Some in Guam push for independence from US as Marines prepare for buildup on Asia’s doorstep

Guam, home to a large US air base, could see a vote on its political status in November

Asean must not be divided by South China Sea disputes

China has quoted historical facts to support its case. That countries did not come forward to dispute its position post-World War II, perhaps lends credence to this order. International agreements made thereafter may have further supported this view.

Can't always get what you want? Don't worry

The first time I went on a silent meditation retreat, a few years back, I was terrified that the experience might prove impossible to endure.

Bookseller Lam Wing-kee is lying, colleagues claim in ‘exclusive’ newspaper interview

Booksellers Lui Por and Cheung Chi-ping, both associated with the Causeway Bay Books store, have accused their recently returned colleague Lam Wing-kee of lying and being manipulated.

hongkongfp

In Manila, police welcome arrival of president Duterte

That was welcome news to police in the Philippine capital who say they are so under-funded that they often have to buy their own bullets and get lifts to murder scenes in funeral service cars because they have no vehicles of their own.

China's plan for college spots for poor ignites class conflict

Cheng Nan has spent years trying to ensure that her 16-year-old daughter gets into a college near their home in Nanjing, an affluent city in eastern China. She wakes her at 5.30am to study maths and Chinese poetry and packs her schedule so tightly that she has only 20 days of summer vacation.

As China acts to cool property frenzy, volatility spurs new risk

China's use of administrative measures to control property prices can have painful repercussions for its swelling ranks of homeowners. Just ask Shanghai resident Yi Miaowen.

Half of Afghans captured and deliberately ‘terrorised’ by Canadian troops were innocent, say military police

Nearly half of the Afghans captured by Canadian troops in 2010 and 2011 had no links to the Taliban and were illegally held far longer than Ottawa has publicly acknowledged, military police said Wednesday.

Singapore targeting private firms linked to Indonesian fires, not national sovereignty

Singapore's move to go after companies linked to fires in Indonesia that led to last year's haze is not an issue of sovereignty or national dignity, said a Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR) spokesman yesterday.

CIA documents offer glimpse inside secret ‘black site’ prisons, where detainees faced brutal treatment

The CIA has released dozens of previously classified documents that expose disturbing new details of the agency’s treatment of terrorism suspects after the September 11, 2001, attacks, including one who died in Afghanistan in 2002 after being doused with water and chained to a concrete floor as temperatures plunged below freezing.

Released documents shed light on US CIA's torture programme

United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) lawyers sought guarantees the US spy agency would never be prosecuted for torturing suspects after the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, while other staff warned the programme was an impending "train wreck", documents showed on Tuesday (June 15).

How to register for VEP

•Create an account at Malaysia's Road Transport Department (RTD) website.

•You can download your Vehicle Registration Card PDF file from the website of Singapore's Land Transport Authority and upload it to the RTD website. Once successful, a PDF confirmation slip will be sent to you via e-mail.

•Those registering at the Johor Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex will need to have their vehicle registration card, latest insurance cover note and passport with them.

•To collect the VEP tag, users must have the registered vehicle, passport, confirmation slip and RM10 (S$3.30) for an administration fee.

•The VEP tag is valid for five years and must be renewed three months before the expiry date.

 •For more details, visit the RTD website at https://vep.jpj.gov.my

Singapore has picked the wrong target in its balance of powers strategy: Global Times commentary

Mr Chen Jiulin (founder of Beijing Joseph Investment Co and former CEO of China Aviation Oil) wrote an opinion piece, "Singapore should support China's South China Sea stand too", in the Global Times recently, hoping that Singapore "will stop using US' power consistently to contain China". Mr Chen has good intentions, but I think it is quite difficult for Singapore to change its stand. A rough recap will provide some understanding on how Singapore's views on security came about.

How Donald Trump Bankrupted His Atlantic City Casinos, but Still Earned Millions

“People underestimated Donald Trump’s ability to pillage the company,” said Sebastian Pignatello, a private investor who at one time held stock in the Trump casinos worth more than $500,000. “He drove these companies into bankruptcy by his mismanagement, the debt and his pillaging.”

Why I renewed my COE for five years

Last month, the 10-year COE for my Category B car expired. I was faced with four options: buy a new car; renew the COE for 10 years; renew for five years or do without a car.

