The Liberty Times Editorial: Passive Taiwan stance risky for US
The Liberty Times Editorial: Passive Taiwan stance risky for USOn Aug. 5, the US Department of State approved the sale of US$750 million in weapons and equipment to Taiwan, including 40 155mm Paladin M109A6 self-propelled howitzers. In April, Biden sent an unofficial delegation to Taiwan, led by his close friend, former US senator Chris Dodd. At the same time that the Dodd delegation was visiting Taiwan, Washington was engaging with Beijing. The Biden administration seeks to reinforce interactions with democratic nations around the world and has emphasized the importance of mutual alliances, while also trying to maintain a balance. Taiwan’s security interests must not be affected by a US-China conflict.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
TPP urges president to fulfill campaign pledge for youth
TPP urges president to fulfill campaign pledge for youthBy Wu Su-wei and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmakers yesterday called on President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) to fulfill her campaign pledge of giving young Taiwanese hope for a better future. TPP Legislator Andy Chiu (邱臣遠) said that none of Tsai’s campaign promises for young people, such as education, housing, employment and entrepreneurship support, have been realized. From 2016 to this year, the Youth Development Administration’s budget allocated NT$21.6 per young person per year on average, Chiu said. Taiwan People’s Party legislators Tsai Pi-ru, left, and Andy Chiu hold placards during a news conference at the Legislative Yuan yesterday, demanding that the government do more for young people. TPP Legislator Tsai Pi-ru (蔡壁如) said that salaries are not keeping up with the housing market and people are unable to sustain mortgage payments or save money.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: Vaccines free of pig cells, CECC says
COVID-19: Vaccines free of pig cells, CECC saysTOO EARLY: The health minister said that a COVID-19 vaccination passport would not be introduced yet, because the nation’s vaccination rate is not high enoughBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterNone of the COVID-19 vaccines that have received emergency use authorization in Taiwan contain pig cells, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, as it reported four local and 14 imported COVID-19 cases, and zero deaths. “The COVID-19 vaccines being administered now and those that are about to be imported into Taiwan, including the AstraZeneca, Moderna, Medigen and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, all do not contain cells from pigs,” he said. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center, reports four new local COVID-19 cases yesterday. On Monday, 49,152 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered, bringing the nation’s vaccination coverage to 39.21 percent, he said. Taipei and New Taipei City each reported two of the local cases, Chen said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Astros settle with girl hurt by foul ball
Astros settle with girl hurt by foul ballAP, HOUSTON, TexasThe Houston Astros have agreed to a settlement with the family of a two-year-old girl struck by a foul ball during a 2019 Astros game at Minute Maid Park, the family’s attorney said on Monday. Attorney Richard Mithoff said that the settlement terms with parents Jonathan David Scott and Alexandra Colchado were confidential. The girl, who is now four years old, sustained a skull fracture and brain injury, and has been on anti-seizure medication since the incident, Mithoff said. Her prognosis has been difficult to define, but her parents are hopeful about her chances for a normal life, he said. The girl’s injury was among the foul ball incidents that prompted all Major League Baseball teams to extend protective netting farther down the foul lines to protect fans.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Macronix says demand surprisingly strong
Macronix says demand surprisingly strongBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterMacronix International Co (旺宏), the world’s biggest supplier of NOR flash memory chips, yesterday said that demand is surprisingly strong through next year, with some customers even seeking year-long contracts, as it rejected Morgan Stanley’s bearish view on memory stocks. Macronix International Co chairman Miin Wu is pictured at the company’s headquarters in Hsinchu on June 18, 2019. The outlook for NOR flash memory chips remains strong in the second half of the year, Wu said. Automakers are likely to face a new headache with shortages of flash memory chips, he said. Macronix shareholders yesterday approved a cash dividend distribution of NT$1.2 per common share.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
US soccer great Lloyd announces retirement
