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[] | 2016-08-29T16:53:30 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The secretive communist government of Laos, a country with a population of less than 7 million, rarely causes a ripple on the diplomatic circuit. And yet its sleepy capital will spring to life next week when global leaders arrive for an Asian summit. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654168.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Laos moving away from China, toward Vietnam | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Reuters, VIENTIANE
The secretive communist government of Laos, a country with a population of less than 7 million, rarely causes a ripple on the diplomatic circuit. And yet its sleepy capital will spring to life next week when global leaders arrive for an Asian summit.
US President Barack Obama will be among them, making the last push of his presidency to “rebalance” Washington’s foreign policy toward Asia, a strategy widely seen as a response to China’s economic and military muscle-flexing across the region.
The might of Laos’ giant neighbor to the north is hard to miss in Vientiane: wealthy Chinese driving sports utility vehicles overtake tuk-tuks sputtering along the roads and Chinese-backed hotels sprout from noisy construction sites in one of Asia’s most low-rise cities.
However, diplomats say Obama could be pushing on an open door in Laos, thanks to a change of government there in April.
They say the country’s new leaders appear ready to tilt away from Beijing and lean more closely toward another neighbor, Vietnam, whose dispute with China over the South China Sea has pushed it into a deepening alliance with the US.
“The new government is more influenced by the Vietnamese than the Chinese,” a Western diplomat said. “It’s never too late for a US president to visit.”
Obama will become the first sitting US president to visit landlocked Laos, where the US waged a “secret war” while fighting in Vietnam, dropping an estimated 2 million tonnes of bombs on the country. About 30 percent of the ordnance failed to explode, leaving a dangerous and costly legacy.
Laos has strategic importance to both Vietnam and China. Vietnam has a long land border with Laos that gives it access to markets in Thailand and beyond. For China, Laos is a key gateway to Southeast Asia in its “New Silk Road” trade strategy.
Laos, which is developing a series of hydropower plants along one of the world’s longest rivers, the Mekong, aims to become “the battery of Asia” by selling power to its neighbors.
It is difficult to read policy in Laos because its leaders are so uncommunicative, but Western diplomats have detected some shifts.
First, former Laotian deputy prime minister Somsavat Lengsavad — who ran the steering panel for a US$7 billion Chinese rail project — retired. The project is now believed to be on hold because Laos is unhappy with the terms of the deal.
Officials of Laotian Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith’s new government, many of them educated in Vietnam, have visited Hanoi en masse in recent weeks, their first foreign trip.
At two of the past meetings of the ASEAN, which is currently chaired by Laos, Vientiane has taken a more nuanced stance on Beijing than neighboring Cambodia, which is increasingly seen as a Chinese satellite.
“The US strategic interest in Laos is to see the country be able to exert a certain degree of strategic autonomy because you do not want ... [to] have something akin to the relationship between China and Cambodia,” said Phuong Nguyen of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank.
A defense official in Washington did not comment on wider strategic issues, but described Laos as “an important partner.”
A China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said “we welcome any country, including those inside and outside this region, developing constructive relations, as long as these ties are really beneficial to regional peace, stability and prosperity.” | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/30/2003654168 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/2a246f9d39b239ef2a25a10f6cb4a598c5d61e227867079a8dc8bf7e64416fde.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:51:30 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Chinese oil giant Sinopec Corp (中國石油化工股份有限公司), Asia’s biggest refiner, saw its first-half net profit drop 21.6 percent, hit by low oil prices, the company said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654127.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Sinopec Corp net profit dives 20% | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, SHANGHAI
Chinese oil giant Sinopec Corp (中國石油化工股份有限公司), Asia’s biggest refiner, saw its first-half net profit drop 21.6 percent, hit by low oil prices, the company said.
The company made 19.92 billion yuan (US$2.98 billion) in the January-to-June period, compared with 25.42 billion yuan in the same period last year, according to a statement by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, where it is listed.
“In the first half of 2016, international crude prices recorded a sharp decline from prices in the first half of 2015, and bottomed out during the period,” the oil giant said in the statement on Sunday.
The sharp decline in oil prices overshadowed a rise in domestic demand, it added, with domestic consumption of oil products up by 4.4 percent in the period.
Investors were disappointed with the results. On Monday morning, Sinopec shares fell 1.07 percent in Hong Kong and were 0.2 percent lower in Shanghai, where it is also listed.
The decline in oil prices has also hit China’s two other major producers.
China’s biggest oil producer, PetroChina (中國石油), last week said that net profit plunged 97.9 percent year-on-year in the first half to 531 million yuan.
The country’s main offshore oil and gas producer, CNOOC Ltd (中國海洋石油), reported a net loss of 7.74 billion yuan in the first six months of the year. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/30/2003654127 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/46358d4002ad777d96ccf8e224dc444ff9efec624db8533bd7742f1e7d77f006.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:52:13 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Ariya Jutanugarn on Saturday threatened to run away with the Canadian Women’s Open before stubbing her metaphorical toe late in the third round to end the day with a two-stroke lead in Alberta. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654091.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Ariya leads Canadian Women’s Open despite late stumble with Chun in tow | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Reuters
Ariya Jutanugarn on Saturday threatened to run away with the Canadian Women’s Open before stubbing her metaphorical toe late in the third round to end the day with a two-stroke lead in Alberta.
Seeking her fifth win in a breakout season, the Thai built a five-stroke lead with three holes remaining, only to bogey the 16th and 18th after missing 10-foot putts on both greens at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club in Calgary.
Those blemishes, along with a birdie at the 17th by Chun In-gee, left world No. 2 Ariya with a tenuous lead over her South Korean rival.
Ariya carded 67 for a 17-under-par 199 total, with Chun (66) alone in second place on 15-under.
Yesterday’s final round looked likely to be a two-woman race, with Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow and South Korea’s Kim Sei-young five strokes off the lead in a tie for third.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand fired a two-under 70, but slipped seven strokes behind Ariya in her quest to post a fourth victory in the event before reaching the age of 20.
Ariya, 20, had squandered several golden opportunities before breaking through for her maiden LPGA success in May and followed up by winning her next two starts before adding the Women’s British Open last month.
With so much recent success, she was not ready to dwell on her late stumble, instead opting to focus on the positive aspects of her round.
“After I won my first tournament, I kind of know how I play under pressure, so I know when I get really excited what I have to do,” she told reporters. “[I am] feeling good. I mean, I had two bogeys the last three holes, but I still shot five-under, so it’s still good.”
Meanwhile, Chun, last year’s US Women’s Open champion, signaled her intentions for the final round.
“I’m going to just focus on my game against the golf course and see where I am later,” she said.
Taiwan’s Min Lee carded a three-under 69 to tie for 21st, while Cheng Ssu-chia shot a four-under 68 to finish tied for 41st.
Additional reporting by staff writer | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/29/2003654091 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/f69f4f15c1c3cc9f57a16e58933b3399338d90d0ebccfbde82ea419b7bf36a47.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:09 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The central bank and the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday rejected allegations that central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan (彭淮南) had meddled in the investigation into Mega International Commercial Bank’s (兆豐銀行) contravention of US money laundering regulations. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654187.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Central bank, FSC reject claims of Mega meddling | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Ted Chen / Staff reporter
The central bank and the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday rejected allegations that central bank Governor Perng Fai-nan (彭淮南) had meddled in the investigation into Mega International Commercial Bank’s (兆豐銀行) contravention of US money laundering regulations.
After Mega Bank was fined by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS), commission Vice Chairman Kuei Hsien-nung (桂先農) on Aug. 4 asked the central bank to assist with communications with the department, the commission and central bank said in separate statements.
Upon learning that state-run Mega Financial Holding Co (兆豐金控) was facing a massive fine, Perng coordinated a meeting between New York state officials and directors from the central bank’s and the commission’s New York offices the following business day, the statements said.
STATEMENTS
“The Financial Supervisory Commission and central bank’s directors asked the DFS to allot adequate time for Mega International Commercial Bank to run through the processes required before its consent order may be signed, as the bank is a subsidiary of a publicly traded company,” the commission said in its statement.
Perng had also communicated with the US Federal Reserve on behalf of Mega Bank, but he did not intervene in the subsequent personnel reshuffle at the holding company, the central bank said.
The two statements came after media personality Clara Chou (周玉蔻) said Perng had protected Mega Financial chairman Hsu Kuang-shi (徐光曦), who is his brother-in-law.
Perng’s and Hsu’s wives are sisters, and this connection motivated Perng to act on behalf of Hsu, she said.
Chou also questioned whether it was appropriate for Hsu to be involved in the investigation, given that the violations occurred while he was president of Mega Financial.
TASK FORCE
In other developments, the commission said the task force investigating Mega Financial yesterday met for a second time.
The task force has questioned 28 persons of interest and their accounts are to be checked against those given by Mega Financial managers, the commission said.
Officials from the commission’s Financial Examination Bureau are now in Panama to probe Mega Bank’s two branches in that nation, the commission said.
That probe is looking into alleged suspicious activities, including a large number of closed accounts, as well as whether the bank has remedied citations from previous examinations, the bureau said.
The probe in Panama is expected to be completed in the middle of this month, and officials would move on to investigate the bank’s New York branch, the commission said.
The commission said its report on efforts to counter money laundering by domestic banks would be completed before the end of next month. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/31/2003654187 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/36d2cd4e75846f8838c757b15736ce30da7ac3baad2bda747bbe4c44aee8fb73.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:06 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Rescue crews yesterday raced against time looking for survivors from an earthquake that leveled three towns in central Italy, but the death toll rose to 247 and Italy once again anguished over trying to secure communities built on land prone to seismic activity. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653908.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/P06-160826-318.jpg | en | null | Italy earthquake death toll rises to 247 | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, AMATRICE, Italy
Rescue crews yesterday raced against time looking for survivors from an earthquake that leveled three towns in central Italy, but the death toll rose to 247 and Italy once again anguished over trying to secure communities built on land prone to seismic activity.
Dawn broke over the rolling hills of central Lazio and Le Marche regions after a night of uninterrupted search efforts. Aided by sniffer dogs and audio equipment, firefighters and rescue crews using their bare hands pulled chunks of cement, rock and metal apart from mounds of rubble where homes once stood searching for signs of life.
One area of focus was the Hotel Roma in Amatrice, famous for the Amatriciana bacon and tomato pasta sauce that brings food lovers to the medieval hilltop town each August for its food festival.
Amatrice’s mayor had initially said 70 guests were in the crumbled hotel ahead of this weekend’s festival, but rescue workers later halved that estimate after the owner said most guests escaped.
Firefighters’ spokesman Luca Cari said that one body had been pulled out of the hotel rubble just before dawn, but that the search continued there and elsewhere, even as 460 aftershocks rattled the area after the magnitude 6 temblor struck at 3:36am on Wednesday.
“We’re still in a phase that allows us to hope we’ll find people alive,” Cari said, adding that in the 2009 earthquake in nearby L’Aquila a survivor was pulled out after 72 hours.
Worst affected by the quake were the tiny towns of Amatrice and Accumoli near Rieti, 100km northeast of Rome, and Pescara del Tronto, 25km further east.
Italy’s civil protection agency reported the death toll had risen to 247 early yesterday, with at least 264 others hospitalized. Most of the dead — 190 — were in Amatrice and Accumuli and their nearby hamlets.
“From here everyone survived,” said Sister Mariana, one of three nuns who, with an elderly woman, survived the quake that pancaked half of her Amatrice convent. “They saved each other, they took their hands even while it was falling apart, and they ran, and they survived.”
She said that others from another part of the convent apparently did not make it: Three other nuns and four elderly women.
The civil protection agency set up tent cities in the affected towns to accommodate those made homeless, 1,200 of whom took advantage of the offer to spend the night, civil protection officials said.
In Amatrice, about 50 elderly and children spent the night inside a local sports facility.
“It’s not easy for them,” said civil protection volunteer Tiziano De Carolis, helping to care for about 350 people in Amatrice. “They have lost everything, the work of an entire life, like those who have a business, a shop, a pharmacy, a grocery store and from one day to another they discovered everything they had was destroyed.”
Experts estimate that 70 percent of Italy’s buildings are not built to anti-seismic standards. After every major quake, proposals are made to improve the situation, but they often languish in Italy’s thick bureaucracy and funding shortages. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/26/2003653908 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/2ed59bf6347c4d351855a2472a6f60bd39784d78eb39072a4de602027e676610.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:09 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Residents of Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西) yesterday rallied in front of the Executive Yuan in Taipei to protest a plan to resume operations at a quarry in the township, saying decades of mining had depleted the environment, and demanding that the Cabinet amend mining laws. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653961.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/27/thumbs/P02-160827-1.jpg | en | null | Guansi residents protest mining | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter
Residents of Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西) yesterday rallied in front of the Executive Yuan in Taipei to protest a plan to resume operations at a quarry in the township, saying decades of mining had depleted the environment, and demanding that the Cabinet amend mining laws.
Dozens of residents, joined by environmentalists and lawmakers, braved the sun and protested a plan by Asia Cement Co to reopen a quarry in the township.
Asia Cement ran the quarry for 43 years until 2013, one year before the government banned mining in western Taiwan in 2014, but the Hsinchu County Government lifted the ban in 2013.
Asia Cement and two individuals, Lo Ching-jen (羅慶仁) and Lo Ching-chiang (羅慶江), last year filed three proposals covering separate mining areas totaling 81.57 hectares, which was the first attempt to resume mining operations in western Taiwan, sparking protests from residents.
The Environmental Protection Administration’s Environmental Impact Assessment Committee decided that the three proposals should be considered as a whole and undergo second-phase reviews, in which more stringent requirements apply.
However, just before the decision was to be formally adopted, Asia Cement withdrew its application, and the other two applicants voluntarily reduced planned mining areas to 46.9 hectares in an apparent bid to avoid the second-phase reviews, as all development larger than 50 hectares is legally required to undergo a second-phase assessment.
Following the miners’ actions, the committee restarted first-phase reviews, which environmentalists said was due to former administration minister Wei Kuo-yen’s (魏國彥) intervention.
The first meeting of the new round of reviews was scheduled to begin yesterday, and protesters urged the government to revise the environmental review system to prevent miners from exploiting the system.
They also called for an overhaul of the Mining Act (礦業法), which they said lacks clear criteria for mining deregulation and does not include public participation.
“What are the criteria for establishing and abolishing mineral reserves? Did the Hsinchu County Government lift the mining ban just because it wanted to?” Wild at Heart Legal Defense Association secretary-general Hsieh Meng-yu (謝孟羽) said.
“Residents were kept in the dark about the mining plans until the administration was to review them. They were excluded from the decisionmaking process and were not even given a chance to express their opinions,” Hsieh said.
The mining area is 300m from local communities, with blasting and highly alkaline mining debris contaminating the environment, but Asia Cement did nothing to remove the debris after operations ended, resident Lo Cheng-hung (羅政宏) said.
“Residents collect rainwater to cook, because water [from other sources] is unsafe,” Lo said.
“Waste rocks were piled up to 280m high and left abandoned. We are worried that the township will become another Siaolin Village (小林) [in Kaohsiung, which was destroyed by massive landslides caused by Typhoon Morakot in 2009],” Lo said.
The nation’s cement market is oversupplied, and 25 percent of cement produced in 2014 was exported, suggesting mining should be reduced, Citizens of the Earth researcher Pan Cheng-cheng (潘正正) said.
The demonstrators called on the government to extend administration Minister Lee Ying-yuan’s (李應元) pledge to phase out mining in national parks to other sensitive areas. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/27/2003653961 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/af53fc386542c183e8cdad500750f49c7135a7322a55597fbfc3117e61c40c3e.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:42 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Indonesia’s navy said yesterday it had found a tanker carrying almost US$400,000 worth of diesel that was taken by its own crew last week due to a commercial dispute. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653907.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Indonesian navy finds tanker taken by crew last week | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, JAKARTA
Indonesia’s navy said yesterday it had found a tanker carrying almost US$400,000 worth of diesel that was taken by its own crew last week due to a commercial dispute.
The MT Vier Harmoni was initially feared to have been hijacked after setting sail from Malaysia. However, authorities quickly realized the vessel, which was transporting 900,000 liters of diesel, had been taken by its Indonesian crew due to a dispute.
The navy deployed ships and a helicopter to search for the tanker, which was reported missing on Tuesday last week after setting sail a day earlier.
“The hunt was conducted day and night, non-stop, by the team,” spokesman Edi Sucipto said.
He said the tanker was found on Wednesday off West Kalimantan province, on the Indonesian part of Borneo island.
The tanker is being escorted to Tanjung Pinang, the provincial capital of Indonesia’s Riau Islands, for further investigations, Sucipto said.
After the tanker disappeared, the Indonesian navy said the captain had contacted the vessel’s agent to say the crew were taking it to Batam island due to an “internal management problem.” | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/26/2003653907 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/183bb2950ebfcd4ec80c74086332fa36d83413146f7b6c3b0c10cb646e24c58a.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:50:55 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Legal experts yesterday said that the Constitution bars former grand justice Hsu Tzong-li (許宗力) from heading the Judicial Yuan, following reports that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was considering nominating him for the position. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653947.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/27/thumbs/P01-160827-4.jpg | en | null | Possible judicial pick challenged | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Legal experts yesterday said that the Constitution bars former grand justice Hsu Tzong-li (許宗力) from heading the Judicial Yuan, following reports that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) was considering nominating him for the position.
National Taiwan University professor of law Chen Chih-lung (陳志龍) said that Hsu served as a grand justice from 2003 to 2011 — a mandated eight-year term — and an amendment to the Constitution prohibits an additional term.
In the Additional Articles of the Constitution, Article 5 says: “Each grand justice of the Judicial Yuan shall serve a term of eight years, independent of the order of appointment to office, and shall not serve consecutive terms. The grand justices serving as president and vice president of the Judicial Yuan shall not enjoy the guarantee of an eight-year term.”
“That article was part of an amendment to prevent grand justices from bowing to the wishes of political figures when making constitutional interpretations,” Chen said. “Hsu’s appointment to serve as a grand justice again is unconstitutional and it would be an international joke.”
The amendment says that the Judicial Yuan has 15 grand justices, while the president and vice president of the body are to be selected from among them, being “nominated and, with the consent of the Legislative Yuan, appointed by the president of the Republic” of China.
Presidential Office officials said they have consulted legal experts regarding the issue.
The appointment would be legal and there would be no breach of the Constitution in nominating Hsu, the officials said.
Hsu would be “reappointed,” not “serving consecutive terms,” which are two different concepts, they said.
Hsu was not continuing as a grand justice to serve for another term, because he retired from the post, the officials said. Academics and experts on constitutional law were consulted and they concurred that the move would not be a breach of Article 5, therefore the government will go ahead with Hsu’s nomination.
Tsai has faced a number of obstacles filling the Judicial Yuan’s presidency and No. 2 post, with her first picks, Public Functionary Disciplinary Sanction Commission Chief Commissioner Hsieh Wen-ting (謝文定) and Judicial Yuan Secretary-General Lin Chin-fang (林錦芳) withdrawing over past controversies. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/27/2003653947 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/ef6975d9664f5008e5d5e19554989c5b2332ce1457ba3ebca2a00d24a3f3416d.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:52:12 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn ran away with the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open on Sunday at chilly Priddis Greens for her LPGA Tour-leading fifth victory of the year. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654152.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/30/thumbs/P16-160830-316.jpg | en | null | Ariya Jutanugarn nabs fifth Tour title in Canada | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, PRIDDIS, Alberta
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn ran away with the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open on Sunday at chilly Priddis Greens for her LPGA Tour-leading fifth victory of the year.
Nine days after withdrawing from the Rio Olympics because of a left knee injury, the 20-year-old made a 12-birdie putt on the final hole for a six-under 66 and a four-stroke victory.
The second-ranked Jutanugarn matched the tournament record for relation of 23-under set by So Yeon-ryu two years ago at London Hunt in Ontario and the mark for strokes of 265 set by Ryu and also accomplished by Lydia Ko in 2013 at the par-70 Royal Mayfair in Edmonton.
“I felt like I wanted to have fun and be happy on the course. No matter what is going to happen, I can handle it,” Ariya said. “I feel really happy with myself right now.”
South Korea’s Kim Sei-young, a two-time winner this year, was second after a 65.
Taiawn’s Min Lee carded an even-par 72 for a total of four-under 280. She tied for 31st place and picked up US$16,154 in prize money. Cheng Ssu-chia hit a one-over-par 73 for an even-par total of 284.
After a late meltdown cost Jutanugarn her first LPGA Tour victory in April in the major ANA Inspiration, the Thai player won three straight events in May.
She won the Women’s British Open in the event before the Olympics, and made it two in a row on the tour on Sunday in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies.
Additional reporting by staff writer | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/30/2003654152 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e6cc327156df4db18ca7774b5c5f064f77c20257bba4cf51a15bc392b2f6b8f9.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:53:21 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | An aquaculturist from Tainan’s Taijiang District (台江) this month received a Council of Agriculture certificate of provenance for his farm-reared giant tiger prawns, a rarity in Taiwan’s declining prawn industry. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654164.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/30/thumbs/p02-160830-aa2.jpg | en | null | Big prawns certified as local produce | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Tsai Wen-chu and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
An aquaculturist from Tainan’s Taijiang District (台江) this month received a Council of Agriculture certificate of provenance for his farm-reared giant tiger prawns, a rarity in Taiwan’s declining prawn industry.
Yen Jung-hung (顏榮宏), an aquafarmer with a degree in mathematics from the National Cheng Kung University, marine biotechnology and resources from National Sun Yat-sen University and 10 years of industry experience, said that he believes he can revive Taiwan’s once-prosperous prawn industry by updating it with modern technology.
Giant tiger prawns are considered technically challenging to raise in a farm environment because of their sensitivity to chemicals and antibiotics, Yen said.
Taiwan’s formerly thriving prawn industry was nearly wiped out by nation wide viral outbreaks, Yen said, adding that aquafarmers usually grow prawns with giant groupers to mitigate business risks.
A 1 hectare grow-out pond is capable of supporting up to 50,000 giant tiger prawns, of which only 10 to 25 percent grow to a size fit for human consumption. A typical farm harvests the prawns when they weigh between 15g and 20g each, Yen said.
In contrast, Yen said his giant tiger prawns weigh an average of 100g, which is “possibly the maximum size for farm-reared tiger prawns.”
His products are highly sought-after and sell at about four times the market price at NT$1,300 per jing (600g). Customers have to place an order with payment prior to delivery, Yen said, adding that demand frequently outstrips his supply.
Yen said his success is the result of an advanced electrochemical-electrocoagulation filtration system and a special mix of microbes cultured at the aquafarm, which he set up after extensive research and consultation with scientific authorities in the field.
The combination of techniques has allowed his prawns to feed on natural food sources and stay healthy, he said.
Council of Agriculture officials were initially skeptical and investigated the possibility that the prawns were foreign imports, Yen said, adding that after an inspection of his facility they were convinced the prawns were a domestic product. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/30/2003654164 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/7a64ac6624586c26358fdec71489a4d4bc32d288814197f51cbf8491e19a6c4c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:53 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The Colombian government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels have reached a peace agreement to end their half-century war that cost hundreds of thousands of lives. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653881.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/P01-160826-328.jpg | en | null | Colombia announces peace deal with FARC | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, HAVANA
The Colombian government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels have reached a peace agreement to end their half-century war that cost hundreds of thousands of lives.
After nearly four years of negotiations in Cuba, the two sides on Wednesday announced a final deal, which Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said would be put to a decisive referendum on Oct. 2.
“The Colombian government and the FARC announce that we have reached a final, full and definitive accord ... on ending the conflict and building a stable and enduring peace,” the two sides said in a joint statement read out in Havana by Cuban diplomat Rodolfo Benitez. “We don’t want one more victim in Colombia.”
In a national address after the announcement, Santos said the deal marked “the end of the suffering, the pain and the tragedy of war.”
He launched a campaign for a “Yes” vote in the referendum, which he said would be the most important election of Colombian voters’ lives.
“This is a historic and unique opportunity ... to leave behind this conflict and dedicate our efforts to building a more secure, safe, equitable, educated country, for all of us, for our children and grandchildren,” Santos said.
Many Colombians took to the streets late on Wednesday night, waving the national flag and carrying balloons emblazoned with the word “Yes” to show their support for peace.
“It’s hard to believe that we have lived to see such things, it’s historic for the country,” 24-year-old Marcela Cardenas said, before adding that she believes the transformation will be difficult.
Local television in Colombia’s Caribbean city of Barranquilla showed a rapper chanting: “Forward with peace, forward.”
The conflict began with the founding of the FARC in 1964, at a time when guerrilla armies were fighting to sow revolution throughout Latin America.
Over the years, it has killed 260,000 people, uprooted 6.8 million and left 45,000 missing.
Along the way, it has drawn in several rebel groups and paramilitaries. Drug cartels have also fueled the violence in the world’s largest cocaine-producing country.
Three previous peace processes with the FARC ended in failure.
After a major offensive by the army from 2006 to 2009 — led by then-Colombian minister of defense Santos — a weakened FARC agreed to come to the negotiating table.
Over the past few days, the two sides had been discussing a range of unresolved topics, sources from the two delegations in Havana told reporters.
FARC chief negotiator Ivan Marquez called the accord a new chapter for Colombia.
“We can now say that fighting with weapons ends and with ideas begins,” he said from Havana.
The peace deal comprises six agreements reached at each step of the arduous negotiations.
They cover justice for people killed in the conflict, land reform, political participation for ex-rebels, fighting drug trafficking, disarmament and the implementation and monitoring of the accord. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/26/2003653881 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/472c9f0486bfd341c93a3c8fe2e71394d078b8b17843ab670a68c4f7ec416198.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:53:27 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | A: Where are you going on holiday this year? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Flang%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654118.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | EVERYDAY ENGLISH | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | A: Where are you going on holiday this year?
B: My friend’s getting married in Istanbul. I thought I would take 10 days in Turkey.
A: Turkey? Isn’t that dangerous?
B: You can’t think like that. Otherwise, you’d never step out of the front door.
A：你今年打算去哪裡渡假？
B：我朋友要在伊斯坦堡結婚。我想我會在土耳其待個十天。
A：土耳其？那裡不是很危險？
B：你不能那樣想，不然你哪裡都不用去了。
English 英文:
Chinese 中文: | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2016/08/30/2003654118 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/b9997376c33f44c05cbe04147a5611f5f1c00a7ac6932c52e0a076fc870bc065.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:00:33 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | After filing an application with the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) last month, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (ASE, 日月光半導體) plans to submit its bid to take over Siliconware Precision Industry Co (SPIL, 矽品精密) to China’s competition watchdog this month, a source said yesterday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653857.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | ASE to submit bid for SPIL to Beijing this month: source | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Lisa Wang / Staff reporter
After filing an application with the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) last month, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc (ASE, 日月光半導體) plans to submit its bid to take over Siliconware Precision Industry Co (SPIL, 矽品精密) to China’s competition watchdog this month, a source said yesterday.
Winning approval for the deal from Chinese and Taiwanese authorities would bring the NT$128.7 billion (US$4.06 billion) deal one step closer to completion, the source said, adding that the companies plan to secure shareholder support for the creation of a holding company after receiving regulatory approval.
The companies’ boards in May agreed to form the holding company by the end of next year. ASE Industrial Holding Co Ltd (日月光投資控股) is to own 100 percent stakes in both ASE and SPIL, while both firms would remain separate legal entities.
The companies are confident about getting the nod from the FTC, the source said.
Seeking approval from China’s Ministry of Commerce would be the next step, the source said.
“The deal has an 80 percent chance of winning the approval of Chinese authorities, since China also launches mergers and acquisitions worldwide,” said Eric Teng (鄧志華), general manager of Japan-based Namics Corp, which supplies key materials in the manufacturing of semiconductors.
ASE and SPIL are also in discussion with the US Fair Trade Commission about whether the deal would require its approval, but it is unlikely it would, given that the firms have less than 50 percent combined market share in the US, the source said.
SPIL does not have any manufacturing plants in the US, while ASE operates one, the source said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/26/2003653857 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/deb2e4c065144b65582bca423cc2370f798e8d47089c226f5262b9434296a21a.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:22 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | TECHNOLOGY | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654192.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Taiwan Business Quick Take | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Staff writer, with CNA
TECHNOLOGY
Report on Paytm denied
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) yesterday denied investing in Indian e-payment service provider Paytm. The companies’ statements came in the wake of media reports that many companies, including Hon Hai and MediaTek, participated in a US$300 million fundraising initiated by Paytm’s parent company, One97 Communications. Hon Hai said in a filing with the Taiwan Stock Exchange that it did not participate in the fundraising. MediaTek said in a separate filing that the reports were media speculation and that it would have informed investors if it has an investment target.
TECHNOLOGY
Delta to showcase energy
Delta Electronics Inc (台達電), a power system and energy-efficient solutions provider, yesterday said it would host the Delta Green Building Exhibition at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei next month to showcase the company’s intelligent building designs, energy-saving technologies and techniques to retrofit existing buildings into “green” buildings. The concept of the exhibition was drawn from the company’s Delta21@COP21 sustainability campaign, which was launched during the UN Climate Change Conference last year, the company said in a statement.
TECHNOLOGY
Fitbit coming to Taiwan
Fitbit, the largest wearable brand in the world, yesterday said it plans to launch two of its fitness wristbands in Taiwan next month, marking its entry into the local market. The wearable device vendor said the latest Fitbit Charge 2 is able to monitor users’ heartbeat like previous models, but it can also measure users’ maximum oxygen uptake as they exercise. As for its Flex 2 model, the device is waterproof and ideal for swimmers who want to measure their fitness level, it said. Flex 2 is about 30 percent smaller than previous models. Fitbit’s devices are to be distributed by Chicony Electronics Co (群光電子). They will be available on online sale platforms Yahoo, PChome and momo, as well as be on display at brick-and-mortar retailers such as Tsann Kuen 3C (燦坤).
