The Executive Yuan decided to nullify the ordinances as they are illegal and implausible, Minister Without Portfolio Lo Ping-cheng (羅秉成) told a news conference in Taipei. Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei TimesThe nation needs unified food safety standards so that producers can comply with the regulations, but the local ordinances state different standards, structures and penalties, Lo said. To unify the regulations, the Executive Yuan has decided to abolish the ordinances, he added. Any local governments that ignore the rules could be penalized, the Executive Yuan said, adding that any sanctions placed on companies would be revoked. The ordinances are backed by both local councils and public opinion, he added, accusing the Executive Yuan of “lacking respect.”The KMT condemned the decision and promised to coordinate with local governments seeking a constitutional interpretation.

People find places in front of the stage in Taipei City Hall Plaza yesterday ahead of last night’s New Year’s Eve celebration. Centers for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang, spokesman for the Central Epidemic Command Center, holds a news conference at the center in Taipei yesterday. People were still being invited to attend New Year’s Eve concerts in Taipei, as well as Hsinchu, Penghu, Taitung, Yunlin, Kinmen and Lienchiang counties. “People might be concerned that these cases could lead to community infections, but the evidence so far shows that the risk of people contracting COVID-19 in the community remains very low,” Chuang said. As many cities and counties decided to livestream New Year’s Eve concerts, the Taiwan Railways Administration said that it cut additional trains scheduled for yesterday from 36 to 24.

University, firm working on domestic submersibleBy Huang Hsu-lei, Chang Chung-yi and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with staff writerNational Sun Yat-sen University and CSBC Corp, Taiwan have been working to develop and build a search-and-rescue submersible, a research team said yesterday. The submersible, which is being developed by the university’s Institute of Undersea Technology, is equipped with the institute’s fiber-optic instrumentation towed system and locally built sonar systems, the institute said. Its development team, led by Wang Chua-chin (王朝欽), said that the first variant of the dual-seat submersible completed an 8m underwater test in Kaohsiung Harbor on July 15. Researchers from National Sun Yat-sen University’s Institute of Undersea Technology and the National Applied Research Laboratories’ Taiwan Ocean Research Institute pose for a photograph in front of a prototype search-and-rescue submersible in Kaohsiung on Tuesday. National Applied Research Laboratories’ Taiwan Ocean Research Institute Director Wang Chao-chang (王兆璋) said that the nation has always had the capability of manufacturing underwater equipment.

Year in review: Ten most read stories in FeaturesBy Noah Buchan / Staff reporterUnsurprisingly, COVID-19 dominated the most read topics in Features over the past year. Surprisingly, other most-read stories included the Black Lives Matters movement in the US and how it impacts the global discusson on race. Read on to see what most interested our readers this year:National Taiwan University students hold a Black Lives Matter rally in June. ‘No remedy, no rights:’ China blocks foreigners from leaving (May 6)This was the only wire story that made it. Blackface rears its ugly face in Taiwan (June 4)From time to time, people being insensitive to minorities and history make headlines.

Ministry tightens Chinese investment regulationsSECURITY ISSUE: Chinese military and CCP-owned firms are banned from investing in Taiwan, while other companies are restricted to investing in non-sensitive sectorsBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday said that it has tightened control on Chinese investments in Taiwan due to national security concerns, following in the steps of countries such as the US and Japan. Based on new regulations, Chinese military-owned companies and Chinese Communist Party-owned companies are banned from investing in Taiwan. Article 4 has expanded the definition of “investment” to cover any purchase of Taiwanese companies or assets by a Chinese company, even in the absence of a stock deal. “Chinese companies are restricted to investing in non-sensitive sectors such as retail and wholesale,” Su said. The ministry also announced an amendment to the Regulations Governing Investment or Technical Cooperation in the Mainland Area (在大陸地區從事投資或技術合作許可辦法), tightening control of Taiwanese technology and intellectual property (IP) going to China.

FSC fines Cathay UnitedBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has fined Cathay United Bank (國泰世華銀行) NT$12 million (US$420,949) over lapses in its internal controls after an employee stole NT$17.32 million from four clients, the commission told a news conference in New Taipei City on Tuesday. A customer relationship manager surnamed Hong (洪) at a Cathay United branch in New Taipei’s City’s Banqiao District (板橋) from March 2016 to March took advantage of his clients’ trust to pocket their cash, the commission said. A Cathay United Bank branch is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph. The FSC found that Cathay United failed to set up solid internal controls and did not implement risk management controls, he said. For the year to date, the FSC has fined five banks over staff stealing a combined NT$336 million from clients, it said.

Justices urged to keep forced treatment of molestersBy Chen Yun and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerVictims’ rights groups and lawmakers yesterday urged the Council of Grand Justices to uphold the involuntary psychiatric treatment of sex offenders as the council is to hand down a ruling on the practice today. After completing his sentence, Lu was involuntarily committed to psychiatric treatment for an additional nine years until the Taiwan High Court’s Taichung branch ordered his release on Sept. 11. Sex offenders have a high recidivism rate and releasing them into society infringes on the public’s right to freedom from fear, she said. “The personal freedoms of convicted sex offenders should not be protected at the expense of the victims and the rights of the public,” she said. Measures being deliberated by officials include removing the maximum involuntary treatment of five years for the criminally insane, and mandating GPS ankle monitors and other surveillance devices for released sex offenders, he said.

