■ Economics
Asia giving Africa a boost
Some of the poorest African countries are reaping the benefits of the fast-growing economies of Asia, according to a report from the World Bank published yesterday. Almost a third of African exports are now sold to Asia, up from 14 percent in 2000, according to the bank. At the same time, Asian exports to Africa are growing at an extraordinary 18 percent a year. The report welcomes the increasing importance of this "south- south" trade, in contrast to the traditional pattern of Africa and Asia focusing on capturing US and European markets.
■ Casinos
Giuliani offers security
Five years after the terrorist attacks in New York, its former mayor Rudy Giuliani announced yesterday that he will provide security for a casino project in Singapore if a partner wins the bid. Giuliani Security Safety LCC will serve as the security planner and advisor of Eighth Wonder Asia, one of four possible bidders for Singapore's second casino project, which will be located on the resort island of Sentosa. "The initial agreement is to be involved in the Sentosa project for at least 10 years," Giuliani said. Singapore earlier announced it will give licenses for two major casino resorts in an effort to boost tourist arrivals. The government has awarded the first casino license to Las Vegas Sands Corp, which said it will invest US$3.2 billion in the project, located near downtown Singapore and due to be operational by 2009.
■ Crime
PRC cracks down on piracy
Chinese law enforcement agencies have destroyed nearly 13 million pirated compact discs, digital video discs and computer software in the government's latest campaign to curtail rampant theft of intellectual property, state media reported. The items destroyed on Saturday were confiscated in the first half of an ongoing 100-day nationwide campaign against piracy, the Xinhua news agency said. The targets of the raids included illegal factories, shops and street vendors, it said. Nearly half of the seized goods came from Guangdong, the economically dynamic southern province that abuts Hong Kong, the report said.
■ Computers
HP targeted spokesman
Hewlett-Packard Co (HP)officials said on Saturday that the company improperly accessed phone records of a corporate spokesman during its investigation into unauthorized leaks to the press. Spokesman Michael Moeller was one of two HP employees targeted during the company's internal probe, said Robert Sherbin, another HP spokesman, who would not identify the other targeted employee. Sherbin said the probe was "baseless" and found that Moeller had no part in the leaks. Moeller, a former reporter at BusinessWeek and PC Week, said that HP CEO Mark Hurd and chairwoman Patricia Dunn both apologized to him. Dunn has acknowledged that she authorized the investigation during which private investigators hired by HP used Social Security government identification numbers and other personal information to pose as company directors, employees and journalists and access logs of their home and cellphone calls. The probe resulted in the resignation of two HP directors and the demotion of a third. Dunn will step down as chairwoman in January and be replaced by Hurd.
CELEBRATION: The PRC turned 75 on Oct. 1, but the Republic of China is older. The PRC could never be the homeland of the people of the ROC, Lai said The People’s Republic of China (PRC) could not be the “motherland” of the people of the Republic of China (ROC), President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks in a speech at a Double Ten National Day gala in Taipei, which is part of National Day celebrations that are to culminate in a fireworks display in Yunlin County on Thursday night next week. Lai wished the country a happy birthday and called on attendees to enjoy the performances and activities while keeping in mind that the ROC is a sovereign and independent nation. He appealed for everyone to always love their
‘EXTREME PRESSURE’: Beijing’s goal is to ‘force Taiwan to make mistakes,’ Admiral Tang Hua said, adding that mishaps could serve as ‘excuses’ for launching a blockade China’s authoritarian expansionism threatens not only Taiwan, but the rules-based international order, the navy said yesterday, after its top commander said in an interview that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could blockade the nation at will. The object of Beijing’s expansionist activities is not limited to Taiwan and its use of pressure is not confined to specific political groups or people, the navy said in a statement. China utilizes a mixture of cognitive warfare and “gray zone” military activities to pressure Taiwan, the navy said, adding that PLA sea and air forces are compressing the nation’s defensive depth. The navy continues to
MAKING PROGRESS: Officials and industry leaders who participated in a defense forum last month agreed that Taiwan has the capabilities to work with the US, the report said Taiwan’s high-tech defense industry is to enhance collaboration with the US to produce weapons needed for self-defense, the Ministry of National Defense said in a report to the Legislative Yuan. Deputy Minister of National Defense Hsu Yen-pu (徐衍璞) discussed building regional and global industry alliances with US partners at the US-Taiwan Defense Industry Conference in Philadelphia held from Sept. 22 to Tuesday last week, the ministry said in the declassified portion of the report. The visit contributed to maintaining bilateral ties, facilitated Taiwan’s efforts to acquire weapons and equipment, and strengthened the resilience of the two nation’s defense industries, it said. Taiwan-US ties
CONCERNS: Allowing the government, political parties or the military to own up to 10 percent of a large media firm is a risk Taiwan cannot afford to take, a lawyer said A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator has proposed amendments to allow the government, political parties and the military to indirectly invest in broadcast media, prompting concerns of potential political interference. Under Article 1 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), the government and political parties — as well as foundations established with their endowments, and those commissioned by them — cannot directly or indirectly invest in satellite broadcasting businesses. A similar regulation is in the Cable Radio and Television Act (有線廣播電視法). “The purpose of banning the government, political parties and the military from investing in the media is to prevent them from interfering
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