Homage Launches Esteem AI to Meet Surging Eldercare Demand Across Asia

PRNewswireSingapore, October 21:Homage, the Singapore-founded home care company, today launched Esteem AI, care management software for home care, aged care and disability support providers. Its AI agents handle the paperwork behind each care visit, giving care managers more tim

Thailand's rice exports fall 19 pct in first 9 months amid Mideast tensions

BANGKOK, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Thailand exported 4.99 million tons of rice in the first nine months of 2026, down 19.26 percent from a year earlier, while export value fell 16.84 percent to 2.96 billion U.S. dollars, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday. However, export prices rose. The price of Thai white rice, 5 percent broken, averaged 482 dollars per ton in September, up 28.88 percent compared to a year ea

Malaysian chip-design startups eye global market share

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Malaysian semiconductor companies are working to turn chip-design capabilities into market-ready products, intellectual property and new markets, as the industry seeks to strengthen the country's position in the global technology supply chain, the Ministry of Economy said on Monday. This includes collaboration with foreign companies to explore the joint development, prototyping

Malaysia's export boom lifts 2026 growth outlook, AI demand provides support

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's export growth outlook for 2026 has strengthened on robust demand for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure and electrical and electronics (EE) products, prompting research houses to raise their forecasts, although external uncertainties and fading base effects could temper trade momentum towards year-end. RHB Investment Bank Research said in

BMI research house cuts Malaysia's 2026 tourist arrival forecast to 26.2 million

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- BMI Country Risk and Industry Research has revised down its forecast for tourist arrivals to Malaysia in 2026, projecting a 1.2 percent year-on-year decline, compared with its previous forecast of 0.5 percent growth. Arrivals are expected to total 26.2 million this year, below the 26.6 million recorded in 2025, although slightly above the pre-pandemic level of 26.1 million, the

The Eurovision Effect: Agoda Maps Asia's Travel Interest Ahead of the Bangkok Grand Final

PRNewswireSingapore, October 20: Digital travel platform Agoda has seen a rise in travel interest to Bangkok this November, building towards one of the region's biggest cultural moments of the year with the inaugural Eurovision Asia Grand Final, happening in the Thai capital on 14 November.The contest marks a milestone for the region: the first-ever pan-Asian expansion of the 70-year-old Eurovision franch

Hockey India announces free entry for spectators at men's Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026

New Delhi [India], October 20 (ANI): Hockey India has announced that fans will enjoy free entry to the venues in Jalandhar and Mohali for the men's Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026, scheduled to be held from October 27 to November 5 - marking the return of international hockey to Punjab, which has a deep-rooted connection to the sport, according to a press release by Hockey India.Olympian Surjit Singh Ho

Asia-Pacific Community: Chinese-developed perennial rice takes root in Malaysia's Sarawak, offering hope for food security

MIRI, Malaysia, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- "When I saw the rice fields turn golden, I was so excited (that) I couldn't sleep. Words cannot describe how I felt," Hii King Chiong said. Months after the first harvest of perennial rice on what was once swampy land in Malaysia's Sarawak state, Hii, executive chairman of Borneoland Paddy Sdn Bhd, still speaks of the moment with excitement. When Xinhua visited the expe

Global Tipping Points Conference 2026 Concludes in Malaysia with Kuala Lumpur Declaration and New Roadmap for Asia

PRNewswireKuala Lumpur [Malaysia], October 20: The Global Tipping Points Conference 2026 (GTP 2026) was recently held at Sunway University, marking the first time the landmark global gathering was hosted in Asia. Centred on the theme 'From Understanding to Imagination to Action: Crossing Thresholds for a Thriving Planet', the conference brought together more than 500 participants from 37 countries, including sci

Singapore expands crackdown on Indonesian companies linked to haze

Malaysia unveils circular economy framework, moves to regulate data centers

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia is moving to regulate the development of data centers as part of a strategic direction to sustainably grow the industry and shift towards a circular economy, the Ministry of Economy said on Monday. This will include a Digital Infrastructure (Data Center) Bill, which is expected to be presented to the cabinet next year to tackle concerns about energy and water resources,

(SP)UZBEKISTAN-TASHKENT-TABLE TENNIS-ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS-MEN'S TEAM

(261019) -- TASHKENT, Oct. 19, 2026 (Xinhua) -- Zheng Hong Wai of China's Macao serves to Choong Javen of Malaysia during the men's team group match between China's Macao and Malaysia at the 29th ITTF-Asian Table Tennis Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct. 19, 2026. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Man apprehended at Jama Masjid Metro station with 155 grams of unidentified substance

New Delhi [India], October 19 (ANI): A man was apprehended by CISF personnel at Jama Masjid Metro Station after he allegedly attempted to flee when a suspicious object was detected during baggage screening, with police later recovering around 155 grams of a gold powder-like substance concealed in an undergarment, Delhi Police said on Monday.The man, identified as Mohd. Shuaib, a resident of Muzaffarnagar in Utta

Passenger fares for Malaysia's East Coast Rail Link unveiled

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Passenger ticket prices for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), a mega rail project in Malaysia built by the China Communications Construction Company, were unveiled on Monday. A one-way trip from the Gombak station in Selangor state to Kota Bharu in Kelantan state has been set at 125 ringgit (about 30 U.S. dollars), with discounts available for senior citizens, children and studen

Malaysia's Q3 inflation holds steady at 1.9 pct

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's inflation rate stood at 1.9 percent in the third quarter of 2026, unchanged from the rate recorded in the previous quarter, official data showed on Monday. Separately, Malaysia's inflation eased to 1.8 percent in September 2026 from 1.9 percent in August, the Department of Statistics Malaysia said in a statement. On a month-on-month basis, the headline inflatio