KMT, TPP to hold talks, Hou says
KMT, TPP to hold talks, Hou saysBy Shih Hsiao-kuang and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) have agreed to hold talks on cooperation ahead of next year’s presidential election, the KMT’s presidential candidate New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, adding that his campaign keeps an “open mind on all issues.”Speaking on the sidelines of a campaign event in Taipei, Hou told reporters that his office and KMT leaders spoke yesterday morning with representatives of TPP Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲). New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi, center, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei TimesSeparately yesterday, Ko’s campaign spokesman Tai Yu-wen (戴于文) told reporters that the two sides are stuck on whether to publicize their talks. The KMT has already sent some of its top leaders for negotiations, “what more do you want?” he asked, urging the TPP leader to drop his preconditions. The KMT has many vice chairs, so his effect in that role would be limited, Jaw said.
Source:Taipei Times
October 11, 2023 22:24 UTC
Protecting the important industries
Protecting the important industriesBy Chang Meng-jen 張孟仁Amid increasing concerns over China’s global rise, the EU has demonstrated its resolution to bolster economic security with the European Commission’s Chips Act, a list of 10 critical technologies crucial to economic security and an investigation into subsidies for imports of battery electric vehicles from China. Like the US, Japan and other like-minded areas, the EU is wary of China’s advanced technological development and has implemented de-risking strategies. They have prevented advanced technologies from military and civilian use in China, and have been pouring resources into the digital and green industries, as well as identifying flaws in their own systems and diversifying. Similarly, the EU’s risk assessment report could lower the risk of an outflow of its advanced semiconductor, AI, quantum and biological technologies to rival countries. The EU has also moved to partner with allies to form closer collaborative ties and de-risk value chains.
Source:Taipei Times
October 11, 2023 21:46 UTC
The Liberty Times Editorial: Taiwan joining the UN a vital task
The Liberty Times Editorial: Taiwan joining the UN a vital taskOn Sept. 22, the UN General Assembly wound up its 78th annual General Debate in New York City, again excluding Taiwan. For this, the US House of Representatives in July passed the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which states that Resolution 2758 does not apply to Taiwan. Taiwan’s participation has never been more crucial, especially in regard to geopolitical trends in the global community. On behalf of the G7 foreign ministers, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa underscored their collective support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations. Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi’s (王毅) absence caused murmurs, with speculation that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is still in disarray after former minister Qin Gang’s (秦剛) sudden departure.
Source:Taipei Times
October 10, 2023 21:43 UTC
England thrash Bangladesh by 137 runs
In-form Malan belted five sixes and 16 fours to rack up a career-best one-day international (ODI) score and Topley took 4-43 as the defending champions won by 137 runs after piling up 364-9 in Dharamsala. England’s Dawid Malan, left, celebrates his century with Joe Root during their Cricket World Cup match against Bangladesh in Dharamsala, India, yesterday. Bangladesh, who beat Afghanistan in their opening match in India, finally got the breakthrough they desperately needed when Mahedi bowled Malan. Wickets kept tumbling — Shoriful finished with figures of 3-75 and Mahedi took 4-71 — but the total proved well beyond Bangladesh. The 10 teams at the World Cup play every other side once in a single round-robin format, with the top four teams progressing to the semi-finals.
Source:Taipei Times
October 10, 2023 21:01 UTC
Ministry apologizes for ‘offensive’ childcare ad
Ministry apologizes for ‘offensive’ childcare adINAPPROPRIATE: The education ministry promised to self-reflect after a video promoting its childcare policy was accused of mocking figure collectors and anime fansBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Education yesterday apologized for a video it released last month promoting the government’s childcare policy amid criticism from anime and manga fans that it disrespected people’s hobbies and preferences. Called the “National Childcare Policy for Ages 0-6,” it includes increasing affordable education and care services, reducing tuition costs, boosting childrearing allowances, and raising salaries for childcare and education personnel to ease the burden of raising a child. The entrance to the Ministry of Education is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph. Apologizing for the incident, the ministry said that it welcomed public scrutiny and supervision. He added that the ministry would reflect on its actions and continue to emphasize public communication when it makes videos to convey its ideals and values.
Source:Taipei Times
October 10, 2023 15:16 UTC
Bureau urges cautions as fraud on Marketplace rises
Bureau urges cautions as fraud on Marketplace risesBy Yao Yueh-hung, Wang Meng-lun and William Hetherington / Staff reporters, with staff writerBuyers and sellers on Facebook Marketplace should exercise caution as reports of fraudsters targeting users of the platform increase, the Criminal Investigation Bureau said on Sunday. In related news, data from the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) and the National Credit Card Center showed that credit card fraud related to leaked personal information has been on the rise since 2021.Credit card fraud reached NT$2.24 billion last year, up 14.2 percent from NT$1.96 billion in 2021, the data showed. “In the past, people would use physical means to steal credit card numbers along with the three-digit verification codes on the backs of the cards. The manager said that one bank customer’s information was stolen by a phishing site claiming to offer discounts on fast food. People should also be on the lookout for fraudulent text messages that appear to come from their banks, the bureau said.
Source:Taipei Times
October 10, 2023 13:21 UTC
What to do when you think you have been scammed
If you think you have been scammed, call your bank or card provider to report it immediately. “You can also report a stolen card on most banking apps,” says Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at the consumer group Which?. It is harder to report fraud itself via a banking app, so you may still have to call a number. He adds that this is not very common but, when it does happen, it can be “devastating.”To avoid this, you should be careful with personal details, especially anything sent over e-mail. If you suspect you may have had personal details stolen, you should keep an eye on your credit file using a credit reference agency.
