Taipei allocates NT$608bn for infrastructure
Taipei allocates NT$608bn for infrastructureStaff writer, with CNAThe government has allocated NT$608 billion (US$21.35 billion) to spend on public infrastructure this year, in a bid to stimulate the economy amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Development Council (NDC) said on Monday. Premier Su Tseng-chang, right, speaks alongside National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin during a question-and-answer session at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei TimesRegarding the Taoyuan Aerotropolis project, more than NT$60 billion would be allocated in September for the acquisition of land, the council said. The 4,500 hectare project, near Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, is to be a modern industrial logistics center, development zone and urban residential area. Government agencies are being urged to expedite work on infrastructure projects, he added.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
Innolux, AUO not concerned over water cuts
Innolux, AUO not concerned over water cutsRECLAIMED WATER: The two companies said that they recycle more than 95 percent of their wastewater and reuse the water for flat-panel manufacturingBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterLCD panel makers Innolux Corp (群創) and AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電) yesterday said that water restrictions do not threaten their production, as they have increased their usage of reclaimed water. Photo: Chen Mei-ying, Taipei TimesAs water supply remains stable, no trucks have been commissioned yet, the companies said. Innolux also sought help from the Tainan City Government to find an alternative water source, Yang said. The water supply issue is less of a problem than the shortage of chips used in flat panels, Yang said. Driver ICs, touch sensors, and power management chips and glasses are in short supply, Innolux said early this month.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
MiTAC trumpets US$7.2bn Synnex-Tech Data merger
MiTAC trumpets US$7.2bn Synnex-Tech Data mergerMASSIVE FOOTPRINT: If the plan is approved, Tech Data and Synnex are expected to create the world’s largest IT distributor, serving more than 100 countriesStaff writer, with CNAMiTAC Holdings Corp (神達控股) yesterday announced a US$7.2 billion merger between its investment company, Synnex Corp, and information technology distributor Tech Data, which would create a world-leading information technology (IT) distributor if approved. Synnex and Tech Data, both based in the US, have entered into a definitive merger agreement, under which the two companies would combine in a transaction valued at about US$7.2 billion, including net debt, Taoyuan-based MiTAC said. The MiTAC Holdings Corp logo is seen in the company’s office in Taipei on Jan. 18, 2018. The company announced yesterday a US$7.2 billion merger between its investment company, Synnex Corp, and IT distributor Tech Data, which if approved will create a world-leading IT distributor. Synnex president and chief executive officer Dennis Polk said the company is excited to partner with a world-class industry leader such as Tech Data and believes that the move would benefit all stakeholders.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
Ministry condemns vaccine politics
Alexander Yui, director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, at a news conference in Taipei yesterday accused Chinese COVID-19 vaccine suppliers of trying to persuade Paraguay to cut ties with Taiwan. Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei TimesThe government is helping Paraguay purchase vaccines through different channels, and it is opposed to any other party offering vaccines to its ally with conditions, he said. Taiwan did not “transfer” 2 million vaccine doses to Paraguay that it plans to purchase from AstraZeneca, as some media reports have alleged, Yui said. Yui also cited a statement by the Paraguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs that referred to it being pressured to sever ties with Taipei. The Paraguayan ministry also said that India and Qatar had promised to donate 200,000 doses of the Covaxin vaccine and 400,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine to the country respectively.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
Department reveals new logo for gender equality awareness
Department reveals new logo for gender equality awarenessBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterThe Executive Yuan’s Department of Gender Equality yesterday announced the winners of a logo design contest and a short film competition aimed at promoting gender equality. Nine teams received prizes in the short film competition and six designers won awards in the logo design contest at an awards ceremony in Taipei. Short films and logos are important tools for promoting gender equality, Minister Without Portfolio Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) told the ceremony. The winning logo design by Chen Pei-chi is pictured after the Executive Yuan announced the winners of a logo design and short film contest to promote gender equality at an awards ceremony in Taipei yesterday. Gender equality issues do not only exist on the screen, he said, calling for greater understanding of the concept of equality.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
Olympic athletes start vaccine shots: CECC
Olympic athletes start vaccine shots: CECCBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterAthletes who have qualified to compete in the Tokyo Olympics yesterday started receiving their first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said. Tokyo Olympics qualifiers have also been given first priority for vaccination, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General and CECC spokesman Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said. A nurse at National Taiwan University Hospital prepares COVID-19 vaccine shots on Monday. The CECC hopes that athletes and national team staff members can complete the two doses before heading to the competition, he said. The CECC reported one imported case of COVID-19 yesterday — a Dutch man in his 20s.
