Bangladesh bank heist exposes Philippine dirty money secrets

When mystery hackers launched a stunning raid on Bangladesh's foreign reserves, a plot worthy of a John le Carre spy novel was sparked in the Philippines, exposing the South-east Asian nation as a dirty money haven.

Kid finds dad with nanny & uses it to explain politics

On South China Sea islet, Taiwan argues Philippines case is far from watertight

On Itu Aba, in the Spratly archipelago of the South China Sea, Taiwanese coast guard officials proudly haul a small wooden bucket of water from one of several simple concrete wells on the coral outcrop.

Taiwan takes media on tour of Taiping Island, which it claims in disputed South China Sea

The Philippines “distorted the facts and misinterpreted the law” in its arguments, Linghu told reporters at a pre-trip briefing Tuesday in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.

Maruah rejects changes to Elected President rules

Human rights group Maruah has spoken out against the proposed tightening of eligibility rules for Singapore’s Elected President, calling the proposed change “undemocratic and elitist”.

Sleepy Ipoh awakens

Ipoh's old town has emerged as a tourists' delight: peeling indigo paint on century-old walls, gently crumbling buildings given a chic makeover, and delicate murals peeking out from alleyways.

Virgin Atlantic Airways probing incident where passenger claimed she was called a 'Chinese pig' by a caucasian man

The passenger, who was on Virgin flight VS250 on March 1, said she was insulted by a Caucasian male passenger and subsequently allegedly ignored by a flight attendant.

Boycott Virgin Atlantic.

Highway promises easier access to Meili Snow Mountain

gokunming

Family’s failed bid to sue SAF sparks debate

The failed bid by the family of the late Private Dominique Sarron Lee to sue the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and two of its officers has sparked a public debate on whether the Government has done right by the full-time national serviceman (NSF). Netizens have taken to social media to air their grievances over what they deem as missteps by the SAF and the Ministry of Defence (Mindef).

Just who is militarising the South China Sea?

The US has repeatedly warned China not to militarise the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.  But China denies that it is doing or will do so and argues that it is the United States that is militarising the region and the South China Sea disputes.

Shanghai shows how not to start a start-up culture

“Risk-averse venture capitalist” may sound like a contradiction in terms but, in Shanghai, it’s precisely the sort of financier the city is looking to attract.

5 Myths About China's Missile Deployment on Woody Island

The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth in the South China Sea near the Spratly Islands, with as the PLA Navy guided-missile frigate Yancheng close behind.

A tiger that lost its roar, Taiwan pays price for not looking ahead

Since its launch just over four years ago, Taiwan-based Gogoro has grown from 15 employees to more than 600 and raised US$180 million (S$252 million) in seed funding.

Lana Cake’s baker is retiring

After 50 years of selling her famous chocolate cake, Mrs Violet Kwan of Lana Cake Shop wants to call it a day and is looking for a successor.

'Chinese century' poses big challenges for Taiwan, US

Of course, there are some who refute this neologism, but the developments after the Vietnam War in the middle of the last century, the recent failure by President Barack Obama to rally all Southeast Asian nations behind the United States to help contain the People's Republic, as well as the United Kingdom's vote on possibly leaving the European Union, all signal the end of Pax Americana.

The China Post

US prosecutors say corrupt Chinese officials behind Glaxo pharma secrets theft, but defence says that’s ‘fantastical’

“It wouldn’t be the first time the government has sat in this courtroom citing overwhelming evidence in a trade-secrets case only to withdraw the charges before trial,” he said.

Iskandar's challenges, 10 years on

As Iskandar enters its tenth year as a development region, some projects that were seen as catalysts for growth in the region appear to be taking a longer gestation period than expected, with many developers taking a wait and see approach.

Iskandar housing market struggles amid weak interest

The idea that property development in Iskandar would satisfy spill over demand from Singapore was tested to its limit last year.

Multiple headwinds for Chinese property developers in Malaysia

R&F’s Princess Cove, a 30,000 unit project, is in worst shape. According to two local agents, it has sold less than half of the 3,000 units that went on pre-sale since 2014. R&F has declined to comment.

Hong Kong Monetary Authority vows short sellers will not find it easy to mount assault on Hong Kong dollar

A more robust system for local banks to obtain liquidity and an enlarged monetary base make it near impossible for currency speculators to mount a successful attack on the Hong Kong currency, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, which said there’s few parallels with conditions today and those in 1997 to 1998 which saw authorities launch a shock and awe defence of the financial system at the height of the Asian financial crisis.

