Thursday, 17 July 2014

China commerce minister chastises US after WTO victory

China's commerce minister hit out at the United States on Thursday, urging it not to be a "rule-breaker" after the World Trade Organization (WTO) handed Beijing initial victory in a trade dispute.
Link

Magnate allays fears of Iskandar building glut

This comes against a backdrop of roll-out of mammoth projects by big Chinese developers

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

Why complicate the COE system even more?

130 hp power limit for Cat A too complex to implement

Monday, 14 July 2014

US law still reigns supreme in global economy

Some bristle at BNP Paribas fine and Fatca but are helpless in face of worldwide use of greenback

Sunday, 13 July 2014

Bruised and grumbling, foreign banks bend to U.S. rules

Financiers may grumble that the United States is acting like an imperial power in punishing foreign banks for dealings far beyond U.S. territory, but in the end they are more likely to bow to Washington than kick against its dollar muscle.

In an expletive-charged broadside, the executive was quoted as saying: "You ... Americans! Who are you to tell us, the rest of the world, that we're not going to deal with Iranians?"

Link

Friday, 11 July 2014

‘Bamboo ceiling’ hampering Asians in Australia

A “bamboo ceiling” exists in Australia for Asians entering positions of power in business, education and politics, the country’s race discrimination commissioner has suggested.

Tuesday, 8 July 2014

Part of Unit 731 War Crimes Museum, with evidence of human experimentation, to open next year

The research lab where biological warfare was tested during the second Sino-Japanese war is being cleared in Harbin, Heilongjiang province

Is Batu Pahat in Johor the next Iskandar?

Developing the area could signify the northward expansion of the Singapore-Johor megalopolis

Sunday, 15 June 2014

Snowden effect changes US-China dynamic on cybersecurity

The whistle-blower’s revelations of the extent of NSA spying gave Beijing a stronger hand in negotiations on the issue of cybersecurity

Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Saturday, 7 June 2014

Unsold homes big drag on developers' coffers

Punishing fees seen incentivising some to reprice projects to move sales in near term

Virginia’s “comfort women” memorial reveals Asian tensions

In Virginia, US, a memorial dedicated to “comfort women” reveals that Asian Americans are not all quite so ready to forgive and forget.

An Open Letter to the Prime Minster

I had thought to keep quiet during this period of political transition while watching events unfold. But what is happening currently has perturbed me enough to want to do another commentary. I have cast it in the form of a direct letter to the PM, to convey a greater sense of urgency.

Link

Tuesday, 3 June 2014

For One Tiananmen-Era Student, a Very Different Path to Power

A few days after the crackdown on the Tiananmen Square protests 25 years ago, the Chinese government filled the airwaves with a list of the 21 most wanted student leaders accused of stirring up an antigovernment rebellion. At the top of the list was a 20-year-old student at Peking University named Wang Dan, who set up an unofficial student union to mobilize his classmates to demand democracy.

Slump in China’s wine market forces shake-out, rethink

The sudden slowdown in wine sales to the mainland is forcing merchants to refine their sales strategies, attendees at last week’s Vinexpo trade show in Hong Kong said.

Documents show Japan complicit in WWII sex slavery

Activists said Monday they had a trove of documents proving the Japanese military was complicit in the wartime system of sex slavery, despite nationalist quibbles over responsibility.
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US network NBC 'cut Snowden remarks' on 9/11 and US spy agencies

Russia's state-backed broadcaster said NBC "neglected" to air "critical statements" Edward Snowden made about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks during an exclusive interview.

Oliver Stone: 'America always wins'

Link

Saturday, 31 May 2014

Luxury homes left empty in quiet market

Sector hardest-hit by property curbs; some sellers leasing out units instead