Posts by Mark Darwin
These airlines saw the most delays and complaints in 2024
THE Sunday (Dec 1) after Thanksgiving weekend marked a fresh record for US air travel with the Transportation Security Administration screening more than three million passengers in a single day. That does not mean everything went smoothly, of course. AirHelp, which facilitates compensation for passengers by processing customer service claims for flight disruptions and…
Read MoreIndonesia must shut coal plants every year to hit climate goal
INDONESIA needs to shut multiple coal plants a year while also tripling renewables to meet its new president’s ambition of a full phase-out of the fossil fuel by 2040, according to climate consultancy Ember. The South-east Asian country, which relies on the dirty fuel for the vast majority of its power needs, must “turbocharge its…
Read MoreMicrochip pauses chips act application after scaling back plans
MICROCHIP Technology is pausing its application for US semiconductor subsidies, sources familiar with the matter said, making it the first known company to step back from a programme designed to revitalise American chipmaking. The struggling chipmaker was in line for US$162 million in grants from the Chips and Science Act to support plants in Oregon…
Read MoreAmazon announces new slate of AI models
AMAZON announced a new slate of artificial intelligence (AI) platforms, known as foundation models, at its annual AWS conference, allowing for text, image and video generation, among other things. The new offerings pit it against rivals such as Adobe and Meta, which are racing to serve customers who want to automate more of their services. …
Read MoreCompass to buy Christie’s International in US$444 million deal
Compass agreed to buy Christie’s International Real Estate and other businesses in a transaction valued at US$444 million. Compass will pay for the deal with US$150 million in cash and US$294 million in Compass stock, according to a statement on Monday (Dec 2). The acquisition, which includes brokerage owner @properties, will help Compass build out…
Read MoreExxonMobil considering sale of Singapore petrol stations for US$1 billion: sources
THE largest bloc of petrol stations in Singapore may soon hit the market. US energy major ExxonMobil – which is believed to have 59 petrol stations under the Esso brand in Singapore – is said to be considering a sale of these assets. The second-biggest player is Shell Singapore, which has 57 stations across the island. …
Read MoreNvidia to support AI development in Thailand
US CHIP giant Nvidia said on Tuesday (Dec 3) it would work with the Thai government to develop “world-class AI infrastructure” in the kingdom. CEO and founder of the leading semiconductor design business Jensen Huang met with Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra while on a visit to Bangkok, and the two agreed to deepen cooperation…
Read MoreBrokers’ take: CGS International downgrades IHH to ‘hold’, DBS maintains ‘buy’ call
ANALYSTS are split on IHH Healthcare following relatively flat third quarter earnings and the company’s forecast for its Mount Elizabeth Hospital upgrades to finish ahead of schedule. The private healthcare provider’s RM534 million (S$161.5 million) net profit for Q3 ended Sep 30 posted on Thursday (Nov 28) was nearly on par with its RM532 million…
Read MoreChina bans germanium, gallium exports to US in tit-for-tat move
CHINA announced an outright ban on several materials crucial to chip-making from being exported to the US citing concerns over military usage, in a tit-for-tat move after President Joe Biden’s government escalated technology curbs on Beijing. Gallium, germanium, antimony and superhard materials are no longer allowed to be exported to America as an overall principle,…
Read MoreWalmart Hidden Clearance: Shopping Hacks
Walmart is known for its low prices, but did you know that there are even more ways to save? Many shoppers are unaware of Walmart’s hidden clearance deals, which can help you find amazing discounts on a variety of products. In this article, we’ll explore what hidden clearance is, how to find it, and share…
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