Sichuan tower block the height of controversy

Plaza built after school funded by Hong Kong was pulled down is told to knock off floors after causing mayhem at airport

A model for China if promises are kept

Fifteen years ago, Hong Kong was making the final preparations for a journey into the unknown. Our city’s return to China on July 1, 1997, was a source of pride, hope and celebration. It brought to an end more than a century and a half of colonial rule.

Auditor’s report details litany of financial abuse

300 central government officials from 50 agencies misused funds totalling 4.4 billion yuan, NPC told

Donor also received funds from church

Mr. Wahju Hanafi, the Indonesian businessman who allegedly played the roles of both donor and recipient of City Harvest Church funds, had once been described by Pastor Kong Hee as a ‘true friend’.

Ex-finance chief in spotlight

One name has cropped up in the investigations into alleged wrongdoing by some leaders of City Harvest Church - that of Serina Wee.

Documents throw light on web of transactions

Millions allegedly used to cover up series of 'sham' bond investments

He dared to ask about use of church funds

Almost 10 years ago, Mr. Roland Poon dared to ask whether City Harvest Church was using church funds to fund Ho Yeow Sun’s music career.

Apple factory conditions ‘deplorable’

A labour rights group said on Thursday it had found “deplorable” conditions at Apple suppliers in China, following a probe of several firms that make the US technology giant’s hugely popular products.

Crackdown nets 146 officials in Shenzhen

150m yuan in graft is uncovered, 36 high-ranking cadres are among those arrested

Cambodia says Frenchman kept money for Bo’s wife

French architect is suspected of financial links, and China may send judge to interrogate him

Attack Raises Fears of a New Gang War in Macau

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

Fake princeling ‘scammed stars out of millions’

Girlfriend of Olympic champion, who claimed her parents are party elites, is accused of targeting athletes and showbiz figures with bogus deals

Shanghai publishing more air quality readings

Shanghai began publishing readings of fine, inhalable particulate matter, known as PM2.5, from eight more monitoring stations yesterday, taking the total in the city to 10.

New York Times launches Chinese language news website

The New York Times said on Wednesday it was launching a Chinese-language news website to deliver “high-quality coverage of world affairs, business and culture” to readers in China.

No obligation to verify girl’s age: Shaw’s lawyer

Howard Shaw pleads guilty, but his lawyer argues against jail term

Who is City Harvest's Wahju Hanafi?

Indonesian businessman Wahju Hanafi, the other beneficiary of funds allegedly diverted from City Harvest Church (CHC) to further Sun Ho's music career, is a man with multiple links to the church, its founder Kong Hee and affiliated companies.

To cover tracks, funds sent ‘round-tripping’

After $24m was siphoned from church, $26.6m diverted to cover tracks: prosecution

Woman driver strips naked to hinder rescuers after hitting two victims

A woman driver has provoked mass outrage online and been referred to as “female version” of Yao Jiaxin, after she fatally hit a mother and four-year-old daughter in a scooter and then even attempted to stop the medical staff from rescuing the victims by stripping herself naked and lying down in front of the ambulance.

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Chinese paper slams U.S. candidates for playing “China card”

China’s top newspaper slammed both U.S. presidential candidates on Thursday for playing the “China card” in their election campaigns, saying the real economic problems confronting the United States were being ignored in the process.

China dairy recalls hundreds of cartons of tainted milk

In the latest incident, the Bright Dairy & Food Co., called Guangming in Chinese, posted a recall notice on its website after customers complained online of bad smelling and discolored liquid in the company’s 950 ml cartons (about a quarter gallon) of Ubest milk, state media reported on Thursday.

Overseas internships gaining favour among students

They cite training, experience and exposure that such placements give

Myanmar faces major hurdles in its quest for change

The most formidable pressure comes from a long-oppressed people impatient to see results

Layoffs After New Indonesian Mine Rules Could Hit 3 Million

Mining companies in Indonesia have laid off more than 200,000 workers since a government ruling in May halted exports of some minerals, and total dismissals could swell to more than 3 million, a leading union said on Tuesday, providing fresh evidence of disruption in the major metals supplier.

Feeling Stomped all over

This Stomp fiasco brings back so many bad memories. Many moons ago, TNP (The New Paper) had to apologise to ex-DPM Toh Chin Chye for saying that he had been charged with drunk driving. The whole stable of SPH newspapers had to get on its knees and apologise on page one, not on one day, but on several. The reporter was sacked and a couple of his superiors were removed from decision-making positions. A disciplinary inquiry took place which looked at the system of checks would should have prevented something like this from happening.

