream by buying a top European football club -- and will hope for better fortunes than some of his fellow Asian investors.
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Anton Casey goes for online makeover

Briton Anton Casey, who fled to Australia in January after being slammed for denigrating public transport commuters, has made headlines again - this time on purpose.

Meanwhile a spokesman for one website where an article entitled “Financial professional Anton Casey optimistic about Singapore Real Estate Market” was posted said it had been uploaded by a user unaffiliated with its staff. He added that the “unwanted article” was removed as it went against the site’s policy.

How a stand-off at sea led to mob violence in Vietnam

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Singapore protesters attack immigration, jobs policies

Hundreds of Singaporeans rallied Thursday to denounce the government's immigration and labour policies amid a fresh wave of anti-foreigner sentiment in the city-state.
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China releases Japanese wartime documents

China has released previously confidential Japanese wartime documents, including some about comfort women forced to serve in military brothels during World War Two, state media reported.
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Archives reveal “comfort women” official actions of Japan

Forcing women into sex slavery and setting up “comfort stations” were official actions of the invading Japanese army during World War Two in Asian countries, newly publicized wartime archives reveal.

Japan's confidential wartime files about China revealed

China on Saturday published more than 110,000 confidential Japanese documents from wartime to expose Japan's history of invasion.

Fucking Perfect

 

 

Americans still don't trust the stock market

More than five years after the financial crisis, the average American is still wary of the stock market, according to a survey released Monday.
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Investigating Zhou Yongkang Family’s Wealth, China’s Leader Signals a Change

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CIA's 'harsh interrogations' exceeded legal authority

A classified U.S. Senate report found that the CIA's legal justification for the use of harsh interrogation techniques that critics say amount to torture was based on faulty legal reasoning, McClatchy news service reported on Thursday.
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Japan opposition fears Abe 'destabilizing' region

Japan's main opposition leader chided Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for conservative statements on war history and voiced fear he could be a "destabilizing" factor in East Asia.
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CIA misled on interrogation program, Senate report says

A report by the Senate Intelligence Committee concludes that the CIA misled the government and the public about aspects of its brutal interrogation program for years — concealing details about the severity of its methods, overstating the significance of plots and prisoners, and taking credit for critical pieces of intelligence that detainees had in fact surrendered before they were subjected to harsh techniques.
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Neville Maxwell interview: the full transcript

In his first interview after a Snowden-style disclosure of the contentious secret report on the 1962 China-India war, Neville Maxwell tells Debasish Roy Chowdhury of the South China Morning Post what the 50-year-old document means for the future of China-India relations.

Neville Maxwell discloses document revealing that India provoked China into 1962 border war

Journalist’s Snowden-like revelations about 1962 war boost China’s claims of ‘peaceful rise’

China seizes $14.5 billion assets from family, associates of ex-security chief - sources

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Legendary "Kin Kin Chilli Pan Mee" Opens in Singapore

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NSA infiltrates servers of China telecom giant Huawei

The U.S. National Security Agency has infiltrated servers in the headquarters of Chinese telecommunications and internet giant Huawei Technologies Co, obtaining sensitive information and monitoring the communications of top executives, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
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Russia won’t take an unreliable West at its word

The revival of East-West tension over Ukraine looks thoroughly geopolitical. But the context is bad economics. In the last century, Russia was damaged by flawed ideologies which originated in the West. And today it is damaged by Western economic policy.

‘No link’ between pilot’s politics and loss of Flight 370

Reports linking the pilot’s political affiliation to the plane’s disappearance were dismissed as wild, groundless allegations by the Malaysian opposition People’s Justice Party, of which the captain is a life member.

Police too soft on foreign workers in area: Shopkeepers

A group of shopkeepers in Little India who witnessed the violence unfold on Dec 8 told the Committee of Inquiry (COI) yesterday that the police have been too soft on foreign workers who congregate in the area.

Donnino Rossetti, Italian restaurant owner jailed for attacking cabby in Singapore

Shanghai men attracted to plump women

A survey by a matchmaking website has confirmed a long-held suspicion — that Shanghai men prefer chubby, well-rounded women compared to their brethren elsewhere in China.

