title: Ministry touts success of rural education initiative

content_text:
By Rachel Lin and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
A program started in 2015 to send retired and volunteer teachers to schools in remote areas has helped thousands of students, the Ministry of Education said.

A total of 361 teachers have connected with 166 rural communities as part of the initiative to provide more multifaceted curricula to students in remote areas where resources are lacking, the ministry said.

More than 10,000 students have benefited from more enriched learning opportunities through this program, and it has injected new energy into these communities, K-12 Education Administration official Wu Hsiao-hsia (武曉霞) said.

National Chengchi University developed the portal that matches volunteer teachers with rural schools for the ministry, Wu said, adding that it is called the “Lule Platform” (鹿樂平台) as it sounds like the English word “rural.”

Schools submit information about their needs through the portal, which serves as a communication platform between schools and volunteers, and encourages public participation in rural education, she said.

“The program operates under the spirit of mutual benefit. These volunteers hold classes and educational activities in rural areas without pay, and the school provides them with free accommodation throughout the school year,” she said.

One volunteer, Chen Ming-yi (陳茗宜), was a lecturer of foreign languages at National Taiwan University for more than 10 years. Last year, she relocated to Kinmen County as a volunteer due to her fascination with its culture, she said.

Chen’s volunteer work largely involves helping younger students with English, and providing assistance to foreign teachers, said Liu Chieh-hung (劉界宏), the principal of the school where Chen volunteers.

Students from National Quemoy University also volunteer at the school where they gain valuable experience, Liu said.

Lan Yu-shun (藍鈺舜), who was introduced to the program by a former volunteer, has volunteered at the English-language program at Kaohsiung’s Chung-Te Elementary School since 2018, the school said.

Lan teaches English through activities and offers a different learning opportunity for the students than the school’s conventional language programs, the school added.

“Some of the students who struggle learning languages found Lan’s classes very interesting. It gave them a way to learn vocabulary through fun activities,” the school said.

Lan also plays sports with the students and helps them with homework, the school said, adding that the students are very fond of her.

“In the past the school was concerned about how to cope with insufficient staff, but this program has done wonders,” school director Lee Chien-te (李建德) said.

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Combined smartphone sales in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China are likely to increase 5.1 percent this year on an annual basis, with the region retaining its lead over the rest of the world, US researcher Gartner Inc said in a report on Tuesday.

Combined sales in the three areas last year reached 411.35 million units, ahead of all other regions, and the figure is forecast to increase to 432.33 million units this year, the report said.

Gartner attributed the increase mainly to upcoming demand for 5G smartphones and expectations for the launch of Apple Inc’s first 5G iPhone.

With accelerating 5G network rollouts, 5G smartphones are forecast to account for 12 percent of global smartphone sales, which are to grow 3.04 percent year-on-year to 1.57 billion units this year, the report said.

Last year, global smartphone sales contracted by about 2 percent year-on-year, the first decline since 2008, Gartner said.

Gartner research vice president Annette Zimmermann said in the report that “2019 was a challenging year for smartphone vendors, primarily due to oversupply in the high-end sector in mature markets and longer replacement cycles overall.”

“However, in 2020, the market is expected to rebound with the introduction of 5G network coverage in more countries and as users who may have delayed their smartphone purchases until 2020 in expectation of price reductions begin buying again,” Zimmerman said, adding that commercialization of 5G smartphones would accelerate this year.

As “5G phones costing under US$300 have been announced … sales growth of 5G phones is expected to exceed that of 4G phones over 12 months,” she said.

Meanwhile, developing Asia-Pacific nations would see smartphone sales increase from 363.64 million units last year to 376.8 million units this year, maintaining their No. 2 position on the global list, the report said.

Other relatively more developed countries in the region, such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, would witness strong growth of 5.7 percent year-on-year to 31.8 million units, it said.

Japan would see smaller growth of 1.28 percent year-on-year to 32.27 million units this year, it added.

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title: Sales of smartphones in region to grow: Gartner


content_text:
Samsung reports Q4 net profit slumped 38 percent

SEASONALITY?The company would have more competition this year, but its broad portfolio and global reach would keep the firm in the lead, an IHS Markit analyst said
Samsung Electronics Co, the world’s biggest smartphone maker, yesterday reported a slump in fourth-quarter net profits, blaming weakening demand in key products and falling chip prices.

Net profit in the October-to-December period was 5.23 trillion won (US$4.4 billion), down 38 percent from a year earlier, Samsung said in a statement.

“Fourth-quarter profit dropped from a year earlier due to the continued fall in memory chip prices and weakness in display panels,” the company said.

Samsung said that it expects “weak sales from seasonality in memory chips, OLED [organic light-emitting diodes] and consumer electronics” in the first quarter of this year as the firm navigates “continued uncertainties in the global business environment.”

Operating profit dropped more than 30 percent year-on-year to 7.2 trillion won, while sales in the fourth quarter stood at 59.9 trillion won.

For the whole of last year, the firm reported net profit of 21.7 trillion won, down 51 percent from a year earlier.

Samsung has been strained by trade tensions between the US and China, and caught in a diplomatic row between Seoul and Tokyo over wartime history, with Japan imposing tough restrictions on exports crucial to South Korean tech giants in July.

In another shadow hanging over the firm, its vice chairman and de facto leader Jay Y. Lee is on trial for the second time over a sprawling corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye.

A guilty verdict and long prison sentence would deprive the firm of its top decisionmaker.

This year, Samsung is pinning its hopes on the increasing availability of 5G telecom services driving sales of its handsets — it is a world leader in the technology — and said that it would introduce an “enhanced” 5G lineup.

Global demand last year for superfast 5G handsets was higher than expected, with nearly 19 million units shipped worldwide, according to data from market researcher Strategy Analytics.

Samsung said that it held a 36 percent market share, closely trailing Huawei Technologies Co (華為), which was leading the tight race with 37 percent, although most of its shipments were in China, where US sanctions made relatively less of an impact.

“Samsung’s 5G smartphone shipments are international and span a wide spread of countries, from South Korea to the UK and the US,” Strategy Analytics associate director Ville-Petteri Ukonaho said.

Samsung is likely to have more competition this year with rivals releasing devices in “diverse pricing segments,” but its “broad portfolio and global reach” would keep the firm in the lead, IHS Markit senior analyst Gerrit Schneemann said.

Next month in San Francisco, Samsung is due to unveil new Galaxy devices that are to “shape the next decade of mobile experiences,” the company said, without further details.

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content_text:
Reverse mortgages surged by double digits last year

SAFETY NET:The Financial Supervisory Commission said that the program for older homeowners is viewed as an alternative to social assistance or social insurance
A reverse mortgage program for older homeowners has become more popular in Taiwan, with the number of approved loans and total lending jumping double-digit percentage points from a year earlier, Financial Supervisory Commission data showed.

The cumulative number of loan approvals from 14 local banks reached 4,080 as of the end of last year, a 32.9 percent increase from the end of 2018, while cumulative lending rose 34.5 percent annually to NT$22.8 billion (US$753.05 million) as of the end of last month, the data showed.

A reverse mortgage allows older homeowners to borrow money against the value of their homes without having to move out, the commission said in a statement on Wednesday.

It also gives financial security to applicants and is viewed as an option to social assistance or social insurance, it added.

In Taiwan, most banks require applicants for such loans to be older than 60.

Homeowners in Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung continued to lead the other regions in terms of approved loans, with combined approvals reaching 2,072, or 50.7 percent of the nation’s total, and combined loans totaling NT$15.84 billion, or 69.5 percent of overall lending, the data showed.

The commission attributed the figures to high housing prices in the region, which it said enabled borrowers to receive more money against the value of their properties and boosted their willingness to participate in the program.

Homeowners in Taichung and Changhua and Nantou counties ranked second in terms of the number of loan approvals at a combined 589, followed by those in Taoyuan and Hsinchu and Miaoli counties with a total of 470 approvals, the data showed.

By comparison, homeowners in outlying areas such as Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼), Penghu and Matsu received a combined 17 approved loans, less than 1 percent of the total, the data showed.

Women were slightly more interested in the program, as they accounted for 55.27 percent of all borrowers, which might be attributed to women usually living longer than men and needing to fund their retirement needs, the commission said.

Reverse mortgages last year had an average term — the number of years borrowers live in their homes after taking out a mortgage — of 21.88 years, the data showed.

State-run banks continued to lead in supporting the program, with Taiwan Cooperative Bank (合作金庫銀行), Land Bank of Taiwan (土地銀行) and Hua Nan Commercial Bank (華南銀行) taking the top three places in terms of money lent, the data showed.

Taiwan Cooperative Bank completed 1,610 transactions totaling NT$9.55 billion, followed by Land Bank’s 1,314 transactions totaling NT$6.46 billion and Hua Nan Commercial Bank’s 731 transactions for NT$3.54 billion, the data showed.

