Robinhood testing crypto features wanted by users
Robinhood testing crypto features wanted by usersBloombergRobinhood Markets Inc is testing a new cryptowallet and cryptocurrency transfer features for its app, a long-awaited move that will make it easier for customers to send and receive digital currencies like bitcoin. Evidence of the company’s work on such features has appeared in a beta version of its iPhone app. Robinhood customers would also have the ability to set up two-factor authentication to use the feature. Users will need to activate crypto sending and receiving, and the enrollment page will require an identity check. Code hidden in beta versions of the Robinhood app has previously been a harbinger of new features.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
French senators planning to visit Taiwan: ministry
French senators planning to visit Taiwan: ministryStaff writer, with CNAA delegation of French senators is planning to visit Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday, without providing any further details. The ministry was responding to a report in French media that the delegation, to be led by French Senator Alain Richard, head of the French Senate’s Taiwan Friendship Group, would visit Taiwan from Oct. 4 to 11. Other members of the delegation would include French senators Max Brisson and Andre Vallini, both vice presidents of the friendship group, as well as French Senator Olivier Cadic, the group’s secretary, French online media outlet La Lettre A reported. French Senator Alain Richard is pictured in an undated photograph. Richard had wanted to visit Taiwan as early as March.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
China must be kept out of CPTPP
China must be kept out of CPTPPBy Liu Ming-te 劉明德On Thursday, China applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) — a regional economic organization whose 11 member countries have a combined GDP of US$11 trillion. China says there are two main reasons: To consolidate its foreign trade and foreign investment base, and to fast-track economic and trade relations between China and member countries of the CPTPP free-trade area. If China joins the CPTPP, it would gain another chain with which to bind these countries and consolidate its initiative. If China joined the CPTPP, the other member countries’ systematic economic dependence on China would deepen, and even Australia would be unable to resist. Joining the CPTPP is another step in China’s strategic expansion, so Japan and Australia must find a way to stop it.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
Tsai in meeting with Takaichi touts closer cooperation
Tsai in meeting with Takaichi touts closer cooperationStaff writer, with CNAPresidential Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has expressed the hope that Taiwan and Japan could cooperate more closely in a conversation with Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmaker and former Japanese minister of internal affairs and communications Sanae Takaichi, who is vying to become her nation’s first female prime minister. Japanese lawmaker Sanae Takaichi, a candidate in the Liberal Democratic Party presidential election, is pictured on a videoconference with President Tsai Ing-wen on Monday. Takaichi wrote on Twitter that she had a virtual dialogue with “Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen” on Monday evening, which proceeded smoothly with the help of translators. The Japanese lawmaker said that she was eager to hold the meeting to discuss how to deepen security ties and expand pragmatic exchanges between Japan and Taiwan. Takaichi on Twitter posted a picture of the Japanese and Taiwanese national flags hanging on the wall of the venue where she held the online meeting with Tsai.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
MediaTek maintains its No. 4 worldwide ranking
MediaTek maintains its No. Sales of MediaTek chips for mobile devices soared 143 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, while its products for other gadgets saw a double-digit percentage growth in sales, Trendforce said. MediaTek Inc’s logo is pictured at its headquarters in the Hsinchu Science Park in an undated photograph. Global sales of driver ICs for flat panels jumped 81 percent year-on-year in the second quarter, TrendForce said. Taiwan-based computer network IC designer Realtek Semiconductor Corp (瑞昱) ranked ninth globally, with sales of US$834 million, up 44.0 percent from a year earlier, TrendForce said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
Universal Music shares climb in IPO
A family walks past the Universal Music Group headquarters building in Santa Monica, California, on Feb. 9. Although Vivendi retained a chunk of Universal Music, it is looking to focus more on TV, advertising and publishing. Universal Music, like its rivals Warner Music Group Corp and Sony Music Entertainment, was once threatened by music piracy, but profits have soared in the age of streaming. It is home to many of the world’s biggest music stars, from Lady Gaga to Kanye West to Metallica. A prospectus for the IPO said UMG’s three main operating businesses are recorded music, music publishing and advertising, but that it is also expanding into areas such as live events, livestreaming, film, television and podcasts.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
Environmental Impact Assessment: Could energy from tides and ocean currents power Taiwan?
Environmental Impact Assessment: Could energy from tides and ocean currents power Taiwan? In recent decades, scientists and engineers have been devising and testing hardware that can convert tidal and ocean-current energy into electricity. Unfortunately, Taiwan has very few bays or fjords suitable for tidal power plants, and weather patterns rule out the construction of Rance-type barrages across estuaries. Researchers say the waters around Yilan have potential for ocean-current energy. “In these places, tidal power systems may not therefore survive if a typhoon hits,” Kehr says.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
EDITORIAL: Disability rights during a pandemic
EDITORIAL: Disability rights during a pandemicThe National Human Rights Commission last week released its second report on Taiwan’s implementation of the UN’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, highlighting a number of issues that need work. It is crucial to address these issues while the pandemic lingers, instead of just hoping that things will soon return to normal. For example, less than 3 percent have made use of the community disability services provided by the government. These are all issues that need to be tackled comprehensively across various departments; otherwise, more people will fall through the cracks as the pandemic rages on. Greater effort must be made to allow people with disabilities to voice their needs so that real change can be made.
