On a lively weekend, a bartender in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, balances carefully a slice of titaura, a local tangy and spicy hog plum treat, on top of a martini glass.The drink is an example of how a new wave of cocktail bars is combining age-old techniques with local traditions to craft uniquely
A young Indonesian man turns his back to a crowd, flexing his oiled-up muscles before picking up a stack of roof tiles, holding as many as he can in a pose reminiscent of Mr. Olympia.This is a bodybuilding battle of a different kind — one where competitors are roof tile factory workers who pump clay
TECHNOLOGY EDGE: The impact of US tariffs should be manageable, as many Taiwanese firms have built manufacturing facilities in the US and other markets
Taiwan’s economy is expected to grow 4.45 percent this year, up from a 3.1 percent forecast in May, as stronger-than-expected exports and private investment offset global trade headwinds, the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) said yesterday.“While US trade policy chang
Japan’s economy expanded faster than expected last quarter, led by solid domestic demand, boosting the case for the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to raise its benchmark rate again this year while giving embattled Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba some rare good news.Gross domestic product grew at an annu
Applied Materials Inc, the largest US producer of chipmaking gear, plunged in late trading yesterday after giving a disappointing sales and profit forecast, renewing concerns that the US trade dispute with China is weighing on demand.Revenue would be approximately US$6.7 billion in the fiscal fourth
LOSING STEAM: Uncertainty in global trade, as well as disruptions from extreme weather events, have added to a traditionally slow season for the economy
China’s economy slowed across the board last month with factory activity and retail sales disappointing, suggesting the world’s No. 2 economy is losing traction in the third quarter.Production at Chinese factories and mines rose at the slowest rate since November and expanded 5.7 percent last month
Liquid-crystal display and projector manufacturer Qisda Co (佳世達) on Thursday said it expected revenue this quarter to be flat or slightly higher than last quarter amid slowing front-loading demand and tariff uncertainty.Revenue this quarter could still edge up from the previous quarter aided by seas
Restaurant terraces are pictured in the popular tourist location of Nyhavn in Copenhagen on Thursday. Denmark’s government is due to present its budget law proposal for next year within the next month.
AI SERVER DEMAND: ‘Overall industry demand continues to outpace supply and we are expanding capacity to meet it,’ the company’s chief executive officer said
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) yesterday reported that net profit last quarter rose 27 percent from the same quarter last year on the back of demand for cloud services and high-performance computing products.Net profit surged to NT$44.36 billion (US$1.48 billion) from NT$35.04 billion a year e
BATTERY FACTORY: The holding company said that the blaze at a Kaohsiung plant prompted accelerated efforts to expand ties with foreign service providers
TCC Group Holdings Co (台泥) on Wednesday said that it would incur a financial loss of NT$11 billion (US$366.81 million) from a fire that badly damaged its lithium-ion battery cell “gigafactory” in Kaohsiung last month.To shoulder responsibility, the management team, led by TCC chief executive officer
Where the Story Begins — Asset Management 2.0.As the Asset Management 2.0 policy is rolled out in 2025, the government aims to transform Taiwan into a regional wealth management hub by attracting high-net-worth (HNW) individuals by way of expanding its financial services capabilities.Leveraging on i
China Steel Corp (CSC, 中鋼), the nation’s biggest steelmaker, yesterday raised steel prices by between NT$500 and NT$600 (US$16.67 and US$20) per tonne for domestic deliveries next month to reflect rising raw material costs and to align with global market trends.Following the adjustments, prices of h
Taiwan’s major hotel chains are cautiously optimistic about prospects for the second half of the year, expecting holiday demand to drive growth after forex fluctuations affected first-half performance.Formosa International Hotels Corp (FIH, 晶華國際酒店集團) this week said that holidays might increse domest
The Formosa Plastics Group (FPG, 台塑集團), one of the largest conglomerates in Taiwan, yesterday announced to raise wages for its employees by 2 percent, dating back to July 1, although its major entities incurred losses in the first half of this year.The announcement came after FPG chairman William Wo
Kites fly behind a sand sculpture at Tongxiao Beach in Miaoli County’s Tongxiao Township yesterday. Typhoon Podul did not do much damage to the 22 sand sculptures at the Tongxiao Sand Sculpture Art Festival, which runs through Sept. 14. Weekend food markets, cultural performances and light shows are
EYE ON US: Tariff uncertainties cut 0.5 percentage points off its operating margin last quarter, as it sought to improve supply chain resilience, a company executive said
PC vendor Asustek Computer Inc (華碩) yesterday reported a 23 percent sequential slump in net profit for last quarter, attributed to the effects of US tariff policies and exchange rate fluctuations.Net profit dropped to NT$9.8 billion (US$327.1 million), compared with NT$12.79 billion in the previous
Tax revenue generated from securities transactions and vehicle sales declined sharply last month from a year earlier amid uncertainties over US trade policies, the Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday.Securities transaction tax revenue was NT$23.9 billion (US$797.73 million) last month, down by a dou
INVESTMENT ‘ESTIMATE’: To offset the burden firms would face from US tariffs, the government might help them establish operations in the US, J.W. Kuo said
Minister of Economic Affairs J.W. Kuo (郭智輝) yesterday said that his earlier comment about an assumed US$400 billion US investment was only an estimate and was based on references to other countries’ situations.Kuo on Wednesday last week at a meeting with industry representatives said that Taiwan’s i
E Ink Holdings Inc (元太科技), the world’s largest e-paper display supplier, yesterday said it expects moderate revenue decline in the second half of the year, as some e-reader customers have become more conservative about consumer spending amid concerns over US tariffs.The company’s second-quarter reve
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