Sun, Apr 02, 2023
OOPS: O-Bank released the cash to its clients before the long weekend, so the government chose to disburse the payments ‘as soon as possible’ The nation’s eight state-run banks and several private banks yesterday deposited NT$6,000 (US$197) into the bank accounts of people who had registered online to claim the government cash payments, well ahead of the original schedule. The change was made following an interministerial meeting convened by the Ministry of Finance late on Friday, after O-Bank Co Ltd (王道商業銀行) earlier in the day deposited NT$6,000 in the accounts of its clients who had registered, ahead of the government’s plan to release the funds on Thursday. O-Bank Co apologized, saying that it wanted to give its clients the payment before the long weekend, which started yesterday. Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) yesterday said that O-Bank released about NT$49 million, as just more than 8,000 of its clients had registered to claim the payment. Using some of last year’s tax surplus, the government is giving NT$6,000 to citizens, foreign nationals with permanent residency and resident spouses of Taiwanese. People who do not wish to register online to have the money deposited into their bank accounts can get the money from select ATMs by using their bank card and entering their ID and National Health Insurance card number. They can also collect by taking their ID and National Health Insurance card to a post office from April 17. The interministerial meeting concluded that banks could disburse the payment “as soon as possible,” an official said yesterday. Whether people receive their deposit before the end of the long weekend would depend on the number of people who have registered their bank details and whether their bank is willing to distribute the payment earlier than planned, the official said. As of yesterday, the nation’s eight state-run banks had begun depositing the payments, as well as several private banks, including CTBC Bank (中國信託銀行), Taishin International Bank (台新銀行), Sun Commercial Bank (玉山銀行), Union Bank of Taiwan
The Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) prototype is expected to undergo a harbor acceptance test in September, a sea acceptance test in February next year and, if it passes, be delivered to the navy in the first half of 2025 instead of November 2025, defense officials said yesterday. The goal of the IDS program is to create a fleet of nine to 11 domestic diesel-electric submarines that would defend the waters around Taiwan, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The IDS prototype features a partial double-hull design consisting of six pressurized compartments and a conning tower, which have been completed, certified and are undergoing encapsulation, they said. The boat would be 70m long, 8m wide and 18m high, including the conning tower, and have a displacement of 2,500 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes, the officials said. It would have a pair of stabilizing fins on the sides of the conning tower and an X-shaped tail rudder, they added. The submarine’s weapons would include 18 MK 48 Mod 6 heavyweight torpedoes and an undisclosed number of Harpoon missiles, they said. There is reason to believe that due to improved program management the prototype could be completed ahead of schedule in early 2025 or before that, if system tests are successful, the officials said, adding that the project had generous time buffers. Meanwhile, the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is poised to deliver the first of its upgraded operational systems for the navy’s aging Chien Lung-class submarines late this year, the officials said. The navy is overhauling the operational systems used in the Hai Lung and Hai Hu Chien Lung-class submarines, as they are becoming obsolete, they said. The NT$7.41 billion (US243.32 million) project aims to produce two systems for immediate use and one to be held in reserve, they said. The project was to be completed next year, but
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday accused China of undermining the independence of Hong Kong’s courts, as the US Department of State released a report condemning Beijing’s crackdown on dissent in the territory. The US has previously focused on criticizing China for suppressing free speech, targeting journalists and civil society groups and denying Hong Kongers the right to freely select their leader. However, Blinken’s comments underscored growing criticism that the legal system that helped make the territory a hub for multinational firms has been harmed by efforts to quash a democracy movement that led to massive protests in 2019. “The People’s Republic of China continues to erode Hong Kong’s judicial independence and the rule of law,” Blinken said in a statement. “This past year, PRC and Hong Kong authorities have further criminalized dissent, undermining the human rights and fundamental freedoms of people in Hong Kong and dismantling the city’s promised autonomy.” Blinken’s comments accompanied an annual state department report that detailed how Hong Kong authorities continued to wield the National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020 to erode the rule of law. Officials have continued to “arrest and prosecute people for peaceful political expression critical of the local and central governments, including for posting and forwarding social media posts,” the report said. In a lengthy response, a Hong Kong government spokesman said the territory “strongly disapproved of and firmly rejected the unfounded and fact-twisting remarks and also the smears” in the report. The Hong Kong government “faces a real challenge as it tries to pivot away from the events of 2019 and 2020, and to refocus international attention on Hong Kong’s longtime role as a business hub,” said Thomas Kellogg, executive director of Georgetown University’s Center for Asian Law. “It will be hard for the Hong Kong government to convince the international
A monster storm system on Friday tore through the US South and Midwest, spawning deadly tornadoes that shredded homes and shopping centers in Arkansas, collapsed a theater roof during a heavy metal concert in Illinois and made a deadly sweep across the border into rural Indiana. The dead included four in the small town of Wynne, Arkansas, Cross County Coroner Eli Long told KAIT-TV. The storm caused three deaths in Sullivan County, Indiana, county Emergency Management Agency Director Jim Pirtle said in an e-mail early yesterday. It damaged homes and some residents were missing in Sullivan. At least one person was killed and more than two dozen were hurt, some critically, in the Little Rock area, authorities said. “This was actually an incredibly devastating tornado,” witness Lara Farrar said. She said she drove to West Little Rock and got out of her car at a blocked intersection. “I was basically in total shock because the neighborhood had been basically completely wiped out and destroyed,” Farrar said. “Some of the buildings had the roof completely blown off.” Officials in Pulaski County confirmed a death in North Little Rock. The town of Wynne in northeastern Arkansas was also devastated, and officials reported two dead there, along with destroyed homes and people trapped in the debris. Authorities said a theater roof collapsed during a tornado in Belvidere, Illinois, killing one person and injuring 28, five of them severely. The Belvidere Police Department said the collapse occurred as a heavy storm rolled through the area and that calls began coming from the theater at 7:48pm, and the initial assessment was that a tornado had caused the damage. The collapse occurred at the Apollo Theatre during a heavy metal concert while 260 people were in the venue, Belvidere Fire Department Chief Shawn Schadle said. He said first responders also
EXTRAORDINARY LEADERSHIP: The award is a tribute to the people of Taiwan, as their courage helped end martial law and brought about democracy, the president said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Thursday received the Hudson Institute’s Global Leadership Award for her work to deepen the nation’s ties with the US and her determination to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Hudson Institute Board of Trustees chair Sarah May Stern along with president and CEO John Walters presented the award to Tsai on Thursday night during her stopover in New York before departing to visit Guatemala and Belize, two of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies. The award “is presented to exceptional individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary leadership in service of the principles at the core of Hudson’s mission of promoting security, freedom and prosperity,” the institute’s Web site said. Tsai “has led a vibrant democracy with great courage and clear-eyed determination to resist tyranny and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Walters said. Under her leadership, the US and Taiwan have expanded and deepened their security and economic relationship, he said, adding that “we are proud that America stands with Taiwan.” Tsai is “a frontline defender of democracy” by the US and many countries around the world, Walters said, adding that Americans can learn an important lesson from her and the people of Taiwan. Tsai said the award is “a tribute to the people of Taiwan,” as their courage and perseverance ended the Martial Law era and transformed Taiwan into a democratic nation that continues to pursue peace and prosperity with like-minded partners. Taiwan always responds to escalations of tensions provoked by China with prudence and calmness, demonstrating to the world that Taiwan acts responsibly, Tsai said. Taiwanese hope for peace, but history shows that the best way to avoid war is to be stronger than adversaries, she said. Taiwan has grown closer to democratic countries around the world, but is still excluded from the UN and other international organizations, an injustice that must end, she said. Safeguarding
