Officials ready for UK flight: CECCLONDON CALLING: Today’s flight with 120 passengers is the first to arrive from England since measures were put in place in response to the UK’s new virus variantBy Wu Liang-yi and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writerHealth officials have already made preparations for a China Airlines (中華航空) flight that is bringing 120 passengers to Taiwan from the UK today, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said yesterday. Today’s flight from London, which is to arrive at 6:15pm, is the first from the UK to arrive since the new measures were put in place, the center said. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung, center, and Premier Su Tseng-chang, right, yesterday inspect a COVID-19 quarantine center in New Taipei City’s Wulai District. Anyone who has recently traveled to the UK would be subject to the same regulations, he added. Over the past few days, 26 people who have recently been to the UK were placed in a quarantine facility, he said.

NT$23.9m may not satisfy former death row inmateBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterFormer death row inmate Hsieh Chih-hung (謝志宏) and his lawyers were yesterday considering whether to appeal the Tainan branch of the High Court’s decision to compensate him NT$23.919 million (US$838,058) for spending more than 18 years in prison. Former death row inmate Hsieh Chih-hung, right, and his lawyer Tu Hsin-cheng are pictured in Tainan on May 15. The High Court on March 14 last year accepted the petition and ordered that Hsieh’s sentence be temporarily suspended. The retrial was held in May, and the High Court acquitted Hsieh of all charges. However, the High Court did not agree and reduced the amount to NT$3,500 per day, as the judges did not find wrongdoing by the police.

Mislabeling triggers doubt over ‘Taiwan Pork’ labelA TRIAL MONTH: National Animal Industry Foundation executive director Wang Chung-shu said Formosa Chang was approved as its Spanish pork supply finishes this weekBy Yang Yuan-ting / Staff reporterMembers of the public yesterday called into question the credibility of the government-certified “Taiwan Pork” label after braised pork rice chain Formosa Chang (鬍鬚張) was found to use the label for some products containing Spanish pork. The promotion of local pork through the “Taiwan Pork” label is a government measure designed to mitigate the effects of lifting restrictions on US pork imports. Council of Agriculture Minister Chen Chi-chung, right, and the winner of a competition to design the “Taiwan Pork” label, Lin Lee-hsun, stand next to the label at an awards ceremony in Taipei on Oct. 6. Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei TimesThe Council of Agriculture (COA) in October launched the label, saying that businesses selling local pork could apply to use it from last month. Formosa Chang said it was approved to use “Taiwan Pork” labels throughout the nation, but customers reported that one of its lunchboxes, braised pork with anka, contained pork from Spain.

New CPBL head eyes expansionLOVE FOR BASEBALL: Finding a corporation with the money and passion to sponsor a team would not be easy, but interest was brewing in Kaohsiung, Tsai saidBy Jason Pan / Staff reporterDeputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), who is to takeover as head of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), on Thursday said he would add a sixth team to the league. Tsai made the remarks after he was tapped to head the organization when CPBL commissioner John Wu (吳志揚) finishes his second term next month. Tsai outlined his vision for the league, saying that finding corporate backers to start a sixth team was a top priority. “Then the CPBL can grow more vigorously, and have different combinations for game matchups.”However, Tsai said he knows it would not be easy. “The CPBL in the past decade has operated with four teams, and waited a long time to welcome the Wei Chuan Dragons back.

CECC reports four new imported COVID-19 casesCHECKING IT TWICE: All four people presented negative COVID-19 test results before boarding their flights, but all but one reported experiencing symptoms after arriving The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) yesterday reported four imported cases of COVID-19, bringing the nation’s total to 780. The new cases involve people arriving from Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines and the US, who all presented a negative COVID-19 test result issued within 72 hours of boarding their flight, the center said in a statement. The case from the Philippines is a woman in her 30s who arrived in Taiwan to work on Dec. 10 and was quarantined at a government-designated center, the center said. The woman on Wednesday was tested prior to leaving mandatory 14-day quarantine and the result came back positive

My artist friend had spent time here through the Tree Tree Tree Person Residency Project (森人藝駐計劃) and we were invited up to celebrate Christmas — a week early since the actual festivities are held in Tmbarah. “Christmas to Truku people is like the Lunar New Year [for Han-Taiwanese],” says Hayu Yudau, pastor of the Skadang Church in Tmbarah. Photo: Han Cheung, Taipei TimesSTUNNING VIEWSThe Japanese forcefully relocated most Truku off the mountains to better “govern” them in 1933. More songs are sung — usually three verses in Truku and one in Mandarin, and prayers are made in both languages. After breakfast, Hayu and the Tree Tree Tree Person crew head down a steep and slippery overgrown path for about 30 minutes until they reach the foundations of the ruined original Skadang church.

Hong Kong entertainment tycoon Charles Heung, center, and his wife, Tiffany Chan, left, attend an exhibition in Kaohsiung on July 12 last year. Photo: Chang Chung-yi, Taipei TimesHowever, national security officials believe that Heung is a potential security risk, the source said. When China’s National People’s Congress promulgated the National Security Law in Hong Kong, Heung was one of 3,000 celebrities to sign a public statement supporting the controversial legislation, the source said. Being eligible for residency does not mean the application will be granted, the source said, adding that the evaluation process protects national security and the interests of Taiwanese. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲) said that Taiwan must look to its national security as the nation extends its friendship to Hong Kong.

