The South Korean tech giant will unveil three cube-type refrigerators — Wine Cube, Beer Cube and Beauty Cube, whose names indicate their purpose.

It will also introduce a footwear management system featuring the technology of the company’s clothes care system, Air Dresser.

Under the company’s ProjectPRISM strategy, which aims to provide home appliances tailored to customers’ personalities and lifestyles, Samsung said it plans to offer products that did not exist before and bring new value.

With thousands of new U.S. troops already headed to the region to bolster security there, defense analysts now believe the long-running U.S. military presence in Iraq ― and the billions of taxpayer dollars spent there every year on munitions and troop support ― is unlikely to be drawn down.

U.S. defense contractors, which have benefited financially from the long-running wars in Iraq in Afghanistan, are among Wall Street’s few beneficiaries of heightened tensions in the Middle East, analysts said. Stock prices of most major defense manufacturers closed several points higher Friday even as climbing oil prices appeared to hurt major stock indices.

Lockheed Martin stock closed 3.6 percent higher Friday after languishing for the past month; Raytheon stock increased 1.48 percent; General Dynamics closed about 1 percent higher; and Northrop Grumman stock jumped 5.45 percent. Government services contractors like CACI and SAIC saw smaller price increases. Boeing stock remained flat.

The airstrike near Baghdad airport early Friday morning against Qasem Soleimani, a powerful military commander who had coordinated proxy forces against the United States across the Middle East for decades, came after a Dec. 27 rocket attack killed an American contractor.

Top U.S. defense officials said Friday that the airstrike was meant to prevent Soleimani from carrying out attacks he had planned against U.S. officials and diplomats. The Pentagon has already announced that it is sending 3,500 additional troops to the Middle East, and warned Americans to leave Iraq “immediately.”

Stock analysts tracking the defense market said the escalated tensions could create more support for escalated levels of defense spending. The U.S. defense budget increased by about 16 percent in the first few years of Trump’s presidency before leveling off.

Cowen analyst Roman Schweitzer called the airstrike a “major escalation” that shifted the conflict between the United States and Iran from a proxy fight to a direct confrontation.

“This is the equivalent of Iran killing the U.S. chairman of the joint chiefs of staff or the director of the Central Intelligence Agency and then taking credit for it,” Schweitzer wrote.

He said the event makes a further troop draw-down in the Middle East unlikely, as Iran and other “antagonists” pose a greater threat to U.S. installations across the region. The Defense Department’s spending from an account called Overseas Contingency Operations, which is used to fund active military operations, will probably remain at its current high as a result, he said.

Jefferies Investment Bank analyst Sheila Kahyaoglu wrote in a note to investors that the threat of escalated conflict in the Middle East “points to the broad threat profile that supports elevated levels of spending.” She wrote that Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and General Dynamics could be the biggest beneficiaries due to their international business.

By the end of the decade, he’d given billions of dollars to fight poverty and improve health care and education. But his fortune also more than doubled during the period, a result of soaring stock markets and favorable tax policies.

And so at the end of the decade, the world’s second-richest person said he wants his fellow billionaires to pay much higher taxes.

U.S. lawmakers should close loopholes, raise the estate tax and hike the capital-gains tax so that it equals the rate on labor income, Gates wrote Monday in a year-end blog post. He also called for states and local governments to make their taxes “fairer” and reiterated his support for a state income tax in Washington, where he lives.

“I’ve been disproportionately rewarded for the work I’ve done — while many others who work just as hard struggle to get by,” he wrote. “That’s why I’m for a tax system in which, if you have more money, you pay a higher percentage in taxes. And I think the rich should pay more than they currently do, and that includes Melinda and me.”

Gates, 64, has a net worth of $113.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, a ranking of the world’s 500 richest people. In 2010, Bill and Melinda announced the Giving Pledge with Warren Buffett and asked other billionaires to sign to give away chunks of their fortunes. As of May, 204 people from 23 countries agreed to participate.

At an event in November, Gates expressed reservations about the wealth tax proposed by presidential candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. In his blog post, Gates said he won’t take a position on the various proposals being debated during the campaign.

“But I believe we can make our system fairer without sacrificing the incentive to innovate,” he said. “Americans in the top 1% can afford to pay a lot more before they stop going to work or creating jobs. In the 1970s, when Paul Allen and I were starting Microsoft, marginal tax rates were almost twice the top rate today. It didn’t hurt our incentive to build a great company.”

Gulf has purchased a 49-per-cent share in Hin Kong Power Holding Co Ltd and both Ratch and Fulf will apply their experience and expertise to the plant as a critical power source for securing the national power system and competitive potential.

