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Tag: asia

  • SoftBank Corp., Intelsat Forge Partnership to Enhance Connectivity

    SoftBank Corp., Intelsat Forge Partnership to Enhance Connectivity

    SoftBank Corp. and Intelsat have announced a pioneering partnership to develop a unified ubiquitous network designed to provide constant connectivity for users regardless of their location.
    The collaboration will see the two companies working together on research and development (R&D) initiatives to achieve seamless 5G integration between terrestrial mobile networks and satellite communications.

    Under their new partnership, SoftBank and Intelsat aim to create a hybrid communication solution that will keep users connected globally, whether it be via terrestrial or satellite networks or using a single device and account.

    This solution will utilize standard architectures, interfaces, and processes similar to those that currently facilitate device roaming between cellular networks. It is expected to accelerate the commercial deployment of mobility solutions based on the latest 3GPP 5G standards for non-terrestrial networks.

    A primary objective of the SoftBank-Intelsat collaboration is to create a universal device that remains connected in different regions and scenarios.

    For instance, a connected vehicle equipped with this device would automatically switch to satellite communication when out of range of terrestrial networks. This innovative solution is anticipated to have broad commercial applications, including in land transportation, maritime operations, and disaster response and recovery.

    The project will proceed through several phases including design, development, field testing, and commercialization. These efforts will synchronize with the evolution of new 3GPP 5G non-terrestrial network standards. The hybrid solutions developed will support both existing satellite terminals and future 5G-based terminals as they become available.

    “Intelsat and SoftBank share a pioneering vision of ubiquitous networking and seamless interoperability between satellite and terrestrial networks,” said Bruno Fromont, Intelsat Chief Technology Officer. “Until now, the challenge was aligning standards that allowed the two different networks to connect. With recent progress on 5G-based standardization of non-terrestrial networks led by Intelsat at 3GPP and this strategic collaboration with SoftBank, we are ideally positioned to accelerate the design and practical implementation of commercial hybrid services that will allow devices to freely roam between satellite and terrestrial networks.”

    Hideyuki Tsukuda, Executive Vice President and CTO of SoftBank, emphasized that integrating terrestrial mobile networks with satellite communication through advanced roaming technology could merge these previously separate networks.

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  • Levi’s to fuel growth ambitions with Suria KLCC Malaysia store reopening

    Levi’s to fuel growth ambitions with Suria KLCC Malaysia store reopening

    Levi’s has reopened its expanded store at Suria KLCC, Malaysia. Spanning 393sqm, this is the brand’s largest flagship in Southeast Asia and part of its direct-to-consumer expansion strategy in the region.

    The new store features the brand’s signature NextGen Indigo format, designed to deliver an immersive shopping experience, with modern touches like LED portal entry and elevated style lounges.

    It will offer various collections including Levi’s Vintage Clothing, the Made in Japan line, and climate-adaptive offerings such as the Performance Cool range.

    Levi’s also partnered with local artists to offer unique, Malaysia-inspired personalisation options. For the reopening, the brand worked with street artist Cloakwork to design exclusive heat press patches that celebrate local heritage.

    In addition, the Suria KLCC outlet has its very own Tailor Shop, offering consumers the option to personalise and customise their apparel.

    Nuholt Huisamen, MD of East Asia Pacific, Levi Strauss and Co, said strengthening its presence in Southeast Asia is crucial for the brand’s growth ambitions.

    “Our ambition is to become a $10 billion company and a world-class retailer, and our international business will play an integral role in helping us to achieve this,” said Huisamen.

    “Southeast Asia – and the broader East Asia Pacific region – holds immense potential for us, with many markets leading the way in creating fashion trends that are quickly picked up globally.”

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  • Singapore private home sales plummet to 16-year low in August

    Singapore private home sales plummet to 16-year low in August

    Singapore’s private home sales dropped to a 16-year low in August, reflecting weak buyer sentiment, although new launches and anticipated interest rate cuts are expected to drive demand in the coming months.

    Developers sold 208 units, down 47% year-on-year, according to Urban Redevelopment Authority data released Monday as cited by The Straits Times.

    “This is a record low for the month of August since 325 units were sold in August 2008,” Tricia Song, property consultancy CBRE’s head of research for Southeast Asia, was quoted as saying.

