New TechSkills Accelerator to help Singapore develop 'world-class' ICT workforce

The TechSkills Accelerator (TeSA), a skills development and job placement initiative introduced during this year's Budget, will be the "umbrella framework" for information and communications technology (ICT) related training programmes and career development for all ICT professionals - and will help Singapore develop a "world-class ICT workforce".

Ex-BSI banker received 'secret profits' of US$4m: prosecutor

Former BSI private banker Yeo Jiawei allegedly received "secret profits" of about US$4 million when he was with the Singapore branch of the Swiss private bank, which has been embroiled in the probe into 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

Gucci apologises for sending warning letters to Hong Kong shops over paper handbag offerings

Luxury brand Gucci and its parent firm Kering have apologised for sending letters to six Hong Kong stores earlier this week warning them not to sell fake paper Gucci handbags and fashion items for the deceased.

Boosting productivity - with optimal office lighting

While not ideal, the reality is that offices are becoming a second home to many. There is no doubt that reporting managers must help to balance their employees' work life balance, but higher management must look at ways to improve productivity as a way to reduce long working hours. Most importantly, if employees are going to spend a better part of their day at work, then there is an impetus to create an ideal work environment for them.

Playing by the rules in Asia

Part of the attraction of a "rules-based global order" is that it would constrain all relevant players. US policymakers, unlike those in most of the rest of the world, don't find the concept inherently attractive. Although they - like everyone else - do pay lip service to it, willingness to be bound by international rules is not part of US officials' DNA.

Singapore probing complex transactions involving 'many shell companies' in 1MDB case

Singapore authorities are probing "complex and layered transactions" with "cross border elements" involving many shell companies in their investigations into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), according to prosecutors here.

China ordering investment firms, online lenders to shut offices to head off social unrest

China's authorities, seeking to forestall potential social unrest due to growing failures of investment firms and online lenders, are ordering many to break leases and close their storefronts on busy streets - lest they become magnets for protesters.

Donald Trump is Republican presidential nominee and golf cheat?

Donald plunks two balls in the water, one goes out bounds and another lands in the bushes before Trump plants another ball in the middle of the fairway

British firm, Oxy Reckitt Benckiser's unit in South Korea apologises over disinfectant blamed for more than 100 deaths

The head of a Korean subsidiary of a British consumer goods company was slapped and shouted down on Monday (May 2) as he apologised for his firm's role in selling a humidifier disinfectant blamed for more than 100 deaths in South Korea.

What lies behind the temptation to beat up on China over global steel crisis

Claims are normally built on rigged numbers – and nowhere more so when the target country is deemed a “non-market economy” – as China is.

Boosting productivity - with optimal office lighting

While not ideal, the reality is that offices are becoming a second home to many. There is no doubt that reporting managers must help to balance their employees' work life balance, but higher management must look at ways to improve productivity as a way to reduce long working hours. Most importantly, if employees are going to spend a better part of their day at work, then there is an impetus to create an ideal work environment for them.

2 people, not one, charged in Singapore's 1MDB probe

Singapore authorities have charged not one but two people - a former wealth manager at Swiss private bank BSI and someone allegedly involved in corrupt transactions in concert with the former private banker - in an ongoing investigation into 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that was described in court as the "most complex" probe ever undertaken by the white-collar crime buster here.

Singapore ex-banker hauled to court amid 1MDB probe faces two more charges

Yeo's lawyer, Mr Philip Fong, managing partner of Harry Elias Partnership, argued that denying his client bail and access to his lawyers would be in breach of his presumption of innocence, and his constitutional right of access to counsel, thus making a mockery of fundamental liberties.

Architects also hurting from real estate woes

The real estate downturn has filtered down to architecture and engineering services firms, which were hit by surging redundancies last year - and industry players warn that the situation could worsen this year.

China must seize the opportunity for prosperity

China is facing the difficult task of managing a soft economic landing, after decades of spectacular expansion. Naysayers abound, but never mind them. China has an advantage that other countries in today's troubled global economy lack: a clear path forward.

Why China will not fall into the middle-income trap

China’s economic growth after over three decades of dynamic expansion at double-digit rates has markedly come down in recent years. The growth deceleration has raised the spectre of the Chinese economy falling into the “middle-income trap” (MIT).

Arrested China exec said to be buyer of Sentosa villa

Zhang Min, the Chinese businesswoman involved in the Ezubao ponzi scandal, is believed to have been the buyer of a S$23.8 million bungalow along Lakeshore View in Sentosa Cove, the purchase of which has not been completed.

China has a fair shot at building the car of the future

The Detroit Auto Show has long set the tone for the global car industry, but a new player on the other side of the world could prove to be a bigger player. As the Beijing Motor Show begins on Monday, it's worth taking a closer look at China's car industry.

San Francisco is torn as crime situation worsens

From her apartment at the foot of the celebrated zigzags of Lombard Street, Judith Calson has twice peered out of her window as thieves smashed their way into cars and snatched whatever they could. She has seen foreign tourists cry after cash and passports were stolen. She shudders when she recounts the story of the Thai tourist who was shot because he resisted thieves taking his camera. And that is her tally from the last year alone.

