■ Aeronautics
Lockheed to build `Orion'
NASA picked Lockheed Martin Corp on Thursday as the prime contractor to build the Orion spaceship, which will replace the aging shuttle fleet and take astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972. The contract's initial phase, valued at US$3.9 billion, would get the US space agency one ship made to carry crew and another for cargo; people are expected to fly on the new vessel by 2014. The first lunar voyage should happen by 2020. The Orion space vessel is a departure from the shuttle's winged design, and looks more like the capsules that carried Apollo astronauts to lunar orbit in the 1960s and 1970s.
■ Automobiles
Strike at Kia ends
South Korea's Kia Motors Corp said it resumed normal operations yesterday after reaching a tentative agreement with its labor union over a wage increase. The management and the union agreed yesterday on a 5.7 percent increase in basic salary and various incentives. The tentative agreement will be put to vote on Tuesday. The union had been on partial strike since July, demanding a 7.1 percent wage increase and better working conditions. Kia, an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co, said its production losses amounted to nearly 48,000 vehicles during the strike.
■ Automobiles
Asahi Tec eyes Metaldyne
Japanese auto parts maker Asahi Tec's shares surged 20 percent yesterday on news that it plans to buy US rival Metaldyne Corp. Asahi Tec plans to purchase Michigan-based Metaldyne Corp, said Mari Mori, but she could not immediately comment on how much the firm plans to spend for the purchase. Japanese business daily Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported the company plans to acquire Metaldyne for an estimated ¥100 billion (US$850 million) to ¥150 billion. Metaldyne officials were not immediately available for comment.
■ Telecoms
Nokia buying gate5
Nokia Ojy said on Thursday it will buy gate5, a German designer of navigation software, allowing the world's largest cellphone maker to offer maps on its mobile devices. "Maps and navigation are natural elements to be offered in mobile devices, but this area hasn't developed as fast as expected by the market," said Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia's general manager for multimedia. "Acquiring gate5 enables Nokia to offer consumers the world-leading mobile location applications, such as maps, routing and navigation at an accelerated speed." Nokia said the deal should be completed by the end of the year but did not disclose financial details. Founded in 1999, gate5 is headquartered in Berlin and has about 70 employees.
■ Asia
Official tackles growth risks
High oil prices, a slowing US economy and financial market volatility are the key risks to Asia's robust economic growth, IMF managing director Rodrigo Rato said. Oil prices are unlikely to fall back dramatically, he said, urging countries to learn to cope with soaring fuel costs. Asia faces similar risks as the rest of the world but the region is "particularly sensitive" to growth in the US and oil prices, which are currently above US$70 a barrel, Rato said. "In addition, while the region has shown resilience to the financial market volatility in May and June, further volatility in global financial markets could affect capital flows, growth and inflation," he said.
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
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
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