US spied on Japan government, companies: WikiLeaks

The US spied on Japanese politicians, its top central banker and major firms including conglomerate Mitsubishi, according to documents released by WikiLeaks on Friday, in the latest revelation about Washington's snooping on allies.

AFP

Gaza: 'Israeli war crimes' followed soldier's capture - Amnesty

Amnesty International says there is "strong evidence" Israel committed war crimes in Gaza following the capture of a soldier by Hamas in last year's war.

BBC

Japanese firm poised to apologise and pay compensation to Chinese wartime labourers

Japanese firm Mitsubishi Materials has decided to apologise and pay compensation of 100,000 yuan each to Chinese wartime labourers and their families, sources with direct knowledge of their negotiations said Thursday.

U.S. Fears Data Stolen by Chinese Hacker Could Identify Spies

American officials are concerned that the Chinese government could use the stolen records of millions of federal workers and contractors to piece together the identities of intelligence officers secretly posted in China over the years.

China’s historic quest for a peaceful rise

China is the first new great global power to emerge in over a century.

Ex-PetroSaudi exec fingers Malaysians in 1MDB scandal

Thai police said Swiss national Xavier Andre Justo, who is in custody and expected to be charged with blackmailing his former employer, PetroSaudi, has given a full confession and identified about 10 people who bought documents from him to use to attack Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Former agent: I was abandoned by MI5 after breakdown

A former MI5 spy has broken cover to give the BBC an unprecedented account of his life in service - and describe his anger at the way he was treated.

BBC

China meat smuggling crackdown stokes risky underground trade

On a dusty industrial lot in northern Hong Kong, a group of travellers sheltered in the shade away from the pressing July heat, packing old cloth bags and backpacks with Styrofoam to protect a more precious cargo: smuggled meat.

Wartime 'Abenesia' bad for Japan's international reputation

With the world watching, in his historic address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress, the first ever by a Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe surprised nobody by missing a great opportunity to dispel worries and tensions he raises with his revisionist views on history.

CNN

Poor intelligence, porous borders stymie Chinese control of Uighurs

Reuters

Japan cinema legend Miyazaki joins protests against move to widen military role

Japan cannot use military strength to counter China, Hayao Miyazaki, famed director of the Oscar-winning film "Spirited Away", said on Monday, as he joined a chorus of protest against a change in Japan's security policy.

Reuters

Japan should be explicit over war sorrow: animator Miyazaki

Oscar-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki, whose last film was accused by some South Koreans of glamourising war, said Monday Japan needed to clearly state its remorse over its imperialist past.

Clamping down on egotourism

It used to be fine to take a picture of the Eiffel Tower or Mount Everest, but that's not good enough any more. Now tourists have to put themselves in the picture. It's about 'me', not about the place that I visit.

Turkish embassies in Southeast Asia ‘gave fake travel documents to Uygurs fleeing China’

Turkish embassies in Southeast Asia have been accused of helping Uygurs from the restive Xinjiang region to flee from China by issuing questionable travelling documents, Chinese state media reported on Friday.

Martial arts star Yu Chenghui passes away

Yahoo

Reopen murder case of AmBank founder

Malaysian opposition veteran Lim Kit Siang has asked the police to reopen its investigation into the murder of Arab-Malaysian Development Bank (AmBank) founder Hussain Ahmad Najadi.

Singapore’s freedom of speech in question: former NTU journalism professor

Yahoo

NUS sacks law professor, Sundram Peter Soosay, who attacked cabby

The National University of Singapore on Monday (Jun 29) terminated the appointment of Sundram Peter Soosay, the assistant law professor who was sentenced to four months jail last Friday for punching and causing hurt to a taxi driver.

Dino Petrus Johannes van Deijzen, cabby attacker’s jail term raised to 3 months

He beat up a cabby who threatened to call the police if he did not pay the fare, failed to apologise, and instead portrayed himself as the victim.

Torture ‘not okay’: Former FBI agent

As for those who say torture is justified, in light of the people that lose their lives in terror attacks, Mr Soufan said: “Your job is not to prosecute and not to take revenge to get the truth and get the information. So just because somebody murdered, somebody raped, does not mean it is okay to torture that individual.