title: IMF calls on BOJ to review objective

content_text:
IMF calls on BOJ to review objective

UNREALISTIC FORECASTS:The Bank of Japan’s emphasis on its inflation target and its overoptimism in meeting that goal have hurt its credibility, an IMF staff report said
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) should conduct a comprehensive review of its policy objectives and redefine its elusive 2 percent inflation target as a long-term goal with room for some allowance, a staff report by the IMF said.

The move would make the price target more realistic and give the central bank flexibility to address the strain prolonged monetary easing is inflicting on financial institutions, according to the report released in Washington on Monday.

“The BOJ should clarify that it is not excessively focused on inflation, but that other objectives, including financial stability, also matter for monetary policy,” it said.

Years of heavy money printing has failed to fire up inflation to the BOJ’s 2 percent target, forcing it to maintain a radical stimulus, despite the rising cost, such as the hit to commercial banks’ profits from ultra-low interest rates.

Under a policy dubbed yield curve control, the BOJ guides short-term rates at minus-0.1 percent and 10-year bond yields at about zero percent. It also buys government bonds and risky assets to reflate growth.

While the bank no longer sets a rigid time frame for reaching the target, BOJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda has shunned calls to water down his pledge to meet the price goal as early as possible.

The large weight the BOJ puts on the inflation target and its overoptimism in meeting the goal have hurt its credibility, as price growth remains anemic, the report said.

“The emphasis on achieving the price stability target ‘as soon as possible,’ together with unrealistic inflation forecasts, have been particularly problematic given limited policy space, a clogged monetary transmission, and rising financial stability costs,” it said.

Japan’s annual core consumer inflation in December last year hit 0.7 percent.

The BOJ expects inflation to come in at 1 percent in the year beginning in April and accelerate to 1.4 percent the following year — forecasts criticized by analysts as too ambitious.

The IMF report was compiled after the global lender’s Article 4 consultations with Japan.

Meanwhile, a senior IMF official warned that a prolonged and widespread 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak could hit Japan’s economy, affecting tourism, retail and exports, among other areas.

“The spread of coronavirus poses an emerging downside risk to Japan’s economy, although the economic impact will depend on the extent of the spread of the disease and policy responses,” IMF mission chief for Japan Paul Cashin told reporters.

“If prolonged and widespread, this would likely affect Japan’s tourism and retail activities through a decline in tourist arrivals, and spending from China and elsewhere,” he said in a written interview released yesterday.

The outbreak could also affect trade and investment, as any further slowdown in China’s economy could hurt Japanese companies’ output and disrupt supply chains, Cashin added.

Cashin did not give estimates on how much the outbreak could affect Japan’s growth, saying the effect would be taken into account when the IMF next updates its global forecasts in April.

The coronavirus outbreak, which began in China, has heightened concern among Japanese policymakers that the world’s third-largest economy — already hurt by soft global demand and private consumption — could slide into recession.

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Virus Outbreak: Work continues to resolve WHO name problem

MEANINGFUL PROGRESS:The foreign ministry said it would continue efforts to secure the nation’s timely and complete participation in all events on the disease
Taiwan is continuing efforts to join a WHO online forum with a name more closely aligned to the nation’s interests, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday, adding that Taiwanese experts being invited to the closed-door event is a meaningful, but insufficient, sign of progress.

Amid concern about the 2019 novel coronavirus, whose spread shows no signs of stopping, the WHO was yesterday to convene the two-day forum on critical research and development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, among other innovations.

While Taiwan has been denied entry to the global body’s emergency meetings on the virus crisis, WHO Health Emergencies Program executive director Michael Ryan on Saturday said that Taiwanese experts would join the online forum.

The Centers for Disease Control on Monday said that Taiwan would join the meeting with the reference name of “Taipei.”

The nation’s name has become an issue in the discussions about the virus, as references to it have changed from “Taiwan, China,” “Taipei Municipality” and “Taipei” to “Taipei and environs” in the WHO’s situation reports.

Asked to comment on the issue at a news briefing in Taipei yesterday morning, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said that the ministry was still negotiating with the WHO to have Taiwanese delegates join the event with dignity and equality, but did not confirm whether it has settled on “Taipei.”

All attendees are required to sign a confidentiality agreement, she said, adding that their discussions would serve as reference information for various governments.

The ministry could not offer many details, especially before the meeting, she said.

Ou praised the WHO for inviting Taiwanese delegates and thanked the nation’s diplomatic allies and like-minded partners for voicing strong support for Taiwan, which prompted the WHO to squarely face the urgency to include the nation.

It is “meaningful progress” that Taiwan was invited to the expert meeting, she said, adding that the nation would continue to strive for timely and complete participation in all WHO events on fighting the disease.

Taiwan would also strive to join this year’s World Health Assembly as an observer, she said.

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title: Taipei prosecutors drop charges against the White Wolf

taiwan-subdivisions: 安樂 金門

content_text:
Chinese Unity Promotion Party Chairman Chang An-le, nicknamed the “White Wolf,” center, is pictured in an undated photograph.Photo: Chiu Yi-chin, Taipei Times
The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office yesterday dropped charges against Chinese Unity Promotion Party (CUPP) Chairman Chang An-le (張安樂) and another CUPP member in connection with a Taipei rally on Oct. 1 last year, but indicted another CUPP executive on suspicion of buying votes.

The decision to stop the prosecution of Chan, a former Bamboo Union boss known by his gang nickname of “White Wolf,” quickly drew criticism.

Chang and Hu Ta-kang (胡大剛) were charged in connection with an event in front of the Taipei Railway Station to celebrate China’s National Day.

Chang has said that the event was not political, but was to perform traditional Chinese cultural rites and was not related to China’s National Day.

The event attracted a large police presence, and Chang and several hundred CUPP members ignored police calls to disperse.

Several people filed judicial complaints alleging that Chang and other CUPP members were pledging allegiance to China, contrary to obligations of Republic of China (ROC) citizens, and possibly contraventing of national security laws.

Taipei prosecutors indicted Chang and Hu for breaches of the National Security Act (國家安全法) and Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法), as the event had not been approved by the Taipei City Government and the CUPP members ignored police orders to disperse.

However, prosecutors yesterday said that they dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence of criminal offenses.

The decision to drop the charges against Chang An-le drew criticism on the Internet, with critics saying there was clear evidence of him leading CUPP members in celebrating China’s National Day.

However, the office indicted former CUPP legislator-at-large nominee Ho Jianghua (何建華) on vote-buying charges in connection to activities in December last year.

Ho is also chairwoman of the Taipei-based Chinese Women’s Federation, a pro-China organization whose members are mostly Chinese women married to Taiwanese and settled in Taiwan.

She was born in Hunan Province and obtained permission to live and work in Taiwan, and eventual ROC citizenship, after marrying a Taiwanese man in 1996.

Prosecutors allege Ho contravened election laws by organizing a five-day trip from Kinmen Island (金門) to Xiamen, China, through the “small three links,” with 16 people paying NT$7,800 per person for the trip.

Investigators allege the tour was subsidized by the Chinese government, as the NT$7,800 only covered the transportation, insurance and administration fees, not accommodation, meals or other expenses.

Participants allegedly told investigators that Ho had told them to vote for the CUPP in the Jan. 11 legislative elections.

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title: Virus Outbreak: Museum changes hours of operation

content_text:
The National Palace Museum is pictured in this undated photograph in Taipei.Photo courtesy of the National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum on Sunday announced that it would adjust its opening hours to prevent the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus.

From Friday to March 31, the museum is to be open from 9am to 5pm on Tuesdays through Sundays and closed on Mondays, the museum said.

The adjustment is being made to “strengthen various epidemic prevention and related efforts,” it said.

The reduced hours are when the museum would typically see the least visitors, the museum said, adding that travel agencies have been given a week to adapt to the change.

While the museum is closed to the public, various facilities and equipment would be maintained, calibrated and disinfected, it said, adding that after closing each day, various disinfection procedures would be taken.

The hours at the National Palace Museum Southern Branch in Chiayi County would remain unchanged, the museum said, but added that they might be adjusted depending on the situation.

Separately, the Puli Township Office and organizers on Saturday said that they have decided to cancel the fifth edition of the Puli Power marathon, originally scheduled for March 15 in Nantou County.

Organizers cited the novel coronavirus as the reason for the cancelation.

About 4,600 runners had signed up for the marathon, office head Liao Chih-cheng (廖志城) said.

However, after careful consideration, the organizers decided to cancel the event to prevent the risk of infection, he said.

The marathon has been be postponed to March next year, he added.

Organizers said they would begin processing refunds on Feb. 27.

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Emissions drop as rich nations kick coal habit

IEA REPORT:A major fall in advanced economies’ emissions, to levels of the late 1980s, helped offset growth in the rest of the world, especially Asia
Global carbon dioxide emissions from power production flattened last year to 33 gigatonnes after two years of increase, despite expectations of another rise as the world economy expanded, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said yesterday.

The growth of renewable energy and fuel switching from coal to natural gas led to less emissions from advanced economies.

Milder weather in several countries and slower economic growth in some emerging markets also contributed, the agency said.

“This welcome halt in emissions growth is grounds for optimism that we can tackle the climate challenge this decade,” IEA executive director Fatih Birol said in a statement. “We now need to work hard to make sure that 2019 is remembered as a definitive peak in global emissions, not just another pause in growth.”

Emissions from advanced economies fell to levels last seen in the late 1980s, when electricity demand was one-third lower, the IEA said.

EU emissions fell by 160 million tonnes, or 5 percent, last year from a year earlier due to more use of natural gas and wind power in electricity generation, with Germany reducing emissions to levels not seen since the 1950s.

The US recorded a fall of 140 million tonnes, or 2.9 percent, in emissions from 2018, led by a 15 percent drop in coal power and as milder weather subdued overall electricity demand.