Source:Taipei Times
March 23, 2021 15:56 UTC
Taiwan in Time: A Taiwanese actor playing a Mexican villain in Italy
The tall, dark-skinned Wang had portrayed Taiwanese Aborigines, Mongolians, Japanese and Koreans, but this would be his first non-Asian role. Wang recalls spending the afternoon watching two Mexican films to prepare, and then winging it. Wang says that he made history as the first Asian actor to play a non-Asian role in a non-Asian country. WARTIME THESPIANGeorge Wang plays a Mexican outlaw in the 1967 spaghetti Western, Colt in the Hand of the Devil. Photo courtesy of Taiwan Film InstituteWang seems to have spoken to locals at length about the 228 Incident while in Taiwan and understood the causes.
Source:Taipei Times
March 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
Philippines begins trial Taiwan pork imports
Philippines begins trial Taiwan pork importsBy Yang Yuan-ting / Staff reporterThe Philippines last month imported a small amount of Taiwanese pork on a trial basis, and plans to import breeding swine from Taiwan to rebuild its hog industry, the Council of Agriculture said on Friday. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) in June last year declared Taiwan proper, Penghu and Matsu a foot-and-mouth disease-free zone, meaning the nation could finally export its pork products after a 23-year hiatus. Last year, Taiwan exported 4,500 tonnes of pork products, including canned pork, generating revenue totaling NT$680 million, (US$23.89 million) council data showed. Photo: Chen Wen-chan, Taipei TimesMacau was the first to accept imports, and in the second half of last year imported 1,628 tonnes of Taiwanese pork products worth NT$140 million, the data showed. Nonetheless, the Philippines last month began importing Taiwanese pork products, with quarantine and related administrative procedures going smoothly, the council said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
KMT to hold nationwide forums on referendums
KMT to hold nationwide forums on referendumsKEEPING FOCUS: The party would not take a definitive position on the nuclear power plant issue, as it would detract from its two referendums, a KMT source saidBy Shih Hsiao-kuang and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday began preparations for nationwide forums to explain the party’s stance on referendums that are to be voted on in August. The KMT has already held 169 forums for its chapter workers and members across Taiwan, a party source said. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang talks to reporters while attending a youth activity in Taipei yesterday. The KMT said that it was glad to see two other referendums proposed by members of the public, adding that it would respect the public’s decision. The other, headed by nuclear power advocate Huang Shih-hsiu (黃士修), hopes to activate the mothballed Fourth Nuclear Power Plant in New Taipei City’s Gongliao District (貢寮).
Source:Taipei Times
March 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
Passengers bid ‘Queen’ farewell in one last flight
Travelers pose with a China Airlines flight attendant in front of a Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet at a farewell party for the airline’s “Queen of the Skies” fleet at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. Mt Fuji in Japan is seen surrounded by clouds during a Boeing 747-400 round-trip flight from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday. “The airline launched Taipei-Shizuoka express flight service on March 15, 2012, bringing many Taiwanese tourists to the prefecture. Kuan Hui-wen (管慧雯), who had worked as a flight attendant before becoming a section chief in the airline’s flight service division, said it was difficult to part with the plane. The airline’s flight service from Taoyuan airport to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport was started in 1993 using a Boeing 747-400 jet.
