英国成俄国贪官和黑社会乐园？

近年来，在英国伦敦目睹大量俄国富豪携巨额资金涌入同时，越来越多英 国人也开始质疑以黑红不分和暴力冷血著称的俄罗斯有组织犯罪势力是否已经在英国安家？BBC最新一期《广角镜》节目（29日播出的 Panorama）通过 对一名“告密者”在英国离奇死亡的调查，试图给问题一个答案。

《广角镜》节目记者表示，有关俄罗斯有组织犯罪的调查节目本身，一路上就遇到过不少怪事情。

比如在节目即将后期制作的时候，摄制组一名成员就接到一封电子邮件。 发信人自称为“H”，并坦白称他是受到俄罗斯政府雇用的黑客，原本应该盗窃BBC记者电邮信箱中的情报，但是最终决定提前先打个招呼“提醒”一下。

这期《广角镜》节目的调查重点是2007年俄罗斯国库价值2.2亿美元的资金失窃大案，并希望透过案件发现更多俄国有组织犯罪的幕 后黑手。

惊天窃案

BBC记者麦肯泰尔在莫斯科调查马尼斯基死亡案件。

这一惊天大案的中心人物，也是最终向国际世界敲响警钟的正是一位居住生活在伦敦的英国公民。

比尔·布劳德（Bill Browder）是大型投资基金公司“冬宫资本”（Hermitage Capital）的总裁，曾经负责管理国际投资者数以十亿美元计在俄罗斯的投资。

2007年的一天，俄罗斯内政部警察莫名其妙地突击搜查了公司和公司律师在莫斯科的办公室。

几个月之后，冬宫资本突然发现，麾下3家公司被盗用为偷税工具，而被盗用的公司先后共从俄罗斯国库偷税高达2.2亿美元。
当布劳德决定雇用莫斯科的一位名叫谢尔盖·马尼斯基（Sergei Magnitsky）的律师调查公司被盗用案件不久，这位律师本人突然被官方指控涉嫌偷税并被捕。

2009年11月16日，在警方监护下等待法庭开审的马尼斯基突然死于“急性胰腺炎”。


杀人灭口？

马尼斯基死后埋葬在莫斯科的一个公墓中。很多人相信他被俄罗斯官员“谋杀”。

不少涉案人士迄今怀疑马尼斯基一定是由于找到了一些“不应找到”的线索而被杀人灭口。

俄罗斯官方则坚持称，马尼斯基死于急性胰腺炎引发的心力衰竭；不过，即使是俄国政府内部的人权理事会的调查结果都表示，马尼斯基在 押期间曾长期被官方拒绝看病请求。

布劳德本人坚信马尼斯基被杀人灭口，他如今四下奔走，试图游说英国政府对涉案的俄国官员和前官员进行法律制裁。
布劳德的行动给他本人和公司雇员都带来了报复威胁。不过，他拒绝退缩，并决定把与马尼斯基一案有关官员的名字公诸于众。

横尸伦敦

就在布劳德公布了俄方涉案官员名单之后，一位自称掌握证据的俄罗斯人找到了他。

这位名叫亚历山大·佩皮里切尼（Alexander Perepilichny）的俄国人交给布劳德大量银行文件，证明俄罗斯官员确实通过英国公司将偷税资金打入瑞士银行帐户。

冬宫资本向瑞士司法当局报案并提出起诉案。 瑞士当局随即展开了一个大规模司法调查，并会晤了佩皮里切尼。
一年半之后，佩皮里切尼在伦敦西南萨里郡一处豪华住宅区横尸街头……

《广角镜》“俄国人来了”节目4月29日周一英国夏令时2030分在BBC电视一台播出。

英国特工港英余孽颠覆香港

陈方安生被指为英国在港影响力的核心人物

《星期日泰晤士报》的报道指出，中国政府正通过宣传攻势警告称，英国情报机构利用“特工”企图通 过香港民众运动颠覆国家。
一名香港老牌亲共政界人士最先作出上述指称。 指称随后被中国官方报纸放大。 指称说，“境外敌对势力”试图在中国后院煽风点火。 香港政界就2017年普选展开激烈辩论中出现上述指称。
全国人大代表吴康民说，英国的商业和政治影响仍然在香港发挥很大作用。 他在《明报》撰文指出陈方安生就是英国在港影响力的核心人物。 陈方安生曾在港英统治期间担任香港布政司，她是香港的首位华人布政司。
“英国特工”
吴康民警告说，曾在港英殖民当局任职的官员是英国特工，他还暗示一个关于官 员腐败案件的审判，实际上是利用港英时期的秘密文件针对亲中官员进行的。

吴康民指出，英国人在殖民地订定的法例多如牛毛，但有的就是备而不用，有 需要时才引来收拾不听话的人。
吴康民在文章中说，香港政治生态之复杂，在近一年表露无遗： 既有内在利益集团的兴风作浪，也有围堵中国国际势力的干预， 但英国人和港英余孽所起的作用， 却被不少人忽视。
吴康民文章发表后第二天，《环球时报》旋即转载；这片文章还被登上了香港版《中国日报》的头版。 《中国日报》的报道还作出进一步指称说，英国情报界积极参与并插手香港政治问题。
“敌对势力”
《中国日报》文章说境外敌对势力希望自称为民主人士的人控制香港，并把香港作为颠覆华南地区的桥头堡。 文章说，毫不奇怪，几个主要的影响舆论的英国特工纷纷返回香港，唤醒在香港的卧底。
上述媒体指责发出时，正值前政务司司长陈方安生日前公开露面组成“香港2020”组织。 该组织成立的目的是说服商界支持选举改革和普选。
香港分裂的民主运动将陈方安生视作能够整合普选游说活动的理想人选。 陈方安生否认她是英国特工。
当初关于移交香港主权的中英谈判许诺2017年香港进行普选，而且香港制度50年保持不变。 目前香港立法会70委员中只有半数经直选产生。
香港现任特首梁振英由1,200名北京指定的选举委员选举产生。 目前关于选举的争论焦点是在2017年普选中如何选拔候选人。

Some Funny Pictures On Malaysia Election

 

 

 

中国支持朝鲜背后的近忧远虑

英国《金融时报》网络版周二（23日）刊登亚洲问题专家比尔森的评论文章称，中国担心朝鲜危机会引发 整个东亚地区动荡不安。
比尔森说，中国能容忍朝鲜出格的行为，并非出于两国相互尊重或友谊，而是背后有精明 的盘算。
北京在联合国支持美国推动的对朝鲜制裁，但全世界都不明白为什么中国在美国制裁朝鲜问题上不愿亦步亦趋。
文章说，中国和朝鲜并非关系融洽的邻居：两国在边境划分上存在分歧，其 中包括白头山和图们江三角洲的划界。
去年，朝鲜在中国领海绑架、殴打和抢劫了28名中国渔民。人们 认为，朝鲜也认为自己的民族高人一等。
此外，北京并不希望其好斗和拥有核武器的邻国发出威胁、发射导弹，因为后果之 一是半岛的紧张导致美国向亚太地区增派部署大批飞机和军舰。
中国上世纪50年代出兵抗美援朝就是为了防止美国势力推进到中国的边境线上，而如果朝鲜政权一旦崩溃，就会出现这个结果。

