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Why Singapore Airlines is still backing Air India despite an ‘awful year’: Analyst

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Brendan Sobie from Sobie Aviation says Singapore Airlines continues to support Air India despite an “awful year” as the investment was always intended as a long-term India bet. He adds that Singapore Airlines’ strong earnings were driven by Europe demand and delayed fuel cost pressures, but warns the Iran conflict and higher fuel prices will weigh on future airline earnings.

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Thu, May 14 202611:45 PM EDT

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China will order 200 Boeing jets, Trump tells Fox News

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President Trump to Fox News: Chinese President Xi agreed to buy 200 'big' Boeing jets

President Donald Trump told Fox News that China has agreed to buy 200 Boeing jets, according to a clip that aired Thursday, more than the 150 aircraft Boeing had expected.

“One thing he agreed to today, he’s going to order 200 jets. That’s a big thing. Boeings,” Trump told Fox News, referring to Chinese President Xi Jinping. “Boeing wanted 150, got 200.”

Analysts had expected a large Boeing aircraft order to come out of Trump’s visit to China, with Jefferies estimating the order could reach 500 aircraft. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg and other top executives from U.S. companies joined Trump on the trip.

The manufacturer hasn’t won a major order from China in almost a decade, but the country has been buying from Boeing’s main rival, Airbus.

Trump didn’t specify which aircraft China could purchase from Boeing, though analysts had expected a potential order to include hundreds of Boeing’s bestselling 737 Max planes.

Boeing and the White House didn’t immediately comment. Boeing shares closed 4.73% lower Thursday and were up 0.29% after hours.

Ortberg said on a company earnings call last month that the U.S.-China summit could be a “meaningful opportunity for us” that could include an aircraft order.

“I’m not going to give you the number of airplanes, but it’s a big number,” he said.

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FutureGrail Sets New Sales Record for George Daniels Timepiece at May Auction

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Fierce competition for Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin examples, with bids outperforming estimates across the board.

ABU DHABI, UAE, GENEVA and SINGAPORE, May 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FutureGrail has set new milestones for vintage watch valuations, with collectors from over 40 countries bidding on its May Auction. Results of the white-glove sale soared, including a new record performance for a Rolex Datejust modified by legendary watchmaker George Daniels. The exceptional timepiece scorched past estimates (between $100,000 to $200,000), with the hammer falling at $520,000.

Rolex Datejust Ref. 16220 with George Daniels co-axial escapement
Rolex Datejust Ref. 16220 with George Daniels co-axial escapement

Not a single lot was ‘passed’, reflecting a buoyant international market for rare and fine timepieces.

FutureGrail CEO, Ali Nael, said: “Strong demand from collectors and institutions has driven increased competition for exceptional timepieces across the spring auctions. This was reflected in our May sale, where collectors from around the world appreciated the rarity and condition of the selected timepieces. As expected, there was real excitement around these unique and historically important watches.”

Patek Philippe Ref. 4700/160J
Patek Philippe Ref. 4700/160J

One of the most visually stunning watches to break new boundaries was a Patek Philippe in 18-carat yellow gold with diamonds and rubies. The Reference 4700 / 160J rocketed past top-end estimates, hammering at $400,000. There was also strong demand for Patek Philippe watches with rare ‘lugs’, including a Reference 1579J ‘Spider Lugs’ and a Reference 2549/1 J ‘Turtle Lugs’, and a Rolex Reference 2057 single-button chronograph.

While the popularity of extraordinary wristwatches is set to continue, Nael also believes vintage pocket watches are returning to fashion, with every pocket watch lot across the May auction meeting or exceeding estimates.

“Whether it’s popular TV shows like Peaky Blinders or the latest eye-catching collaboration between Audemars Piguet and Swatch, there is a cultural renaissance around pocket watches. Collectors are realising the true beauty and heritage of these classic timepieces,” added Nael.

FutureGrail is a leading auction house with global reach via its online auction platform and public museum. It continues to grow from its Singapore origins, with expansion across Switzerland and United Arab Emirates throughout 2026.

