Fri, May 14, 2021
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday apologized for rolling blackouts that affected Taiwan after an incident at a substation affected four generators at the Singda Power Plant (興達電廠) in Kaohsiung’s Yongan District (永安). The government had the incident well in hand and was expediting repairs, Tsai wrote on Facebook yesterday afternoon soon after the incident was reported. Operating reserves for yesterday stood at 10.01 percent and the Singda plant was fully functional, Tsai said later in a speech at the Presidential Office in Taipei after meeting with high-level officials to discuss the blackouts and issues related to the COVID-19 situation. The electricity supply issue is not a shortage of power, but rather related to the distribution network, Tsai said. Yesterday’s events highlight the importance of power distribution and risk management for the nation’s power grid, she said. The Ministry of Science and Technology said in a news release that the rolling outages affected 55 commercial energy users that utilize 22.8 kilovolt connections, while users of 161 kilovolt connections were not affected. Affected enterprises included 27 users at the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park (新竹生醫園區) and the Yilan Science Park (宜蘭科學園區), 21 users at the Huwei and Taichung branches of the Central Taiwan Science Park (中部科學園區), and seven at the Tainan branch of the Southern Taiwan Science Park (南部科學園區), it said. State-run Taiwan Power Co (台電, Taipower) notified the administrators at the parks before shutting off power to minimize the effect on users via channels of communication that had been put in place for such events, the ministry said. The overall operations at science parks nationwide were not affected by the outages, it said. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) called on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration to review its energy policies, saying that they have led to an unstable supply of electricity. The electricity generated by the Singda plant is only 3.88
PRIVACY SOUGHT: A testing station has been set up, but media were asked not to photograph it, as it might put people off amid a cluster linked to adult businesses The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday sent 600,000 text messages to people who had been in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華) between April 15 and Wednesday, asking them to be tested at designated community facilities if they have had symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell since April 15. The center made the announcement after reporting 25 new COVID-19 cases yesterday, 13 locally transmitted and 12 imported. Nine of the local cases were found to have dined at the same restaurant as case No. 1,203, an ex-president of a Lions Club chapter in New Taipei City’s Luzhou District (蘆洲). Three are women who work at different tea houses in Wanhua. Another case is a man in his 60s who is a regular visitor to the district, the center said. Wanhua, known for its diverse adult entertainment venues, is a relatively complex area in terms of containing the virus’ spread, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the CECC, told a news briefing in Taipei. As residents and visitors are exposed to higher risks of cross-infection, the Taipei City Government has asked adult business venues in the district to cease operations for three days following reports of locally transmitted cases there, Chen said. Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥), the CECC’s deputy head, public health specialists and the Wanhua Police Precinct said that the block where most of adult venues are in Wanhua is bordered by Kangding Road (康定路) to the east, Heping W Road Sec 3 (和平西路三段) to the south, Wuzhou Street (梧州街) to the west and Gweilin Road (桂林路) to the north. “We started tracing people who have visited the area back to April 15 hoping to find the source of the infections,” Chen Tsung-yen said, adding that 600,000 warning messages had been sent via the cell broadcast
CURBING SOLO EFFORTS: Taiwan centralizes vaccine importation to ‘avoid chaos and confusion,’ the center said in response to criticism by Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je The central government alone is in charge of importing and approving the use of COVID-19 vaccines, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) yesterday told a media briefing in Taipei, responding to calls for the involvement of local governments in Taiwan’s vaccine drive. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) had said that Chen, who heads the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), concealed that local government officials could import vaccines doses through pharmaceutical companies. Chen said that those companies must apply for licenses to import drugs with the Food and Drug Administration, which can allow imports of drugs pending approval. “Drug imports must be based on the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act [藥事法], which allows emergency import if the drug has yet to secure relevant certificates. Local governments are not pharmaceutical companies, and they cannot import drugs,” he said. Vaccine procurements are a national security issue, Chen said, adding that the import, production and use of vaccines is regulated by the central government. This was to avoid confusion and chaos, he said, adding that countries around the world have similar rules in place. As of yesterday, 129,669 people in Taiwan have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine produced by AstraZeneca, CECC data showed. On Tuesday, 16,180 people received the jab, a new record for vaccination on a single day, it showed. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥), who is CECC spokesperson, said that two women, who are in their 40s, had severe side effects after being vaccinated. One of them reported a swollen left cheek and pain in the left upper arm, while the other experienced visual impairment, Chuang said. “So far, there has yet to be studies on the correlation of the AstraZeneca vaccine and visual impairments,” Chuang said, adding that the center would examine the reports. Meanwhile, Chen also dismissed the
Human rights groups and Western states led by the US, Britain and Germany at a virtual meeting on Wednesday accused China of crimes against the Uighur minority. China’s UN Mission last week sent notes to many of the UN’s 193 member nations urging them not to participate in the “anti-China event.” Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun (張軍) sent text messages to the 15 Western cosponsors of the meeting expressing shock at their support, urging them to “think twice” and withdraw it. If they do not, it will be “harmful to our relationship and cooperation,” Zhang said. At the meeting, British Ambassador to the UN Barbara Woodward called the situation in Xinjiang “one of the worst human rights crises of our time.” “The evidence, from a growing number of credible sources — including satellite imagery, survivor testimony and publicly available Chinese government documents — is of grave concern,” Woodward said. “The evidence points to a program of repression of specific ethnic groups. Expressions of religion have been criminalized, and Uighur language and culture are discriminated against systematically and at scale.” German Ambassador to the UN Christoph Heusgen thanked “all the cosponsors who came together, despite some massive Chinese threats.” He urged them to remain committed “until the Uighurs can live again in freedom, until they are no longer detained, no longer victims of forced labor and other human rights abuses, until they can exercise freedom of religion and freedom of speech.” Heusgen appealed to China to respect the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “and tear down the detention camps.” “If you have nothing to hide, why don’t you finally grant unimpeded access to the [UN] High Commissioner for Human Rights?” he asked. Uighur human rights advocate Jewher Ilhan spoke about her father, Ilham Tohti, an economist who has called for autonomy for Xinjiang and is serving a life sentence
