Real and imagined attacks fan the flames of needle hysteria

Mysterious needle attacks have spread to new cities in Xinjiang, officials in the restive, far-western region confirmed yesterday, although once again the assaults appear to be a mix of the real and the imaginary.

Reaction to black talent star shows gulf in cultural sensitivities

Born to a Chinese mother and a black American father, the 20-year-old Shanghai Theatre Academy student was the major draw in successive appearances on a Shanghai TV talent show Let’s Go! Oriental Angel that began airing in June. But the audience was not as interested in her performances as her unusual complexion and mysterious life story.

Obama imposes tariffs on Chinese tires

President Barack Obama on Friday slapped punitive tariffs on all car and light truck tires entering the United States from China in a decision that could anger the strategically important Asian powerhouse but placate union supporters important to his health care push at home.

Mainland economy stays on recovery course

The mainland economy continued to recover last month as the expansion in industry and retail sales accelerated while capital investment maintained its strong momentum, official data released yesterday shows.

Flu likely to infect tens of millions during peak season

The Ministry of Health issued a stark warning on swine flu yesterday, saying fatalities were unavoidable and tens of millions would be affected during the peak flu season.

Anti-graft move expected at China’s key party meeting

A breakthrough in China’s long-drawn battle against corruption may emerge at a key meeting of the country’s political leaders next week.

Jailed for life, Chen and wife go down in history

A court yesterday sentenced Taiwan’s former president Chen Shui-bian to life imprisonment after convicting him of corruption, marking a watershed in the island’s turbulent young democracy.

Ex-Taiwan leader Chen gets life term

Professor Chen Fang-ming, a Taiwan literature expert from the National Chengchi University, said that Chen’s worst crime was not graft but how he made the Taiwanese lose their faith in fairness and justice by his lack of contrition and denials of guilt.

‘All our values have been twisted and distorted,’ he said.

Couple’s appeal could take five years

Chen Shui-bian and his wife Wu Shu-chen could be expected to mount a vigorous fight against the life sentences handed down to them yesterday but any decision by Taiwan’s highest court was years away, top lawyers say.

‘Verdict a warning to politicians to keep their hands out of the cookie jar’

The trial of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian may have caused a rupture in the pro-independence “green camp”, but it heralds a new stage in the island’s democratic and judicial development, analysts say.

Taiwan media divided over ex-leader's life sentence

Media in Taiwan were divided on Saturday over former president Chen Shui-bian’s conviction on corruption charges, with some hailing it as a “milestone” while others said it was a “flawed” process.

Profitability of IRs in doubt: Citi analyst

Can the integrated resorts count on Singaporeans to gamble enough to make them profitable? Citi has doubts.

Du earned just HK$2m from deals, court told

Hong Kong’s biggest insider trader may have earned only HK$2 million profit from his HK$87 million in illegal dealings, the District Court heard yesterday.

Why Du Jun thought he could flout the law

Why did Du Jun leave the safety of Beijing and head for Hong Kong to collect a picture and an air purifier, knowing the local regulator was after him?

Jim Rogers: Wait and See Investment in A-shares, Big City Real Estate

Jim Rogers, an American investor and financial commentator based in Singapore who has been paying close attention to the Asian market, sees that in the past 10 months, A-shares values have doubled, but predicts that there will be a negative change in September-November. He adds he would neither buy nor sell shares at present, points out that in the next 20 years agriculture will be a very promising industry in China, and suggests that everybody play the role of “farmer.”

Cash Rich SOEs Pushing Real Estate Bubble Ever Higher

Since May, real estate enterprises with central enterprise background, and even non real estate firms, have begun to enclose lands, resulting in big changes in the land market. The increasing land prices are leading to skyrocketing housing prices and attracting official attention.

Car loan war around the corner

Hong Leong Finance first to cut interest rate, putting pressure on other lenders

Bubbles forming in commodities, stocks, property: Bank of China

It sees potential risk of liquidity going into asset market

Driven market with no brand loyalty

Nouveau riche Chinese are discovering ‘you are what you drive’ - but pricing is still the top concern for most buyers

Dying to earn: Japan’s foreign slave labourers

“The most serious problem we face are violations of the law,” Nakajima says. “But these are not just labour laws that are being broken; we see abuse of authority, sexual harassment and violence.