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title: World Business Quick Take

content_text:
ENERGY

Oil prices hit Shell profit

Royal Dutch Shell PLC yesterday said that its net profit last year slid by almost one-third, hit by lower oil prices. Net profit slumped 32 percent year-on-year to US$15.8 billion from a year earlier, the Anglo-Dutch giant said. Last year witnessed “challenging macroeconomic conditions in refining and chemicals, as well as lower oil and gas prices,” chief executive officer Ben van Beurden said. “We remain committed to prudent capital discipline supported by world-class project delivery and are looking to further strengthen our balance sheet, while we continue with share buybacks. Our intention to complete the US$25 billion share buyback program is unchanged.”

ENTERTAINMENT

Nintendo Switch sales soar

Japanese gaming giant Nintendo Co yesterday reported a leap in sales and profit for the nine months to December last year, upgrading its full-year profit forecast on strong demand for its popular Switch console. Net profit for the April-to-December period rose 16.4 percent from a year earlier to ￥196.4 billion (US$1.8 billion), with sales for the period up 2.5 percent at ￥1 trillion. The Kyoto-based firm revised upward its full-year forecasts, now projecting a net profit at ￥210 billion for the fiscal year to March, compared with its earlier estimate of ￥180 billion, but it left its annual sales forecast unchanged at ￥1.25 trillion.

TIMEPIECES

HK protests hit sales: Swatch

Swatch Group AG reported the first drop in annual profit in three years as protests in Hong Kong weighed on sales and smartwatch competition undermined demand for lower-priced Swiss timepieces. Operating profit fell 11 percent to 1.02 billion Swiss francs (US$1.1 billion), while analysts expected SF1.09 billion. The owner of the Omega and Longines brands forecast “healthy” growth this year in local currencies in all markets except for Hong Kong. Last year, Switzerland’s watch exports in unit terms fell to a 35-year low, as demand collapsed in the lower end of the market.

UNITED STATES

Goods trade deficit surges

The goods trade deficit rose sharply in December last year as imports rebounded and businesses became more cautious on accumulating inventory. The goods trade gap, which had dropped for three straight months due to declining imports, last month surged 8.5 percent to US$68.3 billion, the Department of Commerce said. The overall trade deficit is on track for its first annual fall since 2013, with economists saying that the “America first” agenda of President Donald Trump’s administration, underscored by an 18-month trade dispute with China, has restricted the flow of goods, particularly imports. Although Washington and Beijing signed a “phase 1” trade deal this month, US duties remained in effect on US$360 billion of Chinese imports, about two-thirds of the total.

ARGENTINA

Debt restructure planned

Greater certainty around public policies could help reactivate growth and investments in the recession-hit country, the IMF said on Wednesday. The government is gearing up to restructure about US$100 billion in sovereign debt, including part of a US$57 billion credit facility that the IMF extended the country in 2018. Dealings with the IMF are crucial as Buenos Aires hopes to avoid a default amid a currency crash, steep inflation and a contracting economy. Next month, an IMF technical team is to travel to the capital.

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title: Virus Fears: Taipei book fair postponed to May

people: 蘇貞昌 鄭麗君

content_text:
Taipei International Book Exhibition visitors attend a forum organized by Mayday guitarist Shitou, front row center sitting on a chair, at the exhibition on Feb. 16 last year.Photo provided by China Times Publishing Co
The Taipei International Book Exhibition, originally scheduled to begin on Tuesday next week, has been postponed to May 7 to prevent further spread of a novel coronavirus outbreak, the Ministry of Culture said in a news release yesterday.

The ministry decided to postpone the six-day book fair following a risk assessment meeting on Wednesday with co-organizer the Taipei Book Fair Foundation and other attending publishers.

An estimated 600,000 people visit the exhibition every year, while more than 1,000 salons and activities are held during the period, making such a large-scale indoor fair with high foot traffic and frequent person-to-person exchanges a safety concern, as reported cases of the coronavirus infection originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan have increased sharply over the past week, the ministry said.

The Central Epidemic Command Center has not called for a suspension of large public assemblies, but many of the invited publishers and authors from nearly 50 countries expressed concern about participating in the exhibition, with some saying they plan to cancel, it said.

Children’s books are one of the highlights this year, as for the first time, they would be displayed at the main hall, but parents and teachers might be apprehensive about taking kids to the fair, it said.

Delaying the event could prevent such losses, help maintain exhibition quality and offer visitors a better experience, it said.

The ministry and the foundation will establish an ad hoc committee to handle affairs relating to the delay and offer assistance, as well as ensuring the rights of participants and people who have already bought tickets, it said.

The exhibition will still be held in the same venue — the Taipei World Trade Center’s Exhibition Halls 1 and 2 — from May 7 to 12, according to its official Web site.

The ministry will continue to work with society to promote reading and book sales, Minister of Culture Cheng Li-chiun (鄭麗君) said.

However, some have expressed misgivings about the ministry’s decision, including Locus Publishing Co chairman Rex How (郝明義), a former presidential adviser, who said that postponing the exhibition might only feed into public fears about the virus.

The outbreak in Taiwan is still under control, while a confusion about mask supply can be attributed to panic buying, he wrote in an open letter to Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) on his Facebook page.

Postponing the book fair would belie the command center’s reassurances about the disease, and the public might no longer believe information released by the government about the outbreak, he wrote, adding that other large-scale events at the trade center might be canceled as well.

In related news, the Taipei International Comics and Animation Festival, which attracts about 400,000 visitors every year, is to be held as scheduled from today until Tuesday next week at the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall, organizer the Chinese Animation and Comic Publishers Association said.

This year’s Taipei Game Show will also be held as scheduled from Thursday to Sunday next week at the same venue, organizer the Taipei Computer Association said.

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taiwan-subdivisions: 林口 士林

content_text:
Virus Fears: Some international schools delay classes, or go digital

Concerns about the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has led several international schools and organizations in Taiwan to extend their Lunar New Year holiday closures, or take other precautions, given the number of students’ families and staff who traveled abroad during the holiday.

Many of the schools were due to resume classes either yesterday or Monday next week, compared with a majority of Taiwanese schools, whose long winter holiday break, which began on Tuesday last week, is not scheduled to end until Feb. 10, with classes to resume on Feb. 11 for most of them.

The Taipei European School (TES) in Shilin District (士林), which was scheduled to reopen on Monday, has pushed back the start of classes to Wednesday.

TES said staff would be at school on Monday and Tuesday to make classroom preparations, including additional disinfection measures, but the campus would be closed to students until Wednesday.

The Taipei American School (TAS), also in Shilin, posted a message on its Web site that it had moved back its opening from Monday to Thursday “to be sure we have the best and most timely information and have taken every precaution we can to keep community members as safe as possible.”

In an e-mail to parents, school head Sharon Hennessy said that the school would be checking the temperature of every person who enters TAS when it reopens, and that additional details of safety protocols would be announced later.

However, the Taipei Japanese School in Shilin reopened yesterday as scheduled, after notifying parents on Tuesday that all children and parents would be required to wear masks on campus during and after school, and that hand sanitizers would be placed at the school’s main gate and all entering the campus would be required to use them.

It also said that windows would be kept open to improve ventilation and that any student with a temperature higher than 37.6oC would be sent home.

The Kaohsiung International School had been due to resume classes yesterday, but on Tuesday, director of learning technology Brian Meehan posted a notice on its Web site that it was switching to online instruction under its “Digital Days” plan for middle and high-school students as of yesterday, and for elementary-school students today.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and hope to return to normal operations sometime between February 6 and February 10, though we may switch earlier/later depending on how the situation progresses,” Meehan wrote.

As of press time last night, the Dominican International School in Taipei, Morrison Academy — which has branches in New Taipei City’s Linkou District (林口), Taichung and Kaohsiung, as well as a satellite academy in Chiayi — the Taipei Adventist American School on Yangmingshan and the Asia American International Academy in New Taipei City, among other schools, had not posted notices on their Web sites or responded to e-mail requests about possible delays.

The Community Service Center in Shilin announced on Wednesday, that due to the postponed openings at TAS and TES, it was canceling its classes and tours next week, but planned to resume normal activities on Feb. 10.

The center’s Web site (www.communitycenter.org.tw) now has a 2019-nCoV page with links to the English-language Web sites of the WHO’s 2019-nCoV background information and the Centers for Disease Control’s “Latest News” page.

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content_text:
Goal setting key to lower depression, anxiety: professor

People who are persistent about goal setting, and those who have strong wills and are capable of positive reappraisal are less affected by anxiety and depression, and less prone to panic disorders, National Taiwan Normal University adjunct professor Lin Chia-hsin (林家興) said on Tuesday last week, citing US research.

The paper, “Relations Between Cognitive and Behavioral Strategies and Future Changes in Common Mental Health Problems Across 18 Years,” by Pennsylvania State University doctoral candidate Nu Hani Zainal and professor Michelle Newman was published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology in May last year.

The study recruited 3,294 participants — US residents at least 18 years old who had an average age of 45 — to assess how they adhered to goals, exercised self-control and saw the positive side in worst-case scenarios, and how their mental state affected depression, anxiety and panic disorders.

Participants who remained committed to self-set goals and remained positive and upbeat in the 1990s were less prone to depression, anxiety and panic disorders in 2013, the research showed.

