Up to 20,000 additional Certificates of Entitlement (COEs) will be progressively injected across all vehicle categories from February 2025. Why is the government making this move and will this bring COE premiums down?
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Arthur Wong, managing director of ACM Automobiles.
One food blogger says hawker food might take on a more modern twist, as younger hawkers try out new concepts. To ensure hawker culture survives, observers say operators need to create a more comfortable environment, for both customers and those who work there. CNA’s Nadirah Zaidi speaks to two young hawkers to find out what inspired them to do a career switch. Read more: https://cna.asia/3O4dwky
Twenty years ago, the first local budget airline took off from Singapore's Changi Airport and since then, the industry has not looked back. Jetstar cabin crew member Norazman Sapiie and Scoot associate management pilot Keagan Pang talk about what it's like to work for a budget carrier. https://cna.asia/3NXdpau
More than 35,600 applications were received in the October Build-to-Order (BTO) flat sales exercise, the highest number since August 2022. A 10-year minimum occupation period, clawback rules and rental restrictions did not deter strong demand for Prime and Plus HDB flats.
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at MOGUL.sg and Professor Sing Tien Foo from the NUS Business School.
Recently, my family and I visited the buffet at Holiday Villa near KSL. To sum it up, I’d rate it a 6/10. The ambiance was pleasant, and sitting by the window offered some nice views, but the food wasn’t replenished quickly enough.
While the selection of dishes was decent, I’d recommend trying Seoul Garden at City Square instead, especially if you’re looking for a better hotpot and grill experience.
Restaurant Layout
Sushi
Fried Food
Pastries
Overall, if you're not too picky about food and prefer a buffet experience in a more relaxed, less crowded setting, this is the perfect spot for you.
Chili’s Grill and Bar is a casual dining chain that took America by storm in the early 2000s. From 2000-2008, its U.S. store count nearly doubled. But in the decade following the Great Recession, the nostalgic brand fell out of favor as sales grew stagnant and its store count declined. With the help of recent CEO, Kevin Hochman, parent company, Brinker International, has generated a record high $4.4 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2024. Watch the video to find out how the company has staged a comeback.
Once a right of passage for most American families, theme parks like Disney World and Disneyland are quickly becoming out of reach for many middle class American families. Over the past 10 years, the average cost for a Disney World single-park ticket has increased more than 56%, above the national rate of inflation of 32% in the same period. And that doesn’t include the cost of food, merchandise, lightning lane, hotels and airfare. The average cost of a five-night Disney World vacation for a family of four in 2024, with all the bells and whistles, comes in at around $5,000, according to Wolfe Research. In its Q3 2024 earnings, Disney said its parks and experiences segment felt pressure due to lower consumer demand and inflation. This is a trend that is industry wide — Comcast’s Universal Studios also experienced a drop in attendance in 2024. Disney World is the most visited theme park in the world, but have recent price increases pushed inflation-weary Americans away? Will Disney trips continue to be a staple of American childhoods or is it becoming a luxury? CNBC explores.
In 2023, Gen Z led in homeownership among young adults, with a higher rate of homeownership at age 24 compared to millennials and Gen X at the same age. Despite their relatively small share of the housing market and challenges like high prices and limited inventory, many Gen Z individuals are determined to buy homes in the near future. This shift could have significant effects on the housing market and the broader economy.
The U.S. is produced more oil than it ever has in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In fact, this record marks the most oil ever produced in a year by any country in the history of the world. Both the oil and gas industry and the renewable energy industry are receiving billions of dollars in government support, primarily via subsidies. The Inflation Reduction Act is providing $369 billion to combat climate change, and $270 billion will be delivered through tax incentives. “We’re building out the infrastructure for clean energy, but we can’t retire the infrastructure for oil because we’re still using it,” Amy Myers Jaffe of New York University’s Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, told CNBC. Here’s how the U.S. became the largest oil producer of all-time in 2023 — and what that means for the green energy transition.
Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga., is the largest source of clean energy in the U.S. following the addition of two new reactors, according to Georgia Power. The plant's Unit 4 reactor began commercial operations in April and Unit 3 went online last year. They are the first reactors built from scratch and connected to the grid in over three decades and together can power over a million homes and businesses, according to the utility provider.
But bringing a nuclear power plant to life is difficult and costly. The two new reactors at Plant Vogtle were initially budgeted at $14 billion, but that price tag more than doubled. The project also ran seven years behind schedule.
"We had some challenges, it was an arduous journey, things that we didn't anticipate," said Chris Womack, CEO of Southern Company. "From the tsunami in Fukushima to the contractor going bankrupt to Covid. There were a number of things that occurred.
The U.S. has 54 operating nuclear power plants and 94 reactors, making it the world's largest producer of nuclear power -- accounting for 30% of global nuclear electricity, according to the World Nuclear Association.
But reactors in the U.S. are 42 years old on average, and they're getting older. Replacing them is a complex task.
So why is it so hard to build nuclear reactors in the U.S. and should the new Vogtle reactors be a blueprint or a cautionary tale for the future?
Plant Vogtle, a nuclear power plant in Waynesboro, Ga., is the largest source of clean energy in the U.S. following the addition of two new reactors, according to Georgia Power. The plant's Unit 4 reactor began commercial operations in April and Unit 3 went online last year. They are the first reactors built from scratch and connected to the grid in over three decades and together can power over a million homes and businesses, according to the utility provider.
The U.S. is home to the majority of the world’s data centers with just under 3,000, compared to the country with the next-closest amount, United Kingdom, at just 360. This concentration has brought up the value of the land where the data centers are built. Prices are soaring as much as ten times the original value in one Vint Hill, Virginia case. So how did this land zoned for data construction get so valuable, and will investors keep pouring money into the infrastructure that supports AI while potentially upsetting nearby residents?
Microsoft, Google and Amazon, along with other tech companies, have been getting creative in how they’re poaching talent from top artificial intelligence startups. Earlier this month, Google inked an unusual deal with Character.ai to hire away its prominent founder, Noam Shazeer, along with more than one-fifth of its workforce while also licensing its technology. It looked like an acquisition, but the deal was structured so that it wasn’t. Google wasn’t the first to take this approach.
In March, Microsoft signed a deal with Inflection that allowed Microsoft to use Inflection’s models and to hire most of the startup’s staff. Amazon followed in June with a faux acquisition of Adept where it hired top talent from the AI startup and licensed its technology.
It’s a playbook that skirts regulators and their crackdown on Big Tech dominance, provides an exit for AI startups struggling to make money, and allows megacaps to pick up the talent needed in the AI arms race.
But while tech giants might think they’re outsmarting antitrust enforcers, they could be playing with fire. CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa has the story.
Fast food has become a luxury for many consumers who are constantly looking for deals and cheap meals. Many popular chains have noticed the pullback and have rolled out the return of value meals. These nostalgic menus offer select items for a cheap price and food chains hope it's a way to bring customers back and to spend on more items outside of the discounted food items.
Wingstop is capitalizing on the American appetite for chicken and providing investors with strong, consistent growth. In the past five years, the company’s share price is up over 250%, and it has grown its store footprint to 2,352 restaurants worldwide. The chicken-wing chain has expanded its offerings and continued to grow brand awareness. Watch the video to find out how Wingstop became one of the hottest restaurant stocks of the year.
Up Close: Funeral director Harmony Tee left her auditing job in the United States to continue her family’s funeral business seven years ago. She talks about the challenges in the 'business of death', including how she handled the high-profile cremation mix-up controversy in 2019.
On Nov 5, Americans will vote for their next president. The results will affect not just the United States, but also its allies in Asia. We take a look at three key issues, namely US-China relations, trade policies, as well as security and alliances.
Large homebuilders have used mergers and acquisitions to grow their positions in several key housing markets since the 2008 subprime mortgage crisis. The industry's consolidation coincides with a slowdown in construction productivity and contributes to escalating prices for buyers and renters, experts say. As an economic tightening cycle initiated by the Federal Reserve freezes real estate development, politicians are promoting policy tools that could alter how homes are built in the U.S.
