■ Airline industry
Hit-and-run steward jailed
A Singapore Airlines steward who survived a plane crash but left an elderly pedestrian dead in a hit-and-run car accident has been jailed for six weeks, news reports said on Friday. Shahrin Shah Kamarshah, 29, was also disqualified from driving for seven years and fined S$8,000 (US$4,968). Shahrin's lawyer, Irving Choh, cited a report from a psychiatrist that said Shahrin was still suffering from post-traumatic stress from the crash of flight SQ006, which exploded after ploughing into construction equipment on a runway at Taipei's CKS International Airport six years ago. The steward had earlier admitted causing the death of Abdullah Buang, 68, as the retiree was crossing a road on Aug. 6 last year. The accident triggered an "acute flashback" of the plane crash, Choh said.
■ Patent rights
Nike sues Adidas-Salomon
Nike Inc filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Adidas-Salomon AG, claiming its archrival makes shoes using elements of Nike's SHOX cushioning technology. Beaverton-based Nike alleges the new Kevin Garnett signature shoe by Adidas and its A3 shoes are among the footwear that violate the Nike patent. "Despite Nike's patent protection, Adidas has built shoes that use Nike's technology," Nike spokesman Vada Manager said on Thursday. Adidas officials at the German company's US headquarters in Portland were not immediately available for comment. The complaint was filed in US District Court in Lufkin, Texas, because the court has "expertise in complex intellectual property cases" and can resolve it more quickly, Manager said. Nike, now the world's largest athletic shoe and clothing manufacturer, began developing the cushioning technology almost 20 years ago when it trailed Reebok International Ltd as the No. 2 shoe maker.
■ Hospitality
Ice bar opens in Tokyo
Japan may be shivering from its coldest winter in two decades, but Sweden's Icehotel is betting Tokyoites love alcohol so much they will drink surrounded by ice. Sweden's Absolut Vodka and Icehotel -- the hotel made of ice -- teamed up to open a bar made of ice blocks in a stylish district of Tokyo's Nishi-Azabu. The Icebar opening yesterday is the first outside of Europe, but the fourth in the world, joining London, Milan and the original in Stockholm. The operator shipped ice blocks to Tokyo directly from Sweden's Torne River, the same method used for the Stockholm bar, and keeps the room at a freezing minus 5?C. Customers are allowed to stay in the ice room only for 45 minutes. About 15 waiters will take turns every two hours to serve drinks. Warning: Drinking may be harmful to your health.
■ Credit
MasterCard postpones IPO
MasterCard Inc, the second-largest US credit card brand, on Thursday said it will postpone its initial public offering until the second quarter as its chief executive recovers from prostate cancer surgery. The company had been expected to list on the New York Stock Exchange during the first quarter. However, MasterCard said president and CEO Bob Selander was recently diagnosed with the cancer, which would have made touting the IPO in an investor road show more difficult. The IPO was expected to raise about US$2.5 billion for Purchase, New York-based MasterCard.
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Mindanao in the Philippines at 7:38am today, prompting the US Tsunami Warning System to issue an alert for neighboring countries, including Taiwan. The system issued a purple alert indicating a "tsunami threat." The potential threat zone includes Taiwan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Yap and Palau. A spokesperson for Indonesia disaster mitigation agency said there were no reports of damage so far. Arlene Hollero, disaster chief of Maasim town in the Philippines' Sarangani Province, said their evacuation was underway in coastal villages and there were no reported casualties so far. DZBB radio, broadcasting from the
RESILIENCE: Taiwan plays a key role in semiconductors, energy, information infrastructure and advanced manufacturing, AIT Director Raymond Greene said Taiwan’s continued investment in deterrence and resilience remains vital, especially in uncrewed systems and other emerging technologies, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Raymond Greene said yesterday. Greene made the remarks at the annual National Strategic Summit on Supply Chain Resilience held by the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET), a government-backed think tank. As Taiwan last year became the US’ fourth-largest trading partner and supply chain security is becoming more important, cooperation in emerging technologies continues to deepen between the two countries, he said. The US is committed to accelerating innovation, building key infrastructure, strengthening cooperation
The National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology yesterday showcased its locally developed variants of the Vision 60 robotic patrol dog, which it plans to deploy on the nation’s outlying territories in the South China Sea. The variants were produced under the Joint Lab project — created by the institute and domestic companies — and assembled with domestically produced motors, lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) systems alongside licensed tech from the US, Missile and Rocket Systems Research Division deputy director Jen Kuo-kang (任國光) told the media event at a military base in Taipei’s Dazhi (大直) area. Taiwan has built up its strengths
RIGHT DIRECTION: Taiwan’s efforts to prevent forced labor include a proposal to ‘fully prohibit’ employers from withholding workers’ documents, an official said Taiwan is to establish a mechanism to restrict imports of goods linked to forced labor, the Executive Yuan said yesterday, after the US proposed imposing additional tariffs on Taiwanese goods over labor concerns. “The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Economic Affairs are to establish an interministerial review procedure,” Executive Yuan spokesperson Michelle Lee (李慧芝) said at a news briefing in Taipei. “The government is to use the Foreign Trade Act [貿易法] as the legal basis to restrict imports of goods produced with forced labor” and bring its supply chain governance more in line with international standards on human rights, resilience
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