Latest news with #Taiwan-based
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Southwest Airlines Announces First Ever International Partnership
On May 28, Southwest Airlines instituted its new bag policy that was previously announced in March. "For reservations booked and ticketed or changed on or after May 28, 2025, checked baggage fees will apply. We will offer two free checked bags to our Rapid Rewards A-List Preferred Members and Business Select Customers, and one free checked bag to A-List Members and other select Customers. Southwest will credit the first checked bag for Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers," the airline said in a statement at the time. Just a few days before the start of its new bag policy, Southwest revealed the first checked bag will cost $35 while a second bag will cost $45. Fast forward a few more days and Southwest has even bigger news to come. On June 2, the airline revealed it's in discussion with China Airlines Group, a Taiwan-based carrier, to create an interline partnership in early 2026, with published connections expected to go on sale later this year. The two carriers met in India at the International Air Transport Association 2025 Annual General Meeting to jointly announce the first trans-Pacific airline partnership for Southwest. 'We're on a journey to bring more choices to our Customers. This initial work to partner with Taiwan-based China Airlines would allow for seamless trans-Pacific journeys across the Southwest network, furthering the reach of our Vision and Purpose—to connect People with important moments in their lives,' Andrew Watterson, Chief Operating Officer at Southwest Airlines said in a statement. 'As the largest carrier of domestic Passengers in the United States, we also carry more people to, from, and within California than any other airline1 and expect Southwest Customers could benefit immediately from having access to connections overseas through China Airlines.' Just a few months ago Southwest launched a partnership with Icelandair that connects those traveling from the U.S. and Europe on dual-carrier itineraries through gateway airports Baltimore/Washington, Denver, and Airlines Announces First Ever International Partnership first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 2, 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Actress Daphne Low suffers first-degree burn from curling iron in stylist mishap
Taiwan-based Malaysian actress Daphne Low has accused a hair salon in Taipei of unprofessionalism and negligence. Photos: Daphne Low/Instagram Taiwan-based Malaysian actress Daphne Low recently took to social media to call out a hair salon in Taipei for its unprofessionalism and negligence. In a lengthy Instagram post on Wednesday (May 28), Low, 31, revealed that she had suffered a first-degree burn on her left cheekbone from a curling iron in a stylist mishap last month. 'During the session, due to the stylist's error, a curling iron heated to nearly 200°C slipped from a height and landed directly on my left cheekbone before falling onto my thigh. 'As an artiste who regularly undergoes styling, I've never encountered such an outrageous accident. I was in so much pain but remained calm and didn't lash out at the staff,' she wrote, adding that the employees gave her an ice pack to relieve the pain. While the salon waived the session fee and gave her a discount voucher for the next visit, Low didn't dare return. 'The next day, there was visible swelling and redness below my left brow and around my eye. It was worse than I imagined. I went to a clinic right away, and the doctor diagnosed it as a first-degree burn,' she said. While not the most serious type of burn, Low expressed concern over the risk of scarring – a potential career setback for an actress. The Ola Bola (2016) star alleged that when she informed the salon she would follow up after her medical consultation, a staff member assured her they would stay in touch. Although the actress initially intended to resolve the matter in private, she chose to publicise it after claiming that none of the staff had responded to her concerns for over a month. 'I have always advocated for harmony and am well aware of the challenges in the service industry. 'If the salon hadn't given me the cold shoulder for over a month, I never would've made it public,' she wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 劉倩妏 Daphne (@daphnelaven)
Business Recorder
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Recorder
Startups can get up to $5m with new acceleration program: NIC Karachi
National Incubation Centre (NIC) Karachi on Thursday launched its 'first-ever structured acceleration program' in partnership with Orbit Startups, a Taiwan-based investor in emerging markets. According to a press release, through this three-month accelerator, 10 high-potential startups will receive up to Rs5 million in milestone-based grants and training by global experts from Orbit Startups. 'With a young, digital-first population, Pakistan is going through a technology-driven economic transformation,' said William Bao Bean, Managing General Partner of Orbit Startups, which has backed over 300 startups. 'We're excited to team up with NIC Karachi to bring Orbit's global ecosystem and hands-on support to this next generation of founders who can lead in Pakistan and win globally,' he said, adding that 'we believe Pakistan is one of the most overlooked startup markets in the world, and that's about to change.' The program signals NIC's 'evolution from a startup launchpad to a growth-stage acceleration powerhouse, fully aligned with national economic priorities and global innovation trends,' the release said. The goal of the program is to fast-track companies that are ready to scale, raise capital and create market impact, locally and globally, explained Ali Sohail Tabba, Chairperson Governance Committee NIC Karachi and Director at Yunus Brothers Group. He said the program targets startups that are already showing traction, with revenue models in place and a product in the market. Startups belonging to sectors like fintech, cyber security, industrial automation, agritech, climate tech and logistics are encouraged to apply. Startups will be monitored through a milestone-based evaluation framework developed. All grant disbursements are tied to verified deliverables across business, product and investor readiness metrics.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Crypto investors descend on Trump's golf club for $230 million meme coin dinner
