COVID-19: Researchers identify four antiviral drug candidatesStaff writer, with CNANational Yang Ming Chiao Tung University researchers have identified four antiviral drug candidates that can inhibit SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, the team leader said on Tuesday. One of the drug candidates — JMY206 — is more than 10 times stronger than remdesivir, the first antiviral drug fully certified for the treatment of COVID-19, said Yang Jinn-moon (楊進木), dean of the university’s College of Biological Science and Technology. It then gathered SARS-related data and screened US Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs and natural products for possible COVID-19 treatment, he said. The most potent of the drugs, JMY206, can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 from entering cells, the team said. The therapeutic benefits of JMY206 have also been proven in animal experiments and it can be a potential oral drug against COVID-19, Yang said.

Ambiguity has TPP in a spin: sourceBy Chen Yun and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerAmbiguity over party values has emerged within the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), a source said on Monday, adding that Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who is the TPP chairman, would need to reflect on how to strengthen party values for it to stand a chance of success in next year’s local elections. From left, Taipei City Government deputy spokeswoman Huang Ching-ying, Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Tsai Pi-ru and TPP Nangang-Neihu Office head Chen You-cheng display Spring Festival couplets outside the office in Taipei on Jan. 17. “Ko’s political discourse has not changed since 2014 and he does not like to take a stance on hotly debated political topics. Ko should leverage his positive track record as Taipei mayor in his potential campaign for president in the 2024 election, Hsieh added. Hsieh denied that there were any internal problems in the TPP, saying that having a diversity of opinions was normal for a political party.

Chiu was sworn in to succeed Chen Ming-tong (陳明通), who was named National Security Bureau director-general. Chiu Tai-san, right, accompanied by Minister Without Portfolio Lo Ping-cheng, center, takes over as Mainland Affairs Council minister from his predecessor Chen Ming-tong, left, at the council in Taipei yesterday. 2 post at the MAC from 2004 to 2005 in a previous Democratic Progressive Party administration. Separately yesterday, the Ministry of National Defense held a closed ceremony for the inauguration of new Minister of National Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正), who was formerly National Security Bureau director-general. Chiu Kuo-cheng succeeds Yen De-fa (嚴德發), who was handed an advisory role with the National Security Council.

I’ll promote parliamentary system, Jaw saysBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporterBroadcasting Corp of China chairman Jaw Shaw-kong (趙少康) yesterday said that if he is elected president, he would push for a parliamentary system of government in his first year in office. He said that he is not the first person in the nation to propose a parliamentary system. Describing the parliamentary system as more inclusive, Jaw said that the “winner-takes-all” approach of the presidential system is unfair. He said he hopes that Tsai would push for the implementation of a parliamentary system, but if she does not, he would promote a parliamentary system in his first year in office should he be elected president. He disclosed his proposal for a parliamentary system yesterday because proposals for constitutional amendments are set to be debated at the Legislative Yuan, Jaw said.

CTBC Bank best brand in Taiwan for seventh timeStaff writerWith a brand value of US$1.382 billion, CTBC Bank (中國信託銀行) was named the most valuable banking brand in Taiwan for the seventh time last year, and the world’s 153rd-most valuable brand, according to a report on the world’s 500 biggest banking brands released by Brand Finance and The Banker magazine. The authors of the report named CTBC Bank the Taiwanese market’s leader. A CTBC Bank branch is pictured in New Taipei City’s Sinjhuang District on Aug. 21, 2017. Despite this, CTBC Bank moved up 21 positions in the ranking, and its brand value continues to increase. With an “A+” credit ranking, CTBC Bank is now Taiwan’s highest-valued banking brand.

King’s Town crosses dividend hurdleTHRESHOLD PASSED: The Tainan-based lender expects to distribute cash dividends of at least NT$1.8 for the next five to 10 years, King’s Town chairman Terence Tai saidBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterKing’s Town Bank (京城銀行) yesterday proposed to distribute a cash dividend of NT$1.8 per share based on last year’s earnings, becoming the nation’s third bank to surpass the regulatory limit of NT$1.5 per share for cash dividends. King’s Town Bank chairman Terence Tai attends an investors’ conference in Taipei yesterday. As the bank’s earnings per share hit a record NT$4.9 last year, the proposed cash dividend of NT$1.8 per share represents a payout ratio of 36.73 percent. “We hope our distribution remains stable and consistent for years,” King’s Town chairman Terence Tai (戴誠志) said. “We expect our cash dividend to stand at at least NT$1.8 for the next five to 10 years.

Four-year plan aims to cultivate digital talentStaff writer, with CNAThe National Development Council (NDC) on Monday unveiled a four-year plan focusing on several goals, including nurturing a digital talent pool. Other goals would involve improving the nation’s bilingual education and expanding the efforts to hire international talent, the council said. “It is really not enough to meet the future need for digital talent,” she said. Lin said that it was an indication that the government needs to improve its efforts to cultivate digital talent. She was referring to a plan discussed at a meeting between Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津) and representatives from the semiconductor industry to have the government, academia and industry set up a semiconductor academy.

