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- 20 weeks' jail for man who used fake Malaysian passport after thinking he was wanted by Singapore police

- Seniors play modified versions of sports like floorball, badminton as active ageing centres aim to inject fun

- Doctors see surge in patients in clinics, online amid COVID-19 wave

- Singapore Tourism Board to get new chairman on Jan 1

- Consumers face third straight quarter of hikes in electricity and gas prices

- Man who tried to pull open MRT doors handed another charge for causing annoyance to commuters

- 'I am also the victim of the mosquito': Woman fined for mosquito breeding in toilet bowl after losing trial

- 15-year-old girl missing since Dec 18 found: Police

- Singapore actors Ayden Sng and Glenn Yong make it to 100 Most Handsome Faces list for 2023

- Nutri-Grade labels? Some Singaporeans draw a blank at new health mark for freshly made drinks

- Commentary: In an age of scams, why are banks still asking users for personal information over the phone?

- PM Lee urges vigilance against deepfakes after 'completely bogus' video of him emerges

- Rimowa suitcase for S$4 on 'iShopChangi Singapore'? Don’t fall for the scam, say police

20 weeks' jail for man who used fake Malaysian passport after thinking he was wanted by Singapore police

Stock photo of a Malaysian passport. (Photo: iStock/BengLim)

- Andrew Lu Eng Leong left Singapore in 1991 after thinking that he was wanted by the police for his involvement in a gang fight

- Lu lived in Malaysia where he obtained a Malaysian identity card for a fee with fake personal details

- He then got a Malaysian passport which he later used to return to Singapore to visit his family

- ICA commenced investigations into Lu on Jun 28 last year after he was traced to have multiple identities

29 Dec 2023 06:38PM

SINGAPORE: Assuming that he was wanted by the police for his involvement in a gang fight, a Singaporean man left for Malaysia. He later got a fake Malaysian passport which he used to visit family in Singapore between 2008 and 2009.

Andrew Lu Eng Leong, 58, was sentenced to 20 weeks' jail on Friday (Dec 29) after he pleaded guilty to five charges under the Immigration Act.

These charges related to his failure to present a Singapore passport when entering Singapore, producing a misleading document and making a false statement to obtain a visit pass.

Four other similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

In a media statement on Friday, a spokesperson for the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that the agency regularly reviews and enhances the robustness of the immigration processes and systems.

"Since July 2020, all automated and manual immigration lanes/counters at the passenger halls of Singapore's land, sea and air checkpoints have been equipped with iris and facial scanners," the spokesperson said.

ICA added that the concurrent use of these biometric identifiers, in addition to fingerprint screening as a secondary biometric identifier will provide even more reliable authentication of the identity of travellers.

This will also further strengthen ICA's ability to safeguard Singapore's borders.

FALSE IDENTITY

The court heard that Lu had departed for Malaysia early in 1991, using his Singapore passport, after forming the belief that he was wanted by the police for his involvement in a gang fight.

Court documents did not specify if Lu was correct in his belief about being wanted by police.

His Singapore passport expired on Feb 27, 1991.

Sometime between 2000 and 2004, Lu obtained a fraudulent Malaysian identity card, under the name "Low Kheng Nyok" through a Malaysian friend at a fee of RM10,000 (S$2,850) to RM20,000.

A year after he got his Malaysian identity card, Lu obtained a Malaysian passport with his photograph and fake particulars.

He wanted to travel to Singapore to visit his family and ageing mother but Lu did not want to use his actual identity as he still believed he was wanted by the authorities.

In 2006, Lu obtained a second Malaysia passport in a similar fashion even though he knew that the particulars in both passports did not represent him, said Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Muhammad Izzat from ICA.

VISITING SINGAPORE

On Jan 4, 2008, Lu arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 2 where he did not present a Singapore passport to the immigration officer for arrival immigration clearance.

Lu did so in order to evade detection by the authorities and instead produced the Malaysian passport he obtained in 2006 and a disembarkation form to the immigration officer.

He was granted a 30-day visit pass.

A few months later, Lu repeated the process when he arrived at Changi Airport Terminal 1 to depart Singapore.

Unaware that Lu had produced a Malaysian passport with particulars that did not represent him, the immigration officer had unwittingly allowed Lu to leave, DSP Izzat said.

On Apr 25, 2009, Lu returned to Singapore in the same manner with his disembarkation form filled using false particulars and was again granted a 30-day visit pass.

ICA commenced investigations into Lu on Jun 28 last year as he was traced to be a person using multiple identities.

Lu was arrested on Jun 27 this year after investigations were completed.

BORDER CONTROL MEASURE MUST BE SAFEGUARDED: DSP

Seeking between 20 and 22 weeks' jail, DSP Izzat argued that even though Lu is a Singapore citizen, he had chosen to circumvent the country's border control by using a Malaysian passport.

DSP Izzat also added that Lu had committed the offences over a prolonged period in circumstances where border control measures have to be safeguarded.

In delivering his decision, District Judge Paul Chan disagreed with the defence counsel asking for 16 weeks' jail and emphasised that the principle of deterrence had an important role to play in sentencing Lu.

"It is an issue of national security as what is at stake here is Singapore's ability to police its own borders," he said.

For each charge of producing a false document, Lu could have been jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$6,000, or both.

For making a false statement to obtain a visit pass, he could also have been jailed for up to 12 months or fined S$4,000, or both.

For each charge of failing to present his Singapore passport before entry, Lu could also have been jailed for up to six months or fined S$1,000, or both.

This article was originally published in TODAY.

Source: TODAY/fh

Seniors play modified versions of sports like floorball, badminton as active ageing centres aim to inject fun

Among other programmes funded by the Agency for Integrated Care are coding, making kombucha and drumming.

Sunlove Chai Chee Active Ageing Centre introduced a modified version of floorball using a toolkit developed by the Agency for Integrated Care.

29 Dec 2023 05:30PM

SINGAPORE: At the age of 82, Madam Teo Beng Eng plays floorball every week - while stationary in a wheelchair.

She gets to enjoy the modified form of the sport at Sunlove Chai Chee Active Ageing Centre.

The game has given her a second life, said the stroke survivor.

"We really need this kind of exercise. If not, my body would be very stiff. I also learn new activities. Being here with everyone, I feel much happier,” Mdm Teo told CNA.

The centre first introduced the activity to seniors this July using a toolkit developed by the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and Sport Singapore.

It includes step-by-step instructions on how to modify 14 sports for seniors. Other activities include basketball, badminton and sport stacking, which involves stacking cups.

The activities are divided into three categories to suit the different cognitive and physical abilities of seniors.

Sunlove said since it began offering floorball, interest in the sport has gone up twofold.

There are several benefits the participants get from playing, said assistant centre manager Benjamin Cheng, including exercising and making friends.

"They're able to strategise and play the game. And by participating … they boost their morale, they're feeling that they are much better as a person. So they look forward to coming every time,” he added.

ENGAGING SENIORS BETTER

AIC and SportSG have trained more than 150 staff and volunteers in over 60 organisations to safely conduct sports activities for seniors, especially those who use wheelchairs.

The goal is to better engage residents with activities other than the usual like tai chi or board games.

“We believe that through participation in fun activities, seniors can feel more connected and their well-being is improved and they are also able to bring out the much-needed laughter,” said AIC’s director of sector and partnerships Andy Seet.

Among other programmes funded by AIC are coding, making kombucha and drumming.

“We hope that you know, these activities will encourage the students to come down to the activity centres to do more,” said Mr Seet.

Robotics is another programme that has been a hit at NTUC Health Active Ageing Centre with seniors, who enjoy the company of children who join them.

“When we interact with younger kids, it helps us connect better. For instance, my own grandson is always using his tablet to surf the internet. When I tell him that I am also learning coding, it gives us some common topics to talk about," said Madam Ng Hiong Ling.

Robotics is one programme that has been a hit at NTUC Health Active Ageing Centre with seniors, who enjoy the company of children who join them.

ADDRESSING EVOLVING NEEDS

AIC is able to offer such options by tapping a S$1.35 million fund that was set up in partnership with the Community Foundation of Singapore with funds from corporate donors like Capitaland and Singapore Pools.

Since November last year, AIC has funded 13 new programmes.

The money has helped to innovate suitable activities and address the evolving needs of seniors, said Mr Seet.

He added that the agency is also looking to address issues faced by active ageing centres.

“For example, (we want to help with) attracting male seniors to come to the centre, or even getting the socially isolated seniors out of their homes to come to the active ageing centre, or even enabling them to contribute back to the community to create a more positive and fun experience for them, he said.

Source: CNA/ja(fk)

Doctors see surge in patients in clinics, online amid COVID-19 wave

Providers are leveraging artificial intelligence and hiring short-term help to ease the manpower crunch.

Doctors are seeing an increase in the number of people seeking treatment both in clinics and online amid the latest surge in COVID-19 cases.

29 Dec 2023 02:24PM

SINGAPORE: More people are seeking treatment in clinics and online amid the latest surge in COVID-19 cases.

The number of patients consulting doctors on WhiteCoat, a telehealth service provider, has “risen significantly”, said the firm’s senior medical director Dr Tan Ming Wei.

"Our patient load has remained elevated. It's so far already been about 50 per cent higher compared to the whole of last December,” he added.

The numbers started increasing in October this year, and it has since been all hands on deck for the team comprising about 100 doctors, he noted.

“Although the queues can (have) several hundreds (patients) at a time sometimes, we have a sizable in-house medical team and quite a large pool of partner doctors,” he said.

Across Raffles Medical's 48 GP clinics, patient loads are up 30 to 50 per cent this festive season, its medical director Dr Chng Shih Kiat said.

PATIENTS WITH COVID-19, OTHER RESPIRATORY ILLNESSES

Healthcare providers said COVID-19 patients are contributing to the surge in numbers.

The current COVID-19 wave may have peaked, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said last Friday (Dec 22). The estimated seven-day moving average of COVID-19 infections stood at 3,650 on Tuesday, less than half the 7,870 on Dec 12.

At Doctor Anywhere, which provides telehealth services and has nine physical clinics across the island, the number of COVID-19 patients has doubled from a month ago, a spokesperson said.

To improve waiting times and to free up capacity, the healthcare provider has rescheduled some non-urgent appointments, such as patients who have booked health screenings.

While a significant number of patients consulting with WhiteCoat have COVID-19, a large proportion have other ailments such as non-COVID respiratory infections, gastroenteritis and minor injuries, said Dr Tan.

Dr Marcus Lee, assistant medical director at Fullerton Health, which runs 30 clinics, said the current situation is “slightly more challenging”.

“The surge (in patients) is really quite high now. The last time we had such a huge surge was (in) the beginning of 2022. But nevertheless, we have been trained already … so we are better equipped mentally and physically,” he said.

Providers said that COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms and recover fast but warned that infection numbers may continue to rise.

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY

Clinics are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to help ease the crunch.

Doctor Anywhere uses AI to forecast spikes in demand. This allows the company to allocate more resources ahead of time, its spokesperson said.

WhiteCoat also uses AI to predict trends in patient caseloads. “This helps us plan ahead of time in terms of manpower, stock and logistics,” said Dr Tan.

However, despite planning ahead, some circumstances can throw a spanner in the works.

ENSURING SUFFICIENT MANPOWER

At Raffles Medical, although staff rosters were made six months in advance, cases like healthcare workers falling sick mean that there are still some constraints.

“We do see a lot of movements and requests for staff coverage, especially these last few weeks where the COVID numbers are surging. Almost probably three or four times a week; quite common,” said Dr Chng.

To ease the crunch, the clinics may draw on staff from other branches, the hospital, or hire external short-term help.

Fullerton Health has also had to call in extra manpower three to four times a week. From lessons learnt during the pandemic, it is also now also planning its rosters a year in advance.

"As far as possible, we have to let people have the adequate amount of leave. Because if we rush people back, that has a damaging effect on morale. And not to mention, practically, it could cause a further spread of various pathogens among the workplace, said Dr Lee.

At the same time, the group ensures adequate infection control measures among staff to reduce infections among themselves, he said.

Fullerton Health also uses telemedicine to complement its in-clinic consults. Another group, Healthway Medical, is also using teleconsultations to meet the surge in demand. It said the move is to prevent overcrowding at its 57 GP clinics and to better manage serious cases.

Source: CNA/ja(fk)

Singapore Tourism Board to get new chairman on Jan 1

Mr Olivier Lim will take over from Mr Chaly Mah, who has served the STB board for seven years.

Mr Olivier Lim (left) will take over as Singapore Tourism Board chairman from Mr Chaly Mah, on Jan 1, 2024. (Photos: STB)

29 Dec 2023 02:21PM

SINGAPORE: PropertyGuru and Starhub chairman Olivier Lim will take over as chairman of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on Jan 1, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) said on Friday (Dec 29).

He will replace Mr Chaly Mah, who has served the board for seven years. The move comes a year after Mr Lim's appointment as STB deputy chairman.

Mr Lim is also the lead independent director of DBS Group Holdings and DBS Bank, as well as a director of Raffles Medical Group. He serves on the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) securities industry council.

The outgoing Mr Mah assumed the position of STB chairman on Jan 1, 2017.

During his tenure, he led the board to implement key initiatives and strategies that contributed to the strong tourism performance before the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Under his leadership, STB was successful in increasing international visitor arrivals, tourism receipts and grew our mindshare globally,” said MTI.

The ministry noted that Singapore recorded 19.1 million international visitor arrivals and S$27.7 billion (US$21 billion) in tourism receipts in 2019.

“When faced with unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Mah guided the board in supporting the tourism sector to innovate and transform in order to emerge stronger from the pandemic,” it added.

Under his leadership, STB launched the SingapoRediscovers Campaign to drive local demand for tourism products, as well as the SingapoReimagine initiative to build anticipation for the resumption of international travel.

“These initiatives have enabled STB to strengthen local advocacy and engagement, maintain mindshare with our international audience, as well as propel tourism companies to jumpstart their business transformation,” MTI said.

He was awarded the Public Service Star Medal at the 2022 National Day awards in recognition of his commitment and contributions to the tourism sector.

Mr Beh Swan Gin, Permanent Secretary (Development) for MTI, thanked Mr Mah for his "invaluable contributions".

"Under Chaly’s leadership, STB executed important initiatives that contributed to our robust tourism performance," he said.

"I am confident that Olivier’s extensive experience will position him well to take STB towards its next phase of growth.”

MTI also announced two new board member appointments - Mr Amrin Amin, head of corporate development at Temasek Foundation and Mr Lee Seow Hiang, CEO of Changi Airport Group.

Two other members were reappointed to the board - Mr Arthur Lang, Singtel's group chief financial officer, and Ms Soh Siew Choo, chief information officer for Asia at MetLife.

Two board members will step down upon the completion of their term on Dec 31. They are Urban Redevelopment Authority CEO Lim Eng Hwee and Turmeric Capital and Aspirational Consumer Lifestyle chairman and CEO Ravi Thakran.

Source: CNA/ga(gr)

Consumers face third straight quarter of hikes in electricity and gas prices

Tariffs will go up from January to March due to higher costs, said SP Group and City Energy.

Night view of HDB flats in Singapore. (Photo: iStock/Kum Seong Wan)

29 Dec 2023 01:30PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 04:15PM)

SINGAPORE: The electricity tariff will increase by 4.1 per cent, or 1.19 cents per kWh, before Goods and Services Tax (GST), from January to March 2024, national grid operator SP Group said on Friday (Dec 29).

For families living in four-room HDB flats, this translates to an increase in the average monthly electricity bill by about S$4.39 (US$3.33) before GST.

The gas tariff, meanwhile, will increase by 3.3 per cent to 23.51 cents per kWh, announced City Energy.

This is the third straight quarter of increases for electricity and gas prices.

SP Group attributed the latest hike to higher energy costs, which are made up of the cost of fuel and the cost of power generation.

REBATES FOR HOUSEHOLDS

To help cushion the impact of a scheduled GST hike, as well as increases in the carbon tax and the price of water, about 950,000 Singaporean households living in HDB flats will receive U-Save and service and conservancy charges (S&CC) rebates in January 2024.

These rebates - disbursed in April, July, October and January each year - are part of the permanent GST Voucher scheme and the Assurance Package.

“In FY2023, eligible households will receive double their regular U-Save rebates, and an additional S$20 per quarter of U-Save from January 2024 to cushion the impact of the increases in carbon tax and water price,” the Ministry of Finance said in a press release on Friday.

