NBA denies Andrew Wiggins vaccination exemption
NBA denies Andrew Wiggins vaccination exemptionAP, GREENBURGH, New YorkThe NBA on Friday denied Andrew Wiggins’ request for a COVID-19 vaccination exemption, leaving the Golden State Warriors swingman ineligible to play home games until he meets San Francisco’s vaccination requirement. Wiggins is one of the highest-profile NBA players to publicly say that he will not take the vaccine. Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, top, defends against Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant during their NBA game at the Chase Center in San Francisco on May 21. “The NBA has reviewed and denied Andrew Wiggins’ request for religious exemption from the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s order requiring COVID-19 vaccination for all participants age 12 and older at large indoor events,” the league said in a statement. “I’m proud to say that our organization — players, coaches and staff — are 100 percent vaccinated,” Knicks general manager Scott Perry said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Donation of 500,000 shots arrives from Japan: CECC
Donation of 500,000 shots arrives from Japan: CECCBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterA fifth shipment of COVID-19 vaccines donated by Japan arrived in Taiwan yesterday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said, as it reported no new local infections or deaths, but five imported cases. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that the batch of 500,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at noon. Customs inspectors stand by at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday as workers unload a batch of 500,000 AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by Japan. On Friday, 259,781 vaccine doses were administered, bringing the nation’s first-dose coverage rate to 51.49 percent, Chen said. As of Friday, 12,075,243 people had received a first dose of a vaccine, and 2,067,218 had received two doses, CECC data showed.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Researchers look to frogs to create anti-barnacle film
Researchers look to frogs to create anti-barnacle filmBy Su Meng-chuan and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerA research team at National Chung Hsing University has developed a substance inspired by frog skin to prevent biofouling on ships and offshore equipment. Some biofouling substances can damage precision electronic equipment if they seep inside a ship, he said. Observing frog skin magnified 30,000 times, the team saw that there were dots and grooves on the skin that helped store a lubricant, which frogs secrete on their skin, he said. The team determined that frogs were unaffected by algae or other biofouling substances in the water because of these microscopic orifices that store a lubricant that kept the substances off their skin, Hsueh said. Using polymeric synthesis technology, the team created a film with microscopic wrinkles and injected silicone into tiny artificially created holes simulating the frogs’ skin, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Thousands of student files lost in error
Thousands of student files lost in errorCOSTLY TECH FAILURE: More than 25,000 files for nearly 8,000 students from 81 schools were lost when system administrators updated a server, the Ministry of Education saidBy Rachel Lin and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe academic records of 7,854 high-school students have been lost due to a hard-drive failure, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The records were being stored at National Chi Nan University, which was commissioned by the ministry’s K-12 Education Administration to host a computer server of student portfolios that universities could access to evaluate their applications. An entrance to the Ministry of Education in Taipei is pictured in an undated photograph. Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei TimesSystem administrators discovered that files were missing when rebooting the system, the ministry said, adding that 25,210 files for 7,854 students from 81 schools were lost. Students with their own copies of the missing files should re-upload them as soon as possible, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Judge impeached on ethics count
Judge impeached on ethics countStaff writer, with CNAA Supreme Administrative Court judge has been impeached for failing to recuse himself from a case in which a company owned by a business acquaintance of his was the plaintiff in a contract dispute against the government. The Control Yuan said its members voted nine to two on Sept. 14 to impeach Judge Cheng Shiao-kang (鄭小康), who had presided over the case brought by businessman Wong Maw-jang’s (翁茂鍾) company I-Hwa Industrial Co in 2008. Investigators learned that Cheng had dined with Wong at least three times before the judge was assigned to the I-Hwa case, and he had accepted four shirts as gifts, the Control Yuan said. Following the Judicial Yuan investigation of Shih, the findings on Cheng’s involvement with Wong were provided in April to the government watchdog, the statement said. The impeachment case will next be sent to the Disciplinary Court, which in June began hearing Shih’s trial.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Oil advances for fifth straight week
Oil advances for fifth straight weekBloombergOil rose for a fifth straight week with the global energy crunch set to boost demand for crude as stockpiles decline from the US to China. West Texas Intermediate for November delivery gained 0.93 percent to US$73.98 a barrel, up 2.79 percent from a week earlier. The surge in natural gas prices is expected to force some consumers to switch to oil, tightening the market further ahead of the northern hemisphere winter. Various underlying oil market gauges are also pointing to an improving market. Money managers increased their bullish ICE Brent bets positions to the most in six months, indicating many believe there is yet more room for crude prices to climb.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Liverpool’s Klopp wants ‘solution’ to quarantine row
Liverpool’s Klopp wants ‘solution’ to quarantine rowAFP, LONDONLiverpool manager Juergen Klopp on Friday demanded “some kind of solution” to prevent another club versus country row over COVID-19 quarantine rules for qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup. Eight Brazilian Premier League players — including Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker and midfielder Fabinho — were called-up by Brazil coach Tite for the next round of qualifiers for next year’s global tournament. Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo controls the ball during their Premier League match against Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, yesterday. “There must be a solution, because we cannot just leave it like this and say it’s not a problem,” Klopp said. In early games in the Premier League yesterday, Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge, while Aston Villa beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Eric Chu wins race for KMT leadership
Eric Chu wins race for KMT leadership‘FIGHT FOR VICTORY’: Eric Chu said his election victory would be the beginning of the DPP’s worries and that he would open all channels of communication with ChinaBy Shih Hsiao-kuang and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerFormer New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) was yesterday elected Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman in a four-way race that included outgoing chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣). Newly elected Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman Eric Chu poses with supporters following his election in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Sam Yeh, AFPIn his victory speech yesterday, Chu said his election would be the start of the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) worries. Outgoing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang, left, yesterday in Taipei announces arrangements for handing the party’s reins over to his successor Eric Chu. Although Chu won the election, the KMT would come under increasing pressure from unification supporters, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
