Fri, Jul 10, 2020
NEW STANDARDS: The policy should slash PM2.5 by 27.3 tonnes per year, down 4.5 percent from current levels, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection said Taipei is to designate three transportation hubs and six tourist hotspots as “Phase One Air Quality Management Zones,” with the types of vehicles allowed to enter them restricted, the Taipei Department of Environmental Protection said in a news release yesterday. Vehicle owners and drivers failing to meet emission standards in those zones would be subject to fines from next year, the agency added. Starting from Jan. 1 next year, large diesel vehicles would need to be certified and bear the government’s “Premium Self-management Logo,” showing that the vehicle’s emissions are in line with government standards, before they could enter the zones, it said. Scooters failing to undergo the required regular inspections would also lose access to the zones, the agency added. The air quality management zones would be Taipei City Hall Bus Station, Taipei Bus Station and Nangang Bus Station, as well as Yangmingshan National Park, the National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine and Taipei 101, it said. Offenders would receive verbal warnings throughout January, but from February they would face fines of NT$500 to NT$2,000, depending on their vehicle type, with a maximum fine of NT$60,000, it added. Many cities in other countries, such as Berlin, Amsterdam, Stockholm and London, have implemented similar regulations to curb pollution, the agency said, citing London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone as an example. The agency is introducing the regulations — the first in the nation — as diesel engine exhaust has been classified as being “carcinogenic to humans” by the WHO, Air Quality and Noise Control Division head Yang Mei-hua (楊梅華) said. Regulations would first target large diesel vehicles, as the amount of fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) that they generate is much higher than other vehicles, Yang said, adding that it is also the reason for targeting
The Executive Yuan in two weeks is to introduce a new special budget proposal with a ceiling of NT$210 billion (US$7.10 million) under the Special Act on COVID-19 Prevention, Relief and Recovery (嚴重特殊傳染性肺炎防治及紓困振興特別條例) to assist sectors hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Pent-up demand has boosted retail sales, but the tourism and transportation industries are still suffering, due in part to borders remaining closed, Su told a Cabinet meeting in Taipei yesterday. The government would allocate funds to where it is most needed, while continuing to fund the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines and testing kits, and subsidize people furloughed and companies’ operational costs, the premier said. The Executive Yuan would announce a special budget request in two weeks and deliver it to the Legislative Yuan for review, he said. Asked how the budget is progressing, Executive Yuan spokesman Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) said that agencies have finalized proposals, and that Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics Minister Chu Tzer-ming (朱澤民) is fine-tuning them. The request would not be reviewed in time for the ongoing extraordinary legislative session, so the Executive Yuan would contact the whips of the legislative caucuses about a review and ask them to consider a second extraordinary session, Ting said. In related news, the number of people registered to purchase paper Triple Stimulus Vouchers has far exceeded the government’s expectations, so the Executive Yuan plans to print an additional 2 million to 3 million sets of the vouchers, Ting said. Statistics as of Wednesday night showed that more than 10 million people had preordered paper vouchers, he said. The vouchers can also be claimed electronically when people link them to their credit card and use electronic payment methods. Initially planning to issue 12 million sets, the government increased the number to 14 million, but now expects to issue about 17 million, he said. “The materials for
Australia yesterday offered pathways to permanent residency for thousands of people from Hong Kong in response to China’s crackdown on dissent, drawing a furious reply from Beijing. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that his government was suspending its extradition agreement with the territory and, in addition to extending the visas of 10,000 Hong Kongers already in the country, threw open the door to thousands more wanting to start a new life in Australia. The decisions were taken in response to China’s imposition last week of new security legislation in Hong Kong, Morrison said, adding that it “constitutes a fundamental change of circumstances” for the territory. “Australia is adjusting its laws, our sovereign laws, our sovereign immigration program, things that we have responsibility for and jurisdiction over, to reflect the changes that we’re seeing take place there,” he told a news conference. Beijing shot back, condemning the Australian announcements as breaches of “fundamental principles of international relations.” “China... reserves the right to take further reactions, all consequences will be borne by Australia,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Zhao Lijian (趙立堅) said. “Any attempts to suppress China will never succeed.” Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said that China’s moves in Hong Kong were discussed earlier yesterday with Australia’s so-called “Five Eyes” security partners: New Zealand, the US, Britain and Canada. China has bristled at widespread global criticism of the legislation. New Zealand is also reviewing its relationship with Hong Kong because of the new legislation, New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters said yesterday, “including extradition arrangements, controls on exports of strategic goods and travel advice.” Canada has also suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong, while the British government has offered more than 3 million Hong Kongers a broader path to citizenship. Morrison brushed aside questions about whether the challenge over Hong Kong would likely lead
Japanese emergency services and troops yesterday scrambled to reach people cut off by catastrophic flooding and landslides that have killed dozens and caused widespread damage, with more torrential rain forecast. In the scenic tourist area of Gifu in central Japan, officials said that landslides and floodwater had left nearly 1,000 households stranded — or about 2,300 people. However, in the hardest-hit region of Kumamoto, attention was turning to cleanup operations after some of the heaviest rain in years. “The number of people stranded is zero. We can now reach all of the areas that had been isolated,” a Kumamoto official said. Witnesses saw part of a road collapsed into a river and scenes of devastation in flood-affected houses. In one home, an elderly man was struggling to clear up the debris and furniture littering the mud-caked floor, his traditional straw tatami mats in one room ruined. The rain front started in the southwest early on Saturday and has since cut a swathe of destruction across Japan, dumping record amounts of rain and causing swollen rivers to burst their banks. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that heavy rain will likely continue at least until July 12, calling for “extreme vigilance” for possible landslides and flooding in low-lying areas. The agency issued its second-highest evacuation order to about 350,000 people. However, such orders are not compulsory and most residents are choosing not to go to shelters, possibly due to fears over COVID-19. The death toll has climbed gradually as more victims are discovered in isolated areas. Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said that 58 people were confirmed dead. Authorities were investigating whether four other deaths were linked to the floods, he said, adding that 17 people were unaccounted for. After five days blocked by floodwater and landslides, troops finally managed to rescue about 40 residents from Ashikita in Kumamoto. Kinuyo Nakamura, 68, burst into tears of
