It should be a milestone of "power-plays" in AP region. No strong objection or at least concern from US?

China arms submarines with nuclear missiles

HONG KONG — Fifty years after China carried out its first nuclear test, patrols by the almost impossible-to-detect JIN-class submarines armed with nuclear JL–2 ballistic missiles will give President Xi Jinping greater agility to respond to an attack.

The nuclear-powered submarines will probably conduct initial patrols with the missiles by the end of the year, giving China its first credible sea-based nuclear deterrent, said an annual report to the United States Congress submitted last month by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

Deploying the vessels will burnish China’s prestige as Mr Xi seeks to end what he calls the “cold war” mentality that resulted in US dominance of Asia-Pacific security. Since coming to power, he has raised military spending with a focus on longer-range capacity, including plans to add to the country’s tally of a single aircraft carrier.

“For the first time in history, China’s nuclear arsenal will be invulnerable to a first strike,” said strategist Nicolas Giacometti, who has written analysis for the Center for Strategic and International Studies based in Washington DC. “It’s the last leap towards China’s assured nuclear-retaliation capability.”

China’s nuclear-defence strategy is engineered to provide retaliation capability in the event of an attack from nuclear-powered nations as far away as the US and from Russia and India, said Philadelphia’s Foreign Policy Research Institute senior fellow Felix Chang.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/chinaindia/ch...r-missiles

Thought Singapore is regarded as a City also.

Quote:
KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur has been voted one of the seven most magnificent and incredible cities in the World.

The other six were La Paz (Bolivia), Havana (Cuba), Beirut (Lebanon), Doha (Qatar), Vigan (Philippines), and Durban (South Africa).

From a long list of 1200 nominees from 220 countries the list was narrowed down to 28 through qualification and selection process.

Top 28 cities went through three phases of worldwide vote until seven cities were chosen.

The seven cities were chosen based on voting from people using the Internet, smartphone apps, international telephone voting lines and text messaging.

Announcing the results at the New7Wonders voting center in Dubai, Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders stated, “We congratulate each of these cities on achieving their New7Wonders status, and we look forward to celebrating their election to the canon of 7 with their citizens in 2015.”

Launched two years ago, New7Wonders Cities is the third global vote and follows the New7Wonders of the World and New7Wonders of Nature campaigns.

Established in 2001, the foundation seeks to contribute to the protection of the world's human-built and natural heritage and cultivate respect for the planet's diversity. - Bernama

http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/20...um=twitter

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/nex...epage=true

Next GE a deadly serious fight for S’pore’s future: PM
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Twelve members of the Cabinet were voted into the PAP’s 18-member...[MORE]

The half-day PAP rally kicked off with the crowd participating in a...[MORE]

Twelve members of the Cabinet were voted into the PAP’s 18-member...[MORE]

The half-day PAP rally kicked off with the crowd participating in a...[MORE]
Every seat will be a contest, he says; it is not a by-election, but about who forms the Govt
BY
NEO CHAI CHIN
chaichin@mediacorp.com.sgPUBLISHED: 4:03 AM, DECEMBER 8, 2014(PAGE 1 OF 1) - PAGINATE
SINGAPORE — The Republic’s future and society are at stake in the next General Election (GE) because it will be about who forms the Government and not merely how many seats the Opposition captures, said People’s Action Party (PAP) chief Lee Hsien Loong to 6,000 party activists yesterday, as he characterised the coming contest as a “deadly serious fight” that his party must win convincingly.

Speaking at the PAP60 Rally at Singapore Expo, Mr Lee hinted at the prospects of a freak result, saying the 12th GE of independent Singapore, which must be held by January 2017, “will be about whether we continue to have a First World Government”. It will not be about a “so-called First World Parliament”, he said, taking a dig at the opposition Workers’ Party’s (WP) campaign slogan of working towards a First World Parliament in the 2011 GE.

“The next GE is critical for Singapore and for us. It is not just about expressing approval or disapproval. It is not just about winning a seat in Parliament. It is not a by-election,” he said, adding that every seat will be a national contest. “The next GE is about choosing a clear vision for Singapore, choosing a capable leadership for Singapore, choosing a brighter future for Singapore.”

