■ Aviation
UK seeks special treatment
UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is to ask US President George W. Bush for special treatment for Britain before a European vote on the proposed "Open Skies" deal to free up the transatlantic aviation market, the Sunday Times reported yesterday. It said the deal would force Britain to open up London's Heathrow, the world's busiest and most lucrative international airport. Airline industry sources quoted by the newspaper said Blair is likely to speak to Bush tomorrow and urge Washington to commit to liberalize its aviation industry before opening up Heathrow.
■ Automobiles
Chrysler sale controversial
A DaimlerChrysler AG supervisory board member said he would oppose a deal leading to a breakup of the Chrysler Group, the firm's troubled US arm. Helmut Lense, one of the 10 employee representatives on DaimlerChrysler's 20-member supervisory board, told the Detroit News he would prefer to see a manufacturing company, such as another automaker, take control of Chrysler in the event of a sale, the newspaper reported on Saturday. "We wouldn't support a solution such as a private equity firm that would cut out choice bits," said Lense, chief employee representative of a plant in Stuttgart, Germany, that builds engines, suspensions and transmissions.
■ Environment
China to revamp green tax
China, the world's biggest energy user after the US, will accelerate plans to revamp the natural resources tax mechanism to encourage conservation and reduce waste, its top economic planner said. "The natural resources tax reform is on our agenda and the pace will be hastened within the next five years," Ma Kai (馬凱), Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at a forum in Beijing yesterday. An increase in natural resource tax will take place in tandem with the reform of the pricing system as it will affect industries and society, Ma said.
■ Software
Kaspersky mulls listing
Kaspersky Lab, the Russian company that has built an international reputation in computer security software, is considering listing on a Western stock exchange, company head Natalja Kaspersky said yesterday. Speaking to reporters at the Cebit Fair in Hannover, Germany, Kaspersky said there were no definite plans for an initial public offering and said the timing was not yet right. She cited next year's Russian presidential election as one reason. The lack of a high-tech market in Russia means that Western stock exchanges would be considered for the IPO, Kaspersky said. "Ours would not really fit among the oil and gas shares [in Russia]," she said.
■ Automobiles
BMW, Google link up
BMW has reached an agreement with Google to link the premium car maker's navigation system with Google Maps for faster and more comfortable route planning. The new service, provided initially only in Germany as part of the BMW Assist navigation system, enables motorists to transfer address and telephone number data found on Google Maps directly onto the vehicle. Users need only click onto an Internet site to search for a local company or service operator. Data is then stored in the "My Info" function of the BMW Assist Menu.
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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