MULTIPLIER EFFECT: Executive Yuan spokesman Ting Yi-ming told radio host Clara Chou that he expects as many as 17 million people to join the voucher program Taiwan’s traditional and night markets are offering some tempting new deals, but only for consumers using their Triple Stimulus Vouchers. A total of 800 vendors at 140 participating traditional and night markets are taking part in the government’s voucher scheme, aiming to attract people to treat themselves after the program starts on Wednesday next week, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ (MOEA) Central Region Office said yesterday. A variety of goodie bags and bargain meals are to be available for NT$200 or NT$500 (US$6.76 or US$16.89) — the value of the paper vouchers — plus a chance to win a NT$2,000 coupon in prize draws for 6,300 winners, the office said. Typical offerings include pickles, braised meats, jerky, dumplings and other traditional treats, with the market value of every bag exceeding the purchase price, the office said, adding that the promotion would run until Aug. 31. “Traditional markets and night markets are a way of life for Taiwanese. Now they can get the most out of their Triple Stimulus Vouchers while supporting their local economy,” Hung Kuo-chueh (洪國爵), head of the office’s fourth section, told a news conference in Taipei. The ministry’s latest tally showed that more than 10 million people have signed up for the voucher program, with 85 percent of them opting for the physical vouchers, which were mostly bought at convenience stores. The number of digital claims is well below government expectations. Most digital purchasers linked the vouchers to their credit card, followed by mobile payment platforms such as Line Pay, the ministry said. Executive Yuan spokesman Ting Yi-ming (丁怡銘) said in a morning interview with radio host Clara Chou (周玉蔻) that he expects as many as 17 million people to join the voucher program. While business in traditional markets has been dire due to the pandemic, most vendors have found a way
MORAL COURAGE: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the global community to face China’s intention to subdue Taiwan and reject such irrational requests The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday strongly condemned the Chinese government for meddling with US officials’ interactions with Taiwan after FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed China’s efforts to discourage US officials from visiting Taiwan. The greatest long-term threat to the US’ information security and intellectual property, as well as its economic vitality, is China’s counterintelligence and economic espionage operations, Wray told a video event at the Hudson Institute in Washington. Beijing is engaged in a highly sophisticated and maligning foreign influence campaign, with methods that include bribery, blackmail and covert deals, he said. Giving an example, Wray said that when a US official plans to visit Taiwan, China would hit back at a company from the official’s home state by withholding licenses to manufacture products in China. In more covert ways, China would approach people close to the official to act on its behalf as intermediaries to influence the official, he said, adding that some of the intermediaries might not even realize that they are being used as pawns. The Chinese Communist Party also pressures US media and sports giants to ignore or suppress criticism of China’s ambitions regarding Taiwan or Hong Kong, he said. The FBI opens a new China-related counterintelligence case about every 10 hours, Wray said, adding that of the nearly 5,000 active FBI counterintelligence cases under way across the US, almost half are related to China. To protect the US’ economy, data, academia and innovation, the FBI is using a broad set of techniques ranging from traditional law enforcement to intelligence capabilities, he said, adding that it is working more closely with partner agencies at home and abroad to investigate China’s crimes. Asked for comment, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said the ministry strongly condemns Beijing’s ill-natured intervention in foreign governments’ interactions with Taiwan. China has used every possible means to suppress Taiwan and its
POST OFFICE RULES: People with odd number IDs can go on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to collect their vouchers, even numbers on Tuesdays and Thursdays Chunghwa Post should form an emergency response team ahead of distribution of the government’s “Triple Stimulus Vouchers” on Wednesday next week to deal with any possible contingencies, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. Lin watched a drill at the Jinnan Post Office (金南郵局) in Taipei designed to test the employees’ responses to various scenarios, including how to deal with angry customers unhappy about having to wait in line for a long time. Chunghwa Post has conducted several drills on facilitating distribution of the vouchers, but it still needs an emergency response team to monitor the situation nationwide and take quick action in case of an emergency, Lin said. It also needs to inform the public about the procedures they should follow, as well as the time they can collect their vouchers, he said. Given that the disabled and low-income citizens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can start claiming their government subsidies on Wednesday as well, large crowds are expected at post offices, he said. Chunghwa Post must ensure that all customers are properly guided, and those who want other postal services can access them, he said. The waiting time for collecting vouchers should be no more than 20 minutes, he said. Elderly or physically-challenged residents of remote villages who might have trouble collecting their vouchers in person should ask their borough or village wardens to do so on their behalf, he added. Chunghwa Post Co president Chiang Jui-tang (江振堂) said that 23.97 million people are qualified to claim the vouchers and that as of yesterday, 10.35 million have either placed orders for the vouchers at convenience stores, or added the vouchers to their credit card or electronic payment accounts. It is likely that the remaining 13.62 million people would start picking up the physical vouchers as of Wednesday, but if
A cap on freeway tolls should be lifted to allow transportation officials to devise a congestion pricing scheme that diverts freeway traffic to alternative routes more effectively on long holiday weekends, Chinese Institute of Transportation chairman Lin Liang-tay (林良泰) yesterday told a news conference at the Taipei-based institute. Experts from the institute met with Freeway Bureau officials on Tuesday to discuss possible solutions to ease the congestion on the Chiang Wei-shui Freeway (National Freeway No. 5) after the freeway saw congestion for more than 30 hours over the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend last month. Citing Freeway Bureau data, Lin said that the average driving speed on the freeway section between Taipei’s Nangang District (南港) and Shiding District (石碇) in New Taipei City was less than 60kph for more than 30 hours, and for about 20 hours the average speed was less than 20kph. The key to easing congestion is to find out how to bring the most people to their destinations, rather than the most vehicles, he said. When analyzing the traffic on the southbound lanes of the freeway on the first day of the holiday, experts found that 75 percent came from the Formosa Freeway (National Freeway No. 3), 15 percent from the Shiding Interchange and 10 percent from the Pinglin Interchange (坪林), he said. At least 25 percent of the traffic on the freeway should be diverted to Highways No. 2 and No. 9, which are alternative routes to the freeway, he said. Large passenger buses should be given priority access to the freeway to ensure that the maximum number of people, rather than vehicles, can access the freeway, he added. Legislators should provide government officials with legal tools to regulate traffic, Lin said. Using the Hsuehshan Tunnel (雪山隧道) on holidays only costs about NT$50 in tolls, but
CHALLENGER DEEP: Lin Ying-Tsong was invited by Caladan Oceanic founder Victor Vescovo to join him on a 10-hour long trip in the company’s submersible Taiwanese-American Lin Ying-Tsong (林穎聰) last month became the first person from Asia and the 12th in human history to dive into the deepest part on Earth, the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench. Lin, 45, an expert in deep sea acoustics with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Massachusetts, joined US adventurer and Caladan Oceanic founder Victor Vescovo, 54, on June 22 in a descent to the central pool of the Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the trench, which lies at a depth of more than 10,900m. The pair made the descent in a submersible named Limiting Factor, a US$37 million two-seater commissioned by Vescovo from Triton Submarines. Unlike astronauts who have to wear a spacesuit, they did not experience significant changes of atmosphere, temperature or humidity in the submersible, Lin said in a telephone interview with the Taipei Times on Tuesday last week, after he returned to Massachusetts. Inside the submersible’s capsule the pressure was kept at one standard atmospheric pressure, while the temperature dropped from about 28?C to 20?C during the dive and climb, he said, adding that the dive and the return climb took a total of 10 hours. There are three windows in the capsule, and when looking out from the window beneath their feet, he felt as if he was doing a “seawalk,” Lin said. The ocean bottom appeared to be an otherworldly desert of deadly gray, where only limited species, such as amphipods, can survive the extreme conditions, he said. When ascending to the surface, he saw, from the depth of nearly 300m, sunlight gradually extend into a carpet of radiance that brought all colors back, he said, describing the scene as a “sunrise in ocean.” Maintaining the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the capsule was a matter of life and death, so Vescovo, who was piloting