The Special Committee on Canada-China Relations in the Canadian House of Commons on Thursday published its first report on Taiwan, which analysts in Taiwan have called a “breakthrough” in bilateral relations. The report, titled Canada and Taiwan: A Strong Relationship in Turbulent Times, suggests that the two nations should launch diplomatic visits, and calls on the Canadian government to voice the position that Taiwan’s future can only be determined by Taiwanese. The report also discusses Canada’s engagement with Taiwan, its trade with and investment in Taiwan, the state of regional peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region, and other issues related to Taiwan’s relationships with Canada and China. The report is based on the testimonies at congressional hearings by Representative to Canada Harry Tseng (曾厚仁), Canadian government officials, academics, experts and others. The report states that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) “has a ‘one China principle’ that is markedly different from Canada’s ‘one China policy.’” The report cites one Canadian official who characterized Canada’s policy as a “very flexible approach” that was designed to be “strategically ambiguous.” Conversely, China’s principle “holds that Taiwan is part of the PRC and should be reunited with mainland China,” and China considers visits to Taiwan by foreign government officials as being “inconsistent in bestowing an act of sovereignty to the state that China believes should be a province.” The committee’s report also cites University of Ottawa professor and Macdonald-Laurier Institute senior fellow Scott Simon as saying that “Canada does not endorse the PRC’s claims over Taiwan.” The report’s conclusion quotes Tseng as saying that “if Taiwan falls, democracy falls, and that will be the ultimate concern of all of us.” Speaking to the Central News Agency, Tseng said that the report was the most significant development in Taiwan-Canada relations since the two nations severed diplomatic ties in 1970. “The Canadian parliament has never
TOUTING HIS ACHIEVEMENTS: The former president said his time in office was defined by peace and prosperity, while the DPP critized statements he made during the trip Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) yesterday referred to Taiwan by its official name, the Republic of China (ROC), during an ancestor worship ritual in China. Speaking at the burial site of his ancestors in Xiangtan, Hunan Province, Ma said he was elected twice as “president of the ROC,” in the years 92 and 101 on the ROC calendar, referring to 2008 and 2012. As president, Ma said, he governed with integrity, diligence and care for the people, as he was guided by his family’s philosophy that the main purpose of education is to do good deeds for others. His presidency was the most peaceful and prosperous period in the 70 years of separate governance in Taiwan and China, he said. His administration achieved it through a policy of maintaining peace with China, building closer ties with the US and enhancing friendship with Japan, Ma said, as he, his sisters and other family members burned incense and made offerings at their ancestors’ grave site. “This is the first time in my life that I’ve come to the mainland to worship my ancestors and visit my relatives,” Ma said. “It is very emotional.” The former president’s parents, Ma Ho-ling (馬鶴凌) and Chin Hou-hsiu (秦厚修), moved to Taiwan via Hong Kong after the Chinese Civil War of 1945-1949. His historic 12-day trip to China, which started on Monday, marks the first of a former Taiwanese president since the ROC government retreated to Taiwan. During his trip, Ma has used the term ROC on several occasions, but all instances have been edited out of China Central Television coverage of his visit. At an event in Nanjing on Tuesday, Ma dated a calligraphy scroll “112,” referring to the 112th year since the founding of the ROC. However, Ma did not write the characters for minguo (republican, 民國) in front of the date to refer to
Amnesty International’s local branch on Wednesday called for more transparency in government efforts to improve Taiwan’s human rights situation. Although the government last year launched two action plans as part of its pledge to improve the human rights situation, it remains unclear what exactly it is doing to achieve those goals, Amnesty International Taiwan secretary-general Chiu Ee-ling (邱伊翎) told a news conference. She was referring to the National Human Rights Action Plan 2022-2024, and the Action Plan for Fisheries and Human Rights, both of which were launched in May last year. The plans fail to provide a concrete road map for government agencies to improve the human rights situation, Chiu said. She called for more transparency in the government’s efforts to tackle human rights abuses and improve the rights of the LGBTI community, migrant workers, women, children, people with disabilities, refugees and other vulnerable groups. The 96-page National Human Rights Action Plan lays out eight priorities related to human rights and sets goals for government agencies as part of efforts to improve the situation, the Cabinet has said. The Action Plan for Fisheries and Human Rights is a 25-page guideline for the government to promote “the rights and interests of migrant fishing workers” and ensure “sustainable fishing operations” from last year to 2025, with a budget of NT$604 million (US$19.83 million). New Power Party Legislator Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said there is a lot to do in terms of regulatory efforts to protect migrant workers in Taiwan. Better communication with the public is needed to make Taiwan a more inclusive society, he said. Amnesty International Taiwan commended the government for scrapping a rule that forbade same-sex couples involving a Taiwanese national and a foreigner from a country that does not recognize same-sex marriage from registering their marriage. However, the new rule does not apply to same-sex couples involving a partner from
What is the identity of Taiwanese? For Reporter Without Borders president Pierre Haski, Taiwan’s identity has coalesced around the idea of democracy, which led him to make a documentary chronicling how its national identity was formed and has changed since. In the 53-minute film titled Nous Sommes Taiwan, meaning “We are Taiwan” in French, the 69-year-old journalist explored the evolution of Taiwan’s democracy and illustrated his belief that “Taiwan’s identity” has become a powerful narrative that has given it a voice in the world. Haski said he has visited Taiwan regularly over the past 24 years, adding that his first visit was to cover the run-up to the presidential and legislative elections in 2000. He said that people increasingly identifying as Taiwanese surprised him most during his most recent visit. The documentary highlights this shift, which Haski said is evidenced in the results of polls on how Taiwanese identify, as “Chinese,” “Chinese and Taiwanese” and “Taiwanese.” While only about 20 percent of respondents said they are Taiwanese shortly after martial law was lifted in 1987, that proportion has surged to more than 64 percent today, while the number of respondents identifying as Chinese has dropped to nearly zero, the film says. Haski said the documentary’s title is intended to reflect this shift, and that even though Taiwanese are divided politically, as well as over several other issues, they share the same collective sense of identity. To shoot the documentary, Haski conducted interviews in Taiwan on the formation and essence of Taiwanese identity with people who have a wide range of perspectives. They included Presidential Office spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka, United Microelectronics Corp founder Robert Tsao (曹興誠), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) international affairs specialist Wu Liang-i (吳亮儀) and Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang (唐鳳). People in Taiwan are not just Chinese, or people from China, Kolas says early in the film.