    The year 2024 is on track to be the weakest for annual new home sales since 2008, when 4,264 units were sold. Market sentiment has remained cautious since late 2023, Song added.

    In the first eight months sales reached 2,668 units, down 49% year-on-year.

    Most developers are waiting for home-buyers’ enthusiasm and more risk appetite to return, said Nicholas Mak, the chief research officer at property portal Mogul.sg, as reported by Bloomberg.

    Demand is set to be tested in the coming months, as 56.2% of developers anticipate a moderately or significantly higher number of units to be launched in the second half of the year, according to a June quarterly survey of senior executives in Singapore’s real estate and development industry.

    Analysts say that sales volumes are likely to recover in September, driven by several upcoming launches, potential improvements in the economy, and possible interest rate cuts.

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  • Vietravel Airlines appoints new CEO

    Vietravel Airlines appoints new CEO

    Vietravel Airlines has appointed Dao Duc Vu, who has 35 years of experience in the aviation industry, as its new CEO.

    Vu took office on Sept. 4 after his predecessor Nguyen Minh Hai resigned for personal reasons, according to a company statement Tuesday.

    Vu has held various senior leadership positions at Cambodia Angkor Air, Vietjet, and Bamboo Airways.

    From 2020 to 2022 he served as deputy CEO and was primarily responsible for managing, supervising flight operations, and training flight crews at Vietravel Airlines.

    The airline’s chairman Nguyen Quoc Ky said that that Vu’s appointment is crucial as the company embarks on new stages of development, with ambitious targets set by the board of directors.

    Vu is expected to play a key role in expanding the airline’s route network.

    Vietravel Airlines began flying in January 2021 with a focus on offering passengers a complete aviation and tourism experience by taking advantage of tourism giant Vietravel’s long-established ecosystem.

    The airline, which operates three aircraft, posted its first quarterly profit of VND10 billion in the January-March period.

  • McDonald’s to shut down 10-year-old HCMC store

    McDonald’s to shut down 10-year-old HCMC store

    American fast food chain McDonald’s is set to close one of its oldest stores in Ho Chi Minh City.

    The Ben Thanh location in District 1, which opened in 2014, would stop operations at 2 a.m. Thursday, the chain said in a Facebook post without revealing the reason for it.

    It was the chain’s second restaurant in the city.

    After its closure, McDonald’s will have 35 stores in Vietnam, including 17 in HCMC.

    Another major American F&B chain, Starbucks, shut down a store at a prime location in District 1 last month after seven years.

    Rents for high-end retail property in HCMC surged to a record US$280 per square meter on average in the first half of the year due to limited supply.

    It represented increases of 18% increase year-on-year and 60-70% from five years ago, according to property consultancy CBRE Vietnam.

  • Google Drive update adds new option to restrict access to folders

    Google Drive update adds new option to restrict access to folders

    Google announced this week that its Drive app is getting an important update that adds the ability to restrict access to folders. Normally, Google reveals new changes to its apps when these changes are rolled out to everyone, but this seems to be an exception.

    This particular update comes as a beta, but it can still be accessed by admins managing Google Drive. But what exactly this update does? According to Google, the latest version of Drive allows shared drive managers to restrict folders to specific users within a shared drive.

    The new feature is meant to offer shared drive managers more flexibility when it comes to keeping relevant content within a single shared drive, while restricting access to shared folders that might contain sensitive information.

    Once the update lands, admins can turn limit access to specific folders. The folders with “limited access” can only be opened by people who have been added to it directly. This means that Google Drive users with general access to the shared drive or shared folder will be able to see the restricted folder in Drive, but they will not be able to open it.

    As mentioned earlier, this feature is only available in beta. However, admins who want to start using it before it reaches “stable” status, can use the form that Google made available in order to express interest in the beta.

    Google says that all eligible customers will receive an email confirmation prior to the feature being enabled in their specified domain. The search giant will start accepting domains into the program in the coming weeks.

    It’s also worth noting that folders with limited access are available in both shared drives and My Drive. This means that shared drive managers will always be able to access folders with limited-access, while folder owners will always be able to access limited-access folders in their My Drive.

    As far as availability goes, this feature is eligible for Google Workspace customers with Business Standard / Plus, Enterprise Standard / Plus, Essentials Starter / Enterprise Essentials / Enterprise Essentials Plus, Education Fundamentals / Standard / Plus / the Teaching & Learning upgrade, and Nonprofits.

