95 percent lung capacity

Samsung SDI CEO Choi Yoon-ho speaks during the company's annual general meeting on March 15 in southern Seoul. [SAMSUNG SDI] The CEO of Samsung SDI confirmed that the company is discussing a mid- to long-term partnership with General Motors, following reports that the battery maker and the U.S. automaker signed a memorandum of understanding to build a battery plant in the United States. “I visited the United States to have a close discussion with GM for the mid- to long-term cooperation,” said Samsung SDI CEO Choi Yoon-ho on his way out of the annual general meeting Wednesday, without specifically answering whether or not the two parties signed an agreement. The head of the Yongin, Gyeonggi–based battery maker hinted at the possibility of making lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, batteries to cater to clients pursuing affordability and safety. “LFP batteries represent an important platform, and we are working hard for the LFP range in order to meet the needs of different … [Read more...] about Samsung SDI, General Motors discuss possible cooperation

Bird's-eye view of Saemangeum economic zone where SK On will build a new plant [Saemangeum Development and Investment Agency] Korean battery maker SK On will build a 1.21 trillion-won ($945 million) manufacturing facility on the country's southwest coast in a joint project with local materials producer EcoPro and China's Green Eco-Manufacture (GEM). Under an agreement due to be signed Friday, the three companies plan to spend up to 1.21 trillion won for what will be their second joint venture to construct a plant for precursor, key materials used in electric vehicle battery. The precursor plant, to be located in Saemangeum, a reclaimed area on the country's southwest coast, aims for an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons, equivalent to powering about 300,000 electric vehicles. Construction is set to be completed in 2024. The trio of companies signed in November last year their first venture deal to build a facility in Indonesia to produce mixed hydroxide precipitate … [Read more...] about SK On to build $945 million precursor plant in joint venture

When the pandemic hit and we all experienced a wave of uncertainty about how companies and jobs would fare in the fallout, workers buckled down and got things done. For many, that meant working longer hours. Remote employees worked an average of 2.5 hours longer per day in the U.S. and UK during the pandemic, according to a survey by cybersecurity platform NordLayer. And a 2021 study published in Nature Human Behavior found that remote workers are staying connected to work 10% longer than pre-pandemic. And the fallout can be serious. Research from Eagle Hill Consulting, LLC found that nearly half of employees are burned out from their work. A 2021 World Health Organization and International Labor Organization study found that long work hours (55 hours per week or more) contributed to more than three-quarters of a million deaths in 2016. Overwork is taking a toll mentally, physically, and creatively, says Sarah Deane, cofounder and CEO of MEvolution, a business … [Read more...] about How to talk to your boss about working too much

TAIPEI  -Taiwan’s central bank raised its policy rate on Thursday in a surprise move reflecting concerns about inflation despite recent market turmoil caused by U.S. and European bank failures, which could play into further rate decisions this year. The central bank, in a unanimous decision, raised the benchmark discount rate by 12.5 basis points (bps) to 1.875 percent – the fifth hike since it began the current round of tightening in March last year. Governor Yang Chin-long told a news conference after the meeting that the rate hike was mainly because of inflation concerns and that their monetary policy goal was to maintain the stability of domestic prices. Taiwan’s rate hikes are mild and gradual, and while this move was not what the market expected, the central bank cannot be called hawkish, he added. Asked if this would be the last rate rise this year, Yang said: “The uncertainty is very big, particularly the confidence and contagion effect on the public from the U.S. … [Read more...] about Taiwan central bank unexpectedly raises rates on inflation concerns

MANILA –PLDT Inc. saw its net income plunge by 60 percent to P10.49 billion last year after incurring a P48-billion budget overrun, which the telecom giant attributed to “over orders” of 5G technology. Total revenues, meanwhile, were up 6 percent to P205.25 billion for the period. Service revenues climbed by 4 percent to all-time high P190.1 billion last year. “We are looking to increase our revenues by mid-single digit and capital expenditure will recalibrate to between P80 billion and 85 billion,” PLDT president and CEO Al Panlilio said. Capital expenditure amounted to P96.8 billion last year. “Despite the adversities, I remain convinced that PLDT will not only survive but thrive; our core business is strong and our people endured, inspired by our singular mission of safeguarding and enhancing shareholder value,” PLDT chair Manuel V. Pangilinan added. In the meantime, the telco maintains that no fraud or bad faith was involved in its P48-billion budget overrun that dragged … [Read more...] about PLDT 2022 net income down 60%

