Taiwan minister says TSMC has received China chip waiver extension from US
Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC has been granted a waiver extension by the US to provide US chip equipment to its Chinese factories, according to Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua on Friday( Oct 13 ). The Biden administration released a comprehensive set of export restrictions in October, including restricting China’s access toContinue Reading
China’s consumer prices stall, factory deflation persists
BEIJING: In the second-largest economy in the world, China’s consumer prices dropped and factory gate prices decreased significantly faster than anticipated in September. Both indicators continued to show consistent deflationary pressures. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics( NBS ) that was released on Friday( Oct 13 ),Continue Reading
India v Pakistan: Battle of nerves at arch-rivals’ cricket World Cup clash
Getty ImagesCricket’s most famous rivalry resumes as hosts India take on arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing World Cup in Ahmedabad.
The match on Saturday has been described as the “blockbuster event” of the tournament – millions will tune in to watch the clash and the 132,000-capacity stadium is expected to be full.
Both sides have made confident starts in the tournament, winning their first two matches.
But India v Pakistan is one competition where past performances don’t guarantee a win. It’s the ultimate test of skill, preparedness, strategy and above everything else, nerves.
With millions of cheering fans who see the match as a war, it comes down to the players’ ability to keep the noise out and treat it like any other game.
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Both teams have players who can do this to put up a performance that matches the monumental occasion.
India will start as firm favourites because of their uncanny record of winning all seven World Cup matches against Pakistan.
But the visitors are unpredictable.
They entered the Asia Cup in September as the world’s top one-day team but crashed out in the semi-finals. But when it’s their day, Pakistan can dismantle any side.
Their batting prowess revolves around their charismatic but often understated captain Babar Azam. His sublime stroke play is a treat to watch but what makes him special is his ability to switch gears effortlessly.
He paces his innings quietly, almost like hiding in plain sight. Before his opponents realise what’s happening, his score has reached the 50s or 60s and then he starts hitting fours and sixes at will. He also stays calm on the field and gives little away – no matter how the match is going.
India should also take note of his average in one-day internationals, which is at 70 since the last World Cup in 2019.
If he gets going, India will be in trouble. But he is not the only hurdle for them.
Wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan is in scintillating form – he scored an unbeaten 131 to help his side chase down Sri Lanka’s imposing target of 344 on Tuesday.
Abdullah Shafique scored a century in the match and cemented his place in international cricket.
Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq also have the ability to make things difficult for India. But what remains to be seen is whether they can rebuild the innings in case both Babar and Rizwan fall cheaply.
If India manage to run through the top easily, they will be aiming to exploit the perceived weakness in the Pakistani middle-order.
But if the visitors lack in batting, their bowling could make up for it.
Pakistan’s bowlers were sub-par against Sri Lanka, and the team’s sloppy fielding didn’t help them either. But the match against India is a theatre where every player wants to give his best performance. And that is the catalyst that Pakistan’s bowlers might need to bounce back.
It’s often said that Pakistan is a “factory” for fast bowlers as they consistently produce pacers who have either brute speed or swinging abilities that are almost like an artform.
Shaheen Shah Afridi has both. His faultless ability to bowl consistently in the right areas and set up batters for a rash shot is now well known.
India will look to either play him out quietly or launch an attack to subdue him at the start.
Pakistan will miss Naseem Shah as he is out because of an injury but Afridi will find fierce partners in Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali.
Their spin department relies hugely on Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz but there are questions over whether they can trouble Indian batters as much as their pace counterparts.
India’s star-studded battling line-up has the quality to mute Pakistani attack, especially spinners.
Captain Rohit Sharma, who showed his class and destructive ability with a 63-ball century against Afghanistan on Wednesday, will most likely start the innings with attacking left-hander Ishan Kishan.
But he will miss his regular opening partner Shubman Gill if illness forces the latter to skip the match. Gill has been in top form and his absence will be felt but India has enough bench strength to fill in for him.
Seeing Rohit amass runs has cheered Indian fans. He showed signs of being in good form with his seamless cover drives, thunderous sixes and fearless pull shots.
The Indian captain alone can take the game away from Pakistan if he gets going. He is an opener who likes to play deep and finish games. The right-hander scored five centuries – the most by any batter in a World Cup – in 2019.
But if Pakistan can get past Rohit, they will face one of the game’s all-time-greats – Virat Kohli.
He is a formidable opponent for Pakistan. Just last month, he scored a fluent century against them in the Asia Cup to help his side record an emphatic win.