Collectors interested in consigning at one of FutureGrail’s upcoming auctions can visit futuregrail.com/sell.

Media contact:
Jonathan Ivan-Duke, +971582857333, jon@dukemir.com
Jay Kau, +6017-9088 978, jay@futuregrail.com

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Momcozy’s “Choose You Too” Begins this 2026

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ —

This Mother’s Day, Momcozy isn’t asking the usual question.
Not what should we get mum?

Momcozy Choose You Too: Mothers Are Always Worth It
Momcozy Choose You Too: Mothers Are Always Worth It

But something that tends to sit quietly underneath everything else: when was the last time she chose something for herself, and didn’t feel the need to explain it?

Because most mothers don’t move through the day with themselves at the centre of it. There’s a rhythm that takes over early on, one where needs are anticipated before they’re spoken, where time is measured in what’s left to do, and where putting yourself aside stops feeling like a decision and starts feeling like the way things are.

“Choose You Too” doesn’t try to interrupt that reality with grand ideas. It stays with it. With the in-between moments that rarely get noticed; the shortened pauses, the mental lists that keep running, the quiet habit of moving on before you’ve had a second to sit still.

There’s no neat turning point here. Most mothers will tell you it doesn’t happen that way. You don’t suddenly arrive at balance. You adjust, you absorb, you keep going. And even now, when we speak more openly about support, the texture of daily life hasn’t shifted as much as we might like to think.

What has started to change is something more understated.

It shows up in small recalibrations. Choosing what is sustainable over what is expected. Letting something be simpler. Allowing a bit of ease into routines that used to rely on endurance. Not because everything else disappears, but because it doesn’t have to come at your own expense every single time.

As Ellen Zhou, Momcozy’s APAC Marketing Director, puts it, “For a lot of mothers, the hardest part isn’t doing more. It’s realising they’re allowed to need something too. Not after everything is done, not when there’s finally time, but in the middle of it all – without guilt, without negotiation.”

On their own, these shifts are almost invisible. But over time, they change the weight of a day. Not dramatically, but enough to be felt.

This is where Momcozy hopes “Choose You Too” finds its place. Not as a statement to be declared, but as something quieter, more lasting. A reminder that support doesn’t have to wait until everything else is finished. It can be part of the way things are done.

So rather than centring on a single gesture this Mother’s Day, the conversation moves towards something more enduring: choices that fit into everyday life, and make it a little more liveable, a little more sustainable.

Because sometimes, that’s what choosing yourself looks like.

Listen to the raw truth from real moms at: https://youtu.be/X1E9cgNW8DE or find out more on Momcozy’s official website: https://sea.momcozy.com, and discover various promotions on Momcozy’s official e-commerce platforms: Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop and selected retail outlets.

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Cruise passenger jumps from balcony and dies after falling overboard into ocean

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A passenger aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship died this week after going overboard while the vessel was traveling from Celebration Key to Nassau, Bahamas.

The man, whose name has not been released, climbed over the balcony railing of his stateroom on the Carnival Liberty and jumped into the water, according to the cruise operator.

Crew members responded to the incident, initiating a search effort after the man plunged into the water, according to the cruise line.

5 DANGEROUS CRUISE PORTS THAT TRAVELERS SHOULD RESEARCH BEFORE BOOKING EXCURSIONS

“Carnival confirmed on Wednesday that a male guest on Carnival Liberty apparently climbed over his stateroom balcony and jumped overboard as the ship was sailing from Celebration Key to Nassau,” Carnival said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday morning.

“The Carnival Liberty crew responded quickly with a search effort and successfully retrieved him from the water, but he did not survive,” the statement continued. 

The Carnival Liberty cruise ship departing Port Canaveral Florida

A cruise passenger climbed over the balcony railing of his stateroom on the Carnival Liberty and jumped into the water, according to the company. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service/Getty Images)

“We are providing support to the guest’s family who were traveling with him, and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their loved ones.”

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The Carnival Liberty was sailing from New Orleans to the Bahamas at the time of the incident. 

