“Playing” with labour: on collective cleaning in Lao PDR

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries, offering SMEs the opportunity to compete with larger organizations by providing data-driven insights, automation, and personalized customer engagement. Despite concerns about cost, complexity, and safety, SMEs can overcome these challenges by starting small, focusing on targeted projects, and leveraging cost-effective AI tools that integrate seamlessly into workflows. Oracle NetSuite integrates AI into their systems to deliver insights and productivity, empowering SMEs to make data-driven decisions and stay ahead in...

Liang Wenfeng, founder of DeepSeek, transitioned from hedge fund trader to A.I. innovator, focusing on achieving artificial general intelligence (A.G.I.) and disrupting the tech landscape by offering advanced A.I. models at bargain prices. His unconventional approach includes hiring literature buffs to refine A.I. models, emphasizing intellectual exploration, and challenging the status quo in China's tech industry to lead in frontier A.I. innovation. Full Article

Partisan contention in Taiwan between the DPP, KMT, and TPP over the budget led to the passage of a NT$2.93 trillion budget with significant cuts of NT$207.5 billion. The KMT and TPP have pushed for the largest budget cuts in Taiwanese history, impacting defense spending, including freezing funding for the domestic submarine program and cutting funding for a large-scale drone training facility and international exchanges, as well as other government ministries involved in cybersecurity and...

Corning forecasted first-quarter revenue and profit above Wall Street expectations, driven by strong demand for its optical fiber products for AI-related infrastructure, boosted by the $500-billion Stargate project announced by U.S. President Donald Trump. The company expects revenue of $3.60 billion and an adjusted profit of 48-52 cents per share for the quarter, with its optical communications segment reporting $1.37 billion in revenues for the quarter ended Dec. 31, exceeding analysts' estimates. Shares of Corning...

Taiwanese dry bulk shipping operator U-Ming Marine Transport has added two ultramax newbuilds to its fleet through a deal with Oshima Shipbuilding in Japan, set for delivery in April and June 2028. With a fleet of nearly 80 ships, U-Ming focuses on bulkers but also operates in VLCC, cement carrier, and crew transfer vessel sectors. In addition to the recent Oshima order, U-Ming has previously booked ultramaxes from New Dayang in China and capsize bulkers...

Dr. Chen Weinong, a plastic surgeon in Taiwan, performed a vasectomy on himself as a "gift" to his wife. Specializing in eyelid, nose, and breast augmentation procedures, he previously worked with burn patients before opening his own clinic in Taipei. Chen shared a video of the procedure on social media, garnering over 4 million views, as he explained his decision based on his and his wife's ages. Full Article