SIXTEEN LOCAL: Three COVID-19 infections are linked to a cluster at a gambling house in Yilan County, 10 to a case in New Taipei City and three had unclear sources The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday urged people to increase vigilance and thoroughly practice preventive measures against COVID-19 as it reported 16 locally transmitted cases of the disease. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that 21 cases were confirmed in Taiwan yesterday: 16 local cases, four imported cases and one case undetermined. The locally transmitted cases are three linked to a cluster of infections at a gambling house in Yilan County, 10 associated with a previous case in New Taipei City and three with unclear sources of infection. The CECC on Tuesday reported a cluster of five cases — four employees and a frequent customer — linked to the Galaxy Baccarat (銀河百家樂) gambling house on Zhongzheng N Road in Yilan County’s Luodong Township (羅東). One more employee and two family members of two previously infected employees have not shown any symptoms, but tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the cluster of infections to eight people, Chen said. One of them is an elementary-school student, so his classes have been suspended and his classmates ordered to isolate at home, he said. On Tuesday, the CECC reported that case No. 1,203, a former Lions Club president in New Taipei City, attended banquets while he was contagious. Ten new confirmed cases — five women and five men aged 50 to 80 — are linked to the man, including his wife and nine close contacts of the club, so the cluster has expanded to 11 people, Chen said. Among the cases with unknown infection sources, case No. 1,217 is a woman in her 50s who on May 2 reported a fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and sought treatment at a clinic five times from Tuesday last week to Monday, Chen said. The woman went to a hospital on Tuesday with difficulty breathing, abdominal pain
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced six main guidelines for enhanced measures to prevent transmission of COVID-19 in local communities. Following a cluster of cases among China Airlines (華航) pilots, workers at its quarantine facility, the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport hotel, and their family members since the middle of last month, the CECC on Tuesday reported six locally transmitted cases with unknown infection sources. On the same day, it announced that Taiwan’s COVID-19 situation has entered the “local transmission” stage, and raised the domestic warning to level 2, ordering enhanced disease prevention measures to be implemented until June 8. The CECC yesterday reported 16 new locally transmitted cases, including three with unknown infection sources, prompting Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, to say that “the COVID-19 situation has entered a severe stage.” Six main guidelines for enhanced COVID-19 prevention must be implemented immediately, Chen said. First, business venues nationwide are required to carry out disease prevention measures thoroughly, including mask mandates, social distancing, contact info registration, body temperature checks, hand and environment disinfections, and crowd and flow control, Chen said. “Those who are unable to thoroughly practice the measures may be asked to suspend their business,” he said, adding that inspections at venues of high risk of infection will be increased, and businesses might be fined or even ordered to close recreational areas or public spaces for failing to comply with the rules. Second, reporting of suspected COVID-19 cases is to be accelerated, he said, adding that there are currently 164 testing stations, but others would be reopened in the next week to allow people to get tested more easily. “We hope that healthcare facilities can apply their expertise and refer any suspected case to COVID-19 testing,” he said. The third guideline is that “expanded standards for identifying close contacts,
CRITICAL ISSUES: Legislators from the three countries would discuss controlling COVID-19, Taiwan’s WHO bid and stable chip supplies, Kyodo News reported A meeting of Taiwanese, US and Japanese lawmakers is being discussed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, while an exclusive report by Kyodo News on Wednesday said that a teleconference might be held at the end of this month. The All-Party Parliamentary Group of the Japanese Diet has held discussions with Taiwan and the US about convening talks on controlling COVID-19, advancing Taiwan’s bid to participate in the WHO as an observer, and reaching an agreement on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co pledging a stable provision of semiconductors to Japan and the US, Kyodo News said. Taiwan’s membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership would also be on the agenda, it said. The idea stemmed from comments made by Japanese Representative Keiji Furuya, a Liberal Democratic Party member, during the Yushan Forum in March last year. Furuya, who participated in the virtual conference, expressed the hope that lawmakers from the three countries could form a society to promote security cooperation. Furuya and Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) met in March to discuss the issue, while the details are still being finalized, a source familiar with the matter said. Asked for comment, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that talks among the three nations are ongoing, but no definite date has been set for a meeting. Ou thanked Furuya for making the proposal, saying that the ministry was happy to promote the trilateral dialogue. In other news, Ou said that the Japanese government’s ban on non-Japanese people entering the country from India, Nepal and Pakistan, which took effect on Monday, does not extend to transit passengers. Taiwanese in India can return to Taiwan via Tokyo, she added. As of Monday, 10 employees at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center (TECC) in India had tested positive for COVID-19, including two Taiwanese diplomats who on
EYES AND EARS: The navy has commissioned the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology to manufacture radars to upgrade the nation’s naval monitoring stations A military enthusiast yesterday posted photographs of Taiwanese F-16 jets taking off from Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu with two refueling aircraft, presumably returning to Taiwan from the US for upgrades. Asked about the matter, the Ministry of National Defense declined to comment. The jets had been part of training at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and had briefly landed in Honolulu, where the photographer, Aeros808, had spotted them, a source said. The jets did not land in Guam, which had been done in 1996 when the US Air Force delivered F-16s to Taiwan, the source said, adding that the jets were refueled mid-air eight times. The air force had launched two F-16Vs to escort the jets, while officials cleared the perimeter of Hualien Air Base of unauthorized people. The jets are to undergo an inspection before their departure for Ching Chuang Kang Air Base, where they are to be upgraded, the source said. Separately, the navy said that it has commissioned the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology to manufacture a range of mid to long-range radars, which would be used to upgrade naval radar stations across the nation. The upgrades would improve the navy’s ability to monitor Chinese naval movements, it said. The navy has numerous radar stations on Taiwan proper, and on Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu. Many of the stations operate outdated equipment and cannot deliver results that meet the navy’s expectations, it said. The first phase of the upgrades, at an estimated cost of NT$250 million (US$8.93 million), is expected to be completed by the end of this year, the navy said. The navy is contemplating following the air force’s lead in establishing an information hub for all radar feeds to minimize casualties in the event of an attack. Such a hub would have to be implemented in stages, as it is dependent on regional
