Wed, Dec 01, 2021
About 610 Taiwanese nationals accused of crimes in other countries were extradited to China from 2016 to 2019, international non-governmental organization (NGO) Safeguard Defenders said yesterday, calling on the international community to intervene in the practice. Based in Madrid, the organization is a human rights NGO founded in late 2016, its Web site says. It released an eight-page report titled China’s Hunt for Taiwanese Overseas, which compiled data from news reports, government news releases and other sources available to the public. “Through transnational repression and formal extraditions, the PRC [People’s Republic of China] is pursuing economic fugitives, Uyghur refugees, human rights defenders and fleeing Hong Kongers. But one group that has received far less attention to date: hundreds of Taiwanese nationals have been detained and forcibly extradited to mainland China from around the world,” the group said in a news release yesterday. From 2016 to 2019, 610 Taiwanese nationals were extradited to China from around the world, including 219 from Spain, 117 from Cambodia and 79 from the Philippines, the report said. The exact number might be larger, as the group had some difficulty obtaining data from Taiwanese authorities, Safeguard Defenders coordinator and researcher Chen Yen-ting (陳彥廷) told the Taipei Times by telephone. Most of the extraditions of Taiwanese have taken place over the past five years, the report said. “In many ways, the case in Kenya is emblematic of this change,” it said. In 2014, China began pressuring Kenya over a group of more than 70 Chinese and Taiwanese nationals wanted for suspected telecommunications fraud, and in 2016 Kenya agreed to transfer some of them to China, it said. “At least two of the Taiwanese nationals were later shown delivering televised forced confessions in China,” it said. Straits Exchange Foundation and China’s Association for Relations across the Taiwan Straits in 2009 signed a Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial
Existing COVID-19 vaccines will struggle against the fast-spreading Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the head of vaccine manufacturer Moderna said yesterday. First reported to the WHO in southern Africa less than a week ago, the new strain has rapidly spread from Africa to the Pacific, and from Europe to North America as dozens of countries have announced travel restrictions. While no deaths have yet been reported from Omicron, and it could take weeks to know how infectious and how resistant the strain might prove to vaccines, its emergence underscores how besieged the world remains by COVID-19, nearly two years after the first cases were recorded. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel told the Financial Times in an interview published yesterday that data would be available on the effectiveness of vaccines in two weeks’ time, but that scientists were pessimistic. “All the scientists I’ve talked to ... are like: ‘This is not going to be good,’” Bancel said, warning against a “material drop” in the effectiveness of current jabs against Omicron. Pfizer, another US drug maker, on Monday said that it began on Friday testing its current COVID-19 vaccine against the Omicron variant. “I don’t think the result will be the vaccines don’t protect,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said. However, the testing could show that existing shots “protect less,” which would mean “that we need to create a new vaccine,” he said. “Friday we made our first DNA template, which is the first possible inflection of the development process of a new vaccine,” he said. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) also said on Monday that it is “pursuing an Omicron-specific variant vaccine and will progress it as needed.” China warned that the fast-spreading Omicron variant would cause challenges in hosting February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, with thousands of athletes, media and participants arriving from overseas required to enter a strict “closed-loop”
A spokesperson for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Kao Chia-yu (高嘉瑜) yesterday thanked members of the public for their concern after a report alleging she had been abused by her partner, sparking outpourings of sympathy and condemnations of violence from officials. Kao yesterday filed a report against her boyfriend with Taipei police, claiming he physically assaulted her during a recent altercation. The case was transferred to the New Taipei City Police Department, as the alleged incident occurred in Banciao District (板橋). The New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said that its Crimes against Women and Children Division has started to collect evidence to determine whether to launch a full investigation. A statement issued earlier in the day through the Legislative Yuan’s office said that Kao was preparing a response to the allegations, including relevant documentation. “Chia-yu will bravely face the matter in the hopes of preventing another victim,” it said. “Thanks again to everyone for their concern.” The Chinese-language Mirror Media early yesterday published a report alleging that Kao was beaten by her partner last month over messages from a former boyfriend on her phone. He allegedly seized her phone and kept her in a hotel for two days, after which Kao sought medical attention for her injuries at National Taiwan University Hospital, it reported. Photographs published by the magazine showed bruises on Kao’s neck, wrists and hands. Public officials condemned the violence, while extending their sympathy to Kao. In Taipei, the Department of Social Welfare said it is aware of the allegations, but urged confidentiality for those involved, while Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) condemned violence of any kind. The department also urged victims of domestic violence to call the 113 Children and Women Protection Hotline or 110 emergency number. Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang (張惇涵) said that President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) had instructed the office to call Kao to
FREEDOM DAY: Governor general Sandra Mason was sworn in as president yesterday, as the island marked its 55th anniversary of independence from Britain Barbados yesterday stopped pledging allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II, as it shed another vestige of its colonial past and became a republic for the first time in history. Several leaders, dignitaries and artists, including Prince Charles and Rihanna, attended the ceremony that began late on Monday in a popular square where the statue of a well-known British lord was removed last year amid a worldwide push to erase symbols of oppression. Fireworks peppered the sky at midnight as Barbados officially became a republic, with screens set up across the island so people could watch the event that featured an orchestra with more than 100 steel pan players and numerous singers, poets and dancers. It was also broadcast online, prompting a flurry of excited messages from Bajans living in the US, Canada and beyond. “Happy Independence Day and freedom to all,” one viewer wrote. The drive to become a republic began more than two decades ago and culminated with the island’s parliament electing its first president last month in a two-thirds majority vote. Barbados Governor General Sandra Mason was sworn in as president before dawn yesterday as the island marked its 55th anniversary of independence from Britain. “As cautioned by our first prime minister ... we ought no longer to be found loitering on colonial premises,” she said. “We must seek to redefine our definition of self, of state, and the Barbados brand, in a more complex, fractured and turbulent world... Our country and people must dream big dreams and fight to realize them.” Mason, 72, is an attorney and judge who also has served as ambassador to Venezuela, Colombia, Chile and Brazil. She is to help Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley lead the wealthy Caribbean island of more than 300,000 people that is dependent on tourism, manufacturing and finance. Barbados did not need permission from the
