■ Japan
GDP grows 2.2 percent
Japan's economy grew for the seventh straight quarter, expanding at an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the quarter from July through September, signaling a recovery driven by strong exports and private sector investments. Cabinet Office data released yesterday for GDP -- the value of a nation's goods and services -- showed the economy grew 0.6 percent in the three months, better than the 0.4 percent rise on average in private forecasts in a survey by Dow Jones Newswires. "It confirms our scenario for economic recovery," Japan's economy and banking minister Heizo Takenaka told reporters. Business investment jumped 2.8 percent in the quarter. Exports were strong, especially in machinery and electronic devices, climbing 2.8 percent.
■ Nintendo
New machine out next year
Nintendo Co, the world's biggest maker of hand-held game players, said a game machine it will debut next year will be a new type of product rather than an enhancement of its existing players. The new machine is "not a next-generation GameCube console or GameBoy Advance" hand-held player, Yasuhiro Minagawa, a spokesman for the Kyoto-based company said in a telephone interview. "It belongs to a completely new category," he added, without disclosing details. Nintendo is betting the new machine, coupled with recent price cuts on its GameCube console, will help it win a bigger share of the US$8 billion annual market for video games, where it has been losing ground to Sony Corp and Microsoft Corp. The company, which once dominated the video-game industry, on Thursday reported its first loss since going public in 1962.
■ Internet
Amazon opens jewelry store
Amazon Inc, the world's biggest Internet retailer, opened a jewelry and watch shop in its online marketplace, the third new shop in two months, to sell its own merchandise as well as inventory from other retailers. The newest addition to Seattle-based Amazon's Web site offers silver key holders, bracelets and pearl earrings from the company. Kroger Co's Fred Meyer Jewelers, Mondera.com and Timex Watches Ltd are also selling merchandise through the shop. Amazon.com is betting it can sell new kinds of merchandise to millions of customers by opening new shops to expand product selection in preparation for the holiday sales season. The company opened a sporting goods shop in September and a gourmet food store last month.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
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