HANDSETS
Pegatron denies overwork
Pegatron Corp (和碩) denied accusations made by China Labor Watch (CLW) that it was exploiting workers on its iPhone production lines in China. In a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange on Monday, the Taipei-based company said it has always followed rules limiting work to 60 hours a week. CLW, a New York-based non-profit organization that monitors working conditions in China, said in a report that a majority of employees in Pegatron’s Shanghai factory worked more than 80 hours a week. The report was released on Wednesday last week after an investigation that lasted from last year to this month. “Pegatron has a computerized management system in place, which is able to ensure that our employees do not work more than 60 hours a week,” the company said in the filing. CLW also accused Pegatron of cutting workers’ benefits. The Shanghai Municipal Government raised the minimum monthly wage from US$304 to US$330 in April, and Pegatron workers received a raise, the CLW said. “However, Pegatron managed to control labor costs by cutting benefits and having workers share insurance payments. As a result, workers’ total income decreased after the raise,” CLW said in a statement. Pegatron said it has always compensated its employees above the required minimum, but it did not address the accusation that it had cut workers’ benefits. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/31/2003654192 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/f4a814b1fa64500daf40c4a9c12470b329ac59d1b7a43deadcd8191c99e1af20.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:52:33 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Members of US Democractic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign team will come to Taiwan next month for a fundraiser, according to her official Web site. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654097.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Clinton fundraiser scheduled for Taipei early next month | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Staff writer, with CNA
Members of US Democractic presidential nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign team will come to Taiwan next month for a fundraiser, according to her official Web site.
The fundraiser is scheduled to be held in Taipei on Sept. 7, but only US citizens and US permanent residents will be allowed to attend, and participants will be asked to provide documentation of their US passport or “green card,” the Web site said.
The US Federal Election Campaign Act “prohibits any foreign national from contributing, donating or spending funds in connection with any federal, state, or local election in the United States, either directly or indirectly.”
The event is to feature a discussion about the US presidential race with Melanne Verveer, a close Clinton aide, who served as ambassador-at-large for global women’s issues at the US Department of State from 2009 to 2013, when Clinton was US secretary of state.
Verveer, who served chief of staff to then-US first lady Clinton from 1997 to 2000, is executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security.
Among those hosting the event are Taiwan-born Yu Wen-chi (余文琦), who earned a master’s degree in political science from the University of Chicago, and served under Clinton at the US State Department as the official responsible for women’s issues in East Asia.
She had previously worked as an assistant to Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴).
Tickets to the event begin at US$100 to attend the discussion, while those who donate US$1,500 would also be able to join a private dinner afterward, while a US$2,700 ticket includes the dinner and an invitation to join the Asia-Pacific Host Committee, which is putting together the event.
More details can be found at www.hillaryclinton.com/events/tickets/ZUGHZ5UQMVMQZHF7/. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/29/2003654097 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/ac583392415eb328844294ea86dc3bdea7a28c405b402162261a7104f390a6ea.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:34 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Strong aftershocks yesterday rattled residents and rescue crews alike as hopes began to dwindle that firefighters would find any more survivors from Italy’s earthquake. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653967.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/27/thumbs/P06-160827-315.jpg | en | null | Aftershocks hit Italy as rescue hopes dwindle | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, AMATRICE, Italy
Strong aftershocks yesterday rattled residents and rescue crews alike as hopes began to dwindle that firefighters would find any more survivors from Italy’s earthquake.
The first funerals were scheduled to be held for some of the 267 dead.
Some of hard-hit Amatrice’s crumbled buildings developed more cracks after the biggest aftershock of the morning struck at 6:28am.
The US Geological Service said it had a magnitude of 4.7, while the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Vulcanology measured it at 4.8.
The aftershock was preceded by more than a dozen weaker ones overnight and was followed by another nine in the subsequent hour — some of the nearly 1,000 aftershocks that have rocked the seismic area of Italy’s central Apennine Mountains in the two days since the original earthquake on Wednesday.
Rescue efforts continued through the night, but more than a day and a half had passed since the last person was extracted alive from the rubble.
While Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi hailed the fact that 215 people had been rescued since the earthquake struck, officials reported only a steadily rising death toll that early yesterday stood at 267.
Nevertheless, Italian Civil Protection operations chief Immacolata Postiglione insisted that the rescue effort continued in full, “in search of other people trapped in the rubble.”
Italian news reports said the first funerals were to be held yesterday for some of those killed: in Rome, for the son of a local police chief, and in Pomezia Terme for two grandmothers and their two grandchildren. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/27/2003653967 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/b189f1a02b010b3bc2d563a7e61470cdc99fcceb425e7e1f8d263e837668f694.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:42 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | A rampant Dale Steyn yesterday took three wickets with his first 10 balls to leave New Zealand reeling on 18-4 at lunch on the fourth day, chasing a target of 400 to win the second Test, and the series, against South Africa. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654216.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Steyn claims three wickets as New Zealand chase 400 | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Reuters, PRETORIA
A rampant Dale Steyn yesterday took three wickets with his first 10 balls to leave New Zealand reeling on 18-4 at lunch on the fourth day, chasing a target of 400 to win the second Test, and the series, against South Africa.
Steyn removed both openers in his first over at Centurion. Tom Latham was bowled by the first ball of the visitors’ second innings, leaving a delivery too close to his stumps, and Martin Guptill fell to the sixth, edging to Hashim Amla at slip.
Steyn trapped Ross Taylor LBW with a wicked delivery in his second over, which stayed alarmingly low and hit the batsman on the ankle.
Captain Kane Williamson, who top-scored for New Zealand in their first innings of 214, was caught by a superb dive from wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock off Vernon Philander in the fourth over.
Henry Nicholls (7) and B.J. Watling (5) were not out at lunch, with New Zealand in serious trouble with five more sessions to survive.
South Africa declared their second innings after an hour’s play on 132-7, setting New Zealand a nearly impossible target on a pitch with uneven bounce and widening cracks, which was proving increasingly treacherous for batsmen.
They had resumed on 105-6, with Philander going just before the declaration and Temba Bavuma not out on 40.
The highest fourth-innings total in a Test at the venue was 251 scored by England 16 years ago.
With the first Test of the two-match series drawn, South Africa are well set to retain their record of never having lost a series to New Zealand. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/31/2003654216 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/ccc9a2cbf7266eaeb32a1a2ad23881b3f65f53ec34bcace479def313c0285a32.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:53:07 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), a new research institute said to be the biggest US-based think tank focusing on Taiwan to date, is scheduled to open on Sept. 14, sources said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654159.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | US-based Global Taiwan Institute to open soon: sources | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Nadia Tsao and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter in Washington, with Staff Writer
The Global Taiwan Institute (GTI), a new research institute said to be the biggest US-based think tank focusing on Taiwan to date, is scheduled to open on Sept. 14, sources said.
The GTI has access to more than US$20 million and has paid US$3 million for its Dupont Circle, Washington, office, sources said, adding that the institute is to be made up of people from the US, Taiwan, Japan and Europe.
US Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Grace Meng, institute honorary chairman Wu Rong-i (吳榮義) and Formosa TV chairman Kou Pei-hung (郭倍宏) are to attend a founding event for the institute, they said.
The institute has received funding and support from influential figures, sources said, adding that its establishment is noteworthy at a time when Taiwanese independence advocate Koo Kwang-ming (辜寬敏) has announced the suspension of his Taipei-based Taiwan Brain Trust, which is expected to join the Ketagalan Foundation, an organization owned and operated by supporters of former president Chen Shui-bien (陳水扁).
Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) is to serve as the institute’s chief adviser and Wu as its honorary chairman, while 37 people are to serve as cofounders, including former Overseas Compatriot Affairs Commission chairwoman Chang Fu-mei (張富美).
Each cofounder has contributed US$100,000 to the institute.
The institute’s board of advisers has 14 members and includes former American Institute in Taiwan director William Stanton, University of Miami professor of political science June Dreyer, University of Pennsylvania professor of history Arthur Waldron and former Congressional Research Service researcher Shirley Kan, the institute said.
The board of directors has 16 members who tend to be young professionals, including Twitch Interactive chief operating officer Kevin Lin (林士斌) and Lee Pei-yi (李佩宜), 26, the youngest director on the board; the average age of its directors is 33, it said.
Chairman Robert Lai (賴義雄) said the institute is dedicated to bolstering Taiwan-US relations and supporting talented young Taiwanese-Americans. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/30/2003654159 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e3bee2615ee7c4a27db026777bfbfd07d07fe2952cdcd2b58492b29cc78da409.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:52:23 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Armed police surrounding Muslim women on beaches and ordering them to remove their modest clothes or leave. Calls from onlookers to “go back to where you came from.” Public humiliation and ostracism with echoes of the morals police of theocratic countries like Iran or Saudi Arabia, not a country that sees its values as a paragon of Western freedoms. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654139.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/30/thumbs/p09-160830-gp.jpg | en | null | French Burqini bans provoke backlash as armed police confront beachgoers | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Alissa Rubin / NY Times News Service, PARIS
Armed police surrounding Muslim women on beaches and ordering them to remove their modest clothes or leave. Calls from onlookers to “go back to where you came from.” Public humiliation and ostracism with echoes of the morals police of theocratic countries like Iran or Saudi Arabia, not a country that sees its values as a paragon of Western freedoms.
Those uncomfortable images have come to dominate the ongoing debate over identity and assimilation as France’s coastal municipalities attempt to enforce new bans on the Burqini, the full-body bathing suit designed to accommodate Islamic modesty codes.
On Wednesday last week, photographs flashed across the globe on social media of French police officers forcing modestly clad Muslim women on beaches to pay fines, leave or disrobe. A storm of criticism erupted, followed by some political backpedaling a week after French Prime Minister Manuel Valls had denounced the little-worn Burqini as a tool of “enslavement.”
At least 20 municipalities on the Mediterranean, as well as several in northern France, have enacted bans against the garment on the grounds that it is not “appropriate,” “respectful of good morals and of secularism” and “respectful of the rules of hygiene and security of bathers on public beaches.”
Organizations including the Collective Against Islamophobia in France and the League of Human Rights have challenged the restrictions in local courts, but so far the rules have been upheld. [Editor’s note: France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil d’Etat, on Friday overturned the ban imposed in Villeneuve-Loubet.]
Imposed in the name of secularism, perhaps France’s most sacred ideal, the highly controversial Burqini bans — currently affecting 25 French towns and cities besides Villeneuve-Loubet
Now that the bans, which are vaguely worded, have apparently hit not just women wearing Burqinis, but others in a wide range of modest clothing, some French organizations and politicians that previously had said little have begun to worry that the new rules are discriminatory and unenforceable.
French Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve, who met with the French Council of the Muslim Faith after an urgent request from the organization, said that the enforcement should not “stigmatize” people or “set one against another.”
Valls’ own Socialist Party said in a statement that the enforcement was putting the country in a “particularly dangerous downward spiral,” citing “the attitude of the crowd” that gathered around a woman being confronted by three officers in Cannes last week.
The officers surrounded the woman, who was wearing a tunic, leggings and a head scarf, fined her and ordered her to leave the beach. The woman was at the beach with her children and said she was a third-generation French citizen from Toulouse.
A crowd gathered.
“I heard things I had never heard to my face,” said the woman, who gave her name only as Siam to the French magazine L’Obs. “Like, ‘Go back to where you came from,’ ‘Madame, the law is the law, we are fed up with this fuss,’ and ‘We are Catholic here.’”
Tearfully, the woman said that “because people of my religion have killed, I no longer have the right to go to the beach.”
When female relatives with her asked the police why they were not hunting down people with crosses, if outward shows of religious faith were the target of the new law, a policeman responded: “We are not going to hunt for crosses. Get going, madame. You are being told to leave the beach.” | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/30/2003654139 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e1d6fe01e9a2052624f8b3680b43faefe2949d60f7485aa1c7bef8363412aa79.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:20 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said he will not hesitate to boost monetary stimulus if needed, reiterating a pledge during an annual policy retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at which central bankers stressed their need for backup from fiscal policy. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654050.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/29/thumbs/P16-160829-331.jpg | en | null | BOJ ready to ease three dimensions | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Bloomberg
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said he will not hesitate to boost monetary stimulus if needed, reiterating a pledge during an annual policy retreat in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, at which central bankers stressed their need for backup from fiscal policy.
“There is no doubt that there is ample space for additional easing in each of the three dimensions,” Kuroda said on Saturday, referring to the BOJ’s package of asset buying, monetary base guidance and negative interest rates.
“The bank will carefully consider how to make the best use of the policy scheme in order to achieve the price stability target,” he told the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s symposium.
Central bankers, struggling to spur persistently disappointing growth, gathered in Grand Teton National Park to debate how best to tackle low inflation despite having already cut interest rates to near zero or, in some cases, below zero.
They heard US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Friday describe future potential options to jump-start the economy, while saying that the case for a US rate hike had strengthened.
Yellen said the Fed thinks it is close to meeting its goals of maximum employment and stable prices, and she described consumer spending as “solid,” while noting business investment was weak and exports had been hurt by a strong US dollar.
Even though the BOJ is engaged in a review of its monetary policy settings, due for completion next month, Kuroda’s comments underline his stance that the exercise will not mean any reduction in stimulus, despite growing doubts about its effectiveness.
“One of the key elements of our policy is to push up inflation expectations to our price stability target and anchor them there,” Kuroda said. “The Bank of Japan will continue to carefully examine risks to activity and prices at each monetary policy meeting, and take additional monetary policy measures without hesitation.”
The US central bank’s next policy meeting is scheduled for Sept. 20 and Sept. 21, while the BOJ is due to announced the results of its comprehensive review and decide policy at a meeting on Sept. 20.
European Central Bank (ECB) Executive Board member Benoit Coeure said during the same panel that his institution might also have to take further monetary measures if governments do not act to boost long-term growth.
“We will fulfill the price stability mandate given to us,” Coeure said. “But if other actors do not take the necessary measures in their policy domains, we may need to dive deeper into our operational framework and strategy to do so.”
While slowing growth and inflation present difficulties for central banks around the industrialized world, the Frankfurt-based ECB has particular cause to urge pro-expansion measures by the 19 nations that use the euro.
High unemployment, political spats and banking systems loaded with soured loans are hampering the region’s recovery from a debt crisis that started six years ago.
Meanwhile, Yellen’s statement will create some volatility for financial markets over the next three months, Raymond Yeung (楊宇霆), chief economist at ANZ Banking Group Ltd in Hong Kong, said by telephone on Saturday. “The cost of the US funding will increase, and Asian currencies will be under downward pressure.”
Still, some Asian nations would be willing to sacrifice capital outflows in exchange for the boost in export competitiveness that a weaker currency would provide, Yeung said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/29/2003654050 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/288910f2d297407a33ba5b813e749384bc052b41cb38dde760e2e3cb9b9b4737.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:52:24 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Muslim extremists supporting the Islamic State group freed eight fellow militants in a daring attack that also allowed 15 other inmates to escape from a provincial jail in the southern Philippines, police said yesterday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654073.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Extremists free eight militants from Philippine jail | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines
Muslim extremists supporting the Islamic State group freed eight fellow militants in a daring attack that also allowed 15 other inmates to escape from a provincial jail in the southern Philippines, police said yesterday.
About 20 heavily armed fighters of the Maute militant group stormed the Lanao del Sur provincial jail in Marawi before nightfall on Saturday, disarmed the guards and rescued their eight comrades.
The attackers also seized two rifles from guards, police said.
The eight who escaped were arrested last week when they were caught with a homemade bomb in a van at a security checkpoint.
The others who escaped, apparently to divert the attention of authorities, were facing murder and illegal drugs charges.
The Maute group is a new band of armed Muslim radicals who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and use black flags with logos of the Middle East-based extremists.
Based in Lanao del Sur’s town of Butig, the militants have attacked army troops and beheaded a soldier and two kidnapped workers earlier this year. Before being killed, the two workers were made to wear orange shirts similar to beheading victims of the Islamic State group.
A number of Muslim armed groups in the southern Philippines, including some commanders of Abu Sayyaf, have pledged loyalty to the Islamic State group.
The Philippine military has tried to play down their actions, saying there has been no evidence of an active collaboration between the foreign extremists and Filipino militants who are aiming to prop up their image and secure badly needed funds amid years of setbacks.
Troops have continued on-and-off offensives against the Maute militants in Lanao del Sur, a predominantly Muslim province about 830km south of Manila.
A major offensive against Abu Sayyaf in Sulu province’s mountainous town of Patikul has killed at least 19 militants, including an influential commander — Mohammed Said, who used the nom de guerre Amah Maas — his two sons and another ranking fighter, Latip Sapie, military officials said.
Said, who had severed arms and was among the most senior Abu Sayyaf commanders, had been implicated in the kidnappings of several Filipinos and foreigners. He had good ties with the Moro National Liberation Front, a larger rebel group that has engaged in peace talks with the government, but has been suspected of providing sanctuary and combat support to Abu Sayyaf in the past.
“Let us vigorously pursue this terrorist-bandit Abu Sayyaf group with no let-up and destroy them,” Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Ricardo Visaya said, vowing to pour more troops into Sulu. “We have this one chance to annihilate this menace to society that claims links with the [Islamic State].” | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/29/2003654073 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e7ff066560714aa3c73dd177ed04e4f69f28d337b90be34825436c1533bb18df.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:54:30 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Suspended Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff on Monday told Brazilian senators in an emotional testimony at her trial that voting for her impeachment would amount to a “coup d’etat.” | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654246.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Brazil’s Rousseff urges vote against ‘coup’ in trial | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, BRASILIA
Suspended Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff on Monday told Brazilian senators in an emotional testimony at her trial that voting for her impeachment would amount to a “coup d’etat.”
Declaring her innocence and recalling how she was tortured under Brazil’s military dictatorship in the 1970s, Rousseff warned that Latin America’s biggest country was on the verge of losing its democracy.
“Vote against impeachment, vote for democracy.... Do not accept a coup,” the 68-year-old leftist leader said as she defended herself before senators who are widely expected to remove her from office today.
About 2,000 supporters rallied in her support near the senate building in the capital Brasilia, waving flags — a fraction of the crowds her Workers’ Party has drawn in the past.
Protesters also massed in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, where they lit fires and riot police fired tear gas to disperse them.
Brazil’s first woman president is accused of having taken illegal state loans to patch budget holes in 2014 to mask the country’s problems as it slid into its deepest recession in decades.
Momentum to push her out of office is also fueled by deep anger at months of political paralysis and a vast corruption scandal centered on state oil giant Petrobras.
All indications pointed to the senate impeaching Rousseff when voting was to start yesterday, ending 13 years of rule by the leftist Workers’ Party.
Her last-minute defense started around 9:30am, with scores of senators scheduled to question her.
She was still talking and gesturing 12 hours later as the session wore on into the night.
During questioning that followed Rousseff’s 45-minute opening speech, pro-impeachment Brazilian Senator Simone Tebet said that as president, Rousseff had criminally mismanaged Brazil’s accounts by taking the unauthorized loans.
“An unreal Brazil was sold. The unreal numbers led to a loss of confidence among Brazilians and we are facing the worst financial crisis in the history of the country,” Tebet said.
However, Rousseff, arguing that the loans were a commonly used fiscal stopgap, said she’d been accused “unjustly and arbitrarily.”
“I’ve come to look your excellencies in the eye to say that I did not commit a crime,” she said in a calm, firm voice from the senate chamber podium.
However, there appeared to be little Rousseff could say to save her presidency.
Pro-impeachment senators said they will easily reach the needed two-thirds majority — 54 of 81 senators — to remove her from office.
In that case, Rousseff’s former vice president-turned political enemy, Michel Temer, would be confirmed as president until elections in 2018.
Temer, from the center-right PMDB party, has already been acting president since May, using his brief period in power to steer the government rightward. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/31/2003654246 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/d05c7adb038aeefb3abfee37b8024e21176023dc36f9a5f9272869bf890e6e95.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:53:25 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The US stepped up its fight against the European Commission’s crackdown on tax avoidance by Apple Inc and other multinational companies, accusing the commission of unilateralism and overstepping its mandate. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653864.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | US steps up fight against EU’s crackdown on Apple | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, WASHINGTON
The US stepped up its fight against the European Commission’s crackdown on tax avoidance by Apple Inc and other multinational companies, accusing the commission of unilateralism and overstepping its mandate.
In a white paper, the US Department of the Treasury said the commission’s probe into alleged special tax treatment that certain EU countries gave Apple, Amazon.com Inc, Starbucks Corp and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV “undermines the international tax system.”
With potentially billions of dollars in tax levies at stake, the US Treasury also reiterated its view that the investigations “disproportionately” target US companies and would prevent Washington from recovering taxes that it is eyeing from the companies’ offshore earnings.
“These investigations have major implications for the US. In particular, recoveries imposed by the Commission would have an outsized impact on US companies,” US Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Tax Affairs Robert Stack said in a statement. “US taxpayers could wind up eventually footing the bill” if the commission forces the companies into tax settlements.
The US acknowledged the problems around the issue of multinational firms obtaining state aid, in the form of secret and extremely lucrative tax breaks, from Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg for setting up business in those countries.
However, it said those deals were made under international treaties and accepted tax practices.
The US Treasury in the white paper accused the commission of taking a “new approach” to established EU tax law in challenging EU member states’ legal tax breaks offered to multinational firms.
In addition, the US Treasury said the commission is effectively changing the tax rules now, but planning to apply them retroactively to the companies, which the US said was inconsistent with EU law and international practice.
“The commission should not seek retroactive recoveries under its new approach,” the white paper said.
In a statement, a commission spokesperson denied it was targeting US companies in particular and said that EU rules do not allow national tax authorities to give tax breaks to some companies that are not available to others. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/26/2003653864 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/6028d1f5273f026c93632e7766d0235a6c32485d74adc9e837db769b90f69b95.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:37 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | After entering show business 35 years ago, singer Delphine Chin, also known as WaWa, is only now putting on her first major solo concert. The Completely Love concert is scheduled for Sept. 2 at Taipei International Convention Center. Ticket sales began in June, with tickets available at Market Net, 7-Eleven ibon and FamilyMart FamiPort. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Flang%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653850.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/P15-160826-001.jpg | en | null | Delphine Chin, aka WaWa, holding first big concert in 35 years | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | After entering show business 35 years ago, singer Delphine Chin, also known as WaWa, is only now putting on her first major solo concert. The Completely Love concert is scheduled for Sept. 2 at Taipei International Convention Center. Ticket sales began in June, with tickets available at Market Net, 7-Eleven ibon and FamilyMart FamiPort.
Chin was the lead vocalist of pop band Chiu Chiu. Established in 1981, Chiu Chiu represented a transitional period in Taiwan’s music history, in which people turned from “campus folk songs” to “modern pop music.”
Chiu Chiu was founded by leading song writer Chiu Chen, who arrived in the folk-song era. Their most famous songs include “It’s Tonight,” “Fool on the Embankment,” and “Why I’ve a Dream of Him?” It had made a big impact on the music industry at that time.
Chin’s other hit, “I Came Over the Ocean to See You,” will be adapted into a Chinese-language musical this year. Based on a true story, the musical tells of a long-distance romance across the Taiwan Strait.
(Liberty Times, translated by Eddy Chang)
「娃娃」金智娟出道三十五年，將首度舉辦個人大型演唱會。金智娟「全然愛」演唱會將在九月二日於台北國際會議中心舉行，門票六月開賣，詳洽大市集交易網、7-11 ibon、全家FamiPort。
金智娟曾是丘丘合唱團主唱，成軍於一九八一年的丘丘合唱團，是台灣音樂史上，由校園民歌轉向現代流行音樂過渡時期的代表。
丘丘合唱團由民歌時期的創作大將邱晨創立，著名代表作有「就在今夜」、「河堤上的傻瓜」、「為何夢見他」等，對當時的歌壇貢獻良多。
金智娟的名曲「飄洋過海來看你」，今年也將被改編為華文音樂劇。該劇由真實故事改編，描寫一段海峽兩岸遠距離戀情。
（自由時報綜合報導） | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2016/08/26/2003653850 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/f01b0dc89ed73670b59d162be62bf9398673d294c709e8ef23cd9b28ef47cb42.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:52:32 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) yesterday said that Taiwan’s diplomatic ties with the Vatican are not a “zero-sum game,” welcoming dialogue between the Catholic city-state and China for the sake of promoting religious freedom. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654072.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Government welcomes Vatican-China dialogue: official | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) yesterday said that Taiwan’s diplomatic ties with the Vatican are not a “zero-sum game,” welcoming dialogue between the Catholic city-state and China for the sake of promoting religious freedom.
“Taipei and the Holy See are diplomatic allies connected by the same values, sharing a consensus on many aspects, including religious freedom, democracy, human rights and humanitarian aid,” Wu said on the sidelines of the final day of a two-day forum titled “Direct Election of President and Taiwan’s Democratic Development in the Past 20 Years” in Taipei.
Wu said that, due to its mission to promote human rights and religious freedom, the Vatican is supposed to engage in dialogue with China, something that Taiwan is not only not opposed to, but also thinks is positive.
“This is not a zero-sum game. It does not mean that we have to sever ties [with a diplomatic ally] just because it starts getting close to others,” Wu said, urging the public to not interpret the matter as being purely black-and-white.
Asked about the status of Taiwan-Vatican relations, Wu said the ties have been and are expected to remain relatively stable, but acknowledged that might not last forever, as “many things are changing.”
Wu made the remarks one day after Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said in a speech in Pordenone, Italy, that there are many hopes and expectations for new developments and a new season in relations between China and the Vatican.
“[This] will benefit not just Catholics in the land of Confucius, but the whole country, which boasts one of the greatest civilizations on the planet,” Reuters quoted Parolin as saying.
Speculation over the possibility of the Holy See switching recognition from Taipei to Beijing has been growing, particularly after President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) inauguration on May 20.
Despite uncertainty surrounding Taiwan-Vatican relations, Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁), who is Catholic, is on Friday scheduled to embark on a six-day visit to the Holy See, the nation’s only European diplomatic ally, to attend the canonization of Mother Teresa.
Wu, who is to be a member of Chen’s delegation, said the Vatican is not a country that puts national interests above all else and aims to push for religious freedom and the promotion of the Catholic faith.
“As far as the government is concerned, our priority is to maintain official diplomatic ties with the Vatican,” Wu said, adding that no changes would be made to Chen’s visit.
Earlier yesterday, the ministry also issued a statement saying that it has kept close tabs on interactions between China and the Vatican, and it reiterated that Taipei’s ties with the Holy See have a long history.
“For many years, high-level government officials from both sides have made frequent visits to each other’s nations. Intensive cooperation has also occurred between Taiwan and the city-state’s pontifical councils and Catholic charitable organizations,” the ministry said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/29/2003654072 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/8a78b50fc9ca8fd9e2992d7a9464a30ed9651dafa2a9308e0af7234a94fc5169.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:11 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | A record number of overseas investments were made in the UK in the 2015 to 2016 financial year, buoyed by a surge from emerging markets, making the country Europe’s most popular for external financiers. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654196.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | UK sees record foreign investment in this fiscal year | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Bloomberg
A record number of overseas investments were made in the UK in the 2015 to 2016 financial year, buoyed by a surge from emerging markets, making the country Europe’s most popular for external financiers.
Total projects funded by foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 11 percent to 2,213, the UK Department for International Trade yesterday said in a statement.
FDI created or protected 116,000 jobs including in life sciences, financial and professional services, and energy and infrastructure.
“We’ve broadened our reach with emerging markets across the world to cement our position as the number one destination in Europe for investment,’’ said British International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who called the figures a “continued vote of confidence” in the UK.
Investors came from 79 countries, a record for one year. Projects funded from Latin America more than tripled, up 240 percent, and East European investment increased 131 percent.
The US remained the UK’s largest source of outside financing, with 570 projects, followed by China, which accounted for 156, and India with 140.
The statistics, through April, show investors were not deterred by the possibility of Britain leaving the EU.
Time will tell if post-Brexit vote uncertainty has changed matters.
“As Britain approaches a time of economic change, we must continue to welcome investors that are willing to make a sustained, long-term commitment all across the country,” said Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce.
The UK is Europe’s most popular destination for foreign investment, according to the trade department’s data, which was drawn from Ernst & Young’s UK Attractiveness Survey, the Financial Times’ foreign direct investment report for this year and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s FDI in Figures. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/31/2003654196 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/1a17d4d3de9c79a876ba42d2e7154da56a314672d9eea3e562b01efb051795e1.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:51:56 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Metamorphosis, the process in which a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, happens in between 10 to 15 days. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Flang%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003653985.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/P09-160828-001.jpg | en | null | Flutterby facts and butterlies | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Metamorphosis, the process in which a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, happens in between 10 to 15 days.
Female butterflies usually survive longer than the male of the species.
Butterflies taste things with their feet.
It is believed that there are up to 20,000 different species of butterfly.
Their eyes are made of 6,000 lenses.
Butterflies can choose the colors of their own wings, but have to make a decision within seven days.
Most butterflies fly around eight to 20 kilometers per hour. They cannot fly if they’re too cold.
Butterflies are not toxic, but they have bright colors to pretend they are poisonous, scaring potential predators away.
In English, a person who collects and studies butterflies is called a lepidopterist.
Butterflies sleep for only a few seconds at a time, when they are flying.
Many adult butterflies expend all their energy just by going about their daily business, so they never need to excrete.
Butterflies exist on all continents in the world, except for Antarctica.
Two of the above facts are not actually true.
Compiled by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times
由毛毛蟲蛻變為蝴蝶的過程稱為「變態」，所需時間大約十至十五天。
雌蝶的壽命通常比雄蝶的壽命還長。
蝴蝶是用腳來分辨東西味道的。
據說世界上有高達兩萬種不同的蝴蝶。
牠們的眼睛是由六千個小眼睛組成的。
蝴蝶可以選擇自己翅膀的顏色，只是必須在七天內作出決定。
大多數蝴蝶每小時可飛行八至二十公里。如果身體太冷，牠們將無法飛行。
蝴蝶是無毒的，但牠們會用身上鮮豔的顏色來?裝自己是有毒的，好將敵人嚇跑。
蒐集及研究蝴蝶的人，叫做「鱗翅類學者」。
蝴蝶每次只睡幾秒鐘的時間，而且是邊飛邊睡的。
許多成蝶光是每天忙東忙西就用掉身上所有的能量了，所以牠們並不用排泄。
全球五大洲都有蝴蝶，只有南極沒有。
上列所述，除了兩點之外，其他都是真的。
（台北時報編譯詹豐造譯）
The false facts are, of course: butterflies cannot choose their own colors; and butterflies don’t sleep while flying. They rest hanging upside down.
虛構的部分當然就是：蝴蝶並不能選擇自己的顏色，蝴蝶也不能邊飛邊睡。牠們休息時，是頭下腳上倒吊著的。 | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2016/08/28/2003653985 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e802e64220d6b3371cf4455ac73569e10a7be7ebc96c35af19023620af5aaa48.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:38 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Two nuns who worked as nurses and helped the poor in rural Mississippi were found slain in their home, perhaps victims of a break-in and vehicle theft, officials said on Thursday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653976.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Two nuns killed in US; signs point to home break-in | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, DURANT, Mississippi
Two nuns who worked as nurses and helped the poor in rural Mississippi were found slain in their home, perhaps victims of a break-in and vehicle theft, officials said on Thursday.