Graduates like ‘security’ of state jobs

Survey finds nearly half prefer to join state-owned companies or civil service

Think tank calls for property tax hike

China should raise taxes on home ownership to target speculators who had recently driven property prices to record highs, the State Information Centre, a government think tank, said in comments published on Monday.

Foreigners face stricter visa rules amid review

Authorities are evaluating duration of stay, which could be cut to 90 days as part of crackdown on illegal expatriates and rise in anti-foreigner sentiment

Expats Grapple With Surging Costs in China

James Carney, a 27-year-old New Yorker, who’s been living in southern Chinese city Shenzhen for the past 16 months, says he’s feeling the pinch from rising living costs.

China to drink more white wine

White wine consumption in mainland China is set to rise significantly over the next five years, according to a study undertaken by analysts Wine Intelligence.

Beijing wants to keep its people in state of ignorance

Five months ago, Beijing’s Environmental Protection Bureau, spurred on by data released by the American embassy, adopted tightened standards and began disseminating information on extremely fine particles in the air capable of penetrating deeply into the lungs - particles that have been linked to respiratory diseases and lung cancer.

Challenges as China’s firms eye investments offshore

Chinese companies are cashed up and looking for prospects overseas but cultures can pose a problem

Luxury Shanghai hotels dump dodgy dim sum

Several luxury hotels in Shanghai scrambled to throw out dim sum made by a local supplier after finding out it did not have a licence.

A look at how Hong Kong has changed since 1997

Pretty much the entire fabric of society in Hong Kong has changed since the city and its surrounds returned to Chinese sovereignty 15 years ago, as the following figures show.

City Harvest Church founder faces the music

$23m financial irregularities alleged; church funds used to support wife’s music career

Home Electricity Audit

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California winemakers tap into growing Chinese market

The global downturn hit Doug Hill's family-run Napa Valley winery hard. But the third-generation California farmer's hopes for recovery are strong -- fuelled by heady growth in China.

Living with a toxic time bomb

Underneath many new office blocks and luxury apartments in cities on the mainland lies a hidden menace - the land they stand on is heavily tainted

Bo’s top aide left out of leadership

Xu Ming, who oversees Chongqing’s emerging hi-tech development zone, and propaganda chief He Shizhong have been dropped from the standing committee

Chinese Data Mask Depth of Slowdown, Executives Say

As the Chinese economy continues to sputter, prominent corporate executives in China and Western economists say there is evidence that local and provincial officials are falsifying economic statistics to disguise the true depth of the troubles.

At US hotels, Chinese treated to comforts of home

Major hotel brands are bending over backward to cater to the needs of the world’s most sought-after traveller: the Chinese tourist.

Top PLA officers must report assets

Move was initiated by Hu Jintao and is consistent with his efforts to expose and combat corruption

Aung San Suu Kyi's Speech at the British Parliament

Preparing for the main event

Manila is considering special legal action to pursue its territorial claims against Beijing over Scarborough Shoal, but the risky, complex strategy may backfire

Is the Rush Into Myanmar Creating a Bubble Economy?

In a country where reportedly a quarter of the population lives in poverty and 70 percent live without electricity, a bubble sounds like an odd way to describe what is happening in a part of Myanmar. If the ultimate trophies for international investors are the nation’s rich resources, such as natural gas, tungsten and gems, let’s just call it a gold rush.

China tests troubled waters with $1 billion rig for South China Sea

China has spent nearly $1 billion on an ultra-deepwater rig that appears intended to explore disputed areas of the South China Sea, one of Asia’s most volatile hotspots and where the United States is strengthening ties with Beijing’s rival claimants.

PLA should shift its allegiance to the state rather than the party

The Chinese Communist Party’s control of the People’s Liberation Army is so sensitive that discussion about whether the military should instead put the state first is rarely heard. But with the tussle for senior positions within the party in its final stages, the matter is being aired in the official army newspaper and is sneaking onto microblogs. For the nation to prosper and move confidently forward, the generals and their troops have to be politically neutral. It is a process that must be gradual and will take time to evolve, so open debate is necessary and important.

China suffering from oversupply of luxury homes

China’s luxury property market faces a large oversupply, with significant unsold inventory in the market, according to John R Carter, Managing Editor, Asia & Managing Director, China at Market News International (MNI).