OPEN UNTIL MAY 5: The program seeks to recruit 81 people who were drafted for the military for work in foreign aid and diplomacy in 14 countries Applications for substitute military service in diplomacy are to begin on Thursday, the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) said. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2001 commissioned the ministry-affiliated ICDF to design the recruitment program in an effort to expand the international vision of draftees, promote all-out diplomacy and nurture foreign aid talent, ICDF Deputy Secretary-General Chen Ai-chen (陳愛貞) said. The recruitment period for this year’s program runs through May 5, she said, adding that Taiwan’s foreign aid projects have become more diverse in response to the needs of partner countries and the nation’s increased focus on climate change, resiliency and capacity building around the globe. The program was expanded to recruit 81 draftees in 22 specialties such as agriculture, forestry, fishery, animal husbandry, healthcare, enterprise management, marketing, Spanish, information and communication, technical and vocational education, industrial management and disaster prevention, she said. The program is also to recruit draftees with expertise in video creation and graphic design, she said, citing a trend toward new media and audio-visual platforms. The draftees would be deployed in 14 countries in Central and South America, the Caribbean, the Pacific Ocean and Africa, she said. In the past 20 years, the program has sent more than 1,000 draftees to perform their military service abroad, she said. The draftees have helped implement Taiwan’s foreign aid projects and engaged in public welfare services, she said, adding that Taiwanese can learn about the nation’s foreign aid effort through video recordings made by them. Hundreds of draftees who participated in the program joined foreign technical missions or the fund after they were discharged from the military and became important forces to Taiwan’s foreign aid work, she said. Detailed recruitment information can be found on the National Conscription Agency’s Web site www.nca.gov.tw. The fund’s efforts to help Saint Kitts and Nevis recycle and treat solid waste have produced
FARES RISE: 55.2 percent of people said they would take taxis less frequently after the price hike, while 42.8 percent said it would not affect their habits, a poll showed Passengers gave taxi services in the six biggest cities an average score of 65.5 out of 100, a survey released on Friday showed. Among surveyed taxi users in Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung, 51.3 percent of respondents scored the quality of comprehensive taxi services from 61 to 80 points, while 26.3 percent gave scores of 60 or below, which the National Taxi Industry Development Association survey defined as “failing.” Among the respondents in Taipei and New Taipei City, where fares were raised yesterday, 36.6 percent said the fare hike was reasonable, while 35.5 percent said it was unreasonable. Meanwhile, 55.2 percent of those surveyed in Taipei and New Taipei City said they would take taxis less frequently following the fare hike, with 2 percent responding that they would take taxis more and 42.8 percent stating that their habits would not change. Taiwan’s taxi sector continued to grow despite adverse conditions, National Taxi Industry Development Association chairman Lin Chen-lun (林振崙) said, adding that the results of the survey indicated there was plenty of room for improvement. Regarding the comfort and cleanliness of taxis, 39.6 percent of respondents said they were satisfied, while 39.4 percent said they were satisfied with safety, the association said. However, 42.8 percent and 36.4 percent respectively said the caliber of the drivers and the condition of the vehicles could be improved. The survey also found there to be a strong consensus on safety issues. Of all respondents, 84.2 percent said taxi drivers should have a police criminal record certificate, and 84.3 percent said monitors should be installed in taxis to avoid controversies or misunderstandings between drivers and passengers, it said. Those who disagreed with the idea of a monitor objected on privacy grounds, as recorded videos could be used for other purposes and infringe on passengers’ privacy, the association said. The outcome of
ANIMAL SAFETY: The electric fence around the baboon area was deemed too low, and trees were planted too close to the enclosure, inspectors said Leofoo Village Theme Park was given one month to improve its baboon facility and six months to finish microchipping and registering its baboons, the Council of Agriculture’s (COA) Forestry Bureau said on Friday, following a public outcry over the killing of a runaway baboon. The order came after Agricultural Technology Research Institute president Chen Cheng-wen (陳正文), bureau officials, animal caretakers from Taipei Zoo and academics carried out an inspection at the facility. Leofoo Village has come under close scrutiny after a baboon that escaped from its facility was shot and killed by a hunter on Monday last week in an attempted capture. The park had previously denied that the baboon was one of its animals, and only on Wednesday evening did it reverse its statement, saying it made a mistake counting its baboons. The park’s failure to promptly identify and contain the baboon has raised questions over the management of its animals. The electric fence around the baboon area is too low, and trees are planted too close to the area, which increases the chances of baboons escaping, the bureau said in a statement, adding that the risk would be increased when trees have not been trimmed for a long time or when they become slanted. Management of the electronic gate was found to be “porous,” and the primates could escape if caretakers did not pay attention, the bureau said. It gave the park one month to elevate the electric fence, trim the trees around the baboon area, and train employees on the prevention of animal escapes and the management of electronic gates when shuttles are passing through. As the geography of the baboon area is complicated, and there are many culverts in which baboons could hide, it is difficult to manually count the animals, the bureau said. As such, the bureau ordered the park to have all its
A vending machine in Tainan has become a popular attraction for people who enjoy taking photographs due to the unique way it dispenses its commodity — eggs. Located on Yule Street (育樂街) near National Cheng Kung University, the machine unconventionally sells eggs, an arguably fragile item for a vending machine. However, on Friday morning, the machine was completely sold out of the free-range eggs it dispenses using a built-in conveyor belt at NT$25 a pop. The vending machine’s popularity comes as the nation is facing a shortage of eggs due to an uptick in avian flu infections and large temperature swings last year, which resulted in a dip in Taiwan’s egg production. The company behind the machine is Healthy Life: Chicken Can Help, an organization that partners with free-range chicken farms and environmentally friendly agricultural businesses. The group’s founder, Yang Huan-ching (楊環靜), said that although NT$25 for an egg sounds steep, considering the process by which the eggs are farmed and the positive environmental awareness this kind of egg farming leaves, people realize the price is not excessive. Although eggs usually use fewer resources to produce than livestock, most feeds used by chicken farmers in Taiwan have high carbon footprints, as they are imported from countries that likely adopt environmentally unfriendly practices to grow the crops, she said. Under extreme climate change observed in recent years, it is not unreasonable to predict that the current shortage of eggs will become the norm if Taiwanese farms and consumers do not change their habits, she said. Egg farms that partner with the movement raise their chickens in low-population-density environments that are physically and mentally healthy for poultry, Yang said. Partners raise their chickens with locally sourced feeds that are manufactured through environmentally friendly means, she added. An unforeseen issue that arose from having eggs farmed in this manner was the
