CPC agrees to provide carbon neutral LNG to TSMC
CPC agrees to provide carbon neutral LNG to TSMCBy Angelica Oung / Staff reporterCPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) for a plan to cooperate over the supply of “carbon neutral” liquefied natural gas (LNG). Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister of Economic Affairs Wang Mei-hua (王美花) said the agreement between CPC and TSMC to use carbon neutral LNG is a step in the right direction toward Taiwan’s ambitions to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Photo: Huang Pei-chun, Taipei TimesCPC receives carbon neutral LNG from oil companies such as Royal Dutch Shell PLC, and the company is to use the British Standards Institutions’ PAS 2060 framework to show its results in carbon neutrality and reducing emissions. “As a major importer of LNG, CPC has a duty to keep importing carbon neutral LNG as a part of our energy transition,” CPC president Lee Shun-chin (李順欽) said. “The provision of carbon neutral natural gas products will help domestic manufacturers meet the decarbonization requirements set by Europe and the US.”J.K. Lin (林錦坤), senior vice president of information technology, materials and risk management at TSMC, said the chipmaker requested carbon neutral LNG products at the start of the year.
Source:Taipei Times
September 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
New understanding of military victory urged
New understanding of military victory urgedWIDER NOTION NEEDED: Victory means preventing the enemy from imposing its political will, former chief of the general staff admiral Lee Hsi-ming saidBy Wu Su-wei and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writerThe military should redefine its understanding of victory, which under the current circumstances is not so much winning battles, but preventing the enemy from occupying the nation, former chief of the general staff admiral Lee Hsi-ming (李喜明) said. In light of the US’ defeat in Afghanistan, the military should understand that victory means preventing the enemy from imposing its political will on the nation, he said. Taiwan should ready itself to counter a Chinese aggression and boost its military strength to deter China from attacking, Lee said. Should China make an attempt to force unification, Taiwan needs a military that is strong enough to fight off the attack, he said. Should Taiwan fail to implement a viable civil defense program, it would have no deterrence against communist aggression, he said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Officials condemn China’s ‘cruel’ fruit import ban
China earlier yesterday announced a ban on the importation of the two fruits from today, citing repeated discoveries of Planococcus minor, a type of mealybug. The announcement follows a similar ban on Taiwanese pineapples imposed in February. Wax apples are pictured in Pingtung County in an undated photograph. DPP Legislator Wang Mei-hui (王美惠) also called foul, saying that China does not restrict other nations’ fruit imports. Meanwhile, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) called on the government to rectify the problem through concrete action and bilateral dialogue.
Source:Taipei Times
September 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Financial holding firms’ exposure to US increases 4%
Financial holding firms’ exposure to US increases 4%By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterThe combined exposure of the nation’s financial holding companies to the US last quarter increased 4 percent on a quarterly basis to NT$6.84 trillion (US$246.6 billion), the highest of all overseas markets, due to rising investment in US stocks and bonds, data released on Tuesday last week by the Financial Supervisory Commission showed. In the April-to-June period, the firms’ investment in the US totaled NT$6.08 trillion, up 3 percent from the first quarter, the data showed. Overall, the firms’ combined exposure to the US has risen 89 percent since the second quarter of 2016, when it totaled NT$3.62 trillion, the data showed. CHINA EXPOSUREBy contrast, last quarter, the firms’ exposure to China — the second-largest overseas market — fell for a second consecutive quarter to NT$2.54 trillion, from NT$2.57 trillion in the first quarter. TOP 10The firms’ exposure to the UK (the third-largest overseas market) totaled NT$1.05 trillion, followed by France (No.