The results show that cognitive and behavioral strategies such as establishing a life goal gives meaning and direction, and helps to improve mental health, Lin said.

While giving up a goal would give a sense of temporary relief, subsequent feelings of regret and disappointment increase, Lin said.

John Tung Foundation mental health center director Yeh Ya-hsin (葉雅馨) said that people who report depression or anxiety disorders are prone to negative thoughts, and feelings of depression and helplessness.

The study could provide alternative methods for therapists to help such people, allowing them to gradually generate more positive emotions, or gain purpose, Yeh said.

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title: Groups protest city labor director

content_text:
Groups protest city labor director

LACK OF TRANSPARENCY:Labor and equality groups said the director has held anti-homosexual views and was nominated without promised transparency
By Shen Pei-yao, Kuo An-chia and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writer
Union and gender equality group members yesterday protest in front of Taipei City Hall against the appointment of Chen Hsin-yu as director of the Taipei Department of Labor.Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
Unions and gender equality groups yesterday rallied in front of Taipei City Hall to protest the appointment of Chen Hsin-yu (陳信瑜) as director of the Taipei Department of Labor, citing concern about Chen’s purported stance against homosexuality.

Chen, a former Kaohsiung City councilor for the Democratic Progressive Party, is scheduled to take office today.

Chen has been known for her opposition to education materials that teach about same-sex relationships and while it would be detrimental to judge her solely on past remarks, less than one month ago she said she did not regret that decision, Marriage Equality Platform convener Jennifer Lu (呂欣潔) said.

Appointing this kind of person to a position related to gender equality affairs is troubling, Lu said.

Groups opposed to the appointment said they were concerned as the labor director post brings with it membership in the Taipei Women’s Rights Promotion Committee, the department’s Gender Equality Association and the Department of Education’s Association for Gender Equality Education, as well as the convener of the Review Committee for Vocational Discrimination.

The groups called for the appointment of another person through a transparent nomination processes.

Taipei Doctors’ Union Secretary-General Liao Yu-wen (廖郁雯) said that information on the appointment process or nomination committee was not available on the city’s Web site, adding that no outside opinions were consulted during the process.

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) prides himself on being transparent and involving the public in his decisions, but he has failed to live up to his promises, Liao said.

In 2014, Ko said that city residents should choose their department of labor director, and Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) was appointed to the position after 19,956 residents voted.

However, after the Jan. 11 legislative elections, Lai became a legislator-at-large in waiting for Ko’s Taiwan People’s Party.

Taipei City Councilor Miao Po-ya (苗博雅) said that the city government’s neglect in informing unions and other groups of the appointment process means it was not a “transparent nomination.”

Citing a 2016 vocational survey of homosexual Taiwanese, Department of Labor Gender Equality Committee member Hsu Chia-wei (許家瑋) said 60 percent found the Taiwanese vocational environment unfriendly and were afraid of “outing” themselves.

Hsu said Chen’s appointment would waste Lai’s efforts to ameliorate those concerns.

Chen’s anti-homosexual stance could affect the municipality’s ability to uphold the law, Fight for Gender Equality secretary-general Chou Yu-hsuan (周于萱) said.

“The municipality could use technicalities to bar homosexual couples from applying for leave for marriage, caring for children and receiving paid leave for giving birth,” Chou said.

Taipei Deputy Mayor Tsai Ping-kun (蔡炳坤) said Chen had been selected from numerous candidates.

Chen comes from a family of laborers, worked in the Kaohsiung City Government for seven years and was a city councilor for 14 years, Tsai said, adding that in that time Chen had never wavered in her concern for and promotion of labor rights.

Ko intends to create a mutually-inclusive society, and has pushed for LGBT-friendly work environments, he said, adding that the Department of Labor will continue to promote these issues.

Chen’s personal beliefs would not hinder her job to promote these matters, Tsai said.

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people: 陳信瑜 柯文哲 賴香伶


title: Taiwan Business Quick Take

content_text:
COMPUTERS

Virus not an issue: Ennoconn

Ennoconn Corp (樺漢科技), an industrial computer manufacturing arm of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), yesterday said that a novel coronavirus outbreak in China is not expected to have any effect on its business and financial results. “All shipments in the first quarter of this year will be on schedule,” the company said in a regulatory filing. The company and its subsidiaries have shifted production capacity from China to Taiwan, Mexico, Europe and other regions since the start of the US-China trade dispute, Ennoconn said, contributing to the on-time shipments. The portion of its revenue generated from Chinese operations is low, it added.

INDUSTRY

Firms delay resuming work

Uninterruptable power supply maker Voltronic Power Technology Corp (旭隼科技) yesterday said that its five Chinese subsidiaries in Shenzhen and Zhongshan in Guangdong Province would resume work on Feb. 10 to abide with local government policies amid a viral outbreak in China. Automotive parts maker Enterex International Ltd (英瑞國際) also said that its Jiangsu Province-based subsidiary, Yangzhou Enterex Industrial Co (揚州英諦車材), would extend its Lunar New Year holiday and resume production on Feb. 10 to help curb the spread of the coronavirus.

CEMENT

Taiwan Cement defers work

Taiwan Cement Corp (台灣水泥) yesterday said in a regulatory filing that some of its plants in China would delay the resumption of operations to Feb. 9 amid the coronavirus outbreak, “which might have some effects on the company’s financial figures this year.” The company said that it was monitoring developments of the epidemic and has adopted measures to minimize the effects of the outbreak on its operations.

FOOTWEAR

Fulgent opens Vietnam plant

Shoemaker Fulgent Sun International Holding Co (鈺齊國際) said that its Vietnamese plant yesterday started normal operations and that there is no annual leave for Chinese workers at the company’s plant in Cambodia. In a regulatory filing, the company said that its Chinese plant would readjust the resumption of work in accordance with local government policies. The output of the firm’s subsidiary in China’s Hubei Province, Hubei Sunsmile Footwear Co (湖北襄誠鞋業), accounts for only about 6 percent of the group’s total output and the outbreak has not caused significant effects on financial or business operations, Fulgent Sun said.

PAPERMAKERS

China units remain closed

YFY Inc (永豐餘控股), which primarily makes industrial-grade paper, yesterday said that its Chinese subsidiaries have delayed resumption of production after the holiday break in light of the coronavirus outbreak, without specifying an exact date. Its other subsidiaries yesterday resumed production and an evaluation showed that the situation had not caused any significant effects to its finance and business operations, the company said in a statement. Separately yesterday, Chung Hwa Pulp Co (中華紙漿) also said that its subsidiaries in China would cooperate with local government policies to delay the resumption of production. So far, the situation has not caused significant effects on the company’s finances and business, it said.

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content_text:
A number of cruise ship operators are increasing their Taiwan-based services from next month to April following a novel coronavirus outbreak in China.

Hong Kong-based Genting Cruise Lines yesterday announced that from Feb. 11 to April 14, its World Dream (世界夢號) cruise ship, a 150,000-tonne vessel that is part of its Dream Cruise series, would be departing from the Port of Keelung.

The SuperStar Aquarius, a member of the Star Cruise series, would move its home port from the Port of Keelung to the Port of Kaohsiung, and offer a series of cruise ship tours to other East Asian countries, the company said.

The company made the announcement after Royal Caribbean International announced that it was moving its home port for its 168,000-tonne Spectrum of the Seas from Shanghai to Taiwan next month following the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China.

Industry observers said that Genting’s announcement was a strategic move in the face of competition from the Royal Caribbean.

Genting estimated that its Keelung-based and Kaohsiung-based cruise ship service could jointly service 300,000 passengers this year.

Following forecasts that Japan’s cherry blossom peak season this year would be from March 23 to April 4, the company said that it has arranged a five-day tour to Japan with stops in Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, and Kagoshima on Kyushu Island.

Visitors also have a choice of a six-day tour with stops in Seto Inland Sea, it said.

The company is offering special tour prices for visitors joining other cruise ship tours leaving before Feb. 28.

Royal Caribbean, on the other hand, has yet to announce tour plans for the Spectrum of the Seas.

The vessel offers several innovative entertainment facilities, such as Sky Pad, which combines virtual reality and bungee trampoline.

Statistics from Taiwan International Ports showed that the nation’s cruise ship passengers reached 1,050,758 last year, making it the second-largest source of cruise ship travelers in Asia.

Carnival Corp’s Majestic Princess is also using Keelung as its home port this year.

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title: Virus Fears: Cruise operators boosting Taiwan-based services


content_text:
Virus Fears: China mum on evacuation plans: MAC

INACTION:Beijing should respond quickly to Taipei’s request to evacuate Taiwanese stranded in Wuhan if it really cares about their rights and benefits, a MAC official said
Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng comments on Taiwanese stranded in Wuhan, China, at a news conference at the council in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Chung Li-hua, Taipei Times
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) yesterday said that Beijing has yet to respond to its request to evacuate Taiwanese stranded in Wuhan, center of a new coronavirus outbreak, as hundreds of Taiwanese have asked for government help to return home.

