PCB makers look for new sources of water
PCB makers look for new sources of waterMANY FACTORS: Raw material price hikes are likely to dent PCB makers’ Q2 earnings, but not so much if Asian currencies fall against the US dollar, Yuanta analysts saidBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterLocal printed circuit board (PCB) makers are planning alternative water sources — such as using recycled water, preparing water storage facilities or hiring water trucks to transport water from remote areas — in anticipation of more stringent water rationing as the nation’s most severe water shortage in 56 years worsens. Photo: Tsai Ching-hua, Taipei TimesThe analysts said the water shortage is affecting PCB makers’ production in the second quarter, while the outlook for the third quarter remains uncertain. “Industrial water supply costs NT$12 per tonne, while water delivered by water tank costs NT$400 per tonne. Based on our estimates, water accounts for 0.2 percent of PCB suppliers’ production costs,” Yuanta analysts said. “Persistent raw material price hikes are likely to continue to suppress PCB makers’ earnings in the second quarter of this year,” they said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
COVID-19: Taiwan adds 321 new virus cases
COVID-19: Taiwan adds 321 new virus casesDELAYED REPORTING: An additional 400 cases were integrated into the past week’s reports and the updated figures showed that new infections peaked on MondayBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 321 new local COVID-19 infections and two deaths, while an additional 400 cases that had been delayed in reporting have been added to the daily confirmed cases reported from Sunday last week to Friday. Two imported cases were also confirmed yesterday, said Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center. The 400 delayed cases have been added to the previously reported cases following “regression calibration,” he said. After the correction, the daily reported cases would be 245 for Sunday last week, 406 for Monday, 325 for Tuesday, 359 for Wednesday, 360 for Thursday and 349 for Friday, CECC data showed. The center integrated the cases with past infections instead of reporting them as newly confirmed cases to gain a better understanding of the actual daily COVID-19 situation and to implement suitable response measures, Chen said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 22, 2021 15:56 UTC
Justices say copyright law sanctions constitutional
Justices say copyright law sanctions constitutionalOPTICAL DISILLUSIONMENT: A lawyer said penalties for specifically using optical disks were disproportionate with the offense and contravened constitutional rightsBy Wu Cheng-feng and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerA law punishing copyright infringements involving the sale or public distribution of reproductions on optical disks with a minimum six-month prison term is constitutional, the Council of Grand Justices ruled on Friday. Judicial Yuan Secretary-General Lin Hui-huang reads aloud the Council of Grand Justices’ Constitutional Interpretation No. Other copyright crimes are punishable by a maximum three-year prison term with no minimum prison term or fine, the lawyer said, questioning the imposition of a minimum term for breaches specifically involving optical disks. The law says that copyright infringements involving optical disks are prosecutable without complaint, meaning that a defendant faces criminal charges even if they reach an agreement with the copyright holder. Liu’s lawyer said that application of these laws also harmed Liu’s constitutional rights and requested an interpretation.
