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British companies paying less than the minimum wage should face harsher penalties as evidence mounts that an increasing number of them are flouting the law.

That’s the view of the Resolution Foundation, which said in a report published yesterday that about one in four people earning about the legal pay floor — ￡8.21 (US$10.80) an hour for over-25s — was underpaid last year.

With the minimum wage set to keep rising, the economic incentives to break the law are increasing, the think tank said.

The British government plans to lift the rate to match two-thirds of median earnings, the equivalent of ￡10.50, more than doubling the number of people covered by 2024.

Violations are common partly because workers on low incomes find it hard to defend their rights.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party government has sought to address the problem with proposals to create a single enforcement body.

However, sanctions for wrongdoers are woefully weak, according to the Resolution Foundation.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the UK tax authority, has the power to levy penalties of as much as 200 percent of wage arrears owed, yet the average fine in 2017-2018 was only about 90 percent.

Underpaying firms face only a one in eight chance of being caught and the detection rate for small firms is almost certainly far lower.

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title: UK urged to punish firms flouting minimum wage


title: World Business Quick Take

content_text:
UNITED STATES

Trade deficit extends decline

The nation’s trade deficit continued to tumble in November last year, hitting its lowest level in three years as imports of crude oil, computers and industrial supplies fell off sharply, the government reported on Tuesday. The trade gap fell 8.2 percent to US$43.1 billion, even less than economists had expected and the lowest since October 2016, Department of Commerce data showed. Imports fell 1.7 percent to US$251.7 billion for the month, the lowest level in more than two years, as Americans purchased fewer mobile phones, artwork, civilian aircraft and computers.

CANADA

November deficit hits low

The nation posted a C$1.1 billion (US$847.1 million) trade deficit in November last year, down sharply from the previous month amid disruptions caused by a railroad strike, Statistics Canada said on Tuesday. Exports fell 1.4 percent to C$48.7 billion, the lowest level for November since 2013, while imports slid 2.4 percent to C$49.8 billion. Meanwhile, the trade deficit for October was revised upward to C$1.6 billion, from a previous estimate of C$1.1 billion.

GERMANY

Industrial orders decline

New orders for industrial firms fell in November last year, official data showed on Monday, continuing a run of weak data for Europe’s powerhouse. Fresh contracts fell 1.3 percent month-on-month, the Federal Statistical Office said in seasonally adjusted figures, the second monthly slip in a row and short of analysts’ expectations for slight growth. Excluding volatile large orders for items such as aircraft, the picture was slightly rosier, showing a 1 percent increase in business, but in a year-on-year comparison, new orders were down 6.5 percent from a year earlier, the data showed.

AIRLINES

United takes US$90m HK hit

United Airlines Holdings Inc on Tuesday said that it would take a US$90 million charge against fourth-quarter earnings because of a drop in value of its routes to Hong Kong, which has been affected by months of pro-democracy protests. United said that lower demand for travel to Hong Kong reduced its revenue for each seat flown per mile, a measure that airline investors watch closely. That led to its calculation of the noncash impairment charge, it said. The grounding of Boeing Co’s 737 MAX has also hurt United, causing it to cancel thousands of flights.

ARGENTINA

S&P corrects debt grade

S&P Global Ratings on Tuesday raised its debt grade for the country, acknowledging that it made a mistake when it changed the rating late last month. S&P bumped the rating on foreign long-term debt from “CC” to “CCC-,” taking it up two notches from “SD” and back to where it was prior to Dec. 20, when the country was declared in default. However, the credit outlook remains “negative,” it said.

CONSULTING

Accenture to buy unit

Consulting giant Accenture PLC has agreed to buy a cybersecurity services business from Broadcom Inc that had been part of Symantec’s enterprise division. Accenture is buying the unit, which has 300 employees, for an undisclosed sum. The deal is expected to close in March, the firm said in a statement. Broadcom acquired the unit as part of its US$10.7 billion deal to buy Symantec’s enterprise software division last year.

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TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) yesterday raised its outlook for the DRAM industry, saying that contract DRAM should increase by a single-digit percentage this quarter from last quarter, rather than continuing last year’s downward trend as was estimated previously.

The DRAM industry is experiencing “a new cyclical upturn earlier than expected,” TrendForce said in a report.

A brief disruption in production — caused by a power outage at Samsung Electronics Co’s factory in Hwaseong, South Korea, on Tuesday last week — has stimulated demand and is buoying chip prices, the Taipei-based researcher said.

It has also “boosted DRAM chip buyers’ willingness to build up inventories,” although the production disruption did not significantly reduce the chip supply, it said.

In addition, an upturn in contract DRAM chips is taking a cue from price hikes on the spot market, TrendForce said.

PC DRAM chip prices this quarter are highly likely to rise due to increasing supply constraint risks, despite chip demand waning after most notebook computers were shipped to the US in the last quarter, it said.

This year, PC makers expect the chip supply to grow at a mild pace of 13 percent annually, pushing PC DRAM prices higher, the researcher said, adding that the Samsung incident has added to supply concerns.

PC makers are willing to endure higher prices to build safer inventories, it added.

Mobile DRAM chip prices this quarter could flatten, possibly declining 5 percent quarterly, as the slow rollout of 5G-enabled smartphones would limit demand for 5G chips, TrendForce said.

This quarter, special DRAM DDR3 and DDR4 — used mostly in consumer electronics — should see earlier-than-expected price increases of zero to 5 percent quarterly amid supply concerns, it said.

Samsung produces most of its specialty DRAM chips on a production line at the Hwaseong plant, it said.

Server DRAM prices this quarter are expected to rise by zero to 5 percent quarterly, while graphics DRAM prices might increase 5 to 10 percent, TrendForce added.

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title: TrendForce raises its outlook for DRAM sector


content_text:
2020 Elections Interview: Lai focused on need for a legislative majority

The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) vice presidential candidate, former premier William Lai, in an interview with the Liberty Times (sister newspaper of the Taipei Times), discussed the importance of the party maintaining its legislative majority in addition to striving for President Tsai Ing-wen’s re-election
Former premier William Lai, the Democratic Progressive Party’s vice presidential candidate, gestures in an interview in Taipei on Wednesday last week.Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Liberty Times (LT): What do you think is the most important factor influencing these elections?

William Lai (賴清德): There are a few things influencing these elections. First, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) on Jan. 2 last year proposed a version of the “one country, two systems” framework intended for Taiwan. If there were people who in the past used the “1992 consensus” as a bridge for cross-strait communications, well, Xi personally tore that bridge down.

This made things all the more clear for Taiwanese — China simply wants to annex Taiwan. If it accomplishes this, the Republic of China would be annihilated. It shows that what the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been saying all these years is a lie.

Second, there are the protests in Hong Kong against a proposed extradition bill [that have now become broader pro-democracy demonstrations]. Before this, there were some people who might have wanted to create a sort of muddled cross-strait space.

However, the Hong Kong protests have made things very clear. More than 2 million Hong Kongers have taken to the streets.

Taiwanese have seen the brave actions of Hong Kongers and are reminded of the decades when Taiwan strove for democracy. Nobody wants to relive those days.

Third, President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration has spoken about Taiwan’s sovereignty and its resolve to maintain it. These past three years, the government has made one achievement after another.

For example, pension reforms, without which the next generation would have been left facing a bankrupt pension system.

Similarly, had the government not enacted economic transformation and industrial upgrades, young people would have no opportunities and Taiwan would have no future.

When President Tsai first pushed these things, she faced challenges, but over time society will reflect on these policies and see them in a positive light.

Fourth, elections are about comparing the candidates. President Tsai’s main rival is Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) of the KMT. Comparing the two, the discrepancy is quite significant. Han is not a very good strategist. On top of that, as mayor he has not demonstrated any ability to govern. Running for president is stretching it quite a bit for him.

LT: Aside from seeking re-election for Tsai, the DPP faces a tense battle in the legislative elections. What is the party’s plan of attack?

Lai: The overall objective of the DPP’s “Let’s Win” campaign is the re-election of President Tsai and a legislative majority. To achieve a legislative majority means winning not only district legislator seats, but also legislators-at-large — we cannot do without either.

President Tsai also tasked me with a mission — not only do I need to assist her re-election campaign, but also I need to assist the legislative candidates’ campaigns. Legislators have worked so hard, but without wins for the party’s legislator-at-large nominees we cannot achieve a legislative majority.

Another thing that worries me is that because so many new parties have been established, some of the pan-green camp’s votes might go to those other parties. I really need to watch the situation carefully.

LT: Given the concerns expressed by yourself and members of the public over [retired lieutenant general] Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷) and other KMT legislator-at-large nominees, what more can be done to secure more votes for the DPP’s candidates?

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people: 習近平 韓國瑜 賴清德 蔡英文 吳斯懷


content_text:
Citibank Taiwan and Sunnyfounder power up NGO with green energy

From left, Sunnyfounder cofounder Chen Hui-ping, St Camillus Center for Intellectual Disability Father Giuseppe Didone, Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang, Executive Yuan Office of Energy and Carbon Reduction Chief Executive Lin Tzu-lun and Citibank Taiwan chairman Paulus Mok and TCI Co Sustainability Promotion Committee chief secretary Chao Fu-hung attend a news conference in Taipei yesterday.Photo courtesy of Citibank Taiwan
Responding to the three main criteria of international corporate sustainable development — environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) — Citibank Taiwan Ltd (台灣花旗) is working hard to cultivate the nation’s domestic green energy industry.