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  • Inditex books higher sales across all brands during first half

    Zara’s parent, Inditex, booked higher net income and sales across all of its brands during the fiscal first half year.

    The fashion group’s net income surged 10.1 percent to €5.0 billion (US$5.54 billion) as net sales rose 7.2 percent to €18.1 billion, thanks to the spring and summer collections being well received by customers.

    Zara’s net sales increased 5.4 percent to €13.0 billion, while Pull&Bear climbed 7.9 percent to €1.1 billion.

    Massimo Dutti jumped 7.4 percent to €904 million, while Bershka soared 16.7 percent to €1.4 billion.

    Stradivarius surged 16.7 percent to €1.3 billion, and Oysho stood at €368 million, up 6.4 percent.

    The company ended the first half with 5667 stores, with openings in 34 markets.

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  • Uniqlo to open 20 flagship stores in Europe, North America and Asia

    Uniqlo to open 20 flagship stores in Europe, North America and Asia

    Uniqlo is aggressively expanding its reach by opening more than 20 flagship stores in Asia, Europe, and North America from this month, taking its worldwide store count to more than 2500.

    In Asia, the Fast Retailing-owned brand will open its largest store in South Korea at the Lotte World Mall and its first overseas roadside store featuring a new design concept in Bangkok, Thailand.

    The new roadside store is based on the brand’s Maebashi Minami Inter Store with the concept that customers can learn about the company from a corporate point of view, beyond being a store where people buy their clothes.

    Meanwhile, in North America, the brand will open its first store in Houston and Dallas, Texas, and six new stores on the West Coast in California.

    In Europe, Uniqlo will debut in Poland and Rotterdam with its first physical stores in the cities, and it will open a second store in Rome Termini Station, Italy. More new flagships are planned for Coal Drops Yard in London, at Scotland, at Copenhagen in Denmark, and at Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

    Moreover, the company will open stores in India, a regional flagship store in Wuhan, China, and five major stores in Japan.

    “In recent years, the concept of LifeWear as ‘the ultimate everyday wear that enriches the lives of everyone’ has resonated with people, and brand recognition and customer base have been expanding in Europe and North America,” said Uniqlo in a statement.

    “The company will accelerate store openings in these regions, driving further growth of its global business.”

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  • Amazon and Flipkart found to have breached India’s antitrust laws

    Amazon and Flipkart found to have breached India’s antitrust laws

    An Indian antitrust investigation has found US e-commerce giant Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart violated local competition laws by giving preference to select sellers on their shopping websites, according to reports seen by Reuters.

    The Competition Commission of India (CCI) in 2020 ordered an investigation into Amazon and Flipkart for allegedly promoting certain sellers with which they had business arrangements and giving priority to certain listings.

    In a 1027-page report on Amazon and a separate 1,696-page report on Flipkart, both dated August 9, the CCI investigators said the two companies were found to have created an ecosystem where preferred sellers appeared higher in search results, elbowing out other sellers.

    “Each of the anti-competitive practices alleged … were investigated and found to be true,” said both reports, which are not public and are being reported by Reuters for the first time.

    “Ordinary sellers remained as mere database entries,” the two reports said in identical conclusions on both companies.

    Amazon and Flipkart, as well as the CCI, did not immediately respond to Reuters queries. They have previously denied wrongdoing and said their practices are in line with Indian laws.

    The two companies will now review the report and file any objections before CCI staff decide on any potential fines.

    The investigation’s findings are the latest setback for Amazon and Flipkart in a country where they continue to face criticism for their business practices from smaller retailers, who say their businesses have suffered in recent years due to deep discounts offered online.

    The investigation was triggered by a complaint from the Delhi Vyapar Mahasangh, which is an affiliate of the country’s biggest trade body, Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), that represents 80 million retailers.

    In a statement to Reuters, CAIT welcomed the CCI investigation findings, saying it would study the reports and “escalate the matter” with the federal government.

    Amazon and Flipkart are leading players in India’s e-retail market which was estimated to be worth $57-60 billion in 2023, and set to top $160 billion in value by 2028, consultancy firm Bain estimates.

    In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission has sued Amazon alleging the company uses “anticompetitive and unfair strategies to illegally maintain its monopoly power”. Amazon has said that the FTC lawsuit is wrongheaded and would hurt consumers by leading to higher prices and slower deliveries.