The additional S$20 per quarter of U-Save, which will be provided every quarter from January 2024 to December 2025, was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in September this year as part of a S$1.1 billion support package to help households with the cost of living.

The ministry said that on average, U-Save rebates provided for the 2023 fiscal year, amounted to about eight to 10 months of utility bills for households living in one- and two-room HDB flats.

For three- and four-room HDB flats, the rebates covered about four to six months of utility bills.

The U-Save rebates will be credited directly into households’ utilities accounts with SP Services, while the S&CC rebates will be credited directly into households’ S&CC accounts with their respective town councils.

(Image: SP Group)

SP Group, which owns and operates Singapore's electricity network, reviews the electricity tariffs every quarter based on guidelines set by the industry regulator, the Energy Market Authority (EMA).

The electricity tariff consists of four components, including energy costs paid to power generation companies, and network costs paid to SG Group to recover the cost of transporting electricity through the power grid.

There is also a market support fee paid to SP Group that recovers the costs of billing and meter reading, as well as a fee paid to the energy market company that recovers the costs of operating the electricity wholesale market and power system.

The energy costs component is adjusted quarterly to reflect changes in the cost of fuel and power generation. The fuel cost is the cost of imported natural gas, which is tied to oil prices by commercial contracts.

The cost of power generation covers mainly the costs of operating the power stations, such as the manpower and maintenance costs, as well as the capital cost of the stations.

Source: CNA/ec(ac)

Man who tried to pull open MRT doors handed another charge for causing annoyance to commuters

A commuter is seen attempting to pry open a train door on Nov 29, 2023. (Screengrab: Facebook/Yazid Jaffar)

29 Dec 2023 12:57PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 06:10PM)

SINGAPORE: The man in the viral video attempting to pry open the doors of a moving MRT train returned to court where he was handed one new charge for being a public nuisance.

Vanessa Wang Zi Qi, 47, appeared in court through video link on Friday (Dec 29) despite being earlier offered bail at S$10,000 (US$7588.20) on Dec 21.

The prosecution told the court that this was because Wang was unable to find a suitable bailor.

According to charge sheets, the new charge handed to Wang was for causing annoyance to commuters on the MRT at Yio Chu Kang station when he tried to pull open the MRT train doors on Dec 1, 2023.

The charge sheets also identified Wang as a male.

Wang was previously given two charges of being a public nuisance and one of voluntarily causing hurt.

Two of the public nuisance charges were for trying to pull open MRT doors at Braddell and Ang Mo Kio MRT stations while the remaining charge was for causing hurt to a person by kicking him at Ang Mo Kio MRT station.

During the hearing, the prosecution said that they were ready to proceed with Wang's case and intended to proceed on three of the charges and have one charge taken into consideration.

When asked by District Judge Ow Yong Tuck Leong how Wang would like to proceed, his defence counsel Jared Lee sought an adjournment until Feb 1 or Feb 2.

Mr Lee said that this was so he had enough time to take his client's instruction and make representations.

However, the prosecution argued for a shorter time frame, taking into account the 23 days that Wang had been in remand.

Wang is set to return to court on Jan 4, 2024, for his pre-trial conference.

This story was first published by TODAY.

Source: TODAY/wk

'I am also the victim of the mosquito': Woman fined for mosquito breeding in toilet bowl after losing trial

When NEA officers visited her flat in the dengue cluster, Koh Ee Sian said she did not kill animals due to her religious beliefs and the officers had to boil water themselves to destroy the habitat.

File photo of a toilet bowl. (Photo: iStock)

29 Dec 2023 12:07PM

SINGAPORE: A woman who claimed trial to a charge of creating conditions favourable to mosquito breeding in her toilet bowl was convicted and fined S$1,400 (US$1,060) by a district court.

When National Environment Agency (NEA) officers found the breeding habitat in her flat, Koh Ee Sian would not boil water to destroy it, citing her religious beliefs.

She is appealing against the conviction and the sentence.

The woman, who was unrepresented, was accused of allowing mosquito breeding in a toilet bowl in her flat in May 2022. She stayed in the room next door but did not use the toilet bowl in question as she was waiting for tenants to move in.

According to a judgment released on Friday (Dec 29), two NEA officers went to Koh's unit that day because of a dengue outbreak within the Housing Board estate.

When they inspected the unit, they found mosquito breeding in the master bedroom toilet bowl, specifically Aedes larvae.

NEA prosecutor Harvinder Kaur said the condition that facilitated the propagation or habitation of mosquitoes existed in the flat owned by Koh, "otherwise, how else could the larvae exist in the toilet bowl?"

"If the toilet bowl was flushed or cleaned every day, no larvae would be found," said Ms Kaur.

THE FLAT

Koh, who was self-represented, claimed that the officers had dragged a big bag of detergent into the master bedroom toilet and poured it into the toilet bowl.

Ms Kaur said the officers had in fact asked Koh for Clorox and detergent to destroy the breeding habitat, but Koh said she had none and she did not kill animals because of her religious beliefs.

When one of the officers asked for an empty bottle so she could collect a breeding sample, Koh asked what would happen next.

She was told that she "might get fined" if a vector was found in the sample, and Koh said it would be "unfair" for her to pay the fine as she "seldom" went back to the flat.

One of the officers then asked Koh if she had boiling water, and Koh passed the officers a kettle. The officer had to boil the water herself, as Koh repeated that she did not kill animals.

The officer then poured boiling water down the toilet bowl and asked Koh to flush it 15 to 30 minutes later before leaving with her colleague.

The sample showed mosquito breeding of the Aedes species - Dengue, chikungunya and zika - at larval stage 4. It takes an egg four days to reach such a stage, the court heard.

Initially, Koh was offered a S$200 fine, but she said she did not want to pay it as she did not create conditions favourable to mosquito breeding as described in the offence.

"I didn't create it, because the master bedroom toilet was left like untouched and I also didn't know, I am also the victim of the mosquito, you know, breeding there ... so, that's why I came here," she said.

HER ARGUMENTS

Koh was the only witness for her own defence. She said she had done what she could to prevent mosquito breeding according to NEA's Dengue Home Guidelines, and that if NEA failed to inform the public that mosquitoes could breed in toilet bowls, the public would not know.

She argued that NEA's checklist on actions to take to prevent mosquito breeding in homes did not explicitly include the reference to toilet bowls, but NEA prosecutor Ms Kaur called this "absurd".

Koh said she followed NEA's advisories but claimed that there was no mention of cleaning or maintaining toilet bowls. In response, NEA said the guidelines were general and non-exhaustive, and that everyone is advised to frequently check and remove stagnant water.

Koh said although NEA's guideline graphics showed toilet bowls, nothing was said about them.

She said the kitchen toilet was bigger than the one in the master bedroom and there was no mosquito breeding there, and that it was unfair for NEA to charge her over it. She said she was "also a victim" as her area was a dengue cluster.

She said she did not know where the mosquitoes came from and told the officers during the inspection that mosquitoes "just like fly in to breed there".

Koh said that she was unsure if she would have taken any action if she had found mosquito breeding. However, she would have done something about it if someone had been stung.

For example, if someone had contracted dengue and was very ill, Koh said she could "take a lot of actions, like, lock the mosquito up".

In response to NEA's point that she would have seen the part about keeping the toilet bowl lid closed if she had read all of NEA's guidelines, Koh said she had read the ones for home users and that there was "no need to read" all of the guidelines.

The judge said the crux of Koh's defence was that no one used the master bedroom toilet and she "didn't give any permission for the mosquitoes to come into, breed in (her) toilet bowl".

As the mosquito "just flew in", she could not be held responsible for the breeding.

"The accused effectively attributed the offence to the mosquitoes, and not herself," said District Judge Brenda Chua. "I rejected this purported justification."

Judge Chua said if nobody used the toilet bowl or cleaned or flushed it, the water would be stagnant, and mosquitoes breed in stagnant water.

The judge convicted Koh, saying that if everyone used Koh's reasoning that what was left untouched was not their responsibility, mosquitoes "would be left to breed rampantly in households".

The prosecution sought a fine of S$1,500 based on the time and effort taken for the trial and how unrepentant Koh was.

Koh said NEA "should not even charge her with this offence" and added that the decision was one-sided as the court had chosen to believe the testimony of the NEA officers.

Noting that the danger caused by the Aedes mosquito could be serious and fatal, the judge fined Koh S$1,400. Koh has paid the fine.

She could have been fined up to S$5,000 and jailed up to three months or both as a first-time offender. Repeat offenders face double the fine and jail term.

Source: CNA/ll(gr)

15-year-old girl missing since Dec 18 found: Police

Farzana Marita Devanandh was last seen near Block 891 Tampines Avenue 8 on Dec 8, 2023. (Photo: Singapore Police Force)

29 Dec 2023 11:37AM

SINGAPORE: A missing 15-year-old girl who was last seen on Dec 18 has been found, the Singapore Police Force said in an update on Friday (Dec 29).

The police had issued an appeal for information on Tuesday about the whereabouts of Farzana Marita Devanandh, who was last seen near Block 891, Tampines Avenue 8 on Dec 18 at about 8.35am.

SPF did not give details on where or when the girl was found.

Source: CNA/wk(ac)

Singapore actors Ayden Sng and Glenn Yong make it to 100 Most Handsome Faces list for 2023

Ayden snagged 14th place while Glenn was ranked 75th in the annual list by TC Candler.

Ayden Sng (left) and Glenn Yong (right) are the only Singaporeans on this year's list. (Photos: Instagram/aydenzs, glennyqh)

29 Dec 2023 11:18AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 11:19AM)

TC Candler, the creator of the popular 100 Most Beautiful Faces and 100 Most Handsome Faces lists, has revealed the rankings of its 2023 editions – with two familiar hunks making it to the list of handsome faces.

Glenn Yong's ranking. (Photo: YouTube/TC Candler)

Ayden Sng's ranking. (Photo: YouTube/TC Candler)

Singapore actors Ayden Sng and Glenn Yong were ranked 14th and 75th respectively, putting them ahead of Hollywood celebrities such as Michael B Jordan (96th), Robert Pattinson (86th) and Ed Westwick (79th).

Ayden, in particular, even managed to outrank huge names in the entertainment field, including Zayn Malik (26th), Jason Momoa (21st), and BTS member Jungkook (16th).

This year's list marks Ayden's first appearance on the list. The Mediacorp actor has enjoyed a banner year which has also seen him being amongst the local actors selected to be represented by renowned Chinese agency Huanyu Entertainment in China.

This year's list of 100 Most Handsome Faces was topped by Wonka star Timothee Chalamet who made his sixth appearance on the list.

Actor Henry Cavill and Hong Kong singer Keung To snagged the second and third spots, respectively.

Former Momoland singer Nancy Jewel McDonie topped the list of Most Beautiful Faces of 2023. (Photo: YouTube/TC Candler)

K-pop fans, on the other hand, will be glad to know that the top spots in the list of 100 Most Beautiful Faces of 2023 were dominated by various female idols. Former Momoland member Nancy ranked first, making her sixth appearance on the list.

Twice member Sana was ranked third. (Photo: YouTube/TC Candler)

Twice member Sana, who was born on Dec 29, got an early birthday present in the form of third place on the list. Her groupmate Tzuyu also made the cut, coming in at 11th place.

Other K-pop idols include Itzy's Chaeryeong (20th), Somi (17th) and Blackpink members Lisa, Rose and Jisoo (14th, 12th and 9th, respectively).

According to TC Candler, its lists "are not a popularity contest" and "aesthetic perfection is only one of the criteria". Other factors include grace, elegance and hope.

Source: CNA/hq

Nutri-Grade labels? Some Singaporeans draw a blank at new health mark for freshly made drinks

The labels will be mandatory from Dec 30, and some F&B businesses have been adjusting their menus to make their drinks healthier.

Customers buying drinks at a bubble tea kiosk in December 2023. (Photo: CNA / Chew Hui Min)

29 Dec 2023 06:06AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 05:08PM)

SINGAPORE: At a PlayMade bubble tea kiosk in a mall at Paya Lebar, the menu now sports little circles with a health grading for each drink.

These Nutri-Grade labels will be compulsory for freshly made beverages from Dec 30, after being introduced for packaged drinks since December 2022. The healthiest drinks are graded "A" while those with the highest sugar and/or saturated fat content get a "D".

Some food and beverage outlets have already updated their menus, with bubble tea chain PlayMade rolling out theirs from Dec 18.

But there are customers who have yet to notice the change. Ms Syafiqah Nasir, who was waiting for her bubble tea, was surprised when told there were Nutri-Grade labels on the menu she had just ordered from.

"I think it's because (the label) is a bit too small, and sometimes you know what you want and you just focus on the name of the drink," she said. "Now that I'm aware, maybe I'll be more conscious."

Mr Khoo, 49, who ordered from another bubble tea stall, also said he didn't really look at the labels given how there was already so much information on the menu to absorb.

And 18-year-old student Erin Chua thinks it's not that important: "As long as I exercise, it doesn't matter what kind of drinks I drink."

For others CNA spoke to, it mattered how healthy their drinks were. These consumers said they were already ordering their drinks with zero or reduced sugar levels, or without adding pearls or boba to their bubble tea.

For toppings such as pearls and jellies, consumers can also identify those that are lower in sugar by referring to sugar declaration marks, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a press release in June.

Another major change is that advertisements promoting the sale of drinks graded D will be prohibited. Businesses that do not comply can be fined, but smaller retailers are exempted if conditions are met, MOH said.

A week before the Dec 30 date of implementation, CNA spotted Nutri-Grade labels at a few other eateries and stalls including ToastBox, Kopitiam, Geylang Claypot Rice, Mr Bean and LiHo.

An example of a menu with beverages and simplified Nutri-Grade marks, along with toppings and sugar declaration marks. (Image: Ministry of Health)

CUTTING DOWN ON SUGAR

In response to CNA's queries, some F&B businesses said they have been adjusting their menus to make their drinks healthier, and to meet the requirements of the Health Promotion Board (HPB).

Local bubble tea chain LiHo, for one, has sourced for new ingredients with less sugar and saturated fat, and come up with a healthier creamer formula used in a new range of light milk teas, said its senior marketing executive Ronald Eng.

LiHo has also reduced the maximum amount of sugar customers can add to their drinks.

"Currently, our 100 per cent sugar level is based on what was 50 per cent sugar," said Mr Eng.

An older LiHo menu had 12 drinks labelled D, while a new menu has seven. It also has more B options than before.

But like other bubble tea outlets, the majority of LiHo's drinks are in the C category.

The new menu for another bubble tea chain, The Whale Tea, has 76 per cent of its drinks graded C; 10 per cent D; 7 per cent A and another 7 per cent B.

But it's making an effort to create products graded A to cater to health-conscious customers, according to marketing manager Clement Low.

PlayMade said that the majority of its drinks will fall under the B and C categories, with some under grade A in a new menu to be rolled out next year.

Meanwhile, the Mr Coconut chain is replacing added sugar with stevia, introducing a "lite" series and phasing out any grade D drinks, said co-founder Lucas Lin.

The BreadTalk Group has also adjusted its menus at its food courts and Toast Box cafes.

At Toast Box, hot beverages - except for Milo - have been reformulated to improve their Nutri-Grade scores, said Ms Tan Lee Yen, senior manager for loyalty partnership and corp affairs.

At Food Republic and Food Junction, drinks stalls have revamped recipes for homemade drinks such as iced barley, she said. Pre-packaged offerings have also been reviewed to include zero sugar and healthier choice beverages.

A FairPrice Group spokesperson said its Kopitiam brand of coffeeshops had launched a Nutri-Grade mark menu as early as in September, and would progressively roll it out across all 85 outlets.

Other than kopi-O kosong (black coffee with no sugar), teh-O kosong (tea with no milk and no sugar), Chinese tea and plain water, there were few drinks labelled A at various coffeeshops and food courts CNA visited.

This is no surprise as to be labelled A, the drink has to have 0 per cent sugar, and saturated fat of 0.7g or less.

Grade B drinks are also few and far between. These have less than 5g of sugar and 1.2g of saturated fat.

Drinks that qualify are kopi or teh siu dai (less sugar), as well as bubble tea with 30 to 50 per cent sugar and no milk or toppings.

A regular coffee, tea, malted drink or bubble tea with 70 per cent sugar would be graded C.

Nutri-Grade labels on a drinks menu at a food court. (Photo: CNA / Chew Hui Min)

Ms Rachel Ong, 20, told CNA she was aware of the Nutri-Grade labels but didn't find them useful since most drinks are graded C.

