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☆ TSMC talking to US about CHIPS Act 'guidance' amid subsidy concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, April 10 (Reuters) - Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC (2330.TW) said on Monday it is communicating with Washington about its "guidance" for a law designed to boost U.S. semiconductor manufacturing that has sparked concerns about subsidy criteria. "We can confirm that we are communicating with the U.S. government about the CHIPS ACT guidance," TSMC, the world's leading contract chipmaker, said in a short emailed statement. Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua told reporters on Monday that TSMC was specifically talking to the United States about the details of the subsidies. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC) is investing $40 billion in a new plant in the western U.S. state of Arizona, supporting Washington's plans for more chip-making at home. The subsidies would come from a $52 billion pool of research and manufacturing funds earmarked under the CHIPS Act.

☆ Malaysia seeks to decriminalise suicide attempts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Reuters) - Malaysia is seeking to decriminalise suicide attempts, its law minister said on Tuesday, the latest in a recent slew of legal reforms pursued by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government. "This is based on the fact that suicide attempts are within the scope of suicidal behavior and this act is the impact of mental incapacity or psychiatric disorder," Azalina said. In comments made last year, former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin said Malaysia had in 2021 recorded 1,142 suicide cases, compared to 631 cases in 2020. Azalina said the government hopes the reform will encourage those affected to seek help, remove the stigma of suicide, and lower the country's suicide death rate. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Taiwan Dumpling King Steamed His Way to Global Renown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( James R. Hagerty | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Yang Bing-Yi founded a global chain of restaurants known for soup dumplings. In the early 1970s, Yang Bing-Yi was a struggling seller of cooking oil in Taipei. As demand for his bottled peanut oil sank, Mr. Yang and his wife, Lai Pen-Mei, diversified in 1972 by offering soup dumplings and other Chinese delicacies. These treats proved so popular that the Yangs abandoned the cooking-oil business to focus on Shanghai-style dumplings and other food, sold at a restaurant called Din Tai Fung. Then the New York Times included Din Tai Fung in an article extolling 10 “top-notch tables” around the world.

☆ In the spotlight: London hosts Olivier Awards for theatre
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Marie-Louise Gumuchian | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Paul Mescal arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar party after the 95th Academy Awards, known as the Oscars, in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., March 12, 2023. The London theatre community will gather at the Royal Albert Hall for the annual ceremony, named after the famed British actor Laurence Olivier and which celebrates the best productions in the capital. These include nods for best entertainment or comedy play, choreography, directing, costume design and music, as well as a best actress nomination for Mei Mac, who plays younger sibling, four-year-old Mei. Paul Mescal, who was nominated at this year's Oscars, has been recognised in the best actor category for playing Stanley Kowalski in a revival of Tennessee Williams' “A Streetcar Named Desire”. "Killing Eve" star Comer is up for best actress in one-woman play "Prima Facie", in which she portrays a barrister who defends men accused of sexual assault before herself being assaulted.

☆ Taiwan says US officials have visited to discuss concerns about chip subsidies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-Hua and the Speaker of the Czech Republic parliament Marketa Pekarova Adamova attend a Taiwan-Czech Joint Business Council Meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, March 27, 2023. REUTERS/I-Hwa ChengTAIPEI, March 31 (Reuters) - The United States has sent officials to Taiwan to listen to concerns in the chip industry about the criteria for new U.S. semiconductor subsidies, Taiwan Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua said on Friday. The criteria are worrying companies like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS) and SK Hynix Inc (000660.KS), South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Thursday, a concern shared by the world's leading contract chipmaker in Taiwan, TSMC (2330.TW). "The U.S. side has sent relevant officials to Taiwan to listen to the industry's opinions, to collect their views," she added, without giving details. "Following on, if the industry needs the government to help communicate with the United States, the Economy Ministry will certainly assist with communication," Wang said.

☆ Factbox: Asia's carbon pricing and emission trading systems
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Matthew Chye | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here is a look at some of the carbon emissions trading systems (ETS) and pricing mechanisms in Asian countries aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving net zero targets. * A carbon levy will be introduced from around 2028/29 on fossil fuel importers such as refiners, trading houses and electricity utilities. INDIA* Parliament in December passed the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Bill 2022 that sought to establish carbon trading. * Authorities are studying the implementation of a carbon exchange and plan to set up agencies to monitor and verify emission volume. MALAYSIA* The stock exchange launched a voluntary carbon market (VCM) in December with the introduction of the Bursa Carbon Exchange, the world's first Shariah-compliant carbon exchange.