地区稳定

第二，中国也担心如果朝鲜崩溃，数百万难民威胁到中国自己的稳定。
第三，邻居中出现一个“坏孩子”，对北京也有用。朝鲜扮演的角色转移了美国的注意力，迫使其让中国在解决朝鲜问题上发挥领导作用。
此外，中国和日本都不愿意看到朝鲜半岛实现统一，统一 的朝鲜将有7千万人口、经济潜力巨大、劳动成本低 廉、坚定团结的民族意识以及核武器。特别是，中国不愿看到韩国主导半岛统一：去年一项民调显示，韩国三分之二的民众 对中国看法很消极，其实反华情绪极大。 中韩之间的摩擦一直不断。
所以，中国对朝鲜的态度完全出自中国国家利益。如果朝鲜崩溃，从华盛顿来看可能是有利于地区稳定，但是对中国、俄国甚至日本来说， 这种形式将削弱了地区的稳定性。
比尔森即将出版他写的新书《蹒跚的巨人：中国未来面临的威胁》（ ‘Stumbling Giant: The Threats to China’s Future’）。

撒切尔夫人家门不幸 ? 中国人大义凛然

撒切尔夫人丰功伟业，喜欢鸡蛋挑骨头的人，说她虽是一个出色的首相，但不是一 个好母亲。

但问题是，撒切尔夫人不须要做一个好母亲。中国古代的大禹治水，三过家门而不入，到了今 天，有谁会质疑大禹是不是一个好丈夫、好父亲？
成就大事业、为国家做事，必然有些事情要舍弃。中国人赞许“牺牲小我，成全大我”的情 操，撒切尔夫人做到了，又有什么问题？
何况铁娘子的家庭相当美满，她的一对孪生子女，虽然有点平庸，儿子马克，更不是一个老实人，满肚子心计，喜欢开名贵跑车，但没有凭借母亲做首相的“关系”（即中国普通话而又广为英语世界所知的名词：Guanxi）， 在伦敦市中心霸一幅地，旧房子拆掉，自任业主，命名为“大英商企中心”。
铁娘子丈夫丹尼斯，做石油生意，他的石油公司很小。妻子做了首相，那时英国北海油田产量 丰盛，如果在远东的“贪污文化”大国，丹尼斯必定是全国首富，但他的石油公司最后不敌跨国企业竞争而结束。
什么不是好母亲
撒切尔夫人为什么不是好母亲？她的儿子不是伦敦“四大公子”、“京城恶少”，不会开一辆 法拉利乱冲红灯，警察远观而走避。相对之下，她的儿女没 有母亲之成就，两代关系冷漠，但撒切尔夫人这个母亲好不好，是她子女的判断，旁观者没有言语的资格。
撒切尔夫人的事业成功，家庭美满，没有什么值得闲人为她担心的事。下台多年，丈夫和儿女 没有被捕，更没有清算为阶下囚，当然，做到这一点，不一定是撒切尔夫人有何过人之长，而是英国没有贪污和裙带风气的“文化”，英国不是一个黑暗而野蛮的国家。
她的家庭有什么问题？没有。“黄花冈烈士”林觉民，给老婆写封遗书，不经家庭商议，就上 前线“爱国”而杀了头，遗下娇妻孤小，这种国家，才有问题。但是，“文化”不同，跟崇拜烈女和驯服于暴君的人来解释这个世界，哈哈，又有何必要？

铁娘子的儿女

撒切尔夫人逝世，一对双胞胎儿女没在身边送终，传媒继而翻旧帐，

说铁娘子晚年过得很孤独，大时大节，儿女都没从国外回家陪她。于是媒体便用上了“不孝”这个字眼，又开始做判官了。

外人对于铁娘子儿女“不孝”的审判，着眼点自然是像撒切尔夫人这样的人物，应份得到子女的爱戴和孝顺，她为世界作了那么大的贡献，那么多英国人为 她骄傲，她的儿女反而不管不顾，那就很过份了。

回顾铁娘子的一生，把大部分时间投入在自己的政治事业中，一对儿女出世之后，转头就交到了褓姆手里，妈妈整天不在家，孩子跟着褓姆长大，在还没自 立之年又被送去外国读书，双方甚少见面，更不说沟通。

人与人的感情，是要沟通才会建立的，子女跟父母也一样。在大众眼里，撒切尔夫人是个了不起的伟大人物，但在她儿女心里，她只是个沟通不佳的母亲。 如果母亲有盛名而令儿女孝顺，这个“孝”字也就功利了。反倒是像铁娘子的儿女，才显真性情。

这只是一本她家难念的经，如人饮水，冷暖自知，外人不知。不知的外人，现在都伸出一根手指去责备人家“不孝”，
大义凛然得 来，十分可笑。

 

Another War Is About To Break In Middle East 

US troops sent to Jordan to counter Syrian attack on kingdom

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced Wednesday, April 17, that 200 troops of the US 1st Armored Division had been ordered to deploy in Jordan. Military sources report that they are being sent on arrival to the north and ranged on the Jordanian-Syrian border.

According to the Pentagon statement, the force will give the United States the ability to "potentially form a joint task force for military operations, if ordered.”

The new deployment will include communications and intelligence specialists, who will assist the Jordanians and "be ready for military action" if President Barack Obama orders it.

Small US units, mainly special forces and special groups trained for chemical warfare, have been have been quietly present in Jordan for the past year. The new deployment makes the US military presence official.

 Washington sources disclose that President Obama ordered the new deployment to the kingdom when he discovered that Syrian President Bashar Assad was about to publicly and sharply condemn Jordan’s King Abdullah in a special Syrian TV broadcast Wednesday night and accuse him of responsibility for sending hundreds of armed fighters into Syria to oppose the regime.

Assad was also expected to warn the US and the West that they would regret their support for al Qaeda groups fighting with the rebels against his government.

In Washington and Amman, the forthcoming diatribe by Assad against the king was viewed as the opening shot for a presidential order to the Syrian army to launch an offensive against the Hashemite Kingdom.

Our military sources report that if full-scale war were to erupt between US troops and the Jordanian Army, on one side, and the Syrian army, on the other, Israel and the IDF would almost certainly become involved.

GOLD - A Major Ideological Battle And Experts Were Bullshitting All Along

Summarily gold's price crash is about how the "experts' have been getting it wrong all along about QEs leading to hyperinflation and currencies  crashes etc.


