17 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

25 h. ago China to uproot 20 Qinghai Tibetan villages to build yet another hydropower dam

China to uproot 20 Qinghai Tibetan villages to build yet another hydropower dam  Tibetan Review

Science

27 h. ago Hong Kong code of conduct would oblige legislators to ‘sincerely support’ Beijing

Hong Kong code of conduct would oblige legislators to ‘sincerely support’ Beijing  Taipei Times

Politics

28 h. ago South Korean officials remove 80 tonnes of hoarded garbage from family home

City officials in Daegu, South Korea, have removed 80 metric tonnes (88 US tons) of garbage from the home of a family of hoarders, after the residents of the household were sent to local medical facilities for psychological treatment. The massive clean-up occurred over three days last month, city officials said on Thursday. The family, consisting of a woman in her 60s and her two adult children in their 40s, was placed under “administrative hospitalisation”. This process involves the forced...

Society

33 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

37 h. ago Hong Kong code of conduct will oblige legislators to ‘sincerely support’ Beijing

Hong Kong code of conduct will oblige legislators to ‘sincerely support’ Beijing  The Guardian

Politics

38 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

53 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

53 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

59 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

63 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

67 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

2 d. ago U.N. Official Pledges to ‘Strengthen’ CCP Ties During Book Tour Stop in Beijing

U.N. Official Pledges to ‘Strengthen’ CCP Ties During Book Tour Stop in Beijing  National Review

Politics

3 d. ago Communication expert Julian Cheng leaves Canada career for China university

Julian Cheng Zhizhen, a global expert in optical and radio frequency wireless communication, has left his position in Canada to join the newly established Great Bay University (GBU) in southern China. Cheng, previously an electrical engineering professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), will be chair professor and dean of the school of information science and technology, GBU announced in a post on its official social media account on June 23. The announcement came just four days...

Politics

3 d. ago Hong Kong to simplify written taxi exam in effort to ease driver shortage

The written test for aspiring taxi drivers will be made significantly easier by reducing and simplifying questions about locations and routes in an effort to ease the government’s severe hiring difficulties for its premium taxi scheme, with half its vehicles lacking sufficient drivers. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan told the Legislative Council on Wednesday that the Transport Department (TD) was undergoing a comprehensive review of the written test, with changes to be rolled...

Politics

3 d. ago Lafufu? Australian consumer watchdog warns of fake Labubu toys online

The soaring global popularity of Labubu has prompted Australia to sound a warning over knock-off monster toys flooding online platforms as scammers try to exploit the collectibles frenzy fuelled by social media and celebrity endorsements. The pointy-eared, sharp-toothed dolls – designed by Hong Kong artist Lung Ka-sing and sold by Beijing-based Pop Mart – have attained cult status, commanding eye-popping prices and sparking in-store chaos as fans from Sydney to Singapore and London line up for...

Events

3 d. ago Alibaba Cloud expands AI footprint with data centres in Malaysia, Philippines

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing services and artificial intelligence (AI) arm of Alibaba Group Holding, unveiled plans to launch new data centres in Malaysia and the Philippines, as it expands infrastructure investments to meet the growing demand for AI in the region. In a statement on Tuesday marking a decade of operations in Singapore, Alibaba Cloud said it had launched its third data centre in Malaysia, and planned to open a second one in the Philippines in October this year. The latest...

Politics

3 d. ago Iran Pivots Toward China, But Is Beijing Ready To Play Ball? – Analysis

Iran Pivots Toward China, But Is Beijing Ready To Play Ball? – Analysis  Eurasia Review

Events

3 d. ago Dalai Lama’s expected announcement might impede Chinese control of his succession

Dalai Lama’s expected announcement might impede Chinese control of his succession  Radio Free Asia

Politics

4 d. ago Iran Pivots Toward China, But Is Beijing Ready To Play Ball?

Iran Pivots Toward China, But Is Beijing Ready To Play Ball?  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Events