GET A BOOST: After considering the potential for local outbreaks amid an increase in cases abroad, a committee recommended adolescents receive their second shots The level 2 COVID-19 alert is to be extended until Dec. 13, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced yesterday, as it advised people in six high-risk groups to receive a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot. It also recommended that adolescents aged 12 to 17 who had a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine receive a second shot. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who heads the center, said that the nationwide level 2 alert would remain in place for two more weeks from today. Chen said that during New Year’s events eating and drinking might be allowed in designated areas, while only drinking water would be allowed elsewhere, and revelers would be prohibited from removing their mask to take photographs. Assigned seating would be mandatory for all indoor events, which must implement contact registration and arrange fixed entrances, where attendees’ temperatures can be taken and hands disinfected, he said. “Many local government heads have expressed concern over the new emerging Omicron variant [of SARS-CoV-2] in the past two days. As the COVID-19 situation can change rapidly, the restrictions and rules for events would be under rolling review,” he said. Regarding vaccinations, Chen said that the ministry’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Sunday recommended that fully vaccinated people in six high-risk groups receive a third dose six months or more after their second shot. The groups include people aged 65 or older, long-term care facility residents and workers, healthcare workers, disease prevention personnel, frontline workers at higher risk of infection and people in the ninth priority group for vaccination. “Other people, who are 18 years old or older, can evaluate their own risk of infection and vaccination willingness, and receive a booster shot after being assessed by a doctor,” Chen said. While the center recommends that people receive a dose of the same brand of vaccine as
Japan yesterday announced it would bar all new foreign travelers amid concern over the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, joining a growing list of countries trying to erect virtual fortresses against the heavily mutated new strain. The move came as the WHO warned that the new variant poses a “very high” risk globally, despite uncertainties about the danger and contagion levels of the strain. The Japanese government has become the latest country to reinstate strict border controls that many had hoped would be a thing of the past, barring all new foreign arrivals just weeks after announcing it would finally allow some visa holders to enter the country. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the country was “in a stronger position against the Omicron variant than other countries,” citing voluntary mask-wearing and self-restraint about risk behaviors. The Philippines also said it would temporarily suspend plans to allow fully vaccinated tourists entry, in a bid to prevent the variant taking off in a country where most of the population remains unvaccinated. Manila had hoped to revive the country’s battered economy by allowing jabbed tourists entry as of tomorrow. The variant is also throwing a tentative opening-up into doubt in Australia, where the government is reconsidering plans to relax border restrictions. The WHO yesterday said the new strain first discovered in southern Africa was a “highly divergent variant with a high number of mutations ... some of which are concerning and may be associated with immune escape potential and higher transmissibility.” “The likelihood of potential further spread of Omicron at the global level is high,” WHO cautioned in a technical note. To date, no deaths connected with the Omicron variant have been reported, it added. Even if the new variant does not prove more dangerous or deadlier than previous ones, if it spreads more easily, it would spark more cases and more
MOST CASES ‘MILD’: Of the 23 adolescents who had myocarditis or pericarditis after their first Pfizer-BioNTech dose, 20 were hospitalized and 18 have now been discharged Twenty-three adolescents, aged 12 to 17, have experienced myocarditis or pericarditis after having their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in Taiwan, but studies have “implied” that delaying the second dose could reduce the incidence rate, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday. The CECC on Monday announced that adolescents aged 12 to 17, who had received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, should receive a second dose, and that it was preparing to start on-campus vaccinations in the middle of this month. Addressing concerns about myocarditis or pericarditis occurring after a person receives a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), especially in male adolescents and young adults, and more often after the second dose, the CECC yesterday released data on related cases. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) physician Chen Wan-ching (陳婉青) said that as of Wednesday last week, 23 adolescents had experienced myocarditis or pericarditis after a Pfizer-BioNTech shot. Of the cases, 19 were male and four female, 20 were hospitalized, and 18 have been discharged, she said, adding that most of the cases experienced mild symptoms. Of the 16 cases reported between Sept. 22 and Nov. 3, 14 were reported within 14 days of receiving the shot, while the other two were reported on the 27th and the 31st day after vaccination, Chen said, adding that 75 percent were found to have abnormal cardiac enzymes and 73 percent had abnormal electrocardiographic results. Studies and reports from other countries say that the incidence rate of post-vaccination myocarditis or pericarditis is unclear, due to differences in the reporting and diagnosis mechanisms in different countries, but more than 80 percent of cases are male, the majority are aged 30 or under, and about 70 to 90 percent of the cases occurred after the second vaccine shot, she said. Lee Ping-ing (李秉穎), convener of the
A copilot at a Taiwanese airline has finished paying a fine of NT$800,000 (US$28,767) for breaking COVID-19 quarantine rules earlier this year, the Taipei branch of the Administrative Enforcement Agency said on Monday. The copilot, surnamed Chung (鐘), was found to have left his home three times during quarantine after returning from flight assignments in January and February, and was fined NT$800,000 by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in May, the agency said in a statement. As Chung did not pay the fine within the seven-day deadline, the case was referred to the agency’s Taipei branch, the agency said. After agency officers informed Chung that he could be barred from leaving the country if he failed to pay the fine, he agreed to pay it in five installments, which he completed on Friday, it said. The agency cited Chung as saying that he had left his home to visit friends and buy food during quarantine because he was under a lot of stress having to deal with the endless cycle of flight duties and quarantine, and he deeply regretted contravening the rules. Chung has been suspended from flying and had his salary reduced, the agency said. People who breach quarantine regulations can be fined up to NT$1 million. Those who fail to pay on time are referred to the agency, which can seize their assets and ban them from leaving the country.
