Tue, Sep 17, 2024
Plans to pass a legislative motion clarifying Taiwan’s stance on UN Resolution 2758 might be derailed as the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demurs on the issue, saying it could adversely affect cross-strait relations.The Democratic Progressive Party, which is planning to draft a motion to address U
People residing in areas south of Hsinchu County have a better chance of seeing the moon as the nation observes the Mid-Autumn Festival today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The conditions for moon watching, a tradition observed by many during the festival, would vary by r
Former US president Donald Trump was safe after the US Secret Service foiled what the FBI called an apparent assassination attempt on the Republican candidate for president while he was golfing in Florida.Several Secret Service agents fired on a gunman in bushes after he was spotted near the edge of
‘LIBERATE HONG KONG’: Chu Kai-pong became the first to be convicted of sedition under the territory’s new tougher national security law A 27-year-old man faces up to several years in jail for sedition, after pleading guilty to wearing a protest T-shirt that prosecutors say flouts Hong Kong’s new national security law.Chu Kai-pong (諸啟邦) had already served a three-month prison term for sedition in January for wearing and keeping in hi
NATIONAL SECURITY: Taiwan has a strong need to be resilient due to its importance to global industries and the global economy, the head of a civic organization said The Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee — which is aimed at promoting society-wide involvement in national defense — is to hold its first meeting on Thursday next week, with four points of focus aimed at boosting resilience, sources said yesterday. The committee was established by Presiden
The Ministry of National Defense is sending military personnel to the US next year to ensure that the delivery of the FIM-92 Stinger surface-to-air missiles it has procured would be on schedule. The ministry initially planned to spend NT$17 billion (US$531.4 million) to procure 500 Stinger missiles
RISKS AHEAD: Taiwan’s dominance in the chips industry is seen by some in the US as monopolistic, and the US would like to strengthen its industry, an academic said Taiwan’s strategic importance lies in its advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, analysts told a security dialogue held in Taipei on Thursday. Ivan Kanapathy, a nonresident expert at the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said that Taiwan p
Taiwan is to hold plane crash and earthquake drills tomorrow as part of a three-day national exercise ahead of National Disaster Prevention Day on Saturday, the Ministry of the Interior said.More than 1,300 participants — including members of the public, central and local government officials, and s
‘GrEEN PARTY STATE’: The DPP engages in political propaganda via the media to sugarcoat its ‘poor administration,’ KMT Legislator Lin Szu-ming said Following an increase in publicity budgets, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus would review the Executive Yuan’s budget report meticulously, party caucus secretary-general Lin Szu-ming (林思銘) said yesterday. The Executive Yuan’s budget for “media publicity for government policies and measures
The air force continues to allocate about NT$10 million (US$313.38) for next year to keep its RF-5 recon aircraft fleet operational until it receives new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, a military source said yesterday.According to the air force’s budget proposal fo
Taipei prosecutors yesterday questioned Core Pacific City (京華城) board chairman Chen Yu-kun (陳玉坤) about alleged bribes and kickbacks to Taipei City Government officials. Chen is one of the six identified suspects in the case along with former Taipei mayor and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Ko Wen-je
CLIMATE ECONOMICS: The government should consider ‘climate change compensation’ to help people cope with losses and damage from natural disasters, Greenpeace said Greenpeace yesterday urged the Cabinet’s National Climate Change Committee to discuss strategies for addressing “climate inflation.”Greenpeace East Asia climate and energy campaigner Lydia Fang (方君維) told a news conference in Taipei that climate change seriously affects the world economy, while “cli
Adjusting feed formulas can reduce dairy cows’ greenhouse gas emissions without affecting the amount of milk produced, the Taiwan Livestock Research Institute said on Thursday last week.The annual carbon dioxide equivalent produced by lactating dairy cows feeding on a new formula was 4.5 percent low
STUDY: Data showed family members were the most common perpetrators for victims aged 18 to 26, but people aged 25 or older are more likely to be victims Almost 4.2 percent of young adults aged between 18 and 34 have experienced some form of harm from others’ drinking (HFOD), but only about 33 percent of victims have sought help, a National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) study showed.Many people would be enjoying barbecuing and drinking alcoholic
Telecoms that contravene the Fraud Hazard Prevention Act (詐欺犯罪危害防制條例) and are consequently punished would be assigned with a limited number of telephone numbers within a designated period of time, an amendment to Regulations for Applying and Allocating Telecommunications Numbers (電信號碼申請及核配辦法) propos
