Taiwan is known for its entrepreneurs, inspired by its long history as an island frontier where people had to be resourceful to overcome the many difficulties they faced.
In 2010, more than 15,900 small and medium enterprises were established, according to government sources.
Link (submitted by Anna)
One year after the Fukushima atomic disaster in Japan, Switzerland is facing a long road ahead towards its intended goal of a nuclear-free future.
While the technology to replace atomic power, especially for renewable energy, exists to a large extent, its implementation faces financial and political hurdles before it becomes a reality.
Link (submitted by Leo)
Muddling through Europe's sovereign debt issues looks to be the likeliest outcome this year, but a global financial crisis is still only a mis-step away, says ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley.
"Our expectation is that New Zealand will continue with its gradual recovery, on the assumption Europe avoids triggering a global financial meltdown," he said in the bank's latest quarterly forecasts.
Link (submitted by Trent)
The Swedish government supports the efforts of ten Swedish regions united to attract investors from major IT companies, starting with a pitch to Silicon Valley environmentalists. Invest Sweden is the Swedish government's promotional agency established to endorse the efforts of these ten regions united in efforts to 'green the cloud' by investing in Sweden's environmentally suitable location.
Sweden has inherently efficient environmental characteristics for maintaining inexpensive data storage centers. Clean energy, secure resources, year-round clean climate controlled facilities more easily maintained through a cooler climate with one of the most stable electricity grids in the world, combine to make Sweden a haven for cloud perpetuity.
Link (submitted by Richard)
Canada's “insular” tech startup firms can learn one key thing from Swedish firms: openness, says the Ambassador of Sweden to Canada.
Sweden's small size and geographic positioning on the fringe of Europe foster an open attitude when it comes to receiving ideas from the rest of the world, said Teppo Tauriainen during a visit to Toronto's MaRS Discovery District. Meanwhile Canada's large presence in North America and sole border shared with a friendly superpower to the south might leave our startups with a more inward-looking mentality.
“I think that could be one area maybe Canadian companies aren't as brave as Swedish companies are,” he says.
Link (submitted by Richard)
Australian manufacturers and the tourism industry are set to face further pain because of efforts to prop up Europe's economy.
Economists warn the recent large cash injection into the eurozone is pushing the Australian dollar higher.
There are also concerns that the growth of China's manufacturing sector is slowing to dangerous levels, and since the Australian economy is so reliant on China that could spell bad news for the local market.
Link (submitted by Jason)
Ah, the suspense. Will we be considered a worthy partner in the quest to continue a national automotive industry? News emerged this week that the General had retreated to consider our offer and that a decision would be forthcoming soon.
It's a competitive field, apparently. The chairman and managing director of General Motors-Holden, Mike Devereux, says governments around the globe are pitching to have the almighty American brand set up shop in their country. And if Australia wants to be competitive, it will have to match the kind of incentives offered elsewhere.
Link (submitted by Jason)
In a world first, property-obsessed investors will be able to check house prices daily and trade on an index that tracks the ebbs and flows of dwelling prices across Australia.
The Australian Stock Exchange and property data providers today launched a capital city home value index tracking home prices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth that is designed to be tradeable on the stock market.
Link (submitted by Jason)
ABOUT 2.4 million wealthy Australians will pay up to $1000 a year more for health cover from July after Labor rescued its private health rebate reform, which delivers half of its projected budget surplus next year.
The government's means test on the 30 per cent private health insurance rebate is expected to receive parliamentary approval next week. Greens MP Adam Bandt backs it, Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie is "inclined to support it" and regional crossbencher Rob Oakeshott is understood to be supporting the measure.
Link (submitted by Jason)
Credit Suisse recorded a “disappointing” net loss of SFr637 million ($700 million) in the last quarter of 2011, partly as a result of ditching risky business lines.
Chief executive Brady Dougan blamed “adverse market conditions”, but also admitted that the accelerated exit of certain investment banking operations cost the group nearly SFr1 billion.
