Latest news with #NCS
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Transocean (RIG) Falters For 3rd Straight Day – Here's Why
We recently published a list of 10 Stocks Take A Shocking Nosedive. Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG) is one of the worst-performing stocks on Thursday. Transocean dropped by 3.74 percent on Wednesday to close at $3.09 apiece as investors unloaded portfolios over the lack of fresh developments to boost buying. Wednesday's share price marked its third straight day of decline, suggesting that investors have already priced in earlier news that it secured another $100 million contract with existing client, Equinor ASA. Under the agreement, Transocean Ltd. (NYSE:RIG) will drill two more wells for Equinor ASA at the Spitsbergen rig in Norway as part of the latter's drilling extension option. The program is expected to kick off in the first quarter of 2026 in direct continuation of the rig's current program. The additional work followed their original three-well program on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), which was procured in 2024. An aerial view of an oil rig with drillers in hard hats working on the platform. Transocean Ltd.'s (NYSE:RIG) Spitsbergen rig was built in 2010 as a sixth-generation dual-derrick winterized semi-submersible rig, which is capable of drilling high-pressure and high-temperature formations. While we acknowledge the potential of RIG as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
News18
2 days ago
- Science
- News18
India's Earthquake Alerts May Now Arrive Seconds Before The Tremors Do
Last Updated: India is setting up an early warning system to detect quakes in advance. Starting from the Himalayas, alerts will soon be issued before tremors hit, helping save lives and property India is taking a major step toward improving disaster preparedness with the launch of an early earthquake warning system. The National Centre for Seismology (NCS) will now issue alerts seconds before strong tremors hit, similar to weather warnings. The system is expected to give people and authorities crucial time to respond. The initiative was announced by OP Mishra, Director of NCS, who described it as a key step by the central government. A pilot project has already begun, with initial installations underway in the Himalayan region. The system is based on the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and will gradually expand across the country. How Will GNSS Detect Earthquakes? The GNSS monitors subtle ground movements to detect seismic activity before tectonic plates shift significantly. While earthquakes cannot be predicted in advance, early detection allows alerts to be issued as soon as initial tremors are sensed—helping reduce loss of life and damage to infrastructure. Drawing from Global Expertise India's new system uses state-of-the-art technology developed in Japan and Taiwan. It detects the primary wave (P-wave)—a fast-moving, low-damage signal released during an earthquake—before the more damaging secondary wave (S-wave) arrives. Upon P-wave detection, a signal is sent to the NCS control room within seconds, triggering alerts that include estimated intensity and impact area. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed on June 20 between NCS and the Geological Survey of India to further support the rollout. The alerts will be sent to state governments, local authorities, hospitals, and disaster management teams via the National Disaster Management Authority. The new system marks a critical advancement in India's seismic readiness and could significantly improve emergency response during future earthquakes. First Published: June 18, 2025, 15:10 IST
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Urgent warning to thousands of Irish parents claiming key €1.7k benefit as simple mistake could see it stopped
PARENTS face losing out on a major childcare subsidy worth up to €1,700 - all because of a simple step they might be missing. Thousands of 2 The National Childcare Scheme helps families with learning and childcare costs Credit: Getty Images - Getty 2 And parents are at risk of losing out on the major subsidy Credit: Getty Images - Getty The NCS provides financial support to help families with their early learning and And you may risk having your payments stopped if you don't confirm claims online after you submit them. Even if you qualify for the subsidy and have been approved, no payments will be made until you log into the NCS website and confirm your claim. The Department has sent clear warnings to READ MORE IN MONEY They said: 'No payments can be made to your childcare provider until you confirm the claim. "This claim is awaiting your confirmation, no payment of your NCS subsidy can be made to your childcare provider until you confirm the claim." That means your subsidy which helps with early learning and childcare costs will be paused or stopped completely if you miss this confirmation. Once you file a claim, you must check the details and approve it through your NCS account and without this confirmation, the payment cannot be processed. MOST READ IN MONEY This applies to both types of subsidies under the scheme: the universal subsidy, which isn't means-tested, and the income-assessed subsidy, which depends on your family's Budget 2025 Key Highlights and What to Expect Rates will vary depending on your level of income, your child's age and educational stage, and the number of children in your family. You can apply for the subsidy that best suits your For both the universal subsidy and the income-assessed subsidy, children must be: Aged between 6 months (24 weeks) and 15 years (children aged 15 do not qualify) Attending a childcare provider who is registered with Under the universal subsidy, the National Childcare Scheme is available to parents of any income level and is not means-tested. And the subsidy rates are based on the number of hours your child attends . Eligible under certain conditions The income-assessed subsidy is available to families with an annual reckonable And your hourly subsidy rates are based on your individual circumstances, such as your family income, your child's age and educational stage, and the number of children in your family. During school terms, you can use your subsidised hours for before-school and after- You must meet certain conditions to be eligible for the NCS. You or your current partner must be a parent of the child or acting in loco parentis, which means acting as a parent to the child. Your child must be over six months and under 15 years of age. You can apply online on the NCS website.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow on COE system, private-hire cars and other transport issues
Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow sought to counter the narrative that private-hire vehicle companies are driving up COE prices. PHOTO: ST FILE SINGAPORE – There will be no major tweaks to the certificate of entitlement (COE) system in the short term, and the focus now is on ensuring that all vehicles are equipped with on-board units (OBUs) for the next-generation Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system, said Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow. 'The reality is there won't be space for every Singaporean to own a car in Singapore,' he told reporters in an interview on June 11, noting that the COE system is how the Government is allocating this 'scarce good'. Touching on a range of other transport issues, Mr Siow also sought to counter the narrative that private-hire vehicle companies are driving up COE prices, thereby depriving Singaporeans of the chance to own a car. A COE is needed to register and use a vehicle here. On usage-based charging Asked if Singapore will shift to usage-based charging, Mr Siow said this is something that the authorities can look at in the next phase of the roll-out of the new ERP system, known as ERP 2.0. He said the Government had to switch to ERP 2.0 largely because the current system is obsolete. 'It was not possible for us to continue running the current ERP system... without problems, because the parts were just not getting manufactured.' Mr Siow was director of land transport when NCS and MHI Engine System won a $556 million tender in 2016 to build ERP 2.0, which has the ability to charge for distance travelled. He said the focus now is to ensure that every car is installed with a new ERP 2.0 OBU, and this will take time to complete. As at June, more than 500,000 vehicles have been fitted with OBUs. This means the installation exercise has crossed the halfway mark towards equipping the entire vehicle population of around one million units with OBUs by 2026. On COE allocation On whether private-hire cars have driven up COE premiums, Mr Siow said this discussion needs to take into account the fact that private-hire vehicles have given people access to private transport on a pay-per-use basis. 'If we didn't have private-hire cars today, actually the reverse would be true, that a large number of these people will feel that they need to buy a car, and then... they will bid the price of the COE up,' he argued. Noting that the economics of a private-hire car are 'much more efficient', Mr Siow asked: 'If you had one COE left to allocate, is it better to allocate it to a private car owner, who then drives maybe two trips a day and leaves the car in the garage? 'Or is it better to share the car among a much larger group of Singaporeans who can have access to the use of a car when they need it? Surely it must be the latter, right?' However, if there are fundamental changes to driving habits in the long term, the Government can then review how it manages the COE allocation mechanism, Mr Siow added. On private-hire driver hours The Acting Minister was also asked for his views on the time that private-hire drivers spend on the road. This is in the light of the recent death of 49-year-old ride-hailing driver Gavin Neo from a stroke. Friends said Mr Neo often spent up to 15 hours behind the wheel to provide for his teenage son and daughter. Mr Siow said the Land Transport Authority (LTA) does not regulate the number of hours that private-hire drivers should be on the road, and the unions have not called for such regulations either, as different drivers have different needs. He said LTA will step in if accident rates for private-hire vehicles are much higher than private vehicles, but this has not been the case. He also pointed to the Workplace Safety and Health Council's guidelines, which encourage drivers to limit their shifts to no more than 12 hours. Mr Siow said the question is whether ride-hailing platform Grab's incentive scheme should be tweaked, noting that there is a very high-achieving incentive tier that few drivers are on. 'I have a lot of sympathy for (Mr Neo)... The union has reached out to (the family), and we want to see how we can help the family in that particular instance.' On EVs On Singapore's electric vehicle (EV) push, Mr Siow said EVs are a 'game changer' for urban design, as roads can be built much closer to buildings, or even through them. This is because EVs are silent and non-polluting, he noted. He also pointed to the Government's commitment to phase out vehicles that run purely on internal combustion engines. The authorities have mandated that all new car registrations must be of cleaner-energy models from 2030. 'It is a matter of managing the transition,' Mr Siow said . 'It just takes time for people to switch. We don't want to force them to suddenly have to give up their vehicle for a new one.' On late-night public transport On whether the authorities would make late-night public transport more accessible, Mr Siow said the main constraint for night buses is manpower. 'Between choosing to deploy a night bus versus choosing to deploy a new bus service, I have to weigh which is the more immediate priority. So, on that front, we can see opportunistically whether it is worth doing. But I think on the whole, the priority has to be augmenting the HDB estates and the bus networks,' he added. For the rail system, time is needed each night for maintenance work, and unlike cities like London, it is not possible to completely shut down segments of an MRT line for maintenance here. This may change in future for the Circle Line, however, once the loop between HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations is closed, as it could allow for 24-hour maintenance work to be done on some sections of the line while maintaining connectivity. Mr Siow said: 'At the margins, we can think about extending service hours a little bit, but quite frankly, looking at the priorities, we are under more pressure to create more time for maintenance and to, in fact, reduce service hours, rather than the other way around.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
Pakistan: 4.4-magnitude earthquake jolts country; No reports of casualties yet
A 4.4-magnitude earthquake struck parts of Pakistan on Tuesday evening, the National Centre for Seismology confirmed. The tremor was recorded at 6:53 pm IST, though there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. The earthquake is said to be at a depth of 10 km. Earlier, on Thursday earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale jolted parts of Pakistan, NCS reported. The tremor struck at a shallow depth of just 10 km. No immediate damage or casualties were reported following the tremors. This is a developing story.