EDUCATED YOUTH? The number of cases among those aged 30 or younger dropped 61 percent so far this year from 2017 — the biggest decline among all age groups Reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Taiwan have declined for four consecutive years, and the number of cases this year was fewer than half of the figure reported four years ago, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. To commemorate World AIDS Day today, which is promoted by the WHO and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the CDC yesterday released a one-minute public service video, encouraging people to get tested for HIV and receive treatment if required. The video features Taiwanese boxer Huang Hsiao-wen (黃筱雯), who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In it she shares her journey from doubting herself to having the courage to accept the challenges she was facing and overcoming them, conveying the message that people should also be brave and get tested for HIV. CDC Director-General Chou Jih-haw (周志浩) said reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Taiwan have been dropping by about 10 percent each year. The nation last year achieved UNAIDS’ “90-90-90” target, and is working toward reaching the “95-95-95” goal by 2030, Chou said. The global goal of “90-90-90” for last year, was that 90 percent of all people living with HIV would know their HIV status, 90 percent of all people diagnosed with HIV would receive sustained antiretroviral therapy and 90 percent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy would achieve viral suppression. While an average of “84-87-90” was achieved globally last year, Taiwan exceeded the goal by reaching “90-93-95,” CDC data showed. “However, there are still more than 1,000 people reported [to have contracted] HIV/AIDS each year in Taiwan,” Chou said. The CDC would continue to promote HIV prevention, while working to create a HIV/AIDS-friendly society without discrimination, Chou said, urging people not to inject drugs and to practice safe sex. In the past decade, the annual number of HIV/AIDS cases reported peaked at 2,508 in 2017, but
An Indonesian doctoral student and caregiver on Sunday each won NT$20,000 at a ceremony in Taipei for a short video contest aimed at sharing information about Taiwan with people in their homeland. Triwandi Januar, 27, who studies at a university in Taoyuan, won top honors in the category for students and working professionals for his three-minute video aimed at motivating Indonesians to study in Taiwan. “We are comfortable studying in Taiwan because there are a lot of scholarships that the Taiwan government offers to us. That’s why I made the video,” Triwandi said. Living in Taiwan since September 2017, Triwandi said he graduated with a master’s degree while on a scholarship and is now completing his doctorate, also on a scholarship. The process for Indonesian students to study in Taiwan is not complicated, and the two countries’ representative offices would help with passport and visa applications, he said. Another benefit for Indonesians studying in Taiwan is that Taiwan is Muslim-friendly and has prayer rooms in many locations, Triwandi said. “My Taiwanese friends are quite open-minded and accept me and my faith. I have to pray five times a day and my Taiwanese friends all accept it,” he said. The competition, which was organized by the Indonesia Economic and Trade Office to Taipei (IETO), also had a category for migrant workers, which was won by Suci Puspitasari, a caregiver from New Taipei City. She took the top prize for her 2 minute, 50 second video about traveling from Taichung to Chiayi City to visit its sights and landmarks. However, Suci was not able to attend the awards ceremony, because her employers would not agree to give her a day off work. Her prize and the NT$20,000 award was accepted on her behalf by her younger cousin, a factory worker from Taichung named Maru. Suci’s video featured scenes and information on Alishan
Housewives, chefs and teachers are at as much risk of developing lung cancer as smokers, people who inhale second-hand smoke and those who are genetically prone to cancer, a doctor said. Liansin Clinic manager Lin Mei-hsiu (林美秀) said factors that could cause lung cancer are much more diverse than the average person believes, as candles, scents and essences stimulate the lungs as much as smoking, second-hand smoke and air pollution. A 25-year-old man, surnamed Chao (趙), recently came to the Taipei-based clinic for a blood test, which showed that his Cyfra 21-1 levels had spiked, Lin said. Cyfra 21-1 is a sensitive tumor marker for squamous cell lung cancer. While Chao’s Cyfra 21-1 levels had not risen beyond the normal range, the clinic recommends caution, as rapidly changing Cyfra 21-1 levels could increase the risk of developing lung cancer, Lin said. The clinic deduced that Chao’s Cyfra 21-1 levels spiked because he had inhaled too much dust while helping clean out a warehouse at work without taking precautionary measures, such as wearing a mask, she said. After heeding doctors’ orders to wear a mask and avoid dusty areas, Chao’s Cyfra 21-1 levels dropped from 2.5 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) to 0.6ng/mL, Lin said. People who have a family history of lung disease should be especially cautious regarding external stimuli, she said, adding that they might be more sensitive to air pollution, dust or pollen, and their Cyfra 21-1 level might fluctuate more if there is construction near their residence. Aside from keeping a distance from irritants and stimuli, people can eat food that helps boost lung health, such as Asian pears, white gourd and the common yam, Lin said.
BOYCOTT ASSESSMENT: The party said that the government should ‘cautiously assess the safety of Taiwanese athletes if they are to compete in Beijing next year’ An assessment of whether Taiwan should participate in next year’s Winter Olympic Games in Beijing is on the cards, with lawmakers poised to pass a motion proposed by the New Power Party (NPP) that seeks action from the Executive Yuan after multiple countries have mulled diplomatic boycotts over allegations of human rights violations in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet. China has never ceased its oppression of and military threats against Taiwan, the NPP caucus said in a written statement, adding that from 1991 to last year, 600 Taiwanese have disappeared in China for unknown reasons. Beijing since last year has vowed to sanction “Taiwanese independence diehards,” the party said. “The government should cautiously assess the safety of Taiwanese athletes if they are to compete in Beijing next year under strained cross-strait relations,” the NPP said. “As human rights advocates in Taiwan and abroad have called for countries around the world to follow the ‘no rights, no Games’ principle, we urge the Executive Yuan to closely monitor whether other countries are to boycott the Winter Olympic Games and take appropriate action.” The European Parliament in July passed a resolution asking EU officials to decline invitations to attend the Winter Olympics unless the human rights situations in Hong Kong and among Uighur Muslims improves, the NPP said. China denies all accusations of abuses in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang. In February, the Canadian House of Commons voted 266-0 over a motion calling on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to move the Winter Olympics from Beijing if the inhuman treatment of Uighurs continues, the NPP said. In a letter to the IOC last month, US Senator Marco Rubio and US Representative Chris Smith urged it to postpone the Games and bar the Chinese team from participating, and that the “IOC has a moral obligation to reject the People’s Republic of
TECH COOPERATION: A delegation from Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia discussed advances in biomedicine, science parks and semiconductors with science officials Taiwan is to boost cooperation with Baltic countries in quantum computing and biotechnology, the Ministry of Science and Technology said yesterday after a meeting with a delegation of visiting lawmakers. Lithuanian Member of Parliament Matas Maldeikis is leading a delegation of nine other lawmakers from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania who arrived in Taiwan on Sunday. After meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) on Monday, the lawmakers yesterday visited Minister of Science and Technology Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠), who in October visited the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Slovakia. At the meeting yesterday, the two sides discussed developments in biomedicine, semiconductors and science parks, with the visitors saying that they support deeper tech cooperation between Taiwan and their countries, the science ministry said in a statement. The delegation’s visit is expected to elevate the nation’s visibility on the global stage and promote its leadership in tech developments, the statement said. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are EU members, but have different technology policies and levels of development, it said. Through Taiwan’s tech and research policy blueprint, the science ministry has identified quantum computing and biotechnology as key areas to advance cooperation with the three countries, it said. Other officials at the meeting were Department of Life Sciences Director-General Chen Hong-chen (陳鴻震), Department of Engineering and Technologies Li Chih-peng (李志鵬) and Department of International Cooperation and Science Education Deputy Director-General Huang Yu-chen (黃郁禎), the statement said. The delegation tomorrow and on Friday are to attend the virtual Open Parliament Forum, cohosted by the Legislative Yuan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US National Democratic Institute. The foreign ministry did not say when they would leave Taiwan.