Source:Taipei Times
September 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
More emergency military runways, legislator urges
More emergency military runways, legislator urgesBy Wu Su-wei and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNAThe government should build more contingency runways to be used in the event of a Chinese attack on air force bases, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Shih-ying (蔡適應) said on Saturday. However, the exercises highlighted the lack of such contingency runways on the east coast of Taiwan proper, he said. 1 in Pingtung County’s Jiadong Township during the annual Han Kuang military exercises on Wednesday. With Chinese military aggression toward Taiwan on the rise over the past few years, members of the military and the public have been discussing the possibility of building more contingency runways on the east coast, he said. Contingency runways on the west coast are all within reach of Chinese missiles, a miltiary official said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Source:Taipei Times
September 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Farming, tech in focus of trade with Lithuania: group
Farming, tech in focus of trade with Lithuania: groupStaff writer, with CNATaiwan is looking to deepen its trade relations with Lithuania, particularly in the fields of agriculture and technology, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council said on Wednesday. The council, which hosted the meeting, would continue promoting high-quality foods from Lithuania, as the two sides seek to expand bilateral trade of agricultural products, he said. About 60 matchmaking discussions between 24 Lithuanian food companies and their Taiwanese counterparts were held during the meeting, Huang said. Its imports of Taiwanese machinery and information technology products totaled NT$75 million, he added. “I am confident that not just agricultural products, but also the overall volume and value of Taiwan’s imports [from Lithuania] will grow,” Huang said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Water Cannon Salute
TSMC fires seven employees over conduct‘CORE VALUES’: The contract chipmaker did not specify why the employees were dismissed, but media reports said they had leaked information about customer orders Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) has fired seven of its employees for violating the company’s “core values,” the world’s largest contract chipmaker said yesterday. While the company did not disclose exactly why it fired the seven employees, local media reports earlier in the day said that the employees had leaked confidential information about customer orders. In a statement, the company said that it fired the seven at once, adding that it released an internal notice last week to inform the entire company of the move ahead of the four-day Mid-Autumn Festival holilday, which ended on Tuesday. TSMC said it fired the seven
Source:Taipei Times
September 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Compensation raised in financial product disputes
Compensation raised in financial product disputesBy Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporterAmendments to the Financial Consumer Protection Act (金融消費者保護法) took effect on Friday, raising compensation benchmarks to NT$1.2 million (US$43,265) for investment-linked products and NT$120,000 for non-investment products, from NT$1 million and NT$100,000 respectively. The rising benchmark hike follows changes in inflation and economic growth, and aims to enhance consumer protection, the Financial Supervisory Commission said. Under the new regulations, after the Financial Ombudsman Institution (FOI) reviews a consumer complaint regarding a financial product or service, and determines appropriate compensation, the company should accept its decision without ability to appeal. In disputes regarding non-investment products, such as medical insurance, the financial company must accept the FOI’s decision when it involves compensation of NT$120,000 or less under the new regulations, the commission said. The new regulations are not retroactive, and an FOI decision is binding only for financial companies, the commission said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 19, 2021 15:56 UTC
Teen Ostapenkov stuns Schwartzman in Davis Cup match
Teen Ostapenkov stuns Schwartzman in Davis Cup matchReutersBelarusian Daniil Ostapenkov, a teenager who had not played a professional-level match before, on Saturday stunned world No. 15 Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-3 in their World Group I Davis Cup match against Argentina. Daniil Ostapenkov of Belarus returns to Diego Schwartzman of Argentina during their Davis Cup World Group I match at Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club in Argentina on Saturday. 17 Cristian Garin 6-0, 6-1 for his second win of the tie in Bratislava. The eight highest ranked winners from the World Group I ties would go into the Davis Cup qualifiers in February, when they would attempt to qualify for the finals.
Source:Taipei Times
September 18, 2021 20:26 UTC
Allmendinger slides past Cindric to seal win, title
Allmendinger slides past Cindric to seal win, titleAP, BRISTOL, TennesseeA.J. Allmendinger slid sideways across the Bristol Motor Speedway finish line to edge rival Austin Cindric for the win on Friday and the NASCAR Xfinity Series regular-season championship. Instead, a late caution gave Allmendinger a shot to steal a sixth win from Cindric and continue his own fairytale season. Allmendinger’s Chevrolet slides across the finish line in front of Austin Cindric’s Ford at the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Friday. Allmendinger waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Friday.
