14 h. ago Hongkongers forge ahead with Japan travel amid July 5 ‘megaquake’ fears

Some Hongkongers have pressed ahead with trips to Japan on Saturday morning despite “slight worries” about a widely discussed prediction that a mega-earthquake will hit the country today. While travellers told the Post they would pay more attention to the local news, they acknowledged being unprepared for potential earthquakes. “I felt a little uncomfortable at first, but my son and his wife already got the tickets. It is summer vacation for my grandson, so we seized the chance,” said Ho...

Politics

18 h. ago Why Singapore refused to be a ‘Third China’ – and how Lee Kuan Yew made it clear

In his new memoir Ink and Influence: An OB Markers Sequel, Cheong Yip Seng reflects on the intersection of geopolitics, media, and identity through the lens of his long career as editor-in-chief of The Straits Times. In this excerpt, Cheong recounts a revealing moment during an official visit to China in 1976 with then-prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Among the officials present was S.R. Nathan, later Singapore’s sixth president, who witnessed Lee subtly rebuff a Chinese attempt to influence the...

Politics

20 h. ago Malaysia’s new ‘luxury’ taxes hit the middle class where it hurts

In the calm of his kitchen, Christy Yoong once raised a glass to retirement – good wine, imported cheese and the spoils of a life’s work. But as Malaysia’s new tax regime lands with a thud, even these modest pleasures are slipping out of reach. When Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim unveiled his unexpected tax on imported luxuries in June, he promised the pain would be felt only by the affluent. The intent was clear: shore up government coffers by targeting the better-off. Yet the reality, for many...

Events

30 h. ago Brandy Was a Hit Drink. Now It’s a Poster Child for the Trade Wars.

Brandy Was a Hit Drink. Now It’s a Poster Child for the Trade Wars.  WSJ

Events

30 h. ago Beijing Moves to Prop up Solar Panelmakers Hit Hard by Price War

Beijing Moves to Prop up Solar Panelmakers Hit Hard by Price War  Asia Financial

Events

33 h. ago Indonesian can leave Hong Kong pending decision to drop fallen tumbler case

A Hong Kong court has allowed an Indonesian tourist to return home while awaiting authorities’ decision on whether to continue with his prosecution over a fallen tumbler that hit another visitor at The Peak. Merchant Satnauli Bangun, 44, was not required to enter a plea on a count of allowing an object to fall from a height when he first appeared at Eastern Court on Friday. Court prosecutor Jennifer Cheung Toi-ling said the Department of Justice needed time to decide whether to press on with...

Politics

34 h. ago China TV host faces criticism for serving men drumsticks, women wings, exposes bias

A renowned Chinese TV host ignited a heated online controversy after openly expressing her preference for boys over girls and presenting drumsticks to two young men instead of a young woman during a show. Zhu Dan bizarrely justified it by stating that “boys need more nutrition to grow.” Zhu, 44, hailing from Zhejiang province in eastern China, is celebrated for her work on popular TV programmes like Do You Remember and The X Factor. She is a mother to a daughter and a son with her husband, actor...

Culture

34 h. ago Singapore money laundering: UBS, UOB among banks hit with millions in penalties

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued nine banks, capital markets services licence holders and trust companies composition penalties totalling S$27.45 million (US$21.55 million) over breaches tied to a S$3 billion (US$2.36 billion) money-laundering case that shook the city state. MAS said on Friday the latest regulatory moves marked the end of enforcement action against financial institutions with connections to the case. All nine financial institutions have accepted the penalties...

Economics

39 h. ago Singapore’s crypto exchange crackdown seen benefiting Hong Kong

Hong Kong could benefit from Singapore’s recent move to oust unlicensed cryptocurrency companies, according to analysts, potentially leading to a significant injection of liquidity. On May 30, the Monetary Authority of Singapore instructed cryptocurrency firms incorporated in the city and offering services abroad to acquire a licence or leave the country. Singapore’s central bank subsequently set a June 30 deadline for crypto service providers in the city state to stop offering digital token...

Politics

42 h. ago ‘13’ or ‘27’ lovers? Rodrigo Duterte kisses goodbye to his womanising days

Former president Rodrigo Duterte, a self-proclaimed womaniser, once bragged that he had a wife, a second wife and at least two girlfriends. Now, in The Hague facing a war crimes trial that could see him sentenced up to 30 years in jail, the 80-year-old has some advice for the women in his life. “To all his girlfriends – look for somebody else. Somebody with plenty of credit cards,” his son, Congressman Paolo Duterte, told supporters in The Hague on Monday, relaying the patriarch’s words after...

