Month: December 2023

ChatGPT-aided ransomware in China results in four arrests as AI raises cybersecurity concerns

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Four cyber attackers in China have been arrested for developing ransomware with the help of ChatGPT, the first such case in the country involving the popular chatbot that is not officially available locally. The attack was first reported by an unidentified company in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province, which had its systems blocked by ransomware, according to a Thursday report by state-run Xinhua News Agency. The hackers demanded 20,000 Tether, a cryptocurrency stablecoin pegged one-to-one to the US dollar, to restore access. The police in late November arrested two…

Adora Magic City, the first made-in-China cruise ship, to set sail from Shanghai

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China’s first domestically built cruise ship is set to begin its maiden voyage on January 1, offering travellers from the mainland a way of getting overseas while still not entirely leaving the comforts of home. The Adora Magic City will depart from its home port of Shanghai on Monday for a six-day trip that will take in South Korea’s Jeju island and the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Fukuoka. Its operator, CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping, is a joint venture between China’s largest shipbuilding company China State Shipbuilding Corp and Carnival…

Surfer, 15, Dies in South Australia State’s Third Fatal Shark Attack Since May

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ADELAIDE, Australia —  A 15-year-old surfer has died in the third fatal shark attack in the waters off South Australia state in recent months. Khai Cowley was attacked by a suspected great white shark Thursday while surfing with his father off remote Ethel Beach on the Yorke Peninsula west of his hometown of Adelaide, authorities said. He was brought to shore, but emergency services were unable to revive him. Surfers died in shark attacks in remote parts of South Australia in May and October. Their bodies were never recovered. South…

China cracks down on negativity over economy in bid to boost confidence

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China is cracking down on negative commentary about the financial market and other sectors as the authorities seek to boost public confidence despite challenging economic headwinds. This month the Weibo account Weibo Finance, which has more than 1.5 million followers, issued an instruction against posting any comments “that bad-mouth the economy”. The post appears to have since been deleted. Bloomberg reported that several other finance influencers had been told by Weibo to “avoid crossing red lines” and to post less about the economy. Weibo did not reply to a request…

Zero-Covid: China’s year of forgetting

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On the corner of Anfu Road and Wulumuqi Road, one of only a handful of places that could stake a claim as the true centre-point of Shanghai, a police vehicle has been parked for over a year. It is smaller than a coach, slightly larger than a riot van and the characters “public” and “security” are written on its side, beneath rows of turned-off red, white and blue lights. The windows are covered by drawn grey blinds, except at the front, where the driver’s seat is empty. On the many…

China’s Luxshare expands Apple production capacity in deepening relationship

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Unlock the Editor’s Digest for free Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Apple supplier Luxshare is taking over an iPhone assembly factory from Taiwanese rival Pegatron, as the Chinese contract manufacturer deepens its relationship with the US technology giant. Luxshare will pay about $300mn to acquire a 62.5 per cent stake in a facility in Kunshan, a city of 1.6mn people north-west of Shanghai, according to a Pegatron filing on the Taipei Exchange. In Asia morning trading on Friday, Luxshare shares rose…

China ramps up warnings against Philippines on South China Sea

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China has said it “will not turn a blind eye” towards what it calls the Philippines’ “repeated provocations and harassment” in the South China Sea. Earlier this month, Beijing and Manila traded accusations over a Philippine resupply mission to the troops stationed at the Second Thomas Shoal, with each side claiming its ships were harassed and rammed by the other. Chinese defense ministry’s spokesperson Wu Qian at a press briefing on Thursday repeated the claim that the Philippines, “in disregard of repeated warnings from the Chinese side, insisted on sending…

Russian FM on Korean peninsula: ‘knots of conflict’ in 2024

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Russia’s foreign minister issued an apparent warning to South Korea, following Seoul’s imposition of additional trade restrictions on Moscow intended to curb its expansionist ambitions in Ukraine. In an interview with Russia’s state-run TASS news agency Thursday, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov called the Korean peninsula, along with Africa and Afghanistan “knots of conflict” next year. “It can be said that at a time when the West is holding onto elusive dominance, no one is safe from its geopolitical intrigues,” Lavrov said, adding that crises may take place unless the…

China invents powerful detonation engine, Mandarin in US schools, renewed MH370 search calls: SCMP’s 7 highlights of the week

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The case of slain Hong Kong socialite Abby Choi Tin-fung was back in court last week. The Post looks back on the details that have emerged so far. 3. China invents most powerful detonation engine for hypersonic flight Scientists at the forefront of hypersonic weapons research in China say they have an unprecedented power solution for aerospace planes. In theory, the invention could make even the longest intercontinental flights take just one or two hours while consuming less fuel compared with conventional jet engines. 4. What US-China tensions? Mandarin immersion…