Few can forget his masterclass of an innings where he scored 82 to help India chase down 160 in the T20 World Cup in 2022 against Pakistan.
Many fans call him the “messiah” who emerges every time India need him to perform. His ability to fight till the end often motivates other players around him – KL Rahul is an example.
Rahul was the other centurion against Pakistan at the Asia Cup in September. When India were in deep trouble after losing three wickets for two runs in their opening World Cup match against Australia last week, the team again looked at the “messiah” to deliver – and he did.
Once again it was Rahul at the other end as the duo batted almost until the finish to take their team to the target of 200 on a difficult wicket.
The batting that follows Rohit, Rahul and Kohli also offers no reprieve. Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav are stylish batters who can drop the anchor when needed and also go into attack mode if required.
Then there are the dangerous all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja who can provide late flourishes and finish games for India.
The matches between the neighbours are often seen as a contest between India’s famed batters and Pakistan’s fierce bowling attack.
But that’s not the case anymore. Today India has an enviable bowling line-up who have the ability to overrun Pakistani batting.
Jasprit Bumrah is almost unplayable when he finds his rhythm and he has been in good form since returning from a long injury hiatus. His pace partners Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj are different in nature but can take crucial wickets when needed.
While Shami believes in controlled aggression, Siraj is all about heart and pace. But India may not go with all three pacers if the wicket at the Narendra Modi stadium offers spin.
In the spin department, Kuldeep Yadav has been a revelation. His comeback to the team has been sensational. In the Asia Cup match, he made Pakistani batters sweat for each run and finished the game with five wickets, helping India record an resounding win by 228 runs.
Then there is Jadeja and veteran spinner R Ashwin who can put the brakes on Pakistan’s innings with their accurate bowling. But the trick lies in the right combination – whether Rohit goes with three pacers and two spinners, or the other way round, will be a tough decision.
The teams are likely to wait till the last moment to fine-tune their strategy. Meanwhile, there’s no doubt that fans will get to see a good game of cricket.
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Singapore’s economy grew 0.7% in Q3, improvement on previous quarter: Advance estimates
Meanwhile, the construction sector grew by 6 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter, extending the 7.7 per cent growth in the second quarter of the year.
According to MTI, this growth was supported by expansions in both the public and private construction output.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, the construction sector posted growth of 0.6 per cent, expanding at a slower rate from the 2.7 per cent growth in the second quarter.
Among the services sectors, the wholesale and retail trade as well as transportation and storage sectors collectively expanded by 0.6 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter, slower than the 2.2 per cent growth in the previous quarter.
All sectors within the group recorded expansions.
“Growth in the wholesale trade sector was mainly driven by the fuels and chemicals segment, while growth in the transportation and storage sector was supported by the air transport segment,” said MTI.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, the sectors as a whole shrank by 0.1 per cent in the third quarter, a reversal from the 3 per cent expansion in the preceding quarter.
The group of sectors comprising the information and communications, finance and insurance, as well as professional services sectors expanded by 1.5 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter, following the 1.2 per cent growth in the previous quarter.
Within the group, all sectors, except for the finance and insurance sector, expanded during the third quarter.
The finance and insurance sector contracted largely due to the weak performance of the banking and insurance segments, MTI said.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, sectors within the group collectively expanded by 0.7 per cent in the third quarter, moderating from the 1.1 per cent growth in the second quarter.
Growth in the remaining group of services sectors – comprising accommodation and food services, real estate, administrative and support services, and other services sectors – grew by 4.7 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter, slower than the 6.1 per cent growth in the previous quarter.
All sectors within the group expanded during the quarter. In particular, the accommodation sector saw robust growth on the back of the continued recovery in international visitor arrivals, said MTI.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally-adjusted basis, the sectors within the group collectively expanded by 1.4 per cent in the third quarter, accelerating from the 0.4 per cent growth in the preceding quarter.
Lawmaker says he’s a ‘victim’ of smear campaign
PUBLISHED : 13 Oct 2023 at 07:58
The Move Forward Party (MFP) MP at the centre of an online sexual harassment scandal has complained that he is the victim of a ploy to discredit him as he is likely to face a probe for breaking MP ethics.
In a video clip posted on his Facebook, ‘T.Wuttiphongofficial’, Prachin Buri MP Wuttiphong Thonglour laments what he calls an ill-intentioned campaign by political rivals in Prachin Buri to discredit him and to drag his name through the mud.
The sexual harassment allegation against him was made to divert public attention from his anti-graft investigations that are mounting in the province, the MP said.