Japan’s emissions fell by 45 million tonnes, or 4.3 percent, as output from recently restarted nuclear reactors increased.

However, emissions in the rest of the world increased by nearly 400 million tonnes, with almost 80 percent of the growth coming from Asia, where coal-fired power generation continued to rise.

China’s emissions rose, but were tempered by slowing economic growth, and gains in renewable energy and nuclear power.

India saw a slight reduction in power-sector emissions that were offset by increases from transport.

Additional reporting by Bloomberg

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title: World News Quick Take

content_text:
Photo: AFP / Julius Csotonyi / University of Calgary and Royal Tyrrell Museum
CANADA

Dinosaur species named

Scientists on Monday said they had discovered a new species of dinosaur closely related to Tyrannosaurus rex that strode the plain of North America about 80 million years ago. Thanatotheristes degrootorum — Greek for “Reaper of Death” — is thought to be the oldest member of the T-rex family discovered so far in northern North America, and would have grown to about 8m in length. “We chose a name that embodies what this tyrannosaur was as the only known large apex predator of its time in Canada, the reaper of death,” Darla Zelenitsky, assistant professor of dinosaur paleobiology at the University of Calgary and coauthor of a study that appeared in the journal Cretaceous Research. “The nickname has come to be Thanatos.” Thanatos dates back at least 79 million years, the team said. The specimen was discovered by Jared Voris, a doctoral student at Calgary, and is the first new tyrannosaur species found for 50 years in the nation.

IRELAND

Final election count in

Sinn Fein yesterday became the nation’s second-largest parliamentary party after winning the popular vote in Saturday’s election. Sinn Fein won 37 of the 160 seats in the next Dail — the lower house of parliament — after a 62.9 percent turnout for the poll. Center-right party Fianna Fail were one seat ahead with 38, while Prime Minister Leo Varadkar’s Fine Gael party took 35, a result likely to topple him from office. Negotiations on a new coalition government have begun, with Sinn Fein arguing for a central role in power after winning 24.5 percent of first preferences, the largest of any party.

GERMANY

Bird cull after outbreak

An outbreak of the H5N8 bird flu virus has been reported in a backyard in Bretzfeld, in the Baden-Wurttemberg region, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Monday. The virus killed 44 birds out of a flock of 69. “All poultry and captive birds have been culled and safely disposed of on Feb. 7, 2020. No poultry, poultry products or captive birds have been dispatched,” the OIE said.

UNITED STATES

Trump dismissive of TBIs

President Donald Trump has again downplayed the severity of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) suffered by troops during an Iranian missile attack on an air base in Iraq, as the injury total rose to 109, 45 more than previously reported by the Department of Defense. “They landed in a way that didn’t hit anybody,” Trump said of the missile strike. “And so when they came in and told me that nobody was killed, I was impressed by that and, you know, I stopped something that would have been very devastating for them.” He did not specify what he stopped. “Head trauma — that exists, but it’s, you know, I viewed it a little bit differently than most and I won’t be changing my mind on that,” he said.

UNITED STATES

Two cops shot at Walmart

Two police officers were wounded and a gunman was killed on Monday in an exchange of gunfire at a Walmart store in Forest City, Arkansas. The officers responded to the Forrest City Walmart after someone reported a man who was making threats and was “kind of talking out of his head,” police officials said.

MALDIVES

Speaker apologizes to tourist

Speaker of the Parliament Mohamed Nasheed on Monday apologized to a British tourist after footage of her arrest by several policemen triggered a social media storm. Police said the bikini-clad woman, who was walking on a main road, was “inappropriately” dressed and allegedly unruly and drunk when she was detained after refusing to comply with requests to cover up on Thursday last week. Videos shared on social media showed the woman shouting: “You’re sexually assaulting me” during the incident.

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Iran remembers 1979 revolution

POLITICS FIRST:As rallies took place in more than 5,000 cities, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech encouraging people to vote in parliamentary elections
Iranians attend commemorations marking 41 years since the Islamic Revolution in Tehran’s Azadi Square yesterday.Photo: AFP
Hundreds of thousands across Iran yesterday marked the anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution amid some of the highest tensions ever between Tehran and the US in the past four decades.

While Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech in Tehran’s iconic Azadi Square denouncing the US, he also focused on encouraging the country to vote in upcoming parliamentary elections, even after officials disqualified thousands from running, including 90 current lawmakers.

Iran views high turnout as a vote of confidence in the country’s Shiite theocracy, something it wants to show as public anger still simmers over the country accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner in January that killed all 176 people onboard.

Tehran for days denied its forces shot down the passenger plane before admitting to it in the face of mounting Western pressure.

The incident also marred funeral processions that drew millions of mourners for Iranian major general Qassem Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad.

“We should not withdraw from the ballot boxes,” Rouhani called out to the thousands in the crowd, who rallied in the city in freezing winter weather. “The ballot boxes are our savior.”

There is also anger over Iran’s long-faltering economy, which has been hard hit by US sanctions. In November last year, protesters angered by Iran raising government-set gasoline prices by 50 percent blocked traffic in major cities and occasionally clashed with police.

Amnesty International says that more than 300 were killed in violent protests and a subsequent government crackdown.

Iran’s government did not release any death toll, although lawmakers said thousands were detained.

Rouhani called on voters to still turnout despite “possible complaints and criticism.”

“I beg you not to be passive,” he said.

State media said that the rallies took place in more than 5,000 cities, towns and districts all around Iran.

State television referred to this year’s anniversary as “Soleimani Dawn.”

His image could be seen on signs carried by demonstrators, as well as a large poster off to Rouhani’s side during his speech.

The Iranian president spent much of his speech praising Soleimani, calling him a great military commander and a “senior diplomat.”

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title: Iran remembers 1979 revolution


content_text:
New York state sues Trump administration over policy

‘PUNITIVE BAN’:State officials said prohibiting state residents from joining or renewing their membership in four ‘trusted traveler’ programs was retaliatory
New York state on Monday sued US President Donald Trump’s administration to void a policy barring hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers from federal programs that help travelers speed through airport security lines and borders, calling the ban political punishment.

The administration’s action last week came in response to New York’s passage in June last year of a so-called Green Light law allowing illegal immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses and limiting federal immigration authorities from accessing records from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles.

UNCONSTITUTIONAL?

State officials called the ban a “punitive measure intended to coerce New York into changing its policies,” contravening the US constitution’s guarantees of equal protection and equal sovereignty among states, and its prohibition on federal coercion.

The lawsuit in Manhattan federal court marked the latest front in political fighting between Democratic-controlled New York and Trump, a Republican born and raised in the state.

“President Trump and his enablers are once again taking their aim at New York’s economy in a way that not only inconveniences travelers, but also creates very real security issues,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement.

A US Department of Justice spokesman declined to comment.

PROGRAMS

The US Department of Homeland Security policy prohibits New Yorkers from joining or renewing their participation in so-called Trusted Traveler programs, including Global Entry, and FAST, NEXUS and SENTRI, which allow quicker passage between the US and either Canada or Mexico.

New York said the policy would prohibit 175,000 New Yorkers whose membership in the programs expires this year from re-enrolling, and would “cut off” 80,000 New Yorkers with pending applications.

The state also said that the administration’s ban “will make all travelers less safe” by diverting US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers’ focus from higher-risk travelers, and would cost its economy millions of dollars.

“Congested lines at New York’s airports and border crossings will strain resources at the border and undermine safety for all travelers,” the lawsuit said.

“New York’s economy will suffer as wait times at border crossings increases, employers doing global business are placed at a competitive disadvantage, and residents who rely on cross-border travel lose access to these programs,” it added.

Trump has made tougher immigration policies a centerpiece of his presidency and re-election campaign.

The president faults New York and other places he deems “sanctuary jurisdictions” for limiting information-sharing between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

Fifteen states — including Utah — and the District of Columbia have Green Light laws, the National Conference of State Legislatures said.

US Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf called New York the only state to shut off access to Department of Motor Vehicles records by CBP officers.

“Without access, CBP cannot vet Trusted Traveler applicants,” Wolf wrote on Twitter on Sunday. “It’s that simple.”

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title: Saudi giants Al Hilal cruise past Iran’s Shahr Khodro

content_text:
Andre Carrillo and Bafetimbi Gomis were on target on Monday as Saudi Arabia giants Al Hilal began the defense of their Asian Champions League title with a 2-0 victory over Iran’s Shahr Khodro.

Al Hilal’s superiority was never in doubt, as they controlled proceedings from the start at the Zabeel Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

However, Al-Hilal struggled to breach the Shahr Khodro defense, with goalkeeper Mehdi Rahmati producing a string of some good saves in their Group B clash.

Just when it appeared that the deadlock would continue into the second half, Shahr Khodro, who are making their Champions League debut, caved in to the pressure.

Italy international Sebastian Giovinco cut in from the left and passed to Salem al-Dawsari, who in turn neatly set up Carrillo, and the Peruvian made no mistake with his half-volley.

Carrillo turned provider in the 69th minute when he received a pass from al-Dawsari inside the penalty box, squared for Gomis and then scored with a simple tap-in.

Shahr Khodro could have pulled one back, but Al-Hilal goalkeeper Abdullah al-Mayouf made a fine save three minutes from time to thwart a powerful shot from Milad Sarlak.

earlier in another Group B match, Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor edged out Shabab Al Ahli Dubai 2-1 in Tashkent.

Jaloliddin Masharipov became the first player to score in the tournament this season, as he put Pakhtakor ahead in the 18th minute with an excellent lob over goalkeeper Majed Naser, after having made considerable ground with the ball.

However, Pedro Conde put Shabab Al Ahli on level terms in the 67th minute after Youssef Jaber’s bicycle-kick was saved by Pakhtakor goalkeeper Eldorbek Suyunov, leaving the Spaniard with a simple shot from close.