Temporary service booths have been set up in public cemeteries that have plans to be relocated, the Taipei Mortuary Services Office said yesterday, after a city councilor revealed that some residents were confused about the relocation plans, as they had no information about moving the graves. As the Jingmei (景美) 5th and 13th and Neihu (內湖) 3rd public cemeteries are to be relocated, the city government has set up number plates for every grave in them, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Chang Shi-gang (張斯綱) said. However, city residents said that they had just learned about the relocation plan at Neihu 3rd Public Cemetery, and the number plates only have the designated number and the office’s telephone number on them, with no further information or instructions posted nearby, Chang said. Residents said they saw posters hung up near the cemetery by funeral home companies, mentioning “relocation program including columbarium niche for NT$60,000,” leading them to believe it was the city government’s policy, he said. The city government should improve its communication about the cemetery and compensation for grave relocation, Chang said. Advertisements soliciting business are prohibited in the cemeteries, the office said, adding that it would remove advertisements found there, but if funeral home companies set up booths or hang up posters on private land nearby, it can only ask them to remove them. A temporary service booth has been set up near the entrance to the Neihu 3rd Public Cemetery, which would be open every day until Aug. 15 to answer questions concerning the relocation plan and receive applications for grave relocation services, it said, adding that the booth would also help post compensation and relief-related documents. Meanwhile, the Taipei Feitsui Reservoir Administration yesterday said it would provide special shuttle boats for people to visit a former residential area on the south bank of the
Several convictions of local councilors for vote-buying have changed election outcomes in electoral districts across the country. In Hsinchu County, Hukou Township (湖口) councilor Chen Teh-mu (陳德木) and township representative Lo Juei-chu (羅瑞珠), both of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), were stripped of their posts in a court ruling on Friday. Prosecutors indicted Chen and Lo after evidence emerged of their staff disbursing NT$1,000 bills to local residents in exchange for votes during the run-up to the nine-in-one elections last year. Chen was on Jan. 19 convicted under the Criminal Code’s offenses related to interference with voting, and received a three-year-and-eight-month sentence. Friday’s court decision rendered Chen’s and Lo’s elections void, but the ruling can be appealed, Hsinchu Chief Prosecutor Chang Chieh-chin (張介欽) said. “Candidates who won due to vote-buying must face severe punishment,” Chang said. A court in Nantou County on Friday convicted former county councilor candidate Wang Yen-chu (王燕珠), an independent who did not win a seat in the November election, on vote-buying charges. Investigators found that Wang handed NT$500 in cash to residents during campaigns, and sentenced her to a three-year-and-eight-month term for contravening the Civil Servants Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法). Prosecutors on Thursday indicted Taoyuan city councilor candidate Wu Chung-hsien (吳宗憲) on vote-buying charges, based on evidence of disbursing NT$600 in cash to residents in exchange for votes. Wu had served as a Taoyuan city councilor for three terms, but did not win a seat in the November election. Chiayi County judges on Friday invalided the election results of two local candidates who won village and borough warden posts in November’s election, convicting them for exchanging cash for votes during campaigns. In Yilan County, Sansing Township (三星) village warden Chang Hao-tseng (張浩增) was on Friday stripped of his post after judges found him guilty of vote-buying. Pingtung County judges on Thursday convicted independent candidate Chen Mao-nan (陳懋楠)
The giant skeletons of burnt and dismantled gold dredgers litter the rivers of northwest Colombia, where the government is waging a full-out war on illegal mining. Nicknamed “dragons” by locals, the massive machines used to suck gold from riverbeds are blamed for destroying the environment and financing organized crime. Their dismantling in a massive army operation has been met with hostility by communities who depend on mining for their daily survival. Around El Bagre in the gold-rich Bajo Cauca region, a protest by miners that started early last month has been marked by acts of vandalism that the government blamed on the Gulf Clan drug cartel for instigating. “We have nothing to do with criminal groups,” said Luis Manuel Campo, 32, one of the miners. Campo co-owns a dredger with three other people. “We are not hiding. We just want the persecution to stop,” he said. “We want to be formally recognized as miners so that we can work in peace, without stigma.” The names of the villages in this region such as Zaragoza and Caceres serve as a reminder of the Spanish colonizers who were already extracting gold in Bajo Cauca in the 17th century. It became a bastion of rightwing paramilitary fighters in the 1990s, and is now a stronghold of the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s most powerful cartel. Colombian President Gustavo Petro this month called off a ceasefire with the Clan, accusing it of being behind attacks on civilians committed by protesting miners. Criminal groups in Colombia make almost as much money from illegal mining as they do from trafficking cocaine, authorities say. With a recent rise in gold prices, Bajo Cauca has been gripped by a new type of gold rush, with poor communities scouring the gravelly river beds with shovels, bulldozers and dredging machines. “Apart from gold, there is nothing here,” Campo said. Locals say that about 350 dredging
Britain’s BAFTA Games Awards on Thursday showcased independent video games studios, celebrating the powerful role of lesser-known creators in an industry where blockbuster titles enjoy vast budgets. The video game gongs were announced one month after the British Academy of Film and Television Arts’ (BAFTA) annual cinema awards. Vampire Survivors, conceived by a single London-based Italian, clinched game of the year with its polished minimalist retro graphics and addictive overhead gameplay. The shoot-em-up, which does not contain vampires, beat big-budget quest titles Elden Ring and God of War: Ragnarok, both of which took legions of people years to create. “We don’t need to be AAA,” Sam McGarry, one of the developers behind Vampire Survivors, said at the annual London Games Festival where fans meet the industry’s movers and shakers. AAA refers to big-budget, high-profile games that are usually produced by large publishers. The Briton decided one year ago to quit his job as a Web developer to join the small team writing the hit game. Some blockbuster video games can enjoy budgets running into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Yet technological advances and freely available software tools means minor players can give them a run for their money. “The introduction of new tools has allowed people to develop games for free — now, anybody can do it,” said publishing director Simon Byron at Bristol-based Yogscast Ltd, which publishes independent games and also produces related video content. Jay Armstrong, British design director of BAFTA-nominated quest game Cult of the Lamb, said that innovation was key when faced with big-spending titans of the sector. “We can’t compete on graphics or budget [so] we have to innovate a little,” Armstrong said on the sidelines of the London Games Festival that runs until Saturday. As he spoke, fascinated gaming fans were captivated by a big screen depicting a basic animation of a lamb presiding over
