title: Smartphone shipments might be lower than expected

content_text:
Global smartphone shipments might be lower than expected in the first half of this year, TF International Securities Group Co (天風國際證券) analyst Kuo Ming-chi (郭明錤) said in a report on Sunday in which he predicted a 10 percent decline in the shipment of Apple Inc iPhones this quarter.

The report cited three main factors that might cast a pall over the smartphone industry and its supply chain in the coming months: a sluggish Chinese market, lower-than-expected market demand for 5G handsets and disruption of the iPhone supply chain due to a coronavirus outbreak in China.

“Smartphone shipments in China dropped 50 to 60 percent on an annual basis during the Lunar New Year holidays, leading to high inventories across sales channels,” Kuo said.

Declining consumer confidence due to the rapidly spreading coronavirus would cause overall shipments in China to decrease 15 percent year-on-year to between 310 million and 330 million units this year, Kuo said.

A lack of market enthusiasm for new 5G-enabled smartphones could also play a part in the decline, he said, adding that next-generation mobile phones might fail to provide innovative user experiences.

A forerunner in the launch of 5G smartphones and claiming more than 50 percent of the global 5G smartphone market share, Samsung Electronics Co saw shipments drop 5 to 10 percent last quarter and last month to 69 million and 23 million units respectively, the report said.

“This comes to show that the arrival of 5G [smartphones] didn’t help accelerate high-end mobile phone upgrade cycles, nor did it help strengthen brand values,” Kuo said.

Brand vendors have overestimated the potential market demand for 5G smartphones, he said.

Apple, which overtook Samsung to become the top smartphone vendor in terms of shipments last quarter, is likely to face strong headwinds this quarter as its supply chain bears the brunt of the coronavirus epidemic.

As about half of Apple’s supply chain for its flagship smartphone is concentrated in China, where the outbreak began, iPhone shipments are expected to fall to between 36 million and 40 million units this quarter, compared with 38 million units in the first quarter of last year, the report said.

In an earlier report published on Thursday, Kuo predicted a delayed launch for Apple’s new products, which would include a 4.7-inch LCD iPhone, a new-generation iPad Pro, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air.

The company is expected to release a small array of devices, such as a wireless charging pad, an ultra-wideband powered Apple Tag and high-end Bluetooth headphones in the first half of the year, Kuo said.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
The government’s business climate monitor was “green” for the second month in a row in December, indicating a stable economy, which might take a hit in the short term as the coronavirus outbreak in China disrupts electronics supply chains, the National Development Council (NDC) said yesterday.

The barometer gained 3 points to 27 on the back of improving manufacturing sales and industrial output, but the worsening epidemic has halted operations at tens of thousands of Taiwanese firms based in China with no quick solution in sight, the council said.

“The virus will deal a bigger blow to the world’s economy than SARS in 2003, as China has gained weight in global GDP,” with a 16 percent share last year compared with 4 percent in 2003, NDC research director Wu Ming-huei (吳明蕙) told a media briefing in Taipei.

A worse slowdown in China raises uncertainty regarding Taiwan’s export outlook, with manufacturers in the supply chains of Chinese technology brands being affected, as well as those dependent on Chinese consumers, Wu said.

Taiwan’s private consumption declined 1.1 percent at the height of the SARS outbreak, but rebounded 5 percent after the fatal virus was brought under control, Wu said.

The nation is better prepared this time as evidenced by the small number of confirmed cases in Taiwan so far, but short-term disruptions remain inevitable, the council said.

“Companies will ramp up production after resuming normal operations... The negative impact should be short-lived and is likely to be less formidable,” Wu said.

The council uses a five-tier system to depict the state of the nation’s economy, with “green” indicating steady growth, “red” suggesting overheating and “blue” signaling a recession. Dual colors indicate a transition.

The pickup in December reflected stable growth in industrial output and manufacturing sales, as well as healthy wholesale, retail and restaurant operations, the council said.

The index of leading indicators, which aims to predict the economic scene six months from now, rose 0.07 percent to 102.15, it said.

The indices for imports of semiconductor equipment, business confidence and new construction floor space all improved, but the indices for export orders and net accession data moved downward, it said.

The index of coincident indicators, which reflects the current economic situation, grew 0.51 percent to 101.4, it said, attributing the upturn to better industrial production, exports and manufacturing sales.

However, total power consumption and non-farm payrolls shrank a bit, the council said.

The epidemic’s effect on Taiwan’s economy is likely to be short-lived, Taiwan Institute of Economic Research president Chang Chien-yi (張建一) said yesterday.

The institute last month raised its forecast for Taiwan’s economic growth to 2.67 percent, 0.22 percentage points higher than the estimate it made in November last year.

Chang said that the epidemic could chip away at investment confidence and have a major effect on specific sectors, including tourism, travel and transportation.

The epidemic would only slightly affect the technology and manufacturing sectors, because domestic factories are still running normally, although some Taiwanese manufacturers in China could fall behind schedule, he said.

Additional reporting by CNA

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

title: Business climate gauge stays ‘green’


content_text:
US-China rapprochement boosting PMI: IHS Markit

CAUSE FOR CONCERN:Companies are cutting selling prices despite growing operational expenses, which is unfavorable for the profit margins, the survey showed
The manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 51.8 last month from 50.8 the previous month, as firms reported further order and output growth amid improving demand, a survey released by IHS Markit showed yesterday.

The rate of improvement, albeit modest, was the best since August 2018 as the operating conditions facing local manufacturers brightened.

“Latest PMI data showed Taiwan’s manufacturing sectors saw continued improvement in growth momentum at the start of this year amid a US-China rapprochement,” IHS Markit economist Annabel Fiddes said in a statement.

Local manufacturers posted the strongest increases in output and new orders in 17 months, she said.

The PMI aims to gauge the health of the manufacturing industry, with results above 50 indicating expansion and scores below the threshold suggestion contraction.

Better demand at home and overseas accounted for the upturn, Fiddes said.

New export orders expanded for the first time since August 2018, while inventories, both purchases and finished goods, posted growth for the first time since October 2018, the survey showed.

Business confidence rose to its highest level in close to two years, with some firms attributing the upturn in sentiment to an easing of US-China trade tensions, as well as the launch of new electronic gadgets.

At the same time, planned production line expansions contributed to a further increase in payrolls, although the job-creation rate eased compared with December last year, the survey showed.

Despite higher staffing levels, backlogs rose for the second consecutive month, although the rate of accumulation was mild.

Average cost burdens continued to rise, with input price inflation accelerating at a solid pace, the survey showed.

Higher raw material costs drove up operating expenses, but companies were continuing to cut prices after negotiations with clients, respondents said, adding that greater discounts would squeeze profit margins.

In general, Taiwanese manufacturers expressed a stronger degree of optimism on the 12-month business outlook, IHS Markit said.

Firmer client demand and stronger confidence underpinned renewed upturns in inventories of purchases and finished goods, while a brighter outlook and stronger buying activity suggested that production and sales would continue to rise in the months ahead, the firm said.

However, the continued decline in output prices remained a concern, IHS Markit said, adding that companies are cutting selling prices despite growing operational expenses, which is unfavorable for the profit margins.

Firms would regain the power to remedy the situation if improved demand proves to be long-term, Fiddes said.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
Ambassador to Eswatini Jeremy Liang, front row fourth left, and other Taiwanese dressed in traditional Swazi clothing pose for photographers during a visit to the nation in December 2018.Photo: Screen grab from Twitter
Eswatini remains a staunch ally despite China’s political and economic pressure, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late on Sunday, after Beijing reportedly threatened to cut business ties with the African nation if it maintained diplomatic ties with Taiwan.

“Eswatini has reiterated its firm intentions to deepen its diplomatic relations with Taiwan, even in the face of pressure from China,” ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement.

The ministry wishes to express its “sincere appreciation and highest respect” to Eswatini for standing up to China’s efforts at suppression, she said, adding that Beijing was “rudely interfering in the economic activities of another nation.”

The Times of Swaziland reported late last month that an undated statement reportedly issued by the Chinese embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, said that visa applications by Swazi citizens would be processed only at that embassy.

“According to the latest notification of the Chinese government, starting from January 10, 2020, visa applications of Swaziland citizens to mainland China will be processed by the Chinese embassy in South Africa,” the newspaper said on Jan. 24. “At the same time, the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre and other Chinese diplomatic missions will not accept the applications anymore.”

Citizens of Eswatini used to be able to apply for China visas at any Chinese embassy or consulate office in South Africa.

South Africa’s Daily Maverick reported that Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Lin Songtian (林松添) indicated in a statement that not only have restrictions been imposed on visa applications, but his embassy could also keep a close watch on Swazi citizens planning to travel to China.

“Such an embarrassing situation is the result of Eswatini defying the ‘one China’ principle and maintaining so-called ‘diplomatic ties’ with the Taiwan authorities, a province of the PRC,” the Daily Maverick quoted Lin as saying in the statement.

The paper also reported that China was threatening to “cripple” Eswatini economically if it did not immediately switch recognition from Taiwan to China.

“No diplomatic relations, no more business benefits,” it quoted Lin as saying. “To maintain such an immoral and abnormal relations [sic] with Taiwan authority politically disregards the Eswatini national dignity, economically disregards the interest of its country and people.”

