CONFECTIONERY
Donut outlets to close
All 19 Taiwan outlets of the American donut and coffeehouse chain Dunkin’ Donuts will be closed in the first quarter of this year, its parent company announced on Wednesday. Dunkin’ Brands said in a statement that a decision was made to terminate the franchise relationship with Mercuries and Associates Ltd, which operates Dunkin’ Donuts shops in Taiwan. All 19 Dunkin’ Donuts outlets will be closed in the first quarter, Dunkin’ Brands said, but added that it would continue to look for another local franchisee to keep Dunkin’ Donuts available in Taiwan. The closure of Dunkin’ Donuts stores leaves the doughnut market in Taiwan open to dominance by Japan’s Mister Donut. Dunkin’ Donuts opened its first store in Taiwan in 2007.
HEALTH
Catgut therapy disadvised
A plastic surgeon said that those seeking to lose weight should think twice before embarking on a trending Chinese weight loss therapy that takes traditional acupuncture to a new level and carries an increased risk of infection. Chen Shih-yi, a plastic surgeon at Tungs’ Taichung Metro Harbor Hospital, said that while most people are content to receive just traditional acupuncture to help stimulate their metabolism, an increasing number of people are looking for a more aggressive approach, such as the higher-risk catgut-point embedding therapy. The technique uses catgut — a type of cord made from the natural fiber found in the walls of sheep’s intestines — that is embedded in acupuncture points to help the patient lose weight. The technique recently came to attention when a woman experienced an infection as a result of the treatment that saw her develop about 30 coin-sized pustules on her abdomen, arms and thighs, he said.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
A 79-year-old woman died today after being struck by a train at a level crossing in Taoyuan, police said. The woman, identified by her surname Wang (王), crossed the tracks even though the barriers were down in Jhongli District’s (中壢) Neili (內壢) area, the Taoyuan Branch of the Railway Police Bureau said. Surveillance footage showed that the railway barriers were lowered when Wang entered the crossing, but why she ventured onto the track remains under investigation, the police said. Police said they received a report of an incident at 6:41am involving local train No. 2133 that was heading from Keelung to Chiayi City. Investigators
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