As part of its efforts, Citibank Taiwan has once again teamed up with Sunnyfounder to promote the “Green E2” project.

The project helped the St Camillus Center for Intellectual Disability in Yilan County build a solar energy system, which began operations yesterday.

As part of its efforts to help implement the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Citibank Taiwan has formed alliances with businesses, employees, non-governmental organizations, community groups, local government and even one of its corporate clients, TCI Co (大江生醫), to take green energy public service projects to the next level.

“Citigroup’s overall mission is to use responsible finance to promote growth and economic progress. To tackle the threat posed by climate change, guided by the UN’s 17 sustainable development goals, Citibank aims to coordinate with clients, communities, and non-governmental organizations to use the Internet to harness the positive impact of finance and make Earth a more sustainable planet,” Citibank Taiwan chairman Paulus Mok (莫兆鴻) said.

“Since 2017, Citibank Taiwan has been helping non-governmental organizations [NGOs] develop their own sustainable solar power energy generation solutions. Through the Green E2 project, Citibank has not only promoted public welfare and green energy and helped NGOs expand the impact of green energy, we have also been very happy to learn our goals are shared by our clients,” Mok said.

“TCI last year agreed to purchase renewable energy certificates from the St Camillus Long-term Care Center as part of a project sponsored by Citibank Taiwan. It was a symbolic deepening of ties between Citibank Taiwan and its client, and a concrete realization of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals criteria of “goal promotion and partner relationships,” he added.

In 2018, Citibank Taiwan entered into a partnership with the St Camillus Long-term Care Center, which is also in Yilan County, to build a solar energy system, thereby pioneering renewable energy certification in Taiwan.

Last year, Citibank Taiwan and TCI joined forces to promote the Green E2 project and to provide assistance to the St Camillus Center for Intellectual Disability.

Within the green energy public service project Citibank Taiwan worked together with Sunnyfounder to invite employees and the wider public to join the Yilan County Government in a fundraising activity to help the center build a 23.87 kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar energy system.

The system would enable the center to produce renewable energy for its own consumption, reduce the cost of its electricity bills and allow it to sell excess supply through Taiwan’s domestic energy certificate exchange platform, thereby expanding the benefits it can derive from its green energy generation.

TCI also pledged to purchase Taiwan Renewable Energy Certificates (T-Rec) for green energy produced by the center, providing it with a stable additional revenue stream.

Following an appeal from Citibank Taiwan, a diverse group of green energy public service partners have joined forces to provide assistance to the center, which will allow it to produce a “green profit” of more than NT$1.9 million (US$ 63,150) over the next two decades.

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title: Citic selling stake in McDonald’s

content_text:
Chinese state-owned conglomerate Citic Ltd (中信集團) is planning to significantly reduce its stake in McDonald’s China Co more than two years after it bought into the fast-food chain, as rising costs pinch the franchise’s profit.

McDonald’s China said in a statement yesterday that Citic is looking for buyers for a 22 percent stake, which would bring its share in the chain’s China operations down to 10 percent.

The bottom price for the stake is set at 2.17 billion yuan (US$312 million) and the bidding process is ongoing, said a disclosure document filed by Citic to the Beijing Equity Exchange.

Separately, Citic Capital Holdings Ltd (中信資本) — partly owned by Citic Ltd — said it is interested in buying the stake. It owns 20 percent in McDonald’s China.

“Citic Capital is confident with the future growth and prospects of the business and we’re actively participating in the bidding process,” a Hong Kong-based company spokeswoman said.

Citic Ltd said in an e-mailed statement that the transaction was “purely a business decision.”

Citic and its partners would continue to benefit from the development of McDonald’s China, it said.

Citic Ltd said Chicago-based McDonald’s Corp holds a 20 percent stake in the China business.

The stake sale comes as the fast-food chain saw revenue and profit growth stall amid fierce competition in China’s dining scene.

Food chains have also been affected by increasing costs due to the African swine fever epidemic, which has wiped out one-quarter of the world’s pigs and caused animal protein prices in China to surge.

Citic’s disclosure document showed that revenue for the McDonald’s China master franchiser, called Fast Food Holdings Ltd, was 24.8 billion yuan in 2018.

For the first 11 months of last year, it was 24.4 billion yuan.

Operating profit for the first 11 months of last year was 16.2 billion yuan and net profit for the same period was 856.2 million yuan, according to the statement.

This is compared with 16.4 billion and 1.15 billion yuan, respectively, for all of 2018.

McDonald’s China said that same-store sales have risen for three years consecutively since Citic and its partners bought over the franchise in 2017.

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title: Upscale office rents might increase 5%

taiwan-subdivisions: 內湖 南港

content_text:
Upscale office rents might increase 5%

SUPPLY SHORTAGE:Office rents last year rose 2.9 percent on average, the fastest increase in 10 years, with steeper increases in popular locations, JLL Taiwan said
Upscale office rents in Taiwan might increase 3 to 5 percent this year, driven by a supply shortage and sustained demand from companies in the technology, financial and biological medicine sectors, the local branch of international consultancy Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) said yesterday.

JLL Taiwan, which commands a 60 percent share of the local leasing market, published the estimate after vacancy rates for grade A offices shrank to 2.1 percent in the final quarter of last year, while rents increased 1.1 percent to NT$2,806 (US$93.26) per ping (3.3m2).

The showing indicated a modest take-up rate of 5,498 ping during the October-to-December period, which the broker said resulted from a tight supply, rather than tepid demand.

For the whole of last year, office rents rose 2.9 percent on average, the fastest increase in 10 years, with steeper hikes for some buildings in popular locations, JLL senior market director Brian Liu (劉建宇) told a news conference in Taipei.

Overall take-up rate amounted to 29,692 ping, keeping vacancy rates at a record low, Liu said.

Against the backdrop, it is common for landlords to raise rents by 20 to 30 percent when renewing contracts, Liu said, adding that adjustments reach 40 percent in some cases along with shorter grace periods for renovation.

“A lack of new supply, but stable demand led landlords to become tough and stiffen leasing terms,” Liu said.

The trend might sustain this year and beyond until the market finds an equilibrium, he said.

Office rents might climb 3 to 5 percent this year, higher than a 2.8 percent increase forecast for the global market, JLL Taiwan said.

A total of 90,000 ping of new office space are set to enter the market by 2024, but a large proportion is intended for self-use by conglomerates, Liu said.

Firms would have no choice, but move to second-tier locations in Taipei’s Neihu (內湖) and Nangang (南港) districts, where construction on about 170,000 ping of office space would be completed in the next few years, JLL Taiwan said.

Domestic life insurance companies, major buyers of commercial properties prior to credit controls, last year poured NT$39.1 billion into acquiring superfices rights, which signals a recovery, JLL Taiwan managing director Tony Chao (趙正義) said.

Top 10 life insurers have NT$6.1 trillion of funds on hand for real-estate investment, but have had difficulty finding targets, he said.

The superfices rights for government-owned plots might attract more funds this year, with NT$150 billion of asking prices in the greater Taipei area alone, Chao said.

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content_text:
TAIEX likely to perform well this year: Schroder

OUTLIER:Taiwanese firms that aim to return home to diversify risks would realize their investment pledges, which is expected to shore up domestic demand
The TAIEX is likely to trend up this year as corporate profits could stage a rebound now that the US and China have agreed to a partial trade deal, Schroder Investment Management Taiwan (施羅德證券投資) said yesterday.

The nation’s main board rallied above 12,000 points toward the end of last year, outperforming Asian bourses, as Taiwan benefited from the US-China trade dispute, Schroder Taiwan fund manager Kevin Chan (詹祖光) told a news conference in Taipei.

Some local firms reaped windfalls from order transfers and trade rerouting, but most took a hit from trade tensions until the fourth quarter, when exports began to rise again, Chan said.

The economic landscape looks less uncertain this year, as Washington and Beijing are expected to sign a “phase one” trade deal on Wednesday next week and plan to hold more talks to iron out their differences, he said.

A de-escalation in the dispute would allow international technology brands to better facilitate development of next-generation devices and enable Taiwanese firms to ramp up production in their supply chains, Chan said.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese firms that aim to return home to diversify risks would realize their investment pledges, which in turn, would shore up domestic demand, he said.

Local shares have partly benefited from this rosy outlook as evidenced by an influx of hot money over the past few months, he added.

However, local shares remain inexpensive compared with regional equities, with the price-to-book ratio standing at 1.8, lower than earlier highs seen in good times, Chan said, adding that the gauge would drop to 1.5 if Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電), the most weighted stock among Taiwanese shares, were excluded.

TSMC, which supplies chips used in smartphones by US and Chinese brands, is a top choice among foreign institutional players.

The US-Iran conflict is upsetting geopolitical stability, but should not threaten the global economy, Schroder Taiwan chief investment officer Jordan Chen (陳朝燈) said.

However, unease prompted foreign institutional investors to reduce holdings in local shares this week.

The TAIEX dropped 0.53 percent to 11,817.10 yesterday, extending losses from a session earlier, and turnover on the main board fell to NT$149.51 billion (US$4.97 billion), compared with NT$164.811 billion on Tuesday.

