Kwek Leng Beng: Billionaire hotelier with an eye for design

Billionaire hotelier Kwek Leng Beng, usually in sombre suits, looks like a different man as he strides into his newest hotel, M Social, in salmon-pink trousers.

When to turn to mediation in telco disputes

The introduction of an alternative dispute resolution scheme to assist telcos and consumers in resolving their disputes was proposed by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) last month.

A Chinese Mystery: Who Owns a Firm on a Global Shopping Spree?

Questions about Anbang’s owners come as Chinese companies make deals around the world — sometimes representing efforts by China’s powerful to move money out of the country, as the economy slows and the party tightens its grip on everyday life.

US white nationalists use Twitter with 'relative impunity', have more followers than militant Islamists

White nationalists and self-identified Nazi sympathisers located mostly in the United States use Twitter with "relative impunity" and often have far more followers than militant Islamists, a study being released on Thursday found.

South China Sea: Did the ruling sink the rule of law?

In my view as a private researcher who has researched the issue for years, the tribunal's ruling was also weighed down by a litany of controversies as there were eight troubling issues arising from the ruling.

Experts continue to question South China Sea arbitration

Myron Nordquist, a professor at the University Virginia, said a lot of things were wrong about the tribunal's award over the South China Sea dispute, particularly the fundamental flawed system to begin with.

Describing the arbitration as "one-sided", the veteran maritime law expert said a good award should be one with both parties' consent.

"It is a bad decision politically and this is a political decision," Nordquist said.

"It is a matter of whether the Article 298 (which grants a nation the right to declare issues that it does not accept compulsory arbitration) was honoured."

Nordquist also believes the award's decision to declare all geographic features within the South China Sea as rocks or low-tide elevations "is not going to be well-received".

"For example, Japan is going to be, in the end, unhappy with the way rock and island issue was handled by the Tribunal," Nordquist said. He cited the case of Okinotorishima, an island claimed by Japan and one even smaller than Taiping, as it might be put in an awkward position by the award.

China Daily

South China Sea: Tribunal ruling will affect many other states' claims

The July 12 tribunal ruling on a maritime dispute case brought by the Philippines against China helped to clarify international law on oceans and sets a high bar for what constitutes islands. It will have repercussions for many regional states' claims.

Come to Canada for the natural beauty, stay for the ... propaganda?

A leading talk show host claims Canada’s tourism promotion agency is trying to prevent him from airing episodes on the mainland that touch on politically sensitive topics in the North American country, calling the obstruction censorship.

Who can step up as Singapore’s next leader?

On Monday, a week after he stunned Singapore when he nearly fainted while giving an annual policy speech live, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is due back at work. Following medical leave of seven days, it may be business as usual for him. But the incident has drawn attention to the unusual level of uncertainty around leadership succession.

Carro simplifies car buying, selling

Buying and selling pre-owned cars can be a real hassle. From dealing with unidentified scratches on the trunk - "Is the car really accident-free?" - to negotiating pricing with glib salesmen - "Today is your lucky day, because I have a special deal just for you!" - takes some getting used to.

China: the new space superpower

For years, its space programme was shrouded in secrecy. Now, with plans for lunar and Mars missions, and crowds at its launch sites, China is ready for liftoff

The Guardian

Cyber Cold War heats up

This is a tale of spies, a US$500 million (S$677 million) cyber arms heist, accusations of an attempt to manipulate a US presidential election and an increasingly menacing digital war being waged between Russia and the West.

Japan, China should put past behind them and move on

Can China and Japan, the second- and third-largest economies in the world, ever set aside their historical enmity and work together closely for the collective good of all in this part of the world?

An American conspiracy to oust Malaysia’s Najib – or a propaganda war?

As civil suit turns public perception of 1MDB scandal against embattled PM, supporters rally with a tried and tested tactic. But it may have been tried once too often

SCMP

Trump victory could cause global recession, says Citigroup

The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States could lead to chaos in markets and increased policy uncertainty that tip the world into recession, according to Citigroup.

How the CIA made Google

United States intelligence community funded, nurtured and incubated Google as part of a drive to dominate the world through control of information. Seed-funded by the NSA and CIA, Google was merely the first among a plethora of private sector start-ups co-opted by US intelligence to retain ‘information superiority.’