Contacts of domestic case test negative: CECCREBUTTING RUMORS: While the contacts of Taiwan’s COVID-19 case No. 771 have tested negative, those who spread rumors would be held legally liable, the center saidBy Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporter176 people who came in close contact with Taiwan’s COVID-19 case No. 771 have tested negative for COVID-19, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said yesterday, rebutting rumors about possible activity history with links to the nation’s first domestic case of the novel coronavirus since April. The CECC on April 1 published guidelines for the release of information about confirmed COVID-19 cases, Chen said. As the center could identify contacts associated with the case’s other activities, it would not release that information, he said.

DPP passes ractopamine directivesCHRISTMAS SPIRIT? Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang, front row, center, leads KMT lawmakers in a protest of government plans to import US pork containing ractopamine at the legislature in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei TimesOpposition lawmakers from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) voted against the directives. Taiwan Statebuilding Party Legislator Chen Po-wei (陳柏惟) and independent Legislator Freddy Lim (林昶佐) sided with the DPP. KMT caucus deputy secretary-general Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) said: “DPP legislators have castrated themselves by going against the public will.”“They are a rubber-stamp team and the party has become a ‘ractopamine pork’ entity,” she said.

HTC to roll out more 5G smartphones, VR devices: WangBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterHTC Corp (宏達電) chairwoman and CEO Cher Wang (王雪紅) yesterday said that the company is planning to roll out more 5G mobile phones and virtual-reality (VR) devices next year. “Prepare to be amazed,” Wang told reporters, referring to the upcoming VR product releases. HTC launched its first 5G smartphone, code-named HTC U20 5G, in September, giving a boost to its revenue. “The advancement of 5G would be beneficial to HTC, and we have leveled up our VR technology,” she said. HTC and VIA Technologies have suspended their year-end parties after Taiwan on Tuesday reported its first domestic COVID-19 transmission since April.

KMT to launch signature drive for pork referendumAN EATER’s CHOICE? Lin spoke to reporters in front of the Legislative Yuan’s Chun-hsien Building (群賢樓) in Taipei, where KMT lawmakers spent the night to demonstrate their “firm” opposition to the importation of pork with traces of ractopamine. The Referendum Act stipulates that referendums from next year are to be held once every two years on the fourth Saturday of August. The KMT was scheduled to hold a rally outside the Legislative Yuan yesterday, with former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) expected to participate. The KMT livestreamed the voting on Facebook, with KMT Chairman Office director Yeh Hsu-hung (葉旭鴻), KMT Youth Department director Chen Kuan-an (陳冠安), and KMT spokeswoman and New Taipei City Councilor Chiang I-chen (江怡臻) among those providing live commentary.

Property market needs broad fixBy Chang Chin-oh 張金鶚On Dec. 7, and without prior warning, the central bank proposed four targeted financial control measures that went into effect the next day. However, can these measures achieve the result of curbing property speculation and fixing the housing market? We are now being told that house-hoarding tax reform needs to be discussed for another two years. The only way to thoroughly correct the housing market is by establishing a long-term system of laws and regulations. Hopefully, the government’s plan for improving the housing market can make it more rational and give young people hope for their future housing needs.

Centers for Disease Control Epidemic Intelligence Center Deputy Director Guo Hung-wei reports on an imported case of Lyme disease in Taipei on Tuesday. He tested negative for COVID-19, but positive for Lyme disease, Guo said, adding that his symptoms have since been relieved, while his family did not show any symptoms. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted to humans by infected ticks that had bitten infected animals, but it cannot be transmitted through human-to-human contact, CDC physician Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said. Ticks that transmit Lyme disease are mainly found in the temperate climate zone, such as in the US, especially in the northeast, Canada, Europe, Russia, South America, Japan, South Korea and China, he said. There have been 17 imported cases of Lyme disease in Taiwan since the disease was designated as a category 4 notifiable communicable disease in 2007, he added.

Tatung appoints new chairmanSTRATEGY: Lu Ming-kuang, who last worked for the firm in 1972, said that he aims to pay shareholders a dividend next year and have revenues total NT$100bn in five yearsBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterTatung Co (大同) yesterday appointed Lu Ming-kuang (盧明光), former chairman of Sino-American Silicon Products Inc (中美晶), as its new chairman, following the surprise dismissal of outgoing chairman Lin Wen-yuan (林文淵) on Tuesday. New Tatung Co chairman Lu Ming-kuang, center, speaks at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, as Wang Kuang-hsiang, the company’s major shareholder, left, and new president Chung Yi-wen look on. Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei TimesLu, dubbed the “King of Acquisitions,” last worked at Tatung in 1972 as a purchasing head. For years the company was embroiled in boardroom drama as the “company faction” led by former chairwoman Lin Kuo Wen-yen (林郭文艷) wrestled with the “market faction” led by Shanyuan Group (三圓建設) chairman Wang Kuang-hsiang (王光祥). “There are many business practices at Hon Hai that helped us reward high-performing employees and are worthy of consideration, but I am not turning Tatung into Hon Hai, I’m going to optimize Tatung,” he said.

EDITORIAL: Hiking education is crucialDue to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on global travel, Taiwanese have been flocking to domestic attractions “with a vengeance,” a term that entered the Taiwanese lexicon shortly after local restrictions were lifted. Is the proliferation of hiking incidents just growing pains exacerbated by the pandemic, or is there really a serious problem that needs additional measures? That is hard to say, but at least hiking experts agree that much more public education needs to be done. “One must understand the mountain first before tackling it, instead of following the trends and being a mountain tourist,” Wu wrote. The government could also work more with mountaineering experts to improve education — there is a lot more that can and should be done so that Taiwan’s hiking scene gets through its growing pains quickly.