☆ Taiwan welcomes large Czech delegation after Honduras shifts allegiance to China
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The roughly 150-person Czech delegation arrived in Taipei on Saturday, led by the speaker of the lower chamber of the Czech parliament, Marketa Pekarova Adamova. "This visit of the delegation to Taiwan certainly represents that Taiwan is in a democratic alliance," she said. Pekarova Adamova, who is due to meet Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen later on Monday, told the business forum that Taiwan was a crucial investment partner for her country. "Taiwan is not only an important economic partner but also a friendly and democratic partner and deserves our attention and support." Newly elected Czech president Petr Pavel drew a sharp rebuke from Beijing in January after taking a call from Tsai, a clear shift from his predecessor's attempts to win Chinese business.

☆ Malaysia's ex-PM Muhyiddin arrives at anti-graft agency following allegations
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Former Malaysia Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin arrives to give a statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Putrajaya, Malaysia March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainKUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Reuters) - Former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin arrived at the country's anti-graft agency on Thursday, after he was summoned to appear following allegations of abuse in stimulus programmes launched under his premiership. Before entering the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Muhyiddin, who was prime minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, read out a prayer with other party members. Malaysia's constitutional monarch, King Al-Sultan Abdullah, then appointed Anwar as prime minister after he formed a coalition with other political parties. The MACC questioned Muhyiddin last month regarding the same project and has also frozen bank accounts belonging to Muhyiddin's party.

Indonesia, the world's biggest producer of palm oil, raised the mandatory blend of palm oil in biodiesel to 35% starting in February, from 30% earlier, to reduce diesel fuel imports amid high global energy prices and to reduce emissions. The benchmark palm oil contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange slid 24 ringgit to 4,181 ringgit a tonne on Wednesday. An El Nino episode usually results in below-average rainfall in main palm oil producers Indonesia and Malaysia, cutting yields and pushing up global prices. "It used to be palm oil is export-oriented for Indonesia, but sales are declining and domestic consumption is increasing," Fadhil said. James Fry, the chairman of commodities consultancy LMC International, however, cautioned that the correction in gasoil prices could bring down demand for biodiesel and pull-down palm oil prices.

☆ How China's shrinking population could have a ripple effect on the global economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Anuz Thapa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The country's National Bureau of Statistics reported China's population slipped to 1.412 billion last year from 1.413 billion in 2021. Many experts believe that China's one-child policy, introduced in the 1980s, is one of the main reasons for the population decline. "China's one-child policy was a mistake," said Yi Fuxian, an expert on Chinese population trends at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "What's happening in the bedrooms in China is actually affecting what's happening in the rest of the world." Watch the video above to find out what caused China's population decline and how the shrinking population could alter the global economy.

☆ Malaysia Q4 GDP up 7% on year earlier, above forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 (Reuters) - Malaysia's economy in the fourth quarter grew 7% from a year earlier on continued expansion in domestic demand and resilient demand for electrical and electronics goods, Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus said on Friday. Gross domestic product (GDP) for all of 2022 had been 8.7% higher than in 2021, she said. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the central bank to report October-December GDP 6.6% higher than in the same period of 2021, slowing from the 14.2% annual growth seen in the third quarter. Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Bradley PerrettOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WHAT CAN’T chicken wings do? The key ingredient, nam yu (fermented red bean paste), delivers impressive funk, tang and heat. Ms. Lin marinates the wings for 24 hours, gives them a good char and serves them with a ginger-scallion sauce. Though she’s not a follower of football, her wings have become her signature Super Bowl contribution. “I think that’s honestly the best party food,” she said.

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFTX's Big Tech connections revealed, and what soulbound NFTs mean for web3 users: CNBC Crypto WorldCNBC Crypto World features the latest news and daily trading updates from the digital currency markets and provides viewers with a look at what's ahead with high-profile interviews, explainers, and unique stories from the ever-changing crypto industry. On today's show, Calanthia Mei of Masa Finance explains the company's new soulbound NFT protocol on Ethereum.