Seatbelts are to be mandated for passengers on buses traveling on highways, expressways or freeways after lawmakers yesterday passed an amendment to Article 31 of the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendment — which applies to passengers aged four or older and drivers — was proposed after a bus crashed into the side of a mountain on the Suhua Highway in Yilan County’s Suao Township (蘇澳) on March 16, killing six passengers and injuring 39. Some of the passengers were thrown from the bus by the crash. Prior to the amendment, the act only required passengers sitting next to the driver, near doors, including emergency exits, as well as those sitting in the last row to wear seatbelts. The amendment stipulates that drivers would face a fine of NT$3,000 to NT$6,000 if passengers aged four or older fail to follow the seatbelt requirement. However, drivers would not be fined if passengers have been adequately informed about the seatbelt requirement, the amendment says. Instead, passengers would be fined if they do not wear a seatbelt after being told to, it says. Bus drivers who do not wear a seatbelt while driving would be fined NT$2,000, up from NT$1,500, it says. The amendment also requires the Ministry of Transportation and Communications to set a date for implementation of the regulations and demonstrate to the public the correct way to fasten a seatbelt on a bus. Lawmakers also passed an amendment to Article 18-1 of the act to require large cargo trucks and large passenger buses to have lateral protection devices. Before Article 18 was amended, it only required such vehicles to have dashboard cameras and auxiliary visual devices. Lateral protection devices would prevent motorcyclists from being entangled in the wheels of large vehicles during collisions, said Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hung Meng-kai (洪孟楷), who proposed the amendment. Following the amendment,
Taiwan and South Korea have signed an agreement to prevent double taxation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that the government is also seeking trade pacts with Australia and India. The government has been promoting the deal with Seoul since 2014 and it was signed on Nov. 17, Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs Director-General Wallace Chow (周民淦) told a news briefing in Taipei. The Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income was signed by the Seoul-based Taipei Mission in Korea and the Korean Mission in Taipei, the Ministry of Finance said in a news release. It would help reduce the tax burden for people and enterprises on both sides, provide a mechanism for dispute resolution and enhance other areas of tax cooperation, the finance ministry said. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, bilateral trade revenue last year reached a new high of US$35.74 billion, Chow said, adding that Taiwan and South Korea are each other’s fifth-largest trading partners. The two nations are also the third-largest sources of tourists for each other, he said. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, mutual visits totaled 2.45 million people, the sixth consecutive year of growth, he said. Asked if there is any progress negotiating a Taiwan-India free-trade agreement, Chow said that the government continues to push for a deal. If an agreement can be signed, both sides would benefit from a reduction in non-tariff barriers, he said. Taiwan and India would complement each other with their trade and investment structures, while India imports from Taiwan a lot of material and components to assemble products, he said. Taiwan can help India upgrade its manufacturing and tech industries, and boost its product positions in global value chains, Chow said, adding that many Taiwanese high-tech firms are considering expanding their
PRICING DUELS: H&B Realty Co said that Kaohsiung sellers raised prices after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co unveiled new factory plans, scaring away buyers Housing transactions last month retained their resiliency from October, as inflation concerns supported buyer interest, but the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 increased uncertainty over a global recovery, local property brokers said yesterday. Evertrust Rehousing Co (永慶房屋) said that housing deals at its offices across Taiwan last month stayed on a par with October, in line with seasonality. This quarter is the peak sales season and the momentum might last ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, Evertrust research department deputy head Chen Chin-ping (陳金萍) said. A stable economy, mounting inflationary pressures and low interest rates all bode well for property sales, as real estate remains a solid choice among Taiwanese to defend against inflation, Chen said, adding that buyers would close on properties they consider to be fairly priced. Buyers had better exercise caution when balancing their finances with interest in buying real estate, as the central bank might raise interest rates next year to help rein in inflation, she said. Sinyi Realty Inc (信義房屋) said that it saw housing transactions last month grow 2 percent from October, mainly due to relocation and investment needs. Toward the end of the month, apartments priced at more than NT$20 million (US$719,166) gained appeal, and trading in Taipei and New Taipei City is catching up with sales in central and southern Taiwan, Sinyi said. Plans by major local tech firms to set up new plants in Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung have significantly pushed up housing prices in those areas, and buyers have grown cautious, it said. However, the market appeared unaffected by the central bank’s tightening of rules regarding second-home mortgages in the six special municipalities and Hsinchu city and county, Sinyi research manager Tseng Ching-der (曾進德) said. Tseng voiced concern that the monetary policymaker might introduce further credit controls so that the housing market has a “soft landing.” H&B Realty Co (住商不動產)
‘OUT IN FRONT’: The new investment is part of MediaTek’s bid to expand revenue by 15 percent over the next three years from an estimated US$17 billion this year MediaTek Inc (聯發科) is to continue investing in the development of low-power technologies to maintain its leading position in the industry over the next 10 years, the Hsinchu-based chip designer said yesterday. This year, it would allocate US$3.3 billion to the research and development of technologies related to high-performance computing, low power and advanced chip packaging, MediaTek said. The investment is part of the chip designer’s efforts to enhance its technological capabilities and boost revenue. MediaTek aims to expand revenue by about 15 percent over the next three years from an estimated US$17 billion this year. “We are definitely out in front of rivals in offering low-power technologies,” MediaTek chairman Tsai Ming-kai (蔡明介) told reporters on the sidelines of an awards ceremony for an annual technology contest that it organizes in Taipei. “We will continue to beat out our rivals for the next 10 years,” Tsai added. MediaTek said that its Dimensity 9000, a 5G system-on-a-chip (SoC), demonstrates the lead it has in low-power technology. A new SoC is to be produced using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s (台積電) advanced 4-nanometer process technology. MediaTek said that it has captured about 40 percent of the 5G Android-based smartphone market, beating out long-term rival Qualcomm Inc. MediaTek said that it has the capacity to scale its low-power applications for technologies from mobile computing to Wi-Fi into more than 2 billion low-power connected devices per year. The number would soon increase to 3 billion, it added. The company does not plan to expand into the so-called third-generation market, or compound semiconductor chip market, but it has invested in a third-generation semiconductor company to better understand the market trend, especially electric vehicles, Tsai said.
