August, 2018

• 18 August

  Low-hanging fruit and a mountain of debt – how China’s credit binge is playing out

  

  CHANGDE, China — When Mr Ma Heshui set up a vineyard in central Hunan province with a friend four years ago, they were surrounded by farmland. They leased 1.6 hectares (four acres) in a quiet spot on Changde’s northernmost edge, 3km from its main train station. But as their grapevines developed, so did the city of 6 million – and …

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• 18 August

  China complains about Pentagon report, says it is ‘pure guesswork’

  

  BEIJING – China’s Defence Ministry has lodged a complaint with the United States about a Pentagon report that said China’s military was likely training for strikes against the United States and its allies, saying it was “pure guesswork”. The assessment, at a time of heightened U.S.-China tensions over trade, was contained in an annual report that highlighted China’s efforts to …

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• 18 August

  Exclusive: U.S. government seeks Facebook help to wiretap Messenger – sources

  

  SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. government is trying to force Facebook Inc to break the encryption in its popular Messenger app so law enforcement may listen to a suspect’s voice conversations in a criminal probe, three people briefed on the case said, resurrecting the issue of whether companies can be compelled to alter their products to enable surveillance. The previously …

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• 18 August

  Indonesia’s ‘Minions’ aim for badminton glory

  

  JAKARTA – Affectionately dubbed the “Minions” after the little yellow creatures from the 2015 animated movie, diminutive badminton duo Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo will hope to stand tall and win gold for hosts Indonesia at the Asian Games this month. Currently the world’s top ranked men’s doubles team, the pair are among some 11,300 athletes from across Asia who …

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• 18 August

  Digital payment firms fight for Hong Kong market

  

  HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s shopping districts are well known for their fierce competition. Now, a new battleground is forming as digital payments firms fight for retailers and shoppers. Chinese tech giants like Tencent and Alibaba are bringing their payment platforms to a city that has long thrived on cash and credit cards, putting them into competition with the likes …

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• 18 August

  The Rohingya lists- refugees compile their own record of those killed in Myanmar

  

  KUTUPALONG REFUGEE CAMP, Bangladesh – Mohib Bullah is not your typical human rights investigator. He chews betel and he lives in a rickety hut made of plastic and bamboo. Sometimes, he can be found standing in a line for rations at the Rohingya refugee camp where he lives in Bangladesh. Yet Mohib Bullah is among a group of refugees who …

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• 18 August

  Google employees protest secret work on censored search engine for China

  

  NEW YORK — Hundreds of Google employees, upset at the company’s decision to secretly build a censored version of its search engine for China, have signed a letter demanding more transparency to understand the ethical consequences of their work. In the letter, which was obtained by The New York Times, employees wrote that the project and Google’s apparent willingness to …

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• 18 August

  Malaysia believes China harbouring Jho Low: Report

  

  KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia believes that fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, better known as Jho Low, is currently living freely in China, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has reported. The report said that the extradition of Low, a central figure in the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, would be high on the agenda of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s …

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• 18 August

  Chinese hackers targeted American firms, government after trade mission: Researchers

  

  WASHINGTON / LONDON — Hackers operating from an elite Chinese university probed American companies and government departments for espionage opportunities following a United States trade delegation visit to China earlier this year, security researchers told Reuters. Cybersecurity firm Recorded Future said the group used computers at China’s Tsinghua University to target US energy and communications companies, as well as the …

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• 18 August

  Man involved in alleged Haj tour scam charged with cheating

  

  SINGAPORE — A 47-year-old man who allegedly cheated 80 pilgrims of nearly S$100,000 in a Haj tour scam was charged with one count of cheating on Friday (Aug 17). Court documents showed that Fahrorazi Sohoi allegedly cheated one Mohammad Farehan Mohammad Hussein of S$1,550, by duping the latter into believing that he was able to perform a VIP Haj tour …

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