On Friday, when the price of gold plunged we said it was "great news."
The idea is basically this:
The last few years have seen a major ideological battle take place.
On one hand you have established economists, who believe the government has tools at its disposal to address a crisis. These tools include deficit spending and a violent expansion of the Fed's balance sheet.

Conversely you have critics who slam the arrogance of economists and central planners, and who have predicted that all of this economic acrobatics would result in an economic collapse, hyperinflation, and an explosion in the price of gold. Gold is important to their worldview, because it represents a quasi-money that's not tied to any government or central bank.
Investing in gold is a rejection of government money and finance. Money flowing into gold-related assets represents a belief that rocks (however shiny they are) are a better place to invest than human endeavors (like stocks).

Here's a chart of the S&P vs. gold going back a few decades.

You can see that even with the recent upturn in stocks, relative to gold, gold has crushed stocks since 2000.
Arguably, 2000 represented a peak in belief in the capabilities of humans. The internet inspired all kinds of crazy optimism about how humans would re-shape the world for the better. The ebullience spread beyond the net. There was, for example, optimism about new ways of transporting humans: Fuel cells! Segway!
Of course, the bubble crashed. Then we had 9/11. Then we had two wars. Then we had the housing implosion. Then we had the financial crisis. Then the horrible recession. Then the European crisis and the debt ceiling and everything else.
In other words, we had a series of a events that, for good reason, shook our faith in humanity. During this time, people thought about history on a large scale. And gold, having been used as a money for thousands of years, did pretty well, especially relative to stocks, which represent companies made up of humans.
If we zoom in on the above chart, we see that stocks vs. gold (red line) actually bottomed in Summer 2011. Stocks themselves bottomed in early 2009 (blue line).

The nadir of the red line came immediately after the US debt ceiling struggle, which is when it looked like the U.S. — weary of crisis and angry about everything — might do the unthinkable and blow itself up by not paying its debt.
That didn't happen (fortunately) but if you want to pinpoint a time when it made the most sense to believe in rocks over humans, that was probably the moment.
Since then, the fever has begun to break.
Washington is fractious, but not like it was in 2011.
Housing, which was central to America's national malaise, has begun to turn around for real.
Note that the XHB (homebuilder ETF) made its bottom right around then, and then began to turn around for real

So ultimately, the decline of gold and the rise of stocks is a big trend that everyone should cheer.
The huge corpus of economic research, which has informed the US' efforts to stimulate the economy, is not a pile of garbage. You can do a lot without blowing things up, as the goldbugs claimed would happen.

And more broadly, this represents a breaking of the fever, and perhaps a return to thinking that humans aren't such a horrible disappointment.

The Crackpot Land - Your Travel Guide

North Korea lies somewhere between a 1930′s Soviet Union frozen in time and a dark, futuristic vision of society… as imagined back in the 70′s.

Land of Whispers invites you to visit arguably the most unique and isolated travel destination in the world – not to criticize, but to observe and listen.

Aside from usual highlights such as Pyongyang or Arirang, this unique one-man documentary brings you to areas such as Chongjin or Wonson, still virtually unknown to even Google or Wikipedia.

There, the author attempts to pierce through the ever-present ‘national mythology’ and as much as possible, he tries to connect with people – such as the waitress mesmerized by tablet computers, or a tour guide cautiously fascinated by modern pop culture.

Playing With Crocodiles - Chinese Investors Are Reportedly Having Big Money Trouble In North Korea 

As many as 100 Chinese businessmen have reportedly holed up in hotels in downtown Pyongyang, North Korea, waiting to recover money invested in the country.

Some of these businessmen may have even been deported, the Chosun Ilbo reports citing the Chongqing Daily.

This is just the most recent case of long running risky-business in the Hermit Kingdom. A Chinese beer business in the country went belly up just last week, and just last year mineral producer Xiyang Group reportedly lost 240 million yuan ($3.8 million) in a North Korean iron mine.

"The biggest mistake Xiyang Group made was to ignore the dangers of investing in North Korea," Jiao Qiming, head of a Chinese trading company in Dandong, told the Chosun Ilbo, "Once a dispute occurs, it is impossible to beat the North Korean government."

Dandong — one of the main trading hubs on the Chinese, North Korean border — has seen a drop in business as North Korean credit bottoms out. The city was recently closed to Chinese tourists seeking to see Pyongyang due to nuclear threats from North Korea.

The money problems for North Korea stretch back decades, but most recently their woes stem from a new round of sanctions the U.S. managed passed in the U.N. This set targeted the pockets of the business elite, which may explain why Chinese businessmen with ties to Korean elites are finding themselves in trouble.

Iron Man Loses Battle To The Mandarin In China ?

 好莱坞“超级英雄”在中国失宠

好莱坞大片《钢铁侠3》的主演小罗伯特·唐尼（Robert Downey, Jr.）和葛妮丝·派特洛（Gwyneth Paltrow）

英国《泰晤士报》周二（4月23日）发表文章称，北京的政策和观众口味的改变令好莱坞大片在中国的票 房收入直线下滑。好莱坞的“超级英雄”不敌其中国本土对手。
今年头三个月，美国好莱坞影片在世界影视第二大市场中国的票房收入与去年同期相比出人意料地直线下跌了大约三分之二，到2亿美元。 好莱坞的一些大制作如《霍比特人：意外之旅》并没有受到中国观众的热捧。

影视业界网站评论说，美国电影今年只会占中 国大陆电影票房收入的23%，而去年这个时候，美国影片的票房占有率达到57%。这实在是灾难性的下跌。

《泰晤士报》评论道，这一趋势势必给好莱坞敲响警钟。
美国电影业一直期望爆炸性发展的中国电影市场将补偿西方电影市场停滞不前令好莱坞受到的损失。为了达到这一目的，好莱坞做出了各种 迎合中国市场的行动。

电影审查

《泰晤士报》举例说，好莱坞新影片《钢铁侠3》，其剧本经过了北京的审查，影片还有中国的合作制片人。影片中的许多道具出自中国电 子企业TCL。该企业同迪斯尼有产品植入广告的交易。中国演员王学圻饰演影片中的“吴博士”。
凡此种种容纳性举措显示了中国日益增加的影响，也体现了中国希望能在世界舞台上发挥更多“软实力”的力量。
尽管如此，中国观众近来似乎并没有买好莱坞影片的帐而是表现出更加青睐本土的影片如浪漫喜剧《北京遇上西雅图》，影片讲述一位怀孕 的中国女子前往美国，希望孩子能在美国出生，成为一位美国公民。
对于好莱坞在中国“失宠”的现象，有些分析人士认为是中国政策造成的。中国每年只允许进口35部外国影片。而在2012年，北京有 两个月几乎彻底禁演任何外国片子。同时向影院提供各种好处，让他们推国产影片。
不过也有分析人士说，这不过说明最近的美国影片质量不够好。美国大片最近在中国市场的遭遇也同样发生在其他亚洲国家。亚洲观众对那 种不注重故事情节而只关注各种特技效果的 动作大片已经厌烦了。

China's Muslims Problem 

  China blames ‘terrorist’ for deadly clashes in troubled Xinjiang

At least 21 people have been killed in fierce fighting in China’s troubled far-west region of Xinjiang.