The Times of Swaziland reported that Beijing might have convinced Chinese businesses to stop trading with Swazi companies.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is fully aware of Beijing’s actions against Eswatini and has been in close contact with Prime Minister Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, Minister of Foreign Affairs Thulisile Dladla and other top officials.

Taiwan would help Eswatini uphold its national dignity, the ministry said, responding to information it said it had obtained from its embassy in the African country.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

title: Eswatini ties strong in spite of PRC


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Japanese stores see sales plummet because of virus

Japanese department store operators saw duty-free sales slump during the key Lunar New Year holiday, one of the first indications of how hard the nation’s retail sector will be hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak in China.

Takashimaya Co duty-free sales during the seven days of the holiday plunged almost 15 percent compared with the holiday period last year.

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings cited concerns over the virus as a reason its duty-free sales slumped 10 percent during the period.

Sales at Sogo & Seibu Co, a division of Seven & I Holdings Co, dropped 15 percent, while J Front Retailing Co, which operates the flagship Ginza Six complex, saw revenue decline 5 percent.

Chinese visitors have become a key source of income for upmarket retailers in Japan as the nation’s tourism industry has flourished, helping to make up for a declining population and an increasingly spendthrift younger population.

The drop in tourists from China, who make up almost one-third of arrivals and more than that in spending, could hardly have come at a worse time. Retailers are already dealing with headwinds of a sales tax increase last year, as well as an unseasonably warm winter.

Cosmetics maker Kose Corp last week slashed its full-year profit outlook 19 percent due to a decline in tourists amid the outbreak.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe yesterday said that the government would keep in close touch with all relevant groups to ensure a virus outbreak does not affect the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Japanese Minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games Seiko Hashimoto said organizers are not considering canceling the Olympics, which start on July 24.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
A woman wearing a protective mask walks on a streert after a snowfall in Beijing on Sunday.Photo: AFP
China yesterday said it urgently needed medical equipment and masks, as the death toll from 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) jumped above 360, making it deadlier than the SARS crisis nearly two decades ago.

The 57 new deaths confirmed yesterday was the single-biggest daily increase since the virus was detected late last year in the central city of Wuhan, where it is believed to have jumped from animals to humans at a market.

The virus has since spread to more than 24 countries, despite many governments imposing unprecedented travel bans on arrivals from China.

“What China urgently needs at present are medical masks, protective suits, and safety goggles,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying (華春瑩) told a press briefing.

Authorities in provinces that are home to more than 300 million people — including Guangdong, the most populous — have ordered everyone to wear masks in public in an effort to contain the virus.

However, factories capable of producing about 20 million masks a day are only operating at 60 to 70 percent of capacity, industry department spokesman Tian Yulong said, adding that supply and demand remained in “tight equilibrium” as a result of the Lunar New Year break.

Tian said authorities were taking steps to bring in masks from Europe, Japan and the US, while the foreign ministry said countries including South Korea, Japan, Kazakhstan and Hungary had donated medical supplies.

All but one of the 57 new deaths reported yesterday were in Wuhan and the rest of Hubei Province, most of which has been under lockdown for almost two weeks.

The national death toll reached 361 — exceeding the 349 mainland fatalities from the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak. The number of infections also jumped significantly, passing 17,200.

SARS, caused by a pathogen similar to the new coronavirus and which also originated in China, killed 774 people — with most other deaths in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

The G7 countries have all confirmed cases of the virus. The US, Australia, New Zealand and Israel have banned foreign nationals from visiting if they have been in China recently, and they have also warned their own citizens against traveling there.

Many nations have evacuated hundreds of their citizens from China — with some forcing them into quarantine on their return — and more airlines are canceling services to the mainland.

China criticized the US for being the first to evacuate nationals without providing “substantial assistance” to China.

“The US government hasn’t provided any substantial assistance to us, but it was the first to evacuate personnel from its consulate in Wuhan, the first to suggest partial withdrawal of its embassy staff, and the first to impose a travel ban on Chinese travelers,” Hua said.

The Cruise Lines International Association, which represents some of the world’s largest operators, yesterday said that vessels would deny boarding to passengers and crew who have recently traveled to China.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

title: Virus Outbreak: China ‘urgently needs’ medical gear and masks as virus toll tops SARS


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Chinese stocks dive over virus worries

COUNTERMEASURES:The securities regulator halted securities lending and told some brokerages that their proprietary traders could not be net sellers of equities this week
China’s financial markets reopened to a battering yesterday. A gauge of the nation’s stocks plunged almost 8 percent, commodity futures from iron ore to crude oil sank by the daily limit, and the yuan weakened past a key level against the US dollar.

Officials tried to ward off panic selling before trading resumed through injections of liquidity into the money market, cutting borrowing rates, restricting some selling by brokerages and appealing for calm.

All to little avail. Spooked by the mounting death toll from the coronavirus and China’s drastic efforts to contain it — two-thirds of the economy remains shut down this week — investors ran for the exits.

It was the first chance mainland investors had since Jan. 23 to trade, due to the extended Lunar New Year break. Many stocks immediately fell by the 10 percent daily limit — almost 3,500 at the last count. While the longevity and scale of the outbreak remain hard to predict, there is little doubt it will have a major effect on the world’s second-largest economy, at least in the short term.

“The pandemic is not something that will only impact the market for just a few days, it’ll last for a while,” China Vision Capital Management Co (中國華新資本管理) president Sun Jianbo (孫建波) said in Beijing.

The effects were felt across the nation’s markets. China’s benchmark iron ore contract declined by its daily limit of 8 percent, while crude and palm oil also sank by the maximum allowed. The yield on China’s most actively traded 10-year government bonds dropped the most since 2014. The yuan tumbled more than 1 percent to weaken past 7 yuan per US dollar.

The CSI 300 Index of companies listed in Shanghai and Shenzhen closed 7.9 percent lower after falling as much as 9.1 percent. The Shanghai Composite Index shed 7.72 percent, or 229.92 points, to 2,746.61 and the Shenzhen Composite Index dropped 8.41 percent, or 147.81 points, to 1,609.00.

Firms linked to tourism and travel were among the worst hit, with energy, telecoms and tech companies also well down, while more than 2,600 stocks fell by their daily 10 percent limit.

“It is really hard to trade stocks,” Beijing WanDeFu Investment Management Co (北京萬得富投資管理) chairman Li Shuwei (李樹偉) said. “It’s impossible to predict how this disease will develop. Even the experts have no clear idea when the outbreak will end, let alone stock traders. It’s too early to buy stocks right now and it’s also difficult to sell as all shares are limit down. So I will just have to wait and see.”

The death toll from the virus has now topped 360, with more than 17,000 confirmed cases in the country.

China’s central bank yesterday unexpectedly lowered the interest rates on reverse repurchase agreements by 10 basis points, with the authorities seeking to ensure ample liquidity as the outbreak’s effect intensifies.

The People’s Bank of China said on its Web site that it was lowering the seven-day reverse repo rate to 2.4 percent from 2.5 percent, and cutting the 14-day tenor to 2.55 percent from 2.65 percent.

The China Securities Regulatory Commission also told some brokerages that their proprietary traders are not allowed to be net sellers of equities this week, people familiar with the matter said.

Yesterday, brokerages were only allowed to sell to meet redemptions by investors, the people said.

In addition, the commission suspended securities lending, one of the few short selling tools available in China, until further notice, the people said.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


people: 黃秀芳 蔡明憲

content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Groups call for attendance at WHA

OPTIMISTIC:Civic groups called on lawmakers to pass a legislative resolution urging Taiwan’s participation at the WHO, while protesting China’s efforts to exclude Taipei
Taiwan United Nations Alliance president Michael Tsai, center, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Hsiu-fang, second right, and other members of the alliance hold hands at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Tu Chien-jung, Taipei Times
Taiwan can serve as an international contributing member to promote and actualize the WHO’s goal of universal health coverage, a group of civic organizations said in Taipei yesterday as they urged the nation’s participation in the World Health Assembly (WHA) in light of a global health crisis caused by the outbreak of a new coronavirus infection in China.

Taiwanese authorities have not been invited to emergency meetings held by the WHO about the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, due to the body’s affiliation with the UN, which does not recognize Taiwan.

Critics have argued that Taiwan’s exclusion could make it a “blind spot” in the international response, and governments including the US, Japan and Canada, as well as the EU, expressed support for Taiwan’s participation in the body.

Representatives of Taiwan United Nations Alliance president Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) said that the group has lodged protests during several WHA meetings in Geneva, Switzerland.

He is more optimistic this year and hopes that a vote could be held at the WHA, the decisionmaking body of the WHO, for member states to show their support for Taiwan’s participation, he said.

Tsai made the remarks during a visit to the Legislative Yuan along with representatives from the Global Taiwanese Medical Alliance to appeal to the legislative caucuses to pass a legislative resolution calling on the WHO to invite Taiwan to the WHA.

The resolution should protest China’s efforts to exclude Taiwan from the WHO, support Taiwan’s attendance at the world body and urge the WHO to remove Taiwan from China’s epidemic area, because Taiwan is not part of China, they said in a written petition.

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Hsiu-fang (黃秀芳), who accompanied the groups, said that all four legislative caucuses responded positively to the petition.