Mr Lee added: “A great deal is at stake, comrades. Our future is at stake because if we do not remain a nation of opportunity, our children will have no future. Our society is at stake because if we do not uphold a fair and just society, our society will be pulled apart. Our country is at stake. If the PAP fails, Singapore is in deep trouble. We shall not fail.”

Issuing a rallying cry to activists to fight to win the hearts and minds of Singaporeans, he signalled that the PAP, which has run Singapore since 1965, will fight to win every seat and do its best to regain the Aljunied, Hougang and Punggol East wards it lost to the WP.

He starkly contrasted how the PAP was different from other political parties here. The PAP, he said, brings different groups together, solves problems and plans for the future. “In short, only the PAP truly cares for the people and for the future of our children and grandchildren,” he said.

To this end, the party yesterday amended its objectives — encapsulated in Article II of its Constitution — for the first time since 1982 to put forth its updated vision for Singapore as a nation of opportunity, a fair and just society, and a democracy of deeds. The revisions to the party’s objectives represent the PAP’s promise to Singaporeans, he added.

The Opposition, on the other hand, does not see any duty to bring people together and plan for the future, simply saying to “do more” when the Government puts out a popular policy, Mr Lee said in a speech that was peppered with cheers from the activists.

“They say they can’t form the Government, no need for (a) vision. In fact, they dare say that, not because they can’t form the Government, but because they are trying to avoid answering hard questions, until well after they are elected. Maybe even after that, they will waffle,” he said.

Arguing against the Opposition’s perennial proposition of being a check on the ruling party, Mr Lee said: “If everybody accepts what they say, we’ll have a lot of checkers, but no workers ... For every one more checker you have in Parliament, there’ll be one fewer doer, thinker or leader in the Government to serve the nation, to serve the people.

“And eventually there’ll be no more PAP to check. There’ll be no able team of ministers working and solving problems for Singapore, no progress for Singapore, no future for Singapore. That will be the last ‘check’, because it will be checkmate!”

The ruling party, however, is a national party that looks after the interests of a broad range of Singaporeans and spends what it can afford and that which is justified, he said.

“When we face problems, we acknowledge them publicly and deal with them. We do not pretend there’s no problem: ‘No comment, studying the matter, thinking about it, will verify one day’. We settle now,” he said. “If you lie low, hoping the public will forget the issue and the issue will go away, the public will forget you and you might as well go away.”

The PAP’s responsibility is to set the standard that other parties here should be measured by and should aim for, he added.

Mr Lee also said the party has identified many promising candidates, including a few potential office holders, for the next GE. They comprise individuals working in the government and private sectors, as well as grassroots activists. With the support of voters, his team after the next GE — including faces inducted in 2011 — will be renewed, strengthened and more seasoned, he promised. And his successor is likely to be among them, he added.

Party activists and Members of Parliament (MPs) welcomed Mr Lee’s call to action. Mr Justin Foo, 57, of West Coast GRC and Mr Chandroo Methani, 54, of East Coast GRC said working the ground and serving the people were continuous efforts not reserved to the GE period.

Holland-Bukit Timah MP Christopher de Souza added: “It’s very easy to be a people’s party or a party for the people and speak about ideas; all the more difficult to translate those ideas into action. It’s also the PM telling us to continue the effort and to meet every resident, every home in every estate, and that every vote and every seat matters.” ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY LAURA PHILOMIN

Introduction

In this article, we will be touching on the following points, which are

-on the overall picture of GOLD's past till now,
-discuss on the future of GOLD
-Type of GOLD Investment
-and plus the role of GOLD in your Financial Portfolio.

GOLD's Ghosty Past

They say that GOLD is a geopolitical metal and i will say GOLD have no boundary where almost all human being in this world will fight and safeguard this geopolitical metal as some sacred metal.