Ship tracking information indicates the vessel had made a recent stop at Celebration Key, the cruise line’s private island, before the incident, Cruise Hive reported.

The death marks the second serious incident involving the cruise line in recent days.

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Over the weekend, an 88-year-old woman died after falling from a pier at Celebration Key. 

Authorities said she lost control of her mobility scooter while near the edge and went into the water.

The Carnival Liberty cruise ship docked at Marseille port for maintenance

In the latest incident, a rescue team was dispatched, and the man was recovered from the water. He was later pronounced dead, authorities said. (Gerard Bottino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Investigators believe the woman struck her head against the side of a docked ship before entering the water.

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“Carnival confirmed that a female guest using a mobility scooter drove off the pier at Celebration Key and fell into the water while Carnival Celebration was in port on May 9. Carnival teams responded, successfully retrieving her from the water,” a Carnival spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital.

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“Despite resuscitation efforts, she did not survive. The deceased was taken by the Royal Bahamian Police Department and the coroner’s office. Our thoughts are with her family,” the spokesperson added.

Andrea Margolis of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

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Iran war fallout forces Singapore Airlines-backed Air India to cancel 27% of international flights

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Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft with registration letters VT-ANB flies over Tokyo, Japan, April 27, 2025 in this picture obtained from social media.

Koki Takagi | Via Reuters

Singapore Airlines-backed Air India will substantially cut international flights during the peak June to August travel period, as the Iran war-led airspace restrictions and record-high jet fuel prices weigh on the carrier’s operational viability.

The Airline is cutting nearly 140 flights per week, which roughly translates to 27% of its total international flights, according to aviation sector experts.

“These changes are aimed at improving network stability and reducing last-minute inconvenience to passengers,” Air India said in a statement on Wednesday. Air India, co-owned by Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, will fly fewer flights to North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

The company is India’ second-largest airline, with 3.6 million seats and a 14% share of the market, according to aviation industry data provider OAG.

The fuel paradox facing Indian airlines

Indian carriers have been among the worst affected by the conflict in the Middle East, experts said, as they face closure of airspace over Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. The country was already facing airspace usage curbs in Pakistan, as well as China, highlighted Sanjay Lazar, aviation expert and chief executive at Avialaz Consultants.

“Increased flying hours and added crew costs plus extra fuel used for the trip,” have made the sector totally unviable now, Lazar said, adding that jet fuel in India is up to 40% more expensive than in global hubs, due to local taxes.

Last month, the Federation of Indian Airlines had warned that carriers in the country were “under extreme stress and on the verge of closing down or stopping operations,” as per local media reports.

To offset the impact of falling currency and rising jet fuel costs, Indian carriers will need to raise prices “somewhere in the zone of 15%,” said Ansuman Deb, research analyst at ICICI Securities, told CNBC’s “Inside India.

On Thursday, the Indian rupee, which has been among the worst-performing currencies in Asia so far this year, fell to an all-time low of 95.95 per dollar, LSEG data showed.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday had appeal to the country’s citizens to avoid international travel, as the country’s swelling import bill, pressures the rupee.

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Australians are calling this Officeworks office chair the ultimate back-saving buy

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Nobody rushes into brunch with friends to rave about lumbar support.

No one posts an unboxing video of adjustable armrests with the same energy reserved for Dyson launches or cult skincare.

Yet somehow, one office chair at Officeworks is becoming a purchase people cannot stop talking about.

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The Pago Enduro Office Chair has become one of the retailer’s highest-rated products, racking up an average 4.7-star rating from almost 400 reviews.

Now, Officeworks has dropped the price from $399 to $329, making the ergonomic chair one of the more tempting work from home upgrades currently sitting on shelves.

And while an office chair may not sound thrilling on paper, anyone who has spent eight hours hunched over a laptop at the kitchen table knows comfort becomes very interesting once your lower back starts protesting.