Having frequent nightmares that result in a damp pillow, despite not sweating anywhere else, might be an early sign of Parkinson’s disease, a Taichung-based neurologist said. Such symptoms present a useful diagnostic indicator, as early diagnosis of Parkinson’s results in better treatment, said Yeh Shou-cheng (葉守正), director of neurology at Cheng Ching Hospital’s Chung Kang Branch. To illustrate what to look out for, Yeh gave the example of a 59-year-old woman who visited his clinic for treatment. When the woman came in, her face was expressionless and her blinking was unnatural, so he asked her to touch her index fingers to her thumbs in a test of basic motor function, Yeh said. A person can ordinarily perform the movement 15 times or more in five seconds, but she was only able to do 10, he said. When he asked her to raise both arms, he found that her right arm was trembling slightly. He then administered a dopamine transporter scan (DaTscan), which is used to help diagnose Parkinson’s disease before more severe symptoms arise. After evaluating her symptoms and abnormal DaTscan results, Yeh diagnosed the woman with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. The woman said that over the past six months, she had been having recurring nightmares and waking up in a sweat, but only from her head, along with a dry mouth. After ruling out autoimmune issues such as Sjogren’s syndrome for the dryness, Yeh determined that it was caused by neurodegeneration. As her body was unable to produce sweat, the sweating became concentrated on her head, he said. Sweating abnormalities are a symptom of early Parkinson’s due to the degeneration of autonomic nerves, he said, adding that detailed differential diagnosis is required to avoid any mistakes, as Parkinson’s patients should not take certain drugs that affect the immune system. Frequent nightmares could also be a sign of Parkinson’s, as the disease is
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called for a restoration of peace in the Middle East amid an escalation of fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants. “We urge the relevant parties to work to reduce conflicts and restore peace so that civilian casualties can be avoided,” ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) told a regular news briefing in Taipei. The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv has confirmed that all Taiwanese in the country are safe, she said. The ministry has instructed the representative office to continue to monitor the situation, Ou said, adding that Taiwan would, if necessary, activate emergency plans for the safety of its nationals in the region. Taiwan does not have a representative office in the Palestinian Territories, with its offices in Israel and Jordan handling consular affairs for those in the territories. Fighting between the Israeli military and Palestinian militants erupted on Monday following a raid by Israeli police in Jerusalem on Friday last week that left at least 178 Palestinian protesters and six police officers wounded, foreign media reported. Militants in Gaza responded by firing rockets at Israel, prompting the military to launch retaliatory airstrikes, the reports said. At least 83 Palestinians have been reported killed in Gaza and seven people have died in Israel since the violence erupted on Monday. See ISRAEL on page 6
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked a group of European lawmakers, called the Formosa Club, for urging the WHO to invite Taiwan to the World Health Assembly (WHA) this month. In a letter dated Wednesday, 1,084 incumbent and former European lawmakers urged WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to let Taiwan attend the WHO’s decisionmaking body as an observer. Taiwan’s performance in managing the COVID-19 pandemic has been excellent and it has helped more than 80 countries in need, including providing 54 million masks and other medical equipment, the letter said. Excluding Taiwan’s public health expertise from the WHO not only harms Taiwanese, but deprives the world of the opportunity to benefit from its knowledge and experience, it said. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell were among the letter’s signatories in Brussels. French Senate vice presidents Nathalie Delattre and Vincent Delahaye, and French National Assembly vice presidents Annie Genevard and David Habib were some of the lawmakers from European nations who cosigned the petition. The ministry issued a statement saying Taiwan welcomes and thanks the European lawmakers for their support. Taiwan will continue to work with countries that share its values and renew efforts to join the WHO, the ministry said, before calling on the WHO to acknowledge the mainstream world view that Taiwan should take part in the assembly. The world body should work with Taiwan to better the health and welfare of the world, the ministry said. The Formosa Club had called on the WHO to grant Taiwan observer status in a letter cosigned by about 600 European lawmakers in November last year. Nearly every country in Europe — including Belgium, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Slovakia and Sweden —
As domestic COVID-19 cases continue to rise, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is encouraging the public to download its smartphone app that notifies users who have had contact with a confirmed case. The centers collaborated with Artificial Intelligence developer Taiwan AI Labs to create the decentralized Taiwan Social Distancing app (臺灣社交距離), available for free for iOS and Android devices. It is currently only available in Chinese. According to the onboarding information, users do not need to register or upload any personal information to use the app, which depersonalizes all data saved on the device. Using Bluetooth, the app detects nearby smartphones and logs their proximity. As soon as a case is confirmed, that case can choose to notify all users who came within 2m of them or with whom they remained in contact for at least two minutes within the past 14 days. To ensure that users cannot declare a false diagnosis, health authorities would provide a verification code to confirmed cases that they must enter to their smartphone before the app can notify their contacts, the Web site TechNews reported. Those who receive a notification would not know the identity of the confirmed case, nor would the case know who was contacted, it reported. Users must turn on Bluetooth and activate the “Exposure Notification” (接觸通知功能) function in the app before it can begin collecting data. The app remains functional as long as the device and Bluetooth are on, regardless of whether the app is open. If a user receives a notification, the CDC advised contacting the Central Epidemic Command Center’s 1922 hotline to report the exposure. It also recommended people to call the hotline if they develop symptoms, adding that they should seek to be tested for COVID-19, and report all travel, work and contact history.