■TECHNOLOGY
Firm sues top tech firms
A Canadian company said on Thursday that it has filed suit against Acer (宏碁), Apple, Lenovo (聯想), LG Electronics, Sony, Toshiba and 14 other top technology firms, accusing them of patent infringement. WiLAN Inc, which describes itself as a technology innovation and licensing company, filed the suit on Wednesday against the 20 US and Asian companies in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. WiLAN accuses them of violating a patent it holds on Bluetooth technology, a wireless communications system that allows for hands-free calling among other uses. The firms named in the lawsuit are Acer, Apple, Atheros, Belkin, Broadcom, D-Link (友訊), Dell, Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Lenovo, LG Electronics, Marvell Semiconductor, Motorola, Personal Communications Devices, Sony, Texas Instruments, Toshiba and UTStarcom.
■MINING
Zijin extends takeover bid
China’s largest gold miner Zijin Mining Group Co (紫金礦業) said yesterday it has extended its US$500 million takeover offer for Australian mineral explorer Indophil until next month. Zijin had gained 32.19 percent of Indophil shares by Thursday and will extend the offer period to May 14 from April 16, the company said in a statement to the Shanghai and Hong Kong stock exchanges. The Chinese miner made the bid in December, seeking to gain access to Indophil’s stake in the Tampakan copper-gold project in the Philippines. Indophil directors have unanimously recommended the A$545 million (US$508 million) offer, which valued it at A$1.28 per share, as an “excellent outcome.”
■ITALY
Bank halts Amex issue
Italy’s central bank on Thursday ordered a stop to the issuance of new credit cards by American Express in the country until the company can improve compliance with laws combatting money laundering and usury. The Bank of Italy said there was concern that supplementary cards were being issued without sufficient checks to ensure they weren’t being used buy front men for money laundering operations. It also said there was concern that the way interest rates are calculated could violate anti-usury laws.
■GERMANY
February exports rebound
Official figures show that German exports rebounded in February — increasing by 5.1 percent on the month after declining in January. The Federal Statistical Office also said yesterday that exports were up a strong 9.6 percent on the year in February. February’s month-on-month rise beat economists’ 4 percent prediction. Still, January’s decline — the first since August — was revised downward to 6.5 percent from an initial estimate of 6.3 percent. Imports were up 0.2 percent on the month and 4.2 percent on the year in February. Germany’s foreign trade surplus stood at 12.6 billion euros (US$16.8 billion) — up from 8.9 billion euros a year earlier. The country is the world’s second-largest exporter after China.
■SOUTH KOREA
Bank keeps rate frozen
South Korea’s central bank yesterday froze its key interest rate at a record low for the 14th straight month, citing risks to the global economic recovery. At his first rate-setting meeting, the new Bank of Korea governor Kim Choong-soo and five policymakers left the benchmark seven-day repo rate unchanged at 2.0 percent for April. The bank said the domestic economy, Asia’s fourth largest, was sustaining its recovery trend.
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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