Taiwan is democracy ‘bright spot’: CNN
Taiwan is democracy ‘bright spot’: CNNHARD-WON FREEDOM: CNN’s Fareed Zakaria said that power has been increasingly consolidated in the hands of the public, with soaring engagement online and offlineBy Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writerTaiwan is a “bright spot” of democracy in a world becoming steadily less democratic, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria said on Sunday, before warning about its fragility in the face of autocratic adversity. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, right, speaks with Financial Times associated editor Rana Foroohar during a CEO Dialogue forum hosted by APEC on Nov. 19 last year. Photo: Reuters“But amidst all this backsliding, there is one bright spot: Taiwan,” Zakaria said, citing last year’s Democracy Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit. “The success of this election is a testament to the strength of Taiwan’s democracy,” which only began electing lawmakers in 1992, Zakaria said. Taiwan’s COVID-19 response then “boosted trust in the government even further,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 28, 2021 15:56 UTC
Ministry, AIT ink deal to maintain PAC-3 missiles
Ministry, AIT ink deal to maintain PAC-3 missilesBy Lo Tien-pin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Ministry of National Defense and the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) have inked a deal to maintain ground support equipment for US-made Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missiles, as well as other missiles in Taiwan. The deal would provide maintenance services for US-made missiles, including the PAC-3 systems, until 2025, it said, adding that the Republic of China Air Force Command Headquarters would take charge of Taiwan’s contractual obligations. Photo copied by Wu Shu-wei, Taipei TimesThe deal is part of the PAC-3 sales package that includes the missiles, related systems, and maintenance and support services, a ministry official said on condition of anonymity. According to the package deal, Taiwan’s PAC-3 missile defense systems that are near the end of their service life would be returned to the US for refurbishment, they said. The PAC-3 is Taiwan’s primary missile defense system against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) sophisticated missile arsenal, whose range covers all of Taiwan.
Source:Taipei Times
September 28, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: East Asia, Pacific face drop in GDP
COVID-19: East Asia, Pacific face drop in GDPReutersThe East Asia and Pacific region’s recovery has been undermined by the spread of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, which is likely slowing economic growth and increasing inequality in the region, the World Bank said on Monday. Economic activity began to slow in the second quarter of this year, and growth forecasts have been downgraded for most countries in the region, the World Bank’s East Asia and Pacific Fall 2021 Economic Update said. Photo: Reuters“The economic recovery of developing East Asia and Pacific faces a reversal of fortune,” World Bank vice president for East Asia and Pacific Manuela Ferro said. “Whereas in 2020 the region contained COVID-19 while other regions of the world struggled, the rise in COVID-19 cases in 2021 has decreased growth prospects for 2021,” Ferro said. While that would not eliminate COVID-19 infections, it would significantly reduce mortality, allowing a resumption of economic activity.
Source:Taipei Times
September 28, 2021 15:56 UTC
China calls a WTO solar ruling favoring the US ‘dangerous’
China calls a WTO solar ruling favoring the US ‘dangerous’Reuters, GENEVA, SwitzerlandChina on Monday lambasted a WTO ruling in a row with the US over Washington’s measures to limit the import of solar panel cells, calling it “erroneous and dangerous.”A WTO panel handed a victory to the US earlier this month, rejecting all four of China’s claims and saying that the US measures did not breach global trade rules. At the private meeting, China’s delegate expressed “deep concern with the systematically harmful findings made by the panel report,” a statement released by the Chinese delegation said. The “safeguard” measures are due to be in place for four years, with annual reductions in the duty rates from an initial 30 percent. The duties have applied to solar modules and, beyond a set quota, to solar cells. China’s appeal will have no immediate effect, as the top WTO dispute settlement body does not have enough judges to function.
Source:Taipei Times
September 28, 2021 15:56 UTC
Yungtay shares jump after takeover offer from Hitachi
Yungtay shares jump after takeover offer from HitachiBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporter, with CNAShares of Yungtay Engineering Co (永大機電) moved sharply higher yesterday after the company announced a day earlier that major shareholder Hitachi Ltd had offered to bring the Taiwanese elevator manufacturer fully under its ownership. Yungtay shares closed up 10 percent, the maximum daily increase, at NT$63.4, with 466 million shares changing hands on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE), where the benchmark TAIEX closed down 0.76 percent amid concerns over power rationing in China. Photo courtesy of Yungtay Engineering Co via CNAHitachi has agreed to launch a stock swap to buy Yungtay shares for NT$65.1 each, a 12.82 percent premium over its closing price of NT$57.5 on Monday, Lin said. At one point Pau Jar controlled the board, but as Hitachi steadily acquired Yungtay shares on the open market, the group led by Pau Jar steadily lost influence. The stake held by Pau Jar and its allies has shrunk to 7.86 percent.