"Technically you can't order a healthier option, so to me, I just overlook (the label)," said the self-confessed former bubble tea addict.

Ms Ivy Tan, 50, was sitting at a food court sipping a soursop drink. She said the fruit toppings looked healthy but the beverage ended up being far too sweet for her.

When I pointed out that her drink had a D grading, she was surprised and said she hadn't noticed the Nutri-Grade mark. While printed on a menu, the label was not shown on a screen above the drinks counter.

A few other diners at the same food court also said they did not pay particular attention to Nutri-Grade marks. But most said they were already consciously ordering drinks with less or no sugar.

Ms Tan shared that when she tries to order drinks with no sugar, she's often told that the drinks are pre-made so she has to take them as they are, or diluted with water to be less sweet.

It's this lack of beverage and sugar level options that bothers her, said the teacher.

How then to have a healthy drink in Singapore? Ms Tan said with a laugh: "Bring your own water!"

Source: CNA/hm(jo)

Commentary: In an age of scams, why are banks still asking users for personal information over the phone?

It is convenient for banks to authenticate users over the phone, but users have limited means of verifying the legitimacy of who they are dealing with, says Steve Kerrison of James Cook University, Singapore.

Part of the problem is that the smartphone has become the gateway to everything in a user’s life, including their bank accounts. (Photo: iStock)

29 Dec 2023 06:00AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 03:23PM)

SINGAPORE: Singapore has been gripped by an epidemic of scammers who will use every technological and psychological trick in the book to part innocent victims from their money.

To combat scams, local banks have introduced protections such as money-locking features and restricted user access if sideloaded apps are detected on customer’s devices.

The former allows customers to create designated accounts from which funds cannot be digitally transferred out without in-person verification. The latter, primarily targeted at weaknesses in the security of Android phones, prevents hackers from taking control of a user’s device and accessing their banking apps.

The prospect of additional regulation looms over banks, with a framework on how losses from scams will be shared between consumers and companies in the works. So with potentially increased liability, institutions will be looking to minimise risks to themselves and by extension their customers.

With a significantly digitalised economy and a reputation as a smart nation to maintain, Singapore must do everything it can to help consumers fight back against scammers. So what more can it do?

To answer that question, we have to consider the ways we commonly do business, and how they might still leave us vulnerable.

TOO MUCH TRUST IN ONE DEVICE

Part of the problem is that the smartphone has become the gateway to everything in a user’s life, including their bank accounts.

Banks have been leaning into phone-based authenticators, which prompt the user for authorisation through SMS or an app notification before proceeding with online transactions. This is convenient, but merges authentication and application into one device. It is a problem if that one device falls under the control of an attacker.

Netizens have suggested that banks could bring back physical security tokens to overcome this problem. However, security tokens are an additional device that you must carry with you if you want to be able to authorise activities. You may need a unique device for each bank or organisation, so they may stack up and become confusing to manage.

In an ideal secure smartphone, banking apps would be able to completely isolate themselves from anything else that may run on the phone, including malware. However, if any holes are discovered in the technologies that provide this isolation, this could still be a problem. So perhaps a re-think about authentication factors is in order.

MALICIOUS APPS AREN’T THE ONLY THREAT

Beyond the smartphone screen, there are other areas of concern. Some may find a phone call to be a more personal - and perhaps safer - method of doing business. That’s not always true, with phone scams being prevalent in recent years.

In fact, receiving a verification phone call from a banking office is jarring in an age of scams. Singapore customers have complained that while banks can authenticate users through one-time passwords or security questions, customers have no way of verifying the legitimacy of a banking officer when one contacts them.

Banks could lean upon their other communication methods, such as notifications within their own apps, to allow the customer to verify the authenticity of requests, and even authorise the sharing of data. At a minimum, a customer should always be able to call back using a publicly verifiable contact number, such as one listed on an official website, before continuing a conversation.

More limits could also be placed on the information businesses can ask from a user for verification purposes. If we look to the regulations in Singapore, the protections of the NRIC are a good example of safer sharing of sensitive data with businesses. The Personal Data Protection Act restricts its collection and storage to cases determined to be necessary under the law, such as seeking medical treatment or getting a new phone line.

Partial recording of the NRIC is allowed in some circumstances, although collecting more than the last three digits and final character is cautioned to be too revealing. Given how much of Singaporean life hinges on the NRIC, it’s understandable that it should be strongly safeguarded.

MORE TECHNOLOGY COULD BE A SOLUTION

Perhaps we can look back to technology to solve some of these problems. While we’re increasingly used to Singpass to log in to services and use Myinfo to approve the sharing of data with companies, these tend to happen only in an online setting.

It would be possible, though, to use these mechanisms in in-person and phone-based settings as well, to establish trust between a customer and an authorised company representative. This would help us be sure of who we’re interacting with, and that the information we’re handing over is going directly into a secure system.

Staying safe in the coming months and years requires everybody to adapt. Businesses need to embrace new security technologies and data collection methods regardless of communication mode. Smartphone manufacturers need to take a closer look at how scammers might turn people’s devices against them and provide mitigations rather than leaving it to individual apps to do the job.

The public needs to keep apprised of the latest scams and not be afraid to distrust by default, even when presented with a familiar voice or face, especially when there’s money involved.

And for the super paranoid, keep using that physical token, if you have one, or dedicate a second (perhaps cheaper) smartphone to having a very limited set of apps running on it, such as your banking apps. This would minimise the chance of encountering malware on the device, while having peace of mind that if one’s primary device is compromised, it is safely separated from your bank accounts.

Steve Kerrison is Senior Lecturer of Cybersecurity at James Cook University, Singapore.

Source: CNA/el

PM Lee urges vigilance against deepfakes after 'completely bogus' video of him emerges

In the deepfake video, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong discusses an investment opportunity purportedly approved by the Singapore government.

A screengrab from a deepfake video of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong promoting an investment scam.

28 Dec 2023 11:36PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 10:46AM)

SINGAPORE: A video purportedly showing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong promoting an investment product has emerged online, underscoring the pitfalls of artificial intelligence and its use to spread misinformation.

Mr Lee on Friday (Dec 29) asked members of the public not to respond to scam videos promising guaranteed returns on investments or giveaways.

"(Scammers) transform real footage of us taken from official events into very convincing but completely bogus videos of us purporting to say things that we have never said," he wrote in a Facebook post.

Mr Lee added that the use of deepfake technology to spread disinformation "will continue to grow".

"We must remain vigilant and learn to protect ourselves and our loved ones against such scams."

‘Tis the season for scams! Recently, there have been a number of audio deepfake videos of me purporting to promote...

Posted by Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday, December 28, 2023

In the altered video, Mr Lee is seen being interviewed by a presenter from Chinese news network CGTN. They discuss an investment opportunity purportedly approved by the Singapore government, referring to it as a "revolutionary investment platform designed by Elon Musk".

The video ends with the presenter urging viewers to click on a link to register for the platform, to earn "passive income".

The deepfake video appears to have been manipulated from CGTN's actual interview with Mr Lee in Singapore in March.

Deepfakes are created using AI techniques to alter or manipulate visual and audio content.

"There is a noticeable increase in the malicious use of deepfakes across societies," said Assistant Professor Saifuddin Ahmed from the Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

"Deepfake creators can now target not only high-profile individuals like celebrities and politicians but also ordinary citizens, particularly in the context of financial scams."

Asst Prof Ahmed told CNA on Thursday that a growing prevalence of deepfakes featuring political leaders is expected.

"Predominantly, malicious actors are poised to employ such deepfakes for political subversion, aiming to manipulate public opinion, create deceptive narratives and erode trust in political institutions," he added.

"Similar to deepfakes involving celebrities, those featuring political figures may also be utilised in financial scams."

US President Joe Biden, for instance, is a regular target of deepfakes.

In one video in October, a fabricated clip of Biden appearing to announce a military draft resurfaced amid the Israel-Hamas war.

In 2022, a deepfake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emerged where the altered image called on his soldiers to lay down their weapons.

DEEPFAKES A "SIGNIFICANT CONCERN"

Deepfakes, including those of politicians, are a "significant concern", said Asst Prof Ahmed.

"A substantial portion of the general population exhibits a limited awareness of deepfakes and tends to overestimate their ability to discern authentic content from manipulated media," he continued.

"For instance, in Singapore, among those who are aware of deepfakes, a significant third inadvertently shared a deepfake, only realising later that the content they shared was not an authentic video on social media."

There is therefore a pressing need for increased awareness and education on deepfakes, he added.

When contacted about the latest deepfake video involving Mr Lee, the Prime Minister's Office pointed to his Facebook post in July after a rise in online advertisements misusing his image to sell investment opportunities.

"If the ad uses my image to sell you a product, asks you to invest in some scheme, or even uses my voice to tell you to send money, it's not me," Mr Lee said on Jul 22.

On Wednesday, The Straits Times reported about a deepfake video of Deputy Prime Minster Lawrence Wong purportedly promoting investment products.

The video modified Straits Times footage of Mr Wong and featured the news platform's logo.

"There are deepfakes of me endorsing commercial products, and also misinformation circulating on various networks that the government is looking to reinstate a circuit breaker," Mr Wong said in a Facebook post on Dec 11.

"These are all falsehoods."

HOW TO SPOT A DEEPFAKE

Deepfakes in Singapore have jumped five times in the last year alone, according to findings in the Sumsub Identity Fraud Report 2023.

The quality of deepfaked videos tends to suffer and become blurry as a result of attempts to hide manipulation.

Viewers can also look out for visual and audio anomalies in the form of atypical facial movements or blinking patterns and noticeable edits around the face, said Trend Micro's Singapore country manager David Ng.

Viewers should also look closely to see if the audio matches lip movements.

Scammers tend to rely on scripts they have generated themselves to create deepfake videos and audio, which might expose their poor use of language, said Satnam Narang, a senior staff research engineer at cybersecurity firm Tenable.

When encountering a deepfaked or suspicious video on YouTube and Facebook, you can take steps to report it to the platform.

YouTube has said it relies on a combination of people and technology to enforce its community guidelines. “The YouTube community plays an important role in flagging content they think is inappropriate,” it said.

Doing so would allow reviewers to evaluate flagged videos, and those that a trained reviewer deems a policy violation would be removed.

Source: CNA/nh/fh(zl/gs)

Rimowa suitcase for S$4 on 'iShopChangi Singapore'? Don’t fall for the scam, say police

At least 19 victims have fallen prey to this phishing scam in December, with losses amounting to at least S$7,000.

Screenshots of fake Facebook advertisements and pages impersonating iShopChangi and selling S$4 Rimowa suitcases. (Images: SPF)

28 Dec 2023 10:06PM (Updated: 28 Dec 2023 10:10PM)

SINGAPORE: About 19 people have fallen prey to a phishing scam in December when they responded to an advertisement for cheap suitcases.

Their losses amounted to at least S$7,000 (US$5,300), the police said on Thursday (Dec 28) as they warned of the scam.

The victims in these cases were drawn by Facebook posts promoting Rimowa suitcases for as low as S$4 on a page that looked similar to iShopChangi.

"Some of these advertisements/posts were made to appear legitimate by claims of being a special collaboration between ‘iShopChangi Singapore’ and ‘Rimowa’ as part of the latter’s 125th-anniversary celebration," said the police in a media release.

"After clicking on the advertisement or post, victims were redirected to phishing websites where their debit or credit card credentials were sought."

Unauthorised transactions were later made to the victims' cards.

The police warning on Thursday comes on the back of a similar advisory earlier this month about a phishing scam offering cheap suitcases from "Singapore Airlines Travel".

Fourteen victims had fallen prey to this scam, with losses amounting to at least S$799, police said on Dec 7.

The police advised members of the public to be alert against scams and take precautionary measures such as installing the ScamShield app and enabling two-factor authentication for bank transactions.

"Look out for tell-tale signs of a phishing website and if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is, so check with the company on its official website if such deals are available," said the police.

"If in doubt, never share your personal information and payment card details with anyone."

Source: CNA/cm(gs)

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Family and friends bid final farewell to Parasite star Lee Sun-kyun

Actor Lee Sun-kyun’s death can be considered "social murder", with the media, police and the public sharing responsibility, says a professor at a Korean university.

Mourners carry a portrait and the casket containing late South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun after his funeral ceremony at the Seoul National University Hospital on Dec 29, 2023. (Photo: AFP/Korea pool)

29 Dec 2023 06:29PM

SEOUL: A private ceremony for the late South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun was held at the Seoul National University Hospital on Friday (Dec 29), after which his body was taken to a crematorium.

Lee, best known globally for his starring role in the Oscar-winning film Parasite, was found dead inside a car in Seoul this week, with media reporting he left a note "that reads like a will".

The ceremony was attended by his wife and fellow actor Jeon Hye-jin, his two sons, and many of the actor's colleagues, including Gong Hyo-jin, Ryu Seung-ryong and Lee Sung-min.

Parasite director Bong Joon-ho and co-stars Park So-dam and Park Myung-hoon visited the funeral home on Thursday, as did acclaimed auteur Park Chan-wook and actors Jung Woo-sung and Lee Jung-jae.

Grieving fans stuck handwritten notes to the front of the hospital.

One wrote: "Thank you for being Lee Sun-kyun.

"The works you have created with your efforts and sincerity have saved countless people."

"We're sorry we couldn't do anything for you when you were having a hard time," the note said.

A series of entertainment industry events in South Korea were cancelled so that people could pay condolences to the late actor.

The hearse carrying the casket of late South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun leaves a funeral hall after his funeral ceremony at the Seoul National University Hospital on Dec 29, 2023. (Photo: AFP/Korea pool)

Mourners carry a portrait of the late South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun after his funeral ceremony in Seoul. (Photo: AFP/Korea pool)

"SOCIAL MURDER"

As Lee’s family and friends gather to mourn his death, public criticism of police and media conduct during his investigation for suspected drug use is growing.

Lee's reputation had suffered a significant blow when South Korean authorities launched an investigation into his alleged drug use in October.

The celebrity was dropped from television, film and commercial projects, incurring damages media reports estimated at up to 10 billion won (US$7.8 million).

Police were accused of leaking confidential investigation details to the press, fanning malicious coverage and fueling the spread of unverified content online.

Lee's death has prompted public criticism of the media and police, who questioned him for 19 hours a few days before his death.

"There was no need to name the suspect in the investigation,” Vladimir Tikhonov, professor of Korea studies at the University of Oslo, told AFP.

"In South Korea - to a much larger degree than in any European country with higher degrees of tolerance for the use of psychotropic stuff - being named as a suspect in a drug investigation is a punishment per se, by social ostracism."

Yu Hyun-jae, a communications professor at Sogang University, told a local broadcaster that Lee's case can be considered a "social murder", with the media, police, and the public sharing responsibility.

Incheon Metropolitan Police chief Kim Hui-jung defended the "entire investigation process", which he said was conducted "in compliance with legal procedures".

"There was no leakage (to media) of investigation details as raised by some," he told reporters Thursday.

South Korea has tough laws on illegal drugs, with President Yoon Suk-yeol declaring a "war on drugs" after taking office last year.

South Korean actor Lee Sun-kyun arrives at a police station for questioning regarding his alleged illegal drug use in Incheon, South Korea, Dec 23, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Yonhap)

Actor Lee Sun-kyun gets out of a car upon his arrival at the Incheon Metropolitan Police in Incheon, South Korea, Dec 23, 2023. (Photo: AP/Yonhap/Son Hyun-kyu)

GANGNAM IN FOCUS

Seoul's Gangnam district - known for expensive apartments, high-end bars, clubs and a cluster of plastic surgery clinics - has been at the centre of a series of high-profile drug scandals.

Lee had been suspected of using illicit drugs at the residence of a hostess employed at a high-end bar in the glamorous district.

The late actor had denied knowingly taking the drugs, saying he was "tricked" into doing so by the hostess, against whom he had filed a complaint for blackmail and extortion, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency.

Lee had tested negative for drugs twice, once during police investigations and again in a lab last month, Yonhap reported.

Police said on Friday they had transferred a plastic surgeon, who operates a clinic in Gangnam, to the prosecution for the alleged illegal supply of drugs to the bar hostess.

Among the drugs that Lee allegedly took was ketamine, which was involved in a 2018 date-rape scandal at Gangnam's Burning Sun nightclub, then run by the now-disgraced and convicted K-pop star Seungri.