Poorest doc jailed for big money transfers to lover

How China's official bank card is used to smuggle money

Growing numbers of Chinese are using the country's state-backed bankcards to illegally spirit billions of dollars abroad, a Reuters examination has found.
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10 Stunning Spas You Won’t Believe Exist in Singapore

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Japanese historians slam sex-slave apology review

A group of Japanese historians on Friday stood behind their government's 1993 apology over wartime sex slavery, slamming Tokyo's possible move to revise it as "unforgivable".
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The golden fields of Luoping

 

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The international law basis behind China’s claims

Many have called on China to base its claims in the South China Sea on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). In fact, Unclos might not be the proper forum for China’s claims. Customary international law, which recognises historical claims of the kind China is putting forth, might be a more apt avenue.

Former NUS law don Tey Tsun Hang acquitted of corruption charges on appeal

Former National University of Singapore law professor Tey Tsun Hang, who was previously convicted in a sex-for-grades scandal, was on Friday morning acquitted of all his charges in Singapore’s High Court on appeal.
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UK, US spies 'stored millions of Yahoo webcam images'

US senators said British and US spy agencies showed a "breathtaking lack of respect" for privacy after reports they had intercepted and stored images from webcams used by millions of Yahoo users.
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Nanjing massacre memorial stirs strong emotions in China

The skulls, bones, and names of thousands of dead at the Nanjing massacre memorial stand as a stark demonstration of China and Japan's inability to move beyond history in their increasingly tense relationship.
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15 Incredible Malaysian Beaches for the perfect getaway

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White trash cyclist in Singapore

 

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5 Cheap and Good Places to Get Your Sushi Fix in Singapore

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Japan considers revision of comfort women apology

Japan is to consider revising its landmark apology for its wartime system of sex slavery, a top official said on Monday, in a move likely to draw fury in South Korea and beyond.

Sichuan mining tycoon’s fall from philanthropist to ‘triad boss’

Revelations about Sichuan mining magnate Liu Han’s alleged crimes have shaken those who knew him as a great philanthropist

Media’s heavy hints signal endgame in the pursuit of Zhou Yongkang

The Communist Party’s main mouthpiece has pointed the finger at party and law enforcement officials for protecting a Sichuan billionaire who allegedly ran a mafia-type gang.

Directive bans patients from making ‘cash gifts’ to hospital doctors

Some medics welcome move to end payment of ‘red packets’, but others contend practice will endure as long as health worker wages stay low

Singapore repatriation firms’ tactics under workers’ rights microscope

Bangladeshi claims he had knife held to his throat by ‘repatriation firm’ hired by Singapore employer trying to force him out to reclaim bond

Documents released by Snowden links NSA to spying on US law firm

The National Security Agency was involved in the surveillance of an American law firm while it represented a foreign government in trade disputes with the United States, according to a new report based on a top-secret document that had been obtained by former NSA systems analyst Edward Snowden.

NSA Australia allies 'spied on US law firm' in Indonesia row

Australian spies tapped a US law firm representing Indonesia in a trade dispute with the US, new leaks say.
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Chinese army cracks down on housing, cars in anti-graft drive

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China sacks police chief of vice hub in prostitution scandal

The Chinese government on Friday sacked the police chief of the southern “sin city” of Dongguan following a candid report by the state broadcaster on the underground sex industry there, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

China state media slams Aston Martin over handling of sports car recall

China’s state media has slammed Aston Martin over a recall of its luxury cars involving parts produced in the country, saying the British firm is using the stereotype of low-quality ‘Made in China’ manufacturing to mask its own shortcomings.

Nanjing seeks Unesco listing for massacre documents

China has applied to Unesco for inclusion of documents related to the 1937 Nanjing Massacre in a move seen as a response to Japan’s request to add kamikaze pilots’ letters

Japan on backfoot in global PR war with China after Abe shrine visit

Japan risks losing a global PR battle with China after Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to a controversial shrine for war dead and comments by other prominent figures on the wartime past helped Beijing try to paint Tokyo as the villain of Asia.
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US cracks down on luxury car re-exports to China

Criminal or civil actions have been filed in US states, but some contend it’s just a commercial dispute

War sex slavery unspeakably bad, says former Japanese PM Tomiichi Murayama

It’s time for Tokyo to resolve issue, Murayama says after meeting ‘comfort women’ in Seoul

Chinese state media slam Japan PM Abe’s ‘gangster logic’

A Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece on Tuesday criticised Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in unusually harsh terms, denouncing the leader for comparing the Asian rivals’ tensions to the British-German relationship before the First World War.

What type of cheater are you?

Whether a cheating spouse is forgiven may depend on the type of affair, with women more upset by emotional affairs, while men care more about physical ones, according to a survey by cheaters' website Victoria Milan.
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Can Jakarta be more sensitive?