US soy meal export hub damage disrupts trade
US soy meal export hub damage disrupts tradeBloombergShipments from a US west coast terminal that handles almost 20 percent of the nation’s soybean meal exports have been curbed while damage from a crane collapse earlier this month is repaired, marking the latest setback to global trade flows. Photo: ReutersOmaha, Nebraska-based Ag Processing declined to comment. The terminal in Grays Harbor handles the bulk of the US’ soy meal shipped to Asia from the west coast. “This will dramatically impede US soybean meal exports.”Soybean meal futures in Chicago have fallen 1.9 percent this month. “People hate to store meal,” O’Neil said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
DPP marks 35 years with book on party’s founding
DPP marks 35 years with book on party’s founding‘TENSE ATMOSPHERE’: Those present at the book launch recalled fears at the founding meeting, while celebrating photographer Chiu Wan-hsing’s tribute to the partyBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterSenior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members gathered in Taipei yesterday to launch a book on the party’s early history. “We must never forget the DPP’s original spirit and the party’s founding principles. President Tsai Ing-wen, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) chairperson, speaks at yesterday’s launch in Taipei of photographer Chiu Wan-hsing’s book Taiwan’s Defiant Years: the Rise of the DPP 1986-1987. Several DPP founding members attended the event, including Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃), former Taipei county commissioner You Ching (尤清) and former DPP chairman Yao Chia-wen (姚嘉文). It was urgent to announce the party’s founding to the world, he said, adding that it was crucial that foreign media reported the event.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Dow, S&P 500 rise after bumpy week
Dow, S&P 500 rise after bumpy weekBALANCING ACT: Facebook gained 2% and Tesla rose 2.7%, lifting the two indices and outweighing the 6.3% decline Nike posted after it reduced its full-year sales estimateReutersThe Dow and S&P 500 on Friday edged higher and ended a turbulent week with slight increases, helped by gains in Tesla Inc and Facebook Inc that offset a tumble by Nike Inc. On the flip side, Facebook climbed 2 percent and Tesla rose 2.7 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 33.18 points, or 0.1 percent, to 34,798, the S&P 500 gained 6.5 points, or 0.15 percent, to 4,455.48 and the NASDAQ Composite dropped 4.54 points, or 0.03 percent, to 15,047.7. For the week, the Dow was up 0.62 percent, the S&P 500 gained 0.51 percent and the NASDAQ gained 0.02 percent. The S&P 500 posted 21 new 52-week highs and six new lows, while the NASDAQ Composite recorded 82 new highs and 73 new lows.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Dodgers keep pace in NL West race
Dodgers keep pace in NL West raceGAME CHANGER: Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that without the diving play of Chris Taylor in the outfield, ‘it’s a different inning and a different game’AP, PHOENIX, ArizonaA.J. Pollock on Friday hit a two-run homer, while Chris Taylor robbed a pair of potential extra-base hits on defense in the ninth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers kept pace in the National League West race by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2. Corey Seager, right, and Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers are congratulated by teammates following their win against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday. The Dodgers (99-55) remained one game behind the San Francisco Giants (100-54) with eight games left for both teams. Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder A.J.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
Court upholds right to change gender on registration
Court upholds right to change gender on registrationSTANDARDS MET: The court ruled that a transgender woman met the qualifications to change her gender in her household registration without undergoing surgeryBy Wen Yu-te and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taipei High Administrative Court on Thursday ruled in favor of a transgender woman in mandating that a household registration office in Taoyuan process her request to be registered as female. The plaintiff, surnamed Chiang (江), filed with the Dasi Household Registration Office in October 2019 to change her registered gender from male to female, but the office denied the request. It cited a Ministry of the Interior notice that said that Chiang failed to meet two prerequisites to change her gender: be diagnosed by two psychiatrists as identifying with the gender to which they wish to change and undergo surgery to remove genitalia of their birth gender. The court ruling said that in accordance with previous Council of Grand Justices interpretations, the rights of personality, health, privacy and body are all protected by the Constitution. The court recommended that the legislature pass new legislation to ensure that the right to gender identification is protected, as the ministry directive could be applied by other household registration offices when dealing with similar cases in the future.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
European stocks slip as investors show hesitancy
European stocks slip as investors show hesitancyReutersEuropean stocks fell on Friday, as worries about troubled property developer China Evergrande Group (恆大集團) and weak German business confidence data prompted investors to book some profits after a mid-week rally. However, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said in an interview aired on CNBC that many of the drivers of a recent spike in eurozone inflation are temporary and could fade in the next year. London’s FTSE 100 ended lower as concerns about a slowdown in global economic growth outweighed gains in healthcare and energy stocks. The FTSE 100 has gained nearly 9.5 percent so far this year on higher energy prices and accommodative central bank policies. However, it has significantly underperformed a 17 percent rise among its European peers.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC
DPP eyeing CPTPP legal reforms: source
DPP eyeing CPTPP legal reforms: sourceBy Lee Hsin-fang and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Executive Yuan is ready to propose amendments to the country’s patent, trademark and copyright laws to compete with China in the race to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a source said yesterday. Officials are considering amendments to the Patent Act that would allow a pharmaceutical company to sue for infringements during the evaluation and approval period for a new drug, the source said. Efforts to amend the law were stalled during the previous legislative session after DPP lawmakers expressed misgivings about the draft amendments, they said. Trademark laws would be changed to make counterfeiting trademarks on packaging material a crime, the source said. The source said that Cabinet officials feel more confident of being able to pass these amendments with Taiwan having applied for CPTPP membership.
Source:Taipei Times
September 25, 2021 15:56 UTC