■ Aviation
Light jets get FAA approval
A fleet of very light jets that could redefine travel has been fully certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration, clearing the aircraft for delivery to customers, the company announced. An Eclipse Aviation spokesman said 23 of the E500 aircraft are in production, in addition to two that have already rolled off the assembly line. The first delivery will be in days, he said on Saturday. Over the next few years the company will aim to fulfill more than 2,500 orders. The twin-engine, six-seat jet aircraft will cost about US$1.5 million. The company believes the E500 will radically change the aircraft industry, saying it costs one-third less than other small jet aircraft. The company said it will be safer and easier to operate, with the lowest cost of ownership ever in a jet aircraft.
■ Automobiles
Nissan to move production
Nissan Motor Co plans to move part of its production from the US to Japan as domestic plants are better at making some models in small quantities, a report said yesterday. The unusual decision for the Japanese automaker, which has been expanding overseas production since the 1980s, was due to domestic plants' ability to meet sudden changes in demand, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, without citing sources. Production of two Nissan models is slated to be relocated from a US plant in Canton, Mississippi, in 2008 and 2009. The output of the Quest minivan moves to Nissan's plant in Fukuoka Prefecture and production of the Infiniti QX56 sport utility vehicle shifts to a plant of Nissan's affiliate in Kanagawa Prefecture, the paper said.
■ Economy
Positive Tankan expected
A key survey of Japanese corporate sentiment is expected to show confidence remains solid although investors are nervous that the slowing US economy may dampen optimism, analysts said. They said the Bank of Japan Tankan survey could prove pivotal to when the central bank will raise interest rates again. The quarterly report is expected to show the headline index for large manufacturers at 21, unchanged from three months earlier, according to consensus economist forecasts. A positive reading means that confident firms outweigh pessimistic ones. Companies are expected to revise up their capital spending plans for the current fiscal year through next March, reflecting solid domestic demand and hopes that Japan's economy will hold up well in the face of a US slowdown.
■ Retail
Wal-Mart growth slows
Wal-Mart Stores Inc said same-store sales in the US rose about 1.8 percent last month, the smallest gain since June when sales increased 1.2 percent. The retailer provided the preliminary sales figure on Saturday. Wal-Mart said the year-earlier month's results were affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Wal-Mart's growth slowed even as consumer confidence rose to a five-month high and the price of gasoline dropped to its lowest point since March. Sales may be suffering as the company cuts inventory and renovates more than half its US Wal-Mart stores, said analyst Keri Spanbauer, who helps Thrivent Investment Management manage US$67.5 billion, including Wal-Mart shares. "They have some out-of-stock issues," she said. "They're running really lean. In the short run, they may run into some bumps in the road."
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