Ghost jobs are on the rise, even as the U.S. labor market appears healthy. While data suggests a tight job market, many workers still struggle to find employment, revealing a gap between statistics and reality. Interestingly, the rise of ghost job listings may play a significant role in this disconnect.
Google was the first cloud provider to make its own custom AI chips, called TPUs, when they first came out in 2015 - a trend both Amazon and Microsoft followed years later. Now, Apple has revealed it uses TPUs to train its AI models, positioning Google chips as an alternative to Nvidia's market-leading GPUs. CNBC got an exclusive look inside the lab where Google makes its chips, and its top executive showcased TPU Version 6, Trillium, and its new Arm-based CPU, Axion, both coming out later in 2024.
In 2022, the U.S. dollar reached its highest level since the early 2000s, but the dollar index has been trending downward as of August 2024. A weaker dollar is not necessarily a bad thing for consumers. A strong dollar may lead to higher prices for American consumers and reduced demand for U.S. exports, which can result in layoffs in key industries. Managing the value of the dollar is a balancing act, which can present challenges for the U.S. president, the Federal Reserve and other policymakers.
Low-cost, high-tech Chinese EVs have stirred fears of a government subsidized existential threat to automakers around the world. So what do these vehicles have to offer? How do they compare to the Tesla Model Y, which in 2024 was the best-selling car in the world? CNBC’s Beijing bureau chief Eunice Yoon tested four of them from large and high-profile Chinese brands to see how they stack up, and how their rivals might compete.
The company behind the popular artificial intelligence chatbot, ChatGPT, OpenAI was founded as a nonprofit in 2015 by a number of researchers, academics and entrepreneurs including Sam Altman, Greg Brochman and Elon Musk. Musk left OpenAI in 2018 and now has his own artificial intelligence company called xAI.
In its early years, OpenAI flew somewhat under the radar, at least from the point of view of the general public. The company released its first project in 2016, a toolkit called “OpenAI Gym” used for developing and comparing reinforcement learning algorithms. That same year, OpenAI also released Universe, a tool to train intelligent agents on websites and gaming platforms. But the release of ChatGPT in 2022 is what propelled the company to stardom. Today, OpenAI is valued at over $80 billion and counts Microsoft, which has invested around $13 billion into OpenAI since 2019, as a major supporter and partner. But OpenAI’s wild success has also raised concerns from regulators and experts who question the outsized power that artificial intelligence companies and Big Tech could have on our society as well as the toll that the technology could take on our power grid.
Anna-Marie Ortiz, 30, started a side hustle with her last $2,000 in savings in July 2023. A year later, Cool Aunt Cleaners brings in an average of $10,000 a month, and Anna's since quit her day job to run the business full-time. Here's how she did it.
Victor M. Sweeney, 33, doesn't fear death. The licensed mortician and funeral director in Warren, Minnesota observed his first embalming at age 18. Here's a look at what it takes to do his job, and why he's happy with the way his life has turned out.
Roxanna Harwood, 31, and her husband Chris Harwood, 38, own and operate the Wheels Motel in Greybull, Wyoming. Their home is connected to the motel and they live there with their 4-year-old son. Their business is on track to bring in around $412,000 in 2024.
This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.
"The move is the best decision we ever made," says American couple Dani and Evan Benton. The millennial couple runs a guesthouse and honeybee farm on an island in Japan. Take a look inside.
Unlocked is a home tour series focused on how much people across the globe spend on their housing, what they get for the money and what they had to sacrifice to make it happen.
In 2010, Warby Parker disrupted the $150 billion global eyewear industry with a pair of $95 glasses. Started by four business school students, the pioneering direct-to-consumer eyewear brand has now sold millions of pairs of glasses, both online and in 269 brick-and-mortar stores across the U.S. and Canada. It brought in nearly $670 million in revenue last year, and currently boasts a market value of $1.8 billion.
Sharon Kim, 24, saw her homeownership dreams come true in early 2024. She partnered with her older brother and his wife to purchase a $750,000 home in New York. Here's how they did it.