This year, a man was sentenced to life in prison for orchestrating a kidnapping and murder that involved ketamine also illicitly obtained from a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam.

Source: AFP/cm

How Taiwan’s voters will choose their next president

Who are the presidential candidates and what's at stake as Taiwan voters head to the polls on Jan 13?

(from left) Presidential candidates Ko Wen-je, Lai Ching-te and Hou Yu-ih. (Photos: AFP)

29 Dec 2023 06:23PM

Taiwanese voters will choose their next president and legislature when they go to the polls in January, with the results helping set the course for both cross-strait and US-China relations in the years ahead.

The election is a competitive three-way race, with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party seeking to maintain Taiwan’s de facto political independence.

A win from the opposition Kuomintang would herald closer ties with China, while newcomers, the Taiwan People’s Party, represent a middle-of-the-road stance that includes some dialogue with Beijing.

HOW DO THE ELECTIONS WORK?

On Jan 13, around 19.5 million eligible Taiwanese, among them 1 million first-time voters, will be able to cast ballots at almost 18,000 polling stations to choose a new president and vice president.

The minimum voting age is 20, with absentee or early ballots not allowed.

Polling stations open from 8am to 4pm with the result likely to be clear by around 8pm on voting day, according to past experience.

The new president will take office on May 20.

WHO ARE THE CANDIDATES?

The front-runner is Vice President Lai Ching-te of the ruling DPP. The Harvard-educated former kidney doctor once described himself as a “political worker for Taiwanese independence”. He has toned down that stance as President Tsai Ing-wen’s deputy, saying Taiwan is already a de facto "sovereign country" in need of greater international recognition.

If elected, Lai has vowed to continue working with the US and other democracies to maintain the status quo. In a sign of his commitment to strong ties with Washington, he has picked Hsiao Bi-khim, Taiwan’s former de facto ambassador to the US, as his running mate.

An election campaign billboard showing Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Lai Ching-te (right), his running mate Hsiao Bi-khim (left), and legislative candidate Hsu Shu-Hua (centre). (Photo: AFP/I-Hwa CHENG)

New Taipei City Mayor Hou Yu-ih, a popular local leader with little foreign policy experience, is running for the opposition KMT.

Hou has said he opposes Taiwanese independence but rejects Beijing’s “one country, two systems” formulation for bringing the island under its control. His running mate is television presenter and media owner Jaw Shaw-kong.

Hou Yu-ih, candidate for Taiwan's presidency from the main opposition party Kuomintang (KMT) and Jaw Shaw-Kong, candidate for vice president, speak to the media after registering at the Central Election Commission in Taipei, Taiwan Nov 24, 2023. REUTERS/Ann Wang

The TPP’s candidate is Ko Wen-je, who has positioned himself as an outsider aiming to topple the two traditional parties.

He picked Cynthia Wu, a lawmaker from one of Taiwan’s wealthiest families, as his running mate.

Talks between the KMT and TPP over a unified campaign collapsed after neither side could agree on who would lead the ticket.

Taiwan People's Party candidate Ko Wen-je (right) poses for photos with his running mate Cynthia Wu after registering Friday. (Photo: POOL/AFP/Austin Cheng)

WHAT'S AT STAKE IN THE ELECTION?

The January election will determine the level of tensions across the Taiwan Strait. Should the DPP remain in power, the US would retain a willing partner in its efforts to push back against China, straining ties with President Xi Jinping’s government.

A victory by either of the challengers could de-escalate relations with Beijing, for a while at least. The KMT is China’s preferred negotiating partner, and both Hou and the TPP’s Ko have said they plan to restart direct talks. The DPP argues it is the only party able to stand up against Beijing’s increasingly assertive stance.

Still, all candidates know that most Taiwanese people prefer to maintain the deliberately ambiguous status quo rather than seek unification or formal independence, according to polls.

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING ON ELECTION DAY?

Other than choosing the president, voters will also be handed two more ballots that will decide the make-up of the single-chamber legislative body.

One will pick their local lawmaker, the other will choose their preferred political party - which will decide how many legislators-at-large each party gets. There are 113 seats in the legislature, with the DPP currently holding over 60 and the KMT under 40.

If neither party can win at least 57 seats, the next president will find it difficult to pass Bills and effect much meaningful change.

One quirk of the system is the new lawmakers will start their term from February, which means outgoing President Tsai will need to work with a newly composed legislature for the final months of her tenure. That tension could prompt a return to the rambunctious scenes Taiwan’s lawmakers are renowned for.

WHAT HAVE THE US AND CHINA SAID ABOUT THE ELECTION?

Concerns around election interference by external forces have been a consistent feature of the campaign.

US officials in charge of relations with Taiwan have repeatedly said Washington has no preferred candidate and they will respect the voters’ choice.

China has been more forthright. Beijing views Taiwan as part of its territory, a claim it has vowed to back up with the use of its military, if necessary. In November, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office urged voters to “oppose independence” and make the right choice when facing peace or war, prosperity or recession, according to a China Central Television report.

Liu Pengyu, spokesman for the Chinese embassy in the US, has warned the outcome of January’s elections may affect Beijing’s relations with Washington. President Joe Biden made clear to Xi during a meeting in November that his government would oppose any Chinese attempt to sway voters.

Source: Bloomberg/fh

Xi reveals China's push for global power after secret meeting on foreign policy

Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs in Beijing. (Photo: SCMP/Xinhua)

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29 Dec 2023 04:12PM

Beijing has vowed to seize “strategic opportunities” and further raise its “international influence, appeal and power” to shape a rapidly changing world by strengthening Communist Party control of foreign affairs and standing firm against “bullying” and “hegemonism” from the West.

At a rare closed-door party meeting about China’s future foreign policy direction that concluded on Thursday (Dec 28), President Xi Jinping also urged the country’s diplomats and cadres to “break new ground”, “rally the overwhelming majority” of the world and adhere to the “fighting spirit”.

The two-day Central Conference on Foreign Affairs Work, which was last held in 2018, was attended by top party leaders such as Politburo members, senior government officials and diplomats, including dozens of Chinese ambassadors, state media reported.

Pundits believe the timing of the meeting is of particular significance amid growing signs of socio-economic headwinds at home and growing international scrutiny and resistance, despite Beijing’s recent efforts to dial down its rancorous rivalry with the US-led West.

In his speech, Xi touted China as a “responsible” global power rising under his head-of-state diplomacy since he took power in 2012 and said China had overcome “various difficulties and challenges” in its external work in the past decade.

But he also warned of “high winds and choppy waters” ahead because the world had “entered a new period of turbulence and transformation” – a thinly veiled reference to Beijing’s feud with the US and its allies over ideological and geopolitical differences.

“China has become a responsible major country with enhanced international influence, stronger capacity to steer new endeavours and greater moral appeal,” he declared, according to a readout by Xinhua.

“We have showcased distinct Chinese characteristics, style and ethos in our diplomacy, and established the image of a confident, self-reliant, open and inclusive major country with a global vision.”

China had taken “a holistic approach to our relations with all parties”, “expanded a comprehensive strategic layout and formed a wide-ranging, high-quality global network of partnerships,” he said.

Xi also hailed the Belt and Road Initiative, his signature foreign policy and outbound investment project, as “the world’s most broad-based and largest platform for international cooperation", and said Beijing had “shown the way in reforming the international system and order”.

The meeting came on the heels of Xi’s remarks on Tuesday hailing Mao Zedong’s legacy and vowing “to build China into a stronger country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernisation”.

Xi, who has become China’s most powerful leader since Mao after securing a third leadership term last year, also pledged on Tuesday that “the motherland must and is bound to be reunited”, just days ahead of the presidential election in the self-ruled Taiwan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at the Central Conference on Work Relating to Foreign Affairs in Beijing. Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng attended the conference. (Photo: SCMP/Xinhua)

Zhiqun Zhu, an international relations professor from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania said: “This is part of the CCP’s efforts to further centralise decision-making, to highlight Xi’s contribution to China’s diplomacy in the new era, and to elevate Xi’s political status to the level of Mao.”

He said it was clear Xi called the shots on all important matters, raising some concerns about whether the party had completely departed from collective leadership.

“It’s unclear what Chinese diplomats can do to address serious external challenges. The party’s total control over foreign affairs leaves professional diplomats with little room to manoeuvre,” Zhu said.

The readout made no mention of former foreign minister Qin Gang and former defence minister Li Shangfu, whose removal this year grabbed international headlines, while the men are yet to be accounted for.

In the face of unprecedented challenges at home and abroad, Xi was confident China still faced “new strategic opportunities” and said China’s diplomacy “will enter a new stage where much more can be accomplished”.

“We must unswervingly uphold the CPC central leadership’s ultimate authority over foreign affairs,” he said, while urging governments at all levels to “keep in mind the big picture” and implement Beijing’s decisions “in both letter and spirit”.

“We must focus on the central task of the CPC and the country, seek progress while maintaining stability, break new ground while upholding fundamental principles and firmly safeguard China’s sovereignty, security and development interests,” he said.

“We will explore new frontiers in China’s diplomatic theory and practice, foster new dynamics in the relations between China and the world and raise China’s international influence, appeal and power to shape events to a new level. We will create a more favourable international environment and provide more solid strategic support for building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through the Chinese path to modernisation,” Xi was quoted as saying.

He said Beijing would continue to “hold the international moral high ground and unite and rally the overwhelming majority in our world”, “carry forward our fighting spirit”, reject “all acts of power politics and bullying” and “leverage our institutional strengths” amid external uncertainties.

“An equal and orderly multipolar world is one in which all countries, regardless of size, are treated as equals, hegemonism and power politics are rejected and democracy is truly promoted in international relations,” he said.

“It is important to resolutely oppose the attempt to roll back globalisation and abuse the concept of security, oppose all forms of unilateralism and protectionism, firmly promote trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation, overcome the structural problems hindering the healthy development of the world economy, and make economic globalisation more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all,” China’s president said.

“Changes of the world, of our times and of historical significance are unfolding like never before,” Xi said. “Yet the overall direction of human development and progress will not change, the overall dynamics of world history moving forward amid twists and turns will not change, and the overall trend toward a shared future for the international community will not change. We must have full confidence in these trends of historical impact.”

According to Su Hao, a diplomacy expert at China Foreign Affairs University which is affiliated with the foreign ministry, the rise of China and other developing countries has altered the global power landscape.

“Since modern times, the world has been dominated by the West. But now it seems that with the group rise of developing countries, it is obvious that the role and status of the West is declining, then the trend of multi-polarity in the world advocated by China pushes the world to form a balance of power structure,” he said in an interview with Shenzhen TV.

Su said as the world became increasingly volatile amid the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Palestinian conflict, China faced strategic opportunities to act as a peace broker and a leader of the Global South in maintaining world peace and stability.

The Central Conference on Foreign Affairs Work has been held three times – in 2006, 2014 and 2018 – according to the state-owned Beijing Youth Daily.

Yun Sun, co-director of the East Asia Programme and director of the China Programme at the Washington-based Stimson Centre, said similar meetings on diplomatic work have been held almost every five years, including a meeting on periphery diplomacy in 2013.

“In 2018, it was the Central Diplomatic Work Conference. The pattern appears to be the diplomatic work conference is held the year after each party congress,” she said.

“The conference summarised the achievements of Xi’s diplomacy in the past decade and points out new priorities of Chinese diplomacy for the future. The key seems to be actively shaping China’s relationship with the outside world. The confidence in China’s path and its future is evident.”

Shi Yinhong, a professor of international affairs at Beijing’s Renmin University, said the meeting’s readout had largely reaffirmed what the party said in its political report at the 20th national congress last year.

“Instead of rolling out new policies, the statement seems rather general, and one needs to look more at China’s specific diplomatic behaviour,” he said.

It is not clear if the meeting implies a shift in China’s foreign policy direction ahead of a potentially more tumultuous time in the lead-up to presidential elections in the US and Taiwan.

“(To discern possible changes in China’s foreign policy), we may need to look at China’s major diplomatic acts – not just one act, but acts over a period of time. While the wording may be similar, the foreign policy may contain some new features over time,” he said.

This article was first published on SCMP.

Source: South China Morning Post/cm

China's new thirst for coffee spurs cut-throat cafe competition

A man leaves a Luckin Coffee store in Beijing, China on Dec 8, 2023. (File photo: Reuters/Tingshu Wang)

29 Dec 2023 02:04PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 02:34PM)

SHANGHAI: Chinese coffee consumption is growing quickly, spurring cut-throat competition between local and foreign coffee chains that have opened thousands of branded shops in recent months and surpassed the number of coffee stores in the United States.

Analysts expect China's growing thirst for coffee to be a key driver of future demand for the beans as coffee shops expand beyond Beijing and Shanghai to dozens of mid-sized cities where young professionals have warmed to the beverage.

China's rising coffee demand is an opportunity for international chains like Starbucks and Tim Hortons that are investing heavily in China, though they face a steep challenge from rapidly expanding local brands.

Data from the International Coffee Organization sent to Reuters shows coffee consumption in China grew 15 per cent in the year-long season ended in September from the previous cycle to 3.08 million bags.

"The Chinese consumer is increasingly adopting Western lifestyles and coffee is obviously one of the beverages that represent that," said Jason Yu, greater China managing director of market research firm Kantar Worldpanel.

The number of branded coffee shops in China grew a staggering 58 per cent in the last 12 months to 49,691 outlets, according to Alegra Group, a company that tracks growth of coffee chains.

There is harsh competition between the local chains and international chains, said Matthew Barry, a beverages analyst for Euromonitor. Each one is trying to grab as big a share as they can of the growing market, he said.

Alegra Group estimates China's Luckin Coffee added 5,059 stores in the last 12 months, while another Chinese chain, Cotti Coffee, opened 6,004 outlets in the period.

"The scale of the opportunity is such that both (local and international chains) will have to be very aggressive in facing off against the other and I think that should ensure a very dynamic marketplace in the next few years," Barry said.

US-based Starbucks opened 700 stores in China in the last year and said it is on track to operate around 9,000 stores in the country by 2025, while Canada's Tim Hortons plans to have 3,000 stores in the country in four years.

Seizing market share is one of Luckin's core targets, Chief Executive Jinyi Guo said during the firm's third quarter earnings call.

Store openings are now happening in China's smaller cities, Jason Yu said, which still have millions of inhabitants each.

"So that basically means in those places there's still a lot of white space for coffee chains to grow," he said.

Zixi Zhao, a 20-year old Beijing student, said he drinks coffee every day.

"I started drinking when I went to college," he said. "I don't drink much tea in general, but my mom, my dad, my grandmother they all drink tea."

Ruoxuan Zhao, a 19-year-old student from Beijing, said drinking coffee was part of the fast-paced lifestyle of young people in China, who welcome the caffeine boost.

HAPPY GROWERS

The development is good news for coffee producers already benefiting from high prices due to adverse weather in some growing regions. Arabica coffee futures are trading near the highest in eight months, while robusta coffee hit the highest in 15 years last week.

China imports coffee mostly from Africa and South America.

Brazil's coffee exporters group Cecafe said that shipments to China will nearly triple in 2023 to surpass 1 million bags for the first time, making China its eighth-largest market.

The United States Department of Agriculture sees China using 5 million bags of coffee in the new season (2023/24), which would make it the world's seventh-largest consumer.

Chinese coffee consumption still pales when compared to top consumers the United States and Brazil that use more than 20 million bags per year. But the growing demand signals China is undergoing a cultural change similar to other tea-loving Asian countries including Japan and South Korea.

Source: Reuters/rc

Indonesia navy drives away boat carrying Rohingya: Military

Rohingya Muslim refugees rest at a port warehouse that is used as temporary shelter, in Sabang, Aceh province, Indonesia on Dec 8, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Riska Munawarah)

29 Dec 2023 01:23PM

JAKARTA: An Indonesian navy vessel in Aceh drove away a boat carrying Rohingya from Myanmar, a military spokesperson said, as growing numbers of would-be refugees from the strife-torn country face hostility from locals.

The wooden boat was encountered in waters near Weh Island, off Sumatra, military spokesperson Nugraha Gumilar said.

The Indonesian military vessel "shadowed" the vessel, which it believed to be carrying the Rohingya, a persecuted Myanmar Muslim-minority, until it was outside Indonesian waters and "would not return".

There are no estimates of how many Rohingya were on the boat, Nugraha said.