Why won't Hollywood cast Asians?

Such facts reveal Hollywood's dirty little secret. Economics has nothing to do with racist casting policies. Films in which the leads have been whitewashed have all failed mightily at the box office. Inserting white leads had no demonstrable effect on the numbers. So why is that still conventional thinking in Hollywood?

Singapore Charges Ex-Banker Following 1MDB Probe

Yeo’s lawyer, Philip Fong, asked the judge to grant Yeo the "fundamental right" to counsel and said Yeo had been cooperating with the police since he was investigated in October and will continue to do so. Yeo isn’t a flight risk as he has family in Singapore and is willing to cooperate further with the authorities, Fong said.

The judge denied Yeo’s request for access to counsel.

Moët-Hennessy set to debut first luxury Yunnan wine

A partnership between French conglomerate Moët-Hennessy and Chinese baijiu consortium VATS has led to the creation one of the highest elevation wineries in the world. The joint venture is set to debut its first luxury vintage this summer, following years of negotiation and preparation.

GoKunming

Singapore’s Best Burgers for around $20 or less

I eat I shoot

Drinkers drive up demand for valet services

After a night of drinking, Mr Sean Tan usually gets into his car to head home. But the 32-year-old accountant does not take the wheel.

Enrolling fishermen in sovereignty claims

Chinese fisherman Chen Zebo was 13 when he first went out to sea, 19 when he headed to Scarborough Shoal and 30 when he was first arrested by the Philippine authorities on charges of illegal fishing.

Cheaper phone calls overseas with gadget

Dubbed Qongle, the device lets travellers make or receive calls from any Singapore number without subscribing to auto-roaming, which costs about $10 a month.

Top US colleges putting thousands of applicants in wait-list limbo

Students applying to top colleges crave to hear “yes!” when decisions roll out in March and brace themselves for “no”. But huge numbers get a vague answer that is neither admission nor denial - a tantalising “maybe” - with an invitation to join a wait list.

Government rebuts Lee Suet Fern’s comments on scheme

Ministry defends 2008 scheme which lawyer Lee Suet Fern says has not benefited Singapore lawyers enough

China’s swelling junkyards are readying iron ore’s next threat

As China’s booming middle class junks aging cars and home appliances, the next threat to the world’s ailing iron-ore producers is materializing.

Uber, GrabCar drivers to have vocational licences; undergo background checks

Private chauffeur drivers operating under apps such as Uber and Grab will be regulated in Singapore, to safeguard commuters' interest.

Singapore private car hire drivers to be licensed

To better protect commuter interests, in particular their safety, drivers of ride-hailing apps like Uber and GrabCar will require a licence by the first half of 2017, while their private hire cars will have to be registered with the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

Offshore vehicles not illegal: MAS

Central bank says it has a strict legal and regulatory framework to guard against money laundering and terrorism financing

Pavlovian conditioning and 'correct thinking' on the South China Sea

On a global scale, China is not a clearly revisionist power. But Beijing wants to reclaim something of its historical centrality in East Asia. The United States has emphasised that it intends to remain an East Asian power.

Why few Americans appear in the Panama Papers

But one group is not there: prominent Americans. US tycoons and politicians are notably absent in the leaked files of the Panama law offices of Mossack Fonseca, which created thousands of shell companies worldwide to hide the identities of their ultimate owners, some of whom may have been evading taxes.

Mossack Fonseca has office in Singapore

Mossack Fonseca, the Panamanian law firm at the centre of the document leak, has an office in Singapore. It shares office space in the Jit Poh Building at 19 Keppel Road with TPS Corporate Services, a firm that helps clients set up and manage companies in different jusrisdictions, both onshore and offshore.

‘Arrogance’ why Western tech firms fail in China: Top VC

"Western imperial arrogance" rather than government regulation is the reason technology firms fail in their attempts to expand into China, according to the chairman of a top Silicon Valley venture capital (VC) firm.

CNBC

Law firm in 'Panama Papers' leak is secretive, with big clients

Mossack Fonseca, the Panama-based law firm at the heart of the "Panama Papers" scandal, is a discreet outfit with a roster of big-name clients and a quiet reputation for hiding money from the tax man.

Master con man tells how foreign criminals launder illicit fortunes through China

The country’s well-developed underground financial networks have caught the attention of foreign criminals who are using mainland China and Hong Kong to clean their dirty money and pump it back into the global financial system — largely beyond the reach of Western law enforcement, an Associated Press investigation has found.

Argentina hails UN decision to expand its maritime territory

Argentina's government celebrated on Monday a decision by a U.N. commission expanding its maritime territory in the South Atlantic Ocean by 35 percent to include the disputed Falkland islands and beyond.

AP

Shanghai’s allure fading for migrants

After living in Shanghai for nine years, Mr Teng Yiye, 38, and his family moved to a small town in neighbouring Jiangsu province in late 2014. It takes Mr Teng about an hour to drive to Shanghai to attend meetings for his interior design business, but he believes he made the right decision to leave the city.

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.