Business
Is Japan the Most Overrated Travel Destination in the World?
Intro text we refine our methods of responsive web design, we’ve increasingly focused on measure and its relationship to how people read.
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. Even the all-powerful Pointing has no control about the blind texts it is an almost unorthographic life One day however a small line of blind text by the name of Lorem Ipsum decided to leave for the far World of Grammar. The Big Oxmox advised her not to do so, because there were thousands of bad Commas, wild Question Marks and devious Semikoli, but the Little Blind Text didn’t listen.
On the topic of alignment, it should be noted that users can choose from the options of None, Left, Right, and Center. In addition, they also get the options of Thumbnail, Medium, Large & Fullsize.
And if she hasn’t been rewritten, then they are still using her. Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia.
A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul
On her way she met a copy. The copy warned the Little Blind Text, that where it came from it would have been rewritten a thousand times and everything that was left from its origin would be the word “and” and the Little Blind Text should turn around and return to its own, safe country.A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents.
But nothing the copy said could convince her and so it didn’t take long until a few insidious Copy Writers ambushed her, made her drunk with Longe and Parole and dragged her into their agency, where they abused her for their projects again and again.
Far far away, behind the word mountains, far from the countries Vokalia and Consonantia, there live the blind texts. Separated they live in Bookmarksgrove right at the coast of the Semantics, a large language ocean. A small river named Duden flows by their place and supplies it with the necessary regelialia. It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth.
What to do in Uluwatu Bali
A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table – Samsa was a travelling salesman – and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice, gilded frame. It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer.
Gregor then turned to look out the window at the dull weather. Drops of rain could be heard hitting the pane, which made him feel quite sad. “How about if I sleep a little bit longer and forget all this nonsense”, he thought, but that was something he was unable to do because he was used to sleeping on his right, and in his present state couldn’t get into that position. However hard he threw himself onto his right, he always rolled back to where he was.
One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment. His many legs, pitifully thin compared with the size of the rest of him, waved about helplessly as he looked. “What’s happened to me? ” he thought. It wasn’t a dream.
His room, a proper human room although a little too small, lay peacefully between its four familiar walls. A collection of textile samples lay spread out on the table – Samsa was a travelling salesman – and above it there hung a picture that he had recently cut out of an illustrated magazine and housed in a nice, gilded frame.
Hidden beach paradise that Balinese would never tell you
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It is a paradisematic country, in which roasted parts of sentences fly into your mouth. One morning, when Gregor Samsa woke from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a horrible vermin. He lay on his armour-like back, and if he lifted his head a little he could see his brown belly, slightly domed and divided by arches into stiff sections. The bedding was hardly able to cover it and seemed ready to slide off any moment.
It showed a lady fitted out with a fur hat and fur boa who sat upright, raising a heavy fur muff that covered the whole of her lower arm towards the viewer. Gregor then turned to look out the window at the dull weather. Drops of rain could be heard hitting the pane, which made him feel quite sad.
Business
GIC reportedly explores options for its 50% stake in India’s Greenko, worth US$5B
Singapore’s GIC is exploring a potential sale of its 50% stake in India’s Greenko Energy, valued at approximately US$5 billion, reported Bloomberg.
Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC, is considering a possible sale of its 50% stake in India’s Greenko Energy, a move that could be valued at approximately US$5 billion.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, the Singaporean entity has engaged financial advisers to explore options, including a full or partial divestment. Discussions are in the preliminary stages, and a final decision on the sale has yet to be made.
A potential deal would place the valuation of Greenko, a major player in India’s renewable energy sector, at about US$10 billion.
Greenko’s portfolio includes 7.5 gigawatts of installed capacity across wind, solar, and hydropower assets distributed across 15 Indian states. GIC’s involvement with Greenko has been substantial, holding a significant influence on the company’s strategic direction.
Potential buyers and market positioning
Prospective investors for GIC’s stake include other sovereign wealth funds, infrastructure-focused investment funds, and energy companies. Sources have indicated that considerations remain preliminary, and GIC could opt against proceeding with a sale.
Apart from GIC, Greenko’s other significant backers include the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Japanese financial group Orix. Greenko has been seeking opportunities to raise additional capital to support its growth trajectory, potentially through new investment rounds in the coming months.
The company, however, dismissed reports of GIC’s intended stake sale as inaccurate without providing further details.
Financial outlook and recent challenges
In March 2024, Fitch Ratings revised its outlook on Greenko Energy Holdings’ Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) from Stable to Negative, affirming the IDR at ‘BB’.
The revision reflects concerns regarding Greenko’s EBITDA net interest coverage, expected to fall below 1.5x by the end of the financial year 2025 before recovering in 2026. This shift is attributed to Greenko’s planned acquisition of a 60.08% stake in the 1,200-megawatt Teesta III hydro project in Sikkim, alongside additional capital expenditures for a new 1.5-gigawatt solar power plant.
