Year in review: Ten most read stories in Features
Year in review: Ten most read stories in FeaturesBy Noah Buchan / Staff reporterUnsurprisingly, COVID-19 dominated the most read topics in Features over the past year. Surprisingly, other most-read stories included the Black Lives Matters movement in the US and how it impacts the global discusson on race. Read on to see what most interested our readers this year:National Taiwan University students hold a Black Lives Matter rally in June. ‘No remedy, no rights:’ China blocks foreigners from leaving (May 6)This was the only wire story that made it. Blackface rears its ugly face in Taiwan (June 4)From time to time, people being insensitive to minorities and history make headlines.
Source:Taipei Times
December 30, 2020 15:56 UTC
GlobalWafers to raise prices next year
GlobalWafers to raise prices next yearPANDEMIC BOOST: The Hsinchu-based company expects strong demand to bring its annual revenue next year close to 2018’s record high of NT$59.06 billionBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterGlobalWafers Co (環球晶圓), the world’s No. 3 silicon wafer supplier, on Monday said that it is to raise its prices next year as 5G-related applications and the stay-at-home economy have boosted semiconductor demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to supply constraints. With limited new supply worldwide, demand is expected to rise to the peak hit in 2018, the Hsinchu-based company said. GlobalWafers is to raise the prices of all its wafers, with 12-inch wafers seeing the highest increases, she added. GlobalWafers expects strong demand to bring its annual revenue next year close to 2018’s record high of NT$59.06 billion (US$2.07 billion).
Source:Taipei Times
December 29, 2020 15:56 UTC
EVA fires pilot for quarantine breach
EVA fires pilot for quarantine breach‘CHALLENGING’: The airline is also investigating another pilot for breaching quarantine regulations and has fired four flight attendants, while two other pilots have resignedBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterEVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) on Monday dismissed a Taiwanese pilot for contravening quarantine regulations and posing a risk to his colleagues. The pilot earlier this year reportedly asked his girlfriend to visit him while he was in quarantine and EVA on Monday launched an investigation. The pilot admitted contravening the regulations, so the company’s disciplinary committee terminated his contract, the airline said. Pilots and flight attendants are required to undergo three and five days of home quarantine respectively after returning from overseas. The airline is also investigating another pilot and has fired four flight attendants for breaching regulations, while two other pilots resigned, it said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 29, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Two new imported cases of COVID-19
Virus Outbreak: Two new imported cases of COVID-19BAFFLING CASE: Case No. Each provided a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result before boarding a flight to Taiwan and neither showed COVID-19 symptoms, the center said. The test result returned positive yesterday, he said, adding that 15 close contacts have been identified, including four people who were ordered into home isolation. A total of 795 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Taiwan, with 127 people currently hospitalized, he said. Regarding another case reported on Monday — No.
Source:Taipei Times
December 29, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taiwan’s ‘cancer death clock’ worsens by 11 seconds
Taiwan’s ‘cancer death clock’ worsens by 11 secondsBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterTaiwan’s “cancer death clock” in 2018 worsened by 11 seconds to an average of one person diagnosed with cancer every four minutes and 31 seconds, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday, as it announced the nation’s top 10 cancers. Citing Taiwan Cancer Registry data from 2018, the HPA said that the “cancer death clock” sped up by 11 seconds from 2016. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesThe most common cancers of 2018 were colorectal cancer, followed by lung cancer, female breast cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, skin cancer, gastric cancer and cancer of the uterine corpus. The top five cancers among men were colorectal cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer and prostate cancer. The top five cancers among women were breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer and liver cancer.
Source:Taipei Times
December 29, 2020 15:56 UTC
Water ‘orange alert’ to be issued next week
Water ‘orange alert’ to be issued next weekBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterWater supplies are to be further reduced next week in Taichung and Hsinchu and Miaoli counties, as the first “orange alert” since 2015 is set to be issued on Wednesday next week, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. Areas on yellow alert have their water pressure reduced and the public is encouraged to conserve water, while an orange alert entails limiting total water use as well as reducing the water pressure. “The pipeline between Taoyuan and Hsinchu will be completed in January.”“We will not limit water use right away,” Wang said. “We do not have enough for agriculture, but there is enough for the public and for industrial use if we are thrifty.”The last time an orange alert was issued was 2015, when an alert was issued for Taichung, Miaoli, Keelung, Hsinchu and Tainan, while a “red alert” was issued for Taoyuan, New Taipei City and Kaohsiung. During a red alert, the most severe level, rotating water stoppages are enacted, with priority given to the general public, medical, defense and industrial users.