A confrontation involving knives, axes and a gun ended with a house being burnt down in an act local authorities have blamed on “terrorists”

China has previously accused Islamic separatists who want to establish an independent East Turkestan for carrying out attack in the region.

Many Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking Muslim people native to Xinjiang, chafe at Chinese controls on their religion, language and culture.

In 2009 tensions erupted between ethnic Uighurs and the majority Han Chinese leaving more than 200 people dead and thousands more injured.

“中国镇压政策导致新疆巴楚暴力事件”

中国新疆喀什巴楚县发生严重暴力事件，事件中15名警察和社工死亡，6名犯罪嫌疑人丧生，8人被 抓。
中国政府把这起事件定性为“严重恐怖袭击事件”。但世界维吾尔人大会发言人迪里夏提在接受采访时表示：“中国政府之所以这样定性其 实是推卸自己对新疆维吾尔族暴力镇压的责任。”
迪里夏提说：“自2009年新疆7·5事件之后，中国当局对所有维吾尔族人的抗争都采取开枪镇压的手 段，遇到反抗可以就地正法 。”
他说：“镇压后，中国政府为了推卸开枪的政治责任，将其定性为所谓的恐怖活动。”他说，中国政府的这种单方面的指控无法令人接受， 同时也缺少透明性。
世界维吾尔代表大会主席热比娅在接受采访时表示：“是中国政府的镇压政策导致了新疆最新的暴力活动。”
稍早，新疆自治区政府新闻发言人侯汉敏在接受采访时说，当局已确定这是一起有预谋的严重暴力恐怖袭击事件。
她说，遇害者都是无辜的，却被杀害了。当局正对案件展开进一步调查。

暴力事件

侯汉敏说，袭击事件发生于星期二（4月23日）下午13点30分。当时，3名社区工作人员同往常一样到色力布亚镇一居民家中查访， 结果发现多名可疑人员和管制刀具，3名社工被他们控制起来。
她说，其中一名社工用电话向上级报告之后，他们被屋内的犯罪嫌疑人杀害。

迪里夏提

"中国政府之所以这样定性其实是推卸自 己对新疆维吾尔族暴力镇压的责任"

侯汉敏表示，镇派出所民警和社区干部前往现场处置时也遭到袭击。期间，双方曾发生对峙和枪战，有警员在对峙过程中牺牲。
她表示，这些犯罪嫌疑人“曾看过有关圣战的电视和视频，并做了一些准备，他们还在做一些体能训练，以参加圣战”。
但迪里夏提说，根据他们所得到的当地信息，事情并非像中国当局所说的那样。
他说，中国当局在做清查时粗暴闯进维吾尔人的家中，在清查过程中引发冲突。 期间，一名公安人员开枪打死一名维族青年。随后引发了进一步的冲突。之后，中国武装人员赶到现场，进行镇压，造成人员伤亡，包括无辜的维吾尔社区工作人员 等。

侯汉敏

"当局已确定这是一起有预谋的严重暴力 恐怖袭击事件。"

据新疆天山网报道，这次暴力恐怖袭击造成15名位民警和社区工作人员死亡，其中包括维吾尔族10人、汉族3人、蒙古族2人，另外2 人受伤（维吾尔族）。
新疆区政府发言人侯汉敏证实，这些犯罪嫌疑人都是维吾尔族，他们大多数都是镇上的人，其余几名疑犯的身份还在核查之中。
迪里夏提说，有关具体的死亡数字，他们还需要进一步的核实。但他强调，是中国政府先开枪才导致死亡及冲突的。他承认双方都有死亡。
迪里夏提说，中国政府一直试图掩盖事实的真相，来谋求在当地镇压的合法性。

调查

世界维吾尔代表大会主席热比娅在接受采访时呼吁，中国应该对此展开调查，并把肇事者绳之以法。
她说维吾尔人已经失去了希望。“如果说早前时候，维吾尔人是为了保持自己的民族性而奋斗的话，那么现在完全是为了生存而战。”
迪里夏提敦促北京政府立即停止对维吾尔人的任何挑衅活动，并提出对有关事件的真相。他还要求中国政府允许国际社会甚至联合国对此进 行独立调查。
新疆自治区政府网站周三发表声明说：“初步查明这是一个预谋进行暴力恐怖活动的团伙，案件正在进一步侦破中。”

 

Spandex-Clad Roller Girl Would Like To Spank Citigroup 's Bosses

 

    Citigroup quelled a shareholder revolt on executive pay on Wednesday but told investors not to expect a quick winddown of its pile of toxic assets or a split of the sprawling banking group. More than 90 per cent of shareholders approved Citi’s executive pay scheme in a vote at the bank’s annual meeting, a year after more than 50 per cent of votes went against the company and six months after Vikram Pandit was ousted as chief executive.

    About 20 protesters gathered outside the meeting at the Hilton Hotel on 6th Avenue in New York, chanting “Banks got bailed out; we got sold out”. While they mostly walked in a circle holding signs, one female protester skated by on roller blades, dressed in spandex, carrying a sign that read “bankers need a spanking”.

All The Notable Bubbles In History In One Chart
 

Goldman Sachs put out an extensive report on the bond bubble debate.

What we really loved about it was this awesome chart on all the most important bubbles you should know .

Sure, the trick is to catch them before they pop, but they're interesting after the fact too.

I Love Motown !

Marvin GAYE

A Stubborn Kind of Fellow - From the Beginning 1957-1962

Catalogue: JASCD 245
Price Code: A
Release Date: 10/05/2013

One of the greatest soul vocalists of the 20th Century with the first ever collection of his earliest recordings.
Features his backing vocals behind Billy Stewart, Chuck Berry, The Moonglows and includes his very first recordings with The Marquees.
Also featured are Marvin's first Motown recordings and his very first US hits, 'Stubborn Kind of Fellow' and 'Hitchhike'.
This is a wonderful chance to hear history in the making as a superstar takes his first steps. Fully detailed liner notes with biography and career achievements.

