Investment

Temasek unit raises US$3.3bil in flagship fund investing in China

SINGAPORE: Singapore state investment firm Temasek's wholly owned unit True Light Capital said on Thursday it raised $3.3 billion in its flagship fund that invests in Greater China and has now closed it to new capital.

Plantations

Sime Darby Plantation partners India's Godrej Agrovet

KUALA LUMPUR: Sime Darby Plantation Bhd has signed an agreement to supply high-quality oil palm seeds to Godrej Agrovet Limited (GAVL)'s oil palm business unit and set up a state-of-the-art seed production unit in India.

Nation

Charge on DuitNow QR payments will burden SME sector, says group

KUALA LUMPUR: The merchant discount rate (MDR) charge to be imposed on merchants for payment received via DuitNow has come as a huge surprise to small and medium enterprises.

e-Commerce

PayNet clarifies on DuitNow QR imposition concerns

KUALA LUMPUR: Payments Network Malaysia Sdn Bhd (PayNet) has cleared the air about the imposition of a DuitNow QR transaction fee on payments and transfers made with credit cards from Nov 1, 2023.

Brunei

Boost for Brunei’s business landscape

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network): Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Mohd Amin Liew Abdullah has hailed the role of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Brunei Darussalam (NCCIBD) in expanding market access.

Banking

HSBC to acquire Citigroup China consumer wealth business -sources

HONG KONG: HSBC is set to acquire Citigroup's China consumer wealth management business, which manages more than $3 billion in assets, two sources with knowledge of the matter said, in a major boost to the London-based bank's business in that country.

World

Swiss glaciers lose 10% of volume in worst two years on record

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland's glaciers suffered their second worst melt rate this year after record 2022 losses, shrinking their overall volume by 10% in the last two years, monitoring body GLAMOS said on Thursday.

Nation

Sarawak Governor Taib makes first public appearance following treatment abroad

PETALING JAYA: Sarawak Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud has made his first public appearance after over two months of rest following medical treatment abroad.

Nation

I didn't intend to offend anyone, says banned comic author Cheeming Boey

KUALA LUMPUR: It was never his intention to offend anyone in his comic, says Malaysian artist and author Cheeming Boey.

Living

Towards self-driving autonomy

The assistance systems in cars are becoming more sophisticated, and fewer cars are being made with ‘Level 0’ self-driving smarts. How close are we to a future where cars don’t have steering wheels?

Internet

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicks off developer conference with focus on AI, virtual reality

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the tech giant’s Connect developer conference on Wednesday with a focus on virtual and augmented reality and artificial intelligence.

Style

Give your everyday look a fashionable lift with these beautiful scarves

The scarf is a chic addition to an outfit that can make all the difference to your entire look. Find the perfect one in our selection here, whether it’s silk, satin, or a thicker material for travelling to colder climates.

China

Pop Mart banks on its first global theme park in Beijing for growth

BEIJING (China Daily/Asia News Network): Pop Mart International Group, a Beijing-headquartered character-focused entertainment company and toymaker, opened its first theme park in Beijing on Tuesday (Sept 26) as it seeks its next growth driver and expands its business categories.

Cricket

Cricket-South Africa captain Bavuma to miss World Cup warm-up games

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma will miss Cricket World Cup warm-up matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand after returning home for family reasons, officials confirmed on Thursday.

World

Nagorno-Karabakh Republic will cease to exist from Jan 1 2024 - Nagorno-Karabakh authorities

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The president of Armenia's self-declared Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Samvel Shahramanyan, has signed a decree to dissolve all state institutions from January 1, 2024, Karabakh Armenian authorities said on Thursday.

Nation

Agriculture Ministry: Ceiling price of local white rice to remain at RM2.60 per kg

PETALING JAYA: The proposal to increase the ceiling price of local white rice to RM3.40 per kg has been shot down by the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.

Cambodia

PM Manet and US envoy Murphy hold ‘fruitful’ discussion

PHNOM PENH (The Phnom Penh Post/Asia News Network): Prime Minister Hun Manet and US ambassador to Cambodia W Patrick Murphy held “fruitful” talks on Sept 27, while some sensitive issues were also discussed.

Singapore

Singapore to raise water price by 50 cents per cubic m by 2025

SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Water will soon cost consumers an additional 50 cents per cubic m, starting with a 20-cent increase in April 2024 and a 30-cent rise in April 2025.

Technology

OpenAI, Jony Ive in talks to raise $1 billion from SoftBank for AI device venture - FT

(Reuters) - OpenAI is in advanced talks with former Apple designer Jony Ive and SoftBank's Masayoshi Son to build the "iPhone of artificial intelligence", fuelled by more than $1 billion in funding from the Japanese conglomerate, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

Sabah & Sarawak

Sabah aims to be premier destination for sports tourism

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has its eye on the sports tourism industry as the state aims to become an ideal destination for family-oriented sporting events.