    Indian investigators raided certain sellers of Amazon and Flipkart during the probe, following a Reuters investigation in 2021 which was based on Amazon internal documents and showed the company gave preferential treatment for years to a small group of sellers on its platform, and used them to bypass Indian laws.

    The company has denied any wrongdoing but the CCI previously told an Indian court the Reuters special report corroborated evidence it had against Amazon.

    The CCI investigation report on Amazon said preferred sellers on the platform “get the advantage in the (online) listing” and when a customer searches for any product, “his attention is drawn towards” those listings.

    The practice of preferential listings and deep discounting of mobile phones – including selling products below cost price – causes a “catastrophic impact on the existing competition in the market.”

    In the report on Flipkart, the CCI said preferred sellers were provided various services such as marketing and delivery at a “miniscule cost.” They were also enabled by Flipkart to sell phones with deep discounts which amounts to “predatory pricing” and forecloses competition, the CCI said.

    “The anti-competitive practies are not limited to sales of mobile phones. They are equally prevalent in other categories of goods,” both reports said.

    Flipkart and Amazon for months tried to block the investigation through legal challenges in courts, but the Supreme Court in 2021 allowed it to go ahead.

    Last month, India’s commerce minister publicly called out Amazon by saying the company’s investments were often used to cover its business losses.

    Amazon in June last year said it will increase its Indian investment to $26 billion by 2030, including for its cloud business. It is also targeting merchandise exports worth $20 billion from India by 2025.

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  • Meta receives permission to train AI on your Facebook and Instagram posts

    Meta receives permission to train AI on your Facebook and Instagram posts

    Meta has received permission from authorities to begin training its AI models on public Facebook and Instagram posts in the U.K. This follows the company’s initial suspension of AI across the region when concerns were raised about how it planned to harvest data.

    Of course, modern AI models today were basically entirely trained on public data from the internet. After these models started gaining popularity the internet has become a lot more strict about what data it is willing to share. Many big websites now block AI from accessing their data unless they’re paid for it. Hence, using public data from Meta’s own social media platforms seems like an easy choice to make.

    But, much like how the EU has been a thorn in Apple’s side, authorities weren’t convinced about letting Meta train its models. After dialog with the U.K.’s ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office) Meta now has official permission. The ICO claims Meta will now make it easier for users to opt out of having their data used to train AI.

    The entire thing stands on unstable moral ground, however. Large parts of the internet are, understandably, very concerned about having their data scraped to train an AI model. Furthermore, the stigma against AI continues to grow as some people lose their jobs to it and others just find it annoying.

    That hasn’t stopped almost every major company today from investing heavily in it, though. Meta AI, for example, is now present in some of Meta’s services like WhatsApp. The company is also working on AI-powered AR smart glasses, something it deems the future of computing.

    Then we’ve also got Google’s Gemini, Samsung’s Galaxy AI and Apple Intelligence. Suffice it to say, AI is here to stay, and that means a lot of your data is going to be used to train it.

    AI definitely has the potential to revolutionize the world but I don’t think people will ever be fully comfortable with being used as data points. I won’t be surprised if some regions outright ban AI models from scraping data from the local population.

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  • Thai rice prices dip to one-year low

    Thai rice prices fell to their lowest in over a year as bidders were forced to reduce their prices in a recent auction held by Indonesia.

    Thai 5% broken rice was priced at US$550-565 per ton this week, the lowest since July 20, 2023, down from $585 quoted last week.

    A Bangkok-based trader said the market still considers Thai prices too high. However, flash floods have been hurting short-term harvest yields, so prices might improve down the road.

    Another trader said competitors weighed prices down and that Thai bidders lost out to other exporters in a recent auction held by Indonesia due to higher prices.

    There will be demand from African and European customers before October because those orders would be delivered before late December, the trader said.

    Meanwhile, Indian rice export prices extended losses this week to hit an eight-month low.

    Indian 5% broken parboiled rice was quoted at $534 per ton, the lowest since mid-January, and down from the $540 a week earlier.

    According to the Vietnam Food Association, Vietnamese 5% broken rice was offered at $567 per ton on Thursday, down from $575 a week ago.

    A trader based in Ho Chi Minh City said trading activity remains slow while demand is weak.

