New Snowden documents say NSA can break common Internet encryption

The United States (US) National Security Agency (NSA) has secretly developed the ability to crack or circumvent commonplace Internet encryption used to protect everything from email to financial transactions, according to media reports citing documents obtained by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

Obama unlikely to win support on Syria

His consensus-building strategy is akin to Bush the First's, but the US, Mid-East and world today are different from 1990

Action on CNPC signals Beijing’s resolve to hit corruption hard

Hu Shuli says the Politburo’s launch of a new five-year plan to tackle corruption, just ahead of a key meeting on reform, is significant

New visa and residence regulations for China

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Kerry portrait of Syria rebels at odds with intelligence reports

Secretary of State John Kerry's public assertions that moderate Syrian opposition groups are growing in influence appear to be at odds with estimates by U.S. and European intelligence sources and nongovernmental experts, who say Islamic extremists remain by far the fiercest and best-organized rebel elements.
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American jailed for offences in hostels

An American tourist was sentenced to nine months in jail yesterday for insulting and outraging the modesty of five women at backpacker hostels.

China hunts tigers in corruption crackdown

The ultimate test for the ongoing crackdown on corruption by China President Xi Jinping is aptly captured in his own campaign phrase: “Hitting tigers as well as flies.” One year on, what tigers could he catch?

Russia's Putin calls John Kerry a liar on Syria

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry a liar, claiming he had denied that al-Qaida was fighting with the Syrian opposition in that country's civil war.
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Brazil's Rousseff wants U.S. apology for NSA spying

Furious about a report that the U.S. government spied on her private communications, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff may cancel a planned White House visit and downgrade commercial ties unless she receives a public apology, a senior Brazilian official told Reuters on Wednesday.
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What Japan really needs to learn from the Nazis

Any attempt to amend the Constitution would trigger vast international opposition

Anti-graft agency website lets public file complaints

People can fill out online form anonymously, detailing their suspicions about officials

US launched 231 cyberattacks in 2011

Spy services hacked computer networks, mostly of adversaries Iran, Russia, China and N Korea

Russia gives Snowden asylum

Russia rejected U.S. pleas and granted American fugitive Edward Snowden a year's asylum on Thursday, letting the former spy agency contractor slip out of a Moscow airport after more than five weeks in limbo while angering the United States and putting in doubt a planned summit between the two nations' presidents.
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What your favourite ice cream flavour says about you

Thrown to the wolves: China's children at the mercy of foreign predators

Children across China are at the mercy of foreign sexual predators who take advantage of lax background checks and inaction by schools

Local government debt to be exposed by Li’s survey

Audit likely to reveal up to US$3 trillion of debt, with any austerity measures hitting demand

Xi shaping up to be an influential PLA commander

The son of a revolutionary hero may have more chance than predecessors of winning the trust and political backing of the top brass, analysts say

Shenzhen introduces Good Samaritan law

New regulation will protect people who render assistance to those in need and deter dishonest ‘victims’ who see a chance for easy money

Supercar membership club now open

Singapore’s first supercar membership club was launched yesterday and it will offer 100 high-net worth individuals the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a super sports car for a fee. Gran Superdrive is founded by Henry Goh and his associates - a group of car enthusiasts who are also veterans of the car industry.

Thrown to the wolves: China's children at the mercy of foreign predators

Children across China are at the mercy of foreign sexual predators who take advantage of lax background checks and inaction by schools