This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.
Janet Blaser, who relocated to Mexico in 2006, recently moved from Mazatlán to San Antonio Tlayacapan. She discovered a charming 2-bedroom yellow house with a yard for $460 a month in rent. Janet is a retired journalist and CNBC contributor.
Cristina Tello-Trillo, 38, and her husband Sebastian are both economists living in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with their five-year-old son. Cristina is also an adjunct professor at the University of Maryland and a budding real estate investor. Her and her husband's combined income in 2023 was $268,000.
This is an installment of CNBC Make It's Millennial Money series, which profiles people across the globe and details how they earn, spend and save their money.
Bill Gates shares how he defines success, what the No. 1 unsolvable problem is facing today's young people and compares developing software in the '70s to developing AI tools today.
Wall Street veteran Charles Coristine bought LesserEvil, a failing snack company, in 2011. Now a profitable business known primarily for its coconut oil popcorn, it brought in $103 million in gross sales in 2023. Here's how Coristine is turning LesserEvil into a household name.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority has put on hold a review of Lee Hsien Yang's application to demolish the property at 38 Oxley Road. Mr Lee is the sole legal owner of the house that was once home to his father, founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. The URA is deferring its evaluation, following a decision by the National Heritage Board to assess the site's preservation potential by studying its national, historical and architectural significance. Richa Mathew reports.
Tokyo Metro is riding high in its market debut, with investors drawn in by the potential of steady returns. The public nature of its rail business makes it difficult to raise fares for more profit, but analysts say that as long as the stock remains stable, investors can look forward to consistent shareholder benefits.
Jakarta, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur all face major water challenges, from the sea, sky or rivers. Will it be mega-engineering or nature itself that could save them? Read: https://cna.asia/4feUfZq
Singapore may have one of the best healthcare systems in the world, but this comes at a heavy price. In this week’s Money Talks, Dr Jeremy Lim from NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health explains how early detection of diseases may help lower your healthcare expenses in future.
This podcast was produced in partnership with the Ministry of Health.
Studying abroad can get expensive. International student Nhat Minh (William) Nguyen shares some of his budgeting strategies that have helped him stretch his dollar in Sydney, Australia.
We explore the challenges faced by India's youth, who comprise a significant portion of the population and represent a substantial opportunity for economic growth and social progress. Despite their high aspirations, many young Indians are confronted with unemployment and underemployment, leading to frustration and disillusionment. Through personal stories and expert insights, we examine the social instability caused by this crisis, highlighted by protests and riots over job quotas. It also showcases how some young Indians are overcoming these obstacles.
This documentary explores the nation's ambitious journey towards becoming a global superpower. But a stark reality threatens to derail this dream - unprecedented inequalities. Through profile stories and expert analysis, we uncover the widening chasm between gleaming urban centres and forgotten rural villages.
Can India bridge this divide through improvements in infrastructure, education, and healthcare? Amidst these challenges, we discover a beacon of hope in India's youth. Meet the inspiring young visionaries and grassroots innovators who are actively driving change, from tech entrepreneurs creating jobs in unexpected places to social entrepreneurs bridging the education and healthcare gap.
As India stands at this critical juncture, we examine whether the nation can harness its demographic dividend, large labour force, and growing economy to fuel sustainable and inclusive growth. Can India's youth turn their dreams into reality and shape a more equitable future for all?
Balancing multiple jobs might seem overwhelming, but for some, side hustles offer autonomy and freedom a traditional 9-to-5 job cannot. Tiffany Ang and Gerald Tan speak with 40-year-old Alvin Ong, who has four side gigs, for his advice on what to consider before embracing this career path.
A new two-year pilot programme by Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS) aims to help debt-distressed people resolve their financial troubles, starting with a group of low-income families. There were close to 1,150 requests for help in the first half of this year, an 18 per cent increase from the last six months of 2023. Tan Huey Min, General Manager of CCS, talks about what it means to be debt-distressed and how someone usually ends up in this situation. She discusses the counselling services provided by CCCS and how the new programme can benefit low-income families.