Indonesia's foreign ministry referred inquiries to the coordinating ministry for political, legal, and security affairs, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Over 1,500 Rohingya have landed in Indonesia since November, according to data from the United Nations' refugee agency (UNCHR), facing increasing hostility and rejection as locals grow frustrated at the numbers of boats arriving.

On Wednesday (Dec 27), a large crowd of Indonesian students stormed a convention centre housing hundreds of Rohingya in the Aceh capital, calling for their deportation.

The UNHCR said it was "deeply disturbed to see a mob attack on a site sheltering vulnerable refugee families".

For years, Rohingya have left Myanmar, where they are generally regarded as foreign interlopers from South Asia, denied citizenship and subjected to abuse. They usually leave mostly to Indonesia or neighbouring Malaysia from November to April, when the seas are calmer.

Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees but has a history of taking in refugees if they arrive.

Indonesia has urged Myanmar authorities to halt violence against Rohingya Muslims and says it will crack down on suspected human traffickers involved in the latest wave of arrivals.

Source: Reuters/rc

Fog, haze in China as New Year travellers brace for potential disruptions

Buildings along the Huangpu river are seen shrouded in fog, amid a red alert for heavy fog in Shanghai, China on Dec 29, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Xihao Jiang)

29 Dec 2023 11:37AM

BEIJING: Year-end holidaymakers across China were bracing for possible transport disruptions after the weather bureau on Friday (Dec 29) warned that heavy fog and haze would shroud areas from Hebei province in the north to southern Shanghai for the next 24 hours.

The Central Meteorological Observatory issued its first red alert for fog since 2017. Conditions were expected to improve from Saturday evening, when a cold wave of air is expected to blow over the country.

Severe foggy conditions were expected in parts of northern province Hebei, central province Henan, eastern provinces Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong as well as in the municipalities Shanghai and Chongqing from Friday morning, the National Meteorological Centre said.

Dense fog in predicted in parts of Hebei, Shandong, Anhui, Jiangsu and Shanghai leading to low visibility of less than 200m, and less than 50m in some areas.

In the north and areas between the Yellow River and Huai River, light to moderate haze is forecast, with heavy haze affecting Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong and Henan.

The severe weather was due to high humidity and poor atmospheric diffusion conditions, the forecaster said.

China has experienced a year of climate extremes.

Last week, most of the country was hit by a cold snap that rewrote records with sub-freezing temperatures, in contrast to the summer, when scorching heat that breached 52 degree Celsius in the northwest blistered the country.

Summer storms also brought record rainfall to Beijing and flooding elsewhere.

On Friday, the central observatory told the public to tune into weather and traffic alerts, and advised them to reduce time outdoors. Residents in parts of Shandong, Anhui and in Jiangsu should avoid going out unless necessary, it added.

"You can't see clearly the road conditions and traffic lights ahead," the observatory said on social media.

In Shanghai, some ferry routes were temporarily suspended and some sections of highways, as well as a bridge to a container port, were temporarily closed. At the city's Bund waterfront, a thick grey fog all but obscured the colourful skyscrapers across from it.

In Jiangsu, some sections of several expressways remained shut since Thursday evening, while Hebei and Henan temporarily closed segments of multiple highways on Friday morning, citing weather conditions, according to state television CCTV and provincial capital authorities said.

Source: Reuters/rc

Former Hong Kong independence group leader Tony Chung seeks asylum in Britain

Activist Tony Chung is pictured in a street in Hong Kong, Jan 8, 2019. (Photo: Reuters/James Pomfret)

29 Dec 2023 08:54AM

WASHINGTON: The former leader of a Hong Kong pro-independence group, who was sentenced under a national security law imposed by China, fled to Britain and will seek asylum over there, he told the Washington Post.

In November 2021, Tony Chung, who was then 20, was sentenced to 43 months in prison for trying to separate the city from China, and for money laundering. Chung was charged with secession under the sweeping national security law in 2020 and denied bail.

Beijing imposed the national security law on the Asian financial hub in 2020 after months of anti-government protests. The law punishes acts including subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces, and extremism with up to life in prison.

The trauma of detention and continued surveillance left Chung with a feeling of "immense pressure and fear", compelling him to leave, he told the newspaper.

Chung also said he was made to take part in a compulsory "deradicalisation" program in detention.

Guards "kept telling us (him and others in prison) that the United States government is really bad and that we had been manipulated by the United States," Chung was quoted as saying. "We felt like we had to agree with them, that we couldn't disagree or argue back."

Chung was eventually released in June 2023 after his time was reduced for good behaviour, according to the Washington Post. He plans to continue his studies and told the Post he will contribute everything he can in exile, "just as before".

Chung is the former leader of Hong Kong pro-independence group Studentlocalism that dissolved in 2020 before the security law came into effect.

Prosecutors had said at the time he was charged that he acted as an administrator for the Facebook pages of the US branch of Studentlocalism and an organisation called the Initiative Independence Party. They also said pro-independence T-shirts, flags and books were seized from his home.

The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the promise of a high degree of autonomy. Democracy activists and some Western governments say China broke that promise, an allegation that Beijing denies.

Source: Reuters/ac

Take a day trip to Taiping from Ipoh or Penang: What to eat, do and shop in this Perak town

Planning a trip to Penang or Ipoh in Malaysia? Spare a day for a side trip to underrated Taiping in Perak, which is known for a list of “Malaysia’s firsts” and is packed with delicious food, from char kway teow to seafood porridge, and historical sites like the famous Taiping Lake Gardens and Kuala Sepetang.

Taiping in Perak makes for a good one-day side trip from either Ipoh or Penang, and is filled with historical sights and food. (Photo: Stella Thng)

29 Dec 2023 07:14AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 12:06PM)

Taiping is one of those places in Malaysia that, unless you are visiting relatives living in this Perak town, would unlikely rank high on Singaporeans’ must-go list.

Situated midway between its more famous Malaysian cousins Penang and Ipoh, which have international airports with direct flights from Singapore, Taiping is only accessible by road or railway. Like Ipoh, Taiping in Perak made its fortune through tin mining, attracting large numbers of Chinese settlers in the 19th century. With the decline of the tin industry, Taiping’s profile also faded.

However, it is an easy hour’s drive from Penang and Ipoh, and offers a small-town charm that deserves a side trip, particularly if you are already visiting either city. We booked a private driver for RM$450 (S$128.85) for eight hours, departing from Ipoh.

Interestingly, Taiping has also won an eclectic range of accolades: Top three sustainable cities in the world; the town of "40 firsts in Malaysia"; and the dubious honour of being the wettest town in Peninsular Malaysia. Pack an umbrella and join us as we eat, play and shop our way through Taiping, Perak.

WHAT TO EAT

1. Larut Matang Hawker Centre

If you’re driving in from Ipoh or Penang, leave bright and early so that you’ll get to enjoy breakfast at Larut Matang Hawker Centre. Taiping’s biggest food hall serves up tasty, affordable nosh that is well-loved by locals and tourists.

Wantan mee and char kway teow from Larut Matang Hawker Center. (Photo: Stella Thng)

Stall 72’s famous wanton mee (RM$5.50) comes with springy thin egg noodles topped with dumplings, char siew slices and even shredded chicken, drenched in a black sauce.

Fried fritters from Larut Matang Hawker Center. (Photo: Stella Thng)

Peanut pancake from Larut Matang Hawker Center. (Photo: Stella Thng)

Peanut pancake from Larut Matang Hawker Center. (Photo: Stella Thng)

The highly recommended char kway teow from Stall 46 (RM$5) was fried with small prawns, and had short and fat beansprouts to add crunch. Wash it down with an iced coffee (RM$3.70) from stall 73, next to the wantan mee stall.

Located at Jalan Panggung Wayang, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

2. Peace Hotel char kway teow and lor back

For a meal with a historic touch, you must visit Peace Hotel, just down the road from Larut Matang Hawker Center. Built in 1928, it still retains its original facade and colonial architecture, and makes a great backdrop for photos.

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The 76-year-old hawker has been frying up his char kway teow at the coffee shop at level 1 for the last 50 years. His wife hand-makes the lor bak (meat rolls) with fillings like pork and crab (RM$3.80 each).

We enjoyed a chat with the spritely uncle and a second breakfast of his wok hei-kissed char kway teow and a variety of lor bak, for RM$20.

Located at 34 Jalan Iskandar, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

3. Restoran Light House Seafood

On our way to Kuala Sepetang (see below), we stopped by Light House Seafood for a late lunch of its famous seafood porridge. There’re a few restaurants along that stretch that serve the same dish but our driver – and web reviews – confirmed that this charges reasonably for the quality.

Restoran Light House Seafood is famous for its seafood porridge. (Photo: Stella Thng)

A meal of seafood porridge, oyster omelette, sambal sweet potato leaves, deep-fried ikan belanak, and drinks came up to S$32. (Photo: Stella Thng)

You can customise your order with your choice of seafood and add-ons like minced meat. We left it up to the chef and our steaming hot claypot for three people came with pomfret, big prawns and fishballs.

Also order their signature appetiser, the deep-fried ikan belanak (grey mullet) that’s so crispy you can eat it bones and all. Our four-course meal with sambal sweet potato leaves and oyster omelette and drinks cost us RM$106 – barely S$32.

Located at No 10 Jalan Cina, 34750 Matang, Taiping, Perak.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

1. Taiping Lake Gardens

Taiping’s rainy weather has blessed it with particularly lush greenery. Taiping Lake Gardens, arguably the town’s most famous attraction, is one of the aforementioned "firsts" the town is known for.

There are 10 lakes and ponds at Taiping Lake Gardens, making is a pretty picnic spot. (Photo: Stella Thng)

Built on the site of an abandoned tin mine, this 64-hectare green haven, which opened in 1880, is the first public garden in Malaysia. There are 10 tranquil lakes and ponds here, all of which make great picnic spots.

As you drive through Residency Road, enjoy the sight of its gigantic raintrees that form a natural canopy as they bend towards the lake, as if drinking from it.

Located at Jalan Pekeliling, Taman Tasik Taiping, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

2. Perak Museum

If you’re a history buff, put Perak Museum on your list. It is the first and oldest in Peninsular Malaysia, founded in 1883 by Sir Hugh Low, the fourth British Resident of Perak.

Perak Museum in Taiping. (Photo: Stella Thng)

There are an eye-popping 8,474 items here, spread over four galleries clustered under nature, cultural, indigenous people and temporary, which rotates some of the unseen exhibits collected by the museum.

Located at Jalan Taming Sari, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

3. All Saints Church

All Saints Church is another "first in Malaysia" – the first church in the Federated Malay States, completed in 1886. This well-preserved Anglican church has remained mostly unchanged, from its timber facade, gothic architecture, and even its original stained glass window installed in 1911.

All Saints Church is the first church in the Federated Malay States. (Photo: Stella Thng)

There is a small cemetery next to it, where early European settlers were laid to rest. The church was closed when we popped by but if you’re in town on a Sunday and would like to attend a church service, do take the chance to admire the interior.

Located at 17A Jalan Taming Sari, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

4. Taiping Railway Station

Malaysia’s first railway station opened in 1885 when the Taiping-Port Weld Railway Line was established. With the introduction of KTM Electric Train Service from Kuala Lumpur, a new station was built right next to this historic site, which has since been preserved.

Taiping Railway Station. (Photo: Stella Thng)

Pop by to check out the old school railway fittings and for a bite at the eateries, which include a burger joint and a chendol dessert stall.

Located at 1915 Jalan Stesen, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

5. Kuala Sepetang

Also known as Port Weld, the coastal town of Kuala Sepetang is a popular stopover for its history, seafood restaurants, and mangrove river rides. The standard one-hour boat ride costs RM$28 per person or check with the operators to book a private boat tour.

Our humorous ponytailed boatman is a proud Sepetang boy who taught us more about the history of the fishing villages inhabited by Teochews on one side of the river, and Hokkiens on the opposite bank.

We also visited a floating fish farm where we fed hungry tilapia and learned about the pufferfish and native horseshoe crabs that live in the river. The horseshoe crabs are a protected species.

The pufferfish in defensive mode, where they puff up. (Photo: Stella Thng)

The most memorable part was when he placed the pufferfish in our cupped hands. These smart little fishies first "blew up" as a defence mechanism and looked like poufy fishballs with manga-ish eyes and pink lips. When they were released back in the water, they played dead for a spell, before quickly deflating and zipping off.

We kept our eyes peeled for pink river dolphins but were not lucky enough to spot any. You are guaranteed of another highlight though: Watching dozens of eagles swoop into the water to feed on chicken skin thrown by our boatman.

After you disembark, check out the local sun-dried seafood, like their popular salted fish.

Salted fish drying in the sun, in Kuala Sepetang. (Photo: Stella Thng)

On the car ride out, tourists usually drop by My Charcoal Factory, which uses sustainable methods of harvesting mangrove trees. It was closed during our visit but is a popular stop to buy the ‘black gold’ as a decor piece or as a dehumidifier.

Located at 34650 Kuala Sepetang, Perak.

WHAT TO BUY

1. Antong Coffee Mill

In another "Malaysia’s first", Antong Coffee Mill, established in 1933, is Malaysia’s oldest. You can go on a free guided tour of its facilities and coffee production.

The Changchung Pu Villa is where Sun Yat-sen lived with his lover Chen Cuifen. (Photo: Stella Thng)

Even more heady than the coffee is the romantic history of Changchun Pu, the weathered mansion next to the factory, which currently serves as the coffee mill’s office. It has a statue of Sun Yat-sen, the Chinese revolutionary and first president of the Republic of China, at its doorstep.

This was where Sun and his “partner in revolution” (and romantic partner), the Hong Kong-born Chen Cuifen, lived when he was in Taiping. (Unfortunately, after 20 years together, he broke up with her – and also divorced his first wife Lu Muzhen – for the elegant Soong Ching-ling.)

The writer splurged on kopi luwak at Antong Coffee Mill but they also have a wide variety of coffee products to choose from. (Photo: Stella Thng)

Before you leave, stock up on Antong’s wide variety of coffee products. Popular items include their traditional kopi beans, their speciality Golden Coffee, and if you like the pungent fruit, give the Durian White Coffee a try. We splurged on their Kopi Luwak Wild which cost RM$75 for three sachets of 12g each.

Located at 8A Jalan Asam Kumbang, Kampung Asam Kumbang, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

2. Khim Heong Foodstuffs

If you love traditional biscuits like heong peah, do make a pit stop at Khim Heong, one of the oldest factories in the cities of the north of Malaysia. These aromatic molasses-filled munchies, once offered to emperors of the Tang Dynasty, are now a common sight in Malaysia.

Khim Heong’s heong peah master sticking the traditional biscuits into a 300 degree Celsius oven to bake. (Photo: Stella Thng)

A bag of nine heong peah costs RM$17. (Photo: Stella Thng)

However, most are baked in gas ovens. At Khim Heong, they are baked in huge ovens heated to 300 degrees Celsius by burning coconut husks, which add a wonderful fragrance.

Watch the master stick the circles of dough – by hand – onto the scorching hot walls. A bag of nine costs about RM$17. They also offer other baked goods like tau sar peah (mung bean biscuits), which smelled so good fresh out of the oven that we almost ate them on the spot.

Located at 13 Lorong Perusahaan Pengkalan 3, Taman Perusahaan Perkhidmatan Pengkalan, 34000 Taiping, Perak.

Source: CNA/pc

Russia says some in the West are hinting at looking for peace in Ukraine

Ukrainian servicemen carry the coffin of their comrade Vasyl Boichuk who was killed in Mykolayiv in March 2022, during his funeral ceremony at the cemetery in Iltsi village, Ukraine, on Dec. 26, 2023. (Photo: AP/Evgeniy Maloletka)

29 Dec 2023 12:28AM

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday (Dec 28) that some in the West were suggesting that Moscow should discuss peace in Ukraine because the United States and its allies had failed to defeat Russian forces in Ukraine.

Nearly two years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow controls about 17.5 per cent of Ukrainian territory and a Ukrainian counter-offensive this year has failed to win any major territorial gains against Russian forces who have defended the front with extensive minefields and swarms of drones.

Lavrov, in an interview with the RIA state news agency and the Rossiya 24 TV channel, said there were signs that the West was changing its tactics and strategy on Ukraine.

"The West is really changing its tactics - maybe even thinking about clarifying the strategy. Because if the 'strategic defeat of Russia' is a strategy, forgive the tautology, then this strategy failed miserably," Lavrov said.