Source:Taipei Times
September 28, 2021 15:56 UTC
Sanofi says that it is not pursuing its mRNA vaccine
Sanofi says that it is not pursuing its mRNA vaccineBloombergSanofi does not plan to pursue the development of a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine against COVID-19 because the shot will come too late to market. “Sanofi is focusing therefore on a recombinant protein candidate to address the needs of a booster vaccine.”A test tube is pictured in front of a Sanofi logo on Sept. 8. Ordinarily a giant in the vaccines space, Sanofi has lagged behind BioNTech SE and Moderna Inc in the pandemic as they raced ahead with mRNA shots that have now been injected into arms more than 1 billion times and generated billions in revenue. Last month, Sanofi bought its mRNA development partner Translate Bio Inc for US$3.2 billion with the aim of moving beyond vaccines and harnessing mRNA for treatments — something that BioNTech is investigating for cancer. “Our goal is to unlock the potential of mRNA in other strategic areas such as immunology, oncology and rare diseases in addition to vaccines,” Sanofi chief executive officer Paul Hudson said at the time of the deal.
Source:Taipei Times
September 28, 2021 07:30 UTC
UEFA ends action against three Super League rebels
UEFA ends action against three Super League rebelsReuters, MANCHESTER, EnglandUEFA has nullified disciplinary action against breakaway European Super League clubs Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus after a Madrid court ruled that European soccer’s governing body should not sanction the rebel clubs. UEFA had opened a probe against the three clubs, but in June it suspended proceedings after being notified by Swiss authorities of a court order from the commercial court in Madrid obtained by the legal entity European Super League Company SL. The latest step from UEFA was to declare that the proceedings were nullified. Proceedings have continued in a Madrid court to stop UEFA from punishing the clubs who tried to break away from the established European soccer structures, including UEFA’s Champions League. UEFA said that it “remains confident in and will continue to defend its position in all the relevant jurisdictions.”
Source:Taipei Times
September 27, 2021 21:33 UTC
Envoy welcomes TSMC to invest in Germany
Envoy welcomes TSMC to invest in GermanyIMPROVING COOPERATION: No matter the outcome of the German election, lawmakers would be interested in forming a delegation to visit Taiwan, Jorg Polster saidBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterGermany welcomes Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) to establish a new fab in Saxony, German Institute Taipei Director-General Jorg Polster said yesterday at a news briefing on the country’s election. German Institute Taipei Director-General Jorg Polster, right, holds a news conference at the institute in Taipei yesterday to give an update on Germany’s Bundestag election. In July, TSMC said it was evaluating the feasibility of constructing a semiconductor fabrication plant in Germany. Berlin welcomes the firm’s establishment plan, Polster said, adding that the east German state of Saxony would be a suitable location. Germany and Taiwan have many small and medium-sized enterprises, so he hopes to learn more about their operations in Taiwan, Polster said, adding that he is interested in visiting Taiwan’s science parks.
Source:Taipei Times
September 27, 2021 16:00 UTC
Five more allies voice support at UN
Five more allies voice support at UN‘FRESH SOLUTIONS’: The UN would be living up to its objectives by including Taiwan, Eswatini said, while Tuvalu called for Taiwanese citizens to be allowed into UN premisesStaff writer, with CNAFive more diplomatic allies on Saturday spoke up at the UN General Assembly in support of Taiwan’s inclusion: Eswatini, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tuvalu. Twelve of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies that are UN members have so far spoken out on behalf of the nation at the General Assembly — tying last year’s number. Tuvaluan Deputy Prime Minister Kausea Natano in a pre-recorded message addresses the UN General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York on Saturday. Tuvaluan Prime Minister Kausea Natano called for the UN to recognize that Taiwanese have a right to access UN premises. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin was the only representative of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies who did not mention the nation in his address at the General Assembly on Saturday.
Source:Taipei Times
September 26, 2021 16:00 UTC
Musk reassures Beijing at China tech conference
Musk reassures Beijing at China tech conferenceBloombergTesla Inc chief executive officer Elon Musk yesterday spoke at the opening of China’s World Internet Conference, reassuring Beijing about his company’s commitment to invest and expand in the country against a backdrop of unprecedented economic turbulence. Alibaba Group CEO Daniel Zhang speaks at the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China, on Nov. 23 last year. “At Tesla, we are glad to see a number of laws and regulations that have been released to strengthen data management,” Musk said by videoconference. This collaborative international tone was in contrast to the great domestic upheaval for China’s Internet firms. Tesla, Intel and Qualcomm are among a handful of US companies with ambitions to expand their business in China.
