title: China skewed ‘1992 consensus,’ Ma says

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By Yang Hsin-hui and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer
Former president Ma Ying-jeou speaks at an event in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District yesterday.Photo: CNA
China has to take responsibility for skewing the so-called “1992 consensus,” former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said yesterday, adding that Beijing omitted “different interpretations” and only focused on “one China.”

Ma made the remarks when asked about discussion within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) following its losses in the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections about whether the party should improve or abandon the “1992 consensus.”

The “1992 consensus” — a term that former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party that both sides of the Taiwan Strait acknowledge that there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.

“Both Taiwan and the Mainland have agreed to the consensus — otherwise, there would be no consensus. I think everyone misunderstands the consensus. It is, of necessity, a Taiwanese consensus and also one across the Taiwan Strait — only then would it have any effect,” Ma said yesterday.

The “consensus” benefits Taiwan by offering it flexibility and echoing the “one China” principle as stated by the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution — both of which enable cross-strait interaction, Ma added.

“I think the Mainland has to take certain responsibility for the misunderstanding, as it has placed too much emphasis on ‘one China’ and forgets there is the component ‘each side having its own interpretation,’” Ma said, adding that not clearing up the matter would make cross-strait relations increasingly difficult.

In a related development, KMT Youth League head Hsiao Ching-yan (蕭敬嚴) on Friday proposed that the party should move away from pro-unification discourse.

Taiwanese have “achieved consensus in refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the 1992 consensus,” Hsiao said in an interview with the China Review News Agency, adding that the party should find a new consensus, one that is anti-unification.

While acknowledging that his view was similar to the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP), Hsiao said that, based on his observations, any variation of the “1992 consensus” — as long as it contained the same “one China with separate interpretations” spirit — would likely be rejected by Taiwanese.

Hsiao added that his observations showed that Taiwanese agree with three concepts: “the ROC is in Taiwan,” “independent sovereignty should not be violated” and “unification should be adamantly opposed.”

Given this, Hsiao urged the party to base its cross-strait discourse on these three concepts.

However, KMT Central Advisory Committee member Chang Ya-ping (張雅屏) slammed Hsiao’s suggestion.

The KMT is “the defender of the ROC” and the Constitution is the “Constitution of the ROC,” which supports the “one China” ideology, Chang said.

The KMT must defend the Constitution and becoming anti-unification is to “deny the legitimacy of the ROC Constitution,” he said, adding that any person who refuses to defend the Constitution should resign from the KMT.

An Internet user said that it was perplexing that such a good idea from Hsiao — one that could win the party votes from the younger generation — should be met with such hostility by the party’s leadership.

Pro-unification supporters in the KMT should leave Taiwan, another netizen said.

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Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets slides after a check by the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli during their game in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Friday.Photo: AP

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Clarence Iron says he is on a divine mission to revitalize the Plains Cree language through ice hockey.

He is to be the play-by-play announcer with host Earl Wood and analyst John Chabot tomorrow when the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) televises the Winnipeg Jets game against the Chicago Blackhawks. It is the first of six games to be broadcast in Plains Cree this season.

“I’ve been given an opportunity because I changed my life around, I gave my life to God, and now He’s giving me a new life and that’s why I’m very excited to be doing this,” said Iron, who has overcome problems with alcohol and drugs.

“Knowing that this is for the Aboriginal people to try and revitalize this language. I’ve been given another chance at life, that’s why I’m so excited,” he said.

Iron hopes the six games will help First Nations people across Canada reconnect with their language after residential schools almost wiped them out.

Iron, who attended Beauval Indian Residential School in northern Saskatchewan, said he has seen how the mandatory use of English and oppression of indigenous culture has led to many First Nations people losing their connection with their languages.

“There’s still lots of people that understand, they cannot speak, but they understand,” Iron told The Canadian Press.

“They could learn very quickly to speak it. In this sense of having the language in any capacity, as long as you’re speaking Cree, people are listening and they’re excited,” he said.

APTN and Rogers Sportsnet agreed on a three-year deal on Dec. 13 to broadcast at least six NHL games each season in Plains Cree.

After tomorrow’s game in Chicago, APTN is to next broadcast in Plains Cree when the Jets and Blackhawks face off in Winnipeg on Feb. 9.

The Winnipeg-based network would also broadcast in Plains Cree for the Calgary Flames game against the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 23; the Vancouver Canucks-Columbus Blue Jackets game on March 1; the Vancouver-Winnipeg game on March 15; and the Anaheim Ducks-Edmonton Oilers game on March 29.

Iron grew up idolizing Canadiens play-by-play announcer Danny Gallivan. In particular, Iron has tried to emulate Gallivan’s musical style of speaking.

“To try and imitate Danny Gallivan takes a little skill, but that’s how I’d like to sound to make the hockey exciting,” he said with a laugh.

Plains Cree is a very descriptive language, so learning how to use all the possible adjectives to describe a play has taken some practice, Iron said.

“When you’re speaking the Cree language you describe the thing, whatever it is, but there is also a name to it,” Iron said. “We have a word for puck, but we also say that it’s black and flat.

“Now if you’re going to describe it, it’s a very long way of describing. It’s something that’s round and flat and slides around something that you slap around with a stick,” he said.

On the ice, the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Red Wings 2-1 on Friday, the Ducks beat the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 and the Tampa Bay Lightning trounced Winnipeg 7-1.

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title: Canadian network to start Plains Cree NHL broadcasts


title: Taiwanese men’s doubles pair fall in the quarter-finals

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Taiwan’s Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin crashed out in the quarter-finals at the Indonesia Masters on Friday, losing to Mohammed Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia in the men’s doubles.

Ahsan and Setiawan won 9-21, 21-15, 21-19 at the Gelora Bung Karno Sports Palace in Jakarta to eliminate the last of the Taiwanese at the tournament.

The Indonesian pair yesterday won their semi-final 21-12, 18-21, 21-17 over compatriots Fajar Alfian and Mohammed Rian Ardianto and face Marcus Gideon and Kevin Sukamuljo of Indonesia in the final after they beat Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik of Malaysia 21-19, 21-19.

Defending champion Anders Antonsen of Denmark on Friday advanced to the semi-finals after beating hometown star Jonatan Christie and played Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu yesterday, winning 21-9, 21-14 to reach today’s final.

In the women’s singles, former world champion Carolina Marin defeated He Bingjiao of China 21-11, 21-19 in the semis, while Thailand’s Ratchanok Intanon eliminated China’s Wang Zhiyi 21-12, 23-21.

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title: Some in KMT see Gou as chair

content_text:
Some in KMT see Gou as chair

ACUMEN NEEDED:Terry Gou running for party chair has gained backing by party members, but KMT headquarters said it is too late to change the by-election rules
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou pays his respects at former president Chiang Ching-kuo’s mausoleum in Taoyuan’s Dasi District on Monday.Photo: Lee Jung-ping, Taipei Times
With no Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) heavyweights so far having expressed an interest in becoming party chair following the resignation of Wu Den-yih (吳敦義), some KMT members are calling for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) to enter the race.

To shoulder responsibility for the party’s defeat in the Jan. 11 presidential and legislative elections, Wu and other top-ranking party members on Wednesday resigned en masse, while KMT Central Standing Committee member Lin Rong-te (林榮德) took over as acting chairman until the new party head is picked in a by-election on March 7.

Some KMT members have proposed that the KMT Central Standing Committee amend the party’s charter to allow “people from outside the party” to serve as party chair, sources within the party said yesterday.

The proposal has gained the backing of 20 committee members and more than 200 party representatives, and is gaining traction among KMT members, the sources added.

Gou, who withdrew his KMT membership in September last year, is an outsider to the party, but would “go down in history” if he could save the party from the brink of ruin, the sources said.

Gou’s corporate management insight could save the KMT, they said, adding that although his departure from the party — following his loss in the KMT’s presidential primary in July last year — was criticized, at least he did not run in the presidential election or openly support another party’s presidential candidate.

Wu’s own political ambition has led some members to the misunderstanding that whoever becomes chair has an eye on the party’s presidential nomination, the sources said, adding that having “an outsider” serving as KMT chair could be rationalized if accompanied by a pledge not to contend for the party’s nomination.

The party lacks someone capable of leading the party through a revival, while harboring no ambition to run for president, the sources said.

No younger members seem willing to step up and lead, they said, adding that members are not enthusiastic about former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) or former New Taipei City mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) leading the party again.

Yonglin Foundation chief executive director Amanda Liu (劉宥彤) said that Gou’s attitude remains unchanged, which is that the KMT should resolve its own issues.

Gou’s aides would refrain from responding to speculation to avoid making waves for the KMT, she added.

Later yesterday, KMT headquarters rejected the possibility of Gou running in the by-election, saying that the party has promulgated the by-election rules and cannot change them to allow a non-party member to run.

Former Taipei County commissioner Chou Hsi-wei (周錫瑋), KMT Central Committee member Sean Lien (連勝文) and Chu are reportedly planning to run for chairman, but no petition has so far been launched in favor of any candidate by grassroots KMT supporters.

The KMT rules previously stated that if no candidate secured more than 50 percent of the votes, a second round of voting for party chair would be held, but the rules were changed in 2018 to stipulate that the candidate with the most votes would win.