However, Shabab Al Ahli could not take advantage of the momentum as Serbian Dragan Ceran restored Pakhtakor’s lead in the 70th minute with a low shot following a right-wing cross by Dostonbek Khamdamov.

Shabab Al Ahli had chances later, but Pakhtakor held on.

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content_text:
Syrian and Turkish forces clash

ACT OF RETALIATION:Turkey claimed that it had ‘neutralized’ 101 Syrian soldiers after five of its soldiers were killed. The exchange was the second in eight days
Syrian and Turkish forces on Monday exchanged fire in another deadly clash in northwest Syria, where nearly 700,000 people have fled escalating violence in the last major opposition bastion.

Turkey, which backs Syrian rebel factions, said that five of its soldiers were killed by Syrian regime fire in Idlib Province, adding that it “neutralized” 101 Syrian soldiers in response.

It was not possible to verify the claim and neither Syrian state media nor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, immediately reported casualties among Syrian army ranks.

The exchange was the second in eight days and took place in the area of Taftanaz, where Turkey recently sent in troops, the Britain-based observatory said.

Regime shelling a week earlier killed eight Turkish soldiers, prompting a deadly response by the Turkish army.

The clashes are further straining relations between Damascus and Ankara, while also increasing tensions between Russia and Turkey — the conflict’s chief foreign protagonists.

Syrian government forces backed by Moscow have pressed a blistering assault against the last major rebel bastion in Syria’s northwest for more than two months.

Violence in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo has displaced 689,000 people, said David Swanson, spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“The number of people being displaced in this crisis is now spiraling out of control,” he told reporters on Monday.

The exodus is one of the largest of the nine-year civil war and risks creating one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes of the conflict.

It has sparked alarm from Turkey, which already hosts about 3.7 million Syrian refugees and fears another influx.

The Turkish Ministry of National Defense said that the troops targeted on Monday had been sent “as reinforcement to the region with an aim to prevent clashes in Idlib, ensure our border security, and stop migration and human tragedy.”

The ministry warned that Ankara would respond “in the strongest possible way” to any new attack.

In a sign of growing tensions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday night convened a meeting in Ankara of Cabinet ministers, the army chief of staff and the country’s intelligence chief to review the situation in Idlib, local media reported.

Since Friday last week, large convoys of vehicles carrying commandos, tanks and artillery pieces have reinforced 12 Turkish military posts in Idlib, installed by Ankara under a 2018 deal with Russia to stave off a regime offensive.

However, the agreement has failed to stop the government’s advance, with Turkey saying that regime forces have surrounded three of its outposts.

Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan’s top press aide, wrote on Twitter that “Turkey retaliated against the attack to destroy all enemy targets and [avenge] our fallen troops.”

Erdogan has given Damascus until the end of the month to retreat from its outposts and urged Russia to convince the regime to halt its offensive.

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title: Syrian and Turkish forces clash


title: EVERYDAY ENGLISH

content_text:
B: Doctors say that if you are healthy and asymptomatic, there’s no need to wear a face mask.

A: I see, but I read that the novel coronavirus has an incubation period of two weeks. Someone could have no symptoms, but still be spreading the disease.

B: Yes, but if you avoid densely populated public spaces such as movie theaters or festivals, the risk of contracting the virus is apparently very low.

B: 醫生們的建議是說，如果你健康狀況良好、沒有症狀，就不需要戴口罩。

A: 我懂了。但我也有看到報導說，新型冠狀病毒有兩個星期的潛伏期，所以有些人可能沒有症狀，但是仍然在傳播疫情。

B: 沒錯，但如果你避免去人潮擁擠的公共場所，例如電影院或是節慶活動，那麼感染到病毒的風險顯然就會變得很低。

English 英文:

Chinese 中文:

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title: Digging deep into the underground faithful

content_text:
The Sakitsu Church was built atop the former grounds where Christians were tortured and forced to renounce their faith.Photo: Han Cheung, Taipei Times

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Most video gamers probably recognize Shiro Amakusa’s name as a villain from the popular 1990s Samurai Shodown series. In the games, Shiro has renounced his Catholic faith and become an evil cult leader resurrected by a dark god. But in his homeland of Japan’s Amakusa Islands in northwestern Kyushu, he’s still the 17-year-old hero who led a doomed rebellion against the government, which banned Catholicism in 1612 and began violently persecuting its followers.

The Amakusa Christian Museum provides a glimpse of how these “hidden Christians” in the area continued to practice in secret — but their suppression is more striking on the vertical plaques that adorn the entrance to the nearby Myotoku Temple, built in 1645 “to spread the righteous way of the Buddha” and “to destroy the evil cult of Jesus.”

The previously little-known story of these hidden Christians was brought to public consciousness through Martin Scorcese’s 2016 movie Silence, which was shot in Taiwan. The film was the only reason I knew about the area during a family Lunar New Year trip to Kyushu and, my parents being practicing Catholics, we decided to make the pilgrimage after visiting the smoldering volcano of Aso.

The film, which I reviewed in the Taipei Times on Feb. 23, 2017, was overwhelmingly sympathetic toward the perspective of the missionaries, and I wanted to witness the local side of the story.

The hidden Christian sites aren’t just limited to Amakusa island. They are found across the bay on the Shimabara Peninsula and further to the west in Nagasaki, where the Oura Cathedral honors the 26 Holy Martyrs of Japan crucified by the shogun in 1597. The entire journey took us four days, which included various non-religious sites as well.

China Airlines, Eva Air and Tiger Air all have direct flights to Fukuoka (about 2.5 hours, average price NT$7,000). It is easiest to rent a car and drive to the sites, with typical rental fees being NT$2,500 per 24 hours for a mid-sized vehicle. Public transportation options are available at Hakata Station, a major transportation hub about a 10 minute cab ride from the airport.

For maps and more information on the Hidden Christian sites, visit: kirishitan.jp/en

LAST REFUGE

The first stop is the Amakusa Shiro Memorial Hall on Kamishima island, where Shiro was born to Catholic parents around 1621. With his people suffering from heavy taxation and famine, a teenaged Shiro led a 37,000-strong army of Catholics against the local daimyo in what would be known as the Shimabara Rebellion. The uprising failed, the entire rebel army was beheaded and the government drove all foreigners out of the country and strictly enforced its ban on Christianity.

The museum shows the myriad ways that the hidden Christians were persecuted and forced to renounce their faith, and the creative ways they used to continue worship. On display are paintings of the Buddhist goddess Guanyin, known as Kannon in Japan, holding a child that represents Mary and Jesus, Buddha figurines with crosses attached to the back and secret chambers in wooden pillars to hide their artifacts. There are barely any English descriptions here, including a 16-minute film on Shiro without any subtitles, but the building is funky and there’s a quaint garden with a statue of Shiro pointing to the sky as well as a new-agey “meditation room” where visitors can pay their silent respects to the dead rebels.

Misumi West Port, about a 10-minute drive away, is worth a brief stop. Built in 1884 during Japan’s industrial revolution, the stone port with Dutch-style buildings only flourished for about 10 years and has remained mostly the same since then. A path leads up to the adjacent mountains for sweeping views of the harbor.

There’s not much to see in Amakusa city beside the Christian museum and the anti-Christian temple. The highlights are on the remote southwest corner of the island around the picturesque fishing village of Sakitsu, where Christianity arrived in 1569 and persisted until the ban was lifted in 1873. About 5,000 people in three villages were rounded up in 1805, and only pardoned after they agreed to discard the seashells and medallions they worshipped with.


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Duterte notifies US of end to troop accord: officials

‘DOG ON A LEASH’:Philippine officials quoted President Rodrigo Duterte as saying it is time for Manila to be independent militarily and not rely on other nations
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has given formal notice to the US of his decision to scrap a bilateral Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), officials said yesterday, following through on a repeated threat to downgrade the defense alliance.

Duterte, who has made no secret of his grudge with the US and his disdain for his country’s close military relationship, believed it was time to be more militarily independent, presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

“It’s about time we rely on ourselves, we will strengthen our own defenses and not rely on any other country,” Panelo told a regular briefing, quoting Duterte.

Defense ties between the Philippines and former colonial ruler the US go back to the early 1950s and are governed by a Mutual Defense Treaty, which remains intact, along with an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement made under former US president Barack Obama’s administration.

Duterte made the decision after the top commander of his war on drugs, former police chief Ronald dela Rosa, said his US visa had been rescinded over an issue related to the detention of a Philippine senator and top critic of Duterte.

The VFA, signed in 1998, accords legal status to thousands of US troops rotated in the country for humanitarian assistance and military exercises, dozens of which take place annually.

It is the first time Duterte has scrapped an agreement with the US, having throughout his more than three years in office denounced Washington for hypocrisy and for treating the Philippines “like a dog on a leash.”

Despite reassurances from his generals, Duterte has long accused US forces of conducting clandestine activities. In a rambling speech on Monday he said that US nuclear weapons were being stored in his country.

He has said that the presence of US forces makes the Philippines a potential target for aggression.

His move follows a Philippine Senate hearing last week during which the Philippine secretaries of defense and foreign affairs spoke in favor of the VFA, both noting its overall benefits.

Duterte said even US President Donald Trump wanted him to change his mind.

“Trump and others are trying to save the Visiting Forces Agreement. I said I don’t want,” he said.

Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr confirmed on Twitter that the US embassy in Manila had received notice.

The termination takes effect 180 days from one side giving notice.

Duterte favors warmer ties with China and Russia than the US, and has praised those countries and inflated their military contributions and donations, which are dwarfed by the US$1.3 billion provided by the US since 1998.

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Lying on a footbridge spanning London’s River Thames, Ben Wilson finalizes his latest creation: a miniature painting on chewing gum, stuck to the steel structure.