From Friday last week to yesterday noon, the Straits Exchange Foundation has received 252 calls for assistance, MAC Deputy Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) told a news briefing in Taipei.

About 400 Taiwanese still trapped in Wuhan have registered for help and asked for government assistance to return to Taiwan, he added.

A majority of the people asking for help are there on personal visits or short-term business trips, he said.

They have no permanent residences and are not familiar with the place, and have had difficulty getting access to medicine and medical aid, he said.

The council has proposed sending an airplane to evacuate them, among other options, he said.

If China is truly concerned about the rights and benefits of Taiwanese, it should respond to the council immediately, he said.

The council will make public any further developments, he added.

Asked about regulations on Taiwanese travelers bringing masks to China, Chiu said that the government’s willingness to work with China on disease prevention is predicated on Taiwan’s ability to safeguard its own people first.

Speaking about the outbreak earlier yesterday, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that if it is able to do so, Taiwan is willing to assist China.

Chiu also elaborated on a council statement asking Chinese students studying in Taiwan to delay their return, and that they would be housed together upon entry in Taiwan.

They are preventive measures and are not discriminatory in nature, he said.

Housing all returning Chinese students in one location is to guarantee the health and safety of all students, Chiu said.

The plan is to place each Chinese student in a separate room to prevent cross-infection, he added.

Chiu said similar policies are being adopted worldwide and Taiwan was not the exception.

As foreign students living in leased rooms and with no family to take care of them if they fall ill, the school is obligated to adopt preventive measures and to take care of the students, Chiu said.

Asked whether restrictions on Chinese spouses were too strict, Chiu said that Chinese spouses who visited Hubei Province would be quarantined for 14 days.

Chinese spouses who have not visited Hubei are advised to monitor their health and take preventive measures for 14 days, but they will not be quarantined, Chiu said.

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content_text:
By Huang Shu-li and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The owner of an American pit bull terrier yesterday faced criticism after video purportedly showed his animal attacking and killing a smaller dog in Yunlin County on Tuesday.

The owner of the smaller dog of an unidentified breed posted the video on a Facebook page for members of the neighborhood, with several people posting comments, saying that it was not the first incident involving the pit bull.

In the video, a man is seen using a stick in an unsuccessful attempt to separate the smaller dog from the pit bull, which had locked its jaws around the other’s neck.

Some commenters said that children in the community were in danger from the pit bull, while one wrote that it should have had a muzzle and the owner should be reported to the authorities.

Other comments said that in 2018 the pit bull bit the leg of another dog, forcing the limb to be amputated, and that last year it attacked and killed another dog in a similar fashion to Tuesday’s incident.

Others said that they no longer feel safe letting their pets outdoors, with some writing that they feared for their own safety while walking in the neighborhood.

Pit bulls are categorized as “attack dogs” by the Council of Agriculture and therefore need to be muzzled and on a leash at all times when in public, the Yunlin County Animal Disease Control Center said on Wednesday.

The center said that it would ask the owners of both dogs involved in Tuesday’s incident to report to it, with the owner of the pit bull potentially facing a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 if they are found to be in breach of the regulations.

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title: Pit bull owner criticized over alleged dog attack


content_text:
Palace guards in traditional Korean costume wear face masks as they perform for tourists at Deoksugung Palace in Seoul, South Korea, yesterday.Photo: AFP
The death toll yesterday rose to 170 in the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in China, as foreign evacuees from the worst-hit region begin returning home under close observation and world health officials expressed “great concern” that the disease is starting to spread between people outside of China.

Yesterday’s figures covered the previous 24 hours and represented an increase of 38 deaths and 1,737 cases to 7,711.

Of the new deaths, 37 were in the epicenter of the outbreak in Hubei Province and one was in Sichuan Province.

The news came as the 195 Americans evacuated from the epicenter of the outbreak in Wuhan were undergoing three days of testing and monitoring at a southern California military base to make sure that they do not show signs of the virus.

A group of 210 Japanese evacuees from Wuhan landed at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on a second government chartered flight, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Reports said that nine of those aboard the flight showed signs of cough and fever.

Three of the 206 Japanese who returned on Wednesday tested positive for the coronavirus, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in parliament.

Two of them showed no symptoms of the disease.

The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare earlier confirmed a second suspected human transmission in a tour bus guide who had escorted a group of travelers from Wuhan. The bus driver was also infected. Neither had traveled to China.

France, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and other nations were also pulling out their citizens or making plans to do so.

In South Korea, residents of two cities where quarantine facilities are being prepared threw eggs and plastic water bottles at government officials to protest plans to isolate the 700 South Koreans the government plans to evacuate from China and isolate in their neighborhoods.

US President Donald Trump has been relatively tight-lipped about the crisis.

Aides and confidants say Trump’s careful approach is part of a political strategy to avoid upsetting the stock market or angering China by calling too much attention to the virus or blaming Beijing for not managing the situation better.

“We’re very much involved with them, right now, on the virus that’s going around,” Trump said of China before signing a trade deal at the White House on Wednesday.

Trump said that he had discussed the situation with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平).

“We’re working very closely with China,” he added.

There have been just five confirmed cases of the virus in the US.

Amid reports of shortages in food and daily necessities in hot-spot areas in China, authorities are “stepping up efforts to ensure continuous supply and stable prices,” Xinhua news agency reported.

It cited Chinese Ministry of Commerce data showing reserves in Wuhan can ensure a secure supply of rice and cooking oil for more than 15 days; pork and eggs for more than 10 days; and vegetables for about five days.

The government has offered no estimates as to when it can contain the outbreak, although some specialists have speculated that the spread of the disease would reach its peak in about two weeks.

The WHO said that the few cases of human-to-human transmission of the virus outside China — in Japan, Germany, Canada and Vietnam — were of “great concern” and were part of the reason the UN health agency was yesterday reconvening a committee of experts to assess whether the outbreak should be declared a global emergency.

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title: Virus Fears: Coronavirus death toll rises to 170 in China


content_text:
Decommissioned Alishan Forest Railway steam locomotive No. 21, right, which is to be recommissioned, sits alongside an already restored engine at the Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park on Thursday last week.Photo: CNA / Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office
Trains that first operated on Alishan (阿里山) more than 100 years ago are to be restored and steam along the mountain line again, the Forestry Bureau’s Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office said on Thursday last week.

Three engines — SL-21, SL-17 and SL-32 — have been transported from exhibition sites to the Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park for renovation, office Deputy Director-General Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said.

The locomotives, which operated on the Alishan Forest Railway, were manufactured by the Ohio-based Lima Locomotive Works between 1911 and 1915 to haul timber, Chou said.

They were designed with vertical cylinders, making them ideal for the sinuous, mountain track and the stop-and-go nature of the route, so the model was hailed by the local logging industry, he said.

Steam locomotives were phased out as diesel and electric took over in the 1970s, with the last one taken from the tracks on Alishan in 1984, he said.

SL-21, SL-17 and SL-32 were moved to Chiayi Park (嘉義公園), the Alishan Railway Station and Chiayi’s Jhuci Riverside Park (竹崎親水公園) respectively, he said.

To help preserve the valuable cultural items, the office last year transported the locomotives “home” to the garage park, awaiting work to allow them to run once again, Chou said.

A public tender slated for March with a budget of NT$22 million (US$726,624) would cover repair of parts such as the boiler, the driver’s compartment, the body, the bogies, the engine, the transmission and the water supply system for SL-21, which was produced in 1912 and taken from service in 1975, he said.

The engine is to pull passenger cars once it is repaired, he said.

A budget of NT$16 million has been allocated for repair to SL-17, which would take place from next year to 2023, he said.

SL-32, made in 1915, is to undergo a partial repair for exhibition, or possibly to run, depending on performance evaluations, he said, adding that NT$2 million has been allocated for the work.

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taiwan-subdivisions: 阿里山 竹崎 嘉義

title: Alishan steam engines to be restored and run again


content_text:
By Yang Mien-chieh and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
A sign reading “Face masks sold out” is taped to the door of a convenience store in Taipei yesterday.Photo: CNA
The government plans to purchase 4 million masks a day to ensure continued supply and availability of masks during heightened alert over the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said yesterday.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on Tuesday announced that it would be releasing 6 million masks a day onto the market for three consecutive days.

However, that measure was insufficient, as there was still a shortage of masks yesterday.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday said that between Wednesday last week and Wednesday, more than 19.7 million masks were distributed to the nation’s four major convenience store chains, as well as pharmacies.

In addition to purchasing 4 million masks a day, the Ministry of Economic Affairs would also be supplying health ministry staff with masks, Kolas said.

The government has imposed a standard price on masks — NT$8 (US$0.26) per pack of three — to prevent stores or individuals from driving up prices, Kolas added.

The economics ministry is also investigating ways to step up the production of masks from 4 million to 6 million a day, she said.

Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Ho Chi-kung (何啟功) said that the ministry is monitoring the number of mask sales.

“Continued difficulty in obtaining masks could lead to the ministry establishing a logistics platform and a task force,” Ho said.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Protection Committee warned that anyone found guilty of driving up the prices of masks could face a fine or be subject to imprisonment.