The revised rules state that if two candidates get the same number of votes, then another vote must be held within 30 days, and that a recount can be requested if the margin between two candidates is less than 0.2 percent, while an uncontested candidate must obtain at least half of the votes to be elected.

people: 馬英九 林榮德 朱立倫 周錫瑋 吳敦義 劉宥彤


title: Tech, communications push Wall Street to new highs

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Wall Street on Friday capped a milestone-setting week with a few more as modest gains nudged the major stock indices to all-time highs.

The benchmark S&P 500 also notched its second straight weekly gain.

Technology stocks powered much of the market’s broad gains, along with communication services companies and banks.

Energy sector stocks were the only decliners. Bond prices fell, sending yields higher.

Investors also welcomed more strong quarterly results from banks.

Meanwhile, a report showing a surge last month in new home construction provided the latest encouraging snapshot on the US economy.

A solid retail sales report on Thursday revealed that consumers are still spending at a healthy pace.

The latest batch of positive corporate earnings reports and economic data helped keep investors in a buying mood after the midweek signing of an initial trade deal by the US and China.

Progress on trade has eased fears on Wall Street about the potential for the dispute to escalate further.

“The markets have responded really to one thing and that’s trade headlines, and that continues,” Edward D. Jones & Co LP investment strategist Nela Richardson said. “But the economic data that underlies some of that momentum, not all of it, is pretty persistent. The fact that we’re seeing housing solidly make a corner turn into health is good for 2020.”

The S&P 500 on Friday rose 12.81 points, or 0.4 percent, to 3,329.62, surging nearly 2 percent from a close of 3,265.35 on Jan. 10. The benchmark index also set all-time highs on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday gained 50.46 points, or 0.2 percent, to 29,348.10, a jump of 1.8 percent from 28,823.77 a week earlier.

The NASDAQ Composite on Friday added 31.81 points, or 0.3 percent, to 9,388.94, rocketing 2.3 percent from 9,178.86 on Jan. 10.

However, the Russell 2000 index of smaller company stocks on Friday dropped 5.58 points, or 0.3 percent, to 1,699.64, but still surged 2.5 percent from a close of 1,657.64 a week earlier.

Bond prices fell, pushing yields higher. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury rose from 1.8 percent late on Thursday to 1.82 percent.

Financial markets are solidly higher just a few weeks into this year as trade disputes quiet down and the economic picture remains bright.

The S&P 500 is up 3.1 percent this year and technology stocks are once again leading the way with a gain of 5.9 percent. The index finished last year with a sharp 28.9 percent gain on a surge from the technology sector.

This week’s signing of a “phase one” trade deal has raised hopes on Wall Street that China and the US will avoid any further escalations as they continue talking.

US election concerns and the ongoing impeachment of US President Donald Trump have been both largely ignored by Wall Street, so far.

Still, the possibility that US trade tensions could heat up again, whether against China or the EU, and the US presidential election could result in heightened volatility for stocks this year, Richardson said.

“It’s likely that we’ll see some dips and volatility in the market,” Richardson said. “When those occur in the context of solid economic fundamentals and earnings growth, what we’re telling our clients is to buy that dip, because we think share prices will rebound, but we do think the path forward for share prices is rocky this year.”

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After the Democratic Progressive Party won landslide victories in the presidential and legislative elections, many attributed the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) crushing defeat to its disconnection from younger voters. For example, on the KMT’s controversial list of legislator-at-large nominees, the youngest of the first 15 candidates who stood the best chance of being elected was 50.

As the party pushed voters in their 20s, 30s and 40s away, its election defeat was not at all surprising.

During the campaign, the KMT repeatedly lost points on issues that young people are concerned about. Take the issue of same-sex marriage: In recent years, opinion polls at home and abroad have indicated that young people are supportive of the LGBT community and marriage equality.

In the US, a Gallup poll last year showed that as many as 83 percent of people aged 18 to 29 and 68 percent of people aged 30 to 49 supported same-sex marriage.

These figures were higher than the national average of 63 percent.

This trend actually reveals that for many voters under the age of 50, who enjoy greater access to information and might be more liberal than older voters, the LGBT issue is no longer seen as taboo, but rather as a human rights concern.

Unfortunately, the KMT was unaware of this shift in opinion during the same-sex marriage legislation process and campaign, when it was stressing that homosexuality would promote anal intercourse and eventually cause human extinction.

Many KMT legislative candidates even signed a “letter of commitment” proposed by an anti-LGBT group, pledging to abolish or amend the Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Constitutional Interpretation No. 748 (司法院釋字第748號解釋施行法) on same-sex marriage.

As they showed no respect for the constitutional interpretation, it is no wonder a number of voters were scared away.

As for the KMT’s presidential candidate, Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), and his running mate, former premier Simon Chang (張善政), their claim that they “respect but do not encourage” homosexuality is simply illogical. What kind of respect is it if you refuse to grant LGBT people basic rights?

After the elections, some pro-LGBT groups said that 32 of the 41 pro-LGBT legislative candidates seeking re-election kept their seats. In comparison, the anti-LGBT Stabilizing Force Party (安定力量) received just 94,563 party votes — 0.67 percent — and none of its legislative candidates were elected. Can the KMT leadership not see who the “box office bombs” are?

About 1.18 million people aged 20 to 23 were eligible to vote for the first time in the presidential and legislative elections, Central Election Commission data showed.

As number of young voters continues to grow, support for issues such as same-sex marriage will inevitably rise.

If the pro-blue camp insists on attracting votes from conservatives by triggering their fear or dislike of homosexuality through various discriminatory remarks, it is likely to further widen the generation gap, while forcing more young voters to join the pro-green camp.

Meanwhile, pro-blue camp supporters need to realize that Han’s slogan of “love and tolerance” should not be lip service. After all, social integration and cultural diversity are precious values, and there should be no distinction between the pro-blue and pro-green camps in terms of protecting minority groups’ basic rights.

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title: KMT can no longer afford to disregard young voters


title: Schalke upset ’Gladbach as Bundesliga break ends

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Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder Denis Zakaria controls the ball during their Bundesliga match against Schalke 04 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, on Friday.Photo: AFP

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Michael Gregoritsch scored one goal and set up another as Schalke 04 dealt a blow to Borussia Moenchengladbach’s Bundesliga hopes in a 2-0 win on Friday.

In the German league’s first game of this year after the winter break, ’Gladbach’s defense were frequently overwhelmed by the hosts’ rapid team moves, especially on counterattack.

After a string of first-half saves by ’Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer kept the score 0-0 at the break, but Schalke scored twice early in the second half.

Gregoritsch took the ball out to the left flank in the 48th minute, stretching the defense and opening up space in the middle. He passed for Suat Serdar to charge through the gap in ’Gladbach’s back line and score from the edge of the penalty area.

Ten minutes later it was Gregoritsch’s turn, finishing off a counterattack that ran almost the length of the field, with a lay-off pass from Benito Raman.

“We had trouble the whole game with Schalke’s movement. They put a lot of pressure on us and it was hard to play the ball out too. We gave them too much room,” Sommer said in televised comments. “We had chances in the first half when we could have scored a goal, but in general we were not good enough today.”

LA LIGA

AP

Getafe beat host CD Leganes 3-0 to win Madrid’s mini-derby on Friday. Jose Bordalas’ Getafe rose to fifth in La Liga ahead of the rest of the 20th round.

Getafe defender Leandro Cabrera headed in a cross from Damian Suarez to open the scoring in the 12th minute.

Allan-Romeo Nyom added a second goal from another header in the 21st minute, before forward Jorge Molino set up strike partner Jaime Mata to put the result beyond doubt in the 33rd minute.

Leganes goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar saved his side from an even bigger defeat when he rushed back and cleared a deflected shot by Mata from his line in the final minutes.

Leganes’ first loss in five rounds kept them in second-to-last place.

Javier Aguirre’s side were playing their first match since the club sold striker Youssef En-Nesyri to Sevilla.

COUPE DE FRANCE

AFP, PARIS

Olympique de Marseille struck three times in the final 15 minutes to overcome fourth-tier Granville 3-0 in the last 32 of the Coupe de France on Friday.

Alvaro Gonzalez, Nemanja Radonjic and Dimitri Payet scored for Marseille after Granville were reduced to 10 men following the dismissal of William Sea.

Marseille have won the Cup on 10 occasions — second only to Paris Saint-Germain (12) — but have not lifted the trophy since 1989.

They were dumped out of the competition in the round of 64 last season by fourth-division Andrezieux and only narrowly avoided a similar upset earlier this month when they beat Trelissac on penalties.

Pau, who play in the third tier, knocked out Ligue 1 club Girondins de Bordeaux on Thursday with a 3-2 victory.

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title: Korkmaz scores 24 in win over Bulls

content_text:
Korkmaz scores 24 in win over Bulls

THREE-POINT SOURCE:Sixers coach Brett Brown said that the team dusted off plays they ran with J.J. Redick before he left for the New Orleans Pelicans last year
The Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine, top, goes to the basket as Josh Richardson of the Philadelphia 76ers defends during their game in Philadelphia on Friday.Photo: AP

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Furkan Korkmaz asked the Philadelphia 76ers 14 months ago to trade him somewhere he could play amid frequent shuttles back and forth to the club’s G-League team in Delaware.

On Friday, he was a lifeline for a team that might have found an answer to their desperate need for outside shooting. Korkmaz had six three-pointers and a career-high 24 points as the 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 100-89.