The Pago Enduro Office Chair has become one of Officeworks’ highest-rated products.
The Pago Enduro Office Chair has become one of Officeworks’ highest-rated products. Credit: Officeworks

The Enduro’s appeal seems to sit in that sweet spot between practicality and affordability.

Ergonomic office chairs can easily creep into the four-figure territory.

By comparison, the Pago Enduro delivers many of the features shoppers actually want without the giant price tag.

The chair includes adjustable lumbar support, a breathable mesh back, fully adjustable armrests and a multi-function tilt mechanism designed for long workdays.

More importantly, it looks less like something you would happily keep visible in your home office.

The novelty of working from bed wore off somewhere around the second lockdown, replaced by a collective realisation that posture matters and dining chairs are not built for spreadsheet marathons.

Officeworks says the chair has also become easy to trial in-store, with many locations displaying the Enduro prominently so shoppers can test it before buying.

Some customers have even spotted palettes stacked near the front entrance, suggesting demand for the chair is stronger than expected for what is, ultimately, office furniture.

The Pago Enduro Office Chair at Officeworks is gaining a cult following among Australians upgrading their work from home setups.
The Pago Enduro Office Chair at Officeworks is gaining a cult following among Australians upgrading their work from home setups. Credit: Officeworks

Then there is the detail that makes shoppers pause: a 15-year warranty.

The promise of durability adds weight to the chair’s growing popularity, particularly for shoppers trying to avoid the endless cycle of replacing cheap office furniture every couple of years.

Aussies are spending more time at home, more time online and more time working in spaces that now need to function as offices, lounges and dining rooms simultaneously.

Functional purchases are becoming lifestyle purchases, and comfort has become less of a luxury and more of a necessity.

Which explains why an office chair is suddenly getting the kind of attention usually reserved for viral homewares and trending tech gadgets.

Turns out, adulthood’s most exciting flex might just be proper lumbar support after all.

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Allegiant CEO makes case for low-cost airline model as Sun Country acquisition closes

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An Allegiant Air plane lands at Harry Reid International Airport on July 26, 2022, in Las Vegas.

Chase Stevens | Las Vegas Review-Journal | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

Allegiant Travel Co.’s acquisition of Sun Country Airlines closed on Wednesday, and the chief executive of the combined company, Greg Anderson, said Allegiant Air will continue to stand out despite industry turmoil, including a surge in jet fuel costs.

“Our model was built to protect margins and not chase growth,” Anderson said in an interview with CNBC.

The Las Vegas-based airline announced its $1.5 billion cash-and-stock agreement, including debt, to buy Minneapolis-based Sun Country in January. The brands and booking portals will remain separate, for now.

The combined carrier, which Allegiant said will serve about 175 cities with more than 650 routes, will continue to be surgical about capacity growth, Anderson said. He said that strategy has insulated the airlines from some of the trouble that other low-cost airlines have faced.

Allegiant’s plan includes ramping up service during peak travel periods, like in the summer or over spring break, and then dialing that back on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in lower-demand weeks, selling more seats to customers at times when the airline could have more pricing power, Anderson said.

“For example, we’ll pull capacity back and really park a lot of fleet on a Tuesday in September,” he said.

Allegiant and Sun Country have focused on cost-conscious travelers, connecting smaller cities to vacation destinations. Sun Country also flies cargo for Amazon.

Anderson said demand continues to be robust, even from the carrier’s more budget-minded leisure customers, despite the spike in jet fuel costs. The industry is facing billions of dollars in added costs from expensive jet fuel that has roughly doubled since U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran began in February. Jet fuel is typically airlines’ second-biggest cost after labor, and carriers have been hiking fares to pass along the cost to customers.

The Association of Value Airlines, of which both Allegiant and Sun Country are members, last month said it asked the Trump administration for $2.5 billion to offset high fuel charges, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has said he didn’t think it was necessary.

Allegiant reported a $42.5 million profit for the first quarter, up 32% from a year earlier.

“It shows you some low-cost models can work,” said Raymond James airline analyst Savanthi Syth.

