Forget the trade war. China wants to win the computing arms race

As the US and China threaten to impose tariffs on goods from aluminum to wine, the two nations are waging a separate economic battle that could determine who owns the next wave of computing.

Hong Kong mulls over tax on unsold apartments to unlock supply

Financial Secretary says the levy would probably need to "have a particular target, and not apply across the board"

US national security strategy reflects flaw in Western thinking: an antagonistic worldview

Tian Feilong says America sees China and the rest of the world through a ‘friend or foe’ mentality that squanders opportunities for cooperation. Its wish to remake the world in its own image only promotes feelings of insecurity

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

Wine collecting in Singapore today

What vintages of which wines does one start one's collection with? A tough question but an absorbing one to deal with.

More help for those who can’t afford lawyers in ‘high stakes’ court cases

More accused persons who cannot afford a lawyer, especially if theirs are “high stakes” cases, will get a better shot of landing one under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme (Clas), which has recently employed two more criminal lawyers with funding from the Government.

Ex-BSI banker slapped with 30-month jail term

Former BSI banker Yeo Jiawei has been sentenced to a jail term of 30 months - the heaviest sentence so far for attempting to pervert the course of justice - in connection with Singapore's largest money-laundering probe linked to the massive 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

Taiwan's security problem must be resolved politically

The military power balance across the Taiwan Strait has been tipped sharply in favour of the People's Republic of China over the past couple of years.

How millennials are changing the way China thinks about money

Ma Yiqing, 24, is typical of China's younger generation - he uses his credit card frequently and borrows from online platforms to fund his shopping habits. In a pinch, he is happy to fall back on a lender closer to home - his mum and dad.

Don't sleep on it: going to bed mad makes it worse

A good night's sleep may reinforce negative memories in the brain, researchers said on Tuesday, lending scientific credence to the time-worn caution against going to bed angry.

Yahoo

Lucien Wong named the next Attorney-General

Lucien Wong Yuen Kuai, chairman and senior partner at law firm Allen & Gledhill, has been appointed Attorney-General (AG) for three years, from Jan 14, 2017. He will replace VK Rajah, senior counsel (SC), who is due to finish his two-and-a-half year term of contract on Jan 14.

With RM12.5b port, Malacca eyes slice of shipping giant Singapore's pie

Once at the heart of the global spice trade, Malacca is pumping nearly US$3 billion into an ambitious plan to put itself in demand in a different hot commodity - oil.

Israeli firm Cellebrite can steal phone data in seconds

It only takes a few seconds for an employee of one of the world's leading hacking companies to take a locked smartphone and pull the data from it.

German exec, Michael Fritsch, gets 10 days' jail for punching taxi driver

A German national who punched a taxi driver in the forehead was ticked off by a judge for his "deplorable"' conduct from start to finish.

Hong Kong judge blasts localist radicals for oath-taking that bordered on contempt

Mr Justice Thomas Au Hing-cheung says oath is “not a mere formality or empty form of words”

Hague prosecutors say U.S. forces may have committed war crimes

Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court in The Hague said on Monday there were preliminary grounds to believe U.S. forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan and at secret detention facilities elsewhere in 2003 and 2004.

Reuters

Manila's South China Sea arbitration against Beijing 'not wise'

It was "not wise" of the Philippines to launch mandatory arbitration against China over their South China Sea territorial spat, said Singapore's former foreign minister George Yeo, calling it a move that cannot resolve what is at heart a political issue.

Americans in China dismayed, embarrassed by US presidential campaign as election draws to close

For many Americans living in China, the US presidential election can’t end soon enough.

Duterte nurses old grudges against US

President Rodrigo Duterte really doesn't like America. And, at 71 years old, he is unlikely to change his mind.

Canadian court delivers heavy blow to spy agency, saying it kept data illegally

A court dealt Canada’s spy agency a serious blow on Thursday, declaring it had illegally kept data collected during investigations over the past decade and threatening sanctions if the issue occurred again.

Growth in ties validates trust in China: Najib

The growth in their bilateral ties and cooperation validates the trust Malaysia has placed in China, said Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose visit here is being closely watched for signs of a tilt towards Beijing.