With pink-painted walls, the small general store stocks a little bit of everything — from cheese to cigarettes to shampoo — providing a lifeline to local residents and soldiers. The shop on a tree-lined road is one of the few remaining open in the heavily shelled town of Chasiv Yar near the frontline in eastern Ukraine. Inside, shop assistant Liliya, 49, serves a stream of customers to the sound of outgoing and incoming fire. Local people have no running water, gas or electricity. They receive basic foodstuffs and bottles of water as humanitarian aid, but nevertheless “the most popular item is water,” store manager Artem said. Most of those who come in are elderly, bundled up in bulky coats on a snowy day, and they are frugal with their purchases. “Do you have cottage cheese bars for 10 hryvnia [US$0.27]? How much are romashka [chamomile] chocolate sweets? How much are the cheapest?” an older woman in a headscarf and heavy overcoat asked. “Our village grocery store is destroyed after shelling, so I have to come here,” one man said. “This is the last grocery store in Chasiv Yar. I come from far away, from canal area,” a woman said, referring to a massively shelled part of the town. Store manager Artem said that no more than 500 local residents are left here, mostly older without family elsewhere. He helps customers without cash by taking their bank cards and PIN back to a nearby town with an ATM. He also goes to a pharmacy to buy their medicines, not charging them for his time. “Those who profiteer from the war are not very good people,” he said. “People need to help each other. Before the war, maybe we didn’t talk to each other. Since the war started we’ve all got friendlier,” he said. Liliya agreed. “We help our people, even when we smile at each
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is on a 10-day diplomatic trip to Central America that involves two stopovers in the US. Meanwhile, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is on a 12-day visit to China. Ma’s trip has been billed as “unofficial” and “private,” similar to Tsai’s stopovers in the US. Their every step in the US and China is being scrutinized. The trips come at a time of heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing, as well as between Taipei and Beijing, with China continuing to escalate political and military pressure to unify with Taiwan. The trips are also closely examined for their potential effects on next year’s presidential and legislative elections, as they highlight two directions Taiwan could take under the next president. Tsai, of the Democratic Progressive Party, has highlighted Taiwan’s “rising global importance” as it seeks support from like-minded democracies and to bolster its “closer than ever” relations with the US amid threats of expanding authoritarianism. Meanwhile, Ma’s message is that only the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) can communicate with China — led by an authoritarian regime that continues to suppress Taiwan — and bring about peace. Tsai departed on Wednesday to visit diplomatic allies Guatemala and Belize. After stopping over in New York on her outbound trip, she is expected to meet US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy during a stopover in Los Angeles on her return. Beijing repeatedly said that it strongly opposes Tsai’s stopovers in the US, as well as any contact between Taiwanese and US officials, and has called the plan “an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate ‘Taiwan independence.’” Beijing said it would “resolutely fight back” if Tsai meets McCarthy. A meeting in Los Angeles is widely seen as a compromise to avoid the repeat of military drills China held around Taiwan after then-House speaker Nancy
How seriously should we see the fatal shooting of a baboon? Should it be criminalized? It is likely that the case — centered around an animal that last month escaped from the Leofoo Village Theme Park — will remain unsettled even after the investigation has been completed. The shot that killed the innocent baboon also delivered a grievous injury to Taiwan’s reputation as a country proud of its animal rights protections. Taiwanese have been so proud of their “no kill” policy on shelter animals, particularly stray dogs, believing that they are far ahead of other countries when it comes to the issue of animal protection. However, the death of the escaped baboon shows that it has been self-conceit. A bullet has awakened everyone. Taiwan’s animal protection policy, as it turns out, only cares for stray dogs and is blind to other animals. Is Taiwan really that progressive? It seems that compassion and respect for animals are selective. When the entire world is engaging with the WHO’s integrated, unifying concept of “one health,” seeking to balance the health of people, animals and ecosystems, is Taiwan keeping in step? More often than not, human beings tend to consider themselves — ignorantly and arrogantly — as the master of all species, but a tiny virus turned the world upside down over the past three years. When nature strikes back, it will be impossible for humankind to live in peace. To establish true “one health,” people must respect all lives and cherish the ecosystem. They should monitor their own behavior when interacting with animals and the environment. “One health” is not merely a concept. It requires action to make it work. This concept can be practiced in reality and its influence can reach every corner of the world. People would witness and experience “one health” if they abandon ignorance and complacency. To
The Tokyo-based East Asian Research Institute on Friday last week held a forum in Taipei aimed at carrying the pro-Taiwan torch from where former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe left off, and to support Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh’s (謝長廷) concept that Taiwan and Japan form a “community of peace.” It also aimed to realize Vice President William Lai’s (賴清德) proposal to protect Taiwan through peaceful means. Senior academics and experts from the two countries took part in the forum. Among the political leaders in Taiwan, Lai has put much effort into facilitating communication with Japan. He attended the forum despite his tight schedule. Displaying his determination to defend peace in Taiwan and consolidate the friendship between the two nations, Lai said that he agreed with institute chairman Katsuhiko Eguchi’s comment that “Taiwan and Japan should weave a cloth of peace together.” Lai advocated for establishing a communication mechanism to facilitate military collaboration between the two countries. Hsieh said he believes the event was essential for realizing the idea that “peace is the power of love.” He contrasted the concept with that of communist materialism, which he said is based on power without love. For Hsieh, being for peace means being against invasions, not being against resistance. Lai’s and Hsieh’s approaches to peace are reminiscent of that of ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu (老子), who said: “With gentleness I can be bold.” Lao Tzu also said that “compassion is sure to be victorious even in battle and it is to firmly maintain its ground. Heaven will save and protect those with compassion.” University of Tokyo professor Tomoko Ako and General Association of Chinese Culture vice president Antonio Chiang (江春男) also shared their insightful views with the participants. The forum concluded with more perceptive remarks, and all participants looked forward to