Luxury hotel operator My Humble House Hospitality Management Consulting Co (寒舍餐旅) yesterday said that the solid headway that its business has gained this quarter could improve further next year, even though losses linger from last quarter. Consolidated revenue for the third quarter stood at NT$320 million (US$11.51 million), a 22.68 percent decline from three months earlier and a 57.42 percent fall from a year earlier, the company told an online investors’ conference. Net losses last quarter were NT$243 million, down 6.39 percent quarter-on-quarter, but up 699.96 percent year-on-year, the company said. Losses per share last quarter were NT$2.18, compared with losses per share of NT$2.33 the previous quarter, company data showed. Revenue generated from restaurants, which accounted for 70 percent of the company’s total sales last quarter, has recouped business momentum this quarter, thanks to the government’s successful control of a local COVID-19 outbreak, it said. Guest room revenue, which made up 30 percent of total sales, remains under pressure and the company is shifting its focus to urban tourism, as lingering border controls stifle business travel, it added. To that end, the company said that its hotels — such as Le Meridien Taipei (台北寒舍艾美酒店), Humble House Taipei (寒舍艾麗) and Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel (台北喜來登大飯店) — would target local tourists and highlight accommodation packages that offer meals. Its buffet restaurants, the Latest Recipe (探索廚房) and Kitchen 12 (十二廚), have almost solid reservations toward the end of the year, while occupancy at its hot spring resort in Yilan County, the Mu Jiaosi Hotel (礁溪寒沐), has recovered to 80 percent, My Humble House said. The company is ready to take advantage of “travel bubbles” with Asian neighbors next year, once the government gives the authorization, it added. The company said that in the first quarter of next year, it would introduce a new property in Taipei’s Zhongshan District (中山)
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) last month proposed canceling the pensions of retired military personnel who are found to have collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Wang said that retired generals who act as mouthpieces for the CCP might endanger national security, citing retired air force general Hsia Ying-chou’s (夏瀛洲) interview last month with China’s Global Times as an example of the CCP’s use of collaborators in Taiwan. During the interview with the newspaper on Nov. 5, Hsia said: “Beijing has every right to send warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, as it is part of Chinese territory.” Wang also suggested fines up to NT$10 million (US$359,582) for people found committing such acts. However, whether a pension cut or fines would do much to deter such actions depends on the motivations of those involved. Retired military or government officials working with the CCP might be motivated by money, they might have ideological motivations or they might have grievances with the military or government. In some cases, fines or even commutable jail time might not deter them, and in the case of financial motivation it is unlikely that a fine would concern them, as China has shown that it is willing to finance the activities of Taiwanese collaborators. Retired officials who have had access to sensitive information are prohibited from visiting China for three years following the end of their service, but this only prevents them from attending events in China. With modern technology it is quite easy for a pensioner to transmit sensitive documents to the CCP over the Internet, or to be interviewed by Chinese media through voice chat or video conferencing. It is also unlikely that the government of a democracy such as Taiwan could effectively prevent such online interviews without infringing upon personal liberties. What investigators could do is to
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) sixth plenary session has ended and from all appearances, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has set the stage to rule for the rest of his life. Some might be tempted to declare that this calls for Xi to do a victory lap, but all is not well on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. To parody a line from Ya Got Trouble, a song from Broadway musical The Music Man: “There’s trouble in River City, (aka, Beijing). Trouble with a capital T, which rhymes with C for CCP.” Why? Taking control of a nation is always much easier than running it. Most dictators, wannabe emperors, juntas and one-party state governments quickly realize this. Much to their chagrin, the imagined communities of modern-day nations contain much broader beliefs and expectations, and communications among all are much quicker. A recent example is Afghanistan. The Taliban swept into power because no other group or faction had the conviction, numbers or unity to dominate. However, while the Taliban had those, its belief that it could then run that modern-day nation with outdated laws is proving disastrous. Afghanistan’s imagined community has developed far beyond the narrow communal roots and perspectives of Shariah, while the outside world that Afghanistan faces, trades and negotiates with has expanded even further. Taking over a country is far easier than running it. The CCP, although it has ruled China since 1949, faces similar problems from a different and wider framework. The particular alleged communist ideology that the CCP promotes is certainly broader than that of Shariah, but the massive land mass and population of China is also more extensive and contains far more imagined communities. Therefore, the cracks in the facade of the CCP’s post-1949 rule are becoming evident, especially as the world continues to shift from a global village paradigm to
Frequent incidents of violence in society, such as a near-fatal assault with baseball bats in Taichung and a deadly shooting in New Taipei City, are making people anxious. Media commentators blame police chiefs and mayors, calling for their resignations. President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said she would review the situation and take firmer action, such as the Cabinet calling a conference on law and order, and proposing countermeasures, while former New Power Party legislator Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) has urged the government to declare “war” on gangsters, and not just as a slogan. When thugs get into brawls and beat up or even kill people in front of onlookers, their offenses are often recorded on cellphones and posted online. When an incident is reported to the police, they dispatch rapid-response patrols, which cruise the streets around the clock to enforce the law. Unless offenders are caught at the scene, police often arrive to find no one and nothing. They can only handle the case based on clues. If they miss something because of changed circumstances, they are criticized. When hoodlums breach the peace and create disorder, police rush to the scene to catch the culprits, but does that solve the problem? The reality is that courts often release the culprits or give them lenient penalties, after which they return to the streets and start fighting again. The police might then rearrest the culprits. This cycle is a massive drain on police personnel. If the root cause is not eradicated, social order cannot be ensured. Lawless troublemakers do not fear the police, because they know that the law does not give the police much authority. Except in the case of offenders being caught red-handed, police cannot exercise their powers of compulsory enforcement, such as stop and search. Even when suspects are arrested, the law requires them to be quickly brought