France warns over extradition

French Foreign Ministry asks Cambodia for ‘clarifications on the motives’ for arrest of architect

Why fume now at U.S. over air data?

Beijing has publicly demanded the American embassy stop publishing pollution figures, saying it is a sovereign matter of China’s internal affairs

Petitioner ‘poisoned’ for land complaints

Friends say Mao Qiping was injected with toxic chemical and killed by thugs for leading grievance campaign against local officials over confiscation

Female University Student with 13 Knife Wounds Ruled a Suicide

As if the Chinese police hasn't spun enough unbelievable stories.

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Jim Rogers sues dentist

An American billionaire, a permanent resident here, is suing his dentist over a treatment that has left little for either party to smile about.

Myanmar’s Suu Kyi speaks of family’s ‘sacrifice’

Aung San Suu Kyi made an emotional return to Britain on her 67th birthday Tuesday, visiting her former home of Oxford and speaking of the “sacrifice” her family were forced to make.

China advisers urge govt to relax property curbs

China’s top advisory body called on the government to relax property market restrictions to keep the economy growing, a newspaper said on Wednesday, the first such proposal by advisers to steady a weakening house market.

African fury over death in custody

100 block busy Guangzhou street and throw bricks during angry protest after Nigerian dies in police station after fighting with a taxi driver over fare

Police put the squeeze on massage spas

Workers must wear approved uniforms, under tightened regulations

Space City in the desert not so secret

The birthplace of the nation’s missile and space programmes - and still one of the most active launch pads - has become a lot more transparent

Taiwan tycoon quips he will buy Diaoyu islands

Terry Gou says he plans to purchase disputed atolls; develop them with three parties in ownership row

Vessel plumbs new depths

Manned submersible successfully tested its ability to dive to, and stay, around 7,000 metres. While at the Mariana Trench, the craft conducted sea research.

China property rebound may spell danger

A pickup in residential real-estate sales should actually be seen as a negative indicator that could force an about face on the part of Chinese policy makers, analysts said Tuesday.

Morality campaign ‘doomed to fail’

New books to educate cadres on values are useless without rule of law and democracy, critics say

Cambodia arrests Frenchman linked to Bo Xilai scandal

A French architect with ties to disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has been arrested in Cambodia, the French embassy said Tuesday, in a new twist to China’s biggest political scandal in decades.

US House ‘regrets’ Chinese Exclusion

The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution Monday decrying a law -- more than a century old -- that prevented Chinese people from immigrating to the United States.

Could Burma be the next emerging market miracle?

In Rangoon's hotel lobbies anticipation is high. Brash Australian miners rub shoulders with hard-nosed American private equity investors. Indonesian infrastructure specialists and Japanese salesmen scout out the terrain.

One-third of accused have no lawyers

With limited funds and manpower, legal groups cannot help all

How did T.T. Durai clear $4m debt to NKF?

A businessman, an architect and younger brother rallied to ex-charity chief’s aid

AGC releases statement on Woffles Wu case

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) released a statement on Sunday morning outlining the reasons behind the charges pursued against Dr. Woffles Wu.

The physics behind Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch

Late star’s famous move, a display of lethal power and lightning speed derived from wing chun, shows velocity can generate greater kinetic energy than mass

Saturation coverage in nation’s media

Lift-off with first woman astronaut is biggest event since 2008 Olympics for TV and newspapers

Astronauts get stellar send-off

Thousands of well-wishers cheer on three crew members of Shenzhou-IX, who headed to orbit in high spirits despite the tough tasks ahead of them

Two big steps for China in space

Shenzhou-IX rocket not only carries nation’s first woman astronaut, but crew will embark on tricky manual docking with orbiting module

Bordeaux Firsts of 2003

The last time I reviewed Bordeaux 2003, it was the non-Firsts in March last year. A host of the 2003s (non-Firsts) were tasted, and my conclusion then was that most of them were not ready unless you could not contain yourself.

As Singapore Loosens Its Grip, Residents Lose Fear to Challenge Authority

Those accustomed to thinking of this booming city-state as a bastion of apolitical strivers and shopaholics might be stunned by the burst of civic activism sweeping this crowded flyspeck of an island.

Arrested spy compromised China’s U.S. espionage network

A Chinese state-security official arrested this year on allegations of spying for Washington is suspected to have compromised some of China’s U.S. agents in a major setback that angered President Hu Jintao, sources said.

