• Singapore police tell webcam users: Keep your clothes on; it's a scam

    By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News

    Police in Singapore have warned men to be more careful about whom they talk to over webcams, reporting an alarming increase in the number of men who've been lured into nude conversations with "foreign" women, only to be blackmailed with video-chat recordings.


    In terms of sheer numbers, the increase isn't much — from 11 in 2011 to more than 50 last year — but it suggests a burgeoning scam that could ensnare many more men in the future, the national police force said in a bulletin that was first reported by Singapore's Straits Times newspaper.

    Police singled out Facebook and Tagged as especially popular vehicles for the extortion scheme, in which "female foreign suspects ... would commence a webcam conversation with the victims and initiate cybersex by undressing themselves first before persuading the male victims to appear nude or perform sexual acts in front of the webcams."

    "Unknown to the victims, the suspects had recorded the acts," police said. "These suspects would then threaten to circulate compromising photographs and videos of the victims to extort money from them."

    The spike in cases was first noted halfway through last year, leading CrimeWatch, a joint program of the national police and the National Crime Prevention Council, to "re-create" the scam in a (safe for work but entertainingly cheesy) video in June:

    In a video titled "Blinded by love, she acted in a moment of folly," Singapore police and the National Crime Prevention Council re-enacted a cybersex extortion case last year.

    Graham Cluley, a consultant with the Internet security firm Sophos,  reported the bulletin Monday on the company's appropriately named Naked Security blog and warned of another potential hazard:

    "You can imagine how a man, believing he is being seduced online by a sexy woman, might be all too eager to click on a link she suggests or run a malicious program on his computer. Before he knows it, his computer could be under the control of a hacker."

    Police offered these tips to keep your money in your wallet:

    • Be wary of messages from unknown people who want to befriend you.
    • Do not accede to any request that may put you in vulnerable positions, such as performing compromising acts in front of a webcam or giving personal details about yourself when interacting with other Internet users.
    • If anyone attempts to extort money from you or should you become a victim of such an attempt, call the police immediately.
    • Do not remit or transfer money.

    Follow M. Alex Johnson on Twitter and Facebook.

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  • Singaporeans protest over population increase plan

    Joseph Nair / AP

    Singaporeans gather at their speakers' corner in a protest against a paper passed in parliament last week that suggests continued immigration that would raise the total population to 6.9 million by 2030, a 30 percent increase, on Saturday Feb. 16, 2013 in Singapore.

    By Faris Mokhtar, The Associated Press

    Nearly 3,000 people held a rare rally in Singapore on Saturday to protest a government plan to increase the city-state's population by admitting more foreigners, voicing concerns that it will worsen already strained public services and push up the cost of living.

    Such demonstrations are rare in the Southeast Asian country, known for its image of political stability and efficient governance, with the ruling People's Action Party stifling opposition voices and placing tight controls on public protests.

    The chief organizer of the rally, Gilbert Goh, said the protest was a display of citizens' unhappiness over the population plan, which was endorsed in parliament on Feb. 8. "They want to tell the government, please reconsider this policy. The turnout is a testimony that this policy is flawed and unpopular on the ground," he said.

    According to the plan, the government will bolster infrastructure and social programs to accommodate a projected population of 6.5 million to 6.9 million by 2030 — a marked increase from the current population of 5.3 million. Of the projected 2030 population, non-foreigners would form between 3.6 and 3.8 million, slightly more than half of the total.


    The issue triggered five days of intense debate in parliament, with both opposition and some PAP legislators expressing concerns that an immigration inflow would hurt public infrastructure and dilute the Singaporean identity. But the plan was eventually approved by a wide majority.

    The plan to admit more new citizens comes amid government concerns that the current population will not help ensure the economy remains robust, as Singapore grapples with a falling birthrate and aging baby boomers.

    "In my view in 2030, I think 6 million will not be enough to meet Singaporeans' needs as our population ages because of this problem of the baby boomers and bulge of aging people," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in parliament on Feb. 8, adding that 6.9 million was not a target but a number to be used to help plan for infrastructure.

    Although Singapore continues to bring in hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries such as Indonesia and China to work as maids and construction workers, it also attracts thousands of higher-income foreigners who find the country's high standard of living and stability appealing.

    But the influx has strained public services, with complaints of transport overcrowding, and caused property prices to escalate, sparking concerns among locals about the rising cost of living and fostering a deep resentment toward foreigners.

    "Immigrants come at such a fast pace that they're not able to assimilate," said Samantha Chia, 32, one of the rally speakers. "It's unfair for them as well and a lose-lose situation."

    Although economic prosperity has turned Singapore into a bustling metropolis, critics have noted the government's continuous pursuit of growth at all cost.

    "We want the government to put the vast resources that are at their disposal at the service of us, the people," said one of Saturday's protesters, Vincent Wijeysingha, a university lecturer and member of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party. "Because we are not machines and our neighborhoods are not factories, and our island is not a hotel."

    © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

  • An orchid takes center stage

    Chris Jackson / Getty Images

    Photographers take pictures of an orchid named in honor of Diana, Princess of Wales at Singapore Botanical Gardens ahead of a visit by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge on September 11, 2012 in Singapore. The royal couple are on a Diamond Jubilee tour taking in Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and the tiny Pacific Island of Tuvalu.

    Read about the Kimilsungia, an orchid named to honor another dynasty, in a previous post on PhotoBlog and see how the royal couple reacted to the plant in the video below.

    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge -- aka Will and Kate -- arrive in Singapore, the first stop on their Southeast Asia tour, to view a special orchid named in honor of Princess Diana. NBC's Sara James reports.