PRO-UNIFICATION? Examination Yuan nominee Wu Hsin-hsing said that he has been consistent in his support for Taiwanese sovereignty, freedom and democracy Examination Yuan member nominee Wu Hsin-hsing (吳新興) yesterday faced tough questions from Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers about his position on the so-called “1992 consensus,” even as the party itself appears to be split over the issue. The Legislative Yuan has been reviewing the Presidential Office’s proposed nominees for the Examination Yuan, including Wu, 68, a former Overseas Community Affairs Council minister. Citing Wu’s published works, KMT Legislator Charles Chen (陳以信) said that the nominee appeared to support the “1992 consensus” before he worked for the government and could even be said to be a pro-unification advocate. The “1992 consensus” — a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means. Wu said his comments on the so-called “consensus” were made during the period when Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) was president and that they were very objective, as the phrase did not exist during Lee’s time. Addressing his works, Wu said that an academic must be inclusive and consider all views when making an analysis. Wu added that Lee had proposed to China that two sides of the Taiwan Strait could form a “Chunghwa Union” or “Chunghwa Commonwealth,” a proposition that Beijing rejected. Wu said that he has been consistent in his opposition to the CCP and his support for Taiwanese sovereignty, democracy and freedom. When asked by KMT Legislator Lee De-wei (李德維) how he intended to stay neutral when he is the only nominee affiliated with a party, Wu, a Democratic Progressive Party member, said that he would abide by all regulations. The KMT itself appears to be split over
INDUSTRIAL ESPIONAGE: The minister of justice warned that Chinese companies have been luring Taiwanese talent with high salaries to steal trade secrets The Ministry of Justice is to hold a meeting today with representatives of tech firms at the Hsinchu Science Park to counteract Beijing’s efforts to recruit industrial spies and steal technological know-how. Chinese companies have long targeted Taiwanese tech talent to work in China, but in recent years have arranged for recruits to stay in Taiwan under the pretext of doing research and development, but are actually working as industrial spies, Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) said during a meeting with reporters on Wednesday. “Chinese companies offer high salaries through headhunting agencies to entice Taiwanese working in high tech to work as corporate spies, resulting in financial losses for many Taiwanese enterprises and affecting the nation’s economic competitiveness,” he said. Prosecutor Huang Chih-chung (黃致中) cited as an example the case of a former engineer at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, who was indicted in 2018 for theft of trade secrets. The engineer, surnamed Wu (吳), copied trade secrets linked to TSMC’s 28-nanometer process technology with the intention of taking the data with him to China when he took a new job at CSMC Technologies Corp. Wu, who was charged with breach of trust and contravening the Trade Secrets Act (營業秘密法), was in February found guilty and handed an 18-month suspended sentence by the Hsinchu District Court. “China’s covert plans to steal trade secrets and commercial proprietary information do not just target Taiwan, but can be found in many nations around the world,” Huang said. Prosecutors, along with teams from the justice ministry and investigation agencies, are to convene a talk today with high-tech firms at the Hsinchu Science Park, the main information technology cluster in northern Taiwan, the ministry said. Meetings with firms at other science parks in central and southern Taiwan are to be held in the coming weeks, it
Following England’s listing of Taiwan as one of the countries exempted from its quarantine rules, Scotland has followed suit, saying travelers from Taiwan do not have to self-isolate for 14 days. The UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office on Friday last week announced a “travel corridor” list for England, which exempts travelers who have been or stopped in any of the 59 countries and 14 British protectorates and territories on the list from mandatory quarantine upon arrival. The Scottish government on Wednesday announced its own list exempting travelers from 57 foreign destinations and 14 UK territories. The decision was made after carefully considering “the public health impact of the proposed exemptions,” Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said. “We must manage the risk of more cases coming into the country, particularly from areas where infections are more prevalent than here. That makes decisions about lifting quarantine requirements particularly difficult,” Yousaf said. Both the English and Scottish exemptions take effect today. Passengers arriving from these countries and territories are required to complete an online passenger locator form prior to travel, and to supply contact details, travel details and the address of the final destination where they will be staying, the Scottish government said. Travelers arriving directly in Scotland or via an English port or airport, would still need to quarantine if they have been in a country or area which is not on the exemption list, it said. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that Scotland’s announcement was a recognition of the nation’s COVID-10 prevention efforts. Ou added that Wales and Northern Ireland would be announcing details of travel restrictions separately. The lifting of travel restrictions would benefit Taiwan-UK investments and foster bilateral growth, the ministry said. As Taiwan’s third-largest trade partner in Europe, the ministry hopes to push for further collaborations with the UK government to ensure
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday called on the central government to expand its COVID-19 relief package to help the travel industry, which has been hit hard by the pandemic. From January to March, 19 travel agencies dissolved or suspended operations, KMT Culture and Communications Committee chairwoman Alicia Wang (王育敏) said, citing Tourism Bureau statistics. Data released by the Travel Quality Assurance Association also showed that 12 travel agencies applied for dissolution from April to last month, she said. Many more travel agencies are struggling, she said, urging the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to provide them with more support. Wang attributed the problem to a sharp drop in outbound tourism, with Tourism Bureau data showing that the number of people traveling abroad plunged 87 percent to 733,207 from February to May, from 5,743,807 a year earlier. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a “tsunami-like impact” on travel agencies, she said. Wang urged the central government and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to roll out the next phase of COVID-19 relief measures as soon as possible. She also urged the government to consider forming so-called “travel bubbles” with other nations, such as New Zealand, which has the novel coronavirus under control, adding that they would open up opportunities for local travel agencies and reduce their need for government relief. With domestic travel picking up, the government should also consider ways to spread out tourists, Wang said. Reports that some travel agencies are considering downsizing or cutting salaries might be an indicator of a imminent wave of company closures, the KMT said, adding that bankruptcies, layoffs and furloughs would weigh on the domestic labor market. The ministry is not expected to unveil its next phase of relief measures until the end of the month and details of the plan remain unclear, leaving people to question whether the new measures would be