"There are some approaches, some whispers: why don't you (Russia) meet with someone in Europe who would be ready to talk, talk about Ukraine without Ukraine itself," said Lavrov, who also reiterated that Moscow would achieve all its goals in Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said he is ready to talk about peace in Ukraine but on Russia's terms. US officials have said they think he is waiting for the 2024 US presidential election before making any serious move towards peace.

Ukraine says it will not rest until every last Russian soldier is ejected from its territory as defined in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. The West says it will not push Ukraine towards peace.

Putin casts the Ukraine war as a battle for Russian survival against an arrogant West which he says is plotting to cleave Russia apart and to steal its vast natural resources.

US President Joe Biden has said the West does not seek to destroy Russia but wants Kyiv to defeat Moscow's forces on Ukrainian territory. Biden also said in 2022 that Russia had suffered a "strategic failure" in Ukraine.

Lavrov, who has been in post since 2004, also said on Thursday that major Western powers had met in "secret" about 10 days ago as part of a G7 plus developing nations meeting to discuss a "peace formula" proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Lavrov said they had agreed on a further meeting in January and a "peace summit" in February based on the Zelenskyy peace formula. Reuters could not independently verify his assertions.

Zelenskyy's 10-point peace plan calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities and the restoration of Ukraine's state borders with Russia.

Moscow says the Zelenskyy idea is absurd as it does not include Russia in talks.

Source: Reuters

Mistaken cutting of power caused Nepal plane crash that killed 72: Report

People hold placards as they take part in a condolence and protest meeting following the plane crash of a Yeti Airlines operated aircraft, in Pokhara on Jan 15, 2023, in Kathmandu, Nepal, Jan 16, 2023. (File photo: REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar)

28 Dec 2023 10:15PM (Updated: 28 Dec 2023 10:31PM)

KATHMANDU: A Yeti Airlines crash in Nepal that killed 72 people almost a year ago was caused by the pilots mistakenly cutting power leading to an aerodynamic stall, a report issued by a government-appointed investigation panel on Thursday (Dec 28) said.

The ATR 72, operated by privately owned Yeti Airlines, crashed just before landing in the tourist city of Pokhara on Jan 15 in one of Nepal's worst airplane accidents in 30 years.

There were 72 people on the twin-engine aircraft including two infants, four crew and 15 foreign nationals. There were no survivors.

Dipak Prasad Bastola, an aeronautical engineer and a member of the investigating panel, said due to lack of awareness and lack of standard operating procedures, the pilots had put the condition levers, which control power, in the feathering position, instead of selecting the flap lever.

This led the engine to "run idle and not produce thrust", Bastola told Reuters. "But due to its momentum, the aircraft flew for up to 49 seconds before hitting the ground.”

ATR is based in France and the plane's engines were manufactured in Canada by Pratt & Whitney Canada.

It was Nepal's deadliest air crash since 1992, when a Pakistan International Airlines Airbus A300 crashed into a hillside on approach to Kathmandu, killing all 167 people on board.

Nearly 350 people have died since 2000 in plane or helicopter crashes in Nepal - home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Everest - where sudden weather changes can cause hazardous conditions.

The European Union has banned Nepali airlines from its airspace since 2013, citing safety concerns.

Source: Reuters/fh

China's military lashes out at US after breakthrough talks

Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong sails in Pacific Ocean waters, about 300km south of Okinawa prefecture, Japan, in this handout image taken by Japan Self-Defence Force on Apr 5, 2023. (Photo: Joint Staff Office of the Defense Ministry of Japan/HANDOUT via REUTERS)

28 Dec 2023 07:34PM

BEIJING: China's defence ministry lashed out at the United States on Thursday (Dec 28), a week after their top military officials resumed high-level talks, criticising its continued meddling in the Asia Pacific region and saying it maintained a "Cold War" mindset.

Both sides had pledged at the talks to work towards restoration of contacts to avert miscalculation and misunderstanding, with the US calling for "more work" to ensure military communications stayed open and reliable.

But a Chinese defence ministry spokesperson took a more hawkish tone at the year's last regular press conference.

"The United States continues to strengthen its Asia-Pacific deployments, this is full of a Cold War mindset," the spokesperson, Wu Qian, said on Thursday.

"Its goal is for its own selfish gains and to maintain its hegemony. Its nature is to stoke confrontation."

US officials had hoped last week's talks, when top US General Charles Brown and his Chinese counterpart, General Liu Zhenli, held a videoconference in the first such event in more than a year, could bring a broader restoration in military ties.

Those talks followed a pact in San Francisco last month between the leaders of both countries to resume such ties, which Beijing had snapped after a visit to self-ruled Taiwan in 2022 by Nancy Pelosi, then speaker of the House of Representatives.

The video call yielded "positive and constructive outcomes", Wu said.

But Beijing expected Washington to "take concrete actions on the basis of equality and respect to promote the sound and steady development of China-US military-to-military relationship", he added, with specifics to be announced later.

MANIPULATING TAIWAN

On Taiwan, set to hold a key presidential election on Jan 13, Wu accused its government of deliberately "hyping up" a military threat from China for electoral gain.

He warned the US against interfering in Taiwan affairs, including selling arms to the island democracy.

"We firmly oppose any country having official and military contact with Taiwan in any form. The US is manipulating the Taiwan question in various forms, which is a very dangerous gamble," Wu said.

"We urge the US to stop arming Taiwan under any excuses or by any means," he added.

Taiwan's defence ministry said this week it was not seeing any signs of large-scale Chinese military activity before the elections but was keeping close watch on China.

Wu also blamed the United States for rising tension in the South China Sea, following recent skirmishes between China and the Philippines around the Spratly islands.

The US has backed Manila in its maritime disputes with China amid a broader strengthening of ties under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

"The US, out of its selfish calculations, has been conniving at, and emboldening the Philippines, attempting to coerce and threaten China," Wu said.

This week a Philippine military spokesperson rebutted China's accusation that his country was provoking conflict in the region.

On the domestic front, Wu declined to comment on the removal this week of three executives at leading aerospace defence firms from China's top political advisory body.

"I refer you to the competent national authorities," he said, when asked about the reason behind the removals.

The executives are from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), China's main space programme contractor and builder of missile systems; Norinco, a major Chinese defence contractor, and China's largest missile maker, the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).

An anti-corruption purge in the top ranks of the People's Liberation Army has implicated former defence minister Li Shangfu, who faces investigation for corrupt military procurement, Reuters has previously reported.

The People's Liberation Army Rocket Force has also been in focus recently after its two most senior leaders were suddenly replaced at the end of July with commanders from outside the force.

Source: Reuters/ec

Vietnam's Ha Long Bay losing its hue as pollution, over-development sink in

This aerial photo taken from a seaplane shows tourist boats sailing on the waters of Ha Long Bay on Dec 28, 2023. (Photo: AFP/Nhac Nguyen)

28 Dec 2023 07:22PM

HA LONG: Vietnam's Ha Long Bay is losing its famous turquoise hue as pollution and over-development threaten its wildlife and picture-perfect image.

The UNESCO site is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations, with more than 7 million people visiting its blue-green waters and rainforest-topped limestone islands last year.

But the bay's popularity, and the subsequent rapid growth of Ha Long City - now home to a cable car, amusement park, luxury hotels and thousands of new homes - have severely damaged its ecosystem.

The surrounding town is already heavily developed, with docks and luxury apartments clogging the shoreline.

Last month pictures were published in state media of an enormous construction site running through the waters of a neighbouring bay, sparking outrage among conservationists.

Conservationists estimate there were originally around 234 types of coral in the bay - now the number is around half. There is also a huge problem with both human and plastic waste.

Ha Long Bay's popularity, and the subsequent rapid growth of Ha Long City have severely damaged its ecosystem. (Photo: AFP/Nhac Nguyen)

On Thursday (Dec 28), tourists queued up for seats in a boat-plane to wing their way over the bay and see its more than 1,900 islands from the air.

"I was actually expecting for more blue waters in Vietnam," said Anete Cimbule from Latvia.

"We would like to see cleaner waters."

After his third flight over the bay, captain Nguyen Ba Hai was more upbeat about the future.

"Over the past decade ... the discharge of plastic trash onto the sea has greatly improved, that's very encouraging," he said.

But, he added, he would "love to see the water as blue as it used to be".

Source: AFP/zl

Business

- China developer Guangzhou R&F co-founder Zhang Li resigns as CEO

- Grifols sells 20% stake in Shanghai RAAS to Haier Group for $1.8 billion

- JD.com wins antimonopoly lawsuit against Alibaba

- China to lower dollar, euro weightings in CFETS yuan basket index in 2024

- Nvidia launches new gaming chip for China to comply with US export controls

- Strong gains for cocoa, iron ore in 2023 as energy prices dip

- Boeing says Chinese airlines resumed operating all 737 MAXs in 2023

- Asian shares set to snap two-year losing streak on rate cut wagers

- Vietnam 2023 economic growth slows to 5.05% as exports fall

- Dollar set to snap two-year winning streak on 2024 rate cut bets

- Oil prices to end year 10% lower as demand concerns snap winning streak

- Huawei forecasts 9% revenue growth in 2023 as smartphones surge

- Indonesia's Aneka Tambang sells shares of subsidiaries to world's biggest EV battery company

- Elon Musk's X fails to block California's content moderation law

- BOC Aviation agrees to buy six Airbus aircraft

- Australia's Eagers Automotive faces operational hurdles after cyber security incident

- South Korea inflation in December eases for second month

- Judge sides with US SEC, says Terraform Labs crypto founder Do Kwon violated law

China developer Guangzhou R&F co-founder Zhang Li resigns as CEO

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Guangzhou-based property developer R&F Properties is pictured at a strategic cooperation signing ceremony in Beijing, China July 19, 2017. Picture taken July 19, 2017. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 06:34PM

HONG KONG : Chinese property developer Guangzhou R&F Properties said on Friday that co-founder Zhang Li had resigned as chief executive officer and as a director of the company, citing "other commitments which require more of his time and dedication".

Earlier this year, 70-year old Zhang admitted bribing a former San Francisco official and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors to avoid criminal charges, according to a court filing.

Under the agreement, the charge will be dismissed in three years if Zhang abides by the terms, including paying restitution.

Zhang was also a co-chairman of the company, along with Li Sze Lim.

The company's statement on Friday did not mention Zhang resigning as co-chairman but he was no longer listed on the company board in a separate filing.

Source: Reuters

Grifols sells 20% stake in Shanghai RAAS to Haier Group for $1.8 billion

29 Dec 2023 06:12PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 06:29PM)

MADRID :Spanish pharma group Grifols said on Friday it had agreed to sell a 20 per cent stake in China's Shanghai RAAS Blood Products for approximately $1.8 billion to Chinese home appliance company Haier Group Corporation.

Grifols, which produces drugs made out of blood plasma, had announced in June it was seeking to sell the stake for about $1.5 billion.

Grifols shares were up 6.8 per cent shortly after the sale's announcement.

Grifols will retain a 6.58 per cent stake in Shanghai RAAS. The company said it intends to use the proceeds of the sale to reduce its debt.

Haier Group, based in the Chinese city of Qingdao, will take control of Shanghai RAAS after the transaction and holds voting right representing 26.58 per cent of the company's stake, Shanghai RAAS said in the separate statement.

Source: Reuters

JD.com wins antimonopoly lawsuit against Alibaba

A man walks past the Alibaba booth during the first China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, China on Nov 28, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Florence Lo)

29 Dec 2023 05:20PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 05:54PM)

BEIJING: Chinese online retailer JD.com said on Friday (Dec 29) that it won a lawsuit against rival Alibaba, which was fined 1 billion yuan (US$140.68 million) for monopolistic practices.

The High People's Court of Beijing ruled that Alibaba Group Holding Limited along with Zhejiang Tmall Network and Zhejiang Tmall Technology had abused their market dominance and adopted monopolistic practices known as "choosing one from two" causing JD.com severe damage, JD.com said in a statement published on its official WeChat account.

JD.com said it has nothing more to add beyond the statement.

"This ruling is not only a fair decision for JD's resistance against the 'choose one out of two' monopoly, but a landmark moment in upholding market fairness and competition order through the rule of law," the statement said. "It will be a significant moment in China's anti-monopoly legal process."

Alibaba did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Alibaba was fined a record US$2.75 billion in an anti-trust probe by Chinese regulators in 2021 which stated that it had abused its market dominance.

The two e-commerce giants in China had criticised each other for a practice called choosing one out of two, citing brands and merchants who had reportedly been told that if they wanted to operate on their platform, they had to do so exclusively.

Source: Reuters/zl

China to lower dollar, euro weightings in CFETS yuan basket index in 2024

A China yuan note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. (Photo: REUTERS/Thomas White)

29 Dec 2023 05:14PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 06:10PM)

BEIJING: China will adjust the weightings of two key yuan index baskets in 2024, the country's foreign exchange trade platform said on Friday (Dec 29), to better reflect trade patterns.

From Jan 1, the China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), which is overseen by the central bank, will lower the US dollar's weighting in the CFETS currency basket to 19.46 per cent from 19.83 per cent and cut the euro's weighting to 18.08 per cent from 18.21 per cent, according to an online statement.

The adjustments will "further enhance the representativeness of the yuan currency basket index," CFETS said in the statement.

China lowered weightings for the dollar and euro in the CFETS basket in 2023.

Such adjustments are unlikely to create sharp volatility in yuan trades, but they may affect the setting of the yuan's official daily midpoint fixing, which caps the spot trade in a narrow range of 2 per cent around that level, market watchers said.

The CFETS index finished the year at 97.42, down 1.27 per cent this year, according to Reuters calculation based on official data. During the same period, the onshore yuan has lost 2.7 per cent to the dollar and looks set for the second straight yearly drop.

China has adjusted the CFETS basket multiple times since it introduced the trade-weighted yuan index in December 2015 to better reflect external trade conditions.

In addition, the CFETS said it would also tweak BIS currency basket RMB index after the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) adjusted currency weightings at the start of this year.

In detail, CFETS will remove the Croatian kuna while adding the Bosnian marka, Moroccan dirham, North Macedonian denar, and Serbian dinar to the basket.

Source: Reuters/ec

Nvidia launches new gaming chip for China to comply with US export controls

FILE PHOTO: A smartphone with a displayed NVIDIA logo is placed on a computer motherboard in this illustration taken March 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 03:35PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 05:07PM)

BEIJING: US chipmaker Nvidia on Thursday (Dec 28) launched a modified version of an advanced gaming chip designed to comply with US export controls targeting China.

The chip, which the company says offers a "quantum leap in performance, efficiency and artificial intelligence-driven graphics", will be available to Chinese customers starting in January, a Nvidia spokesperson told Reuters.

"The GeForce RTX 4090 D has been designed to fully comply with US government export controls. While developing this product, we extensively engaged with the US government," the spokesperson said.

The GeForce RTX 4090 D marks the first China-focused chip Nvidia has officially launched since export rules unveiled by the Biden Administration in October meant two modified artificial intelligence (AI) chips Nvidia had created for the Chinese market to comply with previous export rules, the A800 and H800, were blocked for sale, as well as a top-of-the-line gaming chip, the RTX 4090.

Chip industry newsletter SemiAnalysis said in early November that Nvidia, in response to the October export rules, could announce three new AI chips aimed at the Chinese market as soon as Nov 16.

However, Reuters reported late last month that Nvidia told customers in China it was delaying the launch of one of these chips until the first quarter of next year. The remaining two have not yet appeared on Nvidia's China website.

Nvidia has commanded more than 90 per cent share of China's US$7 billion AI chip market, and analysts have said the US curbs are likely to create opportunities for domestic firms such as Huawei Technologies to make inroads.

US Commerce Secretary Raimondo, in an interview with Reuters on Dec 11, said that Nvidia can sell AI chips to China, just not those with the highest processing power.

Compared to the banned RTX 4090, the China-focused RTX 4090 D is "5 per cent slower in gaming and creating", according to the Nvidia spokesperson.

The China-focused RTX 4090 D will cost 12,999 yuan (US$1,842), 350 yuan (US$50) more expensive than the second most advanced chip in the product series available to Chinese customers.

Source: Reuters

Strong gains for cocoa, iron ore in 2023 as energy prices dip

FILE PHOTO: Farmers break cocoa beans at a farm in Sinfra, Ivory Coast April 29, 2023. REUTERS/Luc Gnago/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 01:38PM

SINGAPORE : Cocoa and iron ore prices surged in 2023, while natural gas and coal prices tumbled, with most agricultural products expected to outperform energy and industrial metals in the New Year amid supply constraints and dry weather.