A company controlled by the Trump family and a second firm together hold 80 per cent of the remaining supply of $TRUMP coins, and have so far earned $US320.19 million in fees, including at least $US1.35 million after the dinner announcement, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. More than half of the 220 holders who attended the black-tie event are likely based outside the United States, according to blockchain analysis. In response to criticisms about Trump using his office to enrich himself from the meme coin, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday, Washington time: 'All of the president's assets are in a blind trust, which is managed by his children. And I would argue, one of the many reasons that the American people re-elected this president back to this office is because he was a very successful businessman before giving it up to publicly serve our country.' The Trump Organisation did not respond to requests for comment. Vincent Liu, chief investment officer of Taiwan-based crypto market maker Kronos Research, said he had hopes of networking with other top holders and even possibly meeting the president. 'That kind of access is rare, and it represents how digital assets are entering the mainstream.' Private cocktail reception Sheldon Zia, founder of the Cayman Islands-based crypto exchange BitMart, posted on X prior to the event that, as a top-25 holder, he was heading to not just the dinner but also to a private VIP cocktail reception before the dinner and a private VIP tour the following day. An initial announcement said the 25 VIPs – the majority of their identities so far unknown – would tour the White House. That detail has since been deleted from the $TRUMP meme website. There are also domestic Trump supporters such as Vincent Deriu, a 27-year-old New York consultant who said he already owns 'many' Trump-branded watches, 'a few pairs of' Trump sneakers, and 'more than 50' Trump NFTs. Deriu joined the dinner on Thursday for $US116,000. Trump spent an hour at the event, where meme coin holders were served an organic field green salad, filet mignon, pan-seared halibut, garlic mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley, followed by a warm lava cake, according to a photo of the gold-lettered menu posted to social media. Senior Democratic members of the House and Senate held a press conference earlier on Thursday to highlight what they described as Trump's 'corrupt' crypto practices and to push for legislation that would ban such activities. 'Donald Trump's dinner is an orgy of corruption,' Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy noted the anonymity of attendees. 'Reportedly, there's going to be a guy there tonight called Ogle,' Murphy said. 'That's it. That's all we know about this guy. He wears a mask all the time.' 'The Biden administration persecuted crypto innovators, and we're bringing them back into the USA where they belong.' Donald Trump When reached for comment by Reuters, Ogle, a crypto security specialist, said that he used a pseudonym and appeared in video interviews with his face obscured by a bandana and sunglasses to protect himself because of safety concerns related to his pro bono work, in which he says he has helped victims of crypto criminals recover more than half a billion dollars. Ogle said Murphy's accusations were 'misplaced'. 'My motive for attending this dinner is very straightforward,' said Ogle, who also serves as an adviser to Trump's cryptocurrency platform, World Liberty Financial. 'I'm curious by nature, I believe it will be an historic moment, and I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to go.' Ogle came in at number 22 in the contest, and holds a total of $US3.6 million worth of the $TRUMP coin. Democratic lawmakers have introduced a flurry of bills aimed at ending the ability of presidents and members of Congress to own or oversee businesses that issue or promote crypto products. Given that Republicans have majority control of both the US House and Senate, the Democratic Party has limited ability to pass legislation and call for public hearings or formal investigations. Of all of the Trump family's cascade of new crypto ventures – which now include a crypto exchange, a stablecoin, a bitcoin mining operation and digital asset ETFs – the meme coin has sparked particularly strident criticism from Democratic lawmakers and government watchdog groups, who have decried it as 'a race to the bottom for presidential grifting'. Now, even some Trump allies are starting to weigh in, with Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, a robust and staunch crypto industry advocate, saying the dinner gives her 'pause'. Since the $TRUMP meme coin launched in January, the profits have favoured big investors: more than 60 large wallets have profited close to $US1.5 billion, with $US48 million in profits occurring after Trump posted about the contest on social media, according to reviews by Inca Digital and crypto analytics tracker Bubblemaps, as of May 8.
