■ Wireless
China touts standard
China has revived its effort to promote its own encryption standard for wireless communications, unveiling a 22-member alliance of leading Chinese computer and telecommunications firms to encourage its use, a media report said yesterday. Beijing caused an uproar last year when it tried to compel computer and telecom companies to use its standard, known as WAPI (wireless authentication and privacy infrastructure). It dropped that in a deal with Washington last April after foreign companies complained it would hurt their access to China's markets.
■ Aviation
Malaysia Air to sell planes
Loss-making national carrier Malaysia Airlines plans to sell about 30 aircraft, including a dozen jumbo jets, as part of a business turnaround plan, the Star daily reported yesterday. The final list of aircraft will be drawn up when Malaysian Airline System Bhd, or MAS, finalizes its network rationalization and fleet requirement plan, possibly by midyear, the Star said, quoting unidentified sources. The list may include 12 to 13 Boeing 747-400 planes, as well as some Boeing 737-400s, Fokkers and Twin-Otters, the Star said.
■ Environment
Clean tech seen as bonanza
Venture capitalists are seeing green in clean technologies. The amount of North American venture capital invested in environmentally friendly technologies jumped 35 percent last year to more than US$1.6 billion, according to a report to be released yesterday by the Cleantech Venture Network. "Cleantech" investments by venture capital firms rose to a record US$502 million during the fourth quarter of last year -- 18 percent more than the previous quarter and 60 percent more than the same period a year earlier.
■ Computers
Microsoft launches search
In its latest bid to catch up with rivals Google Inc and Yahoo Inc, Microsoft Corp is launching a revamped Internet search engine it says will help computer users find information faster, view it more easily and organize it better. Debuting in test form yesterday, Windows Live Search is Microsoft's latest move in a major strategy shift that has the world's largest software company focusing more heavily on Internet-based software and services. Windows Live Search was to begin powering queries on live.com, Microsoft's Windows Live Web site, yesterday. Once the technology has been fully tested, Windows Live Search will replace the existing search engine that powers MSN.com. MSN spokesman Adam Sohn said the company has not determined how long it will run Windows Live Search as a test.
■ Energy
Shell to expand in China
Royal Dutch Shell Group plans to spend US$500 million in China this year as it expands its gas station network and develops clean energy projects, a Shell executive said yesterday. The company is still in negotiations over adding to its network of own-brand gas stations in the southern province of Guangdong, in Beijing and in the nearby northern city of Tianjin, said Nick Wood, Shell's external affairs director in China. The Anglo-Dutch company is one of the largest foreign investors in China and also has 200 joint venture gas stations with local partner China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, Asia's biggest oil refiner.
CHAOS: Iranians took to the streets playing celebratory music after reports of Khamenei’s death on Saturday, while mourners also gathered in Tehran yesterday Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a major attack on Iran launched by Israel and the US, throwing the future of the Islamic republic into doubt and raising the risk of regional instability. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency announced the 86-year-old’s death early yesterday. US President Donald Trump said it gave Iranians their “greatest chance” to “take back” their country. The announcements came after a joint US and Israeli aerial bombardment that targeted Iranian military and governmental sites. Trump said the “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue through the week or as long
An Emirates flight from Dubai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday afternoon, the first service of the airline since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday. Flight EK366 took off from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 3:51am yesterday and landed at 4:02pm before taxiing to the airport’s D6 gate at Terminal 2 at 4:08pm, data from the airport and FlightAware, a global flight tracking site, showed. Of the 501 passengers on the flight, 275 were Taiwanese, including 96 group tour travelers, the data showed. Tourism Administration Deputy Director-General Huang He-ting (黃荷婷) greeted Taiwanese passengers at the airport and
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said that it had confirmed on Saturday night with its liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil suppliers that shipments are proceeding as scheduled and that domestic supplies remain unaffected. The CPC yesterday announced the gasoline and diesel prices will rise by NT$0.2 and NT$0.4 per liter, respectively, starting Monday, citing Middle East tensions and blizzards in the eastern United States. CPC also iterated it has been reducing the proportion of crude oil imports from the Middle East and diversifying its supply sources in the past few years in response to geopolitical risks, expanding
STRAIT OF HORMUZ: In the case of a prolonged blockade by Iran, Taiwan would look to sources of LNG outside the Middle East, including Australia and the US Taiwan would not have to ration power due to a shortage of natural gas, Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said yesterday, after reports that the Strait of Hormuz was closed amid the conflict in the Middle East. The government has secured liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies for this month and contingency measures are in place if the conflict extends into next month, Kung told lawmakers. Saying that 25 percent of Taiwan’s natural gas supplies are from Qatar, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus secretary-general Lin Pei-hsiang (林沛祥) asked about the situation in light of the conflict. There would be “no problems” with
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