Accused of sending inappropriate text messages to a woman, Mr Wuttiphong said it was part of a series of allegations levelled against him by elements who stand to lose from his anti-graft investigations.
He added the text messages leaked to social media were part of a wider conversation he had with a woman more than a year ago before he became an MP.
Despite the allegation, Mr Wuttiphong has vowed to press ahead with his investigations to expose corruption in anti-pollution projects in Prachin Buri’s Sri Maha Phot district.
The MP’s explanation, however, drew criticism from Kittithat Chaiprasit, an independent academic specializing in architecture and political philosophy.
Mr Kittithat said the MP had shown no remorse, offered no apology and proceeded to blame the victim for the crime.
“It’s essentially about someone trying to talk black into white,” he said.
Meanwhile, Srisuwan Janya, leader of the nationalist Rak Chart Rak Pandin (“Love the Nation, Love the Land”) group, on Thursday petitioned the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), calling for an investigation into Mr Wuttiphong for breaching MP ethics over the alleged messages.
The activist said the MP tried to move away from this point in his explanation posted on Facebook, one that is irrelevant to the question of whether he committed the harassment or not.
He presented documentary evidence along with his petition to the NACC. If found guilty, Mr Wuttiphong could be banned from politics for life.
Also on Thursday, Parit Wacharasindhu, an MFP list MP and spokesman, admitted at a press briefing that the party had been rocked by claims of sexual harassment committed by its members.
“What we must strive to do is face up to the problem and mete out justice for the victims,” he said, adding that a culture that condones a cover-up has no place in the MFP.
Mr Parit said the party’s executive board probed two prior cases and punished the members involved, one over a brawl and the other over sexual harassment. The party expelled the latter.
China unveils faster light-based quantum computer
Chinese scientists unveiled a new light-based quantum computer, which broke the world’s speed record in terms of the number of “detected photons.”
Jiuzhang 3.0, developed by a team led by Chinese physicist Pan Jianwei, has 255 detected photons, compared with 113 achieved by Jiuzhang 2.0 and 76 by the original Jiazhang quantum computer.
Chinese state media said Jiuzhang 3.0 is a million times faster than Jinzhang 2.0 at solving Gaussian boson sampling problems, a mathematical model suitable for quantum computation.
They said Jiuzhang 3.0 can calculate the most complex samples of Gaussian boson sampling in one microsecond while the world’s fastest supercomputer “Frontier” would need more than 20 billion years to complete the task.
The study made by Pan’s team was published online in the Physical Review Letters, an American scientific journal, on Wednesday.
“Quantum computers have ultra-fast parallel computing capabilities in principle, and are expected to provide stronger computing power support than traditional computers through specific algorithms in areas such as code deciphering, big data optimization, weather forecasting, material design and drug analysis.” Pan Jianwei said.
Xanadu, a Toronto-based company, said in June last year that its quantum computer Borealis could access up to 219 photons and perform the GBS task in 36 microseconds. It said a traditional computer would take 9,000 years to accomplish the same task.
Some technology experts said people should pay attention when comparing different types of quantum computers as they were built according to different approaches.
There are three main types of quantum computers:
- electron-based (superconducting),
- atom-based (cold atom or trapped ion) and
- photon-based / light-based
About 40% of technology experts believe that electron-based quantum computers will be the most likely to succeed in the next decade, while 35% believe the ultimate winners will be atom-based and 26%, photon-based, according to a survey conducted by Arthur D Little, a Brussels-based management consulting firm.
In general, major technology giants such as Google and IBM tend to focus on making superconducting quantum computers while smaller firms are eyeing the photonic ones.
Key photonic quantum computer makers include the United States’ PsiQuantum; the United Kingdom’s ORCA Computing, Nu Quantum and TundraSystems Global; Canada’s Xanadu; and France’s Quandela.
China replies on Pan’s team at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei to develop its photonic quantum computers.
Within the area of light-based photonic quantum computers, there are two approaches to creating the light sources:
- single-photon (e.g. PsiQuantum, Nu Quantum and Quandela) and
- squeezed lights (e.g. Xanadu and USTC).
The single-photon approach requires more expensive tools.
Gaussian boson sampling
In December 2020, Pan’s team launched Jiuzhang 1.0, China’s first light-based quantum computer with 76 detected photons.
At that time, China said it was the second country to have achieved “quantum supremacy” after the US. It said Jiuzhang 1.0 was 10 billion times faster than Google’s 55-qubit Sycamore, which is a general-purpose superconducting quantum computer.