Source:Taipei Times
September 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
CNA must stop using ‘mainland’
China’s “one China” says that “Taiwan is part of China.” This is a false statement aimed at legitimizing China’s idea of annexing Taiwan. The KMT’s “one China” says that “the Republic of China (ROC) is China.” That is nothing but a daydream. Unfortunately, this kind of “one China” statement is having a huge negative impact on the international community, including my home country, Japan. For this reason, I have for many years requested that the Japanese media stop using “mainland” to refer to Taiwan. However, one media outlet still insists on using the phrase “the Chinese mainland,” and that is the Central News Agency’s (CNA) Japanese news service.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2021 16:02 UTC
Jackson outduels Mahomes as Ravens edge Chiefs
Jackson outduels Mahomes as Ravens edge ChiefsAFP, LOS ANGELESLamar Jackson on Sunday rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns as the Baltimore Ravens edged Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs 36-35 in a clash of former NFL Most Valuable Players. The Ravens also rebounded from a frustrating season-opening loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Nevada on Monday last week. Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens flips into the end zone for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in their NFL game in Baltimore, Maryland, on Sunday. Mahomes passed for 343 yards and three touchdowns, but threw the first September interception of his career. Elsewhere, Tom Brady tossed five touchdown passes and Mike Edwards returned two fourth-quarter interceptions for scores as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 48-25.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
Prince Charles met with Taiwanese fugitive: report
Prince Charles met with Taiwanese fugitive: reportThe Guardian, with staff writerBritish newspaper The Mail on Sunday reported that Prince Charles met with Bruno Wang (汪家興), a Taiwanese fugitive who describes himself as a Chinese philanthropist and donated ￡500,000 (US$683,522) to the prince’s charity, the Prince’s Foundation. Photo: Chien Li-chung, Taipei TimesLeus was likewise accused of money laundering and made a donation of ￡500,000 to the foundation. The Russian banker reportedly received two invitations to private events at Charles’ royal residences in Scotland, allegedly secured by Bortrick. In the summer last year, Charles, 72, and Bortrick, 48, met at the Castle of Mey, the late queen mother’s former home in Caithness, the newspaper reported. Weeks before the meeting, Bortrick had brokered a six-figure donation to the charity from Leus in exchange for a meeting with the prince, the newspaper reported.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
North Korea warns of ‘arms race’
North Korea warns of ‘arms race’AFP, SEOULThe North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said a new US alliance in the Indo-Pacific and Washington’s recent submarine contract with Australia could trigger a “nuclear arms race” in the region. A ballistic missile is launched from a train in an undisclosed location in North Korea on Wednesday. The spate of missile tests and bumper defense deals in the Pacific have highlighted a regional arms race that is intensifying as a China-US rivalry grows. His administration’s relationship with North Korea has marked a change in tone from his predecessor, former US president Donald Trump, who engaged in an extraordinary diplomatic bromance with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The official added that North Korea “will certainly take a corresponding counteraction in case it has even a little adverse impact on the security of our country.”
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: Hundreds warned about COVID-19 case
COVID-19: Hundreds warned about COVID-19 caseON ALERT: A woman who tested positive for COVID-19 while abroad last year tested negative twice in Taiwan before showing a positive result on Sunday, the center saidBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported two locally transmitted COVID-19 infections, four imported cases and no deaths. The CECC meanwhile warned nearly 500 people to monitor their health after a woman tested postive. She took an out-of-pocket test on Sunday in preparation to travel abroad and tested positive with a high CT value, he added. Genome sequencing on the virus sample from a previous case — case No. Chen said that 397 people who have been in contact with the airport worker have tested negative for COVID-19.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
UK might offer battling energy firms loans
UK might offer battling energy firms loansEMERGENCY MEETINGS PLANNED: Four small energy suppliers have already been forced to stop trading because of a major increase in wholesale gas pricesReuters, LONDONThe UK is considering offering state-backed loans to energy firms after wholesale gas prices soared, prompting big suppliers to ask for support from the government to cover the cost of taking on customers from companies that have gone bust. “If a supplier fails, OFGEM will ensure customers’ gas and electricity supply will continue uninterrupted,” Kwarteng wrote on Twitter. Firms were beginning to be more hesitant about taking on new customers through regulator OFGEM’s supplier of last resort scheme, a source at one large energy company said. Under the scheme, energy firms bid to take on the customers from those companies that have gone bust, usually offering to honor any outstanding credit. Surging gas prices have led to an array of stresses in other markets, including a shortage of carbon dioxide after fertilizer plants had to shut.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
TSMC touts water saving efforts and emissions goals
TSMC touts water saving efforts and emissions goalsStaff writer, with CNATaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) last year saved almost 2 million tonnes of water as part of its efforts to fulfill its commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, the company’s financial disclosure report said. TSMC saved 1.927 million tonnes of water last year by adopting measures such as reducing water consumption by facility systems, increasing wastewater recycling by facilities and decreasing water discharge from the systems, the report said. As water shortages in Taiwan are likely to worsen, TSMC said it has also established a comprehensive water monitoring mechanism to regularly check the status of water supplies in the country. The company is improving its water conservation measures, increasing the recycling rate of process wastewater and establishing comprehensive monitoring mechanisms for water supply, the report said. It is also expanding the use of reclaimed water, and preparing water trucks to minimize the effect of water shortages on operations and eliminate production interruptions, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 20, 2021 15:56 UTC