West should not lecture countries they once exploited, says Najib as Malaysia pivots to China

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that former colonial powers should not lecture countries they once exploited on their internal affairs, a Chinese newspaper reported on Wednesday (Oct 2), in a veiled attack on the West as he looks to strengthen ties with China.

Behind Manila's ties with Beijing is a Chinese billionaire and his drug rehab centres

At the end of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte's landmark visit to China last month, he held a brief private meeting with a businessman who may have played a crucial role in improving ties between the two nations.

Why the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte Hates America

To understand the roots of Duterte’s views, one has to take a closer look at his background, past experiences with the United States, and current grievances about U.S. policy toward the Philippines.

Why mind blanks happen during exams

It's a pattern many of us have likely experienced in the past.

Taiwan’s cross-strait export of phone scams ‘no good for island’, former president says

Taiwan has exported a highly undesirable “service” to the mainland – telecoms fraud, according to the island’s former leader.

China and Singapore: Looking back to understand the future

Recent developments in the relations between China and Singapore have raised questions about how China sees Singapore and also how Singapore should see China.

Feng Shui: Expelling evil

In many parts of the world (cultural and religious differences notwithstanding), there are numerous items and symbols that are considered “lucky”, or even to ward off evil spirits. We explore how this works in feng shui.

Property Guru

Tibet's thangkas find new fans across China

Her eyes riveted to the canvas, Wulan meticulously applies colour to an image of the Buddha, using pigments made of crushed pearls, turquoise and agate.

Food delivery jobs: Hot now, but could cool later

Delivery rider Gerry Tan has seen his monthly earnings rise 80 per cent - from $2,000 to $3,600 - since he started his job almost two years ago.

Medical tourism ambitions under threat

They came in droves - Indonesians, Thais and Malaysians - to receive quality medical treatment in Singapore's private hospitals.

Is China’s latest space mission a step towards PLA tracking of nuclear submarines?

Chinese scientists are working on a space-based device that could track gravitational ripples produced by submerged submarines

SCMP

Thai unifying figure leaves lasting legacy

King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, who took the throne of the kingdom once known as Siam shortly after World War II and held it for more than 70 years, establishing himself as a revered personification of Thai nationhood, died on Thursday in Bangkok. He was 88 and one of the longest-reigning monarchs in history.

Russia: America's new bogeyman?

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, members of the American Foreign Policy Establishment (FPE) have been suffering from what former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia Chas Freeman has described as the Enemy Depravation Syndrome (EDS).

Snowden director Oliver Stone warns of US bid to 'control the world'

American film-maker Oliver Stone warned on Monday (Oct 10) that his country's desire to "control the world" by eavesdropping on the entire planet would end in disaster.

Baijiu getting its moment as makers mix it up

The fiery Chinese grain liquor called baijiu has been distilled and quaffed in the homeland pretty much the same way for a millennium. Yet as these brands expand overseas, spirits companies are wondering: How would it taste with 7-Up?

Bitten by a dog? Don't bother biting back

Lashing out at those one disagrees with seems to be a fad of late. There was the falling out between Chinese cross-talk star Guo Degang and his pupil Cao Yunjin, as well as the debate between two United States presidential candidates who found fault with each other.

Duterte v America: The bark's worse than the bite

Why is Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte bristling at the United States, for decades his nation's closest ally?

Why the Sing! China final was a win-win for Jiang Dunhao and Nathan Hartono

Late in the onstage voting in the Sing! China final in Beijing's National Stadium, in plain sight of millions of viewers in China and beyond, things just weren't adding up.

Yahoo secretly scanned customer emails for US intelligence

Yahoo Inc last year secretly built a custom software program to search all of its customers' incoming emails for specific information provided by US intelligence officials, according to people familiar with the matter.

What’s really making Beijing angry with Singapore?

The argument between Singapore’s ambassador to China and the editor-in-chief of the nationalistic Chinese tabloid Global Times is less about specific actions and deeds as it is about Beijing’s growing disappointment with the tiny Asian city-state.

No bill shock with new virtual SIM cards

Expensive mobile roaming fees are the bane of those who travel overseas. One way around this is to use a prepaid data SIM card overseas, but such services can be inconvenient as they require one to switch mobile number. Plus, not all overseas airports sell prepaid data SIM cards.

