■ Energy
China plans nuclear plants
Two new nuclear power plants are planned for southern China's Guangdong and Fujian provinces, state media reported yesterday, as the country steps up construction to meet surging demand. China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co signed an agreement on Wednesday with the city government in Shaoguan, north of the provincial capital, for a 100 billion yuan (US$12.5 billion) nuclear plant, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. Meanwhile, China National Nuclear Power Corp is teaming up with a major electricity producer, China Huadian Group, to build a nuclear power plant near Quanzhou, in Fujian Province, the state-run newspaper China Daily said.
■ Automobiles
Hybrids planned for Canada
Detroit-based Ford Motor Co announced on Wednesday that it will be the first automaker to assemble hybrid vehicles in Canada by the end of this decade. Its Oakville plant west of Toronto, which is undergoing a massive billion-dollar upgrade, will add fuel efficient and near-zero emission versions of its new Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossover utility vehicles to its assembly line by 2010. Gas guzzling versions of these vehicles will be rolled out later this year. "Hybrids will put Ford at the forefront of vehicle assembly innovation in Canada, forever changing the landscape by producing vehicles that significantly reduce smog-forming emissions and are extremely fuel efficient," said Bill Osborne, president and chief executive of Ford of Canada.
■ Computers
HP's Q1 profit up 30 percent
Printer and computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co said on Wednesday first-quarter profit rose 30 percent to US$1.23 billion, or US$0.42 a share, exceeding analysts' estimates. Income in the same quarter last year was US$943 million, or US$0.32, the Palo Alto, California-based company said in a statement. Sales were boosted by holiday demand, rising 5.6 percent to US$22.7 billion in the period ended Jan. 31. Earnings in the PC business almost doubled and profit margins in printers held up better than expected after Chief Executive Officer Mark Hurd sliced prices to win customers for more profitable printing supplies. The company also won orders away from market leader Dell Inc after building less-expensive computers using low-priced chips, Bloomberg financial news service reported.
■ Space travel
Singapore to host space port
Singapore has been picked as the site of an integrated port which will offer space flights as well as astronaut training, the Straits Times reported yesterday. Space Adventures, the US-based company behind the voyages of the world's first three space tourists, selected the city-state ahead of several US states, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and Dubai. When ready, the space port will be used to stage commercial sub-orbital flights in which the space vehicle exits the Earth's atmosphere at about 100km above ground. Passengers can expect to pay about US$102,000 for about five minutes of weightlessness, a view of the curvature of the Earth and the darkness of space. The company told the newspaper it will train travelers at the astronaut training center. Space Adventures was set up in 1998. The company was behind the voyages of the first three space tourists: American Dennis Tito, South African Mark Shuttleworth and American Greg Olsen.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
The Philippines yesterday criticized a “high-risk” maneuver by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Huangyan Island, 黃岩島) in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal — a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea — has been a flash point between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. Taiwan also claims the shoal. Monday’s encounter took place approximately 11.8 nautical miles (22km) southeast” of the Scarborough Shoal, the Philippine military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has criticized as destabilizing. “The Chinese frigate BN 554 was
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
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