Authorities would not say if they have a suspect, but disclosed that they had recovered a car missing from the home and were towing it to a crime lab for analysis.
They also did not release a cause of death, but the Reverend Greg Plata said police told him the sisters were stabbed.
The nuns were identified as Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill, both 68. Their bodies were taken to a state crime lab for autopsies.
The women, both nurse practitioners, were found on Thursday morning when they did not report to work at a nearby clinic, where they provided flu shots, insulin and other medical care for children and adults who could not afford it.
“They were two of the sweetest, most gentle women you can imagine. Their vocation was helping the poor,” said Plata, who oversees a 35-member Catholic church the sisters attended.
Maureen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, Mississippi, said there were signs of a break-in at the home and the nuns’ vehicle was missing.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said later that the blue Toyota Corolla was found abandoned on Thursday evening on a secluded street about 1km from the home, the vehicle apparently undamaged.
He said police have not determined when the car was abandoned and it was being towed to the state crime lab near Jackson.
Authorities did not release a motive and it was not clear if the nuns’ religious work had anything to do with the slayings.
Police Chief John Haynes said officers are checking video from surveillance cameras in town to see if they spot anything unusual.
Merrill had worked in Mississippi for more than 30 years, according to the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky. She was from Massachusetts and joined the order in 1979.
Two years later, she moved to the South and found her calling in the Mississippi Delta community, according to a 2010 article in The Journey, a publication by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
“We do more social work than medicine sometimes,” Merrill told The Journey. “Sometimes patients are looking for a counselor.”
After Hurricane Katrina in 2005 much of the town was without power for weeks, the sisters allowed people over to their house to cook because they had a gas stove.
The small congregation at St Thomas typically gathered on Thursday nights for Bible study and a meal. Held was a member of the School Sisters of St Francis based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and its US Province Leadership team issued a statement that members were “deeply shocked and grieved” by the killings.
They said Held had 49 years with the order and devoted herself to “living her ministry caring for and healing the poor.”
Doctor Elias Abboud worked with the sisters for years and agreed to help build the Lexington clinic because “you could feel their passion about serving the people, helping the poor. They loved it.”
Abboud estimated that the clinic provided about 25 percent of all the medical care in the county, which has a population of about 18,000, according to US Census Bureau estimates for July this year. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/27/2003653976 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/efd68f77b475ad5cc4c094786dbecb5cf5c20852c632965c3a88957b7bea84be.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:54:03 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Committee member Sean Lien (連勝文) yesterday accused President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of intending to turn Taiwan into the “Asian version of Cuba,” saying the president’s “misguided economic policies and conflict-prone ideologies” would steer the nation toward a doomed path. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654219.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Tsai ‘will turn Taiwan into Asian Cuba’ | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Central Committee member Sean Lien (連勝文) yesterday accused President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) of intending to turn Taiwan into the “Asian version of Cuba,” saying the president’s “misguided economic policies and conflict-prone ideologies” would steer the nation toward a doomed path.
Based on his observations of Tsai and her Cabinet members’ performance over the past 100 days, as well as their handling of new media, Lien said on Facebook that he is gravely concerned that Taiwan could become like Cuba during the Cold War.
“Looking at the past decades in Cuba, the leftist regime has internally stepped up purges against its political rivals and adhered to socialist economic policies, while externally clung to ideologies and embroiled itself in a longstanding wrangling with world power the US,” Lien said.
Due to its conflict with Washington, Havana gradually became isolated and marginalized in the international arena, Lien said, adding that it was the Cuban government’s isolationism and left-wing economic policies that paved the way for poverty and financial woes.
Lien said that while Tsai has defined her administration as a “problem-solver” since taking office in May, it has only created new problems.
“Many of Tsai’s campaign slogans were based on leftist socialism. They might have struck a cord with voters during the election period, but would soon be proven to be utterly infeasible after the president was sworn in,” Lien said.
Lien said the inability to address conflicts between employees and employers, and other ill-devised economic policies, could lead to fiscal overdraft, business exodus and a rising youth unemployment rate.
The worst of all problems facing the Tsai administration is the stalled cross-strait ties, Lien said, adding that it could take a toll on Taiwan’s economy.
“The worst-case scenario is that both sides of the Taiwan Strait become mired in a severe long-term standoff or even some kind of conflict, as it could result in Taiwan being isolated again and descend into a closed and decaying ‘lost paradise,’” Lien said. “If even Cuba has come to the realization that closed-door policies do not work, how much more time is Taiwan going to waste on wrong policies and conflicts induced by ideologies?”
Despite mounting pressure from China, Tsai has only recognized that a cross-strait meeting took place in 1992, rather than recognizing the so-called “1992 consensus,” prompting Beijing to suspend cross-strait communication mechanisms.
The “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Chinese government that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/31/2003654219 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/547d7d534b4264c319e7e124f070457fb8cc25bb808f66a5a9932fa86ae7bd45.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:19 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | India expects to woo 1 trillion rupees (US$15 billion) of investment over five years to double mining output and cut mineral imports. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654057.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | India seeking capital to double mining output | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Bloomberg
India expects to woo 1 trillion rupees (US$15 billion) of investment over five years to double mining output and cut mineral imports.
The government’s goal is to fast-track exploration, including upfront payments for discovered deposits when the mines are auctioned, Minister of Mines Piyush Goyal said in an interview.
The administration will invite foreign companies to participate, he said, while acknowledging challenges such as land acquisition and environmental hurdles.
“We’re working to change the rules of the game from doing small amounts of exploration in an incremental fashion to doing it on a fast-track, one-shot, big-picture way,” Goyal, 52, said on Saturday in New Delhi.
There’s “easily” scope to pour 50 billion rupees into the search for deposits, he said.
The world’s fastest-growing major economy will need increasing supplies of everything from iron ore to coal to achieve Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s objective of faster development powered by more manufacturing.
Rio Tinto Group and steelmaker POSCO are among foreign companies that have put Indian plans on hold because of red tape and difficulties in acquiring land, an indication of the challenges Goyal’s agenda faces.
India last year embraced competitive auctions as the best long-term approach to resource allocation after bruising corruption scandals over discretionary or free allotments.
The nation auctions exploration and mining rights.
Officials earlier had worked out a policy of paying explorers a royalty over the life of a mine, rather than upfront, after critics said there was not enough incentive for companies to scour for minerals.
Goyal, who is energy minister and added mining to his portfolio when Modi reshuffled his Cabinet last month, said mineral exploration in India is “nascent.”
He recommended that overseas explorers and miners consider ventures with local partners — and install largely Indian management — to increase their chances of success in the US$2 trillion economy.
The minister said he is assessing the minerals being imported by India to focus the country’s exploration efforts.
Imports of iron ore, for instance, may amount to about 9 million tonnes this year, according to the CRU Group, a commodities researcher.
Environmentalists have resisted an effort by Vedanta Ltd to mine the mineral at Niyamgiri in the eastern state of Odisha.
Only about 13 percent of 575,000km2 with geological potential in India has been explored in detail so far, with minimal private-sector involvement, according to the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries.
“It doesn’t make sense to import what we already have in our country,” said Seshagiri Rao, joint managing director at Mumbai-based JSW Steel Ltd. “Raising domestic output will put pressure on prices of the commodity and make it more affordable for users.”
Rio Tinto Group on Aug. 22 said it was shutting a top-class diamond deposit in India — more than a decade after its discovery — as part of cost cutting. Delays in green permits stymied development of the project.
The company subsequently said it will seek to source services and equipment from the South Asian nation, and offered voluntary severance to 300 employees.
One of India’s priorities is to attract the top technology used by overseas companies, Goyal said.
The administration will respect the environment, he said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/29/2003654057 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/efa052269ff8d6629bbfd7bfd6ad8930726e5aa28f578dc4eb88a830436efa9b.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:52:36 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | An article presented at a forum in Taipei yesterday urged Beijing to reconsider its “outdated strategy” to block Taiwan from joining international organizations. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654093.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | China urged to rethink obstructionism | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
An article presented at a forum in Taipei yesterday urged Beijing to reconsider its “outdated strategy” to block Taiwan from joining international organizations.
The article was coauthored by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) and National Chung Hsing University’s Graduate Institute of International Politics Chairman Chen Mu-min (陳牧民).
“China must consider this at a time when many issues have transcended the sovereignty-oriented mindset and require transnational collaboration,” said the article, which was presented by Wu on the final day of the two-day forum, titled “Direct Election of President and Taiwan’s Democratic Development in the Past 20 Years.”
The article said China’s stubborn objection to Taiwan’s participation in the international community might not only cause harm to its international image and hinder its plan of becoming the world’s leading power, but can also be met by growing sentiment that is opposed to China and could damage cross-strait relations.
China should give serious thought to abandoning its outdated mindset and policies to allow Taipei, Beijing and the entire international community to jointly build a future at a time when the welfare and safety of people are threatened by global warming, environmental pollution, the globalization of crime and the emergence of epidemics, the article said.
The article was apparently referring to the WHO’s unprecedented mentioning of the “one China” principle in Taiwan’s invitation to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA), which arrived days before the deadline for registering for the forum.
The controversial reference to the “one China” principle was perceived as Beijing’s attempt to step up its pressure on President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to toe Beijing’s line.
Wu said China has nothing to gain from blocking Taiwan’s participation at the WHO, which focuses mainly on public health issues, as the health of Chinese tourists to Taiwan could also be at risk should an epidemic break out in the nation.
Expressing hopes that Taipei and Beijing could come to an understanding on the matter and jointly strive for a win-win situation, Wu said Taiwan’s participation at the WHO is closely intertwined with the welfare, health and safety of humanity.
Additional reporting by CNA | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/29/2003654093 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/fdc76bd32778cd70a422617a3b5f18f06bc5ffa2919cf70d2e9def8bcbff3e38.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:24 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | The nation’s two oil refiners are to raise gasoline and diesel prices today for the third consecutive week. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654053.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/29/thumbs/p16-160829-oil123.jpg | en | null | CPC and Formosa raising gasoline, diesel prices today | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Kevin Chen / Staff reporter
The nation’s two oil refiners are to raise gasoline and diesel prices today for the third consecutive week.
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday said it would increase its fuel prices by NT$0.1 per liter, as its average crude oil costs rose US$0.03 per barrel to US$46.85 last week.
With the NT dollar depreciating NT$0.302 against the greenback last week, CPC said in a statement that its weighted oil price formula showed a 0.82 percent increase over the week.
The firm calculates its weekly fuel prices based on a weighted oil price formula that is comprised of 70 percent Dubai crude and 30 percent Brent crude.
Global oil prices fluctuated within a narrow range last week, with the potential political stabilization in Nigeria and Iran’s intention to address low prices with other producers supporting the market, while rising US oil inventories were affecting sentiment, CPC said in the statement.
Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) on Saturday announced that it would raise its wholesale gasoline and diesel prices by NT$0.1 per liter, effective today.
The company left the scale of retail price changes to individual gas stations. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/29/2003654053 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/1e3753cc01577dc6240f581f68600765e18727817d7adb64334a7ef9e23f5ac3.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:57 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut is to meet fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the Winston-Salem Open final after he outplayed Serbian Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-2 in a dramatic semi-final that lasted more than two hours in steamy afternoon heat. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654025.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/P10-160828-320a.jpg | en | null | Busta, Bautista Agut to meet at Winston-Salem | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Reuters
Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut is to meet fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in the Winston-Salem Open final after he outplayed Serbian Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-2 in a dramatic semi-final that lasted more than two hours in steamy afternoon heat.
Bautista Agut appeared to be cruising after taking the first set and racing to 5-0 in the second.
In a sudden transformation, Troicki started going for his shots, hitting winner after winner as he reeled off five straight games and dominated the tiebreak to even the match at a set apiece.
A short break between sets seemed to help Bautista Agut, who steadied the ship and served strongly in the final set to move within sight of his fourth title of the year.
“I was a bit tight when trying to close out the match,” Bautista Agut said. “It is a normal thing, though. Everyone is a bit nervous when trying to win the match. I was very disappointed to lose the second set after leading 5-0, but the good thing is that I was able to recover and set aside the bad feelings in the third set. I work hard on the mental side of my game and I think it is one of my strengths.”
Troicki, though disappointed to lose, took heart from his comeback.
“I am disappointed in the loss, but still proud of how I fought,” he said.
In the evening semi-final, Carreno Busta took down John Millman 6-4, 7-6 (5).
The 49th ranked player in the world, Carreno Busta, has yet to lose a set in this tournament. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/28/2003654025 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/8125e12f72e32187378df2926086f0e65c9717261e1754a4be1167dd7c264464.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:26 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Allegations that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) NV falsified US sales data are meritless and the company’s financial reports are “totally accurate,” chief executive Sergio Marchionne told reporters on Friday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003653991.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/P16-160828-313.jpg | en | null | Fiat chief rejects complaints over US sales reports | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, DETROIT, Michigan
Allegations that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) NV falsified US sales data are meritless and the company’s financial reports are “totally accurate,” chief executive Sergio Marchionne told reporters on Friday.
Marchionne said FCA is cooperating with authorities from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Department of Justice probing the company’s reporting after it was forced to restate unit sales for the past five years last month, revising the way it counted vehicle turnover.
The move came after a Fiat Chrysler dealer group sued the company over its sales reporting practices, which one said amounted to fraud.
The SEC is investigating whether the automaker deliberately misstated the sales numbers, but Marchionne insisted there was no intent to deceive.
“The [sales reporting] system goes back to the 1980s. We inherited it when Fiat took over Chrysler,” Marchionne told reporters during a visit to an FCA stamping plant in the Detroit suburbs.
“We kept on applying the system that has been applied for nearly 40 years,” he said. “I make no bones about it. We picked it up in 2009.”
He rejected the suggestions in some media reports that there was anything more serious.
“The allegations are ultimately trivial,” Marchionne said. “The press started to read into the allegations all kinds of things and one has to be careful in accepting them at face value.”
“The important thing to remember is that our financial numbers are totally accurate,” he said. “We look forward to having that conversation with the SEC and we’ll take it from there.”
Marchionne also said the automaker has not yet found a partner to build small and middle-sized passenger cars.
He announced in January that FCA planned to shift more of its production capacity to building trucks and sport utility vehicles, which are more popular with American consumers than passenger cars. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/28/2003653991 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/57af0efcf25a7ed6e4c24b556dbb5836b76f2f9cbffef73c07682ec8f07162e0.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:53 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | This small village of about 1,000 people looks like any other nestled in the countryside. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654007.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/p07-160828-a2.jpg | en | null | English village leads an energy revolution | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Tatiana Schlossberg / NY Times News Service, ASHTON HAYES, England
This small village of about 1,000 people looks like any other nestled in the countryside.
However, Ashton Hayes, England, is different in an important way when it comes to one of the world’s most pressing issues — climate change. Hundreds of residents have banded together to cut greenhouse gas emissions — they use clotheslines instead of dryers, take fewer flights, install solar panels and glaze windows to better insulate their homes.
The effort, reaching its 10th anniversary this year, has led to a 24 percent cut in emissions, according to surveys by a professor of environmental sustainability who lives here.
However, what makes Ashton Hayes unusual is its approach — the residents have done it themselves, without prodding from government. About 200 towns, cities and counties around the world — including Changhua County in Taiwan, Notteroy in Norway and Upper Saddle River, New Jersey — have reached out to learn how the villagers here did it.
As climate science has become more accepted and the effects of a warming planet are becoming increasingly clear, Ashton Hayes is a case study for the next phase of battling climate change — getting people to change their habits.
“We just think everyone should try to clean up their patch,” village resident Rosemary Dossett said. “Rather than going out and shouting about it, we just do it.”
One of their secrets, it seems, is that the people of Ashton Hayes feel in charge, rather than following government policies. When the member of parliament who represents the village showed up at their first public meeting in January 2006, he was told he could not make any speeches.
“We said: ‘This is not about you tonight, this is about us and you can listen to what we’ve got to say for a change,’” said Kate Harrison, a resident and early member of the group.
No politician has been allowed to address the group since. The village has kept the effort separate from party politics, which residents thought would only divide them along ideological lines.
The project was started by Garry Charnock, a former journalist who trained as a hydrologist and has lived in the village for about 30 years. He got the idea a little more than a decade ago after attending a lecture about climate change at the Hay Festival, an annual literary gathering in Wales.
He decided to try to get Ashton Hayes to become, as he put it: “Britain’s first carbon-neutral village.”
“But even if we don’t,” he recalls thinking at the time, “let’s try to have a little fun.”
Sometimes, efforts to reduce greenhouse gases involve guilt-tripping or doomsday scenarios that make people feel as if the problem is too overwhelming to tackle.
In Ashton Hayes — about 40km southeast of Liverpool, with a 19th-century Anglican church and a community-owned shop that doubles as a post office — the villagers have lightened the mood.
They hold public wine-and-cheese meetings in the biggest houses in town, “so everyone can have a look around,” and see how the wealthier people live, said Charnock, executive director of RSK, an environmental consulting company. “We don’t ever finger-wag in Ashton Hayes.”
About 650 people — more than half of the village’s residents — showed up at the first meeting, Charnock said.
Some in the village were less keen, but little by little, they began to participate.
Some have gone further. When they were looking to build their energy-efficient home and heard about Ashton Hayes’ carbon-neutral project, Dossett and her husband, Ian, thought it might be the perfect village for them. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/28/2003654007 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/cc66cfd257bd20b4667ce2b2d9a7590a4507e8d8ea74931d117c8aaf5062434c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:03 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The German Trade Office Taipei said this year’s Oktoberfest would be cohosted with a beer maker. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653904.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | German Trade Office to cohost Oktoberfest Taipei | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Staff writer, with CNA
The German Trade Office Taipei said this year’s Oktoberfest would be cohosted with a beer maker.
The Oct. 14 to Oct. 23 event is a beer, gourmet food, dance and music festival that takes place in Munich, Germany, each year, the office said.
Hofbrau Oktoberfest is the first to be held in Taiwan and observes the 500th anniversary of the German purity law for beer, it said.
German law stipulates that beer can only be made of hops, malt, yeast and water, to ensure its quality and flavor.
“Only in Germany does such a law exist, which shows again that Germany is living up to its excellent reputation for its high level of food safety,” trade office Executive Director Andreas Hergenrother said.
Hergenrother said the office hopes the event will enhance cultural ties with Taiwan, adding that the event symbolizes Taiwanese-German friendship.
Clive Chang, who is general director of RheinSinn Enterprise, the event’s organizer, said he hopes the event will allow Taiwanese to participate in an international event that draws 6 million visitors each year.
Admission information is available by telephone on (02) 8692-6002 or on Facebook www.fb.com/HBinTaiwan. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/26/2003653904 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/252444fb744c7cc9a4d486b8a48cadf268f7f3bc8ab5ff3d8d5b40a32834a087.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:59:13 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Helicopter money is coming, says Mark Mobius, even as soon as next month. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653859.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Japan eyes helicopter money: Mobius | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Bloomberg
Helicopter money is coming, says Mark Mobius, even as soon as next month.
For Mobius, executive chairman of Templeton Emerging Markets Group, traditional easing measures have just made people save instead of spend or borrow. Combined with a stronger yen, the 80-year-old investment veteran says that is going to force the Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda to contemplate a policy he has repeatedly ruled out.
“They’re really beginning to think what ammunition they have,” Mobius said in an interview on a visit to Tokyo this week.
“The first reaction is to say, OK, let’s go for helicopter money, let’s get money directly into the hands of consumers,” he said. “I think that would probably be the next step.”
Helicopter money, a kind of last resort in unconventional monetary policy, comes in several forms. The most simple is printing money and giving it to the public, hoping — and even creating incentives that — they will spend it. Others include financing state spending directly, or in other words, putting money into the hands of companies.
For Mobius, who follows Japan’s economy closely because of the nation’s trade relationships with emerging markets in Asia and around the world, qualms about the possible side effects of helicopter money might condemn it to failure.
“I think they will engage in helicopter money with great care and great reluctance, and of course if they do it carefully it won’t have the desired effect,” he said. “They’ll probably wait until, let’s say the yen reaches 90, before taking action.”
Mobius sees a weaker US dollar helping to bring this about. Despite increasing bets the US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates, he says it will not do so anytime soon, and even if it does, it will not be by much. Investors are waiting for US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s speech today in Jackson Hole for clues on her thinking.
Kuroda has instigated a review to study the effects of Japan’s unconventional policy, which have waned, and is due to report back on the results next month.
Not only are negative rates failing to weaken the yen, the BOJ is running out of bonds to buy under its quantitative easing program. Still, the central bank head has previously said that helicopter money is not on the table and is prohibited by current laws.
Mobius says there is concern the policy would lead to rampant inflation, as well as questions about whether it would be effective in increasing tax revenue in a country where the national debt is about 250 percent of GDP.
“They would love to engage in helicopter money, but at the same time they’ve got to figure out their fiscal situation,” he said. “It would not necessarily have an impact of providing higher taxes.”
Regardless of what steps Kuroda takes, he and other central banks have been “somewhat misled” in their theories to date, according to Mobius. Another question is when governments around the world will overhaul their economies. In Mobius’s view, it is not just Japan that has failed to fire the so-called third arrow of structural changes.
“You see that in Europe, you see it in the US,” he said. “There hasn’t been real reform to make it easier for people to do business, to hire and fire people and generally move forward. This is the big dilemma facing all these governments.” | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/26/2003653859 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/65099d051ae2e31fb6cd41f6c155a82538e5774811ac2c56d0ea85bff22bc291.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:54:22 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | About 6,500 refugees were on Monday rescued off the coast of Libya, the Italian coast guard said, in one of its busiest days of life-saving in recent years. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654242.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/31/thumbs/P07-160831-303.jpg | en | null | Thousands rescued off Libyan coast | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, ROME
About 6,500 refugees were on Monday rescued off the coast of Libya, the Italian coast guard said, in one of its busiest days of life-saving in recent years.
Dramatic images of one operation showed about 700 refugees crammed onto a fishing boat, with some of them jumping off the vessel in life jackets and swimming towards rescuers.
A five-day-old baby was among those rescued along with other infants and was airlifted to an Italian hospital, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), which took part in operations.
“The command center coordinated 40 rescue operations” that included vessels from Italy, humanitarian organizations as well as the EU’s border agency Frontex, saving 6,500 refugees, the coast guard wrote on Twitter.
“We’ve been particularly busy today,” a spokesman for the Italian coast guard said.
On Sunday, more than 1,100 refugees were rescued in the same area.
The total number of arrivals in Italy this year stands at 112,500, according to the UN’s refugee agency and the coast guard, slightly below the 116,000 recorded by the same point last year.
Almost all of the refugees originate from West Africa and the Horn of Africa, often departing from Libya en masse when the sea is calm and a southern wind can push boats up into international waters.
Such days often come one after another, leading to large numbers of boats over a short period. More than 13,000 people were rescued in under a week at the end of May, and 8,300 more at the start of this month.
The Italian coast guard predicted that weather conditions would encourage the departure of further refugees boats yesterday.
The vessels are often flimsy and overcrowded, while some of the refugees set off in such poor health that even if the crossing is calm they cannot survive a day at sea.
There are around a dozen vessels run by humanitarian groups that patrol the waters off the Libyan coast, but tensions in the zone have flared recently as rival factions battle to control refugee trafficking.
This month, an MSF ship taking part in refugee rescue operations came under attack from armed men who shot at the vessel before briefly climbing aboard, the medical charity said.
Nobody was hurt in the incident that took place on Aug. 17, it said.
More than 3,000 refugees have died at sea while trying to reach either Greece or Italy since the start of this year, an increase of about 50 percent compared with the same period last year.
About 204,000 others crossed the Mediterranean Sea to Europe in the first six months of this year, the UN refugee agency said, as the continent battles its worst refugee crisis since World War II.
Last year, more than 1 million refugees made the journey to Europe, with the majority fleeing war in Syria and the Middle East. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/31/2003654242 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/16c16f27091b1842572c877b0bdd7cb58b29b89d7c59bc5b767750c0c979c7b1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:19 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Pavlina Pizova said she could not free her partner after he slipped down an icy bank and became wedged between rocks and branches. After he died, she stayed with him through the freezing night. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653968.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Tourist describes month in NZ bush | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, WELLINGTON
Pavlina Pizova said she could not free her partner after he slipped down an icy bank and became wedged between rocks and branches. After he died, she stayed with him through the freezing night.
It would take almost another month before Pizova would be rescued from the New Zealand wilderness in an ordeal she described yesterday as “harrowing.”
The tourist from the Czech Republic, who was rescued on Wednesday from a park warden’s hut on the snowed-in Routeburn Track near Queenstown, broke down in tears as she read aloud her account in halting English.
Czech consul Vladka Kennett provided more details.
Pizova’s comments came soon after rescuers retrieved the body of her partner, 27-year-old Ondrej Petr.
The couple set out on July 26 to hike the scenic track, a 32km route that typically takes three days in the summer, but which can become treacherous in the winter months from June to August.
Pizova said they made several mistakes: They did not tell anybody of their specific plans, they did not take a locator beacon and they underestimated the winter conditions.
“All these aspects contributed to our tragedy,” she said.
Midway through the hike, as they tried to reach the Lake Mackenzie Hut, things started to go wrong.
“The conditions were extreme. We encountered heavy snowfall and low cloud which contributed to our enforced overnighting in the open,” Pizova said. “In our attempt to reach the hut, the tragic accident happened.”
Kennett said Petr fell down the slope.
“Pavlina slipped behind him and was unable to help him out and that was it,” Kennett said. “She stayed with him for the first night, beside him, because first of all she wanted to be with him, and she couldn’t move any farther due to the weather conditions.”
Kennett said Pizova spent another night outdoors as she remained lost in the deep snow. She rubbed her feet and tried to keep her blood circulating, and wore all the clothes and blankets she had with her.
Pizova says she finally found her way to the Lake Mackenzie Hut and broke into the warden’s quarters through a window. She says she tried to hike out several times, but her frost-bitten feet and the avalanches she was witnessing discouraged her.
Pizova spent nearly a month at the hut. She used ash to fashion a letter “H” in the snow to signal for help, but other hikers were avoiding the route, and the planes and helicopters she waved at never saw her.
Kennett said Pizova also tried making snow shoes, crampons and walking sticks from items she found around the hut, attempts that later impressed rescuers.
Kennett said she never made it more than a few hundred meters before turning back.
“She wasn’t confident to carry on, but she didn’t give up trying,” Kennett said. “She tried everything she could, given the conditions.”
Kennett said Pizova ate food left behind by the wardens, who do not live there during the winter.
Police Inspector Olaf Jensen said it took weeks before friends and family realized the couple was missing and raised the alarm.
He said the Czech Consulate informed police on Wednesday and they launched a search the same day.
He said police found the couple’s car at the trailhead and sent a helicopter along the route.
Pizova was relieved to see her rescuers, Kennett said.
“It’s very unusual for someone to be missing in the New Zealand bush for such a long period without it being reported,” Jensen said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/27/2003653968 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/4aa415bb33ec577f16b72fc14f54457433c7c5702fa056e63748e79423bd65aa.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:36 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Taiwan’s coaches might have to juggle the lineup and improve the tactics for tomorrow’s international friendly against Japan after the hosts were unable to find the net, falling to the visitors 2-0 at the Taipei Municipal Stadium on Monday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654213.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/31/thumbs/P16-160831-001.jpg | en | null | Taiwan to go on offense after loss to Japan | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Taiwan’s coaches might have to juggle the lineup and improve the tactics for tomorrow’s international friendly against Japan after the hosts were unable to find the net, falling to the visitors 2-0 at the Taipei Municipal Stadium on Monday.
Taiwan coach Satoshi Imai experimented with an unorthodox 4-6-0 formation on Monday, in which both sides fielded college-level players who are eligible for next year’s Universiade in Taipei.
However, Imai’s tactic of packing six midfielders in the center of the pitch in a bid to win possession and push attacks from deep failed to create the intended result.
In that first game of the Taiwan-Japan friendly series, co-organized with the Japan University Football Association, Japan captain Takuya Shigehiro opened the account with a long-range effort in the 38th minute.
Taiwan almost got an equalizer three minutes from the break, when midfielder Chen Chia-chun fed a cross to Lo Chih-hsien in the box, but Lo headed the ball just wide of the post.
Japan grabbed their second goal in the 63rd minute, with Yasuto Wakizaka finding the net through a deflected shot, and from there the visitors coasted to victory.
Some fans and critics were not impressed with Imai’s overly defensive approach, saying the 4-6-0 formation was too conservative and was playing “not to lose.”
The outcome speaks for itself, as better-organized Japan broke down Taiwan’s midfield and defensive walls to launch attacks.
They said that Imai — the Japanese head coach, in his second stint at the helm of Taiwan’s national team — should employ more offensive tactics to have better opportunities to score goals.
They should be “playing to win,” rather than putting on a Taiwanese version of “parking the bus,” as some British teams do when confronted with superior attacking opponents, they said.
“We fielded the 4-6-0 formation because our Taiwanese players are not as skilled nor experienced inone-on-one defense against other players,” Imai said after the game. “So the idea was to pack the midfield and strengthen our defense by taking on opponents in two-on-one situations.”
“It was a shame that we did not score for our fans,” he said. “We will make adjustments for Thursday’s match and will employ a more attacking style to get some goals.”
Japan head coach Junichi Miyazaki said he was impressed with Taiwan, but added that his own team had underperformed.
“Overall, our team had several good opportunities and did not capitalize on them,” Miyazaki said. “I thought we should have had a few more goals.”
Officials said that tomorrow’s game is to kick off at 7pm, with tickets of NT$300 per adult and NT$150 for children. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/31/2003654213 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/b94d00e469ca265700c9d22bb2d04d2b509cea7861462a79081455a21922bd80.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:09 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | President Tsai Ing-wei (蔡英文), in her role as commander-in-chief, presided over the Han Kuang live-fire drills for the first time after assuming office in May. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653878.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/p01-160826-aa3.jpg | en | null | Tsai touts fresh direction for military | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Jason Pan / Staff reporter, in Pingtung County
President Tsai Ing-wei (蔡英文), in her role as commander-in-chief, presided over the Han Kuang live-fire drills for the first time after assuming office in May.