“Now is a very good time for Taiwan to ask for WHO participation, because some countries still do not understand the relationship between Taiwan and China during the global 2019-nCoV outbreak,” she said.

“We should let them know that Taiwan is Taiwan, not China, and that by attending the WHO, Taiwan could contribute to global healthcare by sharing its excellent healthcare experiences,” she added.

In related news, more than 200,000 people have signed an online petition urging the WHO chief to resign his post over his handling of the outbreak.

“We strongly think Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is not fit for his role as WHO director general. We call for the Immediate Resignation of Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,” said the petition initiated on Friday by Osuka Yip on Change.org.

“On January 23rd, 2020, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declines to declare China virus outbreak as a global health emergency. As we all know, the coronavirus is not treatable at the moment. The number of infected and deaths has risen more than 10 times (infected from 800 - close to 10,000) within only five days. Part of it is related to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underestimated the coronavirus,” it said.

The WHO did not declare the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern until Friday.

Additional reporting by CNA

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


title: More than half of teens admit phone addiction

content_text:
More than half of young Taiwanese admit they are addicted to their smartphone, according to a survey conducted by the National Development Council in July last year, the results of which were not released until last month.

The results showed that 54 percent of Taiwanese smartphone users aged 20 or younger considered themselves addicted to their device, higher than 29.3 percent in a survey the previous year.

Among users in the 20-to-29 and 30-to-39 age groups, self-confessed smartphone addiction was 36.4 percent and 37.9 percent respectively, an increase of about 10 percentage points compared with a year earlier.

Overall, about a quarter (27.6 percent) of Taiwanese saw themselves as smartphone addicts, 6.8 percentage points higher than in 2018.

Meanwhile, the survey found that 89.8 percent of smartphone users used the device to go online last year, 1.6 percentage points higher than the previous year.

That was compared with 35.3 percent who used their smartphone to go online in 2011.

Among the most popular uses of smartphones was browsing social media, searching for information and entertainment, such as watching videos and playing games, the survey showed.

The survey found that users aged 20 or younger spent an average of 312 minutes per day browsing the Internet with their phone last year, about 30 minutes more than in 2018.

Smartphone and Internet addiction among young Taiwanese is becoming more prevalent and it is leading to social problems, as the behavior has undesirable effects on people’s health and their lifestyles, the council said.

The survey, which collected 1,517 valid samples through telephone interviews, was conducted from July 1 to 5 last year.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
The Chinese Culture University campus is pictured in Taipei’s Yangmingshan on March 17, 2018.Photo courtesy of Chinese Culture University
The Chinese Culture University student association on Sunday urged the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) to re-evaluate a quarantine location for Taiwanese to be evacuated from Wuhan, China, after Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) earlier in the day said it is in Taipei’s Yangmingshan (陽明山) area.

The CECC said that facilities have been selected in northern, central and southern Taiwan to quarantine the Taiwanese who are to be evacuated on a charter flight from Wuhan due to a 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak there.

It refused to disclose the locations to avoid panic, but Ko said that one of them is an old Bank of Taiwan dormitory in the Yangmingshan area near the university’s campus.

The student association issued a statement on Facebook saying that it is “deeply concerned” about the quarantine location being so close to the campus, which might cause anxiety among the university’s students and faculty.

“The association strongly urges the CECC and the Taipei City Government to carefully re-evaluate the resettlement location,” it said. “We also urge Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je to integrate disease prevention information before making announcements to prevent panic among the university’s students and teachers, as well as the public.”

It also urged the university to make sure Chinese students are placed in home quarantine for 14 days before returning to school, and also to announce the university’s disease prevention and disinfection measures so that students can feel safe returning to school.

Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) yesterday said that healthcare professionals would screen the health conditions of the evacuees at the airport and that only those without symptoms would be transported to the quarantine facilities.

Those with any symptoms would be taken to medical facilities for further examination and treatment, he said, adding that the evacuees would not come into direct contact with other people, so people living near the quarantine facilities do not need to worry.

As Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the CECC, on Sunday said that people who disclose information about the quarantine locations without the center’s consent would be dealt with according to the regulations, Ko yesterday said that he did not have any bad intentions in revealing the location.

He was informed about the CECC choosing the location, because the city government needs to provide healthcare personnel and police officers, Ko said, adding that he did not think it was a secret, as people would eventually learn about it.

The outbreak in China has gotten out of control due to the Chinese government’s culture of hiding information, Ko said, adding that he believes that the Taiwanese government should be open and transparent by announcing the quarantine locations before the evacuees arrive.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

title: Virus Outbreak: School urges re-evaluation of quarantine installation

people: 陳時中 柯文哲


content_text:
PANEL MAKERS

Coronavirus boosts shares

Shares of AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電) and Innolux Corp (群創) yesterday rose 8.91 percent and 5.91 percent respectively in Taipei trading, compared with the TAIEX’s 1.22 percent fall, as the panel makers benefited from expectations that the 2019 novel coronavirus epidemic in China would see people stay indoors and watch TV. That would boost demand for the large TV panels the two firms manufacture, while neither AUO nor Innolux has operations in virus epicenter Wuhan, where manufacturers have been ordered to shut down their factories until Feb. 14. However, if the outbreak spreads and causes factories in eastern China to close, the supply chain would face a worst-case scenario and demand could worsen, Yuanta Securities Investment Consulting Co (元大投顧) said in a client note yesterday.

ELECTRONICS

Wistron to produce PCBs

Wistron Corp (緯創), an iPhone assembler for Apple Inc, is reportedly planning to assemble printed circuit boards (PCBs) at its new plant in India, while also ramping up its existing iPhone production in the nation. The company plans to produce PCBs at a facility in Narasapura, an industrial area about 50km from Bengaluru, Indian media reports said. Wistron started shipping iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 models from its plants on the outskirts of Bengaluru last year. Wistron’s third plant in India, the Narasapura facility started trial production more than three months ago, Indian media reports said.

CIRCUIT BOARDS

EMC plant to open Feb. 14

PCB maker Elite Material Co (EMC, 台光電子材料) said that its subsidiary in Huangshi, China, plans to resume operations on Feb. 14 to abide by local government policy amid the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak. Operations in Huangshi are still at an early stage, focusing on trial runs and worker training, the company said in a regulatory filing yesterday. Output at the factory accounted for about 3.3 percent of total sales in the fourth quarter last year, it said. None of the company’s employees had been infected by the coronavirus, EMC said. Fellow PCB maker Dynamic Electronics Co (定穎電子) said that the coronavirus outbreak has had no significant effect on its business operations.

CHIP TESTERS

CHPT revenue surges

Chunghwa Precision Test Technology Co (CHPT, 中華精測), which provides wafer and chip testing services, yesterday said its revenue last month hit the highest level for January in the company’s history, while the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak has had limited impact on its financial and business operations. CHPT posted consolidated revenue of NT$275 million (US$9.07 million) for last month, up 8.68 percent from NT$253 million in the same month last year, after benefiting from orders for semiconductor testing interface products related to 5G applications, the company said in a regulatory filing.

REGULATORS

FSC extends deadline

The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) yesterday said that it would extend its deadline for publicly listed companies to release their sales reports for last month until Feb. 15. Companies that cannot make the deadline should apply for approval in advance, it said. Separately, the commission approved O-Bank Co Ltd’s (王道商業銀行) appointment of Elton Lee (李芳遠) as its president, replacing Tony Yang (楊錦裕), who retired on Saturday last week. Lee was previously chief executive of the bank’s Hong Kong branch.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

title: Taiwan Business Quick Take


title: Train bid: Petition urges guinea pigs be treated like dogs

content_text:
By Chen Hung-ju and Dennis Xie / Staff reporter, with staff writer
An online petition calling for relaxed regulations on guinea pigs on public transportation systems is pictured yesterday.Screen grab from the join.gov.tw
An online petition proposing relaxed regulations to allow guinea pigs on public transportation has collected nearly 1,000 signatures since its launch on Thursday.

The petition was spearheaded by a netizen identified as “Lu hua” (魯花), a guinea pig owner, who said that the regulations only allow dogs, cats, turtles, rabbits, fish and shrimp on trains and the high-speed rail.

Although guinea pigs are biologically classified as rodents, their disposition is closer to rabbits, and they do not pose a threat of spreading communicable diseases such as the plague, Lu hua said in the petition on the join.gov.tw Web site.

If rabbits can be taken on board trains, guinea pigs should be allowed as well, as they barely make any noise, have a docile and friendly nature and are less likely to disturb other passengers than dogs and cats, she said.

There are almost no pet hotels for guinea pigs, forcing many owners to smuggle their pets onto public transportation when taking a longer trip, which sometimes results in guinea pigs being hurt or dying, she said.

This breaches animal rights protection, as well as creating trouble for public transportation systems, she added.

The petition has struck a chord with other guinea pig owners, one of whom said on Facebook that she could only travel by bus with guinea pigs, while others said they have lied to train staff to get onboard, saying they have a short-eared rabbit.

The Taiwan Railways Administration said that by law rodents are considered animals with communicable diseases and are prohibited from riding with human passengers, although they can be placed in the luggage car.