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) yesterday announced new guidelines for large-scale gatherings, asking religious groups to suspend large events, while delaying the start of alternative military service amid rising cases of COVID-19. Notifications have been sent to major temples and religious groups, asking them to postpone or cancel scheduled festivals and pilgrimage events, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen (陳宗彥) said. Ministry staff are communicating with most religious organizations, Chen said, adding that given a rise in COVID-19 cases, it recommends suspending or postponing events with large crowds and outdoor pilgrimage activities, and for indoor functions to be held remotely online. When asked about pilgrimage events for which preparations have already begun, Chen said that “right after the Lunar New Year, we had already sent official letters to local governments and all religious organizations, recommending them to postpone or cancel activities with crowds of people, to prevent an outbreak of infection. So they are already prepared for the new measures, and are to make changes to conform to with Central Epidemic Command Center [CECC] guidelines.” Minister of the Interior Hsu Kuo-yung (徐國勇) had also issued other new measures, such as limiting the capacity of mountain huts for hikers at all national parks to 100 people and delaying the call-up of men for alternative military service, Chen said. Police and firefighters must wear protective clothing and masks while on duty, and sanitize afterward, Chen said. “For government ministries, plans for decentralizing office work have been ready to go since last year. Large events related to the ministry have been delayed to later dates. If the situation changes, then government offices would follow up with appropriate measures,” Chen said. The CECC on Wednesday announced upgraded COVID-19 prevention measures to remain in place until June 8, including restricting outdoor gathering and sporting events to fewer than 500 people,
The Executive Yuan yesterday approved a draft bill to expand a COVID-19 stimulus package, increasing its spending limit from NT$420 billion to NT$630 billion (US$15 billion to US$22.5 billion) and extending it to June 30 next year. The bill is pending legislative review, and if it is not passed before the end of this month, lawmakers would have to convene a special session to pass the stimulus expansion. Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) approved the bill at a Cabinet meeting, Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) told a news conference. Globally, 160 million people have been infected with COVID-19 and 330 million have died from the virus, with a fourth wave of infections spreading across the world, Lo cited Su as saying. Taiwan has a developing situation, and there is a surge of cases in India, Japan and Malaysia, Lo said. The program duration should be extended by 12 months and the spending limit be increased by NT$210 billion, Lo cited Su as saying. Su told the meeting that Taiwan has spent less on stimulating the economy than Japan or the EU, and that its program has been efficient, Lo said. The planned expansion would be the second increase to the government’s COVID-19 relief budget, Lo said. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislative caucus convener Lo Chih-cheng (羅致政) said that DPP lawmakers aim to pass the expansion before the end of this month. Lawmakers expect to receive the bill on Tuesday next week and seek to submit it for a third reading at the legislature before the end of the session, Lo Chih-cheng said. The legislature might, if necessary, hold the reading in an extraordinary session, Lo Chih-cheng added. It remains to be seen whether the COVID-19 situation permits the legislature to convene an extraordinary session, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative caucus convener Alex Fai (費鴻泰) said. Citing the Taipei
FOREIGN MEDDLING: Social media posts urging the importation of Chinese-made vaccines are part of ‘cognitive warfare’ efforts, a party spokeswoman said There is a concerted campaign, likely by external forces, seeking to sow mistrust and fear among Taiwanese, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokeswoman Hsieh Pei-fen (謝佩芬) said yesterday, urging the public to follow the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC) COVID-19 prevention guidelines. “Following reports of domestic cluster infections, people have seen an influx of dubious information and fake news on social media and other Web sites,” Hsieh said in a statement, adding that people should scrutinize such information and rely on reliable sources such as the CECC. DPP officials have noticed an increase in such information, which aim to promote “a certain agenda,” she said, adding that the posts might be part of “cognitive warfare” efforts. Postings include calls for the government to purchase doses of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines on the popular messenger app Line and other platforms, Hsieh said. Some posts alleged that the whole world is relying on Chinese-made vaccines amid case surges in India and the US, she said, citing them as saying that “Taiwan must take corrective measures now.” Disinformation has spread rapidly, including posts alleging that there is a general shortage of items in Taiwanese supermarkets, and a spike in cases in many cities and counties, she said. “In the past few years, we have seen many of these cognitive warfare efforts and disinformation campaigns,” Hsieh said. “Such posts occur increasingly at critical times, when people are concerned about the COVID-19 situation. The posts prey on public anxiety and undermine trust in the government.” Hsieh urged the public to be cautious, and, if in doubt, rely on information published by the CECC, “the only source of verified information about the COVID-19 situation” in Taiwan. The CECC frequently posts information on its Web site and updates its guidelines depending on the situation, she said. “Throughout the past year, Taiwan has received praise from around the world
CONTINUED DEMAND: Qisda said that it is seeking to leverage the strengths of its businesses and industry partners in a ‘grand alliance’ to tackle component shortages LCD monitor maker Qisda Corp (佳世達) yesterday reported that net profit in the first quarter reached the highest in about 13 years, thanks to strong demand for monitors and industrial devices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Net profit increased to NT$2.61 billion (US$93.23 million) from NT$233 million last year and from NT$2.28 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, the company said. Earnings per share rose to NT$1.07, up from NT$0.12 last year and NT$0.9 in the fourth quarter, while gross margin increased to 14.7 percent, compared with 13.4 percent last year and 14.3 percent in the fourth quarter. The company also attributed last quarter’s performance to a long-standing effort to scale up its revenue base of high-value-added products, including networking devices, medical equipment and business solutions. Its strong quarterly performance gave the company greater confidence regarding its business prospects for this year, as it seeks to leverage the strengths of its businesses and industry partners in a “grand alliance” to tackle shortages of key components. “As we said in March, this year will be a good year for Qisda, considering the faster pace of growth in revenue and net profit,” chairman Peter Chen (陳其宏) told investors in a virtual conference yesterday. “Orders received have significantly exceeded what we can supply,” Chen said. “Prices for all kinds of raw materials have been on the rise. The situation has not improved much.” As the supply of key components, such as chips and flat panels, remains tight, Qisda said that revenue, as well as shipments of monitors and projectors, could increase at a slower-than-expected rate. The shortage of shipping containers might continue to slow the company’s growth, it said. Qisda is cautiously optimistic about this quarter’s revenue and bottom line, but it remains conservative about the second half of the year, as higher inflation and rising electronics prices could dampen consumer