“Everyone could see that I was really feeling it and trying to find me,” Korkmaz said. “As a team, we had good open looks in moving the ball and we executed the game plan well.”

Ben Simmons and Al Horford each scored 20 points for Philadelphia. Simmons had 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Zach LaVine led Chicago with 23 points, while Cody White had 14 and Luke Kornet added 13. The Bulls struggled to hold onto the ball, turning it over 11 times in the second half as the game slipped away.

“I didn’t like our discipline in the second half offensively,” Chicago head coach Jim Boylen said. “There were too many turnovers. We had some opportunities and good looks in situations that we could capitalize with. We didn’t get it done.”

Korkmaz helped the 76ers take over in the third quarter after trailing 48-47 coming into the second half. He hit all four of his shots from deep in the quarter, allowing Philadelphia to surge ahead 81-71 at the end of the period.

Philadelphia have been linked to virtually every available three-point shooting trade target to fill the gap left when leading outside shooter J.J. Redick left for the New Orleans Pelicans in free agency last year.

On Friday, the 76ers were seeing if Korkmaz could give them that lift off the bench. Korkmaz finished six of nine from three-point range and was eight of 11 overall.

“We were dusting off some of the plays that we used to run for J.J. We ran five plays in a row to him and he changed the game and gave us a spark,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said.

“It’s all about reps in practice, because J.J. was making shots look easy,” Korkmaz said. “At the end of the day, we’re running those for me. And when I play with Ben, I feel confident because I know I will be open at the end of the set.”

In Los Angeles, Norman Powell scored 28 points off the bench as the Toronto Raptors used a balanced offense to continue their domination over the Washington Wizards with a 140-111 rout.

Marc Gasol added 20 points to become one of seven players in double figures for the Raptors, who have won seven straight games against the Wizards.

The Raptors tied their franchise record points total of 140, which they earned in a double-overtime, two-point victory over the Wizards in January last year. It is the most points they have ever scored in regulation time.

Toronto have been struggling to hold big leads of late, but they hope to have finally reversed that trend with Friday’s season-high scoring total.

“We’re trusting one another, we’re moving the ball,” Powell said.

“We’re letting the offense work for us,” he added.

“We didn’t play well, we turned the ball over,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said. “We played against a championship team that was clicking on all cylinders.”

Additional reporting by AFP

In other games on Friday, it was:

‧ Pacers 116, Timberwolves 114

‧ Mavericks 120, T. Blazers 112

‧ Thunder 108, Heat 115

‧ Grizzlies 113, Cavaliers 109

‧ Spurs 120, Hawks 121

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title: Fighting for housing as a human right

content_text:
Fighting for housing as a human right

Dominique Walker has been called a squatter, a thief and a criminal, but she says the true crime is that in Oakland, California, homelessness is becoming normalized as people are priced out of the market
For almost two months, an unassuming white house on Magnolia Street in Oakland, California, was home for Dominique Walker and her family.

Her one-year-old son, Amir, took his first steps in the living room.

He said his first words there, too: “Thank you.”

Walker’s daughter, Aja, celebrated her fifth birthday in the house.

“We made it a home,” 34-year-old Walker said.

They made it their home when they entered the vacant structure on Nov. 18 last year with the intent to stay, knowing full well that they neither owned the house nor had an agreement to lease it.

Yet a city grappling with a housing crisis that has priced out far too many cannot afford to allow houses such as the one on Magnolia to sit vacant, Walker said.

In Oakland, more than 15,500 units are vacant, while 4,071 people are homeless, US Census Bureau data showed.

“This is bigger than me, than this one house,” Walker said. “I never thought I would be in this position, but this is the new face of homelessness. It doesn’t look like what people think homelessness would look like.”

In the early hours of Tuesday morning, sheriff deputies rolled up to the white house on Magnolia Street, where hundreds of Walker’s supporters had gathered, knowing that eviction was imminent. Two other homeless mothers staying in the house, as well as two supporters, were arrested.

Walker planned to be there when the deputies arrived, but was in an interview when they battered down the front door. She and other organizers had made sure beforehand that the children had somewhere else to stay during the chaos.

In the aftermath, Walker was teary and tired, but just as resolute as she has been throughout the process.

When she and her family took possession of that house, they did so not just for themselves, not just for other homeless families like them, but to spark a movement — a movement that their supporters believe will be the next civil rights movement of our time: housing as a human right.

“I feel like I should be standing with my sisters, but I’m standing right here for them right now,” she told reporters outside the house. “This movement is just beginning.”

Walker’s story has become far too common in the Bay Area . She has deep roots in Oakland, with her grandparents moving from Arkansas and Mississippi to make the city their home. After growing up there, she left for Tougaloo College in Mississippi in 2004, where she earned a degree in sociology and met the father of her children.

When their relationship fell apart, and she found herself having to flee domestic violence in April, she looked toward Oakland, toward home, only to find there was no one left.

Like so many others in the community, her family had been priced out, leaving for places such as Vallejo, Sacramento, Antioch and Stockton.

She got a job in Oakland organizing for the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), but no place to stay.

“I was sleeping at a family member’s house in Stockton, commuting from Stockton to Oakland every day, and bringing the kids to daycare in Berkeley,” she said. “We tried another family member in Antioch, and it didn’t make much of a difference. The commute was even worse.”

Walker tried some city programs that gave her vouchers for hotels and attempted to get into a rental assistance program that ended up having its funding cut. At the same time, she began to realize that the issue extended beyond her.

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title: S Africa’s Boucher wants balance after Rabada ban

content_text:
South Africa batsman Anrich Nortje, left, plays a shot as England fielder Ollie Pope, second left, takes evasive action on day 3 of the third Test at St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, yesterday.Photo: AFP

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Like any fan of the game, Mark Boucher wants the International Cricket Council (ICC) to find a balance when regulating how players — and especially aggressive fast bowlers such as South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada — display their emotions on the field so as not to over-sanitize the sport.

“Don’t take the emotion out of the game, because I still think there is a very big part for that in the game of cricket,” South Africa’s head coach said.

While making that point, Boucher also said that Rabada maybe went too far when he celebrated, screaming and with fists pumping, right in front of Joe Root after bowling the England captain on day 2 of the ongoing third Test in Port Elizabeth.

South Africa were 113-5 at tea on day 3, still 386 runs behind England’s first innings of 499-9 declared on a rain-shortened day Dominic Bess had all five wickets.

The Rabada incident has put reasonably new ICC regulations guiding how and where players vent their emotions on the cricket field back under scrutiny.

The 24-year-old Rabada, a star of the sport, received a demerit or disciplinary point for his over-zealous celebration. An accumulation of those points led to him being banned for the final Test next week.

There has been criticism of the rules and the suspension of Rabada. He was charged and punished by cricket’s ruling body for “using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter.”

Some question whether the ICC is going too far and trying to restrict players showing their feelings.

However, Rabada would not have been disciplined if he celebrated in the same way a meter or two to the left or right of Root. His venting right in front of Root — “yes, he was in his space,” Boucher said — was the problem, because it was deemed provocative.

Rabada appeared to intentionally head straight for Root.

This is where the criticism that the ICC is removing emotion from cricket might be misplaced, because Rabada, young, energetic and fiercely competitive, has celebrated plenty of wickets this series with equal zealousness, just not right in the face of an opposing player and the ICC has not had any issue with it.

Another incident from this series saw England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler fined for his expletive-laden taunting of South Africa’s Vernon Philander in the second Test in Cape Town.

On-field sledging between players is far from new in cricket, but Buttler’s swearing was caught on a stump microphone and broadcast fairly clearly to a live TV audience of all ages.

Buttler was fined, a move also criticized by some commentators and former players, although the ICC does not appear unreasonable in its concerns over swear words ringing out on live TV during a game.

There is evidence of some balance from cricket officials in this regard, too. When Buttler walked out to bat on Friday, South Africa’s players greeted him with some words of their own, but nothing was caught on any microphone.

Most cricketers see sledging, within reason, as a part of the game and the ICC is not going to be taking any action against anyone for Buttler’s fiery welcome because it all stayed on the field among the players.

As Ollie Pope, the other England batter out there when Buttler arrived, said: “What’s said on the pitch stays on the pitch, unless the stump mics pick up on it.

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title: Kyrgios dismisses criticism from Zverev

content_text:
Kyrgios dismisses criticism from Zverev

GRAND SLAM:Alexander Zverev of Germany said that a lot of young players are better than the Australian, including Stefanos Tsitsipas, as he is better over five sets
Ashleigh Barty returns to Dayana Yastremska during the women’s singles final match at the Adelaide International in Australia yesterday.Photo: AFP

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Australia’s Nick Kyrgios yesterday dismissed criticism from Alexander Zverev after the German said he was a step behind some of his main rivals when it came to challenging for Grand Slams.

Zverev said some of the other young players were “just better” than Kyrgios, who provocatively dropped and did push-ups when the world No. 7 served double faults during Germany’s clash with Australia at the ATP Cup.

“I’m not going to entertain that too much. With everything going on, that’s the least of my worries,” Kyrgios said. “He’s a great player. I’m not quite sure where those comments come from. I’m sure he didn’t mean them in a bad way, but if he did, then I’m sorry for whatever I’ve done to you.”

Zverev earlier told media in Melbourne that “there’s a lot of young guys that are right now, no offense, just better than” Kyrgios.

“I think Stefanos [Tsitsipas] is better than him. Just simply because he is better over five sets and that’s what you need as well,” he said.