Politics

42 h. ago Philippines’ Duterte ends womanising era, leaving ‘13 to 27’ lovers behind

Former president Rodrigo Duterte, a self-proclaimed womaniser, once bragged that he had a wife, a second wife and at least two girlfriends. Now, in The Hague facing a war crimes trial that could see him sentenced up to 30 years in jail, the 80-year-old has some advice for the women in his life. “To all his girlfriends – look for somebody else. Somebody with plenty of credit cards,” his son, Congressman Paolo Duterte, told supporters in The Hague on Monday, relaying the patriarch’s words after...

Politics

54 h. ago Singapore radio code’s grouping of homosexuality sparks calls for review

A Singaporean actor and blogger have taken issue with a clause in the city state’s radio broadcast code that groups homosexuality with paedophilia and incest as “lifestyles” that are not allowed on the airwaves. Former radio DJ Benjamin Lee, better known in Singapore as the blogger Mr Miyagi, said he asked the government to consider removing the clause and reviewing the code that all radio presenters had to sign as part of their contracts. “I’m guilty of having signed this too, because, well, I...

Politics

54 h. ago ‘No place in Singapore’: review call over radio code treatment of homosexuality

A Singaporean actor and blogger have taken issue with a clause in the city state’s radio broadcast code that groups homosexuality with paedophilia and incest as “lifestyles” that are not allowed on the airwaves. Former radio DJ Benjamin Lee, better known in Singapore as the blogger Mr Miyagi, said he asked the government to consider removing the clause and reviewing the code that all radio presenters had to sign as part of their contracts. “I’m guilty of having signed this too, because, well, I...

Politics

57 h. ago Hong Kong police arrest teenager who was alleged driver in fatal hit

Hong Kong police have apprehended a 19-year-old man in connection with a suspected hit-and-run accident that killed a 71-year-old man on a bicycle on Tuesday, the Post has learned. The arrest came a day after a couple, including a woman believed to be the suspect’s grandmother, were taken into custody. A source familiar with the matter said the suspect, who was allegedly the driver of the car involved in the incident, was arrested before 10am on Thursday at his home in Mai Po Village in Yuen...

Events

60 h. ago ‘3 is better than 2’: Singapore, Malaysia eye Indonesia for investment zone

Singapore and Malaysia are in talks with Indonesia to expand the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), according to Singapore’s Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong. The JS-SEZ was officially launched in January, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong agreeing to develop various industries, including aerospace, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electronics in the 3,571 sq km (1,379 square mile) zone. During the 9th Asean...

Politics

61 h. ago Adorable moment: Red panda chills with ice block at Beijing zoo

Adorable moment: Red panda chills with ice block at Beijing zoo  news.cgtn.com

Politics

64 h. ago Hong Kong tourists undeterred by prediction that quake will hit Japan on July 5

Hong Kong travel agencies have not recorded widespread cancellations of Japan-bound tour groups for the coming weekend, despite a manga artist’s widely discussed prediction that a mega-earthquake will hit the country on Saturday. But some business insiders suggested the number of tours this summer was expected to fall by half compared with last year. The Japan National Tourism Organisation reported that only 193,100 visitors from Hong Kong were recorded coming to the country in May, down by 11.2...

Events

64 h. ago PwC’s China Woes Hit Hong Kong Legal Affiliate, Partners Depart, Firm to Rebrand

PwC’s China Woes Hit Hong Kong Legal Affiliate, Partners Depart, Firm to Rebrand  Law.com

Economics

64 h. ago Sabah bribery scandal: Singapore firm comes under Malaysian scrutiny

Malaysia’s anti-corruption agency is now targeting a Singapore-registered mining company as part of its investigation into a bribery scandal in Sabah that has already seen two state lawmakers and a businessman charged in court on Monday. The case captured public attention after the businessman, Albert Tei Jiann Cheing, released covert videos showing state lawmakers engaged in bribe negotiations with him, implicating several prominent figures in Malaysia’s second-largest state. Despite claiming...

Politics

68 h. ago New memoir reveals Lee Kuan Yew’s respectful strategy for China relations

Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew recognised early on that China demanded respect and equality in diplomacy – a posture that earned him Beijing’s enduring trust, according to veteran newspaper editor Cheong Yip Seng. In his newly released memoir Ink and Influence: An OB Markers Sequel, Cheong reflects on Lee’s deft handling of China relations, drawn from personal experience covering his landmark 1976 visit to Beijing and later working closely with him as editor-in-chief of...

Politics