Source:Taipei Times
September 26, 2021 15:56 UTC
Draft bill sets schedule for defense enhancement
Draft bill sets schedule for defense enhancementBOOSTING DEFENSE: With the production of most new equipment ready to start, the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology expects a revenue surge next yearBy Lo Tien-pin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Executive Yuan on Friday revealed the schedule for Taiwan’s indigenous missile and warship production. The schedule is part of a draft bill on the nation’s sea and air combat power enhancement program that the Cabinet submitted to the legislature. Visitors look at a Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile displayed at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center on Sep. 27, 2018. The Hsiung Feng I and Hsiung Feng II missiles’ coastal defense variants and their dedicated road-based mobile launch vehicles would be produced from next year to 2026, the bill said. The Hsiung Feng III missile would be produced from 2023 to 2026, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 26, 2021 15:56 UTC
Afghan fighters seek glory on windblown Kabul field
Afghan fighters seek glory on windblown Kabul fieldAFP, KABULEvery weekend, fighters from around Afghanistan gather on a public field in the capital to pit their skills against each other in a sport that is a mix of judo and wrestling. “I have been fighting for 17 years,” said Mohammad Atef, a well-built 31-year-old from Samangan Province in northern Afghanistan, after disposing of his opponent with an expert throw. “It is popular in Samangan, Kunduz, Baghlan — and there are many famous wrestlers in Sheberghan, too.”Fighters from across Afghanistan exhibit their judo and wrestling skills at Chaman-e-Huzuri Park in downtown Kabul on Friday. “Today, my competitor was from Kunduz,” Atef said after disposing of his rival with an acrobatic throw. Hekmat, a 21-year-old also from Samangan, is just starting his career and was beaming after his first victory of the weekend.
Source:Taipei Times
September 26, 2021 15:56 UTC
Vendors say four people won NT$10m in lottery
Vendors say four people won NT$10m in lotteryStaff writer, with CNAFour uniform invoices issued in July and last month had the winning serial number drawn on Saturday in the bimonthly lottery for the top prize of NT$10 million (US$360,607), according to the vendors that issued the invoices. The winning number for the NT$10 million special prize drawn in the July-August uniform lottery is 52604932, the Ministry of Finance said. The ministry releases details about the winning special and grand prize invoices about one week after the lottery is drawn. In the latest lottery draw, the ministry added 100,000 new NT$800 prizes, in addition to 30 NT$1 million prizes, 16,000 NT$2,000 prizes, and 1 million NT$500 prizes. People can verify the winning numbers on mobile phone apps they use for digitally stored invoices, or on the government’s E-Invoice Web site from tomorrow.
Source:Taipei Times
September 26, 2021 15:56 UTC
Chu hopes the KMT, CCP will seek common ground
Chu hopes the KMT, CCP will seek common groundRESPONDING TO XI: The DPP’s ‘anti-China’ policy has changed the ‘status quo’ across the Taiwan Strait and caused alarm on both sides, the KMT chairman-elect saidBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterChinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman-elect Eric Chu (朱立倫) yesterday said he hopes the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will seek common ground and respect differences on the basis of the “1992 consensus” and opposition to Taiwanese independence. Chu made the remarks in response to a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) written in his capacity as general secretary of the CCP Central Committee on the occasion of Chu’s election as KMT chairman on Saturday. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman-elect Eric Chu speaks to reporters in Taoyuan yesterday. Chu said he hopes that the KMT and the CCP will, on the basis of the “1992 consensus” and opposition to Taiwanese independence, seek common ground and respect differences, increase mutual trust, and bolster exchanges and cooperation so that the peaceful development of cross-strait relations can continue. Chu is expected to be sworn in as KMT chairman on the same day as the party’s National Congress, which is scheduled to convene on Oct. 30, according to the KMT’s charter.
Source:Taipei Times
September 26, 2021 15:56 UTC
Animal crossing signs in Nantou aim to raise awareness
Animal crossing signs in Nantou aim to raise awarenessBy Chen Feng-li and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerA cute animal crossing sign on a lonely mountain road in Nantou County has made a splash online. The page’s moderator on Thursday urged drivers to be mindful of wildlife and navigate that section of the highway carefully. An animal crossing sign featuring a Perny’s long-nosed squirrel is pictured on the side of a mountain road in Nantou County on Thursday. An animal crossing sign featuring sheep is pictured along Provincial Highway 14A near Cingjing Farm in Nantou County on Saturday. The animals on the signs are chosen to reflect the species that are found in the area, they said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 26, 2021 15:56 UTC