Under National Development Council rules, the relevant authorities must respond to petitions on join.gov.tw that collect 5,000 signatures within 60 days.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


title: Cartoonist’s book tells story of Taiwan’s history

content_text:
By Chen Yu-hsun and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The cover of A Beautiful Island Fantasy: Secrets of Formosa by political cartoonist Momo Gaga is pictured on Jan. 12.Photo: Chen Yu-hsiun, Taipei Times
Political cartoonist Momo Gaga’s (魔魔嘎嘎) new book tells the history of Taiwan over the past 400 years through fictional characters that personify different regimes.

A Beautiful Island Fantasy: Secrets of Formosa (麗島狂想：FORMOSA的祕密) covers Taiwan from China’s Ming Dynasty, through the Japanese colonial era and the period following the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) arrival, she said.

The narrative is told through everyday events that happen to the protagonists, in a bid to demystify historical topics, she said.

“Art should also express concern for the nation. An artist should have their own core ideology,” Momo said.

Momo, who grew up in a pro-KMT household and in the past was apolitical, said she became involved in politics about the time of the 2014 Sunflower movement.

She became involved in the Taiwanese independence movement and began expressing her political views through comics.

When she began sharing her work online, it drew mixed reactions, with some criticizing her as being too subjective and extreme, but she never lost her determination to continue drawing, she said.

Protagonist Hsiao Wan (小灣) overcomes personal struggles to become a Taiwanese localist, and throughout the book, Hsiao Wan must deal with the arrogant and despotic Lung Erh (龍兒) — described as “Mr Perfect” — as well as the ruthless A-kung (阿共), who eyes Taiwan covetously from the shadows, Momo said.

Among the historical events covered in the book are the petition for a representative assembly in Taiwan during the Japanese colonial era, the KMT’s plundering of resources after its arrival and the 228 Incident, as well as more recent events, she said.

Some of the real people mentioned in the book are still active in politics, Momo said.

She said she hoped younger readers would become interested in politics and develop a Taiwanese consciousness.

Many young Taiwanese follow the news, but do not know the history and background of current political issues, she said.

Her aim was not to teach Taiwanese history, but to foster an interest in history and encourage critical thinking, Momo said.

“I only wish to spend all of my days on this depressed, but hope-filled, beautiful island, and to be a tried and true Taiwanese,” she said.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


title: TAIEX drops 1.22% over virus concerns

content_text:
TAIEX drops 1.22% over virus concerns

NOT ALL BAD:AU Optronics Corp and Innolux Corp saw their shares rebound, as they might see their orders rise if the coronavirus affects their competitors in China
The TAIEX yesterday shed 140.18 points, or 1.22 percent, to close at 11,354.92 points, as investors’ concerns over the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus continued to affect market sentiment.

The TAIEX fared worse than its neighboring peers. Shares in Hong Kong gained 0.17 percent yesterday, while equities in Japan dipped 1.01 percent and those in South Korea were flat.

However, the Shanghai Composite Index dived nearly 8 percent on its first day of trading after the Lunar New Year holiday.

The drop in Taipei followed a more than 600-point plunge in the Dow Jones Industrial Average on Friday last week, as well as declines on the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite, as the local equity market is sensitive to Wall Street’s movements, Hua Nan Securities Investment Management Co (華南投顧) chairman David Chu (儲祥生) said by telephone yesterday.

“The TAIEX’s loss today was much lighter than its tumble of 696 points on Thursday last week,” Chu said. “At least, not all sub-indices retreated.”

Turnover on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) was NT$180.168 billion (US$5.94 billion), up from NT$175.277 billion in the previous session.

Data compiled by the TWSE showed that foreign institutional investors bought a net NT$1.22 billion in shares, which was surprising given that they sold a net NT$35 billion in shares during the previous two sessions, Chu said.

Among shares that rebounded were flat-panel makers AU Optronics Corp (AUO, 友達光電) and Innolux Corp (群創光電), which were up 8.91 percent and 5.91 percent respectively.

Some companies in the passive components industry also saw their share prices increase, Chu said.

“These firms are expected to benefit from possible order gains, as their competitors in China might suffer order losses due to delayed production or reduced capacity,” he said.

The food sub-index rose 0.23 percent, as some investors expected local companies to gain more orders as their Chinese peers had been affected by bird flu, Chu said.

By comparison, suppliers of Apple Inc’s iPhones continued to see their share prices slide, amid concerns that sales of iPhones in China would slow due to the outbreak, he said.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s Co (TSMC, 台積電) shares sank 1.56 percent to NT$315, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co’s (鴻海) fell 1.20 percent to NT$82.20 and Largan Precision Co’s (大立光) lost 2.19 percent to NT$4,700.

Concord Securities Co (康和證券) said that TSMC recovered part of its earlier losses before the close, but the stock still traded below its 60-day moving average of NT$319, and therefore has become technically weaker.

Chu said that the government might have activated the National Stabilization Fund to stabilize the local market, given that some investors stepped in later yesterday to limit the losses.

However, it was difficult to see how much money was used, he added.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
Tourist applications for Dadan Island open online again

KINMEN COUNTY DRAW:The daily visitor quota has been raised to 300, but the exact number would depend on the tides, the tourism department said
Online applications to visit Dadan Island (大膽) in Kinmen County are being accepted again, following a three-month break, the Kinmen Department of Tourism said yesterday.

The island, 45km from Xiamen, China, and part of the front line against the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) during the Cold War, was opened to tourists last year.

A total of 17,000 people have visited since, with a nearly 90 percent satisfaction rate reported, the Kinmen County Government said.

Taiwanese and foreign tourists who want to visit the island must apply for a permit in advance, but Chinese citizens and tourists from Hong Kong and Macau are not allowed to visit, the tourism department said.

A maximum of 300 visitors are to be allowed per day, up from 150 last year, but the exact number would depend on the tides, it said.

The county government offers a passenger ferry tour package between Jiugong Harbor (九宮碼頭) and Dadan, which it hopes would help boost tourism in Lieyu Township (烈嶼), which administers Dadan, the county said.

The tour takes about five hours, and the packages include a professional guide, and free food and beverage at a local restaurant, it said.

Ferry tickets cost NT$1,500 per person, with a 50 percent discount offered to Kinmen residents, with elderly, child and veteran discounts available, it added.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: University start delayed; China evacuation starts

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, left, Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung, second left, and other officials hold a news conference at the Central Epidemic Command Center in Taipei yesterday.Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday announced that it was postponing the start of a new semester at universities to after Feb. 25 and that a ban on Chinese students returning to Taiwan has been extended to after Sunday to reduce the risk of a local novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak.

Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), head of the center, said there were no new confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV on Sunday.

Of the 515 people who have had direct contact with the 10 confirmed 2019-nCoV patients in Taiwan, 35 people had shown symptoms of the disease, 32 of them were ruled out and three were still being tested, he said.

Minister of Education Pan Wen-chung (潘文忠) met with university representatives earlier yesterday and reached a consensus to push back the start of the new semester by two weeks to after Feb. 25.

Universities can set their own starting day, but they are required to have 18 weeks of clasess in the new semester, Pan said, adding that schools must announce their new academic calendar before the starting day and submit their plan to the education ministry for reference.

A temporary ban on Chinese students returning to Taiwan has also been extended to after Sunday, and universities are required to come up with flexible measures to safeguard these students’ right to education and submit their plans to the education ministry before Friday, he said.

The graduate school entrance examination dates will remain the same, while school campuses are required to adopt stringent preventive measures against the disease, he said.

Asked about parents’ concerns about sending their children to nurseries or preschools, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang (莊人祥) said children who have returned from China, Hong Kong or Macau should be confined at home for 14 days and should not go to school.

The measure is based on a set of guidelines for 2019-nCoV prevention and health management in educational and childcare facilities issued by the CECC on Saturday, he said.

Meanwhile, the first stage of evacuation of more than 200 Taiwanese businesspeople from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV outbreak, was scheduled to arrive in Taiwan last night.

Those who have shown symptoms of the disease or are being monitored will not take the flight back to Taiwan, Taiwan Businessmen’s Association head Hsiao Yung-jui (蕭永瑞).

The evacuees would receive a physical examination upon arrival to check for symptoms of the disease. Those who exhibited symptoms would be immediately sent to hospitals, while those who do not would be isolated for 14 days in single rooms at as yet unspecified venues, such as military bases or idle government facilities, to prevent them coming into contact with local residents, he said.

The CECC has requisitioned healthcare professionals to assist in quarantine facilities to help evacuees settle in, he said.

A requisition for healthcare professionals was last issued in 2003 during the SARS outbreak in Taiwan.

The requisitioned physicians would receive an additional subsidy of NT$10,000 per day, while nurses would receive NT$5,000, other healthcare professionals NT$2,000 and other workers NT$1,500 per day, he said.

They would be asked to sign an agreement not to disclose any personal identifiable information about people kept in quarantine, he added.


people: 吳敦義 江啟臣 郝龍斌

title: Johnny Chiang registers for KMT chair election

content_text:
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang speaks to reporters in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday registered for the party’s chairmanship by-election on March 7 to replace former chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義).

Wu resigned last month after the party’s defeats in the Jan. 11 elections.

Chiang, who won re-election for a third term last month, told reporters at KMT headquarters in Taipei that many people have questioned whether the party should “re-discuss or adjust” its cross-strait stance.

