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Sony sees software subscription as future for data-analysing image sensors
World

Sony sees software subscription as future for data-analysing image sensors

Sony Corp's image sensor business aims to replicate PlayStation's success to address its reliance on a handful of manufacturers in the fickle smartphone market: It plans to sell software by subscription for data-analysing sensors in situ. TOKYO: Sony Corp's image sensor business aims to replicate PlayStation's success to address its reliance on a handful of manufacturers in the fickle smartphone market: It plans to sell software by subscription for data-analysing sensors in situ. Transforming the light-converting chips into a platform for software - essentially akin to the PlayStation Plus video games service - amounts to a sea change for the US$10 billion business, which built its dominance through hardware breakthroughs. The effort chimes with Sony's pursuit of recurring revenue a...
Oil rally and Saudi price spikes could hurt refiners, stifling market recovery
Market, World

Oil rally and Saudi price spikes could hurt refiners, stifling market recovery

A view of the Marathon Petroleum Corp's Los Angeles Refinery in Carson, California, April 25, 2020 after the price for crude plunged into negative territory for the first time in history on April 20. Robyn Beck | AFP | Getty Images Oil prices pared gains on Monday, despite the weekend announcement by OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, that historic production cuts of 9.6 million barrels per day across the group would continue through July as the coronavirus pandemic continues to weigh on demand. The move spurred hopeful talk of a recovery for oil prices, which are down about 30% year-to-date after a 56% recovery for international benchmark Brent crude in the month of May. But data from refineries across several regions shows weak margins, or "crack spreads" — the difference between the ...
Indonesia park to spearhead bid to lure China supply chains
World

Indonesia park to spearhead bid to lure China supply chains

JAKARTA: Indonesia plans to build one of its largest industrial parks on the north coast of Java island in a renewed drive to attract manufacturers relocating out of China as Southeast Asia's biggest economy comes out of a coronavirus-induced lockdown. Yet, despite its low wages and huge domestic market Indonesia must overcome decades-old hurdles including red tape, rigid labour laws, and poor infrastructure to be able to move up the global manufacturing value chain. This time, in its quest to emulate rivals such as Vietnam, the government has shown serious intent in bringing about change and is aiming to pass an ambitious 'omnibus' Bill later this year to address some of the pressing foreign investor concerns. At the same time it is pushing ahead with plans for a 4,000-hectare indu...
Malaysia palm plantations urge government to let foreign workers return
USA, World

Malaysia palm plantations urge government to let foreign workers return

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian palm plantations have urged the government to let foreign workers return, warning of severe damage to the palm-oil industry if it is not granted an exemption from a hiring freeze. The Malaysian Estate Owners' Association implored the government in a statement on Friday (Jun 26) to consider the survival and sustainability of the sector and let grower companies that have been unable to recruit locally hire foreign workers immediately. The palm oil industry in Malaysia, the world's second-largest producer and exporter of palm oil, faces a worsening of its chronic labour shortage. It relies on foreigners for 70 per cent of its plantation workforce and almost all its field work, especially people from Indonesia and Bangladesh. Thousands have left the plantations f...
China’s Hopu teams up to take Singapore’s Perennial Real Estate private
Singapore, World

China’s Hopu teams up to take Singapore’s Perennial Real Estate private

SINGAPORE: Chinese buyout firm Hopu is partnering with key shareholders of Perennial Real Estate Holdings, including Wilmar International and its CEO, to take Perennial private in a deal that values it at S$1.58 billion. The consortium, which includes firms owned by entrepreneur Ron Sim and Perennial's CEO, said late on Friday (Jun 12) that the offer comes at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has roiled the global economy. Perennial is a Singapore-listed real estate and healthcare firm. The acquirer said it has secured undertakings from about 82 per cent of Perennial's shareholders, and that Hopu will provide funding to purchase the rest of Perennial's shares from the non-consortium shareholders. "Perennial will require a significant amount of capital to pursue its growth objective...
Football: Davies admits Spurs need fast start
World

Football: Davies admits Spurs need fast start

LONDON: Tottenham defender Ben Davies has urged his team-mates to make a fast start when they restart their Premier League campaign on Friday. Jose Mourinho's side face a vital showdown with Manchester United in north London in their first game since the coronavirus lockdown in March. Tottenham go into the game in eighth place, four points behind fifth-placed United and a further three adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea in the race to qualify for the Champions League. Tottenham were struggling before the pandemic, going six games without a win in all competitions and crashing out of the Champions League and FA Cup. But they will be boosted by the return from injury of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Moussa Sissoko, and Davies believes they can hit the ground running against United. "It...
Coronavirus mortgage bailouts suddenly swell as homeowners face new struggles
World

Coronavirus mortgage bailouts suddenly swell as homeowners face new struggles

As of Tuesday, 4.68 million homeowners were in forbearance plans, allowing them to delay their mortgage payments for at least three months. This represents 8.8% of all active mortgages, up from 8.7% last week. Together, they represent just over $1 trillion in unpaid principal. The number of active forbearance plans rose by 79,000 in the past week, erasing roughly half of the improvement seen since the peak of May 22, according to Black Knight, a mortgage data and technology firm. By comparison, the number of borrowers in forbearance plans fell by 57,000 the previous week. Increases happened every day for the past five business days. After declining for three weeks, the number of borrowers delaying their monthly mortgage payments due to the coronavirus rose sharply once again. The mortga...
SFA recalls 10 winter melon products for high levels of sulphur dioxide
World

SFA recalls 10 winter melon products for high levels of sulphur dioxide

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Monday (Jun 29) issued an advisory regarding ten varieties of winter melon products after samples were found to have high amounts of the allergen sulphur dioxide. Seven importers were directed to recall the products, many of which were imported from Malaysia. The products are as follows: All batches of Zheng Shi Ming candied melon strips (3kg) imported by Yuan Sang, manufactured on Jun 13, 2020 All batches of Sweet Homes preserved winter melon (250g) imported by Bake with Yen, manufactured on Apr 24, 2020 All batches of Winter Melon Sweet (300g) imported by Ah Pau Choy from Vietnam with expiry dates in October 2021 All batches of candied melon (300g) imported by Z T P Ginseng Birdnest from China, with best before dates before November ...
TikTok denies sharing Indian user data with Chinese govt
USA, World

TikTok denies sharing Indian user data with Chinese govt

NEW DELHI: TikTok denied Tuesday (Jun 30) sharing Indian users' data with the Chinese government, after New Delhi banned the wildly popular app in a sharp deterioration of relations with Beijing two weeks after a deadly border clash. "TikTok continues to comply with all data privacy and security requirements under Indian law and have not shared any information of our users in India with any foreign government, including the Chinese government," TikTok India chief Nikhil Gandhi said in a statement. "Further if we are requested to in the future we would not do so. We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity," he said, adding that it had been invited to a meeting with the Indian government "for an opportunity to respond and submit clarifications". TikTok is owned by C...
Tesla’s China car registrations up 150per cent month on month in May
World

Tesla’s China car registrations up 150per cent month on month in May

U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc's China car registrations in May jumped 150per cent month on month, data from auto consultancy LMC Automotive showed. BEIJING: U.S. electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc's China car registrations in May jumped 150per cent month on month, data from auto consultancy LMC Automotive showed. Tesla's China registrations, including imported cars, grew to 11,565 in May from 4,633 units in April. Data from China Passenger Car Association shows sales of Tesla's Shanghai-made Model 3 sedan hit 11,095 units. Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Yilei Sun; editing by Jason Neely)