The close of the acquisition comes just weeks after once fast-growing budget carrier Spirit Airlines shut down in the biggest U.S. airline collapse in a generation.

Allegiant hasn’t disclosed financial estimates for the combined company, but said late last month it expects to cut its capacity 6.5% in the second quarter compared with last year and that third-quarter capacity would be flat to slightly lower than last year.

Smaller budget and leisure-focused airlines are dwarfed by larger competitors Delta Air LinesAmerican AirlinesUnited Airlines and Southwest Airlines, which together have a roughly 80% domestic market share in the U.S., according to federal data.

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Baidu Advances Agent Portfolio to Embrace the Agent Era, Champions Daily Active Agents as Key Metric

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  • Baidu Co-founder and CEO Robin Li proposed Daily Active Agents (DAA) as the defining metric as the industry enters the agent era.
  • The company also unveiled a series of updates to its agent portfolio, including the general-purpose agent DuMate, the app and enterprise edition of the coding agent Miaoda, the upgraded digital human platform Baidu Yijing, and the upgraded self-evolving agent Famou Agent 2.0.
  • The new full-stack AI Cloud is purpose-built for large-scale agent applications, set to empower organizations to harness AI at scale.

BEIJING, May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU and HKEX: 9888), a leading AI company with a strong internet foundation, today introduced a new generation of AI agent products at Baidu Create 2026, its annual developer conference. The lineup includes the general-purpose agent DuMate, the app and enterprise edition of the coding agent Miaoda, the upgraded digital human platform Baidu Yijing, and the upgraded self-evolving agent Famou Agent 2.0.

At Create 2026, Baidu Co-founder and CEO Robin Li made the case that the right metric for measuring success in the AI industry is Daily Active Agents (DAA) — a new index he proposed as the agent era’s equivalent of the mobile internet’s Daily Active Users (DAU).

Li contended that tokens represent cost, not value, measuring input rather than output. “To measure the health of a platform or ecosystem, we should pay closer attention to DAA — the number of agents actively working and delivering results,” he said. Li also predicted that global DAA could eventually surpass 10 billion.

Li put forward what he called an “AI evolution theory,” describing a three-layered transformation now underway: agents evolving from passive responders to autonomous executors that continuously learn from their environment; individuals evolving from ordinary users into super individuals who learn to coexist with AI; and enterprises evolving from human-to-human collaboration into mixed human-agent formations that operate as unified, super-organizations.

Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, highlights DAA at Baidu Create 2026
Robin Li, Co-founder and CEO of Baidu, highlights DAA at Baidu Create 2026

DuMate: General-Purpose Agent That Redefines What AI Can Do

At Create 2026, Baidu launched the mobile edition of its general-purpose agent DuMate. With full real-time synchronization between mobile and PC, users can now initiate tasks anytime, anywhere, with 24/7 availability. Since its MVP release in March, DuMate has iterated rapidly and is now capable of reading screens, operating software, processing files, and connecting business systems end-to-end. DuMate has achieved state-of-the-art performance across multiple international agent benchmarks. As a general-purpose agent, DuMate is also a unified gateway, according to Li. “It seamlessly integrates Baidu Search AI API, Miaoda coding agent, and Famou Agent, allowing users to collaboratively perform a range of tasks including search, coding, deep research, data analysis, and application creation,” Li said.

Miaoda & MeDo: Coding Agent That Makes Software “Disposable”

Miaoda marked another highlight of the event, with the launch of its app and enterprise edition. Miaoda is a coding agent that empowers anyone to bring their ideas to life without writing a single line of code. The new Miaoda app brings professional-grade vibe coding to mobile, with 90% of its own code generated by Miaoda itself. “Coding agents like Miaoda enable people with no coding knowledge to generate applications directly; the barrier is disappearing,” Li said. “At the same time, development costs are being compressed to near zero. The software industry is being redefined.” Li argued that “disposable software” — apps built for a single purpose and a single moment — is becoming reasonable, and that “this market could grow ten times over.” Global developers can already access MeDo, Miaoda’s international version, at medo.dev.

