■ Security
S Korea to up Web defense
South Korea, home to the world's highest concentration of high-speed Internet users, said it is taking steps to guard against computer attacks ahead of the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes on the US. "We are assuming that there is an increased likelihood of worms such as `Blaster' and `Sobig.F' being spread around the time of the 911 anniversary,'' the Ministry of Information said in a release. Seventeen out of every 100 South Koreans has a broadband connection, three times the rate of the US. On Friday, Minister of Information and Communication, Chin Dae-je, will host a meeting of the chief executives and related officials of the country's seven Internet service providers, representatives from Microsoft Corp and officials from computer security software makers. Following the meeting, the ministry will boost the number of staff at its Internet infringement center and operate an emergency response plan from Sept. 8 to 14.
■ Aerospace
Airbus hires 1,000 workers
Airbus SAS has hired 1,000 workers to help build its planned 555-seat A380 aircraft in Hamburg, Financial Times Deutschland reported, citing an unidentified company spokesman. Airbus plans to employ a total of 2,000 workers by 2007 in Hamburg to work on the A380, the German newspaper reported. An additional 2,000 jobs will be created at suppliers, it said. Airbus' A380 will surpass Boeing Co's 747 as the world's largest passenger jet when it starts service in 2006. The A380 will cost US$10.7 billion to develop. European governments are providing US$2.5 billion in loans to help fund the project, with other partners and suppliers pitching in US$3.1 billion. Airbus, based in Toulouse, France will contribute US$5.1 billion.
■ Aerospace
Boeing to review costs
Aerospace and defense giant Boeing is creating an independent team to review the costs of some of its biggest projects, finance director Mike Sears told the Financial Times newspaper on Monday. The team will review 10 of Boeing's 15 biggest projects in a bid bolster the company's performance. The decision comes amid questions over the company's handling of problems in its space and communications division, which eventually led to a 1.1 billion dollar charge that sent Boeing into the red, the report said. All of Boeing's divisions will face reviews by the new team. Sears told the paper that Boeing's launch and satellite business looks "positive because of the military demand, although pricing could change.
■ Chips
Intel to invest in Elpida
US chipmaking giant Intel has agreed to invest an extra US$23 million in Japanese chipmaker Elpida Memory to support production of Elpida's high-performance DRAM chips, the Japanese firm said yesterday. The fresh investment followed an agreement announced in June that Intel would invest US$100 million in Elpida, a joint venture between Japanese hi-tech giants NEC and Hitachi. "Elpida has been taking steps to improve its overall position to become a top-tier DRAM [dynamic random access memory] supplier and increase its market segment share," Yukio Sakamoto, president of Elpida, said in a statement. Elpida plans to use the investments to boost production of 300mm DRAM wafers to 15,000 per month from 3,000 at its plant in Hiroshima, western Japan, a company spokesman said.
NO HUMAN ERROR: After the incident, the Coast Guard Administration said it would obtain uncrewed aerial vehicles and vessels to boost its detection capacity Authorities would improve border control to prevent unlawful entry into Taiwan’s waters and safeguard national security, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday after a Chinese man reached the nation’s coast on an inflatable boat, saying he “defected to freedom.” The man was found on a rubber boat when he was about to set foot on Taiwan at the estuary of Houkeng River (後坑溪) near Taiping Borough (太平) in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), authorities said. The Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) northern branch said it received a report at 6:30am yesterday morning from the New Taipei City Fire Department about a
IN BEIJING’S FAVOR: A China Coast Guard spokesperson said that the Chinese maritime police would continue to carry out law enforcement activities in waters it claims The Philippines withdrew its coast guard vessel from a South China Sea shoal that has recently been at the center of tensions with Beijing. BRP Teresa Magbanua “was compelled to return to port” from Sabina Shoal (Xianbin Shoal, 仙濱暗沙) due to bad weather, depleted supplies and the need to evacuate personnel requiring medical care, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Jay Tarriela said yesterday in a post on X. The Philippine vessel “will be in tiptop shape to resume her mission” after it has been resupplied and repaired, Philippine Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, who heads the nation’s maritime council, said
REGIONAL STABILITY: Taipei thanked the Biden administration for authorizing its 16th sale of military goods and services to uphold Taiwan’s defense and safety The US Department of State has approved the sale of US$228 million of military goods and services to Taiwan, the US Department of Defense said on Monday. The state department “made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale” to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US for “return, repair and reshipment of spare parts and related equipment,” the defense department’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a news release. Taiwan had requested the purchase of items and services which include the “return, repair and reshipment of classified and unclassified spare parts for aircraft and related equipment; US Government
More than 500 people on Saturday marched in New York in support of Taiwan’s entry to the UN, significantly more people than previous years. The march, coinciding with the ongoing 79th session of the UN General Assembly, comes close on the heels of growing international discourse regarding the meaning of UN Resolution 2758. Resolution 2758, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1971, recognizes the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as the “only lawful representative of China.” It resulted in the Republic of China (ROC) losing its seat at the UN to the PRC. Taiwan has since been excluded from