The Hakka Affairs Council on Wednesday announced that electronic travel vouchers would be issued to boost tourism and spending at Hakka villages amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The council is to issue 280,000 sets of vouchers, it said in a statement. People with national identification cards, and people who are married to Taiwanese and also have residency would be eligible for the vouchers, the council said. People can enter a draw for the vouchers by registering through the council’s official account on messaging app Line within the event’s time frame, it said. There are two types of vouchers — those reserved for families with adults aged 65 or older, and those designed for individuals, it said, adding that 140,000 vouchers would be made available in each category. From 9am on Wednesday next week until Sunday next week, registration is open to families with adults aged 65 or older, with the winners to be announced on July 20, the council said. From 9am on July 22 until July 26, others can register in the second draw, with the winners to be announced on July 27, it said. Winners would be able to use the vouchers from Aug. 1 to Dec. 31 at the nation’s 70 key development areas of Hakka culture, commonly known as Hakka villages, it said. More than 4,000 designated businesses across 11 cities and counties are part of the voucher program, the council said. Others businesses in the food, accommodation and cultural industries at one of the 70 Hakka villages that are registered for tax purposes can apply to join the program, it said. Draw winners would receive vouchers with a face value of NT$100 each, the council said, adding that one voucher may be used for every NT$100 spent. The vouchers would be redeemable via QR code, it said, adding that they would not be valid in the township
Environmental advocates yesterday said that they are to launch a protest against air pollution in Kaohsiung next month, calling on the candidates in the city’s mayoral by-election to join the event and propose solutions to pollution. About a dozen representatives from environmental groups at a news conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei urged people to pay more attention to Taiwan’s worsening air quality, especially in the nation’s south. The protest is to be held on Aug. 9, said Lee Chien-cheng (李建誠), spokesman for South Taiwan Air Clear, one of the organizers. Kaohsiung has become a city with the “three highs,” Lee said, referring to high levels of carbon emissions, air pollution and lung cancer. People want an inhabitable Kaohsiung with clean air and a healthy environment, as opposed to a lot of energy-intensive and high-emission industries, or “cancer wards,” he said. Kaohsiung residents face severe environmental hazards, which should be immediately addressed, he said, adding that hopefully the candidates in the Aug. 15 election would present clear platforms on the matter. Taiwan should catch up with South Korea’s efforts to combat global climate change, Air Clean Taiwan chairman Yeh Guang-perng (葉光芃) said, citing goals that South Korea set during the COVID-19 pandemic to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. The central and local governments must unite to reach a consensus on a timeline to phase out coal use before completely eliminating it from Taiwan’s energy portfolio, Yeh said. The future Kaohsiung mayor should have the vision and ambition to transform the city to a low-carbon, sustainable city, instead of following its old industrial development model, which relies heavily on coal for energy, Yeh said. On Wednesday, Air Clean Taiwan said that it would launch an anti-air pollution protest in Taichung on Aug. 8 with other groups. Additional reporting by Peng Wan-hsin
LOW DEMAND: Although the company last month posted positive revenue growth, ending two months of declines, customer demand remains down, Largan’s CEO said Largan Precision Co (大立光), the nation’s leading handset camera lens manufacturer, yesterday posted a 25.77 percent quarterly decline in net profit for last quarter to NT$4.99 billion (US$168.7 million), reaching its weakest level in nine quarters due to sagging demand. Largan in the first quarter made NT$6.72 billion in net profit, the company said. Earnings per share in the last quarter dropped to NT$37.19 from NT$50.1 in the previous quarter. The Taichung-based company yesterday also booked a nonoperating loss of NT$536.42 million for the last quarter, reversing a nonoperating income of NT$414.64 million in the first quarter. Gross margin fell slightly to 68.63 percent, compared with 69.8 percent in the first quarter, the company’s financial statement showed. In an investors’ conference, Largan CEO Adam Lin (林恩平) gave conservative projections. “I think July and August are going to be about the same as June,” Lin said. Largan last month posted monthly revenue growth of 6.98 percent to NT$4.14 billion, ending two straight months of declines. Regarding the company’s revenue outlook for September and October, Lin said: “I cannot see that far.” Lin blamed softening demand rather than market share loss to competitors for the drop, saying: “Demand is down. Demand for high-specification products, especially” was down, Lin said. When asked about the prospects of Chinese competition increasing next year, Lin said: “I do not know.” Institutional investors in the conference said they were curious about the company’s plans for new continuous or fixed optical zoom lens products for smartphone cameras. Lin said it would be a daunting task from a technical perspective to create the lenses with the limiting form factor of mobile phones and to achieve the high level of precision required to make the lens. “Everybody wants this, but it is just hard,” Lin said. The company’s freeform lens technology is in the testing phase, he said, adding that he is optimistic
MORE LEVERAGE: The regulator said it is consulting with law experts to find ways to expand its ability to punish firms and their leaders who breach shareholders’ trust The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has reported Tatung Co (大同) chairwoman Lin Kuo Wen-yen (林郭文艷) to prosecutors for breach of trust, after a controversial shareholders’ meeting last week that led to impairment losses, the commission said yesterday. The move is the financial regulator’s latest to address the fallout from Lin Kuo on Tuesday last week canceling the voting rights of 27 shareholders who own 53 percent of Tatung at its shareholders’ meeting. After a week of review, the FSC has concluded that Lin Kuo and the company’s high-ranking executives breached Article 171 of the Securities and Exchange Act (證交法), as they allegedly caused at least NT$5 million (US$169,027) in damages to Tatung with the intent to benefit themselves, commission Chairman Thomas Huang (黃天牧) told a news conference. The FSC has collected evidence that indicates that Lin Kuo’s actions resulted in damages and delivered the files to prosecutors earlier this week, Securities and Futures Bureau Deputy Director Sam Chang (張振山) said. The damages include funds that Tatung allegedly spent on arranging the shareholders’ meeting, which was too contentious to be accepted by government agencies, as well as the decline in Tatung’s share price as a result of the meeting, an FSC official said by telephone on the condition of anonymity. Minority shareholders who objected to the actions of Tatung executives have applied to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) to allow a new shareholders’ meeting to elect a new board directors, the official said. If the MOEA accepts their application, Tatung would need to pay for the meeting, which would increase the damages, the official said. It was the first time that the FSC had reported to a prosecutors’ office a publicly listed company for breach of trust due to a firm’s malpractice in shareholder services, Huang said. The commission has previously targeted companies whose board members misappropriated corporate
Renaissance Taipei Shihlin Hotel (台北士林萬麗酒店) yesterday said it expects a rebound in room and restaurant sales in the second half of the year, but business might not return to pre-pandemic levels due to lingering border controls, officials said yesterday. Like other international hotels, the city resort, located across from popular tourist attraction Shilin Residence (士林官邸), saw occupancy rates fall below 20 percent during the COVID-19 outbreak from February to April, food and beverage director Jerry Cheng (政佳睿) said. Things started to improve in May, when the hotel had full occupancy over Mother’s Day weekend and the Dragon Boat Festival, and it might gather more momentum after authorities in early last month eased social distancing requirements, the hotel said. Starting yesterday, the property of 104 guest rooms made its buffet restaurant Shihlin Kitchen (士林廚房) serve semi-buffet meals that feature wagyu beef, lobsters, Chinese roast duck and other expensive dishes, alongside salads and dessert bars at NT$1,280 per person, Cheng said. The adjustment is intended to set the restaurant apart from buffet facilities at Regent Taipei (台北晶華酒店) and Le Meridien Taipei (台北寒舍艾美酒店), he said. It also aims to cater to growing customer demand for healthy dishes, and woo young and fashion-savvy customers, Cheng said. “Affluent diners assign more importance to quality than quantity of food,” Cheng said. Similarly, while peers have adopted cutthroat discounts to lure guests, Renaissance Shihlin has held room rates at about NT$5,000 per night, from about NT$6,000 to NT$8,000 last year, for fear that deeper cuts would compromise service quality and guests would not accept upward adjustments later, Cheng said. The hotel is seeking to attract domestic travelers, but its business would have difficulty recovering to pre-pandemic levels in the absence of foreign tourists, hotel officials said.