Insurge Intelligence Part 1
Insurge Intelligence Part 2

Remaking US foreign policy: may the wisdom of its forefathers prevail

Any nation's right to a form of government and an economic system of its own choosing is inalienable.

The Nation

ValueMax chief executive buys Katong freehold bungalow for S$30 million

The chief executive of listed pawnshop ValueMax Group, Yeah Hiang Nam, has lodged a caveat to buy a freehold bungalow along Wilkinson Road in Katong for S$30 million.

The crisis in Anglo-American democracy

Two of the great political parties in the West - the Republicans in the United States and Labour in the United Kingdom - are in a state of near collapse. That, in turn, threatens the health of democracy on both sides of the Atlantic.

A poignant tribute to ex-President Ong Teng Cheong

Singapore Recalcitrant

There may be trouble ahead for China and Singapore

Singapore needed to display “the wisdom of Lee Kuan Yew’s era, which provided a better and more cautious balance between China and the US. 

Thailand rejects request to extradite Holland Village bank robbery suspect

Singapore's efforts to extradite a suspect in the Holland Village bank heist have hit a snag in Thailand. The Attorney-General's Office in Bangkok has rejected its request for Canadian national David James Roach.

Lochte's lies expose him for what he is

Lochte is done as a public figure, of course. Which is probably the most effective form of justice for someone who apparently so craves attention. Oblivion is what he deserves.

Hacking tools stolen from NSA show Chinese cyberfirms were targeted, experts say

Hacking tools claimed to be pilfered from the US National Security Agency reveal a ­severe security threat to China, mainland experts say, with a leading national provider of network security said to be among the victims of the government hackers.

Meet Ryan Lochte, the world's latest 'ugly American'

It is Ryan Lochte's turn to be scorned as the world's ugliest American: a man wrapped in shame for his concocted story of being robbed at gunpoint at the Rio Olympics.

It looks increasingly likely that the NSA has been hacked, as experts scrutinise leaked code

Analysis of the cyber weapons that hackers say they extracted from the top secret National Security Agency has left a key team of outside experts increasingly certain that the files came from the NSA.

Pyramid scheme plays on 'Britishness' to ensnare China investors

That operation, called EuroFX, had also promised fat returns on foreign exchange. Chinese law enforcement authorities now say it was a pyramid scheme, which used cash from new investors to pay older ones. One Chinese official with direct knowledge of the matter says it could also have been part of a global fraud.

NSA hacking tools revealed online

Some of the most powerful espionage tools created by the National Security Agency's elite group of hackers have been revealed in recent days, a development that could pose severe consequences for the spy agency's operations and the security of government and corporate computers.

A letter from Normandy to Abe: Lessons for Japan from WWII

I spent a few days with my grandchildren visiting the beaches in Normandy in France that witnessed the landings of D-Day and the cities and towns that were ravaged by the fighting; these represent the first crucial steps to eventually bringing an end to World War II in Europe.

Why Australia's luck may be running out

Australians of a nervous disposition should probably avoid reading the Chinese press and social media at the moment. A combination of tensions over the South China Sea and the Olympics has made Australia the target of wild invective by Chinese nationalists.

Judge affirms her earlier acquittal

She again throws out case against director and company for allegedly importing rosewood without a permit

Xi Jinping's here to stay: China leader tipped to outstay term

Already China's most powerful leader in decades, President Xi Jinping will probably seek to extend his term to more than 10 years, analysts say, the first Communist Party chief to do so since Deng Xiaoping.

Xi Jinping is no Mao Zedong

Much of the world is watching Chinese President Xi Jinping with concern. Not only has he been re-concentrating power in the hands of the central government, but many believe his radical anti-graft campaign is a fig leaf for a political purge. They worry that Mr Xi is building a cult of personality, much like the one that surrounded Mao Zedong and fuelled the Cultural Revolution.

Man used as test subject in CIA torture program to ask for Guantánamo release

A man the CIA used as a guinea pig for its post-9/11 torture program will plead his case for freedom from Guantanámo Bay later this month, the Pentagon announced on Tuesday, in perhaps the hardest challenge to date for Barack Obama’s intentions to empty the infamous detention center.

