Jewish community leader dies aged 103Staff Writer, with CNAEphraim Ferdinand Einhorn, a local Jewish leader, died at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei on Wednesday after a long illness, the Taiwan Jewish Community said. Einhorn, who died three days after his 103rd birthday, had for many years been a much-respected spiritual leader of the community, the group said in a statement. Einhorn, who was born in Vienna in 1918, was trained as a rabbi in London. Besides officiating at religious services, he also ran a business, World Patent Trading Co, that developed corporate promotional giveaways. He was also a participant in the local expatriate community, holding memberships in the Rotary Club, American Club, American Chamber of Commerce and the European Chamber of Commerce.

Mayfield delivers strong message to Browns after lossAP, BEREA, OhioCleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield might have saved his strongest delivery for Sunday’s post-game. Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, right, hands off to running back Nick Chubb in their NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday. Photo: AFP“We should have won that game,” Mayfield said he told them. For Mayfield, that last, forced pass seemed to eclipse all of the good ones that he made in a duel with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Mayfield was poised to lead the Browns to a comeback win, but came up short.

DPP seeks action on trade pact before 2022By Chien Hui-ju and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan should join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) before China becomes a member of the trade group, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers said yesterday. Taiwan would lose its shot at joining if China joins the pact, DPP Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) told a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesChinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in November last year told an APEC summit that Beijing wants to join the pact. Singapore is to chair the trade pact next year, with Singaporean Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan tapped to take the post, he said, adding that Balakrishnan has voiced support for a Chinese bid. Taiwan must prepare a bid by amending laws, mustering public support and lobbying foreign governments, Chiu said.

European vehicle sales fall further amid chip crunchBloombergAuto sales are deteriorating in Europe, with months of meek recovery giving way to deliveries that no longer even measure up to last year’s pandemic-depressed results. New vehicle registrations fell 18 percent last month and 24 percent in July from a year earlier, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said yesterday. “The chip shortage is causing production losses, and demand that’s actually high can’t be met,” EY said in a note. The declines were broad-based, with Europe’s biggest auto markets — Germany, France, the UK, Italy and Spain — all seeing double-digit drops each month. Among the largest automakers, European sales fell 14 percent for Volkswagen Group, 29 percent for Stellantis NV and 23 percent for Renault SA last month.

Security pact exposes New Zealand’s nuclear divideThe Guardian, CHRISTCHURCH, New ZealandNew Zealand is not part of a new security pact between Australia, the UK and the US, in what experts say is an illustration of the distance between the country and its traditional allies. On Wednesday, Australia, the UK and the US announced a security partnership, AUKUS, aimed at confronting China, which is to include helping Australia to acquire nuclear-powered submarines. New Zealand’s longstanding nuclear-free policy also means that Australian submarines developed under the deal are banned from New Zealand waters. “New Zealand’s position in relation to the prohibition of nuclear-powered vessels in our waters remains unchanged,” New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said yesterday. The new agreement “in no way changes our security and intelligence ties with these three countries, as well as Canada,” Ardern said.

“The endeavor we launch today will help sustain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” they said. The ministry yesterday reiterated its shared values with like-minded partners. Taiwan is in a pivotal position in the first island chain, and has long shared the benefits of regional peace and stability with Australia, the UK, the US and other like-minded states, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement. The emergence of AUKUS shows that China’s “wolf warrior” diplomacy is not accepted by the international community, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said separately. Countries have to bear China’s dumping practices even as it boosts its military expansionism through economic growth, Tsai said.

Australia approves controversial coal project as climate warnings mountAFP, SYDNEYAustralia yesterday approved a controversial coal mine extension, doubling down on a commitment to continue extracting fossil fuels, despite growing pressure to cut carbon emissions. However, while the federal judge ruled that the government must take into account the damage the project would do to the group’s health, wealth and well-being, he rejected their calls for an injunction to stop the project outright. “The minister has a duty to take reasonable care to avoid causing personal injury to the children when deciding ... to approve or not approve the extension project,” Justice Mordy Bromberg found. Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of coal and natural gas, but has also suffered under increasingly extreme climate-fueled droughts, floods and bushfires in recent years. A study published in the journal Nature last week found that 89 percent of global coal reserves — and 95 percent of Australia’s share — must be left untouched to address the climate crisis.

Experts comment on US mulling ‘Taiwan office’TESTING THE WATERS: Making the considerations public a day after a Biden-Xi phone call indicates that the US is testing China’s reaction, a think tank head said A Financial Times report that the US is considering allowing Taiwan to change the name of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington to feature the name “Taiwan” highlighted Washington’s “two-pronged” approach to China, a researcher said yesterday. The report on Friday said that Washington might allow the nation to change the office’s name to “Taiwan Representative Office.” The report came after US President Joe Biden on Thursday spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) by telephone for the first time since February. A White House readout of the call said that “the two leaders discussed the responsibility of bothBy Wu Su-wei and William Hetherington

An aerial photograph shows commercial and residential buildings in New Taipei City on Sept. 5. Photo: Lai Hsiao-tung, Taipei TimesImprovements in infrastructure and the relative affordability of homes accounted for the changes, it added. Housing prices in Taipei are approximately 15.54 times the median annual household income, compared with 12.25 times in New Taipei City, the company said, citing first-quarter statistics from the Ministry of the Interior. Relative housing affordability and the expansion of MRT lines have made New Taipei City a popular choice for residence, the developer said. Given the growth trend, rezoned areas in New Taipei City are in need of new elementary and junior high schools to accommodate new students, it said.