REBOUNDING MARKETS: Yulon Motor Co said that first-quarter sales in China rose 75.6 percent to 6.48 million units, with sales this year likely to hit 26.3 million units Yulon Motor Co (裕隆汽車) yesterday reported net profit of NT$1.36 billion (US$48.58 million) for last quarter, the highest in about a decade and up sixfold from NT$197.23 million a year earlier, as auto sales in China and Taiwan rebounded from a deep COVID-19 slump last year. Yulon said that operating profit surged to NT$1.85 billion, up from NT$616 million a year earlier, or earnings per share of NT$1.39, from NT$0.13 last year. Auto sales in China in the first quarter increased 75.6 percent year-on-year to 6.48 million units, Yulon said, adding that sales this year are forecast to reach 26.3 million units, an increase of 3.9 percent annually. The automaker’s board of directors yesterday approved the distribution of a cash dividend of NT$1 per share, representing a payout ratio of 35.7 percent based on last year’s earnings per share of NT$2.8. Yulon Nissan Motor Co (裕隆日產), a subsidiary that distributes Nissan and Infiniti vehicles, also saw a spike in sales, with net profit in the first quarter reaching NT$809.18 million from NT$178.59 million a year earlier, it reported on Wednesday, attributing the performance to a recovery in the Chinese market and Beijing’s stimulus measures. Yulon Nissan also booked an investment gain of NT$903.47 million in a Chinese subsidiary, Guangzhou Fengshen Automotive Co (風神汽車), tripling from the NT$318 million investment from a year earlier, the company said. Yulon Nissan holds a 42.69 percent stake in Guangzhou Fengshen. Operating profit surged to NT$76.27 million, up from NT$2.9 million a year earlier, while non-operating profit jumped to NT$935.6 million from NT$225.88 million, it said. The company said that it plans to distribute a cash dividend of NT$18.53 per share, which would represent a payout ratio of 85 percent based on last year’s earnings per share of NT$21.8. Yulon Nissan’s board also approved the appointment of Luxgen Motor Co (納智捷汽車) president
The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday fined Citibank Taiwan Ltd (花旗台灣) NT$10 million (US$357,194) and DBS Bank Taiwan (星展台灣) NT$6 million for breaches of the nation’s anti-money laundering (AML) regulations. The NT$10 million fine is the highest penalty that it has imposed on a domestic bank, the commission said. Citibank Taiwan failed to set up a sound mechanism for evaluating clients’ risk of money laundering and for detecting suspicious transactions, Banking Bureau Deputy Director-General Huang Kuang-hsi (黃光熙) told a news conference in New Taipei City. The bank based its AML policies on those of its US-based parent company, Citigroup Inc, but the policies ignored transaction types specific to Taiwan that are suspected to be used for money laundering, Huang added. As criminals in Taiwan mainly move money from Taiwan to China, Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asian countries, Citibank Taiwan should have highlighted these countries in its system, but it had not highlighted them because its parent company had not, Huang said. Many of the bank’s corporate clients were one-person overseas companies that shared the same billing address and contact number, which was questionable, the commission said, adding that they might have been tax reduction arrangements for people related to each other. Citibank Taiwan should have known the backgrounds of the one-person companies, but it did not — it had only labeled them as low or medium-risk clients, the commission said. The bank’s mechanism for monitoring transactions was designed to exclude large deals, as it found it normal for big clients to have large transactions, but that goes against AML principles, which say that the larger the deal, the more scrutiny is needed, it said. Once it detected suspicious deals, the bank did not investigate them well, as it ignored incidents when the scale of a client’s business did not match transaction amounts, failed to clarify the sources
As the nation’s health officials and medical professionals strain every sinew to curb a sudden surge of COVID-19 cluster infections — the most serious outbreak of the disease experienced by Taiwan to date — the public is for the most part staying calm and behaving responsibly. That cannot be said for some of the nation’s politicians. The most egregious example is Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Alex Fai (費鴻泰), who on Monday told a news conference that Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) should be executed by firing squad. Taiwan’s legislature is world-famous for its boisterous debating style, which often descends into scuffles, juvenile stunts and even chair throwing — but for a lawmaker to call for a minister’s execution surely marks a new low. Fai’s outburst betrays a man whose mindset is still stuck in the Martial Law era, when KMT apparatchiks regularly had dissidents bumped off. Old habits die hard. While Taiwan long ago threw off the shackles of the KMT’s authoritarian party-state, there still exists an undercurrent of fanatical “deep blue,” pro-authoritarian head-bangers who might be motivated by Fai’s words to do something stupid. In 1170, English King Henry II famously uttered the words: “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?” Interpreting the words as an order, four knights rode to Canterbury Cathedral and murdered the then-archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket. Loose language has consequences: Fai should be investigated for a possible breach of legislative standards. Fai’s outburst also reflects an ingrained blame culture within contemporary politics — certainly not limited to Taiwan — that seeks out easy scapegoats on which to pin the blame for anything that goes wrong in society. The government has been widely praised for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, both domestically and abroad. Chen and his team at the Central
During a commissioning ceremony on Friday last week at the Yulin Naval Base in China’s Hainan Province, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy unveiled three new vessels, coinciding with the 72nd anniversary of the navy’s founding. Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), who also heads the powerful Chinese Central Military Commission, attended the ceremony, presenting the navy’s ensign and formally naming the ships. The vessels were a new Type 075 Yushen-class landing helicopter dock (LHD) amphibious assault ship, a Type 055 Renhai-class guided-missile destroyer and a Type 094 Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. The Type 075 LHD heralds a root-and-branch change to the navy’s model for conducting landing operations. With China’s intent to launch an invasion of Taiwan growing almost by the day, the Taiwanese military must remain vigilant and develop plans to address the enemy’s tactics. Construction of the Type 075 LHD began in 2018 at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co, which has been commissioned to build two more vessels of the type and deliver a new boat every eight months. The staggered manufacturing schedule means that as the second boat is undergoing sea trials, the third vessel would have left the dry dock and be undergoing a final fit-out. Since 2018, the PLA’s Southern Theater Command has been carrying out annual “blue-water joint training formation” exercises. This year’s exercise in March involved PLA Navy troops carrying out beach landing exercises at Pattle Island (Shanhu Island, 珊瑚島) in the Paracel Islands (Xisha Islands, 西沙群島). Z-8 heavy transport helicopters took part in a 360° over-the-horizon amphibious assault, with marines rappelling from the helicopters and fast Type 726 air-cushioned landing craft simultaneously assaulting the beach by sea. The Type 075 LHD is to further facilitate this kind of modern amphibious operation. Its deck has landing spots for seven helicopters, aimed at enabling troops to carry out quick landing operations.