RFID Strong in China (Unstrung.com)
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—RFID technology has arrived in China in an unprecedented manner, with over 100 million tags shipped in 2005, and more than 2.9 billion tags forecast to be shipped by 2009, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com).

Global Handset Makers Locked in Merger Dance 
High research and development costs and a trend toward low-margin but high-volume phones are likely to force further consolidation among mobile handset makers.

Standard Chartered Second-Half Profit Rises 21% on Asian Growth 
March 2 (Bloomberg)—Standard Chartered Plc, the British bank that makes about two-thirds of its profits in Asia, said second-half profit rose 21 percent as consumer- and wholesale- banking units in emerging markets posted income and asset growth.

(AFX UK Focus) 2006-03-07 09:30 GMT: AFX NEWS BRIEFING: Banking and insurance highlights to 09:15 GMT 
LONDON (AFX) – Lloyd’s Of London, the specialist insurance market, said it has appointed Richard Ward as its new chief executive.

HK Bourse: Release from Yue Yuen Industrial On Connected Deal 9 
YUE YUEN INDUSTRIAL (HOLDINGS) LIMITED #* (Incorporated in Bermuda with limited liability) (Stock Code: 551)

Global handset makers locked in merger dance 
High R&D costs and the trend toward low-margin, high-volume phones could force consolidation among handset makers.

Scotiabank begins year with record results 
TORONTO, March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Scotiabank reported record net income of $852 million in the first quarter of 2006, an increase of $64 million or 8% over the same period last year.

China’s Yiwu fast developing as global centre for small commodities 
YIWU, CHINA: Imagine going from rags to riches, simply by selling small items like sewing needles, buttons and lighters. Well, that’s the success story of Yiwu in China’s Zhejiang province.