“If I am elected party chairperson, the necessary discussion or debate are things that should be done,” he said. “Every proposition, if I am the party chairperson, I would need to respect.”

“The most important thing is to be able to form a consensus after discussions,” he said, adding that the role of the party chair is to serve as “a platform for how to let this project of reforming and transforming [the KMT] run smoothly.”

Shortly before Chiang’s arrival, Chang Ya-chung (張亞中), a National Taiwan University political science professor who was interested in running, but does not qualify, as he has not been a member of the KMT Central Committee or Central Review Committee, arrived at KMT headquarters.

The party should begin its reform effort by allowing all members to run for the chairpersonship, Chang said.

The KMT “is not the Central Committee’s party, nor the Central Review Committee’s party or the Central Standing Committee’s party and much less the party chairperson’s party,” he said.

The KMT “belongs to all party members,” he added.

Former KMT vice chairman and Taipei mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) is expected to register today for the by-election, the final day for registrations.

Hau last week said that the KMT should debate whether its cross-strait policies require revision.

The basic consensus on both sides of the Taiwan Strait is the “1992 consensus,” Hau said.

However, the basis of the consensus has been undermined by the Democratic Progressive Party’s denial of the consensus, calling it the “one country, two systems” concept — as well as Beijing’s refusal to acknowledge the ROC, Hau said.

The so-called “1992 consensus,” a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) in 2006 said he made up in 2000, refers to a tacit understanding between the KMT and the Chinese government that both sides of the Strait acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.

Additional reporting by Lin Liang-sheng and CNA

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


title: Virus Outbreak: Customs mulling reducing surgical mask allowance

content_text:
People line up to buy surgical masks at a convenience store in Taipei yesterday.Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
The Customs Administration yesterday said it would hold a meeting on Friday to discuss whether it should further reduce the number of masks that each passenger will be allowed to carry on international flights, as the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak in China could worsen a shortage of masks.

International flight passengers may take no more than five boxes of masks until Feb. 23.

“Many people have had trouble buying masks and the public might start to view it negatively if the government continues to allow international flight passengers to carry a maximum of five boxes of masks. We could consider reducing the number to two or three boxes per person,” Customs Administration Deputy Director-General Peng Ying-wei (彭英偉) told the Taipei Times.

Although the government imposed a one-month mask export ban after the outbreak, Peng said that some people had still tried to send masks overseas through the post.

Between Wednesday last week and Sunday, officials found 489 parcels containing 112,154 masks, Customs Administration data showed.

Most of the parcels were addressed to Hong Kong and China, Peng said, adding that the number of parcels breaching the export ban had gradually diminished.

People are banned from sending masks abroad via postal or express delivery services, the agency said, adding that the ban does not apply to those who have obtained special permission to do so from the Bureau of Foreign Trade.

People who send masks are contravening the Customs Anti-smuggling Act (海關緝私條例), the agency said.

If senders fail to honestly report that parcels contain masks, the parcels would be confiscated by customs and the masks turned over to the Centers for Disease Control, the agency added.

People carrying excessive numbers of masks when traveling abroad would have them confiscated and be fined no more than three times the price of the confiscated items, it added.

Chunghwa Post said that it would automatically reject parcels if they contain masks in compliance with the government’s policy.

The company has also amended the regulations governing the delivery of mail to hospitals and other medical facilities where couriers could be exposed to health risks.

Rather than mail being delivered directly to wards, all mail is to be delivered to a post office branch, mail room or iPostbox, or another assigned location within the hospital, the company said.

Couriers are required to wear a mask when on duty, Chunghwa Post said, adding that they would inform recipients at the hospitals that their mail had arrived by telephone call or text message.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
By Ko Yu-hao and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The organizers of a petition to recall Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, including main organizer Chen Kuan-jung, second left, hold a news conference in Kaohsiung yesterday.Photo: Ko Yu-hao, Taipei Times
A petition to recall Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) garnered 117,818 signatures in five days, the organizers of the petition said yesterday.

Before bowing in front of cameras for 30 seconds at a news conference in Kaohsiung, the four organizers said they aimed to collect 300,000 signatures within 30 days, before the petition drive ends.

Lead organizer Chen Kuan-jung (陳冠榮) thanked fellow Kaohsiung residents for their support, and said that he would continue to work with Citizens Mowing Action (公民割草行動), WeCare Kaohsiung, the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and others to recall Han.

“This is quite a monumental result, so we bow to you, Kaohsiung,” Chen said, commenting on the number of signatures.

Since taking office, Han has seriously lacked neutrality in handling city government affairs, and as the city’s election committee is under the city government’s administration, those who sign the petition should be prudent about avoiding mistakes, Chen said.

Use of simplified Chinese characters, abbreviations or mistakes in writing could be grounds for the city government to invalidate the petition, he said.

He called on the city government not to interfere with the petition, so that it could remain fair and transparent, Chen said.

Those involved in the petition have been insulted and threatened by Han’s supporters, but they would continue to demonstrate love and tolerance toward them, he said.

“A recall has nothing to do with party affiliation. Recalls cross party lines,” Chen said.

WeCare Kaohsiung founder Aaron Yin (尹立) also urged Han’s supporters to avoid verbal attacks on those working on the petition, saying that they were volunteers and have been working hard.

Petitions are a moderate and rational course of action, and a normal part of the democratic process, he said.

“Han Kuo-yu is like a dark cloud over Kaohsiung, and the city’s residents have had looks of gloom and despair since this cloud arrived,” Taiwan Statebuilding Party News Department deputy director Chang Po-yang (張博洋) said.

If Han had any sense of shame he would resign so that the city’s “honor and glory could be restored,” Chang said.

Petition organizers hoped to set a precedent for others nationwide to follow in the protection of democracy, Citizens Mowing Action said.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

title: Petition to recall Han Kuo-yu crosses 117,000 signatures


content_text:
Britain to toughen rules on terrorism after London attack

STABBING SPREE:Police shot dead the attacker, who had been convicted of terror-related offenses and released halfway through a prison term
Police stand inside a cordon where a man who went on a stabbing spree on Sunday was shot dead by police at a street in Streatham, London, yesterday.Photo: EPA-EFE
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday said that the government would set out tougher rules on releasing people convicted of terrorism offenses after an Islamist attacker injured two people in a stabbing spree days after he was set free halfway through his prison term.

Sudesh Amman, jailed in 2018 for possession of terrorist documents and disseminating terrorist publications, was on Sunday shot dead by police after he went on the rampage with a stolen 25cm knife on a busy London street.

Amman had previously praised the Islamic State militant group, shared an online al-Qaeda magazine and encouraged his girlfriend to behead her parents.

He also described Yazidi women as slaves and said the Koran made it permissible to rape them.

Johnson said the government would announce fundamental changes in dealing with people convicted of terrorism offenses.

“Those measures will build upon the actions we have already put in place,” UK Secretary of State for the Home Department Priti Patel said.

There would be legislation to end the early release from prison of counterterrorism offenders, she said.

“It is right that these individuals are kept behind bars,” Patel said.

British politicians have repeatedly discussed tougher rules on terrorism, calls that increased after a former convict killed two people and wounded three more, before police shot him dead near London Bridge in November last year.

Johnson said that since that attack, the government had “moved quickly to introduce a package of measures to strengthen every element of our response to terrorism — including longer prison sentences and more money for the police.”

Amman had recently been released from prison, according to police, having been jailed for promoting violent Islamist material.

He went on the rampage at about 2pm on Streatham High Road, having strapped a fake bomb to his body. He stabbed two people, while a third sustained minor injuries caused by shattered glass when police opened fire.

Amman was under surveillance at the time of the attack by armed police, who shot him dead.

In November 2018, he pleaded guilty to possessing terrorist documents and disseminating terrorist publications, and the following month he was sentenced to more than three years in prison.

Ian Acheson, who carried out a review of the management of Islamist extremists in jail, said the prison service did not have the appetite or aptitude to manage terrorist offenders.

“We may need to accept there are certain people who are so dangerous they must be kept in prison indefinitely,” he told BBC radio.

Mark Rowley, formerly Britain’s most senior counterterrorism police officer who was in post when Amman was arrested, said dozens of other people convicted of terrorism offenses were due to be released soon.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


title: EU remains post-Brexit UK partner

content_text:
On 31 January 2020, the United Kingdom left the European Union. We lost a member of our family. It was a sad moment for us, for European citizens — and, indeed, for many British citizens.

Nevertheless, we have always respected the sovereign decision of 52 percent of the British electorate, and we now look forward to starting a new chapter in our relations. Emotions aside, 1 February turned out to be historic but also undramatic. This is largely thanks to the Withdrawal Agreement that we negotiated with the UK, which enabled us to secure “an orderly Brexit.” One that — at least for now — minimises disruption for our citizens, businesses, public administrations — as well as for our international partners.

Under this agreement, the EU and the UK agreed on a transition period, until the end of 2020 at least, during which the UK will continue to participate in the EU’s Customs Union and Single Market, and to apply EU law, even if it is no longer a Member State. During this period, the UK will also continue to abide by the international agreements of the EU, as we made clear in a note verbale to our international partners.

So, with the transition period in place, there is a degree of continuity. This was not easy given the magnitude of the task. By leaving the Union, the UK automatically, mechanically, legally, leaves hundreds of international agreements concluded by or on behalf of the Union, to the benefit of its Member States, on topics as different as trade, aviation, fisheries or civil nuclear cooperation.