Source:Taipei Times
December 29, 2020 15:56 UTC
Chilly New Year’s Eve as temperatures to fall today
Chilly New Year’s Eve as temperatures to fall todayBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterPeople in Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung can expect about 40 hours of temperatures below 10°C, starting this afternoon, due to the arrival of a cold front, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. Temperatures in northern and central Taiwan could dip below 10°C by this afternoon, as the cold front is expected to move quickly toward the nation, it said. April and October were the only months that had average temperatures close to the normal range, but average temperatures in the other months exceeded the climate average and made it to the top 10. Records showed that the average temperatures from January to March after a La Nina Year would be lower than normal and rainfall in the west coast would be below the normal range, he said. Average temperatures in the next three months are likely to be close to the normal range, but the rainfall could be between low and normal, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
December 29, 2020 15:56 UTC
Trump signs Taiwan Assurance Act
Trump signs Taiwan Assurance ActTAIPEI APPRECIATIVE: Both the Presidential Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked Washington for its continued support, while in Beijing, there was teeth-gnashingStaff writer, with CNA, WASHINGTONThe US$2.3 trillion government spending package that US President Donald Trump finally signed on Sunday evening incorporates the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020, as well as money to support activities under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework initiative launched in 2015. Photo: CNAThe Taiwan Assurance Act supports the deepening of US-Taiwan ties on the basis of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). It states that the US Congress believes Taiwan is a vital part of the US’ “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy” and as such the government should support Taiwan’s continued pursuit of asymmetric capabilities. It also said the State Department’s guidance regarding relations with Taiwan should reflect the long-standing, comprehensive and values-based relationship the US shares with Taiwan, and contribute to the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. Meanwhile, in Beijing, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) said that China was “resolutely opposed” to the Taiwan Assurance Act of 2020 as well as the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, which was also part of the omnibus bill signed by Trump on Sunday.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2020 16:00 UTC
KMT representatives support pork drive
The KMT is to begin collecting signatures on Wednesday next week, after the Central Election Commission (CEC) approved its proposal on Dec. 18. From left, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Culture and Communications Committee director-general Alicia Wang, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang, KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung and Institute of Revolutionary Practice director Lo Chih-chiang yesterday in Taipei announce a signature drive for a referendum on imports of pork containing ractopamine. Aug. 28, the day of the referendum, “would be the day people decide on their own health and on their own food,” KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said. KMT Secretary-General Lee Chien-lung (李乾龍) said that the party firmly believes it can collect 600,000 signatures in two months. The KMT is to set up signature collection points all over the country, KMT Culture and Communications Committee director-general Alicia Wang (王育敏) added.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
New Taipei downsizes holiday events
New Taipei downsizes holiday eventsSTAYING CAUTIOUS: Holiday flag-raising events attract thousands of residents, but officials said they were worried about enforcement of disease prevention measuresBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe New Taipei City Government yesterday announced it would downsize a New Year’s Day flag-raising ceremony on Friday at city hall and postpone a fireworks display in Bali District (八里) to prevent the spread of COVID-19. New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said that the city government would step up its COVID-19 prevention efforts this week, particularly of outdoor gatherings. New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi, left, speaks at a news conference in New Taipei City yesterday. The New Taipei City High Riverbank Construction Management Office said it would postpone a fireworks show in Bali. “The fireworks would be launched over a 500m-wide area, and the disease prevention restricted area is about 1,200m.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taiwan third-best investment location, BERI report says