EARLY INJURY: Chennai opener Ruturaj Gaikwad hit a flurry of boundaries on his way to 92 in a losing cause, while the Titans lost Kane Williamson to a fielding injury Opener Shubman Gill on Friday smashed 63 as holders the Gujarat Titans beat the Chennai Super Kings by five wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) opener in front of more than 100,000 fans in Ahmedabad. Chasing 179 for victory, Gujarat rode on Gill’s 36-ball innings to achieve their target with four deliveries to spare at the world’s biggest cricket stadium and their home ground. The 16th edition of the money-spinning T20 tournament began with a glitzy opening ceremony and fireworks at a ground that has an official capacity of 132,000. A roar erupted when home captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to field first, but it was Chennai opener Ruturaj Gaikwad who soon silenced the home fans with a flurry of boundaries in his 92 off 50 balls. Ruturaj lost partners Moeen Ali for 23 and then new signing Ben Stokes — the England all-rounder bought for US$1.96 million in the auction — for 7, but kept up the attack against the opposition bowlers. However, Mohammed Shami, who reached 100 IPL wickets, Rashid Khan and Alzarri Joseph took two wickets each to check the scoring. Gujarat suffered a blow when new overseas player Kane Williamson jarred his knee while attempting a catch at the boundary and limped off the ground. “We were very happy because at one point they were looking to go past 200, but we got wickets at the right time,” Pandya said. “Obviously when we lost Kane, we had to make sure we cover those runs and as many less runs as we can give.” Sai Sudharsan replaced Williamson under the new “impact player” rule, which was also taken by Chennai, who replaced Ambati Rayudu with pace bowler Tushar Deshpande before they fielded. The impact player, who can only be an Indian unless the team have fewer than four overseas players in their
Daniil Medvedev has not won a title in the US since capturing the 2021 US Open, when he turned away Novak Djokovic’s bid for a calendar-year Grand Slam, but the Miami Open’s No. 4 seed is one victory from a fresh American title after beating fellow Russian Karen Khachanov 7-6 (7/5), 3-6, 6-3 in the semi-finals on Friday. The other men’s semi went to Italy’s Jannik Sinner, who beat Carlos Alcaraz of Spain 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2. In the women’s singles, No. 15 seed Petra Kvitova beat unseeded Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-3 in the second women’s semi-final to set up a final against Elena Rybakina. Medvedev has won 23 of his past 24 matches — the lone loss to now-world No. 1 Alcaraz — and is in his fifth straight final. Medvedev has been friends with the 14th-seeded Khachanov since childhood, and they are each fierce baseliners, with one rally lasting 31 shots. Medvedev needed a tiebreaker to win the first set, serving it out with the first of 13 aces in the match. Proving a little more consistent in the second set, Khachanov forced a third by breaking Medvedev’s serve early to go up 2-0. However, Medvedev owned the third, surviving an early breakpoint when Khachanov hit a loose backhand into the doubles alley for a rare unforced error. Medvedev broke Khachanov in the next game to go up 3-1 and a won a wondrous 26-shot rally on match point. Khachanov picked up a drop shot, then retrieved a shot from the baseline between the legs before his friend put away the winner. In the women’s match, the lefty Kvitova rallied from a 5-3 hole in the first set, facing two set points at 15-40 before willing herself back. She won six straight games in all, taking the first set and going up a break and 2-0
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic said she opposed the All England Club’s decision to allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete at this year’s tournament. Wimbledon last year banned players from Russia and Moscow-allied Belarus after the invasion of Ukraine and the Lawn Tennis Association also barred players from other events in the UK. However, competitors from the two countries will be able to enter the Grand Slam in July if they compete as “neutral” athletes and comply with certain conditions. “First of all, for sure I’m always staying against the war. For sure, I’m just more worried about the Ukrainian people and players,” Kvitova told reporters after winning her Miami Open semi-final. “I appreciate that Wimbledon had a tough time last year not giving the points [after] the Russian and Russian didn’t play,” she said. “I think they shouldn’t be allowed actually,” she said. “In my opinion, [n]either to the Olympics. So I’m just a little bit on the Ukrainian side of this,” she said. Kvitova said she was particularly concerned about Russian and Belarusian involvement in the Olympic Games. “Not in the Olympics for sure, because I feel the Olympic Games are because we don’t want war in the world. So that’s my concern. I am really appreciating that Wimbledon didn’t take them last year,” she said. Kvitova said that she and other players had not been consulted about the Wimbledon decision and the issue had not been discussed in the locker room. The All England Club, which runs Wimbledon, said the decision was made after talks with the British government, Britain’s governing Lawn Tennis Association and international tennis bodies. The men’s ATP tour and women’s WTA tour, which denied world ranking points for Wimbledon last year because of the ban on Russian and Belarusian players, welcomed the Wimbledon decision, but Ukrainian Minister of
Marcus Stroman on Thursday said he is getting used to the MLB’s new pitch clock. It is no small deal for the Chicago Cubs right-hander. “It’s tough,” he said. “It’s a big adjustment.” Stroman committed the MLB’s first regular-season pitch-clock violation in the third inning of the Cubs’ 4-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on opening day. It was the first of 14 violations in 15 games on a day when the average game time shrunk 26 minutes to 2 hours, 45 minutes. Meanwhile, stolen base attempts per game more than doubled from opening day last year, an indication that efforts to spur the running game might be working. Runners were 21 of 23 on steal attempts on Thursday, compared to five of nine in seven games on the first day of last season. Five pitch timer violations were by batters, eight by pitchers and one by a catcher as all if the MLB teams opened on the same day for the first time since 1968. Stroman clocked an unwelcome spot in the record books while facing Christian Yelich. He took a long look at rookie Brice Turang leading off second base with no outs at Wrigley Field, and then just as he turned his attention back to Yelich, plate umpire Ron Kulpa called the violation. Kulpa pointed to his wrist in announcing the call and the automatic ball made it a 2-2 count against Yelich. Stroman did not argue. “You’ve got to be looking at the clock. You’re trying to worry about the pitch. You’re trying to worry about the guys on base. You’re trying to worry about your grip,” Stroman said. “There’s so many things going on now, so it definitely adds another layer to the game that’s tough, to be honest with you. It’s definitely not easy to be a pitcher out there and to feel rushed
NEVER FORGET: Zelenskiy, and the leaders of Croatia, Moldova, Slovakia and Slovenia, visited Bucha to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia’s withdrawal from the town The IMF has approved a US$15.6 billion support package for Ukraine to assist with the conflict-hit country’s economic recovery, the fund said in a statement on Friday. Russia’s invasion has devastated Ukraine’s economy, causing activity to contract by about 30 percent last year, destroying much of its capital stock and spreading poverty, the IMF said. The outbreak of war has rippled through the global economy, fueling global inflation through rising wheat and oil prices. The invasion has also highlighted Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas for its energy security. Many countries were forced to seek out alternative sources of energy after the war began. The two-step program would aim to stabilize the country’s economic situation while the war continues, before turning to “more ambitious structural reforms” after the end of hostilities, IMF deputy managing director Gita Gopinath said in a statement. The 48-month Extended Fund Facility approved by the fund’s board is worth about US$15.6 billion. It forms the IMF’s portion of a US$115 billion overall support package comprised of debt relief, grants and loans by multilateral and bilateral institutions, IMF mission chief for Ukraine Gavin Gray told reporters on Friday. “The goal of Ukraine’s new IMF-supported program is to provide an anchor for economic policies — policies that will sustain macro economic financial stability and support economic and economic recovery,” he said. Of the total amount approved by the IMF, US$2.7 billion is being made available to Ukraine immediately, with the rest of the funds due to be released over the next four years. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for Bucha to become a “symbol of justice” on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s withdrawal from the town now synonymous with war crimes allegations. “We must do everything to make Bucha a symbol of justice... We want every Russian murderer, executioner, terrorist to be held responsible