Tsai praised troops after watching displays of combat readiness in simulated battle exercises at the Renshou military base in Pingtung County.
The 8th Army Corps, in charge of the defense of southern Taiwan, hosted yesterday’s main activities at its Joint Operations Training Base in Hengchun Township (恆春), with wargames involving troops mobilizing in response to a simulated invasion by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
Tsai watched the drills, applauding a successful execution of the “integrated air-land battle drill,” which saw almost all of the missiles and artillery fire hitting target zones.
After the exercises, Tsai inspected some of the units and delivered an address, saying that upgrading individual soldiers’ equipment is a priority this year and the process has to be accelerated.
“The military will improve if it faces its problems head-on,” Tsai said. “Reform will be achieved if everyone works together, despite the challenges.”
“Safeguarding Taiwan and its people is the responsibility of the military,” she said. “We should all work together on that mission.”
“The challenges Taiwan’s defense forces face stem from structural restrictions both outside and inside the military,” she said, adding that the nation must adopt a new military strategy aimed at charting a fresh direction and changing the culture of the armed forces.
Tsai expressed her condolences to the families of four soldiers and officers of the 564th Armored Brigade who died last week after a tank overturned on a bridge and fell into a river while on its way back to the Joint Operations Training Base after a drill.
She promised that the four would be promoted posthumously.
Yesterday’s field exercises were led by the 564th Armored Brigade of the 8th Army Corps, which conducted the joint command operation with the brigade’s mechanized infantry and its tank force, Major General Yang Wei-wu (楊威武) said.
Those units were joined by CM33 Clouded Leopard armored vehicles, CM22 armored personnel and mortar carriers, CM11 main battle tanks and M109A2 self-propelled howitzers, said Yang, who is chief of the 8th Army Corps’ political warfare office.
The units were supported by the 43rd Artillery Command, the Aviation 602nd Brigade and one armored cavalry company, along with a deployment of the Point Defense Array Radar System.
Republic of China (ROC) Air Force F-16 jets provided air cover, along with support from AH-64E Apache helicopters, AH-1W Super Cobra helicopters and one UH-60M Blackhawk helicopter, which can transport vehicles and troops.
It was the first time the Apaches had taken part in Han Kuang exercises after being acquired from the US in a US$1.95 billion deal to procure 30 of the aircraft, with the final batch delivered in October 2014.
The exercises mobilized 143 different weapons systems in 21 categories and saw 7,893 rounds fired from tanks, mortars, flares, missile systems, machine guns, sniper rifles, APILAS — Armor-Piercing Infantry Light Arm System — and a portable, one-shot, 112mm recoilless anti-tank weapon, Yang said.
The ROC Navy was also involved, with a Chi Yang-class frigate from the 168th Fleet striking its target zone from offshore. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/26/2003653878 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/0e35dbc374fa74aeb3fd67e932caf08d9aae320e032563b4edbf623b4f8f3562.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:50:15 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | UN for the ROC | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653940.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | [ LETTER ] | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | UN for the ROC
“Membership in the United Nations is open to all other peace-loving states which accept the obligations contained in the present charter and, in the judgment of the organization, are able and willing to carry out these obligations,” the UN Charter Chapter II, Article 4-1 says, which clearly defines the qualifications for UN membership.
The 71st UN General Assembly is to be held on Sept. 13 and Taiwan UN Alliance president Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) has actively lobbied for application for UN membership through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) said “No” with an elegant diplomatic rhetoric.
“With regard to the UN issue, the government will undoubtedly continue our meaningful participation [at UN-related organizations], but will not promote Taiwanese membership in the global body,” he said.
Obviously, Lee is more realistic in diplomatic practices. Taiwan is simply not ready. Yes, years ago there was a debate over applying for UN membership either under the name of Taiwan or rejoining the UN under the name the Republic of China (ROC). Unfortunately, neither worked. Taiwan is not yet a nation or a “Republic of Taiwan,” so how can Taiwan apply in the name Taiwan?
Rejoining the UN under the name “ROC” sounds like Arabian Nights idiotic nonsense. The UN Resolution 2758 clearly spelled out that the ROC was officially replaced by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Oct. 25, 1971. Now the PRC is the real representative of China and it also took representation of the ROC.
Before making an application, a nation has to be identified and accepted as a “peace-loving state.” Has Taiwan been recognized as a nation, under what name? A lot of Taiwanese said “Yes,” under the name ROC. They righteously believe that the “ROC is Taiwan and Taiwan is the ROC,” which owns Taiwan’s sovereignty.
They claim that the ROC has the four required elements of being a nation: people, territory, government and constitution. The ROC Constitution was rejected by the PRC and 1.3 billion Chinese. The ROC fantastically claims ownership of China and Mongolia, does it?
Taiwanese are not Chinese; the ROC government is even restricted to a board in China. So, who is represented by the ROC, China or Taiwan? If the ROC represents Taiwan, why is Taiwan not listed in the ROC Constitution?
Taiwanese have been brainwashed as citizens of the ROC since Sept. 2, 1945, when Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) military occupied Taiwan under General Douglas MacArthur’s General Order No. 1. Over decades, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government took Taiwan as part of China’s historic territory and held it as a scapegoat offered to China. They fabricated the so-called “1992 consensus” to flatter the PRC by following the “one China” policy and cheating Taiwanese into thinking that the ROC represents the real China.
In November last year, while meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore, then-president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) finally eluded to the “1992 consensus” as meaning “one China” without different interpretations: It means Taiwan belongs to the ROC and therefore the PRC.
Fortunately, Taiwanese finally woke up and swept Ma into history.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said her government wants to establish ties with Beijing that are consistent, predictable and sustainable under the constitutional system, following the will of Taiwanese public opinion. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/27/2003653940 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/85f6a296237edff857931bf8aca7d72e54d0fe00d3ba326cf947591f447109b8.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:53:34 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The start this week of the first regularly scheduled commercial flights from the US augurs the likely demise of Cuba’s “mules” — suppliers of last resort for scarce consumer goods on the island. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654178.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | FEATURE: Flights from US bode ill for Cuban ‘mules’ | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, MIAMI
The start this week of the first regularly scheduled commercial flights from the US augurs the likely demise of Cuba’s “mules” — suppliers of last resort for scarce consumer goods on the island.
For more than half a century, commercial air travel between Cuba and the US was all but non-existent, a victim of frosty Cold War-era enmity.
What little air transit there was between the two nations came in the form of charter flights that made a profit not only selling plane seats to approved groups of passengers, but marketing entire travel packages including hotel, car rental and sightseeing tours.
Many travel agencies also squeeze out a profit by shipping light cargo — clothes and consumer appliances — from Cubans in the US to their relatives on the island.
The packages and parcels — often containing consumer items that are all but impossible to find for most Cubans — are flown to the island for US$11 or US$22 per kilogram via charter flight.
The practice is not illegal in Cuba, so long as the value of the wares are within customs limits.
The items can include “televisions, microwave ovens, bicycles or an air conditioner,” a travel agency owner said. “In Cuba, we need everything.”
It is an arrangement that works out well for everyone: Consumers in Cuba get access to sought-after goods and travel agencies get to pad their profits.
Mules benefit as well, typically getting to travel to Cuba for a deeply discounted price of about US$100 — about a quarter of the usual cost for a seat on a charter flight.
Charter companies over the years have been more than happy to allow to fly planes to the island groaning with heavy luggage and boxes.
“Have you seen those flights?” asked Frank Gonzalez, owner of Miami’s Mambi Tour.
“It was practically a cargo business,” he said of the Florida-to-Cuba charter flights.
In this new era of US-Cuba normalization, all of that now appears poised to change, as flight options multiply.
Washington and Havana in February agreed to restore direct commercial flights, one of the watershed changes initiated in December 2014, when US President Barack Obama and his Cuban counterpart, Raul Castro, announced a thaw after more than 50 years of Cold War hostility.
Jet Blue flies the first commercial plane on Wednesday from Fort Lauderdale to the central Cuban city of Santa Clara.
Other US air carriers planning to start airline service to the island include American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines and Sun Country Airlines.
In another development expected to hasten the demise of the mule, FedEx is due to arrive in Cuba beginning next year, giving those who hope to send their loved ones food, medicine and clothing another way to do so.
One Florida-based charter operator said the opening up of commercial flights has led his firm to scale back its charter flights already.
“We will stop operating charter flights in September and October,” Cuba Travel Services general manager Michael Zuccato said.
“We may operate flights again in December ... but we are changing the way we are operating,” Zuccato said.
“Unless you can bundle the package together, the charter flight doesn’t make a lot of sense. And right now the majority of the passengers are Cuban Americans going to visit family, so they don’t require those kinds of services.”
Even though charter operators expect to be hurt by the change, travel agents say they expect to sell more packages than ever, since Cuba remains a somewhat unusual and complicated travel destination — particularly for curious Americans eager to travel to the once-forbidden communist island. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/30/2003654178 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/5defd5e71c6ea96acc9d771e57a9b01bda741aea92c503cc6cf81383c6acf9eb.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:54 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Media reports last week said that the nation’s first tour operator that specifically catered to Chinese tour groups had filed for bankruptcy. There are concerns that the incident might set off a domino effect, triggering a sense insecurity within the industry. As a result, the industry has appealed for 10,000 workers to take to the streets to put pressure on the government. However, there a few problems with this approach. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654202.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | The upside of the drop in Chinese tour groups | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Hsu Yu-fang 許又方
Media reports last week said that the nation’s first tour operator that specifically catered to Chinese tour groups had filed for bankruptcy. There are concerns that the incident might set off a domino effect, triggering a sense insecurity within the industry. As a result, the industry has appealed for 10,000 workers to take to the streets to put pressure on the government. However, there a few problems with this approach.
First, although the number of Chinese tour groups has been reduced since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office, for a company to go bust in just three months suggests that it might not have been in the best shape in the first place and needed to review its business model.
Second, if 100,000 jobs across the nation are at risk simply because of there are fewer Chinese groups visiting, does that not mean the tourism industry is far too reliant on Chinese tourists? Moreover, if the industry really is hanging on by a thread, does this not show that it has problems and needs to immediately adjust its strategy? And when the Chinese tour groups do not come, is it only Taiwanese that lose out financially?
A friend who runs a travel agency in Hualien and Taipei told me that he never accepts Chinese tour groups.
When I asked why, he said: “I cannot make any money [if I do].”
To secure deals from Chinese tour groups, Taiwanese tour operators are invariably forced to slash prices, with some incurring losses as a result.
Some tour operators rely on the commission they make as guides to Chinese tour groups to make money. However, sometimes the Chinese side runs into debt and is unable to pay.
It is very difficult to operate profitably under such circumstances and this is the main reason that a tour operator can go into receivership in only three months.
Furthermore, although some local governments have repeatedly denied that Chinese investors have infiltrated the local economy, my friend told me that the primary source of capital for a large number of travel agencies, hotels, tour bus operators and even shops comes from Chinese investors. This is the so-called “one dragon” business model — Chinese companies organizing the transportation, shopping, meals, accommodation and other services catering to Chinese tour groups — makes it very difficult for Taiwanese businesses to make money.
For these reasons, my friend does not do business with Chinese tour groups, but instead focuses on the domestic, Japanese, South Korean and Hong Kong markets, which allows for a stable profit.
My friend added that with fewer Chinese tour groups visiting this summer holiday, the quality of tourism in Hualien has improved. Domestic tourist numbers have made a marked recovery, directly benefiting Taiwanese businesses.
This begs the question who has actually lost out the most from the shrinking number of Chinese tourists. It is those businesses that make use of Chinese funds through the “one dragon” business model that are currently licking their wounds.
By reducing the number of Chinese tour groups visiting Taiwan in an attempt to put pressure on the government, Beijing gave Taiwanese an opportunity to reflect on how to improve quality and reform tourism strategy to make the industry more flexible and robust. Putting all your eggs in one basket is not a clever or healthy thing to do. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/31/2003654202 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/9c8e8d1cd8ffea118e5cedbe9a2046c1da3963c132cc1bf104679d23fc50893b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:53:49 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) encouraged soldiers to wear their uniforms when they go out with their friends and family on Armed Forces Day on Saturday to help restore the military’s self-esteem. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654224.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Tsai urges soldiers to don uniforms on Armed Forces Day | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Staff writer, with CNA
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) encouraged soldiers to wear their uniforms when they go out with their friends and family on Armed Forces Day on Saturday to help restore the military’s self-esteem.
“The military needs applause,” Tsai said at a closed-door meeting at the Presidential Office on Monday as she met with representatives of civil groups and private enterprises that have contributed to the planning of this year’s Armed Forces Day celebrations.
Military personnel have taken to wearing civilian clothes when leaving their bases, even when going to a hospital, Tsai said, calling the behavior an “overcorrection,” according to a statement released by the office.
“Wearing their uniforms and bravely walking among people, and having the public welcome them with open arms is the first step toward the military winning back its dignity,” Tsai was quoted as saying.
The military’s image has been tarnished in recent months after a series of incidents, including soldiers abusing and hanging a dog in late June, and a petty officer mistakenly launching a missile that killed a fisherman early last month.
Several activities, including open days at various military bases, have been planned for Armed Forces Day to rebuild the military’s reputation.
At the meeting, the president thanked military-friendly enterprises for offering discounts and other preferential treatment to military personnel on Armed Forces Day, calling the moves the “most straightforward and practical support for the military.”
She also thanked the Friends of Armed Forces Associations for their long-term support of soldiers and their family members, and their efforts to set up dialogue between military personnel and civilians. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/31/2003654224 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/3bc80ea0cd238177fa142d073f0b4d9446fd665cb260a53db680a5bafe299d84.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:12:32 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | It was a slow and gentle plunge: The world’s largest aircraft, the Airlander 10, crashed in southern England on Wednesday during its second test flight. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653912.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/P06-160826-319.jpg | en | null | Airlander 10 makes bumpy landing after ‘slight issue’ | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | NY Times News Service
It was a slow and gentle plunge: The world’s largest aircraft, the Airlander 10, crashed in southern England on Wednesday during its second test flight.
In a video posted on YouTube, spectators could be heard saying: “Oh my God, he just crashed it,” as the nose of the aircraft made contact with the ground after a slow descent at Cardington Airfield, about 90km north of London, before coming to rest.
Hybrid Air Vehicles — the British developer of the 92m, 20 tonne, helium-filled aircraft, which has a top cruising speed of about 140kph — said on Twitter that the crew members were “safe and well.”
“Airlander sustained damage on landing during today’s flight,” the company said, adding that “no damage was sustained midair.”
The first test flight of the Airlander 10 was postponed on Aug. 14 after Stephen McGlennan, the chief executive of Hybrid Air Vehicles, said the airship had “a slight technical issue.”
It completed its initial test flight three days later.
On Wednesday morning, spectators watched as the ship slowly nose-dived and made an unplanned landing on its cockpit.
The company did not provide an explanation as to why the aircraft had come down.
“It was going so well,” said Angela Hatwell, who posted several photographs of the aircraft on Facebook and described the flight as an “absolutely amazing sight.”
“It was awful to watch,” Hatwell wrote of the crash.
One of Hartwell’s photos showed the pilots in what appeared to be a damaged cockpit.
“It just appeared to crumple up,” she wrote. “Luckily they appeared to walk away uninjured.”
The Airlander 10 was initially a project developed for the US military.
Hybrid Air Vehicles has said the airship could stay airborne for up to five days at a time with someone onboard and for two weeks when flown remotely. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/26/2003653912 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/cef2ee9cf660957a01e4e379e3289fa0ceda14f327696f15fea9a3214144d354.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:27 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | The pace of growth in the number of convenience stores in Taiwan last year fell to its lowest in six years, the Fair Trade Commission said. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003653993.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Taiwanese convenience store growth at six-year low; average spending up | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Staff writer, with CNA
The pace of growth in the number of convenience stores in Taiwan last year fell to its lowest in six years, the Fair Trade Commission said.
The five leading convenience store chains in Taiwan — 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life, OK Mart and Million — opened 53 new outlets last year, an increase of 0.52 percent from a year earlier, the commission said.
The chains operated 10,207 outlets last year, its data showed.
Compared with 2005, the number of convenience stores last year rose by 17.8 percent, but a saturated market has slowed down their pace of expansion in the past few years, the commission said.
The chains operated a total of 2,039 stores in New Taipei City last year, accounting for 19.98 percent of the total, it added.
Taipei was No. 2 with 1,472 convenience stores (14.42 percent), ahead of Taoyuan with 1,203 stores (11.79 percent), the commission said.
About 7,540 convenience stores provided services in the six metropolitan areas last year, making up 73.87 percent of the total, the data showed.
Cigarettes, beverages, boxed meals, sandwiches and hot food were the most popular items in convenience stores, in addition to a wide range of services, the comission’s data showed.
The total number of customers at convenience stores reached 2.91 billion last year, little changed from a year earlier and likely reflecting the slowdown in expansion, the commission said.
However, average spending per customer rose from NT$65 in 2009 to NT$72 last year, showing that people in Taiwan have grown more dependent on the stores in their daily lives and are making more purchases there. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/28/2003653993 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/db0564b131489fc28c6f1346e01a4bbe2cd093db2c337af06ca9a962a9ec3b64.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:53:00 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Liberty Times (LT): How should the government implement its innovative national defense and Industry 4.0 policies? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654157.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | INTERVIEW: Taiwan needs to attract investors: premier | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Liberty Times (LT): How should the government implement its innovative national defense and Industry 4.0 policies?
Premier Lin Chuan (林全): The national defense industry might not be a large tree, but it is a very important one. National defense industries and the industrial sector are complementary in nature, and Taiwan has a solid foundation in both.
With increased globalization efforts on Taiwan’s part, the government is also considering how to sell the products of these industries to other nations. The current obstacle to this is the lack of some key techniques or technology, and to obtain such technology or techniques would require investment into research and development and considerable manpower. This is not something small companies are capable of.
Taiwan has many excellent companies, but they are all rather small-scale, which draws out the time taken to achieve breakthroughs in certain technologies and techniques. Sometimes the size of the company outright prohibits the possibility of obtaining such breakthroughs.
If the government can usher in a closer synchronization of production and research, our companies would have a greater chance of achieving breakthroughs in technology. This is the basis for the advancement of the industrial sector and the national defense industry.
Taiwan has not been able to bring production and research close enough, which is evident in the disconnect between corporations and the research conducted at Academia Sinica, the National Chung-shan Institute of Science and Technology, the Industrial Technology Research Institute and various other schools.
Regardless of whether it conducted at public or private institutions, most research is scattered and self-contained; they are not given a clear direction. Most research even ends up being purely academic, while other researchers have even started conducting research for other countries.
We hope to find more commercial value for our research, and in order to do so we must invest more resources.
While I agree with the importance of academic research, it is the government’s hope that some resources should be shifted to commercial research. We are hoping to combine the two by making available public funds earmarked for technology.
Should the government feel that there are some fields, or some key technologies, that need a breakthrough, or that a particular field is important; the government will be able to allot the necessary fund from the technology budget for a fiscal year toward research into that field or technology. At the same time, the government will mandate that the research proposal make clear its commercial value.
With regards to manufacturing locally developed aircraft and ships, Taiwan is already able to manufacture the Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF).
While we have to collaborate with other nations to manufacture some components of the IDF, recent reports show that we are 90 percent sure that we could, for the most part, domestically manufacture high-end trainer aircraft.
These plans to domestically manufacture aircraft will create commercial values for mechanical engineering and production of basic materials, which would become known globally, boosting the sale of Taiwanese products in global markets, and allowing Taiwan a foothold in the international market. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/30/2003654157 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/52e388294e023999ded1208992e2b55c11d513f62eb66b8935f156306a9c54dd.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:25 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s latest gift to the residents of Pyongyang, a renovated central zoo, is pulling in thousands of visitors each day with a slew of attractions ranging from typical zoo fare such as elephants, giraffes, penguins and monkeys to a high-tech natural history museum with displays showing the solar system. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653971.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Dogs a big draw at zoo Kim Jong-un gifted Pyongyang | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, PYONGYANG
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s latest gift to the residents of Pyongyang, a renovated central zoo, is pulling in thousands of visitors each day with a slew of attractions ranging from typical zoo fare such as elephants, giraffes, penguins and monkeys to a high-tech natural history museum with displays showing the solar system.
However, one of the most popular attractions might come as a surprise to foreign visitors. Just across from the hippopotamus pen and the reptile house, dozens of varieties of dogs — including schnauzers, German shepherds, shih tzus and Saint Bernards — are on display in the “dog pavilion.”
One, a King Charles spaniel, was presented as a gift to Kim’s father, Kim Jong-il, by “the US company Tapco” in 1995.
According to plaques above their pens, which — dog lovers will be relieved to know — are spacious and clean, Kim Jong-un himself chipped in by giving the zoo its schnauzers, poodles, German shepherds and a Chihuahua.
Former South Korean president Kim Dae-jung, who pursued a sort of detente with Pyongyang called the “Sunshine Policy,” presented the North with a Korean Jindo that now resides in the zoo.
North Korea’s own national dog — yes, it has one, the puffy white Pung San breed — lives in a pen next to it.
Although somewhat shocking to those accustomed to thinking of dogs as companions or household pets, the zoo display might actually reflect an increasingly fond attitude toward dogs in North Korea. While dog meat is still a common dish in the North, and in China and South Korea as well, a small, but growing number of North Koreans are keeping canines as pets.
People walking dogs on leashes can now be seen from time to time in Pyongyang and some other cities. And instead of suggesting recipes, signs in the dog pavilion describe the best way to train a pet dog, suggesting that patience and kindness work better than harsh words.
Aside from the dogs, another unique feature of the zoo is the posting of signs above many of the animal habitats noting where the “gift animals” came from — which is intended to remind visitors of how much North Korea’s leaders are loved and respected by leaders abroad. The signs also are meant to emphasize the benevolence of Kim Jong-un, who along with the dogs donated tigers, giraffes and many other animals to the zoo.
Pyongyang’s Korea Central Zoo dates back to 1959, when Kim Il-sung, the nation’s first leader and the grandfather of Kim Jong-un, ordered it built on the outskirts of the city.
According to an official history, the zoo started off with only 50 badgers. However, that same year it got its first “gift animals,” elephants donated by fellow socialist leader Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam.
Another “gift animal” elephant was donated by Laos. Zebras and ostriches at the zoo were donated to Kim Il-sung by the leader of Tanzania, and orangutans were donated by late Indonesian president Suharto. The mayor of Kyoto, Japan, gave the old zoo a jaguar. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/27/2003653971 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/21c8da27fbc02a2173160e7621c156c594754f162c221e69d89b1aa46d4c11f4.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:17 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | The US Federal Reserve (Fed) is getting closer to raising interest rates again, the head of the US central bank and other policymakers said on Friday in comments that left the door open for a hike as early as next month. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003653987.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | US Fed sees case for interest rate hike | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Reuters, JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming
The US Federal Reserve (Fed) is getting closer to raising interest rates again, the head of the US central bank and other policymakers said on Friday in comments that left the door open for a hike as early as next month.
Fed Chair Janet Yellen told a global monetary policy conference that the case for a rate increase had grown stronger, while Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer suggested a move could come at the central bank’s policy meeting next month if the economy was doing well.
Although US government data earlier on Friday showed the economy growing only sluggishly in the second quarter, Yellen said a lot of new jobs were being created and economic growth would likely continue at a moderate pace.
“I believe the case for an increase in the federal funds rate has strengthened in recent months,” Yellen said in a speech at the Fed’s annual monetary policy conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Yellen said the Fed already thinks it is close to meeting its goals of maximum employment and stable prices, and she described consumer spending as “solid,” while adding that business investment was weak and exports had been hurt by a strong US dollar.
However, she did not give guidance on what the central bank needs to see before raising rates. Following her remarks, investors continued to bet there were about even odds of an increase at the Fed’s policy meeting in December.
“She’s just kept the door open for a hike sooner rather than later,” said Subadra Rajappa, an interest rate strategist at Societe Generale SA in Washington.
In an interview with CNBC after Yellen’s speech, Fischer, the central bank’s No. 2 official, said the Fed chair’s comments were a sign of how close policymakers could be to raising rates if data kept pointing to a good economic outlook.
Asked whether people should “be on the edge of our seat” for a rate hike next month and for more than one policy tightening before the end of the year, Fischer said, “I think what the chair said today was consistent with answering yes to both of your questions.”
Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart also on Friday said that two rate hikes were possible this year and Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester argued for a hike soon to avoid falling behind the curve on inflation.
However, Fed Governor Jerome Powell told Bloomberg Television that the central bank could afford to be patient and that he wanted to see inflation rise before lifting rates.
“When we see progress toward 2 percent inflation and a tightening in the labor market and growth strong enough to support all that, we should take the opportunity,” Powell said.
In her speech, Yellen said that Fed officials have a wide range of views on where rates will likely be in the coming years.
She said forecasts imply a 70 percent probability they will be between zero percent and 3.75 percent at the end of next year. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/28/2003653987 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/370a3b16e8b492c95ca88603f253ed76ee170c34d10188b40f9a0d8d0c218100.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:54:24 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | A : Where did you stay when you went to Hong Kong? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Flang%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654183.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | EVERYDAY ENGLISH | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | A : Where did you stay when you went to Hong Kong?
B : Oh, we stayed in a lovely five-star hotel with a view over the harbor.
A : I never spend a lot of money on the hotel when I travel. I don’t spend much time in the hotel, anyway.
B : That’s because you never pay for the good ones.
A : 你去香港的時候住哪？
B : 喔，我住一間有港口景觀的五星級飯店。
A : 我旅行的時候從不花大錢在旅館上的。畢竟，我又不會整天都待在旅館裡。
B : 你從不肯花錢住好旅館，當然不想整天待在旅館裡。
English 英文:
Chinese 中文: | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2016/08/31/2003654183 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/700878527e921b5e812dfa5df2db30f11ae34620bf90fe04c9e141b71fa99e7c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:05:02 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Taiwan, I love you | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653870.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | [ LETTER ] | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Taiwan, I love you
Chris Wood’s article was ostensibly a love letter to Taiwan, stemming from his leaving the nation after three-and-a-half years here, but it was essentially chock full of boastful, nationalistic perorations about how great the UK is (“On leaving Taiwan: Britain’s role,” Aug. 23, page 8).
Not much about Taiwan at all, and not a single memory recounted. After three-and-a-half years, not very long, but perhaps long enough to absorb some of what Taiwan has to offer, you would think he would have been celebrating the nation.
Indeed, Wood strikes me as one of those foreigners who parachutes into Taiwan, hangs around for a short time, parties it up, teaches English and then disappears, either off to another free ride in Asia, or back home to safer climes.
I myself have lived in Taiwan for almost 16 years and I am definitely not one of these types. I have in essence relocated to Taiwan and have fully merged into the culture and life here. Talk about memories, but I have to admit I will not have the space here to go into much.
If I were leaving Taiwan to return to the US I would definitely not write a missive about how great the US is, economically, culturally, politically and otherwise.
I would instead reflect on what my lengthy life in Taiwan has given me. And that would indeed be a love letter to Taiwan. Probably my appreciation emerges for all the reasons anyone would expect: the great people, the beautiful environment, the improving cities, the wonderful aesthetic culture (I just saw the Chinese terracotta warriors at the National Palace Museum for goodness sake), the often ancient civilizations that can be found here, an amazing 20th-century history and the rich educational environment, in which I have worked, not as a cram school teacher or tutor in Starbucks, but as a university professor, for many years.
However, I would not ignore the problems here. For example, the environment is a lot less than perfect and is often atrociously bad — often a reflection of the thoughtless actions of the populace and a rather wobbly and unconcerned government (so these elements of Taiwan are not as perfect as the cheerleaders always say).
As well, education in Taiwan has been on something of a downward slope in many respects (read: obsession with smartphones in class).
However, this is a love letter, so we do not need to delve much deeper into these failings.
In sum I would see and express Taiwan as a whole. An imperfect whole, yes, but offering good things beyond compare.
Rather than lacing my letter with commonplace notions of “internationalism,” “economic links” and “deepening ties,” I would say one thing only: Thank you Taiwan for offering me a life that was free to the extreme, full of artistic wonder, rewarding in career, modern and convenient like no other, culturally profound, laced with fun activities of all kinds and with many warm friends that have made life worth living.
These factors and qualities, not conventional notions of policy and civics, have led to “a better world for our and future generations.”
David Pendery
Taipei | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/26/2003653870 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e533b05482dc7e8ada022df0379af8a82010e7bd7cd6e1c1d59bfcdbc595d08c.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:53:12 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Dr Wu Bo-feng of Taipei Medical University Hospital’s Department of Traditional Medicine says there are two kinds of heat stroke. When someone has been out in the sun and their body temperature rises and they perspire heavily, causing their skin to turn red and hot, along with other heat-related problems, that is the common kind of “yang” heat stroke. This is different from the type of heat stroke that happens in air-conditioned rooms, which is “yin” heat stroke. This happens when people move to and fro between different environments with big differences in temperature, causing the pores to close quickly and preventing the body from dispersing heat efficiently. Commonly observed symptoms include dizziness, nausea, a desire to vomit and even diarrhea. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Flang%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654046.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/29/thumbs/P09-160829-001.jpg | en | null | Long sleeves help prevent air-con sun stroke | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Dr Wu Bo-feng of Taipei Medical University Hospital’s Department of Traditional Medicine says there are two kinds of heat stroke. When someone has been out in the sun and their body temperature rises and they perspire heavily, causing their skin to turn red and hot, along with other heat-related problems, that is the common kind of “yang” heat stroke. This is different from the type of heat stroke that happens in air-conditioned rooms, which is “yin” heat stroke. This happens when people move to and fro between different environments with big differences in temperature, causing the pores to close quickly and preventing the body from dispersing heat efficiently. Commonly observed symptoms include dizziness, nausea, a desire to vomit and even diarrhea.
Hsu Ching-fen, a doctor of family medicine at Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, says that many office workers have poor circulation and metabolism because they do not get enough exercise or sweat enough. If they go out for lunch under the glaring noonday sun and then switch on the air conditioner as soon as they get back to the office, they can easily suffer from air-conditioning heat stroke. Dr Hsu recommends that if you have to move around between indoors and outdoors when there is a big temperature difference between the two, you can wear thin long-sleeved clothes to maintain your body surface temperature and allow your pores to contract more slowly. She especially recommends wearing cotton and linen fabrics, which are pervious to sweat and heat and unlikely to cause problems like allergies and dermatitis.