The 57-year-old Englishman has toured the British capital for the past 15 years sculpting and repainting scraps of gum discarded by passersby.

However, it is not just an eccentric hobby. Wilson considers the results “a form of art” — as well as recycling.

“I’m transforming the rubbish and making it into a form of art, so that’s a form of recycling,” he said on a sunny morning on the Millenium Bridge in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathedral.

“[It] is taking a thoughtless action and trying to transform it hopefully into something positive,” Wilson added, brush in hand.

His colorful creations, barely bigger than a small coin, can be found all along the pedestrian bridge and in the surrounding area.

Unless passersby look closely, they are easy to miss.

Many are miniature representations of the famous cathedral nearby, while others are vivid — almost psychedelic — drawings, often signed and dated.

Originally from north London, Wilson started out carving wood, before turning to chewing gum. Over the years, his unusual hobby has earned him the nickname “chewing gum man” — a moniker he has fully embraced.

His procedure is now well established. Wilson will spot old gum stuck to steps, streets and other parts of the urban landscape.

Then, out comes his equipment: an old paint-stained blanket to sit on; bottles of acrylic paints and varnish; a burner to melt the gum; and, of course, a brush.

He is careful to avoid painting on the actual bridge or other surface, in case he is accused of vandalism by the authorities.

“The person who spat out the gum is the person that created the criminal damage,” he said. “It’s sad really the impact that humans have on their environment, the amount of rubbish that we create.”

Pedestrians, some used to the regular sight of Wilson working in his paint-flecked jacket, engage with him, asking questions or sometimes taking photographs.

He estimates he has painted “thousands and thousands” of pieces of gum, and prides himself on having produced his “hidden art” across central London.

He collaborates with galleries and other artists for some income, and refuses any money offered to sign people’s pieces of gum.

“It’s nice to actually create something which evolves out of the environment rather than being imposed on the environment,” he said.

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title: Discarded chewing gum turned into art in London


title: Raptors top Wolves, hit 15th win

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Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam dunks the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their NBA game at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, on Monday.Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY
Pascal Siakam on Monday scored 34 points as the Toronto Raptors shrugged off their injury problems to extend their winning streak to 15 games with a 137-126 defeat of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Siakam’s dominant display included six three-pointers as the reigning NBA champions overpowered a resilient Timberwolves side to cement their grip on second place in the Eastern Conference.

Kyle Lowry added 27 points with 11 assists for Toronto, as O.G. Anunoby had a career-high 25 points, while hauling in 12 rebounds.

Siakam’s points tally included 14 in the fourth quarter, a decisive contribution that helped lock down the victory for Toronto, who have 40 wins against 14 defeats.

Toronto’s win was made all the more impressive as it came after the late withdrawal of Serge Ibaka, who fell ill hours before tip-off. The Raptors were already without injured starter Marc Gasol.

“I think these guys have proven enough that they can win,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said afterward. “We’ve had a lot of injuries this year, but they just keep stepping up and playing — and we’ve just gotten used to it. You at least have to go out and give a great effort, give yourself a chance to win, and don’t let the other team play harder than you.”

The Timberwolves were led by Karl-Anthony Towns with 23 points, while D’Angelo Russell, who last week completed his move from the Golden State Warriors, added 22 points and forced a team-leading six turnovers.

The Milwaukee Bucks are 6.5 games ahead of Toronto at the top of the Eastern Conference after clinching their 46th win of the season on Monday.

The Bucks overcame the absence of reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo — who skipped the game after the birth of his son earlier on Monday — to rally past the Sacramento Kings 123-111.

With Antetokounmpo out, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe shouldered the burden of the offensive duties, with each player finishing with 28 points apiece.

Brook Lopez had 20 points, while Wesley Matthews, Sterling Brown and Donte DiVincenzo all racked up double-digit point tallies for Milwaukee.

The Bucks improved to 46-7 with their fifth straight victory.

Harrison Barnes led the Kings’ scoring with 23 points.

Milwaukee were made to work hard for the win, overturning a 90-88 deficit at the end of the third quarter to pull away in the final period.

Middleton was pleased with the way that the Bucks dug out the victory in the absence of Antetokounmpo.

“That’s what it’s all about,” Middleton said. “Who has the best team? We definitely feel like we got one of the best players out there. He wasn’t out there tonight, but we still think we have one of the best teams in the league. Teams may think they might be able to win when he’s not out there, but that’s what motivates us — to let them know we’re a complete team.”

In Los Angeles, Anthony Davis had 25 points and 10 rebounds, while LeBron James added 17 points as the Lakers breezed past the Phoenix Suns 125-100 to maintain their lead at the top of the Western Conference.

Rajon Rondo added 23 points from the bench on a night when six Lakers players finished with double-digit point tallies.

The Lakers improved to 40-12 for the season, three games ahead of the Denver Nuggets, who held on to second spot with a roller-coaster 127-120 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

San Antonio looked to be cruising toward a victory after opening up a 23-point lead in the third quarter, but a spirited Denver rally, which included a double-double from Nikola Jokic, turned the game back in the Nuggets favor, with the home side pulling away to complete the win.

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Former North Korean diplomat to run in South Korea’s legislative elections

The highest-profile North Korean defector in South Korea yesterday announced that he was running for parliament, which he said would demonstrate democratic freedoms in his new home.

Thae Yong-ho, who fled his post as North Korean ambassador to the UK in August 2016, has since become a prominent and outspoken critic of Pyongyang and the engagement approach pursued by South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

He had joined the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), he said, adding that his victory would encourage North Koreans.

South Korean media reports cited LKP officials as saying he would be recommended for a constituency in Seoul’s wealthy Gangnam District, a party stronghold, giving him a strong chance of success in the April 15 legislative elections.

“Once the North Korean people and elites see that Thae Yong-ho, who served as a North Korean diplomat, can be elected by South Koreans, we will be a step closer to the real reunification that we hope for,” Thae said.

His impoverished, but nuclear-armed former homeland is subject to multiple sanctions over its weapons programs and remains technically at war with Seoul.

Moon’s dovish policies on North Korea and reunification were going in the “wrong direction,” Thae said.

Moon brokered the first summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, but since the collapse of a second summit between the two in Hanoi, he has found himself largely sidelined by Pyongyang.

“I know about the North Korean regime and system more extensively and more deeply than anyone else,” Thae said, adding that he would offer a “realistic” approach that differs from “unconditional assistance or unconditional confrontation.”

Thae is one of the top-ranking North Korean diplomats ever to defect to South Korea, gifting Seoul’s then-conservative government a major propaganda coup at a time of rising tension on the divided Korean Peninsula.

If elected, he would become the first former North Korean official to win a seat in the South Korean National Assembly.

A predecessor of the Liberty Korea Party had a defector lawmaker from 2012 to 2016, but Cho Myung-chul was an academic and did not serve in the North Korean government.

About 33,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea in the past two decades, but it is rare for high-level officials to defect.

Following his arrival in Seoul, Thae told reporters that he had decided to defect after becoming disillusioned with the Pyongyang regime and to avoid his children from living “miserable” lives in the North.

North Korea’s state media denounced him as “human scum” and accused him of embezzling state funds, raping a minor and spying for South Korea in exchange for money.

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Royal Thai Army Commander in Chief General Apirat Kongsompong puts his handkerchief away after pausing a press briefing in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday.Photo: AP
The Thai army’s leader yesterday urged a nation in mourning over a mass shooting “not to blame the army” after a soldier gunned down at least 29 people in a rampage linked to a debt dispute with a senior officer.

Royal Thai Army Commander in Chief General Apirat Kongsompong, an arch-royalist more commonly prone to rants against pro-democracy figures, broke down in tears, as he apologized during a televised news conference on behalf of the army to the victims of the shooting.

The gunman — sergeant major Jakrapanth Thomma — was shot dead by a commando unit on Sunday morning, ending a 17-hour rampage that left 29 dead and scores wounded.

The army has been at pains to portray him as a rogue soldier rather than a product of the army system.

Apirat said that he would not stand down from his post in charge of an army that has seeped into all aspects of Thai life, from politics and business to conscription, with a multibillion-dollar budget that has surged since the last coup in 2014.

“The army is a huge organization comprising of hundreds of thousands staff... I cannot focus on every subordinate,” Apirat said.

“There are people who criticize the army, I urge them not to blame the army ... because the army is a sacred organization,” he said.

“Blame me — General Apirat,” he said.

COMPLAINTS CHANNEL

Instead, he pledged to open a “special channel” to investigate all future complaints from junior officers about their superiors, blaming the attack on a debt dispute between the gunman and his commanding officer.

The gunman “did not receive justice from his commander and his relatives who promised him financial returns,” Apirat said, referring to an apparent commission over the sale of a house.

Jakrapanth killed his commander and the commander’s mother-in-law first, as he embarked on the shooting spree.

Serving army top brass sit on the boards of state-run enterprises, while many declare assets in the millions of dollars, despite their meager soldier’s wages.

Army leaders routinely flip to become civilian prime ministers — often following coups — while barracks are accused of being hives of gray-area businesses, such as real-estate agencies and private security firms.

Senior officers often use conscripts as effective private butlers in taxpayer-funded grace and favor homes.

FIRING LINE

“I guarantee between February and April there will be many — from generals to colonels — who will be jobless,” Apirat said, promising to throw out retired army officers from government housing.

Apirat is due to retire in September.

Thais have flooded social media with criticism of their leaders for a perceived lack of empathy in the aftermath of the unprecedented mass shooting.

Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha was on Sunday forced into rare public contrition after he smiled and high-fived a crowd as he visited Korat, the city where the shooting took place.

No member of the kingdom’s rich ruling royal family, who are buttressed by the army and protected by a defamation law, has visited survivors.