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic last year, people from all walks of life have cautiously tried to maintain a normal life by working hard to combine disease prevention with normal business operations. The pandemic is having an unprecedented effect on the air transport industry, and crew members working in direct contact with passengers have the highest risk of being infected with COVID-19. Just like medical workers, airline crew are under unimaginable mental stress while they are on duty. To save their business and boost their performance at a time when global demand for air transportation has declined sharply, nations have implemented different quarantine measures for airline workers than for regular travelers, but such a flexible approach might not only create loopholes in disease prevention, but also increase the risk of infection among airline workers. There have been many reports of workers in the fishery and shipping industries around the world being infected with the virus, and such matters are indeed regretabble. Over the past few weeks, airline workers in Taiwan have been infected with COVID-19, and this has resulted in an increased risk of community spread. This is something that those infected do not want to see happen, but the heightened risk possibly stems from the flexible quarantine measures put in place by the government and the air transport industry due to business considerations. If Taiwan adopts regular quarantine measures for the air transport industry, its business could go from bad to worse. Nonetheless, the government should propose a quarantine strategy that is better able to protect workers in the airline industry. As the authority in charge of disease prevention, the Central Epidemic Command Center should vaccinate as soon as possible all workers in the air transport industry, even if the effectiveness of the vaccine remains uncertain. The government could consider including special
STAYING ALIVE: Still outside the top six in the West, the Lakers might have to try to advance through the play-in tournament of the seventh through 10th ranked teams The Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday raised their 2020 NBA championship banner, then scraped a 124-122 victory over the hapless Houston Rockets to keep alive their hopes of direct entry to the playoffs. The Atlanta Hawks clinched their first playoff berth since 2016 with a 120-116 come-from-behind victory over the Washington Wizards, and the New York Knicks were assured of their first post-season spot since 2013 when the Boston Celtics fell 102-94 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the regular season speeding toward its close on Sunday, the Lakers remained outside the top six in the Western Conference and likely looking at having to advance through the play-in tournament for the teams ranked seventh through 10th in each conference. Lakers reserve Kyle Kuzma drove for the go-ahead layup with 6.9 seconds remaining, putting Los Angeles up 123-122 after they had surrendered nine straight points to fall one point down. Lakers forward Wesley Matthews then managed to poke the ball away from Houston’s Kelly Olynyk on what would be the Rockets’ final possession, and Talen Horton-Tucker made a free-throw to complete the scoring. Even with superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis sidelined by injuries, the Lakers would not have expected to cut it so fine against a Rockets team that owns the worst record in the league. Before tip-off, a crowd of 4,087 saw the Lakers finally raise the franchise’s 17th championship banner to the rafters. The Lakers had waited until COVID-19 pandemic restrictions eased enough to allow some fans in the stands for the moment and James, still feeling the effects of a high ankle sprain from March, was on hand to address the crowd. “We could not send this banner to the rafters without you guys,” he told fans. “This is absolutely for you guys. On the road to back-to-back [titles], starts in about a week.” The teams occupying
Japanese nurse Arisa Tsubata has trained around her work shifts for more than a year to prepare for a final Olympic boxing qualifier in the hope of making it to the Tokyo Games this summer. That dream was shattered after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) canceled the boxing qualifier to take place next month and said it would allocate spots to athletes based on their world rankings. The change in criteria has effectively shut the door on many Olympic hopefuls such as Tsubata, whose rankings are not good enough to earn them an automatic qualification for the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Other qualifying competitions for the Olympics have also been canceled. In order to focus on her boxing, the 27-year-old quit her job at a major hospital in January to take on a less demanding and lower paid position at a smaller psychiatric clinic. Since then, she has trained more than three hours per day during the week and extra hours on Saturdays, only taking Sundays off to rest or to get a massage. “It’s very disappointing,” said Tsubata, who works at the Life Support Clinic in Tokyo. “I had been working so hard for a year after the postponement of the Olympics, and it’s so frustrating that I don’t even have the right to compete.” Japan has said that the Olympic Games, delayed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, would go ahead, but questions remain over how it would hold the massive sporting event as the country fights a fourth wave of COVID-19 infections. “‘Why did I aim for the Olympics when the coronavirus happened?’ I asked myself,” she said, adding: “Who knew the coronavirus pandemic would come at this time?” Her feelings of frustration and uncertainty are shared by many athletes whose careers have been thrown into limbo, after the pandemic dashed some people’s life-long dreams
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic yesterday swept into the Internazionali BNL d’Italia quarter-finals with a straight sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in front of spectators who were allowed to watch at the Foro Italico for the first time. The five-time Rome champion won through 6-2, 6-1 in 1 hour, 10 minutes against the 48th-ranked Spaniard with the venue filled to 25 percent of capacity. “It was not good, it was great. I missed the crowd,” the 33-year-old Serb said. “It was nice to see them back.” After losing his opening service game, Djokovic powered back with five breaks of serve, outclassing his rival, despite a late fightback, to seal the win on his sixth match point. The 18-time Grand Slam winner next plays either Greek fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or ninth seed Matteo Berrettini for a place in the semi-finals. On Wednesday, Rafael Nadal opened his attempt to win a 10th Internazionali BNL d’Italia with a straight-sets victory over teenager Jannik Sinner to advance to the third round. The 20-time Grand Slam winner won through 7-5, 6-4 in 2 hours, 10 minutes to bring his record to 16-1 in his opening matches at the Foro Italico. Nadal, 34, next plays Canadian Denis Shapovalov, the 13th seed, for a place in the quarter-finals. Serena Williams, playing the 1,000th WTA match of her career, on Wednesday crashed out in the second round, weeks before her bid to make history at Roland Garros. Second seed Naomi Osaka of Japan also fell at the first hurdle in Rome with defending champion Simona Halep of Romania, the third seed, retiring with a calf injury. World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty got off to a winning start, as the Australian advanced to the third round in the warm-up tournament before Roland Garros starts on May 30. Williams, 39, lost 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 on her return after nearly