Alan Greenspan, spoken to the US Congress in 1999 on GOLD. And he said: "Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world. Fiat money, in extremis, is accepted by nobody. Gold is always accepted." That can be largely understood of why gold is part of most central banks’ reserves. It is the only reserve that is not of any debt nature. And most importantly, it cannot be devalued by inflation, as compare with fiat currencies.

GOLD has always occupy the center stage in geopolitics. From History we could tells that GOLD is the war fund of any strong country. The Roman Empire invaded Dacia (Romania today) during 2nd century B.C. just to seize control of its' rich gold mines. During the Second World War, GOLD was an important weapon in Hitler’s economic arsenal (GOLD stolen from occupied countries’ central banks between 1939 and 1942) for Nazi Germany to continue its hugh war machine.

In 1944, the United States imposed a monetary system based on the dollar, with GOLD as backing, at the Bretton Woods Conference. But in 1971 GOLD backing of the dollar was abandoned, and US dollar has become the international monetary standard, without any GOLD backing(fiat currencies).

With the end of the Cold War in the 90’s, it started an era of peace and prosperity. And during this optimistic period, GOLD fell from $850 to $250 an ounce. But the optimistic period was a short lived with the September 11 terrorist attack, the war in Afghanistan, the invasion of Iraq, the 2008 financial crisis.

During the 2008 crisis, the entire international monetary system was almost falling apart , and GOLD made a impressive comeback. As GOLD became the only accepted guarantee in order to get liquidity and it demonstrated clearly of role of gold in supporting the commercial banks.
So what's next for GOLD

Since 2008 till now, there are major confidence crisis being ignited between countries, especially between emerging countries and the United States. No doubt of it that we are now in a transition period in geopolitics, economic shift and transfer of wealth (especially GOLD) from West to East. The new wealth owners in the West with their strong economic and GOLD backing are fighting for their accrued internationally political power.

In order to protect the actual monetary system based on the US dollar(with no GOLD backing) and it international monetary standard, the United States with its hidden agenda, may try to manipulates the gold price, the possible alternative if the dollar were to be replaced and at same time, to buy in more GOLD. The only effective method that The United States has been printing more fiat money to resuscitate it economy but it will only inflate the massive debt. Let us not forget that 40% to 60% of the US dollars circulate outside the United States. For the same reason, emerging countries are worried, and rightly so, that their reserves, mainly in dollars, may or likely to be confiscated by way of devaluation of the dollar. When dollar being heavy devalued, there is a possibility that their gold reserves stored in the U.S. will be confiscated for so-called “force majeure” political reasons, in the interest of the “nation”.

The United States has been a nation of strong innovation and technology and their latest breakthrough with shale oil and other new finding could been their life saver over the next years. But the speed and depth of their debt may prove a bit too much for their breakthrough and new finding to catch up on. The musical chair just have to end somewhere. what do you think?

What about the chart? Based on the 10 year GOLD chart, it look like GOLD is flirting around the support resistance price of 1191.82. If that is to break, we will be looking 1076 and 990 as the next line of support. And if you are looking into GOLD investment, it will be good to break your entry into 3, respectively 1191, 1076 and 990.

Gold Price
Chart from http://goldprice.org/


Type of GOLD Investment

There are mainly 3 types of GOLD investments that available for us to look into.

The physical GOLD
I favor the physical GOLD the most among 3 type of investments. Reason being nothing is safer than that owning the GOLD physically. But it do have it disadvantage that it may not be liquidity enough for you to convert into money, as compared with the other 2 types in normal day, except for another financial crisis similar to 2008.
(Note : You could purchase the Physical GOLD locally in Singapore from UOB, and check out the UOB gold price.)

Gold Index or ETF
This form of investment or the Paper GOLD, is purely exist in the electronic form, where investment is just based on the GOLD Index instead of owning the physical GOLD. Some ETF may stated that your ETF ownership can be converted into physical GOLD, but it will be subjected to availability of the GOLD. There is limited physical GOLD, but there unlimited shares/contract that you could created for GOLD index/ETF.