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title: Thai army general tears up over soldier’s rampage


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At least 16 Rohingya dead after packed trawler sinks

DESPERATION:Bangladeshi authorities have picked up more than 500 of the Muslim minority from fishing boats and villages attempting to reach Malaysia by sea
At least 16 people drowned and dozens are unaccounted for after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees sank off southern Bangladesh early yesterday, officials said.

About 130 people — mainly women and children — were packed on a trawler that was trying to cross the Bay of Bengal to reach Malaysia, Bangladesh Coast Guard spokesman Hamidul Islam told reporters.

Dozens of people had been rescued.

Many of the 700,000-plus Rohingya Muslims who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017 have tried to leave overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar district on boats headed for Malaysia.

The boat, barely 13m long, was one of two vessels attempting the hazardous 2,000km journey before the monsoon season starts.

Four Bangladesh Navy and coast guard vessels were searching the seas near St Martin’s Island, officials said.

“They were lured by traffickers,” Border Guards Bangladesh Commander Faisal Hasan Khan said.

With few opportunities for jobs and education in the refugee camps, thousands have attempted to reach other countries in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia is the favored destination for Rohingya, as it is a Muslim-majority nation with a sizeable Rohingya diaspora.

Shakirul Islam, a migration expert whose group works with Rohingya to raise awareness against trafficking, said that desperation in the camps was making refugees want to leave.

“It was a tragedy waiting to happen,” he said.

“They just want to get out, and fall victim to traffickers who are very active in the camps,” he added.

Islam said that in the past two months, dozens of Rohingya had reported approaches from traffickers to his OKUP migration rights group.

Since last year, Bangladeshi law enforcement agencies have picked up more than 500 Rohingya from rickety fishing trawlers or coastal villages as they waited to board boats.

Trafficking often increases during the November-to-March period, when the sea is safest for the small trawlers used by the traffickers.

At least seven suspected traffickers were shot dead in clashes with police last year.

An estimated 25,000 Rohingya left Bangladesh and Myanmar on boats in 2015 trying to get to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Hundreds drowned when overloaded boats sank.

Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation deal to send back some Rohingya to their homeland, but none have agreed to return because of fears for their safety.

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title: Thailand refuses to allow cruise liner to disembark

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People stand on balconies on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship near the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, yesterday.Photo: EPA-EFE
Thailand has become the latest country to turn a cruise ship away from one of its ports, prompting pleas for help from some of the 2,257 passengers and crew desperate to disembark after almost two weeks at sea.

Fearing that some guests aboard the MS Westerdam might be infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus, Thai Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul yesterday said on Facebook that he has directed authorities to refuse the vessel entry into a port near Bangkok.

Operated by Holland America Line, a brand owned by Miami-based cruise giant Carnival, the ship has been refused entry by at least three other ports. Guam, Manila and Yokohama, Japan, sent it away on concerns over the virus, which has killed more than 1,000 people since it was first reported late last year in Wuhan, China.

The refusal and quarantine of cruise ships is the latest effort by governments worldwide seeking to contain the outbreak.

Carnival’s Diamond Princess and its 3,700 passengers have been quarantined in the port of Yokohama as authorities battle against an increasing number of infections on board.

On board the Westerdam, passengers posted desperate messages as they learned from media outlets about Thailand’s refusal.

In a blogpost on Monday evening, Holland America Line announced that the ship was headed to Laem Chabang — about 80km east of Bangkok — where passengers would disembark and end their journey tomorrow.

The ship operator has said that the vessel is not in quarantine and it has no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board.

Holland America Line’s plight is adding to Carnival’s woes sparked by the virus.

Holland America and Carnival did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment.

The Westerdam departed Hong Kong on Feb. 1 on a 14-day Taiwan and Japan cruise.

With 1,455 guests and 802 crew, the passengers were originally scheduled to disembark at Yokohama on Saturday, blogposts on Holland America Line’s Web site said.

The ship has sufficient fuel and food provisions to last until the end of the voyage, an earlier blogpost said.

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People stand outside the Basmanny Court in Moscow on Thursday after the building was evacuated following a warning that a bomb had been planted in it.Photo: AFP
Moscovites are mystified by a flood of bomb hoaxes forcing the evacuation of courts, schools and malls ,while authorities appear unable to find the culprits even after months of disruption to public life.

The warnings of planted bombs, all of them false, have been sent to numerous Russian cities, but particularly targeted the capital, where about 16 million live and work, with up to 1,000 threats per day.

Since late November last year, more than 1.6 million people have been evacuated from buildings in Moscow, the Interfax news agency said citing sources.

Yet, both the authorities and Kremlin-controlled television channels stay mostly clear of the topic.

Yulia Olshanskaya, a local Moscow government official, said her daughter Maria’s school was evacuated “sometimes several times a day” throughout December.

“We can’t keep count of how many times it’s happened,” she said.

“Sometimes our lessons were canceled or postponed on those days and they also evacuated people,” 13-year-old Maria Olshanskaya said.

Another Muscovite, Yulia Grebenchenko, said her daughter’s school has been evacuated 13 times since the start of December.

“Some parents even hired a dog handler to check the school more quickly because you never know how long the sniffer dog units will take,” the office worker said.

The threats are always issued in the same way: a slew of e-mails are sent from encrypted providers to organizations and companies that according to the law must be inspected or evacuated.

No one has totted up the exact cost of the upheaval, but the financial damage from a similar wave of telephone bomb hoaxes in 2017 amounted to millions of dollars, Russian officials said.

On Wednesday last week alone, 1,500 locations were affected, including the central Church of Christ the Savior, about 30 courts, 150 educational institutions, 232 metro stations, more than a dozen clinics, 75 swimming pools and about 50 shopping centers, an “informed source” told the Interfax news agency.

“I’ve just wasted several working hours,” said Sergei, an LGBT rights activist, as he waited for sniffer dogs to arrive at Moscow’s Basmanny district court on Thursday last week after everyone had been forced to leave.

The authorities have said almost nothing.

At the end of last month, the FSB security service and state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor in terse statements announced that two encrypted e-mail providers based abroad had been blocked after being used to send false threats.

They did not name suspects or give any leads or motive, nor did they issue any reassurance to the public despite the major disruption.

Social media and media reports have yielded a few more clues.

The Telegram messenger account of Saint Petersburg courts has posted scans of messages referring to a shadowy blackmail scheme involving the Bitcoin virtual currency.

They include demands for the return of 120 bitcoins (US$1.2 million at the current rate) that were allegedly stolen by Russian billionaire Konstantin Malofeyev using the now-defunct WEX cryptocurrency platform.

The ultra-conservative oligarch — targeted by Western sanctions and reportedly close to separatist forces in eastern Ukraine and the Russian security service — has denied any involvement.

Experts said that officials are at an impasse, while state-controlled television largely ignores the bomb hoaxes.

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title: Barrage of bomb hoaxes rattle Moscow


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Islanders keep Ovechkin at 698 goals, beat Capitals

The Washington Capitals’ Lars Eller, center, scores past New York Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss, left, in their NHL game at the Capital One Arena in Washington on Monday.Photo: AFP
Barry Trotz would have been all right with Alex Ovechkin reaching 700 goals as long as his New York Islanders won the game, but Trotz’s trademark defensive structure kept him from having to worry about witnessing Ovechkin reach another milestone.

The Islanders on Monday beat the Washington Capitals 5-3 and kept Ovechkin stuck at 698 career goals.

Trotz, the coach who won the Stanley Cup with Ovechkin in 2018 and turned the offensive star into a better all-round player, can now relax and watch history unfold from afar.

“He’s going to get 700,” Trotz said. “I know he’s going to get it and I’m a big believer he’s going to break [Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring] record. I wish him luck, because we don’t play them anymore for the rest of the year. But it was a big win for us.”

Anthony Beauvillier scored twice, while Josh Bailey and Brock Nelson each had three assists for New York, who jumped ahead 5-1 and held on, unlike a game last month against Washington, in which they blew a three-goal lead and lost.

“Against these guys, you’ve got to keep your foot on the gas,” Bailey said. “They’ve got a heck of a team over there, a potent offense. We stuck with it there, let them get a couple, but I thought all in all it was good to get off to a fast start and kind of ride that through.”

All eyes were on Ovechkin’s attempt to become the eighth member of the NHL’s 700-goal club in the final game of a home stand.

Instead, Washington fell in regulation for the second consecutive game and lost center Evgeny Kuznetsov to an upper-body injury when he was crunched into the boards in the second period.

Kuznetsov was to be re-evaluated yesterday, coach Todd Reirden said.

Beauvillier scored the game’s first two goals, taking advantage of defensive miscues by the Capitals.

Ensuing goals by Leo Komarov, Devon Toews and Jordan Eberle brought the hook for Washington rookie goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who allowed five-on-20 shots, but should not be blamed for four of them.

This was the second consecutive game that the Capitals pulled their starting goalie.

Braden Holtby, who got yanked on Saturday last week after allowing seven goals on 25 shots behind a similarly weak defensive performance against the Philadelphia Flyers, this time stopped all 12 shots that he faced as the relief.

“The majority of what we’re giving up is off the rush, off plays that you negate by getting everyone working back,” Holtby said. “We just gotta get back to work in all areas and that’s basically it.”

Islanders goalie Thomas Greiss made 25 saves to pick up his 16th victory of the season.

The Capitals lost for the fourth time in their past five home games.

“We are struggling, obviously, a little bit,” said T.J. Oshie, who scored a power-play goal. “But you know we can learn from a lot of these mistakes and grow and try to get better and improve and hopefully this makes us a little bit stronger.”

New York won for the fourth time in six games to strengthen their position in a crowded Eastern Conference playoff race. Not known for their offense, the Islanders scored four-plus goals in all those victories.