Baidu Yijing: Digital Human Is Agent You Can See and Trust

Baidu Yijing, rebranded from the Huiboxing platform, is a full-scenario digital human platform spanning live streaming, video production, and real-time interactive experiences, capable of generating highly interactive content ranging from minutes to several hours in length. “A digital human is simply an agent you can see,” Li said. “Equipped with voice, facial expressions, and gestures, a digital human is more expressive and more trustworthy.” Baidu Yijing is also taking its digital human capabilities global by launching an international edition that enables merchants and creators to easily generate digital human content, from e-commerce livestreams to digital human videos and beyond. Supporting the platform are three agent capabilities — script writing, video production, and intelligent editing — along with deep localization from the ground up. The platform supports 12 languages with native-level lip-sync accuracy and localized AI-powered content creation, helping merchants run round-the-clock digital human livestreams across multiple global markets.

Reflecting on the above products, Li described a fundamental shift in the basic unit of productive capacity: where it was once a team, it is now a super individual. In the agent era, every developer is simultaneously a builder, founder, and creator.

Famou Agent 2.0: Agent That Self-Verifies and Closes the Loop Can Evolve Without Limit

Baidu’s self-evolving agent Famou was upgraded to version 2.0 at Create 2026. A self-evolving agent like Famou is designed to address complex operational challenges across industries and help enterprises unlock meaningful productivity gains. The 2.0 version expands direct accessibility to domain experts across three high-value use cases: production scheduling, process optimization, and logistics planning. Commenting on Famou, Li noted that agents capable of self-verification and closed-loop execution could shift efficiency gains from linear to exponential. At one of the world’s most sophisticated automated ports, for instance, Famou Agent autonomously identifies optimal solutions across berth scheduling, equipment allocation, and cargo prioritization, delivering a 10.21% performance improvement on top of an already highly optimized baseline. Famou Agent 2.0 has topped MLE-Bench, winning 9 of the 15 hardest tasks and outperforming agents built on other leading models.

New Full-Stack AI Cloud: The Infrastructure Behind Agents at Scale

Underpinning these agent applications is a series of infrastructure upgrades announced at the same event. Baidu AI Cloud announced a comprehensive upgrade, repositioning itself as a new full-stack AI cloud purpose-built for large-scale agent applications, with upgrades spanning Agent Infra and AI Infra. A dedicated cluster powered by Baidu’s proprietary Kunlunxin AI chip has supported the training of a key model in the ERNIE 5.1 series. Earlier in May, Baidu released ERNIE 5.1, its latest foundation model, which ranked #1 among Chinese models on LMArena’s text and search leaderboards.

About Baidu

Founded in 2000, Baidu’s mission is to make the complicated world simpler through technology. Baidu is a leading AI company with strong internet foundation, trading on the NASDAQ under “BIDU” and HKEX under “9888.” One Baidu ADS represents eight Class A ordinary shares.

Source: Baidu, Inc.

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Piramal Pharma Solutions Unveils State-of-the-Art Payload-Linker Suite at its Riverview, Michigan Facility

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  • The Riverview facility provides comprehensive services for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and high potency APIs (HPAPIs), including specialized solutions for payload-linkers.
  • This cutting-edge suite will significantly enhance the company’s ability to support global payload-linker development and manufacturing and help partners bring complex therapies like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and other bioconjugates to market.

MUMBAI, India, May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Piramal Pharma Solutions, a leading global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and part of Piramal Pharma Ltd. (NSE: PPLPHARMA) (BSE: 543635) (“PPS”), has officially unveiled a new, state-of-the-art payload-linker development and manufacturing suite at its Riverview, Michigan drug substance facility. This launch is a key element of the company’s broader $90 million investment plan to extend U.S.-based manufacturing capabilities, announced last year. In addition to the payload-linker suite, the plan will add new technology and enhanced commercial-scale manufacturing capabilities at PPS’s dedicated sterile injectables facility in Lexington, Kentucky. These strategic enhancements reinforce PPS’s commitment to bringing complex and innovative therapies to patients quickly and reliably.