TOO MANY UNKNOWNS? The country’s data agency said clarity is needed about whose information is being used, while there might be problems with the handling of data Italy on Friday said it was temporarily blocking ChatGPT over data privacy concerns, becoming the first Western country to take such action against the popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. US firm OpenAI, which makes ChatGPT, had no legal basis to justify “the mass collection and storage of personal data for the purpose of ‘training’ the algorithms underlying the operation of the platform,” the Italian Data Protection Authority said. ChatGPT caused a global sensation when it was released last year, because of its ability to generate essays, songs, exams and even news articles from brief prompts. Yet critics have long fretted that it was unclear where ChatGPT and its competitors got their data from or how they processed it. Universities and some education authorities have banned the chatbot over fears that students could use it to write essays or cheat in exams, while hundreds of experts and industry figures this week signed an open letter calling for a pause in the development of powerful AI systems, saying they posed “profound risks to society and humanity.” The letter was prompted by OpenAI’s release earlier this month of GPT-4, a more powerful version of its chatbot, with even less transparency about its data sources. OpenAI on Friday said that it has “disabled ChatGPT for users in Italy.” “We are committed to protecting people’s privacy and we believe we comply with ... privacy laws. We actively work to reduce personal data in training our AI systems like ChatGPT, because we want our AI to learn about the world, not about private individuals,” an OpenAI spokesperson said. “We also believe that AI regulation is necessary — so we look forward to working closely with [authorities in Italy] and educating them on how our systems are built and used,” the spokesperson said. “Our users in Italy have told us they find ChatGPT helpful for
The US plans to open an embassy in the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, the US Department of State said on Friday, in Washington’s latest move to boost its diplomatic presence in the Pacific to counter China’s growing influence. “Consistent with the US Indo-Pacific strategy, a permanent diplomatic presence in Vanuatu would allow the US Government to deepen relationships with Ni-Vanuatu officials and society,” the department wrote in a statement. “Establishing US Embassy Port Vila would facilitate areas of potential bilateral cooperation and development assistance, including efforts to tackle the climate crisis,” it said. The US has diplomatic relations with Vanuatu, which has a population of 319,000 spread across 80 islands, but is represented by diplomats based in New Guinea. Washington this year reopened its embassy in the Solomon Islands after a 30-year absence and the latest announcement from the department follows a visit this month to the region, including Vanuatu, by US Indo-Pacific coordinator Kurt Campbell. Other US embassies are planned in the Pacific island nations of Kiribati and Tonga. Despite the diplomatic push, the Solomon Islands this month announced that it had awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to a Chinese state company to upgrade an international port in Honiara. The US and its regional allies have concerns that China has ambitions to build a naval base in the region since the Solomon Islands struck a security pact with Beijing last year. Washington has also been working to renew agreements with the Marshall Islands, Palau and the Federated States of Micronesia under which it retains responsibility for the islands’ defense and gains exclusive access to huge swaths of the Pacific. US President Joe Biden’s administration is seeking more than US$7 billion over the next two decades for economic assistance to the three countries, the department said last week. The funds seen as key to insulating the countries from growing
April 3 to April 9 With the proliferation of temples across Taiwan, it’s hard to believe that the nation didn’t produce its first local temple painters until the 1920s. For nearly three centuries, Taiwanese relied solely on visiting artisans from China called “Tangshan Masters” (唐山師父) to do the job, most of them returning home after completing the project. This custom started to change after Japan took over Taiwan in 1895, as contact between the two sides of the strait decreased. Seeing an opportunity, a young Pan Chun-yuan (潘春源) secretly observed the Tangshan Masters at work in his hometown of Tainan, and later drew what he saw at home, in an act that was strictly taboo. In 1909, 18-year-old Pan opened shop on today’s Jhongyi Road (忠義路) and began offering his services as a framer and painter. Between 1920 and 1940, he and Chen Yu-feng (陳玉峰) were the two most sought after temple painters in Taiwan. Unlike Chen, Pan also created contemporary art to exhibit in fine art exhibitions. Pan Chun-yuan forbade his son Pan Li-shui (潘麗水) to follow in his footsteps, but the younger Pan’s talent was undeniable. In 1931, both were selected to exhibit at the prestigious Taiwan Fine Arts Exhibition. Pan Li-shui’s career lasted until the 1980s, and with over 1,500 works gracing about 100 temples, he’s considered the most prolific and iconic in the trade. Pan Li-shui’s son Pan Yue-hsiung (潘岳雄) is still active today and was featured in the Taipei Times article “Temple artist keeps tradition alive at age 80” in November last year. SELF-TAUGHT MASTER Most Tangshan Masters came from the coastal areas between Guangdong and Zhejiang provinces, and usually stayed for just a few years. It was a respected job and locals treated them well. They rarely settled in Taiwan as there was not enough work,
They probably did not smile, frown or snarl, but T rex and its relatives almost certainly had the dinosaur equivalent of lips — a new finding by scientists that challenges popular depictions of these predators as having big nasty teeth sticking out of their mouths. Researchers said on Thursday three lines of evidence — the skull and jaw anatomy in the group called theropods that encompassed all the meat-eating dinosaurs, the wear patterns of their teeth and the relationship between tooth size to skull size — all indicated the presence of lip-like structures. “Our study suggests that theropod dinosaurs did not have exposed teeth when the mouth was closed,” said Auburn University paleontologist Thomas Cullen, lead author of the study published in the journal Science. “Dinosaur lips would be different from mammal lips in that they would cover the teeth but could not be moved independently — couldn’t be curled back into a snarl or make other sorts of movements we associate with lips in humans or other mammals. In this way, dinosaur lips would be more similar to those of many lizards or amphibians, even if we typically associate the structure and term with mammals like ourselves,” Cullen said. These dino lips would have been a scaly counterpart to the kind with which people pucker up. They also would not technically be called lips, but rather “labial scales.” Scientific and popular culture depictions of Tyrannosaurus and other meat-eating dinosaurs — think of the T. rex in the 1993 movie Jurassic Park — often have shown their teeth as exposed like those of crocodiles. In reality, the researchers said, the teeth likely were covered by soft facial tissues as with most land reptiles including Komodo dragons, the world’s largest lizard that inhabits certain Indonesian islands. “Living monitor lizards like Komodo dragons are perfect living analogues —