Source:Taipei Times
May 22, 2021 15:56 UTC
Disinformation targeting is increasing: politician
Disinformation targeting is increasing: politicianBy Ko Yu-hao and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerChinese disinformation campaigns are becoming more selective over their targets, while the messages show an increased level of customization to target audiences, the Taiwan Statebuilding Party said on Friday. The message said that Taiwan Statebuilding Party Taoyuan chapter head Lan Shih-po (藍士博) had been filmed entering a meeting with Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) members, Chou said. He immediately suspected that the message was a “phishing” attempt and warned his colleagues, Chou said. An encrypted file sent with the message had a Chinese Internet protocol address, another indicator that it was a Chinese attempt at disinformation, he said. The incident indicates that Beijing’s disinformation campaign is getting more sophisticated by the day, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 22, 2021 15:56 UTC
Putting the ‘spike’ in perspective
Putting the ‘spike’ in perspectiveBy Ian Inkster 音雅恩Quite a lot of mileage is being gained in the Western press with reports of a COVID-19 “spike” in Taiwan over the past few days. In other words, even within low-COVID-19 East Asia, Taiwan remains the tall one standing. The first is the low level of vaccinations in East Asia. The third clear danger is the partial knowledge of what composes the new spike in Taiwan, especially the virulence of the type of virus. Of course, Taiwan has already banned arrivals from India, but the exact variant distribution within the new spike remains to be verified.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2021 16:07 UTC
COVID-19: Test results made available via app
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, made the remarks at the CECC’s daily briefing. Medical personnel wait at a COVID-19 testing station in New Taipei City’s Xindian District yesterday. Chuang said that the Keelung resident was tested on Tuesday, meaning they should not have used public transportation until yesterday. People wear masks in a truck in Taipei yesterday. A man jogs in a park in Taipei yesterday.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2021 16:00 UTC
Bills to bolster virus-hit economy pass reading
They are to be considered for a third reading on May 31, the final day of the current legislative session, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) said. Legislators conduct a videoconference test at the legislature in Taipei yesterday to prepare for a potential closure of the Legislative Yuan building due to COVID-19 prevention measures. People sit at tables with dividers at the legislature in Taipei yesterday, the last session before it closed until Friday next week as part of disease prevention efforts. Meanwhile, the Legislative Yuan yesterday tested holding sessions through videoconferencing during the morning session, which You said was a “historic” moment. Meetings at the Legislative Yuan have been suspended for a week starting today amid a surge in locally transmitted COVID-19 cases.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2021 16:00 UTC
Control Yuan to probe teahouses
Control Yuan to probe teahousesPUBLIC SECRET: More than 100 teahouses with hostess services operate in Wanhua, but authorities have not cracked down on them, a Control Yuan member saidBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterThe Control Yuan yesterday launched an investigation into the alleged sex trade in Taipei’s “teahouses,” as the establishments draw greater attention after they were linked to a cluster of COVID-19 infections in Wanhua District (萬華). Control Yuan member Lin Kuo-ming (林國明) said that local officials have been negligent in addressing the matter, after teahouses, known as “A-gong diam” (阿公店) in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), were shown to be the center of a COVID-19 cluster. A lane along Guangzhou Street Night Market in Taipei’s Wanhua District is pictured on Tuesday. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei Times“As local authorities have not cracked down on such contraventions, a probe will be launched into the matter,” Lin said. Although the teahouses along Wanhua’s streets and alleys are among the nation’s most famous, there are similar businesses on a smaller scale in other cities and towns.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2021 16:00 UTC
CECC reports 312 new local cases
CECC reports 312 new local casesMAPPING THE SPREAD: Raising alert levels, based on the number of cases reported, also depends on whether it can continue to trace infection sources, the center saidBy Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporterThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported 312 new local COVID-19 cases and called on local governments to implement disease prevention measures consistent with pandemic alert level 3 guidelines. Next week is crucial to determine whether Taiwan’s measures to contain an accelerating outbreak of the virus centered in Taipei and New Taipei City have been successful, he said. A man yesterday does situps in the exercise area of a park in New Taipei City. Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases, the New Taipei City Government has announced that all 800 park facilities in the city are to be closed until Friday next week. The center yesterday also reported three new imported cases, arrivals from the US, the Philippines and Canada.
Source:Taipei Times
May 21, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taipei teacher takes to 17Live for online classes
However, Taipei CooC-Cloud (台北酷課雲), the city-government approved digital learning platform, crashed on Wednesday due to a surge in traffic. Taipei Municipal Jianguo High School geography teacher Wu Meng-huan conducts a class over the 17Live app in an undated photograph. Wu Meng-huan (吳孟寰), a geography teacher at the all-boys high school, gave his lessons through 17Live. “We also suggested that students not use emojis during online classes,” 17Live said. However, Su denied that the platform is seeking to reshape its image by focusing on online teaching.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
FSC tells firms to postpone annual meetings
FSC tells firms to postpone annual meetingsUNPRECEDENTED: The move to delay shareholders’ meetings marked the first time the commission had imposed such a measure, but follows discussions with the CECC, it saidBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday told publicly traded companies to postpone their annual shareholders’ meetings from Monday next week to the end of next month to curb public gatherings amid a surge in COVID-19 infections. A total of 1,931 companies had planned to convene their shareholders’ meetings during the period, but the FSC has made it mandatory for them to delay the events to July or August, it said. The deadline for the solicitation of proxies for attendance at shareholders’ meetings remains the same, she added. So far, 57 public companies have convened their shareholders’ meetings and another seven are to hold their meetings today, commission data showed. Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) and Inventec Corp (英業達) are among the firms that announced that they would postpone their annual shareholders’ meetings by two weeks.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
CECC confirms 286 local cases, 1 death
People wait to be tested for COVID-19 outside Taipei City Hospital’s Heping branch yesterday. Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei TimesYesterday, the center reported 295 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases — 286 local infections and nine imported cases. Frontline medical personnel rest after being vaccinated against COVID-19 at a hospital in New Taipei City yesterday. Soldiers in protective suits disinfect an MRT station in Taipei yesterday. The volunteer, who took care of retired service dogs, tested positive on Wednesday and was one of the domestic cases announced by the center yesterday, Chang said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
Proposal to grant parents pandemic-leave subsidies
Proposal to grant parents pandemic-leave subsidiesBy Chen Yun and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerLegislators across party lines yesterday proposed an amendment that would grant COVID-19 pandemic-related leave subsidies to parents, potentially totaling up to NT$10 billion (US$357 million). Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling, left, speaks to the media at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday about proposed amendments granting COVID-19 pandemic-related leave subsidies to parents. The companies’ requests contravene workers’ rights, Lai said, but added that many small and medium-sized firms could not afford to grant their workers special leave. “It highlights the necessity of writing into law the rights of workers to take pandemic-related special leave bolstered by subsidy payments,” Lai said. The bill, signed by 21 legislators across party lines, was sponsored by Lai, TPP Legislator Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿), Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Chien-kuo (劉建國) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔).
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
Home buyers face higher down payments: report
Home buyers face higher down payments: reportBy Crystal Hsu / Staff reporterProspective home buyers might have to come up with bigger down payments as local banks become increasingly conservative in issuing housing loans with the central bank warning against lax lending practices, a report by My Housing Monthly said yesterday. New houses in northern Taiwan with loan-to-value ratios (LTVs) of 80 percent dropped to 49 percent of all cases this year, the lowest since 2018 when the property market started to improve, the report said. Photo: Hsu Yi-ping, Taipei Times“The [central bank’s] moral suasion and two waves of selective credit controls appear to have worked, judging from the lending trend,” Ho said. Buyers would have to fork out more money when developers turn over ownership of completed residences, Ho said. Small apartments have been an easy sell over the past few years, while large luxury homes have difficulty finding buyers, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
May 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
Lawmakers blast Novotel for using ‘Taiwan, China’
Lawmakers blast Novotel for using ‘Taiwan, China’‘OUTRAGEOUS’: The hotel sparked a public outcry by causing a cluster infection and has reduced Taiwan to a province of China, a lawmaker saidBy Chen Yu-fu / Staff reporterLawmakers on Monday criticized the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport hotel for listing the nation as “Taiwan, China” on its Web site for online reservations, despite being of a subsidiary of state-run China Airlines Ltd. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Mark Ho (何志偉) said the hotel has crossed the line by listing Taiwan as part of China. “While the packaging on the masks highlighted the message that ‘Taiwan can help,’ it also had the name of the airline, China Airlines, on it. As such, the masks, which were meant to show goodwill from Taiwan, were mistaken as gifts from China,” Lo said. “Now the transit hotel refers to Taiwan as part of China, which would make foreigners think they are in China,” Lo said, adding that most foreigners already have trouble distinguishing between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China.
Source:Taipei Times
May 19, 2021 16:00 UTC