■ Semiconductors
Sales rose 37% in April
Global semiconductor sales rose 37 percent in April from a year earlier to the highest level since July 2000, helped by higher demand for chips used in mobile phones and personal computers, the Semiconductor Industry Association said. Sales were US$16.94 billion in the month, the industry group said in a statement released on Business Wire. Worldwide chip sales rose 4.1 percent from US$16.28 billion in March, San Jose, California-based SIA said. "The fundamentals are in place for strong growth through the remainder of the year, and it is likely that growth for 2004 will significantly surpass last fall's forecast of 19 percent growth," SIA president George Scalise said in the statement.
■ Television
TVB cuts jobs
Television Broadcast Ltd, Hong Kong's dominant TV network, said yesterday it had slashed between 25 and 30 jobs as part of a restructuring. The latest job cuts occurred in the art, construction, production and security departments, said Winnie Ho, a TVB spokeswoman. TVB cut 30 jobs in February. TVB employs more than 3,000 staff and is trying to merge different departments, she said. "We are constantly reviewing our operations," Ho said, adding that the company may hire production staff later this year. She dismissed as a "rumor" a local newspaper report Tuesday that said the broadcaster plans to slash another 100 jobs after the Olympics in Athens, Greece in August. The report cited an unidentified TVB employee.
■ Airlines
Ryanair profits fall
Budget airline Ryanair posted a 5 percent drop in net profits yesterday, blaming increased price competition and the weakness of the British pound for the fall. Net profit before goodwill and exceptional items fell to 226.6 euros (US$280 million) for the year ended March 31. The airline has been slashing ticket prices to meet the competition and said it carried more than 23 million passengers over the year, up 47 percent from the previous year. "This year was characterized by adverse market conditions including sterling weakness, the war in Iraq, the threat of terrorist attacks, significantly higher oil prices, and intense price competition all over Europe from chronically loss making flag and new entrant carriers," said Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary.
■ Airlines
Hong Kong agrees charges
Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair and nine other airlines have been given permission to levy surcharges on passengers traveling on flights into and out of Hong Kong to cover surging fuel prices, a government spokeswoman said yesterday. Civil Aviation Department spokeswoman Sandra Lai said the government has permitted Cathay to charge passengers US$5 each way for flights within Asia and US$14 for flights to other destinations. Dragonair and three Chinese airlines -- China Eastern, China Southern and Air China -- can collect US$5.40 per flight from each passenger, regardless of its length. The six other airlines that won approval Monday were Australian Airlines, Qantas Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Emirates Airlines, Air India and Gulf Air. Their surcharges will range from US$4 to US$10.70.
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
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