Citing Article 251 of the Criminal Code, the committee said that intentionally inflating the price or stockpiling masks could be penalized with up to three years of imprisonment, as well as a NT$300,000 fine.

The practices could also contravene the Fair Trade Act (公平交易法), resulting in fines of NT$50,000 to NT$25 million, the committee said.

The committee is inspecting distributors of masks, to observe demand and whether there are any incidents of prices being inflated.

Additional reporting by CNA

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title: Virus Fears: Government to purchase 4 million masks per day


content_text:
Two men examine a Tesla Model X electric car at the Brussels Motor Show in Belgium on Jan. 9.Photo: Reuters
Record sales of electric vehicles in the fourth quarter helped to push Tesla Inc to its second-straight quarterly profit, giving bullish investors optimism that sustained profits are ahead.

The Palo Alto, California-based company said that it made a US$105 million net profit in the October-to-December period, or US$0.56 per share, but still posted an annual loss of US$862 million.

The fourth-quarter earnings continued Tesla’s meteoric stock appreciation. Shares on Wednesday rose nearly 12 percent in after-hours trading to US$648.50.

The company said in its quarterly investor letter that it is starting to increase production of the Model Y small sports utility vehicle in Fremont, California. Deliveries are to start by the end of March.

The Model Y would be capable of going up to 507km per charge, an increase over Tesla’s previous estimate of 451km, the letter stated.

Tesla expects to “comfortably” exceed production of 500,000 vehicles this year at its factories in Fremont and Shanghai, with Model Y production in Shanghai to start next year.

The firm also said that it plans to start producing limited numbers of its electric semi-truck this year.

Tesla is making progress on a full self-driving feature, CEO Elon Musk said in a conference call on Wednesday, adding that it would be deployed this year.

However, the company still has a long way to go before its vehicles can travel without humans taking the wheel.

The new coronavirus outbreak in China could temporarily delay production at the company’s new Shanghai factory, chief financial officer Zachary Kirkhorn said.

A delay might have a small impact on Tesla’s first-quarter profitability.

The company has not seen any disruptions in the supply of parts due to the outbreak, but it is monitoring the situation, he said.

“This is an evolving story,” Kirkhorn added.

Demand for Tesla’s “Cybertruck” pickup has been high, Musk said, without providing numbers.

“The demand is just far more than we could reasonably make in the space of three or four years, something like that,” he said.

Tesla said in its investor letter that it is moving ahead with preparations for a factory near Berlin, and the first deliveries from the factory are expected next year.

Tesla expects net profits going forward, with some possible exceptions at times surrounding the launch of new products.

“We continue to believe our business has grown to the point of being self-funding,” the letter said.

Tesla’s fourth-quarter revenue rose 2 percent to US$7.38 billion, as the firm delivered about 112,000 vehicles during the period and a record 367,500 for the full year.

Tesla continued to build its cash balance during the fourth quarter, reporting US$6.27 billion available, up from US$5.34 billion at the end of the third quarter.

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title: Record sales push Tesla to second profitable quarter


title: The edgy pop radical rewriting the rules

content_text:
US singer-songwriter Billie Eilish performs during the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles.Photo: AFP

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The embodiment of cool with haunting, gravelly vocals and original punk-rock style, Billie Eilish has redefined the contemporary pop star on her blistering path to stardom.

And now the teenage mover and shaker has cemented her place as an establishment leader, posting a banner Grammy night by sweeping the top four categories — the first woman and youngest artist to do so.

The 18-year-old’s phenomenal ascent saw Eilish named Billboard’s 2019 woman of the year — and for good reason. Within a matter of months, she dropped a number one album entitled When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, led the hot songs chart with her single Bad Guy and played a set on a prime stage at the Coachella music festival that was pure fire.

The biggest globally renowned musician to emerge from Generation Z, the candid Eilish draws young fans with a personal social media presence and Internet-speak fluency.

And with a fashion sense as unique as her sound, Eilish is the kind of female star who refuses to let the sexualization of her body define her celebrity.

At just 13, she dropped her debut bedroom-produced single Ocean Eyes on SoundCloud, the do-it-yourself streaming platform that has also brought a generation of young rappers to fame.

The gauzy synth-pop song about painful longing to reconnect with an ex — written and produced by Eilish’s primary creative collaborator, her brother Finneas O’Connell — quickly went viral.

Interscope signed her at age 14 — making the Californian a rare Internet-age pop star to win big online and then see a label invest time and money in cultivating her talent over the long term.

But despite the industry input, Eilish appears to be a singular star whose only influencer is herself.

She deftly imbues often morbid lyrical content — topics include death, depression and fear over climate change — with tinges of irony and humor.

The performer — who has cited grunge band Nirvana as inspiration — delivers poetry in a breathy voice bordering on a whisper, layered over minimal beats akin to electronic music and southern hip-hop.

Put on the spot, Eilish oozes eminent chill — though the nerves of adolescence sometimes peek through.

“We made this album in a bedroom,” she said backstage at the Grammys on Sunday after scooping five trophies, standing next to O’Connell, to whom she routinely gave the mic.

“It’s really like anything is possible, actually,” she added with a wry giggle.

‘CONFUSED AND GRATEFUL’

The superstar’s signature style features oversized sweatshirts and baggy pants, often paired with sunglasses and the garish extra-long nail extensions more often associated with rapper Cardi B.

On Grammy night, she wore an oversized Gucci pantsuit with glittering lime green accents — that matched her neon-dyed roots — and even sported a sheer black face mask on the red carpet.

The star has described her body image as “toxic,” and spoken openly about mental health struggles — a growing movement in the music industry, which has lost scores of stars young and old to suicide and overdose.

“Wow, wow, wow, wow,” Eilish began her speech in accepting the award for Bad Guy.

“So many other songs deserved this, I’m sorry.”

Her 22-year-old brother later said:”We didn’t think this would ever win anything.”

“We didn’t write an album to win awards. We wrote an album about depression, about suicidal thoughts, about climate change,” he continued.

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title: Japanese billionaire pulls out of space dating show

content_text:
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa attends a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents` Club of Japan in Tokyo on Oct. 9, 2018.Photo: Reuters
Japanese fashion billionaire Yusaku Maezawa has pulled out of a documentary search for a girlfriend to take on his voyage around the moon with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, citing his “mixed feelings” about participating.

The 44-year-old earlier this month announced that he was seeking single females over 20 willing to vie to become his girlfriend for a documentary to be aired on streaming service AbemaTV.

Almost 28,000 people applied.

Maezawa said he is “extremely remorseful” about the decision to pull out, apologizing to the applicants and AbemaTV staff in posts on Twitter, where he is Japan’s most followed account with more than 7 million followers.

The founder and former chief executive of online fashion retailer Zozo, which Maezawa last year sold to Softbank Group, is known for launching big ideas with much fanfare — though some of them do not pan out as planned.

As Zozo chief executive, he launched the Zozosuit, a polka-dot bodysuit that allowed users to collect body measurements to order custom-made clothes, a product that did not work well in practice.

He also outlined an ambitious overseas expansion plan that wildly undershot targets, leading to a crash in the company’s share price.

Maezawa has pledged to give away US$9 million to his Twitter followers in what he says is a “social experiment” to see if the payment boosts their happiness.

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title: Trump’s Mexico border wall blows over in high winds

content_text:
A construction crew works on a fallen section of the US-Mexico border wall as seen from Mexicali, Mexico, on Wednesday.Photo: AFP
A section of US President Donald Trump’s much-vaunted border wall between the US and Mexico has blown over in high winds, US Border Patrol officers have been reported as saying.

The steel panels, more than 9m high, began to lean at a sharp angle on the border between the Californian town of Calexico and Mexicali in Mexico amid gusts on Wednesday.

The section of wall was under construction at the time, with concrete anchors being put in place, but the strong winds blew the panels over onto the Mexican side of the border before the concrete had cured, the reports said.

“Luckily, Mexican authorities responded quickly and were able to divert traffic from the nearby street,” Border Patrol agent Carlos Pitones said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The panels were being retrieved from the Mexican side and re-erected, Pitones said.

“CBP [Customs and Border Protection] will work with the construction contractor to mitigate the impact of high winds as construction continues,” Pitones said.

The section of the wall is part of a wider construction effort by the Trump administration to enhance the more than 3,000km-long border barrier with Mexico.

Building a new wall was a major part of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and he has threatened to call a national emergency to obtain the US$5.7 billion in federal funds he claims is needed to build his “beautiful” wall.

However, he has backtracked on the scale of his ambitions to build a concrete wall, instead focusing on building a barrier where there is currently nothing on the border.

“The barrier or the wall can be of steel instead of concrete if that works better,” Trump said earlier this month.

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title: SOCCER SHORTS

content_text:
COPA DEL REY

Real extend unbeaten streak

Real Madrid on Wednesday made it 20 games unbeaten by thrashing Real Zaragoza 4-0 to ease into the Copa del Rey quarter-finals. Raphael Varane, Lucas Vazquez, Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema all scored at La Romareda. Zaragoza’s chances of an upset were dealt a blow in the sixth minute, when Toni Kroos exchanged a short corner with Dani Carvajal before crossing through a cluster of bodies to an unmarked Varane at the back post. Kroos teed up the second as well, with Vazquez darting into the area and drilling into the top corner. Vinicius chipped in and then Benzema scored in the 79th, tapping in Carjaval’s cross for a fourth. Elsewhere, Valencia needed penalties to overcome third-tier Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa. Villarreal scored goals in the 83rd and 85th minutes to defeat second-division Rayo Vallecano de Madrid 2-0, while Real Sociedad ousted CA Osasuna 3-1. Granada needed extra time to beat third-division CD Badajoz 3-2.

COPPA ITALIA

Inter defeat Fiorentina 2-1

New signing Christian Eriksen on Wednesday enjoyed a memorable debut as Inter defeated ACF Fiorentina 2-1 to reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals. After three successive draws in Serie A, Antonio Conte’s Inter were far from their best, but still had enough to set up a last-four clash against SSC Napoli. Danish star Eriksen, signed on Tuesday from Tottenham Hotspur for 22 million euros (US$24.2 million), was brought on as a substitute for Alexis Sanchez just before Barella’s strike. “We did not intend to use Eriksen so soon, as he only started training with us yesterday, but Matias Vecino and Barella were the only available midfielders,” Conte said.

COUPE DE FRANCE

Epinal stun Lille in 2-1 win

Fourth-tier SAS Epinal on Wednesday sprang a Coupe de France shock, the amateurs from the Vosges mountains knocking out top-flight Lille OSC 2-1 to join Paris Saint-Germain, 2-0 winners at Pau, in the quarter-finals. Loic Remy put Lille into an early lead against the minnows, who continued their adventure by hitting back hard in the second half with a double from Jean-Philippe Krasso. PSG ensured they did not get spellbound by the magic of the Coupe de France at third-division Pau. Neymar stayed in Paris and Kylian Mbappe remained on the bench, but the services of the world’s two most expensive players were not required, as captain Leandro Paredes and Pablo Sarabia scored in either half for a drama-free 2-0 win. PSG, beaten in last season’s final, have won the competition a record 12 times, two more than Marseille, who also progressed by beating RC Strasbourg Alsace 3-1.

EFL CUP

City advance, despite loss

Pep Guardiola on Wednesday called on Manchester City to learn the lessons of a 1-0 home defeat to Manchester United, despite progressing 3-2 on aggregate to a third successive EFL Cup final. The holders enjoyed the vast majority of the chances, but could not find a way past the inspired David de Gea and went behind to United’s first attempt on goal 10 minutes before halftime, when Nemanja Matic fired home. United’s hopes of completing a miraculous comeback were extinguished when Matic was then sent off 15 minutes from time and City held on to face Aston Villa at Wembley on March 1.

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content_text:
White House seeks to quash Bolton testimony

‘NASTY & UNTRUE’:The US president lashed out at his former national security adviser for claiming that he tied military aid to Kiev to a probe into a political rival
Former US national security adviser John Bolton listens to US President Donald Trump’s statement on Syria at the White House in Washington on April 13 last year.Photo: Reuters
US President Donald Trump’s defense team, seeking a speedy acquittal at his US Senate impeachment trial, on Wednesday resisted Democratic efforts to have former national security adviser John Bolton testify, arguing that it could prolong the divisive proceedings for months.

Trump lashed out at Bolton on Twitter, saying his former aide was coming out with potentially damaging allegations in an upcoming “nasty & untrue book,” because he was fired from his White House position.

Bolton reportedly claims in the book that Trump told him military aid to Ukraine was tied to Kiev investigating his potential rival former US vice president Joe Biden — the charge at the heart of the two articles of impeachment approved on Dec. 18 by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.

The fight over Bolton’s testimony intensified as the senators who would decide Trump’s fate began directly questioning Democratic prosecutors and White House lawyers.

Taking turns by party, senators spent 10 hours submitting written questions, which were then read aloud to the chamber by US Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who is presiding over just the third impeachment trial of a president in US history.

They were to return yesterday to pose further questions to the White House defense lawyers and the seven House prosecutors seeking Trump’s removal from office for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Senate Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer said it might be an “uphill fight” to garner enough Republican support to issue a subpoena to Bolton, who has said he is ready to testify.

Republicans hold a 53-to-47 seat edge in the Senate and four Republicans would need to side with the Democrats to compel Bolton to appear.

Trump called on Republicans to reject a push for witnesses when the issue comes up for a vote today and blasted Bolton, whom he fired in September last year.

“Frankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now,” Trump said. “[He] goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book. All Classified National Security. Who would do this?”

Echoing the views of many of his Republican colleagues, US Senator John Barrasso came out against further witnesses and urged an early end to the trial.

“America has heard enough,” Barrasso said. “A majority of Americans are saying this is a waste of time, because they know the president is not going to be removed.”

Opinion polls on whether Trump should be removed are evenly divided, but a two-thirds majority — 67 senators — is needed to convict the president and Trump is virtually assured of being acquitted.

US Representative Adam Schiff, the chief Democratic prosecutor, said Bolton’s testimony was essential to a “fair trial.”

“Don’t wait for the book,” Schiff told the senators sitting as trial jurors. “This case is overwhelmingly clear without John Bolton, but if you have any question about it you can erase all doubt.”

White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin said that the House had not subpoenaed Bolton and his appearance would present “grave security issues.”

“He has all of the nation’s secrets,” Philbin said.

The White House would seek to prevent Bolton’s testimony and the matter would end up in a lengthy legal battle in the courts, he added.

“This institution will be effectively paralyzed for months on end,” he said.

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content_text:
Virus Fears: Foreigners raise call for help at center of outbreak

Pregnant, newly wed and now trapped at the Chinese center of a global health crisis, Thai national Aphinya Thasripech is among thousands of foreigners desperate to escape — and watching helplessly as the US and Japan fly their citizens home.

Hundreds were flown to safety this week to Tokyo, Singapore and California on government-chartered flights, but those from nations with less diplomatic clout fear they are being left behind.

“I feel hurt that they don’t care about us,” Aphinya, 32, said.

“Either I could starve or I’ll get infected and die,” said the factory worker, who is two months pregnant.

So far 170 people have died as a result of the virus since it emerged from a market in Wuhan, and more than 7,700 people have been sickened.

The 2019-nCoV virus has also spread around the world, with cases being recorded as far away as the United Arab Emirates, Finland and the US, but all of the deaths have been in China.

China has imposed transport bans in and around Wuhan — effectively trapping tens of millions of people, including thousands of foreigners — in a bid to contain the virus.

Aphinya arrived in China two weeks ago to marry her Chinese husband in Xiantao — about 200km from Wuhan.

Now the city is a virtual ghost town, with restaurants and shops shuttered.

Aphinya said she is worried for the health of her unborn baby, and desperate for the Thai government to get her out.

For days, the government in Bangkok has said they are awaiting “permission” from China to evacuate 65 citizens known to be at ground zero.

However, the wait is taking its toll.

“Sooner or later, it will get to us,” Aphinya said, adding that she had heard that a man had collapsed in a restaurant near her.

Thai medical student Badeephak Kaosala has barricaded himself in his dorm room with a dwindling supply of food and water.

He has watched with disbelief as wealthy nations have mounted mercy flights for their stricken citizens, with no word from home on when — or if — he might get out.

“China has given permission to so many other countries ... so we feel really down,” Badeephak, 23, said.

South Korea, France and Britain have all announced preparations to evacuate their citizens. Japan has already brought out two plane-loads.

However, “fear, frustration and panic” is mounting among those still trapped, said Pakistani Ruqia Shaikh, 33, who was visiting friends when the city was locked down.

There are about 500 Pakistani students in Wuhan. Currently four have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, an official in Islamabad has said.

Those with families are eager to leave, Ruqia said, though some students prefer to remain where they are — happier to take their chances against the disease than run the gauntlet of Pakistan’s poor health facilities.

“Our country is not capable of treating the coronavirus,” she said.

Fadil, an Indonesian doctoral student in Wuhan who goes by one name, said he and his friends are desperate to leave — even if only to another Chinese city.

There are about 100 Indonesians in Wuhan, and another 143 elsewhere in Hubei province.

“The key thing is that we want to get out of here,” he said. “Only fools would want to stay in Wuhan.”

A few Myanmar nationals living in Wuhan have taken to Facebook, issuing public pleas to be brought home.

“Other countries are calling back their citizens... when are we going back?” said Khin Thiri Thant Zin, a hospital intern in Wuhan. “I have a headache from crying so much — I cannot sleep at night.”

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title: Local consumer sentiment gains on equities outlook

content_text:
The consumer confidence index this month gained 1.02 points to 85.3, led by improving sentiment about stock investments, although the survey has yet to reflect effects of the coronavirus outbreak, a National Central University poll said yesterday.

The survey, conducted from Monday to Thursday last week, found that all six subindices pointed upward, with the gauge on stock investment adding 2.5 points to 68.1.