Singapore aims to prosecute Indonesian polluters under haze law

Singapore is prepared to prosecute any Indonesian companies found responsible for the fires that produced hazardous ash clouds afflicting the city state last year, a minister said, standing his ground even as recent efforts to take firms to account drew ire from the country's largest Southeast Asian neighbour.

Serve court papers – via Facebook

Court okays use of electronic means beyond e-mail if defendant cannot be reached in person

The BSI story: How a 143-year-old Swiss bank took a quick road to ruin in Asia

Even in Asia's cutthroat world of wealth management, the news of a mass defection at RBS Coutts, venerable bankers to the British royals, came as a shock.

Bruce Lee quote on water

You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.

Legality of China's claims in South China Sea 'not weak': George Yeo

Citing Beijing's assertions that its claims in the contested waters date back to the Qing dynasty, Mr Yeo said that countries did not earlier object to China when it drew the controversial nine-dash line. Beijing uses the nine-dash line to mark a large swathe of the areas in the South China Sea that it claims.

South China Sea islands part of Taiwan's territory

The statement that the occupation of Itu Aba Island (Taiping Island) by Taiwan in 1956 violates Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and, therefore, does not confer lawful title, is not based on facts or history ("Will China decide to reduce tension in the South China Sea?"; May 31).

Forget Pearl Harbour, Abe should go to Nanjing

If the two largest economies of Asia are at daggers drawn, the consequences cannot be conducive to peace and prosperity. Japan has to take steps to assuage the wounds of the past with China.

Forget Pearl Harbour, Abe should go to Nanjing

If the two largest economies of Asia are at daggers drawn, the consequences cannot be conducive to peace and prosperity. Japan has to take steps to assuage the wounds of the past with China.

Why Japan should apologise to neighbouring nations

Instead of urging the US to apologise, Japan owes Hong Kong an apology for the terrible atrocities it committed during World War II.

Mitsubishi Materials, Chinese WWII slave workers reach deal

Mitsubishi Materials Corp., one of dozens of Japanese companies that used Chinese forced laborers during World War II, reached a settlement with thousands of victims on Wednesday that includes compensation and an apology.

AP

Dormitory operator fined $300,000 for housing more workers than allowed in facility

A dormitory operator was fined $300,000 on Tuesday (May 31) for housing foreign workers in an overcrowded dormitory, contravening the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).

When running wears out the knees

Medication can stop pain, inflammation; more serious injury may require surgery

Housing crisis in China’s ‘Silicon Valley’: Huawei, other hi-tech giants head for cheaper cities as rising costs deter talents

Home prices in Shenzhen surged almost 50 per cent last year and are now more than double those in provincial capital

China tycoon saves Australia lambs to show perks of foreign cash

When biting winter winds whip through the paddocks of the 170-year-old Lal Lal sheep farmin Australia's central Victoria this year, a Chinese wool tycoon will be trying to help revive an ailing industry. He's also hoping to overturn scepticism toward foreign investors.

US, China closer on South China Sea issues than they appear

When big countries reach agreement, small countries may pay the price, says Ambassador-at-large Bilahari Kausikan in a speech he delivered in Tokyo this week. The excerpt below includes notes prepared in anticipation of questions.

China at an inflection point: what's in it for Asia?

China’s size and promise have long enthralled the world. The dream of penetrating China's market was colourfully captured in the words of a British commentator in the 1840s: "If we could only persuade every person in China to lengthen his shirt-tail by a foot, we could keep the mills of Lancashire working around the clock." Well, war, revolution, and central planning quickly laid to rest that fantasy.

Lawyers in Dallas Buyers Club action face punishment

The Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) will be going after two former lawyers of the legal firm representing United States film studio Dallas Buyers Club LLC, following a complaint lodged last year on their conduct in civil claims against illegal downloaders of the movie.

Taiwan enters South China Sea legal fray, as group seeks to sway court on Philippines-China spat

A Taiwanese group has intervened in the Philippines' international court case against China's claims in the South China Sea, pressing Taipei's position that Taiwan is entitled to a swathe of the disputed waterway as an economic zone.

Johor's EduCity drawing Singaporean students

For decades, scores of Malaysian children have been boarding crowded buses daily at unearthly hours to come to Singapore to attend schools here.

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.