Officer asked about genital size

The woman, who alleged that a senior anti-graft officer had hit her during questioning, testified on Friday that he asked her about the size of her husband’s penis.

You can’t have decoupling in an age of globalisation

With Asia showing signs of clawing its way out of the slump ahead of the developed world, there has been a sudden rebound in talk about decoupling: the idea that East Asia can unshackle its economic performance from that of the rich countries and achieve sustainable growth independently.

A Sad Day

I grew up watching Charlie's Angels and Michael Jackson's MTV. Both icons passed away yesterday. I have the same depressing feeling as when 梅艳芳 and 张国荣 passed away few years ago. It's a sign that I am ageing? Life is short, really short. Got to treasure every moment before I close my eyes.

Bribe-taking forces Ikea to halt investment in Russia

Ikea said on Tuesday that it was suspending further investment in Russia, apparently because of pervasive corruption and demands for bribes.

Linking of HK, Shenzhen bourses mulled

Hong Kong and Shenzhen could integrate their equity markets into one financial market to attract investors from both areas, said Lawrence Lau Juen-yee, vice-chancellor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Buy gold to hedge dollar fall, urges party official

Mainland should buy more gold because the dollar is poised for a fall and the metal is needed to support the greater international role envisaged for the yuan, a senior researcher with the ruling Communist Party said on Thursday.

CLSA chief slams HK’s complacency, red tape

Rob Morrison says Hong Kong's bureaucracy has driven CLSA to pick Singapore for expansion.

Hong Kong is too complacent about its cosy status as the financial gateway to the mainland and faces plunging into obscurity if Shanghai becomes the mainland’s leading capital market, a senior local banker says.

Data-miners doubt whether China’s recovery is for real

There is an old joke about proud parents: they all insist their children are above average. You could equally well make it about men. Every man alive is convinced he is a better than average driver.

Audi speeds past rivals in mainland elite fleet deal

Audi speeds past rivals in mainland elite fleet deal

Senior CPIB officer on trial for hurting China suspect

A senior anti-graft officer who allegedly flung a plastic file at a suspect he was interviewing told a court yesterday it was actually his shoe that hit her.

Will the upward trend continue to bend?

Last week’s column recommended investors to be aware of what could cause the upward trend to bend, which as it turned out, was probably timely advice given the sharp fall over the week.

Catalist Index to be launched on Monday

A new index to track stocks on the Singapore Exchange’s (SGX) secondary Catalist board will be launched on Monday.

Time to revamp the Strata Titles boards

It appears that there is an urgent need to review the role of the Strata Titles Boards (STB), especially regarding collective or en bloc property sales in the light of recent court judgments that saw the board come under criticism.

Japan, China gear up for industrial makeover

Economists warn that export demand in many industries will just ‘never come back’

Why men should not be entitled to alimony

The reason usually given is that alimony represents remuneration for the woman’s uncompensated work of childcare and home-making. Eager perhaps to overcome this picture of male-providers and female-receivers, ex-Nominated Member of Parliament Kanwaljit Soin said at a recent forum that ‘maintenance should be on the basis of need and not on the basis of sex’. Men here can receive no alimony in the current law but Dr Kanwaljit argued that an ex-husband should be entitled to alimony if his ex-wife earned more than he did.

Mainland luxury home prices surge

Mounting concerns over inflation and stock market volatility help bolster demand

Laying hypocrisy on with a trowel over ‘Buy China’

Over the past week, we’ve heard a lot of complaints about Beijing’s “Buy China” policy. We’ve also heard quite a few complaints about those complaints.

Most of both have carried more than a whiff of hypocrisy.

China thirst for foreign red wine apparent at Vinexpo

Much to the delight of French winemakers, China confirmed its passion for red wine within the first 24 hours of the opening of the world’s largest wine exhibition here, Vinexpo.

Jim Rogers says he has no short positions and is selling US dollars

“I’d rather be a farmer than a stockbroker for the next couple of years,” he said. “No-one you went to school with became a farmer... so we have a shortage of farmers.”

S-chips: More clarity and greater enforcement needed

The problem with the local corporate regulatory regime is that it has plenty of rules in some places but not enough action or clarity in others. For instance, much has been written in the past few months about the need to tighten disclosure/ governance rules because of various lapses by mainly S-chips (or companies listed here with predominantly China operations) and the Singapore Exchange (SGX) has duly responded with various consultation/ discussion papers aimed at tightening the rules.