We now have to build a new partnership between the EU and the UK. That work will start in a few weeks, as soon as the EU27 have approved the negotiating mandate proposed by the European Commission, setting out our terms and ambitions for achieving the closest possible partnership with a country which will remain our ally, our partner and our friend.

The EU and the UK are bound by history, by geography, culture, shared values and principles and a strong belief in rules-based multilateralism. Our future partnership will reflect these links and shared beliefs. We want to go well beyond trade and keep working together on security and defence, areas where the UK has experiences and assets that are best used as part of a common effort. In a world of big challenges and change, of turmoil and transition, we must consult each other and cooperate, bilaterally and in key regional and global fora, such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, NATO or the G20.

It is perhaps a cliche but the basic truth is that today’s global challenges — from climate change, to cybercrime, terrorism or inequality — require collective responses. The more the UK is able to work in lockstep with the EU and together with partners around the world, the greater our chances of addressing these challenges effectively.

At the very core of the EU project is the idea that we are stronger together; that pooling our resources and initiatives is the best way of achieving common goals. Brexit does not change this, and we will continue to take this project forward as 27.

Together, the 27 Member States will continue to form a single market of 450 million citizens and more than 20 million businesses.

Together, we remain the largest trading bloc in the world.

Together, at 27, we are still the world’s largest development aid donor.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


title: Memorychip supply unscathed by virus: TrendForce

content_text:
Memorychip supply should remain steady, as major chipmakers have not halted production at fabs in China due to a coronavirus outbreak, dispelling concerns about potential supply disruptions, market researcher TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said yesterday.

The researcher retained its forecast of mild price hikes for DRAM and NAND flash memory chips for this quarter, as chip suppliers have already settled on prices with clients, TrendForce said in a report.

China’s major DRAM chipmaker, ChangXin Memory Technologies Inc (CXMT, 合肥長鑫存儲), is running factories as normal, unaffected by the outbreak, TrendForce found in its survey.

CXMT operates factories in Hefei in Anhui Province, which borders Hubei Province, where the outbreak began.

CXMT has kept “capacity expansion plans on track and should not see any impact by the virus in the short term,” TrendForce said.

The Chinese company is also shipping chips as usual to clients with operations in China, as it plays a key role in China’s efforts to enhance its position in the semiconductor industry and is not subject to the government transportation ban for provinces severely affected by the epidemic, the researcher said.

Chinese DRAM maker Fujian Jinhua Integrated Circuit Co (福建晉華) is also operating its plants as normal and is exempt from the transportation lockdown, the report said.

South Korean DRAM maker SK Hynix Inc is not expected to be directly affected by the coronavirus, as its manufacturing facilities are in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, one province away from Hubei, TrendForce said.

SK Hynix ran its facilities nonstop during the Lunar New Year holiday, it said.

SK Hynix is the only one of the world’s top three DRAM makers that produce chips in China, the researcher said.

Overall, the outbreak has not had any substantial impact on DRAM production, TrendForce said, adding that it would closely monitor whether the supply of raw materials would be affected by the lockdown.

The outbreak has also had a limited effect on the supply of NAND flash memory from China, TrendForce said, adding that Chinese NAND flash memory chipmakers Yangtze Memory Technologies Co’s (YMTC, 長江存儲) and Wuhan Xinxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd’s (XMC, 武漢新芯) production lines were running smoothly during the holiday.

As XMC only contributes about 1 percent of the world’s NAND flash memory production, any production issue would have a limited effect on global supply, TrendForce said.

If the epidemic continues to spread, the chipmaker’s plans to expand capacity next quarter could be thwarted, the researcher added.

The outbreak has had no effect on Samsung Electronics Co and Intel Corp, as their factories are in Xian and Dalian, far from the affected areas, it added.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
Airlines cancel more flights to virus-hit China

SAFETY COMES FIRST:EVA Airways and its affiliate Uni Airways are canceling 300 more of their flights, with almost all destinations in China to be affected
The nation’s airlines continued to cancel more flights from Taiwan to Chinese destinations this month due to an outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

EVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) and its affiliate Uni Airways Corp (立榮航空) yesterday announced that they would be canceling an additional 300 flights from Taiwan to China from Feb. 17 to Feb. 29.

Last week, the airlines announced that they were canceling 232 flights for the first half of this month, according to the information on their Web sites.

Almost every Chinese destination would be affected, no matter whether they are first-tier, second-tier or third-tier cities, EVA Airways said.

Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Dalian, Xian, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou, Guilin, Chongqing and Hohhot are among the affected destinations, it added.

It would still be operating flights to China that have sold more seats, EVA said, adding that it is willing to help passengers change their tickets.

“We might delay the resumption of our normal flight schedule until after Feb. 16, depending on when the spread of 2019-nCoV is stopped or controlled,” an EVA communications officer said by telephone.

State-owned China Airlines Ltd (CAL, 中華航空) said that it would halt 40 flights to China until Monday next week, with the affected destinations including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing and Xuzhou.

As for flights to Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, CAL said it would halt flights on that route until the end of this month.

From Tuesday next week through Feb. 22, CAL and its subsidiary Mandarin Airlines (華信航空) would cancel about 120 round-trip flights from Taiwan to more than 10 Chinese cities, the airline said.

Tigerair Taiwan Ltd (台灣虎航), another subsidiary of CAL, said that it is canceling 52 round-trip flights to Macau from today through Feb. 26.

StarLux Airlines Co (星宇航空), which operates six round-trip flights from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport to Macau per day, yesterday said that as of Sunday it had canceled all three flights to Macau until after March 29, as tourists are less interested in visiting the territory since the outbreak.

“We would resume two flights per day after March 29 and plan to resume all three flights from June 1 as we expect the virus crisis would have eased by then,” a StarLux official told the Taipei Times by telephone.

Macau is one of the airline’s three destinations following its launch of operations on Jan. 23.

StarLux flies to Da Nang, Vietnam, and Penang, Malaysia, and those services would be unaffected, said the official who asked not to be named.

Additional reporting by CNA

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


people: 蔡英文 馬英九 習近平

title: KMT must tackle the new reality

content_text:
After crushing defeats in the presidential and legislative elections last month, a desperate and heated debate has unfolded within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) to re-examine its China policy and rejuvenate its leadership. Prominent calls have included abandoning the “1992 consensus” (whereby Taiwan and China acknowledge the principle of “one China,” but maintain respective interpretations of what that means) and dropping “China” from the party’s name altogether to reclaim popular support.

However, conservatives within the KMT argue that doing so would run contrary to the party’s core values and the Republic of China Constitution.

The age-old KMT is facing a crisis of continued survival for losing touch with the younger generation in Taiwan. For many years, the party has failed to inject new blood and been ineffective communicating with young voters. On the other hand, the KMT has persistently been tagged by its opponents and international media as “pro-China” for taking more cordial positions on cross-strait relations. Around election time, political events related to China have almost certainly been exploited to the party’s disadvantage.

Once trailing in the opinion polls, but recently re-elected by a landslide, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) reversed their political fortunes in large part thanks to voters’ growing fear of China. Protests in Hong Kong conveyed a renewed urgency to voters of preserving Taiwan’s democracy and way of life in face of the powerful neighbor across the Strait.

Besides the economy, at the heart of this year’s elections was arguably the key issue of national identity. Beijing’s actions, as well as political changes within Taiwan, have changed how people identify themselves. Many more people now see themselves as Taiwanese instead of Chinese or both. This is particularly true among the younger generation, including first-time voters this year, who are sympathetic to a separate identity and Taiwan as an independent country.

To be fair, the KMT’s cross-strait policies based upon the “1992 consensus” enabled Taiwan to maintain peaceful and stable relations with the Chinese mainland during the administration of former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) from 2008 to 2016. Under president Ma, Taiwan preserved its democracy, while building stronger economic ties with the mainland, culminating in direct flights, increased tourism and the 2015 leaders’ summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Singapore.

Strategically, it is becoming ever more difficult for the KMT to sustain the “1992 consensus,” because of changes in Taiwanese identity and stakeholders involved having increasingly divergent interpretations as to what it means. Since 2016, China has only become more assertive and dominant, hardening its insistence that Taiwan accept the “one China” principle and eventual unification under a “one country, two systems” formula (which has eroded freedoms and led to large-scale protests in Hong Kong), establishing diplomatic relations with eight countries that previously recognized Taiwan, and stepping up military aircraft patrols around Taiwan.

The recent outbreak of the Wuhan coronavirus demonstrates how Beijing’s continued isolation of Taiwan in the international community creates a significant loophole to global health and harms the interests of Taiwanese.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
A leaked recording of an exchange between an Iranian air traffic controller and an Iranian pilot purports to show that authorities immediately knew a missile had downed a Ukrainian jetliner after takeoff from Tehran, killing all 176 people aboard, despite days of denials by the Tehran.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the recording’s authenticity in a report aired by a Ukrainian television channel on Sunday night.

In Tehran, the head of the Iranian investigation team, Hassan Rezaeifar, yesterday acknowledged the recording was legitimate and said that it was handed over to Ukrainian officials.