COMPOSITE IMAGE: DANIELLA MARIE AGACER (INQ STOCK PHOTOS) MANILA, Philippines—A recent Supreme Court (SC) decision strengthened a 2004 law, which seeks to address the prevalence of violence against women and their children (VAWC) by their intimate partners. Looking back, no less than former presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Joseph Estrada had flaunted their philandering ways. Sometimes, they even appear to be trivializing what they’re doing, making it less complex than it really is. But as Psych Central said, “infidelity can have lasting impacts on partners and children the couple may have,” stressing that “grief, brain changes, behaviors down the road, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, chronic stress, and depression can result.” Now, almost 20 years since Republic Act (RA) No. 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act, was enacted into law, the SC held that marital infidelity is one of the forms of psychological violence, which can be penalized … [Read more...] about Violence vs women, kids: Why SC tagged marital infidelity as a crime

Tourists and guests swim in the water of the Szechenyi Spa in Budapest, Hungary, on February 6, 2023. AFP BUDAPEST — Hungary’s grand thermal baths are struggling to stay afloat, buffeted by rocketing energy bills. For many tourists a highlight of a trip to Budapest is a relaxing soak at one of its many ornate bathhouses. The capital boasts an array of spectacular venues, from neo-baroque pools where bathers can play chess to sumptuous art nouveau confections and exotic Ottoman-era hammams. But running the energy-guzzling baths “costs 170 percent more than last year,” said Edit Reffy of Budapest Spas, which operates the city’s bathhouses. While much of the water is naturally hot, the large historic buildings cost a fortune to run and heat. “It’s a daunting challenge,” she told AFP, saying they have had to up ticket prices, reduce opening hours and cover outdoor pools. Prices at historic Budapest baths like the Gellert have been hiked “by more than 30 percent”, said … [Read more...] about Cold shower for Hungary’s famed hot baths

A man watches stock quotations on an electronic board outside a brokerage, in Tokyo, Japan, March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou SINGAPORE   – Asian shares spiked on Thursday and the dollar slid after the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted it could pause interest rate rises following turmoil in the banking sector, though it also reiterated its commitment to fighting sticky inflation. In a widely expected move, the Fed raised interest rates by 25 basis points, but it recast its outlook to a more cautious stance as a result of the banking stress. MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1 percent to touch a two-week high of 515.62. The index was on track for its best week in more than two months. Focus now shifts to the Bank of England, with investors expecting a quarter-percentage-point increase in its policy rate after a surprise jump in inflation squashed hopes of the central bank pausing its tightening campaign. Asia’s rally looked unlikely to … [Read more...] about Asian shares surge, dollar slips after Fed hints at rate pause

In this file photo taken on May 12, 2020 Healthcare workers wait for patients to be tested at a walk-in Covid-19 testing site in Arlington, Virginia. AFP WASHINGTON — With US Covid-19 deaths averaging 500 a day, down from a peak of more than 3,000 two years ago, the White House plans to end national and public health emergencies on May 11. A public health emergency in response to the pandemic was declared under former president Donald Trump in January 2020 and has been renewed every 90 days since then. Trump declared a national emergency in March 2020 and it was renewed by President Joe Biden. More than 1.1 million Americans have died of Covid — but life has been gradually returning to normal as the pandemic eases and vaccination levels approach 70 percent of the population. A lifting of the national and public health emergencies will have a number of impacts: Why May 11? The Biden administration announced the May 11 date in response to an attempt by Republicans in … [Read more...] about US to lift COVID-19 emergencies – what happens next?

ROUND AND ROUND The Michelin-starred restaurant Costes moves into the famous Budapest Eye ferris wheel amid the continuing threat of the coronavirus pandemic. —REUTERS BUDAPEST—Hit by a plunge in turnover after foreign tourists vanished, Michelin-starred Hungarian restaurant Costes has staged a skyline dining event on the Budapest Eye ferris wheel to generate sales in a coronavirus-proof environment. Costes owner Karoly Gerendai said turnover at one of his reopened restaurants was down to about a tenth of prelockdown levels, forcing him to look for new ways to do business. “Now that there are not many people either on the wheel or in the restaurant because there are no tourists, the opportunity arose that we could do this,” he said of the event at the landmark attraction in central Budapest. “It is now especially important for people to be able to be separate from other guests to be safe, and the ferris wheel is ideal with its separate cabins.” As of Sunday, Hungary had … [Read more...] about Hungarian restaurant serves on ferris wheel