Government-led funds were said to pick up some electronics heavyweights, in particular TSMC, which limited the downturn by the end of the session.

Foreign institutional investors sold a net NT$1.23 billion in shares on the main board after a net sale of NT$9.82 billion the previous day, Taiwan Stock Exchange data showed.

Additional reporting by CNA

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content_text:
2020 Elections: TPP files lawsuit over online claim of China’s support

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Secretary-General Chang Jer-yang (張哲揚) yesterday filed a lawsuit over an online article claiming that China Central Television (CCTV) is backing the party in Saturday’s legislative elections.

Chang, accompanied by TPP legislator-at-large nominee Jang Chyi-lu (張其祿) and a lawyer, rang the bell at the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office to file the libel lawsuit, saying that the person who posted the article was spreading misinformation to prevent the election of a candidate.

The person posted an article titled “CCTV wants Taiwanese to vote for the TPP” on Professional Technology Temple — the nation’s biggest online academic bulletin board system — which included a link to a CCTV video clip and a comment that the Chinese Communist Party supports the TPP and its chairman, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲).

“We strongly condemn this type of false claim intended to influence the elections, so we are filing a complaint to clear the facts,” Chang said.

The TPP on Tuesday evening said in a statement that the CCTV news clip did not clearly express support for the party and was only analyzing the upcoming elections.

Political pundit Wang Hao (汪浩) and others have used it to claim that the TPP is a “red” party by giving it a misleading title to cause confusion, which is a significant threat to freedom and democracy, it said.

The party said it deeply regrets that the Chinese-language Liberty Times (the sister newspaper of the Taipei Times) cited a remark by Wang without fact-checking.

It also said that a remark by academic Lai Yueh-chien (賴岳謙), who is responsible for the online edition of the Chinese-language China Times, that Ko supports Han was “a personal guess” and does not represent Ko’s or the TPP’s stance.

Separately yesterday, Ko said that he usually ignores online attacks against him, but added that he thinks people should be self-disciplined to avoid spreading misinformation.

The TPP members filed a complaint because they considered the case a serious attack, he said.

Ko said that he does not understand why some people always push their own kind away and look for differences between people.

Taiwan is not a very healthy society, he added.

Additional reporting by CNA

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people: 柯文哲 張其祿


title: Taiwan’s passport ranked at 32nd for international access

content_text:
Republic of China passports ranked as the 32nd-most “powerful,” as its holders have visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 146 destinations, a survey released on Tuesday by London-based Henley & Partners showed.

Taiwan fell one spot on the list from the previous quarter, but remained ahead of China at No. 72 with accessibility to 71 destinations, the Henley Passport Index showed.

Japan topped the list for the third consecutive year with access to 191 destinations, followed by Singapore in second place with 190 destinations, and South Korea and Germany in third with 189, the survey showed.

Italy and Finland held the fourth position (188 destinations), while Spain, Luxembourg and Denmark shared fifth place (187) and Sweden and France were sixth (186), it showed.

Completing the top 10 were Switzerland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Ireland and Austria at seventh (185); the US, UK, Norway, Greece and Belgium at eighth (184); New Zealand, Malta, the Czech Republic, Canada and Australia at ninth (183); and Slovakia, Lithuania and Hungary at 10th (181).

At the bottom of the list was Afghanistan, with its passport holders allowed access to only 26 countries and territories, it showed.

Henley & Partners chairman Christian Kalin, who created the passport index, said the latest ranking provides a fascinating insight into a rapidly changing world.

“Asian countries’ dominance of the top spots is a clear argument for the benefits of open-door policies and the introduction of mutually beneficial trade agreements,” he said.

“Over the past few years, we have seen the world adapt to mobility as a permanent condition of global life. The latest rankings show that the countries that embrace this reality are thriving, with their citizens enjoying ever-increasing passport power and the array of benefits that come with it,” he added.

The index, one of several created by financial firms to rank global passports, is based on International Air Transport Association data and covers 199 passports and 227 travel destinations.

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content_text:
2020 Elections: US wants ‘free and fair’ polls: Pentagon official

US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey speaks at a seminar on US-Japan defense cooperation in Washington on Tuesday.Photo: CNA
Washington wishes to see “free and fair” elections in Taiwan, a senior US Department of Defense official said on Tuesday, as Taiwanese prepare to cast their ballots in presidential and legislative elections on Saturday.

US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey made the remark at a seminar in Washington when asked if the US and Japan are working to ensure that Taiwan would have fair elections, amid allegations that China has attempted to influence the outcome.

“We’ve been on record that certainly we want to see a free and fair election in Taiwan,” he said.

However, Helvey would not go into detail when asked whether Washington and Tokyo have prepared measures should China increase military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan if President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) wins re-election.

“It is clear that the US-Japan alliance has identified peace and security in the Taiwan Strait as one of our top strategic objectives,” Helvey said, without providing further detail about the two countries’ alliance. “This is not a new development. This assignment has been consistent for well over a decade.”

Taiwanese are “aware of the potential of that sort of influence,” another senior Pentagon official said when asked about possible Chinese influence in the elections.

The key to resolving the problem of external interference in other nations’ affairs, such as elections, is to make populations aware that such things can happen, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The US has not seen any “nefarious activity” in Taiwan’s election process, the official said, adding that the process has been stable.

Washington’s goal is to “encourage a functioning and proven democratic process in Taiwan,” the official added.

“The US takes no interest in who wins,” the official said. “The fact that the process stays sacrosanct is what’s important, as it is in our own election process.”

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content_text:
The future of travel subsidies designed to boost domestic tourism depends on whether Beijing relaxes travel restrictions on its citizens visiting Taiwan, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Tuesday.

Lin made the statement at the ministry’s New Year media conference when asked if the ministry would continue the subsidies this year.

“I cannot answer the question now, because it depends on Beijing’s policy on Chinese tourists traveling to Taiwan, which is not in our hands,” Lin said. “We welcome Chinese tourists and hope that the Chinese government lifts restrictions on tours to Taiwan after the elections on Saturday. If we receive a goodwill gesture [from Beijing], we could use a different approach to subsidize domestic tourists, or we might not necessarily have to use subsidies at all.”

Since 2018, the ministry has rolled out seven travel subsidies at a total cost of about NT$5.6 billion (US$186.1 million at the current exchange rate).

Although the Tourism Bureau has said the programs have increased hotel occupancy, some experts and travel agents have said that the subsidies were only “a quick dose of morphine.”

However, they also said that tourists would be less likely to travel the nation if the government ended them.

The subsidies have produced significant results in the short term, but their main purpose is to change how the nation’s tourism industry operates within one to two years, during which the quality and output value of domestic tourism could be enhanced, Lin said.

The government would assess whether these subsidies have created side effects, he said.

At a separate event, Lin said Taiwan should seek to attract more than 12 million international tourists this year, as last year it brought in 11.84 million.

“Chinese tourists, which account for about 25 percent of the nation’s international visitors, would be the main variable this year,” he said. “However, the nation still has room to grow in terms of tourists from Japan, South Korea and ASEAN nations.”

In response to a question on whether the government would cover the shortfall in revenue from the decrease in Chinese visitors by subsidizing domestic tourists, Tourism Bureau Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) said that although domestic and international tourism are separate businesses, they would both affect hotel occupancy rates.

Travel subsidies are effective in raising hotel occupancy rates, but the nation needs to do more to encourage people to travel locally and spend more days at their travel destinations, he said.

Regarding international tourists, the bureau would expand its target from people who could travel to Taiwan by airplane within three hours to those who could arrive within five to eight hours, Chou said, adding that it would draw up plans to boost the revisit rate, as well as the average number of travel days among tourists from these areas.

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title: Tourism subsidies depend on China


people: 蔡英文 韓國瑜 陳素月

content_text:
2020 Elections: Han vows to quit if allegation is true

MOVING NORTH?The KMT presidential candidate said that he would file defamation suits against those responsible for ‘untrue news reports’ that his family is emigrating
By Lin Liang-sheng,
Yang Chun-hui
and William Hetherington  /  Staff reporters, with staff writer
Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate in Saturday’s presidential election, speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
Following a local media report that he has applied for Canadian citizenship, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) said that if he is elected and it is found that he holds dual citizenship, he would quit the presidency.

Han, the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) candidate in Saturday’s presidential election, denied the report published yesterday by Next Media Group alleging that he and his family applied to emigrate to Canada before his election as mayor.

His youngest daughter, Han Ching (韓青), is enrolled in a Canadian university and the family owns property in Vancouver registered under his eldest daughter, Han Ping (韓冰), the report said.

Han Kuo-yu said that he has contacted a lawyer and would file lawsuits against those responsible for “untrue news reports” about his family emigrating.

“If I become president, the weekly publication would publish 200 more editions over the course of my first term. If at any time it finds evidence that I have dual citizenship, I promise compatriots in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu that I will resign,” he said.

However, if there is any evidence of defamation against him, or evidence of contraventions of the Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and Recall Act (總統副總統選舉罷免法), he said that he would sue those responsible.

Asked about an earlier report alleging that he had vacationed in Macau with a woman surnamed Wang (王) from New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District (新莊), the mayor refused to answer the question.

He also discussed the state of relations between the US and Iran, and their potential effects on Taiwan.

The Middle East has been a “powder keg” for decades, and if the US and Iran go to war, it could result in a surge in oil prices, and consequently an increase in the general prices of goods, he said.