Source:Taipei Times
October 10, 2023 07:42 UTC
A tale of two National Day events
A tale of two National Day eventsBy Chen Yung-chang 陳永昌A few days ago the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in the US hosted its annual Double Ten National Day banquet at Twin Oaks estate in Washington. A week earlier, the Chinese embassy in the US also hosted a national day reception. The Double Ten National Day banquet at Twin Oaks showcased Washington’s support for Taiwan. However, some more significant occasions, such as Double Ten National Day celebrations, are still restricted to maintain the appearance of the US’ “one China” policy. In 2019, the celebration of China’s national day in Washington marked a turning point.
Source:Taipei Times
October 10, 2023 03:40 UTC
Ko favors elevating Cabinet’s role if elected president
Ko favors elevating Cabinet’s role if elected presidentStaff writer, with CNATaiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday said he would elevate the Cabinet’s role in government, enshrine a parliamentary system into the Constitution and create the position of prime minister if elected. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Next year’s election is a good opportunity to end the autocratic presidential system and return the power to the people, Ko said. If elected, he said he would abolish what he calls the “elective monarchy system” and replace it with a Cabinet-run government. Democratic Progressive Party spokesman Chang Chih-hao (張志豪) said Ko was contradicting himself, because while he is ostensibly pushing to elevate the Cabinet’s role, he is a monarchist at heart.
Source:Taipei Times
October 09, 2023 23:54 UTC
Carrying on Nobel’s great spirit
Based on Planck’s hypothesis, the theory of quantum mechanics was developed, laying the foundation for further theoretical development. including German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg’s matrix mechanics and Austrian physicist Erwin Schrodinger’s wave mechanics. Schrodinger proposed that in an equation, the wave functions of an electron are also matter waves, just like particles of light are also matter waves. At the time, everyone was perplexed by one question: Given that the wave functions are in plural form, what exactly would their physical significance be? Nobel’s great spirit has carried on to our time, inspiring us to do things for the greater good.
Source:Taipei Times
October 09, 2023 21:41 UTC
EDITORIAL: Inequality threatens national security
The agency attributed the increase in disposable income to the nation’s economic growth, with GDP expanding 2.35 percent last year from the previous year despite the impact of the pandemic. In other words, the wealth gap has not improved despite increases in people’s average disposable income and GDP. Former US president Barack Obama once said income inequality is the “defining challenge of our times,” while Pope Francis tweeted that “Inequality is the root of social evil.” Many experts believe income inequality inevitably leads to social instability and disorder, and even political turmoil. Wu’s analysis also found that perceived unfairness in wealth distribution reduces non-rich citizens’ willingness to fight for their country by dampening their national pride, a key element in psychological attachment to national identity. Wu’s research highlights the importance of an equitable distribution of wealth and resources, and, more importantly, it suggests that unfairness in wealth distribution threatens national security.
Source:Taipei Times
October 09, 2023 03:43 UTC
Silent subs can help to revitalize sea power
A submarine’s acoustic signature, or sound profile, has important implications for its combat operations. The acoustic signature is the sound its machinery and propeller make during operation. Just like humans, each submarine has a unique “voice.” Each submarine’s acoustic signature is different, even for different submarines of the same class. In underwater combat conditions, a vessel can only be detected by sonar, so underwater combat could be called acoustic warfare. Consequently, a submarine’s acoustic signature is an important way of identifying it.
Source:Taipei Times
October 09, 2023 03:43 UTC
Fuel prices to drop for fourth week as global crude falls
Fuel prices to drop for fourth week as global crude fallsBy Chen Cheng-hui / Staff reporterGasoline and diesel prices are to drop NT$0.1 per liter this week following a fall in global oil prices last week, CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) and Formosa Petrochemical Corp (台塑石化) announced separately yesterday. It is the fourth consecutive week that CPC and Formosa are lowering their fuel prices. Global crude oil prices moved lower last week due to several factors, such as the strengthening US dollar, the likeliness of Russia lifting restrictions on diesel exports, and higher-than-expected US gasoline inventories, the companies said. Based on CPC’s floating oil price formula, the cost of crude oil fell 4.42 percent last week from a week earlier, it said. The price of premium diesel is to be NT$28.3 per liter at CPC stations and NT$28.1 at Formosa pumps, they said.
Source:Taipei Times
October 08, 2023 23:03 UTC
Earthquakes kill more than 2,000 in Afghanistan
Earthquakes kill more than 2,000 in AfghanistanSEARCH AND RESCUE: People were attempting to dig out the dead and injured by hand in Herat, where people were trapped under buildings that had crumbledAP, ISLAMABADPowerful earthquakes over the weekend killed at least 2,000 people in western Afghanistan, a Taliban government spokesman said yesterday. It is one of the deadliest series of earthquakes to strike the country in two decades. People affected by an earthquake wait for relief in Herat, Afghanistan, on Saturday. Photo: EPA-EFESaturday’s magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit a far more densely populated area, near Afghanistan’s fourth largest city, Herat. Yesterday, people attempted to dig out the dead and injured with their hands in Herat, clambering over rocks and debris.
Source:Taipei Times
October 08, 2023 17:13 UTC
China perpetuating property bubble
China perpetuating property bubbleBy Antonio GraceffoFor decades, Beijing has used investments to generate growth, with much of its spending focused on constructing new apartment buildings. Property prices increased steadily from 2000 through March 2021. BOC, ICBC and CCB reported increases in property sector nonperforming loans of 20 to 30 percent. Analysts estimate that the quantity of property loans in danger of default is equal to 12 percent of GDP. The other option is for property prices to drop significantly, which would trigger massive credit defaults, threatening the banking sector.
Source:Taipei Times
October 08, 2023 16:37 UTC