Source:Taipei Times
September 18, 2021 15:56 UTC
Oil drops on signs of rising Russian exports and gains by the US dollar
Oil drops on signs of rising Russian exports and gains by the US dollarBloombergOil declined amid Russia’s plans to boost upcoming overseas oil sales and as the US dollar rallied. Russia is to increase its oil exports 3 percent in the fourth quarter of this year, Interfax reported. Meanwhile, products like propane that are used in heating and rally seasonally in the winter are trading at multiyear highs as natural gas prices surge. “Fundamentals have gotten better and as long as they continue to improve, oil prices will rise,” said Peter McNally, global head of industrials, materials and energy at Third Bridge. He also said he would be surprised to see oil above US$100 a barrel, despite a strong rebound in demand this year.
Source:Taipei Times
September 18, 2021 15:56 UTC
Wikipedia fights ‘infiltration’ by Chinese group
Wikipedia fights ‘infiltration’ by Chinese groupINFORMANTS? The banned editors had been linked to a group based in China and their attempt to “infiltrate” the Web site posed a threat to the “very foundations of Wikipedia,” the foundation told BBC News. The foundation had been investigating the assault on the Chinese-language Wikipedia for almost a year, BBC News reported, citing foundation vice president of community resilience and sustainability Maggie Dennis. A woman uses the Wikipedia online encyclopedia on an iPad in Cologne, Germany, on Jan. 13. Weeks earlier, the foundation enacted security measures to protect the personal information of Wikipedia users in territories that block access to the Web site, including China, BBC News said.
Source:Taipei Times
September 18, 2021 15:56 UTC
Employers beware: Hiring software could weed out promising jobseekers
Employers beware: Hiring software could weed out promising jobseekersBy Parmy Olson / Bloomberg OpinionFinding the right person for a job can seem impossible when hundreds are applying for a single position at once. Many employers have turned to software to whittle those candidates down, but there is a problem: The software can snub perfectly good workers. While hiring software is often useful, it can also be inflexible, miss valuable traits, such as soft skills, and inadvertently hinder the job market. Some colleges are even preparing their students to deal with hiring algorithms. To be fair, hiring algorithms can be useful.
Source:Taipei Times
September 18, 2021 15:56 UTC
Pele returns to ICU, condition reported stable
Pele returns to ICU, condition reported stableAFP, SAO PAULO, BrazilPele on Friday was briefly transferred back to an intensive care unit (ICU) after breathing difficulties, but was reported to be stable, said the Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo, where he underwent surgery earlier this month. After an operation like this, sometimes you take two steps forward, one step back,” Nascimento wrote on Instagram next to the photo. “He is recovering well, under normal conditions, I promise!” Nascimento wrote. He originally left the ICU unit on Tuesday, telling his fans on social media that he was feeling happier by the day and was looking forward to reuniting with them. The suspected tumor was detected during routine tests, said the hospital, where Pele has been undergoing treatment since Aug. 31.
Source:Taipei Times
September 18, 2021 15:56 UTC
Gausman at-bat silences boos
The San Francisco Giants’ Kevin Gausman, rear, is congratulated by teammate Brandon Belt after a hit that scored Brandon Crawford during their MLB game against the Atlanta Braves in San Francisco on Friday. Instead, Gausman hit a flyball to shallow right field and Brandon Crawford beat the throw home with a head-first slide. I think the fans enjoyed it, seeing a pitcher hit it in the 11th inning... That was just a hell of an at-bat — pitcher, position player, it was a great at-bat,” manager Gabe Kapler said of Gausman. San Francisco starter Logan Webb struck out nine and did not walk a batter, allowing two runs on six hits.
Source:Taipei Times
September 18, 2021 15:56 UTC