Posts by Stephanie Irvin
Middle East oil market weakens as glut concerns gain traction
The IEA, meanwhile, projects output will exceed consumption by 3.8 million barrels a day in 2026 [SINGAPORE] The Middle Eastern oil market has weakened in recent weeks on concern that regional supplies will outstrip demand, adding to signs of a softening global picture that’s weighed on benchmark crude futures. Among widely watched metrics, the premium…
Read MoreRebate cuts won’t hurt Singapore’s momentum as South-east Asia’s top EV market in 2026
The Republic’s EV take-up is expected to rise due to a continued price advantage and new benefits for electric heavy vehicles [SINGAPORE] The Republic’s electric vehicle (EV) adoption rate should continue to grow in 2026 despite a cut in incentives for passenger EVs, say industry observers. Passenger EV sales will be driven by cost-effective China…
Read MoreXpeng in negotiations partner with EPMB to start EV production in Malaysia
Chinese EV maker aims to make Malaysia a base for expansion across Asean’s right-hand-drive markets [SHANGHAI] Xpeng said on Friday (Dec 12) that it is in negotiations to partner EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB) to begin mass electric vehicle production in Malaysia in 2026 as it ramps up global expansion. Xpeng hopes to leverage EPMB’s existing…
Read MoreIntel has tested chipmaking tools from firm with sanctioned China unit: sources
Two of ACM’s units, based in Shanghai and South Korea, are barred last year from receiving US technology [WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO] Chipmaker Intel, has tested chipmaking tools this year from a toolmaker with deep roots in China and two overseas units that were targeted by US sanctions, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the…
Read MoreFMC to launch restructuring plan, targets plant closures and Asia cost cuts
[BENGALURU] Agrichemicals firm FMC said on Friday (Dec 12) that its board has approved a restructuring plan, aimed at cutting costs, shutting down high-cost plants and shifting production to lower-cost locations. FMC, a key player in the insecticide and fungicide market, has been facing intensified competition in key markets, prompting it to reduce prices and…
Read MoreChinese AI euphoria obscures a gloomier technological reality
Washington and its allies are not supplying the country with the gear required to make the most sophisticated AI chips [TAIPEI] Moore Threads Technology’s phenomenal debut this month, China’s most successful coming-out party since 2019, capped a year in which investors have grown increasingly excited about the prospects for the country’s artificial intelligence (AI) chip…
Read MoreIntel nears US$1.6 billion deal for AI chip startup SambaNova
[NEW YORK] Intel is in advanced talks to acquire artificial intelligence (AI) chip startup SambaNova Systems for about US$1.6 billion, including debt, according to sources familiar with the matter. A deal for Palo Alto, California-based SambaNova could come together as soon as next month, said the sources, who asked not to be identified because the…
Read MoreOracle denies report on OpenAI data centre delays
[BENGALURU] Oracle denied on Friday (Dec 12) a media report that it was delaying OpenAI-related data centres, following investor worries over its debt-fuelled artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure buildout. Bloomberg News had earlier in the day reported that Oracle had pushed back the completion dates for some data centres it is developing for OpenAI to 2028,…
Read MoreAmazon rushes out latest AI chip to take on Nvidia, Google
[WASHINGTON] Amazon.com’s cloud unit raced to get the latest version of its artificial intelligence (AI) chip to market, renewing efforts to sell hardware capable of rivalling products from Nvidia and Google. The accelerator, called Trainium3, was recently installed in a few data centres and will be available for customers beginning on Tuesday (Dec 2), Dave…
Read MoreOpenAI declares ChatGPT ‘code red’ over stiff competition: report
CEO Altman says resources must be devoted to fending off the new competition to its chatbot [WASHINGTON] OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared a company-wide “code red” as its ChatGPT technology faces stiff competition from other big tech rivals, especially Google, US media reported. In a memo to staff on Monday (Dec 2), Altman told…
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