After the Jan. 8 disaster, Iran’s civilian government maintained for days that it did not know the nation’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had shot down the aircraft.

The downing of the jetliner came just hours after the Revolutionary Guard launched a ballistic missile attack on Iraqi bases housing US forces in retaliation for an earlier US drone strike that killed the Guard’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad.

A transcript of the recording, published by Ukrainian 1+1 TV channel, contains a conversation in Farsi between an air traffic controller and a pilot reportedly flying a Fokker 100 jet for Iran’s Aseman Airlines from Iran’s southern city of Shiraz to Tehran.

“A series of lights like ... yes, it is missile, is there something?” the pilot calls out to the controller.

“No, how many miles? Where?” the controller asks.

The pilot responds that he saw the light by the Payam airport, near where the Revolutionary Guard’s Tor M-1 anti-aircraft missile was launched from.

The controller says nothing has been reported to them, but the pilot remains insistent.

“It is the light of missile,” the pilot says.

“Don’t you see anything anymore?” the controller asks.

“Dear engineer, it was an explosion. We saw a very big light there, I don’t really know what it was,” the pilot responds.

The controller then tries to contract the Ukrainian jetliner, but unsuccessfully.

Publicly accessible flight-tracking radar information suggests the Aseman Airlines aircraft, Flight No. 3768, was close enough to Tehran to see the blast.

Iranian civil aviation authorities for days insisted it was not a missile that brought down the plane, even after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US officials began saying they believed it had been shot down.

Iranian officials should have immediately had access to the air-traffic control recordings and Zelensky told 1+1 that “the recording, indeed, shows that the Iranian side knew from the start that our plane was shot down by a missile, they were aware of this at the moment of the shooting.”

Zelensky repeated his demands to decode the plane’s flight recorders in Kiev — something Iranian officials had promised last month, but later backtracked on.

Ukrainian investigators were yesterday to travel to Tehran to participate in the decoding effort, but Zelensky insisted on bringing the so-called “black boxes” back to Kiev.

“It is very important for us,” he said.

However, Iranian authorities condemned the publication of the recording as “unprofessional,” saying it was part of a confidential report.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

title: Recordings show Tehran knew plane hit by missile


content_text:
British PM talks tough on post-Brexit EU trade

NO DEAL?The UK wants a free-trade accord with the EU, ‘but not at any cost,’ Boris Johnson was to say, adding that it wants a Canada-style agreement
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday set out a tough opening gambit in negotiations with the EU, saying the UK would walk away without a free-trade deal rather than agree to follow rules set by the 27-nation bloc.

Just 60 hours after Britain left the EU, the first country ever to do so, Johnson was digging in his heels about future relations.

In a speech to business leaders and international diplomats in London, Johnson planned to say: “We want a free-trade agreement,” but not at any cost.

“The choice is emphatically not ‘deal or no-deal,’” he was to say, according to extracts released by his office. “The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canada’s — or more like Australia’s.”

Australian-style trade would mean a panoply of new tariffs and other barriers between the UK and the EU.

In their divorce agreement, Britain and the EU agreed to strike an “ambitious, broad, deep and flexible partnership,” including a free-trade deal and agreements for security and other areas. They gave themselves 11 months to do it.

A post-Brexit “transition period,” in which relations stay essentially unchanged, runs until the end of this year.

For the rest of this year the UK is to continue to follow EU rules, although it will no longer have a say in EU decisionmaking.

Britain says it wants a “Canada-style” free-trade agreement with the EU covering both goods and services, but it is adamant it would not agree to follow the EU’s entire rule book in return for unfettered trade, because it wants to be free to diverge in order to strike other new deals around the world.

The bloc insists there can be no trade deal unless Britain agrees to a “level playing field” and does not undercut EU regulations, especially in areas of environmental protections, workers’ rights, and health and safety standards.

Johnson intends to double down on Britain’s tough stance.

“There is no need for a free-trade agreement to involve accepting EU rules on competition policy, subsidies, social protection, the environment, or anything similar, any more than the EU should be obliged to accept UK rules,” he was to say.

“The UK will maintain the highest standards in these areas — better, in many respects, than those of the EU — without the compulsion of a treaty. And it is vital to stress this now,” he added.

It is a message aimed as much at a domestic audience as it is a t the bloc, but EU leaders are unlikely to be impressed by what they see as British intransigence and wishful thinking.

EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier was yesterday due to publish the bloc’s draft negotiating guidelines. Formal talks are to start next month, once they have been approved by the remaining 27 EU nations.

EU leaders have repeatedly warned that the timetable is tight to strike any kind of deal.

Free-trade agreements typically take years. The EU-Canada deal that the British government cites as a model took seven years to negotiate.

If there is no deal by the end of this year, and the UK refuses to extend the negotiating period, Britain faces an abrupt, disruptive economic break from the bloc — with tariffs and other obstacles to trade imposed immediately between the UK and the EU.

That prospect alarms many businesses, especially in sectors such as the auto industry, which depend on the easy flow of parts across borders.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
Pro-Brexit pins are seen on a supporter’s jacket at Parliament Square, London, UK on “Brexit day” on Jan. 31.
一月三十一日英國脫離歐盟當天，倫敦國會廣場上的脫歐支持者，外套上別著支持脫歐的胸針。Photo: Reuters
照片：路透

 1

 2

 3

 4

The United Kingdom left the EU on Friday, its most significant change of course since the loss of its empire — and a major blow to 70 years of efforts to forge European unity from the ruins of two world wars.

After the numerous twists and turns of a three-and-a-half-year crisis, the final parting is an anticlimax of sorts: Britain steps into the twilight zone of a transition period that preserves membership in all but name until the end of this year.

At a stroke, the EU will lose 15 percent of its economy, its biggest military spender and the world’s international financial capital — London.

“This is the moment when the dawn breaks and the curtain goes up on a new act,” said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, one of the leaders of the “Leave” campaign in the 2016 referendum. “It is a moment of real national renewal and change.”

DISUNITED KINGDOM

The EU cautioned that leaving meant losing the benefits of membership, though the US said Britons wanted to escape the “tyranny of Brussels.” While Britons either side of the Brexit (a portmanteau of “British” and “exit”) divide expressed either sadness or delight.

For proponents, Brexit is “independence day” — an escape from what they cast as a doomed German-dominated project that is failing its 500 million people.

Opponents believe Brexit is a folly that will weaken the West, shrivel what is left of Britain’s global clout, undermine its economy and ultimately lead to a more inward-looking and less cosmopolitan set of islands in the northern Atlantic.

Brexit was always about much more than Europe. The referendum, which split voters 52 percent to 48 percent, showed up deep divisions and triggered soul-searching about everything from secession and immigration to empire and modern Britishness.

1. empire n.

帝國 (di4 guo2)

2. twists and turns phr.

迂迴曲折 (yu1 hui2 qu1 zhe2)

3. twilight zone phr. (交界間的)

模糊狀態 (mo2 hu2 zhuang4 tai4)

4. transition period phr.

過渡時期 (guo4 du4 shi2 qi2)

5. referendum n.

公民投票 (gong1 min2 tou2 piao4)

6. cosmopolitan adj.

國際性的 (guo2 ji4 xing4 de5)

7. soul-searching phr.

深刻反省 (shen1 ke4 fan2 xing3)

8. negotiation n.

談判 (tan2 pan4)

SMALL TIMEFRAME AHEAD

Feb. 1 marks the beginning of a new phase of negotiations between London and Brussels to agree on the shape of their future relationship.

They have until the end of 2020 — a transition period during which Britain will remain an EU member in all but name — to hammer out an agreement on trade and other issues including security, energy, transport links, fishing rights and data flow.

Johnson claims 11 months is time enough to strike a “zero tariff, zero quota” trade deal and has vowed — even though the option is there — not to extend the limbo period beyond 2020.

If they fail, the legal default will be a potentially crippling no-deal Brexit that would leave trade between Britain and the EU from 2021 onwards based on WTO terms, and see the imposition of import duties and controls.

(Reuters)

英國上週五脫離了歐盟，這是自大英帝國解體以來英國最重大的改變，這對自兩次世界大戰廢墟中重建、經七十年整合努力的歐洲來說，也是重大的打擊。

這場危機歷時三年半、經過無數迂迴曲折，最後的脫歐似乎有些太過平靜：英國進入了過渡期的模糊地帶，雖名義上已脫離歐盟，但到年底前這段過渡期仍享有原先歐盟成員國之待遇。

英國一脫歐，歐盟即會損失百分之十五的經濟、其最大的軍事開支國，以及國際金融重鎮──倫敦。

英國首相波里斯‧強生說：「這是黎明破曉、揭開新篇章的時刻」，強生曾是二○一六年公投中「脫歐」派的領導人之一。「這是真正的民族復興與變革的一刻。」

國內嚴重的分歧

歐盟警告說，英國脫歐意味失去歐盟成員國所享有的利益，雖然美國表示英國人想逃離「布魯塞爾的暴政」。而對於脫歐，英國贊成與反對的兩方皆表達出其喜與悲。〔「Brexit」（英國脫歐）一字為「Britain」與「 exit」所合成。〕

對脫歐支持者來說，英國脫歐日是「獨立日」──擺脫了他們所認為注定失敗、由德國主導、辜負其五億人民的歐盟。

反對脫歐的人認為，英國脫歐是不智之舉，會削弱西方的力量，也會讓英國所剩不多的全球影響力更無足輕重、破壞英國的經濟，最終會讓英國變成獨善其身、國際化程度較低的北大西洋島嶼。

英國脫歐所牽涉的問題絕不止是歐洲。脫歐公投將選民撕裂為百分之五十二贊成與百分之四十八反對的兩方，顯示選民分歧之深，也引發了人民對國家分裂、移民，乃至大英帝國及現代對「英國性」之定義等這一切的深刻反省。

協議談判的緊迫時程

倫敦與布魯塞爾自二月一日起開始新階段的談判，以決定其未來關係的樣貌。

將於二○二○年底屆滿的過渡時期中（在過渡期，英國實質仍為歐盟成員，但名義上不是），英國和歐盟必須就貿易和其他問題（包括安全、能源、交通運輸、漁權及資料流通）達成協議。

title:
Brexit ‘done’ at last: Now for the hard part
英國脫歐　拖棚歹戲暫落幕

countries: 英國 美國 歐盟 德國


title: EVERYDAY ENGLISH

content_text:
A: How come it only costs NT$600? That’s amazing value for money.