Drugged with sedatives, handcuffed and wearing a bright orange prison tunic, British fraud investigator and former journalist Peter Humphrey was escorted by warders into an interrogation room filled with reporters, locked inside a steel cage and fastened to a metal “tiger chair.” Humphrey recalls: “I was completely surrounded by officers, dazed, manacled and with cameras pointing at me through the bars. I was fighting for my life like a caged animal. It was horrifying.” Footage from the interrogation was later artfully edited to give the appearance of a confession and broadcast on Chinese state media. While this might sound like an Orwellian show trial in Stalinist Russia, it happened in Shanghai in August 2013. Humphrey had been accused by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of stealing private information. Prior to the arrest, he was investigating alleged corruption at GlaxoSmithKline’s China operations. Humphrey maintains that he is innocent and was the victim of a revenge attack by a former employee of the company with high-level connections to Beijing. The televised, forced “confession” was a propaganda coup for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), who at the time was trying to shore up power following an acrimonious battle for leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The doctored footage, which Humphrey says included distorted dubbing and subtitles, was disseminated not just within China, but also — unbelievably — to an audience in the UK. On Monday, the British Office of Communications (Ofcom), a government-approved broadcasting watchdog, announced that it is considering sanctions against Chinese state broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN) in connection with its broadcast of the forced “confession.” CGTN is the overseas arm of China Central Television (CCTV), with bureaus around the world, and regional centers in Beijing, Washington, Nairobi and London. In February, CGTN was designated a foreign mission by the US Department of
Filmmakers in Taiwan used to struggle when it came to telling a story that could resonate internationally. Things started to change when the 2017 drama series The Teenage Psychic (通靈少女), a collaboration between HBO Asia and Taiwanese Public Television Service (PTS), became a huge hit not just locally, but also internationally. The coming-of-age story was adapted from the 2013 PTS-produced short film The Busy Young Psychic (神算). Entirely filmed in Taiwan, the Mandarin-language series even made it on HBO’s streaming platforms in the US. It is proof that a well-told Taiwanese story can absolutely win the hearts and minds of hard-to-please international audiences in the ever-changing world of content consumption. Early this year, another Taiwanese production, The Victims’ Game (誰是被害者), an eight-episode forensic crime thriller that is based on an award-winning 2015 Taiwanese novel, and stars some of Taiwan’s most prominent actors and actresses, has been one of the fastest-growing shows in audience demand on Netflix since its release in late April, being one of the most-streamed programs among major high-budget productions churned out by mega-hit powerhouses in the US, the UK and South Korea. Despite the challenge of the global media-consumption landscape being ever-evolving and becoming extremely segmented, a smartly weaved and professionally executed story will always be in high demand. With this newly gained confidence, and growing interest from local and international content investors, it is the perfect time for Taiwanese storytellers, working with scripted, but also non-scripted, stories, to proactively seek more international collaborations through coproduction and cofinancing. As local, regional and international streaming platforms are offering international viewers more compelling stories from different countries and cultures, producers and directors in small-yet-sexy Taiwan are witnessing a rare golden opportunity to thrive beyond borders like never before. Roger Cheng is a producer and director, and runs the content company Go Inside.