Fact-checking the debate: Trump and Clinton both deny their own words

Donald Trump’s habit of peddling hype and fabrication emerged unabated in the first presidential debate while Hillary Clinton played it cautiously in her statements, though not without error.

Philippines' Duterte wants to 'open alliances' with Russia, China

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday he would visit Russia and China this year to chart an independent foreign policy and "open alliances" with two powers with historic rivalries with the United States.

Reuters

Cyberheist saga rages: Philippine Daily Inquirer editorial

In its editorial on Sept 26, the paper says it remains a shame that the Philippines will be returning only a small portion of money stolen from an impoverished nation like Bangladesh.

China to rank foreigners in new work permit system

Starting on Nov 1, the Chinese government will begin sorting foreigners into three categories: A, B and C.

China pushes tourism in Tibet, while critics fear impact on local culture

China has unveiled a sparkling new hotel as part of its drive to get tens of millions more tourists to visit Tibet, even as critics say the push is slowly eroding the local culture.

The end of stealth? New Chinese radar capable of detecting ‘invisible’ targets 100km away

A top Chinese military technology company shocked physicists around the world this week when it announced it had developed a new form of radar able to detect stealth planes 100km away.

Colin Powell discussed ‘secret’ Israeli nukes in leaked emails

In a private email exchange last year leaked this week by hackers, former Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed Israel’s nuclear weapons capability with a friend, saying the country has 200 warheads.

Chinese sportswear heavyweights hit their stride on the back of a national health kick

China’s sportswear industry has hit a rare sweet spot that appears unaffected by the lingering economic downturn.

Playing the divorce game for a second home: China Daily columnist

The divorce sections of Shanghai's marriage registration office are witnessing a bizarre phenomenon.

Jochen Thewes gets jail for slapping cabby

A drunk German chief executive was given two weeks' jail and fined $1,000 for slapping a taxi driver and kicking his vehicle after the cabby had declined to pick him up.

What the US and China are fighting over in South China Sea

As the leaders of China and the United States meet in Hangzhou ahead of this weekend's Group of 20 summit, many would like to know whether differences over the South China Sea will cloud the bilateral relationship. The question is, what exactly are the two nations competing over in the area? And more importantly, can they find a mutually acceptable way to move forward?

Fewer people getting married in China, transforming economy and families

"Back in the old times, many people met because they were introduced and just wanted to find a partner to live through everyday life," she said. "There were very few people who had a free relationship based on love. Now lots of people reject that kind of old attitude and want to find the suitable person."

Chinese Americans risk losing political power

Chinatown in San Francisco used to be the first port of call for Chinese immigrants. But what used to be a hub for the Asian community, where they could go to look for help with employment or immigration issues, has become a tourist trap, where visitors take photos under the Gateway Arch and browse in shops selling lanterns, fans and other oriental kitsch. 

Philippines’ Duterte eyes arms from China, ends joint patrols with United States

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he’s considering buying weapons from Russia and China and ending joint patrols with US forces in the South China Sea.

Call-a-lawyer web services target small businesses, individuals seeking quick legal aid

When a clause on an employment contract befuddled him, Mr Adrian Tan decided to seek legal advice. He turned to social media for recommendations, and ended up at a legal aid website, which touted a 15-minute phone consultation with a lawyer for a fee of S$49.

China’s Tech-Savvy, Burned-Out and Spiritually Adrift, Turn to Buddhism

But the leader of the monastery, the Venerable Xuecheng, who dispenses bits of wisdom every day to millions of online followers, has defended his approach, saying that Buddhism can stay relevant only by embracing modern tools. In a computer-dominated world, he has said, it is no longer realistic to expect people to attend daily lectures.

Why Chinese-Indonesians don’t have to hide any longer

Community was scapegoated in the violence that followed the Asian Financial Crisis, but in a post-Suharto, newly democratised country, their identity is no longer a hindrance

SCMP

Buddhist College of Singapore launches new $35 million building for monastic students

The Buddhist College of Singapore now has its own $35 million building, placing it in a better position to serve its students - monks from the region.