Or invest in the shares of the company that is related to GOLD, for example a GOLD mining company
Another form will be investing into the company that is related to GOLD, where you need to perform additional research into the company financial report and strength.

Physical GOLD as Insurance for your Financial Portfolio

It is common for people to get their self covered by getting an Insurance which act as an equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another in exchange for payment. (As defined by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insurance). With Markets becoming so dangerous due to manipulation by the World Banker that gold can be considered as insurance against systemic risk instead of a punt. And you can think GOLD as an Insurance class of asset to preserve your Financial Portfolio. A important Wealth Preservation Asset to be included in your Portfolio.

Even thought it is a a Wealth Preservation Asset, but you should not have your Portfolio based on GOLD entirely. Holding of 10-20% GOLD in your portfolio will be sufficient. Hope this article has provided you with sufficient information to let you make a judgement call on GOLD and get you started!


Visit http://bigfatpillar.com/gold-investment-...insurance/ for more information.

Disclaimer:

All analysis are based on my own personal point of view and experience and it should not be used as a decision to solicit buy/sell activity.

And purpose of this article is written in mind for main purpose of knowledge sharing & discussion, never to induce or promote any insider trading or manipulation activities.

The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information.

The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

See it for yourself. Amusing!!!
Master piece - Bedok Interchange

Introduction to GOLD
GOLD Investment can come in purchase of the physical Gold, or paper Gold like ETF Gold or simply in the company that harvests it. But before we started off with that i will suggest any investment must be accompanied with a thorough understanding of it nature, and this concept will applied to Gold as an investment. So now, let get started with the History of Gold.
History of Gold With Infographic with Bigfatpillar.com



[Image: gold-history-infographic.jpg]

This survey is for residents, not expatriates...

Singapore more costly for citizens to live in than Seoul, Hong Kong: Survey

SINGAPORE — The Republic was ranked 56th out of 103 major cities around the world for the cost of living for its citizens, according to the annual study by the Asia Competitiveness Institute at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Singapore trailed other major cities such as New York and London, which were 11th and 27th respectively, but emerged ahead of regional cities such as Seoul (65) and Hong Kong (66), according to the survey, which was released on Thursday (Nov 27). This meant it is now more costly for people to live in Singapore from two years ago, as the city-state was ranked 60th in the 2012 study.
...
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/sin...ong-survey

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/petit...ceo-of-sgx

This petition was forwarded to me to sign. Please support if you think Magnus Bocker should step down.

Moderators, do close this thread if it is inappropriate.

Hi this is my newbie portfolio. Analysis style is to purchase low P/B value stocks. Hope to learn more from the seniors in this forum.

Hong Fok Corporation Limited 28.10047096%
LTC Corporation Ltd 22.60596546%
Heeton Holdings Limited 20.25117739%
Powermatic Data Systems Ltd. 29.04238619%

Hi wondering if anyone has some experience in investing in Australia properties as my parents are retiring and they planned to expand their investment to Australia. The reasons are 1. we have a condo in Singapore but with the current market rate, it seems impossible to get another one here. Not to mention they still have more than 10 years of loan with Singapore bank. 2. they prefer property investment as compared to stocks/bonds (They already owned fixed deposits which are renewed annually). And also they have some superstitions like they are better with property but not so much on stocks.

From what I googled, I chanced upon some residential building. From a newbie perspective, I look through the one with higher rental yields but still within their budget and found that Australia property cost lower than Singapore's and the property in Australia is booming so we can expect capital appreciation.

This is how they look like
   

From my point of view the Bayside looks slightly better because of the lower price and the later completion date means that my parents can save some part of the money first before starting the installments. But then they have lower rental yield which might cost them in long term view.

The Canterbury one on the other hand looks more promising in terms of higher rental yield.

I wonder if anyone has experience in investing properties in Australia or planned to do so. What are the things that I need to consider other than the usual capital needed. And whether if the Australia property is better for shorter term investmnet (like buy and wait for the price to increase before selling it back) or long term (rent it out and pay off the loan with rental payment before owning it in full).

Thanks!