■TELEPHONES
Smartphone sales rise
Smartphone makers sold 27 percent more units in the second quarter as global mobile-phone sales fell 6.1 percent, research firm Gartner said. Apple’s iPhone increased its share to 13.3 percent of the smartphone market in the quarter from 2.8 percent a year ago, it said in a statement yesterday. Nokia’s share of the overall handset market fell to 36.8 percent in the quarter from 39.5 percent a year earlier, while Samsung and LG gained ground. Gartner anticipates reduced subsidies for mobile-phone purchases, increasing price pressure on handset makers. Touchscreen devices will continue to be popular and application and content offerings will become more important, the researcher said.
■FOOD
Nestle profit down 2 percent
Nestle SA, the world’s biggest food and drink maker, reported yesterday a 2 percent fall in first-half net profit as the recession hurt consumer demand and divestments and a stronger Swiss franc weighed on sales. The maker of popular brands such as Nescafe, Perrier, Jenny Craig and Haagen Dazs said it earned 5.1 billion Swiss francs (US$4.7 billion) in the first six months of the year, down slightly from SF5.2 billion in the same period last year. The result bettered market expectations, although some analysts said the company had dropped its full-year growth target. Shares fell 3.4 percent to SF42.62 in early Zurich trading. Chief executive Paul Bulcke said he was pleased that Nestle “delivered a combination of growth and increased profitability in the first half of the year, and this in a very challenging business environment.”
■BANKING
HSBC buys Ekonomi shares
Global banking giant HSBC said yesterday it now owned almost all of Indonedia-based Bank Ekonomi after purchasing another chunk of shares. HSBC said in a statement that it had bought another 10.08 percent of Ekonomi shares that were held by the general public for about US$71.6 million. The group now owns 98.96 percent of Ekonomi. “The acquisition almost doubled HSBC’s presence to 208 outlets in 26 cities in the world’s fourth most populous country,” the bank said.
■ENERGY
E.On profit nearly doubles
Germany’s E.On AG, Europe’s largest energy company, said yesterday its net profit more than doubled in the second quarter, helped by shifts in currency values, higher prices and one-off financial gains. The Duesseldorf-based company said it earned 1.9 billion euros (US$2.7 billion) in the April-to-June period, compared with 882 million euros in July last year, marking a 110 percent increase. The company said this was boosted by changes in foreign exchange rates, gains on derivative positions and divestments of assets such as power plants. Sales for the quarter in fact declined 11 percent to 17 billion euros from 19 billion euros in July last year as the recession curbed demand for energy.
■CRIME
Software judged piracy tool
A federal judge in the US has ruled in a closely watched legal battle that RealNetworks Inc’s DVD copying software appears to be an illegal pirating tool. US District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel on Tuesday kept in place her order barring the Seattle-based firm from selling its software until she resolves the legal battle over copyright protections between the company and Hollywood studios. The judge said it was likely that the studios would prevail with their argument that the software violates a federal anti-piracy law.
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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