Price: £8.99 / $14.83 / €10.10

1. BABY YOU'RE MY ONLY LOVE - BILLY STEWART
2. BILLY'S HEARTACHE - BILLY STEWART
3. HEY LITTLE SCHOOLGIRL - THE MARQUEES
4. WYATT EARP- THE MARQUEES
5. ALMOST GROWN - CHUCK BERRY
6. TWELVE MONTHS OF THE YEAR - HARVEY
7. BACK IN THE USA - CHUCK BERRY
8. MAMA LOOCHIE - HARVEY & THE MOONGLOWS
9. UNEMPLOYMENT -HARVEY & THE MOONGLOWS
THE SOULFUL MOODS OF MARVIN GAYE - (1961)
10. I'M AFRAID THE MASQUERADE IS OVER
11. MY FUNNY VALENTINE
12. WITCHCRAFT
13. EASY LIVING
14. HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN (How High Is the Sky)
15. LOVE FOR SALE
16. ALWAYS
17. HOW HIGH THE MOON
18. LET YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE
19. NEVER LET YOU GO (Sha Lu Bop)
20. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS
BONUS SINGLES
21. MR SANDMAN
22. I'M YOURS, YOU'RE MINE
23. SOLDIERS PLEA
24. TAKING MY TIME
25. STUBBORN KIND OF FELLOW
26. IT HURTS ME TOO
27. HITCHHIKE
28. HELLO THERE ANGEL

Mary WELLS

Bye Bye Baby - The Early Collection

Jasmine is proud to present the first lady of Motown, Mary Wells with this wonderful compilation of sublime early Motown hits and recordings.
Features 1961's 'Bye, Bye Baby/I Don't Want to Take a Chance' and 1962's 'The One Who Really Loves You' and four bonus singles which include the R&B No. 1 'Two Lovers'.
Other hits include: 'Bye Bye Baby'; 'The One Who Really Knows' and 'You Beat Me to the Punch'.
These recordings led The Beatles to invite her onto their first US tour and a few years later inspired the early beat groups that led to the British invasion.

Price: £8.99 / $14.83 / €10.10

Little Stevie WONDER

The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie Wonder + Tribute to Uncle Ray

This collection presents the very first recordings of Little Stevie Wonder produced and released during 1962.
Featured here are his first two albums, 'The Jazz Soul of Little Stevie' and 'Tribute to Uncle Ray' which were released simultaneously by the then twelve year old Motown genius.
Includes the first studio version of his 1963 No. 1 'Fingertips'.
A couple of years before his first hits these tracks still sound fantastic and from these modest beginnings, Little Stevie Wonder would become one of the 20th Century's most important and influential recording artists.

Price: £8.99 / $14.83 / €10.10

All About Apple !

Chinese Politicians Are Ridiculously Wealthy

China has a major corruption problem.
"2013 will mark the most vigorous anti-corruption fight by the Chinese leadership in decades," write the analysts at Deutsche Bank.

This initiative is expected to be bad news for China's liquor suppliers, watch-makers, and food-service industry workers.
But it'll be a big win for investor confidence.
In its new "Equity House View" report, Deutsche Bank includes this stunning chart showing how much more wealthy Chinese congressman are compared to American politicians. They cite it as a reason why so many are worried about corruption. 

为什么中国限制民间团体参与地震救灾

2008年，当中国四川省发生地震后，私人志愿者和仓促间组织起来的民间团体迅速进入灾区，并且在救灾过程中发挥了巨大作用。然而，几个月 后，他们中的许多人被要求撤离灾区。这是因为中国政府判断，组织救灾行动的独立团体已经够多，这导致原本为政府垄断的领域受到侵蚀。

这一次，当四川省在上周六发生地震之后，中国政府在控制志愿者、慈善团体及援助资金流入方面的行动要迅速得多。尽管中国政府在加强管控，但中 国公民社会还是不断成长，民间参与还是不断加深。

上周六的雅安地震表明，在社交媒体的帮助下，这些民间团体组织非常容易起来，并且迅速提供大量的援助。志愿者队伍包括学生、医疗专家、还有基 督教团体。就在周六发生地震几分钟后，全国各地的人们都用微信(WeChat)查看家人是否平安，或者看看自己能帮上什么忙。微信是一种拥有 逾3亿用户的消息服务。

有个通过微信组建的援救团体叫做“420联合救援行动(420 United Rescue Movement)”，这是一个由20多家四川当地非政府组织组成的松散联盟。该团体得名于地震发生的日期——4月20日。该团体的一位组织者付雁（音） 表示：“地震刚一发生的时候，电话和短信都不通了，可微信还能用。”在周六上午10点，该团体发布了一条呼吁提供物资的消息，当时距离地震发 生只有90分钟。而就在当天，他们运去了第一批的一整车物资。

不过，在国务院发布通告之后，这类团体很难取得震区进入许可证。付雁表示：“许可证数目很有限。实际上，我曾听到有人因为拿不到许可证而吵 架。”

道路封锁的表面原因，是震区的狭窄山路上发生了交通拥堵。但是，多数拥堵状况都是由于在狭窄道路上行驶的政府相关车辆尺寸过大，以及交通调度 不当造成的。

有些人也在为许可证辩护。与中国政府有联系的大型社会服务团体华夏公益服务中心(Huaxia Public Welfare)的发展部主管郑壹零表示，震区内有超过700个团队，但其中只有20%拥有必要的经验，经受过必要的培训。他表示：“许多志愿者毫无目的 地来到这里。”

不过，许多人相信，封路的更重要原因是中国政府想要维持其在挽救局面过程中的垄断地位。

中国政府想避免2008年地震之后出现的公益援助热潮。当局发现，这股力量一旦释放出来，就将很难摁回瓶中。在地方政府看来，有些慈善团体已 经变成了一块烫手山芋，因为它们发现了一些地方政府希望掩盖的事实。

慈善传媒集团“慈善家”(Charitarian)的创立者王立伟表示，中国政府强烈希望防止2008年非政府组织“热潮”再次出现。他补充 说，这么做的一个原因是中国政府不希望其救灾工作看来做得比其他团体还要差。

尽管这种说法看起来似乎十分犬儒主义，它与抱持同等犬儒主义的中国公众的心理相吻合。例如，由于担心贪腐和缺乏透明度，绝大多数中国公民正将 资金捐给私人基金会及慈善组织，避免捐给中国红十字会等有政府背景的团体。

对中共来说，自然灾害往往是一次宣传机遇。不过，公民活动的增多使中共对权力的掌控受到一种根本性的威胁，因为这表明，即便没有无所不能的中 共的领导，个人也能做到许多事情。

 

Now you know why Islam forbids women go to schools

Dubai: Female U.S. sailor thwarts Muslim rapist, beats him into submission
Now you know why Islam forbids women go to schools

Bravo. via US sailor thwarts Dubai bus driver rapist after putting him in stranglehold with her thighs and then beating him into submission

An off-duty US navy sailor wrestled a bus driver to the ground and beat him into submission after he attempted to rape her at knife point, a court heard yesterday.