Chelsea face a “big fight” to finish in the Premier League’s top four after their damaging 1-0 defeat against Arsenal on Wednesday, Thomas Tuchel said. Tuchel’s side missed a chance to climb above Leicester City into third place as Emile Smith Rowe bagged the first-half winner at Stamford Bridge. Smith Rowe punished a wayward back-pass from Jorginho to leave Tuchel anticipating a tense finish in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Fourth-placed Chelsea are six points ahead of fifth-placed West Ham United, who have a game in hand, and seven in front of sixth-placed Liverpool, who have two games in hand. Chelsea have two league matches remaining against Leicester and Aston Villa. “It was always a big fight, it never felt like a relief,” Tuchel said. “If anybody felt it like this today, maybe, it’s the last lesson to learn,” he added. “It’s still in our hands. It is another chance missed. We have had some good results, so we have to cope now with a loss.” Tuchel said he was to blame for Chelsea’s first defeat in eight games in all competitions after he made seven changes from Saturday’s win at Manchester City. “Maybe I gave some signals to the team with changes that Saturday is on my mind,” Tuchel said in reference to this weekend’s FA Cup final against Leicester. “Even if it’s 1 percent or 5 percent, this is not how we approach things, because you get punished. It’s hard to swallow, hard to accept, but there’s no other way,” he said. Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said that the Gunners’ first Stamford Bridge win in a decade was much-needed after a difficult period. Arteta has been under fire during a troubled campaign, but he insisted that his side have not given up hope of qualifying for Europe next term. They could make the new Europa Conference
‘COMPELLING EVIDENCE’: Birthrates in counties with a 90 percent or greater indigenous population declined by an average of 56.5 percent from 2017 to 2018, data showed Coercive policies in China’s far western region of Xinjiang have led to a sharp decline in birthrates for Uighurs and other minorities, which could add to evidence of genocide, an Australian think tank said in a report released on Wednesday. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) report, citing official Chinese data, said that there has been an “unprecedented and precipitous drop in official birthrates in Xinjiang since 2017,” when China began a campaign to control birthrates in the region. Xinjiang’s birthrate dropped by nearly half from 2017 to 2019, and counties where the population was predominately Uighur or another minority group saw much sharper declines than other counties, the government-funded institute said in the report. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China maintains that changes in birthrates are linked to improved health and economic policy, and it strongly rejects accusations of genocide. The ASPI analysis is based on Chinese government data, including regional population figures released in March. “Our analysis builds on previous work and provides compelling evidence that Chinese government policies in Xinjiang may constitute an act of genocide,” it said. The ASPI report said that birthrates in counties with a 90 percent or greater indigenous population declined by an average of 56.5 percent from 2017 to 2018, far more than other regions in Xinjiang and China during the same period. Fines, internment or the threat of internment, were among the methods used by authorities to discourage births, it said. There have been growing calls among some Western states for an investigation into whether Beijing’s actions in Xinjiang amount to genocide. The US government and parliaments in countries including Britain and Canada have described China’s policies in Xinjiang as genocide. According to the 1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, there would need to
Torn apart in the deadly chaos of an air raid, a Syrian family of seven has been reunited, against the odds, three years later at a refugee shelter in Greece’s second city of Thessaloniki, a centuries-old melting point of cultures overlooking the Aegean Sea. When the warplanes screamed in over the village of Dana, near Idlib in Syria, in September 2017, Abdul Salam al-Khawien was at home with his five children. His wife, Kariman, was out shopping in the marketplace. Bombs burst among the stalls, scattering corpses and knocking her unconscious. She spent the next week recovering in a clinic, and by the time she was well enough to leave, Abdul Salam al-Khawien had fled with the children to safety across the Turkish border, about 15km away. Now in different countries, lacking mobile phones, Internet or any other means of communicating or learning what had happened to each other, Kariman al-Khawien and Abdul Salam al-Khawien each lost hope that the other had survived. Until, one day in August last year, Kariman al-Khawien’s brother discovered a social media account with a photograph of her eldest son, Hamza. It had been opened by Abdul Salam al-Khawien, who had managed to reach Greece with the children — in his fifth attempt, having paid smugglers 5,000 euros (US$6,043) for berths in a flimsy boat with more than 60 others — and had been granted asylum. She immediately got in touch. “I had a good feeling that day,” said Abdul Salam al-Khawien, a 37-year-old former car salesman from a village near Homs. “When I saw the message I nearly went mad with joy. I didn’t tell the children, though. I thought it would be better for them to find out when she got here.” Before, whenever the children had asked about their mother, he told them she was in Syria and would rejoin them
STREET BATTLES: Benjamin Netanyahu said that the incidents in Israeli towns were unacceptable after reports that groups of Jews and Arabs were attacking each other Israel yesterday faced an escalating conflict on two fronts, scrambling to quell riots between Arabs and Jews on its own streets after days of exchanging deadly fire with Palestinian militants in Gaza. Despite diplomatic efforts to ease the crisis, which US President Joe Biden said he hoped would end “sooner than later,” hundreds of rockets flew across the Gaza Strip overnight. Air raid warnings went off across Israel, including for the first time in the country’s north. Israel’s air force said it had launched multiple strikes, targeting what it described as locations linked to the “counterintelligence infrastructure” of Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, as well as the house of Iyad Tayeb, one of the movement’s commanders. In Gaza, 67 people had been killed and nearly 400 injured. On Wednesday, Hamas announced the death of its military chief in Gaza City, Bassem Issa, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) saying it had killed three other senior figures as well. Israel said that about 1,500 rockets had been launched into its territory since the beginning of the week by Palestinian militants. Seven people had been killed, including one six-year-old after a rocket struck his home in southern Israel, the United Hatzalah volunteer rescue agency said. Coinciding with the aerial bombardments is violence between Arabs and Jews inside Israel. On Wednesday, Israeli groups took to the streets across the country, clashing with security forces and Arab Israelis. Police said they had responded to violent incidents in multiple towns, including Lod, Acre and Haifa. Israeli television aired footage of people beating a man they considered an Arab until he lay unconscious on his back in a street of Bat Yam, near Tel Aviv. “The victim of the lynching is seriously injured, but stable,” Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Hospital said, without identifying him. A state of emergency has been declared in the mixed Jewish-Arab city of Lod,
