ENTERTAINMENT
DreamWorks eyes China
DreamWorks Animation yesterday said it plans to build a US$3.2 billion theme park in Shanghai, as the US film giant seeks to bolster its presence in the booming Chinese entertainment market. The studio’s newly formed China joint venture, Oriental DreamWorks, is set to open the theme park in 2016, the creator of megahits like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda said in a statement. The 20 billion yuan (US$3.14 billion) project — called the Dream Center — will comprise entertainment facilities, animation exhibitions and commercial developments including hotels and shopping areas in Shanghai’s Xuhui district, it said.
GREECE
Energy privatization begins
The country wants binding bids for its state-owned natural gas company and gas grid operator by the end of next month and hopes to complete their sale in late autumn as it revives its privatization drive, a government official said on Monday. Hoping to regain credibility with international lenders keeping the country afloat, the new conservative-led government has made speeding up privatizations a priority, but has admitted delays from repeat elections in May and June. The government’s priorities also included the sale of gambling firm OPAP, the old Athens airport as well as buildings in Athens and on the islands of Corfu and Rhodes.
RETAIL
Esprit shares jump
Shares in global clothing retailer Esprit yesterday jumped 28 percent on the Hong Kong stock exchange after the company appointed a new chief executive. Esprit’s shares rose to HK$12.74 in afternoon trade following the appointment of Jose Manuel Martinez Gutierrez to replace Ronald van der Vis as chief executive.
Anna Bhobho, a 31-year-old housewife from rural Zimbabwe, was once a silent observer in her home, excluded from financial and family decisionmaking in the deeply patriarchal society. Today, she is a driver of change in her village, thanks to an electric tricycle she owns. In many parts of rural sub-Saharan Africa, women have long been excluded from mainstream economic activities such as operating public transportation. However, three-wheelers powered by green energy are reversing that trend, offering financial opportunities and a newfound sense of importance. “My husband now looks up to me to take care of a large chunk of expenses,
SECTOR LEADER: TSMC can increase capacity by as much as 20 percent or more in the advanced node part of the foundry market by 2030, an analyst said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is expected to lead its peers in the advanced 2-nanometer process technology, despite competition from Samsung Electronics Co and Intel Corp, TrendForce Corp analyst Joanne Chiao (喬安) said. TSMC’s sophisticated products and its large production scale are expected to allow the company to continue dominating the global 2-nanometer process market this year, Chiao said. The world’s largest contract chipmaker is scheduled to begin mass production of chips made on the 2-nanometer process in its Hsinchu fab in the second half of this year. It would also hold a ceremony on Monday next week to
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday signed a letter of intent with Alaska Gasline Development Corp (AGDC), expressing an interest to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) and invest in the latter’s Alaska LNG project, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement. Under the agreement, CPC is to participate in the project’s upstream gas investment to secure stable energy resources for Taiwan, the ministry said. The Alaska LNG project is jointly promoted by AGDC and major developer Glenfarne Group LLC, as Alaska plans to export up to 20 million tonnes of LNG annually from 2031. It involves constructing an 1,290km
NEXT GENERATION: The company also showcased automated machines, including a nursing robot called Nurabot, which is to enter service at a Taichung hospital this year Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) expects server revenue to exceed its iPhone revenue within two years, with the possibility of achieving this goal as early as this year, chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) said on Tuesday at Nvidia Corp’s annual technology conference in San Jose, California. AI would be the primary focus this year for the company, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), as rapidly advancing AI applications are driving up demand for AI servers, Liu said. The production and shipment of Nvidia’s GB200 chips and the anticipated launch of GB300 chips in the second half of the year would propel
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