Link (submitted by Leo)
What comes to mind when you think of Sweden: Blonde hair, pale skin, and a pair of sullen blue eyes piercing through a whiteout - or an economy that grew 5.5% last year?
Too often, it's the former when it should be the latter.
Indeed, chances are you've never thought about investing in Sweden. But the country that is so often thought of as being cold - if it's thought of at all - is actually overheating.
Link (submitted by Richard)
German investor confidence hit a 10-month high in February amid optimism Europe's top economy will be able to escape from the eurozone crisis relatively unscathed, data showed on Tuesday.
The ZEW think tank's economic expectations index rose by a whopping 27.0 points in February to stand at plus 5.4 points.
It is the third consecutive monthly increase in the closely watched indicator and brought the barometer back into positive territory for the first time since May 2011 and to its highest reading since April 2011.
Link (submitted by Japhet)
IRELAND’S economy will have grown throughout last year for the first time since 2007, economists have predicted.
But despite the technical emergence from recession, it will not feel like it for most people as joblessness and emigration continue to haunt the country.
Link (submitted by Lauren)
Germany plans to reduce government subsidies supporting solar power by up to 30 percent within a year because higher-than-expected demand has made the scheme far more costly than authorities initially expected.
The country's drive to abandon nuclear energy in the wake of Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster has led to a boom in solar power installations last year that vastly exceeded the government's forecasts.
Link (submitted by Japhet)
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The South African government's plan to keep a lid on spending in the budget outlined this week will face a big test in the coming months when government workers finalise new wage deals.
The unions, representing 1.3 million workers, are at loggerheads with the government. Any deal above the five to six percent that has been set aside would add billions of dollars to expenditures and jeopardise the deficit projection of 4.6 percent of gross domestic product in the 2012/13 state budget.
Link (submitted by Andrew)
JOHANNESBURG Feb 24 (Reuters) - South Africa's rand touched two-week highs against a broadly weaker dollar on Friday and bonds reversed some of their recent losses, although continued scepticism that a lower budget deficit will cap supply should maintain pressure on local debt.
The yield on the 2015 bond closed 1.5 basis points lower at 6.66 percent while that for the 14-year issue dipped 2.5 basis points to 8.28 percent.
Link (submitted by Andrew)
In recent years, Brazil has been at the frontline of a battle to curb deforestation, but in the 1980s it saw the land as fertile for development. The reversal in policy has angered some of the early pioneers who turned forest into farmland.
"There was nothing when we came here 25 years ago, nothing at all," Gilmar Burnier told me, his eyes twinkling with pride as he led me through Querencia, a small town in northern Brazil.
Link (submitted by Kara)
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced that the country agreed to host a U.S. military base.
An initial 250 American marines are expected to arrive in Australia in 2012, which would eventually increase to 2,500.
Link (submitted by Jason)
(Abu Dhabi) – Five activists jailed seven months ago for “publicly insulting” United Arab Emirates officials plan to begin a hunger strike on November 13, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. The activists said the hunger strike will continue until authorities release them unconditionally and end all judicial proceedings against them.
Link (submitted by Jordan)
The Otago Rugby Football Union will cease trading on Friday, saddled with debts of more than $2.2 million, with no ability to repay them.
The union's annual meeting last night heard the union had posted a loss last year of $862,000, and may not be able to field a team in this year's ITM Cup.
Link (submitted by Trent)
Buildings, too, can be eco-friendly if they include features such as solar panels, natural lighting or can partly supply their own energy needs. Planners who built the new government building at Admiralty’s Tamar site may have similar ideas. That is why the structure was dubbed “eco-friendly”.
However, things didn’t go exactly as planned.
Link (submitted by Johannes)
Ireland is on target to meet most EU waste and recycling targets, according to the Environmental Protection Agency's National Waste Report 2010 published today.
Under EU legislation, Ireland is required to meet a number of waste management and recycling targets.
Link (submitted by Lauren)