After a rebellion decimated the Fongshan County (鳳山縣) capital in 1721, the Kangxi Emperor finally decided to allow the construction of walled cities in Taiwan. The following year, with the completion of an earthen wall surrounding it, Old Fongshan City (鳳山舊城) became Taiwan’s first walled city. Over a century later, the wall was replaced with a stone one, much of which remains standing today. To walk the length of this wall is to walk through centuries of history in just one afternoon, as modern-day amenities intermingle with traces of Taiwan’s past. Any visit here should begin at the Center of Old Fongshan City History (見城館). It is a modern facility featuring a VR introduction to the area (included in the ticket price of NT$49 for adults, NT$29 for Kaohsiung residents), handheld AR devices to further enrich exhibits and a scale model of the old city. What really makes a visit to the center worthwhile is the multimedia presentation incorporating this model that is played twice an hour. As the history of the region is presented in video format (with English subtitles) on a large screen, different components of the model appear and disappear from the model floor, accompanied by lighting and visual effects, allowing visitors to see 300 years of history played out in front of their eyes. Incredible care went into the preparation of this show and it alone is worth the price of admission. With a mental picture of the area in mind, it’s time to continue the tour of Old Fongshan City, following the wall counterclockwise. Beside the parking lot, the wall ends abruptly at Shengli Road. During the Japanese era, traffic flow became a more important consideration than historical preservation and it was decided to punch a hole right through the wall and the adjacent Turtle Mountain (龜山)
There are concerns that the Buddhist practice could disrupt the local ecosystem and pose a risk to public health At a drainage pool near a popular hiking site in Hong Kong’s rural Tai Po district, a group of volunteers armed with snorkels, nets and gloves wade through the muddy water to find dozens of turtles left there by residents. The red-eared slider turtles were released into the wild through a practice known as “mercy release” — a concept rooted in a Buddhist belief that freeing animals brings good fortune. But many animals are being intentionally captured and sold just to be set free, animal experts said, while the turtles often get hurt or even die after being left in waterways. There are also concerns that the release of the red-eared slider, which is not native to Hong Kong, could disrupt the local ecosystem and pose a risk to public health. Thousands of animals are affected every year and scores are likely to be released in May leading up to the Buddha’s birthday on May 19, conservation experts said. “It’s not suitable for these turtles to live in places like these catchwater drains or ponds because they are not local Hong Kong species,” said Sean Lai, who runs a concern group for abandoned turtles. “If they used to be cared for by humans, they won’t be able to hunt in the wild, they may not be able to catch the fish, shrimp, or food they need, then they’ll starve to death. Or due to the change of weather, they might freeze to death or die from the heat.” Lai said at least 28 out of the over 80 turtles his group found in the same drainage outlet this year were dead. Some had “mercy release” written on their shells in Chinese characters. He said his volunteers were taking care of more than 60 injured turtles — from treating skin infections to broken shells — and that the animals
An online rock ‘n’ roll auction will feature clothing worn by Paul McCartney and lyrics signed by Bob Dylan, spanning Elvis to grunge Guitars from Eddie Van Halen, Eric Clapton and Aerosmith as well as autographed memorabilia from The Beatles and even strands of hair from Kurt Cobain are some of the highlights of an online rock ‘n’ roll auction that ends over the weekend. Six strands of blonde hair from the grunge rock icon are part of a series of Nirvana offerings that also includes a Cobain amp and a rare group-signed blue Stratocaster-style guitar. The hair was cut by a friend in 1989 and the minimum bid is US$2,500. The Marshall amp has “Kurt” written faintly in the top right corner and was used by Nirvana during the ‘90s, as well as while the band filmed its Live and Loud video. It was later used by Hole and OPM after Cobain’s death. The minimum bid is US$15,000. (A guitar Cobain used for his MTV Unplugged show recently sold for US$6 million). The items are part of a slate of rock items being offered up by Iconic Auction, spanning Elvis to grunge. The auction closes Saturday. A portion of proceeds will benefit Crew Nation, a relief fund for live music touring and venue crews who are facing hardship due to the coronavirus pandemic. The item with the highest minimum is a collarless, dark blue jacket custom made for Paul McCartney that starts at US$25,000. It was worn onstage over a six-night stand at Bournemouth, England’s Gaumont Theatre in 1963. Tricia Eaton, East Coast consignment director at Iconic Auctions, said the jacket is one of the Beatles’ earliest stage-worn garments ever to come to market and captures the band pivoting from jeans and leather jackets. There’s also a copy of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band signed by McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and a sheet of handwritten Blowin’ in the Wind lyrics signed by Bob Dylan. The
Just get the landlord around to take a look at it (5/5) 請房東過來看就好了（五） A: When we first looked at the new apartment, I thought it was really spacious. Now we have moved in, all the rooms seem much smaller. B: It’s funny how we misremember some things. Our memories can be very unreliable. A: It’s not that, it’s just that I had no idea how much stuff I have accumulated over the years. I don’t have anywhere to put my things. B: Yeah, you’ve always been a hoarder. You can’t bear to throw things away. A: I think I’m going to have to get creative with how I store things away. B: Can’t you just buy more furniture to store everything in? A: That just means accumulating more stuff. I think I need to go minimalist. A: 我們第一次去看那間房的時候，我覺得它空間還蠻寬敞的。可是現在我們搬進去了，所有的房間看起來都小多了。 B: 記錯事情這種情況還蠻有趣的，我們的記憶有時候很不可靠。 A: 才不是因為我記錯咧！我只是沒想到日積月累，我的東西越來越多，已經沒有地方可以放了。 B: 對呀，你是很會囤積物品的人，你就是沒辦法丟東西。 A: 我應該要來發揮一下創意，想辦法把我的東西都收納進去。 B: 你不能多買幾件家具，把這些東西都收納起來嗎？ A: 這樣只是在累積更多東西，我應該要一切從簡。 (Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱譯) English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Just get the landlord around to take a look at it (4/5) 請房東過來看就好了（四） A: The third issue is that we wanted to put an oven in the kitchen. B: What’s stopping you? Isn’t there enough space for it? A: There’s plenty of space, but it needs a special cable. It runs on 220 volts, not 110 volts like most appliances. B: That’s just a small thing. Get in touch with the landlord and ask him to send an electrician around. If these are all the issues you’ve found with the new apartment, then you’re doing pretty well. A: I know, I know. There is one last problem, but it’s not really the fault of the apartment. A: 第三個問題是，我們希望在廚房裝個烤箱。 B: 那為什麼不裝？空間不是很夠嗎？ A: 空間是夠啦，可是需要用特別的電線。因為它要用兩百二十伏特的電，而不是像大部分電器用的一百一十伏特。 B: 這只是小事一樁啦。連絡房東，請他派電工來就好了啊。如果你們搬到新家遇到的問題只有這些，那算不錯了！ A: 哎呀我知道啦。不過最後還有一個問題，可是這不是房子本身的問題。 （Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
Just get the landlord around to take a look at it (3/5) 請房東過來看就好了（三） A: We also have problems with the washing machine and the extractor fan in the bathroom. B: What’s wrong with the washing machine? A: We need to change the drain cover for the outlet pipe. The drain hole has bars going across it. I can’t get the pipe in, and if it isn’t a snug fit, it will flood the floor. B: And how about the extractor fan? What’s wrong with that? A: It doesn’t exist. A: 我們的洗衣機和浴室抽風機也有問題。 B: 洗衣機怎麼了？ A: 出水管用的排水孔，上面的蓋子必須換掉，因為排水孔的蓋子有金屬橫條，所以沒辦法把洗衣機排水管裝進去，如果沒有安裝密實，地板就會淹水。 B: 那抽風機是怎樣？是哪裡有問題？ A: 問題是沒有抽風機。 （Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱譯） English 英文: Chinese 中文:
| New Taipei City | 27-31 | 0% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 26-29 | 0% | |
| Hsinchu City | 27-30 | 0% | |
| Taipei City | 27-31 | 0% | |
| Miaoli County | 26-30 | 0% | |
| Taoyuan City | 26-31 | 0% | |
| Keelung City | 26-29 | 0% | |
| Yunlin County | 25-31 | 0% | |
| Taichung City | 28-32 | 0% | |
| Nantou County | 26-32 | 0% | |
| Changhua County | 27-31 | 0% | |
| Chiayi County | 26-32 | 0% | |
| Chiayi City | 25-32 | 0% | |
| Tainan City | 28-31 | 0% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 28-32 | 0% | |
| Pingtung County | 25-33 | 0% | |
| Yilan County | 26-29 | 10% | |
| Hualien County | 25-28 | 10% | |
| Taitung County | 26-29 | 10% | |
| Kinmen County | 25-27 | 0% | |
| Penghu County | 27-29 | 0% |  |
| Lienchiang County | 24-25 | 0% | |
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