Malaysia will unveil Budget 2025 on Oct 18 and is expected to focus on addressing the rising cost of living. The government wants to ensure the bottom 40 per cent of households, known as B40, get the help they need. But the middle income earners, known as the M40 group, are crying foul. Many are worried that they will be left out once again. Melissa Goh reports from Kuala Lumpur.
You've started a new job but your boss is already making you work overtime and it's affecting your health. How do you tell your boss that you've hit your limit?
October's BTO exercise will see the launch of the first HDB project to be classified as "Prime" flats. Three hundred and twelve such homes will be available, around 3.6 per cent of the 8,573 on offer. Seven projects are identified as "Plus" flats, with some featuring good connectivity and short commutes to the city centre, and others offering sea views. Six in 10 flats are located in "Standard" projects, the largest allocation in the exercise. At 15 projects, this is also the largest-ever launch of public housing in Singapore. Professor Sing Tien Foo, Provost's Chair Professor from the Department of Real Estate at the NUS Business School, weighs in on the effects of the MOP conditions on prospective buyers, why HDB is making this its largest offering and the traits of "Prime" project Crawford Heights that might make it more attractive to homebuyers.
American families struggling to make ends meet could be critical in deciding who wins the race for the White House in a few weeks' time. Inflation and the cost of living are key issues for voters. Both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump’s campaigns have unveiled plans to relieve the financial burden on households. Mitch McCann travelled to Lansing, in the battleground state of Michigan, to find out which plan families are buying into.
For pet owners, travelling out of the country is a task fraught with logistical challenges and sometimes emotional heartaches. Finding caretakers, such as pet hotels or friends, comes with its own problems. But in China, a new service is emerging to help pet owners with wanderlust. CNA’s Tan Yew Guan reports.
More than half of students who graduated last year took on multiple internships through the course of their university studies, despite needing just one to earn their degree. Students said they do this to get industry experience and stand out in an increasingly competitive job market. CNA’s Kate Low has more.
If you’re a homeowner with a mortgage, you’ll be wondering if interest rates are heading lower and when. This comes after the US Federal Reserve made its long-anticipated first interest rate cut.
Foreign vehicles from Singapore will need a Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) to enter Malaysia starting from the 1st of October.
Amidst complaints over incomplete documents, deregistering old permits and slow administrative work, the Malaysian government has opened 3 new enquiry centres to cope with the increasing demand - 1 in Singapore and 2 more in Johor Bahru. Talking Point tracks the roll out of the VEP and finds out what are persistent issues that remain even after the Oct 1 deadline.
Host Rozz Lee meets Eleazar Ng, the first Singaporean to sign a professional baseball contract in Japan, the world’s top-ranked baseball nation.
After being scouted by the Saga Indonesia Dreams - a unique team with 70% non-Japanese players, Eleazar is chasing his dream of becoming a top baseball player. What does it take for Singapore’s ace pitcher to elevate his game?
Anyone anywhere will feel lonely at some point, but loneliness can be dangerous for those who feel it for extended periods of time. When you think of people most susceptible to being lonely, you might think of the elderly, or perhaps adolescents, but you would be wrong. A recent survey in Singapore highlighted that young adults need to be looked at too. In this hour-long episode of Talking Point, our team’s producer checks in on young adults across the island through a targeted campaign, and also looks inwards, on whether she herself is perhaps lonelier than she realises.
It used to be that a granny flat was a home within a home that allows for multigenerational living. But with ever-rising property and rent prices, granny flats are becoming increasingly popular with a new type of tenant. 29-year-old Rhod-Lee Mercado shows us around his granny flat in Sydney.
How do you save up for your dream home when the average condo costs around 25 times median household income? Manila resident Mark Lorenzo Permalino strategises ways to climb the housing ladder, as he bides his time in his 22 square metre studio loft in Makati.
The world’s biggest city also has some of its smallest homes. How small? We meet Kazuki Hirata, who lives in a micro apartment in Tokyo. It’s just 9 square metres, which is smaller than a car parking lot.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
