■Internet
Microsoft issues warning
Microsoft issued two security warnings on Thursday of a critical flaw in its Internet Explorer browser, which would allow an attacker to create a Web page with malicious code that could take over the computer of any one who visits the page. Microsoft also said that a problems in Windows XP could allow a hacker to access files on a remote computer and in some cases run malicious code on the computer. The new flaws underscored the vulnerability of computers running the systems, despite the company's increased efforts to tighten the security of its products. Microsoft on Thursday published patches for both new flaws on its Web site at two separate Internet addresses (http://www.-microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-004.asp, http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/se curity/bulletin/MS03-005.asp).
■ World Bank
China can exceed ceiling
The World Bank will allow China to exceed a US$13.5 billion limit on borrowing by any one nation, averting a cutoff of US$1.5 billion a year in aid. China, which has more than US$50 billion a year in foreign investment, will buy World Bank bonds with its US$286.4 billion in foreign reserves to offset the increased risk to the bank for loans above the cap, bank officials said. The bank's agreement with China, the first of its kind, allows Beijing to continue to borrow from the bank in order to keep access to its advice and expertise. Con-tinued access to bank aid is needed to build rural roads, clean up urban wastewater and fight tuberculosis, and "foreign investors don't fund the kinds of projects the bank does," said Yukon Huang, country director for China at the bank.
■ South Korea
Sales slump forecasted
South Korean companies expect sales and profita-bility to slow this month, with both local and overseas sales seen falling as a global economic slowdown takes hold, according to a survey by the nation's central bank. The central bank's index of manufacturers' expecta-tions for this month fell to 84 points from 91 for last month. A reading below 100 indicates more companies are pessimistic about the outlook for their business than opti-mistic. On Thursday, the Bank of Korea cut its 2003 economic growth forecast and left interest rates unchanged for a ninth month on concern that a possible US-led war on Iraq would hamper export growth.
■ Automotives
Hino to use hybrid batteries
Hino Motors Ltd, a truck-maker 50 percent owned by Toyota Motor Corp, said it plans to fit its Dutro hybrid trucks with the same batteries Toyota is using to cut costs. Tokyo-based Hino will equip the 2-tonnes Dutro with Panasonic EV Energy Co batteries, which Toyota uses for gasoline-electric hybrids such as the Prius, according to Hino spokesman Kenichi Ohno. Hino was the first Japanese truckmaker to release hybrid buses and trucks in 1991 and has sold about 280 in Japan so far, he said. Automakers are investing billions of dollars to develop autos that meet stricter environmental rules. Toyota, the first automaker to sell a hybrid car, wants to spread out the cost of developing hybrid engines and transform them from a niche product into a global standard.
Agencies
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