Prosecutors said that she knocked the knife from his hand, broke it in two, bit him in the hand, forced him to the ground and locked him between her thighs.

The woman, 28, was on 24-hour shore leave in Dubai and was attacked as she returned to the port where she was based after a day shopping.

She had been attempting to hail a taxi after visiting shopping centre, Mall of the Emirates and a supermarket when a bus pulled up next to her

After climbing aboard she became suspicious of the drivers route. She said: ‘I noticed he did not take the main road and when I asked him he told me not to worry.’

He then drove for a further 10 minutes before stopping in an area where other buses were parked and attempting to kiss her.

When she refused him he pulled the knife and threatened to rape her but she was able to subdue him.

Following the attack, which occurred on January 19 of this year, she left the bus and reported it to her commander at Port Khalid.

The driver, named as K S, from Pakistan, was arrested the next day at his home and the attending police officer said that he was intoxicated at the time.

The court ordered that the 21-year-old be examined to establish his age after he did not produce a birth certificate.

He has been charged with attempted rape, threatening to kill, assault and consuming alcohol illegally.
Having confessed to the alcohol charge, the driver claims to have been too drunk to remember what happened.

Traces of the woman’s hair and blood were found on his bus.

The case was adjourned to May 1.

KCPO - The Bulls Stand Ground And Make Another Fight - 4/29/2013

The market broke low on last Monday and I was suppose to sell on the next day at the signal day low minus 2 points. But it did not follow through, instead price reversed and closed higher. Price finally closed above the bottom band on last Thursday with a confirmation from the Stochastic. On last Friday, the MACD followed suit and turned positive and the Stochastic crossed above its 20's signal line. The DMI remains negative

and the ADX has gone flat. The flat ADX is telling us the prior sell cycle may has ended (at least temporarily). The middle band now become the next resistance, I would add on to my longs position once that is broken up. I am placing stops at the bottom band minus 2/3 points.

Since the ADX is low and flat, again it is the Stochastic that should be used for the current trading.

The weekly chart remains bearish as the Stochastic, MACD and DMI remain negative. But prices did not continue to fall so the 2220 level support is still intact. If price manages to close back up above the bottom band, then the bears may be losing the grip again.

I think there is a high probability that this market may be testing the upside again. If price can continue to advance in the coming week, then I would need to reassess the whole situation due to its prior bullish formations.

FKLI - The Market That Refuse To "Die" Before Polling Day ? -4/29/2013

 
I did not do any new trade last week except trade the intraday chart. Price went on and did another new high but since the Stochastic is already inside the overbought zone , the bulls are not convincing at all. But if you insist of going in aain, I would suggest buy when price breaks last Friday's high. But with that, you definitely keep a very tight stop on the position.
The DMI remains positive and the 2 lines are spreading outward again which can interpreted as the bulls regaining an upper hand over the bears. The MACD stays negative but it is trying to hook up and we may see a positive crossover by the coming week. But I am paying more attention to the Stochastic as the ADX went flat again at 12's.
Arguably I would say there is a double tops in place with the MACD fails to rise to a higher peak. Again we may be seeing another bearish divergence in formation.
 
The weekly chart is still pretty for the bulls as MACD, DMI and the Stochastic are all positive and rising. Price is above the top band. All is well except for the lowly ADX at 16's. But it has begun to rise, so if we can see price break above 1721, may be we can see the beginning of a new bull cycle. Otherwise it is still a "dead" market. But as I mentioned previously, as long as the bearish divergence stays intact, I would be very cautious with the buy signals which mean I would keep my stop tight.
The market is not showing real strength on the upside but neither it is dying. Without bringing in the charts, you may interpret it as the market is watching the polling day results before deciding what to do next. But is that how the big boys do things? With their large holdings, it would be too late when the results come out for them to buy or sell. With the numerous divergences in the charts, I would rather bet on the short side of the market. 

金价惨跌 全球央行大失血

　　投资人以两年来最快的速度抛售黄金基金，转而拥抱股市，导致金价剧跌，使全球央行持有的黄金准备价值蒸发5,600亿美元。

　　根据新兴组合基金研究全球公司（EPFR Global），随着金价16日跌抵两年低点，黄金指数股票型产品（ETP）今年来失血372亿美元。今年来迄本月10日止，黄金基金净流出112亿美 元，为2011年来最多，同期间全球与美国股票基金净流入212.5亿美元。

　　根据世界黄金协会（WGC），全球央行为黄金这波跌势的最大输家，他们持有3万1,694.8吨的黄金，占所有已开采黄金的19%。黄金 在连续12年多头后，自2011年9月创下的每英两1,923.7美元最高纪录迄今重挫29%。根据彭博资讯，因经济与企业获利成长，加上通 膨减缓，全球股市今年来市值增加2.28兆美元，传统保值工具相形失色。

　　纽约黄金期货今年来挫跌17%，为1981年来最糟年初表现。金价自2011年8月来跌逾20%，本月12日步入空头走势。国际黄金现货 价格16日止跌回升，17日盘中上涨1.08%，报每英两1,382.69美元。

　　利普乐金融公司市场策略师瓦勒瑞说：「市场认为风险已降低，投资人寻求能带来收益或具有成长潜力的资产，但黄金两者都不是。投资人追逐收 益，没有收益的黄金就被抛在脑后。」

　　韩国时报另报导，南韩央行可能因金价下跌而亏损近8亿美元，饱受各界批评可能误判时机进场购买黄金，未来还将持续承受庞大损失。

　　南韩央行2011年来加码收购90吨黄金，至2月止持有104.4吨黄金，是2010年8月时持有14.4吨的六倍多。若当时以每英两平 均1,600美元购入黄金计算，估计目前损失达7.61亿美元。

Singapore Fast Replacing Switzerland

By 2020 Most Of The World's Super Rich Will Have Moved Their Money Out Of Switzerland

By 2020 the country will have lost its position as the number one destination for the wealth of the world's super rich to Singapore, says a report from private banking research group WealthInsight.
The report is their annual Family Office briefing, a deep dive into where money is moving in the most exclusive investment clubs in the world — in elite wealth management, family and multi-family offices. In 2011, it was a $19.3 trillion industry.
Switzerland had $2.8 trillion of that money. That's 34% of the pie, and more than anywhere else in the world.
But that's changing, and fast. Partly because governments have been scrutinizing traditional private banking centers like Luxembourg and the Caribbean lately, so the rich are looking for quieter places to base their cash.
However, WealthInsight also points out that the newly rich in countries like China and Indonesia are contributing to this move as well. Most emerging markets have a growing number of rich people, but lack the banking structure to service them.
Enter Singapore, a quick plane ride for Asia's wealthiest with a well-regulated banking sector. It also has a head start in the private banking. Singapore-based Portcullis TrustNet, for one, was mentioned in a recent International Consortium of Investigative Journalists report about how the super rich invest in tax havens with the help of talented private bankers.
In 2011 Singapore had $550 billion worth of private banking assets under management, in 2000 it had only $50 billion. That's massive growth that WealthInsight doesn't see that slowing any time soon.
So it sounds like they'll have no problem playing catch up.

