Indonesia antitrust agency finds risk of monopoly from TikTok's Tokopedia takeover
JAKARTA, May 28 (Reuters) - Indonesia's antitrust agency said on Wednesday that last year's takeover of the country's biggest e-commerce platform Tokopedia by TikTok carried a risk of monopoly.
TikTok, owned by China's ByteDance, in January 2024 completed a deal that was agreed a month earlier to buy 75.01% of Tokopedia for $840 million from GoTo (GOTO.JK), opens new tab.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman who started disposable vape ban campaign hailed 'hero' but some see issue
The ban on disposable vapes comes into effect on June 1 following a campaign to outlaw them - and it applies to all businesses and organisations that sell or supply single-use vapes in the UK Disposable vapes are to be banned in the UK from Sunday (June 1) in a bid to cut back on waste. The new law will be applied to businesses rather than individuals, however, meaning that it will be a criminal offence for retailers to sell or supply such single-use products - but not illegal for vapers to smoke them for personal use. It follows a campaign by Laura Young, whose campaign pointed out that a staggering 5 million disposable vapes were discarded every week in the UK in 2023, which over a year is equivalent to the lithium batteries of 5,000 electric vehicles. In the build-up to the ban, meanwhile, Dan Marchant, Managing Director at the UK's largest online vaping retailer, Vape Club, and Co-Founder of the UK Vaping Industry Association, reported that disposable vape sales have increased by 50-100%, with some of the most popular flavours more than doubling according to his latest sales figures. "It's not surprising that adults who have been relying on these products to remain smoke-free are stockpiling ahead of the ban," Dan said. "It can take some time to find a replacement product that the user is comfortable with, so having enough disposables to get you by for a few weeks will be a safety blanket for those who are scared they may return to smoking otherwise." With the ban's introduction, just 48 hours away, Laura took to TikTok to share a video in response to one frustrated vaper who admitted he "doesn't know what to do" after the ban seemingly "crept up" on him. Laura highlighted the "interesting part" of the man's video - a part in which he simply stated he "just likes disposable ones". Laura continued: "It explains the problem - people just like disposable vapes. They don't want to use a reusable. They think it looks uncool and that's the reason they use disposable. "That's where the problem lies - they are very convenient, they are very cheap and they're easy just to use and then throw away. But that's the whole problem - every single disposable vape has a battery, a lithium ion battery and it's full of metals and minerals that are very precious. And then we are using that electronic device and then throwing it away." Writing in response, hundreds of Brits hailed the move including one who penned: "I see vape bars discarded everywhere, it's the right decision to ban them. If you are that addicted to flavoured air you need to seek help to stop." A second person added: "Thank God I won't have to look at bins completely covered in the little stickers from disposables or discarded ones all over the ground any more." A third TikTok user noted: "Vaping looks uncool regardless. I honestly think it looks embarrassing whatever way you do it, so he needn't worry too much about that. I can't wait for the ban, I work for a local authority litter department and they are an absolute menace." Whilst a fourth praised Laura's endeavours, saying: "Well done for achieving something which is really, genuinely impactful and important. I never even considered that each vape had a battery and it was just binned. I can't stand vapes, what a hideous invention they turned out to be." Others, however, pointed out problems amid the ban. One suggested: "The risk is this opens up a massive black market opportunity." Another sceptic told Laura: "Hate to burst your bubble, but many brands have added charging slots to their disposable vapes so they can continue selling. It doesn't make them any less disposable, nothing has really changed." A third vaper shared: "I've only ever used reusable vapes but I think this is unlikely to change much. The people who are littering with them will pay the extra and do exactly the same as they did before. If anything, bigger batteries will be left strewn around. A reusable is only a couple of £ more than disposables." And a fourth individual commented: "You can still get the disposable ones for the same price. But the batteries can be reused now. It's just that now you can replace the pods but they are basically the same. And they will get disposed of the same." Regarding the ban, the government's website states: "From 1 June 2025, it is illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use vapes. It is also illegal to offer to sell or supply single-use vapes, or to stock single-use vapes that you plan to sell or supply. Single-use vapes are also known as disposable vapes. "The ban applies to: Sales online and in shops All vapes whether or not they contain nicotine "You must arrange to recycle any leftover stock of single-use vapes from 1 June 2025. You can still sell and supply vapes that are reusable." The government adds: "The ban applies to all businesses and organisations that sell or supply single-use vapes in the UK. This includes: Retailers – such as convenience stores, market stalls, petrol stations, specialist vape shops and supermarkets Manufacturers Wholesalers Importers Healthcare settings and stop smoking services. A vape is single-use if it either: Has a battery you cannot recharge Is not refillable To be reusable, a vape must have a: Rechargeable battery Refillable container that holds the vaping e-liquid (such as a chamber, capsule, cartridge, pod or tank) Removable and replaceable coil (if the vape contains a coil)." Those who supply single-use vapes from Sunday face fines of £200 with increased penalties for further offences.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Major update in case of lethal methanol poisoning that left two young Australian women dead