China's swoop on Boeing supplier points to aluminium's future

China’s emergence as the world's biggest aluminium maker has shaken up the industry, creating a surplus that forced competitors to close plants as profit fell.

Tough-talking Duterte makes international debut amid Obama spat

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to swear at US President Barack Obama, dangled the prospect of leaving the United Nations and insulted the pope, all without leaving the country. Now he's ready to meet the world.

Kwek Leng Beng: Billionaire hotelier with an eye for design

Billionaire hotelier Kwek Leng Beng, usually in sombre suits, looks like a different man as he strides into his newest hotel, M Social, in salmon-pink trousers.

When to turn to mediation in telco disputes

The introduction of an alternative dispute resolution scheme to assist telcos and consumers in resolving their disputes was proposed by the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) last month.

A Chinese Mystery: Who Owns a Firm on a Global Shopping Spree?

Questions about Anbang’s owners come as Chinese companies make deals around the world — sometimes representing efforts by China’s powerful to move money out of the country, as the economy slows and the party tightens its grip on everyday life.

US white nationalists use Twitter with 'relative impunity', have more followers than militant Islamists

White nationalists and self-identified Nazi sympathisers located mostly in the United States use Twitter with "relative impunity" and often have far more followers than militant Islamists, a study being released on Thursday found.

South China Sea: Did the ruling sink the rule of law?

In my view as a private researcher who has researched the issue for years, the tribunal's ruling was also weighed down by a litany of controversies as there were eight troubling issues arising from the ruling.

Experts continue to question South China Sea arbitration

Myron Nordquist, a professor at the University Virginia, said a lot of things were wrong about the tribunal's award over the South China Sea dispute, particularly the fundamental flawed system to begin with.

Describing the arbitration as "one-sided", the veteran maritime law expert said a good award should be one with both parties' consent.

"It is a bad decision politically and this is a political decision," Nordquist said.

"It is a matter of whether the Article 298 (which grants a nation the right to declare issues that it does not accept compulsory arbitration) was honoured."

Nordquist also believes the award's decision to declare all geographic features within the South China Sea as rocks or low-tide elevations "is not going to be well-received".

"For example, Japan is going to be, in the end, unhappy with the way rock and island issue was handled by the Tribunal," Nordquist said. He cited the case of Okinotorishima, an island claimed by Japan and one even smaller than Taiping, as it might be put in an awkward position by the award.

China Daily

South China Sea: Tribunal ruling will affect many other states' claims

The July 12 tribunal ruling on a maritime dispute case brought by the Philippines against China helped to clarify international law on oceans and sets a high bar for what constitutes islands. It will have repercussions for many regional states' claims.

Come to Canada for the natural beauty, stay for the ... propaganda?

A leading talk show host claims Canada’s tourism promotion agency is trying to prevent him from airing episodes on the mainland that touch on politically sensitive topics in the North American country, calling the obstruction censorship.

Who can step up as Singapore’s next leader?

On Monday, a week after he stunned Singapore when he nearly fainted while giving an annual policy speech live, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is due back at work. Following medical leave of seven days, it may be business as usual for him. But the incident has drawn attention to the unusual level of uncertainty around leadership succession.

Carro simplifies car buying, selling

Buying and selling pre-owned cars can be a real hassle. From dealing with unidentified scratches on the trunk - "Is the car really accident-free?" - to negotiating pricing with glib salesmen - "Today is your lucky day, because I have a special deal just for you!" - takes some getting used to.

China: the new space superpower

For years, its space programme was shrouded in secrecy. Now, with plans for lunar and Mars missions, and crowds at its launch sites, China is ready for liftoff

The Guardian

Cyber Cold War heats up

This is a tale of spies, a US$500 million (S$677 million) cyber arms heist, accusations of an attempt to manipulate a US presidential election and an increasingly menacing digital war being waged between Russia and the West.

Japan, China should put past behind them and move on

Can China and Japan, the second- and third-largest economies in the world, ever set aside their historical enmity and work together closely for the collective good of all in this part of the world?

An American conspiracy to oust Malaysia’s Najib – or a propaganda war?

As civil suit turns public perception of 1MDB scandal against embattled PM, supporters rally with a tried and tested tactic. But it may have been tried once too often

SCMP