Submersible sets new China dive record

A manned Chinese submersible on Friday set a new record for the country’s deepest ever sea dive at 6,000 metres (19,685 feet), state media said.

Mercury found in China baby formula

Chinese dairy maker Yili said it had started recalling batches of baby formula after authorities found they contained high levels of mercury, in the latest food safety scare to hit the country.

Luxury property market has 'practically collapsed'

Given present market conditions, it is less likely that the government will roll out new property cooling measures, said economist Chua Hak Bin from Bank of America Merrill Lynch (Singapore).

Women has Virgina Operations to Revivie Sex Life

About 10 years ago, she caught sight of her nether regions in a mirror and began obsessing about how "dark" it was.
It bothered the management consultant so much that she began losing interest in sex.
She eventually decided to go for labiaplasty to reduce the size and lighten the colour of her labia.

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Different types of procedures for women
Like a virgin again

China poised for most ambitious space mission yet

China will launch three astronauts, including a mother of one who flies transport planes, to live and work on a space station for about a week, a major step in its goal of becoming only the third nation with a permanent base orbiting Earth.

Yangon looking prepared for flood of investment, tourism

Singapore presence strongly visible from umbrella shelters to publications

The art of keeping land idle in China

Beijing revises rules but enforcing them against developers is another issue

Mainland media must clean up its act

Hu Shuli says the practice of a pay-off in return for good press hurts journalists’ credibility and undermines their role as a public watchdog, to society’s detriment

China’s banks in no position to launch fresh lending stimulus

2012 is not 2009, and a below-the-surface shift in the financial landscape means the way the country responded to the last crisis cannot be repeated this time

China Property Bounces Back, but Analysts Are Worried

China’s property sector, which has suffered from seven consecutive months of price declines after a slew of government tightening measures, is staging a surprising turnaround, boosted by the central bank’s recent monetary policy easing.

Billions needed to keep market fresh

If Beijing is to meet its target of halving food waste, it will have to invest in cold chain facilities, say experts

16 medical officials investigated for graft

Hospital chiefs and department heads at centre of corruption inquiry in Shenzhen

Late-term abortion forced on woman

Shaanxi family planning officials are alleged to have abducted and later forced a seven-month pregnant female to abort her foetus against her will this month

Shortcut to a home-grown Ferrari

Chinese car makers are hiring foreign designers in an attempt to build globally recognised brands

Kunming Changshui Airport

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Broken pole repaired by China Telecom with adhesive tapes

‘Bo prostitute’ lies made public hate me, says Zhang

Film star Zhang Ziyi says defamatory reports claiming she had sex with disgraced former Chongqing party secretary Bo Xilai for money, made her the object of hatred, contempt and ridicule, according to a writ filed in the High Court.

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi sues paper over sex claims

Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi has sued Hong Kong's leading newspaper the Apple Daily and its sister weekly Next Magazine over reports that she prostituted herself with senior Chinese officials.

Strong demand from Singapore buyers for Nusajaya projects

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Veteran China graft lawyer to work for ousted Bo's wife

The family of Gu Kailai, the Chinese leader's wife suspected of murdering a British man and igniting a political firestorm, has hired a Beijing lawyer experienced in defending officials accused of corruption to work for her, two sources have said.

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Reforms open Myanmar tourist floodgates

The hotels are full or eye-wateringly expensive, creased dollar bills are worthless and credit cards are widely refused -- welcome to Myanmar, Asia's next big tourist destination.

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In Chinese Murder Mystery, Take 2 for Big Scene

In the chill of late January, around the time Chinese were celebrating the Lunar New Year, the police chief of this foggy south-western metropolis pressed Bo Xilai, the ambitious Communist Party official who ruled the area, with evidence that Mr. Bo’s wife had been involved in a murder.

Consensus on two fewer seats at the top table

There has long been debate about what is the right number of seats on the Politburo Standing Committee, and some sources say the leadership has recently reached a consensus on reducing this from nine to seven.

Battle for power

The downfall of Bo Xilai has opened up the competition in the most important leadership change in decades - and maybe even cleared the way for a dark horse

Nation’s auction houses take on the big players

For centuries the art world was dominated by establishment auction firms such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s, but now the mainland has five in the top 10 by revenue

Louis Vuitton passe for China’s super chic

Daisy Liu epitomises China’s obsession with luxury brands: her shoes are Guiseppe Zanotti, her brooch Chanel, a floral Hermes scarf is stylishly knotted over one shoulder. She won’t, however, tote a monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbag ever again.