US soccer great Lloyd announces retirementReutersTwo-time FIFA Women’s World Cup winner Carli Lloyd, one of the greatest female soccer players ever to grace the game, has announced her retirement, US Soccer said on Monday. The 39-year-old Lloyd, who was twice named FIFA Women’s Player of the Year, became the second-most capped player in world soccer history (312) during a career that has also included two Olympic gold medals. “When I first started out with the national team in 2005, my two main goals were to be the most complete soccer player I could be and to help the team win championships,” Lloyd said. Photo: AFP“Every single day I stepped out onto the field, I played as if it was my last game,” Lloyd said. Lloyd is also to play the remainder of the National Women’s Soccer League 2021-2022 season with the NJ/NY Gotham club before calling time on her professional club career, which has spanned 12 years and six teams.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Oil industry sues in the US over pause of drilling auctions
Oil industry sues in the US over pause of drilling auctionsReutersMajor US oil industry groups on Monday sued the administration of US President Joe Biden for halting drilling auctions on federal lands and waters this year, arguing that the government is required by law to hold regular sales. The American Petroleum Institute (API) and 11 other groups filed the lawsuit in federal court in the Western District of Louisiana. His administration in January paused drilling auctions pending a review of the program. Since then, the administration has been sued by oil-producing states and industry groups who say the pause is costing them jobs and revenue. At the time, Biden administration officials said that they would comply with the ruling, but have not moved to resume auctions.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
IN FOCUS: Taiwan to team up with smaller EU nations
Taiwan and the Czech Republic cooperate on the material sciences, smart agriculture, biotechnology and information security, he said. On Friday last week, Representative to Hungary Liu Shih-Chung (劉世忠) led a delegation to visit the testing facility, which is the biggest testing ground in Europe for self-driving vehicles. In 2019, Taiwan established its first closed testing ground for self-driving vehicles — called the Taiwan CAR (connected, autonomous and road-test) Lab — in Tainan, which is operated by the National Applied Research Laboratories. This year’s conference is to be hosted by Taiwan, but whether it is in person or virtual depends on the virus situation, Lin said. Precision medicine, including brain science, and space technology are priorities for the ministry, which would announce the projects soon, Lin added.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Scent or nature
Afghanistan not a parallel with Taiwan: academicsENTIRELY DIFFERENT: Holmes Liao, formerly of the National Defense University, said that Afghan leaders are corrupt, while Taiwan has a stable democracy It is impossible to compare Taiwan with Afghanistan, academics said yesterday in response to claims that the US’ withdrawal proves that Taiwan cannot rely on US military assistance. Nearly two decades after the US took control of Kabul, the Taliban on Sunday swiftly retook control of the Afghan capital, prompting the nation’s president to flee. Critics have been quick to compare the situation to the fall of Saigon after the withdrawal of US troops during the Vietnam War, with some suggesting that the US’ track record bodes poorly for Taiwan’s chances in the event of an invasion by China. “Taiwan is not Afghanistan,”By Chen Yu-fu, Jason Pan and Kayleigh Madjar
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taiwan Cooperative posts record profit
Taiwan Cooperative posts record profitGROWTH RETURNING: Taiwan Cooperative Financial president Chen Mei-tsu said that operating conditions look bright ahead as major countries lift border controlsBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterTaiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co (合庫金控) yesterday posted record profit of NT$10.2 billion (US$365 million) for the first half of this year, up 26.67 percent from a year earlier, thanks to improved interest income and contributions from overseas operations. The impressive showing translated into earnings per share of NT$0.73, with banking arm Taiwan Cooperative Bank (合庫銀行) generating 83.19 percent, despite COVID-19 restrictions, Taiwan Cooperative Financial president Chen Mei-tsu (陳美足) said. Vehicles drive past a Taiwan Cooperative Bank branch in Taipei on Feb. 12, 2019. Taiwan Cooperative Bank plans to create a private banking division next quarter to bolster relations with the nation’s ultra-wealthy customers and increase wealth management business, Chen said. It is optimistic about Taiwanese companies that have benefited from a realignment in the global electronics supply chain and a contactless economy boom, Taiwan Cooperative Financial said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Singapore to test pilot plan to allow business travel
