Wisdom posts Q1 loss as virus hits freight demand
Wisdom posts Q1 loss as virus hits freight demandSETBACK: The company had expected overcapacity to diminish amid new IMO rules, but the pandemic froze economic activity, crimping demand for ocean freightBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterWisdom Marine Lines Co (慧洋海運) posted a pretax loss of US$4.07 million in the first quarter due to deteriorating freight rates, marking its first quarterly loss since the second quarter of 2017, company data showed. The ongoing spread of COVID-19, disruptions at ports worldwide and lower demand for shipment with delayed production have created downward pressure on freight rates, the shipping company told the Taipei Times by telephone yesterday. Its revenue plunged 15.92 percent from a year earlier to US$92.71 million during the first three months, the data showed. However, with the pandemic freezing economic activity worldwide, demand for ocean freight has been lower than expected, Mou added. Meanwhile, container shippers Evergreen Marine Corp (長榮海運) and Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp (陽明海運) saw their sales decline 4.86 percent to NT$43 billion and 1.24 percent to NT$34 billion respectively during the January-to-March period, company data showed.
Source:Taipei Times
April 14, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: CAL to highlight ‘Taiwan’ on delivering donations
Virus Outbreak: CAL to highlight ‘Taiwan’ on delivering donationsBy Sean Lin / Staff reporterPremier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) yesterday voiced support for changing the name of China Airlines (CAL, 中華航空), but said it was not an easy thing to do, as it could affect the nation’s aviation rights. Su reminded reporters that Chiang Kai-shek International Airport had been renamed Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport when he first served as premier during then-president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) administration. The league’s name had “historical reasons,” Su said, agreeing that the two examples she cited have caused confusion about the difference between Taiwan and China. With the world largely acknowledging Taiwan’s success in containing COVID-19, it is important that the world realizes “Taiwan is not China,” he said. Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) yesterday confirmed that the ministry had asked CAL to “add symbols representing Taiwan” on aircraft being used to carry international donations of medical supplies.
Source:Taipei Times
April 14, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Virus test kit production likely by July
The government has invested NT$2.16 billion (US$71.7 million) in the testing, treatment, prevention and research of the disease, National Health Research Institute (NHRI) president Liang Kung-yee (梁賡義) said. An official holds a prototype of the COVID-19 rapid testing kid developed by the Industrial Technology Research Institute at a news conference yesterday at the Executive Yuan in Taipei. That test could produce results in 15 to 20 minutes, and might also be ready for mass production by July, he said. A third drug, quinine — which is commonly used to treat malaria and babesiosis — has also shown promise in the treatment of COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms, he said. “Several countries have expressed hope to work with Taiwan to produce a vaccine and rapid test,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 13, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taiwan oil millet touted as a potential superfood
Taiwan oil millet touted as a potential superfoodEASY CROP: A farmer said the plant, which looks similar to wheat, yields three harvests per year and despite its resilience, needs to be protected from birds and weedsBy Chen Hsien-yi and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writerTaiwanese oil millet, an endemic plant species, could be a superfood, providing high nutritional value to humans and livestock, Academia Sinica researcher Hsing Yue-ie (邢禹依) said yesterday. It is easier to grow than most major high-yield crops — such as rice, wheat, corn, cassava or sorghum — the production of which is reliant on heavy irrigation, herbicides and fertilization, but Taiwanese oil millet does not require that much effort, she said. Taiwanese oil millet basks in the sunligh in Taitung County yesterday. Chiu Kuei-chun (邱貴春), a farmer who has grown Taiwanese oil millet for five years, said that the plant looks similar to wheat. Hsing said that her research team is conducting extensive research on the plant in the hope that its special qualities could allow more applications.
Source:Taipei Times
April 13, 2020 15:56 UTC
Group warns pigs not easy to keep as pets
People’s perception of pigs is key to whether the pigs feel happy, Anita said, adding that potential owners must fully understand what a pet pig would mean to the household. Bai Ji Elementary School principal Wang Lien-chin walks the school’s pet pig in Taoyuan on Dec. 30, 2015. As sound pollution can be an issue, people who live in less urbanized areas or have sound-proofed homes would be more suited to owning a pet pig, she said. Pig owners should neuter or spay their pets when they are little, she said. Pet pigs enjoy interacting with their owners and demand a lot of attention, she said, adding that they also need periodic walks, as this helps their digestion.