Source:Taipei Times
March 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
Nutritionists weigh in on eating salmon
Nutritionists weigh in on eating salmonBy Chen Chien-chih and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerNutritionists and doctors weighed in on the merits of eating fish following a salmon sushi craze triggered by a restaurant chain’s publicity stunt. Salmon is a healthy fish to eat with a wide variety of health benefits, Tainan Municipal Hospital said in a statement. Iced roe, shrimp and slices of raw fish are displayed in Taichung in an undated photograph. Asia University Hospital hepatobiliary and gastroenterology doctor Tseng Sheng-en (曾晟恩) said that people with cirrhosis, diabetes or compromised immune systems should not eat raw fish. “Food poisoning from raw fish is often seen at gastroenterology clinics and emergency rooms,” he said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 20, 2021 15:56 UTC
Retro shop touted as salve for dementia
Retro shop touted as salve for dementiaBy Chiu Chih-jou and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerWhile retro shops selling nostalgic trinkets and snacks are a familiar sight in historic districts, the owner of one such store in Pingtung County has discovered an unexpected use for his collection — as a salve for dementia. As a child, Liu lived with his family in a Japanese-style house, where his father renovated old furniture and household items. He even acquired a bicycle ridden by the owner of a popular ice dessert shop in Chaojhou, a piece of local history. His mother used to sell furniture at a shop on the central traffic circle in Chaojhou, but after she developed mild dementia, Liu returned to look after her. In his retirement, Liu is operating the antiques store from his mother’s old furniture shop and drawing upon his experience working abroad to help exchange students.
Source:Taipei Times
March 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Government must crack down on CUPP, Lim says
Government must crack down on CUPP, Lim saysBy Chien Hui-ju / Staff reporterIndependent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) yesterday urged the government to crack down on the China Unification Promotion Party (CUPP), citing possible serious breaches of the law, including colluding with an enemy state. Lim told Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) at the legislature that CUPP founder Chang An-le (張安樂) had stated publicly that the party would form a “red” propaganda team to promote unification with China, including the possibility of “armed insurrection.”“Our government must prohibit such brazen flouting of the law by those acting as collaborators with China,” Lim said. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesChang said in a Chinese radio interview that the CUPP had recruited young Taiwanese, turning them from “green” to “red,” and that it was planning an armed insurrection within Taiwan when China launches an invasion of Taiwan, Lim said. China’s propaganda warfare comes in many forms and in Taiwan it has the CUPP networking with criminal gangs, recruiting Taiwanese and creating havoc in society, he said. Chang can speak freely, because he has the right to freedom of expression, “but he is promoting Chinese propaganda and calling for an armed insurrection, which is breaking the law,” Lim said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Supporters rally for Lee Ming-che
Supporters rally for Lee Ming-cheBy Chung Li-hua and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerChina has denied imprisoned Lee Ming-che (李明哲) contact with the outside world since the COVID-19 pandemic began, human rights groups said yesterday, urging the government to do more to assist the Taiwanese human rights advocate. Supporters of imprisoned Taiwanese human rights advocate Lee Ming-che hold a news conference outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday. National Human Rights Committee chairwoman Chen Chu (陳菊) should represent Taiwan at the summit and demand that APEC establish a mechanism for human rights dialogue that could address China’s human rights violations, Shih said. New School for Democracy director of advocacy Kuo Li-hsuan (郭歷軒) said that Beijing jailed Lee to intimidate Taiwanese so that they would not advocate democracy and human rights in China. “We have a collective responsibility to care about human rights in China.”
Source:Taipei Times
March 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Suspects detained after jewelry heist
Jewelry is displayed by the New Taipei City police yesterday after a store was robbed in Sanchong District on Thursday. The video footage, witness accounts and other evidence enabled preliminary identification of the suspects, police said. Two accomplices were detained in that case, but not Chen, they said. Hsia allegedly drove the car with Chen Ching-ke and portions of the loot to her residence in Kaohsiung, investigators said. In a bid to evade police, Chen Ching-ke allegedly took a train from Kaohsiung to Hualien, they said.
Source:Taipei Times
March 19, 2021 15:56 UTC