Ratch CEO Kijja Sripatthangkura said this week that Ratch and Gulf are Thailand’s leading independent power producers with extensive experience and competence in the business.

Their collaboration, he said, “will enable the Hin Kong Power Plant to better create economic and social value, and also will support the national agenda on energy security and aim to become Southeast Asia’s energy hub.”

The business alliance would also help Ratch Group pursue its goal of becoming a leading energy and infrastructure company in Asia-Pacific, he said.

“We are confident that the plant will be an electricity supply source that will contribute to the country’s long-term socio-economic development,” Kijja said. “The power grid in Thailand’s West and South in particular will be more secure and households and industries will be served efficiently.

“In addition, there is an opportunity to extend our cooperation with Gulf as a strategic partner in other projects in the future because of their similar business direction and goals. This could support Ratch Group’s strategy to grow its enterprise value at Bt200 billion by 2023.”

The Hin Kong Power Plant consists of two 700MW blocks fired by natural gas.

Hin Kong Power is the project operator, wholly owned by Hin Kong Power Holding Co Ltd. The project was entered into the 25-year power purchase agreement with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand last July.

The first block is scheduled to begin commercial operations in 2024 and the second in 2025. An environmental impact assessment is underway.

It was the first company to do so since the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission made the documents available on the day before.

The documents will be available until February 3 and bids must be submitted on February 4.

Four spectrum bands – 700MHz, 1800MHz, 2600MHz and 26GHz – will be auctioned off on February 16.

Oxford, to be based in Bangkok from February 1, will oversee all business and operations in what Nokia regards as a fast-growing market.

He brings more than 24 years’ experience in the telecommunications industry in sales, technology and operations.

Oxford was previously Nokia’s customer team head at Indosat in Indonesia, where he oversaw significant growth in the nation and enhanced customer relations.

Prior to that he held the same position at Nokia Philippines, having joined the company after five years with General Electric in Thailand.

“His experience and track record will enable Nokia to push forward in Thailand as it enters the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” the company said in a statement.

“He will leverage his strategic insights – as well as his ability to form and deepen client and industry relationships – to lead Nokia’s delivery of its end-to-end portfolio, including 5G and high-speed broadband.

“This is part of Nokia’s greater effort in Thailand to help the nation closer foster technological and socio-economic transformation, as enshrined under the Thailand 4.0 initiative.”

Oxford acknowledged that Thailand will continue to be a crucial market for Nokia.

“For over two decades, we have been involved in the growth of the nation’s telecommunications industry,” he said. “As we head into the new decade, I look forward to working with communications service providers and enterprise customers to embrace new technological transformation, especially in the 5G era.”

Prathet Tankuranun, chief technology officer of Total Access Communication Plc, said, “As the clock ticked over to 2020, we saw data usage skyrocket by 150 per cent compared to last year [as of January 1, 7am]. The peak period ranged from 8pm to 9pm on December 31, 2019.”

“Data traffic during New Year countdowns is by far the busiest hour of the busiest day of the year. That’s why DTAC allocated additional network engineers to ensure smooth connectivity 24 hours a day. We also boosted our network capacities with portable towers at New Year’s Eve countdown destinations,” Prathet said.

Bangkok ranked the highest for data consumption. In provincial areas, the highest data usage in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast, Ratchaburi in the West, Samut Prakan in Central Thailand, Chonburi in the East and Songkhla in the South.

The most popular mobile apps was Facebook, followed by YouTube, Instagram, Line and Twitter.

The report said BOE, a world leader in TV LCD panels which has shifted its efforts to OLED panels, could start its OLED supply to Apple in 2020.

The report did not say whether Apple was going to try out these OLED screens or to officially use them in the iPhone 12 in 2020.

According to the report, BOE will ship 45 million OLED displays for iPhones in 2021, citing sources from South Korean analysts. This would make BOE overtake LG to become the second-largest OLED panel provider for Apple by 2021. Samsung, who became the biggest OLED display provider to iPhone in 2017, will remain Apple’s primary OLED supplier, RPRNA said.

The move aims to reduce Apple’s reliance on Samsung as the former works to diversify its supply chain.

BOE is also one of the major screen suppliers to Chinese tech company Huawei, the report said. The display producer has experienced strong growth in recent years mainly due to the popularity of Huawei smartphones.

Ride-hailing firm Grab will hold a 60 per cent stake in the consortium, while the Republic’s largest telco will hold the remaining 40 per cent.