The Guardian

New Singapore Law Slammed as Attack on Free Speech

Critics say a proposed bill is yet another assault on freedom.

In Japan, an Emperor Constrained by History and a National Identity Crisis

The hint by Emperor Akihito of Japan that he would like to abdicate challenges something bigger than the laws requiring him to serve until his death and questions over succession.

Why do Chinese think differently from the West?

Without understanding these fundamental differences in language, context and decision-making under uncertainty, it would be difficult to bridge the yawning gap between both sides of the Pacific.   It also means that the Chinese approach to economics and geo-politics will be quite different than is more commonly interpreted outside China. 

Singapore-bound Taipei rep sorry for drink driving

Taiwan's new representative to Singapore, Mr Antonio Chiang, has apologised for drink driving, saying that one should never drive after drinking alcohol.

How the US Misjudged the South China Sea, Part II

In Part I, we looked at U.S. actions and strategy in the South China Sea (SCS), and how U.S. policy so far has failed to achieve its desired result. The main reason for this is that U.S. strategy is based on a misunderstanding of China’s actions and goals in the SCS. In Part II, we examine China’s stance in the SCS and its response to U.S. actions.

Taiwan's new envoy to Singapore, Antonio Chiang, accused of drink driving

Taiwan's new representative to Singapore Antonio Chiang has been arrested for drink driving - just hours after being sworn in for his job, the island's media reports said.

Can NASA and China work together in space?

Meeting offers hope that decades-old freeze on space cooperation could be thawing

SCMP

How the US Misjudged the South China Sea, Part I

Since President Barack Obama took office in 2008, his administration has made achievements in both domestic and foreign affairs. In terms of politics and diplomacy, he is committed to become a peaceful president through conducting smart power diplomacy, which so far has included promoting his vision of a world free of nuclear weapons; ending the war in Iraq; accelerating withdrawal of forces and the end of military mission in Afghanistan; restraining U.S. involvement in Libya and Syria; championing the Iran nuclear deal framework; and normalizing relations with Cuba.

Yum! Brands, McDonald's look for buyers as Chinese tastes shift

When it comes to China's multi-billion dollar fast food industry, Yum! Brands and McDonald's Corp are living large, enjoying a combined 38 per cent share of the market in 2015. Yum's KFC restaurant chain and the Golden Arches have long enjoyed a run of super-sized growth as consumers craved a taste of Americana.

Indonesian tax amnesty pitch: bring it home to a new home

Indonesians who have stashed billions of dollars abroad over the years can now bring their hoard safely back home - literally, to a newly bought condo.

S$50m unauthorised investment by Mindef among lapses flagged by AG

Auditor-General says some of the lapses led to loss of revenue and raised concerns about governance in government departments and stat boards

Employment Pass holders must soon have higher minimum pay

Qualifying salary for foreigners to be hired on Employment Passes raised to $3,600

China parties lose online defamation suit

Two Singaporeans cleared in case that underscores Net anonymity

Didi shows Uber the way to doing business in tough China market

Just a year ago, Travis Kalanick told anyone who would listen that China was Uber Technologies Inc's most pivotal market. He's now waved the white flag.

China, Not Silicon Valley, Is Cutting Edge in Mobile Tech

“China was able to develop a lot of innovative business models, which arose in a different kind of economy,” said Ms. Chang, who spends time in both China and in Menlo Park, Calif. “Whether or not we admit it here in Silicon Valley, it’s had an impact on us and our thinking.”

Bus case another hot potato for President Tsai

In its editorial on Aug 1, the newspaper examines speculation that the driver's death was an act of self-immolation that left Chinese tourists as victims.

Swiber's move to wind up sends shock waves through market

Announcement stuns investors and analysts; news savages some O&M counters; DBS among banks with heavy exposure. Firm announces resignation of 3 exec directors

Most Asean countries ‘want to stay out of Beijing’s South China Sea dispute with the Philippines’

Most Asean countries want to stay out of the South China Sea dispute between China and the Philippines, says a diplomat with inside knowledge about the negotiations that went on before the bloc issued a joint statement on the matter this week.