“Everyone’s pulling in the same direction, getting goals and it’s been huge for us,” Beauvillier said.

Also on Monday, it was:

‧ Lightning 2, Blue Jackets 1

‧ Flyers 4, Panthers 1

‧ Coyotes 3, Canadiens 2

‧ Flames 6, Sharks 2

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Demonstrators scuffle with police as they try to cross barricades during a protest against a new citizenship law outside the Jamia Millia Islamia university in New Delhi, India, on Monday.Photo: Reuters
India’s ruling party was yesterday projected to lose a key state election, the vote count showed, in its first electoral test since deadly anti-government protests erupted nearly two months ago.

The Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a bigger majority in a general election in May, but it has lost a string of state elections since.

The protests, in which at least 25 people have been killed, erupted across the country in the middle of December last year, after the BJP passed a new citizenship law that critics have said breaches India’s secular constitution and discriminates against minority Muslims.

In counting for state polls held in the capital New Delhi, data from the Election Commission of India showed the liberal Aam Aadmi Party, led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, leading with 57 out of 70 seats.

The BJP ran a campaign accusing protesters of supporting India’s archrival Pakistan and was projected to win 13 seats, up from three in 2015, but far below its own expectations.

Delhi BJP leader Manoj Tiwari had predicted that the party would win a majority.

Aam Aadmi Party advocates in distinctive white boat-shaped caps danced outside party headquarters in New Delhi as the result became clear, TV channels showed.

Ashoka University assistant professor Neelanjan Sircar said that local issues, including delivery of basic services such as education and health, appeared to sway voters toward the Aam Aadmi Party, even as the BJP ran a polarizing campaign on the back of Modi’s image.

“Modi is a larger-than-life character at the national level, which obviously gives the BJP a huge advantage in national politics, but it doesn’t translate to state-level politics, where the BJP often doesn’t have a charismatic face,” Sircar said.

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title: India’s ruling party routed in key state vote


title: German chancellor’s heir apparent quits

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s heir apparent on Monday shook up German politics by declaring she would step down as the governing party’s leader and not run for chancellor, fueling uncertainty in the country seen as Europe’s anchor of stability amid Brexit and pressure from the far right.

German Minister of Defense and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) chairwoman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, whose flagging support dropped further after regional CDU lawmakers ignored the party’s instructions, told senior CDU members she would not seek the chancellorship in next year’s election.

The decision upended Merkel’s plan to hand Kramp-Karrenbauer the reins after leading Germany for more than 15 years.

“I took note of this decision with the utmost respect, but I also say that I regret it,” Merkel told reporters, thanking Kramp-Karrenbauer for her work and for agreeing to stay on until a new party leader is chosen.

The announcement followed days of in-fighting within the party over the election of a governor in the state of Thuringia.

CDU legislators there voted with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party last week to oust a left-wing incumbent.

The CDU representatives not only defied Kramp-Karrenbauer’s advance appeals and undermined her leadership, but broke what is widely regarded as a taboo in post-war German politics around cooperating with extremist parties.

“The AfD stands against everything we as the CDU represent,” Kramp-Karrenbauer told reporters in Berlin on Monday.

Manfred Weber, a German member of the EU parliament who leads a center-right bloc in the EU legislature, told daily newspaper Welt that the situation in Thuringia reflected a Europe that “is in a phase of growing instability; politics is becoming more serious.”

“In general. it is a sign of growing instability among the parties of the middle all across Europe. The parties of the middle must draw their red line to those with radical right tendencies,” Weber said.

“This approach from Kramp-Karrenbauer was and is correct,” he added.

Merkel has said she will not run for a fifth term in Germany’s next general election, which is now scheduled for fall 2021, but any shift to the right by the Christian Democrats could trigger a breakup of Merkel’s federal coalition with the center-left Social Democrats and increase the chances of an early national election.

After announcing her planned withdrawal, Kramp-Karrenbauer said: “If it’s up to me, it won’t have any effect on the stability of the grand coalition.”

Florian Hense, an analyst at Hamburg-based private bank Berenberg, said the Social Democrats “would have little to gain from provoking early elections.”

However, leading figures in Merkel’s party expressed concerns about fallout from the announcement.

German Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Peter Altmaier, a close Merkel ally, said that the Christian Democrats were in “an unusually serious situation.”

Recent polls had Merkel’s conservative block at about 28 percent support nationally, followed by the left-leaning Greens at about 22 percent. The Social Democrats are struggling with only about 14 percent support, about the same as the AfD.

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Fugitive financier Low Taek Jho (劉特佐) faces new charges in Malaysia along with PetroSaudi International Ltd directors Tarek Obaid and Patrick Mahony over their alleged roles in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal.

The three are accused of engaging in criminal conspiracy with former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, while Mahony and Obaid face additional money laundering charges for allegedly receiving US$300 million from 1MDB through unlawful activity, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has said.

The charges were served in their absence on Monday at a Magistrate Court in Kuala Lumpur.

They were the first accusations against Mahony and Obaid in Malaysia, while Low, known as Jho Low, has already denied wrongdoing against previous charges filed against him in the country.

Malaysia revived its investigation into troubled state fund 1MDB after a change of government in 2018 ousted Najib from power. Najib is undergoing trial for dozens of charges linked to the fund.

The scandal is at the center of global probes from Switzerland to Singapore, with US prosecutors estimating about US$4.5 billion was siphoned from 1MDB.

The court has issued arrest warrants against the three people, who are not in Malaysia, and sought help from Interpol to find them.

If found guilty of criminal conspiracy, they could face up to 20 years in jail and a fine of no less than five times the value of the gratification.

A guilty conviction on the money-laundering charges could mean a maximum fine of 5 million ringgit (US$1.2 million), or up to five years in jail, or both.

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title: Jho Low faces new 1MDB charges


content_text:
Cities experiment with big ideas to confront ‘climate emergency’

Green-leaning Bristol in late 2018 became the first British city to declare a “climate emergency.” As part of that move, it announced an ambitious, stepped-up target to cut its planet-warming emissions to net zero by 2030.

Unusually, the goal covers not only emissions from electricity, gas and transport fuel used in the city, but also emissions generated in producing the goods and services consumed there — even if that happened elsewhere.

However, work to shift the port city in southwest England onto a cleaner path had begun far earlier, even before Bristol’s initial 2015 decision to become carbon-neutral by 2050, said Kye Dudd, a Labour councilor who leads work on transport and energy.

“The challenge of 2030 was not what do we do about it. In Bristol, it was how do we accelerate what we are doing,” he said.

Several months before the emergency declaration, Bristol had invited proposals from businesses to team up with the city on about ￡1 billion (US$1.29 billion) of clean energy and green infrastructure projects. The city expects to choose a partner for the “City Leap” program by the end of this summer.

Together, city officials hope, they can develop more solar and wind power capacity, expand the district heating network, and roll out smart energy and battery technology, for starters.

Dudd said the initiative had to involve both government and business, as the shift was too big for the council to manage alone — but the city also wanted to ensure local communities would benefit from new skills and revenues through its 50 percent stake in the joint venture.

“A lot of people are watching this and want to know if it will work,” he said. “Other local authorities don’t want to reinvent the wheel.”

Around the world, front-runner cities are testing new ways to cut their emissions faster and protect residents from floods, heat waves and rising sea levels, while improving their quality of life in the bargain.

According to advocacy group The Climate Mobilization, which is trying to persuade governments to respond urgently to climate change, more than 1,300 local governments in about 25 countries have now declared a “climate emergency.”

However, in many cases, translating that into concrete action is an uphill struggle, not least because it requires a wholesale shake-up of established methods of working, climate experts say.

“Emergency declarations, if they are real, can be very powerful tools, depending on the kind of governance and legal framework you’re in,” said Michael Berkowitz, a founding principal of nonprofit consultancy Resilient Cities Catalyst.

In countries such as the US, such declarations can focus attention, unlock resources and help cut through red tape, but to radically shrink a city’s carbon footprint would take sustained effort “over a couple of political cycles,” the former head of the 100 Resilient Cities network said.

For instance, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, a Labour politician, has pushed on with cleaner transport policies started by his Conservative predecessor, Boris Johnson, now Britain’s prime minister, including low emission zones and cycling infrastructure, Berkowitz said.

Another way to protect green policies is for local governments to involve businesses and civil society groups as equal partners in the push to tackle climate change, he said, citing the port city of Rotterdam as a good example.

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content_text:
Storm Ciara wreaks destruction across Europe, six dead

Fierce winds and heavy rains on Monday claimed at least six lives across northern Europe as Storm Ciara, or Sabine in Germany, disrupted travel, grounded hundreds of flights, flooded roads and left vast areas without power.

In one of the region’s most violent storms for years, one man died and another was reported missing in southern Sweden when their boat capsized.

In the Czech Republic, one man died when his vehicle went off the road trying to avoid a fallen tree. Several other people were also injured in the country as winds blew up to 180kph, leaving 100,000 people without power, even toppling a truck.

In Slovenia, a 52-year-old man on Monday died when a tree fell on his vehicle.

In southern Poland, a 40-year-old woman and her young daughter were killed by roofing torn away by the storm-force winds.

Police in London said that a man was killed in his car on Sunday when a tree fell on to a motorway southwest of the capital.

In the west of Germany, falling trees seriously injured three people: two women in Sarrebruck — one of whom was in a critical condition — and a 16-year-old boy in Paderborn.

The storm has swept across the region since the weekend.

It caused extensive flooding in England, cut power to 130,000 homes in northern France, and played havoc with air, rail and road travel in several countries.

The storm also cut power to 35,000 households in northern Austria on Monday.

It forced more than 700 flights in four German cities — Cologne, Duesseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich — to be canceled.

In the Netherlands, about 220 flights were canceled on Monday morning at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport — Europe’s third-busiest — most destined for other European cities.