B: I buy off-the-shelf hair dye and then ask a hairdresser friend to help me.

A: Oh I see. That means the labor cost must be really high.

B: That’s right, but if you buy your own and get a hairdresser to do it, the dye takes more evenly.

A: 怎麼樣可以只花六百元染頭髮啊？這很超值耶。

B: 其實我是去買開架式的染髮劑，然後再請熟識的美髮師幫我染。

A: 原來如此，那這樣說起來，人工費用不便宜耶。

B: 確實如此，但是別人幫忙染，可以讓顏色比較均勻。

English 英文:

Chinese 中文:

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
‘1917’ is big winner at British Academy Awards amid controversy

No women were nominated as best director for the seventh year running, and all 20 nominees in the lead and supporting performer categories were white
Michael Ward poses on Sunday with his Rising Star award in the press room during the 73rd annual British Academy Film Award at the Royal Albert Hall in London.Photo EPA-EFE

 1

 2

Gut-wrenching World War I epic 1917 was the big winner at Sunday’s British Academy Film Awards, winning seven prizes including best picture and best director.

Sam Mendes’ drama about one of the most devastating conflicts in British history bested hotly tipped American contenders including Joker, The Irishman and Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood at a glitzy London event that was overshadowed by criticism of the nominees’ lack of diversity — even from some of the nominees themselves.

Director Mendes based 1917 on his grandfather’s wartime experiences. Shot in sinuous long takes that immerse viewers in the action, it follows two British soldiers on a perilous mission across No Man’s Land to try to avert a suicidal offensive.

1917 was also named best British film and won the cinematography prize — Roger Deakins’ fifth win in that category. It also took trophies for production design, sound and visual effects.

Joaquin Phoenix was named best actor for superhero story Joker, which charts the origins of Batman’s ginning nemesis. Renee Zellweger won the best actress prize for the Judy Garland biopic Judy.

Joker took three awards — best actor, casting and score — from 11 nominations. Martin Scorsese’s mob drama The Irishman had 10 nominations but went home empty-handed.

WHITE, MALE

Victory at the British awards, known as BAFTAs, is often a good predictor of success at Hollywood’s Academy Awards, being held this year on Feb. 9. Like the Oscars, the British awards have struggled to become less male and white.

No women were nominated as best director for the seventh year running, and all 20 nominees in the lead and supporting performer categories were white.

Phoenix slammed the lack of diversity in his acceptance speech, saying it sent “a very clear message to people of color that ‘You’re not welcome here.’”

Awards organizers called it “disappointing” that there were no performers of color among the acting nominees, who are chosen by 6,500 academy members who work in the UK and international film industry.

The rising star award — the one trophy decided by the public — went to black British actor Micheal Ward.

British star Cynthia Erivo, who is Oscar-nominated for her performance as abolitionist Harriet Tubman in Harriet but was snubbed by Britain’s Academy, declined an invitation to perform at Sunday’s award ceremony in protest.

The British Academy has promised to review its voting procedures.

BAFTA chairwoman Pippa Harris said the problem was “an industry-wide issue.”

“It takes everyone to look at what they’re doing,” she said. “Awards are right at the end of a whole process, and so we need to look at the types of films being made, the opportunities that people are getting, how the films are being promoted. All of these things play a part.”

Presenting the best-director award, Australian actress Rebel Wilson quipped that she could never achieve what the nominees did: “I just don’t have the balls.”

Scarlett Johansson, a best-actress nominee for Marriage Story, said the lack of recognition for female directors was disappointing.

“So many women made great films this year,” she said. “And I think it just goes to show you that there is a systemic problem that is very prevalent.”

Hours before the event and several miles away, three people were wounded and a knifeman shot dead by police in what police called a terrorism-related attack. The BBC canceled plans to broadcast interviews from the red carpet on its news channel as a result.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.


content_text:
Saira wants to become a lawyer so she can put her rapists in jail.

“I want to fight my own case and put those monsters behind bars,” the 31-year-old from West Bengal said.

She might achieve her objective. In June, after three years of study, Saira, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, is to become the first student to graduate from a unique program that offers survivors of sexual exploitation the chance to enrol in fully funded law courses.

When she was 17, Saira met a man who offered her what she thought would be a lucrative job. She was keen to find work to help support her family, who lived on a low income. Instead of a job, Saira was held captive and raped repeatedly by the man and several of his friends.

She escaped after a month, but had no money or support to pursue legal action. Her attackers continue to roam free, which makes her angry and more determined to complete her studies.

“When I become a lawyer, I will seek justice for myself,” she said.

The School for Justice (SFJ) program was founded in April 2017 in Kolkata and is run by the Free a Girl India non-governmental organization (NGO), which fights the sexual exploitation of children, in partnership with local NGO Sanlaap and a law school. Those enrolled get their fees paid, receive stipends and in some cases receive free accommodation in a safe house. They are also given counseling.

Seven women are enrolled on a law course in Kolkata and 11 more have begun courses in Mumbai since January last year.

Most of the women are from lower-income communities and ethnic minorities. Some were kidnapped or lured away from home under a false pretext, before being forced into sex work.

“Our aim is to empower the girls to turn their lives around via education. Once they have completed their law education and become lawyers, we hope they will seek justice for themselves as well as for other girls trapped in sexual slavery,” Free a Girl India chief executive officer Shikha Philips said.

FEW CONVICTIONS

According to the Indian National Crime Records Bureau’s report for 2016, the latest year for which there is information, of every five people trafficked in India, three were children and more than 50 percent were girls.

However, only a tiny fraction of the perpetrators are convicted each year.

“We hope our law graduates will become change-makers from within the system,” Philips said.

The women are referred to SFJ by local NGO partners. When they arrive, they are often traumatized and fragile, Philips said. “So at first we focus on their holistic rehabilitation — assessment of their medical and nutritional needs, emotional counseling, psychiatric treatment, among other things.”

The courses are taught in English, so those who hail from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds, and struggle with the language, have a mentor to improve their skills.

“The girls are also given a stipend and all the resources they need to take on the challenges of an intensive, multi-year, law program,” Philips said.

Amira, 22, who joined the program last year, lived on-and-off the streets for several years. She was sexually abused.

“During my early days at SFJ, I was so nervous and ashamed of my past that I couldn’t even think clearly. This program has given me so much clarity and helped me evolve into a confident person,” said Amira, also not her real name. “Now, I can’t wait to complete my law education and join an NGO so I can help others, just like I’ve been helped by SFJ. Studying family law in school has made me aware of so many things including my own rights, and the rights of women and children. I want to ensure these rights are protected.”

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.

title: India school helps women who were raped study law


content_text:
Virus Outbreak: Some Australian universities delaying semester start

Some Australian universities are delaying their semester return while others are offering special consideration for students unable to get back to Australia amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Universities have been scrambling to put in place policies and support for students and staff dealing with the coronavirus and the travel ban put in place by the federal government on Saturday.

There has not been a coordinated response from universities, and their policies will largely depend on when each university is to begin the semester.

Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson on Sunday said that the focus was on the health and safety of people at university, and on minimizing the disruption to their studies.

Monash University in Melbourne on Friday said that it would delay the start of the semester one by one week, now due to start March 9, along with summer exams, due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus making it difficult for students to get back to Australia, or out of isolation after arriving from China.

The University of Sydney announced on Saturday evening it would allow students to enroll up to two weeks after the start of semester (by March 9), or let students defer their studies or have fees refunded.

For the University of New South Wales, where one student tested positive for 2019 novel coronavirus, students can defer their study if affected, and the university will consider late enrolment until the end of this month.

The university has said it would also consider allowing students to take courses online.

Queensland University of Technology has said returning students can seek a leave of absence if they cannot return by the end of week two, while new students unable to travel from China can defer their studies.

The University of Tasmania has said it would offer online courses to the estimated 1,300 students affected by the travel ban.

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and University of Adelaide have said classes would continue as normal.

Comments will be moderated. Keep comments relevant to the article. Remarks containing abusive and obscene language, personal attacks of any kind or promotion will be removed and the user banned. Final decision will be at the discretion of the Taipei Times.