Source:Taipei Times
April 13, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Double-decker bus offering NT$50 rides
Virus Outbreak: Double-decker bus offering NT$50 ridesBy Tsai Ya-hua and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taipei Sightseeing Bus, the city’s double-decker tour line, is offering rock-bottom prices of NT$50 per ride from tomorrow until June 15, along with other promotional discounts, as it struggles amid a sharp decline in tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Taipei Sightseeing Bus said it is collaborating with the Great Taipei Commercial area and Green World Hotels in the promotion. Taipei Sightseeing Bus executive officer Hsu Hao-yuan (徐浩源) said that the promotional price is to be for single rides and four-hour rides, while day rides would enjoy an 80 percent discount. A Taipei Sightseeing Bus is pictured in Taipei on Saturday. Photo: Tsai Ya-hua, Taipei TimesPeople can get one free ride in their birth month, while up to two accompanying travelers can enjoy hop-on, hop-off service throughout the day for only NT$200, Hsu said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 13, 2020 15:56 UTC
Fire department honors retiring dog at ceremony
Fire department honors retiring dog at ceremonyBy Yao Yueh-hung, Tang Shih-ming and Dennis Xie / Staff reporters, with staff writerThe Taipei City Fire Department honored a retiring rescue dog at a ceremony yesterday and extended its appreciation to the person who adopted the German shepherd. The dog, named Humble, received an honorary medal for its contributions to disaster relief at a ceremony, at which the department and the adopter, surnamed Lee (李), signed adoption papers, department commissioner Wu Chun-hong (吳俊鴻) said. The department said it hoped the ceremony would draw attention to rescue dogs and their post-retirement adoption, a practice it began in 2015, Wu said. Retired rescue dog Humble, front, poses for a photograph with Taipei City Fire Department commissioner Wu Chun-hong, right, at a ceremony in Taipei yesterday. Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior’s National Fire Agency yesterday began accepting adoption applications for five of its rescue dogs that are retiring this year.
Source:Taipei Times
April 13, 2020 15:56 UTC
NPP’s Claire Wang calls for breast milk controls
NPP’s Claire Wang calls for breast milk controlsHEALTH RISK: Breast milk is still sold on e-commerce platforms, and if it has not been tested properly, babies consuming it could contract diseases, the legislator saidBy Wu Su-wei / Staff reporterNew Power Party (NPP) Legislator Claire Wang (王婉諭) on Friday called for breast milk to be regulated after a YouTube channel drew criticism for its descriptions of breast milk purchased online. In a video posted on Tuesday last week, YouTuber Hsiao-yu (小玉) was seen tasting breast milk purchased online and describing it as spoiled soy milk. For several years, local representatives and groups have been drawing attention to the “chaos” that is the sale of breast milk online, she said. Taiwan Academy of Breastfeeding representative Fang Li-jung (方麗容), who is responsible for Taipei City Hospital’s Human Milk Bank, said that as some diseases can be transmitted through breast milk, the purpose of the bank is to provide safe breast milk. Consuming breast milk purchased online is very risky, she said, adding that it is “absolutely unfit” for children to consume.
Source:Taipei Times
April 12, 2020 15:56 UTC
Treatable condition can cause nausea, dizziness at work
Treatable condition can cause nausea, dizziness at workBy William Hetherington / Staff writerPeople who experience dizziness or nausea whenever they are at work might have a medical condition that is treatable with medication and exercise, a psychiatrist in Kaohsiung said. In most cases, the condition is related to migraines, and is often caused by vestibular migraines, Tseng said. When these pulses pass through the inner ear they can cause tinnitus and dizziness, and when they pass through the spinal cord they can cause numbness in the limbs and muscle aches, he said. Regular exercise is also helpful, and people can achieve a healthy level of exercise by walking or cycling to and from work, he said. As other pre-existing conditions can also lead to dizziness in the workplace, people who suspect they have the condition should visit a doctor, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 12, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Disease prevention center to be set up
Virus Outbreak: Disease prevention center to be set upGOAL OF 2027: The center would fight viruses and communicable diseases, with key tasks including inspection, and vaccine and biopharmaceutical developmentBy Chen Yu-fu and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNAThe government is to establish a dedicated center to improve disease prevention, injecting NT$4 billion (US$132.88 million) over the next seven years into the project, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said yesterday. Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on Wednesday approved a Ministry of Health and Welfare proposal to build a center for disease prevention, which is to be in the ministry’s compounds in Taipei’s Nangang District (南港), with construction scheduled to begin next year and be completed in 2027, Kolas said. People would be able to preorder masks every two weeks at FamilyMart, 7-Eleven, OK Mart and Hi-Life convenience stores using their National Health Insurance (NHI) cards, the official said. Payment methods for the store system have yet to be determined, the official said. Convenience store services are expected to ease congestion at NHI-affiliated pharmacies, where people usually have to wait in long lines to buy masks.