Zverev faces Marco Cecchinato in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday, while Kyrgios is to play Lorenzo Sonego.

Additional reporting by staff writer

AUCKLAND CLASSIC

AFP, AUCKLAND, New Zealand

It was the “tournament of revenge” for rising star Ugo Humbert who won his maiden ATP title by beating Benoit Paire in a three-set thriller at the Auckland Classic yesterday.

In the all-French showdown, the unseeded Humbert held his nerve in the deciding tie-break of his first ATP final to beat the fifth seed 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 7-6 (7/5).

The 30-year-old Paire, No. 24 in the world, was no stranger to playing a decider, having been stretched to three sets in his four previous matches in the tournament.

The 21-year-old Humbert, who a year ago was ranked outside the top 100, started the tournament at No. 57 and the title should advance him well inside the top 50.

“I really, really wanted to win it today and I did,” said an elated Humbert.

“It was the tournament of revenge,” he added, having previously lost to four of the five players he beat in Auckland.

HOBART

AP, HOBART, Australia

Elena Rybakina will enter the season’s first major with a seeding and fresh off a title after beating Zhang Shuai 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 in the Hobart International final yesterday.

The 20-year-old Rybakina surged more than 150 places in the WTA rankings last year to finish at No. 37. She is to enter the Australian Open, which starts in Melbourne tomorrow, as the 29th seed after reaching the final at the Shenzhen Open in China to start this season and capturing her second career title a week later.

“It’s amazing. I’m really happy with my win because last week I had an opportunity. I was really motivated,” Rybakina said. “Of course I’m really happy and confident.”

Rybakina has only one day off before her first-round meeting against Bernarda Pera at Melbourne Park.

ADELAIDE

Reuters and AFP, MELBOURNE, Australia

World No. 1 Ash Barty beat Dayana Yastremska 6-2, 7-5 to win the women’s singles title at the Adelaide International yesterday, while Russian Andrey Rublev secured his second title in a week after beating Lloyd Harris in the men’s singles.

Barty broke the Ukrainian twice to win the first set, but Yastremska put up stiffer resistance in the second to level it at 4-4. The Australian broke to go 6-5 up on four straight errors from the Ukrainian and served out to seal the title.

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content_text:
By Hsu Li-chuan and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer
E-Da Hospital otorhinolaryngologist Wang Chih-chun, left, and Chen Jung-yueh, a doctor at the hospital’s thoracic clinic, point to an image of a leech stuck in a woman’s throat during a presentation at the hospital on Wednesday.Photo: Hsu Lee-chuan, Taipei Times
Kaohsiung’s E-Da Hospital on Wednesday warned against drinking unboiled or unfiltered water from mountain streams to avoid ingesting parasites, after treating a woman with a leech in her throat.

The hospital treated a 60-year-old woman surnamed Shen (沈) who was complaining of feeling “something in her throat” and was coughing blood, said an otorhinolaryngologist at the hospital, Wang Chih-chun (王誌群).

The patient, who grows coffee trees in Kaohsiung’s Maolin District (茂林), often washed her face or rinsed her mouth using nearby water sources, Wang said.

Shen had previously been diagnosed with oral cancer and was less sensitive to what passed through her mouth, Wang said, adding that the hospital discovered a leech in the glottis and trachea area of her throat.

Shen’s exposure to untreated mountain water might have given the leech an opportunity to enter her body, possibly through the nasal cavity, Wang said.

Juvenile leeches are only 2mm to 3mm long and are barely visible, Wang said, adding that the leech found in Shen was already 10cm long and 1cm wide, indicating that it had been with her for at least three weeks.

With anesthetics, the leech was removed and Shen reported feeling better, Wang said.

Hosts often fail to detect leeches, as they secrete a mild anesthetic to remain hidden, he said.

Wang urged people who hike and camp in the mountains to avoid drinking water directly from ponds or streams, and that any food washed with the water should be thoroughly cooked and boiled before ingestion.

Wang also said that people should visit their nearest clinic or hospital if they have difficulty breathing, bleed from the mouth and nose without reason, or feel that there is “something” in their throat or ear.

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title: Hospital warns of dangers in drinking untreated water


title: KMT needs to reassess its loyalties

content_text:
Some of the foreign academics who visited Taiwan to observe the presidential and legislative elections believe the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) far-reaching intervention in and attempts to manipulate the elections backfired, helping the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) maintain a legislative majority and President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) win re-election with an unprecedented 8.17 million votes.

They also believe that the CCP might have “lost” Taiwan forever.

However, the CCP cannot lose something it never had, so talk about losing Taiwan has nothing to do with reality — it is a non-issue.

It cannot be denied that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) promotion of a “one country, two systems” solution for Taiwan and Beijing’s use of representatives in Taiwan to try to win the presidency and bring about peaceful unification has caused a backlash.

Taiwanese — including young second and third-generation mainlander voters who identify with Taiwan — feel the threat of the CCP’s tyranny, and they must do all they can to oppose it and protect Taiwan.

Beijing’s unreasonable response to the Hong Kong protests shows no respect for international treaties such as the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, and it supports the Hong Kong police’s use of violence against protesters.

This has caused strong resentment among Taiwanese — especially the younger generation, which focuses on democracy, freedom and human rights — against the CCP regime.

Neither the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) nor the party’s presidential candidate showed any support or even concern for the Hong Kong protests.

This is very different from Tsai and her administration, so the young generations never hesitated to vote for her.

Former KMT chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) and Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜), its presidential candidate, were the main causes of the party’s defeat.

In an attempt to court Xi, Wu changed his stance and expressed support for a cross-strait peace agreement.

During the KMT’s presidential primary process, Wu changed the rules on several occasions to eliminate his political foes and help promote Beijing’s representative.

He also included retired lieutenant general Wu Sz-huai (吳斯懷), former Mainland Affairs Council deputy minister Chang Hsien-yao (張顯耀) and former KMT legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) — all openly pro-Chinese — on its legislator-at-large list to reduce dissenting opinion, which resulted in strong protests from inside and outside the party.

Although Chiu and Chang were replaced, retired Central Police University associate professor Yeh Yu-lan (葉毓蘭), who supports the Hong Kong police’s violent attacks on the pro-democracy camp, was placed second on the list and Wu remained in fourth place.

These decisions had quite an effect on voter support for KMT legislators.

In the eyes of the majority of voters, Han is a bona fide country bumpkin, whose statements, actions, capability and style are incompatible with the requirements of a president.

The KMT’s internal so-called “blue elite” and “blue intelligentsia” felt ashamed over the decision to give Han the presidential nomination, which hurt the party’s dignity and sense of tradition.

Han has been seen as a tool of Beijing in its attempts to gain control over Taiwan, which intensified the feeling of imminent crisis and made large numbers of young voters spontaneously turn out to vote.

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people: 習近平 葉毓蘭 吳斯懷 張顯耀 韓國瑜 蔡英文 吳敦義 邱毅


content_text:
“Reading the water meter” (查水表, cha shuibiao) is an ordinary expression that in China has taken on the additional meaning of police officers getting people to open their doors by claiming that they are there to read the water meter, or some other excuse. It also includes situations where the police leave notices instructing people to attend interviews.

During the past couple of weeks, the expression has been heard all over the place in Taiwan, where the police are being accused of using such tactics.

Criminal Investigation Bureau Commissioner Huang Ming-chao (黃明昭) spoke to the media to refute these accusations, presenting statistics and insisting that the police only investigate unlawful activities and never “read the water meter.”

Nonetheless, some people with preconceived opinions have continued to make the accusations.

All this talk of “reading the water meter” might make sense in China, but Taiwanese police never “read the meter.” They do not need to, because they have good relations with the public and when they interview people, they get straight to the point, without beating about the bush.

Besides, water meters in Taiwan are usually located in the fire-break alleys between buildings, on the roof or in other common areas, so who would open their door to let someone in to read the water meter?

It would be fair to say that those who accuse Taiwanese police of “reading the water meter” are actually using disinformation to put the police in a difficult position.

In this post-truth era, democracies around the world are under siege by disinformation. Fake news fiercely attacks one of the key characteristics of democratic societies, namely that people have the right to doubt something and seek out the truth about it. In this way, fake news undermines the very core of democracy. Intellectuals, journalists and policymakers worldwide are examining this dystopian narrative.

The main narratives communicated in the post-truth era are influenced by independent social media, while public social media and the news industry are no longer in the mainstream. When anyone can publish something, some people with ulterior motives set out to intentionally mislead the public, which is pushing democracy into a state of emergency.

There is a need to uphold the right to seek the truth, which lies at the core of democracy, while also being able to censure fake news, which is harmful. This is clearly not a crisis that can be resolved either by extreme laissez-faire or by groundless accusations.

Political philosophers Johan Farkas and Jannick Schou critique existing solutions, saying that they neglect that democracy has never been about the search for truth alone: It is equally about the free speech and opinions of democratic people.

However, in the post-truth era, all democratic countries are suffering from how fake news uses freedom of speech to undermine democracy. A fair, forthright judicial system is crucial to truly safeguard democracy and soberly diagnose cases of fake news.

After investigating cases reported by victims, those cases can then be fairly transferred to judicial institutions for speedy review. Only by doing so can freedom of speech be safeguarded and those responsible for launching fake news attacks be uncovered.