In fact, Jiuzhang was designed to perform only one task – Gaussian boson sampling.
One can imagine boson sampling as some pinballs (photons) in different positions (squeezed states) being dropped into a pinball machine with various bumpers (beam splitters and phase shifters) and disturbed into different slots for detection. Each additional detected photons means a doubling of a quantum computer’s speed.
Scott Aaronson, Centennial Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin and a co-inventor of boson sampling, said in his blog that he does not think boson sampling will become a form of universal quantum computing. He said Jiuzhang was built only to “demonstrate quantum supremacy and refute Gil Kalai,” whose team at Google created Sycamore.
Some other scientists said Gaussian boson sampling can be applied in “molecular docking,” which can help match different pairs of molecules to support pharmaceutical drug design.
Single-photon detector
Jiuzhang 1.0 is history. On September 4 this year, the machine was donated to the National Museum of China in Beijing for exhibition.
In October 2021, Pan’s team launched Jiuzhang 2.0 with 113 detected photons. In June last year, Xanadu unveiled Borealis, which also performs Gaussian boson sampling, with 219 detected photons. On Wednesday, Jiuzhang 3.0 with 255 detected photons was launched.
Lu Chaoyang, a member of the research team and professor at the USTC, told Xinhua that a series of innovations, including a newly developed superconducting nanowire single-photon detection scheme with fiber loop-based configuration, significantly increased the number of detected photons for Jiuzhang 3.0.
“By demultiplexing photons into time bins through delays, we’ve achieved capabilities of pseudo photon number resolving,” Lu added.
However, he did not explain how China developed or obtained its superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPD).
The first SNSPD prototype was demonstrated by the United States’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Raytheon’s BBN Technologies in 2005. It is now commercially available for about 100,000 euros (US$106,171).
Xanadu said its photon-detectors were developed by the Faint Photonics Group, a unit of the NIST, which was founded in 1901 and is now a part of the US Commerce Department. It added that the detectors require ultra-cold temperatures to operate.
Last November, the Biden administration discussed with US quantum computer makers, including Google and IBM, the administration’s plan to develop quantum computing export controls against China. There has been no public update regarding this discussion so far.
On August 9 this year, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to restrict US firms and funds from investing in China’s semiconductor, quantum computing and artificial intelligence sectors.
Read: China, India race for 1,000-qubit quantum computers
Follow Jeff Pao on Twitter at @jeffpao3
MAS keeps monetary policy unchanged, expects Singapore’s economy to âimprove graduallyâ next year
SINGAPORE: For the second time this year and in line with market expectations, the Monetary Authority of Singapore ( MAS ) maintained its exchange rate-based monetary policy unchanged on Friday( Oct 13 ).
The Singapore central bank stated in its half-yearly monetary policy statement that it would” maintain the prevailing rate of appreciation” of its Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate ( S$ NEER ) policy band.
The length of the policy group and the stage at which it is focused remain unchanged.
All 15 experts surveyed by Reuters had predicted that MAS would delay changing its policy during this scheduled evaluation.
MAS predicted that Singapore’s economic growth would gradually increase over the course of 2024, but it foresaw a weaker-than-anticipated treatment given the uncertain state of the world economy.
Core prices, a crucial indicator of consumer value for MAS, has slowed and is anticipated to significantly decrease over the course of the following year.
” In light of this, it is determined that the current appreciating path of the S$ NEER policy band is sufficiently tight. To prevent imported inflation and reduce regional cost pressures, which will ensure medium-term price stability, a prolonged appreciation of the policy band is required, according to the statement.
MAS stated that it will keep a close eye on both domestic and international economic advances.
MAS manages monetary policy by allowing the local dollar to rise or fall against the currencies of its primary trading partners within an undisclosed band, known as the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate ( S$ NEER ), in contrast to the majority of central banks that do so through the interest rate.
By altering the hill, midpoint, and length of the policy band, it modifies its policy.
Srettha visits to boost ties
13 October 2023 at 06: 38 PUBLISHED
As he landed in Lion City on Thursday to meet his Taiwanese counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin urged the Singapore authorities to further strengthen economic ties between Thailand and the city-state.
As Thailand’s new prime minister, Mr. Srettha intended to meet other East Asian officials during his first visit of the area after taking business.
Mr. Srettha stated that Singapore is still dedicated to being a” good friend” to Thailand after speaking with Mrs. Shamugaratnam and Lee. Additionally, he vowed to keep up the effort to improve diplomatic relations for the benefit of both nations.