A fugitive Chinese billionaire plans to auction “unvaccinated sperm” on an online platform rife with misinformation — a sale that vaccine skeptics bill optimistically as a chance to buy the “next Bitcoin.” The sales pitch that sperm from uninoculated men will be in high demand — and therefore fetch top dollar — stems from the widely debunked conspiracy theory that COVID-19 jabs cause mass infertility. Guo Wengui (郭文貴), a tycoon exiled in the US who was recently arrested for alleged fraud, is putting that pitch to the test with his much-hyped auction slated for June on the fringe platform Gettr. “Sperm and eggs from our fellow fighters will be auctioned on our Gettr platform between June 1 and June 6,” Guo said in a livestream in February. The tycoon, a cult-like figure who is wanted in China and closely tied to Donald Trump’s former political advisor Steve Bannon, claimed to have already stored nearly 6,000 eggs and a “few million sperm” from unvaccinated supporters. “We will auction off the best sperm and eggs, including of course my own sperm,” he said, adding that trading will be allowed in digital currencies and be open to all races and ethnicities. It remains unclear whether the auction will go ahead following the arrest earlier this month of Guo, who faces federal charges that he defrauded thousands of online followers of some US$1 billion. But the planned sale has generated buzz on Gettr, where the tycoon’s supporters have hailed it as a “new era for humanity.” “Giving unvaccinated sperms or eggs not only is an honorable way to gain wealth, but also will save the future of humanity,” said a Gettr post that endorsed Guo. The post featured a photo with a hand-scrawled message: “Unvaxxed sperm is the next Bitcoin.” ‘PURE BLOODS’ “This auction plays off a broader false narrative that COVID-19 vaccines have harmed
The Taipei Times bilingual pages are having a makeover, with professionally curated content for both English and Chinese learners of all levels. With our new partners Ivy English, English OK, and American Magazine Center (AMC), Taipei Times readers can improve their language studies while keeping abreast of important issues in Taiwan and abroad. 《台北時報》雙語版最優質的中英文內容，多年來一向受到讀者們的喜愛。近日起版面全新升級！每週和《常春藤解析英語》、《English OK中學英閱誌》、《AMC空中美語》……等專業英語機構合作，提供豐富多元且實用的英語學習內容，不但適合各種程度學生及上班族自修，老師、家長用它當教材也超便利。原先頗受歡迎的雙語新聞則予以保留，持續帶領大家了解國內外之重要議題，打造最強全方位中英文雙語版，精彩內容在網站上也看的到唷！
2023世界棒球經典賽決戰，日本以3：2擊敗強敵美國奪得本屆冠軍，其中日本大谷翔平（Shohei Ohtani）在場上的驚人表現，更榮獲賽會MVP，撼動全世界的球迷。這位效力於美國職業棒球大聯盟天使隊的年輕球員，是現代職棒中罕見的投打雙修選手，因此也被稱為「二刀流」（two-way player）。 once-in-a-century 百年一見 Ohtani is a once-in-a-century player in a year when we need to be awed, inspired and distracted. Comparing him to the Babe is no longer enough. （大谷是個百年一見的球員，尤其是在我們需要嘆服、激發和轉移注意的一年。將他與貝比相提並論已經不夠了。） 知名體育雜誌《運動畫刊》（Sports Illustrated）的評論者用once-in-a-century、in a year we need to be awed, inspired and distracted來描述大谷，顯示全球目前對於大谷評價之高。 大谷翔平在棒球方面的功績與戰略，也替他帶來巨額的附加經濟效益。本次就以《富比士》（Forbes）雜誌的分析，來認識三個在TOEIC測驗財務金融情境中高頻率出現的詞彙。 1. endorsement 代言 The first “two-way” All-Star in baseball history, Ohtani is a hit with marketers on two continents, with a league-best endorsement portfolio. Is he willing to capitalize? （身為美國職棒大聯盟明星賽史上第一位「二刀流」球員，大谷擁有聯盟最佳的代言組合，受到兩大洲行銷者的歡迎。他願意善用這機會嗎？） 動詞endorse，原意即指「公開支持或贊同」，所以明星或運動員公開支持某品牌或產品時，就是「代言」之意，但請勿與sponsor (v)「贊助」混為一談。 YouTube influencer endorsements have emerged in the digital age. （YouTube 網紅代言已在數位時代崛起。） 因為此字含有以自己名譽、信譽、影響力作為擔保表示「支持、背書」，在政治或商務會議情境中也常使用。除此之外，我們在支票或正式文件背面簽名的動作，亦用此字。 The mayor is expected to endorse the committee’s proposals. （市長預計將同意委員會的提議。） The president doesn’t seem to endorse the manager’s views. （總裁似乎並不贊同經理的觀點。） You must endorse the check first, so that we can deposit it in your account. （您必須先簽支票，如此我們才可以將其存入您的帳戶。） 2. portfolio（投資）組合 portfolio的複數為portfolios，本身為「資料夾、文件夾」之意。生活中最常看到的意思為「作品集」，記錄學生或創作者過往的作品及經驗，在申請學校、求職（job hunting）中，也常提到這個單字。portfolio可搭配不同性質作品使用，如 design portfolio（設計作品集）、career portfolio（職業檔案）等。 A complete career portfolio can serve as proof of one’s skills, abilities and potential. （一個完整的職涯檔案可作為個人技能、能力和潛力的證明。） A source tells “Forbes” that in addition to seeking out partnerships that don’t eat up too much time, Ohtani has shown a sense of loyalty that has helped shape his portfolio. （一位消息人士告訴《富比士》，除了尋找不會佔用太多時間的合作夥伴外，大谷還表現出忠誠感，這有助於塑造他的投資組合。） 《富比士》所用的 endorsement portfolio代表「組合、集合」的意思。也有些雙關語的用法，不僅為代言夥伴的組合，同時也有其個人在理財規畫上的「投資組合」。 The stockbroker suggested changing my investment portfolio immediately to maximize the return on the investment. （股票經紀人建議立即改變我的投資組合，將投資報酬最佳化。） 3. capitalize 利用 《富比士》分析的最後一句「Is he willing to capitalize?」也是很高招的使用方式。capitalize從金融用法中capital (n)「資本、資金」衍生而來，表示「核定…的資本額」、「使資本化」，但capitalize在此做為不及物動詞，意思為「（善加）利用機會以獲取好處」。這句英文分析大谷翔平的財富指數關鍵點為，他是否會善加利用本身品牌與專業資本來爭取更多代言，以創造個人生涯收入巔峰。 It’s essential for modern retailers to capitalize on digital influence for lucrative businesses. （對於現代零售商來說，要有利潤豐厚的生意，就必須善用數位影響力。） 在金融用法中，capital (n/adj)表示「資金（的）」、「資本（的）」、「資方（的）」。動詞搭配語，如 increase／decrease capital（增資／減資）、inject／raise capital（挹注資金／調度資金），名詞搭配語capital expenditure（資本支出）、debt／equity capital （借入資本／自有資本）、venture capital（創投資金）等，都是國際商務人士在看企業經營狀況財務時，常遇到的詞語。 It’s commonly believed that real estate investors can benefit from capital appreciation of the property. （人們普遍認為，房地產投資者可以從房產的資本增值中受益。） 【TOEIC模擬試題】 1. As branding goldmines, Maria Sharapova has _____ numerous products and top brands, like Nike, Motorola, Tag Heuer, etc. (A) endorse (B) endorsed (C) endorsing (D) endorsement 2. This CEO has various ideas on how to attract potential investors to _____ capital for the joint venture. (A) incur (B) inject (C) merge (D) mediate 【解析】 1. 正解(B)。語意為「身為品牌保證，瑪利亞莎拉波娃已代言了無數產品和頂級品牌，如Nike、Motorola、Tag Heuer等。」本題單純為文法題，測驗點為「完成式」基本公式（have／has + pp），如此一來答案只能選(B)。 2. 正解(B)。語意為「對於如何吸引潛在投資者為合資企業注資，這位CEO有很多想法。」本題重點為 capital當「資金」的搭配語用法。依照語意，可推論出正解為(B)注入。其他三個選項(A) 招致（災難或負面事物）、(C) 使（公司等）合併、(D) 調停解決（紛爭），雖非capital之搭配詞語，但皆為多益測驗中的常客。 SOURCE: https://www.englishok.com.tw/toeic/sho-time-shohei-ohtani
James tries to send a package to Taiwan on the trip around Europe. 詹姆士試著在環遊歐洲的旅程中寄包裹去台灣。 Clerk: Good morning. How can I help you? James: I would like to mail this package to Taiwan. Clerk: How would you like to send it? By air or by sea? James: How long will it take to get there by air? Clerk: It should take about six or seven business days. James: OK, I’ll send it by air. Clerk: Here you go. The total bill for the package is __________. Stamp Prices Package by Air €22.85 Package by Sea €16.25 First-class Package €30.75 International Letter €2.15 International Postcard €1.30 必備單字 1. package n. 包裹（國中基本1200字） 2. bill n. 帳單；紙幣（國中挑戰800字） 3. international adj. 國際的（國中挑戰800字） 實用字詞 1. by air 空運 2. by sea 海運 3. first-class 快遞的（信件）；頭等的 閱讀技巧： 將長句分成短字詞，以利閱讀 I／would like to／mail this package／to Taiwan. 我／想要／郵寄這個包裹／到台灣。 斷句練習： It should take about six or seven business days. 解答: It／should take／about six or seven／business days. 它／應該會花／大約六或七個／工作天。 考題練習： TOEIC Bridge測驗 X 國中會考題型 1. According to the conversation, where may James be? (A) At the police station. (B) At the post office. (C) At the bank. 2. From the chart, how much does James need to pay for his package? (A) €22.85. (B) €16.25. (C) €30.75. 3. James sends a postcard to his friend from every city. He has visited 10 cities already. How much does he spend on stamps? (A) €21.5. (B) €13. (C) €17.25. 解答: 1. (B) 2. (A) 3. (B) 文章由TOEIC Program Taiwan · Chun Shin提供： www.facebook.com/ToeicProgramTaiwan
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| New Taipei City | 17-18 | 10% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 17-18 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 17-18 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 17-18 | 10% | |
| Miaoli County | 17-18 | 10% |  |
| Taoyuan City | 17-18 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 17-18 | 10% | |
| Yunlin County | 19-19 | 10% | |
| Taichung City | 20-20 | 10% | |
| Nantou County | 19-20 | 10% | |
| Changhua County | 19-19 | 10% | |
| Chiayi County | 19-20 | 10% | |
| Chiayi City | 19-20 | 10% | |
| Tainan City | 21-22 | 10% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 23-24 | 10% | |
| Pingtung County | 22-23 | 10% | |
| Yilan County | 18-19 | 10% |  |
| Hualien County | 20-20 | 20% | |
| Taitung County | 21-22 | 20% | |
| Kinmen County | 16-16 | 10% | |
| Penghu County | 20-20 | 10% | |
| Lienchiang County | 12-13 | 10% | |
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