The university attributed the pickup to the signing of a “phase 1” trade deal between the US and China, and positive guidance from major tech firms about their business outlook.

“The subindex should take a downturn going forward as the global markets assimilate the impact of the virus,” said Dachrahn Wu (吳大任), director of the university’s Research Center for Taiwan Economic Development, which conducts the survey.

Wu voiced concerns over the virus possibly affecting the local job market as the SARS outbreak did in 2003, saying that SARS played havoc on service-oriented sectors for three to six months.

The new virus would pose the biggest challenge when Chinese companies return from the Lunar New Year holiday in the middle of next month, substantially increasing travel and the risk of infection, Wu said.

Companies involved in tourism, retail sales and financial services would be the first to feel the pinch that is bound to sweep export-oriented sectors, Wu said.

China accounts for 40 percent of Taiwanese exports and the coronavirus outbreak could dampen demand for electronic components after disrupting production and shipping, Wu said.

The survey’s employment reading stood at 86.7, up 1.25 points from a month earlier, while people expressed greater optimism about the nation’s GDP growth, with the confidence measure gaining 0.75 points to 93.85.

The domestic economy might not shake free from the impact of the virus until the third quarter, Wu said, adding that although some companies partially shifted manufacturing to Taiwan, most kept the bulk of their operations in China.

The subindex on household income added 0.7 points to 97.5, while the subindex on durable goods consumption rose 0.6 points to 112.25.

The survey, which polled 2,766 adults by telephone, has a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

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Israeli-American Naama Issachar, jailed for drug smuggling, attends her appeal hearing at the Moscow Regional Court on Dec. 19 last year.Photo: AFP
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday pardoned an Israeli-US woman jailed for drug trafficking, on the eve of a visit to Moscow by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu, who has pushed hard for her release in his campaign for re-election on March 2, is to brief Putin on US President Donald Trump’s Middle East plan.

“I thank my friend President Putin for having pardoned Naama Issahar,” Netanyahu said in a statement before leaving Washington.

“I am looking forward to our meeting tomorrow [yesterday] in which we will discuss the plan [by Trump] and latest events in the region,” he added.

Naama Issachar, 26, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport in April last year, as she traveled from India to Israel and was sentenced in October to seven-and-a-half years in prison.

Russian authorities said they found 9g of cannabis in her checked luggage.

“Guided by the principles of humanity, I pardon Naama Issachar,” Putin said in the decree cited by the Kremlin.

The young woman’s fate had sparked a wave of sympathy in Israel, where Netanyahu had pledged to do everything for her release.

The Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported that the young woman was to return to Israel yesterday in Netanyahu’s plane.

“I am moved of course. I’m thinking about Naama. I don’t know if she knows, if they told her,” Naama’s mother, Yaffa Issachar, said thanking Netanyahu, Israelis and others who worked for her release.

In December, Issachar lost an appeal against her sentence, which Netanyahu has described as disproportionate.

When traveling to Israel last week for commemorations for the liberation of the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz in Poland 75 years ago, Putin appeared before the cameras with Naama Issachar’s mother and Netanyahu.

Putin said he had assured her mother that all would go well, while Yaffa Issachar said Putin had promised to send her daughter home.

Naama Issachar’s Russian lawyer, Vadim Kliouvgant, said “the procedure for her release was under way, in line with the decree.”

Imprisoned in the Moscow region, Naama Issachar had on Sunday signed a request for a pardon addressed to Putin. She had initially refused to do so.

During the December appeal hearing, she had proclaimed her innocence, denouncing the absurdity of accusations against her.

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title: Putin pardons US-Israeli woman jailed in Moscow


title: Former Japanese emperor recovering after health scare

content_text:
Former Japanese emperor Akihito, who stepped down last year, has recovered after a brief loss of consciousness on Wednesday, a palace spokesman said.

Akihito stepped down from the Chrysanthemum Throne in April last year, following three decades as emperor, Japan’s first abdication in about 200 years, and his son, Naruhito, became emperor.

Akihito, 86, yesterday was examined by a neurologist and had a head MRI scan.

“Rhere were no abnormalities detected, especially nothing suggesting anything like a stroke,” a Japanese Imperial Household Agency spokesman said, adding that Akihito’s condition would continue to be monitored.

Akihito had an episode of nausea and dizziness in July 2018 attributed to a condition caused by insufficient blood flow to the brain, but had not lost consciousness, the agency added.

Akihito, who now holds the formal title of emperor emeritus, had breakfast as normal yesterday, Kyodo news agency reported.

He has had heart surgery and has been treated for prostate cancer.

His 85-year-old wife, former empress Emerita Michiko, had surgery for early-stage breast cancer in September last year, and the palace said last month that she had been unwell and lost weight since.

Akihito, the first monarch under a post-war constitution that defines the emperor as a symbol of the people without political power, said in 2016 that he feared his age would make it hard for him to carry out his duties.

Concern over his health was a top trending topic on Twitter in Japan.

“At his age, this kind of thing is worrisome,” one user tweeted. “I guess all his hard work up to now is having an impact. Please make sure you take a good rest.”

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content_text:
Putin fires Chuvashiya Republic head who forced firefighter to jump for keys

GAFFE MACHINE:The scandal-prone Mikhail Ignatyev once addressed ex-prime minister Dmitry Medvedev by the wrong name and suggested that journalists be killed
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday sacked a regional leader who forced a firefighter to jump in the air to receive keys for new fire engines.

The leader of the central Russian region of Chuvashiya, Mikhail Ignatyev, at a public ceremony last week dangled keys over the head of a uniformed officer in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, forcing him to jump up to take them.

After a video emerged on social media, Ignatyev’s press service tried to play down the scandal, saying that the men were friendly acquaintances.

However, Russian Minister of Emergency Situations Yevgeny Zinichev said Ignatyev’s behavior was unethical.

“It’s unacceptable for such a high-ranking official to behave in such a way,” he said in a statement released by his press service.

He also said the firefighter behaved inappropriately by playing along, since he represents an “agency respected not only in our country, but in the whole world.”

Putin dismissed Ignatyev on the grounds that he had lost trust in him.

The announcement came a day after the ruling United Russia party excluded him, with Ethics Committee secretary Yevgeny Revenko saying: “If that was meant to be a joke, it wasn’t funny.”

Known for gaffes, Ignatyev once addressed then-Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev by the wrong name during a televised meeting, calling him Vasily.

Earlier this month, he caused a scandal by apparently recommending killing journalists who praise life in Europe.

In a speech on Jan. 13, he said such journalists “need to be rubbed out, as the ordinary folk say. They need to be rubbed out.”

He later apologized, saying his words had been misinterpreted.

Putin appointed Russian lawmaker Oleg Nikolayev as acting head of Chuvashia, pending elections of a new regional chief.

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content_text:
Djokovic wins, Kenin ends Barty party

‘NOTHING TO LOSE’:Swiss third seed Roger Federer, who was injured in a five-set quarter-final, said that he only had a ‘3 percent chance’ to beat his Serbian rival
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza returns to Romania’s Simona Halep in their Australian Open women’s singles semi-final in Melbourne yesterday.Photo: EPA-EFE
Novak Djokovic yesterday beat an injured Roger Federer in straight sets to reach his eighth Australian Open final as unheralded American Sofia Kenin stunned top seed Ashleigh Barty to end home hopes.

Djokovic twice fought back from a break down in the first set, and after dominating the tiebreaker he never looked back, winning 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 6-3 as Federer, who needed a medical time-out, faded.

“Respect to Roger for coming out tonight,” said the Serb, who is closing on his 17th major title. “He was obviously hurt. He wasn’t even close to his best in terms of movement.”

Djokovic, who has never lost a Melbourne semi-final or final, is now to play the winner of today’s clash between Dominic Thiem — who shocked world No. 1 Rafael Nadal on Wednesday — and Alexander Zverev.

Federer was hampered by a groin injury in his five-set quarter-final against Tennys Sandgren and rumors swirled that he might pull out of the semi-final.

The 38-year-old Swiss, a six-time champion at Melbourne Park, was cleared by a scan, but he took the court rating his chances at only “3 percent” against Djokovic.

“I was playing with nothing to lose,” Federer said. “Today was horrible, to go through what I did.”

“Nice entrance, nice send-off and in between is one to forget, because you know you have a 3 percent chance to win,” he added.

In the women’s singles, Kenin, 21, upset Australia’s Barty and Garbine Muguruza downed Wimbledon champion Simona Halep to join the American in tomorrow’s final.

Barty had sent Australian expectations soaring of a first homegrown winner since 1978, but aggressive 14th seed Kenin saved two set points in each set to win 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 and battle into the deciding match.

Moscow-born Kenin looked stunned at reaching her first Grand Slam final — a tournament where she has often gone unnoticed while fellow Americans Serena Williams and 15-year-old Coco Gauff hogged the headlines.

“I’m just speechless, I honestly can’t believe this. I’ve dreamed about this moment since I was five years old... I’ve worked so hard to get here,” said Kenin, who was a baby when her family moved to the US with just a few hundred dollars to their name.