The state is prepared to discuss cooperation in different areas that have not yet been fully explored, such as the online economy, clean business and bonds, and high-tech industries, but he also vowed to make the most of the current channels for diplomatic cooperation.
Additionally, Mr. Srettha invited Singapore to invest in data centers in Thailand, which he claimed would be crucial in guiding the economy of both nations.
Thailand also promised to support Singapore’s efforts to increase food safety by encouraging agricultural imports.
However, Mr. Lee praised the governments of both nations for successfully integrating PromptPay and PayNow, two QR code-based payment gateways that enable account holders in each nation to get their funds without having to make a cash withdrawal.
PM mourns Thai dead
The most fatalities in the Hamas-Israel battle
After returning from his trip abroad on Thursday, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin stated that the number of Thais killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict is among the highest in terms of citizenship.
Although the Siamese people are not involved in the conflict, our nation has suffered the most casualties, he claimed.
Repatriating Thais who want to go home is our top priority, he said, adding that any business flights with available airplane should get in touch with the Foreign Affairs Ministry for assistance.
He added that at the current rate of evacuation — about 200 Thais per day— it will take a month to repatriate all 6, 000 Thai workers who have asked to return home.
We’ve considered using land transportation for evacuation, but the route must go through the Gaza Strip, which is an impractical action, he said.
We considered sending Thais to nearby nations like Egypt, but some of the Vietnamese people lost their visas, he said. However, there shouldn’t be a concern with this. The Foreign Affairs Ministry did receive assistance from local officials, the state may ensure.
Thailand has the second-highest fatality rate, at 21, after the United States, with 22 mortality, according to an AFP statement released on Thursday.
According to the department, there were 14 Thais who were hurt in Israel, and as of Thursday, 5,990 Thai people had expressed a desire to return home.
According to federal statistics, there are about 30,000 Thai people living in Israel, the majority of whom are employed in agriculture.
At least three airlines — Thai AirAsia, Thai Airways International, and Nok Air — have agreed to arrange repatriation flights in three days, the Ministry of Transport announced on Thursday.
The PM claimed that Gen Songwit Noonpakdi, the head of the defense forces, was requesting assistance from his Jewish rival in gathering and transporting Thais to the Thai consulate in Tel Aviv.
As Thais wait for return planes to take them home afterwards, Dubai, the UAE, or India are now being considered as potential centres, according to Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit.
Following a Thursday meet with the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was speaking.
In addition to these nations, the state has asked Jordan and other nations close to Israel for permission to operate relocation flights as well, if necessary, according to Mr. Suriya.
The only way to guarantee that all Thais who intend to return back arrive at the airport properly is to go in an Israeli military aircraft, according to Mr. Srettha. Traveling in Israel is now difficult because many streets are closed.
The possibility that Israeli aircraft will soon be shut down presents another issue, he said, and it’s possible that the repatriation flights to Israel won’t be able to transport people back to their homes as intended.
The situation in Israel is getting worse, and rocket attacks are virtually happening nonstop, so we must take that. We will still have wish if Israeli aircraft is kept available and the conflict situation gets better, said Mr. Srettha.
About 120 Thais from Israel will be repatriated by the air pressure on Sunday morning, and another 100 will do so later in the day. On October 18, the air pressure will launch its subsequent relocation flight.
In the meantime, deputy foreign affairs minister Jakkapong Sangmanee stated that the government was coordinating negotiations with Hamas to free 16 Thai victims.
The government was looking for assistance from Asean and other global organizations while also attempting to communicate with Hamas through global offices in Thailand that have good relationships with the Palestinians.
Stage 3 breast cancer kicked her out of her comfort zone: ‘I am bolder and more willing to live my life well’
The first thing Gemma Foo thought of when she first learned she had breast cancer in February 2018 was this heartbreaking question:” Did I work too hard?”
Then came a storm of inquiries, including,” Why me?” Which level is this? My children are still very fresh. I am the only baby. Who does look after my parents and children? May I be able to make it? Do I require chemotherapy? Can cancer be used?
She therefore collected herself, bounced back, and did what she often does: she found a solution.
TIME WAS OF THE ESSENCE, they said.
Foo, 41, experienced a lump in her left shoulder just weeks after her niece was given the diagnosis of breast cancer. The general practitioner ( GP ) she saw immediately ordered a mammogram and an ultrasound of her breasts.
A colonoscopy confirmed that the tumor was cancerous after the testing revealed it to be random. Foo made the decision,” My goal is to find good ,” as he recovered from the shock. But I’ll concentrate on that and take care of whatever needs to be done.