Two staff members at the backpackers hostel in Laos where six tourists died, including two Melbourne teenagers, have started working in hospitality in Vietnam. Best friends Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles, both 19, were visiting the tourist town of Vang Vieng in November when they suffered suspected methanol poisoning. The Australians were among dozens of tourists who were staying at the Nana Backpackers Hostel when they became sick after drinking at the venue's bar. It was revealed on Friday by The Daily Telegraph that a bartender and the hostel manager who worked at Nana Backpackers Hostel during the alleged poisoning have found jobs in Vietnam. The manager, who calls himself Pikachu, has been employed at a new hostel. 'I don't know, I go home to Vietnam. I have not gone back to Laos, I don't want to talk,' he said. Asked about staff at the hostel who were detained by police, he said: 'I have not gone back to Laos, I don't want to talk.' 'Maybe one day I go back to Laos but not for a long time. The hostel closed. I have no idea,' he said. Bianca and Holly were among six tourists who died due to the suspected poisoning at the hostel which has remained closed since the investigation was launched last year A profile photo on WhatsApp of the hostel's former bartender, Duang Doc Toan, showed he was working at the Azalea Hotel. Toan, who served Holly and Bianca Laotian vodka, claimed in November last year that it wasn't his Tiger Vodka that made the girls sick. He said he bought the alcohol from a certified distributor and insisted it had not been tainted by himself or his staff. To prove his point, the bartender drank from one of the vodka bottles that were in use on the night to prove it was safe. Ms Jones' father Mark said more needed to be done to address the deaths. 'We want the Australian Government to apply as much pressure as they can to bring justice to all those involved in the methanol poisoning of our girls, the Danish girl and the British girl in Laos,' he said. Eight men aged between 23 and 47 were taken into custody following arrests by police on November 25 as part of an investigation into the suspected poisonings. Among those arrested by Vang Vieng police were general staff and managers. There was no suggestion at the time that those detained were responsible for the tourists' deaths and no charges have been laid. A further five people, who were linked to the Tiger distillery, including the manufacturer of the drinks served, were also taken in for questioning. In February, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told federal parliament that authorities in Laos declined the offer of assistance from Australian Federal Police in its investigation of the incident. He vowed that Australian authorities wouldn't drop the matter. 'I would want to assure the families of Bianca and Holly that we remain in contact with the Laos authorities and that the offer of assistance is being consistently offered,' he said. The teens' families said in a joint statement they were 'extremely disappointed' by the lack of updates. 'As the Laos government rejects any support from the AFP our confidence in accountability and justice for everyone affected remains unanswered,' it said. Nana Backpackers Hostel remains closed as the investigation continues.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Singapore taps TotalEnergies-RGE JV for subsea link to import clean power from Indonesia
SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) - A Singapore government-appointed company will develop a subsea interconnector with Singa Renewables, a joint venture between Royal Golden Eagle (RGE) and France's TotalEnergies ( opens new tab for low-carbon electricity imports from Indonesia. Singapore Energy Interconnections (SGEI), a company appointed by the Singapore government to oversee the development of interconnections to enable electricity imports into Singapore, said on Friday that it had inked a memorandum of understanding with Singa Renewables for the project. However, the companies did not give any financial details or say when the project would be completed in the statement. The companies said that the project supports Singapore's target of importing up to six gigawatts of low-carbon electricity by 2035 and strengthens its partnership with Indonesia in contributing to realising the vision of the ASEAN Power Grid. In a separate statement, Singa Renewables said it has been granted conditional licence from Singapore's Energy Market Authority to import up to one gigawatt of solar photovoltaic energy from Indonesia to Singapore. Earlier this week, Singapore-headquartered bio-based resources and energy group RGE and TotalEnergies announced that Singa Renewables would develop a utility-scale solar and battery project in Indonesia's Riau Province.