New F&B and clubbing options at Clarke Quay

Admittedly, the riverside nightlife stretch has seen its fair share of tenants come and go, but since November, at least six new restaurants and bars have moved in.

AXA Insurance offers cyclists non-financial benefits

Personal accident policies for cyclists may not be new, but one novel product takes it a step further by arranging non-financial services like a doctor's home visit and even housekeeping and meal services.

China rolling out initiatives to make it easier for foreigners to get green cards for residency

Seeking more foreign talent, China is rolling out new initiatives from March 1 that will make it easier for foreigners, especially ethnic Chinese, to obtain the elusive green card that will do away with work visas and provide access to public services.

NSA is world’s best hacker thief, says former director

“We steal other people’s stuff in the cyber domain,” retired General Michael Hayden said at a cybersecurity conference in Miami Beach.

Filipino Achilles Tomanpos Estremos hit cab and released handbrake fined $6k

An interior designer who refused to get out of a taxi after he was unable to pay the fare kicked the passenger door and hit its rear windshield and side window with an umbrella.

A morality tale about religion and fraud

An old schoolmate from Raffles Institution, with whom I have not cared to keep in touch, rang me out of the blue last week to make me an offer he said I could not possibly refuse.

Catherine Lim writes an open letter to PM Lee Hsien Loong

It was with much dismay that I read the report ‘Blogger ordered to pay PM 150k in damages’ in the Straits Times of 18 December 2015. I was less struck by the specifics of a court case that Singaporeans must have been following with great interest over the months – the standpoints taken by the contending parties, the various judicial processes, the assessment of damages to be paid to the plaintiff – than by one stark fact: once again, Sir, your powerful government is putting to use its most powerful instrument for silencing critics, namely, the defamation suit.

Amid tension in Philippines, a Chinese enclave of powerful, influential businessmen thrives

Despite the tension between China and the Philippines, many ethnic Chinese businesspeople continue to thrive in the Southeast Asian country, building unofficial ties between the nations.

Online database simplifies hunt for the right lawyer

Users can narrow search by category, and make instant request for quotation

With God on their side: Study shows children raised in religious homes tend to be ‘meaner’ than kids from non-religious ones

Children from religious families are less kind and more punitive than those from non-religious households, according to a new study.

10 Best Bak Kut Teh in Singapore

Sethlui

John Duncan Tasker fined $1,500 and ordered to compensate man he punched in carpark row

A 48-year-old ex-grassroots leader was on Monday (Nov 9) fined $1,500 for punching a 37-year-old man in an altercation over a carpark space earlier this year.

Wang Jianlin at Harvard Business School, Going Global the "Wanda" Way

George Bush Sr says 'iron-ass' Cheney and 'arrogant' Rumsfeld damaged America

Former president claims their reaction to 9/11 attacks were too hawkish, used excessive force and damaged his son, according to biography

Guardian

Former US Navy Seal, Ian Damery Fitzgerald gets four weeks’ jail for punching taxi driver

A former US Navy Seal convicted of punching a taxi driver and hurling the cabby’s walkie-talkie into Marina Bay was sentenced to four weeks’ jail and fined $800 on Monday (Nov 2).

Corked? Fine wines languish in China warehouses as consumers cool

The crates of Chateau Brehat wine from Bordeaux had gathered dust for three years in a bonded warehouse on the outskirts of Shanghai before the owners cut their losses in July, slashing three-quarters off the US$50 price tag.

Uber: To regulate or not to regulate?

An economically sensible approach to car-sharing services is one that benefits consumers and does not over-protect taxi company incumbents

Briton James O’Kane, jailed two months for assaulting cabby and ordered to pay compensation

A Briton on social visit here was jailed for two months on Tuesday for punching and biting a taxi driver.

Adele - Hello

Indonesia calls for US-China to ‘restrain themselves’, lashes US ‘power projection’ after Spratly sail-by

The Indonesian government expressed disapproval Wednesday over a “power projection” exercise conducted by the United States which saw a Navy destroyer enter what Beijing claims to be its territorial waters around artificial islands in the South China Sea.

Jessie J - Flashlight

China’s new payments system points way to de-dollarised world

The mainland recently launched the China International Payments System (“CIPS”), enlisting an initial group of 19 domestic and international banks. As a cross-border yuan payments system it represents a major step in Beijing’s ambition to increase the distribution and improve the efficiency and international popularity of its currency. But, it is more than a payment transaction regime.

