■Globalization
ICC urges new trade talks
The US, Japan and other industrialized nations must find ways to revive global trade talks that are stalling because of disputes over the Iraq war and farm aid, an International Chamber of Commerce official said. Lack of progress by the 30 trade ministers at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OCED) to bridge differences when they meet this week will reinforce concerns the current round of WTO talks won't reduce trade barriers. The OECD's two-day annual meeting starts today. "The world economy badly needs a shot in the arm and this would help business and consumer confidence," said Stefano Bertasi, deputy director of policy at the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce, which represents thousands of companies in more than 130 countries. "Now that the war is over, it's time for countries to patch up their differences and coalesce around the WTO."
■ Communications
Ericsson announces job cuts
Ericsson AB, the world's largest maker of wireless networks, will cut as many as 13,000 more jobs, or a fifth of its workforce, after posting its eighth straight quarterly loss. The Swedish company's headcount will fall to 47,000 next year, Ericsson said in a statement. Ericsson had earlier said it would slash its workforce to below 60,000 from 105,000 at the end of 2000. Carl-Henric Svanberg, who took over as chief executive officer this month, is finding employee reductions announced by predecessor Kurt Hellstroem aren't enough to keep up with slumping demand. Industry sales of wireless networks, which accounts for two-thirds of Ericsson's revenue, will drop by more than 10 percent this year, the company said.
Agencies
ROLLER-COASTER RIDE: More than five earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4.4 to 5.5 on the Richter scale shook eastern Taiwan in rapid succession yesterday afternoon Back-to-back weather fronts are forecast to hit Taiwan this week, resulting in rain across the nation in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration said yesterday, as it also warned residents in mountainous regions to be wary of landslides and rockfalls. As the first front approached, sporadic rainfall began in central and northern parts of Taiwan yesterday, the agency said, adding that rain is forecast to intensify in those regions today, while brief showers would also affect other parts of the nation. A second weather system is forecast to arrive on Thursday, bringing additional rain to the whole nation until Sunday, it
LANDSLIDES POSSIBLE: The agency advised the public to avoid visiting mountainous regions due to more expected aftershocks and rainfall from a series of weather fronts A series of earthquakes over the past few days were likely aftershocks of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien County, with further aftershocks to be expected for up to a year, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Based on the nation’s experience after the quake on Sept. 21, 1999, more aftershocks are possible over the next six months to a year, the agency said. A total of 103 earthquakes of magnitude 4 on the local magnitude scale or higher hit Hualien County from 5:08pm on Monday to 10:27am yesterday, with 27 of them exceeding magnitude 5. They included two, of magnitude
CONDITIONAL: The PRC imposes secret requirements that the funding it provides cannot be spent in states with diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Emma Reilly said China has been bribing UN officials to obtain “special benefits” and to block funding from countries that have diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a former UN employee told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. At a House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee hearing into “international relations within the multilateral system,” former Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) employee Emma Reilly said in a written statement that “Beijing paid bribes to the two successive Presidents of the [UN] General Assembly” during the two-year negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Another way China exercises influence within the UN Secretariat is
Taiwan’s first drag queen to compete on the internationally acclaimed RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind (妮妃雅), was on Friday crowned the “Next Drag Superstar.” Dressed in a sparkling banana dress, Nymphia Wind swept onto the stage for the final, and stole the show. “Taiwan this is for you,” she said right after show host RuPaul announced her as the winner. “To those who feel like they don’t belong, just remember to live fearlessly and to live their truth,” she said on stage. One of the frontrunners for the past 15 episodes, the 28-year-old breezed through to the final after weeks of showcasing her unique