Switzerland is under siege

Falling Commodity Prices = Trouble  

Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia on the firing line

The wheels are finally coming off the decade-long commodity boom. Watch out, Australia in particular. But beware Indonesia and to a lesser degree Malaysia. The price decline has probably only just begun.

Take gold, often seen as a harbinger of commodity price trends generally. Those who think it is cheap after a 20 percent fall from its high should remember that it is still four times its price just 10 years ago. Iron ore is still five times and thermal coal three times 2003 levels.

Of course valuing a commodity mainly seen as a store of value rather than a useful metal is almost impossible. But there are some guidelines worth keeping an eye on in assessing gold's average price over long cycles. One is the cost of production. This matters less for gold than other metals simply because annual output of around 90 million ounces is still small - about 1.5 percent -- relative to the total existing supply. But much of that supply is locked up in central bank vaults so at the margin changes in demand and supply can be very significant. That is where supply issues enter.

It is currently estimated that the all-in cost of new mines is around US$1,300 an ounce. So new companies are not going to open new mines unless they believe the price is going to be sustained above that level. But many projects are already well under way on the assumption that it will. Added in is the impact of new copper mines producing gold as a by-product.

A more important number too than all-in cost is the marginal cost of production for existing mines. That is now estimated to be around US$800 an ounce so the price still has a long way to fall before these find additional production uneconomic.

By chance, perhaps, this price roughly coincides with another so-called "fair price" calculation - the ratio of the gold price to the US consumer price index.

Gold like other minerals has seen advances in mining and processing techniques which have enabled production to double in the past 30 years without the discovery of huge new deposits such as those which once existed in South Africa.

Clearly gold was driven to nearly US$2,000 not by either the cost of production or as a multiple of the US CPI but by "safe haven" concepts associated both with the global financial crisis and more recently by fears of inflation caused by central bank quantitative easing, sometimes dubbed "money printing." In real terms gold almost regained the US$800 peak seen in 1980 when global inflation was rampant in the wake of massive oil price increases.

But once perceptions change the impact on prices can be sudden. Now the evidence that inflation is about to surge is hard to find. Despite QE, advanced economies are growing very slowly, if at all, China and India and most of the developing world have also slowed. Yet fears of global crisis have also receded.

Gold was always a momentum play and one encouraged by the emergence of gold Exchange Traded Funds which have been in existence for less than a decade but which were heavily promoted and even now, after significant withdrawals in recent months, hold some 80 million ounces or nearly a year's mine output. Some gold funds are also leveraged.

Add in the possibility that some central banks may sell gold rather than buy it and the short term demand/supply situation looks as weak as the longer term marginal cost one.

Quantitative easing may be creating some asset bubbles but definitely not in gold or other commodities. Indeed the broader fall in commodity prices caused both by underlying demand/supply issues as well as sentiment and ETFs may well ensure that inflation remains low despite QE in the US, Europe and Japan and by official stimulation efforts in China.

Already there is evidence that the fall in energy prices in the US caused by the shale gas boom is providing more stimulus to the rest of the economy than QE is. The fall in the price of thermal coal could well do the same for China. And it is only a matter of time before a combination of new gas and oil production elsewhere, plus shale gas development in other countries, ensures that energy prices are likely to be a global stimulus, not a drag - except of course for countries such as Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia.

In Australia mining and gas producers are seeing the writing on the wall and putting major projects on hold. But meanwhile others are too advanced to stop now and will go into production, having incurred costs far above original estimates thanks to the strength of the Australian dollar and the outlandish costs of labor in the remote regions of the country where the mines are located.

The much advertised and criticized Chinese mining investment binge in Africa, South America and parts of Asia is also beginning to have an impact on supply - much to the future discomfort of many Chinese companies but to the broader advantage of China which will see lower import prices.

Just as miners big and small failed to see the boom in Chinese demand and thus profited from shortages and high prices, so now the opposite is occurring. Chinese (and other developing country) demand is not increasing as fast as assumed. China's overall growth rate was unsustainable if only because of demographics. But more importantly, the miners forgot that as China grew richer demand increases would shift from commodity-hungry housing and infrastructure to services, household appliances etc. China would well continue to grow by 6-7 percent a year while barely increasing commodity imports. The scope for increasing energy efficiency also remains huge.

ETFs and momentum plays have had a role in prices of other commodities than gold - though to a much lesser extent. Speculative buying by Chinese companies has also played a role though it is hard to see whether unwinding is needed.

Not every commodity has suffered to the extent of gold or even oil. But the iron ore price looks more propped up by the collapse - for political reasons - of Indian production. Agricultural ones may in the medium term be less impacted if only because of scares about the impact of climate change on production. However, there is scant evidence that overall supply is falling behind demand, and China's need for imports may be plateauing given the huge increases already seen in protein and fat intakes in local diets.

Prices will likely continue to be driven by shorter term shifts in supply but those of tree crops have long cycles so with an oil price spike or a big setback to soybean production rubber and palm oil look more likely to go down than up.

So all this sounds like bad news. But it is actually good news for the majority of the world's population who are consumers, not commodity producers and will be a spur to growth in every country which is a net importer of them. Meanwhile new commodity exporters will make life harder for the traditional ones like Australia.

波士顿爆炸案 - 是美国对中国的阴谋

中国官媒就波士顿爆炸案质疑美国战略

奥巴马此前用恐怖主义来形容波士顿爆炸事件，他强调“美国人民拒绝被恐吓”。

美国波士顿马拉松连环爆炸事件再次拉响了恐怖袭击警报，中国官媒藉此机会抨击美国相信是针对中国的“亚太再平衡战略”。
英国广播公司国际媒体观察部分析指出，中国官媒评论认为，奥巴马政府专注于中国的同时，却减低了对恐怖主义的防卫，才令恐怖分子有 机可乘，造成这起爆炸事件。
《人民日报》旗下的《环球时报》星期三（4月17日）发表评论表示：“奥巴马政府在2011年拉登被击毙后宣布反恐战争取得重要成 就，‘重返亚太’成为美国新的战略优先。”
“尽管美国并未放松国内反恐，但警报声的确在从美国舆论和很多人的心理上逐渐淡化。”
评论说，这起爆炸事件“几乎瞬间改变了美国人对国家安全形势的感受”，而全世界也正关注“这件事是否会导致美国国家战略的新调 整”。

“冷战思维”

