Taiwan’s entrepreneurs in China feel heat from cross-Strait tensions

KUNSHAN: Bustling Taipei-style shopping streets, majestic temples to the island’s deities and thriving factories dot the eastern Chinese city of Kunshan, for years a hub for Taiwanese businesses. But now those firms are feeling the strain from cross-Strait tensions that have stoked safety fears among companies. Taiwanese entrepreneurs — known as “Taishang” in Mandarin —…

Read More

Dominant Chinese makers of bitcoin mining machines set up US production to beat tariffs

THE world’s three best-selling makers of bitcoin mining machines – all of Chinese origin – are setting up manufacturing footholds in the United States as President Donald Trump’s tariff war reshapes the cryptocurrency supply chain. Bitmain, Canaan and MicroBT build over 90% of global mining rigs – essentially computers dedicated to number-crunching that produces bitcoin….

Read More

Mah Sing new sales in first 5 months of 2025 top RM1b

KUALA LUMPUR: Mah Sing group Bhd recorded a profit before tax (PBT) of RM91.4 million on the back of revenue of RM649.7 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 (Q1’25), compared to RM82.1 million and RM558.2 million in the same quarter of the preceding year, representing 11.4% and 16.4% improvement respectively. The group…

Read More

Fiscal reform to balance fiscal sustainability, social equity – Treasury Sec-Gen

KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s fiscal reform initiatives, including expanding the Sales and Services Tax (SST) scope and rationalising electricity and diesel subsidies, are aimed at ensuring fiscal sustainability while protecting lower-income groups and essential sectors. Treasury secretary-general Datuk Johan Mahmood Merican said one of the key fiscal reform elements is the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which…

Read More

New Zealand approves medicinal use of ‘magic mushrooms’

WELLINGTON: New Zealand on Wednesday approved the medicinal use of psilocybin, a hallucinogenic compound notably found in so-called “magic mushrooms”. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour said rules had been relaxed so psilocybin could be used to treat certain types of depression. Psilocybin is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound found in some species of mushroom and…

Read More