An outrageous dismissal of the exemplary Taiwanese fight against COVID-19 has been perpetrated by the EU. There is no excuse. I presume that everyone who reads the Taipei Times knows that the EU has excluded Taiwan from its so-called “safe list,” which permits citizens unhindered travel to and from the countries of the EU. As the EU does not feel that it needs to explain the character of this exclusive list, perhaps we should examine it ourselves in some detail. There are 14 nations on the list that have been chosen as safe countries of origin and safe countries of destination for the EU. We must presume that they have proven better records than the excluded nations on matters such as new COVID-19 cases, total cases over time and lesser mortality rates. This distinction should be clear and unproblematic. However, the evidence from the chosen 14 nations shows this presumption to be false. We go further, for we would claim that not only is Taiwan far above the nations on the list in its COVID-19 record, Taiwan’s other characteristics — such as the maturity and stability of its civil society, its education and health systems, and its level of good governance — are all well above that of the nations on the selected list. First, Taiwan has had no domestic COVID-19 cases for more than 80 days, and only 449 cases registered since its first infection on Jan. 21. The nation has a level of COVID-19 cases of 19 per 1 million residents and 0.3 per 1 million for COVID-19 deaths. It is true that nine nations on the list can match Taiwan in having no deaths in the 24 hours before confirmation of the list, but, considering the overall death toll, Morocco had 148, Australia had 107 and South Korea had 63. This could
CHASING 100: Liverpool scored two goals in the first eight minutes, ending a run of five games without an away goal, as they chase the league points record Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp on Wednesday hailed his side’s desire not to ease up after clinching the Premier League title as two goals from Mohamed Salah kept the Reds on course for a record points tally with a 3-1 win against Brighton & Hove Albion. The champions moved to 92 points, making three wins from their final four games enough to break Manchester City’s record of 100 points from two seasons ago. “We are champions and it could be softening, but it is not — the boys go with everything,” Klopp said. “We now have 92 points and last season we had 97. We got five points more than this last season — that’s unbelievable, I have no idea how we did that.” Klopp’s men were quick off the mark with two goals in the first eight minutes to end a run of five games without a goal away from home either side of the COVID-19 shutdown. Brighton’s desire to play out from the back has been one of the hallmarks of Graham Potter’s first season in charge and the Seagulls look certain to meet their target of staying in the division with a nine-point cushion over the bottom three. However, the hosts were twice caught out by Liverpool’s press to leave themselves too much to do, despite another promising performance. “I saw two very good football teams tonight, both trying to play football,” Klopp said. “They had a brave formation and set up, but we had a super solution for that. Our high press was outstanding.” Salah remained in the hunt for a third Golden Boot in as many seasons as a Liverpool player as he slotted home Naby Keita’s cross to open the scoring. Two minutes later the Reds robbed possession again in the Brighton half and after Salah was held up, Jordan Henderson curled home
Preparing to complete a ninth Serie A campaign without winning the scudetto, AC Milan decided that returning to the pinnacle of club soccer required a new approach. Roc Nation, the entertainment agency of US rapper Jay-Z is at the center of it, linking up with Milan to scour the world for sponsors, and use concerts and other high-profile events to attract new fans. And who better to ask about how to end a title drought than the team who just won their league for the first time in 30 years? “We have been talking to Liverpool, because they’ve been through the same path as we are going through now,” Milan chief revenue officer Casper Stylsvig told reporters on Wednesday. Milan are enduring their longest Serie A drought since the 1980s. Despite beating leaders Juventus on Tuesday, even the top four Champions League places are out of reach this season. It has been seven years since Milan last competed in Europe’s elite competition. “We’re working very hard to get back to where we should be, and from that perspective, it does help open doors when you have won seven Champions Leagues,” Stylsvig said. “Playing European football is top of the agenda. It is our natural habitat and somewhere we should be.” The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the first public manifestation of the partnership with Roc Nation when Milan staged a live virtual fundraising concert headlined by Alicia Keys. “I do think merging sport and entertainment could be the way of engaging new fans,” Stylsvig said. “The world has changed dramatically and we need to follow suit. Roc Nation is helping us, challenging us with that, having someone on the sideline to do that,” he said. On the field, Atalanta BC beat UC Sampdoria 2-0, with second-half goals from Rafael Toloi and Luis Muriel securing their ninth straight league victory and moving them
Thailand international Pitsamai Sornsai, a new arrival for Inter Taoyuan, is to lead her team against Taipei Bravo tomorrow in the 10th round of the Taiwan Mulan Football League. Sornsai, who is nicknamed Pui, has attracted interest from media and fans as the first foreigner signed to play in Taiwan’s women’s league. Inter are among six teams battling for the title this year. The addition of Sornsai is a boost for the international profile of women’s soccer in Taiwan and elevates the competition. The 31-year-old brings a wealth of experience, including from the Asian Football Confederation’s Women’s Championship, the Southeast Asian Games and matches at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France last year. “I took the opportunity to sign with Inter Taoyuan, as it is good for me to experience Taiwan’s culture and the football competition here,” Sornsai told reporters on Tuesday. “When coming here to play, I was nervous at first, but my team and fellow players are very helpful and we have made good friends quickly,” she said. “They took me for sightseeing in Tamsui and Guandu last weekend, and now Taiwan is like a second home to me,” she said. Taiwanese soccer officials said that although other women from overseas have played top soccer in Taiwan previously, they were college students who were not here as players. Sornsai is the first foreign signing to go through official channels and to be recognized by sports authorities, they said, adding that she has received a government-issued work permit as a player. In her first match on Saturday last week, Sornsai was instrumental in defense as Inter Taoyuan kept a clean sheet in their 2-0 win over Hang Yuan. She was given the Top Defensive Player award for the ninth round of matches at a ceremony on Tuesday. Although Inter Taoyuan coaches have said she is to add steel and
The West Indies reaped the benefits of bowling full and straight in tough conditions for batsmen as England lost four wickets to collapse to 106-5 on the second morning of the first Test at an empty Ageas Bowl in Southampton yesterday. The decision of England captain Ben Stokes to bat first was looking misguided as the top order struggled to deal with the pace and seam movement of Shannon Gabriel (3-38) and Jason Holder (2-24). It could have been much worse for England, too, with Stokes dropped by a diving Kemar Roach at long-leg minutes before lunch when the score was 89-5. After England resumed on 35-1, Gabriel bowled Joe Denly for 18 and then sent another full delivery down that trapped Rory Burns (30) in front of the stumps. A not-out decision was given by the on-field umpire, but that was reversed on review, with Hawk-Eye having the ball hitting leg-stump. By that stage, Gabriel had removed England’s top three for figures of 3-34. Holder replaced his strike bowler after a five-over stint and was just as effective, despite bowling slightly shorter and slower. The captain generated enough movement to deceive Zak Crawley (10) as the batsman fell away and missed the ball, clipping his pad with his bat instead. Again, the umpire said not out, but a review again showed the ball hitting leg. Ollie Pope hit a beautiful drive through the covers for four, but was out soon after, edging Holder behind after more seam movement off a shorter ball that Pope could have left because of its height. Stokes was unbeaten on 36 and Jos Buttler was 27 not out in the second session as of press time last night, with England moving on to 141-5.