Dr Hsu advises people to make a habit of eating healthy food and getting plenty of sleep and exercise. This will give you a healthy constitution and improve your body’s ability to regulate its water content. People should avoid eating too much of foods that tend to make them feel hot and dry and are too sugary, like mango, litchi, longan and durian, and drink more water and fewer soft drinks. Even if you drink sugar-free beverages, she says, they still have to be metabolized by your liver and kidneys, so they are no substitute for plain water.
(Liberty Times, translated by Julian Clegg)
台北醫學大學附設醫院傳統醫學科醫師吳柏鋒說，中暑可分為兩種，曬太陽後，體溫升高、流很多汗，造成皮膚發紅、發熱等熱傷害，屬於常見的陽暑；而冷氣房中暑則屬於出入溫差過大的不同環境，引起汗孔快速關閉而散熱不良的陰暑，常見頭暈、噁心、想吐，甚至拉肚子等症狀。
台北慈濟醫院家庭醫學科醫師許?分指出，上班族經常缺乏運動、流汗過少，導致體內循環代謝能力較差，若中午頂著豔陽外出用餐後，回辦公室立刻吹冷氣，就容易發生冷氣房中暑，建議可在出入溫差高的室內與室外時，穿著薄長袖維持體表溫度，緩和毛孔收縮速度，尤其建議選擇棉、麻材質，幫助排汗及熱氣，也較不容易造成過敏、濕疹等問題。
許瀞分則建議，平時應吃得健康、睡飽一點且多運動，養成健康的體質以增強身體調解水分的能力，避免吃太多芒果、荔枝、龍眼、榴槤等容易燥熱且熱量及糖分太高的水果，多喝開水、少喝飲料，畢竟就算喝無糖飲料還是需要透過肝腎代謝，無法完全取代純水。
(自由時報記者林璟倩) | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang/archives/2016/08/29/2003654046 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e4100b118a3d46816a8aed755b3de84529f69796101c87fe292d3f074d04759c.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:00 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | People traveling to areas affected by Lyme disease should take precautions against tick bites, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Thursday, after it confirmed this year’s first imported case of the zoonotic disease. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653965.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | CDC urges caution after first imported Lyme disease case | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Staff writer, with CNA
People traveling to areas affected by Lyme disease should take precautions against tick bites, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said on Thursday, after it confirmed this year’s first imported case of the zoonotic disease.
A 53-year-old Swedish man early this month developed fatigue and knee pains before seeking medical attention on Aug. 17, the agency said.
Tests revealed that the man had contracted Lyme disease, possibly during a trip to Sweden from last month to this month, the agency said, adding that the man has since recovered.
Nations with higher incidences of Lyme disease are Slovenia, Lithuania, Estonia and the Czech Republic, agency data showed.
In Sweden, Lyme disease is frequently reported along the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia coasts.
People traveling to affected areas should wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeve shirts; tuck their pants into their socks; apply insect repellent; and change clothes and take a shower immediately after walking in areas with tall grass and thick brush to reduce the risk of infection, the agency said.
Eleven cases of Lyme disease have been confirmed in Taiwan since 2007 and all of them were imported, the agency said, adding that no deaths associated with Lyme disease have been reported.
Lyme disease can be transmitted by infected ticks, but it is not communicable between humans, the agency said.
The incubation period of the disease varies between three and 32 days, and early symptoms are similar to those of cold, such as headaches, fever, swollen lymph nodes, a sore throat and stiffness in the neck, it said.
If left untreated, the disease can lead to complications in the cardiovascular and nervous systems, the agency said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/27/2003653965 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/f200924378ccc6a090c31becfe78a417e4d4960da07ddff4a1c687a1b5d02b04.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:11:58 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Conflict broke out at a government forum on plans to implement a five-day workweek, after several protesters confronted Deputy Minister of Labor Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) accusing him of “bullshit.” | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653892.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/p03-160826-aa3.jpg | en | null | Protesters confront deputy labor minister at forum | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter
Conflict broke out at a government forum on plans to implement a five-day workweek, after several protesters confronted Deputy Minister of Labor Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) accusing him of “bullshit.”
The forum quickly descended into a shouting match after about 10 members of the Workers’ Struggle Alliance took the floor, surrounding Kuo and demanding that he accept a poster describing him as a “bullshit deputy minister [who is a] killer of workers.”
“There has been too much time wasted with you doing all the talking, refusing to let workers voice [their concerns}, alliance member Lu Chyi-horng (盧其宏) said. “Don’t you know that most low-level workers are not allowed to take their yearly vacation days and cutting national holidays will harm their rights?”
Forum tables were pushed aside as protesters repeatedly pressed against Kuo, repeatedly interrupting his calls for dialogue with a blister of angry shouting.
“You’re bullshitting. You just want to receive endorsements, not engage in real dialogue,” Lu said.
“I am only here to respond — not to agree, because that is beyond my authority and because public policy cannot be resolved with just one sentence,” Kuo said, after activists demanded he stake a position on whether the ministry plans to cut seven national holidays as part of the implementation of a universal five-day workweek.
“Social movements should still display a basic democratic spirit,” he said.
Protesters had earlier staged a rally outside before entering the forum site, accusing the ministry of trying to “pat us on the head” rather than engage in serious dialogue.
Following protesters’ questioning the ministry’s resolve to enforce the existing weekly “mandatory day off,” following a U-turn on new rules earlier this month, Kuo said that while new regulations to be announced next month would include exceptions, they would still be a substantial improvement on current rules.
Protesters’ disruption of the forum drew an angry response from several union representatives, one of whom threw a cup of water at an alliance member, while several others engaged in a brief shoving match.
“Do you think we are dead people?” said National Drivers Union secretary-general Huang Shu-hui (黃淑惠), who repeatedly banged on a table while shouting “three minutes” — a reference to the time limit on individual questions after which participants were supposed to surrender the floor.
The protest concluded after about 15 minutes, with the activists marching out while shouting for the restoration of the national holidays. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/26/2003653892 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/854466ffc146871d15a1dad2e55b0839d6b377dd431d99e4c080148a853b33b3.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:34 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | This is an exploration of two ways that could help revitalize Taiwan’s economy and trade. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654064.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Two ways out of the economic doldrums | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Kuo Kuo-hsing 郭國興
This is an exploration of two ways that could help revitalize Taiwan’s economy and trade.
The first suggestion is the creation of a new export model in the form of an Asian innovation corridor.
Processing trade — trade that involves product processing and assembly — is shrinking globally, while China is cultivating a “red supply chain.” These factors have caused Taiwan’s exports to fall for a record 17 consecutive months.
To break free of the disturbance of these hindrances to growth, Japan and Taiwan should establish a mutually beneficial export strategy, or an “Asian innovation corridor.” This would involve the transferring of technology from Japan to Taiwan and the formation a strategic alliance. Japan would sell key raw materials to Taiwan, while Taiwan would quickly upgrade its technology, process these raw materials into high-end components and sell them to the ASEAN and India. ASEAN nations and India would then assemble the intermediate goods from Taiwan into finished products and sell them on the global market.
Many Japanese companies are pulling out of China and moving to Southeast Asia, and this has been accelerating. By leveraging Japan’s influence as a long-term investor and aid provider to the ASEAN, along with its infrastructure deployment in that region, the establishment of an Asian innovation corridor could enable Japan, Taiwan, ASEAN nations and India to share division of labor trade profits, while also providing an outlet for Taiwanese exports, given that the nation would not be able to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership any time soon.
The second suggestion concerns boosting confidence and making use of Taiwan’s large private financial assets. There is no shortage of private capital in Taiwan, but people do not dare spend their money. In response to the economic downturn, the central bank has been relaxing monetary policies and reducing interest rates in an attempt to stimulate private spending and investment and boost effective demand. However, these measures have been of little benefit, and the economy stagnated.
The government needs to urgently boost consumer confidence and encourage businesses to investment in ways that stir up private finances held in banks and make it flow toward consumption and investment.
One possible way to achieving this takes into account the rapid decline in student enrollments at elementary and high schools in Taipei and New Taipei City because of falling birthrates. The government could repurpose entire school campuses and build affordable housing for sale or rent, thus resolving the accommodation problem faced by many young people. This course of action would be appreciated by the young members of the “bomb generation” and stimulate the economy by boosting consumer confidence. It would help release excess reserves that are idle in the hands of financial institutions. It would also have the knock-on effect of boosting private investment.
As Taiwan becomes mired in L-shaped stagnation, the two best ways to invigorate the economy are undoubtedly to bolstering export trade and expanding domestic demand.
The government must come up with growth strategies for exports and domestic demand alike. Taiwan is from suffering the affects of weak global trade, as well as structural factors. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/29/2003654064 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e788178b0c4f1dde72b4e6aa4a53a5f987ab5ea0755c5628ad617d211599c68d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:49:41 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan said that the “jury is out” on whether the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) negative rate policy is working and that monetary policy alone will not fix the key problems Japan faces. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653928.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | ‘Jury is out’ on Japan’s rate policy | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Bloomberg
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas President Robert Kaplan said that the “jury is out” on whether the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) negative rate policy is working and that monetary policy alone will not fix the key problems Japan faces.
“Negative rates might buy them time. They might on margin help ease what they are trying to do, but they are not a substitute for structural reforms,” Kaplan said in an interview on Bloomberg Television in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, ahead of an annual policy symposium that began yesterday. “Japanese officials are painfully aware those structural reforms are not easy.”
After more than three years of pumping money into the financial system in an effort to stoke inflation and growth, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda announced a comprehensive review of the central bank’s policies at a meeting last month.
A government report yesterday showed that Japan’s consumer prices last month fell for a fifth straight month, underscoring the BOJ’s struggle to spur inflation to its 2 percent target.
The BOJ’s introduction of negative rates on some bank reserves in January drew criticism from bankers, bond dealers and some lawmakers, as well as former BOJ executives.
Kaplan said the strengthening of the yen after the introduction of negative rates — when many people expected the currency to weaken — underscored that managing a currency is a “very difficult thing.”
“I think the lesson they may have learned is negative rates have side effects. They may not achieve the intended objective, and they need a broader range of policy tools than just monetary policy,” Kaplan said.
Kuroda has said rising housing investment is a sign that the negative rate policy is working. However, it also has a lot to do with tax changes, and, ironically, the increasing supply of new homes might drag down Japan’s inflation rate, the opposite of what Kuroda wants.
Speaking in June, Kuroda identified a big expansion in housing for rent as one of the good effects of negative interest rates, the newest tool in the bank’s arsenal, and one that has its fair share of opponents.
“The effect of negative rates is gradually spreading through the real economy, and we’ll see that becoming clearer,” Kuroda said at a news conference in June. “Rental housing has been growing rapidly, but private homes haven’t expanded as much.”
However, the rental market is already weak and more apartments and houses are likely to push down rents more, further hurting inflation.
With more than 10 percent of homes in Japan empty in 2013 and rents falling every month since October 2008, new construction is being introduced into a saturated market. About 34 percent of rental apartments in central Tokyo were vacant in June, according to Kazuyuki Fujii of TAS Real Estate, up from about 30 percent early last year.
The BOJ noted the problem itself in an outlook report last month, saying that “the increase in construction of housing for rent that is motivated by inheritance tax savings has led to a further rise in the already high vacancy rate of housing for rent, and this has generated downward pressure on private housing rent.”
The effect of this on inflation is “not negligible,” the BOJ said in the report. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/27/2003653928 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/be75d33107ddd75ff1bbbedb63a57b019087934c99e2cf9edea9dd98cd90a04b.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:22 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | His apples are ripe for plucking, but Abdul Shakoor is resigned to this year’s crop becoming another victim of a 50-day explosion of violence in Indian Kashmir that shows no sign of abating. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003653995.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/P15-160828-303.jpg | en | null | ‘Deadly mix’ set to compound Kashmir’s misery | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Parvaiz Bukhari / AFP, SRINAGAR, India
His apples are ripe for plucking, but Abdul Shakoor is resigned to this year’s crop becoming another victim of a 50-day explosion of violence in Indian Kashmir that shows no sign of abating.
“My main crop will be ready soon for harvest, but buyers from outside are nowhere to be seen,” said Shakoor, who runs an orchard in the Himalayan territory’s southern town of Shopian.
“We had a meeting of growers recently and we ended up pledging that we would be willing to forgo this year’s harvest in solidarity with the separatist cause,” he said.
The rose-red apples are one of the divided region’s most famous exports, both an economic mainstay and symbol of its lush beauty and fertile soil.
However, as summer draws to a close, this year’s crop is doomed to rot given the general shutdown since the army shot dead a charismatic militant on July 8.
In the backlash over Burhan Wani’s shooting, 66 civilians have been killed, many while defying a curfew to join banned protests.
Two members of the Indian security forces have also been killed, making it the deadliest chapter in Kashmir’s troubled history since a similar spike in 2010.
Schools, shops and most banks remain shut, and normal economic activity has been paralyzed.
Residents say the region feels more like a prison than the “paradise” that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi evoked recently.
Since Modi’s Hindu nationalist government came to power in 2014, there had only been sporadic violence, but tensions have never been far from the surface in India’s only Muslim-majority state.
Modi has spoken of his “pain” at the violence and on Thursday dispatched one of his top lieutenants to Kashmir’s capital.
“Do not question our understanding of the situation... We know what the problem is, and we’ll find a solution,” Indian Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh told reporters in Srinagar.
Modi has laid much of the blame for the unrest on Pakistan, which has a history of supporting Kashmiri separatists and — like India — lays claim to the whole of the region, which was split between the two countries after independence in 1947.
While the Indian-controlled part has guarantees of autonomy, Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is officially committed to scrapping that section of the constitution and critics say its stance is exacerbating tensions.
The BJP is now part of a coalition government in Kashmir, performing strongly in last year’s state elections in areas where the state’s Hindus are concentrated.
“New Delhi has reneged on its commitments by whittling down the autonomy,” former Indian chief minister Omar Abdullah said.
Despite the government’s talk of wanting to restore peace, thousands of security reinforcements have been sent to the region in the past few days, some of them setting up camp in schools that have been closed.
“Without any political initiatives it’s all coming down to us, and what we do has its own consequences,” a senior army officer said on condition of anonymity.
A top police officer, who was not authorized to speak to the media, said a “brutal suppression” was likely.
“For the first time the militants and the public are on the same page. It is a deadly mix,” he said.
There is already deep anger about the security forces’ routine use of crude pump-action pellet guns, which spray blinding metal shards to break up protests. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/28/2003653995 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/d2561febbadc84443042cfe20244fca098381559a0bbe6ec077d3d3cdda8028a.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:51:25 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Taiwan’s national soccer squad is scheduled to play two friendly matches this week against an elite selection of college players from Japan, while officials said plans are in the works for a top-level international tournament in Taiwan next year. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654022.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Taiwan to take on Japan in friendly soccer series | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Jason Pan / Staff reporter
Taiwan’s national soccer squad is scheduled to play two friendly matches this week against an elite selection of college players from Japan, while officials said plans are in the works for a top-level international tournament in Taiwan next year.
This week’s “Taiwan-Japan Friendly Series” matches are scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday at 7pm at the Taipei Municipal Stadium.
Chinese Taipei Football Association (CTFA) officials said the friendly series was co-organized with the Japan University Football Association (JUFA), adding that the competition would give players valuable experience.
Satoshi Imai, the Japanese coach at the helm of Taiwan’s national soccer squad, has been instrumental in forging a close link between the two nations.
“JUFA will have a 26-man roster for these two matches, which will have some of Japan’s top college players,” Imai said at a news briefing last week.
“It will be a very good competition for Taiwanese players, because both sides can play at a high level and be challenged by skilled opponents,” he said, adding that he had selected 35 players for the Taiwan squad.
The CTFA organized a session for national squad players to meet fans at the Taipei Municipal Stadium yesterday.
Meanwhile, CTFA secretary-general Chen Wei-jen said Taiwan is planning to host an international soccer tournament next year.
Chen said the tournament is being designed in concert with the government’s “new southbound policy,” adding that he would invite top teams from Vietnam, Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations to compete. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/28/2003654022 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/24c67178b1ab453eb1d09888f7570e7ce1f19941f515936ef11733e2943c4638.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:51:24 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Olympique de Marseille got their Ligue 1 campaign up and running as they beat Lorient 2-0 at the Stade Velodrome on Friday to pick up their first win of the season. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654019.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/P10-160828-315.jpg | en | null | Olympique de Marseille see off Lorient for first win | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, MARSEILLE, France
Olympique de Marseille got their Ligue 1 campaign up and running as they beat Lorient 2-0 at the Stade Velodrome on Friday to pick up their first win of the season.
Remy Cabella fired Franck Passi’s hosts in front with a brilliant first-half free-kick, and Bafetimbi Gomis added a second in the 70th minute.
The victory is a second in three home league matches for Marseille, having gone the previous 15 without a win.
Lorient have had the worst possible start to the new season and now prop up the fledgling Ligue 1 table and remain pointless after three games.
Cabella broke the deadlock in the 19th minute by curling a wonderful set-piece past the despairing dive of Lorient goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, after having been fouled himself 25 yards from goal by Erwin Koffi.
Lorient rarely threatened in the first half and Gomis almost grabbed his maiden Marseille goal when Lecomte kicked the ball against him, but it bobbled wide.
Sylvain Ripoll’s side were the better team for much of the second period, but they were often guilty of taking too long in front of goal.
Walid Mesloub dribbled an effort harmlessly wide, before Majeed Waris flicked Moryke Fofana’s cross past the far post.
Lorient’s best chance fell to midfielder Cafu, but his close-range shot was well-saved by Marseille keeper Yohann Pele.
With 20 minutes to play Gomis was sent clear by Cabella and, after a neat step over, the recent signing from Swansea City drilled in his first goal for the club to seal the win. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/28/2003654019 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/76c15b408147769f3093a954b9409447d5587a69b040aadad18f2fb965326ba4.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:50:59 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Urologists urged men who experience premature ejaculation to seek medical treatment instead of trying folk remedies on their own. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653964.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Doctors urge men to seek help for early ejaculation | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Lee I-chia / Staff reporter
Urologists urged men who experience premature ejaculation to seek medical treatment instead of trying folk remedies on their own.
Tsai Wei-kung (蔡維恭), a urologist at Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei, cited a recent case in which a 22-year-old university student, who nearly always experienced uncontrolled ejaculation before sexual penetration, had tried applying Tiger Balm (a herbal ointment used to treat muscle aches and mosquito bites) to the tip of his penis to reduce sensitivity, which instead resulted in pain and swelling.
Tsai said that while it was a special case, many men have tried applying desensitizing ointments or creams containing local anesthetics to their genitalia, which can reduce both men’s and women’s genital sensitivity and sexual pleasure, or even cause impotence.
Liao Chun-hou (廖俊厚), a urologist at Cardinal Tien Hospital in New Taipei City, said it is a common misconception that sexual dysfunction only occurs among middle-aged or older men, but studies have suggested that young men can also experience premature ejaculation and that the number of cases is similar to that of men over 50.
Regardless of race, region or age, the prevalence of premature ejaculation in men is approximately 30 percent, he said.
“Premature ejaculation is defined as uncontrolled ejaculation either before or shortly after sexual penetration. It not only affects sexual performance, but can also affect men psychologically, or even affect sexual relationships,” Tsai said.
“However, a survey by the Taiwan Urological Association in 2012 showed that the treatment rate for premature ejaculation in Taiwan was only 7.9 percent,” he added.
Tsai said congenital premature ejaculation is associated with serotonin levels, while acquired premature ejaculation can be caused by both psychological and physical issues, such as sexual experience, stress and anxiety, or thyroid problems and prostate disease.
He suggested that men who experience premature ejaculation discuss their condition with a urologist to determine the cause and receive proper treatment, such as medication to control serotonin levels or practice diverting their attention to delay ejaculation, rather than trying out folk remedies that might be hazardous to their health. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/27/2003653964 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/f1bc8f86ee4b188e8390e8a0ab9b66a0e0307d9cd0a03ffed3455ee8110b3e8f.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:23 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The Financial Supervisory Commission yesterday announced it is to dispatch officials to scrutinize Mega International Commercial Bank (兆豐銀行) branches in New York and Panama as soon as Monday, as the government launches a probe into the lender after it ran into serious regulatory trouble in the US. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653852.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | FSC to investigate Mega in Panama, US | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Ted Chen / Staff reporter
The Financial Supervisory Commission yesterday announced it is to dispatch officials to scrutinize Mega International Commercial Bank (兆豐銀行) branches in New York and Panama as soon as Monday, as the government launches a probe into the lender after it ran into serious regulatory trouble in the US.
The New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) on Friday last week said that it had imposed a US$180 million fine on Mega bank’s New York branch. The branch was found to have breached the US Bank Secrecy Act and to have been lax in monitoring its risk exposure in Panama.
The DFS said it had discovered that “a substantial number” of the bank’s customer entities were formed with the assistance of Mossack Fonseca, the Panama-based law firm at the center of the so-called “Panama Papers” scandal that emerged earlier this year.
As long as it gets the nod from the DFA, the commission will send officials to New York as soon as Monday, FSC Chairman Ding Kung-wha (丁克華) told a news conference in Taipei, adding that the FSC on Wednesday notified the New York regulator it wanted to send investigators.
“We will be gathering evidence about the circumstances that led to the fine,” Ding said, declining to comment further.
Beginning today, the commission is to summon for questioning “all persons of interest” connected with the case, which is likely to include former Mega Financial Holding Co (兆豐金控) chairman Mckinney Tsai (蔡友才), his successor as chairman, Hsu Kuang-shi (徐光曦), and company president Wu Hann-ching (吳漢卿).
“While the violations cited in the DFS-issued consent order are limited to failure to satisfy regulatory filings and disclosure requirements, we will investigate whether the company was involved in money laundering activities,” FSC Vice Chairman Kuei Hsien-nung (桂先農) said.
Kuei said the commission would question Mega bank over its failure to satisfy legal compliance requirements, meet disclosure and filing standards, udnertake customer due diligence and its lax supervision of its overseas branches.
Mega bank is the flagship banking unit of Mega Financial Holding Co (兆豐金控), a major international financial institution with about US$103 billion in assets, including US$9 billion at its New York branch, the DFS said in a statement.
As the case unfolds, the FSC has urged companies to improve their legal compliance efforts and refrain from a business culture that emphasizes maximizing profits and minimizing costs above all else.
The commission plans to organize seminars with academics and industry experts to elevate the legal compliance capacities of the nation’s financial companies, it said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/26/2003653852 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/2cc257f488a4000ade07aa19dd7a1e7a1b1a2a5cdf281630667d5e9f46a4f03b.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:51:25 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC, 漢翔航空工業) yesterday said it is fully committed to the government’s bid to build a fleet of indigenously developed air force trainer jets and downplayed concerns about a memorandum of understanding (MOU) it inked with an Italian company. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654121.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | AIDC committed to indigenous military jets | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Ted Chen / Staff reporter
Aerospace Industrial Development Corp (AIDC, 漢翔航空工業) yesterday said it is fully committed to the government’s bid to build a fleet of indigenously developed air force trainer jets and downplayed concerns about a memorandum of understanding (MOU) it inked with an Italian company.
AIDC, the nation’s largest civilian and military aircraft manufacturer, said the terms of the MOU signed in 2014 with Italy’s Alenia Aermacchi, a subsidiary of the Italian aerospace firm Leonardo-Finmeccanica, are no long applicable.
The Italian company developed the M-346 two-engine transonic trainer aircraft, which would compete against a locally developed option along with the T-50 trainer aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries and Lockheed Martin in the US.
“We have stipulated that the terms of the arrangement would be canceled when the government finalizes its decision to develop indigenous trainer jets,” AIDC chairman Anson Liao (廖榮鑫) said in a statement.
The company’s board of directors last month ratified a resolution to align its operating goals with the government’s goal of boosting domestic development, Liao said.
Liao also rejected suggestions that AIDC has set itself up to profit no matter the decision on the trainer jet fleet upgrade, which is expected to provide a revenue stream of about NT$200 billion (US$6.3 billion) in procurement and maintenance over two decades.
Taiwan’s aerospace sector would benefit little if the contract is awarded to a foreign designer, even if the aircraft are manufactured by local companies, industry experts have said.
AIDC reported its net income in the first half of the year rose 22.7 percent annually to NT$1.07 billion. Earnings per share were NT$1.17, it said.
Sales in the first seven months of the year rose 8 percent annually to NT$16.05 billion, meeting expectations, the company said.
In related news, Leonardo-Finmeccanica on Friday rejected local media reports that it slashed its asking price for a fleet of 66 M-346 trainer jets from NT$69.1 billion to about NT$50.4 billion.
No price reduction has been proposed, the company said, adding that its M-346 offering is fully in line with the air force’s requirements in terms of technical and operational specifications, as well as production schedule. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/30/2003654121 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/bf1aa436eb49c8848df79cf5e097d7a378f8099530148962fc1a91b44ae16584.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:51:12 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Israel Dagg scored two tries as the All Blacks beat Australia 29-9 in their Rugby Championship clash yesterday, which also ensured they retained the Bledisloe Cup for another year. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654020.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/P10-160828-316.jpg | en | null | All Blacks hold on to Bledisloe Cup | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Reuters, WELLINGTON
Israel Dagg scored two tries as the All Blacks beat Australia 29-9 in their Rugby Championship clash yesterday, which also ensured they retained the Bledisloe Cup for another year.
Flyhalf Beauden Barrett also showcased his growing stature as the starting flyhalf with nine points from the boot and his all-round play drove his side around the field in a match that failed to reach the same heights as last week’s opener.
Wallabies flyhalf Bernard Foley slotted two penalties, while debutant Reece Hodge landed a monster penalty in the first half for the visitors, who rarely threatened on attack and lost their sixth successive match.
The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup, the symbol of trans-Tasman supremacy, since 2003 and only had to draw in Wellington to ensure it stayed locked in New Zealand Rugby’s trophy cabinet for another season.
Steve Hansen’s side had hammered the Wallabies 42-8 last week in Sydney with a game of high pace and superb execution, and the Wallabies had promised they would perform better than they had at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.
The only thing they did do better, however, was slow the pace of the All Blacks’ game with negative tactics, while they also antagonized the home team with several off-the-ball incidents.
The tactics worked to an extent, the All Blacks only led 15-9 at halftime courtesy of Dagg’s tries and a conversion and penalty to Barrett, while Foley and Hodge kicked penalties for the visitors.
However, the negative mindset did result in main protagonist Adam Coleman yellow-carded for a dangerous charge on All Blacks fullback Ben Smith late in the first half.
The All Blacks did not score again while Coleman was off the field as the Wallabies slowed the pace even further, with the game at times descending into squabbles.
Julian Savea then gave his side some breathing space just after Coleman returned when Barrett’s blistering pace again exploited space in the Wallabies defense before Same Cane grabbed his side’s fourth try about 15 minutes later. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/28/2003654020 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/46e58855224323a1ced98e42b87f7f8d496c2bb5df276176a732ed5af954fde2.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:39 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s first goals of the season gave Borussia Dortmund a 2-1 win over FSV Mainz 05 while Schalke 04 lost their opening Bundesliga game at Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 on Saturday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654081.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/29/thumbs/P11-160829-323.jpg | en | null | Dortmund off to winning Bundesliga start | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, BERLIN
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s first goals of the season gave Borussia Dortmund a 2-1 win over FSV Mainz 05 while Schalke 04 lost their opening Bundesliga game at Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 on Saturday.
Aubameyang, who told Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski “the race is started” after the latter’s hat-trick on Friday, got off the mark in the 17th minute when Andre Schuerrle produced a brilliant floated cross for the Gabon striker to head inside the far post.
The goal spurred Mainz into a response and the visitors went close — forcing Roman Buerki into action — shooting over, then drawing another save from Buerki before Dortmund recovered.
Christian Clemens missed a good chance to equalize after the break, but Aubameyang sealed the result with a penalty in the 89th.
Yoshinori Muto claimed Mainz’s consolation in injury time.
“The result is important, especially because we was not in the best form on the day,” Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel said.
Much is expected of Schalke, but the side got off to a poor start in Frankfurt.
Alexander Meier’s 13th-minute strike was enough for the home team, which had already hit the post. Schalke did not have an attempt on goal until just before the break.
“When you start like that you should not be surprised when you leave the pitch as the loser,” Schalke sports director Christian Heidel said.
Meier should have made it 2-0, but Ralf Faehrmann saved his weak penalty effort in the second half.
Frankfurt goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky produced an outstanding save to deny Klaas Jan Huntelaar an equalizer from a clever free-kick after last defender Michael Hector was sent off for bringing the Dutch striker down.
Lars Stindl scored late for Borussia Moenchengladbach to beat Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in the evening game, where goalkeeper Bernd Leno frustrated the home side for long periods and Leverkusen hit the post and crossbar.
Moenchengladbach forward Andre Hahn finally made the breakthrough just before halftime, racing through after Jonathan Tah failed to deal with Christoph Kramer’s quick free-kick and slotting past Leno.
Substitute Joel Pohjanpalo equalized in the 79th, heading into the empty net after Karim Bellarabi kept the ball in play.
However, Stindl secured all three points with five minutes left, sweeping the ball home after a fine ball from substitute Thorgan Hazard.
Hamburg SV could only draw 1-1 with visiting Ingolstadt 04, despite forward Bobby Wood scoring on his Bundesliga debut.
Wood, who joined Hamburg from Union Berlin in the offseason, blasted the ball inside the right post after holding off a defender to Rene Adler’s long kick-out.
Lukas Hinterseer equalized for Ingolstadt late, leading to whistles from unhappy home supporters.
“It is very disappointing. The fans also expected more,” Hamburg defender Matthias Ostrzolek said.
VfL Wolfsburg won at Augsburg 2-0, and Cologne beat visiting SV Darmstadt 98 2-0 in a game interrupted by a storm in the second half. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/29/2003654081 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/30b8a03c1ebc565813d7c481519c8dc5a894f9c8c36afe7070a87f8a4c7f4c7d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:49:22 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Apple Inc is planning a new iPhone feature for Japan that would enable users to pay for mass transit rides with their smartphones instead of physical payment cards. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653932.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Next iPhone may support tap-to-pay in Japan metro | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Bloomberg
Apple Inc is planning a new iPhone feature for Japan that would enable users to pay for mass transit rides with their smartphones instead of physical payment cards.
A future iPhone will include technology called FeliCa, a mobile tap-to-pay standard in Japan developed by Sony Corp, according to people familiar with the matter.
The FeliCa chip will let customers in Japan store their public bus and train passes on their iPhones. Users would then be able to tap their smartphones against the entrance scanners instead of using physical cards.
