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.

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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'

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