Huang took it upon himself to explain how police departments investigate cases of fake news, saying that police always enforce the law on the basis of “reasonable grounds” and that these “reasonable grounds” apply within a fair and democratic system.

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title: Quash fake news, not free speech


content_text:
Palladium sees biggest one-day jump since 2008

AWAITING CORRECTION?One expert projected that prices would stabilize, as a supply deficit and surging demand exceeding market forecasts have driven a rally
Palladium on Friday surged the most intraday since 2008 as scant supply and robust demand extended a record-breaking rally.

Spot palladium jumped as much as 9.7 percent to an all-time high of US$2,539.14 per ounce.

The metal rallied to post its best week since 2001 and has shown little sign of slowing down, even as some analysts caution that prices might be due for a pullback.

Prices were up 8 percent as of 5pm in New York, while futures settled 2.2 percent higher at US$2,224.90.

While palladium’s rally has been driven by supply deficits and surging demand, the increases have exceeded market forecasts, said Noah Capital Markets Ltd analyst Rene Hochreiter, who expects spot prices could retreat to an average of US$2,250 per ounce for the rest of the year.

“Prices do not go up forever and the recent run should see a correction, though the fundamental shortfalls will not go away anytime soon,” Hochreiter said.

Palladium is trading at more than twice the price of platinum, which might motivate automakers to use it as a substitute, Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd (ANZ) said.

“A modest recovery in the auto sector, along with tighter emissions regulations, should lend support,” ANZ strategists Daniel Hynes and Soni Kumari said in a report.

Still, a “price setback is possible for palladium following its impressive rally this year,” they added.

Palladium’s surge has been a boon for platinum group miners in South Africa, which accounts for about 38 percent of global palladium supply.

The FTSE/JSE Africa Platinum Mining Index is at the highest since 2011 and the shares of top producer Sibanye Gold Ltd have risen nearly fourfold in the past 12 months.

“Further weakness in mining production can’t be ruled out,” ING Bank commodities strategists Warren Patterson and Yao Wenyu said in a note to clients. “While higher prices should be encouraging miners to look to boost output, palladium is largely produced as a by-product, making supply more inelastic.”

Supply constraints in South Africa, where producers are grappling with an uncertain electricity system, have been one of the main drivers for the price rally, ABN Amro Bank NV strategist Georgette Boele said.

“It’s a very structurally tight market,” TD Securities analyst Ryan McKay said by telephone from Toronto. “Even the actual physical demand — automakers who use this stuff providing a bid for that metal — that drives the prices up when it’s super tight and supply is not really there.”

In other commodities trading, gold rose US$9.80 to US$1,558.80 per ounce and silver rose US$0.13 to US$18.01 per ounce, while copper was unchanged at US$2.85 per pound.

Additional reporting by AP

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content_text:
By Athar Parvaiz  /  Thomson Reuters Foundation, SRINAGAR, India
Braving the snow and cold, 18-year-old Abrar Ahmad is one of thousands of Kashmiris who regularly spend hours traveling on a packed train just so that they can go online as the region grapples with the longest Internet blackout imposed by a democracy.

Stepping off the crammed train — dubbed the “Internet Express” by Indian Kashmiris — in the nearby town of Banihal, the passengers make a beeline for cafes where they pay up to 300 rupees (US$4.22) for an hour of broadband access.

“I couldn’t have afforded to miss this opportunity,” Ahmad told the Thomson Reuters Foundation after filling out an online job application at a teeming Internet cafe, where dozens of others hit by the five-and-a-half-month Internet shutdown lined up behind him.

“There is no one else in my family to take care of my three younger siblings and me,” he said, adding that his father, a mason, lost his leg in a road accident last year.

Indian-administered Kashmir has been without broadband and mobile data services since Aug. 5 last year, when India’s government revoked the special status of its only Muslim-majority state, splitting Jammu & Kashmir in two.

Despite a UN declaration in 2016 that the Internet is a human right, shutdowns have risen in the past few years as governments from the Philippines to Yemen have said that they were necessary for public safety and national security.

Kashmir is claimed in full by India and Pakistan, which have gone to war twice over it. Each rules parts of the scenic Himalayan region.

India said that it cut communications to prevent unrest in Kashmir, where a separatist insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people since 1989.

The lockdown has cost Kashmir more than US$2.4 billion since August, with sectors directly dependent on the Internet such as e-commerce and information technology the worst-hit, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.

“Doing trade without the Internet is unimaginable in the present-day world,” said Abdul Majeed Mir, vice president of the chamber, which estimated that nearly 500,000 jobs have been lost. “Irreversible damage has been caused to the economy.”

Kashmir’s Internet ban has affected everything from relationships to access to healthcare, said Raman Jit Singh Chima, Asia policy director at global digital rights group Access Now.

In addition to introducing the democratic world’s longest Internet clampdown in Kashmir, Access Now said that India also accounted for two-thirds of global shutdowns in 2018.

“Punishing an entire population on the basis of saying potential violence or terrorism might occur is extraordinary,” Chima said.

The Indian home and information ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

At a noisy cybercafe in Banihal, Danish stepped out to catch his breath as people elbowed past to get on the Web. Diesel generator fumes filled the cramped space to keep computers and laptops running during frequent power cuts.

“I felt suffocated inside,” said Danish, a University of Kashmir academic who declined to give his full name. “This Internet gag is driving me crazy.”

However, he prefers the lengthy trek to Banihal to trying to get online at one of the hundreds of Internet kiosks the government has set up in Kashmir, where demand hugely outstrips supply.

New Delhi said that the scrapping of Jammu & Kashmir’s special status was necessary to integrate it into the rest of India and spur development.

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title: Kashmiris take ‘Internet Express’ to stay connected


content_text:
German car giants Volkswagen AG (VW), BMW AG and Daimler AG have posted strong sales growth in the face of last year’s contracting global market, shifting massive numbers of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) ahead of a pivotal year for electric mobility.

While Fitch Ratings Inc estimated global unit sales shrank 4 percent year-on-year, figures released over the past week showed BMW gaining 2 percent, Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz 1.3 percent and the 12-brand VW group flagship brand 1.3 percent.

However, even with growing sales, automakers plan more than 40,000 jobs cuts in the coming years, with Opel Automobile GmbH the latest to announce 2,100 voluntary departures on Tuesday.

HIGH-END SUPREMACY

“German manufacturers are well-positioned with their premium brands,” said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, industry expert at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

In the fierce race to be worldwide No. 1 in high-end cars, Daimler’s nose remained ahead for the fourth year in a row.

The Stuttgart-based firm shipped 2.34 million Mercedes-Benz vehicles, while Munich sold 2.17 million BMWs — both all-time records.

Both premium manufacturers’ figures were massively boosted by China, with Mercedes sales there growing 6.2 percent and BMW 13.1 percent year-on-year.

However, VW also highlighted strong performance in China “thanks to the strength of its brand,” Dudenhoeffer said.

More keenly touched by a US-China trade conflict were US manufacturers like Ford Motor Co and General Motors Co, he added.

SUV DOMINANCE

For all the German automakers, last year brought new strides for the dominance of SUVs in sales figures.

Sales of BMW’s “X” range grew 21 percent, now making up about half of total deliveries.

At Daimler, one in three Mercedes sold was an SUV at almost 784,000 units, while VW’s SEAT SA and Porsche AG subsidiaries also shipped more of the models.

“It’s perfectly clear that SUVs drive sales and profits for the carmakers,” Stefan Bratzel of the Center of Automotive Management said.

CARBON FOOTPRINT

However, demand for the high-margin gas guzzlers will squeeze manufacturers as they scramble to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in response to new EU rules.

From this year, automakers must reach average carbon dioxide emissions across their new vehicle fleets of less than 95g per kilometer, on pain of harsh fines from next year.

“Electric cars have to hit the roads, otherwise the fines will land and they will be painful,” Dudenhoeffer said.

Looking to reduce their carbon footprint, manufacturers have dozens of electric and hybrid models lined up for release in the coming years.

In particular focus is Volkswagen’s ID.3 compact car, presented to great fanfare at the International Motor Show Germany in September last year as the electric counterpart to the company’s stalwart Golf.

GREENER FUTURE

Meanwhile, BMW and Daimler are placing most of their chips on hybrids rather than all-electric power.

“The manufacturers can’t leave SUVs by the wayside,” Bratzel said. “Rather, they’ll try to give them a coat of green paint” to overcome their negative image.

With many drivers still reluctant to take the electric plunge, “demand will depend in the long term on charging infrastructure” to reassure the doubters, he said.

Charging points also represent one factor for automakers’ success not completely under their control, he added.

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title: German automakers ride out sales slump on SUVs


content_text:
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, sitting, second left, listens to a presentation on the Estonian government’s e-Estonia program during a visit to the e-Estonia Briefing Centre in Tallinn, the country’s capital, on Friday.Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Government
The Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) biggest challenge is itself and it should not drag the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) into its internal affairs, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) said on Friday.

Ko, chairman of the TPP, made the remarks to the media during a visit to Estonia.

KMT Taipei City Councilor Lee Ming-hsien (李明賢) on Friday said in Taipei that the KMT’s short-term challenge would not be the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but rather the TPP, which would compete with the KMT to be the second-largest party in the Legislative Yuan.

The TPP gained five legislator-at-large seats by winning 11.2 percent of party votes in the Jan. 11 legislative elections, becoming the nation’s third-largest party, while the KMT won 38 seats and the DPP secured an absolute majority of 61 seats.