‘JUST THE BEGINNING’: Alexia Putellas won the women’s award after she led Barcelona to victory in the Champions League, scoring a penalty to beat Chelsea 4-0 in the final Lionel Messi said winning the Copa America with Argentina might have been the determining factor in him claiming the men’s Ballon d’Or prize for a seventh time after a turbulent year, as Spain’s Alexia Putellas took the women’s award. Now 34, Messi pipped much-fancied rivals such as Robert Lewandowski and Karim Benzema to take the award in a glittering ceremony in Paris on Monday, the city he now calls home after leaving boyhood club Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in August. Despite his tearful goodbye from Barcelona and his relatively underwhelming start to life in France, the jury of journalists from around the world rewarded him in particular for captaining Argentina to their first major international title since 1993. “Two years ago I thought I was coming into my final years, but here I am again back here,” said Messi, who won the last edition of the Ballon d’Or in 2019 before last year’s awards were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Messi also won in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015. “People were starting to ask me when I was going to retire, but now I am here in Paris and I am very happy,” he said at the Chatelet Theatre in central Paris, where he was joined by his wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, and their three children. “I don’t know how many more years I have left, but I hope there will be many because I am really enjoying myself this year,” he said. “What I achieved with Argentina was a dream come true. I think I won this trophy thanks to what we did at the Copa America, so I dedicate it to my teammates.” Argentina beat Brazil 1-0 in the final in Rio de Janeiro as Messi won a major title with his country for the first time. He also scored 38 goals
Not all draws are memorable, but Rachin Ravindra is certain to remember his debut after helping save New Zealand in the first Test against India. The 22-year-old finished unbeaten on 18 and combined brilliantly with No. 11 Ajaz Patel to keep the last wicket intact through 52 balls of elite Indian spin at Green Park International Stadium in Kanpur, India, on Monday. New Zealand coach Gary Stead praised the young all-rounder’s courage under fire, and said it showed he belonged at the highest level. “You always have those doubts when you go to that next level, but he certainly showed the composure that probably belies his age a little bit ... which is fantastic for us in the long run,” Stead told reporters yesterday. “It’s a debut game that I think he will always remember.” “I know [batsman] Ross Taylor said at the end of the game as well, you don’t often remember draws, but that’s certainly one that he will remember for a long time,” Stead said. “When you look at the quality of the Indian spinners as well it just, I guess, makes it even more special for him,” he added. New Zealand, who have not won a Test series in India let alone a Test since the 1988-1989 tour, head to Mumbai for the second and final match with hope of breaking the drought. Stead said there might be changes to the side depending on the Mumbai wicket, but defended his specialist spinners Patel and Will Somerville, who battled through a tough opener after coming in short of match fitness due to a COVID-19 disruption to their domestic season. Somerville went wicketless for 98 runs in the match, while Patel finished with 3-150. By contrast, India’s spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja took 17 of the 19 New Zealand wickets that fell. “The Indian spinners
SNOOKER Williams sorry for nap Triple world champion Mark Williams has apologized to snooker fans for falling asleep during his own match at the UK Championship, blaming the after-effects of COVID-19. The 46-year-old “Welsh Potting Machine” lost 6-5 in the second round to Anthony Hamilton in York, England, on Sunday evening and revealed afterward that he had nodded off in his chair while leading. Williams apologized on Twitter and said his slumbers had nothing to do with his opponent’s style of play. “After 30 years as a pro, that’s the first time I have fallen asleep during a match,” he told the World Snooker Tour Web site. “The score was 3-2 and I was sitting in my chair, then I was out like a light,” he said. “My head dropped down, which woke me up, and for about five seconds I had no idea where I was... It’s been a few weeks since I had COVID and I am feeling better, but I still get very tired. It was a good match though, we both made some good breaks.” SOCCER Rangnick new United boss As the pioneer of a high-intensity pressing game adopted widely across Germany, Ralf Rangnick was an inspiration for coaches like Juergen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel who have gone on to be successful at two of England’s biggest soccer teams. At the age of 63, Rangnick is heading to the English game himself, ready to take on his countrymen as manager of Manchester United. Rangnick was on Monday hired to lead United until the end of the season, an appointment that is likely to shake up the playing style and management structure of an English Premier League giant seeking to return to the top after nearly a decade of underachievement. United are planning to hire a permanent manager in the off-season.
UNCONCERNED ABOUT NUMBERS: The US star matched Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s single-discipline record, although she was unaware it existed beforehand Mikaela Shiffrin on Sunday continued her dominance of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup slalom in Killington, Vermont, with a record-setting victory over reigning overall champion Petra Vlhova. US star Shiffrin, starting two-tenths of a second behind her Slovakian rival after the first leg, turned in a storming second run of 48.26 seconds. Vlhova still had Shiffrin in her sights before a costly error saw her post the 14th-fastest time of the second run that was still good enough for second place, but 75-hundredths of a second behind the American. Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener, who missed the start of the season because she was recovering from broken bones in both hands after a fitness training accident, placed third. “My mentality was super aggressive, that was how I really need to be for both runs,” Shiffrin said. “The second run, it wasn’t a perfect run, but most of it was quite strong and super-aggressive... I knew Petra would do the same. We both had a mistake, but I think hers was a bit bigger.” With a 46th career slalom win, Shiffrin matched Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark’s single-discipline record set in giant slalom. “I actually didn’t know the record,” she said. “I won’t say it’s not meaningful, it certainly is, but I’m trying not to focus on those numbers.” “Any person would want to have those records ... wanting it doesn’t do anything for you to actually do the work or ski well enough to make that happen,” she added. Shiffrin has now won all five World Cup slaloms held in Killington, which is not far from the Burke Mountain Academy where she once trained. The return saw her turn the tables on Vlhova, who last week beat Shiffrin in two slaloms in Levi, Finland, to pull level with the American atop the overall standings. Shiffrin, a three-time winner of the overall title,