Taiwan third-best investment location, BERI report saysBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterTaiwan was ranked as the third-best investment destination, alongside South Korea, in the lastest report by the US-based Business Environment Risk Intelligence SA (BERI), the Ministry of Economic Affairs said yesterday. BERI also gave Taiwan the highest score for foreign exchange risk, making it the most secure nation in the world regarding foreign exchange. The report showed Taiwan scored a profit opportunity recommendation (POR) — a gauge that BERI uses to evaluate a nation as an investment destination — of 62, up one point from 61 in its May and August reports. BERI uses three main indicators to assess investment risk: operating conditions (operations risk), political risk, and foreign exchange and external accounts position (remittance and repatriation factor) risk. Taiwan scored 60 in operating conditions, placing it third; 46 in political risk, ranking it 14; and 80 in foreign exchange risk, putting it in first place.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Utility to recognize power plant losses following vote
Utility to recognize power plant losses following voteBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterLosses associated with the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant would be recognized by Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) after a referendum next year, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said yesterday. The power plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮) has been mothballed since 2015 amid construction controversies and protests from environmentalists. The Fourth Nuclear Power Plant is pictured in New Taipei City on July 1, 2015. “There will be a referendum in August on whether to activate the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant,” Wang told reporters at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei. “We expect to maximize the asset value of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant, then we will have a basis to figure out how to accurately recognize it in our books,” Taipower said yesterday.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
TAIEX likely to see consolidation
TAIEX likely to see consolidationBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe TAIEX is likely to hover between 13,000 and 15,000 points in the first and second quarters of next year as it enters consolidation mode, before rallying in the third quarter and climbing to 16,800 points in the fourth quarter, Capital Investment Management Corp (群益證投顧) said yesterday. The TAIEX yesterday closed up 1.06 percent at 14,483.07 points, a record high, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed. The TAIEX is projected to move to a range of 14,000 to 15,500 points in the third quarter, as the local technology sector would benefit from more orders in the peak season, Tsai said. If the US stock market does not crash and governments extend their quantitative easing programs, it is possible that the TAIEX would advance to 16,800 points at most in the fourth quarter, he said. Capital Investment has an upbeat outlook for local biotech companies, due to rising demand for COVID-19 test reagents and vaccines.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Presidential Office budget for cybersecurity up 50%
Presidential Office budget for cybersecurity up 50%SECURING INFORMATION: The NT$38.97 million budget would be spent on software and equipment to protect against the 400,000 cyberattacks the office faces a monthBy Yang Chun-hui and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Presidential Office’s information security budget would be increased by 50 percent next year, as it faces an overwhelming 400,000 cyberattacks per month on its computer systems, officials said yesterday. As part of its budget for next year, the Presidential Office allocated NT$38.97 million (US$1.37 million) to “administrative work for preserving information security.”Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi attends a budget review held by the legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee in Taipei yesterday. The office’s cybersecurity budget is about NT$13 million more than was budgeted last year, he said, adding that it was also allocating NT$733,000 to research and develop a better cybersecurity plan. Ho Chuan-te (何全德), who is in charge of cybersecurity at the Presidential Office, said that it would take a more proactive approach regarding cyberdefenses. The office would introduce more stringent specifications for private mobile devices used by office personnel, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2020 15:56 UTC
Chiayi farmer wins best tomato title
Chiayi farmer wins best tomato titleBy Wu Chun-feng and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerA Chiayi County farmer bested 94 rivals to win the title of “Master Grower” at the Tainan District Agricultural Research and Extension Station’s 10th cherry tomato competition on Wednesday last week. However, station director Yang Hung-ying (楊宏瑛) said that the participants in the general competition represented the best of their regions. Photo: Wang Shan-yen, Taipei TimesThey were all still able to produce quality harvests, achieving an average sugar level of 10.1 degrees Brix (°Bx), or 10.1g of sugar in 100g of fruit, she said. For comparison, a 2011 Ohio State University study showed that cherry tomatoes had an average rating of 7.5°Bx, ranging from 4.5°Bx to 11.7°Bx. Yang said that the competition is a good opportunity for farmers from different areas to gather and share their expertise, improving the nation’s overall cherry tomato industry.
Source:Taipei Times
December 28, 2020 15:56 UTC