■ Railways
Japan to test fuel-cell trains
East Japan Railway Co will complete the world's first fuel-cell-powered trains and conduct a test run in July, the company said yesterday. The fuel cells, which generate power from a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, will help reduce environmental pollution compared with the existing electric and diesel engines, the company said. The new power source will also help improve scenery when Japan's web of railroads drops electric power lines. The fuel-cell trains will maintain the current speed of about 100kph.
■ Aviation
China Eastern, SIA in talks
China Eastern Airlines Corp (東方航空) is in talks with Singapore Airlines Ltd (SIA) and other potential investors about selling a stake of at least 20 percent, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site. The Shanghai-based airline is talking to "three or four" potential investors, the Journal said, citing chairman Li Fenghua (李豐華). China Eastern, facing higher fuel costs and more competition, posted a net loss for last year on Tuesday.
■ Internet
Yahoo to enhance maps
Yahoo Inc is adding satellite images to its online maps and will display the locations of airports, hotels and other attractions. Users will be able to zoom in on satellite images, see names of roads and move around without having to load a new Web page. A search for hotels will bring up a map showing locations and prices, Jasper Malcolmson, director of Yahoo's travel Web site, said in an interview. Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo also will start inserting travel listings such as hotels and flight prices into search results on its main search site.
■ Banking
Bank of China cleans house
The Bank of China (中國銀行) has fired or dismissed 75 bank officials for corrupt practices in a bid to clean up its operations ahead of a planned Hong Kong listing, state press said yesterday. Among those dismissed from China's second-biggest commercial lender were 11 provincial-level branch managers or deputy managers, the 21st Century Business Herald reported. The report also said 41 branch managers at other levels had also been fired or resigned due to bank irregularities. The action was taken after investigations last year uncovered 52 cases of corruption, the paper said.
■ Internet
Academic search launched
Microsoft Corp introduced a search engine to scour articles in scholarly journals to attract university researchers and match a service from Google Inc. Windows Live Academic Search will include articles from more than 10 publishers and will be available in seven countries. The initial test site will include 8 million articles, said Danielle Tiedt, a Microsoft general manager. Users can see abstracts of articles and click through to full-text versions. They'll need to subscribe to the journals or buy individual articles. Tiedt said there is no money changing hands between Microsoft and the publishers, and the company has no plans to sell ads to appear with search results.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned