Legislators surprise with hidden talents and skills
Despite his wiry frame, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Wei-chou (林為洲) is stronger than he looks, and has the credentials to prove it. Chinese Nationalist Party Legislator Lin Wei-chou, 59, lifts himself on a horizontal bar in Taipei on Feb. 6. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Kuo-shu practices calligraphy in an undated photograph. When not in the legislature, KMT Legislator Wu I-ding (吳怡玎) likes to spend her time in the kitchen preparing exquisite meals with knowledge obtained in part from the French culinary school Le Cordon Bleu. The piece is meant to emphasize Taiwan’s determination to participate in global movements and connect with the world, Huang said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 15, 2021 15:56 UTC
Sanitization program
Reminders on pets on public transitHOLIDAY TRAVEL: Only certain types of animals are allowed on trains and buses, and owners are required to place their pets in a sturdy carrier that does not leak With more people hitting the road during the Lunar New Year holiday, transportation authorities issued reminders for people traveling with pets on what types of animals are allowed on public transportation and how they can be transported. The Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) allows cats, dogs, rabbits, small aquatic animals and birds, but they must be brought onboard in a sturdy carrier that does not leak and measures no more than 55x45x38cm, it said. The carrier must be kept under the passenger’s seat at all times during the trip, it said, adding that wheeled pet carriers for cats and dogs are allowed ifBy Kuo Hsuan-huan and William Hetherington
Source:Taipei Times
February 15, 2021 15:56 UTC
EU mulls TSMC, Samsung deal to establish foundry
People walk past the headquarters of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest semiconductor maker, in Hsinchu on Jan. 29. European Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton, wearing a protective face mask, talks during a presentation before a visit at the Thermo Fisher plant, formerly Novasep, producing COVID-19 vaccines for AstraZeneca in Seneffe, Belgium, on Wednesday. To reach those goals, the European Commission said it would launch a European alliance on microelectronics, which will likely include Europe’s major chipmakers and possibly also carmakers and telecom companies. “If governments are determined to do this, it will take years to break this up, and not months.”One of the biggest hurdles for the EU’s semiconductor plans could come down to financing. “One of the weak points is the access to risk capital in Europe and the implementation of the capital market in Europe,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 14, 2021 16:02 UTC
Taiwan always willing to help Japan, president says
Taiwan always willing to help Japan, president saysBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporter, with CNATaiwan is willing to help if Japan needs assistance, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said yesterday, after a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off Fukushima on Saturday. In a message written in Japanese on her Twitter account, Tsai said she hoped that “our friends in Japan are safe” and that Taiwan is always willing to support and help Japan. “Taiwan will always be there if the Japanese people need us,” the president wrote. Meanwhile, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake shook Taiwan’s southeastern coast at 12:25pm yesterday, the Central Weather Bureau said. Early yesterday morning, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake struck Hualien, registering an intensity of 3 in Tongmen Village (銅門) and 2 in Taroko Gorge and Hualien City.
Source:Taipei Times
February 14, 2021 16:00 UTC
Sharp change in weather expected from Wednesday
Sharp change in weather expected from WednesdayBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterA strong cold air mass is expected to arrive in the nation tomorrow evening, sending temperatures plummeting on Wednesday, when most people return to work after the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday, National Central University adjunct associate professor of atmospheric sciences Daniel Wu (吳德榮) said yesterday. Eastern Taiwan is expected to see periodic showers, while northern Taiwan is forecast to have mostly cloudy and partly sunny weather, and central and southern Taiwan would have mostly sunny and partly cloudy weather, said Wu, a former Central Weather Bureau Weather Forecast Center director. However, the leading edge of a “strong cold air mass” is forecast to arrive tomorrow night, bringing partial rain to northern and eastern Taiwan, he said. The weather is expected to remain dry and cold across the nation from Thursday to Saturday, he said. Due to the cold air mass and the radiative cooling effect in the evening, temperatures might drop below 10°C, so people should be alert to drastic changes in the temperature, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 14, 2021 15:56 UTC
FEATURE: Legislative Yuan more than its main chamber
FEATURE: Legislative Yuan more than its main chamberBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterMost people associate the Legislative Yuan with its debating chamber — a room synonymous with political power, interparty strife and Taiwanese democracy. The Legislative Yuan compound is pictured in Taipei on April 30, 2010. Photo: Wang Yi-sung, Taipei TimesOne of the lesser-known parts of the Legislative Yuan is a bustling, makeshift market just a few steps from the debating chamber. The Legislative Yuan has seen it all in the past 60 years since it moved to its current location in the capital’s Zhongzheng District (中正). During that time, much attention has been paid to its main chamber, a place presented to the outside world in all its theatricality.