Source:Taipei Times
April 12, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Taoyuan, Kaohsiung check clubs
Virus Outbreak: Taoyuan, Kaohsiung check clubsBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterChecks on nighttime entertainment venues in major cities were conducted over the weekend, including raids in Taoyuan and Kaohsiung and fines to those found contravening the government’s COVID-19 prevention measures. Taoyuan police expanded their checks after the Central Epidemic Command Center on Thursday ordered all hostess clubs and dance halls to temporarily suspend operations after a woman who reportedly worked as a hostess at several clubs in Taoyuan and Taipei became the nation’s No. Taoyuan Mayor Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) yesterday said that police found 66 cases of clubs still operating or residents contravening quarantine and handed out fines totaling NT$13.84 million (US$459,755). Hostesses were working at two of the sites and the owners face fines ranging from NT$3,000 to NT$15,000, officials said. In related news, a 23-year-old woman who reportedly works as a club hostess was detained for questioning in Tainan after she allegedly ran over an elderly woman yesterday morning.
Source:Taipei Times
April 12, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Taipei first to introduce mask vending machines
Virus Outbreak: Taipei first to introduce mask vending machinesBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Taipei City Government yesterday launched the nation’s first mask vending machines at the Xinyi District Health Center (信義健康中心). Starting today, people can buy the same number of masks — nine adult masks every 14 days or 10 children’s masks every 14 days — as they would at pharmacies or through the online mask preorder system at the center’s three vending machines. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, front, second left, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, right, and other officials stand next to a new mask vending machine at the Xinyi District Health Center in Taipei yesterday. People can pay with cash, mobile payment services Apple Pay, Google Pay, Line Pay and Jkos Pay, and EasyCard or iCash cards, it added. As masks are an important disease prevention resource, he supports how the government has controlled mask distribution, but he does not like people lining up for them, so he asked Taipei Deputy Mayor Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) to discuss launching mask vending machines with the NHIA.
Source:Taipei Times
April 11, 2020 15:56 UTC
Taiwan in Time: Two centuries of punishing cheaters
Over 200 years later, adultery is still a punishable offense in Taiwan. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia CommonsFROM JAPAN TO THE KMTThe Japanese applied their Western-style criminal code to Taiwan when they arrived in 1895. The Qing code mandated that only the husband or his relatives could be the accuser; the Japanese law was even stricter as only the husband could press charges. Japan decriminalized adultery in 1947, but by then Taiwan was under Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) rule. This law would persist until present day, making Taiwan one of the few countries in the world that still criminalizes adultery.
Source:Taipei Times
April 11, 2020 15:56 UTC
Virus Outbreak: Medical unions criticize bonuses
Virus Outbreak: Medical unions criticize bonuses‘UNFAIR’: Compensation for those working to prevent the spread of COVID-19 does not cover frontline workers such as radiologists and respiratory therapists, the unions saidBy Tsai Ya-hua and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerA coalition of three medical workers’ unions yesterday called on the government to clarify the details of bonuses given to those contributing to epidemic prevention, and to expand the scope of the bonuses. The coalition — made up of members of the Taipei Doctors’ Union, the Taipei City Hospital Labor Union and the Taiwan Society of Laboratory Medicine — made the comments at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. It is also worded in a manner that allows medical institutions to be rewarded financially, but they are not obligated to distribute the money to frontline workers, it said, adding that frontline workers are putting their lives at risk every day to fight the disease. The government should clarify how the bonuses are to be distributed, and include all frontline workers, it said. The Ministry of Health and Welfare in a press release on March 19 specified that the bonuses applied to those caring for COVID-19 patients in negative-pressure isolation rooms, intensive care units and hospital wards established specifically for the care of COVID-19 patients.
Source:Taipei Times
April 11, 2020 15:56 UTC
Machinist builds wireless coffee machine
Machinist builds wireless coffee machineBy Chang Yi-chen and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerA machinist in Yilan County has built an automated pour-over coffee machine that can be operated wirelessly by a cellphone through Bluetooth. Yu Teh-yuan (游德源), 62, said he was motivated by his love for coffee to build the machine and that he left it at the Suao Township (蘇澳) community office for local residents to use. Machinist Yu Teh-yuan stands next to his remote-controlled pour-over coffee machine at the Suao Township community office in Yilan County on April 5. He was happy to help the center, which takes care of children with disabilities, but realized that making several cups of pour-over coffee by hand was a very tiring process, he said, adding that he got the idea to make an automatic pour-over coffee machine after he returned to Yilan. After a coffee machine at the township office broke down, Yu replaced it with his newly built automated machine, which has been well-received by township residents, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
April 11, 2020 15:56 UTC