INTERNET CURBS: People are rushing to erase their digital footprints after police given powers over online activity, although it might take years for the full effect to be felt At midnight on Tuesday, the Great Firewall of China, the vast apparatus that limits the country’s Internet, appeared to descend on Hong Kong. Unveiling expanded police powers as part of contentious new national security legislation, the Hong Kong government enabled police to censor online speech, and force Internet service providers to hand over user information and shut down platforms. Many residents, already anxious since the legislation took effect last week, rushed to erase their digital footprint of any signs of dissent or support for the past year of protests. Hong Kong Legislator Charles Mok (莫乃光), a pro-democracy member of the Legislative Council who represents the technology sector, wrote on Twitter: “We are already behind the de facto firewall.” Hong Kong is facing a dramatic decline of one of its most important advantages — a free and open Internet — a defining trait that sets it apart from China where Facebook, Twitter, Google and most major foreign news sites are blocked. The prospect of Beijing-style Internet controls — where residents are not just restricted, but monitored and punished for what they post online, while companies are forced to censor their platforms — is worrying for citizens, activists and businesses in Hong Kong. The law gives authorities the power to demand individuals and service providers remove content, or access to content deemed threatening to national security. Noncompliance can result in fines and imprisonment for company staff or individuals. Police investigating national security cases can survey communications and confiscate electronic devices. “The law seems to be building up the Great Firewall locally in Hong Kong. Personal freedom on the Internet will be eliminated,” said Charles Low (羅浩林), chairman of the Hong Kong chapter of the Internet Society. “If you say something wrong they can request the service provider to give your IP address or mobile number so they
“Leaving a place that I love was very difficult. We’re all Hong Kong people who come out to protest because we love Hong Kong. But now we are forced to leave.” *Jay* is a former Hong Kong resident who attended many of last year’s protests, including on the front lines. He was arrested and charged with riot offenses, but fled the territory when he was being released on bail several months ago. He is now among dozens of Hong Kong residents seeking political asylum in Australia, and he has no expectation of returning home. “When I was taking the bus to the airport and was seeing the views of Hong Kong, I thought this might be the last view of Hong Kong I get, and I’ll never come back,” he said. Jay left his family behind. “We cried a lot,” he said of the moment he told them. “I used to speak with [my parents] every day, but now I arrange for them to contact me because I’m afraid when I call them the police will be in the house and will see I’m calling them.” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison last week said that his government was “prepared to step up and provide support” to the people of Hong Kong after Beijing enacted the national security legislation that criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. An editorial in Chinese state mouthpiece the Global Times has warned of “a huge negative impact” on Australia’s economy if the government crossed China’s “bottom line” and interfered in Hong Kong. In the past, Australia has allocated portions of its humanitarian intake to one-off groups such as Syrian refugees, and it offered residency to the more than 42,000 Chinese students after the Tiananmen Square Massacre in 1989. However, it is near impossible for Hong Kong residents to flee to
NOT ENOUGH? The success of the British government’s package rests on whether it can prevent a second wave of the virus that would put the kingdom in a second lockdown British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on Wednesday announced ￡30 billion (US$37.9 billion) of tax cuts and extra spending to support the UK as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. In a 30-minute speech, he reduced taxes for home buyers and the hospitality industry, and even offered Britons vouchers to cut the cost of eating out next month. The measures are aimed at reviving confidence among consumers and industries still reeling from the lockdown after much of the UK economy reopened on Saturday last week. The success of Sunak’s package, and any prime ministerial ambitions he harbors, rests on one big uncertainty: Can British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government prevent a second wave of the virus that causes a second lockdown? Another outbreak could prove devastating for an economy that shrank 25 percent in the two months to April. “No amount of fiscal support can mask the fact that the UK recovery hinges almost solely on avoiding a return to repeated, widespread lockdowns,” ING developed markets economist James Smith said. Even if the virus does not return, Sunak would need to confront the specter of mass unemployment. Joblessness is expected to surge as he starts to unwind the unprecedented government programs that are funding the wages of more than 12 million workers. He might need to provide more stimulus when he presents a new budget in the fall. “These interventions will cost an extraordinary amount of money,” Sunak told the BBC on Thursday. “We are borrowing record sums this year to step in to provide support and protection for our economy. The cost of not acting in this way would be far greater in the long run. We can’t sustainably live like this, and over the medium term we can and will return our public finances to a sustainable position.” The state has provided about ￡160 billion of direct
John Thomson was a pioneering photographer in the 19th century and one of the first to journey to East Asia. In 1871, while in China he met Dr James Laidlaw Maxwell, a fellow Scotsman who was returning to Taiwan, where he served as a Presbyterian missionary. Maxwell’s description of Taiwan intrigued Thomson, and the photographer decided to accompany Maxwell to the island then known to Westerners as Formosa. Disembarking at Takow (today’s Kaohsiung) on April 2, 1871, Thomson brought with him the best photography equipment of his time, along with thousands of glass plates — an estimated 200kg of equipment. The Scotsman only stayed in Taiwan for 16 days, and didn’t travel beyond the southwest, yet the images he captured and the notes he took are valuable historical materials for the research into the Taiwan of that era. “Exploring John Thomson’s footprints in Formosa is a fantastic way to revisit the region’s rich history, geology and ecology. By developing this ‘John Thomson Heritage Walk’ (走讀湯姆生), we hope to raise the local community’s awareness of their ancestral heritage, as well as revitalize cultural assets,” says You Yung-fu (游永福), author of the recently-published John Thomson Formosa (尋找湯姆生:1871臺灣文化遺產大發現) You is a cultural worker who owns a small bookstore called Pumen (普門) in Jiasian Township (甲仙), which is in the hilly interior of Kaohsiung City where he was born and grew up. The book was a labor of love, the result of dedicated research spread over the 18 years since You first heard about Thomson’s visit to Taiwan. You came across Thomson’s photographs while collecting historical materials relating to Pingpu (lowland indigenous) peoples for another project. In his foreword to John Thomson Formosa, historian Douglas Fix says that, from You’s “exhaustive depictions and rich illustrations, we not only know the locations where Thomson got his images,