Source:Taipei Times
February 14, 2021 15:56 UTC
Holiday food not fit for pets: veterinarian
Holiday food not fit for pets: veterinarianDANGEROUS DELICACIES: Food high in sodium is harmful for the kidneys of cats and dogs, while salty and oily food can cause diarrhea in animals, a veterinarian saidBy Chang Tsung-chiu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerA Changhua veterinarian urged pet owners not to give food not meant for animal consumption to their pets during the Lunar New Year holiday, citing a number of health issues that animals can develop if fed improperly. People who want to treat their pets during the holiday could give them canned meat-based pet food, Tung said. Pet owners must also intervene if others try to feed their pets, he added. Primo Animal Hospital president Chang Pan-chung (張泮崇) said that binge eating by pets could lead to post-holiday weight gain. Separately, Changhua County vet Lin Ming-yuan (林明源) said pet owners should dress their pets when the temperature drops below 10°C.
Source:Taipei Times
February 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
FEATURE: Interest in coins from dynastic, early republican eras causes surge in prices
Five copper coins minted during the reigns of the Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong and Jiaqing emperors of the Qing Dynasty are displayed in Taipei on Jan. 24. The silver in each coin is worth NT$600 to NT$700, but with the imprinted design, the coin’s value increases to at least NT$800, Wang said. More than 10 years ago, most coins only cost about NT$800 to NT$1,200, making them a stable investment, he said. Compared with the dramatic price increase for the Guangxu and Yuan Shikai coins, silver coins issued by Japan have remained relatively stable, increasing by only about NT$1,000, Wang said. The run is not limited to silver coins — Qing Dynasty-era copper coins have also experienced a substantial boost in value.
Source:Taipei Times
February 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
Traffic jams beset travelers on second day of New Year
Traffic jams beset travelers on second day of New YearBy Liu Hsiao-hsin and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerPeople traveling southbound along the nation’s freeways were stuck in kilometers-long traffic jams in sections near central Taiwan, the National Highway Police Bureau said yesterday. The worst congestion was on the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. Vehicles drive along the southbound lanes of the Sun Yat-sen Freeway (Freeway No. A bottleneck occurred along the Chiang Wei-shui Memorial Freeway (Freeway No. Separately yesterday, the National Freeway Bureau said the 1986 Web site and mobile app, which aim to help travelers navigate traffic congestion, crashed due to a spike in user traffic.