Ribbon cutting at Piramal Pharma Solutions’ payload-linker suite, Riverview, MI. Left to right: Peter DeYoung, CEO, Piramal Global Pharma; Nandini Piramal, Chairperson, Piramal Pharma Limited; Herve Berdou, COO, PPS; Manoj Zalpuri, EVP North America Operations, PPS; Bruce Guimares, VP & Site Head, PPS; Stu Needleman, CCO, PPS.
Ribbon cutting at Piramal Pharma Solutions’ payload-linker suite, Riverview, MI. Left to right: Peter DeYoung, CEO, Piramal Global Pharma; Nandini Piramal, Chairperson, Piramal Pharma Limited; Herve Berdou, COO, PPS; Manoj Zalpuri, EVP North America Operations, PPS; Bruce Guimares, VP & Site Head, PPS; Stu Needleman, CCO, PPS.

“The launch of our new payload-linker suite at Riverview marks a major milestone for PPS and our partners,” said Peter DeYoung, CEO, Piramal Global Pharma. “The suite places world-class expertise, advanced technology, and commercial-scale payload-linker capabilities right here in Michigan, empowering our customers to accelerate the development and delivery of life-changing therapies, like ADCs. This investment demonstrates our deep commitment to U.S.-based innovation and manufacturing, ensuring our partners benefit from unmatched efficiency, supply chain security, and a seamless path from concept to clinic for these critical medicines.”

With over 60 years of drug substance development and manufacturing experience, Riverview is a distinguished leader in its field. Drawing on its diverse expertise, the site provides a comprehensive range of capabilities for APIs and HPAPIs. Leveraging its specialized HPAPI knowledge and abilities, Riverview serves as PPS’s dedicated payload-linker supplier, making it critical to ADCelerate™ – PPS’s rapid, integrated approach to phase I ADC development.

The addition of this payload-linker suite is designed to help PPS accelerate partners’ timelines and adapt to evolving market needs. Equipped with advanced containment, automation, and analytical technologies, the suite enables seamless scaling of payload-linker programs. This further strengthens the ADCelerate™ platform and positions PPS to meet the rising demand for ADCs and other bioconjugate therapies.

The expansions in Riverview and Lexington reinforce PPS’s position as the partner of choice for innovator companies looking for patient-centric, U.S.-based drug development and manufacturing solutions.

About Piramal Pharma Solutions

Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS) is a Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) offering end-to-end development and manufacturing solutions across the drug life cycle. We serve our customers through a globally integrated network of facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia. This enables us to offer a comprehensive range of services including drug discovery solutions, process and pharmaceutical development services, clinical trial supplies, commercial supply of APIs, and finished dosage forms. We also offer specialized services such as the development and manufacture of highly potent APIs, antibody-drug conjugations, sterile fill/finish, peptide products and services, and potent solid oral drug products. PPS also offers development and manufacturing services for biologics including vaccines and gene therapies, made possible through Piramal Pharma Limited’s associate company, Yapan Bio Private Limited.

For more information visit: Piramal Pharma Solutions | LinkedIn| Facebook | X

About Piramal Pharma Limited

Piramal Pharma Limited (PPL) (NSE: PPLPHARMA) (BSE: 543635), offers a portfolio of differentiated products and services through its 17* global development and manufacturing facilities and a global distribution network in over 100 countries. PPL includes Piramal Pharma Solutions (PPS), an integrated contract development and manufacturing organization; Piramal Critical Care (PCC), a complex hospital generics business; and the Piramal Consumer Healthcare business, selling over-the-counter consumer and wellness products. In addition, one of PPL’s associate companies, Abbvie Therapeutics India Private Limited, a joint venture between Abbvie and PPL, has emerged as one of the market leaders in the ophthalmology therapy area in the Indian pharma market. Further, PPL has a strategic minority investment in Yapan Bio Private Limited, that operates in the biologics / bio-therapeutics and vaccine segments.

For more information, visit: Piramal Pharma | LinkedIn

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