“The diplomatic row between Indonesia and Singapore is unfortunate and could have been avoided if we had been a little more sensitive towards our neighbour.

許冠傑 - 浪子心聲

Briton Christopher Gordon Sang jailed two weeks for pushing cabby on the head

China criticizes Japan over comments doubting Nanjing massacre

China's Foreign Ministry has criticized remarks by a board member of Japan's state broadcaster who said a massacre carried out by Japanese troops in China's then-capital of Nanjing in 1937 did not happen.
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China furious at Japan NHK manager's Nanjing denial

China reacted furiously on Wednesday to the denial of the Nanjing massacre by a senior manager at Japan's national broadcaster, calling his remarks "a barefaced challenge to international justice".
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Japan unease over U.S. alliance adds fuel to Abe's security shift

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NHK manager’s Nanjing denial no problem, says Japan government

Countries in the world ignored the propaganda ... that Japan’s troops carried out a massacre in Nanjing. Why? There was no such thing. - Naoki Hyakuta

That's why Japan cannot and will not be forgiven.

Foreign education no guarantee of success in China job market

Record numbers of newly minted university graduates are returning to the mainland to a job market not overly impressed with all their efforts

China says no cover-ups using state secrecy as excuse

China has unveiled new rules telling officials not to cover up what should be publicly available information using the excuse it is a state secret, in what state media said was a move towards greater government transparency.

Chinese firms march to Beijing’s austerity beat

Airlines, high-end hotels and eateries cutting prices, catering to masses now

Japan upset by South Korean ‘comfort women’ comics at French show

Japan has expressed its “regret” at a South Korean exhibit at an international comic book festival in France featuring “comfort women” forced into wartime sex slavery in Japanese military brothels.

The lingering stench of an imperial era

The English banker and “relationship manager” Anton Casey - who stirred a storm of indignation among Singaporeans earlier this month with his intemperate comments - is the latest in a long line of Westerners to have disparaged Asians in language laden with barbs about their race and class.

Biden asked Abe not to visit war shrine

US Vice President Joe Biden spent an hour trying to persuade Japan's prime minister not to visit the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, two weeks before a pilgrimage that sparked fury in Asia, a report said Wednesday.
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Snowden claims NSA collects economic intelligence as well

There is “no doubt” the US engages in industrial espionage, Edward Snowden said in an interview in which he also asserted that he worked alone in disclosing mass surveillance by the National Security Agency (NSA).

As 'African' Chinese park money in Hong Kong, Beijing targets 'naked' officials

Step by step, Chinese authorities are making life tougher for officials looking to spirit assets and family members out of the country to avoid close scrutiny and strict currency controls.
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Japan NHK head’s ‘comfort women’ remark stirs controversy

The newly appointed head of Japan’s public broadcaster NHK has stirred controversy by saying the system of forcibly drafting women into military brothels during World War II was “common in any country at war”.

Anton Casey loses job over derisive comments

Anton Casey, the British expatriate whose derisive comments about Singapore’s public transport have stirred public anger, is no longer with wealth management company Crossinvest Asia.

British expat Anton Casey's posts 'deeply offensive': Shanmugam

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Arrogant Crossinvest Banker Anton Casey calls Singaporeans a 'wuss'

How Anton Casey is making life tough for arrogant expat bankers in Singapore

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British expat Anton Casey on anti-Singaporean Facebook posts: Please forgive me

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Beijing orders shutdown of ‘secret’ clubs, restaurants within public parks

The Beijing city government has issued an order to close down all private clubs and high-end entertainment venues set up at the city’s spacious public parks, amid efforts to curb officials’ lavish lifestyles and crack the whip on corruption.

China hails first test of hypersonic nuclear missile carrier

US no longer only one with Mach 10 glider that can outfox defences and deliver nuclear warhead

US biological weapons tested in Okinawa in 60s

The US army conducted field experiments of biological weapons, which could harm rice cropping, in the Japanese island of Okinawa in the early 1960s, a press report said Sunday.

Hong Kong triads supply meth precursors to Mexican drug cartels

Members of 14K and Sun Yee On crime gangs supplying the notorious Sinaloa cartel with raw materials to produce ‘Ice’ as demand surges

Over 1,000 ill as Japan tainted food scandal widens

More than 1,000 people have fallen ill after eating pesticide-contaminated frozen food as a scandal widens across Japan, Jiji Press reported Wednesday.