The Thomson Reuters/CoreCommodity CRB Excess Return Index, which includes more than a dozen commodities such as oil, gold, sugar and copper, is set to fall 4 per cent for 2023 after interest rate hikes dampened global growth and shook financial markets.

Cocoa prices rose 72 per cent to multi-decade highs because of constrained supplies and iron ore was up nearly 55 per cent as China looked to shore up its property sector.

But the prices of natural gas and coal tumbled from 2022's record highs after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and were among the biggest losers as producers ramped up supplies and demand eased.

"A warm start to this winter has kept prices deflated so far, and if it remains warm as forecast, most regions will be able to tide through this winter comfortably, with even more to spare for next year's winter," said Rystad energy analyst Lu Ming Pang.

Macquarie analysts said in a note they expect aggregate commodities price weakness to continue in 2024, with U.S. economic growth to soon stall and European and Chinese growth likely to remain tepid at best.

STANDOUT PERFORMERS

New York cocoa futures rose to a 46-year high this year and are expected to remain strong in 2024, buoyed by a poor harvest in the key producing region, West Africa, where the spread of viral swollen shoot disease has hit crops.

Capital Economics said in a note that constrained supply combined with high seasonal demand was likely to support high cocoa prices through 2024 until new supply arrives in October, the start of the next growing season.

For iron ore, efforts by China to revive its beleaguered property sector and shore up a patchy post-pandemic economic recovery boosted prices, with more gains expected in early 2024.

"Supportive policies on the property market, coupled with expectations on further economic stimulus during the top decision-making meetings in December acted as tailwinds," said Pei Hao, a Shanghai-based analyst at brokerage FIS.

FOOD SUPPLY SHOCKS

Hot and dry weather due to El Nino has taken a toll on global rice, coffee and sugar production, supporting prices.

Supply shocks in the rice market prompted India, the biggest supplier globally to restrict exports, driving prices of the world's most widely consumed staple to 15-year highs and triggering food inflation pressure.

Rice prices in Asia's key exporting centres have climbed more than 40 per cent in 2023 and adverse weather is expected to further reduce output early next year.

Shrinking supplies also triggered a rally in coffee prices with robustas gaining almost 60 per cent in 2023.

Sugar production in India is set to lag consumption for the first time in seven years and lower plantings could force the world's No.2 producer to turn into a net importer.

Wheat, corn and soybeans are headed for losses in 2023, but prices remain vulnerable to adverse El Nino weather, export restrictions and higher biofuel mandates.

Palm oil production is likely to fall next year due to El Nino, supporting cooking oil prices that dropped more than 10 per cent in 2023.

RISING ENERGY SUPPLY

Rising oil, gas and coal supply could weigh on prices for a second year in 2024.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures are down around 7 per cent this year, falling for the first time in three years, despite record global oil demand and deeper supply cuts from OPEC+.

Non-OPEC production growth is set to dominate in 2024, with S&P Global Commodity Insights forecasting record crude and liquids production in the U.S., Brazil and Canada.

Macquarie expects Brent and WTI prices to average at $77 and $73 a barrel in 2024.

Asia spot liquefied natural gas and Australia Newcastle coal futures tumbled more than 50 per cent from last year's record highs, as demand from Europe eased while China and India ramped up coal output to prevent a repeat of last year's energy shock.

MIXED OUTLOOK FOR METALS

A softer U.S. dollar and Treasury yields amid growing expectations that the Federal Reserve will end its monetary policy tightening helped gold race towards its best year in three and saw prices scale all-time highs above $2,100 this month.

Citi expects gold and silver prices to rise by mid-2024 on strong demand for the metals as a hedge against downside risks in developed market equities and property.

For industrial metals, nickel, down more than 40 per cent in 2023, was the biggest loser, pressured by higher supplies in top producers Indonesia and China.

Prices are expected to remain under pressure in 2024 amid a global surplus for the metal used in stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries.

Softer-than-expected Chinese demand and U.S. interest rate hikes weighed on prices, which recovered some ground in recent months due to supply disruptions by mine closures in Panama.

Source: Reuters

Boeing says Chinese airlines resumed operating all 737 MAXs in 2023

A Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft bearing the logo of China Southern Airlines is parked at a Boeing production facility in Renton, Washington, U.S. March 11, 2019. REUTERS/David Ryder/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 12:48PM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 01:58PM)

BEIJING/SEOUL :All Boeing 737 MAX jets operated by Chinese carriers are back in service at the end of 2023, the U.S. planemaker's China head said on Friday, nearly a year after they started returning following a global grounding in 2019.

The best-selling Boeing model was grounded after fatal crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The MAX returned to service around the world starting in late 2020 after modifications to the aircraft and pilot training, but Chinese airlines started to fly them again only in January 2023.

"All China civil aviation 737 MAXs have resumed operations," Boeing China CEO Liu Qing said on Chinese social media, adding this amounted to nearly 100 planes.

Liu also said Boeing has delivered new planes to Chinese clients this year, though he did not specify which models.

Boeing last week made its first direct delivery of a 787 Dreamliner to China since 2019, a step seen as a possible prelude to the end of Beijing's freeze on 737 MAX deliveries.

Boeing has been virtually frozen out of new orders from China since 2017 amid Sino-U.S. trade tensions.

A restart of MAX deliveries would represent a reset of Boeing's relationship with China and be a financial boon that would allow it to offload dozens of planes in its inventory.

Source: Reuters

Asian shares set to snap two-year losing streak on rate cut wagers

Former manager of Japanese national baseball team Hideki Kuriyama rings a bell during a ceremony marking the end of trading in 2023 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) in Tokyo, Japan December 29, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

29 Dec 2023 11:41AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 03:37PM)

SINGAPORE : Asian stocks took a breather on the last trading day of the year and are set to snap their two-year losing streak with investors buoyed by the expectations that the Federal Reserve will start cutting interest rates next year.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was little changed on Friday but lurked near a five month peak and was headed for a 5 per cent gain in the year after two years of heavy losses.

The index is up over 11 per cent in the last two months as investors ramped up bets that central banks were done raising interest rates and would soon start easing.

Markets are pricing in a 88 per cent chance of the Fed starting its rate cuts in March, according to CME FedWatch tool, compared to 35 per cent chance at the end of November. Traders are also pricing in over 150 basis points of easing next year.

Behind the ramped-up bets is a slew of U.S. economic data that has underscored the strength in the economy as well as the likelihood of the Fed softening its stance.

The only question that the market is focused on is when and not if the central banks will cut rates, leaving ample room for disappointment in 2024.

"Goldilocks bets on soft-landing hopes emboldened by US exceptionalism and aggressive rate cut bets inspired by emphatic dis-inflation risk being wrong-footed," said Vishnu Varathan, head of economics and strategy at Mizuho Bank in a note.

Instead, he wrote, "rate cuts are likely to be measured and gradual."

In Asia, the best performing major stock market in 2023 was Japan's Nikkei with a gain of 28 per cent, its strongest yearly performance in a decade. Taiwan's stock market was close behind with a 26.6 per cent rise in the year. India's Nifty is the third best gainer with a 20 per cent rise in 2023.

Thailand's SET index on the other hand was the worst performing stock market in Asia this year with a decline of 15 per cent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index headed for a 14 per cent decline this year, making it the second weakest performer. China's blue-chip stocks was on course for a 11 per cent decline for the year.

Futures indicate European bourses are likely to have a subdued end to the year as traders consolidate their positions.

The pan-European STOXX 600 has had a blistering end to the year and is up 11 per cent in the past two months and is hovering around its 23 month peak.

Overnight, the S&P 500 ended Thursday's session just 0.3 per cent shy of its record closing high, reached on Jan. 3, 2022.

The global bonds rally has continued, leading yields lower, after being battered for the most part of the past two years as interest rates rose. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield was at 3.8387 per cent, having briefly touched 3.820 per cent, its lowest since July 19 on Thursday.

In the currency market, the dollar was rooted on the back foot and headed for a 2 per cent decline this year after two years of strong gains, driven by first the anticipation of and then the actual hiking of rates by the Fed to battle inflation.

Against a basket of currencies, the dollar was last at 101.50, edging away from the five month low of 100.61 it touched on Wednesday.

While the dollar's weakness is likely to continue next year, especially if the Fed comes through with rate cuts early 2024, the strength of the U.S. economy could limit its decline.

In commodities, Chicago wheat and corn futures were set for biggest annual drop in a decade as easing supply bottlenecks in the Black Sea region and higher production added pressure on prices.

Meanwhile, cocoa prices surged to multi-decade highs in 2023, while iron ore jumped 50 per cent.

Oil prices were due to end the year 10 per cent lower as geopolitical concerns, production cuts and global measures to rein in inflation triggered wild fluctuations in prices.

On Friday, U.S. crude rose 0.24 per cent to $71.94 per barrel and Brent was at $77.41, up 0.34 per cent.

Gold prices rose on Friday and were poised to end their best year in three. Spot gold added 0.2 per cent to $2,068.86 an ounce.

World FX rates YTD http://tmsnrt.rs/2egbfVh

Asian stock markets https://tmsnrt.rs/2zpUAr4

Asian stock markets performance in 2023 https://tmsnrt.rs/3vnlAXu

Nikkei's blistering run in 2023 https://tmsnrt.rs/3THg785

Source: Reuters

Vietnam 2023 economic growth slows to 5.05% as exports fall

FILE PHOTO: A Vietnamese flag flies atop the State Bank building, near the Vietcombank and Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam buildings, in central Hanoi, Vietnam November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Kham/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 10:38AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 05:00PM)

HANOI: Vietnam's economic growth slowed to 5.05 per cent this year from an expansion of 8.02 per cent last year, official data showed on Friday (Dec 29), weighed by weak global demand while public investment stalled amid an intensified anti-graft crackdown.

This year's gross domestic product (GDP) growth was below a government target of 6.5 per cent and lower than average growth of 5.87 per cent during the previous decade, according to data released by the government's General Statistics Office (GSO).

Vietnam is a regional manufacturing hub that relies heavily on trade. Exports in 2023 fell 4.4 per cent from last year to $355.5 billion, with shipments of smartphones, its largest foreign currency earner, dropping 8.3 per cent, the GSO said in its report.

Its industrial production index in 2023 rose 1.5 per cent from last year, while average consumer prices in the year rose 3.25 per cent, according to the GSO. Retail sales were up 9.6 per cent.

"Though this year's growth is below a government target of 6.5 per cent, it is still a positive result, putting Vietnam in the group of the fastest growing economies in the region and in the world," the GSO said.

Imports in 2023 fell 8.9 per cent to $327.5 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of $28 billion for the year, according to the report. A large trade surplus is supportive for the dong currency, but a sharp fall in imports could indicate a slowdown in manufacturing activities in the months ahead.

The country's central bank, in an effort to boost economic growth, has this year cut its policy rates four times, reducing its refinance rate and discount rate by an accumulated 150 basis points each, but credit growth remains much weaker than its target of 14 per cent.

Overall credit growth in the economy as of end-November was 8.2 per cent, according to data from the State Bank of Vietnam, the country's central bank, which said "the economy was still facing difficulties with a slow economic recovery and therefore the demand for loans was weak".

To compensate for the fall in exports, Vietnam has decided to extend a value-added tax cut to boost domestic consumption, while authorities have sought to speed up public investment, mostly on infrastructure.

But public investment has stalled this year amid an intensification of the country's "blazing furnace" anti-corruption campaign, which has often paralysed activities.

Disbursement of public funds in the year to the end of November was estimated at 461 trillion dong (US$18.98 billion), meeting only 65 per cent of the target set for the year, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

For the fourth quarter of this year, GDP grew 6.72 per cent from a year earlier, faster than an expansion of 5.47 per cent in the third quarter and a growth of 5.92 per cent in the same period last year, according to the GSO. Third quarter GDP growth was revised up from 5.33 per cent.

Capital Economics, however, said the fourth-quarter momentum is unlikely to last if exports weaken and commercial banks pull back on lending in response to a sharp rise in non-performing loans.

"We think the economy will struggle in 2024," it said in a note, forecasting next year's growth at 6.0 per cent.

The central bank will likely cut rates further next year, with inflation likely to remain within target, Capital Economics said, though it added that the consensus expects no change.

Vietnam's legislature in November approved government targets for next year of GDP growth of 6.0 per cent to 6.5 per cent and inflation in a range of 4.0 per cent to 4.5 per cent.

Source: Reuters/gs

Dollar set to snap two-year winning streak on 2024 rate cut bets

FILE PHOTO: Four thousand U.S. dollars are counted out by a banker counting currency at a bank in Westminster, Colorado November 3, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 10:36AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 06:15PM)

LONDON : The dollar edged higher on Friday but was still set to end 2023 with a loss, reversing two straight years of gains, dragged down by market expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve could begin easing interest rates as early as March.

The greenback crept higher on the last trading day of the year although currency moves were mostly subdued amid a holiday lull leading up to the New Year.

Since the Fed launched its aggressive rate-hike cycle in early 2022, expectations of how far U.S. rates would have to rise have been a huge driver of the dollar.

But as economic data subsequently pointed to signs that inflation in the United States is cooling, investors turned their focus to how soon the Fed could begin cutting rates - expectations that gathered steam after a dovish tilt at the central bank's December policy meeting.

Against a basket of currencies, the greenback was up 0.12 per cent on Friday to 101.35, rising from a five-month trough of 100.61 hit in the previous session.

The dollar index was still on track to lose more than 2 per cent for the month and for the year.

"Markets are looking for a cut earlier in the U.S. and are less certain that the European Central Bank (ECB) will cut as quickly, so that's why the dollar is very soft," said Niels Christensen, chief analyst at Nordea.

"We also have positive risk appetite which is another negative for the dollar. Going into 2024, the soft dollar will be a theme towards the March central bank meetings."

A weakening dollar, meanwhile, brought relief to other currencies, with the euro last at $1.1049, hovering just below a five-month peak of $1.11395 reached on Thursday and on track to rise more than 3 per cent for the year, its first positive year since 2020.

Sterling was on track for a 5 per cent yearly gain, its best performance since 2017. The British pound was last 0.2 per cent lower on the day at $1.2711.

While policymakers at the ECB and the Bank of England (BoE) did not signal any imminent rate cuts at their policy meetings this month, traders continue to bet that a Fed pivot and the prospect of lower U.S. rates next year would give room for other major central banks to follow suit.

"While it feels like the market might have moved too far too fast, the facts are that growth is non-existent in Europe, slowing in the U.S., and inflation is falling globally," said CJ Cowan, portfolio manager at Quilter Investors.

"The ECB is famously slow to change policy course so almost two cuts priced by April looks aggressive, even if it might be the right thing to do."

Elsewhere in Europe, the Norwegian crown strengthened against both the euro and the dollar on |Friday after the Norwegian central bank said it would sharply reduce its purchase of foreign exchange for the sovereign wealth fund in January, cutting it to 350 million Norwegian crowns ($34.41 million) per day from 1.4 billion previously.

"It was a surprise that they announced such a low number," Nordea's Christensen said.

"It's good news for the Norwegian crown and supports the rally that we've seen in December."

ASIA CONTRAST

The yen is set to fall more than 7 per cent in 2023, extending its losses into a third straight year, as the Japanese currency continues to come under pressure from the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) ultra-loose monetary policy stance.

While market expectations are for the BOJ to exit negative interest rates in 2024, the central bank continues to stand by its dovish line and has provided little clues on if, and how, such a scenario could play out.

"The outlook for Japan is encouraging going into 2024, with expectations of robust economic growth and improving inflation that shows signs of being sustainable," said Aadish Kumar, international economist at T. Rowe Price, citing a weak currency and accommodative policy stance as "key supports" to the view.

"Any potential moves to tighten policy via a hike in interest rates represent a key risk to the outlook. Given the BOJ will not want to risk undoing all the good work achieved to date, we believe it will remain dovish in its communication and keep policy accommodative."

The yen was last 0.3 per cent weaker at 141.835 per dollar.

In China, the onshore yuan was headed for a yearly loss of nearly 3 per cent, pressured by a faltering post-COVID recovery in the world's second-largest economy.

The yuan last stood at 7.111 per dollar, while its offshore counterpart was last at 7.1286 per dollar.