TOXIC CULTURE: One in three parliamentary staff had suffered sexual harassment, while about 37% had been bullied, a probe into the parliamentary workplace showed A landmark report aimed at cleaning up a toxic workplace culture in Australia’s parliament and other government offices found that one in three employees had suffered sexual harassment. Just more than one quarter of those that experienced sexual harassment said a member of parliament was responsible, in the survey of more than 1,700 individuals. About 37 percent of staff said they had suffered bullying. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday said that his government would likely support the report’s 28 recommendations, which include setting targets for gender balance and diversity across all parliamentary roles. The report addresses “the power imbalance, the gender imbalance, the lack of accountability for behavior, as well as understanding the challenging and demanding work environment” in parliament, Morrison told reporters in Canberra. Morrison ordered the independent inquiry to be conducted by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins after thousands of women rallied across Australia to protest against sexual violence. “While we heard of positive experiences of work within the Parliament, there were others who shared experiences of bullying, sexual harassment and sexual assault,” Jenkins said in the report. “Too often, we heard that these workplaces are not safe environments for many people within them.” Morrison’s government has been criticized for refusing to hold an inquiry into claims that former attorney-general Christian Porter raped a fellow member of a school debating team in 1988 — allegations he denies. Porter has since resigned from the ministry. There was also criticism of his handling of allegations that former government media adviser Brittany Higgins was raped by a fellow staffer in a minister’s office in 2019. One of the individuals interviewed for the report said: “It is a man’s world and you are reminded of it every day thanks to the looks up and down you get, to the representation in the parliamentary chambers, to the preferential treatment politicians
A court in Myanmar yesterday postponed its verdict in the trial of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to allow testimony from an additional witness, a senior member of her political party. The court agreed with a defense motion that it allow Zaw Myint Maung, who had previously been unable to come to court for health reasons, to add his testimony, a legal official said. The court had been scheduled to deliver a verdict yesterday on charges of incitement and breaching COVID-19 restrictions. The verdict would have been the first for the 76-year-old Nobel laureate since the army seized power on Feb. 1, arresting her and blocking her National League for Democracy party from starting a second term in office. She is also being tried on a series of other charges, including corruption, that could send her to prison for dozens of years if convicted. The judge adjourned the proceedings until Monday next week, when Zaw Myint Maung is scheduled to testify, said the legal official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, because the government has restricted the release of information about the trial. It was unclear when a verdict is to be issued. The cases are widely seen as contrived to discredit Aung San Suu Kyi and keep her from running in the next election. The constitution bars anyone sentenced to prison from holding high office or becoming a lawmaker. Zaw Myint Maung, who was chief minister of the Mandalay region, a major state-level post, was also detained when the army took over. He is vice chairman of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party and a medical doctor, and, like her, faces several criminal charges, including corruption. He is 69 years old and reportedly suffers from leukemia. He accompanied Aung San Suu Kyi during campaigning for last year’s election, including in Naypyidaw, where her
Iran struck a maximalist tone yesterday after just one day of restarted talks in Vienna over its tattered nuclear deal, suggesting everything discussed in previous rounds of diplomacy could be renegotiated. Iranian state media reported the comments by Iranian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Bagheri, the nation’s top nuclear negotiator, and Mohammed Eslami, the country’s civilian nuclear head chief. However, it remained unclear whether this represented an opening gambit by Iran’s new hard line president or signaled serious trouble for those hoping to restore the 2015 deal that saw Tehran strictly limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. The US left the deal under then-president Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran in 2018. Since the deal’s collapse, Iran now enriches small amounts of uranium up to 60 percent purity — a short step from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent. Iran also spins advanced centrifuges barred by the accord, and its uranium stockpile now far exceeds the accord’s limits. US President Joe Biden has said Washington is willing to re-enter the deal, although the negotiations continue with US officials not in the room as in previous rounds of talks since Washington’s withdrawal. Speaking to Iranian state television, Bagheri referred to the previous rounds of talks only as a “draft.” “Drafts are subject to negotiation. Therefore nothing is agreed on unless everything has been agreed on,” he said. “On that basis, all discussions that took place in the six rounds are summarized and are subject to negotiations. This was admitted by all parties in today’s meeting as well.” That directly contradicted comments on Monday by the EU diplomat leading the talks. “The Iranian delegation represents a new administration in Tehran with new understandable political sensibilities, but they have accepted that the work done over the
For those who’d like to know more about Taiwan’s history, but lack the time or inclination to crack open a book, Formosa Files might just be a godsend. Launched on Sept. 6, the podcast is intended to be a highly accessible yet in-depth look at key events over the past 400 years. So far, it’s picked up listeners in 20 countries. Formosa Files kicked off with an episode devoted to George Psalmanazar, a wandering hoaxer who, despite his blond hair and never having left Europe, managed in the first decade of the 18th century to convince members of London’s elite that he was a native of what was then known as Formosa. Psalmanazar may seem like an odd place to start. He contributed nothing to the West’s understanding of Taiwan. But his success says a lot about the curiosity of Europeans, as well as their ignorance and gullibility. Most important of all, it’s a riveting tale. The entire first season of 25 episodes (15 of which have been released) is scripted and presented by John Ross and Eryk Michael Smith. The division of air-time is roughly equal. Oftentimes, it’s Smith asking questions and Ross giving answers. Neither lapses into lecture mode, but nor is there much idle banter. A great deal of information gets conveyed in the 25-plus minutes of each episode. “I find the idea that history is boring preposterous, but young people often tell you that. So instead of moving from year to year to year, which is how a textbook or college course works, we’ve tried to throw interesting stories from any period at the listener,” says Smith, a Kaohsiung-based American who worked as a copywriter and news broadcaster at ICRT, and is the station’s current southern correspondent. “A non-chronological order means greater variety, and also tighter storytelling,” says Ross,