While the FeliCa chip is the standard technology underpinning the service, there are several different providers of transit payment cards based on the type of transit and areas within Japan.
The near field communication (NFC) technology powering Apple’s mobile payments service, Apple Pay, is prevalent in North America, Europe and Australia, but the FeliCa standard dominates Japan with 1.9 million payment terminals, according to the Bank of Japan.
The terminals handled ￥4.6 trillion (US$45.78 billion) in transactions last year.
There were 1.3 million NFC terminals in the US and 320,000 in the UK last year, according to research from Let’s Talk Payments and the UK Cards Association.
Apple intends to work with multiple transit card providers, one person said.
The major players include the Suica and Pasmo networks.
Theoretically, virtual representations of transit passes would be stored in the iPhone’s Wallet application, said the person, who asked not be identified, because the planning is private.
The card companies sell access to transit services both as needed and via monthly packages.
Apple’s opportunity in Japan is significant, with the country alone representing 8 percent of the company’s total revenue and almost 11 percent of operating profit in the most recent quarter.
Apple plans to launch these new features with the next iPhone models, which it is set to unveil next month, according to people familiar with the matter.
However, Apple could hold back the transit card feature until next year’s model if discussions with the Japan-based payment networks fall apart, one person said.
The FeliCa chip is able to process a transaction in 0.1 seconds, according to Sony.
Superfast transaction speeds are critical for adoption in the fast-paced environment of Japan’s transit network, the person said.
Each sale over Apple Pay goes through a server and requires bank approval, which can slow the process.
In addition to supporting the transit pass network, the FeliCa chip can store e-money, an electric form of currency now widely accepted at vending machines, convenience stores and cafes in Japan.
Apple is in discussions with at least one major financial institution to support these e-money transactions, one of the people said.
Earlier this month, Apple struck a deal with Japan-based telephone carrier KDDI Corp to allow customers to bill iTunes purchases to their cellphone service bill instead of directly to their credit card.
Apple’s deal with KDDI is indicative of Apple’s payment-related negotiations with firms in Japan and follows up the company’s work on activating carrier-based iTunes billing in Taiwan, Germany, the UK, Russia and Switzerland. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/27/2003653932 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/380b0b44604dad6385f20c68129c3f5f501fa5cf92c2e3266969f8f4bb734226.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:30 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | US online retail titan Amazon.com Inc, which has been accused of fostering a cutthroat workplace atmosphere, will try out teams that log 30-hour work weeks, the Washington Post reported on Friday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003653990.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Amazon dabbling with 30-hour work weeks: report says | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, SAN FRANCISCO
US online retail titan Amazon.com Inc, which has been accused of fostering a cutthroat workplace atmosphere, will try out teams that log 30-hour work weeks, the Washington Post reported on Friday.
The employees will receive the same benefits as those putting in 40-hour weeks, but get three-quarters of the pay, according to the Post, which is owned by Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos.
Many people at Amazon already work part-time, but the program would be novel in that entire teams including managers would be scheduled for 30 hours weekly on the job, the Seattle-based company said in an informational session invitation posted online at eventbrite.com.
“This initiative was created with Amazon’s diverse workforce in mind and the realization that the traditional full-time schedule may not be a one-size-fits-all model,” Amazon said in the post. “We want to create a work environment that is tailored to a reduced schedule and still fosters success and career growth.”
The Eventbrite post, first spotted by the Washington Post, was available online on Friday. It was titled “Reinventing the Work-Life Ratio for Tech Talent.”
A source with knowledge of the matter told reporters that the program was not intended for the entire company, but would involve just a handful of very small teams involved with designing some technical systems.
Amazon has been criticized for its working conditions, especially at fulfillment centers where pressure is high to ship purchases to customers quickly and efficiently.
The New York Times caused controversy last year with a story depicting almost Darwinian conditions at Amazon, with white collar workers competing to survive and sometimes weeping at their desks or going without sleep for days. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/28/2003653990 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/7e2053512556d42daecaf30658c835b22e5cd366500837c97b8b85a0010850de.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:51:21 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Lemtech Holdings Co, Ltd (聯德控股) is to build a new plant in the Czech Republic, a company official told an investors’ conference in Taipei yesterday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654119.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Lemtech to build Czech Republic plant | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Kuo Chia-erh / Staff reporter
Lemtech Holdings Co, Ltd (聯德控股) is to build a new plant in the Czech Republic, a company official told an investors’ conference in Taipei yesterday.
The New Taipei City-based metal stamping components and precision press tool supplier operates plants in Kunshan, China, Thailand and the US, producing the metal parts used in many industries including computer, telecommunication, consumer electronics and automotive components.
“Although the [Czech] factory might not benefit Lemtech’s sales significantly in the beginning, we see it as a milestone for our entry into Europe’s automobile and electronic parts business,” Lemtech spokesman Zac Lu (盧晉佑) said.
The company expects the Czech plant to break even in 2018, he said.
The firm is to start construction on the plant in the fourth quarter of this year, with mass production scheduled to begin in the second half of next year, Lu said.
The company is conservative on its performance for the rest of the year, he said, adding that metal slides, its major profit driver, might not expand its capacity in the current quarter, as the Kunshan plant is adjusting its product mix.
The Kunshan facility is expected to increase its capacity in the fourth quarter, Lu said, adding that future orders of metal slides might stimulate sales next year.
In the first half of this year, Lemtech posted a net loss of NT$6.4 million (US$201,151), or a net loss per share of NT$0.16, compared with a net income of NT$61 million for the same period last year.
The disappointing results came even though aggregate sales in the first half of the year increased 7 percent to NT$1.46 billion on a yearly basis, company data showed.
Gross margin was 23.55 percent in the first half of the year, slowing from 25.58 percent for the same period last year, the company said.
The net loss in the first six months of the year could be attributed to the capital gains tax of NT$134 million, Lu told investors.
The revenue from its electronic components sector made up more than 50 percent of total revenue, while sales in the automobile parts sector accounted for nearly 40 percent, company data showed.
Lemtech, which is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, is a components supplier for global brands and its customers include Asustek Computer Inc (華碩), HTC Corp (宏達電) and Japan’s Toshiba Corp.
Lemtech shares yesterday gained NT$0.1 to close at NT$75.7 in Taipei trading, outpacing the TAIEX’s 0.24 percent drop, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/30/2003654119 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/cbb205e3c19c828fa00868117997405ee236fd8948490d41caf796e257f2d6f3.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:43 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Aug. 29 to Sept. 4 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffeat%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654010.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/p08-160828-baguashan.jpg | en | null | Taiwan in Time: Defending the homeland to the death | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Han Cheung / Staff Reporter
Aug. 29 to Sept. 4
After landing in Taiwan and encountering much local resistance, the Japanese army reached the northern banks of the Dadu River (大肚溪), on what is today’s border between Taichung and Changhua County, on Aug. 25, 1895. They did not cross the river immediately, as the enemy had regrouped on the south banks in the city of Changhua and on the nearby battery on Baguashan (八卦山).
After a few days of scouting and minor skirmishes, the Japanese army of about 15,000 men split into two wings, with the left wing crossing the river in the dark on Aug. 27. They attacked the battery in the morning, and thus began the Battle of Baguashan (八卦山之役), the largest clash between the two sides.
On May 25, 1895, about a month after the Qing Empire ceded Taiwan to Japan, Qing officials and the Taiwanese elite established the Republic of Formosa (台灣民主國) in a bid to resist the transfer of Taiwan to Japan.
In the June 19 edition of Taiwan in Time, we examined the legacy of the resistance leaders who ran away upon defeat: republic president Tang Ching-sung (唐景崧), who fled to China after Keelung was captured, and vice president Chiu Feng-chia (丘逢甲), who did the same after the fall of Taipei. And finally Liu Yong-fu (劉永福), who jumped ship two days before the Japanese entered his stronghold of Tainan.
This week, we will remember those who stayed and fought to the death. After Chiu’s departure, Liu assumed leadership of the resistance. But his Black Flag Army remained stationed in Tainan, and someone needed to step up and stop the Japanese from moving south from Taipei.
HAKKA MILITIAS
Wu Tang-hsing (吳湯興), a Hakka from Miaoli, took on the task as he organized a militia comprised of fellow Hakka from the area and swore to defend their homeland to the death. Wu was later joined by Chiang Shao-tzu (姜紹祖) and Hsu Hsiang (徐驤), also Hakka who had recruited their own armies.
All three were scholars who had passed the imperial examinations, and it is said that Chiang was no more than 20 years old. The trio earned many monikers, and Chen Wen-teh (陳文德) refers to them in his book, Showdown at Bagua Mountain (決戰八卦山) as the “Three Hakka Musketeers (客家三劍客).”
Chen writes that this was not a formal army, and “the leaders’ command was not absolute,” as the units “often acted individually during battle, rarely being able to focus all their efforts on resisting the Japanese … Even though they did cause the Japanese a lot of trouble, their actual accomplishments were limited.”
This army first clashed with the Japanese in northern Hsinchu. Wu personally led the resistance, driving away the enemy twice. But soon, the Japanese regrouped and decided to charge at full force, capturing Hsinchu a week later despite the Hakka army’s guerrilla tactics.
Chiang was captured in an attempt to retake Hsinchu, and he reportedly committed suicide by ingesting opium. As the Hakka militia retreated to Miaoli, they were joined by Wu Peng-nian (吳彭年) of the Black Flag Army. Wu Peng-nian was not a native of Taiwan, having arrived as Liu’s top aide, but Chen writes that he had decided to defend Taiwan at all cost.
THE DECISIVE BATTLE
After much fierce fighting, the Japanese captured Taichung, and the resistance regrouped in Changhua with between 3,000 and 5,000 troops, comprised of surviving members of the Hakka militia, Black Flag Army and remaining Qing troops. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/08/28/2003654010 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/5b1c6e725de87e4c221987bc89d25af956fe59f3afa85bdd045c2729d1c1eced.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:56 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | After Chelsea continued their 100 percent start with a 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday, a last-gasp goal by Marcus Rashford helped Jose Mourinho keep pace with his old club as Manchester United beat Hull City 1-0. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654080.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/29/thumbs/P11-160829-305.jpg | en | null | Manchester United join Chelsea on top | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Reuters, LONDON
After Chelsea continued their 100 percent start with a 3-0 win over Burnley on Saturday, a last-gasp goal by Marcus Rashford helped Jose Mourinho keep pace with his old club as Manchester United beat Hull City 1-0.
Elsewhere, Arsenal and champions Leicester City picked up their first Premier League wins of the season by beating Watford and Swansea City respectively while Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Liverpool.
New manager Antonio Conte has promised to restore Chelsea’s belief after they finished 10th last season and goals from Eden Hazard, Willian and Victor Moses secured top spot in the table after a one-sided encounter at Stamford Bridge.
Then, in the late game, United joined the Londoners on nine points when they sank Hull thanks to a stoppage-time effort by substitute Rashford.
Hazard, a crushing disappointment under former manager Mourinho last season, showed he was back to his best this term with a brilliant solo goal in the ninth minute against Burnley.
The Belgium winger also played a part in the second goal by Brazil midfielder Willian before substitute Moses rounded off a sweeping late Chelsea move.
“The team played very well, created a lot of chances,” Conte said. “To keep a clean sheet is very important to increase our confidence in the work we are doing.”
United were frustrated in wet conditions by Hull’s dogged defending before the 18-year-old Rashford struck by converting Wayne Rooney’s cross.
“We did everything to win,” Mourinho said. “When you score at 90-something you always talk about luck, but the fact is we deserved it. We were so intense in our attacking ways, I always believed the goal would arrive.”
World-record signing Paul Pogba was shackled by the home side’s disciplined midfield, but he did go close with a thunderous late shot.
“We frustrated them at times and we contributed to the game by going forward,” said Hull boss Mike Phelan as his side saw their 100 percent record ended by his former club United.
First-half goals by Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil gave Arsenal a 3-1 win at Watford to ease the pressure on manager Arsene Wenger.
“We had a good cushion at halftime,” Wenger said. “At the moment we’re not completely there physically and you could see that in the second half.”
Debutant Roberto Pereyra pulled one back for Watford with an unstoppable drive.
Leicester got back to winning ways after Jamie Vardy’s trademark strike and Wes Morgan’s second-half goal downed Swansea 2-1 at a rainswept King Power Stadium.
Vardy beat keeper Lukasz Fabianski after being picked out by Danny Drinkwater before captain Morgan slammed home from close range.
Leroy Fer replied for Swansea late on after Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez had a 56th-minute penalty saved by Fabianski.
Manager Juergen Klopp was left frustrated at Tottenham as Liverpool failed to kill the game despite their early dominance.
James Milner converted a 43rd-minute penalty for the visitors after Erik Lamela had fouled Roberto Firmino but Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane were denied during a one-sided first half.
Danny Rose made Liverpool pay for their profligacy with a 72nd-minute equalizer.
“We must be more clinical,” Klopp said. “When you take a point at Tottenham for 99 percent of teams it would be a good thing, but today we saw the game differently.” | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/29/2003654080 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e59bc666725902725a8ae5eb85586dd1a38945ec4c9e4ae27d9ecd2c34e17f13.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:53:47 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Suspended Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff was scheduled to confront her accusers yesterday in a dramatic finale to a Brazilian Senate impeachment trial likely to end 13 years of left-wing rule in Latin America’s biggest country. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654176.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/30/thumbs/P07-160830-307.jpg | en | null | Brazil’s Rousseff to take stand as trial ends in vote | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, BRASILIA
Suspended Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff was scheduled to confront her accusers yesterday in a dramatic finale to a Brazilian Senate impeachment trial likely to end 13 years of left-wing rule in Latin America’s biggest country.
Rousseff’s testimony will come just hours before a final vote to decide her fate, with everything pointing to her being convicted.
Rousseff, 68, is accused of having taken illegal state loans to patch budget holes.
Momentum to push her out is also fueled by deep anger at Brazil’s historic recession, political paralysis and a vast corruption scandal centered on state oil giant Petrobras.
Rousseff is to speak for about half an hour, then face questioning.
However, it was unclear whether Rousseff will repeat her explosive claim on the Senate floor that the trial is a coup aimed at destroying her Workers’ Party and restoring the right to power.
“She will go in high spirits. She is calm,” an aide told reporters.
Adding to the sense of a showdown, Rousseff is to be accompanied by heavyweight supporters, including her predecessor former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, famed singer Chico Buarque and a dozen former cabinet members.
However, there appears to be little Rousseff can say to save her presidency.
Closing arguments are scheduled to begin after her testimony today, followed by voting, possibly extending into tomorrow. Opponents said they will easily reach the needed two-thirds majority — 54 of 81 senators — to remove her from office.
In that case, Brazilian interim president Michel Temer would be confirmed as president until elections in 2018.
Criticized for lacking a popular touch or appetite for backroom politicking, Rousseff has barely double-digit approval ratings.
However, busloads of supporters were expected in the capital to protest against what Rousseff has repeatedly called a coup.
Activists told reporters they hoped to give her roses.
There is lingering sympathy for Rousseff, who was imprisoned and tortured by the country’s military dictatorship in the 1970s for belonging to a far left urban guerrilla cell.
Although her presidency has been mired in the Petrobras embezzlement and bribery scandal, she has never been charged with trying to enrich herself — unlike many of her prominent accusers and close allies.
Temer is hardly more popular, according to opinion polls. He faces harsh questioning over his legitimacy as an unelected president and was loudly booed at the Olympic opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro.
The impeachment case rests on narrow charges that Rousseff took unauthorized state loans to bridge budget shortfalls during her 2014 election to a second term.
Allies have spent the Senate trial arguing that these loans were nothing more than stopgap measures frequently employed by previous governments.
However, opponents have broadened the accusation to paint Rousseff’s loans as part of her disastrous mismanagement, contributing to once booming Brazil’s slide into recession.
Brazil’s economy shrank 3.8 percent last year and is forecast to drop a further 3.3 percent this year, the worst performance since the 1930s.
Rousseff’s side says that decline was caused by forces beyond the president’s control, notably a worldwide slump in commodity prices, which hit exports hard.
“There is no basis to say that the president is criminally responsible,” former Brazilian minister of finance Nelson Barbosa said in one of the final pieces of defense testimony on the weekend. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/30/2003654176 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/fa75d4bc4fece28eb3b919c777c933f8ffdaf48b4a6b955bf505a21d4af32ee7.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:02 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Taipei Times: In view of the approaching UN General Assembly next month, the Taiwan United Nations Alliance (TAIUNA) has called on President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration to apply for UN membership under the name “Taiwan.” However, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) has explicitly said that the government will not push for UN membership this year, but rather for the nation’s “meaningful contribution” to the UN and its affiliates. What are your thoughts on this? | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653960.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/27/thumbs/P03-160827-4.jpg | en | null | INTERVIEW: UN membership bid part of transitional justice | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Taipei Times: In view of the approaching UN General Assembly next month, the Taiwan United Nations Alliance (TAIUNA) has called on President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration to apply for UN membership under the name “Taiwan.” However, Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lee (李大維) has explicitly said that the government will not push for UN membership this year, but rather for the nation’s “meaningful contribution” to the UN and its affiliates. What are your thoughts on this?
William Luo (羅榮光): I would like to first of all state my approval of the government’s move to undertake transitional justice. As Taiwan transforms into a democracy from an autocratic state, we should also shine a light into the dark of the White Terror era under the authoritarian rule of Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
In the same vein, the appeal to have Taiwan join the UN falls within transitional justice.
Think about it: Why is Taiwan being isolated and excluded from the UN? Such a misfortune was created by Chiang’s regime, who at the time [rejecting “dual representation” in the UN], said that “gentlemen cannot coexist with thugs” and insisted that the nation would “rather be a jade broken than an earthen tie intact.”
What Chiang meant was that despite his defeat in the Chinese Civil War and retreat to Taiwan, his Nationalist government was the “gentlemen,” whereas people over on the other side [of the Taiwan Strait] were “thugs” and that they, the People’s Republic of China (PRC), cannot represent China.
Although the US had been supportive of the Republic of China (ROC), the international situation shifted and more nations began to view the PRC as the legitimate government of China.
Finally on Oct. 25, 1971, the UN General Assembly passed Resolution 2758 in a two-thirds majority that recognized the PRC as the sole legal government of China, and stripped the Chiang regime of the right to represent the nation. The exact wording of the resolution is: “[The UN decides] to expel forthwith the representatives of Chiang Kai-shek from the place which they unlawfully occupy at the UN and in all the organizations related to it.”
Since the PRC represents China, of course Taiwan should represent Taiwan.
Just as transitional justice is needed to address the 228 Massacre and the White Terror era, it should also address this part of history [concerning the UN], because it was Chiang’s decision that has made Taiwan an international orphan today. His decision then led to the expulsion of the ROC from the UN, and has dragged Taiwanese down for the past 45 years.
Very few people realize the severity of this, thinking only that killing is a serious matter, but not realizing that the nation has long been underrepresented in the international community.
TT: Given that Minister of Health and Welfare Lin Tzou-yien (林奏延) used the name “Chinese Taipei” rather than “Taiwan” throughout his speech at the World Health Assembly in May, and the decision not to push for UN membership this year, how is the Tsai administration different from former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) administration?
Luo: The reason we supported Tsai for the presidency is because we want change. Under Ma’s so-called “diplomatic truce” policy of the past eight years, there was no talk of the nation joining the UN. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/27/2003653960 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/4c96b350790393160aa480e611810e93a1cb11dd9852136f9d584da8c44ec609.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:13:34 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The CIA on Wednesday declassified a trove of secret daily briefings given to former US presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, offering fresh insights into pivotal moments in Cold War history. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653917.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/P07-160826-314.jpg | en | null | CIA declassifies daily briefings for Nixon and Ford | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, WASHINGTON
The CIA on Wednesday declassified a trove of secret daily briefings given to former US presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, offering fresh insights into pivotal moments in Cold War history.
The 2,500 previously classified daily intelligence briefings are peppered with details about the slowly unfolding catastrophe in Vietnam, various international crises and attempts to understand the machinations of Soviet and Chinese leaders.
The 28,000 pages offer tantalizing new insights into the context of Nixon’s historic visits to China and the Soviet Union — firsts by a sitting US president — and his eventual disgrace and resignation.
The briefings during the Ford administration detail the fall of Saigon, the evacuation of Lebanon and Chinese leader Mao Zedong’s (毛澤東) death.
On Feb. 21, 1972, the day that Nixon landed in Beijing, the CIA carefully noted which Chinese officials appeared at which events, trying to glean a better idea of the workings of the politburo — political theater that is still closely watched today.
Briefers later informed Nixon that the visit unnerved Moscow, worried Tokyo and encouraged European powers to engage with China.
Beijing, on the other hand, was “generally pleased” with the visit.
On Aug. 10, 1974, then-newly sworn-in president Ford’s briefing deals in detail with the global response to Nixon’s shock resignation.
“None of the potential troublemakers has produced even a rumble,” his briefers said.
Most days, the daily ritual would not be so positive.
On the last day of April 1975, Ford was bluntly informed that then-South Vietnam president Duong Vaan “Minh surrendered Saigon unconditionally this morning.”
“The flag of the Viet Cong’s Provisional Revolutionary Government was hoisted over the presidential palace at 12:15 today Saigon time, marking the end of 30 years of war in Vietnam,” it said.
A year and a half later, Ford was informed that Mao had died.
“Mao had been an important member of the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] since its founding in 1921,” the CIA said in an initial understatement, before examining the implications of the death of a man who was the “dominating force in Chinese politics.”
The CIA said that senior members of the CCP might have been relieved by his death, which ended fears of reprisals. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/26/2003653917 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/7be46fdf7d5704955902c05bc519039fe0fd04c46f2425ea666535657f96c0e4.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:05:25 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Following allegations that the National Defense University expelled a student after he tested positive for HIV, the Ministry of Health and Welfare fined the Ministry of National Defense for discriminating against people with HIV. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653869.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Living with HIV on the battlefield: a quandary | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Su Tzu-yun 蘇紫雲
Following allegations that the National Defense University expelled a student after he tested positive for HIV, the Ministry of Health and Welfare fined the Ministry of National Defense for discriminating against people with HIV.
The health ministry said that its decision was in line with the HIV Infection Control and Patient Rights Protection Act (人類免疫缺乏病毒傳染防治及感染者權益保障條例). However, another look at the spirit of related local legislation after reviewing how similar cases have been handled in other countries, as well as the special requirements of various professions, it seems that the health ministry’s complaints against the defense ministry — on the basis violating human rights — are unhelpful for building true equality, and its decision is neither fair nor just.
The key reason for this is the high risk of infection military personnel face on the battlefield, as suggested by empirical research carried out on battlefields around the world.
Military combat personnel, due to the nature of their work, are exposed to a high risk of HIV infection. On one hand, soldiers on the front line who are infected with HIV typically do not have access to customized medical supplies, which means they are at risk of not having access to appropriate medical support. In addition, on the battlefield medics usually have to provide first aid without gloves, goggles or other medical equipment, exposing the patient and rescuers — usually provisional personnel — to high risks of infection through direct contact with bodily fluids.
Asking HIV-infected people to take part in battles in the name of equality is no different from murdering them.
That is also why many countries, including the UK, the US, Switzerland and South Korea, ban people infected with HIV from joining the military.
Take the US — a country sensitive to human rights issues — for instance. The White House has a National HIV/AIDS Strategy, which takes care of people living with HIV and protects them from discrimination. However, there are special instructions for implementing the strategy in the military. New recruits and reservists who test positive for HIV are disqualified from the army as per US Army Regulation AR 600-100. All military personnel are screened for HIV every two years, and those who test positive are banned from combat units and must be reassigned and may even be discharged. Administrative personnel are not affected. The goal of the strategy is to strike a balance between special work requirements and civil rights.
In contrast, Taiwanese laws regarding HIV often confuse human rights with civil rights, causing confusion and disputes between civic groups, the media and government agencies.
Taiwan’s HIV act creates the same problem, whereby the two concepts are not distinguished from each other and requirements for different vocations are not taken into consideration. The failure to take into account the special demands of various professions and apply the same rules across the board has caused an impasse.
People living with HIV do not need sympathy; rather society should support people to lead a healthy and unfettered life. Officials must also consider practical matters and exempt certain work places and promote flexibility in order to strike a balance and achieve the best outcome.
The Israel Defense Forces, last year decided to allow HIV-positive people to serve in non-combat units during compulsory military service, but volunteers are still excluded. This is a balanced policy that takes into account medical care, personnel requirements and the nature of the job; it might serve as a useful reference for Taiwan. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/26/2003653869 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/5b1c1b0cf75f75eaa6ada3628cdae1e72368b3e2fed4c0bf5079fed98d484da5.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:51:28 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s speech on Friday was hawkish enough for Goldman Sachs Group Inc to boost the odds of an interest-rate increase next month, while Pacific Investment Management Co (Pimco) said there was nothing of note in her remarks. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654132.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Pimco at odds with Goldman Sachs on Fed’s Janet Yellen as US rate bets rise | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Bloomberg
US Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen’s speech on Friday was hawkish enough for Goldman Sachs Group Inc to boost the odds of an interest-rate increase next month, while Pacific Investment Management Co (Pimco) said there was nothing of note in her remarks.
Bond traders agree with Goldman Sachs, with the market-implied probability of action next month rising after Yellen said in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, that the case for tightening policy has strengthened.
The US bank now puts the “subjective odds” of a move next month at 40 percent from 30 percent previously, economists led by Jan Hatzius wrote in a note after Yellen’s address.
Futures indicate a 42 percent chance that the Fed will raise rates next month, up from 22 percent on Aug. 19 and zero in late June after the UK vote to leave the EU.
The odds of an increase by December have climbed to 65 percent from a low of 8 percent reached June 27, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
US economy watchers are turning their attention to a payrolls report later this week for signs of continued strength in the jobs market.
“I’m sure the Jackson Hole setting is lovely for this annual conference, but the chair did not want to make any real news, and she succeeded,” Richard Clarida, a global strategic adviser at Newport Beach, California-based Pimco, wrote in a client note.
Yellen’s remarks did not shed any light on “the near-term path for the normalization of interest rates, and the Fed’s longer-run inflation-targeting framework,” he said.
The two-year Treasury note yield was little changed at 0.84 percent as of 9am yesterday in London, according to Bloomberg Bond Trader data.
The two-year notes are relatively more sensitive to the outlook for monetary policy than longer-dated securities.
Treasuries trading was closed in London for a UK holiday.
With traders ramping up bets on a rate increase this year, the jump in yields on shorter maturities has outpaced longer-dated debt. As a result, the extra yield that 30-year bonds offer over two-year notes shrank to as little as 1.43 percentage points, which would be the lowest closing level since the end of 2007.
Yellen’s speech puts the spotlight on Friday’s labor report for this month, which is projected to show the economy added 180,000 jobs, following a gain of 255,000 last month.
The monthly labor force number has exceeded expectations in the past two readings, pointing to renewed vigor in the employment market.
“Unless we have a blow-up payrolls number on Friday, and strong data between now and the September meeting, she’ll probably go in December,” said John Gorman, head of non-yen rates trading for Asia and the Pacific at Nomura Holdings Inc in Tokyo.
“The short end of the curve is a bit on the dangerous side, because markets are still trying to decide whether the Fed is going to hike in September or December. Which means the two-year notes can sell off quite a lot,” he said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/30/2003654132 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/df9befa7520cf6e113e8f9211caabc6d19f94d09278de4b93f6f7bd7c161a6a3.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:51:54 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | German Nico Rosberg yesterday eased to victory in a chaotic Belgian Formula One Grand Prix. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654075.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/29/thumbs/P10-160829-332.jpg | en | null | Nico Rosberg wins Belgian Grand Prix | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | REUTERS, SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium
German Nico Rosberg yesterday eased to victory in a chaotic Belgian Formula One Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver crossed the line 14.1 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo.
World championship leader Lewis Hamilton, starting on the back row of the grid after taking a 55-place engine-related grid penalty, clawed his way back up the field to finish third.
Rosberg’s sixth win of the season cut teammate Hamilton’s lead in the standings to nine points with eight races remaining.
The race was briefly halted in the early stages after a massive crash for Renault’s Kevin Magnussen.
The Dane was taken to hospital for routine checks after suffering a cut to his left ankle in the high-speed crash.
The Dane lost control of his car as he crested the fast uphill sweep of the Eau Rouge corner and slammed violently into the barriers.
Magnussen, who had started 12th, got out of the car on his own, but was limping slightly. He underwent checks at the medical center before being taken to hospital.
“He is fully conscious and responsive,” Renault said in a statement. “He has a small cut to the left ankle and has been escorted to a nearby hospital for further routine checks.”
Magnussen’s crash prompted a temporary halt to the race as marshals worked to repair tire barriers damaged in the impact.
Meanwhile, Veteran driver Jenson Button said he is still considering his options for next season and is open to a move away from Formula One if the right challenge comes along.
The 2009 champion is in the final year of his contract with McLaren and a decision is expected by the end of next month.
McLaren also must decide whether to stick with Button alongside Fernando Alonso for next year, or replace Button with Belgian driver Stoffel Vandoorne.
“I do have a few options in Formula One, which is great for me to still feel wanted,” the 36-year-old Button said at the Belgian Grand Prix. “But whether I am here or not, we will see in the next few weeks. My aim has always been to be able to win races in F1, and if this is not possible for me I will go and do something else.”
Button, who has won 15 GP races, is not saying what the other options are. Former F1 driver Mark Webber, for example, has made a successful transition to the World Endurance Championship.
However, Button hinted his future might even be outside of racing.
“I will do something where I can compete,” he said. “Whether it is racing or something else we will see. Probably I will surprise myself with my decision.”
Mercedes head of Motorsport Toto Wolff was recently quoted by Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws as saying McLaren would be “crazy” not to take him next year.
“I like the boy, he deserves a seat in Formula One. He’s dominated GP2 in a way that’s very special,” Wolff said. “If guys like Stoffel do not come into Formula One, the system is wrong.”
Additional reporting by AP | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/29/2003654075 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/319679be99ed3a0fd1e8bf23caa4d3b429347f44a813b3c0ea32c841e8518667.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:07 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | The Financial Supervisory Commission yesterday fined Union Insurance Co (旺旺友聯) a total of NT$4.8 million (US$151,324) for three infractions, including failure to comply with anti-money laundering regulations. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654190.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Union Insurance fined over security | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Ted Chen / Staff reporter
The Financial Supervisory Commission yesterday fined Union Insurance Co (旺旺友聯) a total of NT$4.8 million (US$151,324) for three infractions, including failure to comply with anti-money laundering regulations.
