Taipei - Hon Hai, the world's largest electronics components manufacturer, and IBM will sign a pact Wednesday on jointly developing environment-friendly products, the Central News Agency (CNA) said Tuesday.

Parliament Speaker Wang Jin-pyng and Environmental Protection Administration Minister Shen Shu-hung will witness the signing of the pact on strategic alliance, CNA said.

CNA did not reveal details of the cooperation, but said that in 2007, IBM launched Project Big Green which is aimed at protecting the environment.

Taipei - A Taiwan court decided Tuesday to begin the formal trial of former first lady Wu Shu-chen on March 17 on corruption charges.

"The formal proceedings will be held on March 17, during which Chen Cheng-hui will be summoned to testify against the defendant," said Tsai Shou-hsun, judge of the Taipei District Court, who made the decision during a pretrial hearing for Wu.

Taipei - Three Malaysian female backpackers and four Taiwanese were killed in a fire Monday at a Taipei hotel, police said.

The fire raged through the 36-year-old White Snow Hotel early in the morning.

A police officer identified the three Malaysian victims as 26-year-old Chin Seok Liang from Cheras, 37-year-old Lee Loo Yee from Puchong in Selangor, and Low Mee Sim from Penang. He said the three entered Taiwan on February 23 and booked for their return flight on Thursday.

Three Taiwanese senior citizens also were among the dead.

Taipei - China's effort to secure the return of looted art makes it dangerous for Taiwan to send its treasures for exhibition in China, a Taiwan analyst warned Monday.

In an article carried by the Apple Daily, political analyst Antonio Chiang said China's seeking the return of a bronze rabbit head and rat head - auctioned in Paris by Christie's Wednesday - has cast a shadow over exchanges between Taiwan's National Palace Museum and the Beijing Palace Museum.

Taipei  - Taiwan stocks lost 2.88 per cent Monday, dragged down by Wall Street's sharp decline over US banking woes in previous trading, dealers said.

The main TAIEX index opened sharply lower and extended its heavy losses to close at 4,425.83, down 131.32 points, or 2.88 per cent.

Dealers said US banking fears put local finance shares under heavy pressure, and reports about lender HSBC's plan to scale back its US consumer finance operations further dampened the market sentiment.

Kaohsiung, Taiwan/Taipei  - Dozens of Taiwan pro-independence activists Saturday disrupted a speech by President Ma Ying-jeou at a memorial ceremony for victims killed in a a 1947 massacre.

"Step down, Ma Ying-jeou," "Ma Ying-jeou, persecutor" and "Long live Taiwan," the activists shouted, unfurling protest banners at various spots of the ceremony venue at a park in the southern city of Kaohsiung.