The government must move quickly to stabilize commodity prices and ensure a steady supply of imported oil, he said, adding that securing a variety of sources would be important.

A war in the Middle East could also affect regional security in East Asia, especially in the Taiwan Strait, he said.

National defense officials must ensure that there is no risk of instability to the cross-strait relationship, and the government must act quickly to ensure that response measures are in place, he added.

Separately yesterday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) told a news conference that as a presidential candidate, Han Kuo-yu should clearly address the allegation that he planned to emigrate to Canada.

Tsai was in Changhua County stumping for Democratic Progressive Party legislative candidate Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) on the third day of a nationwide campaign tour.

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people: 蔡英文 羅智強 韓國瑜 周錫瑋 鄭運鵬 鄭宏輝 鄭正鈐 陳水扁

content_text:
2020 Elections: President Tsai ‘sucking up’ to China: opponents

DOUBLE STANDARD?A legislative candidate and two city councilors said the actions and remarks of the president and Cheng Hung-huei should be regarded as ‘pro-China’
From left, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Lo Chih-chiang, KMT Hsinchu City legislative candidate Cheng Cheng-chien and New Party Taipei City Councilor Ho Han-ting criticize Democratic Progressive Party politicians’ relations with China in a news conference at KMT headquarters in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) is “pro-China and sucking up to the Chinese Communist Party [CCP],” Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislative candidate Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐), KMT Taipei City Councilor Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) and New Party Taipei City Councilor Hou Han-ting (侯漢廷) said yesterday.

Cheng, who is running for Hsinchu City’s legislative seat, told a news conference at KMT headquarters in Taipei that he, Lo and Hou have been labeled as “pro-China” by members of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

The DPP has applied a double standard to stigmatize them, as some DPP members’ actions should be viewed as pro-China, he said.

DPP legislative candidate Cheng Hung-huei (鄭宏輝), who is also running for the Hsinchu seat, set up a company in China and used the location “Taiwan, China” when he registered it, but his election campaign flags use the slogan “Protect Taiwan,” he added.

“Cheng Hung-huei can use the term ‘Taiwan, China,’ but continues to label people in other political camps as ‘red,’” Lo said. “Is this what the DPP’s ‘Taiwanese values’ really means?”

“Taiwanese only have one option: ‘one China’ in the future,” Lo said, repeating the sentence twice.

Tsai has also made three remarks that should be considered “pro-China and sucking up to the CCP,” he said, citing the president as having said years ago that “‘one China’ in the future is our only option,” “I am Taiwanese and also Chinese” and “the ‘1992 consensus’ means the Republic of China in Taiwan and the People’s Republic of China on the mainland.”

Lo urged Cheng Hung-huei and Tsai to explain whether the DPP can accept their behavior and remarks.

In May 2015, then-DPP spokesman Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) clarified that the “‘one China’ in the future is our only option” statement was made by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), who in his 2000 inaugural address said: “Under the existing foundation, the nation should create conditions for cooperation out of goodwill to make a concerted effort to solve the ‘one China’ problem in the future.”

In addition to accusations against Cheng Hung-huei of land speculation by the KMT and the New Power Party, Hou yesterday said they suspect that his proposal to extend the Wugu-Yangmei overpass (五楊高架橋) to Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) is for his personal benefit.

Cheng Hung-huei in 2016 bought two plots of land in Hsinchu and Miaoli that are close to the proposed route for the extension, Hou said, questioning whether that is a coincidence or part of a greater scheme.

Former Taipei County commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), deputy director-general of Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu’s (韓國瑜) presidential campaign headquarters, told the news conference that the KMT has received more than 5,000 reports about online posts intended to smear Han.

Why has the Tsai administration not acted on those posts, he asked.

Tsai is using the state apparatus to bully people and limit their freedom of expression by asking national security agencies and prosecutors to investigate people who question her government’s policies or have expressed support for Han, Chou said.

YouTuber Chen Pin-hung (陳品宏) said that many older people are worried and scared that they will be investigated if they post remarks in support of Han online.

Liao Zhi-cheng (廖志成), an administrator of Chou’s fan page on Facebook, said that many Han supporters’ comments on the platform have been marked as spam and deleted, while some accounts have been suspended.


title: NTHU researchers reveal new tools to make ads with AI

companies: Apple Google

content_text:
A team of researchers at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) yesterday unveiled artificial intelligence (AI) tools for making audio and visual materials for advertisements, saying it could help businesses save time and costs.

Online ads have become a part of daily life, but producing creative promotions are time-consuming, associate professor of computer science Wu Shan-hung (吳尚鴻) told a news conference in Taipei.

Through a government-funded program, the team spent two years developing AI tools that use deep-learning models and social media analysis to produce images with designated objects and context, he said.

The researchers helped AppFinca’s concentration training app Flora reach top ranking on the list of free apps in Taiwan on Apple’s App Store, outperforming Gmail and Google Drive, he said.

Liu Yi-wen (劉奕汶), an associate professor of electrical engineering, also develops tools for mimicking human voices to sing songs.

However, their tools still cannot create original melodies, and they need further research to avoid producing materials that might raise copyright issues, Liu said.

The tools are intended to improve the work efficiency of copywriters, but would not replace human writers who would still have to sign off on an ad, Wu said.

Although many start-ups have good products, they do not know how to market them, he said, adding that he first noticed this after teaching entrepreneurship classes.

The AI toots, he said, could help small and medium-sized businesses save money on ad development.

The team is in discussion with Asustek Computer, United Microelectronics and KKBOX, as well as startups, about technical cooperation.

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content_text:
Wei Ying-chun returns to prison for cooking oil

FACING TIME:The High Court combined Wei’s eight separate rulings to sentence him to four years and eight months for involvement in the 2014 cooking oil scandal
Bailiffs escort former Ting Hsin International Group chairman Wei Ying-chun out of the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday for transport to prison.Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Former Ting Hsin International Group (頂新集團) chairman Wei Ying-chun (魏應充) was yesterday taken to Taipei Prison to resume serving a combined prison term he had been given over a tainted cooking oil scandal that erupted in 2014.

While declining to be interviewed by reporters outside the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office, Wei recited a passage he had written to express his feelings: “Treat others with sincerity; be righteous and moral in your dealings; learn and grow from tribulations; treasure kindness and love and may all in Taiwan prosper.”

Wei was charged by the Changhua District Prosecutors’ Office in October 2014 for breaching the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法) after investigators found the company had imported animal feed-grade material from Vietnamese oil manufacturer Dai Hanh Phuc Co, and described it in its customs declaration as fit for human consumption.

The Supreme Court upheld a second appellate court ruling on Nov. 6 last year, which ruled that Wei was guilty of breaching the act and other offenses regarding the 2014 case, and sentenced Wei to five years and nine months in prison.

The prison term was reduced as part of it was commuted to a fine.

After the Taiwan High Court’s Taichung branch combined the prison terms from eight separate rulings that could not be commuted to fines, Wei was ordered to serve four years and eight months in prison.

He is looking at two years and nine months behind bars, as he had already been detained for 111 days and served one year and eight months in prison.

Prosecutors’ denied Wei’s appeal to delay serving his sentence due to medical reasons, on the grounds that his condition was not severe and could be treated by prison doctors, said Yu Ming-hsien (余明賢), Wei’s lawyer.

As Wei’s lawyer, it was not his place to criticize the judiciary, but the final ruling shows that there is still a long way to go until the judiciary can fully regain the public’s confidence, Yu said.

Yu said that prosecutors had not conducted a thorough investigation before charging his client and, referring to government agencies complying with investigations, alleged that administrative neutrality had been violated.

Opinions by food industry experts were dismissed by the court, causing bias against his client, Yu said.

Yu accused the court of succumbing to public pressure.

The case’s legal basis — that Dai Hanh Phuc was presumed to not have a foodstuff export license — was lost when Vietnamese media proved that Dai Hanh Phuc did not require such licenses, Yu said.

However, all was not lost and judges still had a chance to remain neutral as there are select parts of the case that have been remanded to lower appellate courts for retrial, Yu said.

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taiwan-subdivisions: 集集 田中

content_text:
Rail connection, upgrades to exceed NT$4bn

MAKING CHANGES:A branch line to connect a high-speed rail station and a railway station in Changhua County would be finished by 2026, the transportation minister said
Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung tells township mayors in Changhua County yesterday about a planned shuttle service between Changhua Railway Station and the Taiwan High-Speed Rail station in Tianjhong Township.Photo: Chen Kuan-pei, Taipei Times
The government intends to spend NT$4.181 billion (US$138.96 million) on building a branch line to connect the High Speed Rail station in Changhua County with the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) station in Tianjhong Township (田中), as well as on infrastructure upgrades along the Jiji branch line (集集支線) in Nantou County, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.

Lin made the announcement during his tour of the TRA station in the township, where the high-speed rail station is also located.

The small town to the south of the county has become a popular tourist destination due to the Taiwan Rice Heaven-Tianzhong Marathon, where participants run while sampling various dishes presented by local residents along the way.

Construction on the 3km branch line is scheduled to begin next year, with the cost estimated to reach NT$1.181 billion, Lin said.

The branch line is to begin operations by 2026, he added.

The government would also spend NT$2.363 billion on upgrading the infrastructure along the TRA’s 29.75km Jiji branch line, Lin said.