The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday rejected CTBC Financial Holding Co’s (中信金控) bid to acquire Shin Kong Financial Holding Co (新光金控) through a public tender offer and share swap, saying the proposal lacked details and certainty that it would guarantee the interests of shareholders a
Onshore yuan-denominated deposits last month slid to 121.639 billion yuan (US$17.15 billion), down 5.09 percent from a month earlier and the lowest in nearly 11 years, data released by the central bank showed yesterday.The 5.09 percent monthly decline also marked the second-largest fall since Taiwan
SECURITIES: OIUs sold 18.1 percent less contracts this year, which reflected industry caution after paying out huge compensation last year, the Insurance Bureau said Offshore operations of the local financial sector reported a more than 14 percent fall in pretax profits from a year earlier in the first seven months of the year, as high US dollar interest rates boosted their costs, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) said last week. The combined pretax pro
US and European companies operating in China continue to report record-low business confidence and profits amid geopolitical tensions between Beijing and the West and a slowing Chinese economy, two separate reports published last week by the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and the EU Chambe
On Aug. 26, with an exceptionally large typhoon approaching Japan, Tokyo was facing a political storm: the first violation of Japanese territorial airspace by a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force spy plane near Kyushu, one of Japan’s four major islands.The incursion contrasts two precedents
People who experience workplace bullying from management or colleagues often experience physical or mental health problems, and even lose confidence at work and in life. That Taiwan does not have a law against workplace bullying makes it difficult for victims to defend their rights.Recent news repor
SHOWDOWN: The second-placed Gunners are two points behind Manchester City before traveling to face Pep Guardiola’s champions next weekend Mikel Arteta on Sunday saluted Arsenal’s hunger as the gritty Gunners ignored the absence of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard to clinch an “ugly” 1-0 win at bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.Arteta’s side were without skipper Odegaard due to an ankle injury suffered on Norway duty, while fellow midfiel
Teenage star Lamine Yamal struck twice on Sunday as La Liga leaders Barcelona thrashed Girona 4-1, while Atletico Madrid eased to a 3-0 victory over Valencia to pull level with second-placed Real Madrid.Hansi Flick’s Barca have now won all five of their opening matches and avenged two humiliating Ca
Eugenio Suarez on Sunday hit a game-ending single off the right-field wall, just a few feet shy of a grand slam, capping a three-run 10th inning that led the Arizona Diamondbacks over the Milwaukee Brewers 11-10 to avoid a series sweep.Arizona wasted a 5-0, fifth-inning lead, then overcame an 8-5 de
Taiwanese pitcher Huang Wei-chieh has been released by the MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates after reinjuring his arm while recovering with one of the franchise’s minor league affiliates, his sports agency said on Sunday.The agency, Flight International Co, confirmed a report on the Baseball America Web site
POWER PLAY: The internal market commissioner said that Ursula von der Leyen had asked France to withdraw his candidacy and never discussed the issue with him France’s Thierry Breton yesterday announced he was quitting the European Commission with immediate effect, claiming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had asked Paris to withdraw his candidacy for the incoming executive.The shock resignation of the bloc’s powerful internal market com
Germany yesterday reintroduced temporary controls on its western and northern borders as part of efforts to combat irregular migration and cross-border crime, the German Ministry of the Interior said.The restrictions are part of a series of measures Germany has taken to toughen its stance on irregul
‘DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY’: The melting of thousands of glaciers is a major threat to people in the landlocked region that already suffers from a water shortage Near a wooden hut high up in the Kyrgyz mountains, scientist Gulbara Omorova walked to a pile of gray rocks, reminiscing how the same spot was a glacier just a few years ago.At an altitude of 4,000m, the 35-year-old researcher is surrounded by the giant peaks of the towering Tian Shan range that als
Each year the world produces around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste, much of it discarded after just a few minutes of use.Negotiators hope to reach the world’s first treaty on plastic pollution this year, but across five very different countries, single-use plastic remains hugely popular as a ch
At a dialysis center in Atlanta, Lauren Kasper tended to patients resting in hospital beds, some too sick to be transferred to a chair. Many arrived in wheelchairs or walked with canes, their bodies weakened from kidney disease.As she hooked them up to dialysis machines, Kasper, a nurse practitioner
“Shogun” had historic wins in an epic 18-Emmy first season, “Hacks” scored an upset for best comedy on what was still a four-trophy night for “The Bear,” and “Baby Reindeer” had a holiday at an Emmy Awards that had some surprising swerves.“Shogun,” the FX series about power struggles in feudal Japan