A digital full bank licence will allow Grab and Singtel to serve retail customers, including taking deposits. The licence will also enable them to lend money to companies.

Grab and Singtel said in a statement: “The digital bank will aim to cater to the needs of digital-first customers, who have come to expect greater convenience and personalisation, and small and medium-sized enterprises, which cite lack of access to credit as a key pain point.”

They added that the consortium will aim to be well-positioned to offer relevant products and services and become a trusted partner for consumers and enterprises.

Both companies already provide e-wallet services. Singtel has Dash while Grab, more popular for its ride-hailing and delivery services, has GrabPay.

Singtel has been working on a regional alliance of e-wallets that will allow users to pay for their purchases overseas with their local e-wallets. Grab has ventured into insurance and lending, according to previous media reports.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore announced in June that it will issue up to five new digital bank licences for both full and wholesale banks to players who may not have an established record in banking. It will stop accepting applications on Tuesday.

Other organisations that have expressed interest in applying for the licence include Standard Chartered Bank, NTUC Enterprise, the V3 Group and Razer.

Singtel and Grab will know if their application has been approved by mid-2020.

Corks are popping less abundantly in France, an additional headache for Champagne producers already facing the double threat of U.S. tariffs and the U.K.’s planned exit from the European Union.

Even as overseas markets continued their growth, a decade-long slide in domestic demand worsened in 2018, with sales in France falling by 6.5 million bottles. The slump appears to have continued this year after a plunge in sales during the country’s autumn wine promotions. To top it off, a transport workers’ strike dragged on into the Christmas season, cutting end-of-year spending.

“In a difficult economic and geopolitical context, the uncertainties linked in particular to Brexit and the French market remain, and still call for much caution,” producer Laurent-Perrier said this month in warning about the outlook for its fiscal year through March. The company said its Champagne sales fell 0.6% in the first half.

While globally recognized brands like LVMH’s Dom Perignon and Pernod Ricard SA’s Perrier-Jouet have ridden a wave of export demand over the past decade, domestic drinkers remain key to the industry. About 147 million Champagne bottles were shipped in France last year, roughly three times as many as the combined total of the U.K. and the U.S., the top two export markets.

French supermarkets have long helped drinkers stock their cellars ahead of the holidays with two-for-one promotions that cut the per-bottle cost to less than 10 euros ($11). This year, a new law aimed at boosting prices for farmers barred retailers from dangling such loss leaders. That contributed to a 34% slump in Champagne sales during retailers’ autumn wine fairs, according to research firm Nielsen.

The plunge during the September and October sales exacerbates a trend of falling Champagne demand in France as cheaper alternatives gain traction. Volumes sold in supermarkets fell 3.5% in 2018, while foreign bubbly such as Spanish Cava and Italian Prosecco jumped 58%, according to data from Symphony IRI published by FranceAgriMer, a trade group for farming and fishing.

“There will certainly be a lot of volume that is not finding a home, and that’s never good for an industry,” said Nathalie Viet, head of France’s Syndicat des Cavistes, a union of specialist wine sellers.

Shoppers are tempted when they can buy a good bottle of foreign bubbly for 10 euros less. “For Champagne,” Viet said, “there’s a feeling that the price doesn’t always correspond to the underlying product.”

Champagne producers shouldn’t expect near-term relief from their biggest export markets. In the U.K., a series of unmet Brexit deadlines contributed to a buildup of stocks that could weigh on demand in coming months as retailers unwind excess inventories, according to Thibaut Le Mailloux, a spokesman for industry lobby Comite Champagne.

The U.S., the second-biggest overseas destination, is threatening 100% tariffs on the drink in response to a French digital-services tax affecting the likes of Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Amazon.com Inc.

Laurent-Perrier shares have dropped about 7% in the past 12 months, compared with a 30% gain for France’s CAC AllShares Index. Another top producer, Vranken-Pommery Monopole SA, slipped 15%, while Lanson-BCC declined 10%.

While volumes are falling steeply, the outlook isn’t entirely bleak, as the value of the domestic market has declined less. That’s thanks to bright spots like Champagnes from small growers, which wine shops and restaurants are encouraging consumers to drink with food. Luxury labels like LVMH’s Ruinart are also expanding thanks to revamped marketing that’s positioned it as a favorite of the fashion crowd.

Etienne Calsac, an independent producer, said the French supermarket law hasn’t hurt him, but he worries about the trade spat with the U.S., where so-called grower Champagnes have become popular in recent years.

“I could adapt and get some other markets to take more bottles,” he said. “But for the Champagne sector on the whole it would be catastrophic if these tariffs go through.”