The Age
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Age
Crypto investors descend on Trump's golf club for $230 million meme coin dinner
A company controlled by the Trump family and a second firm together hold 80 per cent of the remaining supply of $TRUMP coins, and have so far earned $US320.19 million in fees, including at least $US1.35 million after the dinner announcement, according to blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis. More than half of the 220 holders who attended the black-tie event are likely based outside the United States, according to blockchain analysis. In response to criticisms about Trump using his office to enrich himself from the meme coin, White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday, Washington time: 'All of the president's assets are in a blind trust, which is managed by his children. And I would argue, one of the many reasons that the American people re-elected this president back to this office is because he was a very successful businessman before giving it up to publicly serve our country.' The Trump Organisation did not respond to requests for comment. Vincent Liu, chief investment officer of Taiwan-based crypto market maker Kronos Research, said he had hopes of networking with other top holders and even possibly meeting the president. 'That kind of access is rare, and it represents how digital assets are entering the mainstream.' Private cocktail reception Sheldon Zia, founder of the Cayman Islands-based crypto exchange BitMart, posted on X prior to the event that, as a top-25 holder, he was heading to not just the dinner but also to a private VIP cocktail reception before the dinner and a private VIP tour the following day. An initial announcement said the 25 VIPs – the majority of their identities so far unknown – would tour the White House. That detail has since been deleted from the $TRUMP meme website. There are also domestic Trump supporters such as Vincent Deriu, a 27-year-old New York consultant who said he already owns 'many' Trump-branded watches, 'a few pairs of' Trump sneakers, and 'more than 50' Trump NFTs. Deriu joined the dinner on Thursday for $US116,000. Trump spent an hour at the event, where meme coin holders were served an organic field green salad, filet mignon, pan-seared halibut, garlic mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley, followed by a warm lava cake, according to a photo of the gold-lettered menu posted to social media. Senior Democratic members of the House and Senate held a press conference earlier on Thursday to highlight what they described as Trump's 'corrupt' crypto practices and to push for legislation that would ban such activities. 'Donald Trump's dinner is an orgy of corruption,' Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren said. Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy noted the anonymity of attendees. 'Reportedly, there's going to be a guy there tonight called Ogle,' Murphy said. 'That's it. That's all we know about this guy. He wears a mask all the time.' 'The Biden administration persecuted crypto innovators, and we're bringing them back into the USA where they belong.' Donald Trump When reached for comment by Reuters, Ogle, a crypto security specialist, said that he used a pseudonym and appeared in video interviews with his face obscured by a bandana and sunglasses to protect himself because of safety concerns related to his pro bono work, in which he says he has helped victims of crypto criminals recover more than half a billion dollars. Ogle said Murphy's accusations were 'misplaced'. 'My motive for attending this dinner is very straightforward,' said Ogle, who also serves as an adviser to Trump's cryptocurrency platform, World Liberty Financial. 'I'm curious by nature, I believe it will be an historic moment, and I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to go.' Ogle came in at number 22 in the contest, and holds a total of $US3.6 million worth of the $TRUMP coin. Democratic lawmakers have introduced a flurry of bills aimed at ending the ability of presidents and members of Congress to own or oversee businesses that issue or promote crypto products. Given that Republicans have majority control of both the US House and Senate, the Democratic Party has limited ability to pass legislation and call for public hearings or formal investigations. Of all of the Trump family's cascade of new crypto ventures – which now include a crypto exchange, a stablecoin, a bitcoin mining operation and digital asset ETFs – the meme coin has sparked particularly strident criticism from Democratic lawmakers and government watchdog groups, who have decried it as 'a race to the bottom for presidential grifting'. Now, even some Trump allies are starting to weigh in, with Republican Senator Cynthia Lummis, a robust and staunch crypto industry advocate, saying the dinner gives her 'pause'. Since the $TRUMP meme coin launched in January, the profits have favoured big investors: more than 60 large wallets have profited close to $US1.5 billion, with $US48 million in profits occurring after Trump posted about the contest on social media, according to reviews by Inca Digital and crypto analytics tracker Bubblemaps, as of May 8.
