Sunday, 6 Jul 2025

Asia

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Activist fund steps up call for FamilyMart dividend in Itochu deal

TOKYO (Reuters) – Activist fund Oasis Management stepped up its demand that Japanese convenience store chain FamilyMart Co (8028.T) pay a special dividend, saying shareholders were otherwise being denied a fair deal in a tender offer by Itochu Corp (8001.T). In July, trading house Itochu Corp, which already owned 50.1% of the FamilyMart chain, announced […]

Pandemic forces Malaysian palm industry to rethink reliance on foreign labour

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s palm oil producers are embarking on a rare recruitment drive to hire locals and accelerating industry mechanisation as they grapple with a severe shortage of foreign labour due to the coronavirus pandemic. As the September-November peak production season approaches, companies are erecting banners near plantations and posting online job advertisements […]

Pandemic forces Malaysian palm industry to rethink reliance on foreign labour

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Malaysia’s palm oil producers are embarking on a rare recruitment drive to hire locals and accelerating industry mechanisation as they grapple with a severe shortage of foreign labour due to the coronavirus pandemic. As the September-November peak production season approaches, companies are erecting banners near plantations and posting online job advertisements […]

ICA foils bid to smuggle 5,000 cartons of cigarettes hidden under lorry

SINGAPORE – More than 5,000 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes were found hidden under a Malaysia-registered lorry at Tuas Checkpoint last Thursday (Aug 13). The lorry’s driver, a 47-year-old Malaysian, has been charged in court. The duty evaded for the cigarettes amounted to $429,310, and the goods and services tax evaded was $34,760. Immigration and Checkpoints […]

New Zealand reports 13 new confirmed cases of coronavirus

AUCKLAND (REUTERS) – New Zealand on Tuesday (Aug 18) reported 13 new confirmed cases of coronavirus for the last 24 hours compared with nine a day earlier as the Pacific nation battles to contain an outbreak in the biggest city of Auckland. Twelve cases are linked to the existing virus cluster in Auckland, Director-General of […]

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has credit card trouble after US sanctions

HONG KONG (BLOOMBERG) – Hong Kong’s leader said she’s having trouble using her credit cards after the US imposed sanctions targeting Chinese officials and their allies in the city. “As for myself, of course it will have a little bit of inconvenience here and there, because we have to use some financial services and we […]

President Duterte denies seeking 'emergency treatment' in Singapore

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte dismissed late on Monday (Aug 17) reports that he was airlifted to Singapore over the weekend purportedly to seek emergency treatment in the city state. “If I want to go to Singapore, I will go to Singapore. If it is a private undertaking, or if I want to attend the […]

Lawyer admits to consuming Ice and possession of drug paraphernalia

SINGAPORE – A lawyer has admitted to consuming methamphetamine (meth) after he was caught with the drug, also known as “Ice”, at the Woodlands Checkpoint. Mark Tan Teik Yu, 42, pleaded guilty in a district court on Monday (Aug 17) to one count of meth consumption. He also admitted to being in possession of meth, […]