Usually, when organizations want to pay respect to those who have died in war or in natural disasters, they observe a moment of silence. But today, in Taipei, city bus drivers plan to observe a moment of noise -- ten seconds, to be exact -- in honor of the over 2,000 people who died in the 921 earthquake. Drivers all over the city will honk their horns in unison at 10:15am ... in a moment of noise for the victims. Why 10:15? Because official rescue efforts at the former Tunghsing building on Pateh Road are to end at 10:00am, and bus drivers wanted to show their support and appreciation for all the hard work that went into the rescue efforts.
Quake books
China Times Publishing is going to reprint the Chinese translation of a 1995 book from the US titled Why the Earth Quakes, co-authored by Matthys Levy and Mario Salvadori. The book, which is getting a lot of media attention here now, according to a publishing industry source, did well the first time around and should do even better in the aftermath of the quake.
The toll mounts
It has been reported that US national Lynn McGinty, a 38-year-old English teacher working in Tsaotun, Nantou County, fell to her death while fleeing her fourth floor apartment during the 921 quake. Her family has been notified. Two Vietnamese women married to Taiwanese men -- Thi Nguyen and Thuy Hoang -- were also killed when their homes in central Taiwan collapsed during the quake. Four Filipinas also died in the quake: Rosemaria Villoria, Maria Cruz, Joy Ortiz and Doris Picar, according to reports. The death toll mounts.
INSURRECTION: The NSB said it found evidence the CCP was seeking snipers in Taiwan to target members of the military and foreign organizations in the event of an invasion The number of Chinese spies prosecuted in Taiwan has grown threefold over a four-year period, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report released yesterday. In 2021 and 2022, 16 and 10 spies were prosecuted respectively, but that number grew to 64 last year, it said, adding that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was working with gangs in Taiwan to develop a network of armed spies. Spies in Taiwan have on behalf of the CCP used a variety of channels and methods to infiltrate all sectors of the country, and recruited Taiwanese to cooperate in developing organizations and obtaining sensitive information
BREAKTHROUGH: The US is making chips on par in yield and quality with Taiwan, despite people saying that it could not happen, the official said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has begun producing advanced 4-nanometer (nm) chips for US customers in Arizona, US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said, a milestone in the semiconductor efforts of the administration of US President Joe Biden. In November last year, the commerce department finalized a US$6.6 billion grant to TSMC’s US unit for semiconductor production in Phoenix, Arizona. “For the first time ever in our country’s history, we are making leading edge 4-nanometer chips on American soil, American workers — on par in yield and quality with Taiwan,” Raimondo said, adding that production had begun in recent
Seven hundred and sixty-four foreigners were arrested last year for acting as money mules for criminals, with many entering Taiwan on a tourist visa for all-expenses-paid trips, the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said on Saturday. Although from Jan. 1 to Dec. 26 last year, 26,478 people were arrested for working as money mules, the bureau said it was particularly concerned about those entering the country as tourists or migrant workers who help criminals and scammers pick up or transfer illegally obtained money. In a report, officials divided the money mules into two groups, the first of which are foreigners, mainly from Malaysia
SILICON VALLEY HUB: The office would showcase Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors and artificial intelligence, and help Taiwanese start-ups connect with global opportunities Taiwan has established an office in Palo Alto, one of the principal cities of Silicon Valley in California, aimed at helping Taiwanese technology start-ups gain global visibility, the National Development Council said yesterday. The “Startup Island Taiwan Silicon Valley hub” at No. 299 California Avenue is focused on “supporting start-ups and innovators by providing professional consulting, co-working spaces, and community platforms,” the council said in a post on its Web site. The office is the second overseas start-up hub established by the council, after a similar site was set up in Tokyo in September last year. Representatives from Taiwanese start-ups, local businesses and
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