If the TPP’s five new legislators perform better than the KMT’s 38 lawmakers, the KMT would face greater competition, Lee said, expressing concern that young people would choose to join the TPP over the KMT.

“The largest challenge to the KMT is itself,” Ko said. “I often say that one’s greatest enemy is oneself, so the KMT should not drag the TPP into the problems it is facing today.”

“The KMT has been around for more than 100 years, but I am afraid that it will have to work a little harder,” he said, adding that he believes the KMT is facing a crisis and it should resolve internal issues on its own, and it definitely has nothing to do with the TPP.

Ko on Friday visited the e-Estonia Briefing Centre in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and listened to reports about e-governance by the Estonian Information System Authority and the e-Governance Academy.

He then commented on the Estonian government’s e-Estonia movement, which aims to help citizens interact with the state through electronic solutions, and commented on Taiwanese political issues.

The critical part of an automated system is “e-identification” — how to accurately and reliably identify a user when they are accessing services through a smartcard, computer or smartphone, Ko said, adding that his administration would incorporate the lessons learned from Estonia when improving the next version of the Taipei Card.

Taipei Department of Legal Affairs officials accompanied him on the trip, because they need to learn how to prevent personal data breaches when pushing e-governance in Taipei, Ko said, adding that the visit is also important because it allows the city government to establish direct contact with Estonia for further information exchanges.

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title: KMT’s biggest problem is itself, not the TPP: Ko


title: Oil extends fall as ample supply offsets trade hopes

content_text:
Oil on Friday declined for the second week as signs that supplies remain plentiful offset optimism over the signing of a US-China trade agreement.

Futures in New York were little changed, but ended the week 0.9 percent lower.

Refiners have turned a crude surplus into a product surplus with US gasoline and distillate stocks expanding by more than 40 million barrels over the past three weeks.

The build overshadowed Beijing’s commitment to spending US$52.4 billion in additional purchases of US energy in the next two years as part the “phase one” trade deal between the world’s biggest economies.

“There is a positive vibe after the trade deal, but the fact is we are so oversupplied it’s going to be difficult to get the market up past US$60,” Mizuho Securities USA LLC futures director Bob Yawger said in New York.

Before the landmark US-China accord was signed, prices reached a six-week low on Wednesday after US government data showed that petroleum inventories in the country expanded to the highest levels since September last year.

Supplies at the critical commercial storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, rose for the first time in 10 weeks.

US crude production continues to set new records, hitting 13 million barrels per day earlier this month.

Oil drilling rose for the first time in four weeks, led by the Permian Basin, indicating that oil supplies are poised for more gains in the near term.

West Texas Intermediate futures for delivery next month settled up US$0.02 at US$58.54 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Brent for March settlement rose US$0.23 cents to US$64.85 on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London after climbing 1 percent on Thursday. That put its premium over West Texas Intermediate for the same month at US$6.27 per barrel.

The market might have to contend with another week of inventory builds as fog on the US Gulf Coast has intermittently suspended marine traffic and slowed exports, Lipow Oil Associates LLC president Andy Lipow said in Houston, Texas.

The International Energy Agency on Thursday said that global markets have a “solid base” of inventories and climbing supplies from outside the OPEC cartel, even as elevated tensions in the Middle East endanger production from Iraq and elsewhere.

In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline fell US$0.01 to US$1.64 per gallon and heating oil declined US$0.01 to US$1.86 per gallon, while natural gas fell US$0.07 to US$2 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Additional reporting by AP

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content_text:
The New Taiwan dollar on Friday fell against the US dollar, sliding NT$0.005 to close at NT$29.960, but still gaining 0.2 percent from NT$30.019 a week earlier.

Turnover totaled US$968 million during the trading session. The greenback opened at NT$29.960, and moved between NT$29.900 and NT$29.962 before the close.

BENEFICIAL DATA

Elsewhere on Friday, the greenback rose to a one-week high against the euro as economic data pointed to solid economic growth and reduced fears about an impending slowdown.

US homebuilding last month surged to a 13-year high as activity increased across the board, suggesting that the housing market recovery was back on track amid low mortgage rates.

That data came after statistics on Thursday showed that US retail sales last month increased for a third straight month, while a gauge of manufacturing activity in the US mid-Atlantic region this month rebounded to its highest level in eight months.

“The last couple of sessions we’ve gotten some pretty good data,” CIBC Capital Markets North American head of foreign exchange strategy Bipan Rai said in Toronto.

“There was a little bit of concern by the [US] Federal Reserve with regard to the health of the consumer and household market in the US, but it seems like yesterday’s retail sales numbers and also the housing data from yesterday and today have assuaged some of those fears for the time being,” Rai said.

The euro fell 0.41 percent against the US dollar to US$1.1089.

The Japanese yen was little changed, after weakening earlier on Friday as record-high stocks reflected stronger risk appetite.

CHINA STABILIZES

Data released on Friday showed that China’s economy ended last year on a firmer note, even as economic growth cooled to its weakest in nearly 30 years.

“December data signaled a strong finish for the Chinese economy and that suggests the Chinese economy may be primed for a rebound in 2020,” Mitsubishi UFG Financial Group Inc currency strategist Lee Hardman said in London.

The yen hit ￥110.28, the weakest since May last year, before falling back to ￥110.12.

The offshore Chinese yuan also strengthened as far as 6.8567, the strongest since July last year.

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title: NT dollar slides as greenback rises on optimism over US


people: 蔡英文 陳唐山 蔡明憲

content_text:
By Chen Yu-fu and Jake Chung  /  Staff reporter, with staff writer
Taiwan United Nations Alliance president Michael Tsai speaks at a forum organized by the alliance in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) should convene international news conferences in May and September to announce to the world Taiwan’s intent to join the WHO and the UN, Taiwan United Nations Alliance president Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) said yesterday.

“The unwillingness of our president to make an appeal to the UN regarding our intention to join over the past four years has been regrettable,” Michael Tsai said at an alliance event in Taipei, calling on Tsai Ing-wen “to boldly and firmly express to the international community Taiwan’s wish” to join both international organizations.

Michael Tsai also suggested that the president write a personal letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Taiwan’s desire to join the UN.

He also called on the Legislative Yuan to pass a resolution that would give competent authorities the legal basis to make appeals to the international community to support Taiwan’s joining of the WHO.

“We hope that the government can be more proactive in such matters,” he said.

Since 2003, the alliance has sent annual delegations to the US to advocate for Taiwan’s membership in the UN.

Former minister of foreign affairs Mark Chen (陳唐山) called Tsai Ing-wen’s statement that “we are an independent country already” in an interview with the BBC that was aired on Tuesday an excellent move forward, saying that if Taiwan could keep up relations with the 60 countries that congratulated her on her re-election, Taiwan could slowly build up a solid base to support its bid to join the UN.

While he supports the name “Republic of China (Taiwan),” joining the UN using that title would be problematic, he said, expressing the hope that the Tsai administration would develop a strategy to overcome the obstacle.

Former deputy minister of foreign affairs Michael Kau (高英茂) said that the government could consider a strategy used in 1992, when the nation applied to join the predecessor of the WTO — the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade — as the autonomous customs territory of Taiwan, the Pescadores, Kinmen and Matsu.

The main difficulty Taiwan faces in joining the UN stems from its uncertain status internationally, which leaves other nations with their hands tied, even if they want to support Taiwan, Kau said.

The government has also been passive in the past and should launch more government-backed campaigns to join the UN, as it is difficult to garner global attention when acting as a private party, he said.

The government should speak with its allies and call for a debate in the UN regarding Taiwan’s status, he added.

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title: World should hear about Taiwan’s aim to join UN: group


content_text:
Taipei art show features Asian artists and galleries

TWO YEARS RUNNING:One Art Taipei, taking up three floors of the Sherwood Taipei, sold about 800 pieces last year, and officials expect it to sell even more this year
This year’s One Art Taipei event yesterday opened to the public at the Sherwood Taipei with a display of more than 3,000 contemporary works of art from across Asia.

The art fair, spread over three floors of the hotel, features works by artists from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong, and from 67 galleries across Asia.

A series of 12 contemporary pieces by 24-year-old Austrian artist Alessandro Painsi, which were on loan from the Be Fine Art Gallery in Taipei, attracted attention in an empty room of the hotel.

“We had an idea to build a room inside a room, because hotel rooms are always neat and perfect, but I wanted to create something that was really rough and raw,” Painsi said. “I wanted it to remind me of my studio and my work, which is very rough.”

One of Painsi’s eye-catching pieces was his Head of Lucifer painting.

“At the first moment, it is very chaotic and there is a lot going on,” Painsi’s curator and agent Anne-Marie Avramut said. “You see different textiles cut out and glued and sewn together by hand. You see big splashes of oil paint, writing in oil stick and very powerful and big gestures of brush strokes.”

However, what looks like chaos is meant to represent the core idea of the universe, she said.

It is “the concept of duality, which is reflected through Lucifer, who in European mythology is the one concept that incorporates both darkness and light, together,” Avramut said.

“It is like the Asian principle of yin and yang,” she added.

This year is the second year of the hotel art fair, which started last year, when it sold about 800 pieces, One Art Taipei director Rick Wang (王瑞棋) said.

“I’m definitely sure that the numbers are going to increase this year, judging from the delivery notices that we have received so far,” he said.

One Art Taipei, which opened on Friday for art collectors and special guests, runs until today.

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content_text:
Taiwanese artists headed to French art comic festival

PASSION FOR COMICS:The Ministry of Culture, which has held a pavilion at the fair since 2012, said it plans to feature Taiwan’s rising comic artists and publishers
Taiwan’s participants in the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France hold up drawings at a news conference at the Ministry of Culture in Taipei on Wednesday to announce that it would host a pavilion at the festival for the ninth consecutive year.Photo: CNA
The Ministry of Culture this month is sending Taiwanese comic artists, including the cofounder of an independent comic magazine, to the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France for the ninth consecutive year.

The artists to be featured at Taiwan’s pavilion this year include Monday Recover (星期一回收日), Animo Chen (阿尼默), Gao Yan (高妍), Wu Yu-shi (吳宇實), Penpoint (筆頭), Nin (the pen name for Li Yu-ning, 李育凝) and Stellina Chen (陳筱涵), the ministry said.

Liu Chien-fan (劉倩帆) and Jelly Bug (水母蟲), selected as finalists in the festival’s Young Talents and Draw Me Comics contests respectively, would also join them, it said.

The ministry has run a pavilion at the festival since 2012, it said, adding that the 47th edition of the festival runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2.

Curated by Locus Publishing chairman Rex How (郝明義), Taiwan’s pavilion would be titled “Passion of Taiwan Comics,” the ministry said.

The pavilion would include three major sections: one focused on the participating artists, a second that highlights publishers and recommended titles, and a third that looks back on Taiwan’s pavilions in previous years, it said.

Liu, who created the independent quarterly magazine Bo_ing Comix (波音漫畫誌) in 2018 with fellow artist Elainee Fang (房瑞儀), said she and Fang met at a previous edition of the Angouleme International Comics Festival.

They plan to bring the magazine, published in Chinese and English, to this year’s festival, Liu said.

Over the past two years, the ministry has invested considerable resources in the comic scene, Department of Humanities and Publications Director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said at Taipei’s Taiwan Comic Base, which this month is celebrating its one-year anniversary.

“We no longer only have Japanese comics,” she said, while acknowledging the “important influence” they have had on Taiwanese culture.

The ministry plans to host an exhibition from Feb. 17 to March 17 at Taiwan Comic Base showcasing the works featured at the Taiwan pavilion, she said.

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taiwan-subdivisions: 左營 南港

title: HSR celebrates 600 millionth passenger

content_text:
HSR celebrates 600 millionth passenger

TRAVELER REWARDS:The passenger who purchased the ticket won unlimited travel on the system, while four other passengers would receive travel packages
High-speed rail attendants at an unspecified station yesterday hold up signs reading: “HSR standard class, one year of free tickets on the high-speed rail.”Photo provided by Taiwan High-Speed Rail Corp
The high-speed rail system on Friday reached a milestone in carrying its 600 millionth passenger, 13 years after it was launched, the operator said yesterday.

The passenger, who was traveling from Taipei’s Nangang Station (南港) to Kaohsiung’s Zuoying Station (左營), was awarded one year of unlimited travel on the system, Taiwan High Speed Rail Corp (THSRC) said.

The four passengers who purchased the two tickets before and after the winning customer would receive vacation packages, the company said.

As of Friday, the system had recorded 600.05 million passengers since its launch in 2007, THSRC said.

Last year, ridership on the high-speed rail system increased by 5.4 percent to 67.41 million, the company said.

In other news, the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) yesterday said that a Taroko Express train traveling on the west coast is suspected to have hit a power supply facility yesterday morning, causing no injuries, but delaying numerous trains.

The TRA said that train No. 278, traveling from Yuanlin Station in Changhua County to Hualien Station in Hualien County, might have hit a cantilever on the overhead electricity line system between South Tanwen Signal Station and Zhunan Station in Miaoli County at about 8am.

The impact shattered the glass in the train driver’s cabin and the window of the No. 5 carriage, the TRA said.

Passengers were transferred to train No. 170 at Zhunan Station, which took them to Shulin Station in New Taipei City.

Passengers were then transferred to another train traveling to Hualien.

The incident affected about 1,570 passengers on six trains, causing delays totaling 80 minutes, the TRA said.

The TRA said it is investigating the cause of the incident.

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people:
唐鳳
蔡英文
Kolas Yotaka

title: Surplus 5G profits to be put to public use: Kolas

content_text:
An image of a 5G chip is projected over a man during a presentation in Taipei on Thursday.Photo: CNA
As the bids for the nation’s first 5G auction have far exceeded expectations, the Executive Yuan would use the surplus profits to fund projects that would serve the public interest, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said on Friday.

The bids have totaled more than NT$138 billion (US$4.60 billion), more than tripling the National Communications Commission’s expectation of NT$44 billion, Kolas said.

The Executive Yuan plans to use the money to finance 5G infrastructure, narrow the digital development gap between urban and rural areas, and promote online events that advance the public interest, she added.

Academics have suggested setting up a dedicated fund to develop 5G infrastructure and boost the technical capabilities of related industries.

The excess profits would be listed as central government revenue for this fiscal year, Kolas said, adding that the government might channel the money to agencies that have drawn up plans to bridge the digital divide in the nation.

Although building base stations in hard-to-reach areas could be unfeasible, the government might deem them necessary to facilitate rescue missions in mountainous areas, an official with knowledge of the matter said.

In other news, President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration is drafting a national action plan to pave the way for Taiwan’s admission to the Open Government Partnership (OGP), sources said.

Tsai has tasked the Executive Yuan with preparing the first version of the plan by May, the sources said.

They cited Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) as saying during a Cabinet meeting that prospective OGP members must have made efforts to protect the freedom of speech and democracy, making China’s participation unlikely, which could benefit Taiwan’s bid to join the initiative.

The action plan would detail the nation’s objectives and progress on promoting an open government, thus reassuring the international community of its commitment to advance the cause, they said.

The areas that government agencies have pledged to make more transparent include efforts to crack down on money laundering, the amount of political donations received, the decisionmaking process at all levels of government regarding certain issues and public-private collaborations on promoting open data, they added.

They have also pledged to improve channels for civic participation in the government’s decisionmaking process; facilitate dialogues that promote inclusiveness, and gender and racial diversity; and improve corporate transparency by making beneficiaries known to the public.

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content_text:
Burmese Army Commander Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, left, speaks with Chinese President Xi Jinping at a hotel in Naypyitaw, yesterday.Photo: AP
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday doubled down on his support for fallen rights icon Burmese State Councilor Aung San Suu Kyi, signing dozens of infrastructure and trade deals and meeting with the Burmese army chief accused of overseeing a genocide against Rohingya Muslims.

Xi’s state visit to Myanmar’s purpose-built capital, Naypyidaw, came as Western investors are giving a wide berth to the country due to the Rohingya crisis.

A 2017 military crackdown on the minority, which UN investigators called genocide, forced about 740,000 people from western Rakhine State over the border into Bangladesh.

Beijing has stood by the increasingly isolated nation and reaffirmed its position in a joint statement in Chinese state media as Xi’s airplane left the Burmese capital after two days, escorted by fighter jets.

China “firmly supports Myanmar’s efforts to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests and national dignity in the international arena,” and for it to advance “peace, stability and development in Rakhine State,” the statement said.

China is Myanmar’s largest investor even as distrust of its ambitions lingers among the public.

Thirty-three agreements were signed yesterday, with Aung San Suu Kyi and Xi seated across from each other on long tables alongside ministers.

Details were scant, but among the deals was a concession and shareholders’ agreement on the US$1.3 billion Kyaukhphyu deep-sea port and economic zone, located in a part of Rakhine State left largely unscathed by the 2017 violence.

There was also a letter of intent for “new urban development” in Myanmar’s biggest city, Yangon, and feasibility studies for rail links.

The aim is to carve out a so-called “China-Myanmar Economic Corridor” that would serve as Beijing’s long-awaited gateway to the Indian Ocean.

After his arrival on Friday, Xi called the visit a “historical moment” for China-Myanmar relations, state-run newspaper the Global New Light of Myanmar reported.

He also touched on the “unfairness and inequality in international relations” in what could be seen as a slight against the US, the newspaper said.

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title: Xi stands with Myanmar despite genocide claims


content_text:
Storms douse some bushfires, trigger floods in Australia

Parts of Australia’s east coast were yesterday hit by severe storms, dousing some of the bushfires that have devastated the region for months, but causing road closures and flash flooding.

Fears of smoke from the fires disrupting the Australian Open tennis receded in Melbourne, where the main tournament is due to start tomorrow.

Despite the heavy rain, authorities were still battling nearly 100 blazes — part of the bushfires that have killed 29 people since September last year, destroyed more than 2,500 homes and scorched an area nearly one-third the size of Germany.

Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, three of the states most hit by drought and bushfires, are now dealing with rain bucketing down in several areas.

Major highways were closed in Queensland, with the state receiving some of the heaviest rain Australia has seen for months, while power was cut in parts of New South Wales after a stormy night.

“Heavy, intense rainfall has eased, but showers and thunderstorms still possible through the weekend,” the Bureau of Meteorology in Queensland wrote on Twitter. “Take care on the roads — if it’s flooded, forget it.”

Parts of Queensland’s south saw triple the monthly rainfall overnight.

No major damage was reported, although some residential areas were flooded and many of the state’s parks and tourist attractions were closed.