The upgrade would help reduce waiting time between services on the line from 80 minutes to 60 minutes, Lin said.

The trains on the line would consist of six carriages instead of four, which would increase the number of passengers that they can carry one-way by 33 percent, he added.

The two projects, which would be funded by the budget allocated to the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program, were previously rejected by the National Development Council for their low cost-to-benefit ratios, Lin said.

“I then asked the Railway Bureau to integrate these two projects, which helped secure the Executive Yuan’s approval,” he said.

Once the projects are completed, domestic and international visitors can seamlessly transit to Jiji and Tianjhong branch lines after they arrive at the high-speed rail station in Changhua, Lin said.

The government would try to integrate the branch lines with the cable car service at Nantou County’s Sun Moon Lake (日月潭), making it the nation’s first tourism railway system, he said.

The ministry would propose an amendment to the Railway Act (鐵路法) and other relevant regulations, so that the ticketing scheme for the tourism railway service would be different from that of the regular train service, Lin said.

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title: Tourist carrying in-flight meal is stopped at airport

content_text:
A Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection sniffer dog sits next to its handler at Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) yesterday.Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times

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Taipei International Airport (Songshan airport) customs officers yesterday stopped a tourist for carrying an in-flight meal containing meatballs in contravention of the Act for Prevention and Control of Infectious Animal Disease (動物傳染病防治條例).

Council of Agriculture officials were inspecting luggage at the airport when a sniffer dog detected meat in the carry-on luggage of the tourist, who had just arrived from Japan’s Haneda Airport.

Customs officers checked the luggage and found the boxed meal. Council personnel confirmed that it contained pork ingredients after running it through a scan.

The tourist disposed of the meal and was let off without a fine.

As the spread of African swine fever in Asia does not show any sign of abating, the government is to dispatch 300 additional officials to the nation’s borders to prevent illegal pork imports during the Lunar New Year holiday, Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung (陳吉仲) told reporters at the airport.

Flights to the airport mainly arrive from China, South Korea and Japan, Chen said, adding that China and South Korea have been affected by the disease.

The government would face a tougher challenge containing the virus during this year’s holiday, he added.

Only China had reported an outbreak by the Lunar New Year holiday in February last year, but the disease has since spread to Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, North Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Korea, East Timor and Indonesia, council data showed.

Nearly 41 percent of Vietnamese pork products intercepted at the border have tested positive for the disease, while the ratio of tainted Chinese pork products is 15 percent, Chen said.

People caught illegally transporting pork products from nations that have reported an outbreak of African swine fever in past three years could face a NT$200,000 (US$6,647) fine for a first contravention and NT$1 million for repeat offenses, he said.

The most common imports during the Lunar New Year holiday are sausage, preserved pork and ham products, which pose a greater risk of transmitting the virus as they do not undergo disinfection under high temperature, he said, adding that the import of pork floss is also banned.

All carry-on and checked luggage of inbound tourists would undergo X-ray scanning at the airport, said Kuo Hsiao-ying (郭小鶯), director of the Songshan quarantine station of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine’s Keelung Branch.

During the holiday, 80 flights would arrive from China, 14 from South Korea and 56 from Japan, while nearly 3,700 to 4,700 passengers are expected to arrive at the airport every day, she said.

After passengers disembark from a plane, their checked luggage would go through X-ray scanners, while sniffer dogs would be stationed near the luggage carousels to intercept meat products, she said.

The Coast Guard Administration would inspect fishing boats docked at the nation’s ports during the holiday, Chen added.

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title: Mayors call on cities to divest from fossil fuels

content_text:
People walk near the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Aug. 24 last year.Photo: AFP
The mayors of New York City and London on Tuesday urged other cities to divest their pension funds from fossil fuel producers as they introduced a tool kit to help cities shift investments away from companies that drive climate change.

New York City in January 2018 said that over five years it would remove fossil fuel investments from its public pension funds, which then had US$189 billion in assets under management.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan pledged to do so in his 2016 election campaign.

Investors with US$11 trillion in assets under management have pledged to divest from fossil fuels, campaign group 350.org said in a report in September last year.

“We need all cities to act now to help protect our planet for future generations,” Khan said in a statement on Tuesday, which accompanied an advice guide for other cities on how to alter their pension investments.

It contained case studies of disinvestment efforts in Melbourne, Berlin and Stockholm, as well as New York and London.

“I’m calling on every major city in the world to follow suit,” Khan said, adding that “taking action on divestment is not only achievable, but absolutely necessary.”

South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former US vice president Al Gore also reiterated their support for divestment at a meeting in Cape Town on Tuesday.

“Any organization committed to operating responsibly in this new decade has a moral imperative to stop participating in financing the destruction of human civilization’s future,” they said in a statement.

London had by March last year reduced the share of fossil fuel holdings in its pension funds to 0.4 percent, said C40 Cities, a coalition of cities committed to taking action on climate change.

It did not specify if this included funds directly controlled by the mayor or the London Pensions Fund Authority, which is independently run and had just more than ￡6 billion (US$7.9 billion) in assets under management at the end of that month, according to its accounts.

The London mayor’s office was not available to comment.

New York City’s divestments are “still in progress,” said Friederike Hanisch, who runs the C40 Divest/Invest Forum of 14 cities that have pledged to divest from fossil fuels.

Divestment efforts were expected to improve rather than hurt returns for investors, she said.

None of the C40 cities that have divested their pension funds has seen worse performance and some have done better by removing fossil fuels, C40 said.

“We don’t expect it to have a negative effect at all on the income of pension funds,” Hanisch said. “If anything, we expect it to have a positive impact.”

A growing fossil-fuel divestment push has not substantially affected fossil-fuel company share prices or reduced carbon emissions, University of Massachusetts Amherst economists Robert Pollin and Tyler Hansen said in a 2018 paper.

However, the push is effectively raising awareness of growing climate risks, they said.

Assets in funds that have committed to divest from fossil fuels were worth US$36 billion that year, the report said.

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content_text:
Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, front, scores during their EFL Cup match against Manchester United at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, on Tuesday.Photo: EPA-EFE
Pep Guardiola warned Manchester City of Manchester United’s powers of recovery after his side outclassed their city rivals 3-1 at Old Trafford to put one foot in the EFL Cup final.

The holders were rampant before the break as Bernardo Silva’s wonder strike, Riyad Mahrez’s cool finish and an own-goal from Andreas Pereira put City well on course for a third straight final.

United’s captain for the evening, Marcus Rashford, restored some pride for the hosts to reduce the deficit 20 minutes from time, but they face a huge task when the sides meet again for the second leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on Jan. 29.

However, Guardiola remains wary after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men rebounded after losing 2-0 at home to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in last season’s Champions League last 16.

“It’s a good result, but it is not over because it is United,” Guardiola said.

“Last season against PSG is a good example,” Guardiola said. “Hopefully in front of our fans, we can make a good game and reach the final.”

United have shown their ability to win at the Etihad Stadium this season, as they tore City apart just a month ago, shocking the Premier League champions.

However, City have restored their dominance of this fixture with a third consecutive win at Old Trafford.

Guardiola responded to the problems that United posed his side last time out by deploying an extra midfielder, with both City strikers Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus left on the bench.

His tactic worked to perfection as the fluid front four — Silva, Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne — were too fleet of foot for a United defense without the injured Harry Maguire.

“I enjoyed it a lot, especially because it worked,” Silva said.

“I think the first half was the perfect 45 minutes,” he said. “We could even have gone to halftime winning four or five, because we missed a few chances.”

Silva was back to his best and opened the floodgates by smashing a shot into the top corner from outside the box on 17 minutes.

He turned creator for City’s second goal, as one pass split the United defense and Mahrez rounded David de Gea to slot into an empty net.

Five minutes later, it was 3-0, as De Bruyne left Phil Jones flat on the ground before his powerful shot was parried by De Gea into the path of the unfortunate Pereira, who could only turn the ball into his own goal.

Only a brilliant save from De Gea to deny Silva a second and Sterling’s miss from an inviting Kyle Walker cross prevented the scoreline from becoming even more embarrassing for United before the break.

City eased up after the break and United grabbed a lifeline when they finally caught the visitors cold on the break, as Mason Greenwood teed up Rashford to calmly slot into the far corner for his 17th goal of the season.

There was no late rally from the Red Devils to further cut City’s advantage, leaving Solskjaer hoping for a repeat of the miracle in Paris that landed him the United job on a permanent basis in March last year.

“We’ve shown before we’ve been down from a home tie and turned it round,” Solskjaer said. “We’ve just got to believe when we go to the Etihad and put a performance on.”

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title: City humiliate United in 3-1 derby win


content_text:
Nadal made to sweat, but Djokovic has it easy

BATTLE OF ATTRITION:Rafael Nadal had to fight back twice from being a break down against Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the opening set before winning the tiebreaker
Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka returns to Rafael Nadal of Spain during their ATP Cup singles match in Perth, Australia, yesterday.Photo: EPA-EFE
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal yesterday won a battle of attrition against fellow left-hander Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan 7-6 (4), 6-4 to seal Spain’s spot in the final eight of the inaugural ATP Cup in Perth, Australia.

His long-time rival, world No. 2 Novak Djokovic, had an easier outing in Brisbane, strolling past Chile’s Cristian Garin 6-3, 6-3 to stay undefeated in the new year and to ensure that Serbia are to travel to Sydney for the knockouts, having won all three of their ties.