中国军方《解放军报》在其评论文章中则呼吁美国放弃其冷战思维，并与中国合力对抗恐 怖主义。
在题为“波士顿爆炸为全球反恐合作敲响警钟”的文章中，评论员林东指出，波士顿遭到恐怖袭击的“一个重要原因就在于美国在战略层面 为反恐打下了休止符，把肉体上消灭本·拉丹作为反恐战争胜利的一个标志，致使国际反恐合作不断弱化”。
林东对此表示，各国领导人、尤其是大国领导人应“彻底放弃冷战思维，摒弃前嫌，携手共建全球反恐阵线。”

“直接否定”

另一方面，上海社会科学院国际关系研究所学者李开盛更直截了当地批评了华盛顿的“亚洲轴心战略”。
在中国官方新闻网站“中国网”上，李开盛发表评论称，爆炸事故“再次表明，恐怖主义仍是美国战略与安全的头号敌人” 。
然而，评论说，奥巴马自2008年上台后逐步将战略重心东移亚太，“事实上视中国为重要竞争对手。”
“由于其政策重回传统大国竞争路线，改变了小布什政府时期以反恐为头号战略任务的做法，从而在中美关系中埋下了一些新的不确定因 素。”
但李开盛认为奥巴马的做法是“错误的”，而这次发生的波士顿恐怖爆炸案“就是对奥巴马这一政策的直接否定”。

战略调整

一些中国评论员则预计，爆炸事件可能会促使奥巴马重新调整亚太战略。
评论员蔡坚在其位于环球网上的博客说，奥巴马必定会对为了遏制中国而松懈了反 恐感到“后悔莫及”。
“奥巴马为遏制中国费尽心机、机关算尽，反将反恐之弦松驰，终于后院起火，让 恐怖分子钻了空子，如今定将后悔莫及，有所反思，多少会怀疑实施亚洲战略是否过于急促和专注。”
虽然蔡坚认同这还不至于让美国停止或暂缓其亚太和其他战略，但他认为，只要美 国有所收敛、变得柔软一些，放松经营遏制战略或受到影响，“对中国对世界都有利”。

China's Islam Problem

The Xinjiang Perspective: In Photos

China's security forces have failed in their attempts to win over the nation's ethnic minorities.

Graham Adams shares his personal observations, experiences, and conversations from around Xinjiang.

Following the 2009 riots in Xinjiang (East Turkestan), the government of the People's Republic of China is "striking hard" against perceived separatist and terrorist activities. Critics argue that the government is actually using the specter of ethnic and religious instability to crack down on the local Central Asian populace and dramatically increase the security presence.
A sign in Urumqi reads: "The military loves the people, the people embrace the military, the military and people are united as one family."
Ever since its "peaceful liberation" of Xinjiang and Tibet, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has endeavored to present itself as a benevolent protector of ethnic minorities. Local propaganda in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) features members of the military linked arm-in-arm with colorfully dressed minorities, all of whom are unified as one family, one nation. However, beneath the official veneer of ethnic solidarity, local Central Asian ethnic groups tend to remain extremely distrustful of the military and Public Security Bureau.

I once remarked to a Uyghur businesswoman that the World Uyghur Congress  has declared the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (East Turkestan) a "police state." Did she believe the statement was true? Had the situation truly become so grave? "Of course," came the reply. "And you don't know the half of it."
The police and military presence is indeed quite large in Xinjiang. Although locals in Beijing noticed more boots on the ground during the 18th Party Congress in November, it is a common sight to see riot police vans driving down the streets and patrols walking down the sidewalks of Uyghur communities. In the three intervening years since the 2009 Urumqi riots, they have now become a part of everyday life in Xinjiang.
In various parts of the XUAR, particularly in the south, one may often witness four or five person patrols policing the streets in urban areas. They consist of one policeman walking in front, three men dressed in fatigues, and perhaps another policemen at the rear. The men in fatigues appear to be members of the People's Armed Police. One is carrying a rifle, and the other two are carrying riot batons and shields (see below).
In addition, the Public Security Bureau also seems to have set up small civilian patrols. Bearing red armbands and batons, they are reportedly paid 800RMB per month (approximately $125) to keep watch over local neighborhoods. Ironically, one is far more likely to find them chatting idly outside of storefronts or playing cards.

The Chinese state security apparatus has also built large numbers of police booths on the streets of both Xinjiang and ethnographic Tibet over the course of the past year. They are located strategically at various intersections in cities and towns. Although the vast majority are quite small, they are staffed by local police and installed with surveillance equipment to monitor those passing by.

 

The Chinese Public Security Bureau has similarly introduced a number of "mobile service offices" into urban areas throughout the western PRC. They are generally parked near significant landmarks, such as mosques or public squares. Like the police booths, they have surveillance cameras mounted (see below).

One can often see SWAT vans and personnel posted in Uyghur communities, especially in areas where large numbers of Uyghurs tend to gather. In fact, it appears that SWAT police tend to perform duties that average local police might perform in cities in the eastern PRC. The decision of the Chinese government to deploy large numbers of SWAT police likely reflects its preoccupation with maintaining social stability in the face of perceived threats from terrorism, separatism, and religious extremism. 

The Chinese government has also set up a substantial number of police checkpoints outside of strategically important cities such as Urumqi and Kashgar. Police at these checkpoints appear to be concerned with stopping buses and taxis, rather than private vehicles. Sometimes police or SWAT personnel will board buses to check identification cards. Generally speaking, however, passengers will have to disembark and enter a checkpoint facility. The more sophisticated stations include metal detectors and personnel who scan the second-generation Chinese identity cards of each individual to learn their personal data, particularly where they're registered to live. In this manner police can easily track the movements of members of Central Asian ethnic groups as they travel through Xinjiang. Unlike Chinese tourists or businessmen, who tend to fly from one location to another, Uyghurs tend to travel around the autonomous region by less expensive modes of transportation. Pictured below is a small police checkpoint in Xinjiang.

As the military and police presence in Xinjiang continues to grow, so does local resentment. Uyghurs and members of other Central Asian ethnic groups who are determined to serve their compatriots as policemen, SWAT team members, or Public Security Bureau employees are subsequently caught in a difficult situation.
"The Chinese government discriminates against us Uyghurs," one police officer told me. "We have no freedom and no human rights." Another Uyghur who was affiliated with a SWAT unit said that he while he joined to protect the Uyghur people, he didn't trust his Chinese colleagues and questioned their motivations for serving in Xinjiang. 
As long as tensions remain high in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the Chinese government will continue to deploy large numbers of military and police forces in cities and towns across the XUAR. Unfortunately, until the Chinese government addresses the counterproductive policies that lie at the heart of local discontent, omnipresent propaganda will do little to gain the confidence of the local Central Asian populace.
Graham Adams specializes in the study of ethnic minority policy in the People's Republic of China. His name has been changed to protect his identity.