In France on Monday, 90,000 homes of the 130,000 that suffered power outages a day earlier were still without power.

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content_text:
A suicide attack targeting a military academy early yesterday killed at least five people in Kabul in what was the first major assault in the city in months.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the dawn attack, which came after nearly three months of relative calm in the capital.

Five people were killed and at least six injured in the attack, the Afghan Ministry of Defense said.

However, Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said in a statement that six people — two civilians and four military personnel — were killed after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at about 7am.

Twelve were wounded, including five civilians, he added.

A witness near the scene in western Kabul said that the blast happened near Marshal Fahim National Defense University, where security officers are trained in the country.

“It was a big explosion that rocked our house. We also heard gunfire afterwards. Ambulances rushed to the area quickly,” said local resident Samiullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name.

A security source speaking on condition of anonymity told reporters that the attacker was on foot when he targeted a vehicle near a checkpoint as it was entering the academy.

Over the past few weeks, the Taliban have refrained from attacking major urban centers in an effort to keep talks with the US on track, although violence in the provinces has continued.

The last major attack in Kabul was in November last year, when at least 12 people were killed after a minivan packed with explosives rammed into a vehicle carrying foreigners during morning rush hour.

Four foreign nationals were among those wounded in the attack.

The military academy has been the scene of several attacks in the past, including an Islamic State-claimed assault in May last year.

Yesterday’s blast came as Washington and the Taliban wrangle over a possible deal that would see US troops begin to leave Afghanistan in return for security guarantees.

However, there appears to have been little progress in reaching a deal in the past few weeks, prompting the insurgents to saddle blame on the White House and what they have said are a growing list of demands by the US to pave the way for a deal.

The US and the Taliban had been negotiating for a year and were on the brink of an announcement in September last year when US President Donald Trump abruptly declared the process “dead,” citing ongoing Taliban violence.

Talks were later restarted in December in Qatar, but paused again following an attack near US-run Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.

As talks have fluctuated, violent attacks in the country have raged, with the number of clashes jumping to record levels in the last quarter of last year, a US government watchdog report said.

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title: Five dead in suicide attack on Kabul military academy


content_text:
The UN is to test drones equipped with mapping sensors and atomizers to spray pesticides in parts of east Africa battling an invasion of desert locusts that are ravaging crops and exacerbating a hunger crisis.

Hundreds of millions of the voracious insects have swept across Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya in what the UN has called the worst outbreak in a quarter-century, with Uganda, Eritrea and Djibouti also affected.

Authorities in those countries have already carried out aerial spraying of pesticides, but experts have said that the scale of the infestation is beyond local capacity, as desert locusts can travel up to 150km per day.

They threaten to increase food shortages in a region where up to 25 million people are reeling from three consecutive years of droughts and floods, aid agencies have said.

Keith Cressman, senior locust forecasting officer at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, said that specially developed prototypes would be tested that can detect swarms via special sensors, and adapt their speed and height accordingly.

“Nobody’s ever done this with desert locusts before, so we have no proven methodology for using drones for spraying on locusts,” Cressman said. “There are already small atomizer sprayers made for drones, but with locusts, we just don’t know how high and how fast to fly.”

The swarms — one reportedly measuring 40km by 60km — have already devoured tens of thousands of hectares of crops, such as maize, sorghum and teff, as well as ravaged pasture for livestock.

By June, the fast-breeding locusts could grow by 500 times and move into South Sudan.

The effects on the region’s food supply could be enormous — a 1km2 locust swarm is able to eat the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people, the UN agency said.

Climate scientists have said that global warming might be behind the infestations, which have also hit parts of Iran, India and Pakistan.

Warmer seas have resulted in a rise in the frequency of cyclones in the Indian Ocean. This has caused heavy downpours along the Arabian Peninsula, creating ideal conditions for locust breeding in the deserts of Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Researchers are increasingly looking to technology to help provide early warning signs and control locust outbreaks amid fears that climate change could cause more cyclones.

Officials in Kenya have said that drones could play an important role given the limited number of aircraft.

“Every county wants an aircraft, but we only have five at the moment and they can only be in one location at one time,” said David Mwangi, head of plant protection at the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.

“We have not used drones before, but I think it’s worth testing them as they could help,” he added.

Existing drone models are restricted in terms of the volumes they can carry and the distances they can cover due to their size and limited battery life, entomologists and plant protection experts said.

Another challenge for drone use in such emergencies is the lack of regulation. Many east African countries are still in the early stages of drafting laws, prohibiting usage unless in exceptional circumstances and with strict approvals.

That makes it harder to deploy larger drones, which have gasoline-powered engines capable of carrying tanks of up to 1,500 liters and traveling distances of up to 500km, and often require special approval.

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title: UN to test drones against locust swarms


content_text:
Bid for UN vote on Trump plan dropped

MIDDLE EAST:Strong US pressure was blamed for the lack of support for the resolution submitted to the UN Security Council by Indonesia and Tunisa to reject the US proposal
Palestinian demonstrators rally in the West Bank city of Ramallah yesterday against US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.Photo: Reuters
The Palestinians have dropped a request for a vote at the UN Security Council yesterday that they hoped would reject the peace plan of US President Donald Trump, whose administration has put heavy pressure on critics, diplomats said.

Introduced by Indonesia and Tunisia, the resolution risked not having nine out of 15 votes in its favor, the minimum required for adoption, provided there is no veto by a permanent member, the diplomats said.

A diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the US had placed “very strong pressure” on other countries on the council, including threats of economic retribution.

However, senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat denied reports that the draft resolution was pulled because of a lack of support, saying in a statement that the “rumor” the Palestinians withdrew the resolution is “not true and totally baseless.”

He said the draft resolution, which initially said the US plan undermined the Palestinian peoples’ aspirations for independence, was still being discussed and would be put to a vote once those discussions conclude with “a formula that represents our positions.”

Despite the setback, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was scheduled to go ahead yesterday and address the council about Trump’s Jan. 28 plan, which paves the way for Israeli annexation of much of the West Bank, but also allows for a demilitarized Palestinian state.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon on Monday urged Abbas to cancel his trip, accusing him of dwelling on the past and calling on him to focus on the future.

The US would be certain to exercise its veto to any resolution that criticizes its plan, but diplomats said it was far from certain that the Palestinians could pull off a repeat of the December 2017 vote in which all 14 other council members denounced Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Diplomats said many of the resolution’s provisions were not acceptable to European members of the council, who support a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders, and other council members.

The US has proposed a series of amendments to the draft resolution that could come up for a vote at yesterday’s session.

In proposals seen by reporters, the US would significantly alter the text to remove references to lines before the 1967 Six-Day War, in which Israel captured the West Bank, as being the basis of peace.

It would also cut out a statement that Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967 are illegal, a position taken by virtually every country except the US and Israel.

Washington is also seeking to eliminate language that equated East Jerusalem with the occupied West Bank. The Trump plan calls for recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital, while establishing a Palestinian capital on its outskirts.

While recognizing that the Trump plan “departs from the internationally endorsed terms of reference and parameters,” the US wants the resolution to state that the council “welcomes discussion on this proposal to advance the cause of peace.”

Diplomats cast doubt on whether a vote could take place even at a later date, considering the wide divergences in positions.

The Palestinian leadership has enjoyed the backing of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and, most recently, the African Union, which have all rejected the Trump plan.

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title: Bid for UN vote on Trump plan dropped


content_text:
Congolese high-schooler Kuminga awaits his opportunity to try for NBA stardom

Patrick School’s Jonathan Kuminga shoots against Roselle Catholic in their game at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Dec. 23 last year.Photo: AFP
He is not expected to finish high school until next year, but Congolese teen Jonathan Kuminga is considered by some to be the young player who most interests the NBA.

Kuminga is enrolled at the Patrick School in Hillside, New Jersey, 32km southwest of New York.

He might be a couple years away from becoming a millionaire, but for now, the 203cm multiple threat spends most of his time in a modest red brick building, home of the Patrick’s gym and classrooms.

On Christmas Eve, coach Chris Chavannes hosted a three-hour practice, with the highly touted prospect sometimes struggling to keep up.

“I think where he came from they didn’t have as much talent as we have here and it wasn’t as intense,” Chavannes said. “So now you have to learn that grind, the physicality, the demands that we put on them, mentally and physically. But he’s different because he loves basketball. He’s a junkie. So the transition for him is not that hard.”

That might be one of the few weak spots in Kuminga’s profile as a player.

At only 17, he weighs more than 90kg and carries a highly muscular frame.

“Physically, he has a body that’s college, NBA-ready,” said former NBA player Al Harrington, who is one of the few high-schoolers to have successfully jumped straight to the pros, back in 1998.

The former Saint Patrick player was 100kg (and 203cm tall) when he joined the NBA, but thinks that Kuminga is “built better than I was. I think he’s more physically gifted than I was at that age.”

Born and raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Kuminga also has the skills to match his “Adonis” frame, as Chavannes says.

“Usually you don’t see a guy that size being able to handle the ball and post you, the speed and the athleticism, very rarely can you find a full combination — and he has it,” Chavannes said.

Able to play at least four positions, Kuminga can push the ball up the court, drive or wait for the right play within a half-court offense, with a reliable outside shot at the ready.

Since arriving in the US from the DR Congo at age 13, Kuminga has had a chaotic journey, attending four high schools in as many years.

Several members of his family live nearby, but Kuminga has not been reunited with his parents since departing his homeland.

“I am still a kid, so I miss them,” said Kuminga, whose older brother, Joel Ntambwe, played US college basketball at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

The cost of a trip from Africa and visa issues prevent a reunion with his parents or any possibility of joining his homeland’s national team in the near future, whose jersey he has never worn, even in youth squads.