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  • Zimbabwe says leader isn’t dying, just on vacation

    Slideshow: Zimbabwe, a nation in decline

    Eddie Adams / AP

    Take a look at the country's tumultuous path since independence.

    Launch slideshow

    By msnbc.com staff and news services

    Zimbabwean officials on Tuesday dismissed reports that President Robert Mugabe was critically ill in Singapore, saying he was well and on vacation there with his family, and was expected to return home this week.

    Mugabe is one of Africa's longest serving leaders and has ruled the former British colony in southern Africa since 1980. He is sharing power with political rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in a fragile coalition formed three years ago.

    The 88-year-old president has been the subject of several health scares in recent years, with some reports saying he has prostate cancer, but in February interviews with state media he laughed off suggestions that he was seriously ill.

    Media reports in Britain and elsewhere on Tuesday suggested Mugabe was ‘fighting for his life’.

    However, two senior officials from Mugabe's ZANU-PF party angrily denied the reports. "The president is well and away on a private holiday to help his daughter prepare for post-graduate studies, but we are expecting him home this week," said one of the two officials, who declined to be named.

    "But some sick and malicious people are spreading false stories about him being seriously ill while others are saying he is dead or dying out there," he added.

    Asked whether the president had also used his 10-day visit to Singapore for a medical check-up, one of the officials said: "We are not going to be engaged over rumours, speculation and wishful thinking."

    A Twitter account in the name of ZANU-PF appeared to defend Mugabe by saying the leader had merely gone shopping with his wife, although the account it is widely assumed to be a spoof.

    Mugabe has made frequent visits to Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

    A terse Zimbabwean government statement saying a weekly cabinet meeting set for Tuesday had been postponed to Thursday had fed the rash of media speculation about the president's health. Mugabe usually chairs cabinet meetings.

    Mugabe, who celebrated his 88th birthday on Feb. 21, was endorsed by his party as its presidential candidate for a general election he wants to be held before the end of this year despite opposition from his major political rivals.

    Analysts say Mugabe will face a tough challenge convincing voters to extend his 32-year rule after a devastating economic crisis many blame on ZANU-PF.

    Although ZANU-PF officials rally behind Mugabe in public, in private many want him to retire and pass the baton to a younger heir due to fears his advanced age may cost the party victory in the upcoming election.

    This sentiment within ZANU-PF has intensified since reports, based on a June 2008 U.S. diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks, that Mugabe is suffering from prostate cancer.

    Reuters and msnbc.com's Alastair Jamieson contributed to this report.

  • Singapore casinos give Vegas a run for the money

    In addition to a casino, Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore also has six hotels, Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios theme park and trendy restaurants and shops.

    By Harriet Baskas, NBC News contributor

    Even though it has just two resort-casinos, each less than two years old, the island-nation of Singapore is on pace to generate more gaming revenue than Las Vegas, which has 41 casinos on The Strip alone.

    “The final numbers for 2011 aren’t quite in yet,” said Holly Wetzel, spokesperson for the American Gaming Association. “But it is anticipated that this year Singapore could surpass Las Vegas as the world’s second-largest gaming market.”

    The world’s number one gaming destination is Asia’s Macau, where 33 casinos raked in $23.5 billion of gaming revenues in 2010. “That’s more than twice the total revenue of every casino in the state of Nevada,” said David G. Schwartz, director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

    Las Vegas and Singapore, with 2010 gaming revenues of $5.8 billion and $5.1 billion, respectively, still lag way behind Macau. But that No. 2 spot is highly coveted, and analysts are predicting that in 2011 the combined gaming revenues for Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa could total $6.4 billion versus $6.2 billion for Las Vegas.

    How have Singapore’s two casinos managed to beat the odds?


    It may have a something to do with what’s outside the casinos.

    When the Singapore government issued the licenses for these first two casinos, it did so with the understanding that gaming would be just one amenity available at “Integrated Resorts” offering a wide range of dining, retail and other non-gaming activities. (As a social safeguard, the government also ruled that Singapore citizens must pay a $100 fee to enter the casinos; visitors enter for free.)

    The strategy was designed to broaden Singapore’s existing mix of offerings, “enrich the overall visitor experience and strengthen our appeal to business and leisure travelers,” said Carrie Kwik, Executive Director, Integrated Resorts, Singapore Tourism Board.

    To that end, the sprawling Resorts World Sentosa is home to six hotels, including a Hard Rock Hotel and one designed and named for iconic architect Michael Graves, and Southeast Asia’s first Universal Studios theme park, which recently debuted TRANSFORMERS, The Ride. Trendy shops and restaurants, a huge maritime museum, a Las Vegas-style stage show and a marine life park said to be the largest oceanarium in the world are also onsite. A six-star spa and wellness retreat is scheduled to open soon.

    The 57-floor Marina Bay Sands has three giant hotel towers capped by Sands Sky Park, a cruise ship-shaped park the size of the three football fields with an observation deck, night club, restaurants and an infinity-edge swimming pool that is the world’s largest outdoor pool at that height. On the ground, the resort has a lotus-shaped museum, entertainment venues, upscale retail stores and restaurants and, of course, a casino.

    “Before the integrated resorts opened, people were wondering if Singapore was taking too many chances and trading its squeaky clean image for the sleazy version that unfortunately comes with casinos,” said Robin Goh, assistant director of communications for Resorts World Sentosa. “But here no one needs to pass through a casino to check in or get to their rooms.”

    The gamble seems to be paying off.

    More on Itineraries

    Find more by Harriet Baskas on StuckatTheAirport.com and follow her on Twitter.