Indonesian tax amnesty could spark outflow from Singapore wealth industry

Singapore's wealth management industry is likely to suffer a bad dent as rich Indonesians move some money back home to take advantage of a tax amnesty, but the exodus of funds isn't going to be as big as Jakarta is predicting.

If nothing else, at least Trump understands the folly of ‘empire’

Donald Trump gets a lot of things wrong, but there is at least one thing much of the rest of the world can agree on with him: the United States is in no position to lecture other countries about civil liberties or human rights.

South China Sea air strips’ main role is ‘to defend Hainan nuclear submarine base’

China’s underwater military strategy in the South China Sea, which remained concealed for the past two decades, suddenly emerged after an international tribunal rejected most of Beijing’s territorial claims in the hotly contested waters.

Americans too busy to stop wasting food

Americans say they feel bad about the 130 billion pounds (60 billion kg) of food that the nation wastes every year. But not badly enough to do anything about it.

A lack of respect for laws and the courts

The decision by bodies like the Hong Kong chapter of Amnesty International to criticise the convictions of Occupy activists casts groundless doubts on the integrity of the judiciary.

Japanese 'rent men' who are paid just to listen

AFP

The Philippine suit: A brilliant US machination?

Whatever the results of the Permanent Arbitral Court deliberations on the Philippine suit against China, which would be known after this column had been submitted, I can’t shrug off the suspicion that the US deftly played with President Aquino’s administration to file the case. For good or for bad.

RIGOBERTO D. TIGLAO is a Filipino diplomat and writer. He was formerly the Ambassador to Cyprus and Greece.

Will we be the West’s ‘tank man’ vs China?

I certainly hope we won’t, or President Duterte’s term will see an economic downturn, a year or so after what this overexcited Solicitor General Jose Calida called the country’s “crowning glory,” our victory in the UNCLOS case we filed against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration. It’s a real possibility, though, that Calida’s crown of glory could be our crown of thorns.

Rigoberto Tiglao is a Filipino diplomat and writer. He was formerly the Ambassador to Cyprus and Greece.

'Wolf of Wall Street' sued as US seeks 1MDB-tied assets

The US Justice Department is seeking to seize more than US$1 billion in assets including real estate, art and proceeds from the "Wolf of Wall Street" movie that it says were illegally acquired through money diverted from the embattled Malaysian development fund known as 1MDB.

The South China Sea Case and China's New Nationalism

Putting Chinese nationalism in historical context.

Oil wrestling: US and Britain fought over Iraq’s assets in aftermath of war, Chilcot report shows

The US and British governments fought bitterly over control of Iraq’s oil following the toppling of Saddam Hussein, the UK Chilcot report into the war shows.

Chinese scholar says ‘new evidence in Japan proves Beijing’s sovereignty over South China Sea islands’

Zhu Jianrong, a professor at Toyo Gakuen University, said that he had found several pieces of evidence – including a telegram and newspaper clippings from the 1920s to 1930s – which could prove that the Japanese government at the time acknowledged China’s sovereignty in the Spratly and Paracel Islands, Xinhua reported.

The Hague ruling: 'Absurd award that contravenes procedural justice'

China views the Arbitral Tribunal as wrongly conceived, lacking jurisdiction to rule on territorial matters. But it remains open to negotiations.

Mountains out of Molehills: The Pentagon’s Big Lie About the South China Sea

By February 2016, the U.S. “discovery” of a surface to air missile (SAM) capability on one of the Paracel Islands has been fielded as a new political tool to cry foul against China for breach of its commitment “not to militarize” the Spratly Island disputes.

So far it’s been the US, not China, that has flouted international law

If the US were backed by international treaties rather than its maritime might, it might have a stronger case. Now it’s just a power play by a hypocrite.

Of Course China, Like All Great Powers, Will Ignore an International Legal Verdict

In ignoring an upcoming verdict on the South China Sea, Beijing is following well-established precedent by great powers.

Chilcot report criticises Tony Blair for leading UK into Iraq war based on flawed intelligence

A British inquiry into the Iraq war strongly criticised former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his government on Wednesday, saying they had led the country into war based on flawed intelligence that should have been challenged.