40 Bad Habits That Give You Belly Fat

Yahoo

10 Top Afternoon High Teas in Singapore

Yahoo

Wine investors cry foul over dealings with 2 companies

They invested a total of more than $500,000 with Singapore-based wine investment companies, The Bottled Wealth Holdings (TBW) and Australian Wine Index (AWI), from as early as 10 years ago. Both firms were placed on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Investor Alert List in August this year as complaints grew.

CIA pulled officers from Beijing after massive cybertheft of US federal personnel records

The CIA pulled a number of officers from the US Embassy in Beijing as a precautionary measure following the massive online theft of personal data of federal employees, current and former US officials said.

Legal complaint filed against Valencia’s owner

Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, who owns Spanish club Valencia CF, has been hit by a legal complaint by former club vice-president Miguel Zorio.

The Phuket property nightmare

The sparkling seas and warm beaches of Phuket are a magnet for sun-seeking holiday-makers and, increasingly, for foreigners seeking a comfortable and cost-efficient retirement. More than 100,000 foreigners have settled on the island - though some now bitterly regret it.

BBC

Ten reflections on GE 2015

On Cooling-off Day, a good friend invited me to lunch with a group of eminent Singaporeans. I decided to use them as a focus group and asked them to predict whether the PAP’s popular vote would go up or down.

Chinese American scientists reveal agony of being accused by US of passing secrets to China as charges are dropped

Two Chinese American scientists who were indicted by the United States for spying only to see their charges abruptly abandoned spoke out Tuesday against the ordeal they had been put through.

Chinese firms accused of theft sue for defamation

Two Singaporean men are being sued for defamation after allegedly claiming that three Chinese companies and two executives had embezzled state-owned assets in China.

The suit is being brought by Qingdao Bohai Construction Group, Qingjian Group, its Singapore subsidiary Qingjian Realty, and Chinese nationals Du Bo and Yuan Hongjun.

US prosecutors drop fraud charges against professor accused of offering secret technology to China

Federal prosecutors sought to dismiss charges on Friday against a Temple University physics professor who was accused of scheming to provide secret US technology to China after being confronted with statements from physicists that investigators had misunderstood the technology.

Ipoh: A new haven

Link

Singapore's army of online 'trolls' at front line of campaign to shape opinion at home, in West

Deep inside a four-story building in the Presidential palace, hundreds of workers tap away at computers on the front lines of an information war, say those who have been inside. Known as "PAP IB"" the men and women work 12-hour shifts around the clock, flooding the Internet with propaganda aimed at stamping PAP's vision on Singapore, and the world.

‘What reconciliation?’ Chinese WW2 veteran refuses Japanese firm’s offer to pay for his forced labour

A Chinese veteran who was spirited away to Japan as a forced labourer to work at Mitsubishi during the Pacific war has come to Hong Kong to tell his story, after he refused the Japanese conglomerate’s offer of a “reconciliation agreement”.

How AIM-AHPETC Affects Your Life and Your Town Council

Dirty & shameless PAP in the $2 AIM scandal.

Link

China property developers to buy back Tianjin blast homes

People whose apartments were damaged in explosions in the northeastern Chinese port city of Tianjin can sell their homes to a group of property developers or choose to have the government renovate them, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Improper activities by American officials

Singapore-United States ties were roiled in September 1965 after it was revealed that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had offered the Singapore Government US$10 million to hush up the arrest of an American intelligence officer.

China’s ‘debt termites’

There is no better metaphor for the economic challenge facing China than the futuristic architectural masterpiece designed to house the country’s state television network, CCTV.

Xi faces resistance to political agenda

On the morning of July 24, Hebei party chief Zhou Benshun attended a meeting to promote one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature projects, a plan to boost growth by building a “supercity” that would integrate Beijing with the region around it. But by the evening, Zhou’s career was over, and he faced years in jail after the party announced it was investigating him on corruption charges.

Thai police look into Turkish connection in Bangkok blast

Thai police on Thursday said they were looking at arrivals of Turkish nationals in the days before a Bangkok bomb attack that killed 20 people, but said they had not ruled out any group or possibility.

Reuters

Filipino who made ‘xenophobic, inflammatory’ remarks convicted under Sedition Act

Philippine national Ello Ed Mundsel Bello, 28, who made disparaging remarks about Singaporeans on Facebook earlier this year, pleaded guilty to three charges on Wednesday (Aug 26).

Japan warns China against frequent yuan devaluations to prop up economy

The irony in his statement was not lost on analysts, who pointed out that last week’s two successive daily yuan devaluations by the People’s Bank of China had resulted in only a 3 per cent drop in the yuan-dollar rate, while Japan’s own currency, the yen, has crashed 35 per cent in value over the past two years.

Fuck the Japs.