Last month saw the online launch of an English-language book that it is hoped will enhance Taiwan studies at universities in Europe and further afield, providing a wider audience with unique insight into a field of study that is attracting increasing attention. Taiwan’s Contemporary Indigenous Peoples is the result of a lecture series at London’s Center of Taiwan Studies, part of the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. These talks on issues related to Taiwanese Aborigines formed the basis of the new publication, the whole project facilitated by a grant from Taipei’s Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines (順益台灣原住民博物館). “Within Taiwanese universities there has been a rapid growth in the numbers of Indigenous teaching and research programs in the last decade,” says Dafydd Fell, director of the center. “There have also been parallel trends in Indigenous language promotion in the media, such as Indigenous Television, and in schools. Since some of these Indigenous studies programs in Taiwan are also developing English language courses, we are hoping our book can be widely used in Taiwan.” Fell added that within the field of international Taiwan Studies there has been a similar growth in interest in Aboriginal topics, but much of this work tended to be dispersed across different disciplines. The book brings together studies on modern Taiwanese Indigenous topics. Both trends form part of a growing global interest in Indigenous studies that Taiwan is just one part of, with the nation providing fascinating examples of a number of aspects of contemporary indigeneity. Part of a multi-ethnic society with diverse cultural characteristics, Taiwan’s Indigenous peoples have lived on the island for thousands of years. Their languages belong to the Austronesian family and they have close cultural ties to Oceania and the South Pacific. The book has four section themes: historical perspectives, the arts, education and
Nobel prize-winning economic theory used by investors is showing early signs of helping save threatened coral reefs, scientists say. Researchers at Australia’s University of Queensland used modern portfolio theory (MPT), a mathematical framework developed by the economist Harry Markowitz in the 1950s to help risk-averse investors maximize returns, to identify the 50 reefs or coral sanctuaries around the world that are most likely to survive the climate crisis and be able to repopulate other reefs, if other threats are absent. The study recommends targeting investment in conservation projects that have the “strongest potential to succeed” in protecting priority reefs. The gains go beyond positive ecological outcomes and include crucial social, economic, health and nutritional benefits for communities, according to partners, organizations and funders interviewed by Blue Earth Consultants. Prof Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, a climate scientist at the University of Queensland, who helped lead the “50 reefs” project, said: “It’s essentially a strategy to help us make decisions about what to protect, if we are to have corals at the end of the century.” “It is our best shot at having a long-term future for coral reefs,” he said. Coral reefs face a dire future. Even if drastic emission reductions ensured global heating was limited to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels – which would require almost halving global CO2 emissions by 2030 from 2010 levels – 70 percent to 90 percent of today’s corals would vanish. In October, a study of coral reef health found 14 percent has been lost globally in less than a decade, with bleaching events caused by raised sea-surface temperatures the biggest culprit. “Modern portfolio theory is a framework that aims to reduce risk while maximizing returns,” said Hoegh-Guldberg. “It’s treating conservation sort of as an investment opportunity.” The strategy, which came out of a meeting of scientists at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology in 2017,
Oh, no, you’re short-sighted! (3/5) 完蛋了，你近視了！ （三） A: Do your eyes feel any better after using those eye drops I prescribed for you last time? B: It’s easier for me to see things now, but I still can’t see the words on the blackboard all that clearly. A: OK, so I think you should be wearing glasses. There’s an optician next door with professional optometrists, so you can go over there and see them. B: What do you think about me having laser surgery? A: Your short-sightedness is not that serious, it won’t have too much of an impact on your everyday life, so I don’t think you need to have laser surgery. A: 上次開給你的眼藥水，點過以後眼睛有沒有覺得好一點？ B: 我覺得看東西比較沒那麼吃力了，不過黑板上的字還是看不清楚。 A: 好吧，那你應該要去配一副眼鏡了。我們診所隔壁的眼鏡行有專業的驗光師，可以找他們。 B: 請問我可以做近視雷射手術嗎？ A: 你近視的度數並不深，對日常生活沒有太大影響，所以我認為沒有這個必要。 (Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱) Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei made history in July by winning a silver medal in the men’s 60kg judo at the Tokyo Olympics. Now, the sports hero made history again, becoming the first Taiwanese judoka to take the world’s No. 1 in the men’s 60kg category, according to the latest rankings released last month by the International Judo Federation. Yang has displaced 2021 World Judo Championships gold medalist Yago Abuladze of Russia, followed by Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Naohisa Takato of Japan at No. 3. Yang once said that becoming the world’s No. 1 and winning an Olympic gold medal are his biggest goals. When asked which one he wanted to achieve more, he answered that he was determined to accomplish both. With his outstanding performance in sports, the 24-year-old athlete of the Aboriginal Paiwan people was named one of the “10 Outstanding Young Persons” in Taiwan this year. The 59th 10 Outstanding Young Persons Awards ceremony took place in Taitung County last month. (Eddy Chang, Taipei Times) 台灣柔道男神楊勇緯於七月創下歷史，在東京奧運柔道男子六十公斤量級勇奪銀牌。現在這位體育英雄又再創歷史，根據國際柔道總會上個月新公布的積分排名，他已榮登男子六十公斤量級世界第一，成為台灣首位登上該寶座的柔道選手。 楊勇緯榮登積分榜首，也將今年柔道世錦賽金牌得主、俄羅斯名將亞布拉基擠到第二，東奧金牌得主、日本名將高藤直壽則排名第三。楊勇緯曾公開宣誓他的兩大目標，就是登上世界第一並奪下奧運金牌。當被問到比較想達成哪個目標，他當時回答兩個都要。 由於他在運動方面優異的表現，這位二十四歲排灣族青年更榮獲 「十大傑出青年」的殊榮，第五十九屆「十大傑出青年」頒獎典禮已於上個月在台東縣舉行。 （台北時報張聖恩 )
Oh, no, you’re short-sighted! (2/5) 完蛋了，你近視了！ （二） A: Cover your right eye and look at the eye chart in front of you, then tell me which way the letter “E” I point to is facing. B: Up. That one is facing left. Erm… right. A: And how about this in the row below? B: It’s too small. I can’t make it out. A: Hmmm, then you are short-sighted. For now, I’m going to prescribe you some eye drops to help your eyes relax. Use them twice, five minutes apart, before you go to bed. B: OK, thank you, doctor. A: 你把右眼遮住，看前面這張視力檢查表，然後告訴我指的字母E開口朝哪邊。 B: 朝上。這個朝左。嗯……右邊。 A: 那下面這排這個呢？ B: 太小了，我看不清楚。 A: 嗯，那你有近視喔。我先開眼藥水給你，幫助眼球放鬆。睡前點兩次，間隔五分鐘。 B: 好的，謝謝醫師。 (Translated by Paul Cooper, Taipei Times／台北時報林俐凱) Audio recordings for Speak Up! dialogues will be suspended until further notice due to the pandemic.
| New Taipei City | 16-17 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu County | 15-18 | 20% |  |
| Hsinchu City | 16-18 | 20% | |
| Taipei City | 16-17 | 20% | |
| Miaoli County | 15-18 | 10% |  |
| Taoyuan City | 15-16 | 20% | |
| Keelung City | 16-17 | 40% |  |
| Yunlin County | 17-21 | 10% | |
| Taichung City | 18-21 | 10% | |
| Nantou County | 18-22 | 10% | |
| Changhua County | 17-20 | 10% | |
| Chiayi County | 17-21 | 10% | |
| Chiayi City | 18-22 | 10% | |
| Tainan City | 19-22 | 10% | |
| Kaohsiung City | 21-23 | 10% | |
| Pingtung County | 21-25 | 20% | |
| Yilan County | 16-18 | 20% |  |
| Hualien County | 17-20 | 20% | |
| Taitung County | 18-22 | 20% | |
| Kinmen County | 15-19 | 10% | |
| Penghu County | 18-20 | 10% | |
| Lienchiang County | 12-15 | 10% | |
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