Farmers and police clash in Poland
People protest against EU climate measures and Ukrainian imports in Warsaw on Wednesday. Photo: AFPFarmers are angry over EU climate policies and food imports from Ukraine that they say threaten their livelihoods. Farmers on tractors blocked highways leading into Warsaw while thousands of people gathered in front of the prime minister’s office before marching to the parliament. Polish farmers in tractors block a road near Warsaw on Wednesday. The protesters also want the border with Ukraine closed to stop the imports of Ukrainian food products, which farmers say drive down market prices and put Poland’s agricultural sector in jeopardy.
Source:Taipei Times
March 07, 2024 21:45 UTC
TPP and the era of ‘influencer-politicians’
TPP and the era of ‘influencer-politicians’By Chang Yueh-han 張約翰Nearly two months have passed since the presidential and legislative elections. Viewers’ attention has shifted away from more traditional media like newspapers and television to social media platforms. In the early days of the social media, given their lack of experience in politics, these “influencer-politicians” seem to project a “fresh” image, attracting Internet traffic. What I am saying is that the two groups share similar temperaments, capabilities and methods for attracting Internet traffic. Some want to turn traffic into profit, while others want to impart knowledge or raise awareness.
Source:Taipei Times
March 07, 2024 17:27 UTC
KMT says penalties for contempt of the legislature needed
KMT says penalties for contempt of the legislature neededBy Lin Hsin-han, Hsieh Chun-lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writersContempt of legislature and giving false testimony during a legislative inquiry should be punishable offenses, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) said on Monday. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators attend a news conference at the legislature in Taipei on Monday. False statements and other actions would be deemed to be contempt of the Legislative Yuan, the proposed amendments say. New presidents should deliver a report within two weeks of their inauguration and appear before the Legislative Yuan within a month, it said. Reforms should not expand legislative power, as the public would not stand for it, Wu said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 06, 2024 18:41 UTC
Lithuania a national security example
Lithuania a national security exampleBy Chen Yung-chang 陳永昌Late last year it came to light that two of Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich’s children have Lithuanian citizenship, which could allow him to use their status to transfer assets and evade international sanctions. In prioritizing its national security, Lithuania has demonstrated its determination to maintain strict controls. Abramovich’s paternal grandparents were Belarusian Jews who moved to Lithuania, but were forcibly transferred to Siberia in 1940, during World War II. That Abramovich’s children hold Lithuanian passports amounts to a loophole in the economic sanctions against him. By staunchly defending its national security and interests and strictly controlling its system of naturalization and residence, Lithuania has set a good example for other countries.
Source:Taipei Times
March 06, 2024 16:57 UTC
Benefits of working with Japan on space
Second, in addition to passing the Basic Space Act in 2008, Japan has also passed the Space Activities Act and the Satellite Telemetry Act since 2016. Japan passed the Space Resources Act in 2021, allowing private-sector entities to participate in space exploration and obtain corporate development rights. Given the vast resources in space, Japan has begun to release some of its government-owned technologies and licenses to create business opportunities through public-private cooperation. The systemic changes would give Japan a more flexible approach to pursue national interests and stimulate the private sector to develop space industries, which can be a reference for Taiwan’s space development. Taipei can also extend exchanges with Japan through “space diplomacy” — increasing dialogue on the economy, trade, security and technology.
Source:Taipei Times
March 05, 2024 21:48 UTC
Bafang Yunji backtracks on denial of tainted chili powder
Bafang Yunji backtracks on denial of tainted chili powderStaff writerThe Kaohsiung Department of Health on Tuesday said it ordered the dumpling chain Bafang Yunji (八方雲集) to recall all chili powder, after it was found to be a recipient of spices potentially tainted with the carcinogenic dye Sudan III. As explanation, it said it uses coarse chili powder, which is different from the fine chili powder tested by the department. Chili powder with the label “not up to standard” is pictured on Tuesday. Afterward, Bafang Yunji in a statement said it would cooperate with the investigation and stop using any ingredients purchased from the importers. The chili powder it uses is all tested by SGS for traces of Sudan III and other banned chemicals before it is shipped to factories, the company added.
Source:Taipei Times
March 05, 2024 16:23 UTC
Four Filipinos injured in China, Philippine S China Sea standoff
Four Filipinos injured in China, Philippine S China Sea standoffAP, MANILAChinese and Philippine coast guard vessels yesterday collided in the disputed South China Sea and four Filipino crewmembers were injured in high-seas confrontations. The BRP Sindangan of the Philippine Coast Guard had minor structural damage from the collision that happened shortly after dawn. Over an hour later, another Chinese coast guard ship first blocked then collided with a supply boat the Philippine coast guard was escorting, the Philippine officials said. Photo: AFP / Philippine Coast GuardThe supply boat, crewed by Filipino navy personnel, was later hit by water cannon blasts from two Chinese coast guard ships. A Chinese coast guard spokesperson said a Philippine ship deliberately rammed a Chinese coast guard vessel, causing a minor scratch.
Source:Taipei Times
March 05, 2024 16:12 UTC
TSMC’s expansion win for Taiwan
TSMC’s expansion win for TaiwanBy Paul Lin 林保華Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) held an opening ceremony for its first chip manufacturing fab in Kumamoto, Japan. It is owned by a joint venture, Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Inc (JASM), of which TSMC is the controlling shareholder. A Japanese emergency, therefore, should also be considered a Taiwanese emergency. The decline of the semiconductor industry in Japan is a Japanese emergency, hence it is only natural that TSMC helps Japan reinvigorate its semiconductor manufacturing. In the late 1980s, Japan’s thriving semiconductor manufacturing sector was disrupted by US government policy.