Asian dating apps from Peekawoo to Paktor offer group dates, group chats and chaperones

Move over Tinder - a crop of dating apps in smartphone-addicted Asia are offering to recruit friends for group dates or send along a chaperone to steer the course of romance.

Retooling Singapore’s economic engine for the next lap

As Singapore surveys the future landscape on its 50th birthday, it has come to the striking realisation that the staying on the frontier of the global economy will entail having a markedly different game plan from that of playing catch-up.

Irish ducks all the rage in Singapore restaurants

Ducks from Ireland are all the rage with restaurants here, with at least 13 serving them.

China’s jobseekers think local as Beijing’s policy switch takes shine off foreign firms

To be, or not to be? That was the question facing Chinese railway signalling engineer William Shen for three years: should he stay where he was, working for a well-known German manufacturing conglomerate, or move on and join a private Chinese firm formed only six years ago?

China plan to expand importance of Singapore

In response to expected flat world trade growth abroad and moderate economic activity at home, China is packaging a series of initiatives to help bolster both. The plans will significantly expand Singapore’s importance to South-east Asia’s financial, trade and logistics services.

Thailand ‘exploring possible Uygur revenge plot’ in Bangkok bomb attack investigation

The probe on who could be behind the deadly blast in central Bangkok is focusing on a revenge motive by Uygur militants as it has now emerged that Thai authorities received intelligence that Chinese tourists could be a target of attacks.

Not so sweet on sugar daddy dating sites

“Sugar dating” sites, which pair young women with rich older men willing to pay lavishly for companionship, have, in recent years, begun targeting people in Singapore. And hundreds have been signing up, leading to some to call for them to be banned as they could draw young women into prostitution.

Abe Stokes History Wars by Avoiding Apology

The Diplomat

Should the United States Be Blamed for Japan’s Historical Revisionism?

Given the controversy surrounding Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement on the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is perhaps worthwhile to briefly reexamine some of the root causes that lead to conservative Japanese revisionism.

The Diplomat

WWII: how did Japan and Germany become global powerhouses?

Germany and Japan rose from the ashes of World War II to become global economic powerhouses in a few decades. But how did they achieve this remarkable feat so quickly, and what is the legacy of these parallel economic "miracles" today?

AFP

The issue of US 'neutrality' in South China Sea disputes

However, China will likely consider this statement in the context of other US policy statements and actions on these (and other) issues between them, as well as the positions of the disputants. In doing so, China is likely to draw the conclusion that the US is being disingenuous and hypocritical and is actually supporting rival claimants against it.

WWII wounds in Asia continue to fester

Unless Mr Abe makes a really dramatic gesture - for example, going in atonement to Nanjing and/or bowing in front of the Seoul memorial to the sex slaves - it is unlikely that the Japanese national consciousness will be awakened and hence, that genuine reconciliation will occur.

‘Made by China’ is what Chinese consumers want now

The rapid inroads made in China by domestic smartphone makers like Xiaomi, for example, suggest danger ahead for international brands. There’s a very real risk that the emergence of Chinese consumers will be more of a local story than a global one. Overseas companies that take them for granted do so at their own peril.

Men need more sex than women so decriminalise UK sex trade

Decriminalising prostitution in Britain could reduce levels of rape and sexual assaults on women, a think tank said, which described attempts to control the sex trade as ineffective and a waste of public money.

Claims that Mahathir’s cronies donated to opposition

Business tycoons close to former premier Mahathir Mohamad have been accused of giving money to the opposition in the 2013 general election, as questions continued to swirl around the US$700 million (S$960 million) donation deposited into Prime Minister Najib Razak’s personal accounts.

Japan revisionists deny WW2 sex slave atrocities

BBC

Luxury brands cut China sales forecasts

China’s economic slowdown is casting a long shadow over the glittering world of global luxury brands.

Jungle Vegas: How China’s gamblers are pouring into a casino in Laos’ notorious Golden Triangle

It’s nine in the morning and the gaming tables are still going strong. As croupiers take bets from the overnight die-hards, several exhausted gamblers sleep nearby, one still clutching a wad of betting slips.

China’s military needs to ‘upgrade weaponry, extend surveillance into western Pacific’

China’s People’s Liberation Army needs to broaden its air surveillance and attack capabilities to the western Pacific including the area near Japan to ensure its command of the air, according to an official study.

Singapore motorists entering Malaysia must register vehicles; RM20 entry fee starts on Oct 1

Singapore vehicles entering Malaysia are required to be registered with Malaysia’s Road Transport Department (RTD) or they would be refused entry in a new rule that will come into effect on Sept 1.

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