Nadal had to fight back twice from being a break down against the Japanese world No. 72 in the opening set before winning the tiebreaker, while he broke Nishioka’s serve to go up 5-4 in the second before holding serve for victory.

“It’s the first day I was playing under such heavy conditions. Two previous days, I had played in the night. The feeling on court was completely different,” Nadal said. “I played against an opponent who started the season on fire, winning two matches against two great players with very comfortable results. Today was a very, very tough one.”

It was Nadal’s third singles win in the US$15 million ATP Cup, which features 24 nations competing in Perth, Brisbane and Sydney over 10 days.

All six group winners and the two best second-placed teams are to advance to the final eight in Sydney.

Hosts Australia, Serbia, Britain, Russia and Spain have qualified.

Garin broke Djokovic in the second set to go up 3-1, but it seemed to bruise the seven-time Australian Open winner’s ego as he won the next five games to complete the victory.

“Sydney’s got a big Serbian community, hopefully the support can be as good as it was here, even better,” Djokovic said.

Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz also picked up his third singles win of the tournament with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) upset over world No. 4 Dominic Thiem of Austria in Sydney.

It was the second loss in the new season for Thiem, who also lost to Croatia’s Borna Coric in his opening match.

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title: Anthony scores winner as Blazers edge out Raptors

content_text:
Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony scores the winning basket during the final four seconds of their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, on Tuesday.Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY
With Damian Lillard double-teamed and only four seconds remaining, Carmelo Anthony on Tuesday stepped up to make a clutch shot and the Portland Trail Blazers rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 101-99.

“A guy with his type of ability, it’s just a matter of opportunity,” Damian Lillard said. “He had one guy guarding him.”

Anthony scored 28 points and Lillard had 20, while Hassan Whiteside added 14 points and 16 rebounds for his sixth straight double-double.

The Trail Blazers snapped a four-game losing streak in Toronto and won for the second time in 10 meetings with the Raptors.

“This is a big confidence booster for us, a big morale boost,” Anthony said.

Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts agreed.

“I was really proud of the way our team competed tonight, particularly in the fourth quarter,” Stotts said. “At the end of the season, you look back on different games, and this could very well be a game that we look back on that turned the tide.”

The Trail Blazers had lost six of seven overall, but they have improved to a 2-12 record against opponents with winning records.

The Trail Blazers’ Anfernee Simons scored 12 points and C.J. McCollum had 10. McCollum had not played in Sunday’s loss in Miami due to an upper-respiratory infection.

The Trail Blazers trailed 78-69 through three quarters, then fell behind 85-73 with 8 minutes, 20 seconds to go, but Lillard tied it at 99 on a 35-foot three-pointer with 38 seconds left in the fourth quarter, leading to a Raptors’ timeout.

Raptors coach Nick Nurse said that Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was obviously the victim of an illegal screen by Whiteside on Lillard’s deep three-pointer.

“It was clearly, clearly an offensive foul on Whiteside that wiped us out to tie the game,” Nurse said.

The Raptors’ Patrick McCaw turned the ball over with 13.6 seconds remaining, giving the Trail Blazers a chance at a winning shot.

With Lillard under wraps, McCollum took the inbounds pass and got the ball to Anthony, who connected from near the free-throw line.

Kyle Lowry got one final chance for the Raptors, but his off-balance three-pointer bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

The Trail Blazers connected on 12 of 19 attempts in the fourth, making six shots from long range.

The Raptors’ Lowry had 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Serge Ibaka added 17 points and 11 rebounds.

The injury-ravaged Raptors lost for just the second time in 16 games against opponents with losing records.

The Raptors’ Oshae Brisett scored a career-high 12 points and Chris Boucher also had 12, including 10 straight in the fourth quarter.

Raptors guard Fred VanVleet sat out due to a strained right hamstring, joining a group of injured starters that includes Norman Powell (left shoulder), Marc Gasol (left hamstring) and Pascal Siakam (groin).

Also on Tuesday, it was:

‧ Lakers 117, Knicks 87

‧ Pistons 115, Cavaliers 113

‧ Thunder 111, Nets 103

‧ Grizzlies 119, Timberwolves 112

‧ Kings 114, Suns 103

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content_text:
Billionaire giving away US$9m for ‘social experiment’

BIG SPENDER:Yusaku Maezawa has gained a large social media following by flaunting his wealth, and sharing his thoughts on the meaning of life and a world without money
Zozo Inc founder Yusaku Maezawa poses at a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo on Oct. 9, 2018.Photo: Reuters
Japanese fashion tycoon Yusaku Maezawa is giving away US$9 million to his Twitter followers in what he has said is a “social experiment” to see if the payment boosts their happiness.

Maezawa is to give ￥1 million (US$9,000) to 1,000 followers selected at random from those who retweeted a Jan. 1 post, with the effects of the money to be tracked through regular surveys.

“It’s a serious social experiment,” said Maezawa on YouTube, adding that he hopes to attract interest from academics and economists.

Maezawa, who is to be the first private passenger to fly around the moon with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is known for his high spending on art and sports cars, but also has a predilection for musing on ideas like a world without money.

He tied the giveaway to the idea of basic income, or the theory of providing a periodic no-strings-attached payment to all citizens, that has gained traction in some political circles and is backed by Democratic US presidential hopeful Andrew Yang (楊安澤).

“Basic means a regular minimum amount offering a sense of security, what Maezawa is offering is totally different,” said Toshihiro Nagahama, senior economist at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute in Tokyo.

Maezawa said that given that he “has the money and free time” to make the payments, he felt the need to try and inspire greater debate over the merits of the theory.

The idea of a universal basic income has gained support over fears technology such as artificial intelligence will wipe out large numbers of jobs, but that concern is for now less pronounced in Japan with its tight labor market, Nagahama said.

It is the second, larger, giveaway by the entrepreneur, who in November last year secured a US$900 million payday through the sale of his online fashion business Zozo Inc to Softbank Group Corp.

Maezawa, who recently grabbed headlines after his split from actress girlfriend Ayame Goriki, has gathered almost 7 million followers on Twitter with his mix of displays of conspicuous consumption and folksy pronouncements on the meaning of life.

YouTube is the latest online outlet for the businessman, with videos including a tour of his private jet, a visit to the barber to dye his hair and updating his bank book after November’s windfall.

The debate over basic income comes as income inequality continues to grow in the US, where in recent years some of its wealthiest entrepreneurs, from Microsoft Corp cofounder Bill Gates to investor Warren Buffet, have pledged to give away most of their wealth.

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content_text:
A Samsung Electronics Co Galaxy Note10+ 5G smartphone is displayed at a store in Seoul yesterday.Photo: AFP
Samsung Electronics Co’s operating profit fell by more than one-third in the fourth quarter of last year, the world’s biggest manufacturer of smartphones and memory chips estimated yesterday.

Samsung was hit by a series of difficulties last year, with chip stockpiles bloating and prices falling, in contrast to the booming market of previous years.

The premium smartphone market has also grown fiercely competitive, with buyers waiting longer before upgrading to new models.

However, the figures beat expectations, analysts said, with chip demand starting to improve and strong smartphone sales.

The forecast represented a relative improvement — in each of the first three quarters of last year, net profit fell by more than half year-on-year.

In an earnings guidance statement, Samsung Electronics projected operating profit in the October-to-December period at 7.1 trillion won (US$6.1 billion), down 34.2 percent year-on-year.

Sales were forecast to be flat at 59 trillion won, it added.

For the whole of last year, it predicted operating profit of 27.7 trillion won, down 52.9 percent, on sales down 5.8 percent to 229.5 trillion won.

Samsung Electronics shares reached an intraday one-year high in Seoul and closed up 1.8 percent, while the KOSPI was down 1.1 percent following an Iranian missile attack on US forces in Iraq.

“Sales in memory chips were strongest along with good numbers in its IT and mobile division,” Hana Financial Investment Co analyst Lee Joon-min said.

Analysts expect Samsung to perform better this year on the back of a recovery in chip demand and limited supply, along with new 5G smartphone models and other innovations.

Reduced chip production at one of Japanese rival Kioxia Corp’s plants has seen average NAND flash selling prices “start to rebound,” Avril Wu (吳雅婷), an analyst at the Taipei-based market tracker TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) told reporters.

“As for DRAM, we expect prices to increase each quarter in 2020,” she said, adding: “The recovery of the DRAM and NAND market is mostly driven by the constriction of supply, but an increase in demand also contributes to this as well.”

Samsung is also pinning its hopes on increasing availability of 5G telecom services driving sales of its handsets — it is a world leader in the technology.

Last week, it said it had shipped more than 6.7 million Galaxy 5G smartphone devices globally last year, claiming it had more than half the world’s 5G smartphone market as of November.

“For Samsung, 2020 will be the year of Galaxy 5G,” said TM Roh, head of the company’s mobile communication division.

Samsung withholds net profit and sector-by-sector business performance until it releases its final earnings report, expected later this month.

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title: Samsung flags drop in operating profit


content_text:
Soleimani killing leaves Trump’s Middle East strategy in tatters

US President Donald Trump and his top aides spent the weekend arguing that the killing of Iranian major general Qassem Soleimani would deter future attacks and make the Middle East safer.