South Korea’s famous kimchi is falling victim to climate change, with scientists, farmers and manufacturers saying the quality and quantity of the napa cabbage that is pickled to make the ubiquitous dish is suffering due to rising temperatures.Napa cabbage thrives in cooler climates, and is usually
對話 Dialogue清清：時間過得真快，又是中秋節了！Qīngqing: Shíjiān guò de zhēn kuài, yòu shì Zhōngqiū jié le!華華：俗話說得好：「一年容易又中秋」，就是這個意思。而且還有一句：「年怕中秋月怕半，星期就怕禮拜三。」每到中秋，新年就又不遠了。 Huáhua: Súhuà shuō de hǎo: “Yì nián róngyì yòu Zhōngqiū”, jiùshì zhèige yìsi. Érqiě háiyǒu yí jù: “Nián pà Zhōngqiū yuè pà bàn, xīngqí jiù pà lǐbài
磐石艦事件差一點成為台灣防疫的大破口，國內媒體屢屢將其與同樣「軍艦染疫」的美國羅斯福號、法國戴高樂號等艦艇比較，並使用「侵襲率」一詞來形容艦上染疫的程度。請見下列新聞標題：〈磐石艦侵襲率9% 遠低於美、法艦〉Photo/graphic: Liberty Times May 5, 2020／照片：自由時報2020年5月5日什麼是「侵襲率」？其實就是「罹患率」(attack rate)！Wikipedia 英文版 attack rate 的解釋十分簡明，節錄如下：Attack rate In epidemiology, the attack rate is the percentage of th
It’s certainly been a pleasure watching the presidential campaign launch of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) candidate Hou You-yi (侯友宜) lurch painfully about like a wounded pachyderm in search of an elephant graveyard. Hou’s fall to third place in some polls last week appears early, and it might still be recoverable. But grumbling in his party about replacing him has already begun. Indeed, all indications are that the party that twice gave us Lien Chan (連戰), the most despised politician in Taiwan, as a presidential candidate and later offered voters Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), is arcing along its normal descending trajectory, the North Korean missile test of electoral politics. A KIND OF POLICY PLATFORM Last week the KMT doubled down on this path with Hou’s calls for nuclear power and more death penalty executions, standard KMT fare for decades (the latter is unnecessary since so many potential criminals are likely to die in traffic accidents long before they harm anyone). Apparently KMT policy institutions are not echo chambers so much as mausoleums where dead ideas are embalmed and then periodically put on display. The lack of public policy imagination is obvious. A less obvious facet of KMT ineptitude: with years of speculation that Hou would be their man in 2024, neither Hou nor the party insisted on interesting or experimental public policies to showcase Hou’s greatness in preparation for the showdown. Of course, that is even more true of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Hou’s slide and the media buzz surrounding it are obscuring the truly urgent problem the pro-Taiwan side faces: DPP presidential candidate William Lai (賴清德) has not expanded his voter support beyond the party base. In most polls he remains below 40 percent. Independent voters are staying away in droves, and for the moment the young are turning to
July 17 to July 23 When Yeh Ken-chuang (葉根壯) came of age, the traditional skills of architecture and carpentry that had been in his family for four generations were disappearing. After helping his uncle Yeh Teh-ling (葉得令) construct ships, residences and temples for more than a decade, Yeh struck out on his own at the age of 28 in 1960 as a damusi (大木司, chief carpenter), earning his lifelong title “Chief Chuang” (壯司). Around this time, builders in his homeland of Penghu were increasingly using reinforced concrete instead of wood, due to the humid climate. The period also saw a frenzy in temple construction as the economy improved, meaning there was plenty of work for Yeh. Adept in non-structural techniques such as doors, windows and furniture, as well as the intricate carvings and detailed decorations that adorned the structures, Yeh was able to adapt his skills, leading the reconstruction of the historic Hsiliao Daitian Temple (西寮代天宮) on Penghu’s main island in 1963. According to the book Crossing Traditions in Yeh Ken-chuang’s Large-scale Carpentry Skills (宮廟巧藝 :跨越傳統的葉根壯大木作技術), it was Penghu’s first temple that used a purely reinforced concrete structure. Before his life was cut short, Yeh created more than 70 temples and related structures across the various islands of Penghu and left behind more than 230 building plans. Although Yeh could have built temples and other structures on Taiwan proper, he only worked on a handful of projects outside of Penghu because he wanted to be close to his family. CLAN OF CARPENTERS The Yeh family’s woodworking tradition began with Yeh Ma-li (葉媽利), who learned the architecture and carpentry trade from an unknown master on Kinmen. The Yehs trace their roots to Kinmen, although this branch had been living in Penghu since the early 1600s. Yeh Ma-li was Penghu’s chief temple builder between 1860 and
| New Taipei City | 14-23 | 10% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Hsinchu City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Taipei City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Miaoli County | 12-22 | 10% | |
| Taoyuan City | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Keelung City | 15-21 | 10% | |
| Yunlin County | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Taichung City | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Nantou County | 14-24 | 0% | |
| Changhua County | 14-23 | 0% | |
| Chiayi County | 13-24 | 0% | |
| Chiayi City | 14-25 | 0% | |
| Tainan City | 15-22 | 0% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 17-23 | 0% | |
| Pingtung County | 16-25 | 0% | |
| Yilan County | 14-22 | 10% | |
| Hualien County | 16-22 | 10% | |
| Taitung County | 17-23 | 10% | |
| Kinmen County | 11-18 | 0% | |
| Penghu County | 17-20 | 0% | |
| Lienchiang County | 10-13 | 10% | |
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