Britain's Iraq war inquiry delivers damning verdict on former PM Tony Blair

Former British prime minister Tony Blair took his country into a badly planned, woefully executed and legally questionable war in Iraq in 2003, according to the findings of a long-delayed inquiry published on Wednesday (July 6).

Cameron's reckless gamble could lead to breakup of the UK

The reaction to the UK's vote to leave the European Union has been dramatic. Sterling has fallen to levels not seen since 1985, David Cameron has resigned as prime minister and S&P has downgraded the nation's AAA credit rating by two notches to AA, with a negative outlook, in a move that may come to symbolise the perceived diminished status of the nation.

After a boom decade, Shanghai still needs room to grow

A decade ago, there were construction cranes everywhere in downtown Shanghai, and many market analysts were sounding alarms about overbuilding and predicted a downturn in the city’s office property market.

China to launch ‘hack-proof’ quantum satellite next month

China will launch the world’s first quantum satellite next month to demonstrate a series of advanced technologies such as hacker-proof communications and quantum teleportation.

Use of mobile phones at petrol stations do not cause fires: Experts

The use of mobile phones at petrol stations will cause a fire, right? Wrong, say experts. It's just an urban legend, circulated via e-mail as early as the late 1990s, claiming that the microwaves emitted from mobile phones could generate a spark that could ignite petrol fumes.

US drone strike body count doesn’t add up

US military and intelligence agencies have killed as many as 116 civilians in air strikes on militants since Obama took office, the White House said.

Pastor Daniel Cheo Guan Beng jailed two weeks for road rage

A church pastor who challenged a businessman to a fight, then slammed a van door on him in a road rage incident, was sentenced to two weeks' jail on Thursday.

Why China Won’t Stop Island Building in the South China Sea

As the U.S. navy and rival Asian claimants respond to China’s building of military-grade infrastructure on disputed islands, heightened risks of conflict raise alarm bells over destabilization in a vital arena of global trade. The world awaits the deliberation of the Hague on the matter, but its decision will have little impact on China’s actions, which are anchored by Beijing’s grand ambitions to secure an unrivalled commercial empire throughout Eurasia and Africa.

The billionaire retail rebel

Tadashi Yanai likes T-shirts. They're comfortable, anybody can wear one and if you get a lot of people to buy them, you could become very rich. Mr Yanai has been selling T-shirts for over 30 years and now has more money than anybody in Japan. All because in the mid-1980s, the son of a suit maker from Yamaguchi prefecture got tired of selling stuffy menswear and created Unique Clothing Warehouse, better known as Uniqlo - the temple of everyday clothing for everybody.

China, the US, and Extrajudicial Abductions

China’s new willingness to abduct enemies overseas is worrying. But remember the US has been doing the same for decades.

Inconsistencies emerge from Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee’s comments on his detention

The bookseller maintains that colleague Lee Po gave him the impression he was taken to the mainland involuntarily, although Lee denies this

Faster immigration clearance for eligible Singaporeans travelling to US

Frequent travellers to the United States will soon be able to clear immigration checks faster with the launch of the US-Singapore Trusted Traveller Programme (TTP) on Monday (Jun 27).

Online legal-drafting services on the rise in Singapore

Firms offering fuss-free contract-drafting services have been sprouting here over the past couple of years, many of which target start-ups that value high speed with small price tags.

Sovereignty, jurisdiction and international law

Singapore's transboundary haze pollution law is consistent with international law principles, which do permit a country's laws to have extraterritorial jurisdiction in some instances.

China is threatening to leave a major UN sea treaty—and there’s nothing the US can say about it

Over 160 countries and the European Union have signed on to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos). The United States, however, has long declined to do so.

Quartz

Asean's disunity undermines its centrality

One thing is clear from the confusion and controversy arising from the recent special meeting between Asean and Chinese foreign ministers in Kunming: South-east Asia's premier organisation is structurally split over its divergent territorial interests.

The US military struggles to win hearts and minds in Okinawa as thousands protest woman’s murder

Crimes by US troops based on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa have long angered residents, who for decades have claimed the American military was out of control.

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.”