Normal spring weather forecastLA NINA WEAKENING: Rainfall in March and May are expected to fall within the normal range, but would be slightly lower than average in April, the CWB saidBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterRainfall in spring is expected to be normal or less than usual, the Central Weather Bureau (CWB) said yesterday, adding that the average temperatures from next month to May would be normal. A Central Weather Bureau official during a news conference in Taipei yesterday reviews the seasonal weather conditions from December last year to this month. As for the weather in spring, Lu said that atmospheric data collected from the central and east equatorial Pacific show that the La Nina effect is weakening, and the weather is expected to return to normal in summer. “We estimate that rainfall in March and May will be normal, but lower than average ... in April. As for the weather on 228 Peace Memorial Day on Sunday, Weather Forecast Center specialist Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said that a northeast monsoon would arrive on Friday and continue to affect the nation until Saturday.

Legislators reveal what they do to relieve work stressBy Lin Liang-sheng and Peng Wan-hsin / Staff reportersLawmakers have different ways of relieving stress from work, from paying musical instruments to hiking and arranging flowers. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Wan Mei-ling (萬美玲) said that playing the piano helped her relax even ahead of last year’s tight legislative elections. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Lai Hui-yuan demonstrates her flower arranging skills at her office at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on Feb. 3. Photo: Peng Wan-hsin, Taipei TimesHowever, she said she never gave up and used her first salary to buy a piano in installments. DPP Legislator Lai Hui-yuan (賴惠員) said she has been interested in flower arranging since she was a child, adding that she joined a flower arranging club at university.

Web bank offers new rate packagesBUILDING BASE: To mark its one-month anniversary, Rakuten Bank is offering a 50% discount on personal loans and 0.55% interest for a CPBL-linked 66-day fixed depositBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterRakuten International Commercial Bank Co (樂天國際商銀), the nation’s first Web-only bank, aims to attract new clients by offering more attractive lending and deposit rates, but is cautious about funding young borrowers without credit records, the bank said yesterday. The virtual bank allows customers to open accounts and file for loan applications via its mobile app. Rakuten International Commercial Bank chairman Chien Ming-ren, left, and chief executive officer Kazuhiko Saiki show their bank’s app at an event in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Kao Shih-ching, Taipei TimesPeople aged 30 to 50 were the bank’s major group of customers in the past one month, Rakuten Bank chief executive officer Kazuhiko Saiki said. Asked how the bank assesses lending risks and sets interest rates for new customers, Saiki said it has built a model to calculate risks, with factors including age, assets and income.

MOF to extend tax rebate for energy-saving appliancesStaff writer, with CNAA tax incentive package to encourage purchases of energy-efficient home appliances that is set to expire on June 14 would be extended by an additional two years, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said yesterday. The ministry has proposed a draft amendment to the Commodity Tax Act (貨物稅條例) that would extend the tax breaks on select energy-saving appliances until June 14, 2023. A model poses with energy-saving air conditioners at a product promotion event in Taipei on July 12, 2019. The Ministry of Finance yesterday said it plans to extend a tax incentive package to encourage purchases of energy-efficient home appliances by an additional two years until June 14, 2023. As of the end of last year, 2.657 million applications for tax deductions had been filed, which translates into NT$4.47 billion in tax rebates, finance ministry statistics showed.

Largan proposes record cash dividendStaff writer, with CNALargan Precision Co (大立光), a supplier of smartphone camera lenses to Apple Inc, has proposed a record cash dividend per share of NT$91.5 based on last year’s earnings. The cash dividend represents a payout ratio of about 50.03 percent, the first time in 11 years that it has surpassed 50 percent. Largan, a supplier of smartphone camera lenses to Apple Inc, yesterday said its board of directors has proposed a record cash dividend per share of NT$91.5 based on last year’s earnings of NT$182.9 per share. Photo: Chen Mei-ying, Taipei TimesLargan’s dividend payout ratio over the past decade has ranged between 30 and 40 percent. If shareholders approve the proposal, Largan would distribute a total of NT$12.27 billion in cash dividends, its highest in history.

“The system should be open for ordinary citizens to run for public office. It should not have thresholds to rule out people based on wealth and assets,” Fan told a news conference in Taipei. From left, Taiwan Democracy Watch director Chang Feng-yi, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun and Green Party Taiwan convener Liu Chung-hsien hold signs at a news conference in Taipei yesterday. Taiwan Democracy Watch director Chang Feng-yi (張烽益) said that requiring high deposits excludes poor people from running for public office. Green Party Taiwan convener Liu Chung-hsien (劉崇顯) said that other reforms are needed as well.

Notes from central Taiwan: Who is shaping Taiwan’s future? Johnny Chiang? Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang at the legislature in Taipei on Thursday. Whoever constructed and approved that finance deal to support wind power here “shaped our future” far more than Johnny Chiang ever will. Let us hope that is a future Johnny Chiang never has a chance to shape.

Tainan City councilor calls for adopting RomanizationCHANGING IT UP: With Bopomofo rarely used outside of Taiwan, the lawmaker said that Romanization would help the government in its internationalization effortsBy Tsai Wen-chu and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerTainan City Councilor Lee Chi-wei (李啟維) yesterday called for the use of Romanized spellings to make Taiwanese dialects and languages internationally recognizable. Tainan City Councilor Lee Chi-wei yesterday in Tainan points at a whiteboard with “Celebrate International Mother Language Day” and “Save the Taiwanese mother tongue” written in Romanized Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) and Chinese characters. Taiwan uses English letters for its license plates, because this is the international standard, so the country’s dialects should also be written according to this standard, he said. “Zhuyin fuhao has 37 symbols, which are usable only to describe Chinese phonetics. “Perhaps if it weren’t for missionaries who wrote down Taiwan’s dialects for use in proselytizing, they would not have survived until today,” he said.