■AUTOMOBILES
Magna joins Opel talks
Germany will hold talks in the coming days with Canadian auto parts maker Magna International on taking a stake in General Motors’ (GM) European unit Opel, Der Spiegel magazine said on Saturday. “Magna is a potentially interesting partner,” it quoted Economy Minister Karl-Theodor Zu Guttenberg as saying, in a report to appear in its next issue today. On Friday, the head of the regional government in Hesse, where Opel is headquartered, cited Magna as well as Italian automaker Fiat as a possible investor in Opel. GM, fighting for its own survival, is looking for an investor in Opel with a view to eventually spinning it off. In a statement on Friday, Fiat affirmed it has made no offer so far for Opel.
■CHINA
Stimulus money on the way
Beijing is preparing to spend 70 billion yuan (US$10.3 billion) in the next portion of its previously announced stimulus plan, a state newspaper reported. The planned investment, which will be mainly used on infrastructure projects, will be announced within a week, the Economic Observer said on Saturday, citing an unidentified official from the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planning body. The investment will be the latest slice of a US$586 billion package announced in November.
■TECHNOLOGY
Copying may cause harm
Illegally copying music and movies or cracking software code might let you bring home games and movie for free, but experts say this is against the law and poses a possible danger for your computer. Downloading software that allows illegal copying sometimes means you’re also installing viruses onto your computer, reports Trend Micro, an IT security consulting firm. Hackers use this method to spread their viruses via illegal copies. Hackers are also setting their sights on Mac computers. In recent months, malware has been included in illegal copies of programs like Apple iWorks 2009 and Adobe Photoshop for Mac.
■AUTOMOBILES
S Korean car exports drop
South Korean car exports fell sharply in the first quarter because of weak demand amid the global economic downturn, an association of local carmakers said yesterday. The Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association said in a report carried by the Yonhap news agency that car shipments dropped 47.4 percent year-on-year by value to US$4.37 billion for the first quarter. The number of cars shipped overseas also fell 36.5 percent year-on-year to 436,285 during the period, the report said. The bigger-than-expected sales drop by value was because of a growing number of shoppers opting for small cars, rather than higher value large sedans or sports-utility vehicles, it said.
■TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft urges updates
Microsoft has eliminated 23 vulnerabilities in its Windows and Office products. Users of those programs should install the corresponding security updates as soon as possible, the German Federal Agency for Security in Information Technology (BSI) in Bonn, central Germany, is advising. This can be handled by activating automatic updates in the Windows Security Center or visiting Microsoft’s update site at update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdate. This month’s batch of patches, as the updates are known, close security holes in WordPad, the office text converter, Excel, the DirectShow/DirectX graphics components and various services built in to Windows.
RULES BROKEN: The MAC warned Chinese not to say anything that would be harmful to the autonomous status of Taiwan or undermine its sovereignty A Chinese couple accused of disrupting a pro-democracy event in Taipei organized by Hong Kong residents has been deported, the National Immigration Agency said in a statement yesterday afternoon. A Chinese man, surnamed Yao (姚), and his wife were escorted by immigration officials to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, where they boarded a flight to China before noon yesterday, the agency said. The agency said that it had annulled the couple’s entry permits, citing alleged contraventions of the Regulations Governing the Approval of Entry of People of the Mainland Area into the Taiwan Area (大陸地區人民進入台灣地區許可辦法). The couple applied to visit a family member in
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
MISSILE MISSION: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology said it does not make policy, but would be glad to obtain certification to assemble the missiles The Ministry of National Defense-affiliated Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is in the process of getting certified to assemble an additional 1,985 Stinger missiles on top of those from US arms sales, a senior defense official said yesterday. Washington is to send a team to Taiwan to evaluate the institute’s manufacturing capabilities and information security, said the official, who commented on condition of anonymity. The ministry initially bought 500 missiles for the army and navy, but later increased the order to 2,485 in response to an increase in Beijing’s military activities around the nation, and to meet the army’s urgent need
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