Singapore to test pilot plan to allow business travelBloombergSingapore plans to set up pilot programs to allow business travelers vaccinated against COVID-19 from some countries to enter on controlled itineraries next month as it charts a cautious international reopening that extends to local restrictions. Factors such as infections, vaccination rates and the ability to control outbreaks would be considered in these discussions, Gan said. Photo: AFP“In the pilot, we are likely to focus more on business travel, but beyond business travel, we are also looking at the possibility of leisure travel, particularly to those safer countries, those with a lower infection rate,” he said. Still, such relaxation will be done in a careful manner and local rules on gathering sizes could still be intact for a while as more people enter the country, Gan said. “We may be the first country who has a high vaccination rate, and yet taking a step-by-step approach to reopening,” Gan said.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Team develops drug that could boost tumor treatment
Team develops drug that could boost tumor treatmentStaff writer, with CNAA Taiwanese research team has developed a drug that shows promise for boosting immunotherapy in the treatment of malignant tumors, it said on Monday. In animal trails, the drug helped boost immunotherapy efficacy by 30 to 40 percent in the treatment of tumors, said research team leader Alan Lee (李岳倫), of the National Institute of Cancer Research. While the drug VEGF121-VEGF165 proved effective against tissue tumors in animal trails, it was not tested for use in the treatment of blood cancer, Lee told a news conference. With VEGF121-VEGF165, the research team has developed a fusion protein drug that can breach the “Captain America” shield and enter the tumor’s microenvironment, thus enhancing immunotherapy to fight the cancer cells, he said. VEGF is an abbreviation for vascular endothelial growth factor, a signaling protein that promotes the growth of new blood vessels.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
China tech stocks fall as rules revealed
China tech stocks fall as rules revealed‘SELL IT FIRST’: A Zhongtai Financial analyst said that investors are concerned that regulatory reform is far from over and that policies will continue to be introducedBloombergA wave of selling in China’s bellwether technology stocks continued for a fifth day, following Beijing’s latest moves to tighten its grip on the nation’s Internet giants. The Hang Seng Tech Index dropped as much as 3.7 percent after the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation issued draft rules banning unfair competition among the nation’s online platform operators. Photo: BloombergLosses accelerated in afternoon trade as China issued separate rules to protect key network facilities and information systems, effective next month. Investors in mainland China dumped another HK$4.1 billion (US$532 million) of Hong Kong stocks, the fourth consecutive day of net selling of the territory’s shares, data compiled by Bloomberg showed. China’s uncertain regulatory environment continues to cast a shadow on the tech sector.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taiwan’s turn to help Lithuania
Taiwan’s turn to help LithuaniaBy Chang Jim-way 張經偉Lithuania, which has never received overseas aid from Taiwan, has done so much for the nation this year. Taiwan and Lithuania are joined in standing up for what is right, but how can Taiwan return the favor? For many years now, Lithuania has suffered from a social issue that could even be regarded as existential. After the COVID-19 pandemic abates, a tourism sector should be developed specifically for Lithuanians to visit Taiwan during winter months. In the meantime, a range of Taiwanese products, resplendent and full of tropical atmosphere, should be sent to Lithuania.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC
India’s belated ‘Independence Day win’ stuns
India’s belated ‘Independence Day win’ stunsAFP, LONDONIndia captain Virat Kohli promised there would no let-up from his side following an impressive 151-run win over England in the second Test at Lord’s on Monday, which he labeled a “day late” Independence Day celebration. India’s Jasprit Bumrah is hit on the helmet by a ball bowled by England’s James Anderson in the fifth day of the second Test at Lord’s in London on Monday. Photo: APVictory, which left Kohli’s men 1-0 up in this five-match series, came just a day after India’s Independence Day on Aug. 15 and the tourists enjoyed plenty of vocal support at Lord’s. “It’s a day late celebration for Independence Day.”“It’s the best feeling we can give the Indians here and back in India,” he added. India’s Virat Kohli celebrates taking a catch to dismiss England’s Moeen Ali in the second Test at Lord’s in London on Monday.
Source:Taipei Times
August 17, 2021 15:56 UTC