Source:Taipei Times
February 13, 2021 15:56 UTC
Reminders on pets on public transit
Pet owners aboard a bus in Kaohsiung show carriers containing their pets in an undated photograph. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp follows similar rules on pet carrier sizes, and owners must ensure that the animal’s limbs, tail or wings do not protrude from the container, and that the pet does not stink. Riders with pets must keep their pets with them at all times, and should not obstruct walkways with their carrier or place it on a seat, the company said. Taipei eBus said that passengers taking public buses in New Taipei City and Taoyuan are also required to have their pets in sturdy containers measuring no more than 55x45x40cm. Each passenger is allowed to bring one pet carrier aboard, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 12, 2021 15:56 UTC
Avoid talking when dining in public places, CECC says
Avoid talking when dining in public places, CECC saysBy Lin Hui-chin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday urged the public to avoid talking when eating out and to wear a mask at all times when not eating or drinking to prevent COVID-19 infection over the Lunar New Year holiday. People who are under self-health management after returning from abroad should also avoid chatting as much as possible when dining at home and opt for takeouts instead of eating out, the center said. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei TimesPeople who have finished quarantine but failed to observe self-health management regulations can be fined between NT$60,000 and NT$300,000 for breaching the Communicable Disease Control Act (傳染病防治法). Those who are practicing self-health management or have just entered this phase after home isolation would be fined between NT$10,000 and NT$150,000 if they breached regulations, it added. If they must do so, they should wear a mask, periodically wash their hands and always cover their mouth when coughing, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 11, 2021 15:56 UTC
Feast in moderation, experts say
A selection of Lunar New Year dishes is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph. People do not have to avoid certain types of foods altogether, Chiu said, adding that taking everything in moderation is key. In the week following the holiday, more than 280,000 people sought emergency care or outpatient services for gastrointestinal problems, the data showed. Preparing too much food and repeatedly heating the dishes allow room for bacteria to grow, resulting in food poisoning, he said. Food that is greasy could also stimulate one’s gall bladder, increasing the risk of inflammation of the bladder or pancreas, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
February 11, 2021 15:56 UTC
Single imported COVID-19 case confirmed: CECC
Single imported COVID-19 case confirmed: CECCStaff writer, with CNAThe Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday confirmed one new imported case of COVID-19, bringing the nation’s total to 936 casesThe new case is a Taiwanese man in his 20s who since September last year was studying in France and returned to Taiwan on Jan. 29, the center said. He provided a negative COVID-19 test result within three days of his flight, but while quarantining at home, he developed a cough, a runny nose, and nausea and vomiting, it said, adding that a test arranged by health authorities returned positive for COVID-19 yesterday. Higher Ct values — such as in the mid-to-high 30s — indicate a lower viral load, or likelihood of transmission. Taiwan has had 936 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 820 classified as imported. Nine people with COVID-19 have died, while 859 people have recovered and 68 remain in treatment, CECC data showed.
Source:Taipei Times
February 11, 2021 15:56 UTC
Moderna to supply 5m doses to Taiwan
Moderna to supply 5m doses to TaiwanMID-YEAR TARGET: The drugmaker said that although the vaccine has not yet been approved for use in Taiwan, it would work with local regulators to gain the approvalStaff writer, with CNAUS drugmaker Moderna Inc on Tuesday said that it has signed an agreement with the government to supply Taiwan with 5 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine. Although the vaccine has not yet been approved for use in Taiwan, Moderna would work with regulators to pursue the necessary approval prior to distribution, the company said in a statement. Moderna also said that it has agreed to supply 10 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Colombia and that deliveries to the countries would begin in the middle of this year. Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times“We thank the governments of both Taiwan and Colombia for partnering with us to bring the COVID-19 vaccine Moderna to Taiwan and Colombia,” Moderna chief executive officer Stephane Bancel said in the statement. The Moderna vaccine has received emergency-use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration for the vaccination of individuals aged 18 or older, the report added.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2021 15:56 UTC
Hota revenue up 17.95% amid market recovery
The increase in revenue reflects a steady recovery in the global auto market, which boosted the company’s shipments of machinery parts and gear transmission products last month, the company said on Tuesday. The logo of Hota Industrial Manufacturing Co is pictured at one of the company’s plants in the Chiayi Dapumei Precision Machinery Park on July 24, 2019. “We expect more EV revenue contribution to kick off from 2021 as some projects have been delayed in 2020 due to COVID-19,” Daiwa said in a note last month. The company aims to start production at the new plant in the second half of this year and supply components for EVs for US and European clients. It already operates two plants in the same industrial park.
Source:Taipei Times
February 10, 2021 15:56 UTC