“She came up with some really great shots. I knew she wasn’t going to give it up to me — I really had to fight out here. There’s a reason she’s No. 1,” Kenin added.

Kenin’s win came on a day when temperatures hit 38°C, prompting play to be suspended on outside courts — following earlier problems with bushfire smoke, downpours, wind and even muddy rain at the season’s opening major.

In the second women’s semi-final, Muguruza, a two-time major winner, but out of the seedings after a form slump, scrapped her way to a 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 win over fourth seed Halep.

“I wasn’t thinking that I was down, I was thinking: ‘Keep going and at some stage you’re going to have an opportunity,’” said the Spaniard, who came back from behind in both sets.

“Luckily, I have 48 hours now to recover and get ready for the last match… We train all of our career to be able to play on this court and in [front of] this crowd,” she added.

In the mixed doubles, sixth seeds Latisha Chan of Taiwan and Ivan Dodig of Croatia fell to a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) quarter-final defeat by third seeds Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Henri Kontinen of Finland.

Additional reporting by staff writer

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title: Djokovic wins, Kenin ends Barty party


title: Turkey defying Libya deal: France

content_text:
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday accused Turkey of breaching an agreement to halt foreign interference in Libya by sending warships and mercenaries to the North African nation.

Following a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Macron also described a maritime deal between Turkey and Libya’s UN-backed government as a “void document” with no legal or political standing.

“These past few days we have seen Turkish warships accompanied by Syrian mercenaries arrive on Libyan soil. This is a serious and explicit infringement of what was agreed upon in Berlin,” Macron said, referring to an international summit in the German capital earlier this month.

The Turkish military earlier on Wednesday said that four frigates and a refueling vessel were in the central Mediterranean, outside Libya’s territorial waters, to support NATO operations in the region, while also conducting activities to ensure the security of maritime trade routes.

Turkey supports the weak UN-recognized administration in the capital, Tripoli, led by Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj, while France backs a rival government in the east aligned with the Libyan Arab Armed Forces led by General Khalifa Hafter.

Macron dismissed a maritime deal between Turkey and Sarraj’s government last year that would give Turkey and Libya access to an economic zone, despite the objections of Greece, Egypt and Cyprus, which lie between the two geographically.

“France supports Greece and Cyprus with regards to the sovereignty in their maritime zones and, along with our European partners, condemns Turkey’s intrusions and provocations,” Macron said. “I must reiterate that the prerequisite for any political solution in Libya is the cancelation of this document.”

Turkey accused Macron of making “unrealistic claims” against Ankara, holding France responsible for the crisis in Libya.

“It is no secret that [France] gave unconditional support to Hafter in order to have a say concerning Libya’s natural resources,” the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. “Hafter’s attacks on the legitimate government, with the help of the military support of countries including France, pose the most serious threat to Libya’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

It added that “what is expected of France is to assume a positive role for stability and security in Libya, instead of blaming Turkey.”

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content_text:
Last surviving ace pilot of Battle of Britain dies at 101

‘THE FEW’ NOW FEWER:Wing Commander Paul Farnes, 101, had been the last surviving Allied pilot with the accolade of having downed at least five planes
The last surviving ace who fought in the Battle of Britain has died aged 101.

Wing Commander Paul Farnes was one of 3,000 Allied pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain, considered to be the first decisive battle to be fought entirely in the air.

He died peacefully at his home on Tuesday morning, the Times reported.

There are now just two surviving Battle of Britain pilots left.

Farnes, a Hurricane pilot, had been the last surviving ace, an accolade given to those who brought down at least five enemy planes. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, the highest honor in the Royal Air Force for non-officers.

Last year, he was the only airman in good enough health to attend the annual memorial service which commemorates the pilots who fought in the war.

The group are known as “The Few” after a famous line in one of former British prime minister’s Winston Churchill’s speeches: “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

In the first month of the Battle of Britain, Farnes destroyed five enemy planes and damaged another. By the end of the war, he had destroyed six enemy aircraft, possibly destroyed another, and damaged a further six.

His record led him to be presented with the medal in October 1940 and commissioned as an officer.

Farnes initially joined the Royal Air Force as a volunteer reserve in 1938, the year before World War II broke out, but moved to No. 501 Squadron in the regular air force, with whom he fought in the Battle of France in May 1940.

Despite his achievements, Farnes said that he had “no particular feelings” about the battle, adding that he “quite enjoyed it, really.”

He also dismissed claims that his fellow pilots were brave.

“I don’t think the average chap was brave at all. He was trained to do a job and did it well,” he said.

Farnes later served in Malta, North Africa and Iraq, and led two squadrons in the UK before retiring from the air force in 1958.

He then opened a hotel in Worthing, England.

He is survived by two of his children, a daughter, Linda, and son, Jonathan.

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title: Missing Mexican farm activist found dead: prosecutors

content_text:
Authorities have found the body of a missing farm leader who was active in protecting the wintering grounds of the monarch butterfly in Mexico, prosecutors said on Wednesday.

Investigators in Michoacan state said the body had been identified as Homero Gomez Gonzalez, who had not been seen since Jan. 14.

Last week, prosecutors called in 53 local police officers for questioning in the disappearance of Gomez Gonzalez, who was head of the management council of the El Rosario butterfly reserve.

Officials did not give any information on the cause of death.

Activists said his death could be related to disputes over illegal logging, water or income from visitors’ fees.

Authorities did not immediately speculate on a motive in the apparent killing.

Homero Aridjis, an environmentalist and poet who is a longtime defender of the butterfly reserve, called the death of Gomez “worrisome.”

“If they can kidnap and kill the people who work for the reserves, who is going to defend the environment in Mexico?” Aridjis said.

Gomez Gonzalez was a former communal land officer who led efforts to preserve the pine and fir mountaintop forests where the butterflies spend the winter.

Millions of monarchs come to the forests of Michoacan and other areas after making the 5,500km migration from the US and Canada. They need healthy tree cover to protect them from rain and cold weather.

Mexico has clamped down on illegal logging, which was once a major threat to the reserves, but which has fallen to about one-third last year’s level.

However, there have been reports of increased “salvage” logging of supposedly sick trees.

Disputes over water from mountain springs have also occurred in the region, and avocado planters have long coveted the area, which has near-ideal growing conditions for the valuable fruit.

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content_text:
Virus Fears: Acer to unveil conferencing tool built with Zoom

OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY:The multi-user solution, codeveloped with Zoom by the company’s ‘Build Your Own Cloud’ service, transmits in high-quality audio and video
PC maker Acer Inc (宏碁) yesterday announced that it would launch a video conferencing solution with software provider Zoom Video Communications Co.

The multi-user solution, codeveloped with Zoom by Acer’s “Build Your Own Cloud” (BYOC) service, offers high-quality audio and video transmission, company founder Stan Shih (施振榮) said in a Lunar New Year greeting.

“It is still in the testing phase... We probably need another three months before a launch,” Shih said, adding that the solution supports a new trend in improving operational efficiency.

Shih’s eldest son, Maverick Shih (施宣輝), a former president of Acer BYOC, said that the solution is also being tested by company subsidiaries Acer Cyber Security Inc (安碁資訊) and Acer Synergy Tech Co (智聯).

Maverick Shih, chairman of both subsidiaries, expressed an optimistic outlook for the year, citing an increase in overseas orders for Acer Cyber Security and plans for growth at Acer Synergy Tech, which has been listed on the over-the-counter Taipei Exchange (TPEX).

Acer subsidiary Weblink International Inc (展碁國際), another business expansion effort, earlier this month also launched its initial public offering on the TPEX.

Last quarter, Acer’s main PC business, which contributes about 60 percent of the firm’s overall revenue, posted stronger performance, with total shipments increasing by 3.44 percent year-on-year to 3.99 million units and its global market share inching up to 5.7 percent.

The company attributed the increase to healthy shipments of gaming PCs, which rose 21.2 percent on an annual basis.

Nodding at the growth posted by Acer’s gaming PC segment, Stan Shih said that there is still room for improvement, adding that the company would be promoting its Predator gaming series and ConceptD content creator series.

Acer’s total revenue last year contracted by 3.32 percent year-on-year to NT$234.22 billion (US$7.74 billion).

In the face of the coronavirus outbreak, the company has asked its Taiwanese employees to cancel business trips to China, while encouraging the use of Internet video conferencing.

In separate news, power and thermal solutions provider Delta Electronics Co (台達電) yesterday said that it has extended the Lunar New Year holiday for employees working at its plants in China.

Delta said that it plans to resume production by Feb. 10, in line with instructions from local governments, while anticipating additional adjustments to its production schedule due to the outbreak.

None of the almost 150 people who the company employs at its office in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, has shown symptoms related to the coronavirus, it said.

However, the company would continue to closely monitor employees’ health, Delta said, adding that a return to work would comply with local regulations.

Noting that its production capacity and supply chain might suffer, Delta said that it would manage its workforce flexibly to ensure that any impact on business operations is minimal.

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