The princess showed off her tiny realm, sitting peaceful and picturesque, high above the Italian Riviera. But trouble is afoot in the self-declared micronation of Seborga, where a pretender to the “crown” is stoking passionate opposition. The hilltop village, where the Knights Templar are said by locals to have hidden the Holy Grail, insists that documents dating to the 18th century prove it was never legally incorporated into Italy. It hopes its claim will boost tourism and attract new residents, saving it from the fate of other small Italian towns, where depopulation has left historic centers empty and shops closed. Its quest is even more urgent following the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide lockdown, which hit the local economy hard. “I guess every little girl has a dream of being a princess. It’s like a fairytale,” says Nina Menegatto, the village’s first “princess,” who was elected in November, said before the epidemic broke out. When her now ex-husband Marcello abdicated last year during his second seven-year reign, Menegatto ran to become red-roofed Seborga’s first female ruler. The German-born 41-year-old, who manages a property company in Monaco when not attending to official duties, visits her “subjects” carrying her baby in a sling. She giggles as she tries on the gaudy gold crown kept on display in the tourist information office. “I didn’t think I’d ever become a princess. But I got a lot of support from the population and I really appreciate it,” she says. Her May coronation was postponed due to the lockdown but has been rescheduled for Aug. 20 and Menegatto hopes the ceremony will draw fans of royal pomp and circumstance from far and wide. She and her ministers want to reintroduce the local currency, the Luigino, and build a luxury hotel on a nearby outcrop with a view, she says, of four
When the BBC approached Caroline Chia (查慧中) in July 2018, and asked her to make arrangements so a documentary-making team could gather footage showing how global warming may be increasing typhoon intensity, she delivered everything that was in her power to provide. Chia got permission for the BBC crew to shoot inside the Central Emergency Operation Center, film the army’s disaster-relief efforts and follow mayors around as they supervised the cleaning up. “In total, it was about one week of work for my cousin — who’s my business partner — and I,” recalls Chia, who was born in Taipei but raised in Canada. But that summer, for the first time since 1964, no typhoons made landfall in Taiwan. The BBC team never arrived. In accordance with the contract, Chia’s EastWest Entertainment Group didn’t get paid a dollar. Despite that setback, and travel restrictions imposed due to COVID-19, Chia expresses optimism about Taiwan’s future as a location for international TV and film productions. With streaming services like Netflix under pressure to offer original content, she thinks Taiwan’s low costs and other advantages will prompt overseas production companies to follow in the footsteps of Luc Besson (who spent 11 days shooting in Taipei for his 2014 hit movie, Lucy) and Martin Scorsese (who filmed all of 2016’s Silence in Taiwan). Chia did various entertainment industry and media jobs in Taipei before launching EastWest in 2007. “Because I’m bilingual, I chose to focus on bringing shoots into Taiwan. In fact, in the past four years, we’ve not worked on any local productions,” Chia says, adding that she prefers international projects — and not just because the budgets tend to be bigger. “We work the same way, and communication is easier,” she says. Chia says that she worked on independent films and projects but found it
The 22nd Taipei Film Festival kicked off on June 25 and is closing tomorrow with the Taipei Film Awards, which will take place at Taipei Zhongshan Hall. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, the event is the world’s first large-scale physical film festival since the pandemic broke out early this year. Director Chang Jung-chi’s We Are Champions is the strongest contestant this year, leading the nominees with 14 nods, including Best Feature Film. Other nominees for this category include: Days, Nina Wu, Detention and Boluomi. Nominees for Best Leading Actor are Fandy Fan, Lee Kang-sheng, Tseng Jing-hua, Wu Nien-hsuan and Morning Mo; nominees for Best Leading Actress are Lu Hsueh-feng, Gingle Wang, Yu Chia-hsuan, Chang Ya-ling and Laila Putli Pagtitahan Ulao. This year’s Yang Shih-chi Outstanding Contribution Award will go to senior film projectionist Chiang Tai-tun for his longtime dedication to Taiwanese cinema over the past 50 years. The ceremony will be broadcast live at 7pm tomorrow on TVBS Entertainment Channel (CH42) and online. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 第二十二屆台北電影節於六月二十五日起跑，壓軸的台北電影獎明日在中山堂舉行。受到武漢肺炎（新冠病毒，COVID-19）衝擊，本屆電影節是自今年初疫情爆發以來，全球首個大型實體影展。 導演張榮吉的《下半場》入圍十四項大獎，包括最佳劇情長片獎，是本屆最強的參賽者。入圍該獎項的其它幾部作品為︰《日子》、《灼人秘密》、《返校》、《菠蘿蜜》。最佳男主角入圍的有︰范少勳、李康生、曾敬驊、吳念軒、莫子儀；最佳女主角入圍的有︰呂雪鳳、王淨、游珈瑄、張雅玲、萊拉烏勞。 今年的「楊士琪卓越貢獻獎」將頒發給電影放映師江泰暾，表揚他過去五十年來，對於影壇的長期奉獻。頒獎典禮明晚七點起，在TVBS歡樂台（第四十二台〉和網路上直播。（台北時報張聖恩〉
A : There have been very few cases of the hantavirus in recent years. How did doctors detect it? B : A female street vendor saw a doctor for fever, muscle and joint pain and was admitted to hospital. Doctors ran tests and discovered the virus. A : It sounds similar to a common cold. Are there any other symptoms? B : Headache, fatigue, nausea and bleeding. A : 既然這些年來台灣很少發生漢他病毒出血症的病例，醫生是怎麼發現的啊？ B : 有一名女攤販因為發燒、肌肉關節痠痛等症狀去看醫生，收治住院後醫生檢驗出漢他病毒。 A : 這聽起來很像普通感冒耶，漢他病毒還有別的症狀嗎？ B : 頭痛、倦怠、噁心，還有不等程度的出血現象都是。 English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Russia-based face-changing application “FaceApp” took social media by storm last summer, as people used its filter to find out how they’d look like when they get old. Now, the app is back again with a gender-swapping function that transforms photos of faces into a different gender, and the filter has gone viral. FaceApp may be a fun tool, but such facial recognition apps raise security concerns, and they could pose a threat to your privacy. Late last year, the FBI even issued a warning about the app, which enjoys access to millions of photos, calling FaceApp and some other apps developed in Russia a “potential counterintelligence threat.” To dispel doubts, FaceApp has clarified that photos will be deleted after editing. “Photos remain in the cloud for 24 to 48 hours after you have last edited them,” the company claims, adding that it only uses third-party cloud providers to process its photos — such as Google Cloud Platform and Amazon Web Services. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 來自俄國的臉孔轉換應用程式「FaceApp」去年夏天席捲各大社群媒體，使用者紛紛透過它的變老濾鏡，查看自己變老的模樣。現在，這個程式又回來啦。不過這次是推出性別轉換功能，將臉部照片轉換成不同的性別，變性濾鏡近日推出後一夕爆紅。 雖然「FaceApp」很有趣，但是此類臉部辨識應用程式仍引發安全疑慮，還有可能對你的隱私造成威脅！去年底，美國聯邦調查局就針對掌握數百萬張臉部照片的「FaceApp」提出警告，說這類由俄國開發的程式具有「潛在情資威脅」。為了消除疑慮，該公司澄清說照片在編輯後將被刪除。 該公司並宣稱︰「照片被編輯後，只會停留在雲端伺服器二十四至四十八小時。」還強調，只使用第三方雲端供應商來處理照片—像是Google Cloud Platform和Amazon Web Services。 （台北時報張聖恩〉
| New Taipei City | 33-36 | 10% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 33-35 | 0% | |
| Hsinchu City | 32-34 | 0% | |
| Taipei City | 32-36 | 10% | |
| Miaoli County | 32-35 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 33-36 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 31-34 | 10% | |
| Yunlin County | 31-35 | 10% | |
| Taichung City | 32-35 | 10% | |
| Nantou County | 31-35 | 20% | |
| Changhua County | 33-36 | 10% | |
| Chiayi County | 32-35 | 10% | |
| Chiayi City | 32-36 | 20% | |
| Tainan City | 31-34 | 0% |  |
| Kaohsiung City | 31-33 | 0% | |
| Pingtung County | 31-35 | 10% | |
| Yilan County | 31-35 | 20% | |
| Hualien County | 31-34 | 20% | |
| Taitung County | 31-34 | 10% | |
| Kinmen County | 29-32 | 0% | |
| Penghu County | 30-33 | 0% | |
| Lienchiang County | 29-31 | 10% | |
RSS