($1 = 10.1702 Norwegian crowns)

Source: Reuters

Oil prices to end year 10% lower as demand concerns snap winning streak

An employee demonstrates a sample of crude oil in the Yarakta Oil Field, owned by Irkutsk Oil Company (INK), in Irkutsk Region, Russia in this picture illustration taken March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko/Illustration/Files

29 Dec 2023 10:29AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 03:59PM)

SINGAPORE :Oil prices are set to end 2023 about 10 per cent lower, the first annual decline in two years, after geopolitical concerns, production cuts and global measures to rein in inflation triggered wild fluctuations in prices.

Brent crude futures were up 33 cents, or 0.4 per cent, at $77.48 a barrel at 0756 GMT on Friday, the last trading day of 2023, while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were trading 20 cents, or 0.3 per cent higher, at $71.97.

On Friday, oil prices stabilised after falling 3 per cent the previous day as more shipping firms prepared to transit the Red Sea route. Major firms had stopped using Red Sea routes after Yemen's Houthi militant group began targeting vessels.

Still, both benchmarks are on track to close at the lowest year-end levels since 2020, when the pandemic battered demand and sent prices nosediving.

Production cuts by the OPEC+ have proved insufficient to prop up prices, with the benchmarks declining nearly 20 per cent from their highest level this year.

Oil's weak year-end performance contrasts with global equities, which are on track to end 2023 higher.

The MSCI equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, is up about 20 per cent from the beginning of the year, as investors ramp up bets on rapid-fire rate cuts from the U.S. Federal Reserve next year.

In the currency market, the dollar was rooted on the back foot and headed for a 2 per cent decline this year after two years of strong gains.

The expected interest rate cuts, which could reduce consumer borrowing costs in major consuming regions, and a weaker dollar, which makes oil less expensive for foreign purchasers, could boost demand in 2024, industry officials say.

A Reuters survey of 30 economists and analysts forecasts Brent crude to average $84.43 a barrel in 2024, compared with an average of around $80 a barrel this year and the highs of over $100 in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Source: Reuters

Huawei forecasts 9% revenue growth in 2023 as smartphones surge

A person checks a Huawei Mate 60 Pro smartphone displayed at a Huawei flagship store in Beijing, China September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Files

A man checks Huawei's Mate 60 series smartphones displayed at a Huawei store in Shanghai, China September 8, 2023. REUTERS/Aly Song/Files

Huawei's latest teleconference system is shown inside a Huawei building in Shenzhen in southern China March 16, 2012. REUTERS/Bobby Yip/Files

29 Dec 2023 10:07AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 05:01PM)

BEIJING: Chinese tech giant Huawei Technologies expects to report revenue exceeding 700 billion yuan (US$98.5 billion) for 2023, according to comments from rotating chairman Ken Hu in an internal New Year message seen by Reuters.

The figure indicates around 9 per cent year-over-year revenue growth from the 642.3 billion yuan reported in 2022.

The forecast offers further evidence that Huawei is rebounding after U.S. sanctions starting in 2019 crippled some of its business lines by restricting access to critical global technologies such as advanced chips.

"Thanks to our partners across the value chain for standing with us through thick and thin. And I'd also like to thank every member of the Huawei team for embracing the struggle – for never giving up," Hu said.

"After years of hard work, we've managed to weather the storm. And now we're pretty much back on track."

In the message sent to staff, Hu said Huawei's device business segment, which includes its smartphone business, had performed better than expected in 2023.

In a surprising move in August, Huawei launched its Mate60 series of smartphones, which are believed to be powered by a domestically developed chipset. The release was widely viewed as marking Huawei's comeback into the high-end smartphone market after years of struggling under US sanctions.

Huawei's smartphone shipments surged 83 per cent in October year-on-year, helping the overall Chinese smartphone market to grow 11 per cent over the same period, according to Counterpoint.

Looking ahead to 2024, Huawei said in the letter the device business would be one of the major business lines it would focus on for expansion.

"Our device business needs to double down on its commitment to developing best-in-class products and building a high-end brand with a human touch," the letter said.

Still, Huawei acknowledged in the letter that it faces significant challenges.

"Geopolitical and economic uncertainties abound, while technology restrictions and trade barriers continue to have an impact on the world," Hu noted.

To tackle these challenges, Hu said Huawei would focus on strengthening the efficiency of its business operations. This included initiatives to "streamline HQ, simplify management, and ensure consistent policy while making adjustments where needed".

Source: Reuters/gs

Indonesia's Aneka Tambang sells shares of subsidiaries to world's biggest EV battery company

The logo of PT Aneka Tambang Tbk is pictured at its headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 28, 2016. REUTERS/Beawiharta/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 10:00AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 10:47AM)

JAKARTA : Indonesian miner Aneka Tambang has sold shares worth $467.18 million in two of its subsidiaries to a unit of the world's biggest electric vehicle battery maker, China's Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL).

In a disclosure published late on Thursday, Aneka Tambang, known as Antam, said it made the sales to Ningbo Contemporary Brunp Lygend Co Ltd (CBL) through the latter's Hong Kong unit. CBL is a holding subsidiary of CATL , according to its website.

The sales, which were completed on Thursday, mean CBL controls 49 per cent of PT Sumberdaya Arindo and 60 per cent of PT Feni Haltim.

The sales are part of an agreement to set up joint ventures to develop an electric vehicle "ecosystem" in Indonesia, the statement said, which includes a plan to build a high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) plant to process nickel ore into materials used in batteries.

The government of Indonesia, home to the world's largest nickel reserves, has set an ambitious target of producing some 600,000 EVs by 2030. That would be more than 100 times the number sold in Indonesia in the first half of 2023.

Companies like China's Neta EV brand, Japan's Mitsubishi Motors and South Korea's Hyundai Motors have already invested in Indonesia's burgeoning EV battery industry. The country is also wooing Tesla and BYD.

Source: Reuters

Elon Musk's X fails to block California's content moderation law

FILE PHOTO: The new logo of Twitter is seen in this illustration taken, July 24, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 09:30AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 09:42AM)

Elon Musk's X on Thursday failed to block a California state law that requires social media companies to publicly disclose how they moderate certain content on their platforms.

X, formerly known as Twitter, in September sued California to undo the content moderation law, saying the law violated its free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment and California's state constitution.

The law requires social media companies with a sizable gross annual revenue to issue semiannual reports that describe their content moderation practices, and provide data on the number of objectionable posts and how they were addressed.

U.S. District Judge William Shubb in an eight-page decision dismissed the social media company's request.

"While the reporting requirement does appear to place a substantial compliance burden on social medial companies, it does not appear that the requirement is unjustified or unduly burdensome within the context of First Amendment law," Shubb wrote.

X did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Shubb will meet with the lawyers in the case on Feb. 26 for a scheduling conference.

Shubb held "terms of service" requirements of the law to be integral and said their presence could be a major deciding factor for users.

X has been under fire regarding its content moderation rules, with many companies pausing advertising on the platform. Since Musk took over X in October 2022, its monthly U.S. ad revenue declined at least 55 per cent year-over-year each month, according to third-party data provided to Reuters in October.

The social media platform also faces scrutiny in Europe. The European Union earlier this month said it was investigating X over suspected breaches of obligations, partly relating to posts following Hamas' attacks on Israel, its first probe under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Following Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, X and other social media companies were flooded with fake images and misleading information.

X said it remains committed to complying with the DSA and is cooperating with the regulatory process.

The case is X Corp v Bonta, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, No. 2:23-cv-01939.

Source: Reuters

BOC Aviation agrees to buy six Airbus aircraft

FILE PHOTO: The logo of Airbus is pictured outside the Airbus facility in Saint-Nazaire, France, November 7, 2023. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File photo

29 Dec 2023 08:19AM

Aircraft lessor BOC Aviation said on Friday it agreed to buy four Airbus A321NEO and two Airbus A320NEO aircraft from Airbus S.A.S on Dec. 27.

The company said the delivery of the aircraft had been scheduled for 2027 and 2028. It did not disclose the deal value under the agreement.

Source: Reuters

Australia's Eagers Automotive faces operational hurdles after cyber security incident

FILE PHOTO: A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

29 Dec 2023 08:00AM

Australia's Eagers Automotive said on Friday a cyber incident impacting some of its IT systems is affecting the company's ability to finalise transactions for certain new vehicles, which have been sold and ready for delivery.

Corporate Australia has seen an alarming rise in cyber security breaches since last year, even prompting the country's government to reform cyber security rules. Australia set up an agency in February this year to oversee government investment and help coordinate responses to hacker attacks.

Eagers said the extent of the operational impact varied across regions and business units in Australia and New Zealand.

The financial impact of the cyber incident for fiscal 2023 primarily relates to the deferral in the recognition of these transactions across the last five days of December, the automotive retailer said in a statement.

The deferred transactions are expected to hit the company's statutory profit before tax for fiscal 2023, although it is not expected to be material, Eagers said.

"The deferred transactions are expected to be recognised in the 2024 financial year once they have been appropriately finalised within our systems," the company said.

Eagers, however, remains confident that it will deliver record underlying operating profit before tax for the 2023 financial year.

Source: Reuters

South Korea inflation in December eases for second month

FILE PHOTO: Lee Sang-jae, owner of a meat restaurant, cuts meat at a restaurant in Seoul, South Korea, June 23, 2022. Picture taken June 23, 2022. REUTERS/ Heo Ran/File photo

29 Dec 2023 07:12AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 08:23AM)

SEOUL: South Korea's annual consumer inflation eased for a second month in December and came in below market expectations, backing policymakers' outlook that price pressure will gradually ease through 2024.

The December consumer price index (CPI) gained 3.2 per cent from a year earlier, compared with a rise of 3.3 per cent in November, and was weaker than a median 3.3 per cent rise tipped in a Reuters survey.

The index flatlined on a monthly basis.

Friday's inflation data supports the Bank of Korea's view on the near-term inflation path, which is that price pressure will gradually ease to near the bank's target level of 2 per cent towards the end of next year as policymakers gear up to a pivot to monetary policy easing.

For the 2023 full year, consumer inflation eased to 3.6 per cent from 5.1 per cent in 2022.

Most economists see the BOK as having reached its peak rate and expect it to start easing policy from the third quarter of next year as cooling inflation makes a restrictive policy rate at 3.50 per cent difficult to justify to the public.

A breakdown of the data showed prices of fresh food items surged 14.5 per cent year-on-year in December but prices of industrial goods rose 2.1 per cent year-on-year, slowing from 2.5 per cent in November.

Source: Reuters/ga

Judge sides with US SEC, says Terraform Labs crypto founder Do Kwon violated law

The seal of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, DC, US on May 12, 2021. (File photo: Reuters/Andrew Kelly)

29 Dec 2023 06:08AM (Updated: 29 Dec 2023 11:09AM)

NEW YORK: A federal judge ruled on Thursday (Dec 28) that cryptocurrency entrepreneur Do Kwon and his company Terraform Labs violated United States law by failing to register two digital currencies that collapsed in 2022.

US District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan sided with the Securities and Exchange Commission in its case stemming from the implosion of the TerraUSD and Luna currencies.

Rakoff also denied summary judgment to both sides on the SEC's fraud claims, which will proceed toward a scheduled Jan 29, 2024 trial. He dismissed SEC claims that the defendants illegally offered security-based swaps.

A Terraform spokesman said the company strongly disagreed with the decision, did not believe its tokens were securities, and would continue defending against the SEC's "meritless" fraud claims at trial.

The SEC had no immediate comment.

Kwon, a South Korean native, has also been charged with fraud by US prosecutors in Manhattan.

He has been fighting extradition to the United States from Montenegro, where he was arrested in March several hours before the criminal fraud charges were announced.

Kwon had designed TerraUSD, a "stablecoin" designed to maintain a constant US$1 price, and Luna, a more traditional token whose value fluctuated but was closely linked to TerraUSD.

Both cryptocurrencies lost an estimated US$40 billion or more when TerraUSD proved unable in May 2022 to maintain its US$1 peg.

Their collapse also dragged down the value of other cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin.

The SEC contended that four of the defendants' crypto assets, including TerraUSD and Luna, were unregistered securities because they qualified as "investment contracts".

It also accused Terraform and Kwon of repeatedly misleading investors about the stability of TerraUSD, including by claiming that their cryptocurrencies would increase in value.

"NO GENUINE DISPUTE"

In a 71-page decision, Rakoff said there was "no genuine dispute" that the four crypto assets were securities under a 1946 US Supreme Court decision defining investment contracts.

The Court ruled in that case, SEC versus WJ Howey Co, that an investment of money in a common enterprise, with profits to come solely from others' efforts, was an investment contract.

But the judge also said reasonable jurors could disagree over whether the defendants intended to defraud investors in multiple statements about Terraform's business.

These included statements about TerraUSD's temporary May 2021 failure to maintain its US$1 peg, and how a popular Korean mobile payment app used the Terraform blockchain to settle transactions and supported Luna's value.

Rakoff said the SEC's remedies for the sale of unregistered securities would be decided once the defendants' liability on the fraud claims has been resolved.

The cryptocurrency industry has fiercely denied that its tokens qualify as securities.

It won a victory in July when another judge on the Manhattan federal court said some tokens sold by Ripple Labs did not qualify as securities, because purchasers did not know if their money went to Ripple or third parties.

The case is SEC versus Terraform Labs et al, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 23-01346.

Source: Reuters/wk

Table of Contents

ChannelNewsAsia: 29 Dec, 2023

Singapore

20 weeks' jail for man who used fake Malaysian passport after thinking he was wanted by Singapore police

Seniors play modified versions of sports like floorball, badminton as active ageing centres aim to inject fun

Doctors see surge in patients in clinics, online amid COVID-19 wave

Singapore Tourism Board to get new chairman on Jan 1

Consumers face third straight quarter of hikes in electricity and gas prices

Man who tried to pull open MRT doors handed another charge for causing annoyance to commuters

'I am also the victim of the mosquito': Woman fined for mosquito breeding in toilet bowl after losing trial

15-year-old girl missing since Dec 18 found: Police

Singapore actors Ayden Sng and Glenn Yong make it to 100 Most Handsome Faces list for 2023

Nutri-Grade labels? Some Singaporeans draw a blank at new health mark for freshly made drinks

Commentary: In an age of scams, why are banks still asking users for personal information over the phone?

PM Lee urges vigilance against deepfakes after 'completely bogus' video of him emerges

Rimowa suitcase for S$4 on 'iShopChangi Singapore'? Don’t fall for the scam, say police

Asia

Family and friends bid final farewell to Parasite star Lee Sun-kyun

How Taiwan’s voters will choose their next president

Xi reveals China's push for global power after secret meeting on foreign policy

China's new thirst for coffee spurs cut-throat cafe competition

Indonesia navy drives away boat carrying Rohingya: Military

Fog, haze in China as New Year travellers brace for potential disruptions

Former Hong Kong independence group leader Tony Chung seeks asylum in Britain

Take a day trip to Taiping from Ipoh or Penang: What to eat, do and shop in this Perak town

Russia says some in the West are hinting at looking for peace in Ukraine

Mistaken cutting of power caused Nepal plane crash that killed 72: Report

China's military lashes out at US after breakthrough talks

Vietnam's Ha Long Bay losing its hue as pollution, over-development sink in

Business

China developer Guangzhou R&F co-founder Zhang Li resigns as CEO

Grifols sells 20% stake in Shanghai RAAS to Haier Group for $1.8 billion

JD.com wins antimonopoly lawsuit against Alibaba

China to lower dollar, euro weightings in CFETS yuan basket index in 2024

Nvidia launches new gaming chip for China to comply with US export controls

Strong gains for cocoa, iron ore in 2023 as energy prices dip

Boeing says Chinese airlines resumed operating all 737 MAXs in 2023

Asian shares set to snap two-year losing streak on rate cut wagers

Vietnam 2023 economic growth slows to 5.05% as exports fall

Dollar set to snap two-year winning streak on 2024 rate cut bets

Oil prices to end year 10% lower as demand concerns snap winning streak

Huawei forecasts 9% revenue growth in 2023 as smartphones surge

Indonesia's Aneka Tambang sells shares of subsidiaries to world's biggest EV battery company

Elon Musk's X fails to block California's content moderation law

BOC Aviation agrees to buy six Airbus aircraft

Australia's Eagers Automotive faces operational hurdles after cyber security incident

South Korea inflation in December eases for second month

Judge sides with US SEC, says Terraform Labs crypto founder Do Kwon violated law