The commission said that Union Insurance did not have adequate internal controls in place, which would make it difficult for the company to detect money laundering activities, for which it was fined NT$1.2 million.
“Typically, life insurers are more vulnerable to money laundering activities, through methods such as canceling or altering the terms of a large volume of life insurance policies, or by changing the products’ beneficiaries,” Insurance Bureau Deputy Director-General Shih Chiung-hwa (施瓊華) told a press conference.
Union Insurance was also fined NT$3 million for engaging in unfair price competition and NT$600,000 for failing to fulfill payouts to reimburse alternative transportation expenditures as stipulated in its auto insurance products, the commission said.
In related news, the commission said that Nan Shan Life Insurance Co (南山人壽) had violated the Personal Information Protection Act (個人資料保護法) after the firm leaked more than 100 clients’ data.
“We have begun investigating the insurer to find out whether the leak was caused by inadequate internal controls,” Shih said.
“Our initial findings suggest that the mishap was caused by a computer system glitch or bad database management, which occurred as the company sent out routine policy renewal offers,” Shih added.
The insurer may be fined between NT$600,000 and NT$6 million depending on the severity of the internal control lapses, Shih said.
She said that the data leak was partial and that customers’ names were matched to critical account information or national identification numbers.
The commission was tipped off about the violation by the Nan Shan Life sales union, it said.
Irate clients had lodged complaints with their sales representatives after they received renewal offers that contained other people’s insurance policy details, which prompted the union to notify the commission, it said.
Last month, Nan Shan Life was ordered to redress within 10 days a lapse in protecting clients’ personal information in the company’s e-mail marketing campaign. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/31/2003654190 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/7b0c174504ca1cd24376cfbddb06dee4b237db39e18a65fa8946008d1941a11d.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:50:48 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | If the government could change its mentality, it might help turn seemingly negative events into positive ones when facing challenges. The handling of disputes over large crowds of Pokemon Go players gathering in public spaces is a good example. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654003.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | EDITORIAL: Making the most of a situation | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | If the government could change its mentality, it might help turn seemingly negative events into positive ones when facing challenges. The handling of disputes over large crowds of Pokemon Go players gathering in public spaces is a good example.
Some people who live near Taipei’s Beitou Park have complained about large crowds of Pokemon Go players gathering late at night to catch the virtual creatures, reportedly blocking traffic and disturbing residents.
In response, the local police dispatched officers to patrol the park at night to make sure players do not cause traffic jams and urged local businesses to stop placing in-game “lures” — which cause the game to spawn more creatures — and has asked the game’s developer, Niantic, to remove “Pokestops” — where players can collect in-game items — from the area.
Meanwhile, the Southwest Coast National Scenic Area Administration has complained about a sharp decline in the number of visitors to the “High-Heel Chapel” — a glass chapel in the shape of a giant high-heeled shoe — in Chiayi County’s Budai Township (布袋) and blamed the game, saying that the decline is caused by people being attracted by rare Pokemon that appear in the nearby Dongshi Township (東石).
Police efforts in Beitou Park proved to be in vain. Pokemon Go players still go to the park late at night, nearby residents continue to complain and all the police can do is keep dispatching officers to keep the traffic moving.
Most Taiwanese know the myth of the Great Flood of Gun-Yu (大禹治水). The story tells of a great flood in ancient China that lasted for more than a decade. In the story, the emperor tasks a man named Gun (鯀) with solving the problem. He tries to contain the flood by building embankments, but no matter how high the walls are, the water always flows over them, and he eventually fails. Gun’s son, Yu (禹), takes over the task and instead of trying to contain the water as his father did, Yu builds channels to divert the water and brings the situation under control.
The lesson is that sometimes people cannot solve a problem by confrontation and they find a way to work around it — something police should learn from the story.
In the Netherlands, Pokemon Go players have caused similar problems. However, police in Rotterdam came up with a better idea than trying to block players. Instead, they placed lures at crime hotspots at times when crime is statistically more likely to happen. This has lowered the crime rate in some areas of the city, as large crowds of players gather at the hotspots.
If Chiayi administrators know that the sharp decline in the number of visitors is caused by people being attracted to other places where there are Pokemon, why do they not use the same strategy to attract visitors and ease overcrowding in Dongshi?
The problem of Pokemon Go crowds might not be a serious one compared with other major policy decisions that the government has to deal with, but it is through these smaller issues that the public sees whether the government can be creative in solving problems.
However, as Beitou Park is still crowded with Pokemon Go players every night and the Chiayi scenic area administration still laments the decline in the number of visitors, the government and civil servants might still have a long way to go before becoming more creative in problem-solving. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/28/2003654003 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/8599ba795e5bd1e05854acb7e1a354ddacb4265ccf8775da53437adf9194e8af.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:07 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Several civic organizations yesterday jointly called for the official title and flag of the nation’s Olympic team to be “corrected,” saying they hope that “Taiwan” will be used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653946.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/27/thumbs/P01-160827-2.jpg | en | null | Groups urge ‘Taiwan’ as Olympic title | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Chen Yu-fu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
Several civic organizations yesterday jointly called for the official title and flag of the nation’s Olympic team to be “corrected,” saying they hope that “Taiwan” will be used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Taiwan participates in the Games under the name “Chinese Taipei,” with a flag depicting five rings and a plum blossom, the Republic of China’s national flower.
The flag raised during medal ceremonies at the Olympics does not represent the nation and cannot lead to the normalization of Taiwan’s national identity, the groups said, adding that it should be replaced before the Tokyo Olympics with a flag that represents Taiwan.
“At the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Taiwan attended under the title of ‘Formosa,’ but athletes marched behind a self-made banner that read ‘under protest’ at the opening ceremony. At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada, the International Olympic Committee agreed to use the name ‘Taiwan,’ but Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) flagrantly refused to send athletes to the Games,” Taiwan People News chairman Chen Yung-hsing (陳永興), who launched the campaign, told a news conference in Taipei.
“This type of Chinese Nationalist Party [KMT] behavior, according to which ‘gentlemen cannot coexist with thugs,’ should be corrected by the new government, it should push for the nation’s Olympic team to use the title ‘Taiwan,’” Chen said.
Chen said that seeing the five-ring flag reminded him of the refugee team at the Olympics and made him worry that people would mistake Taiwan for a nation of refugees.
“Was the old KMT government a refugee regime?” Chen asked.
“To use the name ‘Chinese Taipei’ is problematic in that it suppresses the dignity of Taiwanese.” New Power Party Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) said.
Even US media outlet CNN reported about Taiwan competing in the Olympics under a different name, Lim said, adding: “Taiwan must seize this opportunity to change its Olympic flag while it can and then raise it at the Olympics one day. The government cannot act like the KMT did in the past, receiving permission from the International Olympic Committee to use the name ‘Formosa’ or ‘Taiwan’ and then protesting and refusing the opportunity.”
“I thank the foreign media for speaking up on behalf of Taiwan and asking why our team is called ‘Chinese Taipei’ and not ‘Taiwan.’ Even foreigners recognize that ‘Chinese Taipei’ is not a nation. This kind of statement accords with universal values,” Taiwan Association for China Human Rights chairman Yang Hsien-hung (楊憲宏) said.
“When we are standing on the podium at Olympic medal ceremonies with the world focused on us, we win cheers and acclaim, but at the same time we lose dignity and lose the nation. Our competitive pride is exchanged for loss of face. We have a medal in our hands, but no honor,” Ketagalan Institute president Chin Heng-wei (金恆煒) said. “Changing our Olympic flag means changing our vow to our athletes. It prepares Taiwan to go into the world.”
In related news, as Japan prepares to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, Japanese Internet users have been taking to the Web in support of using “Taiwan” as the title of the nation’s Olympic team instead of “Chinese Taipei.”
As of press time last night, 48,903 people had signed a petition at www.change.org, calling for the International Olympic Committee to allow the name change. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/27/2003653946 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/8470a399732db98df21277f630354c53a6ff1bc2a1216996440a611141a9d9f1.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:49:51 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | GERMANY | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653936.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | World Business Quick Take | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Agencies
GERMANY
Consumer sentiment flat
There was little sign of Brexit uncertainty in a monthly survey of German consumers released yesterday, with the public’s mood almost unchanged this month compared with last month. Market research company GfK’s headline consumer sentiment index fell slightly to 10 points this month, compared with 10.1 points last month. The score was slightly higher than expected by analysts surveyed by Factset, who had forecast a larger fall to 9.9 points. Sentiment “developed positively overall, and apparently digested the Brexit shock well,” the pollsters wrote in a statement.
JAPAN
Consumer prices dip 0.5%
Japanese inflation continued to disappoint last month, data released yesterday showed, with consumer prices dropping for a fifth straight month in the latest blow to Tokyo’s faltering war on deflation. The 0.5 percent decline last month was worse than the 0.4 percent average fall expected by economists. The weak inflation figures will heap more pressure on Japan’s central bank for another round of stimulus. The Bank of Japan holds its next meeting late next month. ‘
SPAIN
GDP edges up 0.8%
The Spanish economy expanded 0.8 percent sequentially in the second quarter — slightly higher than the 0.7 percent estimate it had announced last month. The 0.8 percent growth in the second quarter was the same as that of the first quarter. Compared with the same period last year, the economy rose 3.2 percent from April to June — a slower rate than the first quarter, when the economy grew 3.4 percent year-on-year, the Ine said.
AIRLINES
Air NZ posts record profit
New Zealand’s national airline yesterday posted a record profit thanks to surging tourism and lower fuel costs, but said it expected increased competition from rival international carriers in the year ahead. Air New Zealand announced an after-tax profit of NZ$463 million (US$339 million) for the year ending June, an increase of 42 percent over the previous year. Revenue rose 6.2 percent over the previous year to NZ$5.2 billion. A record 3.3 million people visited New Zealand in the year ending last month, up 11 percent from a year earlier.
CONGLOMERATES
Citic first-half profit fell 46%
Citic Ltd (中國中信), China’s biggest conglomerate, reported that net income for the six months through June 30 dropped 46 percent to HK$20.2 billion (US$2.6 billion) from HK$37.7 billion a year earlier, according to a filing to Hong Kong’s stock exchange yesterday. In a letter to shareholders, Citic said that Chinese banks’ profitability and capital would likely be eroded “in the near term.”
BANKING
Suspended banks seek truce
Nine Nigerian lenders banned this week from foreign-exchange trading for failing to remit some oil money into a government account are holding talks with the central bank to seek a truce, operators said on Thursday. The Central Bank of Nigeria on Tuesday suspended nine banks for withholding US$2.12 billion belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corp and the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas contrary to a government regulation. A top executive at one of the affected banks said the ban might trigger “a run on the banks,” as concerned customers withdraw their deposits. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/27/2003653936 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/b06b3c4e26caeb3faa896c6c4025a9244c0a73ce09964b02739d10392ca75d80.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:51:59 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Audrey Tang (唐鳳), at 35 already a retired entrepreneur and self-taught computer programmer who is considered one of Taiwan’s brightest, is set to add another line of code to her resume: In October, she is to join the Cabinet as a minister without portfolio. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654031.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/p03-160828-audrey.jpg | en | null | PROFILE: Audrey Tang: 100% made in Taiwan | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Jake Chung / Staff writer, with CNA
Audrey Tang (唐鳳), at 35 already a retired entrepreneur and self-taught computer programmer who is considered one of Taiwan’s brightest, is set to add another line of code to her resume: In October, she is to join the Cabinet as a minister without portfolio.
Tang, who will be the Executive Yuan’s first transgender official, founded her own company at the age of 16 despite dropping out of junior-high school.
Tang — who reportedly has an IQ of 180 — is a prominent member of groups using the Haskell and Perl programming languages and has contributed to the designs of systems such as Kwiki, Windows RT and Slash.
Her parents said that she was reading classic literature in a variety of languages and solving simultaneous equations by the time she was in first grade.
Unable to find her way in mainstream education, Tang is mainly self-taught and, having a knack for computers, she was able to harness the exponential growth of new technologies to advance her education.
Although some commentators have attributed Tang’s successful effort to educate herself to her high IQ, improving Internet speeds and search engine software from 2000 onward played a great part in her achievements, said Tang’s father, Tang Kuang-hua (唐光華).
The Internet has bridged the gap between the levels of education offered in urban and rural areas, Tang Kuang-hua said, adding proudly that Audrey did not travel abroad for her education, so she is 100 percent “made in Taiwan.”
Audrey’s experience should inspire children from less well-off families, he said.
However, Tang Kuang-hua said he and his wife, Lee Ya-ching (李雅卿), recognized the importance of an effective learning environment, critical thinking and the ability to state one’s opinions and so they trained her in such areas by holding topical family discussions when she was young.
This, as well as her own contributions to online forums, have enabled Audrey Tang to develop her eloquence and persuasiveness, Tang Kuang-hua said.
When Audrey Tang was eight, her family were camping in a forest when she saw a boy tormenting insects, and she began to cry, her father said.
It was this incident that made the family realize that Audrey was kind and “very sensitive to pain in life,” he said, adding that many of her most recent activities were influenced by this characteristic.
Having founded her own business at 16, Audrey Tang announced her “retirement” at the age of 33 and devoted her time to Internet public welfare projects, such as the g0v.tw platform, and the promotion of the vTaiwan platform.
That the government is asking Audrey Tang to take a position in the Cabinet means that it has noticed the “differences” between the older and the younger generation, her father said.
Using the development of computer software as an example, Tang Kuang-hua said the world has departed from the era when Microsoft dominated the market, and now more “freeware” is available, which demonstrates that the younger generation values the “shared economy.”
The sentiment was echoed by former National Development Council (NDC) minister Kuan Chung-ming (管中閔), who said that the appointment of Audrey Tang to the Cabinet is proof that President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration has astutely grasped the difference between generation Y and earlier generations and wishes to embrace the changes. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/28/2003654031 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/a4bc8c3b0568b212c985981c7e55eb3382f565b90b3630265eba8d477f3e66ef.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:26 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Hiwin Technologies Corp (上銀), one of the nation’s leading machinery makers, yesterday said it will start mass production of its new automated robotics with 3D vision next year. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654185.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Hiwin to produce robotics with 3D vision next year | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Kuo Chia-erh / Staff reporter
Hiwin Technologies Corp (上銀), one of the nation’s leading machinery makers, yesterday said it will start mass production of its new automated robotics with 3D vision next year.
The new robotics will be outfitted with 3D depth sensors developed by local chip designer Etron Technology Inc (鈺創), Hiwin chairman Eric Chuo (卓永財) told reporters at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
Hiwin already uses Etron’s 2D sensors in its industrial robotics.
Chuo said he expects strong demand in the near future for “smart” machinery tools and 3D sensors, which are the key components for upgrading machinery to Industry 4.0.
He was speaking at a news conference held by the nation’s four major machinery and semiconductor industry associations after they signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop “smart” machinery.
The collaboration between the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (台灣半導體協會), Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robotics Association (台灣智慧自動化與機器人協會) and Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders’ Association (臺灣區工具機暨零組件工業同業公會) is the first effort made by different industries to work together to develop “smart” industrial robotics.
The aim is to help elevate Taiwan’s industry to the next level, or the so-called Industry 4.0.
The memorandum states that semiconductor companies will develop chips for advanced machinery tools such as accelerometers and motor controllers.
“We are seeing the buds of local smart machinery industry as companies start to integrate their advantages,” Chuo said. “We should see some early results next year.”
Minister of Economic Affairs Lee Chih-kung (李世光) said that the government has set up a framework to help foster the “smart” machinery industry, but support is needed from different industries.
With the aid of local semiconductor companies’ technologies, machinery tool manufacturers will be able to develop niche products, Lee said.
The Executive Yuan last month approved the plan for a series of hardware upgrades at factories in Taichung as part of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) five innovative industries policy to stimulate the economy.
The plan is to create a machinery industry environment that is digitally interlinked and turn Taichung into the global capital of “smart” machinery.
The first Industry 4.0 factories are expected to be built in Taichung and then spread toward Changhua, Chiayi and Nantou counties. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/31/2003654185 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/c531732564b9f38b46f0eb1bc3ae22c862bb522b3ecd684d3e635f971b02eb3e.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:37 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | Wade Miley punched a cooler in the dugout after the sixth inning as the frustrated Baltimore Orioles lost again. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654215.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/31/thumbs/P16-160831-314.jpg | en | null | Toronto dominate Orioles to maintain AL East lead | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, BALTIMORE, Maryland
Wade Miley punched a cooler in the dugout after the sixth inning as the frustrated Baltimore Orioles lost again.
Josh Donaldson hit his fourth homer in two days and Jose Bautista also went deep in support of Marco Estrada, leading the Toronto Blue Jays over the fading Orioles 5-1 on Monday night.
Toronto maintained a two-game lead over the Red Sox for the AL East lead, while Baltimore fell four games back.
The Orioles have lost four of five and are clinging to the second wild card.
“We just got to play ball,” Miley said. “We’ve got plenty of games against Toronto. It’s in our own hands. We just got to play ball games.”
Miley (8-11) allowed three runs and five hits while tying a season high with nine strikeouts over seven innings. He has lost three of six starts since being acquired from Seattle on July 31.
“Wade was good,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Mixed in a lot of different looks and gave us a good chance. A good seventh inning to get one more inning out of him.”
Miley retired the first 10 batters before allowing Donaldson’s 34th home run. Troy Tulowitzki gave the Blue Jays a 2-1 lead later that inning with an RBI single.
Bautista provided a two-run cushion when he led off the sixth with his 16th homer, and Miley took out his frustrations on the water cooler a few minutes later.
Estrada (8-6) allowed one run and four hits with four strikeouts over seven-plus innings. The Blue Jays have won three of his four starts against the Orioles this year.
J.J. Hardy provided Baltimore’s only run with his eighth homer in the third, but that was about all Baltimore could muster against Estrada.
“We’ve had trouble with him for a while,” Hardy said. “He locates his pitches, kind of right on the top. His fastball is sneaky. He can elevate it. He can pitch down with it, and his changeup is a really tough pitch.”
Donaldson hit a solo homer in the fourth to tie it 1-1. The reigning AL Most Valuable Player had three homers in a 9-6 win over Minnesota on Sunday.
“He’s such a good player,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “When he’s doing his thing, it makes such a big difference for this team. It really sets everything up.”
The Blue Jays added two more runs in the ninth on an RBI single by Justin Smoak and a fielder’s choice by Devon Travis off Tommy Hunter. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/31/2003654215 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/d1b1ffde193580ea3a7f240b989aab922556dd98a63e6d71af08e83d5fb89437.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:07:11 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach built on commanding first-leg advantages to cruise through the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday, while Russian side Rostov thrashed Ajax 4-1 to reach the group stage for the first time. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653883.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/P16-160826-326.jpg | en | null | Man City leap into Champions League | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, MANCHESTER, England
Manchester City and Borussia Moenchengladbach built on commanding first-leg advantages to cruise through the Champions League playoffs on Wednesday, while Russian side Rostov thrashed Ajax 4-1 to reach the group stage for the first time.
City will play a sixth straight season in Europe’s elite competition after beating Steaua Bucharest 1-0 thanks to Fabian Delph’s 56th-minute goal and completing a 6-0 win on aggregate. Goalkeeper Joe Hart made what could be his last start for City after losing his regular place under new coach Pep Guardiola.
“We have a top manager that the club has wanted for a long, long time, and he’s going to have his opinion on things,” said Hart, who was given a rousing reception by City fans and appeared emotional throughout the match.
“It’s a place I love to be, but situations occur in [soccer]. We’re men, we get on with it,” he said.
Raffael and Thorgan Hazard scored hat-tricks as Moenchengladbach routed BSC Young Boys 6-1 for a 9-2 win on aggregate, sealing an immediate return to the group stage for the German side.
Rostov advanced 5-2 on aggregate over Ajax — a four-time European champion — in their first season trying to qualify for the Champions League. FC Copenhagen is back in the group stage for the second time in four years, after scoring an 86th-minute equalizer to draw 1-1 with APOEL and progress 2-1 on aggregate.
Dinamo Zagreb were the last team to go through, beating Salzburg 2-1 after extra time to advance 3-2 on aggregate. The Croatian team equalized in the 87th minute through Junior Fernandes to take the match to extra time before El Arabi Hilal Soudani grabbed the winner in the 95th minute.
City did the damage with a 5-0 win in Romania last week, allowing Guardiola to rest most of his first-choice players including Sergio Aguero — the scorer of a first-leg hat-trick.
In an exercise in damage limitation, Steaua played with 10 men behind the ball and limited City to half chances until Jesus Navas crossed for Delph to head home.
City lost striker Kelechi Iheanacho to injury in the second half, but the game was overshadowed by Hart’s appearance in goal and emotional scenes after the final whistle when he grabbed the badge on his jersey and saluted the crowd. Hart bit his lip at one stage in the second half when City fans chanted his name.
City is close to purchasing goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from Barcelona, which likely would spell the end of Hart’s decade-long career at Etihad Stadium. Guardiola does not think Hart is good enough with his feet and has told the England international he can leave.
“Outside of the charade and all the rubbish that’s talked, we are dealing [with] it like men inside,’’ Hart said. “We are going to come up with a solution.” | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/26/2003653883 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/d0f55677b789500f25c987312bd4505cd7dc06e4388f6525f5c3710324e0ef6d.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:29 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | The White House says that US President Barack Obama will expand a national monument off the coast of Hawaii, creating the world’s largest marine protected area. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653974.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/27/thumbs/P07-160827-303.jpg | en | null | Obama plans world’s largest marine protected area | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, WASHINGTON
The White House says that US President Barack Obama will expand a national monument off the coast of Hawaii, creating the world’s largest marine protected area.
Obama’s proclamation will quadruple in size a monument originally created by former US president George W. Bush in 2006. The Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument will contain about 1.5 million square kilometers, more than twice the size of Texas.
Obama will travel to the monument next week to mark the designation, and cite the need to protect public lands and waters from climate change.
The designation bans commercial fishing and any new mining, as is the case within the existing monument. Recreational fishing will be allowed through a permit, as will be scientific research and the removal of fish and other resources for Native Hawaiian cultural practices.
Some fishing groups have voiced concerns about what an expansion of the marine national monument would mean for their industry.
Hawaii Longline Association president Sean Martin said he was “disappointed” by Hawaii Governor David Ige’s decision to support expanding the monument.
He said the monument’s expansion would be based on political and not scientific reasons.
Hawaii’s longline fishing fleet supplies a large portion of the fresh tuna and other fish consumed in the state. Martin has previously estimated the fleet catches about 900,000kg of fish annually from the proposed expansion area.
The White House is describing the expansion as helping to protect more than 7,000 species and improving the resiliency of an ecosystem dealing with ocean acidification and warming.
A fact sheet previewing the announcement states that the expanded area is considered a sacred place for Native Hawaiians.
Shipwrecks and downed aircraft from the Battle of Midway in World War II dot the expansion area. The battle marked a major shift in the war. Obama will travel to the Midway Atoll to discuss the expansion.
With the announcement, Obama will have created or expanded 26 national monuments. The administration said Obama has protected more acreage through national monument designations than any other president.
The White House said the expansion is a response to a proposal from US Senator Brian Schatz and prominent Native Hawaiian leaders.
The federal government will also give Hawaii’s Department of Natural Resources and Office of Hawaiian Affairs a greater role in managing the monument, an arrangement requested by Schatz and Ige. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/27/2003653974 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/2b5840ad662494f5e784ddc4f943d6605a97e639ab13ee684463884d34a98139.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:45 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | Twelve people, including seven students, were killed in an attack on the American University in Kabul that sent hundreds of students fleeing in panic, police said yesterday, before the assault ended when two gunmen were shot dead. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653882.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/26/thumbs/P01-160826-327.jpg | en | null | Attack on American University in Kabul leaves 12 dead | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Reuters, KABUL
Twelve people, including seven students, were killed in an attack on the American University in Kabul that sent hundreds of students fleeing in panic, police said yesterday, before the assault ended when two gunmen were shot dead.
The attack began at about 6:30pm on Wednesday with a large explosion that officials said was a car bomb followed by gunfire, as suspected militants moved into the complex, where foreign staff and pupils were working.
Elite Afghan forces surrounded the walled compound and eventually worked their way inside, according to a senior official from the Afghan Ministry of the Interior.
Sporadic gunfire could be heard through the night and, before dawn, police said the operation had concluded after they killed at least two attackers.
There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, in which Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said seven students, three policemen and two security guards were killed, the second incident involving the university this month.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called the assault “a cowardly attempt to hinder progress and development in Afghanistan.”
“Attacking educational institutions and public places and targeting civilians will not only fail to shake our determination, but will further strengthen it to fight and eradicate terror,” Ghani said in a statement.
Muslim militant groups, mainly the Afghan Taliban and a local offshoot of the Islamic State group, have claimed a string of bomb attacks aimed at destabilizing Afghanistan and toppling the Western-backed government of Ghani.
In a statement, the university said it was working with authorities to make sure everyone was accounted for.
“My No. 1 priority at this point is the safety and security of all faculty staff and students,” university president Mark English said.
Fraidoon Obaidi, chief of the Kabul police Criminal Investigation Department, told reporters that police had evacuated between 700 and 750 students from the university, which is popular with the children of Afghanistan’s elite.
Students recounted barricading themselves in classrooms or jumping from windows to escape.
“Many students jumped from the second floor, some broke their legs and some hurt their head trying to escape,” Abdullah Fahimi, a student who escaped, told reporters. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/26/2003653882 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/357c68b3fc55ff2d5476ed3bda87b40f71837043ddba10c21e3dd03f23d77558.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:52:35 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | Venezuela on Saturday sent an opposition leader who was under house arrest back to jail and expelled a delegation of Ecuadoran lawmakers, amid rising political tension over a campaign to recall Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654074.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Caracas imprisons opposition leader, expels Ecuadorans | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, CARACAS
Venezuela on Saturday sent an opposition leader who was under house arrest back to jail and expelled a delegation of Ecuadoran lawmakers, amid rising political tension over a campaign to recall Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
Former San Cristobal mayor Daniel Ceballos was abruptly taken from his home before dawn by members of the Bolivarian Intelligence Service, his wife said on Twitter, posting a video of their vehicles as they drove away.
The Ministry of Interior and Justice said the intelligence service had learned that Ceballos was allegedly getting ready to escape and “lead and coordinate violent acts around the country.”
Patricia de Ceballos said her husband was loaded into an ambulance, where he was shown an order transferring him to a prison in a distant state.
“The transfer of @Daniel_Ceballos to a prison constitutes one more link in a chain of human rights violations against prisoners of conscience,” his lawyer, Juan Carlos Gutierrez, said on Twitter.
Ceballos was the mayor of San Cristobal, a city in the state of Tachira near the border with Colombia, when he was arrested in March 2014, accused of inciting a nationwide wave of anti-government protests in which 43 people were killed.
He was moved to house arrest a year ago for medical reasons.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the expulsion of a group of Ecuadoran lawmakers who had met in Caracas with opposition leaders, accusing them of “destabilizing” activities.
Cynthia Viteri, a member of the Ecuadoran National Congress, said the group was intercepted on Friday by government intelligence personnel outside a military prison where Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez is jailed.
“What we have lived through in #Venezuela was terrifying,” she said on Saturday, adding that the group had now arrived back home.
The incident comes amid rising political tensions as Maduro fends off pressure to hold a recall vote this year that could force him from office.
The opposition has called for a massive march in Caracas on Thursday to press its constitutionally sanctioned demand for the referendum.
Widespread food shortages, inflation topping 700 percent, a deep recession and rampant crime have all fueled calls for a change after 17 years of socialist rule under Maduro and his predecessor, late Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.
Viteri, who arrived in Venezuela on Thursday, had met with opposition leaders in the Venezuelan National Assembly and members of the main opposition coalition.
She and her group were waiting outside the Ramo Verde military prison to meet with Lopez’s wife, Lilian Tintori, when they were picked up, Viteri said.
The agents took their passports and told them they were being “expelled,” she said.
The Ecuadoran Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Integration said that it was “concerned” about the incident and has asked the Venezuelan government for an explanation.
The Venezuelan foreign ministry said that Viteri’s group had “flagrantly” interfered in the country’s internal affairs. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/29/2003654074 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/5c2979e250450a22c4e706dfebb1aefa40a0b33b11a39ba8f3aa3756579974b4.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:51:39 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | The nation’s manufacturing sector reduced its costs by about NT$8.55 billion (US$268.86 million) per year between 2009 and last year by adopting energy efficiency measures, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said yesterday. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654122.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Energy efficiency measures bring big savings to industry | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Staff writer, with CNA
The nation’s manufacturing sector reduced its costs by about NT$8.55 billion (US$268.86 million) per year between 2009 and last year by adopting energy efficiency measures, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said yesterday.
More than 2,800 factories received help from the ministry to become more energy-efficient during that period, saving a total of 533 kiloliters in oil equivalent and 1.27 billion kilowatt-hours each year, the ministry said.
Energy consumption reductions helped the firms cut costs by NT$8.55 billion a year and reduce carbon emissions by 1.64 million tonnes annually, the ministry said.
The Industrial Development Bureau provided wide-ranging assistance over seven years to more than 2,800 firms, helping them to upgrade production equipment, streamline production processes, learn how to improve their waste energy recycling and source alternative fuels, the ministry said.
The bureau came up with about 9,500 solutions during that time to help manufacturers not only cut costs by becoming more energy efficient, but also lower carbon emissions, the ministry said.
For example, a bicycle frame manufacturer reduced its electricity consumption by adopting the use of digital-power meters and a computerized monitoring system, the ministry said.
The company also replaced its production equipment with more energy efficient machinery, all of which have resulted in a savings of NT$6.5 million per year in electricity costs and a 605 tonne reduction in carbon emissions annually, on average, the ministry said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/30/2003654122 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e536fdd3a72b8a70464b59b6853c87a45f911483cdf45ba2f62b44735695c478.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:52:09 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Continuing to play sport despite a concussion doubles recovery time for teen athletes and leads to worse short-term mental function than in those immediately removed from action, a study found. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fsport%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654153.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Playing with concussion doubles recovery time: study | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, CHICAGO
Continuing to play sport despite a concussion doubles recovery time for teen athletes and leads to worse short-term mental function than in those immediately removed from action, a study found.
It has been billed as the first study to compare recovery outcomes for athletes removed from a game or practice compared with those who are not. The study was small, involving 69 teens treated at a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center concussion clinic, but the results bolster evidence supporting the growing number of return-to-play laws and policies in the US.
