■ Economy
HK beats expectations
Hong Kong's economy is set to grow by more than 6 percent this year, higher than the government's forecast of a 4 to 5 percent increase, a media report said yesterday. Standard Chartered Bank has upgraded its full-year estimate from 6 percent to 7 percent, while HSBC is forecasting 6.4 percent growth and Hang Seng Bank 6.3 percent, the South China Morning Post said. The Hong Kong government will announce second-quarter economic growth data next Tuesday, after the economy expanded by 8.2 percent in the first quarter.
■ Airlines
Air Berlin shares surge
Shares in budget airline Air Berlin Plc surged 5.5 percent yesterday after Germany's second biggest carrier announced that it had acquired rival DBA as part of moves to expand the number of its routes. Air Berlin said that it would pay a "mid double-digit million euro" amount for the Munich-based DBA. "Acquiring our dream partner was an opportunity not to be missed," Air Berlin chief executive Joachim Hunold said announcing the purchase. The announcement led to Air Berlin shares, which were only listed on the stock market in May, rising to 10.44 euros (US$13.40) in early morning trading.
■ Internet
Business cards online
A Chinese Web site has sparked controversy by posting information from 2 million people's business cards without their consent and winning 5 million visits a month, Xinhua news agency said yesterday. Mingpian.com, named after the Chinese word for business card, offers people's mobile phone and office numbers and e-mail and company addresses for free, Xinhua said. Xinhua said the Web site had deleted information about some protesting card owners but insisted its practice provided "valuable business information for China's sales and marketing people and helps companies recruit competent employees."
■ Retail
Sino-French venture at risk
Chinese supermarket giant Lianhua (聯華) may ditch its stake in a money-losing discount retail chain it runs with French retail powerhouse Carrefour, an official and a Hong Kong newspaper said yesterday. Lianhua may sell its 45 percent share in the 120-outlet Shanghai Dia Lianhua to Carrefour, Lianhua executive director Liang Wei (良威) was quoted as saying in the South China Morning Post. The Sino-French venture was set up in 2003 with registered total capital of 90 million yuan (US$11.25 million). A final decision would be reached before the end of the year, said Liang, who declined to provide details.
■ Automobiles
Subaru might outsource
Toyota Motor Corp, the world's second-largest automaker, is considering providing small cars to the maker of Subaru autos for sale in Europe, where demand for fuel-efficient vehicles is expected to increase, a news report said yesterday. The deal would include Toyota's popular Vitz model, called the Yaris in Europe, and its Aygo model, which is only sold in Europe, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported without saying how it got its information. The partnership will take effect as early as 2008, it said. The autos will be built for Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd, the maker of Subaru-brand autos.
UPDATED (3:40pm): A suspected gas explosion at a shopping mall in Taichung this morning has killed four people and injured 20 others, as emergency responders continue to investigate. The explosion occurred on the 12th floor of the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi in Situn District (西屯) at 11:33am. One person was declared dead at the scene, while three people were declared deceased later after receiving emergency treatment. Another 20 people sustained major or minor injuries. The Taichung Fire Bureau said it received a report of the explosion at 11:33am and sent rescuers to respond. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, it said. The National Fire
ALL-IN-ONE: A company in Tainan and another in New Taipei City offer tours to China during which Taiwanese can apply for a Chinese ID card, the source said The National Immigration Agency and national security authorities have identified at least five companies that help Taiwanese apply for Chinese identification cards while traveling in China, a source said yesterday. The issue has garnered attention in the past few months after YouTuber “Pa Chiung” (八炯) said that there are companies in Taiwan that help Taiwanese apply for Chinese documents. Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) last week said that three to five public relations firms in southern and northern Taiwan have allegedly assisted Taiwanese in applying for Chinese ID cards and were under investigation for potential contraventions of the Act Governing
STAY WARM: Sixty-three nontraumatic incidents of OHCA were reported on Feb. 1, the most for a single day this year, the National Fire Agency said A total of 415 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurred this month as of Saturday, data from the National Fire Agency showed as doctors advised people to stay warm amid cold weather, particularly people with cardiovascular disease. The Central Weather Administration yesterday issued a low temperature warning nationwide except for Penghu County, anticipating sustained lows of 10°C or a dip to below 6°C in Nantou, Yilan, Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as areas north of Yunlin County. The coldest temperature recorded in flat areas of Taiwan proper yesterday morning was 6.4°C in New Taipei City’s Shiding District (石碇). Sixty-three nontraumatic OHCA
COMMITTED: Lai said that Taiwan deeply appreciated the leaders’ statement, adding that the nation would remain steadfast in working to advance regional peace and prosperity US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement issued after they met in Washington for their first official meeting. Trump and Ishiba “affirmed their determination to pursue a new golden age for US-Japan relations that upholds a free and open Indo-Pacific and brings peace and prosperity to a violent and disorderly world,” the US-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement said. “The two leaders emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity for the