Instead, US policy in the region seems to be going in the opposite direction of what Trump has long promised — with more US troops going in, not fewer; an Iran defiant, not cowed and broken by sanctions; and regional allies giving only lukewarm support to Trump’s airstrike instead of rallying around it.

Economic costs of the strike are also mounting: Oil on Monday surged to more than US$70 per barrel and equities worldwide extended losses. Havens climbed, with gold rising to the highest in more than six years.

The political backlash came quickly, as a US-led coalition against the Islamic State group was forced to suspend operations and the Iraqi Council of Representatives on Sunday called for US troops to withdraw.

Trump responded by saying that Iraq could face sanctions and would have to “reimburse” the US.

Iran said that it would abandon limits on uranium enrichment put in place as part of a 2015 nuclear agreement that Trump abandoned in 2018.

US actions have “made an already volatile situation much more dangerous,” said retired US Army lieutenant colonel Daniel Davis, a senior fellow at the Defense Priorities think tank who favors a US troop withdrawal from Iraq.

“If you paid any attention to Iran in the last 40 years you know they will never buckle to that kind of pressure. It’s just the opposite,” he said.

TURNING POINT

The strike on Soleimani appeared to unite Iranians after months of protests against their own government, with hundreds of thousands turning out to mourn a military chief who had made their nation — battered by US economic sanctions — appear strong by giving Tehran leverage in conflicts from Syria to Yemen.

Iran has vowed revenge and allies, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, said that they would now seek to drive out the more than 50,000 US troops from the region.

“It united most political forces in Iraq against the US,” said Fawaz Gerges, a professor of international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. “The Trump administration monstrously miscalculated by playing into Iran’s hands.”

The fight against the Islamic State was immediately hampered, with the US-led coalition saying that it would suspend operations in Iraq to focus on protecting bases that have come under attack.

Threats from Iran-backed militias have previously forced staff drawdowns in US diplomatic missions across Iraq, which serves as the home base for operations against the Islamic State.

Trump late on Sunday told reporters aboard Air Force One that the US would not leave unless it got paid back for the “billions” spent on an air base there.

“If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever,” Trump said. “It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.”

The escalating tensions hit markets starting on Friday last week and continuing through Monday.

Oil futures on Monday jumped an additional 3 percent after the US Department of State warned of a “heightened risk” of missile attacks near military and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia.

Japanese, Hong Kong and South Korean equities fell, while US and European futures retreated.

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title: Jko Fintech aims to test Tuofu Bao in sandbox

content_text:
Jko Fintech Co chairman Kevin Hu speaks at a news conference yesterday in Taipei to promote the company’s Tuofu Bao service.Photo: Chen Ping-hung, Taipei Times
Jko Fintech Co (街口金融科技) aims to apply for a financial technology (fintech) sandbox experiment for its Tuofu Bao service, which would allow users to buy a fund via Jkos Pay and earn a minimum return of 1.5 percent, Jko Fintech chairman Kevin Hu (胡亦嘉) said yesterday.

Hu’s announcement came after the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) on Tuesday said that Jko Fintech could only conduct an experiment of its new service, because regulations prohibit the company from offering customers a guaranteed return.

Hu, who on Tuesday met with commission officials to discuss Tuofu Bao, yesterday said that the commission had not completely convinced him that such a promotional activity would be illegal.

“Jko Fintech would guarantee customers a fixed return and put money in a trust account to guarantee the return, instead of Jko Asset Management Co (街口投信), which would issue and manage the fund,” Hu told a news conference in Taipei.

“So, I think the promotional activity should be allowed, as Jko Fintech is at liberty to offer rewards to users to encourage them to buy the fund and use the electronic payment tool, which are both operated by company units,” Hu said.

Jko Fintech owns a 25 percent stake in Jko Asset Management.

Despite disagreeing with the commission on the legality of the promotion, Hu said that he would continue negotiations with the commission and is considering an experiment in a regulatory sandbox.

He previously considered applying for a sandbox experiment, but dropped the idea after learning that exposure would be limited to NT$200 million (US$6.65 million), Hu said, adding that he wishes the limit would be raised to at least NT$10 billion.

“Jkos Pay already has more than 1 million users and if everyone invests NT$10,000 in the fund, the scale of fund would hit NT$10 billion,” Hu said. “The current limit of NT$200 million is too low for us.”

Jko Fintech aims to offer higher returns than a term deposit in a bank, Hu said.

A return of 1.5 percent is just a feasible goal, Hu said, adding that the fund would be operated by Jko Asset Management, which would invest in foreign bonds hedged against foreign-exchange fluctuations.

Jko Fintech plans initially to place NT$200 million in the trust account, with the amount not to dip lower than 0.5 percent of the scale of the fund after the service is launched, he said.

Originally scheduled for Monday next week, the Tuofu Bao launch has been moved to after the Lunar New Year holiday, Hu said, adding that the firm would not launch the service without the commission’s approval.

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content_text:
There are certain spelling rules and conventions governing the doubling of the letter “l” in certain words in English, with differences between American and British English.

First of all, there are certain words that take a double “l” in American spelling that have a single “l” in British English. These include the verbs enroll, fulfill, instill, install and distill, whose British English variants are enrol, fulfil, instil, install and distil; and the adjectives skillful and willful, in which the double “l” of the root is dropped in British English, giving us skilful and wilful.

Bucking this trend are certain nouns and adjectives in US English that favor a single “l,” whereas British English prefers a double “l.” Thus we have jeweler, counselor, woolen and marvelous in American English, compared to jeweller, counsellor, woollen and marvellous in British English.

Finally, there are rules for adding -ed and -ing endings to verbs of more than one syllable ending in “l”, such as cancel, travel, retail, annul, level, conceal, quarrel, libel, control, overhaul and patrol.

In American usage, the final “l” is not doubled when the stress falls on the first syllable. This gives us canceled, traveling and libeling in American English, but cancelled, travelling and libelling in British English.

Verbs such as annul, control and patrol do not have the stress on the first syllable, so the “l” is doubled in both American and British English, giving us annulled, controlled and patrolled.

With these rules, in British English the “l” is always doubled.There is one important exception to this, however: when the vowel preceding the “l” ending is a diphthong — such as ea, ai and au — the “l” is not doubled, irrespective of where the stress falls. So, with conceal, retail and overhaul, the “l” is not doubled in either American or British English.

(Paul Cooper, Taipei Times)

有些英文單字，其中的「l」是否要重複一次而拼成「ll」，取決於特定拼寫規則及慣例，這在美式及英式英文中也有所不同。

首先，某些字裡的「l」，美式的拼法為「ll」，英式則是只有一個「l」，例如動詞「enroll」（註冊）、「fulfill」(實現)、「instill」（注入）、「install」（安裝）和「distill」（提取）；這些字在英式英文則是拼為「enrol」、「fulfil」、「instil」、「install」和「distil」。形容詞「skillful」（熟練的）及「willful」（任性的），其英式拼法是將字根中的「ll」省略為「l」，而為「skilful」及「wilful」。

有的字反其道而行，例如某些名詞和形容詞的美式拼法傾向用單個「l」，在英式英文則偏向用「ll」。因此，美式英文的「jeweler」（珠寶商）、「counselor」（顧問）、「woolen」（羊毛）和「marvelous」（奇妙的），在英式英文是拼為「jeweller」、「counsellor」、「woollen」和「marvellous」。

最後，以字母「l」結尾、有多個音節的動詞，其後若要加上字尾「ed」或「ing」，也有特定規則，例如「cancel」（取消）、「travel」（旅行）、「retail」（零售）、「annul」（廢除）、「level」（弄平）、「conceal」（隱瞞）、「quarrel」（爭吵）、「libel」（誹謗）、「control」（控制）、「overhaul」（徹底檢修）和「patrol」（巡邏）等字。

在美式用法中，這些以「l」結尾的字若重音在第一音節，字尾的「l」就不會重複。因此美式的「canceled」、「traveling」、「libeling」等字，不同於英式拼法的「cancelled」、「travelling」及「libelling」。

動詞「annul」、「control」 及「patrol」的重音都不是在第一音節，因此加字尾「ed」與「ing」時，其美式與英式之拼法相同，都要重複字尾的「l」而成「ll」，為「annulled」、「controlled」及「patrolled」。

在英式英文中，所有以「l」結尾的字，加字尾「ed」、「ing」時，一律重複為「ll」。上述規則有一重要的例外：以「l」結尾的字，若「l」之前是雙母音（例如「ea」、「ai」和「au」），便不須重複「l」，無論該字重音在哪個音節。因此，「conceal」、「retail」、「overhaul」等字，字尾的「l」在美式及英式英文中都不會重複。

（台北時報林俐凱譯）

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title: American & British English<br>美式英文&英式英文


title: EVERYDAY ENGLISH

content_text:
A: Something confused me: Before swimming, the nurse dipped imitation celery and spring onion in the water and touched them on the baby’s head.

B: It’s a kind of prayer. In Chinese, celery is a homonym for “hard working” and spring onion sounds like “intelligent.”

A: Even more baffling, a staff member took three stones and asked my sister-in-law to dip them in the water and draw a circle on her child’s chest.

