■ Electronics
Carriers reject iPod phone
Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless are unwilling to support an iPod mobile phone Apple Computer Inc and Motorola Inc are developing, Business Week reported, citing unidentified people familiar with the matter. The carriers are reluctant to support a phone that would let customers download music from their personal computers rather than purchase songs through their wireless service providers, the magazine reported on its Web site. Motorola delayed a planned unveiling of the iPod phone at a cellular industry conference in New Orleans this month because of lack of industry support for the handset, Business Week said, citing the unidentified people.
■ Automakers
Nissan, Audi clash over `Q'
Nissan Motor Corp said Friday its US unit has sued Audi AG over the alleged breach by the German carmaker of the copyright for the registered letter "Q" which Audi uses for its new sport utility vehicles. Nissan North America has used "Q" as the registered trademark for its luxury Infinity vehicles since 1989, according to Mia Nielsen, spokeswoman for Nissan. "Nissan North America filed a lawsuit at the US district court in Michigan so as to protect the company's rights over the letter `Q,'" Nielsen said. "We are seeking to bar Audi from using any names that could infringe on Nissan's right over the letter `Q,'" she added. Nissan said Audi's use of the Q5 and Q7 trademarks for its new SUVs might cause confusion among consumers.
■ Railways
Seibu denies buyout offer
Seibu Railway, the scandal-hit Japanese firm, yesterday denied a report that US investment bank Goldman Sachs has offered to buy it for about ¥900 billion (US$8.5 billion). "We have not officially nor informally received such an offer from Goldman Sachs," a Seibu Railway spokesman said. Goldman Sachs spokesman Orlando Camargo also issued a statement dismissing the report. "Goldman Sachs has not proposed to acquire Seibu Railway Group as has been reported today in the media," he said. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said Goldman Sachs had proposed purchasing Seibu Railway shares held by the group's core company Kokudo and taking over Kokudo's debt obligations. Seibu was delisted from the Tokyo Stock Exchange in December in the wake of the scandal which saw its former head, Yoshiaki Tsutsumi, once dubbed the world's richest man, charged with falsifying financial statements to conceal his family's control of the company.
■ Macroeconomics
Seoul says it won't lift rates
South Korea's top economics minister said yesterday that this week's latest US interest rate hike would not be followed here as the country's economy is still only on the path to recovery. "The United States raised interest rates because of inflation jitters. However, our economy is still at a stage where signs of recovery are beginning to appear," said Han Duck-Soo, minister of finance and economy. "Therefore, it is difficult to see any linkage between the US interest rate hike and our economy," he said at a meeting of economic policy makers. He noted that inflationary pressures were still modest in South Korea given the low demand. The strength of the South Korean won also makes the prices of imported goods cheaper given the won's appreciation against the dollars, he said.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source