Source:Taipei Times
March 04, 2024 21:48 UTC
Living in the Vaal Triangle: The most polluted place on Earth
Living in the Vaal Triangle: The most polluted place on EarthThe region of South Africa regularly registers the highest levels of harmful particulate emissions on the planetBy Antony Sguazzin / BloombergJust southeast of Johannesburg, in a South African region known as the Vaal Triangle, 1.7 million people are living in a crossfire of some of the most dangerous pollution on Earth. Illustration: YushaThe toxins are causing hundreds of premature deaths every year across the Vaal Triangle and respiratory disease for many of those still breathing. In the mid-2000s, it declared the area as the Vaal Triangle Airshed Priority Area, the first zone in which it would make a concentrated effort to lower air pollution. It slashed particulate emissions by 87 percent since 2007 by suppressing dust and replacing old coal-burning equipment, ArcelorMittal said. In an area of the world as polluted as the Vaal Triangle, it could be difficult to see any positive changes on the horizon.
Source:Taipei Times
March 04, 2024 16:44 UTC
Cairo hosts Gaza truce talks as aid crisis continues
Cairo hosts Gaza truce talks as aid crisis continuesAFP, GAZA STRIP, Palestinian TerritoriesEgypt yesterday hosted envoys for talks on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the latest diplomatic effort as Gaza officials reported more deadly bombardment in the nearly five-month-old war. A senior Hamas official said that a delegation from the Palestinian group would discuss with mediators a proposal for a six-week truce, after a US official said Israel had broadly accepted its terms. People inspect a building hit by an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip yesterday. The Hamas official said the group would demand “the entry of at least 400 to 500 trucks per day” carrying food, medicine and fuel as part of a truce deal. Israel had yet to confirm whether it would attend the Cairo talks.
Source:Taipei Times
March 04, 2024 03:34 UTC
Indian ambassador says he is optimistic after MOU
Indian ambassador says he is optimistic after MOUMIGRANT WORKERS: The de facto ambassador said India and Taiwan could combine to become a ‘trusted source’ for the supply of technological goods to democraciesBy Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporterIndia Taipei Association Director-General Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav expressed optimism regarding cooperation between Taiwan and India after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) introducing Indian migrant workers to Taiwan. The MOU “holds the potential to address Taiwan’s labor shortage” and contributes to the growth and sustainability of Taiwanese industries, Yadav said. India Taipei Association Director-General Manharsinh Laxmanbhai Yadav speaks at an event in Taipei on Jan. 22 celebrating India’s Republic Day on Jan. 26. Taiwan welcomes Indian students and engineers who come to Taiwan for higher education or training, Wu told NewsX. The events would also serve as platforms for Taiwanese to exchange with Indian communities in Taiwan, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
March 03, 2024 18:40 UTC
Xi’s crackdown on China’s financial sector fuels industry brain drain
Xi’s crackdown on China’s financial sector fuels industry brain drainVilified by Beijing over their lavish lifestyles, Chinese finance workers are rethinking their careersBloomberg NewsHer annual bonus was slashed by 60 percent and her salary was frozen. Xi’s economic slogan for pursuing “high-quality development” signaled a desire to avoid another bout of unsustainable debt-fueled growth, potentially squeezing profits at the financial sector. “You never know when authorities might come up with another campaign to regulate the finance industry, there’s no certainty,” Gracie said. “I don’t think I can get as well paid as before in the finance industry,” she said, also asking that her full name not be disclosed. “I’d like to think the finance industry is still of relevance and importance,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 03, 2024 17:50 UTC
Work together, do not incite hate
For Taiwan to prosper, parties should lay down their arms, rid themselves of political prejudice and actually work together. Under the regime of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and then-president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), Taiwan saw the world’s longest period of martial law. KMT legislator Fu Kun-chi(傅?萁) even picked a fight and said the KMT would obstruct Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) nominations. Moreover, as speaker, Han should act fairly and neutrally, playing an important role in fostering unity. Due to inexplicable hatred, some pan-blue ignoramuses irrationally hate pro-localization governments and refuse to communicate with them.
Source:Taipei Times
March 02, 2024 21:45 UTC
AI still far from replacing humans
AI still far from replacing humansBy Nigel P. Daly and Laurence Chen 陳家宏It is job-finding season in Taiwan and many are becoming concerned about how the advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) would impact the workforce. Yes, AI automates some repetitive tasks, but other tasks still need humans. Some would remain human-only, while some would need humans enhanced by AI. Many people would lose jobs not to AI, but to AI-enhanced humans who streamline the workforce and increase profitability. Only humans who painstakingly work toward wisdom and become expert craftsmen are able to create works that are of value to humans and are valued by humans.
Source:Taipei Times
March 02, 2024 03:43 UTC
The rise and fall of the Japanese economy
In 1995, following a sharp appreciation of the yen, Japan’s economy was about three-quarters the size of the US economy. Today, Japan’s GDP amounts to just 15.4 percent that of the US, and China’s GDP has been larger than Japan’s since 2010. Add to that yen depreciation from 2012 to 2014, and Japan’s GDP declined (in US dollar terms), before flattening out. The list of measures needed to revitalize the Japanese economy is as well-known as it is long. If the economy’s fall to number four is not enough to wake Japan up, it is soon to fall to number five.
Source:Taipei Times
March 01, 2024 17:10 UTC