    Traders said the ongoing floods in northern Vietnam might have an impact on rice production, though rice for export is mostly grown in the Mekong Delta in the south.

  • 2G network shutdown postponed to October

    2G network shutdown postponed to October

    The Ministry of Information and Communications has deferred the shutdown of 2G networks to Oct. 15, saying over three million users have yet to upgrade their devices.

    The shutdown had been planned for Sept. 15. The ministry pointed out that subscribers need phones that support 3G or newer technologies to continue using telecom services after the shutdown.

    The Vietnam Telecommunications Authority said at a meeting Friday that over five million subscribers have upgraded in the last two months, bringing the number of 2G users down to 3.4 million as of Sept. 8.

    Authorities have been nudging 2G users to make the switch for months, even rolling out policies to help them buy new devices and shutting down networks in some areas.

    But typhoon Yagi has stymied the process, with people and businesses focused totally on coping with its aftermath.

    There is also a shortage of phones, especially budget devices, making the switch difficult for many.

    Pulling the plug on 2G will promote the adoption of 4G, which can help familiarize people with digital and online public services, and free up resources for network providers to focus on developing 5G and 6G technologies.

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  • Volkswagen offers $20K discount

    Volkswagen offers $20K discount

    German auto brand Volkswagen has cut the prices of three models in Vietnam by VND140-500 million (US$5,700-20,300) this month.

    The Teramont now costs VND2 billion, down VDN500 million, or 20%, from its original price tag.

    The full-size SUV, which is imported from the U.S., has high-end entertainment features such as an 11-speaker audio system and 8-inch screens.

    The Teramont X, which starts at around VND2 billion, comes with a discount of VND99-130 million depending on locality. It is imported from China.

    The Touareg, imported from Slovakia and priced at up to VND3.05 billion, is being sold at discounts of VND134-182 million.

    Volkswagen announced the discounts after major brands such as Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Subaru, and Suzuki all cut their prices.

    Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association members’ sales rose by only 1.1% year-on-year in the first seven months to 163,800 units.

  • Banana prices double in Thailand

    Banana prices double in Thailand

    The price of kluay hom thong banana or “golden bananas” in Thailand has doubled to 30 baht (US$0.89) amid growing demand.

    Somchai Nunual, leader of the golden banana and fruit safety group in Bang Kaew district in Thailand’s Phatthalung province, said the price hike was due to the growing popularity of the fruit, while the lack of rain since the second half of last year has curtailed the supply of bananas to the market.

    Bang Kaew district has been the center of the bananas in the province since farmers discovered the soil in the district is more suited to growing bananas than rubber, rice or oil palm.

    Thailand’s Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives predicted that the kluay hom thong banana harvest this year will amount to just 32,000 tons, a massive drop from last year’s 120,000 tons.

    Farmers made an average of 278 baht per 100 bananas last year, up from 243 baht in 2022, according to the ministry. It forecast that banana farmers will pocket 292 baht per 100 fruits this year.

    The kluay hom thong banana is one of Thailand’s main fruit exports, with 80% going to Japan and the rest largely to China and Cambodia.

    Japan allows Thailand a quota of 8,000 tons of the fruit annually, but the actual export volume is only half that because farmers cannot produce enough of the fruit that meets Japanese standards, according to the Internal Trade Department.

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  • Philippines probes Grab over alleged sexual assault of Vietnamese passenger

    Philippines probes Grab over alleged sexual assault of Vietnamese passenger

    Philippine regulators have launched an investigation into the alleged robbery and sexual assault of a Vietnamese woman who booked a ride using the Grab ride-hailing app.

    The Philippines’ Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has requested the firm to explain the incident and given it five days to comply, quoting the agency’s chair Teofilo Guadiz III as saying on Wednesday. If found to be negligent, the firm could be suspended for at least 30 days and face fines.

    The robbery and sexual assault allegedly occurred on Sept. 5 when a Vietnamese woman booked a ride in Parañaque City.

    During the ride, the driver reportedly allowed another passenger to board the car.

    This passenger then reportedly took the woman’s phone and cash, which amounted to 35,000 Philippine pesos (US$623), before raping her inside the vehicle. The driver was arrested by the police on Sept. 7.

    Grab’s Philippine unit said on Thursday that the driver involved in the case has been permanently banned from the platform.

    It has reached out to the victim to offer assistance and will fully cooperate with the Philippine police in the investigation.

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