To secure egg supplies as prices rose to record highs, Malaysia's Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Mohamad Sabu visited Namakkal, in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where several leading hatcheries are based. India shipped 5 million eggs to Malaysia in December, and will ship 10 million in January and up to 15 million in February, according Kumar. The imports from India have helped Malaysia bring prices down from the record highs seen in late December. Having suffered a shortfall of 157 million eggs in November, the market gap was down to just one million in December, the Malaysian minister said in a statement earlier this week. Meantime, prices in India have shot up to a record 565 rupees ($6.96) per 100 eggs.

☆ Growing tensions between Asian palm oil producers and the European Union
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Here is a timeline of the rising tensions between the Asian palm oil producers and the EU over the matter. JUNE 14, 2017EU negotiators agree to phase out the use of palm oil in transport fuels from 2030. APRIL 16, 2018British supermarket chain Iceland says it would remove palm oil from its own-brand food products due to concerns over rainforest destruction. MARCH 13, 2019The European Commission concludes that palm oil cultivation results in excessive deforestation and the use of harmful biofuel feedstocks, including palm oil, should be capped until 2023 and phased out by 2030. JAN 9, 2023Indonesian and Malaysia agree to work together and strengthen cooperation to fight discrimination against palm oil.

☆ Explainer: Why Malaysia is considering a ban on palm oil exports to the European Union
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Mei Mei Chu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It is not clear whether Malaysia is considering a direct ban on exports to the European Union or enacting tariffs. WHAT ABOUT MALAYSIAN PALM OIL EXPORTS TO EUROPE? Malaysian Palm Oil Board data indicates that exports to the 27-member bloc have been declining since 2015. WHERE ELSE CAN MALAYSIA PALM OIL EXPORTS GO? Several publicly-listed Malaysian palm oil companies, however, have established refineries in Europe and an export ban would disrupt their operations.

Indonesia, producer of more than half of global palm oil supplies, also tightened trade rules this year, allowing exporters to ship just six times their domestic palm oil sales volume, less than a fourth-quarter 2022 ratio of eight times. "Indonesian palm oil export definitely will drop, as output will decline, domestic consumption will increase," Fadhil Hasan, an Indonesian Palm Oil Association (GAPKI) official, told Reuters. Indonesia produced 51.3 million tonnes of palm oil in 2022 and exported 33.7 million tonnes, GAPKI estimated. In 2023, palm oil output is expected at 50.82 million tonnes and exports at 26.42 million tonnes, it said. "But India's strong demand for palm oil will continue as it is still the cheapest edible oil."

☆ Malaysia says it could stop palm oil exports to EU after new curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Mei Mei Chu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Since the EU is a major palm oil importer, the law, agreed to in December, has raised an outcry from Indonesia and Malaysia, the top producers. CPOPC, which is led by Indonesia and Malaysia, has previously accused the EU of unfairly targeting palm oil. EU demand for palm oil was expected to decline significantly over the next 10 years even before the new law was agreed to. Fadillah said: “This will mean that we will have to be more coordinated in our efforts in conveying our stand and stance on policy matters that will affect the socio-economic wellbeing of our respective countries.”The EU is the world’s third-largest palm oil consumer, according to Malaysian Palm Oil Board data. It accounts for 9.4% of palm oil exports from Malaysia, taking 1.47 million tonnes in 2022, down 10.5% from a year earlier.

☆ Malaysian urges palm oil producers to boost cooperation after EU rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Mei Mei Chu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Slideshow ( 2 images )KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia on Thursday called on countries producing palm oil to strengthen cooperation following new European Union (EU) legislation aimed at reducing the use of palm oil-based fuels. The EU is a key palm oil importer but demand is expected to fall significantly within the next 10 years due to a renewable energy directive to phase out palm-based transport fuels by 2030 over perceived links to deforestation. Malaysian Commodities minister Fadillah Yusof urged the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) - led by Indonesia and Malaysia - to work together against the new regulations and to combat “baseless allegations” made by the EU and the United States about the sustainability of the edible oil. CPOPC had previously accused the EU of unfairly targeting palm oil and creating trade barriers. Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim this week agreed to “fight discrimination against palm oil” and strengthen cooperation through CPOPC.