COVID-19: Second shots for people over the age of 75 start todayBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterAdults aged 75 and older who received a first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine before July 9 are eligible to receive a second dose starting today, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. Medical staff administer second doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination to people at a vaccination station in Taipei yesterday. Chen confirmed that 1.08 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, as well as about 640,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, would arrive in Taiwan today. On Wednesday, 201,189 doses of COVID-19 vaccines were administered, of which 39,511 were first doses and 161,678 were second doses, CECC data showed. As of Wednesday, 12,708,428 COVID-19 vaccine doses — 11,483,332 first doses and 1,225,096 second doses — had been given since vaccinations began on March 22, the data showed.

Vectura shareholders back takeover by Philip MorrisReutersCigarette maker Philip Morris International Inc (PMI) has clinched a ￡1 billion (US$1.38 billion) takeover of inhaler maker Vectura Group PLC after winning the backing of about 75 percent of the British company’s shareholders. Vectura shareholders had until Wednesday to decide whether to support the ￡1.65 per share bid from Philip Morris, which sought to buy the London-listed asthma drug maker as part of its plan to go “smoke-free” and switch to healthcare and wellness products. A Philip Morris logo is pictured on a factory in Serrieres near Neuchatel, Switzerland, on Dec. 8. The switch allowed PMI to require the support of holders of slightly more than 50 percent of Vectura shares for the deal to go through. The US-based company has also extended the deadline to Sept. 30 for the remaining Vectura shareholders to tender their shares.

Google to grow local staff with recruitment driveBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterAs Google expands its footprint in Taiwan, it plans to recruit software and hardware talent for its Google Nest smart device team, a chip development team, and teams to support its Pixel and Chromebook products, Google Taiwan said yesterday. “There will always be openings for software engineers, hardware engineers and project managers,” Google Taiwan human resources head Vanessa Lu (呂亞樵) said. The Google logo is displayed at the Google Taiwan office’s entrance in New Taipei City’s Banciao District on Jan. 27. Lu also doused some “urban myths” about how Taiwanese candidates can boost their chances of landing a coveted job at Google. These false beliefs include: “Google’s Taiwanese staff are paid less” and “Goggle is only looking for graduates from top schools who speak fluent English,” she said.

COVID-19: CECC reports one local infectionCAUTIOUS START: As the COVID-19 outbreak appears to be stabilizing, New Taipei City’s mayor said that starting today, restaurants in the city can resume dine-in servicesStaff writer, with CNAThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported one local and four imported COVID-19 cases and no deaths. The local case is a woman who cleans airplane cabins at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and has been confirmed to have the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, the CECC said. She tested positive for COVID-19 two days later as part of routine testing of airport staff, the center said. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung gives the daily update on Taiwan’s COVID-19 situation at a news conference at the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) in Taipei yesterday. In other developments, New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) yesterday said that starting today, restaurants in the city can resume dine-in services.

KMT committee rescinds decision to refer Chang‘VERBAL ATTACKS’: Chang Ya-chung yesterday said that the controversy had caused people to question the neutrality of the party’s election officialsBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) election supervisory body yesterday revoked a controversial decision to refer KMT chair candidate Chang Ya-chung (張亞中) to the party’s disciplinary committee. The election committee also said that it would postpone a series of regional platform presentations for the candidates until after the disciplinary committee had ruled on the matter. New Taipei City Councilor Chen Ming-yi (陳明義), who represents Chiang on the election committee, was not at the meeting when the decision was made, Chiang said. Chu later on Monday said that he hoped the disciplinary committee would not penalize Chang, and called on Chiang and the KMT Central Standing Committee to “revoke the order” to refer Chang to the disciplinary committee. The election committee met yesterday and approved a proposal from Chen to rescind both the decision to refer Chang to the disciplinary committee and to postpone the regional platform presentations, the KMT said.

Quintuple Stimulus Voucher bookings to begin on Oct. 4Staff writer, with CNAPeople would be able to make reservations to receive printed versions of the Quintuple Stimulus Vouchers, valued at NT$5,000, from Oct. 4 to 30, Chunghwa Post said yesterday. Premier Su Tseng-chang presents samples of the Quintuple Stimulus Vouchers at a news conference in Taipei on Thursday last week. Chunghwa Post said post offices would likely be busiest during the first two or three weeks after the voucher program is launched, when it expects about 500,000 pickups per day. To meet demand, all 1,269 post offices nationwide are to extend their opening hours on two Saturdays, Oct. 16 and 23, it said. Those who opt for digital vouchers can apply for them using digital payment services from Wednesday next week, with the vouchers valid from Oct. 8, it has said.