■ Oil
Threat to Asia highlighted
Soaring oil prices pose a bigger threat to Asia than a slowdown in China, potentially upsetting the current economy recovery, a Citigroup report said yesterday. There is little sign that China's fast growth will come to a screeching halt, but an oil price shock which persists could prove worrying for many of the region's economies, the report warned. The Asia Economic Outlook said: "No country in Asia would see a surge in growth from higher oil prices, with the possible exception of Vietnam," the report said. Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia would see growth drop by about 0.6-0.8 percentage points by the fourth quarter and through the first half of next year, "sizeable but manageable effects," Citigroup said.
■ Crime
Criminals using SMS
A growing number of Chinese criminals send text messages or e-mails with the sole purpose of hoodwinking people into parting with their money, the Xinhua news agency reported yesterday. "Defrauders ... send false messages to a mass of cell-phone users, telling them they have won prizes in a lottery or they are offered very cheap smuggled goods," said Zhang Xinfeng, assistant minister of public security. "If they contact the defrauders, the latter usually ask them to remit money to appointed bank accounts for paying taxes, postage or insurance charges," he said. Many people believe this and spend all their money on goods they never see, while some officials have even embezzled public funds in order to come up with the money, he said.
■ Aircraft
Airline chooses Boeing
Air New Zealand will buy six new passenger jets from Boeing at a cost of NZ$1.35 billion (US$850 million) and plans to lease four more, the carrier said yesterday. The eight new Boeing 777-200s and two new 7E7s will enable the national carrier to develop new routes, increase the frequency of existing routes, and increase its passenger and freight capacity, it said in a statement. Air New Zealand is buying the 7E7s and four of the 777-200s from Boeing, while the remaining jets will be leased from International Lease Finance Corporation, the statement said. It also plans to buy a further 42 Boeing aircraft in the future, the statement said. Boeing will begin delivery of the 777-200s in September next year and the order will be completed by late 2006, it said.
■ Trade
Central Asia in US deal
The US and five Central Asian countries signed an agreement Tuesday that provides a forum to address trade issues and enhance trade and investment. The Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) was signed by US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and representatives from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Zoellick said the agreement would "increase and diversify trade and investment opportunities." The US, he said, looked forward to working closely through the TIFA to further strengthen its economic relationships with the five countries and the region as a whole. The TIFA will have a regular forum to address trade issues that hamper intra-regional trade and economic development and can act as impediments to investment, Zoellick said.
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