Multitasking is a myth - it makes people more inefficient

"Work smarter not harder" is a common exhortation by CEOs. Another common directive is "to do more with less". But how? Simplistic slogans masquerade as management insights with worrying frequency. In business it's not the "what" but the "how" that often matters more.

How dealers woo buyers of Supercars

They use social media to keep the romance alive with long-time clients.

Declassified embassy files detail US support for Indonesia’s 1965-66 massacre of communists

Thousands of files from the US embassy in Jakarta made public after a declassification review that began under the Obama administration

SCMP

Kobe Steel faked quality data for more than 10 years

Kobe Steel Ltd falsified data on product quality and specifications longer than the 10 years that the company had previously stated, a source with knowledge of the matter said.

Japan's No.3 steelmaker is still trying to nail down the extent of the tampering, the source told Reuters, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The cheating went on for decades with the knowledge of plant and quality control managers, the Nikkei reported earlier, without identifying the source of the information.

The revelations have sent shockwaves through supply chains around the world and hammered Kobe shares, which fell to near five-year lows on Monday on worries about the financial and legal fallout of the cheating scandal.

Last week investors knocked about US$1.8 billion off the value of the company as successive revelations deepened the crisis.

The shares were trading nearly 6 per cent higher on Tuesday.

Kobe Steel Chief Executive Hiroya Kawasaki on Friday said about 500 companies had received its falsely certified products, more than double its earlier count.

No safety problems have surfaced as the Japanese steelmaker attempts to confirm the extent of the data tampering, but companies from operators of Japan's famous bullet trains to the world's biggest aircraft maker, Boeing Co, have become ensnared in the scandal.

17 October 2017

Reuters

Briton James Martin Anthony Rabl Radcliffe jailed for punching GrabCar driver twice

Not only did a senior recruitment consultant kick a car, causing a dent, he attacked the GrabCar driver who had asked him why he had done so.

American Peter Thomas Juliano jailed 2 weeks for taking upskirt video

There was no one else on the the escalator, but an IT project manager chose to stand directly behind a couple as they were going up.

Tell the truth of Nanjing Massacre to prevent repeat of tragedy, says son of Japanese veteran

The son of a Japanese war veteran has called for reflections on the Nanjing Massacre, as 2017 marks the 80th anniversary of the tragedy.

America is unable to admit it will become No. 2 to China

That is a problem and partially why Trump happened, says Prof Kishore Mahbubani, dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, in a wide-ranging interview with Mr Nathan Gardels, editor-in-chief of The WorldPost.

How the Western media gets the Korean crisis wrong

It is one more reason for Singaporeans to be wary of Western narrative on Asian issues.

Saudis' feud with emirate has 22-year history rooted in gas

Saudi Arabia's excommunication of Qatar has been brewing since 1995, and the dispute's long past and likely lingering future are best explained by natural gas.

Civilisational states like China are less prone to populism

Societies in Asia, too, are undergoing transformation, but civilisation-states bound by an idea of common ancestry - such as China, Japan, S. Korea, Vietnam - will be less prone to populist pressures.

Who is to blame for ransomware outbreak?

Questions are swirling over who is responsible for the security flaws exploited by hackers in the world's biggest ransomware attack to date, which crippled thousands of businesses and public organisations around the world.

China is building a Disney world for wine

Chateau Changyu Reina, honey-coloured brick towers enclose wide cobbled courtyards, and vast, wood-beamed halls look as if they are prepared to host an imminent medieval banquet. At first glance, the Italianate castle and winery could have been built hundreds of years ago, in Italy's Tuscan hills.

Austrian court rules Facebook must delete 'hate postings'

Facebook must remove postings deemed as hate speech, an Austrian court has ruled, in a legal victory for campaigners who want to force social media companies to combat online "trolling".

Do US Actions in the South China Sea Violate International Law?

American actions in the region could be viewed as a “threat or use of force.”

Inside the shadowy world of Chinese militants fighting in Syria

The Muslim fighters are known for their ferocity in battle and remain separate from the communities they operate in, witnesses say

Singapore's own temple of love, Singapore News & Top Stories

From places of worship and educational institutions to the former residences of prominent figures, 72 buildings here have been gazetted as national monuments. This is the latest in a weekly series revisiting these heritage gems. Each is a yarn woven into the rich tapestry of Singapore's history.

WikiLeaks’ release makes CIA hacking operations easy to spot

WikiLeaks’ latest disclosure of CIA cyber tools reveals a technique used by the agency to hide its digital tracks, potentially blowing the cover on current and past hacking operations aimed at gathering intelligence on terrorists and other foreign targets.

WikiLeaks releases CIA hacks of Apple Mac computers

The Central Intelligence Agency is able to permanently infect an Apple Mac computer so that even reinstalling the operating system will not erase the bug, according to documents published Thursday by WikiLeaks.

China 'comfort women' history buried as brothels fall

AFP

A Vancouver firm offers clients ‘new identities’. Its customers have included Chinese criminals

Amicus is the expert you need if you wish to live a life of anonymity

SCMP

Harry Elias merging with global giant

Harry Elias Partnership, one of Singapore's most well known law firms, is merging with global giant Eversheds Sutherland to form a new entity - Eversheds Harry Elias (EHE).

Roommates wanted: Trump supporters need not apply

She calls it the “no-Trump clause.” When Sahar Kian needed a new roommate for the home she shares near Georgetown University, she did what many young people here do: She took out an ad on Craigslist and then set down a few ground rules.

CIA files reveal how US used psychics to spy on Iran

In an operation code-named Grill Flame, half a dozen psychics on more than 200 occasions tried to peer through the ether to see where the hostages were being held, how closely they were guarded and the state of their health

SCMP

The End of Hypocrisy

American Foreign Policy in the Age of Leaks

Foreign Affairs