☆ With few entry tests, Southeast Asia may gain most from China's travel revival
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Xinghui Kok | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Except for airplane wastewater testing by Malaysia and Thailand for the virus, the region's 11 nations will treat Chinese travellers like any others. As many as 76% of Chinese travel agencies ranked Southeast Asia as the top destination when outbound travel resumed, according to a survey released in December by trade show ITB China. Thailand already expects to welcome 5 million Chinese travellers this year, or about half of the 10.99 million of 2019. Neighbouring Malaysia projects 1.5 million to 2 million Chinese tourists this year versus 3 million before the pandemic. "But for Cambodia, it’s an invitation to Chinese people: Chinese tourists, come to Cambodia."

☆ Malaysia to screen inbound travellers, including from China, for fever
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Malaysia on Friday said it will screen all inbound travellers for fever and test wastewater from aircraft arriving from China for COVID-19 as part of fresh measures to prevent an outbreak following Beijing's decision to lift strict zero-COVID policies. The Health Ministry is taking preventative measures as the country faces a risk of an influx of coronavirus cases from abroad, Minister Zaliha Mustafa said in a statement. Malaysia joins countries like United States, India, Italy and Japan in taking new measures as a wave of infections erupted across China after Beijing's abrupt decision to dismantle COVID restrictions. Zaliha said Malaysia will screen body temperatures of all inbound travellers, including those from China, and those detected with fever or other symptoms will be tested for COVID-19. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

"It's not a question of if it will happen, it's now just a matter of how many and how fast." As the Lunar New Year holiday - typically a peak travel period for Chinese tourists - starts on Jan. 21, some businesses are already gearing up. Japan, however, is being cautious about Chinese tourism due to the rapid spread of the virus in China. Australia, Germany, Thailand and others, however, said they would not impose additional rules on Chinese travel for now, with France taking to social media platform Sina Weibo to emphasise it welcomed Chinese friends "with open arms". "I suspect any meaningful rebound will have to wait until the travel boom in June or July next year."

☆ Malaysia finds body of last person unaccounted for in campsite landside
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Rescuers work during a rescue and evacuation operation following a landslide at a campsite in Batang Kali, Selangor, Malaysia, December 17, 2022. REUTERS/Hasnoor HussainKUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 (Reuters) - Rescue teams in Malaysia on Saturday recovered the body of the last person unaccounted for after a landslide that flattened a campsite last week, bringing what is thought to be the final death toll to 31. Rescue workers, in their ninth day of search operations, found the body of a boy in a sleeping bag while digging through mud and debris, Hulu Selangor police chief Suffian Abdullah said. Suffian said they believe all victims have now been found, but search operations will continue to assist in investigations. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Thailand hosts Myanmar junta figures in talks, key ASEAN nations skip
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Foreign ministers of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia and Vietnam's deputy foreign minister joined the talks hosted by Thailand's foreign minister, according to Thai foreign ministry spokeswoman Kanchana Patarachoke. "The consultation was a non-ASEAN meeting but intended to complement ASEAN’s ongoing collective efforts to find a peaceful political resolution," Kanchana said in a statement. Myanmar Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin attended along with Kan Zaw, minister for investment and foreign economic relations, and Ko Ko Hlaing, minister for international cooperation, Myanmar's foreign ministry said in a statement. The Philippines said its foreign minister would also not join, without elaborating. "Any meeting convened under ASEAN, formal or informal, should not divert from this decision," it said, according to the source.

☆ Malaysia floods force tens of thousands to evacuate
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Mei Mei Chu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

At least two people have died as floods hit five states this week, and authorities have set up hundreds of relief shelters as the number of people displaced grows. [1/5] Residents are rescued by a boat from the flood relief centre as the flood water rise and partially submerged the building at Dungun, Terengganu, Malaysia December 21, 2022. More than 70000 were forced into relief centres, with numbers rising in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, according to local media. REUTERS/Stringer 1 2 3 4 5Videos on social media showed brown water gushing into fields and streets, submerging cars and causing rivers to breach their banks. Reporting by Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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