The study was published yesterday in the journal Pediatrics.
KEEPING SCORE
The study involved athletes, aged 15 on average, from several sports, including football, soccer, ice hockey and basketball, who had concussions during a game or practice. Half continued to play and took 44 days on average to recover from symptoms, versus 22 days in those who were immediately sidelined.
Sidelined players reported symptoms immediately, including dizziness, headaches, mental fogginess and fatigue, and were diagnosed with concussions by trainers or team physicians. The others, who continued playing for 19 minutes on average, delayed reporting symptoms and were diagnosed later.
Those who continued to play had worse scores on mental function tests performed eight days after the concussion and 30 days after the concussion. Medical records showed mental function had been similar in all players before their concussions.
RISKY RETURNS
Return-to-play policies are widespread, especially in youth athletics, and they typically recommend sidelining players after a suspected concussion until symptoms resolve. One of the main reasons is to prevent a rare condition called second-impact syndrome — potentially fatal brain swelling or bleeding that can occur when a player still recovering from a concussion gets hit again in the head.
The study results show that a prolonged recovery is another important risk from returning to play too soon — one that “no one had really calculated” until now, said Allen Sills, a Vanderbilt University neurosurgeon who was not involved in the research.
NOT REPORTED
About 300,000 sports-related concussions occur each year nationwide among all ages. In high-school athletics, they occur at a rate of almost three per 10,000 games or practices.
Evidence suggests that up to 50 percent of concussions in teen sports are not reported. Athletes are sometimes not aware they have experienced a concussion, or they suspect a head injury, but continue playing because “they don’t want to let their teammates down,” said University of Arkansas concussion researcher R.J. Elbin, the study’s lead author.
The results “give us more ammunition” to persuade young athletes to heed the return-to-play advice, Elbin said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2016/08/30/2003654153 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/02584926fa98243f4f51f3b1e67c7d9b96e911bbab4aa81ec859f6db767ac3a5.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:35 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Twelve-year-old Boubacar was picked up from the streets of Senegal’s capital at night by police, along with dozens of other children, in the latest crackdown on begging. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653969.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Senegal seeks solution to child beggar issue | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, DAKAR
Twelve-year-old Boubacar was picked up from the streets of Senegal’s capital at night by police, along with dozens of other children, in the latest crackdown on begging.
The boy was sent to the west African country by his family in neighboring Guinea to study the Koran at one of the capital’s 1,600 Islamic schools, known as daaras. He is among thousands of students, or talibes, sent out by teachers to beg for money and food. Some schools have been accused of keeping the children in unsafe living conditions and abusing them.
“I want to return to my family,” Boubacar said at a transit center for street children.
More than 500 such children have been taken from Dakar’s streets in the past two months.
Senegalese President Macky Sall announced the crackdown in June and said the government will prosecute, fine and jail parents or teachers of the Koran, known as marabouts, who are found guilty of abuses.
“A child’s place is not in the streets ... the children have rights to learn, and to be in good health,” said Maimouna Balde, the director of Centre Ginddi, the main government transit center.
On a hot summer day, dozens of children played games in a room and watched TV as authorities worked to find their families.
Senegal has staged these crackdowns before. Because of resistance from some marabouts and a lack of prosecutions, the abuses have continued and unfit schools remain open.
At least five children living in daaras died in the first half of this year from beatings or traffic accidents while begging, according to Human Rights Watch.
Dozens of children have been beaten, chained, attacked or sexually abused while begging in the past two years, the group said.
“While the government’s recent actions are commendable, removing talibes from the streets will not lead to long-term change unless Koranic schools are regulated and offending teachers are held accountable,” said Corinne Dufka, the rights group’s west Africa director.
Talibes represent about 90 percent of the roughly 30,500 children on the streets, said Niokhobaye Diouf, Senegal’s director of rights for children and vulnerable groups.
At the Centre Ginddi, the children are registered, cleaned up, given clothes and fed. If they come from a daara, they go into Koran classes. They are then reunited with their families, or with marabouts who come to find them. If there is no sign of abuse, they return to the daara.
Senegal’s penal code outlawed begging years ago and the country has ratified all major international conventions on children’s rights. However, previous efforts to enforce the measures on child beggars have fizzled.
In 2010, children were taken off the streets after the US, among other countries, threatened to cut off aid if Senegal did not address human trafficking. In 2013, after nine children died in a fire in a Koranic school in Dakar, the president said the government would close all schools that did not meet basic safety standards.
However, months later no teachers were in custody and no daara had been shut down.
Though arrests of marabouts accused of being abusive have increased slightly in recent years, rights groups say Senegal has prosecuted only a handful of extreme cases.
“The death of talibe children as a result of corporal punishment and abuse by some Koranic teachers must no longer remain unpunished,” said Mamadou Wane, president of the Platform for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, a coalition of 40 Senegalese children’s rights organizations. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/27/2003653969 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/3b43bae70504aeaa6a83e73f5ee4f7f7f4c99c60c23c2b1979880c330baab7a5.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T16:51:46 | null | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Wei Chia-hsien (魏嘉賢) yesterday won the Hualien City mayoral by-election, overthrowing the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) rule of the city. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffront%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F28%2F2003654011.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/28/thumbs/P01-160828-4.jpg | en | null | KMT’s Wei wins Hualien by-election | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Chen Wei-han / Staff reporter
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Wei Chia-hsien (魏嘉賢) yesterday won the Hualien City mayoral by-election, overthrowing the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) rule of the city.
Wei won the by-election against his DPP opponent, Chang Mei-hui (張美慧), by a comfortable margin, with 17,923 votes to 13,958.
Wei secured 54.17 percent of the vote against Chang’s 42.18 percent, with a voter turnout of 40.87 percent.
Wei declared victory about 80 minutes after ballot counting began at 4pm, thanking supporters in an emotional speech.
“I will dedicate myself over the next two years and four months. I will prove myself to voters,” Wei said. “I will serve all residents with utmost sincerity to make Hualien a city of warmth, a city that residents can be proud of.”
KMT Secretary-General Mo Tien-hu (莫天虎) expressed gratitude to voters at a post-election news conference, saying the KMT’s victory was an indicator of the public’s feelings toward the DPP government.
KMT Culture and Communications Committee director Chow Chi-wai (周志偉) said the fact that Wei was able to win the election, despite the DPP’s “mudslinging and use of government resources” during the campaign, indicated that the public was dissatisfied with the DPP government.
“The DPP has to learn its lesson from the election’s result. Its control of the legislature and the central government does not allow it to abuse its power,” Chow said.
“If the DPP cannot refrain from ideological manipulation or the fanning of populist sentiment in hunting down the KMT, it will suffer more defeats in coming elections,” Chow said.
Chang congratulated Wei and encouraged him to continue late Hualien Mayor Tien Chih-hsuan’s (田智宣) unfinished work to improve residents’ well-being.
“Although I lost the election, I will serve the city in any capacity to continue Tien’s legacy,” Chang said.
Chang was the wife of Tien, who died of lung cancer on May 29. The by-election was held to fill the opening left by his death.
Tien won the Hualien mayoral election in 2014 with 62.15 percent of the vote.
DPP spokesman Wang Min-sheng (王閔生) said the party humbly accepted the defeat and congratulated Wei on his victory.
“Although the election’s result is disappointing, the DPP will not depart from its ideals of integrity and diligence, and it will continue to carry out reform in Hualien,” Wang said.
Yesterday’s by-election was the second local election since President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) assumed office on May 20.
A by-election for mayor of Changhua County’s Tianwei Township (田尾) was held on July 23, which the incumbent KMT won. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/08/28/2003654011 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/7e74e0d26d3c9a3e3474c050c92785147c2c356e206715a315553df5db8e2990.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:52:20 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | After a four-year absence from theaters, Ang Lee will return this fall with a searing film about young American war heroes that may land him in the Oscar race. But the movie, billed as a cinematic leap forward because of the digitally radical way it was shot, has faced a major question. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffeat%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654069.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/29/thumbs/P08-160829-324.jpg | en | null | 120 frames a second | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Brooks Barnes / NY Times News Service
After a four-year absence from theaters, Ang Lee will return this fall with a searing film about young American war heroes that may land him in the Oscar race. But the movie, billed as a cinematic leap forward because of the digitally radical way it was shot, has faced a major question.
Because few commercial theaters have projection systems that are technologically advanced enough, will anyone even be able to see Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk with all of Lee’s bells and whistles?
At the very least, New Yorkers will.
The New York Film Festival said Monday that it would host the world premiere of Lee’s film on Oct. 14 in a theater — a relatively small one, with just 300 seats — rigged with projectors capable of playing the film in 3-D, 4K ultra-high-definition and at the extremely fast speed of 120 frames a second. No film has ever been shown publicly that way before, according to the festival and Sony Pictures, which will release Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk nationally on Nov. 11.
It may sound like technobabble, but Lee’s blend of visual formats is a major departure for movie exhibition, particularly when it comes to the speed. Films have been presented almost exclusively at 24 frames a second since the 1920s. To a degree, that rate gives cinema its otherworldly quality — the blur when cameras pan from side to side, for instance.
To achieve a sharper picture and limit the eye strain that can affect 3-D viewers, some filmmakers are experimenting with higher speeds. Peter Jackson tried 48 frames a second with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2012; James Cameron is considering higher-speed cinematography for Avatar sequels. But no mainstream director has pushed as far as Lee, who has a history of embracing new technology.
“I thought Billy’s journey, which is both intimate and epic, and told almost entirely from his point of view, lent itself particularly well to the emotion and intensity that this new approach fosters,” Lee said in a statement. He added that technology “should always be in service of artistic expression, to make it strong and fresh, because story and drama matter most.”
Marc Platt, one of the film’s producers, said in an e-mail that “movies today need to give audiences compelling reasons to escape their devices, and that means taking risks.”
The film is considered a risk partly because the hyperreality lent by the cinematography technology could be unsettling to viewers. “Test subjects that have seen some footage have commented that 40 minutes after seeing battle footage, they’re still shaking,” Ben Gervais, a production systems supervisor on the film, told Variety in April.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, an adaptation of Ben Fountain’s novel, is about a hero in the Iraq War (played by Joe Alwyn) who is whisked back to the US with fellow veterans after a harrowing battle. They go on a victory tour that ends with a halftime show at a Thanksgiving football game. The cast includes Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Vin Diesel and Steve Martin. Sony and its partners spent a little under US$40 million to make the movie.
It is expected that the specially outfitted theater, which is at AMC Lincoln Square, will play Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk when the film begins its theatrical run shortly after the end of the New York Film Festival. Moviegoers elsewhere will have to make do with whatever local multiplexes can provide. There are theaters, for instance, that can play a movie at 120 frames a second, though not in 3-D. Even IMAX theaters can play 3-D movies only at a maximum of 60 frames a second. (Regardless of the setup, it will look sharper than a standard movie.) | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/08/29/2003654069 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e402d8b4e0fcd8b3640170013f68f7ee6f3930fe297af760bb3d0abcef7b69b0.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:35 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | The long-anticipated Taichung Metropolitan Opera House is to begin trial operations today and is scheduled to officially open on Sept. 30, with the Taichung City Government yesterday donating the theater to the Ministry of Culture. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653895.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Taichung opera house starts trial operations today | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | Staff writer, with CNA
The long-anticipated Taichung Metropolitan Opera House is to begin trial operations today and is scheduled to officially open on Sept. 30, with the Taichung City Government yesterday donating the theater to the Ministry of Culture.
“The National Taichung Theater [Metropolitan Opera House] is not only a new Taichung landmark and beautiful soul of the city, [its inauguration] is also a milestone for Taiwan’s performing arts, which has entered a new stage of development,” Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said.
The opera house will support the development of performing arts groups in central Taiwan, train local theater professionals, promote art education and become a networking platform for domestic and international performing arts groups, Cheng said.
Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said construction took more than 10 years and cost NT$4.3 billion (US$135.76 million), but the result is an award-winning venue that he believes will play an important part in national arts and cultural development.
The eye-catching complex was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize-winning Japanese architect Toyo Ito and boasts a 2,014-seat grand theater, an 800-seat theater and a 200-seat black-box theater.
Architecturally complex and highly challenging from an engineering perspective, the theater was built without beams or columns, relying instead on 58 curved wall units.
It is believed to be the first theater in the world to employ such techniques and is one of the most difficult to build.
The opera house has been touted as a leg of the “golden triangle” for the performing arts in Taiwan, alongside Taipei’s National Theater and Concert Hall and Kaohsiung’s Wei Wu Ying Center for the Arts, with the latter to be inaugurated in 2018.
National Taichung Theater artistic and executive director Victoria Wang (王文儀) said there is a vibrant traditional performing arts scene in central Taiwan and the opera house will work to bring these local groups to the international stage.
She said the opera house would feature a mix of 70 percent local programs and 30 percent international programs, and would cooperate with Taichung music groups and students to introduce at least one original or adapted opera piece each year. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/26/2003653895 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/ae7e3fd3f84b3de37b59e087499bf5309ccf2e34a7364f58249f7ec68173c85f.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:54:11 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | A strong typhoon slammed into northeastern Japan yesterday, dumping heavy rain and generating high waves that caused flooding along the Pacific coast. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654241.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/31/thumbs/P06-160831-309.jpg | en | null | Typhoon Lionrock slams into northeastern Japan | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AFP, TOKYO
A strong typhoon slammed into northeastern Japan yesterday, dumping heavy rain and generating high waves that caused flooding along the Pacific coast.
Typhoon Lionrock made landfall near the city of Ofunato shortly before 6pm, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, after moving up Japan’s Pacific Ocean coastline.
Packing wind gusts up to 162kph, the storm was moving northwest at 50kph, it said.
It is the first typhoon to directly land in the region from the Pacific Ocean since the country’s present weather observation system was introduced in 1951, the agency said.
Typhoons usually approach Japan from the south and southwest before moving northward across the archipelago.
Authorities warned of landslides and high water due to expected heavy rain of up to 8cm per hour. Landfall, which came at high tide, brought flooding along the coast.
TV footage showed local residents struggling to walk amid water above their knees in the city of Miyako, where some cars were half-submerged and about 600 people were advised to evacuate.
Miyako was one of the northeastern coastline cities hit in March 2011 by a deadly tsunami generated by a massive magnitude 9.0 offshore earthquake, which also triggered meltdown at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
Local authorities were using heavy machinery to pile huge sandbags along the coast in a bid to hold back raging waves, as they opened up some public buildings for use as shelters.
Schools were closed across the affected area, broadcasters reported.
At the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant, efforts were made to secure construction cranes and equipment from violent winds, operator Tokyo Electric Power Co said, adding that some sensitive decommissioning work was suspended.
The typhoon was affecting manufacturing and travel, with Toyota suspending production at two of its plants in the region, the company said.
About 120 domestic flights have also been canceled, public broadcaster NHK said.
In the northern part of the country, some Shinkansen bullet trains were suspended. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/31/2003654241 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/b609030da590accc3763f520d15c95590d7f9d7ec15cb1bef0a0e9a6ec6ebbf7.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:52:51 | null | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | The more than 430 fundraisers posted on the GoFundMe Web site after the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando have exposed weaknesses inherent in these popular do-it-yourself charity campaigns: waste, questionable intentions and little oversight. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F29%2F2003654112.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Scams taint Orlando charity ‘deluge’ | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, PLYMOUTH, Massachusetts
The more than 430 fundraisers posted on the GoFundMe Web site after the mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando have exposed weaknesses inherent in these popular do-it-yourself charity campaigns: waste, questionable intentions and little oversight.
The fundraisers — an average of more than four for each of the 49 killed and 53 wounded — include travelers asking for cash, a practitioner of ancient healing, a personal safety instructor who sells quick loaders for assault rifles and even convicted identity impostors.
“There was a deluge,” said Holly Salmons, president of the Better Business Bureau for Central Florida. “It was almost impossible for us or anyone else to be able to vet.”
The officially sanctioned Equality Florida campaign raised more than US$7 million via GoFundMe, but another US$1.3 million went to smaller appeals — mostly set up by people with little or no charity experience.
The Associated Press examined 30 campaigns chosen from throughout the lengthy list produced by a GoFundMe search for “Orlando shootings.” Within a month of the June 12 shootings, they had raised more than US$265,000.
Half said donations would be used for legitimate-sounding purposes: to cover funeral, medical and other costs.
However, most campaigns lacked key details, such as exactly what the donations would cover or even who was asking for them.
One man wanted money for travel costs to Orlando to shoot independent news video. He had not raised anything two months later. Another organizer raised just US$25 for travel money to hold a community healing ceremony inspired by ancient shamanic rituals. She dropped that plan in favor of sending painted rocks with an inspiring word of support.
Several businesses asked for contributions. One appeal raised US$1,375 from 14 donors within two months to keep open a hair salon run by partners killed in the attack. A counseling center raised US$150 to subsidize services to victims, but closed its campaign when it found grant money elsewhere.
Weapons-accessory dealer Craig Berberich, of Bradenton, Florida, proposed holding public classes on personal safety. He posted a link to his business at the bottom of his appeal.
He said he “wasn’t trying to promote my business.”
Then he added: “I hope we didn’t give the impression that we were a charity.”
Efe Atalay, of Clermont, Florida, raised US$1,145 from 81 donors to buy security wands for nightclub entrances, but did not say which clubs and spoke vaguely of lobbying politicians to require such security measures. He did not respond to e-mails sent to his GoFundMe address.
Florida charities law requires no filings by crowdfunding campaigns meant for particular victims or their families or in support of other established charities.
GoFundMe spokesman Bobby Whithorne said the Web site’s staffers were vetting the Orlando campaigns before releasing funds and only a small fraction of a percent of past appeals involved outright fraud. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/29/2003654112 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/68efe4638a659a4593f0ac48537477700edcee93e1623ecdecb670c73f508ac9.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:51:05 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | The results of a survey commissioned by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus showed that 50 percent of the respondents have little confidence in President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) policy implementation. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ftaiwan%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653958.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | KMT-commissioned survey finds voters’ confidence in Tsai government fading | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Alison Hsiao / Staff reporter
The results of a survey commissioned by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus showed that 50 percent of the respondents have little confidence in President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) policy implementation.
The KMT caucus yesterday publicized the survey, in which 42.3 percent responded positively when asked if they “have confidence in Tsai’s future policy implementation [as] the Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] administration has made many policy flip-flops since it took office in May.”
A cross-analysis of the survey, conducted by Trend Survey and Research, showed that 91.1 percent of “deep-blue” respondents have little faith in Tsai, while 73.9 percent of “light-blue” respondents said the same.
Among those who identified themselves as independent, or neither pan-blue nor pan-green, 60.4 percent said they have little faith in Tsai, while 31.4 percent of “light-green” respondents and 17.8 percent of “deep-green” respondents answered likewise.
Of recent government measures, the survey showed that people are most dissatisfied with the government’s solution to the dispute involving laid-off toll collectors, with 64.9 percent of the respondents voicing disapproval and only a 25.1 percent approval rate.
The second-largest issue was personnel appointments, with 49.9 percent not satisfied and 36.3 percent satisfied; 46.2 percent of those surveyed said they were not satisfied with the government’s protection measures for labor rights, while 36.3 percent said the otherwise; 46.1 percent believed there is much room for improvement in the government’s ability to handle a crisis, while 43.4 percent said they are satisfied.
Forty-three percent are not satisfied with the cross-strait relationship, while 35.8 percent are; the government’s moves to advance economic development have left 41.2 percent of the respondents unhappy while garnering the approval of 36.2 percent of the respondents.
KMT caucus secretary-general Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said various polls have shown a decline in the Tsai administration’s approval ratings and the president should no longer consider the frustration as coming only from the blue camp.
KMT Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) said Tsai’s policies in the first 100 days of her governance were “all catered to deep-green voters,”
“Tsai, as president, needs to respond to the needs of all and care about the feelings of independent and blue-camp voters as well,” Lin said.
The telephone survey was conducted between Sunday and Tuesday with 1,094 effective samples and a margin of error of 2.96 percentage points. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2016/08/27/2003653958 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/5db80f02c578cd5ca8e5ac66dd7eb17b7a9df5478474e6e8160a545c2e06e467.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:53:58 | null | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | How do you steal 500 cows? Probably not all at once, according to New Zealand police, who yesterday said that they were investigating reports of the unlikely crime at a South Island farm. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fworld%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F31%2F2003654240.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Thieves rustle 500 cows from under NZ farmer’s nose | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | AP, WELLINGTON
How do you steal 500 cows? Probably not all at once, according to New Zealand police, who yesterday said that they were investigating reports of the unlikely crime at a South Island farm.
Locals said they had never before heard of cattle rustling on such a massive scale, and that is in a nation that is home to about 10 million cows, more than double the number of people.
The farmer involved is feeling too sheepish to talk about what happened, according to friend Willy Leferink.
“He’s absolutely gobsmacked, and deeply embarrassed,’’ Leferink said. “If you had three-quarters of a million [New Zealand] dollars go missing, you wouldn’t want to talk about it either.”
Leferink said each milking cow was worth about NZ$1,500 (US$1,084) and weighed more than half a tonne.
He said the cows could have been taken from the herd of 1,300 near the town of Ashburton anytime between early last month, when they were last counted, and late this month.
He said the cows were not being milked because it was winter, but the farmer did notice they were not chewing through as much feed as normal.
Police said the incident came as a reminder to farmers that they should be checking their fences and counting their stock regularly.
“It’s unlikely the theft of hundreds of animals could be completed at once, and is more likely that multiple thefts could be carried out over a period of time,” police sergeant Scott Banfield said in a statement.
Leferink said a trailer-truck would need to be loaded 13 times to move all the cattle.
“There have to be a number of people involved,” Leferink said. “That’s the biggest chance we have, of somebody cracking at some stage.”
He said the thieves would face a tough time trying to fence the cows, because each one comes with an electronic identification tag in its ear, adding that the tags could be removed, but that an honest dealer would not buy a cow without a tag.
Leferink said farmers can sometimes be relaxed about security.
“They’re good-natured and haven’t got evil thoughts in them,” he said. “This is very hard to deal with.” | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2016/08/31/2003654240 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/39ed58e034b10288301b27e7c535d1f64f57f0b34fa316c83a36faf0337b5f01.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:52:37 | null | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | Old masters, new world. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Ffeat%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F30%2F2003654142.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/30/thumbs/P13-160830-302.jpg | en | null | Can the old masters be relevant again? | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Robin Pogrebin By Robin Pogrebin / NY Times News Service
Old masters, new world.
At Christie’s over the last few weeks, two experts in old master paintings and drawings quietly left the auction house.
Their departures followed a year of spotty sales, in which the values of works by old masters — a pantheon of European painters working before around 1800 — fell by 33 percent, according to a Tefaf Art Market Report.
At a time when contemporary art is all the rage among collectors, viewers and donors, many experts are questioning whether old master artwork — once the most coveted — can stay relevant at auction houses, galleries and museums.
ELUSIVE PROFITS
Having struggled with shrinking inventory and elusive profits, auction houses appear to be devoting most of their attention and resources to contemporary art, the most popular area of their business.
“They want to be associated with the new and the now,” said Edward Dolman, chairman and chief executive of Phillips auction house, who spent much of his career at Christie’s chasing works by old masters but now focuses on contemporary art.
“We have no intention of selling old masters pictures or 18th, 19th-century pictures, because these markets are now so small and dwindling,” he added. “The new client base at the auction houses — and the collecting tastes of those clients — have moved away from this veneration of the past.”
A shortage of old master treasures, fewer up-and-coming old master specialists and public attention on the highest-selling pictures (which are in the contemporary market) are partly responsible for the shift in emphasis.
London dealer Guy Sainty, who has long specialized in old masters, said that he is mystified and frustrated. “I’ve been an art dealer for nearly 40 years, and I just don’t get it — I don’t understand where the collectors have gone, the people with knowledge,” he said. “There’s a sense somewhere that the American collector has simply lost interest in European culture.”
The old masters category generally denotes the period after the Renaissance and mostly describes European artists — including da Vinci, Raphael, Goya and El Greco — who were known for their highly detailed, realistic paintings and drawings, along with the floral still lifes of Dutch masters like Jan Brueghel the Elder.
To be sure, there is still a public appetite for viewing old masters. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s show Vigee Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France, for example, drew more than 165,000 visitors. The Getty and the Frick Collection, which focus on historic works, say attendance remains strong.
When prime masterworks do come up for auction, they perform well, as evidenced by the US$58 million paid in July for Peter Paul Rubens’ Lot and His Daughters at Christie’s London’s old masters sale, the second-most expensive work ever sold at auction by the artist.
CONNOISSEURS?
But masterpieces surface only rarely; private owners tend to hold onto them, as do museums. “It’s a real supply problem,” Dolman said.
An appreciation for old masters, experts say, also requires a deeper history of collecting and an educated eye. Christie’s, for example, trains its old master specialists for six to seven years, whereas its contemporary experts get three to four years. And new collectors tend to find contemporary art more accessible.
“People who buy into the old master field have more connoisseurship — maybe more passion,” said Christophe Van de Weghe, a Madison Avenue dealer specializing in blue-chip work by modern masters from Matisse to Basquiat. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/08/30/2003654142 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/cc5b336e22af3899c84cf2ed7bef5ee99f1c7718abb5104f1796716633393e18.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:49:57 | null | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | Uber Technologies Inc has upended the transportation industry in the span of a few years, but the ride-hailing company has been losing a lot of money while doing so. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Fbiz%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F27%2F2003653934.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/2016/08/27/thumbs/P10-160827-307.jpg | en | null | Uber first-half loss likely to top US$1.2bn: source | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | NY Times News Service
Uber Technologies Inc has upended the transportation industry in the span of a few years, but the ride-hailing company has been losing a lot of money while doing so.
Uber recorded losses of about US$1.2 billion in the first half of this year, according to a person briefed on the company’s financial data, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
More than half of those losses, or about US$750 million, accrued in the second quarter, the person said.
An Uber spokesman declined to comment. Bloomberg previously reported on Uber’s financial information.
The numbers underscore the difficulties that Uber and similar firms face when trying to build and expand globally.
As Uber has opened operations in numerous cities around the world, it has needed to spend to recruit drivers, to market its service, and to take on regulators and established taxi companies. The company has also paid for driver and rider incentives in the form of subsidies.
As a result, Uber has been on a fundraising tear. The company, valued at more than US$62 billion by investors, has been raising billions of US dollars every few months.
In June, the company garnered US$3.5 billion from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, one of the single largest investments ever in a private technology company.
Much of Uber’s heavy losses in the first half were attributed to the company paying subsidies to attract riders and drivers, especially in China, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
Uber spent the last two years fighting a war in China against Didi Chuxing (滴滴出行), the incumbent ride-hailing giant in the country. Both companies spent billions of US dollars subsidizing rides in the race to gain market share.
The company posted significant revenue growth in the second quarter of this year, the person said, including a 31 percent jump to more than US$5 billion in second-quarter bookings, a method of accounting that includes the money paid out to Uber drivers.
Net revenue, the amount Uber pulls in after paying out commissions to drivers, was about US$960 million in the first quarter, before jumping to US$1.1 billion in the second quarter, the person said. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2016/08/27/2003653934 | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/e05f9710c9fedb889c8f3fbb828d2883150c800b0f4aaa9f3d47991ea25ee5d6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:06:05 | null | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) won the presidential election with massive public support, but only three months after taking office her approval ratings have plummeted. Although she still has many supporters who defend her vigorously on the Internet and in the media, and although opinion polls cannot be the only yardstick against which to run a nation, it is undeniable that her policies over the past three months have not won the hearts and minds of the public. | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.taipeitimes.com%2FNews%2Feditorials%2Farchives%2F2016%2F08%2F26%2F2003653868.json | http://www.taipeitimes.com/images/logo.gif | en | null | Fishermen suffering under Tsai | null | null | www.taipeitimes.com | By Du Yu 杜宇
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) won the presidential election with massive public support, but only three months after taking office her approval ratings have plummeted. Although she still has many supporters who defend her vigorously on the Internet and in the media, and although opinion polls cannot be the only yardstick against which to run a nation, it is undeniable that her policies over the past three months have not won the hearts and minds of the public.
It would be wrong to say that disaster is afoot because Tsai is not fit for her position, but unless Tsai and her administration are able to humbly face problems and adjust their policymaking — rather than following in the footsteps of the previous administration by using the government apparatus to advance its election campaigns, turning social problems into political issues and trying to fend off social movements by inviting activists to join the government and patting them on the back — public discontent can be expected to increase.
Moreover, the public will not necessarily vote for a candidate just because they are a member of their preferred political party. Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) no longer looks like a shoo-in for the 2018 local elections.
It is the worst of times and it is also the best of times. Anyone who wants to contest the elections should make their preparations as soon as possible. Instead of following the tradition of using vote captains to find sponsors, they should draw up a step-by-step blueprint for the betterment of agricultural cities and counties rather than chanting empty slogans.
They should create a fresh image to show how much they care for these places in order to win a majority of public support, especially from younger voters, and show how they want to help agricultural cities and counties, such as Chiayi, Yunlin and Pingtung counties and rural Kaohsiung catch up with the main cities.
According to the latest poll conducted by Taiwan Indicators Survey research, Tsai, who had a 90 percent support rating in Kaohsiung and Tainan, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Chiayi counties, now has a disapproval rating of more than 30 percent in those same areas.
Of course, the nation’s economy has not significantly recovered; peoples lives have still not taken a turn for the better and most wages have stagnated. At the same time, the cost of daily necessities continues to rise. The public is hurting.
On top of that, most government ministers are out of touch with the public, which comes as a blow to Tsai’s supporters, who had high expectations of her administration. Notably, southern Taiwan is a stronghold for the nation’s agricultural and fishery activities, on which many families’ livelihoods depend.
Some products, such as sugar-apple, pineapple, grouper, milkfish, turtle egg and Pacific saury, are being met with decreased demand and potentially falling prices, as the dispute over the so-called “1992 consensus” has led to strained cross-strait relations, which translates into an absence of the previously easy-to-access Chinese market.
Tsai promised in her election campaign that she would help farmers and fishermen find other, more profitable, foreign markets, but she has not put her promise into action. Nor has she come up with any preventive measures to combat extreme weather conditions, leaving farmers and fishermen anxious about the lack of return on the capital and labor they invested. The poll results are a reflection of these concerns. | http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2016/08/26/2003653868 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.taipeitimes.com/afb07be3926174b171399e749eb3e4aea1db44cfd1af3a2d9937fcd4519512a8.json |
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