Since last year, “Jon” has been considered a possible top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, becoming eligible for the selection process one year after his high-school class graduates.

“With his talent he could probably be the No. 1 pick in the NBA,” if he could enter straight out of high school, said his cousin, Utah Jazz star Emmanuel Mudiay, who is also from the DR Congo.

While the NBA has discussed changing the rules to allow direct moves from the high-school ranks to the NBA — something unseen in 15 years — any change is unlikely to come in time to prevent Kuminga from having to spend a year in college basketball.

“Because he’s so rooted and so grounded, that makes it very, very easy” for him to stay focused on the ultimate goal, making it to the NBA, Mudiay said.

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title: Kohli seethes as India let NZ sweep ODI series

content_text:
New Zealand’s Henry Nicholls plays a shot against India in their one-day international at the Bay Oval in Tauranga, New Zealand, yesterday.Photo: AP
India captain Virat Kohli yesterday criticized his team’s ability to cope under pressure after they suffered a rare series whitewash against New Zealand following a five-wicket hammering in the third one-day international (ODI) at Mount Maunganui.

A K.L. Rahul century was not enough of a platform for the tourists, who made 296-7 after being put in to bat.

New Zealand, stung by a 5-0 shutout in a Twenty20 series, reached the target with 17 balls to spare.

A frustrated Kohli, who admonished his players for poor fielding several times during the match, said that it was a fair result.

“We didn’t deserve to be on the winning side at all in the series,” he said. “We haven’t played so badly, but if you don’t grab chances at this level, then teams are going to hurt you. We didn’t show enough composure under pressure. New Zealand did.”

It was the first time India have been whitewashed in a bilateral ODI series of three or more matches since 1989 and the only time it has ever happened against New Zealand.

Openers Henry Nicholls and Martin Guptill gave New Zealand a flying start with 80 and 66 respectively.

Colin de Grandhomme then steadied a mid-innings wobble, bludgeoning 58 off 28 balls to see the hosts finish on 300-5.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahals was the pick of India’s bowlers, taking 3-47.

Earlier, Rahul boosted India’s hopes with his fourth ODI century, bringing up the landmark off 104 balls, before departing on 112.

He was supported by a gritty 62 from Shreyas Iyer, but most of India’s batters failed to live up to Kohli’s pre-match exhortation to play positively and post a big total.

Prithvi Shaw and Manish Pandey both reached the 40s, but no other batters made double figures, with Kohli out for 9.

Still, Rahul looked set to steer India to a huge total before New Zealand paceman Hamish Bennett slowed the scoring with a late flurry of wickets.

Rahul had a life on 64 when Mitchell Santner’s throw at the stumps went wide and the batsman made the most of it to score his fourth ODI century, bringing up the landmark off 104 balls, including nine fours and one six.

Bennett dismissed Rahul for 112 and then snared Manish Pandey for 42 off his next ball.

His fourth wicket came when Shardul Thakur sent a full toss straight to De Grandhomme and the bowler was unlucky not to get another when Navdeep Saini almost edged the next delivery onto his stumps.

The focus turns to Test cricket, with the first of two five-day matches scheduled to begin in Wellington on Friday next week.

The results of both matches are to count toward the inaugural ICC World Test Championship, in which India are runaway leaders.

Kohli said he wanted India to display an improved mentality during the Tests.

“I’m very, very excited because of the championship every match has that much more importance and we have a really good, balanced team in Test cricket,” he said.

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content_text:
2020-02-11 23:35:00

〔即時新聞／綜合報導〕武漢肺炎疫情持續蔓延，目前停靠於日本橫濱港外隔離的豪華郵輪「鑽石公主號」確診人數也來到135人，日本政府正考慮是否對船上所有人採檢；日本厚生勞動大臣加藤勝信昨（10）日對外表示，目前仍在商討是否要對鑽石公主號還留在船上尚未採檢的3000多人都進行檢測。

根據日本《朝日新聞》報導，在此之前，鑽石公主號只針對有出現發燒等症狀以及和已確認感染的人有過緊密接觸者的人進行檢測，截至10日傍晚船上確診人數已增加至135人。不過由於現階段檢驗能力有限，關於可否在短時間內對3000多人進行檢驗，厚勞省表示，正與相關機構商議調整中。

一名厚勞省高層表示：「除了由民間機構實施費用會變高之外，地區衛生研究所也缺乏新型冠狀病毒的檢查經驗，不知道是否能進行大量檢驗。」據悉，日本目前將增加在全國地方政府的地區衛生研究所的檢驗件數，以及呼籲民間的檢驗公司或是大學醫院也提供協助。

相關新聞請見︰武漢肺炎懶人包》傳染途徑、預防措施看這裡
「武漢肺炎專區」請點此，更多相關訊息，帶您第一手掌握

events: 武漢肺炎 冠狀病毒

title: 武漢肺炎》鑽石公主號3千多人全查？ 日官方：費用高


countries: 中國 台灣

references: 網友 臉書

content_text:
2020-02-12 00:19:00

〔即時新聞／綜合報導〕宅男錯了嗎？藝人吳宗憲11日深夜在臉書直播時，看到網友批評後忍不住動氣崩潰，語無倫次地以各種髒話飆罵網友活像個「宅男一樣，一個月領個幾千、幾萬塊」、「王八蛋，台灣就是被你們這些雜碎搞壞的」、「操他媽的王八蛋」，更怒罵網軍跟某位身上很多「類固醇」的「健身教練」一樣，只會批評自己。

根據直播影片，吳宗憲稱，蔡政府投資口罩製造是在「與民爭利」。之後，吳宗憲看到網友批評他的留言後，語無倫次地怒瞪螢幕嗆那些「幹譙」他的網友都是網軍，更嗆網友「我的父母都住在（台北市）南京東路四、五段那裡，那你是要怎樣？」、「他媽的，我是因為沒有空理你們，我是一看，哎喲，哇靠，一堆欸」、「你們不才是傻逼？」、「他媽的，你繳多少稅？你在哪裡當兵？」

吳宗憲語到激動處，更撐大鼻孔怒嗆：「渾球一大堆，他媽的靠著在這種網路媒體上面，在那裡躲在鍵盤後面，你是不是『穿著一個拖鞋，他媽的像個宅男』一樣，然後領個，一個月領個幾千、幾萬塊，然後就負責上來在那裡罵人，還是『像那個他媽』，『健身教練』，『身上那麼多那個類固醇』的那位，動不動就拿我出來說，是要怎樣？」疑似在暗諷「館長」陳之漢。

有網友認為，吳宗憲配不上「本土天王」的稱號，更批評吳宗憲是「舔共中國憲」，而吳宗憲更回以「雜碎」指名道姓怒罵網友，更嘲諷網友「這個雜碎，我跟你們講齁，你們一個月才賺多少錢？就是靠著用罵人」、「你們這些人太沒良心了，王八蛋，台灣就是被你們這些雜碎搞壞的，還在那邊講五四三，你是要林北說幾次拉？操他媽的王八蛋」、「什麼鳥的」、「操他媽的王八蛋」。

吳宗憲（見圖）在直播中怒嗆網友，「你是不是穿著一個拖鞋，他媽的像個宅男一樣，然後領個，一個月領個幾千、幾萬塊，然後就負責上來在那裡罵人」。（圖擷取自臉書＿吳宗憲 Jacky Wu ）

title: 又槓館長？吳宗憲爆氣飆罵網友雜碎王八蛋


taiwan-subdivisions: 高雄市 高雄

content_text:
2020-02-11 23:56:33

〔記者葛祐豪／高雄報導〕罷免高雄市長韓國瑜的第二階段連署，今晚（11日）最新統計已達23萬0753份，超過法定門檻約22.8萬份！將繼續朝30萬份邁進。

不懼武漢肺炎攪局，罷韓二階連署從1月29日展開，在高雄市各地反應熱烈，公民團體統計到今天（11日）深夜，僅14天就收到23萬0753份，跨越法定門檻約22.8萬份。

罷韓團體指出，跨過基本門檻後，目前距離30萬尚須69247份連署，離2月16日星期日還有4天！呼籲市民趕快來連署。

title: 罷韓二階連署今晚破23萬份 已達法定門檻


title: 武漢肺炎》疫情源頭將有答案？ 白宮官員：中國終須負責

countries: 中國 美國

content_text:
武漢肺炎疫情持續延燒，中國駐美大使崔天凱日前接受專訪時，並未正面否認病毒來自「武漢P4實驗室」；對此，白宮官員納瓦羅（見圖）指出，「病毒起源最終會得到解答，中國終須為疫情負責」。（彭博社）

2020-02-12 00:12:03

〔即時新聞／綜合報導〕武漢肺炎疫情持續延燒，中國駐美大使崔天凱日前接受專訪時，並未正面否認病毒來自「武漢P4實驗室」；對此，白宮官員納瓦羅（Peter Navarro）指出，「病毒起源最終會得到解答，中國終須為疫情負責」。

美國參議員柯頓（Tom Cotton）近日在參議院軍事委員會上指控，病毒恐怕是從「P4病毒實驗室」流出，並指控中國說謊；然而，中國大使崔天凱日前受訪時僅稱，病毒目前仍然未知，中國生化戰計畫是揣測和謠言。

針對中國大使崔天凱的言論，以及中國政府拒絕讓第三方調查，白宮貿易與製造業政策辦公室主任納瓦羅表示，他認為病毒起源終將得到解答，現在可能不是適當的時間點，因為需要先解決危機；對此，他強調，「中國將要為疫情爆發負責」。

納瓦羅指出，他在14年前寫過一本《即將到來的對中戰爭》（The Coming China Wars），曾預測中國會爆發流行性的病毒，但中國大使沒有正面回答問題，仍讓他感到非常驚訝，未來美國會繼續揪出中國滲透的「千人計畫」。

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