The Teesta III acquisition involves substantial restoration efforts due to damage caused by flash floods in October 2023.
Greenko’s management anticipates funding part of the acquisition costs through shareholder equity inflows and insurance compensation for the flood damages. However, Fitch’s assessment includes a conservative 50% reduction in the estimated insurance proceeds and a projected six-month delay in restoration.
GIC’s strategic role in Greenko
GIC, which holds four seats on Greenko’s 13-member board, has been instrumental in shaping the company’s strategic direction.
The sovereign wealth fund’s involvement extends to oversight of Greenko’s investment plans, operational strategy, and risk management. GIC has contributed significantly to Greenko’s recent capital requirements, including a US$700 million investment in 2023 to support the development of Greenko’s pumped storage projects.
Beyond this, Greenko’s ambitious investment plans, such as the acquisition of the Teesta III project, are backed by shareholder commitments amounting to approximately US$1.4 billion over the period from 2024 to 2027. This figure represents around 25% of the projected investment costs and underscores the substantial equity support that GIC and other stakeholders have provided.
Market context and outlook
The potential sale of GIC’s stake in Greenko comes at a time of growing investor interest in renewable energy assets in India.
The country has been rapidly expanding its renewable energy capacity as part of its climate commitments and energy transition strategy.
Greenko, with its diverse asset base and experience in renewable energy development, represents a significant opportunity for investors seeking exposure to this sector.
However, the challenges faced by Greenko, particularly the financial strain from the Teesta III acquisition and related capital expenditures, present risks to potential investors.
The recent downgrade in its credit outlook by Fitch Ratings reflects these pressures, even as Greenko continues to explore opportunities to secure additional funding to support its growth.
A spokesperson for GIC declined to comment on the potential sale, while Greenko refuted reports regarding the matter without elaboration.
Business
OpenAI to open second Asian office in Singapore
OpenAI will open its second Asian office in Singapore in 2024, following its first office in Tokyo established earlier this year. This fourth international branch aims to enhance regional collaboration and partner with local initiatives, including AI Singapore, focusing on generative AI models that reflect Southeast Asia’s diverse cultures and languages.
SINGAPORE: OpenAI, the San Francisco-based leader in generative artificial intelligence (AI), has revealed plans to open its second Asian office in Singapore later in 2024.
This will mark the company’s fourth international branch, focusing on enhancing regional collaboration and partnering with local initiatives, such as the national AI programme, AI Singapore.
This expansion comes on the heels of OpenAI securing billions of dollars in funding and credit, leading to a valuation of $157 billion, bolstered by support from SoftBank Group Corp., a prominent AI investor.
Earlier this year, the US startup established its first Asian office in Tokyo, where it introduced a bespoke GPT-4 model specifically designed for Japanese-language customers.
CEO Sam Altman expressed excitement about the move, stating, “Singapore, with its rich history of technology leadership, has emerged as a leader in AI, recognising its potential to solve some of society’s hardest problems and advance economic prosperity. ”
“We’re excited to partner with the government and the country’s thriving AI ecosystem as we expand into the APAC region.”
Altman, who last visited Singapore in June 2023, highlighted the increasing demand for advanced AI tools across APAC, noting that Singaporeans rank among the highest-per-capita users of ChatGPT globally.
The number of weekly active users in Singapore has doubled since the start of 2024.
OpenAI plans to hire between five and ten employees before 2025 for roles related to sales, security, and solutions engineering, with a strong commitment to local talent.
The regional operations will be led by Oliver Jay, former chief revenue officer at Asana, who will serve as managing director of International based in Singapore.
The firm intends to collaborate more closely with Singaporean government partners, such as the Economic Development Board (EDB), to support AI development in the region.
OpenAI aims to invest up to US$1 million in resources to create AI models that accurately reflect the region’s diverse languages and cultures in partnership with AI Singapore.
AI Singapore is currently developing Sea-Lion, a network of large language models akin to ChatGPT, specifically trained for Southeast Asian users to ensure that the AI captures the region’s unique cultural nuances.
Since the public launch of ChatGPT in 2022, OpenAI’s technology has rapidly integrated into various AI solutions for businesses and government entities in Singapore, including customer service chatbots and an internal AI assistant for civil servants known as Pair.
Competing AI models from Google Cloud and Meta are also being tested in several local projects.
This expansion comes amidst reports of OpenAI transitioning from a non-profit research lab to a more investor-friendly, for-profit model due to rising operational costs associated with running powerful AI systems globally.
While OpenAI maintains that its non-profit arm is central to its mission, this shift has raised industry concerns regarding the management of AI risks, including data collection practices and ethical considerations.
OpenAI is set to host its first Developer Day in Singapore on 21 November, targeting local developers and start-ups to foster innovation in the AI space.
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