■ AUTOMOBILES
Daimler recalls 65,000 cars
German automaker Daimler AG has ordered a recall of nearly 65,000 Mercedes-Benz cars sold in Japan to fix potential fuel tank defects caused by parts with insufficient durability, Japanese transport and company officials said. The recall, announced on Tuesday, covers 64,550 E-Class sedan, station wagon and CLS-Class coupe models imported to Japan from February 2002 through April this year, the company's Japanese subsidiary, Mercedes-Benz Japan, and the transport ministry said. No accidents were reported from the defects, but there were 142 customer reports of the defects, the ministry said.
■ Telecoms
BT acquiring Frontline
British telecoms giant BT Group said yesterday it was acquiring Singapore-based Frontline Technologies for S$202 million (US$140 million) to beef up its regional presence. BT will pay S$0.245 for each Frontline share, representing a 33.9 percent premium to the firm's one-month average share price. "Through this acquisition we reinforce our ability to provide high quality services to our customers wherever they do business," BT Global Services CEO Frangois Barrault said in a statement. "We believe our combined reach and skills will create an unbeatable team in Asia Pacific as we seek to respond better to our customers' challenges and opportunities." Established in 1993, Frontline provides end-to-end IT services such consulting and security solutions and has more than 5,000 specialist staff in nine Asian markets, including China, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan and Thailand.
■ Retail
Wal-Mart ups Seiyu stake
Wal-Mart Stores has raised its stake in Japanese chain Seiyu to 95.1 percent, Seiyu said yesterday, marking the US retailer's latest attempt to solidify its foothold in the difficult Japanese market. Wal-Mart Stores Inc, the world's biggest retail chain, owned 50.9 percent of Seiyu Ltd before launching an effort to buy more shares in October to attain full ownership. The results of the bid, which ended on Tuesday, were confirmed by Seiyu spokeswoman Shoko Nagata. The effort underlines Wal-Mart's strategy of taking a lead in speeding up management changes to turn around Seiyu's struggling business and ends for now doubts about whether Wal-Mart may exit Japan.
■ Oil
China approves refinery
China said yesterday it had approved initial work on a multibillion-dollar oil refinery project in the south, in what the official China Daily has hailed as the nation's largest ever joint venture. The daily said the project, to be jointly run by the nation's top refiner Sinopec and Kuwait Petroleum Corp, would involve US$5 billion in investment. "Initial work can be started on the project now," said an official surnamed Zhang with the National Development and Reform Commission. It will include a refinery and an ethylene plant that will be built in Nansha City, Guangdong Province.
■ Australia
Central bank holds rates
The central bank left interest rates on hold at an 11-year high of 6.75 percent yesterday, while warning that it remained concerned about inflationary pressure. The decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia, which last month raised rates by 0.25 percentage points for the 10th time since 2002, had been widely expected by economists.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
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