New South Wales fire services welcomed the rain, which they said on Twitter would help to control the 75 fires burning in the state, of which 25 have yet to be contained.

However, they also said that some firegrounds have not seen any rain yet.

More benign storms were forecast for Victoria over the weekend, which has already been hit this week by severe storms and unhealthy smoke from the bushfires.

However, skies were clear in Melbourne for the final round of qualifying for the Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam, and Victoria’s Environmental Protection rated the air quality as “good,” after an earlier forecast of unhealthy air for the weekend.

There were still more than a dozen fires burning in Victoria, with firefighters battling to contain a big blaze in the state’s mountain region.

Victoria’s emergency services also issued an evacuation warning due to a bushfire for French Island, the state’s largest coastal island, with a small population of just more than 100 people.

Meanwhile, specialist firefighters have saved the world’s last remaining wild stand of a prehistoric tree from wildfires that razed forests west of Sydney, officials have said.

Firefighters winched from helicopters to reach the cluster of fewer than 200 Wollemi Pines in a remote gorge in the Blue Mountains a week before a massive wildlife bore down, Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service Director David Crust said.

The firefighters set up an irrigation system to keep the so-called dinosaur trees moist and pumped water daily from the gorge as the blaze that had burned out of control for more than two month edged closer.

Additional reporting by AP

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content_text:
CDC boosts virus reporting measures

HIGH STANDARDS:The CDC has instructed doctors to report patients who have been to China and meet the clinical definition of ‘novel influenza A virus infection’
Travelers entering Taiwan pass a poster warning about the virus outbreak in Wuhan on their way through a screening station at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport yesterday.Photo: Chu Pei-hsiung, Taipei Times
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday said that it has increased the mandatory reporting condition for healthcare professionals to include people who have recently been to China and show symptoms of a viral pneumonia infection.

The move aims to prevent the transmission of novel coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV), which has caused a pneumonia outbreak in Wuhan, China, with 45 confirmed cases so far, including two deaths.

The Chinese health authority yesterday confirmed four cases — all men who began experiencing symptoms from Jan. 5 to Jan. 8 — CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said.

They have been quarantined, he said, adding that 98 of the 763 people who had come into direct contact with the 45 patients remain under medical observation.

“As there might be limited human-to-human transmission of the novel coronavirus, we have increased mandatory reporting conditions, in addition to requiring doctors to report to the CDC patients who have been to Wuhan in the 14 days prior to their visit and show symptoms of severe special infectious pneumonia,” Chuang said.

The CDC has instructed healthcare facilities and doctors to report patients who have been to China and meet the clinical definition of “novel influenza A virus infection” — as well as those with “pneumonia of unknown cause,” including clusters and healthcare personnel who show symptoms — for 2019-nCoV infection screening.

Since Dec. 31, CDC personnel have conducted onboard inspections for respiratory diseases on 31 flights from Wuhan, covering 3,541 passengers and crew, Chuang said.

As of Friday, only four passengers had met the clinical definition of severe special infectious pneumonia, he said.

Two others were infected with the influenza A (H1N1) virus and two with the influenza B virus, Chuang said, adding that they have all tested negative for 2019-nCoV infection.

Asked about an estimate by British health experts that the actual number of cases in Wuhan might have reached 1,723, Chuang said the experts inferred the number from cases detected outside of China — two in Thailand and one in Japan — by making assumptions and running simulations of possible scenarios.

“The CDC never ruled out the possibility of human-to-human transmission, so we have used the highest standards for onboard inspections, disease screening and preventive measures,” he said.

The Taiwan Blood Services Foundation yesterday said that people who have been to Wuhan should avoid donating blood within 28 days of leaving the city.

Blood donors who show symptoms of fever, respiratory infection or pneumonia after donating blood should notify the center, it added.

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title: CDC boosts virus reporting measures


title: Baseball being held prisoner by technology

content_text:
Then-Houston Astros manager A.J. Hinch speaks to reporters at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California, on Dec. 10 last year.Photo: Orlando Ramirez / USA TODAY
Technology unleashed baseball’s era of analytics and now it is holding the sport prisoner.

A.J. Hinch, Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran are casualties, a triple play of hubris. At the cutting edge with the Houston Astros, now they have been cut. Their sign-stealing system exposed, all three managers were deposed within a whirlwind 72 hours this week that raised questions about the prevalence of the sport’s rule breakers.

What is next in a game grappling with innovation and plagued by paranoia?

Video rooms and dugouts are now monitored by Major League Baseball, like proctors pacing an exam room to stifle students’ temptation to cheat. Bench and bullpen telephones are monitored, Big Brother in the commissioner’s office listening in to assure compliance. Television feeds in clubhouses were ordered to be delayed by a minimum of eight seconds last year to prevent prying eyes from decoding signals in real time.

Should hitters be blocked from reviewing their plate appearances between at-bats? Sure, it helps them detect flaws in their approach, but they also might see a sequence of the catcher’s fingers that tip pitches.

These are the types of questions MLB executives in the sport’s new Rockefeller Center offices are thinking about as spring training approaches. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s one-season suspensions of Hinch and Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow signaled the harsh repercussions.

‘TECH CHALLENGE’

“It’s a serious problem for baseball, the merging of technology and an ancient game. It seems to me that cheating — and this was clearly cheating — had to be stepped on very firmly,” former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent said. “Technology presents a challenge as well as an opportunity, and it also seems to me that cheating has become endemic throughout our culture, and this is a very good sign for baseball to say we’re not going to put up with it.”

Infield shifts, upper cuts and quick hooks became the norm in the 2010s as programmers prevailed over scouts. Paranoia proliferated, fear opponents had found the secret sauce to success, within the rules or not.

Already worried about dwindling attendance, accusations of tanking, lengthening games and the rise of the Three True Outcomes, executives fret over how to rein in some of the most competitive people on the planet who drive the billion-dollar businesses with the goal of outsmarting each other to come out on top.

Hinch’s decision not to stop his Astros’ players from stealing signs cost him his job, while Manfred questioned Luhnow’s protestation that he knew nothing. Cora was Houston’s bench coach in 2017 and Beltran the Astros’ senior player, a Crash Davis type seeking one last moment of glory at age 40 and in his 20th big-league season rewarded with his first title ring.

However, their roles as renegade ringleaders caught up with them, both identified by Manfred as culprits. Cora had gone on to become Boston’s manager and led the Red Sox to the 2018 World Series championship. Beltran was hired by the New York Mets in November last year.

MANAGERS EXPOSED

When Oakland Athletics pitcher Mike Fiers went public in November to The Athletic about sign stealing during his Astros days, he wound up taking out 10 percent of the big-league managers, exposing a dark side ambition that became a blemish.

“That sort of behavior is not acceptable,” Red Sox chairman Tom Werner said.

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content_text:
Millions of pieces of junk mail fill mailboxes nationwide every year, and most of it is never even read. Election season exacerbates the problem, as campaigns are not demographically focused, and materials are sent out indiscriminately. Add this to the leaflets handed out at rallies and other public locations, and the waste is enough to fill a landfill.

Junk mail has always been a nuisance, but at least advertisements for supermarket deals and restaurants have some widespread appeal; a recipient is almost guaranteed to throw out political advertising when it is not from the party they support. These mailers also have little point, as they usually provide little or no information about a candidate’s platform. Often they contain no more than a photograph, name, constituency and a slogan.

If these candidates hope to get their name and face out there, they could put up more banners instead. Those remain in place until elections are over, and residents cannot avoid passing them every day. It would also do less harm to the environment.

While exact figures for Taiwan are difficult to come by, US statistics show that the average person receives 18.6kg of junk mail per year, which on a national scale is the equivalent of 100 million trees. The mail — including its production, delivery and disposal — creates 51.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, statistics from ForestEthics.org show. Some estimates show that producing this mail generates about 106 billion liters of wastewater per year.

A report published on July 14 last year by the Sierra Club cites a WWF report showing that more that 40 percent of industrial wood goes into the production of paper. Paper production — especially for junk mail — is particularly harmful to the environment because it is such a short-lived product, unlike furniture or hardwood flooring, the report says.

The situation might be somewhat better in Taiwan, where government estimates place recycling of municipal solid waste at more than 50 percent, compared with 35 percent in the US, but even recycled paper must be processed in factories that consume resources and produce a significant carbon footprint.

Suanne Cheng (鄭舒云), chief executive officer of Taiwan’s three major paper companies — Cheng Loong, Yuen Foong Yu and Longchen Paper and Packaging — has placed great emphasis on using recycled paper for the companies’ products since she took over the conglomerate in 2010, CommonWealth Magazine reported on Sept. 23 last year.

Taiwan has made great strides since its garbage crisis in the mid-1990s, and policies such as the plastic straw ban which took effect last year show that the government is committed to the environment. Increased use of recycled paper is also a positive change, but if trees are cut down elsewhere to make this paper, the impact on the planet remains.

There are also environmental consequences in printing and distributing junk mail. The government should consider a ban on unsolicited advertisements sent through the mail or handed out in public. Companies and political candidates who want to advertise should instead explore digital distribution methods, such as opt-in e-mail and text-message campaigns, and purchased advertising space on social media, as well as public billboards and other physical spaces.

Unsolicited advertising is not only an unwanted nuisance, it is also environmentally harmful and should be banned.

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title: EDITORIAL: Junk mail needs to be scrapped