Rakuten eyes pilot for its Web-only bank operationsBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterRakuten International Commercial Bank (樂天國際商銀) plans to launch a pilot for its Web-only operations by the end of next month, company chairman Chien Ming-jen (簡明仁) said on Monday. Rakuten International Commercial Bank chairman Chien Ming-jen speaks at a news conference in Taipei on Nov. 5. Rakuten Bank received an operating license from the commission earlier this month, ahead of two peers, Next Bank (將來銀行) and Line Bank (連線商業銀行). In related news, Lin Chih-chi said that operating licenses for Next Bank and Line Bank might be delayed. The commission would speak with Line Bank, as its affiliate messaging app Line Corp this month launched a service that enabled the bank to collect consumers’ data even though Line Bank has not received an operating license, he said.

Taipei adds another 16 electric buses to meet 2022 goalsBy Tsai Ssu-pei and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe Taipei City Government has added 16 electric buses to its fleet, in a push to cut carbon emissions and noise pollution, the Taipei Department of Transportation told a news conference on Monday. Under the Executive Yuan directive for replacing all urban public buses with electric vehicles by 2030, Taipei began introducing electric buses to its fleet in 2018 and expects to have put 529 electric buses on the road by 2022, he said. Drivers stand by their new electric buses at the Shin-Shin Bus depot in Taipei on Monday. Electric buses cost from NT$10 million to NT$12 million, but they save costs, and offer more comfort and safety, he said. Taipei’s low-floored diesel buses are typically used for eight years, while properly maintained electric buses are expected to remain in service for about 12 years, he said.

Changhua girl overcomes challenges, gets into NTUBy Liu Hsiao-hsin and Kayleigh Madjar / Staff reporter, with staff writerHigh-school student Chen Chien-ying (陳芊穎) said she hopes to help others after so many helped her overcome the limitations of cerebral palsy, once she obtains a psychology degree from National Taiwan University (NTU). On Thursday last week, Chen became the first student from Changhua County’s National Lukang Senior High School to be accepted into the prestigious university through its program to help disadvantaged students. Student Chen Chien-ying, front center, her counselor Yu Chih-ting, left, school principal Lin Yi-hsien, right, and another student are pictured at National Lukang Senior High School in Changhua County on Monday. Chen, who has never attended a cram school, received good-enough grades in her high-school entrance exam to attend National Changhua Girls’ Senior High School, but decided to stay closer to home. Chen is not deterred by limitations, but works hard to realize her dreams, Lukang Senior High principal Lin Yi-hsien (林宜賢) said.

Virus Outbreak: Two new imported cases of COVID-19BAFFLING CASE: Case No. Each provided a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result before boarding a flight to Taiwan and neither showed COVID-19 symptoms, the center said. The test result returned positive yesterday, he said, adding that 15 close contacts have been identified, including four people who were ordered into home isolation. A total of 795 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Taiwan, with 127 people currently hospitalized, he said. Regarding another case reported on Monday — No.

EVA fires pilot for quarantine breach‘CHALLENGING’: The airline is also investigating another pilot for breaching quarantine regulations and has fired four flight attendants, while two other pilots have resignedBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterEVA Airways Corp (長榮航空) on Monday dismissed a Taiwanese pilot for contravening quarantine regulations and posing a risk to his colleagues. The pilot earlier this year reportedly asked his girlfriend to visit him while he was in quarantine and EVA on Monday launched an investigation. The pilot admitted contravening the regulations, so the company’s disciplinary committee terminated his contract, the airline said. Pilots and flight attendants are required to undergo three and five days of home quarantine respectively after returning from overseas. The airline is also investigating another pilot and has fired four flight attendants for breaching regulations, while two other pilots resigned, it said.

Chilly New Year’s Eve as temperatures to fall todayBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterPeople in Taipei, New Taipei City and Keelung can expect about 40 hours of temperatures below 10°C, starting this afternoon, due to the arrival of a cold front, the Central Weather Bureau said yesterday. Temperatures in northern and central Taiwan could dip below 10°C by this afternoon, as the cold front is expected to move quickly toward the nation, it said. April and October were the only months that had average temperatures close to the normal range, but average temperatures in the other months exceeded the climate average and made it to the top 10. Records showed that the average temperatures from January to March after a La Nina Year would be lower than normal and rainfall in the west coast would be below the normal range, he said. Average temperatures in the next three months are likely to be close to the normal range, but the rainfall could be between low and normal, he said.

GlobalWafers to raise prices next yearPANDEMIC BOOST: The Hsinchu-based company expects strong demand to bring its annual revenue next year close to 2018’s record high of NT$59.06 billionBy Lisa Wang / Staff reporterGlobalWafers Co (環球晶圓), the world’s No. 3 silicon wafer supplier, on Monday said that it is to raise its prices next year as 5G-related applications and the stay-at-home economy have boosted semiconductor demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to supply constraints. With limited new supply worldwide, demand is expected to rise to the peak hit in 2018, the Hsinchu-based company said. GlobalWafers is to raise the prices of all its wafers, with 12-inch wafers seeing the highest increases, she added. GlobalWafers expects strong demand to bring its annual revenue next year close to 2018’s record high of NT$59.06 billion (US$2.07 billion).

Taiwan’s ‘cancer death clock’ worsens by 11 secondsBy Lee I-chia / Staff reporterTaiwan’s “cancer death clock” in 2018 worsened by 11 seconds to an average of one person diagnosed with cancer every four minutes and 31 seconds, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said yesterday, as it announced the nation’s top 10 cancers. Citing Taiwan Cancer Registry data from 2018, the HPA said that the “cancer death clock” sped up by 11 seconds from 2016. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesThe most common cancers of 2018 were colorectal cancer, followed by lung cancer, female breast cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid cancer, skin cancer, gastric cancer and cancer of the uterine corpus. The top five cancers among men were colorectal cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, oral cancer and prostate cancer. The top five cancers among women were breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, thyroid cancer and liver cancer.