A: 不過，有件事讓我有些困惑。在游泳之前，那邊的護理人員拿出了芹菜跟蔥的模型，沾一點水點在小孩的頭上。

B: 那是中文的諧音啊，就跟拜拜一樣，芹菜象徵勤勞，蔥代表聰明。

A: 接下來我又更納悶了。那邊的人員拿出了三顆石頭，要我弟媳沾水後在小寶寶的胸口畫圓。

English 英文:

Chinese 中文:

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title: Movie Review: Boluomi

content_text:
Movie Review: Boluomi

‘Boluomi’ is an ambitious and contemplative drama that focuses on Taiwan’s oft-marginalized Southeast Asian immigrants, but it tries to tell two stories that don’t really connect, leaving the narrative disjointed
Boluomi (菠蘿蜜) carries noble intentions in portraying the hardships of disenfranchised Southeast Asian migrants, but the resulting production is rather disjointed and overly bleak, with many parts not clearly explained. The main problem stems from directors Lau Kek Huat and Vera Chen (陳雪甄) trying to tell two stories that don’t really connect.

The trailer bills the film as a simple love story between a Malaysian university student and Filipino migrant worker in Taiwan. It’s understandable that the directors would strive for something more complex, but sometimes a leaner framework allows more room for character development and a deeper exploration into their lives as well as the people around them.

It’s not often that Southeast Asian migrants, who make up a growing section of Taiwanese society, are featured as leads in a box office feature film. Once suffering in silence, they have in recent years become increasingly vocal in fighting for their rights and their plight has been widely reported on by both local and international media. But discrimination and mistrust by Taiwanese remains common, and any mainstream portrayal of them doing something besides toiling as caretakers or manual laborers should be lauded.

If it were just a love story, it wouldn’t be an average cheesy one anyway, as it features two foreigners of different socioeconomic classes who bond over their marginalization as they try their best to seek a better life in Taiwan. Yi-fan, the Malaysian student (Wu Nien-hsuan, 吳念軒), is openly discriminated for being Chinese in Malaysia, but in Taiwan he only hangs out with his Malaysian-Chinese buddy and professor and is in constant conflict with his Taiwanese dorm-mates and boss. Laila (Laila Ulao), on the other hand, mostly interacts with the Vietnamese workers in the massage parlour she works at as a cleaning lady.


content_text:
Book review: Authors assess their writing on Taiwan

‘Taiwan Studies Revisited’ provides
a personal touch on Taiwan’s modern history and the country’s
place in academia
As writers, it’s often cringeworthy to read and review one’s old work, especially works that were written decades ago. As Davidson College political scientist Shelly Rigger writes in Taiwan Studies Revisited: “Rereading one’s own previous work is a painful process, at least for me. I focus on the mistakes, the erroneous predictions, the word choices that I never would have made had I not been exhausted and on a deadline.”

But fortunately for the readers, this exercise in asking authors to revisit their books provides an illuminating account of how international academics viewed Taiwan back then and whether things developed according to their predictions. Although still academic in nature, it’s a rare personal look at what Taiwan meant and still means to these experts.

While some chapters are drier than others, the information and ruminations are still invaluable to interested parties, although something contemplative and autobiographical like this could have been a chance for some of these academics to try their hand at livelier writing. An example of this would be the late Bruce Jacobs’ The Kaohsiung Incident in Taiwan and Memoirs of a Foreign Big Beard, which is informative and engaging at the same time.

Although a fair amount of knowledge about Taiwan’s modern history is required to understand this book, the chapters are written in a way that one does not need to be familiar with the authors’ works. Everything is presented in chronological order, making it an interesting ride from the “Taiwan Miracle” during the 1970s to the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) return to power in 2008.

EXPLOSION IN TAIWAN STUDIES

One thing that stands out in the first half of the book is just how obscure Taiwan was back then, and how fast things have changed. In April last year, the Routledge Research on Taiwan Series, which this book is part of, reached its 10th anniversary. Series editor Dafydd Fell recounted to the Taipei Times how the field of Taiwan Studies has reached a golden age despite China’s attempts to marginalize Taiwan, and this book provides the tales of key figures who contributed to the country’s current interest in academia.

The first author, Hsin-huang Michael Hsiao (蕭新煌) is Taiwanese, but the others had to somehow stumble across the country lost in the sea of Chinese studies and then convince their superiors that it was worth paying attention to.

Thomas Gold, for example, started studying Chinese “on a dare” and ended up in Taiwan because it was difficult for Americans to visit China at the height of the Cold War. Even so he was planning on writing on China for his dissertation before changing his mind as US-China relations took a nosedive.

“I ended up in ‘Taiwan Studies’ — a subfield that didn’t really exist — purely by accident,” he writes.

Christopher Hughes writes that his book was the result of “being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time,” recalling that a professor refused to let a student make a presentation on Taiwan in his Chinese politics class. Rigger was also planning to write about China when the Tiananmen Massacre took place and threw a wrench in her plans.

The contrast between the view of Taiwan between the US and UK is also intriguing, as the UK was one of the first countries to recognize the People’s Republic of China in 1950. While Gold came to Taiwan because he couldn’t visit China, Simon Long was able to study at Nanjing University in 1976.


title: Measles epidemic death toll in DR Congo tops 6,000

content_text:
The death toll from a measles epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has surpassed 6,000, the WHO said on Tuesday as it warned that more funds are needed to save lives during the world’s worst outbreak of the infectious disease.

Measles has killed nearly three times as many people in DR Congo than an Ebola outbreak in the nation that has garnered far more international attention, particularly after healthcare teams came under attack from armed militias operating in the area.

“Lack of funding remains a huge impediment to successfully curbing the outbreak,” the WHO said in announcing its appeal.

While US$27.6 million has already been mobilized to curb the measles epidemic, the WHO said that US$40 million is needed for a special six-month plan to vaccinate older children between the ages of six and 14.

A vaccine against measles has existed for decades, but about 310,000 cases have been reported in DR Congo since the beginning of last year.

Healthcare workers in DR Congo struggle to access remote parts of the vast nation and vaccination rates remain low in areas where armed groups operate.

Many health resources in DR Congo have been devoted to the simultaneous outbreak of Ebola.

At least 2,231 people have died of Ebola since that outbreak was first identified in August 2018.

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content_text:
A man carries a St Jude statue from the ruins of the Inmaculada Concepcion church, which collapsed after an earthquake hit Guayanilla, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday.Photo: AFP
Puerto Rico Governor Wanda Vazquez on Tuesday declared a state of emergency after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake killed at least one person in the south of the island and caused widespread damage.

Vazquez said that the declaration would allow for the activation of National Guard troops in the US territory still recovering from a devastating 2017 hurricane.

The US Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 4:24am with the epicenter off the coast of the southern city of Ponce, and was followed by more than a dozen aftershocks.

It was the most powerful in a series of tremors that have shaken the island since Dec. 28.

Scientists initially sent out an alert about a potential tsunami, but it was later canceled.

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority said that the quake had forced an automatic shutdown of the power grid, already severely damaged by Hurricane Maria more than two years ago.

The worst damage appeared to be on the southwest coast, including Ponce, Guayanilla and Guanica.

A 73-year-old man died after a wall fell in his home in Ponce, El Nuevo Dia reported.

Eight others in the city were reported injured.

Two power plants in Guayanilla sustained major damage, the power authority said.

The city could be without power for two weeks, Guayanilla Mayor Nelson Torres Yordan said.

Celebrity chef Jose Andres announced that a charity he runs, World Central Kitchen, had started serving meals and distributing solar-powered lamps in quake-hit areas.

Vazquez announced that US$130 million in emergency aid funding would be disbursed.

On social media, people wrote of being shaken awake by the force of the earthquake.

One woman on Twitter said that she had been “wrenched from sleep.”

“Everybody is awake & scared all over,” she tweeted.

Guayanilla’s Inmaculada Concepcion church, built in 1841, was heavily damaged.

Volunteers salvaged statues and other valuable items from the ruins as a priest consoled distraught parishioners.

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title: Quake rocks Puerto Rico, kills one


content_text:
Snipers yesterday took to helicopters in Australia to begin a mass cull of up to 10,000 camels, as drought drives big herds of the feral animals to search for water closer to remote towns, endangering Aboriginal communities.

Local officials in South Australia state said that “extremely large” herds have been encroaching on rural communities — threatening scarce food and drinking water, damaging infrastructure and creating a dangerous hazard for drivers.

It comes after Australia experienced its hottest and driest year on record last year, with the severe drought causing some towns to run out of water and fueling deadly bushfires that have devastated the country’s southeast.

The five-day cull in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands — home to about 2,300 Aborigines in the northwest of South Australia — is the first in the state, local media reported.

“These [camel] groups are putting pressure on the remote Aboriginal communities in the APY lands and the pastoral operations as the camels search for water,” the APY executive board said in a statement.

South Australia’s Department for Environment and Water, which is supporting the aerial cull, said the drought had also created “critical animal welfare issues,” as some camels have died of thirst or trampled each other as they rush to find water.

“In some cases dead animals have contaminated important water sources and cultural sites,” a spokesperson added.

Camels were first introduced to Australia in the 1840s to aid in the exploration of the continent’s vast interior.

Australia is now thought to have the largest wild camel population in the world, with official estimates suggesting more than 1 million are roaming the country’s inland deserts.

The animals are considered a pest, as they foul water sources and trample native flora while foraging for food over vast distances each day.

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title: Snipers to cull up to 10,000 camels in South Australia