SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Sigma Healthcare Limited, a major Australian pharmaceutical wholesaler and pharmacy franchisor, has agreed to merge with CW Group Holdings, a leading retail pharmacy franchisor that operates under the Chemist Warehouse brand. The merger will create a full-service healthcare wholesaler, distributor and retail pharmacy franchisor with a market capitalisation of over $8.8 billion. Sigma…
Jeff Peters appointed CEO and MD of Platinum Asset Management
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Platinum Asset Management Limited (ASX: PTM) announced the appointment of Mr Jeff Peters as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Platinum Group, to lead Platinum through the next phase of its 30-year history. Mr Peters joins Platinum following an extensive global search to replace co-founder Andrew Clifford as CEO following Andrew’s…
AJ Lucas appoints Greg Runge as CEO of Australian Operations
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: AJ Lucas Group announced the appointment of Greg Runge as CEO of Australian Operations effective from January 1, 2024. This appointment follows a thorough search and evaluation process of internal and external candidates, in consultation with an external executive search firm. Mr Runge will be responsible for and report to the Board on…
Google launches NotebookLM, a powerful AI writing assistant
Google has announced the official launch of NotebookLM, an AI-powered writing assistant that can help you organize, summarize, and improve your notes. The service, which was previously known as Project Tailwind, has undergone several performance upgrades and feature additions since its experimental debut at I/O 2023. What is NotebookLM and how does it work? NotebookLM…
How I Built My Perfect Gaming PC Without Breaking the Bank
If you’re a gamer like me, you know how frustrating it can be to find a gaming PC that suits your needs and budget. There are so many options out there, but none of them seem to fit the bill. You either end up with a PC that can’t run the games you want, or…
CMA probes Microsoft-OpenAI deal amid AI competition concerns
The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has sought public feedback on the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence (AI) research company. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced on Friday that it is looking into whether the two tech giants have created a merger situation that could harm AI innovation and…
Honeywell to buy Carrier’s security unit for $4.95 billion
Honeywell, a U.S. industrial giant, announced on Friday that it would acquire the security unit of Carrier, a leading air conditioner maker, for $4.95 billion in cash. The deal, which is the largest for Honeywell’s new CEO Vimal Kapur, will expand its building safety business and give it access to popular security brands such as…
Permira Funds agrees to acquire GGW Group, a European insurance brokerage platform
FRANKFURT, GERMANY: Permira, the global private equity firm, announced that a company backed by the Permira funds has agreed to acquire GGW Group. GGW Group is one of the leading European insurance brokerage platforms for small and medium-sized enterprises (Mittelstand) currently owned by Hg, a leading investor in European and transatlantic software and services businesses….
Tencent unveils Last Sentinel, its most ambitious console game yet
Tencent Holdings, the Chinese tech giant behind some of the world’s most popular mobile games, has revealed its latest project: Last Sentinel, a console game that aims to compete with the likes of Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption. Last Sentinel is an action role-playing game that takes place in a dystopian Japan, where…
ArcelorMittal sold Kazakh steel and mining operation to Qazaqstan Investment Corporation
AMSTERDAM: ArcelorMittal has completed the sale of ArcelorMittal Temirtau, its Kazakh steel and mining operation, to the Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (‘QIC’), a state-controlled direct investment fund. ArcelorMittal and the Government of Kazakhstan had been in discussion for some months to agree on a sustainable path forward for the integrated steelmaking asset, located in the Karaganda…
BSF and CellRev join forces to create a new Foodtech company for cultivated meat
LONDON: BSF, a biotech company that owns two tissue engineering companies, 3D Bio-Tissues and Kerato, has announced a joint venture with CellulaRevolution, a leader in continuous cell manufacturing, to form a new Foodtech company called Cultivated Meat Technologies (CMT). CMT aims to develop and offer an end-to-end solution for producing cultivated meat at scale, using…
Longboat Energy farms down two Norwegian licences and secures full carry of Lotus well
LONDON, UK: Longboat Energy, a Norway and Malaysia-based oil and gas company, has announced a deal with Concedo AS to reduce its stakes in two exploration licences on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The deal will allow Longboat Energy to drill the Lotus prospect, which has a 54% chance of success and could contain up to…