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

Capture of drug lord Naw Kham shows China’s clout in region

The hunt for Naw Kham highlights how China’s influence reaches far beyond its borders and into the nations that make up the Golden Triangle

Marine Corps Sgt Goes Ballistic Over a Civilian Driver

Long-standing myth of double standards haunts multinationals

Onus is on big foreign firms to work together to clear up misconceptions among mainlanders about compromises in production-line quality

No stamp duty relief for singles switching homes

A single person who buys a home to live in will be hit with the additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) if he does not dispose of his existing residence first.

Officials go underground to defeat moves to curb their lavish feasting

Officials dodge Xi Jinping's curbs on luxury by turning canteens into five-star restaurants and meeting businessmen away from public gaze

Curbs on 2nd home purchases in Beijing

Single-person households cannot buy second home, minimum down payment raised for buyers

Chinese visitors to Paris hit by mass muggings

France vows to find the perpetrators; attacks may affect tourist numbers

Big cities announce capital gains tax on second-hand properties

Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai will levy a 20 per cent capital-gains tax on second-hand property transactions, officials in the three cities said yesterday.

Outrage at photo of Danish tourists urinating on Shanghai highway

Chinese internet users expressed their anger after six Danish tourists were witnessed urinating in the middle of a busy overpass in Shanghai.

Singapore's old order ready for fall, says candidate Tan Jee Say

Opposition candidate says ruling People's Action Party may lose the 2016 elections in a backlash against influx of foreign workers

New study reveals how lack of sleep leads to weight gain

People whose slumber was limited to five hours ate far more than those allowed nine hours in bed, gaining an average of about 1kg in a week

US hasn't learnt lesson on danger of groupthink

Ten years ago, America invaded Iraq; somehow, our political class decided that we should respond to a terrorist attack by making war on a regime that, however vile, had nothing to do with that attack.

LTA to install CCTVs at 30 locations to deter illegal parking